Google’s busy week: Android Pay, Fiber, groceries and cars

Google can be a good source of fiber — in more ways than one. Apple is dominating tech headlines with its shiny new gadgets, so you may have missed what’s happening in the world of Google. In this CNET Update, learn about Android Pay, which just launched. Also, Google is expanding its Fiber high-speed Internet …

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Enter for your chance to win* a dorm

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. Enlarge ImageThe high-tech replacement for your lame desk lamp. TaoTronics Hey, hey, it’s contest time! While I’m off doing the Rosh Hashanah thing today, I leave you with a giveaway that will give …

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Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt disses Apple Music

Can machines beat humans at recommending music? Stephen Shankland/CNET Alphabet’s executive chairman couldn’t resist a jibe at Apple Music in a new article. Schmidt played cheerleader for artificial intelligence in a story he wrote called “Intelligent machines: Making AI Work in the Real World” published by BBC News on Saturday. The executive chairman of Alphabet (formerly Google) touted machine learning …

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E

The Ares 8L and Ares 10L are the first Nextbook tablets with support for Verizon’s data network. E-Fun E-Fun on Monday announced a pair of new Android tablets, the Nextboook Ares 8L and 10L, both of which are equipped for Verizon’s 4G LTE network and feature budget-friendly prices. The duo share a number of hardware specifications between them, however there …

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LG plans October 1 event: New flagship smartphone in the works?

LG has something in store for October 1. LG It’s shaping up to be a busy few weeks for LG. Korean electronics giant LG on Monday sent out invitations for an event October 1. There aren’t any details besides the New York location. The event comes just days before Microsoft plans to hold a Windows 10 event in New York, …

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Microsoft event coming to NY October 6: Surface expected

Enlarge Image Microsoft Microsoft just sent out invites for an October 6 event in New York. “We have some exciting news to share about Windows 10 devices,” it says. It’s high time for new Surface tablets, but this could also be a chance for Microsoft to show off its entire lineup of products ahead of the holiday shopping season. Reports …

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Apple: iPhone 6S, 6S Plus preorders ‘very strong’ in opening weekend

Enlarge ImagePreorders for the latest iPhones is “very strong,” says Apple. CNET The new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are seeing robust initial demand, Apple said Monday. Apple on Saturday began taking preorders for its latest iPhones, allowing consumers to lock in their purchases in advance of the actual launch date of September 25. The starting moments weren’t entirely …

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Initial iPhone 6S sales to get a boost from China, analyst says

Enlarge ImageChina will account for a boost this year’s iPhone sales during launch weekend, says one analyst. CNET If the new iPhone 6S line gets off to a hot start, Apple may have consumers in China to thank for helping to light that fire. That’s the perspective from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster in projecting how well the new smartphones …

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Facebook vows to help Germany combat racist, xenophobic content

Facebook is stepping up efforts to remove racist content posted on its German website as the country grapples with an overwhelming influx of refugees. Germany’s Justice minister, Heiko Maas, said after meeting with Facebook executives Monday that the social-networking giant had agreed to work with an Internet watchdog to identify and remove content deemed hateful or xenophobic, according to a …

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Top 40 must

Every time we do an update to our list of must-have Blu-ray discs we always get a bunch of comments about how passé it is to buy physical discs, digital streaming is the way to go. Maybe it is, but some people still like to own physical discs (often those discs now come with a digital copy). And we even …

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Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus: Australian pricing and availability

Another year, another new iPhone series. Following its now traditional system of iterating and tweaking every second year, as opposed to releasing newly designed hardware, we’ll soon have the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus on sale in Australia. The straight pricing might be a bit of a shock to the wallet for many: the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune …

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How to prepare your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch for iOS 9

Enlarge Image James Martin/CNET Apple first announced iOS 9, the mobile operating system that runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad lineups. The update refines Apple’s vision of a mobile computing experience, adding features such as running two apps at the same time on the iPad or markup features for signing documents in the Mail app. The list of …

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Listening to Bowers & Wilkins brand spanking new 800 Series Diamond speakers

Ever since Bowers & Wilkins launched its 801 speaker in 1979, recording industry professionals and audiophiles have held the British company’s 800 Series speakers in high regard. No other company has ever made speakers which so consistently appeal to both groups. Enlarge ImageBowers & Wilkins’ 805 D3 speaker. Steve Guttenberg/CNET With that in mind, I went to a special invitation …

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​Apple TV’s Siri

Now playing: Watch this: Apple TV’s Siri vs Amazon Fire TV, Roku 3 and Nexus Player 1:41 Siri is coming to your TV — and she’s gunning for Roku, Amazon and Google. Earlier this week, Apple unveiled a new version of its Apple TV video streaming box, adding long-awaited features such as an iPhone-like app store, a new touch-enabled remote …

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Headphone buyers: Here’s what you need to know about low

The impedance specification is ignored by most headphone buyers, but it might be one of the most important. Not that anything catastrophic will occur with an impedance mismatch, but you might not get the best sound quality from a headphone with impedance that’s too high or too low for your music player or home amplifier. The Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition headphones …

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