Have you received a dubious text message that looks like it came from your own number? You’re not alone. Many Verizon customers reported getting similar messages this week, encouraging them to click an obscure link for a gift. The carrier says it’s working with police to stop these texts. “Verizon is aware that bad actors are sending …

Motorola’s Edge Plus phone will be available on Verizon as of March 24, the carrier said on Monday. Motorola’s new high-end device comes with a 6.7-inch screen and ultrawide cameras and seeks to compete against premium phones like Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.  Though Motorola originally said the Edge Plus would have a starting price of $1,000, Verizon said the premium …

If you failed to play your favorite Spotify playlist on Tuesday, you weren’t alone. The giant music streaming service acknowledged that it was experiencing an outage Tuesday and said it was investigating the incident. After just over an hour, Spotify updated customers that they should be able to access the service again. “Everything’s looking much better now!” Spotify Status tweeted …

DirecTV will no longer carry RT America’s programming following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the satellite TV provider said Tuesday. RT is one of Russia’s state-controlled international television networks. DirecTV’s move comes hours after Facebook, YouTube and other social networks announced plans to limit access to Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe, amid calls to crack down on disinformation.  “In line with …

This story is part of War in Ukraine, CNET’s coverage of events there and of the wider effects on the world. All four major US carriers are making it less expensive for you to communicate with relatives and friends in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion this week. T-Mobile is waiving international long-distance and international roaming charges for calls and text messaging made to …

In its latest attempt to limit the proliferation of misleading product reviews, Amazon has filed lawsuits against two companies, the retail giant announced Tuesday. The so-called “fake review brokers” allegedly tried to mislead consumers by posting false reviews on online stores like Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Etsy in exchange for money or free products. The e-commerce giant’s legal actions come after …

Apple will make it easier for iPhone users to accept contactless payments. Later this year, anyone using an iPhone in the US will be able to accept contactless payments via Tap to Pay, removing the need for any additional terminal hardware. iPhone users will be able to “seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other …

Disney Plus tested its livestreaming capabilities for the first time Tuesday morning. The streaming service broadcast live the announcement of the 2022 Oscar nominations. “We performed a test for live streaming capabilities on Disney+ in the U.S. with this morning’s Academy Award nominations,” the company said in a statement. “We are pleased with the results and will continue to test …

Survivors of intimate partner violence searching for help may now have easier access to the National Domestic Violence Hotline thanks to a new feature launched by Google. Starting Tuesday, when people in the US search Google for information related to domestic violence, “they will see a box at the top of the search results displaying the contact information for the …