Mall of the future? eBay's new storefronts can gather your data

A woman tries out the Rebecca Minkoff digital storefront at the Westfield Shopping Centre in San Francisco. (Credit: eBay) SAN FRANCISCO -- Uri Minkoff, CEO of fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff, climbed through an opening in a wall leading to an empty retail space inside the Westfield Shopping Centre in downtown San Francisco....

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Top Black Friday and Cyber Monday software deals

Is it me or are the stores opening up for Black Friday shopping a lot earlier than ever before? I heard that one of the stores opened its doors at 5pm on Thanksgiving day with its "sweet door buster" deals, but is that really worth it? What are the extreme bargain hunters to do? Pick "deals" over friends and family on Thanksgiving? Thankfully, I have rounded up some of the best deals out there as well as some exclusive deals...

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Hobbits, trolls and elves invade Google Chrome

Turn your Chrome browser into a fantasy portal complete with dwarves worthy of Bilbo Baggins. Journey through Middle-earth is an interactive Chrome browser experience inspired by the new movie "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and developed by North Kingdom. Explore Hobbit locales such as Trollshaw Forest, Rivendell, and Dol Guldur. Other locations, such as Thranduil's Hall, Lake-Town, and Erebor, will be unlocked as...

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ZTE Source (Cricket Wireless)

Assuming you're able get Cricket Wireless' LTE coverage in the first place, the ZTE Source delivers LTE speeds at a decent $189.99 price. In fact, that's the carrier's most budget option for an LTE device by quite a wide margin. Its second-cheapest handset, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 2, costs $250. True, the Source isn't banging on all cylinders...

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2014 Dodge Durango

High gas prices and the emergence of electric cars would suggest that the SUV has gone the way of the dinosaur, but the 2014 Dodge Durango makes a convincing argument for its continued survival, having evolved into a modern, connected vehicle that improves on its fuel efficiency. My road testing of this Dodge Durango encompassed a trip...

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Apple, Samsung supplier abuses workers' rights, group claims

Screen supplier Biel Crystal Manufactory has been accused of violating workers' rights within its Chinese factories. The manufacturer, which supplies iPhone screens to tech giant Apple, allegedly abuses its workers in a number of ways. According to a report by the Students Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM), employees are forced to work 11-hour shifts with only a single day off each month. SACOM's research...

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Hyundai's hottest R-Spec is also the cheapest Veloster Turbo

LOS ANGELES -- At the 2013 LA Auto Show, the Veloster Turbo becomes the latest model to wear Hyundai's "R-Spec" performance badge, joining the Genesis Coupe 2.0T and 3.8 and the Genesis sedan 5.0. Aside from making the name slightly longer, R-Spec designation signals that the 2014 Hyundai Veloster Turbo gains a few go-faster tweaks,...

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Get an HDHomeRun Prime CableCard tuner for $99.99

I think the days of Windows Media Center are drawing to a close, which is a shame. Microsoft no longer bundles the software with Windows, and I suspect few people will bother to pay extra for it. That said, if you're still running Windows 7 on one or more PCs, or you did decide to splurge on the upgrade for Windows 8, you can still enjoy a truly excellent TV/DVR experience. All you need is a CableCard from your cable company...

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Surface 2 design changes make it more difficult to crack open and repair

Cracking Open the Microsoft Surface 2 On the outside, the Surface 2 may look like its predecessor, the Surface RT. It's ever-so-slightly thinner and lighter than the original, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two. That doesn't mean, however, that they're identical. Far from it. The Surface 2 has a new two-position kickstand, the microSD card slot has been moved down slightly, and there...

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Black Friday deal week: Manic Monday

This is going to be a crazy week. Already over the weekend I've seen a Dell laser printer with Wi-Fi for $29.99 (already sold out), a 16GB iPad Air for $449 (also sold out), and so on. Stores are really taking this "early Black Friday" thing to heart, so the deals are coming fast and furious -- and, unsurprisingly, selling out quickly....

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Google Glass developers: We're still flying half-blind

Google Glass developers gather for the launch of the Glass Development Kit, but they say there's still work to be done on the headset. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Ever since developers got their hands on Google Glass earlier this year, software coders have clamored for greater access to the programming internals of the controversial...

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'Doctor Who': My life and regeneration as a Whovian

Oh, Doctor, my Doctor. (Credit: BBC) On Monday, November 25, two days after the "Doctor Who" 50th anniversary special debuts through simulcasts around the world, I will pick up two young Whovians and drive to the local theater for a special 3D encore presentation of the show. I will go wearing a brown floppy hat, a 10-foot-long...

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Turn On, Tune In, Plug In: Electric Beetle Driven

Liquorice-thin steering wheel rim? That's definitely there, present and correct in all its cream-coloured glory. A bit of a squeeze to get around it perhaps, but it really looks the part. The gear lever too looks standard, complete with its mushroom-shaped gear knob. It can't be the seats - those feel great too, if not as supportive as modern ones. The painted metal dash still gleams as it should, and there's still that...

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Get a GoGroove FlexSmart X3 Bluetooth FM transmitter for $39.99 shipped

Quite possibly the best in-car FM transmitter you can buy, the GoGroove FlexSmart X3 Compact is on sale for $39.99 shipped. (Credit: Accessory Genie) To me there's nothing sadder than a car that lacks Bluetooth. Well, okay, there are lots of things sadder, but for anyone who drives and owns a smartphone, it's definitely...

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Toshiba Excite 7

Even though the Toshiba 7 has a temptingly low-price, if you're in the market for a budget tablet, keep your options open. The Excite 7 isn't as breathtaking as its name would suggest, donning an overwhelmingly plastic design and unfashionably dull display that's accented by lackluster performance. At its $169 starting price, 7-inch device...

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Buy one iPad headrest mount, get a second one free

Buy one iPad headrest mount, get a second one free! (Credit: TFY) iPads are great for car travel, especially those lucky buggers in the back seat who get to kick back and watch movies the whole trip while Dad fights traffic and has to listen to whatever's on the radio. (What, me bitter?) Of course, maybe they're not so...

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Locked up: Why AT&T racks up so many exclusive phones

The Lumia 1520 smartphone is the latest phone to get the exclusivity treatment from AT&T. (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) AT&T and Nokia have long enjoyed a close partnership, but at one New York event in July, their kinship led to a particularly awkward moment. It was after Nokia had unveiled the Lumia 1020 and its 41-megapixel...

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