Fifth-generation networks should be dramatically faster than the 3G and 4G networks in use today. CNET Five years from now, you may be thanking your dog for helping to make you healthier, safer, more productive and smarter about what’s happening in the world around you. And it has nothing to do with taking Scruffy on …

HP president and CEO Meg Whitman has made good on a promise to acquire more companies. Hewlett-Packard Just last week, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman said that her company would be “on the hunt” to acquire new companies, and now she has made good on that promise. HP plans to buy Aruba Networks in a $3 billion transaction that, factoring in …

BARCELONA — Thought there was nowhere left for smartphones to go? So did we. But major manufacturers at Mobile World Congress — the enormous trade show kicking off in earnest here today — have managed to put a new spin on this aging category, impressing us with tweaks that set their products apart. The smartphone has been, without a doubt, …

A hacker, yesterday. Shutterstock Privacy is hot topic right now as spies and hackers are snooping into our lives and our phones like never before. Keeping your communications locked away from prying eyes, Sailfish Secure is a new version of the niche mobile operating system that’s designed to bring peace of mind to businesses, government officials, and privacy-minded phone fans. …

Samsung gives consumers plenty of smartphone choices. But a removable battery is one choice that could be disappearing. Watch CNET Update for a quick rundown on Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, two models that are the same except for the screen. Along with new perks, they both also lack some familiar options: Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Galaxy …

The Australian arm of the Netflix video streaming service will flip the switch on March 24, with people able to subscribe to watch an array of TV and movies on demand from that date. Back in November last year, Netflix confirmed that it would be bringing its service to Australia, although it would only give an approximate launch of March …

Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of products, speaks at Mobile World Congress 2015. Stephen Shankland/CNET BARCELONA — Google will launch a wireless service of its own, but it may be a limited project. Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of products for Google, confirmed that the world’s largest search company was in talks with wireless carriers, and suggested an answer …

“Black Mass”: it’s OK, I didn’t want to sleep for a week anyway. Jaunt BARCELONA — Virtual reality allows you to step into another world — or in the case of disturbing VR film “Black Mass”, be kidnapped, drugged and initiated into a good old-fashioned thorough freaking out. A company called Jaunt records films and events with a 360-degree camera …

Copyright law can’t stand in the way of a binge viewer. Netflix WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! If you haven’t watched the first two seasons of “House of Cards,” you might not want to read on. Or just catch up quickly here. The world really wants to see how a President Frank Underwood might helm the United States, and like Underwood …

Federal judge Lucy Koh approved a $415 million settlement by Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel related to illegal agreements not to poach each other’s employees. Shara Tibken/CNET A federal judge appears ready to approve a $415 million deal by four Silicon Valley tech giants to settle an antitrust lawsuit that accused them of conspiring to not recruit each other’s employees. …

Email alerting users of new public beta from Apple. Jason Cipriani/CNET Update on April 8, 2014: OS X 10.10.3 is now available, bringing with it Photos app to the general public as a free download. You can download the update via the Mac App Store under the Updates tab. For more information on getting started with Photos an importing your …

Netflix has launched the first salvo in its war for the Australian streaming video audience, announcing a deal with iiNet that would see the service unmetered across all of the ISP’s fixed-line brands. Presto, the video-on-demand service powered by Foxtel and Seven West Media, has returned fire, unveiling a deal with Telstra for its own unmetered offering, as well as …

The Yi Action Camera. Xiaomi Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has brought its budget-friendly sensibilities to the action camera world, and the result is enough to make even the most ardent GoPro owner stop in their tracks. Xiaomi’s Yi Action Camera is a compact action-travel camera made for the non-sedentary photographer. Like the entry-level GoPro Hero , the Yi Action Camera …

Samsung Gear VR is getting more high-quality paid apps, starting now. Sarah Tew / CNET BARCELONA — You may not have noticed it yet, but the Oculus VR Store for Samsung Gear VR finally offers up games and apps you can pay for. Until Monday, everything was free. While there are some great free Gear VR (virtual reality) games and …

BBM for iOS will now work with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. BlackBerry/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET BlackBerry has beefed up its mobile messaging app for BlackBerry 10, iOS and Android users. Unveiled Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the latest version of BlackBerry Messenger adds what the company calls “one of the most requested BBM features” — custom PINs. …