August, 2014

• 13 August

  Samsung’s predictable plastic design ends with Alpha

  

  At first glance, you may mistake the new Galaxy Alpha for an iPhone. Samsung is stepping up its style by adding a metal frame to its newest smartphone. Watch the CNET Update video below to learn more about the Galaxy Alpha, and what other metal phone may be in Samsung’s future. Today’s news roundup also …

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• 13 August

  Dolby Atmos at home: Ears on

  

  Dolby With any luck you’ve at least heard about the latest surround-sound standard, Dolby Atmos. Maybe you’ve even had a chance to hear it, in one of the 650 theaters so equipped. It’s a different way to do movie surround sound, not just with additional speakers, but changing the way movie sound is mixed and adding a new dimension — …

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• 12 August

  Samsung’s smartphone struggle may only get worse

  

  The Galaxy S5 CNET Samsung can’t get away from a rash of bad news lately. Fitch Ratings, a major credit rating agency in the US, shared negative sentiment Tuesday on Samsung’s chances in the smartphone market over the next year. Nitin Soni, director of corporate rating at Fitch, predicted that Samsung’s worldwide smartphone market share will fall from 31 percent …

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• 12 August

  Apple granted patent on back

  

  Apple has again been awarded a boatload of new patents, but one stands out for its obsolescence. The US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple a patent on a filing that dates back to 2008 on the integration of a camera into a mobile device. Interestingly, the patent also includes a standalone camera built into a small, rectangular …

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• 12 August

  Yo goes beyond ‘yo’ and adds hashtags, links

  

  Yo Yo, a mobile app that only allows people to say “yo” to each other, has added some features. Launched Tuesday, the Yo update now lets people create profiles and show both a name and photo in addition to their usernames. Although Yo isn’t letting users add more content to their communications, they can now attach a link to messages …

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• 12 August

  Production of Apple’s newest iPads said to be underway

  

  The iPad Mini with Retina display. Sarah Tew/CNET Mass production of a new full-sized iPad has begun, with the tablet expected to be unveiled by the end of the current quarter or early next quarter, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Manufacturing complications may restrict output of the device, the publication said, due to a new anti-reflection coating being added to make the …

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• 12 August

  Rumored iPhone 6 backplate appears in new photos

  

  Soon enough, the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S will be superseded. Apple Photos have surfaced showing what could be the iPhone 6’s rear backplate. Sonny Dickson, a noted Apple leaker who has made a name for himself for producing typically accurate leaks and information related to the notoriously secret firm, has published photos of what could be the backside of …

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• 12 August

  Uber throws sabotage accusations back at Lyft

  

  Lyft To defend itself from allegations of sabotage, Uber is throwing the blame back at Lyft. On-demand car service Uber released a statement Tuesday, saying its pink mustache-donning competitor has been encouraging the booking and canceling of thousands of rides. On Monday, Lyft accused Uber of the same tactic. Ordering and canceling rides reduces the number of cars available for …

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• 12 August

  How to keep track of how much money your roommate owes you

  

  Matt Elliott/CNET One of the many wonderful aspects of college is learning how to live and get along with other people, and then realizing the world is filled with people who think, act, and view the world differently to you. If you share an apartment with a group of people, it doesn’t take long before an argument springs up over …

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• 12 August

  Vodafone is worst network for call quality as rural areas still can’t get a signal

  

  Shutterstock A third of people in the British countryside are unhappy with their mobile phone service. New research shows that rural and remote areas of the UK are under-served by mobile phone signal, let alone 4G, with Vodafone the worst network for call quality. UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom compiled the data from surveys of phone users and data supplied by …

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