The Karbonn Sparkle V is the first Android One phone to launch in a developed country. Andrew Hoyle/CNET The Sparkle V, from Indian brand Karbonn Mobile, is the first smartphone to hit the UK — or any developed country — that follows Google’s Android One specification. Made in partnership with manufacturer Santok, the delightfully named …
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Sarah Tew/CNET Why wait for Black Friday? Roku is starting its holiday sale now — and the offers run straight through December 1 (Cyber Monday), but with that all important caveat: while supplies last. You’ll find two deals on deck at roku.com, both with free shipping: The 2013 Roku LT is available for $30: This product has recently been discontinued, …
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Nicole Cozma/CNET Whether you enjoy taking photos all year long, or you’re getting ready to take a bunch at festive seasonal gatherings, both the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 are excellent options with their 16-megapixel cameras. As a bonus, these devices offer camera modes to get just the right shot. Camera modes — such as Animated photo, Sports or …
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There’s no telling just yet what Sony has up its sleeve for a new smartwatch. Sarah Tew/CNET Sony is working on a new smartwatch where the entire surface — the watch face and wrist band — would act as a display, reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. The smartwatch would use a patented technology called e-paper, sources told Bloomberg. It’s not exactly …
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The price of the Amazon Fire Phone has dropped again. James Martin/CNET Amazon is now selling an unlocked version of its Fire Phone at a special sale price to try to persuade buyers to give the device a shot. The new 32GB unlocked version of the phone is now up for sale on Amazon’s site for $199, a savings of …
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Samsung’s troubles have prompted the company to issue a stock-buyback program. CNET Samsung Electronics — the division of Samsung that produces a wide range of devices, including smartphones and wearables — has announced a major stock-buyback program. Samsung plans to buy back 1.9 million shares of stock, representing about 1.1 percent of its total shares outstanding, for approximately $2 billion, …
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The Xiaomi Redmi Note phablet is one of the company’s hot sellers. Aloysius Low/CNET Xiaomi, the third largest smartphone maker in the world, is scaling back its expansion into the West, instead focusing its efforts on the vast and growing markets of India and Indonesia. The Chinese manufacturer had planned to be in 10 markets by the end of 2014. …
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Amazon’s new Fire tablets are getting a holiday price cut. Sarah Tew/CNET Amazon has unveiled a new slate of Black Friday deals for its own line of Fire and Kindle devices. Given the already low prices on most of those e-readers, tablets, phones, and video streamers, this includes some truly great deals for anyone looking for gadget gifts. And many …
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The busiest traveling time of the year is about to start, and I’ve never met anyone who is completely satisfied with the battery life of his or her mobile device. The good news is there’s a plethora of battery packs (that is, juice packs) that offer many ways to conveniently carry extra power with you. The following are my favorite …
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The XP7 is a glove-friendly rugged smartphone. Sonim Technologies If you want the peace of mind that comes with owning an “extreme” smartphone and are willing to shell out $579, then Sonim Technologies’ XP7 Extreme just might do the trick. The company’s devices are typically aimed at folks who work in extreme conditions, but an Indiegogo campaign launching today aims …
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The cat in the app? One day a year people can order a kitten to snuggle with for 15 minutes. Getty Images October 29 was a typical workday for thousands of people in the US, except for one thing: a fuzzy kitten showed up on their desks. They had 15 minutes to cuddle and snuggle with the purring furballs, thanks …
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Samsung led the market for 4K televsision last quarter, according to DisplaySearch. Ty Pendlebury/CBS Interactive Shipments of 4K televisions jumped more than 500 percent last quarter as overall global TV shipments rebounded, according to a new report from DisplaySearch. More than 3 million 4K televisions, also called Ultra HD televisions, shipped to retail outlets during the third quarter, bringing total …
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The Kyocera DuraForce is an extra-rugged push-to-talk phone. Kyocera When the Kyocera DuraForce goes on sale November 26, US Cellular will be the second carrier to offer the rugged Android 4.4 handset, after AT&T. The 4G LTE smartphone exceeds the usual specifications for resistance to water and dust with a higher spec rating of IP68, and with a military spec …
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Stephen Shankland/CNET Instead of cutting off all old-style browser plug-ins at the end of 2014, Google has given a temporary break to people who rely on plug-ins that extend the abilities of its Chrome browser. The company is gradually banning plug-ins that hook into the browser using a mechanism called NPAPI (Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface) that’s more than a …
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Snoozing with the DreamPad and a podcast. Amanda Kooser/CNET I have developed a bedtime habit of downloading all three hours of the Dan Patrick sports talk radio show, queuing it up on my iPad 2 and letting it play at low volume while I fall asleep. My husband, however, couldn’t care less about why the Bears are having a crummy …
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