Enlarge ImageHold the moon in your hand. Tale Design It takes about 29.5 days for the lunar-phase cycle. That means we have to spend a whole month looking at the moon every night to see it go from new to full and back to new, leaving trails of varying crescents along the way. There’s a …
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Let’s face it, the majority of headphones in the $300-to-$500 range are mostly made of plastic. Sure, they might have a few metal parts sprinkled here and there, but plastic is the dominant material. Pick up a Master & Dynamic MH30 ($329 US, £259 UK, AU$479 Australia) and you’ll feel the difference the forged and beautifully finished aluminum ear cups, …
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Editor’s note, October 2, 2015: This review has been updated to include information about how to hide the Nearby section of Spotlight search. Spotlight search is a more proactive assistant with iOS 9. When you swipe down, Spotlight throws four app suggestions at you in addition to the search bar. Swipe right on the home screen and you’ll see a …
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The iPhone 6S may look identical to last year’s iPhone 6, but it’s not the same phone. As with previous S models, Apple put most of the changes on the inside. Like the previous model, the 6S measures 5.44 inches tall and 2.64 inches wide. It’s 0.2 millimeter thicker and about a half an ounce heavier, but I doubt most …
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Both the Google Drive and the Google Photos app for iOS have an auto backup feature. I take so many screenshots and useless photos, however, that I prefer an ad hoc approach where I upload only a select few photos as the need arises. The Google Photos app is handy for creating albums on the fly, where I can quickly …
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The Moto X Pure Edition should soon receive an Android 6.0 update. Josh Miller/CNET Motorola confirmed its intention on Friday to issue Android 6.0 software updates for a number of its smartphones. Additionally, the handset maker says it’s making some changes to the apps that come pre-loaded with the Marshmallow update. Whereas most phone manufacturers typically take months to release …
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Enlarge ImageThank you, dolphin. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET If you drop your cell phone into a large body of water, you don’t have a lot of options. You can wave goodbye and look forward to a new phone. You can go after it, getting soaked in the process. Or you can have a smart dolphin go pick it up …
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Enlarge Image James Martin/CNET The process of copying a word or topic, then pasting it into the address bar to perform a search in mobile Safari takes far too much work. First, you have to tap on the address bar, then press and hold until the dialogue to Select All shows up. Next, you have to delete and then paste …
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Are you running Windows 10 on a brand-new PC? Or did you upgrade one that’s eight years old? Maybe something in between? Whatever your PC’s origin story, there are ways to make it faster. And I don’t mean faster at crunching complex spreadsheets or processing mammoth Photoshop edits; I’m talking about speedier startup, shutdown and Start-menu access. You know, the …
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Enlarge ImageThe SnapPower USB-equipped coverplate snaps into place. SnapPower Congratulations to Joseph L. of Jupiter, Florida, for winning a Zivix Jamstik+ portable digital guitar in last week’s giveaway. This week, we have a power outlet coverplate — with a built-in USB port. Cool, huh? The SnapPower Charger has an unobtrusive USB outlet at the bottom that draws power from the …
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Asus will pre-install unspecified Microsoft “productivity services” on its Android-based smartphones and tablets. Sarah Tew/CNET I’m starting to wonder whether Microsoft has a new strategy when it comes to signing patent-licensing deals with device makers that use Linux, Android or Chrome operating systems. On Thursday, Microsoft announced it had signed an “expanded” patent-licensing deal with Asus that covers the latter’s …
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Enlarge ImageYou can use the new Split View and Slide Over modes with Skype’s iOS app as long as your iPad supports them. Skype Skype has updated its iOS app with benefits for both iPad and iPhone users. Released on Thursday, Skype’s iPad app can now take advantage of the new Split View feature in iOS 9, the latest version …
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Is it time to start blocking AdBlock? Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET 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. I interrupt your regularly scheduled Cheapskatery to bring you this important announcement: Web ads are not evil. Please, put down your torches …
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Jason Cipriani/CNET The camera app on Apple’s new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus has a new shooting mode called Live Photos. At its core a live photo is a regular photo, only Apple tacks on a few seconds of video — before and after you press the shutter button — to bring it to life. The truth is, Live Photos …
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If you’re using a single monitor, the Sideplayer extension for Chrome lets you continue working or surfing while watching your favorite YouTube videos. And if you have multiple monitors, this extension will allow you to continue using them for something other than a dedicated video screen. Grab a copy of Sideplayer on the Google Web Store. You will need to …
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