5 apps to help you save water

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET According to the US Drought Monitor, 94.6 percent of California is currently facing severe to exceptional drought. Even if you happen to live in a state or country that’s blessed with abundant rainfall, it’s never too early to start conserving water. If you’re not sure where to start, I have good news for you — there are …

Read More »

Siri gets snarky if you ask her to divide zero by zero

Only ask Siri to divide zero by zero if you’re OK with making Cookie Monster sad.PBS Most people have spent some time asking Siri — Apple’s voice assistant for iOS — dumb questions to see how she’ll respond. “Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul asked Siri to divide zero by zero, presumably to see if he could break Siri with an …

Read More »

Apple Music goes live, courtesy of latest iOS software update

Apple Music, a late entry by the electronics giant into the competitive subscription streaming music race, is live. Apple on Tuesday fired up the new $10-a-month service in more than 100 countries as part of an update to its iOS mobile operating system for devices like the iPhone , iPad and iPod Touch . Anyone can try it out free …

Read More »

Appeals court rules Apple conspired with e

The appeals court says Apple violated antitrust law by working with book publishers to set new pricing terms in the e-books market. Apple An appeals court has ruled that Apple did in fact conspire with book publishers to gain a foothold in the e-book space and ultimately hurt competition. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 …

Read More »

How to create and share playlists in Apple Music

Jason Cipriani/CNET Apple Music offers a mishmash of features and capabilities. Some are easy to find, such as Beats 1 Radio. While others, such as creating and sharing a playlist are a bit hidden. Creating a playlist is actually a simple process once you grasp the gist of how it all works. So how does it work? I’m glad you …

Read More »

What’s new in iTunes 12.2?

Beats 1 in iTunes 12.2. Apple Hard on the heels of the launch of iOS 8.4 this morning, Apple has also released an update to its media player iTunes for users of OS X Yosemite and Microsoft Windows. iTunes 12.2 allows users to access the new Apple Music service and the Beats 1 radio service on their desktop computers. Related …

Read More »

Sleep with your smartphone in hand? You’re not alone

Sleep tight, sweet smartphone. Amanda Kooser/CNET I confess. My smartphone sits next to my bed on a nightstand while I slumber. I set it to do-not-disturb mode during sleeping hours, but then it comes to life as my alarm clock every morning. Turns out, I’m completely normal. A Bank of America Trends in Consumer Mobility Report released Monday shows that …

Read More »

Samsung’s Tizen may launch on more smartphones this year

The Tizen operating system could be coming to many more devices in the coming months. Luke Westaway/CNET Samsung’s self-made Tizen operating system has more hardware destinations, according to a Reuters report. Samsung plans to launch Tizen on “several” new devices this year, Reuters is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company’s plans. Samsung will launch an …

Read More »

Sprint bids adieu to $50 iPhone plan in the name of clarity

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure had promised an increase in the fees for its unlimited data plan. Troy Thomas/Sprint Sprint wants to clear things up when it comes to how much you pay for your smartphone service. For those hoping to sign up for its iPhone plan, that means a $10-a-month hike. The nation’s third-largest wireless carrier on Tuesday (Eastern Time) …

Read More »

How to use Facebook’s new Snapchat

Jason Cipriani/CNET Facebook over the weekend confirmed to TechCrunch it was rolling out a new photo-editing tool for iOS users. The new editing tools allow users to overlay text, add stickers and use filters on photos about to be posted to the social network. According to the report, Facebook is also testing the new tools on Android, but provided no …

Read More »

AT&T’s two

AT&T discounts the iPad Mini 2 for a limited time. Sarah Tew/CNET AT&T really wants you to buy a smartphone on its Next plan before June is out. Monday sees the carrier launching a two-day-only promotion for both new and existing subscribers. Related Links Budget Android Moto E joins AT&T’s GoPhone roster What does AT&T’s $100 million fine mean to …

Read More »

Get a pair of Ausdom over

Over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones for $37.99? Yes, please. Ausdom This is a repeat of a deal I shared a couple months ago — now with a lower price and the promise of enough inventory to satisfy my legions of cheeps! (Cheep\chēp\ noun A portmanteau of “cheap” and “peep,” the latter slang for “people.” All Cheapskate readers are “my people,” and therefore …

Read More »

How a hunger solution went viral

Larkin Street Youth Services recieves a food donation from on-demand service Feeding Forward. Feeding Forward Komal Ahmad has her work cut out for her. A week after a CNET profile of her service Feeding Forward, which delivers surplus food to homeless shelters, she’s received hundreds of messages asking her to launch in cities and countries around the world. People from …

Read More »