Google Play now lets users preregister for apps. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Can’t wait for a hot new app to appear in Google Play? According to a post over at Android Police, the Android app store now lets you preregister for forthcoming games and apps so that you’ll be notified on your Android phone or …

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden called Australia’s data retention scheme “dangerous”. Screen capture by CNET/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” Former US National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden has delivered a damning verdict on Australia’s new data retention laws, saying they are “radical” and “dangerous,” telling Australians “regardless of whether or not you’re doing anything wrong, you are being watched.” …

Google’s Open Location Code gives addresses to buildings like this Corsican guesthouse that don’t have street addresses. Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET CARGESE, Corsica, France — Ours is a 21st-century family. On our April vacation to Corsica, we booked lodging through Airbnb, navigated by satellite and followed trail maps on a smartphone. But in one way, our two-week journey to France’s …

Telstra has unveiled a new range of plans, called Go Mobile, that are aimed at allowing families to easily share data allowances, as well as add new phones and devices to a single account. On any Go Mobile plan, a new phone can be added by purchasing an AU$40 per month companion SIM, which gives unlimited voice, SMS and MMS, …

KEF Reference 1 speakers KEF Come on, it’s just you and me, how do you rate it? Is sound quality the main thing, or is price, features, size, styling, name brand or scoring the best possible deal? It’s probably a combination of all of those things, but how high does sound quality rate for you? Ten years ago at a …

Steve Guttenberg/CNET From time to time, I hear from readers requesting lists of great-sounding music, so when I find noteworthy efforts I’m happy to share the news. Granted, personal taste plays a role in defining music and sound quality, but I’m sure there are a few gems here that’ll click with you. What follows is a roundup of the best-sounding …

The LaVie Z series at CES 2015. CNET This article was updated on 5/12 at 10:30 am with Lenovo’s response. If you’ve been eyeing Lenovo’s latest ultraportable laptop, the LaVie Z series, since it was announced at CES 2015 , this may make you think twice about purchasing it. According to Consumer Reports, computers in this series have issues that …

Zulily shares have taken a dive this year, but Alibaba’s deep pockets are giving them a boost. Getty Images Alibaba, already the biggest e-commerce company in China, keeps dabbling in the US. The company has taken a roughly 10 percent stake — worth about $150 million — in Zulily, a Seattle-based online retailer focused on women’s and kids’ merchandise, according …

The market for preowned gadgets is booming these days — and you shouldn’t overlook it when you’re buying a device. That’s the message I offer two different readers of Ask Maggie. The first wants to know if buying a used smartphone is a good idea for her teenage daughter, while the second wants to know if the Apple Watch is …

Nate Ralph/CNET Editors’ note, May 8, 2014: This post has been updated with new details on Scribd’s catalog. E-book subscription services are all the rage this year, thanks in part to Amazon. The decades-old book retailer unveiled its own unlimited book subscription, Kindle Unlimited, on July 18, aiming to compete with Oyster and Scribd , comparable services that have been …