Twitter hopes lightning will strike its new Moments feature. On Tuesday, San Francisco-based Twitter introduced Moments, arguably the most important update to the service in its 9-year history. Moments, which was developed under the code name “Project Lightning,” points Twitter users toward discussions taking place across the social network, which has emerged as the go-to …

Wednesday might be a good day to call in sick and go cross something off your bucket list — you know, just in case it’s your last chance. According to the E-Bible Fellowship, there is a “strong likelihood that October 7, 2015, will be the end of the world.” That’s right. You may never watch another football game, see another …

Enlarge ImageThe Microsoft Surface Book. Sarah Tew/CNET Earlier today, we showed you how the new Microsoft Surface Pro 4 compares to the other two most hotly anticipated tablet computers coming to market: the Apple iPad Pro , and the Google Pixel C . We also threw in a MacBook Air for good measure. That was a great comparison if you …

Russian authorities have given Google a November 18 deadline to stop bundling its own apps with its Android software for mobile phones and tablets. By installing its apps on all phones that run Android, Google is abusing its dominant position in the Russian market, ruled the country’s Federal Antimonopoly Service in September. The Mountain View, California, company’s contractual requirements for …

H2L The visual fidelity of virtual reality experiences is rapidly increasing, with designers creating worlds and experiences that inch ever closer to looking real. But Tokyo-based company H2L is trying to create a device that makes VR feel real. UnlimitedHand is a wearable controller that wraps around the forearm and gives you the sensation of touch within your virtual world. …

Swiping a card at the pump is so 2014. Vstock LLC/Tetra Images/Corbis It’s becoming more common to tap your smartphone at Walgreens to pay for cough drops or McDonald’s to buy a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Waving your phone at a gas pump may be next on the list. Visa and Chevron on Tuesday announced an initiative to bring some …

Ted Sarandos is the head of content at Netflix. Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters/Corbis Entertainment of the future will look a lot like Netflix does now — at least, according to a top Netflix executive. “In 10 years…it will be entirely delivered on the Internet. It will be a series of apps that’s closer to what you see on smart TV,” said Ted …

Panos Panay unveils two new Lumias, which go on sale next month. Sarah Tew/CNET Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, the company’s two new premium smartphones. They were a long time coming. Microsoft hasn’t unveiled a flagship smartphone since it acquired Nokia’s devices business in April 2014, releasing just a handful of budget-friendly devices since then. …

Bwin In rugby you get in trouble for a high tackle, but what about a high-tech tackle? As the Rugby World Cup scrums down in England, imagine the futuristic kit that could take to the pitch in coming years. Wearable technology is becoming more flexible and more imaginative in its use, and it’s already making its way into sports such …

Sarah Tew/CNET Most of Microsoft’s hardware announcements leaked prior to its big event — color me unsurprised. But for those of you who like to study the product-debut rituals of tech companies and couldn’t make it to the live-stream or live blog heralding its new wares designed to run Windows 10 and more, recap I will. As expected, the company …

Microsoft’s Panos Panay shows off the new Surface Pro 4 at a press event in New York on Tuesday. CNET Microsoft has beefed up its Surface Pro tablet lineup to better compete with traditional laptops. The Surface Pro 4, unveiled Tuesday at Microsoft’s Windows 10 event, has a 12.3-inch screen, only slightly larger than the 12-inch screen on the Surface …

Now playing: Watch this: Microsoft reveals first-ever laptop, Surface Book 2:34 Microsoft has unveiled its first-ever laptop, a 13.5-inch Windows 10 device dubbed the Surface Book . The Surface Book is “the ultimate laptop,” said Microsoft’s head of devices, Panos Panay, announcing the device Tuesday. It is also, he added, the “thinnest, most powerful PC ever created.” Enlarge ImageMicrosoft’s Surface …

Now playing: Watch this: How to set up the new Google Chromecast 1:53 Google last week announced a brand new Chromecast streaming device. The new model features a slight redesign and includes support for faster 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. The Chromecast allows users to “cast” content from apps such as Spotify, Netflix, Google Photos and YouTube from their smartphones to their …

Enlarge Image Sarah Tew/CNET At its Windows 10 devices event in New York today, Microsoft introduced its first laptop, the Surface Book, and the next iteration of its Surface Pro tablet, the Surface Pro 4. Both the Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4 will be available October 26 (November 12 in Australia), with preorders beginning October 7. Microsoft states …

Enlarge ImageSamsung hopes the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge revitalize its smartphone business. Juan Garzón/CNET Samsung on Tuesday said its operating profit in the third quarter should nearly double from the previous year as comparisons get easier. Still, the level is nowhere near Samsung’s performance two years ago when its Galaxy phones were in high demand. In the third …