He seems to like it. Amazon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET I spent much of Saturday night wondering if any of the Final Four teams were in the least bit tolerable. (Answer: sadly not.) However, my lack of enjoyment of this feast of commercialism was interrupted by the sight of Jeff Bezos’ new envoy trying to …

Apple iTV mock-up CNET Will Apple go with OLED for a future TV set? Who knows, but it is testing panels, according to a South Korea-based report. An “unnamed” South Korean display manufacture is making organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel samples for Apple’s “iTV,” which is “expected be mass-produced next year,” according to the Korea Herald, which cited Lee …

Is Google really considering taking on the wireless industry? According to The Information, the company has talked to Verizon and Sprint about leasing wireless capacity to launch a mobile service. Earlier this week, the blog cited unnamed sources who claimed Google has had talks with Verizon and Sprint over leasing access to their mobile networks in markets where Google has …

Intel’s Doug Fisher explains the 64-bit kernel on 32-bit Android. Intel Intel said this week that it’s going 64-bit on 32-bit Android. Confused? Intel offered some clarification at its China developer conference this week. Here’s the initial statement Intel released this week: “Intel…released Android KitKat 4.4 with a 64-bit kernel optimized for [Intel Architecture]. With this release, the company ported, …

Audio Research VSi75 stereo amplifier Audio Research This past Wednesday I wrote about electric guitarists and their never-ending love affair with tube amplifiers. The technology dates back to the first decade of the 20th century, and tubes were integral to the development of radio, television, home/professional audio, radar, telephone networks, medical test instruments, and early computers! The transistor was invented …

Google’s original “Google TV,” which was criticized for its complexity. Sarah Tew/CNET Google is getting set to unveil another TV effort — “Android TV” — and apparently it’ll look a lot like Apple TV, Roku, Amazon’s just-released Fire TV, and other set-top boxes. That’s according to a report in blog The Verge, which says it got its hands on internal …

Greg Christie is one of the inventors of Apple’s slide-to-unlock iPhone feature. CNET SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple took great pains to make its first iPhone as simple as possible, a company engineer told a court here, as Apple sought to add weight to its patent infringement suit against Samsung. A key argument for Apple throughout its various trials involving …

Gregory Lee, president of Samsung Telecom America, opens up the New York version of Unpacked in September, sporting the Galaxy Gear smartwatch and holding a Note 3. Scott Stein/CNET Samsung has a mini-exodus on its hands. At least five high-ranking executives from Samsung’s US mobile business — known as Samsung Telecommunications America, or STA — have left the company or …

You can now grab the original HTC One for a buck through Best Buy. Sarah Tew/CNET Consumers can now pick up the original HTC One smartphone at Best Buy for just a buck. Starting Friday, the HTC One M7 is selling at Best Buy and Bet Buy Mobile stores for $1 with the usual two-year contract through AT&T, Sprint, or …

Samsung might add another device to the Windows Phone 8.1 marketplace. James Martin/CNET Samsung is planning another Windows Phone-based handset, a new report claims. Dubbed the ATIV Core, the device will run on Windows Phone 8.1 and compete in the midtier of the smartphone market, Samsung-tracking site Sammobile reported on Friday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the …

Sprint offers up to $650 in credits for each line Framily Switching Bonus. CNET If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then T-Mobile should feel fawned over by Sprint’s latest move. Related Links How will Sprint’s Framily fare against T-Mobile’s ETF buyout? Sprint CFO says early reaction to Framily better than expected Who saves with T-Mobile deal and Sprint’s …

Andrew Hoyle/CNET Smartphone theft, in the words of lawmakers grappling with the crime, has reached “epidemic” levels. In the last few years, the oftentimes violent act has been quickly eclipsing all other forms of robbery in the US thanks to the lucrative secondhand market for stolen smartphones. That’s precisely why carriers Verizon and US Cellular have teamed up with Samsung …

Surface Pro 2 Sarah Tew/CNET Microsoft is using a Geek & Sundry bundle to entice gamers to snag a Surface Pro 2 tablet. The bundle, which starts at $899, offers gamers the Surface Pro 2 with 64GB of storage, as well as an Xbox Wireless controller for Windows. Microsoft also includes two downloadable PC games: War Thunder Mustang Advanced Pack …

The $179.95 OE2i on-ear model can be found for as low as $100 online. Sarah Tew/CNET Yesterday, Bose refreshed its line of on-ear and around-the-ear headphones with new branding and new colors. However, according to what we’re hearing from Bose reps, aside from the cosmetic changes, the new SoundTrue headphones look and sound the same as the OE2 and AE2 …

Project Ara’s team uses electro-permanent magnets to keep phone modules in place. Google/Screenshot by CNET Google is offering a quick glimpse into a future in which you’ll be able to build your own phone. The software giant released a short video to introduce some of the members of its Advanced Technology and Projects group, the folks behind Project Ara. The …