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A great pair of noise-canceling headphones can enhance your trips, help you stay focused during work calls and let you enjoy your favorite audio content. If you’ve been looking for a pair of headphones, then this discount on the Anker Soundcore Space One headphones at Amazon might be for you. For a limited time, Amazon is selling these headphones for $79, which is 20% off the usual price of $99.

Anker’s Space One headphones are already a great value for over-ear headphones. They’re designed to be lightweight and include plush earcups so you can use them for hours on end without any strain. Anker also enhanced voice-canceling features on these headphones so you can listen to your favorite media in busy cafés, airports and other settings. Adaptive noise-canceling (ANC) adjusts to wherever you are, which means fluctuating external volume won’t be a problem. You can also turn off ANC whenever you’re in a park, street or other place that requires you to pay more attention to your surroundings. Need to use these headphones for a long trip or bus ride? These headphones have a battery life of up to 40 hours when using ANC, and up to 55 hours without ANC.

The 20% off discount applies to all colors of Anker Soundcore Space One headphones. If you’re looking for budget headphones that deliver big sound, here’s a list of headphones we’ve reviewed so you can look at your options.

A lot of us use Microsoft Office because it’s what we’ve always used. But the way it’s priced means signing up for a monthly subscription that will set you back $7 a month. If you’d rather just pay once and then forget about it, then you should make the most of today’s Office deal. You have until tomorrow, April 30, to get yourself a Microsoft Office 2019 license for just $30, on Windows or Mac, and enjoy access to the apps forever. That’s a huge discount from the usual $229 price tag or paying $7 a month in perpetuity for the latest version.

There are two versions of Office here. Mac users will get the Home and Business suite of apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams Classic and OneNote, while Windows users will get the Professional Plus version with additional apps like Publisher and Access. Just note that you won’t get Microsoft Teams on the Windows version.

This isn’t the latest version of Office, but compared to signing up for the Microsoft 365 subscription suite, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year for individuals, StackSocial’s offer is a great deal. There is a free online version of Microsoft Office out there that you can use, but it lacks several features, so this may be a better option. Apple users should note that Outlook is now available as a free app for the Mac.

Some important things to note: You’ll get a one-time use code for a single computer, which means you won’t be able to download these apps on multiple devices. And that means that if you upgrade to a new computer or your current one dies, you likely won’t be able to transfer the suite. These licenses also lack some of the added conveniences you’ll get with a 365 subscription, including OneDrive cloud storage and cloud-based AI features, including Microsoft Copilot. Additionally, these apps should work for as long as your computer does. Windows users will have support through Oct. 14, 2025. There is also a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license at any time, but we’ve been running other versions of Office from StackSocial since early 2022 and have yet to encounter a problem.

Now that you have some sweet new software, you might need a computer to go with it. Be sure to check out our regularly updated list of the best laptop deals to make sure you don’t overpay.

Wordle has become a part of my day. I’m a night owl, so I do the Wordle puzzle right before I go to bed at night. And to increase my chances, I use this list of the most popular letters in the English language. E and A are tops, whereas J and Q don’t show up in many words.

If you’re reading this, Wordle needs no explanation. The puzzle was invented by Josh Wardle (Wardle — Wordle, get it?) and bought for big bucks by The New York Times in 2022. The online game gives you six chances to guess a randomly selected five-letter word, and if you get correct letters, they show up in different colors, depending on if they’re in the right spot in the word. It’s addictive and fun.

I stuck to the same starter words for a long time, and they’d usually work for me. I was a longtime user of “ADIEU” to get in a ton of vowels, and I would often move on to “STORY,” to get the two other vowels (sometimes Y!) and some other major consonants going. And that strategy is still a solid one. I may go back to it if I feel I’m in a rut.

Hop on the ‘TRAIN’

But these days, I’m starting every Wordle round with “TRAIN,” and then moving on to “CLOSE.”

