cards

Why you want a dual-SIM phone

When I think about the features that I need in a smartphone, I tend to be pretty practical. Sure, apps, a media player, and a good-quality Web browser are great, but what I really want is a good dual-SIM card phone. And fortunately for me, the 2013 Mobile World Congress didn't disappoint.

Now I know that dual-SIM phones have been around for years, but the biggest OEMs in wireless haven't put a lot of resources behind them. Smaller manufacturers, particularly from China, have made up the slack, but those devices can be hard to find outside of Asia. … Read more

Get an 8GB credit card flash drive for $7.99

We all know that flash drives are dirt-cheap nowadays, but most of them are designed to ride in your pocket or on your keychain. What if you forget the drive, or don't have your keys with you? What then?!

One item you almost always have with you: your wallet. Hence today's deal: Meritline has the 8GB Black Credit Card Shaped USB Flash Drive for $7.99 shipped. Regular price: $9.99. Savings: two dollars. Woo!

I know, it's barely a deal, but not every day needs to be about TVs, laptops, and other big-ticket items. And this, … Read more

NFC seeps into bloodstream of Mobile World Congress

BARCELONA, Spain--NFC (near field communication) technology has been around for some time now, but as of yet it's failed to hit a level of ubiquity in our devices that would galvanize more businesses to adopt it. That, however, is changing fast.

While most think of NFC as solely a new payment solution, companies are constantly finding new ways to implement it.

NFC is essentially a new way to exchange information from one device to another, wirelessly. It's different from other wireless technology in that it requires the two devices to be within a centimeter of each other. Hence … Read more

Get a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner for $169.99 shipped

This is an update of a deal I posted about a year ago.

Much as I love my TiVo, I despise the monthly subscription fees that go along with it. It can literally cost you a couple hundred bucks per year. As Dr. Smith would say, "Oh, the pain!" (Don't get the reference? Ask your parents. If they watched cheesy 60s sci-fi, that is.)

A much cheaper option over the long haul: Ceton's InfiniTV 4 products, which can turn a Windows PC into a pretty sweet DVR.

For a limited time, Newegg has Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB for $169.99 shipped. … Read more

Get started with the new Foursquare credit card specials

Today Foursquare announced you can now connect a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to your account. With a card connected, you'll be eligible to receive a discount just for checking into a participating business. One business currently running a special based on the new credit card deals would be Burger King.

Users who connect a card to their account can check in to any participating Burger King, spend $10 or more, pay with the connected card, and receive $1 credit on their card. The process is identical to that of the American Express integration Foursquare has had … Read more

Foursquare checks in to more revenue with credit card specials

Money in the bank. That's the motivation behind a new Foursquare initiative that lets members link their Visa and MasterCard credit or debit cards and redeem money-back specials from participating merchants.

Foursquare, a company banking on check-ins to power its Explore discovery feature, aims to encourage more of its 30 million members to tell the application where they are with the additional freebies. The places-centric social network also hopes to cash in from the program. The company pockets a fee for every credit redemption it processes.

Today's announcement marks the first significant expansion to the startup's credit … Read more

Countdown begins for Galaxy S4 reveal

Monday's CNET Update does it with stylus:

The mother of all mobile trade shows, Mobile World Congress, kicked off in Barcelona. Today's video roundup highlights the buzz over Samsung, WebOS and a new way to talk to your phone:

- Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S4 on March 14

- Visa's mobile payment program will be built into the Galaxy S4

- More on MasterCard's mobile payment plan, MasterPass

- First impressions of the Galaxy Note 8 tablet

- Samsung HomeSync to rival Apple TV

- WebOS lives in future LG smart TVs

- HP tries tablets again with the Slate 7 … Read more

Netflix viewers feast on 'House of Cards'

Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos is thrilled with the viewing numbers for "House of Cards," but he isn't saying what those numbers are. He allowed that the show is Netflix's leading content in terms of the number of people watching and the hours of engagement. But Netflix doesn't want to get into the maze of TV ratings, given the differences with how broadcast TV is delivered and that "House of Cards" is ad free. "It's apples and oranges," Sarandos said.

In conversation with Peter Kafka and Walt Mossberg at the … Read more

Netflix, DreamWorks team up on original series for kids

With "House of Cards" now officially a smashing success for Netflix, it's no surprise the company is looking to expand its programming.

The company announced today that it has teamed up with DreamWorks Animation to launch another original series on its streaming service. The show, "Turbo: F.A.S.T." will debut in December and is a spin-off of "Turbo," the DreamWorks Animation film premiering in theaters July 19.

Netflix's first original series, "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey, has been critically acclaimed for its depiction of U.S. politics. … Read more

Apple wins California credit card privacy case

The California Supreme Court today ruled that Apple did not break state law by requiring customers to provide personal identification information such as mailing addresses and phone numbers to complete online credit card transactions.

The decision was a split one, as first reported by Reuters, with four of the seven justices finding in favor of Apple. A copy of the decision is embedded below.

The proposed class action suit was initially brought against Apple by plaintiff David Krescent in June 2011. Krescent alleged that Apple required his telephone number and address to purchase media downloads.

The majority of the justices … Read more