A patent awarded to Apple on Tuesday shows the company is researching the use of bone conduction technology to improve voice call quality in its EarPod headphones. Enlarge Image U.S. Patent No. 9,363,596 uspto.gov US Patent No. 9,363,596 shows a diagram detailing a pair of wired earbuds with an internal accelerometer that can distinguish between …
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Smartphone sales growth expected to stink this year
Consumers are just saying no to new smartphones. Global smartphone sales will no longer hit double-digit growth, market researcher Gartner said Tuesday, while predicting a rise in sales of 7 percent for 2016. That compares with 14.4 percent annual growth in 2015 and the peak of 73 percent in 2010. In terms of numbers, smartphone unit sales are predicted to …
Read More »Political attack ad savages Princess Leia
So weary of political attack ads you’re kind of rooting for Giant Meteor 2016? Here’s one you’ll actually enjoy, no matter which side you’re on. “The Star Wars Show,” which posts new YouTube episodes every Wednesday, produced a slyly realistic political attack ad attacking Princess Leia’s ambitions to become the first senator of the new republic. The video promotes Claudia …
Read More »Facebook wants all of you on Messenger
Facebook really, really wants everyone to use its Messenger app. Once upon a time, chatting was built into Facebook. Then the social network created Messenger as a thing unto itself, with the iOS and Android versions of the Facebook app directing you to use or install Messenger if you wanted to chat. Now users of Facebook’s mobile website are starting …
Read More »Get an Acer Core i7 touchscreen Ultrabook for $399.99
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. Acer About two years ago, Acer released an updated Aspire S7 Ultrabook, with the high-end configuration selling for around $1,400. This is the …
Read More »CNET Magazine looks into smart travel
Summer time. It’s the season of long, sun-filled days, blockbuster entertainment and — for many of us — a chance to explore new worlds. In the latest issue of CNET Magazine, we do some explorations of our own. Looking for better and easier ways to get from here to there? Our story on electric scooters, skateboards and hovercraft (spoiler alert: …
Read More »Samsung’s flexible phones may be released in 2017
Now playing: Watch this: Samsung to introduce bendable phones in 2017, says report 1:30 Samsung has been working on introducing a smartphone with a flexible display that could be folded in half for several years. A new report from Bloomberg says that Samsung could be close to releasing two pliable phones in the near future. Flexible phones are sure to …
Read More »Apple shows off 8 new ‘shot on iPhone’ videos
Apple has published eight new videos in its “shot on iPhone” series, which touts the camera prowess of its iPhones. Within the last day, eight new videos have been added to Apple’s YouTube channel. They feature a hippo, penguins, bees and a particularly excited dog. Not all the videos, which are 15 seconds long, are animal-themed. There are also moody …
Read More »Google Motion Stills turns your Live Photos into GIFs
Now playing: Watch this: Google’s new iOS app fixes Apple Live Photos 1:27 Turning your Live Photos into shareable GIFs just got much easier thanks to Google. On Tuesday the company released a free iOS app, Motion Stills, that allows you to do just that. The above GIF shows before and after stabilization with the Motion Stills app. Google Google …
Read More »#BernieHillaryDuets offers ‘The Greatest Laughs of All’
If there’s one thing this election season needs, it’s a whole lot more love, and Twitter users are trying to deliver some to the left side of the political aisle with a trending hashtag. Tuesday marked the final Super Tuesday of the 2016 presidential primary season, and it appears former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has …
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