TRAIN is pretty self-explanatory if you’ve studied which letters are most commonly used in English words. All five of the letters in TRAIN are among the top seven letters used.

All I know is that nearly every time I use TRAIN as a starter word, I get a couple correct letters, often in the right spot. And it’s an easy-to-remember starter word for sure.

CLOSE as a second choice is interesting. It gets two more vowels out of the way, and C, L and S also turn up in the top 10 most-used letter list. Sometimes, though, I get zero correct letters out of CLOSE. But believe it or not, that helps me, too. Then I’m able to look at the keyboard showing me which letters I haven’t yet guessed, and choose a word that uses any correct letters plus any major consonants I haven’t yet guessed.

Correct letter, wrong spot

If you’ve got a correct letter, but don’t know which spot it should go in, you can have some fun with your third guess. If you know that you have an F but not where it goes, guess a word with a lot of Fs, like “FLUFF.” That way, you can at least determine if there’s an F in three of the five spots. Remember, too, that there may be more than one of the same letter used.

X marks the spot

Here’s one more oddball tip. If I have just a couple of letters in the right spot, I personally need to see how the word looks. So I type in the correct letters I have, plus Xs for each letter I have no clue about. If I know the word ends in “ON” from my guesses, I type in XXXON. Then I study the unguessed letters in the keyboard and mentally picture them where the Xs are. (I don’t enter these words as guesses, I just look at them for ideas, then backspace over them and delete.)

If I know there’s another letter, say an B, somewhere in the mix, I might try typing it in all the empty spots — BXXON, XBXON, XXBON — and see if I can picture what words work. Remember, the Xs don’t stand for X, they stand for “I don’t know this letter.”

If the Xs make it too confusing, you can also just write down the options using blanks. That might give you a better view of possibilities. I choose an X because I like to type it right into the Wordle grid, and X seems the most like a blank to me. Since these attempts aren’t really words, there’s no danger of me accidentally hitting enter and wasting a guess by mistake.

There you go. That’s my new Wordle process. It may not be the perfect strategy. But I almost always find myself in a good place after two rounds of guessing.

For more Wordle tips and tricks, here’s a roundup of excellent strategies. If you’re done with Wordle for the day, give Connections a try. It’s also a word game from the Times, but it taps into different parts of your brain. We have tips for that, too.

You’ll often hear that having a secure password is an essential part of staying protected online. But coming up with a solid option is difficult enough, and remembering it is even harder, especially when you have a multitude of unique passwords across many different accounts. While there has been some progress toward the industry’s promise of a no-password future, users still need a way to handle their dozens of login options. But as we approach World Password Day, many services are offering deals, and we’ve rounded up a few of the best ones to help you stay safe online.

A good password manager can help you in a number of ways, including protecting yourself against hacking and identity theft, keeping track of important documents like insurance cards and memberships, simplifying online shopping and allowing you to always have your password on hand when you need access. Check out the discounts currently available and keep checking back. We’ll update this page with any new offers that arise as we approach the big day on May 2, 2024. Whether you’re looking for a management system for yourself, you and your family or even your business, keeping track of your passwords is about to be as easy as 1234567.

Read more: The Best Password Managers and How to Use Them

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Anne Hathaway is starring in a new romantic drama with a premise you might find irresistible: Sparks fly between Hathaway, a single mom, and the lead singer of a world-famous boy band, played by Nicholas Galitzine. The movie, The Idea of You, is still a few days away from reaching the love-hungry masses but reportedly broke a record for streaming movies with its trailer.

Prime Video’s The Idea of You is based on a novel of the same name by Robinne Lee. In the flick, Hathaway’s 40-year-old Solène crosses paths with Galitzine’s 24-year-old Hayes Campbell while chaperoning her daughter’s trip to Coachella. They begin a whirlwind romance, but with Hayes’ superstar status, “Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for,” according to an official synopsis.

