Ry Crist

AT&T feature blocks fraud calls ‘at the network level’

Spam, scams and fraud are nothing new in the world of telecommunications, but now, AT&T wants to stop those kinds of nuisance calls from ever reaching your phone in the first place. Its secret weapon: a new feature, launching Wednesday, called Call Protect. Enlarge Image AT&T wants to stop spam before it reaches your phone. …

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FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to make way for Trump appointee

Federal Communications Committe Chairman Tom Wheeler will be stepping down from his post on January 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration. Appointed more than three years ago by President Obama, Wheeler oversaw the passage of net neutrality regulations centered on the idea that all traffic online should be treated equally. For instance, internet service providers shouldn’t be allowed …

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WordPress now lets you publish and view virtual reality content

Virtual reality is continuing to creep into the everyday online experience. Its latest advance: the blogging platform WordPress, where you’ll now be able to upload and share VR and 360 degree content right on your site. Readers will be able to view the content in their browsers, and they’ll also be able to click a “VR” button to view everything …

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Instagram hits 600 million users after year of rapid growth

Here’s a story for you: Instagram now has more than 600 million users, 100 million of whom joined up in just the past six months. Enlarge Image Instagram’s “Stories” feature has yielded huge growth for the platform. Sharon Profis/CNET The rapid growth comes after a year that saw the debut of the Snapchat-like “Instagram Stories” feature that allows users to …

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Martin Shkreli fires up Wu

The morning after Donald Trump’s Election 2016 victory, hedge fund founder and former pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli appears to be making good on a promise to mark the occasion. He’s releasing the Wu-Tang Clan album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” — the lone copy of which he purchased for $2 million in 2015. Just hours after Trump won the …

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Pandora rocks a redesigned web interface with new features

Music-streaming service Pandora has always offered quick, convenient access to algorithmic playlists — now its redesigned website wants to help you interact with those tunes in new ways. Enlarge Image Pandora’s new web interface showcases new artist-specific info, along with additional features for both free and paid subscribers. Pandora The rejiggered online interface comes packed with extra info for each …

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Couch potato paradise from Logitech’s new Alexa skill

“Imagine a remote control capable of switching channels on your television right from its spot on the table, one that requires no clumsy fumbling about with the hands to operate. That bold, inactive future is here.” That’s a fake quote from a fake Sony executive in a fake news story published in The Onion almost 20 years ago. The headline? …

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Hillary trolls Trump, raises money each time he tweets

It’s no secret that Twitter is Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s favorite platform, but now he’ll be putting money into his opponent’s pocket each time he clicks Send. Enlarge Image Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET It’s all thanks to an admittedly clever new “Troll Trump” fund-raising tool from the Hillary Clinton campaign. Supporters pledge to donate a set amount of money …

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David Brent of ‘The Office’ is headed to Netflix

He’s a friend first, boss second. Entertainer third, probably. And now he’s getting a chance to chase that third calling right to your TV set. Enlarge Image David Brent is back, and headed to Netflix. LOTR Films He’s David Brent, the main character from the original, UK version of “The Office” — the most successful BBC comedy of all time. …

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‘Improved’ Spotify controls coming to Samsung’s new smart TVs

An updated, “improved” Spotify experience is headed to 2015 and 2016 Samsung smart TVs, offering both free and premium subscribers streaming music controls tailored for the big screen. Users will be able to sync those controls up with Spotify Connect on their computer or mobile device, with an aim to make it easier to listen to music while multi-tasking throughout …

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