E-readers are lightweight, easy to use and allow you to read anywhere you go without carrying a bulky bag of books. Plus, switching your personal library over to a digital format can clear a lot of clutter from your shelves at home. Today only, you can snag a 2018 Kindle Paperwhite in new condition starting at just $60 for the 8GB version. You can also upgrade to the 32GB model for just $10 more, while supplies last. This offer expires tonight, March 30, so we recommend you placing your order sooner rather than later.
This Kindle Paperwhite has a 6-inch, 300 ppi, glare-free display that’s suitable for reading both indoors and outside in direct sunlight. It’s also rated IPX8 waterproof, so it’s a great option for those who enjoy reading by the pool or at the beach. Plus, this Kindle allows you to adjust font, text size and more so you can read comfortably. And for those with an Audible account, you can switch from reading to listening via Bluetooth over headphones or a speaker.
As for battery life, this e-reader can last up to six weeks per charge with normal use, giving you plenty of time before you need a boost, even if you’re on vacation. Note that this model is an ad-supported version, so advertisements will appear when the device is locked. However, you can opt out later if you want to with a one-time fee through your Amazon account. If you’re an avid reader or just want a distraction-free device so you don’t end up scrolling through social media when you’re trying to relax, this is a great deal.
Do you like minimalistic bookshelves but still want to read great books?
Get a discount on your next Kindle or iPad using our CNET Shopping extension; while checking out, we’ll help you find the best price or coupon codes.
YES Network, the New York Yankees cable channel, is joining the streaming game. Ahead of Thursday’s MLB Opening Day, the network announced that it’s now offering a direct-to-consumer streaming option for local fans who want to watch games without signing up for a cable or satellite package.
The new option will run $25 per month if purchased on a monthly subscription or $240 if purchased annually. As part of a special launch promotion that runs through April 30, YES will offer the service at a discounted rate of $20 per month (through the end of 2023) or $200 per year.
Once signed up, fans will then be able to watch games and other YES programming via the network’s website or its YES app, which is available on iOS, Android, Samsung TVs and smart TV platforms including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.
In addition to Yankees games, the YES Network also broadcasts games for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA’s New York Liberty. The network says that its new streaming option will be available in its “regional coverage territory,” which consists of New York state, Connecticut, northeastern Pennsylvania, and north and central New Jersey.
YES’ move marks the latest major regional sports network to offer an option to cord-cutters who want to watch their local teams without springing for a pricey cable, satellite or streaming TV package. The new option also comes amid a continued rise in cord-cutting and turmoil among regional sports networks.
Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally’s Sports regional sports networks and airs the local games for 42 teams across MLB, NBA and NHL, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. Warner Bros. Discovery, which broadcasts games for six teams across the three leagues on its AT&T SportsNet offering, similarly said earlier this month that it plans to exit the regional sports business.
Can anyone beat South Carolina? After four rounds of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament, that’s still the question. Led by the imposing Aliyah Boston, the reigning Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, South Carolina is the defending champion and has yet to lose a game this year. Iowa and the sensational Caitlin Clark are up next for the Gamecocks. The other Final Four matchup pits No. 1 Virginia Tech against No. 3 LSU.
Both Final Four games will be played on Friday in Dallas. Virginia Tech and LSU are up first, tipping off at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT), followed by the prime-time matchup of South Carolina and Iowa at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). Both games will be shown on ESPN and ESPN Plus.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the women’s Final Four and national championship game on Sunday without cable (and here’s how to watch the men’s tournament).
Aliyah Boston and No. 1 South Carolina take on No. 2 Iowa in the Final Four on Friday.
Justin Ford/Getty Images
What is the NCAAW tournament schedule?
The schedule and channels for the Final Four and national championship are listed below (all times ET).
Friday, March 31
No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 LSU, 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Plus
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Iowa, 9 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Plus
Sunday, April 2
Women’s NCAA championship game: 3:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN Plus
Can I stream March Madness for free?
Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you’ll be able to watch games for free. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android devices along with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox. The app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast.
As with most things that are free, there’s a catch. Without proving you’re a pay-TV subscriber, you get only a three-hour preview, after which point you’ll need to log in to continue watching.
What are my other streaming options?
You can use a live TV streaming service to watch the women’s NCAA basketball tournament. All five of the major live TV streaming services offer the channels needed to watch every game, but keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries ABC in your area. You can also watch the remainder of the tournament on ESPN Plus.
