May, 2019

• 7 May

  Best Buy flash sale: $500 off Apple 12

  

  We’ve seen the current 12-inch MacBook discounted in recent months, but Best Buy’s Tuesday-only $500 discount on the entry-level 12-incher is about the best sale price we’ve encountered. This ultraslim model lists for $1,300 but is selling for $800 in two color options (online only).  This model features Intel’s Core M3 chip, the mobile version …

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• 7 May

  Google brings AR and Lens closer to the future of search

  

  Imagine you’re thinking about chairs, and you Google up some to try out in your living room. Or, you’re looking at a subway map in Tokyo, and you see suggestions on what routes to take that suddenly appear, translated into your own language. Google AR and Google Lens are getting there faster than you think. I’m in Google’s Immersive Lab …

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• 7 May

  Google takes wraps off new accessibility projects at I/O

  

  Google is using advances in AI and voice recognition to design new products and apps intended to make life easier for people with disabilities. It highlighted some of that work Tuesday at its annual I/O developer conference. During his keynote address, Google CEO Sundar Pichai demonstrated the new Live Caption feature, enabled by Android Q, which transcribes in real time …

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• 7 May

  Mother’s Day gifts: 7 great TV and video streaming options, starting at $30

  

  This story is part of Mother’s Day Gift Guide. CNET editors round up the hottest gadgets for Mom this year. Mother’s Day is coming up, so why not get Mom the gift she really wants? A new video streamer or smart TV says “I Love You” almost as much as flowers, and will definitely last longer. Streaming video can be …

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• 7 May

  Android Q moves forward without the back button

  

  The Android Q beta has given us a good glimpse of what’s coming to the next version of Google’s mobile OS. Today at its Google I/O developer conference, however, the company showed a feature that’s going away: the back button.   Android Q, the 10th version of the operating system, will get an all-new gestural navigation that will rely on …

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• 7 May

  Sprint to show off 5G at Google I/O

  

  Google I/O 2019 starts Tuesday, and attendees of the event will get to try out 5G speeds thanks to Sprint. The mobile carrier said it’ll provide its Sprint 5G network at the conference, held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Sprint said it’ll use Ericsson 5G Massive MIMO radios to deliver both a 5G and LTE signal. Since …

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• 7 May

  Google Play app award winners revealed ahead of I/O

  

  To kick off its I/O developer conference on Tuesday, Google has announced the winners of its fourth annual contest for Google Play apps. App developers vied in nine categories, according to Google.  Here’s a list of the first-place winners: Standout well-being app Woebot: Your Self-care Expert Developer: Woebot Labs Best Accessibility Experience Envision AI Developer: Envision Technologies BV Best Social Impact Wisdo Developer: …

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• 7 May

  Google Pixel 3A at $399 is a response to crazy

  

  Google hopes a more wallet-friendly price tag will have you looking at its Pixel family again. The search giant on Tuesday unveiled the Pixel 3A, a mid-tier version of its flagship Pixel 3 phone released in October. The biggest difference between the two phones: about $400. The 3A costs roughly half as much as its predecessor, starting at $399 for …

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• 7 May

  Pixel 3A may just be the start of affordable Google phones

  

  The Pixel 3A isn’t just a one-off affordable Google smartphone. It potentially marks the start of a family of budget devices.  At Tuesday’s Google I/O conference, the tech giant said it would continue to bring premium phone products down to a more affordable price point. The company said it plans to release phones “pretty regularly,” but didn’t confirm that it …

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• 7 May

  TurboTax, H&R Block tried to hide free tax filing tools, lawsuit alleges

  

  Tax preparation companies H&R Block and Intuit, which makes TurboTax, were sued Monday for allegedly making their free tax filing tools hard to find. Taxpayers with incomes below $66,000 are eligible to file their taxes for free as part of a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service and Intuit, H&R Block and other companies. Under the agreement, the IRS has agreed not …

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