In today’s Bulldog wrapup of technology news:

  • Consumer Reports puts new Apple Watches to the test. Watch the video.
  • Allergan is buying Tobira Therapeutics
  • Samsung says replacement phones for recall are available
  • Microsoft launches $40 billion stock buyback
  • Comcast to offer wireless service

The details:

  • Testing new Apple Watches

Consumer Reports has put the new Apple Watch through a series of tests, including water immersion, scratch resistance and heart-rate monitor accuracy.

Watch the video at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guv1rZLG0Ws

(Check out http://www.ConsumerReports.org for the latest reviews, tips, and recommendations and subscribe to our YouTube Channel:http://bit.ly/1Nlb1Ez )

  • Allergan targets liver disease drugs with Tobira acquisition

Botox-maker Allergan is bulking up its drug pipeline by acquiring Tobira Therapeutics Inc. and two potential liver disease treatments in a deal that could be worth almost $1.7 billion.

Tobira is testing two treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease that triggers inflammation that can lead to cirrhosis, cancer and eventual liver failure.

Allergan PLC said Tuesday it will pay $28.35 in cash up front for each Tobira share plus up to $49.84 in contingent value rights, depending on whether certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones are met.

  • Microsoft sets $40 billion stock buyback, raises dividend

Microsoft Corp. says its board has approved a dividendi ncrease and a new $40 billion stock buyback plan.

The Redmond, Washington, company said Tuesday it will pay a quarterly dividend of 39 cents on Dec. 8 to shareholders of record Nov. 17. That’s up 3 cents, or 8 percent, from its previous payout.

The technology giant also said it’s on track to complete its existing $40 billion stock buyback plan by year-end. The new plan has no expiration and may be terminated anytime.

Shares of Microsoft are up about 30 percent in the past year. In after-hours trading, the stock rose 67 cents to $57.48.

  • Samsung says replacements available for recalled Note 7

Samsung says new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones will be available in U.S. stores starting Wednesday to replace about 1 million devices that are being recalled because their batteries can catch fire.

The South Korean company has been scrambling to fix problems caused by faulty batteries in the latest version of its top-of-the-line smartphone, which first went on sale last month.

When it first offered on Sept. 2 to replace the affected Note 7 phones, Samsung said it would swap them for models of its other phones, such as the Galaxy S7, until supplies of replacement Note 7 devices became available.

Samsung followed up last week by announcing that U.S. consumers who had purchased one of the recalled phones could choose between a replacement or a refund for the device, which sells for about $850. That offer was jointly announced with officials at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission after Samsung was criticized for not coordinating more closely with the commission.

  • Comcast plans to launch wireless service next year

Comcast plans to launch a cellphone service roughly in the middle ofnext year, although it would be limited to areas of the country where it’s a cable provider.

That could potentially offer real competition to carriers like Verizon and AT&T for a subset of the country. Comcast has just over 28 million customers.

The cable giant plans to create a service that would run on its 15 million Wi-Fi hotspots and use Verizon’s wireless network, which it has a deal to resell.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts confirmed the company’s plans at an investment conference Tuesday in New York.

He suggested that Comcast was looking at the mobile service as an add-on to customer bundles, and combining wireless service with Comcast cable or internet would likely make customers stick with Comcast longer.