Sling TV’s $55-a-month Orange and Blue plan includes ABC and ESPN. Keep in mind, however, that Sling offers ABC carries ABC only in a handful of areas. Read our Sling TV review.
Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes ABC and ESPN. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV review.
YouTube TV now costs $73 a month and includes ABC and ESPN. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.
Prusa Research, a leading 3D printer manufacturer, has announced the MK4, the latest update to its popular Original Prusa line.
Why it matters
The original Prusa MK3 has been one of the best 3D printers for a long time. This new upgrade is supposed to make Prusa’s flagship even better.
What’s next
You can order the Prusa MK4 fully assembled for $1,099 or wait for the kit to ship for $799 in the coming weeks.
Prusa Research on Wednesday launched the Original Prusa MK4. Based on the same design as its MK3S Plus — a frequent pick as the best 3D printer on many sites — this new version has been upgraded in almost every way.
While there are few aesthetic changes to the shape of the MK4 compared to the MK3, there have been a lot of changes under the hood to bring it up to speed with the latest innovations in 3D printing. Many smaller details are quite technical, but the main points can be seen below. The upshot of these upgrades is a printer that promises accurate and detailed prints almost three times faster than the previous generation.
Faster print speeds through “input shaper and pressure advance” firmware updates
Hardware upgrades to better support speed and quality changes
Fast-swappable hot ends to let you use different size nozzles quickly
Nextruder extruder system
32-bit mainboard, which allows for Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections
Upgraded color LCD with model preview
Fully automatic bed leveling to improve your first layer
New multimaterial unit available as an add-on
Prusa has a reputation as a leader in the open-source 3D printing community. The MK4 will continue that tradition, allowing people to customize the machine how they want in the years to come. The company has also announced several upgrade kits that can upgrade your existing Prusa MK3 to variations of the MK4 — called the MK3.5 and MK3.9 — that will allow you to get almost all the MK4’s features, starting from $250.
Prusa announced the Prusa XL last year, but many of these have still not shipped. Because of this, the company has offered to switch preorders of the Prusa XL to the MK4 if you would rather pick up the smaller machine.
The Original Prusa MK4 is available now in a limited run, with more units to follow for $1,099, while the MK4 kit is due in the coming weeks. You can also order the upgrade kit for your MK3S Plus now if you want to upgrade rather than buy a new machine.
Apple’s iOS 16.4 was released Monday, and it brings new features and bug fixes to your iPhone, including 31 new emoji.
The new emoji include a shaking-head smiley, animals like a donkey, moose and a goose, and additional heart colors, including plain pink and light blue. The plain pink heart has been a long-sought emoji, according to Emojipedia, which named it one of the site’s top emoji requests in 2015. Last year’s significant emoji drop in iOS 15.4 included a melting face, a biting lip and a pregnant man, with 37 new designs in total.
A moose, donkey and goose are some of the new emoji iPhone users might see soon.
Emojipedia
Emojipedia said the new emoji came from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.
Google usually announces new Pixel products throughout the year, but 2023 could end up being a particularly important moment for the company’s device line. Google is rumored to be releasing its first foldable phone, which would directly compete with Samsung’s proven line of Galaxy Z Fold devices.
Google also introduced its own ChatGPT rival, Bard, which it opened up to the public in March. It wouldn’t be surprising to see new developments to Bard and hear about Google’s other AI ambitions during its I/O conference in May.
Both potential announcements would further signal that tech giants are thinking about what’s next for the smartphone and the apps that run on these devices in 2023. Samsung and Motorola, for example, both introduced new concept devices earlier this year with slidable and rollable screens, which could one day succeed today’s foldables. And Microsoft has its own revamped version of Bing that uses AI to provide more direct and conversational answers, giving Google stronger competition in the search arena it’s dominated for years.
Here’s a look at what we’re expecting from Google this year, based on rumors, reports and the company’s typical product launch schedule. We’ll be updating this story regularly as more leaks and reports surface.
Pixel 7A
Google’s Pixel 6A from last year.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
If history repeats itself, Google will release a cheaper version of the Pixel 7 known as the Pixel 7A in the spring or summer. Google introduced the Pixel 6A at Google I/O last year before putting it on sale in July. That means we might be just weeks away from learning about the Pixel 7A, if Google does decide to announce it at its annual developer conference again this year.
We won’t know anything for certain until Google debuts the Pixel 7A, but some leaks and reports have provided clues about what it might include. Developer Kuba Wojciechowski, who claims to have found details possibly referring to the Pixel 7A in the Android codebase, suggests the Pixel 7A could have a screen with a higher 90Hz refresh rate and wireless charging.
