Enlarge ImageKevin Weil, Twitter’s head of product (right), talks about the company with Kara Swisher at Code Mobile. Shara Tibken/CNET HALF MOON BAY, California — Twitter’s task over the next year is making its product simpler to attract new users and adding functionality to keep current users happy, the company’s head of product said Wednesday. …

Enlarge ImageSamsung hopes the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge revitalize its smartphone business. Juan Garzón/CNET Samsung on Tuesday said its operating profit in the third quarter should nearly double from the previous year as comparisons get easier. Still, the level is nowhere near Samsung’s performance two years ago when its Galaxy phones were in high demand. In the third …

Enlarge ImageEl Capitan streamlines the Apple experience. Karl Mondon/ZUMA Press/Corbis Mac users don’t have to wait any longer to update their software. Apple on Wednesday released the latest version of its Mac OS X software, dubbed El Capitan, to users for free. Mac owners can download the update by going to the Mac App Store or by clicking this direct …

Enlarge ImageBox CEO Aaron Levie (left) and Apple CEO Tim Cook chat about enterprise technology. Josh Miller/CNET SAN FRANCISCO — That dream for a touchscreen Mac running iOS may never come true. Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday dismissed the assumption that Apple will merge its iOS mobile software with its OS X computer software — which means iPads and …

Enlarge ImageSamsung Pay works with older retail terminals, not just those with near-field communication chips like Apple Pay. James Martin/CNET Stateside Samsung phone users can now leave their wallets at home. Samsung Pay, the company’s mobile payments service, went live in the US on Monday. The service lets users pay for items using their phones or upcoming Gear S2 smartwatch, …

Enlarge ImageSamsung’s new office in San Jose houses the company’s semiconductor business. Samsung SAN JOSE, California — Samsung on Thursday officially opened its newest US offices, giving the company a bigger presence in Silicon Valley. “We really want to leverage the [new site] as the foundation for our presence in Silicon Valley,” Jim Elliott, corporate vice president of memory marketing …

Enlarge ImageHuong Dinh (left), Viet Nguyen (second from left) and other neighbors started camping out for the iPhone at Apple’s downtown San Francisco store on Tuesday evening. Shara Tibken/CNET SAN FRANCISCO — The new iPhone doesn’t hit store shelves until Friday, but some eager buyers have already started lining up. Six Vietnamese people, who say they’re neighbors in San Francisco, …

Enlarge ImageThe Apple Watch finally gets its software update. James Martin/CNET The long-awaited software update for Apple’s first wearable device was made available on Monday following a delay brought about by a bug found during the testing process. Apple last Wednesday delayed the Watch OS 2 software, which was supposed to greatly enhance the capabilities of its smartwatch, including allowing …

Apple and Samsung have been battling over patents for years. CNET A US appeals court on Thursday ruled Samsung should have been banned from using certain patented Apple features in its devices, giving the California company a victory in the prolonged patent infringement suit between the two mobile giants. A jury in May 2014 had determined Samsung infringed three Apple …

Enlarge ImageThe Apple Watch can now run apps on the device itself, letting users tap into more features. CNET You’re going to have to wait longer for your Apple Watch software update. Apple on Wednesday delayed the Watch OS 2 software update for its wearable device, citing bugs. It didn’t specify when the software would be available. “We have discovered …