February, 2017

• 18 February

  Are complicated AV receivers responsible for sound bars’ booming popularity?

  

  A couple of months ago, a record producer friend bought a new AV receiver and it drove him nuts for a couple of days. He went down one setup rabbit hole after another, and he couldn’t play music or movies for a few minutes, and then he’d figure it out, but the sound was out …

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• 17 February

  Samsung’s Galaxy S8 could get the brand

  

  The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are poised to snag two firsts when it comes to the processors that power everything the phones will do. Widely rumored to be the first to use Qualcomm’s promising Snapdragon 835 chip, Samsung just also teased its new house-made Exynos 9, tweeting that the chipset is coming “soon”. Well, you can’t get …

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• 17 February

  Samsung Galaxy S8 could use Sony batteries

  

  Samsung had a lifetime’s worth of battery woes in 2016. Seeking to ensure it doesn’t endure a repeat crisis in 2017 the company is looking to a variety of battery manufacturers to provide parts for the much-anticipated Galaxy S8. The company is adding a familiar name to the current lineup of manufacturers providing batteries for this year’s flagship phone — …

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• 17 February

  Google Pixel in bold ‘Really Blue’ colour finally comes to UK

  

  The vibrant ‘Really Blue’ colour of the Google Pixel phone is finally on sale in the UK. Preorders with EE and Carphone Warehouse will begin on 17 February, or you can head into high street stores on the 24th to pick up the phone yourself. Really Blue will be a limited edition colour in the UK, though Google is yet …

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• 17 February

  ‘Archer’ season 7 hits Hulu in March 2017

  

  At this point, you probably have H. Jon Benjamin’s voice in your head yelling “Lana!” On March 28, you can listen to his glorious voice outside of your head (likely still yelling “Lana!” though). The complete first season of “The Powerpuff Girls” arrives on Hulu starting March 24. That’s a quality duo of animated series, right there. A lot of …

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• 17 February

  Get a Gogroove Bluesync retro Bluetooth speaker for $14.99

  

  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. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page. Hello, handsome! Accessory Power Quick reminder: You’ve still got time to enter for your chance to win a Canary home-security camera! True to …

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• 17 February

  ZTE shuts down fan

  

  One day shy of its funding deadline, Chinese phone maker ZTE has pulled the plug on its Hawkeye phone for now. Originally called “Project CSX,” the phone was supposed to have features that were crowdsourced and approved by ZTE’s fan community. Citing feedback from users who were disappointed about the Hawkeye’s midrange specs, ZTE halted the campaign on Kickstarter. That …

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• 17 February

  Throw down: Now you can experience NBA All

  

  Wanna see Golden State Warriors All-Star sharpshooter Klay Thompson win his second straight three-point contest in virtual reality? Or, how about the Orlando Magic’s high-flying Aaron Gordon throwing it down seemingly right in your face in this year’s slam dunk contest? Wish no longer. NextVR will be showing on-demand highlights of the big party that is the 2017 NBA All-Star …

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• 17 February

  8 ways to improve iPhone battery life

  

  Ask any iPhone owner for a wish-list of improvements and I guarantee “better battery life” will be at the top. It just seems like there’s never enough juice. That’s in part because we use our phones all day, and in part because batteries just wear out over time. That’s one reason I recommend keeping a mobile charger close at hand. …

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• 17 February

  LG Watch Sport tips: Save battery, customize buttons and more

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Google’s Android Wear 2.0 is here, starting with LG Watch… 2:37 There are a lot of new features tucked away in Android Wear 2.0, the OS running on the LG Watch Sport ($245 at Best Buy). From Android Pay, to Google Assistant, to stand-alone apps on your wrist, Android Wear can do a lot. We’ve already …

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