That might not sound too exciting, but it’s notable because these two features are absent from the 6A. By bringing them to the Pixel 7A, Google would further close the gap between its premium and budget-friendly phones.
Another purported leak from Vietnamese website Zing News suggests the Pixel 7A will have a 6.1-inch screen just like the 6A and a design that resembles the Pixel 7.
If the Pixel 7A follows in the Pixel 6A’s footsteps, we can expect it to have the same Tensor G2 processor as the Pixel 7, but a camera that’s a step down.
Pixel Fold
Samsung is currently the leader when it comes to foldable phones like the Z Fold 4, but maybe Google could give it some competition.
James Martin/CNET
Aside from Apple, Google is one of the only major phone-makers that hasn’t released a foldable phone or discussed plans to do so. But that could change in the near future. Reports from 9to5Google and WinFuture suggest Google’s first foldable Pixel device could arrive as soon as June.
The phone could avoid the Samsung Z Fold series’ tall, thin design in favor of a shorter, wider format with a look that’s similar to the Oppo Find N or Microsoft Surface Duo, according to reports and leaks from 9to5Google and YouTube personality Dave2D. Code in the beta for Android 13, which Wojciechowski says he discovered, also suggests the Pixel Fold would have a camera with main, ultrawide and telephoto lenses.
Google is known for undercutting rivals like Apple and Samsung on price with its regular Pixel phones. If Google does release a foldable phone, I’m hoping it takes a similar approach. Samsung currently dominates foldable phones with 62% of the market in the first half of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research, so it’ll be interesting to see if Google can give Samsung some worthwhile competition.
Sales of foldable phones are growing, but they still make up just a fraction of the broader smartphone market. Global shipments are expected to grow by 52% year-over-year in 2023, according to Counterpoint, reaching 22.7 million units. But when you consider that 304 million smartphones are estimated to have been shipped in the fourth quarter of 2022 based on Counterpoint’s findings, 22.7 million in a whole year seems like a drop in the ocean.
Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
James Martin/CNET
Google typically releases new flagship Pixel phones in the fall, and we’re expecting the company to follow that same pattern in 2023. We won’t know what’s in store for Google’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro until it announces those devices.
However, Google’s updates have been very camera-centric in recent years, with the Pixel 7 lineup gaining improved zoom and the Pixel 7 Pro receiving a new macro photography mode. With the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which were the first Pixels to run on Google’s Tensor chips, we saw new features like Magic Eraser, Face Unblur and Real Tone. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google push the camera even further on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, although we won’t know exactly what that looks like just yet. Both phones will also likely have a new Tensor processor, too.
Leaks have been scarce so far, but there have been a few reports claiming to provide details about Google’s next pair of Pixels. WinFuture reports the new phones will run on Android 14, which is expected to be the next major version of Android, and will have 12GB of RAM. Well-known gadget leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer also partnered with blogs MySmartPrice and SmartPrix to publish what are said to be renderings of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
Android 14
Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Android 14 is currently available in a preview mode for developers, with the final consumer-ready version expected to arrive in the fall. Google releases new Android features and Pixel-specific features throughout the year, but its annual version upgrades usually provide sweeping platform-wide improvements.
Android 13, for example, introduced more color options for Google’s Material You interface, end-to-end encryption for RCS group chats in Messages and more privacy protections, such as the option to grant apps access to a limited selection of photos instead of your whole library.
Based on what we know about Android 14 so far, it seems like Google will continue building on these themes by making improvements related to power efficiency, privacy and accessibility. We’ll likely find out more at Google’s I/O developer conference in May.
Pixel Tablet
Screenshot/CNET
Google is taking a fresh approach to tablets with its upcoming Pixel Tablet, which will have a speaker charging dock that turns it into a Nest Hub when docked.
The company hasn’t revealed much about its upcoming tablet, but it did provide some details during its last Pixel event in October. Other than its speaker dock, we also learned that the tablet will have a nano-ceramic coating inspired by porcelain and will run on the Tensor G2 processor found in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
Google said it plans to launch the tablet in 2023, although it didn’t provide specifics. We’re expecting to learn more at Google I/O or in the fall, when the company typically holds its Pixel product launch event.
More AI in Google Search and elsewhere
Joining the Bard waitlist only takes a few taps/clicks.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Following the success of ChatGPT, generative AI has been everywhere in 2023 — and that includes in Google’s products. The company already introduced its AI-powered search chatbot Bard and announced new AI features for Gmail and Google Docs for generating drafts and rewriting emails.
