Smartphones can make excellent holiday gifts, but purchasing one for someone other than yourself is more complicated than shopping for other gadgets. Unlike a tablet or a new camera, a smartphone requires a service plan to use any voice or data features — otherwise you wind up with a very expensive paperweight. In some cases, …

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. Enlarge Image Woot Well, folks, as I bid you goodbye until Friday, let me wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It may …

The nerds have taken over the Internet, even more than usual, with a new Google Easter Egg to add to all the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” hype. Simply type “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away” into a Google search (on desktop or mobile) and watch your screen turn to a darkened starscape as John Williams’ …

Many wireless carriers give you a limited data plan for your phone or tablet, and some even have restrictions on the amount of LTE-speed data you can use. But watching each megabyte of data you use isn’t enjoyable or realistic since nearly every smartphone app connects to the Internet. Instead, it’s time to check out Opera Max. This Android app …

There’s a new major player in the streaming world called Tubi TV. The site offers up free movies and TV shows and it landed a big deal with Lionsgate and MGM that will boost its streaming library. Tubi TV has apps for iOS, Android, Roku Amazon Fire TV and the fourth-generation Apple TV. The catch? There are ads. December will …

Is Target offering a fabulous coupon that gives you 50 percent off your entire purchase? No, of course it isn’t. That coupon is 100 percent fake, but this hasn’t stopped thousands of people from sharing it on Facebook. There are a couple of reasons to care about fake coupons. First, the linked coupons you see on Facebook Timelines and Twitter …

Mozilla is doing just fine without the millions of dollars it once pulled in from Google. The developer behind the widely used Firefox browser said Wednesday that it no longer relies on Google for its revenue and is confident new search-engine deals will bring in even more money. For years, Google in effect sponsored Mozilla by paying for Web searches …

Whether you’re planning to brave the lines on Friday, the laggy websites on Monday or just trying to get some holiday shopping done, Google is using a new ad service that might help you out. Instead of looking for deals, the search giant will text the ones you might be interested in to your device. Here’s how to enable this …

Looking for a theme in the movies hitting HBO’s online services in December? Well, let’s name a few movies arriving on HBO Go and HBO Now to try to find what they have in common. “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Brokeback Mountain” both feature Heath Ledger as a romantic lead. “Home Alone” and “Spaceballs” feature protagonists who appear …

T-Mobile is offering Sprint customers a deal they might not be able to refuse for the holidays. The US’ third-largest carrier said Wednesday that it will offer any wireless customer switching to T-Mobile from Sprint or any of Sprint’s prepaid brands, such as Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, an additional $200 bill credit. The credit is in addition to the …

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. Enlarge Image Get in it to win it. ChargeTech My beloved Samsung Series 9 laptop is on its last legs — not because …

As a longstanding Dylan fan, I’ve eagerly devoured each new volume of his “Bootleg Series,” but the latest, “Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12” may be the best yet. It’s chock full of outtakes, rehearsals and alternate takes from the “Bringing It All Back Home,” “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Blonde On Blonde” sessions. The …

Fetch TV has outlined its ambitious plans for the streaming market in 2016, revealing that it will launch a new mini set-top box to challenge the likes of Apple TV and the Roku-powered Telstra TV. The company has also confirmed that it will introduce support for 4K, multi-channel streaming and ‘download to go’ content next year, as well as bringing …

With the holiday shopping season set to formally commence, Verizon wants to help get you in the spirit of giving. The carrier today announced that subscribers can send one gigabyte of data to friends and family as a gift. As the month of November sets in we find there is no shortage of limited-time promotions or discounts to be had. …

In December, Netflix originals are the big news. First up, “A Very Murray Christmas” starring Bill Murray. He’s playing himself and in this movie and he’s attempting to put together a holiday television special. The cast is full of stars including George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones and Chris Rock. Then there’s the new Adam Sandler movie, “Ridiculous …