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A streaming device can transform just about any display with an HDMI port into a smart TV, so you can instantly access all your favorite apps, shows and movies. You can grab the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) for 33% off at Amazon and Best Buy, which drops the price down to just $20. This offer is valid for a limited time only, so we recommend getting your order in soon if you want to nab one for your place at this price.

If you don’t yet have a 4K TV or stream your content in HD anyway, this entry-level streamer is a good bargain. You don’t have to worry about line of sight and the remote has a built-in button for instant access to Google Assistant, meaning you can quickly search with your voice. Simply plug it into the HDMI port on your TV, and once you’re connected to your Wi-Fi, this baby can stream all your favorite shows, movies and more.

This Chromecast device shows everything from your streaming services in one place, so you won’t have to jump between apps to decide what to watch. Plus, you can manage your connected devices from your couch. And you can set parental controls if you have little ones at home. As long as you don’t need all the bells and whistles, this is a solid streaming option at a bargain price.

Trying to manage, and properly visualize, large amounts of data can be complicated. There are lots of apps out there that can try to help you do it, but depending what you want to do you may need a few of them to get it all done. If you want a single app that can help you create flowcharts, org charts, floor plans and more, Microsoft’s Visio Professional is the way to go. Right now, you can pick up a lifetime subscription for just $20, but the deal is only good for a few days.

Lifetime access to Visio Pro 2021 will cost you a whopping $580 if you buy it through Microsoft directly, but with this deal, you pay only a small fraction of that. The app features hundreds of templates and thousands of shapes and stencils for flow charts, timelines, floor plans and much more so you can distill complex processes into simple, easy-to-follow visual guides. Plus, it allows you to import data from other Microsoft programs like Excel.

Just note that this deal is only available to new users, and the license can only be used for a single PC running Windows 10 or 11. You’ll also need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription and access to the desktop version of Microsoft 365 apps, along with a Power BI and Power Automate subscription. And you’ll have to redeem this offer within 30 days of the purchase. Be sure to check out the full list of requirements on the StackSocial page if you’re at all unsure. And while you’re in a money-saving mood, maybe now is the perfect time to check out our list of the best laptop deals as well — go on, you deserve it.

When Apple unveiled iOS 17 at its WWDC event in June, the Journal app drew a lot of attention. While Apple didn’t release the app with iOS 17 in September or with the iPhone 15 series, the tech giant did release the app with iOS 17.2 in December.

Journaling has been linked with many mental health benefits, including helping manage anxiety, reducing stress and coping with depression. Some people might have a difficult time remembering to journal or figuring out what to write. Apple’s Journal app makes it easy to jot down a few thoughts when you’re on your phone, and it provides you with writing prompts and other reminders about what you’ve done in a day.

Here’s what you should know about the Journal app and how it works.

Read more: You Should Really Download iOS 17.4.1 Right Now

What is Journal?

Journal is an app developed by Apple to help users write journal entries and easily insert pictures, videos and other content. Your entries are stored locally on your iPhone, and you can have backups on iCloud.

Journal provides prompts, called Reflections, that you can write about. Some Reflections the app gave me included, “Think about something you love to do and why it brings you joy,” and “Describe someone in your life who you really appreciate but forget to thank.”

The app can also access certain data and give you suggestions about what to write based on that data. For example, on my first weekend with Journal, it suggested I write about a coffee shop and park that I visited. You can control what types of data and other apps Journal can access to create these suggestions.

How do you get Journal?

Apple included Journal in the iOS 17.2 update, so if you’ve downloaded the update — or later updates like iOS 17.4 — you should see the app on your home screen.

How secure is Journal?

According to Apple, the app has end-to-end encryption between your device and iCloud, and it uses on-device processes to create journaling suggestions including Reflections. That means the data it uses stays on your iPhone.

“No one but you can access your journal — not even Apple,” the company wrote online.

Beyond that, you can require the app to ask for your FaceID or passcode after it’s been inactive for 1, 5 or 15 minutes. If you don’t want to take any chances, you can set it to immediately lock when you switch apps or your iPhone goes to sleep — you know, in case of snooping siblings or roommates.