The film, directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye), had its world premiere at SXSW in March. If the lead guy in the movie is screaming “Harry Styles” to you, you should know that while Lee did take inspiration from the former One Direction star for her novel, the book isn’t about him.

“This was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles,” Lee said to Vogue in 2020. “It was supposed to be a story about a woman approaching 40 and reclaiming her sexuality and rediscovering herself, just at the point that society traditionally writes women off as desirable and viable and whole.”

Here’s more about when you can watch the movie adaptation on Prime Video. It’s sitting at 77 on Metacritic and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, though only a few reviews are in.

The Idea of You’s release date and time on Prime Video

In the US? You can watch Hathaway and Galitzine in The Idea of You beginning on May 2 at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT. That leaves some time to pick up a copy of the book if you’re interested.

The Idea of You trailer

Here’s the official trailer, which is “the most watched trailer for any original streaming movie,” according to Deadline. It had the highest tally of “global views across all social media platforms.”

Web hosting is what makes your website accessible on the internet. This service is often the first — and perhaps the most important — thing you’ll buy when you start a website.

Web hosting can’t be explained in one sentence, though. There’s a lot of terminology to learn and hundreds of companies to choose from. Many would-be website builders find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of information out there. Or worse, they make an impulsive decision and buy hosting that doesn’t serve them.

I’ve spent most of my life building websites and done hundreds of hours of research into web hosting. In this article, I’ll break down the most important facts I’ve learned about web hosting services to help you make an informed decision.

What is web hosting?

Web hosting is a service that gives you access to internet server space. Think of it like the digital equivalent of renting a physical store — you make regular payments in exchange for a space where you can run your business.

You can do a lot of things with this server space:

• Upload photos
• Display information about yourself and your business
• Create a shopping area where people can buy your products
• Display a contact form so customers can reach out to you

And much, much more.

How does web hosting work?

Every website is stored on a web server. These servers are specialized computers that operate 24/7, allowing websites to run continuously. When someone attempts to access your site, their browser pulls data from your website’s server.

You can create your own server and self-host your website, but these servers are complicated to set up. They’re also expensive to build and maintain.

This is why web hosting companies exist: to build and maintain servers for website owners who lack technical expertise. Web hosts also provide security tools and technical support to help your site run smoothly.

Note that web hosting is different from domain registration. Web hosting provides the space for your website to exist. Domain registration provides the domain, which is the name people will use to access your website — for example, our domain is CNET.com.

Most web hosts offer domain registration, but these are two separate services. You’ll need both to run a website.

Types of web hosting

Bloggers, solopreneurs and small businesses have different website needs than a medium-sized business. Enterprise businesses also have unique web hosting needs. Other factors can also influence hosting needs, such as the amount or types of data a company needs to store online.

There are many types of web hosting to accommodate these varying needs.

Here’s a quick run-down of the most common options:

Shared hosting

Shared hosting is the most affordable type of hosting and the most common choice for bloggers, hobby sites and small business websites.

On a shared hosting plan, your website is hosted on the same server as several other websites. This means all of those websites are sharing resources. If one of them has an enormous spike in traffic, it can hog those shared resources and slow other sites on the server down.

Pros:

• Highly affordable
• Easy to set up

Cons:

• Limited resources, making it unsuitable for high-traffic sites
• No ability to customize server settings
• Sharing a server with other sites may pose security risks
• Small risk of being blacklisted from Google if other sites on your server are blacklisted

WordPress hosting

WordPress is a content management system, or CMS, that simplifies the process of creating, organizing and publishing content online. WordPress powers 43.3% of all websites.

In response to this popularity, many web hosting companies have created specialized WordPress hosting plans. These are shared hosting plans that pre-install WordPress on your website and maintain/update the core WordPress software for you.

Some WordPress hosting plans also offer specialized tools to improve your experience as a WordPress user. These can include things like custom themes/site templates and pre-installed plugins/site extensions to aid in marketing and improve site functionality.

