People bought fewer phones last year, even China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, according to market researcher IDC. China’s smartphone market slid 15.7 percent year-over-year last quarter, according to a new report published by IDC yesterday. Throughout last year, it fell 4.9 percent. The findings were released after IDC said last week that global shipment …

Remember when we told you not to eat Tide Pods? Here’s another one: Don’t try to eat phone batteries either. Last Friday, a man walked into an unspecified electronics shop in China, picked up an iPhone battery and bit into it, Chinese media reported Sunday. The battery blew up in his face, literally. Footage of the incident, uploaded to Chinese …

If you think diamond rings are a bit excessive but still savor shiny stones, how about a diamond-studded watch? TAG Heuer added 589 baguette-size diamonds — that’s 23.35 carats — to its latest smartwatch, which it showed off at this week’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Geneve. Diamonds aren’t cheap, and neither is this watch: It costs 190,000 francs, according …

You no longer need to worry about having to remove your Facebook video of your New Year’s Eve countdown party even if it had Ed Sheeran’s Perfect playing in the background. Facebook has just inked a multiyear, multiterritory licensing deal with Sony/ATV Music that will enable its users to upload and share videos featuring songs from Sony/ATV’s collection of 3 …

Social media companies may have been dreading the fireworks marking the start of the new year. On Jan. 1, Germany began enforcing strict rules that could fine major internet sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube up to 50 million euros ($60 million, £44 million, AU$77 million) if they don’t remove posts containing hate speech within 24 hours of receiving …

Wallets could become a thing of the past in China.  Starting next year, the Chinese will no longer have to worry about leaving their identity cards at home, as long as they’re registered users on WeChat. On Monday, the Guangzhou government in China released the country’s first batch of “WeChat identity cards.” They’ll allow citizens to verify their identities through facial …

An Indian lawyer isn’t too happy with WhatsApp’s suite of emojis. Specifically, he wants the “middle finger” removed from the social messaging platform, threatening to sue if it’s not taken down within 15 days of a notice served to WhatsApp, News 18 reported Wednesday. It’s not the first time WhatsApp has received criticism in India. The country’s government has previously …

Instagram is feeling generous as Christmas approaches, and it’s rolled out new features as its contribution to the season of giving. Users can now share live videos with their contacts by direct message, it announced in a blog post yesterday. The move comes as Instagram confirmed it will be testing a messaging app called Direct in selected markets earlier this …

Merry Christmas? Perhaps not for Amazon UK. The online shopping giant could be the subject of an investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Guardian reported Sunday. The ASA said it received five complaints pertaining to late deliveries by Amazon Prime as Christmas approaches. Prime is a membership service by Amazon that, in the UK, promises subscribers “unlimited one-day …

Just one more month and the wait will finally be over. Apple is now offering the unlocked, SIM-free version of its anniversary phone to fans in the US who haven’t decided on a carrier — but there’s still a one-month waiting period. Reports of the iPhone X running in short supply raised questions on when an unlocked iPhone X might …