You heard how the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire. Maybe you even experienced it yourself. And now, a year and two massive recalls later, you’re wondering: Is the new Note 8 any safer? Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The reality: Despite Samsung’s massive investment in safety and quality control, outlined below, …

On May 30, Essential founder Andy Rubin said he’d ship his stunning Essential Phone within 30 days.  On July 22, he said it was coming “within a few weeks.” On August 16, the company said the first preorders would ship within 7 days. None of those things happened. But Essential tells CNET the phone is finally shipping today, August 25. …

HTC knows you’re still on the fence re: virtual reality, so today it’s sweetening the deal. Starting Monday, an HTC Vive VR headset and controller kit will cost just $600, £600 or AU$1,000.  Make no mistake, that’s a huge price cut — a full $200, £160 or AU$400 cheaper than you’d have to pay yesterday. It’s the first time the …

Google is now officially counting down to Monday, Aug. 21 — but not just because it appreciates a good solar eclipse. The company has just announced it will fully reveal Android O, the next revision of its popular operating system, as soon as the sun is blotted out of the sky. You can find the company’s countdown clock right here, …

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Note 8 will try to win back burned Note 7 fans 3:32 On Wednesday, August 23, Samsung will reveal its most hotly anticipated phone in years — partly because the Galaxy Note 8 will almost certainly be the company’s highest-end flagship device and partly because the previous version had a tendency to burst into flames. …

Well, this is a weird one. CNBC is reporting that health insurer Aetna has been having secret negotations with Apple to bring free or discounted Apple Watches to millions of covered employees.  Admittedly, that sounds pretty great. The only problem: There’s nothing secret about that idea. Aetna publicly told us that it’d start subsidizing Apple Watches for employees on its …

Now playing: Watch this: DJI’s new drones are ready to tackle tougher jobs 1:46 Two weeks ago, the US Army pulled the plug on military operations using DJI’s popular drones. According to a leaked memo that’s been confirmed by multiple officials, the Army believes DJI’s products have “cyber vulnerabilities” — and decided to ban them all. “Cease all use, uninstall …

Of all the mythical creatures in Pokemon, few are as famous and destructively powerful as Mewtwo, an evil lab experiment who tried to wipe out humanity in its very own feature film.  Now, he’s joining the cast of the Pokemon Go mobile game as well. But you’ll need to be a pretty dedicated player to even have a shot of …

Just 10 days ago, Bloomberg reported that the next Apple Watch would have built-in LTE cellular connectivity — meaning you wouldn’t need a nearby phone to use many of its features. Now, noted Apple leaker and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has corroborated the Bloomberg report — and added some new tidbits to the rumor. As cited by 9to5Mac, the analyst says …

No, it’s not the only glowing cube PC you can buy.  But it might be the only one that will attempt to absorb your humanity into its cybernetic collective mind. This is the Borg Cube, an officially licenced Star Trek computer with a rather distinct chassis. And it’s not just about the looks: This PC seems remarkably small considering the …