At CES 2017, Intel has announced a major (but largely expected) expansion of its current CPU lineup, with the addition of several new and more powerful seventh-generation Core i-series processors. We’ve already seen and tested a handful of laptops with processors from Intel’s seventh-generation of Core i-series chips, sometimes known by the code name Kaby …

Sony’s got tech heritage coming out of it eyeballs, but does it have the power to shake up CES? Unlike rivals LG and Samsung, the company has kept a tight lid on its plans for CES this year. Sony’s CES 2017 teaser page promises new products and includes the tagline: “Countdown to innovation.” Sony’s event will kick off at 5 …

As the new year starts to pick up steam, social media marches on. On Twitter, people are still tending to their 2016 wounds and making their wishes for what the new year will bring. The US House of Representatives, meanwhile, is trending across Facebook and Twitter after Republicans voted to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics. Social Cues is our …

This week’s sweepstakes is for anyone looking to get a little more active in 2017. You have a chance to win a TomTom Spark multisport GPS watch. The Spark includes all-day activity tracking (steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes), automatic sleep tracking, Bluetooth to connect with smartphones, multisport activity profiles (running, biking, swimming, freestyle, gym, stopwatch), interval training and a …

One of the world’s largest stages for new gadgets and devices will be in the spotlight this week — so you would expect to see a flood of innovative and high-powered phones there, right? Wrong. Phones are still coming to CES 2017, but not a laundry list of outstanding smartphones. Instead we’re expecting: Midrange devices rather than top-shelf products Phones …

In a few years, you’ll wear a smartwatch measuring your heart rate, a belt buckle tracking your eating habits and glasses displaying the news while recording what you do in your self-driving car. But what’s Silicon Valley got in mind for your kids? A four-day exhibition called the Baby Tech Summit, held during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas …

Anything iOS can do, Android can do better, right? Or maybe it’s the other way around? Bottom line: If there’s a particular feature built into one platform, chances are good you can emulate it on the other. Take Spotlight search, one of my favorite iOS capabilities. Tap a few letters and you can quickly locate an app, contact or just …

Virtual reality? Augmented reality? Asus is working with Google to release a phone that does both, and it’s being built with Qualcomm’s chips. A leaked announcement via Qualcomm in advance of Asus’ January 4 CES press conference revealed the Asus Zenfone AR, a phone that merges Google’s Daydream View VR platform and its Tango depth-sensing cameras. A likely photo of …

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page. Ten movies for 10 bucks. Yes, please! iTunes Happy 2017, everyone! I’m back from an incredible trip, but only for a couple days …

Samsung is kicking off 2017 with budget-phone buyers in mind. The electronics giant on Monday introduced its updated Galaxy A series phones: the 5.7-inch A7, 5.2-inch A5 and 4.7-inch A3. The 2017 versions of these phones come with a handful of upgrades, like IP68 water and dust resistance and improved 16-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras. Samsung’s Galaxy A range of …