Instagram is testing new features that could make it harder for hackers to steal accounts and hold them for ransom. Hackers have been targeting high-profile Instagram accounts owned by influencers, and threatening to delete them unless victims pay up. First reported by Motherboard, victims had to pay more than $100 to retrieve their accounts, some …

Microsoft’s online store has resumed selling Huawei laptops, after disappearing MateBooks from the Microsoft Store after the Chinese tech giant was blacklisted by the US. The US last month added Huawei to its “entity list,” and President Donald Trump signed an executive order essentially banning the company in light of national security concerns that Huawei had close ties with the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly denied …

Satellite TV provider Dish Network is reportedly considering a merger with AT&T’s DirecTV service. AT&T and Dish have no active deal talks ongoing, however, Reuters reported Friday. Dish Network’s spectrum holdings — it has been hoarding spectrum for years but has yet to build out its own satellite network — could also be a valuable acquisition for AT&T as it …

While still over a year away, Apple’s 2020 line of iPhones is already starting to come into focus with a new report from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo providing additional details on what we can expect.  Spotted by MacRumors, next year’s lineup will apparently include 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch high-end models (potential successors to the current XS line) as well as a 6.1-inch …

Mobile payments could soon make your wallet obsolete by allowing you to pay with just the tap of your phone or smartwatch. But they’ve had a slow roll-out and not all options are made equal. The three most established systems are from Apple, Samsung and Google, although some wearables from brands such as Garmin and Fitbit also offer their own payment …

Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t just try to inspire Stanford University graduates with his commencement speech on Sunday. He also took a few shots at Silicon Valley. Cook’s speech called out Silicon Valley, which he says traces its roots back to Stanford, for taking credit without accepting responsibility. He brought up data breaches, privacy violations and false promises of miracles. Although …

Fresco is Adobe’s new name for its forthcoming iPad drawing app that builds in the physics of ink, paper and paint. The app, which Adobe debuted in October as a research effort called Project Gemini, is due to arrive later this year. There are lots of apps for drawing, sketching and painting on iPads, Android and Windows tablets. Among them …

When Telltale Games shut down in 2018, there were questions about what would happen to the games that had already been released. One particular series is on its way out and has seen a big price increase — but for a good reason. In 2015, Minecraft developer Mojang partnered with Telltale for an adventure game based on the hit creative, …

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced its answer to Apple’s insanely popular AirPods: The Samsung Galaxy Buds, wire-free earphones that can charge wirelessly. Better still, they can charge wirelessly by piggybacking on one of Samsung’s new Galaxy S10 phones, which is pretty freakin’ cool. Read CNET’s Samsung Galaxy Buds review to learn more. Read more: Galaxy Buds vs. AirPods   At $130, the Galaxy Buds are …

Amazon appears to have closed down its Spark social networking platform. The closure comes less than two years after Amazon launched Spark as its social media play in July 2017. Spark was focused on users posting images, stories and ideas about products and purchases, and was originally launched only for Amazon Prime members. Other users could then react with “smiles” and …