FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: “Broadband has gone from being a luxury to a necessity.” Mark Wilson/Getty Images Federal regulators are moving forward with plans to expand a three-decade-old phone subsidy program for low-income households so that it can also help families cover the cost of broadband Internet service. The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 Thursday …

No surprise here, but it turns out the Apple Watch is a profitable enterprise for the company. Scott Stein/CNET Apple’s flashy smartwatch is closing in on 3 million unit sales, new data suggests. Apple has sold 2.79 million Apple Watch units since the device went on sale in April, research firm Slice Intelligence told Reuters on Thursday. The company added …

The next version of the Apple Watch could have a lot more going for it, according to a new report. Prices for the Apple Watch range from $349 for the basic Sport version to $17,000 for the top-of-the-line gold edition. Sarah Tew/CNET New features being considered for the second generation of the Apple Watch — which wouldn’t arrive until 2016 …

Facebook says it’s hard at work at boosting diversity in its workplace. Facebook Facebook has launched a program to bring more diversity to its workforce. If successful, the company reportedly plans to roll it out across its many divisions. Within the last few months, Facebook has started a program in a handful of divisions that requires the applicant pool for …

Federal regulators just made it harder for telemarketers to interrupt your family dinners and jam your mobile phone with unwanted text messages by passing strict new rules that will give consumers more ways to opt out and block unwanted messages and prerecorded, automated robocalls. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler (center) says: “You cannot be called unless you consent to be called. …

GeekBuying Looking to strap an action-cam to your drone, dog, helmet or the like? The gold standard has long been the GoPro, but ye gods, the prices! The current models range from $300-$500. There are cheaper alternatives, of course, but most of them fall short in one or more key areas. Enter the Xiaomi Yi, which I can’t even begin …

Sarah Tew/CNET It’s a relatively small difference among the many contrasts between Macs and PCs, but two things Mac keyboards lack that have always been found on PC keyboards are Home and End keys. These two keys can be used to jump to the beginning or end of a page. With a Mac keyboard, there are two keyboard shortcuts that …

Chrome could go even faster thanks to a new set of Web standards. Screenshot/Google An unlikely partnership between rivals may be the key to a much faster experience on the Internet. After working behind closed doors for months, browser engineers on Wednesday unveiled a project called WebAssembly. The effort, now taking place in public, aims to marry the unbeatable reach …

Now playing: Watch this: Brad Pitt comes to Netflix! 2:12 Google Play has a bunch of free television episodes for folks who want to give new shows a try. The videos are available in HD and once you purchase them (at the low price of $0), they should live in your library for as long as your account exists. To …

Skype Translator can now speak German and French. CNET Users of Skype’s Translator software can now chat with people in French or German. In a blog post published Thursday, Yasmin Khan, who handles marketing for Microsoft’s Internet-calling service, confirmed that Skype Translator is now able to handle real-time translation in French and German. That means the software can converse in …