But we’re expecting AI to be a dominant trend at Google I/O conference this year, especially as it seeks to keep pace with Microsoft and other rivals. Google reportedly issued a code red in December after ChatGPT debuted, according to The New York Times, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google use its conference as an opportunity to assert its authority in AI.
AI has been a prominent theme at Google I/O before. Last year, for example, Google discussed improvements to automation, like auto translation and transcription for video, as well as updates to Search that make it better at handling questions that combine text and images. With all the attention Microsoft’s Bing has garnered thanks to its incorporation of AI, Google will likely make AI and Search a centerpiece of its I/O presentation.
Pixel Watch 2
James Martin/CNET
Google hasn’t discussed plans for future Pixel Watches, nor have there been many leaks or rumors about what’s next for Google’s smartwatch. But since Google’s Pixel phones follow a yearly cadence — as do the Pixel Watch’s biggest competitors like the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch — it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Pixel Watch follow suit.
Based on Google’s current direction for the Pixel Watch, we can probably expect to see the same round design on its sequel. The latest version of Wear OS, which we’re expecting to hear more about at Google I/O, will also likely make an appearance. I’m also hoping to see longer battery life and a few extra health and fitness-tracking features, such as auto-workout detection.
While Apple’s iPads are still the most popular tablets out there, if you prefer an Android device, you’ll want to go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus. This sleek Samsung tablet earned a top spot on our list of the best tablets for 2023 as our favorite Android option, and right now you can snag one on sale. Amazon currently has the 128GB model on sale for $600, which saves you $300 and matches the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. There’s no set expiration, but we don’t expect a deal this good to last for long. So get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
This powerful Android tablet comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, though that can easily be expanded up to 1TB thanks to the built-in microSD card reader. It features a stunning 12.4-inch AMOLED display, and comes with the Samsung S Pen stylus for easy note-taking and navigation. It’s great for games and entertainment, but is designed for productivity as well with Microsoft 365 integration and Wi-Fi 6E support for blazing fast web performance. It also weighs just 1.27 pounds and has a substantial 10,090-mAh battery, so it’s great for taking care of work when you’re on the go.
And if you’re in the market for a different model, you can check out our roundup of all the best tablet deals for even more bargains.
Which tablets have the best price?
Use our CNET Shopping extension to compare top products or find coupon codes before buying your next tablet.
There are two types of budget gaming laptops: Ultralow-cost models well under $1,000 with entry-level Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics and models priced between roughly $1,000 and $1,200 equipped with a low-end GPU from the superior GeForce RTX series. The HP Victus 15 is solidly in the former category. It costs $800 at Best Buy and can frequently be found on sale for as little as $580. It’s based on a 15.6-inch, 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate and powered by an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU, 8GB of RAM and GeForce GTX 1650 graphics.
I wouldn’t pay $800 for a laptop with a midrange Core i5 CPU, a meager 8GB of RAM and an aging GTX 1650 GPU because you can usually find a budget model with a better CPU, twice the RAM and — most importantly — an RTX 3050, 3050 Ti or even 3060 GPU on sale for less than $1,000. So, the question becomes, is the Victus 15 a good buy when it’s on sale for less than $600? At that price, it begins to make sense for those just dipping their toes into the 3D-gaming waters and looking to play older or more casual games rather than rocking the latest AAA titles with ray tracing and other quality settings dialed up.
You’re receiving price alerts for HP Victus 15-fa0031dx
Like
Ultralow price for gaming laptop
Speedy 144Hz display
Decent battery life
Don’t Like
Dim display
Grainy 720p webcam
Keyboard lacks RGB lighting
Enough 3D performance for some
Our Victus 15 test system (model 15-fa0031dx) has been available at Best Buy for nearly a year and is based on an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU and GeForce GTX 1650 graphics. Released at the beginning of last year, the 12th-gen Alder Lake CPU is relatively new. While some high-end, high-priced laptops have been released with 13th-gen Raptor Lake CPUs, we’ve yet to see a lower-end model based on a mainstream 13th-gen Core i5 or Core i7 chip. The Victus 15’s GPU is another story. The GTX 1650 was released nearly four years ago and has been surpassed by three generations of GeForce RTX graphics processors.
