LG bolsters ‘smart keyboard’ for flagship G3 phone

The LG G3 CNET LG is rolling out a handful of new features for the touchscreen “smart keyboard” on its new flagship G3 phone , providing several tools that anticipate a user’s next keystroke. The technology is part of a general trend by tech companies to guess a person’s next step before they take it, …

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​FTC: Amazon cost parents millions in unauthorized app buys

The Amazon Appstore on a Kindle Fire. Screenshot by CNET The Federal Trade Commision has filed suit against Amazon, alleging that the company illegally billed parents for “millions of dollars” in unauthorized in-app charges made by children through mobile devices. The FTC’s complaint, filed Thursday, asks the court to force Amazon to refund the money to those customers. In-app purchases …

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Australian Netflix use has tripled in the past 12 months

CNET It’s no secret that Australians are big users of Netflix. Thanks to the simplicity of VPNs more and more Aussies are dodging around the geoblock to become paying subscribers of the US-based video on demand service. Now, courtesy of Australian financial app Pocketbook, we have some figures to put on the local Netflix usage. Using data from its own …

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LG Display unveils flexible TV panel that can be rolled up to 3cm

LG Display’s rollable OLED display panel. LG Display LG Display has come up with a new flexible TV panel that people can roll up just like a newspaper. The South Korean company on Thursday unveiled two 18-inch OLED panels — one that’s rollable and another that’s transparent. This means televisions using this type of technology can be easily hidden on …

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Google Camera update makes Android Wear a remote control

The Google Camera app update lets users take photos remotely with their Android Wear. Screenshots by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Google added a new feature to its Google Camera app on Wednesday that’ll take users’ arms out of selfie shots. But first, they’ll need an Android Wear smartwatch. Related stories Who will wear Android Wear? New Google Camera app adds depth to …

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Adidas Fit Smart wearable strips down to make its run

Adidas’ new Fit Smart activity tracker will be available August 17 for $199. Josh Miller/CNET Can a wearable device that doesn’t do everything and more — but does only one thing and does it well — survive in a sea of more powerful and stylish gadgets? Adidas wants to find out. Wearable tech, essentially mini-computers and sensors we sport against …

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Microsoft’s mobile OS and phone future at a crossroads

The Nokia Lumia 635 deepens Windows Phone’s campaign on the low end. Josh Miller/CNET Microsoft has been at a mobile crossroads before, staring down plenty of make-it-or-break-it moments in the three and a half years since Microsoft Windows Phone rose from the ashes of the Windows Mobile OS. Related stories Microsoft building wearable fitness tracker, rumors say Nokia XL a …

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Adidas adds new MiCoach to fitness tracker team

CNET Update will run for quests: Now playing: Watch this: Adidas adds new MiCoach to fitness tracker team 2:55 In this tech-news roundup: Learn about the new Adidas MiCoach Fit Smart wristband, which goes on sale Aug. 15. Turn your Fitbit data into an role-playing game with the new app FitRPG. Track your child’s location with LG’s Kizon. It’s pretty …

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Apple loses patent case in China over Siri functions

Apple Apple has lost a patent-infringement case in China over Siri, according to reports. Shanghai-based Zhizhen Internet Technology won its patent-infringement case against Apple on Monday when Beijing’s First Intermediate Court ruled that Apple’s virtual personal assistant Siri was infringing a speech-recognition patent Zhizhen holds. Zhizhen sued Apple in 2012, claiming that the company’s Siri, which is used on iPhones, …

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Samsung to unveil virtual reality headset at IFA trade show

Sony’s Project Morpheus Josh Miller/CNET Samsung is indeed getting into the virtual reality market, but the company has received some help from Facebook’s Oculus VR, according to a new report. Samsung is planning to unveil a virtual reality device in September at Berlin’s at IFA 2014 consumer-electronics trade show, a report from Samsung-tracking site Sammobile claims. Samsung worked with Facebook’s …

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Sony’s Xperia Z1 Compact now on sale in US

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact CNET The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is now on sale in the US, after launching overseas earlier this year. The 4.3-inch water- and dust-resistant smartphone sells for about $550 unlocked and comes in black, white, or pink. Sony has had a difficult time gaining traction with US customers, as the electronics company and many others …

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Microsoft’s Lumia 930 hits Asia as launch rolls on

Josh Miller/CNET Microsoft’s newest smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 930 , will hit stores in Singapore on July 12 for a contract-free price of S$789 ($631). The phone is already available in Malaysia for RM1,999 ($630), Thailand at THB19,890 ($617) and Vietnam for VND12,999,000 ($611). On the Nokia Conversations blog, Nokia stated that the phone will be available for $599 in …

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Chromecast mirroring comes to select Android devices

Select Android users can now mirror their device to a Chromecast. Google Just a few short weeks after making its debut at Google I/O, mirroring has come to Android devices. Available as part of the most recent version (v1.7) of the Android application, the option allows users to cast whatever it is they see on their smartphone or tablet to …

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Samsung is only firm buying subsidiary’s mobile

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung Display, a Samsung subsidiary that’s affiliated with Samsung Electronics, is having some trouble selling its mobile display technology to any other firms. Speaking at an industry event in Seoul on Wednesday, Samsung Display CEO Park Dong-geun said that while Samsung Electronics is buying its active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) technology for its mobile devices, …

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At Graceland, Elvis makes music history real

Dozens and dozens of gold and platinum records line Graceland’s Hall of Gold. Daniel Terdiman/CNET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Boy, did the King live large. It’s hard to walk away from Graceland, the longtime homestead of Elvis Presley and his family, and not appreciate what fame, stardom, and a huge bank account, can get you — even if you don’t necessarily …

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