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Need a new smartphone? You’ll find it at Mobile World Congress

In the yearly calendar of technology trade shows, Mobile World Congress stands out for two very important reasons. Firstly, it focuses entirely on mobile and wireless gadgets (which it makes it very cool already), and, secondly, it showcases new products that are far closer to reality than the pie-in-the-sky concepts on show at CES. In other words, most of the …

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FCC trumps state laws on local broadband limits

The Federal Communications Commission has fired the opening shot at state governments that restrict local municipalities from building their own broadband networks. In a 3-2 decision, which was split between Democrats favoring the measure and Republicans voting against it, the FCC approved two petitions filed by municipal broadband providers asking the agency to pre-empt, or override, provisions of laws in …

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Web tech helps Telefonica and O2 move calling beyond the phone

Telefonica’s Tu Go service enables voice calling and text messaging over the Internet. With WebRTC, it now works in browsers, too. screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET Telefonica, a carrier that sells mobile network service access in several countries — including the UK under the O2 brand — has embraced Web technology to give customers new ways to make phone calls. Through …

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Android share of smartphone profits plummets to 11 percent

Smartphone industry profits are going one way: toward Apple. James Martin/CNET Google’s Android mobile operating system might be the dominant force worldwide, but when it comes to scoring profits for hardware makers, it may be a downer. Android nabbed just 11.3 percent of all smartphone profits during the fourth quarter of 2014, according to data from research firm Strategy Analytics. …

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Aereo bankruptcy auction fetches less than $2 million

Aereo offered its assets during a bankruptcy auction this week. Joan E. Solsman/CNET Aereo, the defunct streaming-TV service shuttered last year over copyright violations, raised less than $2 million from the sale of its assets in a bankruptcy auction this week. Aereo’s trademark and customer lists were sold to TiVo, maker of digital video recorders, while patent risk-management firm RPX …

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Lytro tries to right itself with $50 million and new purpose: Video and VR

Sarah Tew/CNET Entering a dying market is rarely a good idea — even if your product is groundbreaking. As first reported by Re/code and confirmed by CNET, Lytro, the company known for creating the first consumer light-field camera for capturing pictures that you can refocus again and again after you’ve shot them, has received $50 million in new funding and …

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MotoMaker customization coming to the Moto 360 in March

Sarah Tew/CNET A Motorola executive hinted to CNET at the International CES trade show last month that the Moto 360 may soon be offered through the company’s MotoMaker website. Motorola has been expanding the MotoMaker service to more countries over the past year; however the customization options have thus far been limited to the company’s Android smartphones. As first reported …

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Google shakes up European operations amid regulatory scrutiny

Google’s European division has come under a single roof, but who knows if that will help the company with regulators. Search giant Google has combined its two units operating in Europe, as competition watchdogs continue to apply pressure on the company. Google’s Northern and Central Europe unit will combine with the division covering Southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, …

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