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Microsoft fine-tunes shift from Messenger to Skype

Microsoft is moving ahead with its aggressive plans to move users on its Messenger instant-messaging service to Skype.

Late last year, officials said to expect Microsoft to retire Messenger in all countries in the first quarter of 2013 with the exception of mainland China. The new timetable is slightly lengthier, but not much.

Officials are now saying they plan to discontinue Messenger for a "test group" comprising about one percent of the installed base of "tens of millions" on March 15. Starting April 8, Microsoft will begin phasing out Messenger for the remaining users, starting with … Read more

White House debuts 'enhanced' streaming for SOTU speech

The White House is debuting a new way to watch President Obama's State of the Union speech tonight -- it has created an "online-only enhanced" live stream that lets viewers both watch in real time and see different policy charts, stats, and data.

Obama mentioned the live stream on his Twitter page:

Watch Obama's #SOTU address with enhanced graphics, charts, and useful stats on his plan to keep us moving forward: OFA.BO/eJ9Z7k

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 12, 2013

This "enhanced" live stream seems to be geared toward people who don't have … Read more

Windows Live Mesh users must switch by Wednesday

Still using Windows Live Mesh? You won't be much longer.

Come Wednesday, the online storage and syncing service will draw its final breath, leaving Mesh users without a home. So, where can you go if you're currently using Mesh to back up, store, and synchronize your files?

A variety of online storage sites are available. Microsoft's SkyDrive is one obvious choice since it already offers some, but not all, of the features of Live Mesh.

How do you switch from Live Mesh to SkyDrive? And what are the potential pitfalls? Let's go through the process.

First, … Read more

'SNL' shows why a Super Bowl blackout is a bad thing

Perhaps like you, I have spent much of the week calling my local power provider to check on its use of electrical relay devices.

Spurred by the difficult happenings at last Sunday's Super Bowl -- reportedly caused by one of these devices functioning with all the perfection of a Boeing 787 -- I didn't want any of my weekend events spoiled by a sudden power outage.

"Saturday Night Live" took it upon itself last night to explain to those who were still doubtful why an electrical relay failure can be a devastating thing. Especially during the … Read more

Made-in-Brooklyn speakers have handsome design and gorgeous sound

I've heard and liked DeVore Fidelity speakers before, but the new Orangutan 0/93 was different. Even when listening to mostly unfamiliar music I fell in love with the sound from the get-go. The Orangutan 0/93 brings out the best in all genres of music.

That's the key; all speakers play tunes, but they don't always connect the musical dots as well as this. I've heard lots of speakers that sound really nice, but for one reason or another the music doesn't draw you in. No problem here, the Orangutan 0/93 does just … Read more

Add NFL flair to your Android gadget with NFL Live wallpaper

The need for customization creates a demand for tons of live wallpapers. It is only logical that the most popular sporting event in the United States would have a live wallpaper application. If pop-up notifications and random icon appearances don't bother you, then NFL Live wallpaper might be an option for an NFL fan.

Installation of NFL Live wallpaper goes easily, and the app doesn't require much free space. The live wallpaper settings are quite numerous and allow for a lot of customization to the look and feel of the wallpaper itself. The wallpaper quality is quite low, … Read more

View Koi fish using Koi Free Live Wallpaper

Live wallpapers seem to be popular, and with the high performance of modern mobile processors, they are becoming more detailed. Koi Free Live Wallpaper is a very detailed simulation of Koi fish that swim around your desktop. Because of its high processor consumption, this one may not be for every user.

Koi Free Live Wallpaper doesn't require any special permissions and the installation is easy due to the lack of options. This app has a pro version available for a fee that includes options to customize the feel of the wallpaper. The wallpaper itself is pretty realistic. It is … Read more

Super Bowl XLVII: Online streaming, apps, and more

More than 100 million people are expected to tune into this year's Super Bowl on Sunday, but what if you don't have a TV? No problem.

There are dozens of ways to watch this year's game, whether it's on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. Football fans can also keep pace with scores and player stats by subscribing to specific apps.

Here's CNET's resource guide for watching Super Bowl XLVII minus a television:

Streaming

CBSSports.com will broadcast the entire game for free beginning with pregame activity at 11 a.m. ET and kickoff … Read more

The 404 1,191: Where you had me at Hello Touch (podcast)

It's my birthday today and Jeff is still making me write the blog for today's episode, but I'm fine with that because today is an exceptional show. Not just because Richard "Gems" Peterson lived up to his nickname on two occasions, but also because the stories are exceptionally strange.

First we'll look at how cheaters in Japan are getting away with their infidelity with the help of an older Fujitsu phone, simply because of a layer of stealth security that gives users privacy that would make the Ethan Hunts and James Bonds of the world jealous.

Not that we're suggesting you take tomorrow off and cheat on your spouse, but at least the misstep that leads to you getting caught will be your fault, not technology's.… Read more

Join us Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT for Facebook's press event (live blog)

Give Facebook this much: They know how to bait a hook.

After sending out a media invitation last week to "Come and See What We're Building," we're all chomping at the bit to learn more. Many on Wall Street believe this is going to be a Very Big Deal in the company's ongoing efforts to better monetize its billion-plus users.

Is it a phone? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last summer denied that was in the works. But it's possible. Is it a new building? Nobody cares. How about something tied to search? That's … Read more