Why teens are tiring of Facebook

To understand where teens like to spend their virtual time nowadways, just watch them on their smartphones. Their world revolves around Instagram, the application adults mistook for an elevated photography service, and other apps decidely less old-fashioned than Mark Zuckerberg's main kingdom. And therein lies one of Facebook's biggest challenges: With more than 1 billion users worldwide and an unstated...

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Google CFO denies Samsung conflict

Google CFO Patrick Pichette played down reports that his company's relationship with Samsung was becoming strained and noted that "journalists love big headlines that sell newspapers." Pichette was referring to a Wall Street Journal report this week noting Google was worried about Samsung's dominance. Speaking at a Morgan Stanley investment conference, Pichette fired back:We have a terrific relationship...

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Practical, affordable phones take center stage at MWC 2013

Firefox's new mobile OS in action on the Geeksphone PeakAlthough mobile phones will always have a central role at Mobile World Congress, this year's the red-hot buzz went to software, tablets, wearable tech, and other geeky-cool oddities.With heavy hitters HTC announcing its flagship HTC One days before MWC, and Samsung saving its Galaxy S4 announcement for March 14, it was the sensible, midrange...

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LG's 4K phone upscaling squeezes Ultra HD from your mobile, wirelessly (video)

LG's 4K smart phone upscaling revealed in videoBARCELONA, Spain--LG is showing off a new smart phone system, that transforms your smart phone into a 4K media hub.The South Korean company is calling the new platform the 'world's first wireless Ultra HD transmission technology'. If you've got a game or video playing on your mobile in HD, the new platform will upscale the feed to a 4K resolution, before...

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Illegal music downloads dropped in 2012, says report

Fewer people are illegally downloading and sharing music, NPD Group said in a new report out today.Among those surveyed for NPD's "Annual Music Study 2012," 40 percent who illegally downloaded music via peer-to-peer services last year said they had stopped or downloaded less music this year.Overall, the number of illegally downloaded songs from P2P services dropped by 26 percent this year from 2011.Part...

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Microsoft will reportedly launch Surface tablet in Japan

Microsoft's Surface RT tablet could be headed for Japan.(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)Surface may surface in Japan as early as next month, says a story from the Nikkei news service, as reported by the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.Microsoft is expected to sell the Surface RT edition to Japanese consumers. That version can run certain desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office RT and Internet Explorer...

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ZTE at MWC 2013: Join us Monday (live blog)

ZTE CEO Shi Lirong during his keynote address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, last year.(Credit:Roger Cheng/CNET)BARCELONA, Spain--Get all the details of ZTE's Mobile World Congress press conference right here. CNET's Brian Bennett, photographer Stephen Shankland, and I will be bringing you the news, photos, and commentary from the event. ZTE is expected to build upon its expanded presence...

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Huawei's MWC 2013 news: Join us Sunday (live blog)

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, holds the Ascend Mate, a 6.1-inch phablet that the company debuted in January.(Credit:screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)BARCELONA, Spain--On Sunday, we'll find out how well Huawei is doing meeting its ambition to become a top-tier smartphone manufacturer.That's when the up-and-coming company plans to debut a brand-new phone at a Mobile World...

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iPhone Mini launch this summer makes sense, analyst says

Apple's iPhone 5.(Credit:CNET) A low-priced iPhone makes a lot of sense, Morgan Stanley says, and it even could hit the market this summer. Katy Huberty, an analyst with the banking firm, noted that after her meetings with Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, she's convinced that innovation remains a top priority for the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant. She also believes that Apple...

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Finer details about PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller, Eye camera

The new DualShock 4 controller for the PlayStation 4 utilizes Micro-USB instead of Mini-USB.(Credit:Sony Computer Entertainment)As Sony explained the hardware and software in the upcoming PlayStation 4 yesterday, two very important input devices -- the DualShock 4 controller and PlayStation 4 Eye camera -- also debuted. But Sony wasn't completely up front about how it will all work.Fortunately, an...

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Apple updates iTunes with new Composers view

Apple's latest iTunes update mostly offers bug fixes and performance enhancements but throws in one new feature.Released yesterday afternoon, iTunes 11.0.2 adds a new Composers view by which you can sort and see your music. After applying the update, open the Preferences window in iTunes. In the Views section, click on the checkbox to Show Composers and then close the Preferences window.You'll see...

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Apple plans Q3 launch for MacBook Air with Retina -- report

Apple's MacBook Air could be next to get Retina display treatment, according to a new report.Apple is planning to bring the Retina display to the MacBook Air in the third quarter of 2013, Taiwan-based paper Economic Daily is reporting today, citing sources in the company's supply chain. The Retina display will come bundled in both the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air models, according to the report.Apple...

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Get a Logitech Harmony 700 universal remote for $59.99

The Logitech Harmony 700.(Credit:Logitech)This is an update of a deal I posted last summer.Juggling is meant for circus folk, not home-theater owners. Yet that's exactly what you're doing if you have more than one device and, ergo, more than one remote.Regular Cheapskate readers know I'm a fan of Logitech's Harmony series of universal remotes. One of the better models, the 700, has a list price of...

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Russian meteorite: The conspiracy theories

A strange time for a military attack?(Credit:CNN; screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)A good hearty conspiracy theory can shine a sharp light on two of humanity's most enduring traits.One, of course, is humanity's boundless imagination. The other is humanity's essential suspicion of humanity.So while you might be deeply immersed in Bill Nye's explanation of the Russian meteorite, those with darker...

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Do separate components sound better than AV receivers?

The Outlaw Audio Model 975 (top) and Model 7125 (bottom)(Credit:Outlaw Audio)There's no doubt that the best of today's receivers sound great and come jam-packed with a vast range of features. Even entry-level models paired with a decent 5.1 speaker/subwoofer system can do a fine job, but some buyers aim higher. They may have invested in a 65-inch or larger display, or maybe a video projector and a...

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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"...

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Apple patent promises way to eliminate lousy photos

Snapping bad pictures with your iPhone could become a problem of the past if a new Apple patent ever sees the light of day.Published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent application dubbed "Image Capturing Device Having Continuous Image Capture" envisions a process in which your smartphone camera captures and processes a sequence of quick images of the same shot.That by itself...

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Jawbone warns of 'limited' MyTalk hack, disables old passwords

Bluetooth headset maker Jawbone informed its customers recently that its MyTalk service has been hacked.In a letter to users obtained by Engadget, Jawbone wrote that it was the target of an "isolated" attack aimed at accessing user information. The company said that the hackers stole some of its MyTalk users' names, e-mail addresses, and the encrypted version of their password."We took immediate action...

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Apple's Cook calls Einhorn suit 'a silly sideshow'

The recent lawsuit filed by David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital hedge fund is a "silly sideshow" and a waste of time and money, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today. Cook, speaking during a Goldman Sachs conference in San Francisco, disputed Einhorn's claims that Apple has a Depression-era mindset and said the company makes "bold and ambitious" bets on products while being conservative financially. He noted...

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Grammy nominees climb in music store rankings

Amazon is promoting Grammy nominees in its MP3 store.(Credit:Screenshot by Shara Tibken/CNET) Grammy nominees and winners are getting a post-show bump in music store rankings, while online retailers are riding the coattails of the awards show to higher sales. Amazon, which tracked the change in artists' rankings after the Grammy's officially ended, found Rihanna, Sting, and Wiz Khalifa to be some...

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