October, 2016

• 26 October

  Google Cast is recast as Google Home companion app

  

  Google is gearing up for the release of the Google Home smart speaker on November 2 with the release of the companion app. Originally called Google Cast, the new Google Home app, released this week, lets you cast content to compatible devices over your network as well as set up multiroom audio groups. While the …

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• 26 October

  Pass me the hoofer doofer: What do you call your TV remote control?

  

  I don’t like this show — pass me the diddly do. British people use more than 100 different names for their TV remote control, from the obvious “remote” to the, er, less obvious. According to a new survey, “doofer”, “zapper”, “clicker” and “flicker” are the next most popular, with “thing-a-ma-jig” and “whatcha-ma-call-it” also popular. The UK’s TV Licensing authority held …

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• 26 October

  Beer and self

  

  Self-driving vehicles are pretty exciting on social media, especially when they’re delivering a truckload of beer. Facebook and Twitter were buzzed about new technology on Wednesday morning, after an autonomous truck traveled more than 100 miles in Colorado with brews on board. Can you imagine if it were full of pumpkin-spiced lattes? Social Cues is your road map for what’s …

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• 26 October

  Verizon says Yahoo name isn’t going away

  

  Verizon is treading carefully with Yahoo, but still wants to seal the deal. “The deal makes strategic sense,” said Marni Walden, the executive vice president of business innovation for Verizon and the person who pushed for the acquisition. “We won’t jump off of a cliff blindly.” She continues to believe there’s value in the Yahoo name, noting that it won’t …

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• 26 October

  Bring back the badass black MacBook

  

  We’re getting new Macs tomorrow. And boy, are they late. It’s been 526 days since Apple released the last MacBook Pro. 597 days since the last MacBook Air. The Mac Mini hasn’t been refreshed for over two years. You could point to any number of reasons as to why. Supply. Demand. Components that aren’t that much more powerful than they …

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• 26 October

  How much are web icons worth? A lot if you’re Font Awesome 5

  

  Dave Gandy’s Font Awesome, an open-source kit of icons with Cascading Style Sheets to implement them for web designers, has a large and growing following, so it’s no surprise that after a few years an updated version would be well received. The overhaul, dubbed Font Awesome 5, that Gandy wants to finance through a Kickstarter campaign adds a lot of …

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• 26 October

  Microsoft October 26 event: Start time, live stream, how to watch and what to expect

  

  Microsoft held a special late-fall event in New York on Wednesday. The Surface Studio’s haptic “Surface Dial” accessory. Sarah Tew/CNET The company announced the latest version of Windows 10, called Creators Update, and a Surface Book hardware update. Microsoft also unveiled an all-in-one desktop PC, dubbed the Surface Studio, that includes the Dial input accessory. If you missed out on …

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• 26 October

  Microsoft’s Surface Books get massive battery, graphics boost

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Microsoft Surface Studio and Windows 10 want to bring… 2:26 These are more than surface level updates. As Microsoft pushed new 3D software and the Surface Studio at its New York Windows event on Wednesday, the PC giant squeezed in a small, but important update for its Surface Book. The new Surface Book i7 offers 16 …

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• 26 October

  How to chat with Google support from your Pixel phone

  

  Now playing: Watch this: 5 settings you’ll want to change on the Google Pixel 1:56 Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t have retail stores you can visit should you encounter issues with your Pixel phone ($695 at Amazon). Instead of searching through online forums or Google support pages, you can chat with a Google support representative directly from your device. To access …

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• 26 October

  Microsoft will pay you $650 to ditch your MacBook for a Surface

  

  If Apple’s MacBook updates on Thursday aren’t good enough for you, Microsoft has an alternative. The Windows maker will offer up to $650 for anyone in the US who “trades up” a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air for a Surface Book or a Surface Pro at a Microsoft Store or Microsoft.com starting Thursday, Brian Hall, corporate vice president of marketing …

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