WordPress hosting plans may also give you access to customer service teams that specialize in WordPress. This makes it easier to get assistance with WordPress-specific issues you encounter.

WordPress hosting is a great choice for bloggers, hobby site owners, and small businesses that want to create a WordPress website without worrying about software updates.

Pros:

• Pre-installed WordPress so you can start building your site right away
• Often priced similarly to regular shared hosting plans
• The web hosting company performs WordPress updates for you

Cons:

• All of the same limitations as shared hosting
• Only suitable for WordPress websites, not for sites built with another CMS

Website builder hosting

This is an increasingly popular form of web hosting provided by companies like Squarespace.

Users on these plans are required to use proprietary website builders. These are front-end editors that display what your website will actually look like to customers. You can click on any section to change it and immediately see how your edits will change your website’s appearance.

You don’t need to install the website builder or any additional software to start building your site.

This makes a website builder easier to use than a CMS like WordPress, which requires you to install the core software, individual themes and plugins for basic things like creating content forms.

Many also offer AI site generation, where you input a few key details about your business and an AI uses them to design a website for you.

The most popular website builders, Squarespace and Wix, use cloud hosting, which we’ll discuss later on. Website builders offered by more traditional web hosts like GoDaddy typically use shared hosting.

Website builder hosting is a great choice for first-time website builders who want the simplest site creation process possible. However, the blogging tools are often quite limited, so you’ll want to stick to shared hosting or WordPress hosting if you’re starting a blog.

Pros:

• Access to easy-to-use visual website building tools
• Use of cloud hosting, making this more suitable for high-traffic sites

Cons:

• You can’t use any CMS other than the proprietary website builder offered by the company
• Website builders are often less flexible than a CMS like WordPress
• E-commerce functionality is often restricted to high-cost plans
• Transferring your site to another host is extremely difficult

VPS hosting

Virtual private server, or VPS hosting, is an advanced type of hosting where a physical server is divided into multiple virtual servers.

Like shared hosting, several websites run on one server. But unlike shared web hosting plans, each virtual private server has dedicated resources, so you don’t have to worry about your site slowing down if another site gets a massive influx of traffic.

There are two types of VPS hosting. The first is self-managed, which requires the technical know-how to configure and manage your own server. The second is managed VPS hosting, where the web hosting company does these things for you.

Self-managed VPS hosting tends to be more affordable.

Pros:

• Dedicated resources, making this more suitable for high-traffic sites
• More secure than shared hosting
• Ability to customize your servers

Cons:

• More expensive than shared hosting
• Self-managed versions require significant technical know-how to operate

Dedicated hosting

When you buy a dedicated hosting plan, you get an entire physical server devoted to your site. This gives you access to additional resources, more customization options and better security than hosting options relying on a shared server.

Dedicated hosting is quite expensive, and the servers are complex to manage. This makes it unsuitable for bloggers or small and medium-sized businesses, but perfect for enterprise businesses.

Pros:

• Highest level of storage and bandwidth
• Highly secure if server is configured correctly
• Full server customizability

Cons:

• Expensive
• Requires significant technical know-how to manage

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting stores websites on multiple virtual servers hosted in different data centers, which are buildings containing numerous physical servers.

The distributed nature of cloud hosting provides websites with the resources they need to handle significant traffic, including traffic spikes, without issue.

Another advantage of this approach is that if one server goes down, another server can provide your website’s information to visitors. Cloud hosting also ensures fast loading times in various locations because visitors’ browsers can pull information from the nearest data center.

Pros:

• Ability to handle large amounts of traffic, including traffic spikes
• Fast loading speeds all over the world
• Maximum uptime
• Advanced security features

Cons:

• Can be expensive
• Not offered by all web hosting companies

Reseller hosting

Reseller hosting makes it possible to run a website hosting company of your own without having to invest in infrastructure like physical servers. These plans let you sell website hosting packages that use the servers and tools created by a company like HostPapa.

