Nest, co-founded by Matt Rogers, is one of the companies trying to create an intelligent room. James Martin/CNET LAS VEGAS — The tech industry once again can’t decide: When it comes to the home of the future, will it have a centralized computer telling you when to mop floors, clean windows and cook breakfast, or …

Is that a red-backlit keyboard? Why, yes, it is. #gorgeous Lenovo You know me: I’m all about budget laptops. Give me a Chromebook, give me a tablet with a keyboard, give me a $200 HP Stream. Of course, systems like those lack the horsepower for anything beyond basic computing. If you want to edit video or play games, you need …

The Microsoft is raising the stakes by lowering the prices of its phones, including the newly unveiled Lumia 435. Microsoft Microsoft is focused on the long game when it comes to mobile. The Redmond, Wash., company has aggressively gone after budget-conscious consumers in emerging markets with cheaper Windows Phone smartphones. The world’s largest software maker is wagering consumers in places …

Skype wants the public’s help to improve the product. Nicole Cozma/CNET Microsoft wants your help making Skype work better on your iOS device. As it rolled out a new version of Skype for iPhone Wednesday, the company invited people who’d like to provide feedback on Skype for iOS to join a new pre-release program. Those who do will get access …

Project Ara lets people mix and match parts to build a smartphone. Google When it comes to smartphones, people are used to customizing their applications and software. But for the handset itself, they’re stuck with what the hardware maker built. Google wants to change that. The company on Wednesday said it will start a market pilot in Puerto Rico to …

Dave McNair with some of his mastering tools. Chris Henderson A lot of audiophiles believe that mastering plays an absolutely decisive role in the sound of recorded music. I’m not sure how this belief came to be, it shortchanges all of the other elements of record production. It’s akin to saying a chef can save a poorly prepared meal by …

The Apple Watch is scheduled for release this spring. James Martin/CNET Apple has already revealed a few tidbits about its upcoming smartwatch. But a leaked iPhone app may have exposed more details about how the wearable device will function. Known as the Apple Watch “Companion” app for iPhone, the software apparently will let watch owners manage settings for apps and …

The HTC Hima Ace Plus is one of multiple devices rumored for 2015. CNET Well, this is interesting. The latest rumor of HTC’s next flagship phone is gelling around a 5.5-inch phablet called the Hima Ace Plus, claims Portuguese website 4GNews. This marks the third rumored flagship device from HTC, after the HTC One M9 and the HTC Hima (more …

Rounds offers free, live video chat paired with interactive videos and games. Rounds Rounds, a video-chat service, has gained a handful of major investors, bringing in Sequoia Capital and Samsung Ventures in its latest $12 million funding round, the startup said Wednesday. The Israel-based company offers live video conferencing for up to 12 users on the same line and allows …

Apple and Ericsson are now in the middle of a legal battle over patent royalties. Apple and wireless technology company Ericsson have ramped up their ongoing fight over royalties and patents. Apple on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the North District of California, saying that while it uses Ericsson’s LTE technology in its products, it …