January, 2017

• 11 January

  ‘Arrested Development’ season 5 is almost a thing

  

  Being an “Arrested Development” fan can be tough. Are there more seasons on the way? When? What about that movie we keep hearing about? All the uncertainty can get you a little blue. Here’s some comforting news though: The entire cast have agreed to return for a fifth season. “All of the actors have agreed …

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• 11 January

  FCC: AT&T, Verizon mobile programs violate open web rules

  

  Now playing: Watch this: FCC: AT&T and Verizon’s free data programs violate net… 1:34 The Tom Wheeler-led Federal Communications Commission is taking a final shot at AT&T and Verizon Wireless. On Wednesday, the FCC’s wireless bureau issued a report (PDF) spelling out how AT&T’s DirecTV Now online video service and Verizon’s FreeBee Data 360 offer, which allow companies to pay …

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• 11 January

  How will Hulu stack up in its live competition? (The 3:59, Ep. 161)

  

  Hulu is jumping into the battle for live TV viewers with its own cord-cutter service. It’ll face competition from streaming services like Playstation Vue, SlingTV and DirecTV Now, but Hulu has its advantages. We talk about how Hulu’s reputation and massive catalog will help it find success. CNET’s Ry Crist ordered his lunch through Amazon Echo. The feature marks the …

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• 11 January

  PC market notches fifth straight year of declining shipments

  

  If the global PC market death spiral were a person, it would now be old enough to attend kindergarten. Five years. That’s how long demand for personal computers has been steadily declining, according to research firm Gartner. Preliminary results released Wednesday show that PC makers shipped 269 million units in 2016, a 6.2 percent decrease from the previous year. Shipments …

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• 11 January

  iPhone gains ground, but Android’s still top dog

  

  Apple’s iPhone had a strong holiday season, according to a report by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech published Wednesday. But Google’s Android continues to dominate overall. In September, October and November 2016, Android phones sold far better than iPhones in China, Germany, France, Italy and Spain — and edged Apple’s iPhones in the US, the report said. But Apple is catching up. …

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• 11 January

  Get a 55

  

  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. Best Buy’s Insignia brand gives you 55 inches of TV goodness for $279.99. Best Buy When life gets me down, I have two …

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• 10 January

  LG’s W7 wallpaper OLED TV has a cable that’s not up to code

  

  LG’s “wallpaper” W7 was the coolest TV that debuted at CES 2017 in my book. Its millimeter-thick screen hugs your wall like another coat of paint and should deliver image quality as good as any of the company’s other world-beating OLED TVs. Unfortunately if you want it to look as seamless as wallpaper, you’ll need a professional to install it. …

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• 10 January

  Sometimes you have to ask: What makes a robot a robot?

  

  Tall, small, dancing, singing, cleaning, sassy, silly, cute and scary — CES 2017 was awash with robots. While there are the obvious ones like the humanoid “Pepper,” exhibits at the colossal electronics show stretched the definition of a robot to include Amazon Echo-like hubs that featured glowing eyes or that bobbed to music. You can thank Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant …

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• 10 January

  V

  

  The V-Moda Forza Metallo ($130 or £120) is a little smaller than most in-ear headphones, and one of the most comfortable in-ears I’ve ever used. Soundwise the Forza Metallo looms large, and (being a V-Moda) its build quality is exceptional. It’s sweat- as well as water-resistant, has a newly designed 5.8 mm driver, ear hooks, a fashionable carry case along …

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• 10 January

  VR

  

  The idea of an expensive VR headset can induce sticker shock in prospective virtual-reality gamers, with headsets running from $599 to $799 for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. But that’s not as bad as the high-end gaming PCs needed to run VR hardware. In CNET’s extensive hands-on testing, $2,000 has been the sweet spot for price and performance, although …

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