Edward Snowden has joined a growing group of privacy experts criticizing Google for not integrating end-to-end encryption as a default feature in its new Allo messaging app. In a tweet the NSA whistleblower called Allo “dangerous” and warned his followers against using it. Allo has an incognito mode that promises end-to-end encryption through the popular …

It’s clear that Microsoft is trying to phase out the Control Panel and replace it with the prettier, touch-friendly Windows 10 Settings menu. In Windows 10 you can change most (but not all) of your computer’s basic settings in the new Settings menu, which has a permanent home in the Start menu, right above the Power button. Related stories Microsoft’s …

The Internet will always have an endless supply of two things: trolls and jokes. That’s in case America’s presidential elections become more civilized and we need to tap into a backup stockpile to get our fix of both. A recent trend on Facebook that started with one of the more infamous Internet trolling achievements of our time has turned into …

Google and Levi Strauss are showing off their latest wear: a commuter smart jacket. The tech giant and denim maker on Friday unveiled the jacket, which is part of their Project Jacquard collaboration geared toward cyclists on the move. The jacket will be available in a beta version this fall with a widespread release planned for next spring. It wasn’t …

Whenever we talk about artificial intelligence, someone inevitably mentions Skynet, the destructive machine system in the Terminator movies. But we shouldn’t be worried about a dystopian rise of the robots. At least that’s the opinion of John Giannandrea, Google’s chief of search and the company’s former AI boss. Why? Because we’re so far away from anything that would even resemble …

Looking for the latest iPhone? Well, Sprint and AT&T are launching similar “buy one, get one free” campaigns for Apple’s big product. The rival carriers said Friday the 4.7-inch Apple iPhone 6s and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus were both part of the deals. Rival carriers Sprint and AT&T are offering buy one, get one free promotions for the iPhone …

Congratulations to Dan D. of Malden, Massachusetts, for winning a fixie bike from Critical Cycles last week, and to Jason B. of Las Vegas for winning a Blu-ray copy of “Deadpool” and a prop from the movie’s set the week before that. With summer almost upon us, you might have some international travel planned (if so, I envy you greatly). …

While Google was laying out its agenda this week in California, Apple was making some serious moves of its own halfway ’round the world. With Apple CEO Tim Cook in India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Apple said Wednesday it would establish an iOS design and development accelerator in Bengaluru, the country’s home of startups. A day later, Cook …

A Taiwanese iPhone parts supplier has predicted that an upcoming variant of Apple’s handset will feature glass casings. Catcher Technology CEO Allen Horng made the prediction at a shareholder meeting on Thursday, the Nikkei Asian Review reports. Though Catcher currently builds metal frames for iPhones, Horng said he does not expect such a move to impact his business, since an …

Google has shown off all its new surprises at its I/O developer conference this week and we’ve been all over it like a pervasive rash. This week on the CNET UK podcast, Andy Hoyle and Luke Westaway discuss the new things you can expect from Android N, Google’s fancy new Daydream VR system and whether or not your next smartwatch …

Raspberry Pi computers are incredibly fun to tinker with and make it both affordable and possible to have a computer dedicated to one or two very specific tasks around your house. The applications for Raspberry Pi are virtually limitless, especially with the growing interest in smart homes. But there are some things you should know before you dive into the …

After seeing Marvel’s latest superhero blockbuster film, “Captain America: Civil War,” self-proclaimed geek and talk show host Stephen Colbert noticed something rather disturbing during the movie. “The Marvel Cinematic universe is kind of a sausage fest,” Colbert told “The Late Show” audience on May 18. (Disclosure: “The Late Show” runs on CBS, parent company of CNET.) Related stories After ‘Marvel’s …

If you were worried Microsoft might do away with the Control Panel completely in favor the new Windows 10 Settings menu, one glance at the Devices tab should alleviate your fears. In earlier versions of Windows 10, the Devices tab was surprisingly useless — you couldn’t manage your devices or fix any issues from this menu. But in the Windows …

Taking a course in making movies from a famous, unconventional director is a rare opportunity. Now students can get advice from New German Cinema director Werner Herzog in an online filmmaking class at MasterClass. Herzog — best-known for making over 70 groundbreaking films and documentaries such as “Into the Abyss” and “Grizzly Man” — has a reputation for making some …

Video streams don’t pay the bills. That’s the takeaway from a report on UK musicians’ revenue in 2015 by the British Phonographic Industry, the record label association that promotes British artists including Adele and Sam Smith. The number of views on YouTube and other sites was explosive last year, rising 88 percent from 2014, to 26.9 billion plays, BPI said. …