Can’t wait to get a hot new app? Apple now will let you preorder it in the App Store. The new feature, which Apple detailed for developers Monday, only works for new apps that haven’t been published on the App Store before. They have to hit the store within two to 90 days. Apple notifies …

Facebook is taking big steps to bring more augmented reality to its services. For the uninitiated, augmented reality, or AR, lets people superimpose virtual graphics on top of real world images. It’s what gives you digital sunglasses or dog ears in Snapchat and Instagram. The social network on Tuesday said it’s bringing a new feature, called World Effects, to its …

Drone operators will once again be required to register their aircraft with the federal government under a sweeping defense policy bill signed into law Tuesday. The requirement that recreational drone operators register their unmanned aerial vehicles with the Federal Aviation Administration was included in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Donald Trump signed Tuesday. The provision reinstates a …

Now playing: Watch this: The fight to save net neutrality (The 3:59, Ep. 331) 4:25 On today’s podcast, we talk about: Internet sites and internet pioneers protest the FCC’s planned repeal of net neutrality. CNET’s review of the new Google Home Max smart speaker. Apple’s acquisition of the music recognition app Shazam. The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about …

Apple bills the iPhone X as “the smartphone of the future.” But we’re sitting here tinkering with the iPhone X now, and can’t help but to wonder what’s next. Fortunately, the new features of the iPhone X — the TrueDepth camera, Face ID and even the new, bezel-less design — offer hints of where the iPhone may go next. This …

Sure, you can dig trenches across the land and fill them up with fiber-optic cables, but AT&T has begun testing what it says is a promising alternative called AirGig that relies on radio signals instead. Unveiled last year, AirGig sends data from one antenna to another along power lines in rural, suburban or urban areas. It also sends data to …

Finding your Xfinity Mobile phone in your home is now as easy as talking out loud. Comcast’s new Phone Finder feature lets subscribers of its wireless service locate their devices by speaking into their X1 voice remotes. You don’t have to set anything up. Simply say “Xfinity Mobile, find my phone” into your remote control, and the device will ring.  …

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives. But do I want it to? Amazon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET It’s all very well deciding to cut the cord. But what are you going to cut it with? Which of these little sticks and boxes will work for you: Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku Streaming …

Forget fingerprint scanners that live on the home button or on the back of the phone — why not put one directly into the screen? That’s exactly what one company is trying to do. Fingerprint sensor manufacturer Synaptics just announced that it has begun mass production with a top-five original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to produce its new Clear ID FS9500 …

First announced in June, the new iMac Pro will drop later this week. An update to Apple’s website on Tuesday delivered the release date: Dec. 14.  With the iMac Pro, Apple is targeting professionals who need really fast processing and lots of computing horsepower.  “Pros love iMac,” Apple says on its iMac Pro page. “So when they asked us to …