Firefox parent Mozilla is taking its battle against Adobe Flash a few steps further. In 2017, Firefox will require “click-to-activate approval” from you before you can trigger Flash-enabled videos and other Flash content on a website, Mozilla engineering manager Benjamin Smedberg said Wednesday in a blog post. This means the Flash content will remain dormant …

The Apple Watch saw a hefty drop in global shipments last quarter but still managed to top the charts. Shipments for Apple’s wearable dropped to 1.6 million in the second quarter, from 3.6 million in the same quarter a year ago, IDC reported Thursday. Over the same period, the device’s market share sank to 47 percent from 72 percent. Among …

Verizon subscribers who chew off lots of 4G data under an unlimited plan better enjoy it while it lasts. The company is cooking up an Unlimited Data Plan Migration for people who use the highest amount of unlimited data, Android news blogger Droid Life said on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. On Thursday, the biggest data gobblers will start getting notices …

T-Mobile has cooked up another special deal for its customers. The carrier will provide unlimited high-speed data, free calls and free texting for the month of August to any Simple Choice postpaid subscribers who travel to Brazil, CEO John Legere said in a blog item Thursday. Offered to honor the Summer Olympics, which take place in Rio de Janeiro next …

Sign up for Apple Pay at an Apple Store, and you’ll get a $5 or £5 gift card for your effort. The promotion, which started this week, works as follows, according to blog site MacRumors: Buy something at an Apple Store, and an employee will ask if you wish to use Apple Pay. If you haven’t yet tried the mobile …

Starting with Windows 8 and continuing with Windows 10, Microsoft has offered you the ability to set up either a local account or a Microsoft account. There are some pros and cons to each. And Windows 10 is less dependent on a Microsoft account than was Windows 8. But a Microsoft account is the way to go if you want …

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 7 has been the subject of countless rumors, and a new image allegedly reveals what it will look like. The image — a drawing, not a photo — was tweeted by known leaker @evleaks, aka Evan Blass, and first published at blog site VentureBeat. The device features a dual curved display, which backs up previous reports …

iPhones could be persona non grata in Iran unless Apple takes measures to comply with the country’s anti-smuggling requirements. The Iranian government has kicked off a new project to ban potentially smuggled mobile phones, The Japan Times said on Tuesday, citing a report from Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. Scheduled to start this week, the plan will require all mobile phones …

The next iPhone may not exactly shoot up the sales charts, according to a new poll conducted by online magazine Quartz. Just 10 percent of US iPhone owners said they would be likely or very likely to upgrade this year if Apple doesn’t redesign its marquee product, according to a survey of 525 US iPhone owners. That’s a significant difference …

Apple Pay has arrived in the land of boutiques, brasseries and Bordeaux wine — France. Later Tuesday (US-time), Apple Pay also went live in Hong Kong. The French website for Apple’s payments service now shows Apple Pay to be compatible with Mastercard and Visa credit and debit cards issued by Carrefour Banque and Ticket Restaurant as well as Banque Populaire …