Matt Elliott/CNET After I upgraded to OS X Yosemite last year, my Dropbox folder in Finder insists on displaying green check mark icons next to each and every item inside it, letting me know without any shadow of a doubt that each and every file has been synced. I’d rather just know if a file …

That’s a slim and sleek little Mac idea. Curved Labs Remember that “Doctor Who” episode when all of history is happening simultaneously and Winston Churchill is the Holy Roman Emperor? Even if you haven’t seen it, you can imagine what it might be like to have time folded into a big wad where everything is familiar, but nothing is quite …

This story is part of a CNET special report looking at the challenges of Net neutrality, and what rules — if any — are needed to fuel innovation and protect US consumers. When a court threw out the Federal Communications Commission’s 4-year-old rules for governing the Internet a year ago this week, the broadband industry congratulated itself on winning a …

Apple/USPTO Apple has envisioned a technology that would sync your Touch ID data with other mobile devices, as well as point-of-sale systems, via iCloud. Published on Thursday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, a patent filing called “Finger biometric sensor data synchronization via a cloud computing device and related methods” illustrates a way to record your fingerprints on one …

Re Camera Jason Cipriani/CNET Time-lapse photography is a fun, creative way to capture activity over an extended amount of time. A camera takes a succession of photographs at a set interval, and when it’s finished it puts them all together in one video. The end result can be pretty impressive, especially if you find yourself in the Swiss Alps. The …

Dish Network customers got back access to Fox News channels with new carriage contract. Dish Network A pair of Fox News channels returned to Dish Network after a three-week blackout Thursday with the announcement of a new multi-year carriage agreement. The Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, were pulled from Dish’s channel …

Google is changing how we think about smartphone design, speech translations, and even school homework assignments. Meanwhile, Facebook and Nintendo unveil new products that aren’t actually new products. CNET Update has the details: Now playing: Watch this: Google’s futuristic Ara phone to be sold in Puerto Rico 3:00 CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. …

This dainty keyboard is made for traveling. WayTools Typing on tablet and smartphone screens isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. They’re small, it’s easy to tap the wrong key and you don’t get the satisfying tactile feedback you get from a regular keyboard. A new take on portable keyboards hopes to remedy those problems in a package just one-third …

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun reveals the new Mi Note. Aloysius Low/CNET BEIJING — Xiaomi, known for creating budget smartphones with stylish, Apple-like designs, took a step toward the premium end with the flagship Mi Note phablet . Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun unveiled the phablet on Thursday at an event in the Chinese capital. With a 5.7-inch, full high-definition display and …

Facebook is looking to enter the workplace. Facebook Facebook is determined to be acceptable in the workplace. On Wednesday, the company announced a pilot launch of Facebook at Work, which enables organizations to create private social networks where coworkers can collaborate and communicate. The smartphone app, visible in iOS and Android App Stores, can only be downloaded by pilot partners. …

Nest, co-founded by Matt Rogers, is one of the companies trying to create an intelligent room. James Martin/CNET LAS VEGAS — The tech industry once again can’t decide: When it comes to the home of the future, will it have a centralized computer telling you when to mop floors, clean windows and cook breakfast, or will there be an all-in-one …

Is that a red-backlit keyboard? Why, yes, it is. #gorgeous Lenovo You know me: I’m all about budget laptops. Give me a Chromebook, give me a tablet with a keyboard, give me a $200 HP Stream. Of course, systems like those lack the horsepower for anything beyond basic computing. If you want to edit video or play games, you need …

The Microsoft is raising the stakes by lowering the prices of its phones, including the newly unveiled Lumia 435. Microsoft Microsoft is focused on the long game when it comes to mobile. The Redmond, Wash., company has aggressively gone after budget-conscious consumers in emerging markets with cheaper Windows Phone smartphones. The world’s largest software maker is wagering consumers in places …

Skype wants the public’s help to improve the product. Nicole Cozma/CNET Microsoft wants your help making Skype work better on your iOS device. As it rolled out a new version of Skype for iPhone Wednesday, the company invited people who’d like to provide feedback on Skype for iOS to join a new pre-release program. Those who do will get access …

Project Ara lets people mix and match parts to build a smartphone. Google When it comes to smartphones, people are used to customizing their applications and software. But for the handset itself, they’re stuck with what the hardware maker built. Google wants to change that. The company on Wednesday said it will start a market pilot in Puerto Rico to …