Instagram is making it easier to get your account back from hackers

Instagram is testing new features that could make it harder for hackers to steal accounts and hold them for ransom. Hackers have been targeting high-profile Instagram accounts owned by influencers, and threatening to delete them unless victims pay up. First reported by Motherboard, victims had to pay more than $100 to retrieve their accounts, some …

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Why Microsoft is selling Huawei laptops again

Microsoft’s online store has resumed selling Huawei laptops, after disappearing MateBooks from the Microsoft Store after the Chinese tech giant was blacklisted by the US. The US last month added Huawei to its “entity list,” and President Donald Trump signed an executive order essentially banning the company in light of national security concerns that Huawei had close ties with the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly denied …

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AT&T’s DirecTV reportedly considering merger with Dish satellite

Satellite TV provider Dish Network is reportedly considering a merger with AT&T’s DirecTV service. AT&T and Dish have no active deal talks ongoing, however, Reuters reported Friday. Dish Network’s spectrum holdings — it has been hoarding spectrum for years but has yet to build out its own satellite network — could also be a valuable acquisition for AT&T as it …

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2020 iPhone will have 5G, top analyst says

While still over a year away, Apple’s 2020 line of iPhones is already starting to come into focus with a new report from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo providing additional details on what we can expect.  Spotted by MacRumors, next year’s lineup will apparently include 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch high-end models (potential successors to the current XS line) as well as a 6.1-inch …

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Apple’s Tim Cook throws shade at Silicon Valley in Stanford speech

Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t just try to inspire Stanford University graduates with his commencement speech on Sunday. He also took a few shots at Silicon Valley. Cook’s speech called out Silicon Valley, which he says traces its roots back to Stanford, for taking credit without accepting responsibility. He brought up data breaches, privacy violations and false promises of miracles. Although …

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Adobe’s Fresco drawing app for iPad builds AI physics into its brushes

Fresco is Adobe’s new name for its forthcoming iPad drawing app that builds in the physics of ink, paper and paint. The app, which Adobe debuted in October as a research effort called Project Gemini, is due to arrive later this year. There are lots of apps for drawing, sketching and painting on iPads, Android and Windows tablets. Among them …

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Minecraft: Story Mode prices jump on Xbox 360

When Telltale Games shut down in 2018, there were questions about what would happen to the games that had already been released. One particular series is on its way out and has seen a big price increase — but for a good reason. In 2015, Minecraft developer Mojang partnered with Telltale for an adventure game based on the hit creative, …

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The Samsung Galaxy Buds are on sale for $100

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced its answer to Apple’s insanely popular AirPods: The Samsung Galaxy Buds, wire-free earphones that can charge wirelessly. Better still, they can charge wirelessly by piggybacking on one of Samsung’s new Galaxy S10 phones, which is pretty freakin’ cool. Read CNET’s Samsung Galaxy Buds review to learn more. Read more: Galaxy Buds vs. AirPods   At $130, the Galaxy Buds are …

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Amazon quietly shuts down shopping social network Spark

Amazon appears to have closed down its Spark social networking platform. The closure comes less than two years after Amazon launched Spark as its social media play in July 2017. Spark was focused on users posting images, stories and ideas about products and purchases, and was originally launched only for Amazon Prime members. Other users could then react with “smiles” and …

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You can win* an ultimate live TV and streaming bundle

Hope you’re ready to start or expand your streaming library, because CNET and TV Guide  are giving away three awesome bundles that’ll be sure to have you binge-watching all summer! Our grand-prize bundle includes an Apple TV 4K, a $25 gift Card to CBS All Access and a $100 gift card to a streaming service of choice (HBO Now, Hulu or Netflix). The grand …

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Elon Musk says he deleted his Twitter account, and we’re all confused

The Twitter account of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has long been one of the wackier places on the internet. Musk might’ve taken it a step further, changing his Twitter handle to Daddy DotCom and tweeting that he was done with the social media site.  “Just deleted my Twitter account,” Musk tweeted early Monday. Just deleted my Twitter account — Daddy …

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Huawei expects to take $30B hit from US ban

Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei said Monday that the Chinese phone maker’s troubles with the US could take a huge toll on the company in the coming months. Speaking from the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, Zhengfei said he expects up to $30 billion could be wiped off Huawei’s revenue expectations for 2019.  Zhengfei’s statement is a marked departure from previous statements …

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Wacom Bamboo Ink Plus adds tilt, rechargeable battery to its repertoire

If you feel like stepping up to a more premium-feeling pen for your Windows 10 two-in-one or tablet to create or to annotate, Wacom’s ready for you. The Bamboo Ink Plus improves on its predecessor in several ways — it’s better designed overall — while still retaining its ability to connect to any Windows Ink-compatible device via either Wacom AES …

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WarnerMedia could acquire J.J. Abrams content for $500 million

WarnerMedia has reportedly beat out Apple, NBCUniversal and other media companies to secure streaming content from J.J. Abrams. The deal is worth around $500 million, a report says. Abrams runs media company Bad Robot with his wife, Katie McGrath. Bad Robot is responsible for shows and movies including Westworld, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Lost, Fringe, Mission: Impossible Fallout, …

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