The only place you’ll find the GTX 1650 GPU these days is in not just a budget gaming laptop but an entry-level budget gaming laptop. You really can’t drop down a level without entering integrated graphics territory. That said, this four-year-old GPU isn’t entirely useless. While it will struggle with the latest, most demanding AAA titles, it’s more than capable of playing most games at 1080p at medium to high settings.
HP Victus 15 gaming laptop
Price as reviewed
$800
Display size/resolution
15.6-inch 1,920×1,080 144MHz 16:9display
CPU
2GHz Intel Core i5-12450H
Memory
8GB DDR4 3,200MHz RAM
Graphics
4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics
Storage
SamsungMZVL2512HCJQ 512GB SSD
Networking
Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.3
Operating system
Windows 11 Home 21H2
For casual gamers looking to play around with co-op shooters, the Victus 15 is a cheap way to get there. We experienced smooth gameplay at 1080p on both CS:GO and Riftbreaker. The laptop averaged 105 frames per second on the Riftbreaker GPU benchmark and an even more impressive 191fps on the CS:GO benchmark. Both tests were run at 1080p with High settings enabled. It also achieved a playable 61fps on the newer and more demanding Guardians of the Galaxy — also at 1080p and High settings.
On our Shadow of the Tomb Raider test (1080p with Highest settings), however, it dropped to 46fps. When we dialed back the detail settings to High, the Victus 15 averaged 53fps. It was able to surpass 60fps only when we dropped the settings to Low, where it averaged 73fps. (It got close at Medium settings, with an average frame rate of 58fps.)
Gaming laptops rarely, if ever, deliver long battery life, so all we are looking for from such a machine is a passable runtime. And the Victus 15 delivers just that. It lasted for nearly 6.5 hours on our demanding streaming video battery-drain test, which placed it in the top half of the other budget gaming laptops we are using for comparison in this review. Don’t plan on getting anywhere near that if you’re gaming, though.
Matt Elliott/CNET
Plastic chassis, dim display
There’s certainly a limit to its 3D performance — not a surprise with an $800 gaming laptop that’s frequently on sale for less than $600. The laptop’s design doesn’t overcome its budget price, either. The all-plastic, all-black body is a bit flimsy but not too bulky. It’s a hair less than an inch thick and weighs just over 5 pounds. The display hinge isn’t quite tight enough, causing the display to wobble at the slightest nudge. Some flex can be felt with the plastic keyboard deck under your fingers when you are typing and particularly when mashing keys during a game. The plastic lid protecting the display also flexes a bit too much for my comfort.
Matt Elliott/CNET
The keyboard feels cramped because HP decided to squeeze in a number pad. The keys have snappy response but lack RGB backlighting, a fun feature offered on nearly every gaming laptop. I wasn’t expecting per-key or even multizone RGB lighting, but the Victus 15 offers neither R nor G nor B — nor any other color than white. You get the bare minimum of keyboard backlight — one-level white lighting.
Matt Elliott/CNET
The display offers a crisp, full-HD image across the 15.6-inch panel along with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate but is rated for only 250 nits of brightness. That’s typical of budget laptops, but I measured a peak brightness of only 220 nits. Games and images looked a bit dull, even at max brightness. The 720p webcam, too, is underwhelming. It produces a grainy, poorly balanced image compared with that of 1080p cams that have quickly become the norm.
Affordable fun for a first gaming laptop
Do you remember your first car? Unless you were born into the 1%, it was likely on the level of a Ford Taurus that could receive a dent or two without your parents getting upset. It’s also likely you recall that dented Taurus fondly. You made great memories in that car, because you and your friends had the ability to cruise around without a parent at the wheel. The Victus 15 is that beloved Ford Taurus. It’s not the sleekest or fastest gaming laptop, but it’s an inexpensive rig that you can afford right now. You could keep saving for a pricier gaming laptop that would deliver greater gaming capabilities and more bells and whistles than the Victus 15, but the Victus 15 will let you start making fond memories online with your friends right now.
The Victus 15 can regularly be found on sale at Best Buy for less than $600. For first-time gamers, it makes sense at this price. If it’s selling at its full price of $800, however, then budget gaming laptops in the form of the Acer Nitro 5 or Dell G15 are better buys. Or you could check out this RTX 3050-based Victus 15 model available directly from HP that is regularly discounted. Each cost less than $1,000 (and can be frequently found discounted closer to $800) and feature RTX 3050 or RTX 3060 graphics for better 3D gaming performance than the Victus 15 and its aging GTX 1650 GPU.
How we test computers
The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device’s aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.
