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T-Mobile CEO John Legere at CES 2014 James Martin/CNET The spat between T-Mobile and BlackBerry — which resulted in BlackBerry parting ways with the carrier — was capped off on Thursday with an open letter by T-Mobile CEO John Legere and an offer for a $100 credit. Legere expressed his disappointment in the breakup in …

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BlackBerry Diaries: the prequel

Now playing: Watch this: One week with BlackBerry 2:00 Both the Chromebook Diaries and the Surface 2 Diaries dealt with devices I used mostly in working life. So let’s shake that up a little. This week I’m changing phones. In fact I’m not only changing phones, I’m changing phone operating systems. I’m bidding farewell to my much-loved Samsung Galaxy Note …

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WA doubles demerit points for using a mobile while driving

Western Australia is upping the penalties for mobile phone use while driving, with double demerit points in effect for breaking the law during holiday periods. The changes, introduced by the WA State Government this week, come as Australians prepare for double whammy of long weekends in April (thanks to Easter and Anzac Day) and the inevitable increase in traffic that …

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iPhone 5S best seller amid sluggish Android sales, analyst says

CNET Apple’s iPhone 5S is taking advantage of a downturn in Android sales but its lead may not last long. In an investors note out Thursday, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley said that Android smartphone sales have been soft as new devices get set to launch this month. As just one example, Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 will reach consumers on …

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Verizon rivals AT&T by trimming prices on More Everything plan

Verizon Verizon subscribers who need big buckets of data can now save more money via the carrier’s More Everything plan. Through the new budget-friendlier plan, customers who choose data buckets of 10GB or higher now pay an access fee of just $15 per month per smartphone line, down from the previously discounted price of $20. Verizon charges $100 a month …

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Roaming charges should pack their bags, says EU vote

The EU is one step closer to ending international roaming charges. Shutterstock Holidaymakers are a flip-flop closer to having more euros in the vacation budget for sun, sand and sangria, as the European Parliament voted Thursday to end international roaming charges by Christmas 2015. “This is what the EU is all about — getting rid of barriers to make life …

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Watch out, Siri: Cortana is coming to Windows

CNET Update likes a phone with attitude: Now playing: Watch this: Watch out, Siri: Cortana is coming to Windows 2:54 In this episode of Update, get to know Microsoft’s new voice-activated virtual assistant, Cortana . She’s able to give personalized help, such as reminding you when traffic is bad on the way to an appointment. She can even set reminders …

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Vine now lets friends share video and text messages

Vine introduces direct messaging. Vine What do you get when you cross Snapchat with Instagram Direct image messaging? Vine messages. Twitter-owned Vine introduced a new messaging feature on Thursday that lets users send video and text messages to anyone on Vine. The feature also gives users the capability to send videos to anyone in their personal address book, even if …

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Vodafone opening doors of 150 new shops

Vodafone is opening 150 new stores like this one in Staines. Martin Good/Shutterstock It’s been a bleak couple of years for the British high street, but no-one seems to have told the mobile phone shop. Mobiles are flying off shelves so fast that UK network Vodafone plans to open 150 new shops in the next year. Vodafone says the new …

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Microsoft’s Cortana doesn’t speak Spanish, for now

One of the star features of Windows Phone 8.1 is the Cortana voice assistant, but it won’t speak Spanish for awhile James Martin/CNET Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Spanish on our sister site, CNET en Español. As part of the announcement of the Windows Phone 8.1 update, Microsoft on Wednesday introduced its virtual personal assistant, Cortana, to attendees …

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Roku adds Qello Concerts channel

Roku Roku may have gained another major rival yesterday in the form of Amazon’s Fire TV , but it hasn’t stopped the streaming upstart from expanding its roster of channels. The latest addition is Qello Concerts, a channel that offers a huge library of musical performances and documentaries for a flat fee of $4.99 per month. Qello is no stranger …

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Amazon Fire TV should light a fire under Apple

Apple TV Sarah Tew/CNET The launch of Amazon’s Fire TV is a sign that Apple needs to update its own set-top box and launch a full blown TV set. At least, that’s the view of Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Rumors of an impending Apple television set have been floating about for years, but such a product has yet to …

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Nokia Lumia 930 image leaks ahead of launch, looks like Icon

The phone presumed to be the Nokia Lumia 930 looks a lot like Verizon’s Nokia Lumia Icon. @evleaks Images of Nokia’s next global flagship device have leaked ahead of Microsoft and Nokia’s big reveal at Microsoft Build, hosted in San Francisco on Wednesday. The leaked picture, presumably of the Nokia Lumia 930, comes courtesy of frequent (and frequently correct) Twitter …

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Nokia Lumia 635 coming to AT&T, T

Stephen Elop introducing the Lumia 630 and 635 at Microsoft Build 2014. James Martin/CNET AT&T, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS are the first US carriers to throw support behind the new Nokia Lumia 365 , one of three new Windows Phone 8.1 handsets that Nokia announced Wednesday at Microsoft Build in San Francisco. While the exact ship dates aren’t yet determined, the …

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Nokia joins the Windows Phone 8.1 party with 3 new handsets

Nokia is rolling out its bright style to three new Lumia handsets, including the brand’s first ever Lumia dual-SIM model. The Nokia Lumia 930. (Credit: Nokia) Alongside a raft of announcements to come out of Microsoft’s Build conference overnight, including the launch of a new Windows Phone 8.1 operating system with a dedicated voice assistant Cortana, Nokia announced a suite …

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