If documents and photos submitted to the US Federal Communications Commission are to be believed, Samsung is prepping a new voice-activated Bluetooth speaker that looks an awful lot like a potential competitor for the Amazon Echo and the upcoming Google Home. First noticed by Ausdroid, the speaker is currently called “Scoop.” It’s about the same …

Microsoft Office, OneDrive and Skype are wending their way to Lenovo’s Android smartphones. Microsoft and Lenovo announced on Monday a deal in which Lenovo will preload Microsoft’s three productivity applications onto certain Lenovo devices powered by Android. Microsoft Office typically includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other programs. OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud-based storage service through which people can save and …

Wearable-device maker Fitbit did not steal trade secrets from rival Jawbone, a judge for the US International Trade Commission ruled on Tuesday. Judge Dee Lord, who issued the ruling, concluded that no violation of the Tariff Act occurred because “no party has been shown to have misappropriated any trade secret,” according to Reuters. Had a violation of the act been …

Back-to-school shopping is only fun if you’re getting new clothes or a new computer — not so much for printers. But if you need one anyway, the Brother MFC-J480DW is a dependable multifunction inkjet with a fax machine, copier and scanner built into a compact machine. Staples and Office Depot both have it on sale right now for $50 with …

Apple may adopt a key feature from smartphones manufactured by its biggest rival. Next year’s lineup of iPhones could include three different and distinct variants: a “4.7-inch model, another that will be 5.5-inches and a premium handset that will be either 5.5-inches or larger equipped with a screen bent on the two sides,” the Nikkei Asian Review reported Tuesday, citing …

The highly anticipated Windows 10 Anniversary Update dropped earlier this month, but for some users it’s…not great. Specifically, many people found they can no longer use their webcams for things like Skype video chat or Open Broadcaster Software. Microsoft is currently working on a fix, but said fix may not drop until September. If you’re having the webcam issue or …

Like a lot of people — many people? most people? — I spend a good chunk of my day in front of a computer. Because I work from home, I often move from room to room, just to change up the scenery, and even alternate between standing and sitting. But no matter where I go, I suffer from eyestrain. And …

Spotify could be going public in the nex​t year, and it’s apparently hoping to rejig its deals with major music companies before then. The music streaming company is now negotiating with record labels, looking to shave some percentage points off what it pays them, reports the Wall Street Journal. The publication adds that Spotify is said to pay 55 percent …

Would you like a phone that had assembled itself? That’s the idea researchers at MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab have been experimenting with, says a report in Co.Design. The team designed six pieces of hardware and put them inside a spinning drum. After a while the parts clicked onto each other via magnetism and formed two separate cell phones. According to the …

Now playing: Watch this: Amazon might launch a pair of new music services, report… 1:17 Amazon wants to launch a music subscription service that would be half the cost of rival services and run only on its Echo smart speaker, according to Recode. The service would offer unlimited, ad-free music for $4 to $5 a month, half what Spotify and …

Think attending Harvard would guarantee you success in life? Netflix’s new comedy looks to challenge that idea. “Friends from College” will spotlight a group of friends who went to the Ivy League university but decades later take on their 40s and whether that education really led to success in their personal and professional lives. Nick Stoller, who directed “Neighbors” and …

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page. If you’ve ever priced all-in-one printers, you know that they typically run $90-100 and deliver a fairly basic feature set. Today’s deal costs …

Apple may be overhauling its retail store staff positions, a move that could benefit both shoppers and product owners. The iPhone maker is adding three new job titles to its retail staff, the MacRumors blog reported Sunday, citing multiple retail sources. New so-called Pro positions will focus on explaining Apple products to customers. Creative Pros will aim more for teaching …

While on vacation last week (and right after discussing with my sister-in-law how her Instagram account got hacked earlier this year), I went to post a lovely shot from the shores of the Chesapeake only to discover that I was logged out of Instagram. An alert stated that someone in Russia had tried to access my account and in order …

Microsoft has bought Genee, a technology startup making bots to help set meetings and manage your calendar. The company didn’t disclose terms of the takeover in its announcement Monday. Genee’s virtual scheduling assistant is powered by natural language processing, artificial intelligence and chat bots. Co-founder Charles Lee said in a blog post that Genee will cease to operate as a …