You should choose reseller hosting if you’re interested in starting a web hosting company. Otherwise, stick to one of the hosting types listed above.

Pros:

• You can create a web hosting company without investing in your own internet infrastructure

Cons:

• The quality of service you provide relies on the servers and other infrastructure built by the company you’re reselling from
• Many website hosting companies don’t offer this type of plan

Factors to consider when choosing web hosting

Storage space

Storage space dictates how much data you can keep on your website(s). When you surpass the limit, you’ll need to switch to a higher-cost plan.

To avoid running into this limit, choose a plan with a significant amount (at least 10GB) of storage. This is especially important if you plan to put a lot of large images or other large files on your website.

Some hosting plans claim to offer “unlimited” storage space, but they aren’t truly unlimited — the data allowance is just so high that most websites won’t surpass it. You may want to search the company’s terms of service for the actual data limit before you buy an unlimited hosting plan.

Pay attention to the type of storage used too. Solid state drive, or SSD, storage is a common choice thanks to its reliability and speed. Some companies use non-volatile memory express, or NVMe, storage, a more advanced version of SSD storage, for even faster processing. Both are good.

However, if a company is using hard drive disk, or HDD, storage, you should run the other way. This type of storage is the least reliable and the slowest of the three options discussed here.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the amount of data your site can transfer to visitors’ devices per second. This determines the number of people that can access your site at once and how quickly your site loads during high-traffic periods.

Most top web hosting companies offer unmetered or unlimited bandwidth.

Unmetered bandwidth means that the web host controls how fast you can transfer data (such as 1 gigabit per second/Gbps) but doesn’t specifically limit the amount of data you can transfer.

Unlimited bandwidth means there aren’t specific limits on your plan. You will still be restricted by bandwidth’s inherent limits, which are based on your web host’s internet infrastructure (and other factors).

Note that unmetered and unlimited bandwidth plans often have a hidden upper limit. This limit is too high for most sites to exceed, but if you do, you’ll get a notice saying you’re breaking the terms of service — so it’s a good idea to read the TOS and figure out what the limit is.

Site speed

How fast your website loads depends on several factors. Most of these factors are out of your web host’s control, such as the size of the files you publish on your site. However, there are some things a good web host can offer to improve site speed:

• High bandwidth
• A content delivery network, or CDN, to distribute files faster on a global scale, improving loading time for people who aren’t near your server’s data center
• Caching tools to store data on your visitors’ browsers so your site loads faster on subsequent visits

Uptime

Uptime is the percentage of time your website will be accessible for. If your site goes down, you lose trust, traffic and possibly money, so it’s important to shoot for the highest uptime possible.

Most web hosting services guarantee 99.9% uptime. Some web hosting plans — especially cloud hosting plans — may guarantee 100% uptime. However, you shouldn’t just take a company at its word — read reviews with uptime tests to confirm that these guarantees are met.

Security

Your web hosting company should provide the following security features:

• Secure Socket Layer Certification: The SSL protocol encrypts the connection between a website and a browser, protecting data entered into your website. Most web hosts offer SSL certificates bundled into their hosting plans. Others offer it as an add-on.
• Firewall: A firewall is to your website what an air filter is to your house. It monitors the data attempting to enter your website and rejects anything suspicious.
• Malware scanner: This software regularly scans your website and hosting server for malware that might have slipped through your firewall. Malware scanners may also remove the malware, or this may be done by another program.
• Automated backups: These are copies of your site saved somewhere other than the main server. If something happens to your site, you can restore it with one of these backups. This feature may be included in a web hosting plan or offered as an add-on.

Management interface

Web hosting companies provide an interface where you can easily access your databases, file management tools, email tools, security tools and more. You’ll spend more of your time in the CMS, but this management interface should still be easy to navigate.

Most web hosts use cPanel as their management interface.

Some companies offer customized management interfaces, like the Hostinger hPanel.

All of these tools are valid. The important thing is that your web host allows access to these upper-level site management tools through a user-friendly interface.

