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Meerkat mania: Live

Meerkatting is all the rage on Twitter. (Well, until the next video-streaming app comes along.) Watch this episode of CNET Update to learn the secrets of the Meerkat app. There’s also news regarding a different species of video streaming: HBO Now and Sling TV. Also, it’s time to dust off the plastic guitars… Rock Band is back. (OK Google, I’m …

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These are the 21 things you need to know from MWC 2015

BARCELONA — By any measure, 2015 was a banner year for the world’s largest and most important mobile show. Mobile World Congress drew in over 90,000 attendees and roughly 1,900 exhibitors, all vying to make their mark. It’s a lot to digest, which is why we break down the most significant news, impressive gadgets, kooky startups and biggest themes below. …

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BBM for Android hits 100M downloads, but still no match for WhatsApp

BBM for Android has reached 100 million downloads. BlackBerry BlackBerry’s mobile messaging application BBM for Android has reached a new milestone. But it might not be time to pop open a champagne bottle just yet. BBM for Android has reached 100 million downloads in the Google Play store since that application hit the marketplace a year-and-a-half ago. BlackBerry also said …

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Dig this: I operated a giant excavator from 2,500km away

CNET Editor Roger Cheng controlling an excavator in Sweden — while at a conference in Barcelona. Sarah Tew/CNET BARCELONA — Thanks to Ericsson, I can check off operating heavy machinery from my bucket list. No, the telecommunications equipment manufacturer didn’t have a massive excavator in its booth at the Mobile World Congress trade show here. But it had the next …

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How to pay with your smartphone without Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Wallet

With Apple Pay gaining steam and Samsung releasing its own system at Mobile World Congress 2015, called Samsung Pay, mobile payments are getting mainstream. In the coming years I’m betting that nearly every phone will let you quickly check out without grabbing for your wallet. More about mobile payments Everything you need to know about NFC and mobile payments Samsung …

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Facebook will stop counting likes from some accounts

The Facebook logo as seen on a tablet screen. Getty Images Facebook is changing how it counts “likes” across its Pages for celebrities and businesses. The social networking giant said Thursday it will no longer include likes from people who have deactivated their accounts or who have died. Facebook likes are an important measure of a Page’s popularity and are …

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11 must

Mobile World Congress 2015 was chock full of cool new gadgets and the CNET TV team was on the scene in Barcelona getting hands-on coverage of the latest and greatest tech. Samsung strutted a fresh pair of flagship phones, wearables made a fashionable appearance, and cutting-edge VR headsets blew us away. If you missed any of it, check out the …

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Apple Watch to nab over half the smartwatch market, researcher predicts

Apple Watch will lead the smartwatch market this year, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple The highly anticipated Apple Watch will soon dominate the smartwatch market, says research firm Strategy Analytics. Apple will ship 15.4 million Apple Watch units in 2015, giving the company 54.8 percent of the global smartwatch market. All other smartwatch makers combined will ship just 12.7 million …

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