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Microsoft, Asus deal combines Android patents, Office bundling

Asus will pre-install unspecified Microsoft “productivity services” on its Android-based smartphones and tablets. Sarah Tew/CNET I’m starting to wonder whether Microsoft has a new strategy when it comes to signing patent-licensing deals with device makers that use Linux, Android or Chrome operating systems. On Thursday, Microsoft announced it had signed an “expanded” patent-licensing deal with …

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Why I changed my mind about ad

Is it time to start blocking AdBlock? Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET 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. I interrupt your regularly scheduled Cheapskatery to bring you this important announcement: Web ads are not evil. Please, put down your torches …

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Samsung denies fudging TV energy efficiency tests

Sarah Tew/CNET A couple weeks after Volkswagen was laid low by the discovery some of its diesel-powered cars cheated on emissions tests, Samsung is facing an accusation that its televisions appear more energy-efficient under test conditions than in everyday use. Tests conducted by ComplianTV, a testing group funded by the European Union, spotted the discrepancy, the Guardian reported on Thursday. …

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Real

Enlarge ImageClicking on one of these floating 3D shapes leads to a story of a Reach for Change project. Reach for Change It could easily be said of the Internet, especially when referring to its early days, that it’s powered by dreamers. A new website called The Never Ending Stories can now literally make that claim. It’s being fueled by …

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AT&T accuses Federal Communications Commission of favoritism

Marguerite Reardon/CNET AT&T is accusing the Federal Communications Commission of operating under a double standard when it comes to enforcing agency rules. In a letter Thursday to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the company said the agency has been slow to approve a waiver for a Wi-Fi calling feature that doesn’t meet FCC rules about accessibility for speech- and hearing-impaired people. …

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