How do you write an entry in Journal?

On the Journal homepage, you’ll see your recent journal entries and a plus (+) sign across the bottom of your screen. Tap the plus sign and you’ll be taken to a new menu.

In this new menu, you’ll see suggested Reflections as well as moments from your day that you can write about, like a picture you took or a Podcast you listened to. Tap any of these for a short overview of the suggestion, and then tap Start Writing. You’ll be taken to a new page that looks similar to a new note in the Notes app, but the suggestion will show across the top of the screen. You can write your entry on this page, and you can add other content like photos, videos or voice notes.

You can also just write an entry without a suggestion. After tapping the plus sign on the Journal homepage, there is an option across the top of the new menu that reads New Entry. Tap this, and you can jot down any thoughts or feelings you’re having at the moment, or you can add your own content here.

Once you’re finished, tap Done in the top-right corner and the entry will be saved to the Journal homepage. You can also edit or update entries once they’ve been saved to the homepage. Tap the three dots (…) in the bottom-right corner of the entry you want to edit, then tap Edit.

What if I need help keeping a journaling schedule?

Have no fear: You can set the app to remind you to journal. A splash screen in Journal asks you to set a schedule the first time you open the app.

If you don’t see this splash screen, or you want to change your schedule, go to Settings > Journal > Journaling Schedule and then tap the switch next to Schedule. A menu will appear below Schedule that will allow you to set a reminder to journal every day — or certain days — at a certain time.

For more Apple news, check out what other features could be coming to your iPhone in iOS 17.5 and what was included in iOS 17.4. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

Seven months into using the iPhone 15 Pro Max, one of the biggest surprises — which, unfortunately, I can confirm through personal experience — is that it can survive drops. Many, many drops.

It’s fallen off the arm of my couch onto my living room hardwood floor multiple times. It dropped from my pocket onto the sidewalk twice as I fumbled to pull it out. And then there were numerous instances where the 15 Pro Max hit the floor of CNET’s San Francisco studio during video shoots. I frequently use the iPhone as a teleprompter with an accessory that clips onto a Panasonic S1H camera and lens. Sometimes my camera operator or I will accidentally knock “the rig” while adjusting the Panasonic, which causes the phone to dislodge and smack the ground. Luckily, my 15 Pro Max’s screen and back haven’t cracked.

Read more: Best iPhone for 2024

And, it’s worth noting: I don’t use a case. I know, I’m a horrible, soulless monster, but I’m just not a case guy. But, maybe I should be.

Over my seven months with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I’ve traveled across the country with it, watched TV and movies on it, played games and even taken it to a surf rock show. It’s become my rectangular, half-pound friend that does everything I need it to.

I’ve become dependent on features like StandBy Mode at home and at the office, Check In during long bike rides, and that incredible 5x zoom on the camera. There have been lows, like the overheating software bug that arrived on iPhones running iOS 17 last fall, but luckily, my phone wasn’t affected, and Apple has since resolved the issue.

Here’s why, more than half a year later, I’m still glued to my iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Wear and tear

Let’s start with how my iPhone 15 Pro Max looks, especially after all those falls. The titanium sides are in good shape, but there is a small knick on the side of the top-left corner — no comment! The back glass looks good. My phone is the natural titanium color, or what a friend jokingly calls “not quite beige.” But that drab color, along with the matte finish, hides fingerprints and dust quite well. Upon closer inspection, I don’t see any marks or scuffs on the back.

The Ceramic Shield display hasn’t fared as well. There are some tiny scratches on it, especially in the lower-left corner, and the oleophobic coating seems to be wearing down in a couple of spots. I am definitely not complaining, especially since I don’t baby the phone. But it’s nice to see the 15 Pro Max mostly holds up to the everyday Patrick Holland experience.

Battery life and display

My 15 Pro Max’s battery health is normal, though the max capacity has dropped from 100% to 99%. The battery cycle count sits at 111 and my 10-day average for screen-on time is eight hours and 41 minutes. In terms of battery life, not much has changed. It still lasts a full day on a single charge and can get through a day and a half when I’m not using the phone heavily.

