James Martin/CNET Shipments for tablets were down 5 percent over the last year, signaling a slowdown for even the most popular of tablets, Apple’s iPad, NPD DisplaySearch said Wednesday. This is the first time that demand for these mobile devices are down, according to the research firm. Global shipments declined to 56.3 million units in …

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine Getty Images Read into it what you will: Apple is staying coy about its math behind the $3 billion acquisition of Beats, but Beats Music — the headphones company’s fledgling subscription-streaming music service — got the first shout-out in the computer maker’s release about the deal. A potential focus on Beats Music hints at how …

The original LG EnV: still one of the best messaging keyboards LG LG’s new G3 shows that the company is continuing to step up its smartphone game. As a longtime cell phone reviewer, and someone who hates the thought of an Apple-Samsung duopoly, I’m glad to see that happen. Yet, there’s another reason that I’m pleased. Though LG may have …

T-Mobile T-Mobile is at it again. The “Uncarrier” on Wednesday sent out invitations to an event to be held in Los Angeles on June 18. The invite, titled, “We don’t play it safe and sound,” gives little idea of what T-Mobile is planning, but the company has been consistent in addressing the parts of the wireless business that annoy consumers. …

Preorders for the Padfone X begin on AT&T June 6. AT&T Want both a tablet and Android smartphone for the price of just one gadget? Well today is your lucky day, at least if you’re wedded to AT&T. The carrier said it will add the Asus Padfone X, a tablet and phone hybrid, to its roster on June 6 for …

Andrew Hoyle/CNET The LG G3 has a dizzying lineup of specs, including a supercharged quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM and a camera that uses lasers to focus. Arguably its most mind-boggling feature is its 5.5-inch display, which has a whopping 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution. That’s way more than the 1,920×1,080 pixels of the Samsung Galaxy S5 , but does packing in extra …

Good Design Awards/BACtrack Run by Good Design Australia, the Good Design Awards track the best design and innovation of the year across a range of fields, including sporting goods, automotive design, domestic appliances and commercial products. A dedicated Consumer Electronics category included a broad range of product finalists, including the Jump Charging Cable, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and even …

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the new Surface tablet is part of a “journey of improvement” at the world’s largest software maker. Connie Guglielmo/CNET RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — Microsoft’s Satya Nadella said he’d rather build “something big” than make a large acquisition, thinks the new 12-inch Surface Pro tablet could replace laptops in today’s “post, post-PC era” and said …

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak rarely shies away from sharing his thoughts about Apple. Getty Images Steve Jobs never did a deal as big as Beats, but another Steve — Wozniak, that is — thinks the acquisition could be a smart move for Apple. It “sounds good for Apple [to be] getting back to some cool roots,” the Apple co-founder said …

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of Internet software and services, speak as they walk after lunch during the Allen & Co. annual conference at the Sun Valley Resort a year ago. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images It’s not just Apple CEO Tim Cook who’s promising great new products this year. Now Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice …

Is it too big? UrAvgConsumer/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET As we drift into the post, post-PC era, it’s odd that phones still have the power to excite. We may not want to admit it, but when we see a new little oblong with a single button and a touchscreen, we can’t help but shriek like a teen espying Bieber. So …

The GreatCall Splash personal medical alert device. GreatCall Mobile company GreatCall released two new devices Wednesday which are aimed at seniors and those with special needs, the GreatCall Splash and the Jitterbug5. The former is a waterproof device that can call for help with the press of a button, while the latter is a basic, easy-to-use cell phone. Related stories …

And the Beats go on. Beats By Dre/Twitter screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET How they celebrated. “Both overpriced trash,” offered Cornelius Washington. “It just sucks Apple sucks up alot of things and i find the music quality in Ipods/phones crappy,” mused Jeremiah Johnson. “Ugh, going to feel dirty everytime I hook my Studios up to my @HTCUSA One,” said Nobody (real …

The EyeGo is being tested in China, India, and Mexico. CNET Over the past year, a small team of researchers at Stanford University has been tinkering with iPhones, Legos, and 3D printers. Their efforts have resulted in a new device that has the potential to prevent blindness in millions of people. Called the EyeGo, the inexpensive device is an adapter …

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts talks with CNBC’s Becky Quick at the 2013 Cable Show. CNET/Marguerite Reardon Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts teased the idea of streaming-video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime coming to Comcast, as part of a platform that sounds like the holy grail of home entertainment. In a Q&A session at the Recode technology conference in …