Customer support options

The best web hosting services offer extensive documentation through a knowledge base and multiple ways to contact their customer service teams at any time of day or night.

In most cases, these contact options are 24/7 live chat with instant responses and email support with responses that can take up to a few hours. Some offer phone lines as well, though this may be limited to higher-tier plans.

Customer reviews

A company can make all kinds of claims on its website. If you want the truth about how the company treats its customers, you need to look at reviews.

You can find customer reviews for most web hosting companies on Trustpilot. Look at both the overall star rating for the company you’re considering and what the reviews actually say.

Pricing

There are four main factors to consider when looking at web hosting costs:

• Initial pricing: This is the price you’ll pay for your first term — typically one to three years — of web hosting. Many companies offer a steep discount for your introductory term. You may also be required to sign up for a specific term length to access this discount.
• Full term cost: Most web hosting companies display their prices at the per-month rate, but many hosts don’t offer month-to-month pricing. Do the math to figure out how much that monthly price works out to when you’re paying for 12, 24 or 36 months upfront.
• Renewal pricing: This is how much you’ll pay for your first renewal and all subsequent hosting terms. This is often $10 more per month than you’ll pay for your first term. You can find out more about how these rate increases work in our guide to shopping for web hosting.
• Currency: Many web hosting companies only offer plans in USD. If you’re in another country, you may need to factor the exchange rate into your budget.

You also want to pay attention to whether or not the base pricing includes key features like SSL certification, automated backups and a free domain.

Extras

Most web hosting companies offer additional services for running an online business. These may be bundled into certain hosting plans or available for add-ons.

Here are some of the most common options:

• Domain: Most web hosts offer domain registration. This often comes with domain privacy, a service preventing your contact information from being publicly displayed in the WHOIS Database.
• Email hosting: This lets you create email addresses at your domain (like yourname@yourdomain.com). These email addresses look professional and are essential for meeting Google’s Sender Requirements for marketing emails.
• Pro design services: Many web hosting companies offer professional web design and/or marketing services. These services typically need to be purchased separately, but you may see an option to add them to your cart when purchasing a hosting plan.

Scalability

You want to choose a web hosting company you can stick with as your site grows. This means choosing one with a variety of plans for websites of different sizes, including VPS, dedicated server and cloud hosting.

As your business grows, you might want to create new websites for different locations or different branches of your company. In these cases, you’ll want to look for a hosting company with packages that make it possible to host multiple websites on one plan.

Our web hosting recommendations

I’ve listed three of CNET’s most recommended web hosts below. If you want more detailed information, check out our list of the best web hosting services of 2024.

Free vs. paid web hosting

You may be wondering if you really need to pay for web hosting — after all, there are free options, right?

Technically, yes. Sites like WordPress.com and Wix offer free web hosting plans. However, these plans have strict limitations:

• No custom domain: Instead, you get a subdomain, so your site appears as “yoursite.wix.com.” This looks unprofessional and makes your URL longer and therefore more difficult to remember.
• Strict storage limit: Free hosting plans only let you store a minimal amount of data. On WordPress.com, this limit is 1GB. Wix’s free plan is even more restrictive, with a maximum storage of 500MB.
• Limited bandwidth: Many free hosting plans won’t allocate enough resources to your site for it to function during a traffic spike.

Companies also have to make money to cover the costs of hosting your site, so they’ll publish ads on it. Payment for these ads goes to the hosting company. You also have no control over the types of ads on your site. You must invest in a paid plan to remove these ads.

If you’re starting a hobby site and you don’t expect a lot of traffic, a free web hosting plan can be a good choice. However, if you’re planning to build a business website, you’ll want to invest in a paid web hosting plan.

Web Hosting: What to know before starting your own site

If you want to build a website, you’ll need server space to host it on. The easiest way to get this server space is by renting it from a web hosting company.

