On this podcast, we talk about: CNET’s review of the iPhone XR. Now playing: Watch this: iPhone XR: Apple’s version of a ‘value’ phone (The 3:59,… 4:55 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET News team in New York and producer …
Read More »Ben Fox Rubin
Walmart adding millions more items to two
Walmart’s two-day deliveries inventory is about to get a lot bigger. The world’s largest retailer said Monday it’s adding millions more items to Walmart.com’s two-day shipping program starting next month, just ahead of the holiday shopping season. Walmart’s website offers over 75 million products, with millions of them already available for free two-day shipping, so long as a customer spends …
Read More »New Square Terminal gussies up the drab credit card reader
Square wants to refresh the often unloved credit card reader. The payments company on Thursday introduced its newest piece of hardware, Square Terminal, a card reader that looks more modern than the typical worn-out, bulky-plastic terminal you may find at a local corner store. It’s mobile, thanks to a rechargeable battery, has a large touchscreen and even has a built-in …
Read More »Sonos in talks to add Roku’s voice assistant to its devices
Sonos and Roku may soon become closer buddies. The two device makers are in preliminary talks about integrating Roku’s new entertainment software, Roku Connect and Roku Entertainment Assistant, into Sonos’ audio gadgets, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Such a partnership would potentially allow voice commands to be sent to a Roku TV or Roku streamer via a …
Read More »Huawei Mate 20 Pro throws in the kitchen sink (The 3:59, Ep. 474)
On this podcast, we talk about: The new Huawei Mate 20, which can wirelessly charge other phones, has an in-screen fingerprint sensor and three rear cameras. Electric scooters from two companies, Scoot and Skip, roll out in San Francisco. Lime, Uber, Spin and Lyft aren’t happy about it. The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories …
Read More »eBay tells Amazon: ‘Stop stealing our sellers’
As two of the top e-commerce sites, Amazon and eBay are constantly competing to bring on top sellers to their sites. But, eBay is accusing Amazon of going too far in that battle. eBay on Wednesday said its rival pulled together an international, coordinated and illegal effort to target eBay’s best sellers and move them over to Amazon’s site. “We …
Read More »Amazon raises its minimum wage to $15 to quiet critics
Amazon on Tuesday said it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour in the US, a response to mounting pressure over its wages and its treatment of warehouse workers. “We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. …
Read More »Do you still trust Facebook after this latest breach? (The 3:59, Ep. 466)
On this podcast, we talk about: Facebook on Friday disclosed a new data breach affecting 50 million users. Tesla CEO Elon Musk agrees to step down as chairman and pay fines in a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC sued Musk over a tweet he sent out in August that inaccurately claimed he had secured funding to …
Read More »A visit to the new Amazon 4
Amazon on Thursday swung open the doors to its latest store concept, called Amazon 4-star. It’s only one store in Manhattan, but judging by the commotion on day one, people were certainly interested. The premise for the 4,000-square-foot store is pretty simple: All the roughly 2,000 products stocking the shelves are rated four stars or higher, are top sellers, or …
Read More »Amazon unveils yet another store concept: Amazon 4
Amazon apparently isn’t done testing out new store concepts. On Wednesday, the company introduced Amazon 4-star, a physical store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood that includes products that are rated 4 stars and above, are top sellers, or are new and trending on Amazon’s website. The new location will include devices, consumer electronics, kitchen wares, home products, toys, books and …
Read More »