There are times, like during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Samsung Unpacked in January, when I pushed the phone by taking hundreds of photos and videos and calling in for CNET’s live video stream over 5G. On days like that, using low-power mode has helped to offset battery drain, but I’m still impressed with how the phone holds up, even in those scenarios. Because the 15 Pro Max has a larger battery than the 15 Pro, it can last noticeably longer.

The iPhone’s display looks so good. Whether I’m watching The Bear, reading an article, laughing at New Yorker cartoons or taking a photo, images and graphics are rich and detailed and text is easy to read, even when the brightness is dim.

If you read my iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera test story, you might know where I’m going next. The 15 Pro Max’s screen falls short for me in one way: reflections. After using the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its low-reflection display, I can’t unsee the reflective mess that is the iPhone’s display — and the majority of smartphone screens out there. I hope Apple adds the coating, or whatever Samsung is doing, to the rumored iPhone 16’s display.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and iOS 17

Perhaps the biggest change to the phone, besides the camera, is iOS 17. We are 19 months from when the Dynamic Island debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and it still feels underutilized by third-party apps. Yes, it’s great for Uber, music controls and system alerts for Apple’s apps, but it feels like there’s more that can be done with it. I’m not sure this is on Apple, since the company can’t force developers to use the Dynamic Island. But it still feels like it’s early days for the Dynamic Island, even though it’s not.

We also now have Stolen Device Protection, which protects your accounts and personal information in case your iPhone gets stolen. If you haven’t, turn it on. In iOS 17.3 or later, go into Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode and you can enable it there.

In my earlier iPhone 15 Pro check-in, I noted several iOS 17 software bugs I experienced, like having Safari freeze and become unresponsive. I am happy to say I haven’t had that issue in months.

And the last thing I’ll say about iOS 17 is there are a ton of small improvements which have been lovely, like the Catch Up arrow in Messages. But the feature that I see more people embracing is StandBy mode, which turns the iPhone into a mini-hub when it’s charging. StandBy Mode shows widgets, the time or photos and isn’t limited to the iPhone 15 series. It’s fun being over at a friend’s house and seeing them have a stand for their iPhone in the kitchen or home office for StandBy. And I’m curious if and how Apple might expand StandBy Mode in iOS 18.

Cameras and video

Cameras are always a huge deal on the iPhone, and the 15 Pro Max is no different. Essentially, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max both have the same cameras, but the 15 Pro has a 3x telephoto lens and the 15 Pro Max a 5x telephoto lens. It makes me wonder what an iPhone 15 Pro Ultra would have been like with both the 3x and the 5x — think Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Photos from the 15 Pro Max are great and on par with those from the S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro, especially with that 5x lens! Take a look at the gallery below featuring snaps I took with the phone.

But I want to give the iPhone’s video capabilities a moment to shine. The 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have the ability to record ProRes video and even save files as SDR, HDR and Log. The Log files might look odd: the color is desaturated and the exposure looks dark. The files are designed to capture more image information than a non-ProRes video and be color graded and balanced for exposure later to get the look you want – or match video footage recorded with another camera.

In fact, the video that accompanies this article was filmed by CNET’s John Kim on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. The main shot of me in the video talking to the camera directly was captured using the 15 Pro Max’s 5x camera and recorded in ProRes Log. Here is a before and after composite of the same frame from the video: one unedited the way it looks in Log and the other after it was graded and balanced.

One of my other favorite parts of iPhone 15 Pro Max video capture is being able to record video straight to an external hard drive, thanks to the USB-C port which supports USB 3 speeds. With this method I can quickly transfer videos I shot from the iPhone to my computer for edits by simply unplugging the drive from my iPhone and plugging it into my laptop. I don’t have to wait for the videos to upload and download or for them to AirDrop. To make the recording process even better, I use several accessories.

