July, 2015

• 7 July

  6

  

  Might LG return to the G Pro line of devices later this year? Sarah Tew/CNET LG’s next smartphone could prove to be quite the monster, if the latest rumors pan out. According to chatter surfacing in recent days, the so-called LG G Pro 3 may emerge in the second half of the year. Big and …

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• 7 July

  Showtime’s online

  

  Showtime’s latest offerings will now be available — without a cable TV subscription — on Roku, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and Apple devices too. Showtime Cancel your weekend plans: Showtime’s standalone streaming service has launched. Showtime isn’t the only channel of its kind that allows you access to programs independent of a cable subscription. A similar online-only service from HBO, called …

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• 7 July

  Get an Acer Aspire Core i5 15.6

  

  Acer There’s no single laptop that’s ideal for everyone. Normally I focus on the super-inexpensive models — the Chromebooks, the HP Streams — that have low-power processors and smallish screens, the idea being that many users can “get by” just fine with modest specs. But if you prefer a bigger screen, a wider keyboard, a faster processor and ample storage, …

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• 7 July

  Smartphones aren’t selling like they used to (it’s an Android thing)

  

  The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge hasn’t delivered the sales Samsung hoped. After a strong end to 2014, the smartphone market seems to have taken a turn. Samsung warned on Monday that it would miss Wall Street’s expectations for the second quarter, an indication of a rough start for its flagship Galaxy S6 smartphone. Also on Monday, HTC reported that it …

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• 7 July

  Apple now sells thermostat you can control with Siri

  

  Apple Stores are now selling a smart thermostat that you can regulate through Siri. Available Tuesday at Apple retail stores in North America, the Ecobee3 smart thermostat is the first connected thermostat compatible with Apple’s HomeKit technology, The Verge said on Tuesday. That means you can use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to remotely monitor and control the device, …

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• 7 July

  Buttons, sliders and knobs, oh, my! Startup evolves PC controls beyond the mouse

  

  Palette’s snap-together control system is a new attempt to fix an old problem: what’s the best way for a human being to operate a computer? Palette When it comes to controlling personal computers, keyboards and mice are the reigning champions. A startup called Palette, though, thinks photographers and other creative types will embrace hardware that offers even more direct control. …

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• 7 July

  3 ways to customize Microsoft Edge

  

  Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET Microsoft’s new browser may have dropped the ‘Spartan’ nickname, but if you open it up you’ll find that, feature-wise, it’s still pretty…spartan. At the moment (Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview Build 10158), there’s not a ton you can do to customize the new Edge browser to make it look and act the way you want. But you …

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• 7 July

  How to control Sonos from your Apple Watch

  

  Jason Cipriani/CNET If you own an Apple Watch you’ve likely at least experimented with controlling music playback from your wrist, with the built-in Music app. The convenience is immediately apparent, with the ability to pause or skip songs and control volume. It’s only natural if you own a Sonos speaker to begin looking for control it from your wrist. But …

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• 7 July

  GoPro hires former Hulu exec to lead original

  

  GoPro’s Hero 4 — the newest step to stardom? Sarah Tew GoPro is turning its lens toward beefing up original content with its latest hire. The maker of cameras for adventure enthusiasts has hired Charlotte Koh, the former head of Hulu’s original-content initiatives, to fill a newly created position as head of features and series, according to a Variety report. …

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• 7 July

  Trekkies, rejoice; your smartphone communicator is coming

  

  Kirk to Enterprise. Beam me off this pleasure planet. The Wand Company As a young impressionable “Star Trek” fan, I dreamed of having a communicator of my very own. I imagined flipping it open, hearing that iconic sound and requesting a beam-up to the Enterprise. The closest I ever got was making one out of Lego. It took a long …

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