If you’re considering signing up for wireless service with Verizon, you may want to do so before Sunday. That’s when the New York-based telecommunications giant adds a $20 fee to cover the cost of activating a new device, according to a company spokeswoman. It applies to consumers signing up for a new phone or tablet …

YouTube over the years has become an impressively large music repository, a development that the YouTube mobile app never fully grasped. The mobile YouTube app is geared for YouTube’s raison d’etre of watching videos, which is why the separate YouTube Music app is needed. The YouTube Music app is free for iPhone and for Android, but a YouTube Red subscription …

Facebook is helping users in Paris quickly post safety status messages after a series of shootings and explosions around the city killed more than 100 people Friday. The social network has activated its Safety Check tool, which is automatically sending users in the affected area a note asking if they’re safe. When a user clicks “Yes, let my friends know,” …

I’ve seen mobile chargers slim enough to fit in a wallet, but I’ve never seen a wallet with a built-in mobile charger. Until now. The Nomad Wallet is a black leather bifold with something a bit unusual sewn into the middle: a 2,400mAh rechargeable battery. When you open the wallet, there’s a Lightning cable ready to plug into your iPhone. …

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. Quick housekeeping note: Last day to enter the Cheapskate’s audio-gear giveaway! You could win a seriously sweet Bluetooth speaker or briefcase turntable. End …

AT&T-owned prepaid carrier Cricket Wireless has slashed the prices of a number of its smartphones for the holiday shopping season. Starting Friday and running through January 7, 2016, customers can walk away with phones that are effectively free. The end of the year typically sees smartphone vendors and carriers competing aggressively for new customers. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the …

Editors’ note: This giveaway has a Twitter component. Please read the rules below carefully. We’ve turned off comments on this article to avoid confusion. Congratulations to Brian M. of Eagle, Idaho, for winning a Blast Motion Easton Power Sensor in last week’s giveaway. This week’s giveaway is a fitness package, to help you stay motivated during the darker winter months. …

Visually speaking, Windows 10 isn’t that different from Windows 8 — but for some reason, Microsoft elected to make the new operating system’s title bars white, with no option to change them. Thankfully, that option has been restored as part of the Windows 10 update that’s rolling out today. Ready to bring a little color back to your windows? Here’s …

Apple, known for keeping its products simple and elegant, may be getting away from the simple part, at least when it comes to developers. It wasn’t so long ago that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs liked to point out Google’s Android , with developers forced to make multiple versions of their apps to support the varying Android devices. It turns out …

“Hey Cortana, how many dollarydoos will it cost me to get to Bondi Beach?” While it may take some time for Cortana to pick up the full Australian lexicon, Microsoft has announced that its “personal digital assistant” will be available on Windows 10 devices in Australia from today. Just like Apple’s voice assistant Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana learns the speech patterns …