My go-to iPhone 15 Pro Max accessories

I use two main accessories to record footage for CNET videos: the Blackmagic Cam app and a Samsung T9 SSD. Keep in mind for casual videos and social posts, I mostly hold my iPhone and use the default Apple Camera app.

The Blackmagic Cam app is basically the pro camera mode I’ve wanted from Apple for years. It’s just for video, but gives waveforms for balancing exposure, zebras to show where the image’s bright parts are clipping to white, controls for shutter speed, ISO and more. I can select different video codecs, audio formats and, heck, there’s even a mini-slate! Perhaps my favorite thing about the Blackmagic Cam app is it’s free.

The Samsung T9 SDD is both tiny and large. It’s about the size of a tin of Altoids, and yet comes with storage configurations up to 4TB. I’ve used Samsung T drives for years just because of their value and portability. But unlike the previous ones I had, this T9 drive is rugged. Samsung claims it can handle a drop from 9.8 feet. After reading about my propensity for dropping my iPhone, it might come as a surprise to know that I have not tested this claim. The Samsung T9 SSD is $175 for 1TB but at the time I’m writing this, Best Buy sells it for $130 ($45 off).

I also want to highlight Peak Design’s mobile tripod. It’s made of aluminum and has MagSafe-compatible magnets to attach to the back of the iPhone. The tripod’s tiny legs fold flat to make it portable. There’s even a tiny allen wrench key that magnetically stores in the body to tighten the ball-joint! I keep the mobile tripod in my backpack with me, and it comes in handy all the time not just for recording video, but also for watching them. The Peak Design mobile tripod costs $80, which is a lot, but it’s worth every penny.

Final thoughts

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has been my everyday carry for the past 7 months, and that’s the best approval I can give a phone. If you’re thinking about getting one, I definitely recommend it, and as we get closer to summer, keep an eye out for trade-in deals and sales. Also, I’m going to start shopping around for an iPhone 15 Pro Max phone case.

Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds have earned quite a reputation as a stellar option for Apple fans, but at their usual $249 asking price they’re not the most affordable option for all users. If you’ve been holding out on upgrading to the latest and greatest model out there, now’s the time. Right now they’re available at a $60 discount if you buy at Amazon, dropping the cost down to just $189. That’s just $9 above the lowest price we’ve seen, making this a deal well worth jumping on before it’s gone.

Even with a refreshed AirPods lineup potentially on the horizon, Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro are still among the best noise-canceling earbuds you’re likely to find. They also sport Apple’s transparency mode for when you need to be more aware of your surroundings, and they can automatically optimize their volume based on your environment. In use, the earbuds promise an impressive battery life of up to 30 hours on a single charge (including the battery life stored in the charging case). They also instantly pair and switch between Apple devices, making these wireless earbuds a joy to use for those in the Apple ecosystem.

If you plan on buying these to use with your Apple Vision Pro headset, you’ll enjoy support for 20-bit/48 kHz lossless audio with ultralow latency. The Apple Vision Pro has its own built-in speakers so AirPods aren’t an essential add-on, but they do allow for a more immersive — and private — viewing experience if you want to lose yourself in a movie.

Not into Apple’s buds or looking for headphones instead? There are tons of headphone and earbud deals available right now.

Whether you’re a Spotify loyalist or a new subscriber, Spotify has a lot to offer. Spotify excels in creating personalized recommendations, whether that’s hourly in your Daylist, in your Daily Mixes or even with its AI DJ feature. And maybe most fun of all, the service provides colorful, fun personalized streaming data for you at the end of every year in its Spotify Wrapped experience.

Spotify also lets you adjust audio settings according to what you’re doing. If you’re studying in a quiet library, you can adjust your base volume so you’re not distracted. Or if you’re pumping some iron in the gym, you can change your genre-equalizer to help get you through your reps. These simple setting adjustments can make your listening experience more enjoyable or help match your mood.

Even if you’re not a self-proclaimed audiophile or wannabe producer, Spotify makes it easy to adjust your audio settings to match your vibe. Here are all the settings you can use.

Read More: Best Streaming Services for 2024

Adjust your base volume to match your environment

Volume is pretty easy to figure out, but did you know Spotify lets premium users adjust the base volume of the app depending on their environment? You can select Quiet, Normal or Loud, and each has its own benefit.

Quiet will make songs a little quieter and sound cleaner, making it a good choice if you’re relaxing at home. Normal makes songs play at a medium base volume, and the sound is less crisp than Quiet. This is a good choice for most people and situations. Loud is — you guessed it — louder, but you might lose some audio quality because of the loudness. This option is good if you’re at the gym or other similarly noisy environments.

Here’s how to adjust the base volume on your iPhone:

1. Open the Spotify app and tap on your profile picture in the upper left corner.
2. Tap the gear icon to open the Setting and privacy menu.
3. Tap Playback.
4. Under Volume level, there are three options: Loud, Normal and Quiet. Pick whichever option works for you, and Spotify will adjust the sound accordingly.

If you’re using the Spotify app on a Mac, here’s how to adjust the base volume:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Click on your profile picture, then select Settings.
3. Under Audio Quality, you should see Volume level.
4. Click the drop-down bar to the right of Volume level.
5. From here, you see the same Loud, Normal and Quiet options.

Here’s how to adjust the base volume if you’re using the Spotify app on an Android device:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings.
3. Under Playback you should see Volume Level.
4. Next to Volume Level you should see the Loud, Normal and Quiet options. Pick the one you want.

Finally, here’s how to adjust the base volume in Spotify while on a Windows computer:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Click your account name in the top-right corner.
3. Click Settings.
4. Under Audio Quality, you should see Volume level. Click the drop-down bar to the right.
5. Select Loud, Normal or Quiet.

Use the Spotify equalizer for more control

If you prefer being more hands-on with how your bass and treble come across in each song, you can adjust the in-app equalizer. Adjusting your bass affects lower-frequency sounds, making your music sound deeper with increased bass or flatter with less bass. Treble affects the higher sound frequencies, making your music sound brighter and crisper with increased treble, or duller and kind of muddied with less treble.

Here’s how to access the equalizer on your iPhone:

1. Open the Spotify app and tap on your profile picture in the upper left corner.
2. Tap the gear icon to open the Settings and privacy menu.
3. Tap Playback.
4. Scroll down and tap Equalizer.
5. Read below about how to find the perfect fit.

Here’s how to access the equalizer on your Android device:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings.
3. Under Audio quality, tap Equalizer.

You can also access the equalizer on your desktop. Here’s how:

1. Open Spotify and click your profile picture.
2. Click Settings.
3. Under Playback, click the switch next to Equalizer.

How to find the right equalizer setting

iPhones and Android devices both feature a manual equalizer slider and a handful of premade genre-based equalizers.

You should see the manual equalizer slider, which looks like a line graph with six dots. When you first get to this page, the equalizer should be flat.

Each dot on the graph can be adjusted for more or less sound. The far left bar represents your bass, the far right bar controls your treble and the middle bars control — you guessed it — your midrange. You can tweak the bars as you see fit.

There are also genre-based equalizers on this page. You can pick which genre you’re listening to and the app automatically adjusts the sliders to optimize for that style of music. After picking one, you can further adjust the sliders for the perfect listening experience.

If you want to reset the equalizer, there’s a genre-based equalizer called Flat. This will reset the equalizer to its default.

While you can access the equalizer in the iOS, Android and desktop versions of Spotify, you can’t access the equalizer in the Mac version of Spotify. But you can search for an equalizer application to help you in your journey to find the best sound.

Adjust the quality of your music for a clearer sound

You can also adjust the audio quality of your music. This is handy if you’re using mobile data and want to save money on your phone bill, as reducing the audio quality takes up less bandwidth and uses less data. Increasing the quality of your music should let you hear the finer details of the music and give you a clearer listening experience.

Here’s how to change the audio quality on mobile and tablet:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Tap your profile picture to access Settings.
3. Tap Audio Quality.
4. Under WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming, you can select Automatic, Low, Normal or High. The Automatic option adjusts the audio quality to whatever your signal strength is. If you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll see a fifth option under both WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming called Very high.

How to change the audio quality on your desktop:

1. Open Spotify.
2. Click on your profile picture to access Settings.
3. Under Audio Quality, click the drop-down menu next to Streaming quality.
4. Choose between Low, Normal, High or Automatic options, and paid subscribers also have the Very high option.

You can also adjust the audio quality of your music. This is handy if you’re using mobile data and don’t want to bump up your phone bill. Reducing the audio quality will use less data.

For more on Spotify, read our full review and how Spotify stacks up against Apple Music.

Apple hasn’t even announced the iPhone 16 yet, but we’re already starting to hear about its plans for the iPhone 17, which will likely launch in 2025.

Longtime supply-chain analyst Ross Young posted on X on Wednesday that he’d heard that the iPhone 17 Plus will come with a smaller screen than the 6.7-inch display on the current-generation iPhone 15 Plus. The post was written about earlier by MacRumors.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple changing the screen size of its iPhones wouldn’t be much of a surprise, though it is noteworthy. The company has always seemed comfortable fiddling with screen sizes, particularly as its product lineup expanded from one iPhone each year to multiple models, starting with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014.

It’s unclear why Apple would opt for a smaller-size screen for its iPhone 17 Plus, but MacRumors suggests the change could help further differentiate the Plus model from its more expensive Pro Max cousin. Though Apple is expected to increase the screen size of its upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max this fall, changing the screen size on the iPhone 17 Plus would likely help each iPhone stand apart even more.

It’s also possible Apple has learned through customer feedback that customers who look at the Plus-size iPhones want a device that’s bigger than the entry-level iPhone but not as big as the Pro Max.

Read more: iPhone 16: Major Rumors About Apple’s Next iPhone

As mentioned, Apple is expected this year to adjust screen sizes of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which will reportedly have slimmer bezel borders and larger displays. So it’s only natural to believe Apple would then focus its screen-fiddling energy on the entry-level iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus next year.

You might be tempted to think Apple has this screen-size thing all worked out. Currently, Apple’s lineup seems rather fixed at a $799 entry-level iPhone, followed by a larger entry-level iPhone Plus for $899, and then a $999 Pro level, with larger Pro Max versions starting at $1,099. But Apple only stumbled on that formula after attempting to sell a 5.4-inch iPhone Mini as far back as 2021.

The iPhone Mini earned positive reviews from critics, including CNET’s Patrick Holland, who wrote in 2020 that the iPhone 12 Mini was the “small phone we’ve been asking for,” adding that it was “a one-handed phone user’s dream.” Alas, Apple switched to larger entry-level phones with the iPhone 14 line in 2022.

Read more: Best iPhone to buy in 2024

Today’s Wordle answer features some pretty common letters, and it’s a well-known word. But depending on your starter words, you might take a few guesses to get it. If you need some clues, read on.

Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.

Today’s Wordle hints

Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Friday, April 19, puzzle No. 1035 (preceded by hints that might give it away). That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and simply don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.

Wordle hint No. 1: No repeats

There are no repeated letters in today’s answer.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has three vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: Starter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with R.

Wordle hint No. 4: Money meaning

Today’s Wordle answer is something many employed people would love to get.

Wordle hint No. 5: Ending letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with a vowel.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is: RAISE, as in to lift or move something – or an increase in one’s salary.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s answer, No. 1034, was FACET.

Past Wordle answers

April 14, No. 1030 BLIMP
April 15, No. 1031 EQUIP
April 16, No. 1032 SHANK
April 17, No. 1033: TITHE

Everyday Wordle tips

I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to news about controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.

Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.

What is Wordle?

If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle, and if they’re in the same spot where you guessed they are. The New York Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner and let her narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient, too, that he has a name that plays off “word.”

A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1000th word was ERUPT. As in, “Dad will erupt if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.”

