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If the price tag of a new phone makes you sweat, you're not alone.Since all four major carriers have done away with their device subsidies, US consumers for the first time are seeing how much their fancy phones actually cost. And it's not pretty. While we've all been trained to lust for the latest Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy gadget, which cost a small fortune, the reality is that you can still get a pretty sophisticated, good-quality phone for a fraction of the price. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I spell out options for a frugal shopper. Dear Maggie,My old phone is on the fritz. I need a new one stat, but the prices are horrifying. I've heard old iPhones drop in price right after the ne...

Mophie makes some nice exteal batteries for charging devices, with sleek aluminum housings, but the knock against them has been that they're expensive.Well, the company got the message and has priced its new models more competitively. It's also adding even more charging options, including an updated Powerstation Plus line with an integrated switch-tip Lightning to Micro-USB cable that charges both iOS and Android devices, a Powerstation USB-C, and a Charge Force Powerstation for Qi wireless charging-enabled devices. Prices start at $30.Enlarge ImageThe Mophie PowerStation Plus starts at $60 and has an integrated Lightning cable with a Micro-USB adapter. ...

Enlarge ImageArvind Krishna, a senior vice president at IBM Research Stephen Shankland/CNET Bitcoin has a bad rap as the preferred currency of drug dealers. But that isn't stopping IBM and some of the world's most conservative businesses from tapping into its technological underpiings. Specifically, Big Blue is interested in the blockchain -- the mechanism Bitcoin uses to publicly record transactions. Today's businesses each have their own records, slowing transactions and triggering problems figuring out who's right when there are disagreements. But the blockchain approach is more cooperative by providing ...

A hacker got away with roughly $72 million worth of bitcoin. Getty The hits continue for bitcoin owners.After Bitfinex revealed this week that a hacker made off with 119,756 bitcoin (about $72 million), the digital-currency exchange said Friday it is interested in a "socialized loss.""We are leaning towards a socialized loss scenario among bitcoin balances and active loans to BTCUSD positions," the company said in a blog post, noting that it has not made a final decision and that more details will be available Saturday. BTCUSD stands for Bitcoin/US dollar.In a socialized loss scenario, a company typically exp...

The craziest thing about bitcoin is how commonplace it is.The digital currency, introduced in 2009 and now accepted by more than 100,000 merchants worldwide, can buy you just about anything, from a high-tech gadget, which you might expect, to an ice-cold beer, which you might not. We've rounded up 25 of the most surprising things that'll tempt your bitcoin wallet. Some are extraordinary, and some are extraordinarily ordinary. Let's block ads! بخوانید...

If you've got $90,000, you can own the site publishing some of the best Harry Potter/2016 US presidential election mashup fan fiction around. Just when it seems as if this election cycle couldn't possibly get any more strange, leave it to domain squatters to inject a little extra serving of the absurd. Last Friday, Hillary Clinton aounced her pick of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her ruing mate. The introduction of the potential next vice president was made on Twitter and then in person Saturday, and by Wednesday Kaine formally accepted the nomination for veep at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.The rollout went quite smoothly except for one detail: anyone who visits the website at Cli...

Wilting in the summer heat? Microsoft thinks it may have just the answer for you. Go inside and play on a new Xbox One console, now just $250. This is the third price cut for the gaming device in the past couple of months. The news comes just ahead of Microsoft's plaed Xbox One S launch on August 2. The Xbox One S is about 40 percent smaller than the original console, has redesigned hardware and will cost $299 in the US.The $250 sale is good for any Xbox One 500GB console, including everything from the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition bundle to the Name Your Game bundle, Microsoft said Sunday. It didn't give an end date for the offer, only that it's good "while supplies last."Microsoft last dr...

Enlarge ImageAmazon is offering up to 50% off select Logitech peripherals today, including the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. CNET For today only, Amazon is serving up another Gold Box sale on Logitech desktop accessories with up to half-off the retail price for select wireless mice, keyboards, and PC speakers. We're expecting a full product refresh later this year since most of these models are several years old, but this is still a great opportunity to replace your old gear for less.Our top product picks in the sale include:Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX ($44.99 on Amazon) -- This full-size pointer ...

Enlarge ImageThis box of Ruby Roman grapes cost more than some cars. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images Things you could buy with $350 (or £271, or AU $468):--Two tickets to see Adele in concert, with money left over for parking.--One round-trip flight from New York to Miami, with enough left over for a mojito or two.--One pair Bose noise-canceling wireless headphones.--One Xbox One console, with money left over for games.--Three Disneyland tickets, with money left over for a plateful of Mickey-shaped waffles.--1,160 Twinkies.Or one grape. One single, solitary grape, which you can then pop in your mouth and d...

Verizon is expected to unveil significant changes to its plans this week. Adam Bettcher / Getty Images Big changes are afoot at Verizon. The nation's largest wireless carrier is set to unveil changes to its plans that will make them more expensive, but will also include more data, according to someone familiar with the changes. The low-end "S" plan will go up by $5 to $35 a month, but will include 2 gigabytes of data, twice as much as before. The "M" plan will go up by $5 to $50 a month, while its data will rise from 3GB to 4GB. The "L" plan will go up by $10 to $70 a month, while data increases from 6GB to ...

RoadshowNewsAuto TechUsage up, price down: Chevrolet slashes cost of 4G LTE dataEnlarge ImageUsage nearly doubled in a single quarter in 2015. Chevrolet Data isn't cheap, whether it's going to your phone, your games console or your car's embedded modem. Thankfully, one of those destinations is about to cut its data-plan pricing, which...isn't what normally happens. Now, if you opt for a 4G LTE data plan in your Chevrolet, there'll be a little more dough in your pocket.Most plans are now 50 percent cheaper, and there's a new, mid-range option as well. Opting for 1 gigabyte of in-car data each month used to cos...

Enlarge ImageCheap and cheaper: The Moto G, left, and Blu R1 HD. Amazon If you could save a few bucks on a new phone by allowing ads on your lockscreen, would you do it?That's the idea Amazon is pitching with a new offer to its Prime members for two unlocked budget phones. Starting Wednesday, the e-commerce giant will take early orders for the Blu R1 HD for $50 and Motorola's Moto G for $150. That's $50 below the regular retail price for both. (There's a limited promotion on the Moto G that takes an additional $25 off.)Here's the catch: Those lower prices are available only for customers who agree to receive ...

RoadshowNewsHatchbacksCapaciousness on the cheap: Chevrolet prices 2017 Cruze Hatchback at $22,190Enlarge ImageChevrolet has no new pictures of its Cruze Hatchback. Is that worrying? Maybe a bit. Chevrolet Automakers aren't placing too much faith in hatches and wagons, and for good reason. Crossovers, which are basically hatchbacks but taller, have taken the market by storm. But a good number of automakers haven't entirely ditched the concept of a car with extra space -- like Chevrolet, which unveiled the Cruze Hatchback earlier this year. Now, we know how much it will cost.The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback ...