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This text could crash your iPhone

As if receiving a text from an ex isn’t bad enough, now there’s a far worse kind of unwanted message to worry about. This one can crash your iPhone. YouTube channel EverythingApplePro highlights a sequence of characters that appear to temporarily freeze an iPhone, which you can send to someone to put their kibosh on their phone. Here’s how it …

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The battle of the CES 2017 coffee and tea robots

Now playing: Watch this: Battle of the CES robot baristas 2:50 Picture this: You walk through a crowded convention center and off to the side you notice a huddle of smiling people engrossed in a demo. You walk over to the booth and see a large robotic arm handing a person a cappuccino. This was the scene at several booths …

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7 cool ways to reuse an old laptop

Everything old is new again. That applies not just to bell-bottoms and cassette tapes (seriously, tapes are staging a comeback), but also your old tech. You’ve already learned how to repurpose an old tablet; now let’s focus on that laptop you’ve kept in the back of your closet these many years. Even if it’s a slow, virus-infested mess, you might …

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Netflix’s global domination plans find a US fanbase

Are US customers interested in watching a post-apocalyptic thriller in Portuguese? Apparently, yes. Netflix said its series “3%,” which was made for Brazil, unexpectedly had legs outside that market, with millions of US viewers tuning in to watch the show, subtitles (or dubbed) and all. The series offered an early example of how Netflix’s international expansion can sometimes pay dividends …

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Pay TV loses ground to antenna

A study released Wednesday by market research firm Parks Associates shows a steady increase in stateside TV customers who are forgoing traditional cable. Some 15 percent of US broadband households now get all of their TV from an antenna. That number has increased steadily over the course of five years as pay TV subscriptions have seen a corresponding drop. Parks …

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Get a Google Daydream View for $49

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page. Enlarge Image Google Sorry that printer sold out so quickly yesterday! I suspected it would happen, as Staples often has (annoyingly) limited stock. …

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