Even if you're excited for Microsoft's new OS, you might not be planning to buy a new computer. If you have an existing Windows PC, Microsoft has made the upgrade process more or less simple, but there are still some things you might want to think about before making the switch. Here are a few key points to consider.… Read more
Google-owned Motorola Mobility is apparently quite serious about keeping recent smartphone buyers happy, enough to offer $100 towards the purchase of one of the company's latest devices to anyone who purchased a phone that's not in line to get Jelly Bean, Google's latest Android OS.
That pledge, made on stage earlier today by Motorola chief executive Dennis Woodside at the company's event in New York, only applies to a selected group of device owners. Specifically those who purchased one of Motorola's handsets since 2011, and who is not in line to get Android 4.1. … Read more
Thursday's tech news roundup is feeling square:
In the search for more money, YouTube is adding video commercials to play before videos on smartphones and tablets. These ads will play for five seconds before users can skip right to the video. As we spend more time on mobile devices, it's only natural for advertising to migrate. Android users will be the first to see pre-roll ads, since the YouTube iPhone app cannot show ads. But that will change in the next YouTube app version for iOS 6.
The Google+ network has updated its sliders. The feature, found in … Read more
Planning to upgrade your iPhone to whatever model Apple announces next month? Amazon wants to make it worth your while.
As of today, the company is offering some of the highest trade-in values I've seen on used iPhones. The only catch? Your payout comes in the form of an Amazon gift card, not actual cash.
Amazon is accepting used, fully functional iPhones from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. As with most trade-in services, you must specify whether your model is in acceptable, good, or like-new condition. That dictates the amount you'll get in return.
For example, my … Read more
Tuesday's tech news roundup honors our future robot overlords:
AT&T is being accused of data-plan discrimination and breaking FCC rules regarding new iPhone FaceTime options. AT&T recently announced that iPhone customers could use FaceTime video chat service over a cellular network if they have the new shared data plan. (Previously, FaceTime was limited to Wi-Fi.) But several groups have spoken out about the limit and questioned if it follows FCC guidelines. AT&T responded saying it does not believe this breaks any FCC rules, since FaceTime was offered to all customers over Wi-Fi and … Read more
Making good on its promise, Microsoft has officially opened registration for new Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 8.
In a tweet today, Windows wrote, "The @Windows upgrade offer is now available in 140 countries. Register now! http://windowsupgradeoffer.com."
The software giant pledged in May that anyone who bought a Windows 7 PC after June 2 would be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99. The registration is to be open until January 31, 2013. If people miss the registration period, they'll have to pay full price for the software.
Windows 8 … Read more
As Google announced its major upgrade for Google Wallet yesterday -- in which shoppers could use any type of major credit card to load up their smartphone -- American Express confirmed today that it didn't agree to such a deal.
"We want to make sure Google's mobile wallet product meets the standards we set for our card members in terms of the transparency and clarity about transaction detail," American Express' VP of social media communications Brad Minor told CNET in an e-mail. "And right now, American Express does not have an agreement with Google for … Read more
As you learned earlier this month, Microsoft plans to offer a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $39.99 -- a surprisingly decent price.
That said, not everybody is looking forward to the radically redesigned new OS. In fact, plenty of users are still plugging along with Windows XP or Vista -- perhaps just biding their time until a decent Windows 7 upgrade offer comes along.
That offer has arrived, though not from Microsoft: Nothing But Software has the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack (3-PC) for $79.99, plus $3.99 for shipping. That works out to about $27 … Read more
MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.
This week readers wrote in with questions about switching between 32- and 64-bit mode in OS X, using Target Disk Mode via Thunderbolt connections, how long Snow Leopard will be supported now that Mountain Lion is released, the best route to take for upgrading to Mountain Lion, and options for adding RAM to an older iMac system. We welcome views from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, post them in the comments!
Question: Switching between 32- and 64-bit … Read more
Apple's Mountain Lion upgrade is available through the Mac App Store, and while most purchases are downloading just fine, a few people are experiencing a problem where the download will not complete. Instead of initiating a download, the Mac App Store issues a warning stating it could not complete the purchase because the product distribution file could not be verified, indicating damage to the file or an invalid digital signature.
People experiencing this problem have tried quitting and relaunching the Mac App Store, restarting their systems, and even trying Safe Mode, and have also tried waiting to see if … Read more
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CNET's publishing another supercharged e-book. "Mastering the Galaxy S4" is almost here, so we're celebrating with a huge S4-related giveaway.
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