BGR Daily Breaking Stories

Daily Headlines FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

Irony: The Galaxy S6 is too expensive to win over iPhone owners Many studies looking at iPhone and Android sales would tell you that iPhone buyers are willing to spend more money than their Android counterparts when it comes to handsets, apps and accessories. Interestingly, however, a recent survey reveals the main reason current iPhone owners would not consider switching to the Galaxy S6 is actually the phone’s hefty price tag.  MORE → How to stop cell phone companies from secretly selling your info to advertisers There’s a reason advertisers love Google so much. The company is better than any other when it comes to collecting information about you, its users, and then using that information to serve targeted advertisements on the websites you visit. In Google’s case, the trade-off is that you get to use all of its amazing software and all of its great services for free — how evil! Of course, Google isn’t the only company that uses your browsing history and other private data to sell ads.  MORE → PC makers are laughing at Apple’s new Retina MacBook With all of the praise heaped upon Apple for developing thin hardware, one has to think that it just drives competitors crazy. After all, it’s not as if Apple is the only company out there capable of churning out incredibly sleek computers. That being the case, and with so much of the spotlight focused on Apple’s admittedly super-thin new Retina MacBook, a few rival hardware manufacturers couldn’t help but toss a few Twitter jabs in Apple’s direction.  MORE → How the FCC’s great new net neutrality rules could ruin Netflix for you You just can’t please everyone… The Federal Communications Commission issued its final net neutrality rules earlier this week, and some people still can’t believe that the Commission issued a proposal that is so consumer-friendly. Under FCC chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal, Internet service will be reclassified as a utility and prevent some of the biggest threats to the free Internet, including paid traffic prioritization, data blocking and bandwidth throttling. Sure there may be a loophole or two, but nothing is perfect. The bottom line is that everyone stands to benefit from the FCC’s new net neutrality proposal — well, almost everyone.  MORE → The HTC One M9 finally has a release date – but not in the U.S. The HTC One M9 is by far one of the best Android phones of the year, even if HTC may have lost the battle with Samsung at MWC 2015, at least when it comes to the attention received by their latest mobile devices during the show. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 models, and especially the S6 edge, surprised the audience, being completely new designs, while the HTC One M9 is more of a refinement of last year’s top HTC phone. Even so, the HTC One M9 will certainly impress many potential buyers, and the phone already has a release date and pricing details for Taiwan. More interestingly, ePrice reports the phone will be available in two distinct versions, when it comes to storage. MORE → This is the best news Windows 10 fans can get right now Microsoft is far from releasing its final version of the major Windows 10 software update for desktop, mobile and Xbox, but the company has good news for those hardcore Windows fans who can’t wait to get their hands on the latest Windows 10 features, The Register reports.  MORE → Netflix is winning the war against cable TV Throughout 2014, Netflix continued to steal customers from cable providers nationwide. The latest Nielsen report shows that over 40% of homes now have access to a subscription-based video on-demand service, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime Instant Video. That’s up from 36% in 2013.  MORE → Check out Google Street View’s stunning pictures of the area around Mt. Everest Google Street View has virtually taken us to a lot of incredible places over the years, but its latest trek to Nepal and the region surrounding Mt. Everest might be the best one yet. Google Maps revealed on Thursday that it’s partnered with Apa Sherpa, a Sherpa mountaineer who “holds the world record for reaching the summit of Mount Everest 21 times,” to help take stunning Street View images of the Khumbu  region surrounding the world’s tallest mountain. The images aren’t just of the massive mountain but of the communities that surround it as well.  MORE → Springfield, Illinois hands Cobra Commander the keys to the city There are days in the life of every politician when they have to look at their daily schedules and say to themselves, “Is all the power I have really worth this?” We imagine that J. Michael Houston, the mayor of Springfield, Illinois, had such a moment on Wednesday when he handed over the keys to his city to a man dressed up in a Cobra Commander outfit, as pictured above.  MORE → Man who allegedly defrauded Facebook is now an outlaw on the run The saga of Paul Ceglia is one for the record books. In 2010, Ceglia sued Facebook alleging that he was entitled to a 48% ownership stake in the popular social network, a stake which would have entitled him to billions of dollars. MORE →