Katie Collins

Sony tells its CES 2017 secrets: Wednesday 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m ET (live blog)

Sony’s got tech heritage coming out of it eyeballs, but does it have the power to shake up CES? Unlike rivals LG and Samsung, the company has kept a tight lid on its plans for CES this year. Sony’s CES 2017 teaser page promises new products and includes the tagline: “Countdown to innovation.” Sony’s event …

Read More »

Facebook celebrates New Year with virtual firework displays

From Sydney to San Francisco, New Year’s Eve always goes off around the world with the whizzes, pops and bangs of fireworks. This year, Facebook is joining in with a display of its own. Whenever Facebook users post, comment or tap on a New Year’s Eve trigger phrase — “Happy New Year” being the prime example — a fireworks animation …

Read More »

Facebook brings group video chats to Messenger

Facebook is making it easier for you and your family to be together even if you’re not physically together this Christmas with the launch of group video chat for Messenger. The addition to Messenger is the most-requested feature ever, the social network said Monday. Group video chat will begin rolling out immediately to mobile users of the Messenger app. It’s …

Read More »

Seven

A seven-year-old Syrian girl who has 326,000 Twitter followers has been safely evacuated from the city of Aleppo, the Syrian American Medical Society confirmed on Monday. Bana Alabed and her family are among many Syrian civilians, including at least 2,700 children, who were allowed to leave rebel-held zones in northern Syria over the weekend. Alabed, who was pictured in a …

Read More »

Samsung could ring LG for phone batteries after Note 7 debacle

Samsung seems to be doing everything within its power to avoid a repeat of the great Galaxy Note 7 battery crisis of 2016. That might even include buying batteries from LG, according to a Reuters report published Monday. Samsung currently sources its phone batteries from Samsung SDI, a subsidiary of the company, and China’s Amperex Technology, but could be set …

Read More »

Facebook Messenger chats up zippier camera, Snapchat

Facebook knows people get snap-happy over the holidays but would prefer they don’t get Snapchat-happy. Over the next few days, Facebook’s Messenger app will introduce a new quicker-to-launch, quicker-to-shoot camera, the company said Thursday. A bunch of Snapchat-esque masks and effects are coming too. related content Facebook wants to be your new games arcade Facebook to launch 360-degree live videos …

Read More »

Uber goes with the glow to help you spot your ride

Uber is adding color to your ride home in the form of glowing beacons designed to help you more easily identify your driver. The ride-hailing company is set to roll out the feature in four cities globally in preparation for New Year’s Eve, one of its busiest nights of the year. Drivers in Miami, Denver and Nashville in the US …

Read More »

Nokia bids Microsoft farewell with $26 Snake

Nokia is back, but not with much a bang. The familiar Finnish phone brand once again graces new handsets, unveiled Tuesday by a company called HMD Global. HMD, a startup also based in Finland, is the manufacturing partner that Nokia has chosen to make phones bearing its name. These are the first Nokia phones in years not to be made …

Read More »

Amazon Prime Video goes global

Amazon is spreading its tendrils far and wide with the launch of Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories The company announced on Wednesday that its most popular shows, including “The Grand Tour,” “Transparent” and “The Man in the High Castle,” can now be watched around the globe. Previously the service was only available in a handful of …

Read More »

Selena Gomez crowned queen of Instagram for 2016

Selena Gomez has nabbed the title of most popular celebrity on Instagram, for the second year in a row. The star accounted for eight of the top 10 most-liked celebrity photos in 2016 and has more than 103 million followers. Only Instagram itself has more. Gomez’s most-liked photo this year was a Coca-Cola ad, with 5.9 million likes. Selena Gomez …

Read More »