A Chromebook waiting to be unlocked using Smart Lock. Jason Cipriani/CNET Smart Lock may sound familiar to Android users with devices already updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The feature allows you to set specific locations as safe zones, or Bluetooth devices as trusted connections, both of which disable your device’s security screen. The theory is …

Facebook found a new way to track your location beyond GPS and Wi-Fi. The social network is using Bluetooth beacons in some businesses to send location-specific tips to your phone, all the while crushing any hope Foursquare had left for relevance. Also in this tech-news roundup, learn how Nickelodeon parent Viacom is joining the streaming club with CBS and HBO. …

Now playing: Watch this: Jay Z’s Tidal music service makes star-studded splash 1:14 Jay Z might have 99 problems, but a streaming service ain’t one. The rapper is splashing out $56 million on Swedish company Aspiro, which runs WiMP and high-quality audio service Tidal. Jay Z’s Project Panther has tabled a bid of 464 million Swedish crowns (around $56 million, …

Now playing: Watch this: Nvidia G-Sync is a smooth move for PC games 3:01 Playing video games on a PC versus a living room game console has numerous advantages, from better textures to higher resolutions to tighter mouse-and-keyboard controls. But even on a $3,000-or-more desktop gaming PC with the latest processors and graphics cards, games can still display annoying visual …

Is using Chrome like watching paint dry? This tweak might help. Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET Calling all Chrome users: Does your browser seem slow of late? I may have a solution for you. First, a little back-story. I run a Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook with a Core i5 processor and Windows 8.1. I’ve had it about 18 months, and I …

Why do Android upgrades take so long? Google Do you own a Motorola phone and wonder why some of your counterparts have Lollipop and you don’t? Motorola is attempting to shed some light on the situation. In a blog post on Thursday, the company announced that Android 5.0 Lollipop is now available for the Moto G (first and second generations) …

Samsung Editor’s note: this contest closed at noon ET on Monday, February 2. Congratulations to Jean F. of Gainesville, Fla., for winning the second part of our CES-swag giveaway last week. With the big game coming up Sunday, you might have TVs on your mind. Big TVs. Guess what we have for you this week? Yup. Coupon mega-site RetailMeNot — …

Verizon says it’s working on a way for customers to opt out of supercookies. The carrier says it will be “available soon.” Following an outcry from privacy advocates, Verizon says it will give users the ability to shut down supercookies that track their online activities. Supercookies aroused concerns last year when it was discovered that Verizon and AT&T were using …

Andrew Hoyle/CNET Fast shutter speeds are great at freezing action in place, but slow the speed right down and watch as movement in a scene turns to smooth, abstract forms. Long-exposure photography is a great technique to play with and lends itself particularly to clouds moving across landscapes, waves crashing onto rocky shores or busy nighttime city streets. It doesn’t …

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai discussing the company’s PlayStation 4 gaming console, which has become a bigger part of Sony’s future. Sarah Tew/CNET The name “PlayStation” has suddenly become an even more significant part of Sony’s future. The Japanese media and electronics conglomerate said Thursday it is bringing the Sony Entertainment Network digital video and music services under the PlayStation Network …

The Apple Watch was the star of November’s Vogue China. Vogue China iPhone maker Apple has watched its business grow considerably in China over the past year, and now it’s the leader in gifting among China’s richest people. Apple products, ranging from iPhones to Macbooks, were the most popular gifted items among China’s “luxury consumers” in 2014, beating out luxury …

Sky Sky is wading into the mobile market, confirming plans to kick-start its own network in 2016. The news comes at a time of great upheaval for the UK’s mobile and TV market, with BT announcing its intention to buy EE — a deal that would see BT laying claim to a massive mobile network, as well as TV, phone …

Samsung expects its Note 4 device (pictured here) and upcoming Galaxy S6 to boost its profits. Sarah Tew/CNET Samsung on Wednesday posted its fifth consecutive year-over-year decline in quarterly operating profits. And a big reason for that drop was the poor performance of its mobile business. The South Korean company’s IT and mobile communications division recorded a 64 percent drop …

Jolla’s latest campaign offers a tablet with double the storage capacity. Jolla Fans of Jolla’s smartphone or its independent Sailfish OS have a new device to get excited about. The Finnish device-maker has returned to Indiegogo to whip up sales for its second Jolla Tablet. This time around, the 7.9-inch tablet doubles the storage capacity of its debut device, from …

Matt Elliott/CNET I never feel confident when I purchase airlines tickets. I don’t fly very often but when I do, I always feel I could have found a better airfare if I had not waited so long to book my trip or had the patience to wait another week or two in the hopes that prices dip. Hopper, Flight Research …