Three voice assistants walk into a bar and they all start talking. But the conversation never stops. Here’s how to make Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant talk to each other in an infinite loop using their respective smart speakers: the Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo and Google Home ($75 at Walmart). Let’s be real: you probably …
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February, 2018
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15 February
Pandora’s on
Pandora’s box is opening wider. The streaming music service on Thursday launched a web version of Pandora Premium, which lets subscribers listen to specific songs online. Until now, subscribers could do this only through Pandora’s app. Pandora Premium, Pandora’s on-demand answer to Spotify and Apple Music, launched last March for $9.99 a month. With the new web version, Pandora Premium users …
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15 February
Google is cracking down on annoying online ads (The 3:59, Ep. 357)
On this podcast, we talk about: Google Chrome’s new ad-blocking tools. The annoyance of using bitcoin as digital cash for buying goods and services. Now playing: Watch this: Google is cracking down on annoying online ads (The 3:59,… 4:30 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET …
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15 February
All new iPhone apps must embrace the iPhone X notch, Apple decrees
The notch is here to stay. On Wednesday, Apple informed developers that all future iPhone and universal apps must support the iPhone X’s display — meaning they need to incorporate the large cut-out at the top of that screen for Apple’s Face ID sensor, as well as the nearly edge-to-edge screen. “Starting April 2018, all new iOS apps submitted to the …
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15 February
Olympic athletes 2018: How to follow the best from Team USA
One of the best ways to follow the Olympic action in Pyeongchang is from the athletes themselves. From gold medal tweets to bronze medal Instagrams, here’s how to follow the best athletes from Team USA. Chloe Kim, snowboarding Chloe Kim is 17 years old, just won gold in the halfpipe and loves churros. Oh and I also had 2 churros …
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15 February
Confirmed: Essential’s gorgeous teal phone goes on sale today
Andy Rubin, the father of the Android operating system, created a new phone last year — a surprisingly powerful and pocketable handset with no logos to mar its gorgeous titanium and ceramic frame. And though the Essential Phone was a bit of a flop — here’s our recent re-review — the company isn’t throwing in the towel just yet. On …
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15 February
Apps on Apple gadgets can crash when Indian symbol appears
A new bug on iOS devices causes apps to crash if a certain Indian symbol is displayed. The Indian character in the Telugu language is shutting down iOS apps and preventing them from opening back up. The problem was first spotted by Mobile World, which noted that it’s even worse if the character pops up as a notification. In that …
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15 February
6 things you should know about Chrome’s new ad
Sure, sure… Chrome now blocks web ads. Pigs also fly, and pizza is now a health food. But it’s true: As of today, Chrome does block ads — some of them, anyway. Here’s what you need to know about the browser’s new groove. Not all ads, just ‘bad’ ads Google’s goal is to improve the user experience by stripping away …
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15 February
Are universal remotes ripe for disruption? Or irrelevance?
I use a $130 Harmony universal remote at home and I tell everyone who has a complex-enough system to do the same. And I’ve been a happy Harmony camper for more than a decade. But after spending the last week reviewing Caavo, a $400 universal remote, I’ve come to view the category in a different way. Yes, Caavo is fatally …
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15 February
5 hidden MacOS High Sierra features you need to know
A revolutionary update, MacOS High Sierra was not. Instead of a massive design overhaul, it focused on a number of under-the-hood changes, namely Apple File System (APFS) for better performance and security, HVEC for improved video compression and Metal 2 for more powerful graphics. High Sierra did, however, introduce some tangible changes to your Mac. In addition to offering improvements …
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