Sonos and Roku may soon become closer buddies. The two device makers are in preliminary talks about integrating Roku’s new entertainment software, Roku Connect and Roku Entertainment Assistant, into Sonos’ audio gadgets, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Such a partnership would potentially allow voice commands to be sent to a Roku TV …
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It’s been a busy fall for premium phone releases with the unveiling of the iPhone XS, Google Pixel 3, LG V40 ThinQ and more. And now yet another phone has entered the fray to compete for space in your pocket. As of Oct. 17 the Sony Xperia XZ3 is available for purchase in the US. You can buy it unlocked …
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A quick housekeeping note: There’s a new Cheapskate newsletter rolling out this week! Some of you will get it; some of you will see the old version. And that will change from day to day, so you’ll have ample chance to experience both styles. Please let me know what you think of the new version and whether you’d like it …
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Some companies may be rethinking their US Defense Department contracts, but Amazon’s not one of them, CEO Jeff Bezos said Monday. Bezos, speaking at the Wired25 Conference at the SFJazz Center in San Francisco, said he will continue to support the US Defense Department. Earlier this month, cloud computing rival Google pulled out of the bidding for a $10 billion Pentagon contract …
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Microsoft wants its tech to be used for good, not evil, the company’s CEO said. Satya Nadella, speaking Monday at the Wired25 conference in San Francisco, noted that the tech industry has a responsibility for how its technology is used. “We start from saying, look we want to take tech and empower the world with it,” Nadella said. “Our responsibility …
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Fried foods: yum. Fried gear: not so yum. But that’s what you’re risking when you plug your PC, TV, stereo and anything else into an outlet that offers no protection against power surges. Fortunately, protection doesn’t have to be expensive. Case in point: For a limited time, and while supplies last, you can get this Bestek 4,000-joule, 10-outlet surge protector …
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Mozilla has given its read-it-later Pocket app the ability to read text out loud with human-sounding voices so you can turn a website into an instant podcast. The new feature, released Thursday, spotlights the growing competence of computers to change text into speech. Other high-profile examples include Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. But perhaps the closest to an actual human …
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The Roku Streaming Stick Plus just got a permanent $10 price cut. It’s now officially $60, down from the $70 price it debuted at a year ago. Even at its original price, the Streaming Stick Plus was enthusiastically given the CNET Editors’ Choice Award, offering 4K HDR video, zippy performance, a remote that controls your TV’s power and volume, and easy …
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When Google pushes a device like its new Pixel 3 phone, it’s not really about the phone. It’s about all the ways the hunk of metal and glass can get you to use Google’s software — and, as a result, help the company find out more information about you. But what if your faith in Google’s ability to protect your …
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Some data experts will tell you that data loss is not a question of if, but a question of when. At some point, your hard drive will fail or get infected by a virus (or, worse, ransomware). Or you’re going to update your phone and discover that all your contacts or photos are gone. (Cough, iOS, cough.) Whether or not …
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