King beyond the (pay)wall: Apple locks HBO Now for ‘Game of Thrones’

Cord cutters who want access to HBO’s online-only streaming service will have to go through Apple to watch the coming season of “Game of Thrones” concurrent with its airing on devices like smartphones and over-the-top boxes. HBO Attention, cord-cutting “Game of Thrones” fans: If you want to watch the new season of the hit fantasy …

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Upgrade to iOS 8.2 available now

Apple The newest version of Apple’s iOS will be available for download today, CEO Tim Cook revealed at today’s Spring Forward keynote event. With it will come the debut of the Apple Watch app, along with the first round of Apple Watch-compatible apps. Cook offered a quick preview of how you’ll be able to use the app to connect with …

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The biggest news from Apple’s Watch event is the MacBook

So is there a payment plan for that $17,000 Apple Watch ? CNET Update has all the highlights from the Apple Watch event — including the unusual new design of the MacBook , Apple TV’s price cut and HBO Now — summed up in under three minutes: Now playing: Watch this: The biggest news from Apple’s Watch event is the …

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What we didn’t get from Apple’s March 9 event

Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET With Apple’s March 9 ‘Spring Forward’ event now behind us, it’s time to look back and take stock of what we did — and, more importantly, didn’t — get from Apple. As expected, that event mostly focused on the Watch , and we learned its ship (April 24) and massive price range — from $349 to …

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Optus closes the gates on Optus Zoo mobile portal

Optus Optus has announced it will shutter its content and service portal Optus Zoo by the end of the month, to be replaced by an “alternative content store” that will continue offering downloads such as music, apps and eBooks. Optus Zoo has more than a decade of history under its belt, with roots in the early days of mobile internet …

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What you can do with Digital Touch on the Apple Watch

Apple Apple’s press event has concluded, and we have learned a great deal of new information about the company’s first smartwatch. One of the most interesting things we saw on the Apple Watch was a new feature called Digital Touch. This allows two Apple Watch users to communicate with one another without texting or calling. Here’s how it works: Rather …

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Apple hints at Woolworths app for Apple Watch

Apple showed off a Woolworths app on its Apple Watch. Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET Amongst the major Apple Watch announcements made at the company’s Spring Forward event in California this morning — including news that the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition will fetch upwards of AU$14,000 — we heard more about the new apps that will roll out when the …

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Apple Watch pricing, the lightest MacBook ever and ResearchKit: Everything that Apple just announced

Now playing: Watch this: New MacBook features a ‘full-size keyboard’ 1:15 Our fearless live-blogging team before the event: Tim Stevens, Scott Stein, Dan Ackerman and Shara Tibken. James Martin/CNET SAN FRANCISCO — Aaaand we’re back at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a favorite venue for Apple’s announcements, after the more intimate setting of its headquarters for the iPad …

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Apple’s latest iPhone update includes Apple Watch app you can’t delete

Like other iOS pre-loaded apps like Stocks and Calendar, Apple’s new Apple Watch app can’t be removed. Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET What better way to convince Apple iPhone users they should shell out hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the latest gadget than an app you can’t remove from your smartphone? After updating your iPhone to latest version of …

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Apple’s MacBook Air: Once a darling, now a budget laptop

When Steve Jobs pulled the MacBook Air out of a manila envelope in early 2008 — revealing the impossibly thin laptop to the world — the device was at the forefront of laptop technology, and priced that way. Now, seven years later, it’s become Apple’s “budget” laptop, and it’s likely to stay there. Apple’s press event on Monday only reinforced …

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Android 5.1 is coming; here are the newest features

Nicole Cozma/CNET The latest version of Android Lollipop, announced Monday, will address issues with version 5.0 of the OS, while adding a handful of new features that help improve the user experience, according to the Official Android blog. For starters, Quick Settings will now allow you to connect to a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device without opening another menu. If …

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Poll: What’s the best news out of Monday’s Apple Watch event?

Though Apple’s March 9 event was pretty much universally referred to as the “Apple Watch event,” the company was busy with much more than wrist-worn gadgets. Besides a heap of details on the new wearable, we also got an HBO streaming announcement and a completely refreshed MacBook. HBO CEO Richard Plepler showed up to rub shoulders with Apple CEO Tim …

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Apple Watch warranty extends up to 3 years with new AppleCare+

Apple Watch can cost as little as $350 or as much as $17,000. Apple has new warranty plans to cover every purchase in between. Tim Stevens/CNET Those considering the newly priced Apple Watch can rejoice: the company’s warranty policies are friendlier than usual. A standard purchase of any Apple Watch model includes a free full year of hardware repair coverage …

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Apple Watch specs vs. Moto 360, LG G Watch R, Samsung Gear S

James Martin/CNET The Apple Watch will be Apple’s first foray into the smartwatch field, fending off well-entrenched competitors who’ve had a few years of experience in the space. And the competition is stiff. The LG G Watch R is one of the top contenders, sporting an attractive design you might actually want to wear on your wrist. Ditto for the …

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