There are other fun games in the Times Games stable. My latest addiction is Connections, which I think is trickier than Wordle. This is the game where you look at a grid of 16 words and try to put them into four groups of related words. Sometimes the relationships between the words are pretty out there — like the time when it was four words that all began with rock bands, such as “Rushmore” and “journeyman.” (Connections got a little sassy on April Fools’ Day with an all-emoji puzzle. Some gamers did NOT find that funny.)

Spelling Bee is a popular Times game too. And there’s a new game that’s still in beta, Strands, which I’m trying to master.

Meta AI, an open-source generative AI tool by Meta, is now powered by the more robust Llama 3 large language model, the company said in a press release Thursday.

There are two varieties of Llama 3 available: Llama 3 8B, which has 8 billion parameters, and Llama 3 70B, which has 70 billion. Generally, the more parameters an AI model has, the better the outputs. Meta’s goal is to create the best open model available, one that can compete with the finest proprietary AI models on the market. Meta said that because these models are open source, the company can engage with the community as its AI models develop. Right now Llama 3 is just a text-based model, but Meta wants it to be multilingual and multimodal in the future, with the ability to reason and code.

Meta said that in benchmark tests, Llama 3 8B outperformed Mistral 7B and Gemma 7B, two other open-source AIs, from Mistral and Google, respectively. Meta said Llama 3 70B outperformed the new Google Gemini Pro 1.5 and Anthropic’s Claude 3 Sonnet. It should be noted that Sonnet isn’t Anthropic’s most powerful model and also that CNET hasn’t independently verified Meta’s assertions. Meta said that in its own human evaluation tests, Llama 3 70B won against Claude Sonnet, Mistral Medium and OpenAI’s GPT 3.5.

Meta’s strong pivot to artificial intelligence comes after OpenAI caught the rest of Big Tech flat-footed with its release of ChatGPT 3.5 in late 2022. The ChatGPT chatbot marked one of the first instances when average consumers could interact with an AI model that could seemingly answer any question with a unique answer. At Meta Connect last September, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a slew of AI products, including an AI chatbot, an AI image generator, AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and AI characters based on celebrities like Snoop Dogg.

Though Meta had been, and still is, investing heavily in virtual reality and the metaverse, it’s since doubled-down on its key moneymaker: social media. That, along with its AI investments, propelled Meta’s stock to an all-time high of $531 per share earlier this month. It also made Zuckerberg the third richest person in the world, surpassing Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

As for safety in Llama 3, Meta said it’s adopted a new “system-level approach to the responsible development and deployment of Llama.” This system uses both humans and automations to try to push the model to serve up “problematic responses,” and to continually tune the model to disallow those outputs.

Llama 3 will be deploying soon, Meta said, and will use fewer resources than Llama 2, despite having more parameters. You can find Meta AI on the web, and as part of the Meta-owned platforms Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

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The 10th Saw movie unleashed more gory traps on theatergoers in September, and soon, “Jigsaw’s most personal game” will reach the Starz streaming service.

Saw X takes place after the events of Saw (2004) and before Saw II (2005), when Tobin Bell’s John Kramer, desperately searching for a cure for his cancer, uncovers a scam to defraud the most vulnerable, according to a synopsis. Gruesome traps inevitably follow as the Jigsaw Killer deals with the con artists as he does best.

Shawnee Smith also reprises her role as Amanda in the 10th entry, which ranks the highest out of the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s when you can stream the newest Saw film on the Starz app, and how a VPN could potentially come in handy. The next Saw movie, Saw XI, has been pushed back a year to September 2025, but you can watch this in the meantime.

When you can watch Saw X on Starz

Want to play a game? Viewers in the US can access Saw X on Starz on April 19 at 12:01 a.m. ET/April 18 at 9:01  p.m. PT.

For $10 a month, the ad-free streaming service gives you access to original series like Outlander, P-Valley and Party Down. Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is hitting the platform next month, and you can watch other Lionsgate films, like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Expend4bles now.

How to watch Saw X from anywhere with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Starz while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.

A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling, find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and met our security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose a country where Saw X will be streaming on Starz. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN, using your selected region. If you want to stream Saw X on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Starz to stream.

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and you’ve picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.