Facebook has gained a new tool in its escalating rivalry with Snapchat. The world’s largest social network said on Wednesday it’s acquiring Masquerade, a startup founded last year that overlays silly and cartoonish images, like an Iron Man helmet or a gorilla face, on people’s faces as they shoot video. It’s quickly become a top …

I read the news today, oh boy. Sir George Martin, The Beatles’ record producer, passed away at age 90. I wondered, would the Beatles have accomplished so much without him? Sir Paul McCartney paid tribute to Martin, calling him a “true gentleman and like a second father to me.” Martin gave them their big break in 1962 when he signed …

You may get better sound out of the next iPhone, but you might have to do without the standard 3.5mm audio jack. Photos of an alleged iPhone 7 case posted by a blogger on French website Nowhereelse.fr appear to back up previous rumors of dual speakers. But the traditional audio jack is missing in action. The photos clearly show two …

The Photoshop name is so well established you probably consider it a generic verb for manipulating photos. But when it comes to tweaking the look of the photos on your phone, you’re more likely to use Instagram to apply a quick filter. A new survey from CNET and RBC Capital Markets of people using Adobe Systems’ software shows lukewarm adoption …

Facebook has hit a milestone in its quest to connect the developing world to the Internet. Facebook Lite, an Android-exclusive version of the social media platform’s app designed to minimise data expenditure, now has 100 million users, the company said on Wednesday. Available in 150 countries, the app is most popular in India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia and Philippines, the social …

What would happen if FBI agent Fox Mulder switched places with his sister Samantha? What if he was the one abducted by aliens as a child? That’s exactly what happens in “The X-Files Deviations,” a one-shot comic from IDW Publishing. The comic is set in a world where a young Fox Mulder was abducted by aliens and never returned, says …

Android users, get ready for split screen on your smartphone. Google revealed the next flavor of Android’s operating system , code named Android N. Only software developers get the chance to tinker with it now, since it’s unfinished. But watch CNET Update for an overview of the new features, and why it’s so unusual for Google to release it now: …

Call it “Fore!” K. DirecTV says it will broadcast all four rounds of The Masters golf tournament in 4K resolution, starting April 7. According to the company this is the first live 4K broadcast in the country, and as far as we know they’re correct. Only a select portion of the tourney will appear in 4K, however. “AT&T will broadcast …

Of all my many desires in life, a watch with Swarovski crystals has never been one of them. Diamonds and jewels aren’t really my thing, but at CES 2016, when I tried on the new blinged-out Huawei Watch that’s geared toward women, I couldn’t help but feel beautiful. I was like a bride trying on her wedding dress for the …

Microsoft has finally integrated Skype into Windows. The voice and video messaging service now comes preinstalled in Windows 10 across three different native apps: Skype Video, Messaging and Phone. What does this mean for you, aside from the fact that you no longer need to download Skype’s desktop client to video chat with your mom? Well, if you already use …

Armchair travelers, take note. Google would like to help you plan your dream vacation directly from within mobile search results. The tech giant announced Tuesday that it has created its own destination guides intended to make travel planning easier. Include the word “destination” in your Google search query on mobile and you’ll see a number of flight and hotel options, …

Now playing: Watch this: 5 new features coming to Android N 1:14 Android fans, there’s a reason to be happy today. Google just announced Android N, the developer preview of the next version of its mobile operating system. Surprised to see a new version of Android so soon? Yeah, us too. Google’s starting early with this “work-in-progress” version (as they …

Apple’s iPhone remains top dog in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, but sales growth there has weakened. For the three months ended January, the iPhone took home a smartphone market share of 25 percent in urban China, research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on Wednesday. Though that number helped Apple keep its top spot, the rate of growth was …

The Klipsch R-15PM is smaller than I expected it would be from the pictures. It’s a mere 12.5 inches high, but from the front it looks like a near twin of the Klipsch RP-150M monitor speaker I raved about in October. The R-15PM’s inputs and connectors make it obvious that this speaker has built-in power amplifiers. The RP-150Ms don’t, they’re …

As shown by the recent news of ransomeware aimed at Macs, surfing the Internet can be hazardous. According to one Malaysian official, one of the risks is opening yourself up to black magic. Jazannul Azriq Aripin, a communications officer at government ministry CyberSecurity Malaysia, said he’s aware of cases where shamans, or “bomoh,” have snagged pictures of their victims from …