One of the best things about coming to Mobile World Congress is getting away from the cold, dreary weather in London and much of the US to spend a few days on the sunny and pleasant Mediterranean coast of Spain. The 2018 show started off that way, but Barcelona on Tuesday, like much of Europe, …

Unlocking the Galaxy S9 might be faster — but that doesn’t mean it’s more secure. Samsung’s newest smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, include a new feature the company calls Intelligent Scan. The technology combines Samsung’s secure iris scanner with its less-secure facial recognition unlock technology.  When unlocking your phone, it first will scan your face. If that fails …

Sport and streaming services are becoming increasingly intertwined. The latest link on the chain? You can now order UFC pay-per-views on Amazon Video. The partnership starts with UFC 222, an event this Sunday headlined by the Women’s Featherweight championship fight between Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya. It’s available for preorder now, costing $65.  While that’s no cheaper than ordering by …

Some of the features of Samsung’s newest phones, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9 Plus, have left me shook. Not because of the onward march of technology but because it feels like Samsung has been spying on me. The new Galaxy phones contain Bixby Vision, a tool within the camera app that uses optical image recognition. You can turn …

Here’s a list of topics we’re discussing in today’s podcast: Spotify files for its long-awaited IPO. Equifax reveals its breach was even bigger. We take a look at Samsung’s new Intelligent Scan biometric tech. Now playing: Watch this: It’s official: Spotify reigns the stream (The 3:59, Ep…. 5:01 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories …

The basic attention token, developed by browser maker Brave Software, uses blockchain to oversee online ad payments that can flow among advertisers, publishers and anyone using its browser. Brave Software The Brave web browser can now channel virtual money from its users to people who stream videogame action on Amazon’s Twitch service. Brave announced the Twitch payment support Thursday, a …

Pitchers and catchers report. When I see or hear those four words, I know the end of winter is near and baseball is gearing up to return. Pitchers and catchers reported to their respective spring training camps a few weeks ago, with position players arriving in Arizona or Florida a few days later. Now, spring training games have begun, and …

If you don’t want to spring for a pricey peanut sensor, then you can use your phone to avoid foods that contain nuts. Here are three free apps that can help peanut allergy sufferers. ShopWell ShopWell is a health app that helps you achieve a wide variety of health goals, but for our purposes here, I’ll focus on its bar …

The worldwide market for wearable tech grew by 10.3 percent in 2017, according to new data from the International Data Corporation, a global provider of market intelligence. Moreover, Apple surged past Fitbit and Xiaomi to claim the top spot thanks to an uptick in Apple Watch sales. “Interest in smartwatches continues to grow and Apple is well-positioned to capture demand,” …

With a chart-topping overall score of 99, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is the new smartphone camera to beat, says DxOMark, creators of some of the industry’s most rigorous and well-respected independent camera tests. The overall score of 99 is the highest DxOMark has ever given, and good enough to edge out the Google Pixel 2 by just one point. …

Samsung’s latest flagship phones are already turning heads, but the prices for the new devices are all over the place. A new Galaxy S9 starts at $720, while the Galaxy S9 Plus starts at $840. But depending on the carrier you buy it on, you might pay a lot more. T-Mobile matches Samsung’s price, but for a limited time. AT&T’s …

Shiny flagship phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Nokia 8 Sirocco are the talk of the town at Mobile World Congress this week. If you like your phones with precision-engineered, wafer-thin edges and expansive glass, you’ll be in heaven. But while these devices are pretty, they don’t necessarily meet the demands of a more outdoorsy lifestyle. Fortunately, …

Cher has landed, the glitter cannons are primed and Australia is getting ready to celebrate Mardi Gras — and you can live-stream the whole thing. Twitter and Facebook are set to broadcast the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday (through the SBS Twitter and Facebook pages), taking one of the world’s biggest LGBTQI events beyond the streets …

I put on a pair of smart glasses and look up at the mock living room before me. On top of a gray wall, I see a colorful bull’s-eye symbol with a “2” on it. Next to it is a bag of balls. Neither is real. I center my gaze at the target and tap a button on the right …

We loved the Debuts, Andrew Jones’ first speakers under the Elac brand — and particularly the B6s. A little rough around the edges, these budget speakers nevertheless offered astonishing sound quality and incredible value. Just two years later the prolific speaker designer has already announced the replacements: the Debut 2.0 range. From what we’ve seen, and heard, these speakers are potentially …