Google updates logo, remaking it for the mobile age

Google says its new logo is better for a world where people use more devices. Google Google, in the process of reinventing itself as an empire of companies, gave its colorful logo a face-lift. The search giant unveiled a new corporate logo Tuesday, a few weeks after surprising the world with a massive restructuring that …

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Google faces new group in Europe designed to hit it with lawsuits

Google is up against a new challenge in its antitrust battles in Europe. CNET Watch out Google. There’s a new group in Europe gunning for you. Global law firm Hausfeld and public affairs company Avisa announced on Tuesday that they have created an online platform called GRIP, or Google Redress & Integrity Platform. The goal behind the platform is to …

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Google, HTC vets turn to consumers to fund a cloud

Enlarge Image Startup Nextbit is launching its first smartphone, Robin, through a Kickstarter campaign. Nextbit One startup will leave the fate of its first smartphone up to the people. Nextbit, run by executives who formerly worked at Google and HTC, launched on Tuesday its first smartphone — named “Robin” — through a crowdsourced Kickstarter project. The company will hold a …

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How to download Amazon Prime movies and TV shows for offline viewing

Now playing: Watch this: Download Amazon Prime movies and TV 2:10 Streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Netflix have long made it possible for you to watch movies and TV shows on the go — provided your phone or tablet has a decent Internet connection. If you want to actually download something, as opposed to just stream it, …

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Windows 10 scores 5% slice of desktop market

Enlarge Image Windows 10 fared well during its first month out, helped by Windows 7 and 8.1 users eligible for a free upgrade. NetMarketShare Windows 10 is firmly in fourth place among desktop operating systems, according to stats released Tuesday. Microsoft’s newly launched software grabbed a 5.21 percent share of all Web traffic generated by desktop operating systems in August, …

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Get a 500GB Samsung SSD for $149.99

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 Image Samsung Tired of your sluggish PC? You could reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows, but that’s a pretty big hassle — and you’ll still end up chugging along with hot, …

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Technicolor punches high

Enlarge Image Photo by Geoffrey Morrison, content by Technicolor Today’s high-definition TV and video can look great, but there’s always room for improvement. New, higher-fidelity image schemes are beginning to gain traction these days, including 4K, wide color gamut, and high dynamic range. The idea behind all of these methods is to allow video shown on current and future TVs …

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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 arrives at Sprint on Sept. 3

The 9.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes to Sprint in early September. Josh Miller/CNET The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is set to touch down at yet another wireless provider’s doorstep, as Sprint on Tuesday announced the tablet’s addition to its portfolio. Sprint’s variant of the Galaxy Tab S2 will launch September 3, the same day that T-Mobile begins selling its …

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No connection? No Amazon device? Prime Video says no problem

“Orphan Black” is one of the titles Amazon will allow for download free with a Prime subscription. BBC America Being member of Amazon Prime now means your movie won’t stop just because your mobile connection does. Prime members in the US, UK, Germany and Austria can now download movies and TV shows to mobile devices even if they’re using Apple …

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Polaroid Snap is a pocket

Polaroid Polaroid licensee C&A Marketing has spent the past few years developing compelling products, such as the Cube action cam and Zip mobile printer , that combine modern camera technology with hints of nostalgia for the 75-year-old brand. The Polaroid Snap, announced at this week’s IFA trade show in Germany, follows suit. In fact, the pocket-sized instant camera looks a …

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Tech giants join forces to hasten high

Some of the tech industry’s largest companies — Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Mozilla, Amazon and Netflix — have banded together to boost the quality of online video. The new Alliance for Open Media seeks to create new video compression technology by 2016 or 2017 designed to make better use of the networks that deliver video to smartphones, computers, streaming-media devices, …

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Your future iPhone could act as a smoke detector

An iPhone with built-in smoke detection could not only identify the smoke’s source but also pinpoint the location of people in the home or building. Apple/USPTO Your iPhone could one day function as a portable smoke alarm if an Apple patent filing ever comes to fruition. An Apple patent application dubbed “Wireless device networks with smoke detection capabilities” published by …

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Adjust Google Play to require a password for every purchase

Google Play Store on the Samsung Galaxy S5. Nicole Cozma/CNET By default, the Google Play store requires a password every 30 minutes for purchases. Unfortunately, this may be too much time if you are handing your device off to your kids, or you just want more security if your device becomes misplaced. As a solution, you can set up Google …

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Samsung’s new challenge: Sharing the smartwatch market with Apple

Samsung teased its new smartwatch, the Gear S2, during a video at its Unpacked event in mid-August. Samsung Samsung is hoping the seventh time’s the charm, even though the company is now facing off against the Apple Watch. The South Korean electronics giant will show off its latest smartwatch — its first in a year but seventh since late 2013 …

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