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BlackBerry’s new look: Fresh, sleek, and misguided

For all the talk of revolution at Research In Motion’s developer conference this week, something about BlackBerry Jam Americas felt rather familiar. Think of it this way: a once-mighty tech company, elbowed out of the smartphone revolution by Apple and Android, making a new push to get back into the game. Amid high pressure to deliver, the company puts all …

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Logitech leaves Squeezebox fans wondering what’s next

Editors’ note: This story was updated September 27, 2012, to include a response from Logitech. In my review of the Logitech UE Smart Radio, there’s a single parenthetical line mentioning that the company is discontinuing the Squeezebox line of products. Incredibly, that’s more than Logitech has officially said on the matter, leaving the passionate fans of the Squeezebox platform wondering …

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Simple.TV release pushed back, Kickstarter backers get update

I’ve had some hands-on time with Simple.TV’s hardware, but it won’t be shipping until mid-October. Sarah Tew/CNET Simple.TV started as a darling of CES 2012, but recently it’s been faced with the more pedestrian realities of launching a new product, such as raising money via Kickstarter and meeting its release dates. Simple.TV announced late yesterday that it would not be …

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Best cheap plasma TVs

If you’re looking for a cheap TV 42 inches or larger, there are a lot of advantages to buying a plasma instead of an LCD. The biggest is picture quality: an LCD is typically not able to reproduce the black levels and contrast of an equivalently priced plasma, and plasma always trounces LCD for viewing angle and uniformity. Entry-level 720p …

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Dexter makes an express run to Australia

Foxtel is set to air season 7 of Dexter just hours after it premieres in the US. Dexter will be splattering onto Australian screens faster than expected. (Credit: Showtime) After promising to fast track certain US shows as part of its express initiative, Dexter fans would have been disappointed to note that the season 7 premiere would not be airing …

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HTC One X enormo

One of the biggest and beefiest phones to come out of this year’s MWC — HTC’s humungous One X — will be coming to O2’s network, the operator has confirmed. It made the announcement in a tweet spotted by the chaps over at Reg Hardware. O2 said it will be getting its hands on the HTC One X on 5 …

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Transit directions field test: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

It’s been almost a week since iOS 6 deleted Google Maps from Apple devices around the world and replaced it with Apple’s homegrown application. Yet, the outrage from iOS users continues to grow, as does the schadenfreude from Android fans. As CNET has told you, the complaints center on just about every feature of Apple Maps, from poor location searches, …

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Smaller wireless carriers extend networks via Boingo Wi

LAS VEGAS — Wi-Fi network provider Boingo Wireless has struck a deal with the Competitive Carrier Association to help smaller wireless providers leverage Wi-Fi to offload traffic and extend the reach of their networks. On Tuesday at the CCA’s annual conference, Boingo CEO Dave Hagan announced the new partnership and explained the opportunity that Wi-Fi offers all carriers, both large …

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iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X in interface

While phone fans revel in playing top trumps over screen resolutions and processor braininess, spec sheet point scoring counts for little if your phone’s fiddly to use and finicky with the basics — emailing, sharing photos and mapping your route across town. The iPhone 5, which includes a longer screen and increased processing power, and its Android challengers — the …

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