Google Fi, the search giant’s mobile service, is rolling out end-to-end encrypted calls, the company said Thursday. The feature is starting with Android phones using Fi in the coming weeks. End-to-end encryption essentially blocks anyone beside the parties communicating from accessing a conversation. Popular Facebook-owned chat app WhatsApp is among the other services that offer end-to-end …

Few gaming laptops look as nice as Razer Blade notebooks — they’re slim, sturdy, undeniably sleek and powerful to boot. They’re also typically expensive, often pushing $2,000 for the base model. Today — as spotted earlier by The Inventory — you might not have to pay that much: The 2020 Razer Blade 15 is currently listed for $1,750 on Amazon, …

This story is part of Making the Metaverse, CNET’s exploration of the next stage in the internet’s evolution. Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel Snow Crash is about a pizza delivery man by day, VR superhero by night, who lives in an online universe called the Metaverse. “So Hiro’s not actually here at all. He’s in a computer-generated universe that his computer …

In the world of Cricut machines, the Maker series stands at the top. Where every Cricut can cut vinyl and crease paper, the Maker line does so much more: It’s capable of cutting leather, wood and other materials. The Cricut Maker line is designed for professionals, people who want to do more than just make something for the house. That …

Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods ($179, £169, AU$279) and the first thing you’ll probably think is: “Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems. Those stems also have the …

The first image of a smartwatch being developed by Meta, formerly Facebook, shows the much-rumored device with a front-facing camera and rounded screen, according to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday. The image was reportedly found inside one of the tech giant’s iPhone apps. The watch in the image features a front-facing camera at the bottom of the watch’s display, …

Facebook wants to look toward the future, and it’s taking on a new name to emphasize that. Facebook is renaming itself Meta. After weeks of intense scrutiny brought on after a whistleblower leaked thousands of internal research documents and memos to regulators, lawmakers and the press, Facebook tried to turn a page by focusing on its futuristic technology. To Mark …

The new Amazon Fire 10-inch tablet is now $88 on QVC, which is $11 cheaper than we’ve ever seen it (and different from the last sale on the older model). With this deal, not only do you get the tablet, which boasts 32GB storage and a 1080p touchscreen, it also comes with a voucher for a nice customizable case, and software …

Facebook said Thursday it’s rebranding itself as Meta to reflect the company’s focus on building the metaverse, a virtual world where people work, play, learn and connect with their friends and family. Meta will be a new corporate brand that will preside over Facebook and its services including photo app Instagram, messaging app WhatsApp and its virtual and augmented reality …

Worldwide shipments of smartphones took a greater hit than expected in the third quarter, declining 6.7% after posting double-digit growth in the first half of 2021, according to an IDC report Thursday. The market researcher attributed the decline to disruption in the supply chain that has been dogging many device manufacturers. “The supply chain and component shortage issues have finally …

In Facebook’s original presentation of its Project Aria augmented reality camera experiment, the company showed off a thumb clicker for driving the prototype specs. On Thursday, Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, revealed a wrist-based neural interface to free your hands from this task. Neural interfaces are one of many ways Meta wants to approach how people control augmented reality headsets. …

The Oculus Quest (soon to be Meta Quest) started as a head-mounted game console, but now its parent company Facebook (renamed Meta) is trying to push the platform further by connecting with you across VR headsets, AR headsets, metaverse avatars and in other ways. The timing for the annual VR- and AR-focused Facebook Connect conference couldn’t be worse, with the …

Facebook is working on a pair of true augmented reality glasses under an effort that it’s calling Project Nazaré. The social network announced the project during its Facebook Connect keynote on Thursday. The company says that while there’s still a lot of work to be done, people will eventually be able to use the glasses to do things like host an AR …

Apple TV Plus, the tech giant’s subscription video service, is headed to Comcast devices. The companies have struck a deal to bring Apple TV Plus to Comcast devices and the Xfinity Stream and Sky Go apps to Apple TV devices, said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts during the company’s earnings call Thursday. The Apple TV app (which lets you access Apple …

Tech executives and lawmakers around the world all seem to agree — social media regulation is necessary and it is coming. One of the first pieces of legislation to come into play will likely be the UK’s Online Safety Bill, the draft text of which is being examined by a parliamentary committee. That bill will help set the tone for …