A drawing used in Apple’s patent application to describe a new kind of digital remote control. US Patent and Trademark Office Apple says today’s remote control is outdated. The numbered buttons on the remote were great when channels had numbers, but now many streaming services instead use graphic interfaces to show off channels, movies and …

Google is next in line to face the wrath of celebrities that were victims of last month’s nude-image hacking scandal. In a broad indictment of the search giant, Martin Singer, an attorney at Lavely & Singer in Los Angeles, said that Google’s conduct was “despicable [and] reprehensible” when, his clients believe, the company did not “act expeditiously and responsibly to …

The LG G Watch R, which runs on Google’s Android Wear. CNET LG may be bringing WebOS to a smartwatch, expanding the operating system into wearables after already using it to power smart TVs. The Verge on Thursday noticed a developer website hosted by LG that mentioned something it called the LG SmartWatch that would be powered by WebOS. The …

Scott Ludlam is calling for memes to protest data retention laws. Scott Ludlam After new national security surveillance powers were ushered through Australian parliament this week, one Senator has called on the Internet to protest further national security reforms through mass meme power. Senator Scott Ludlam has been an outspoken critic of the three tranches of anti-terrorism legislation that are …

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for Facebook’s mood study. James Martin/CNET Facebook said Thursday it’s increasing scrutiny over future research work it does on the social-media site, following a rash of criticism this past summer over one of its experiments. Facebook, the biggest social-media company in the world, faced a backlash after researchers from the company and two universities …

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET Looking to buy a used iPhone? You’ll certainly want to make sure that the Activation Lock is turned off so that you can activate it yourself. A brand new tool from Apple can help you do just that. Part of Apple’s iCloud Find My Phone feature, a new webpage tool called Check Activation Lock Status lets …

John Falcone/CNET The Bose SoundTouch series of multiroom wireless audio streamers is back for round two — with some nice improvements on board. A year after the company first unveiled its Sonos-style SoundTouch wireless audio system, Bose is already upgrading it to “Series II” status for 2014. The “new” line is actually the same hardware — the flagship SoundTouch 30, …

French telecommunications provider Iliad is going to take another shot at buying the “Uncarrier” T-Mobile US. John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, speaks at an Un-carrier event in SF on September 10th, 2014. Josh MIller/CNET That’s according to Bloomberg, which reported on Thursday that Iliad is preparing another bid that would include buying a larger stake in T-Mobile, although at the …

Facebook won’t be so strict with its “real name” rules for accounts. In this CNET Update, learn why Facebook is apologizing to the LGBT community and adjusting its policy. Today’s roundup also packs in some Apple news. Use this tool to check if an iPhone is stolen before buying it. And you don’t need to buy a new car to …

No, Microsoft is none too pleased with the Xbox One’s poor sales in Japan. Microsoft Microsoft’s Xbox One sales in Japan have been pretty bad, and at least one top executive admits that the company is none too happy about that. As spotted by gaming news site Kotaku, Xbox Japan chief Takashi Sensui spoke with a Japanese gaming magazine named …

A software update gives the water lovin’ Hydro Vibe new powers. Josh Miller/CNET Sprint’s waterproof budget smartphone, the Kyocera Hydro Vibe , has become the carrier’s latest handset to make calls over a Wi-Fi connection. Related Links Kyoera Hydro Vibe review Kyocera Hydro Vibe touches down on Sprint, Virgin Mobile Water lovin’ Hydro Vibe has the clean look (pictures) A …

Pepsi hopes Amazon customers will become True fans. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET Perhaps it all started with Surge. The iconic ’90s sugar-bomb soda from Coca-Cola is enjoying a revival by being offered on Amazon, where it keeps selling out. Now rival Pepsi is hopping onto the e-commerce soft-drink train by introducing a new product, Pepsi True, with an exclusive …

Microsoft After 30 years, Windows has turned 10. Microsoft took the wraps off the latest version of its venerable operating system, Windows 10, at an event in San Francisco on Tuesday. But how did Windows come to take over the offices, schools and homes of almost every computer user in the world and make Bill Gates the richest man in …

Take that, AT&T. Sprint is getting aggressive yet again. Lynn La/CNET Sprint on Wednesday said it would one-up AT&T’s promotion, which doubled the amount of data on certain high-end family plans, by doubling the new amount for its own Family Share Pack plans. The promotion is available to new and existing customers who sign up by Oct. 31, which is …

Acer I know I shared a Chromebook deal just last week, but, hey, sometimes these things happen in waves. And this is a decidedly different model, one that may appeal to different users. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Secondipity has the refurbished Acer C720P-2661 11.6-inch touchscreen Chromebook (in Moonstone White) for $219.99, shipped. Price new: $299.99. Price …