London’s Boris bikes can now be booked from your phone

Tourists ride on Boris bikes in London’s Trafalgar Square. antb / Shutterstock On yer bike: you can finally bypass fiddly kiosks and book a Boris bike from your phone when you want to explore the capital on two wheels. The Santander-sponsored cycles hire scheme from Transport for London (TFL) allows you to hire a bicycle …

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Which 2015 Apple MacBook should you buy?

Now playing: Watch this: Which 2015 Apple MacBook should you buy? 4:33 This year has already seen a wealth of new Apple products, including the Apple Watch , the new 12-inch MacBook, a new version of the Logic Pro music-making software, and updates to both the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro laptops. For anyone considering a new MacBook purchase, …

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Intel co

Enlarge ImageGordon Moore, the Intel co-founder who made the famous “Moore’s Law” prediction about chip advancements, reflects on his 50-year-old theory. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman (back) interviews him. James Martin/CNET SAN FRANCISCO — The man behind Moore’s Law says he’s “amazed” his prediction about technology advancements has lasted so long. Gordon Moore, speaking at an event Monday celebrating …

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Lenovo to sell A7000 smartphone online in Asia

Lenovo’s wallet-friendly A7000 is set to hit Asia. Andrew Hoyle/CNET May 12, 9.15 p.m.: Lenovo has provided an update on the pricing of the A7000 — it will be S$229, not S$299. The story has been amended accordingly. May 13, 8.30 p.m.: Lenovo and Lazada have updated that the launch dates are to pre-order the phone, the actual retail availability …

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Hockey confirms digital GST set for 2015 Budget

Ken Teegardin, CC BY-SA 2.0 Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has confirmed that Australians will face tax on digital products and services from overseas under new measures to be unveiled tomorrow night as part of the 2015 Budget. Mr Hockey said he would introduce draft legislation to ensure “suppliers of digital products and services into Australia charge the GST on those …

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Google Play now lets you preregister for upcoming apps and games

Google Play now lets users preregister for apps. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Can’t wait for a hot new app to appear in Google Play? According to a post over at Android Police, the Android app store now lets you preregister for forthcoming games and apps so that you’ll be notified on your Android phone or tablet the second they’re available …

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Edward Snowden warns data retention laws are ‘dangerous’

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden called Australia’s data retention scheme “dangerous”. Screen capture by CNET/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” Former US National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden has delivered a damning verdict on Australia’s new data retention laws, saying they are “radical” and “dangerous,” telling Australians “regardless of whether or not you’re doing anything wrong, you are being watched.” …

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​How a French vacation shows we need high

Google’s Open Location Code gives addresses to buildings like this Corsican guesthouse that don’t have street addresses. Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET CARGESE, Corsica, France — Ours is a 21st-century family. On our April vacation to Corsica, we booked lodging through Airbnb, navigated by satellite and followed trail maps on a smartphone. But in one way, our two-week journey to France’s …

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Telstra launches new ‘Go Mobile’ plans for easier data sharing

Telstra has unveiled a new range of plans, called Go Mobile, that are aimed at allowing families to easily share data allowances, as well as add new phones and devices to a single account. On any Go Mobile plan, a new phone can be added by purchasing an AU$40 per month companion SIM, which gives unlimited voice, SMS and MMS, …

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Attention, speaker buyers: Is sound quality really the top priority?

KEF Reference 1 speakers KEF Come on, it’s just you and me, how do you rate it? Is sound quality the main thing, or is price, features, size, styling, name brand or scoring the best possible deal? It’s probably a combination of all of those things, but how high does sound quality rate for you? Ten years ago at a …

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Awesome sounding music: A feast for your ears

Steve Guttenberg/CNET From time to time, I hear from readers requesting lists of great-sounding music, so when I find noteworthy efforts I’m happy to share the news. Granted, personal taste plays a role in defining music and sound quality, but I’m sure there are a few gems here that’ll click with you. What follows is a roundup of the best-sounding …

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Lenovo admits missteps in pitch for LaVie Z laptop

The LaVie Z series at CES 2015. CNET This article was updated on 5/12 at 10:30 am with Lenovo’s response. If you’ve been eyeing Lenovo’s latest ultraportable laptop, the LaVie Z series, since it was announced at CES 2015 , this may make you think twice about purchasing it. According to Consumer Reports, computers in this series have issues that …

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Alibaba builds up $150 million stake in Zulily

Zulily shares have taken a dive this year, but Alibaba’s deep pockets are giving them a boost. Getty Images Alibaba, already the biggest e-commerce company in China, keeps dabbling in the US. The company has taken a roughly 10 percent stake — worth about $150 million — in Zulily, a Seattle-based online retailer focused on women’s and kids’ merchandise, according …

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A hot market for preowned gadgets is a boon to savvy consumers

The market for preowned gadgets is booming these days — and you shouldn’t overlook it when you’re buying a device. That’s the message I offer two different readers of Ask Maggie. The first wants to know if buying a used smartphone is a good idea for her teenage daughter, while the second wants to know if the Apple Watch is …

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Amazon Kindle Unlimited vs. Scribd vs. Oyster: E

Nate Ralph/CNET Editors’ note, May 8, 2014: This post has been updated with new details on Scribd’s catalog. E-book subscription services are all the rage this year, thanks in part to Amazon. The decades-old book retailer unveiled its own unlimited book subscription, Kindle Unlimited, on July 18, aiming to compete with Oyster and Scribd , comparable services that have been …

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