To choose a host, you’ll need to consider the type of hosting that’s most appropriate for your business’s needs and budget. You’ll also want to consider the technical features offered by individual web hosts, such as the file management interface and security features.

Finally, be sure to read reviews of any web host you’re considering before you make a purchase.

Good headphones, earbuds and speakers are an excellent way to improve the way you listen to music and podcasts. Whether you like to bop along on your commute, at the gym, while at work or just while chilling out at home, better audio means a better time. Bose makes some of the best earbuds and best headphones on the market, according to our expert audio reviewers, meaning the chance to take up to 32% off Bose earbuds, headphones and speakers on Amazon isn’t one to be missed. Select prices are also matched at Best Buy.

One of the best deals applies to the excellent Bose QuietComfort headphones, a pair of cans that would normally sell for just shy of $350 but can now be picked up in one of four different colors for just $249. You’ll get great noise canceling technology as well as up to 24 hours of battery life per charge. The top-of-the-line Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are also on sale, discounted back down to their best price of $379, a $50 saving. These are our overall favorite headphones in 2024 with CNET headphone specialist David Carnoy putting them above Sony’s WH-1000XM5s and Apple’s AirPods Max.

One deal that’s not included in those main deal pages but is very much worth paying attention to, is a new all-time low price on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which knocks 32% off the full price. At $189, you’re getting Bose-level noise cancelation and sound quality, plus a comfortable fit and solid battery life.

If you don’t like sticking things in or on your ears, you can also grab up to 20% off Bose portable speakers, with the SoundLink Flex returning to its best-ever price at $119. It’s one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers offering “arguably the best-sounding wireless speaker for its compact size.” The Bose SoundLink Micro is also on sale, falling to $99. These speakers make for great options in kitchens, outdoors on trips or at parties. The mix of deals here makes for some of the best deals on earbuds and headphones you’re likely to find today, so don’t miss out.

I recently took a vacation where I wanted to fire up Paramount Plus to watch a few competitive reality shows with friends, but I really didn’t want to log in to the app on our Airbnb’s television. I didn’t want to deal with plodding in my login details using a remote, nor did I want to risk accidentally staying logged in for the vacation home’s next guests. Luckily, my phone had the streaming service ready for viewing on the go, and we figured out how to connect my iPhone to the TV and used AirPlay.

While we fortunately had access to a television with an Apple TV box, that’s not strictly necessary anymore. Many TVs now ship with built-in support for AirPlay, Chromecast or Miracast, all of which let you wirelessly connect your phone to a television. The trickiest part isn’t whether you can connect your phone to your TV, because you probably can. Instead, you’ll need to know which wireless casting connection your phone supports, and make sure the TV you want to connect to also supports it.

We’ll divide out how this works, based on whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android phone. We’ll also point out when you’ll be using AirPlay, Chromecast or Miracast to make the connection, depending on what device you have.

iPhone supports AirPlay and Chromecast

Apple’s iPhone devices have two ways of connecting wirelessly to a television. On a system level, an iPhone can use AirPlay to cast media from video and music apps to any device that also supports AirPlay. This originally was exclusive to the Apple TV, but AirPlay now supports many televisions made by Samsung, LG, TCL and Vizio, along with Roku’s streaming devices. Odds are if your device supports the Apple TV app, somewhere in its settings is also support for AirPlay.

You can access AirPlay in one of two ways. If you’re using a supported app like Paramount Plus, you’ll want to tap the AirPlay icon represented by a TV with a triangle. You can also access AirPlay from your phone’s Control Center by tapping the icon represented by two rectangles, and then picking the device you’re casting to. Using the latter option, you can also mirror your phone’s screen to your TV to display apps like Instagram or TikTok that don’t include AirPlay from within.

The biggest exception to this Apple TV rule for finding AirPlay are Google’s Chromecast devices and televisions that run the Google TV operating system, but the iPhone also supports Chromecast. Similar to using AirPlay from a media app, you’ll tap the Chromecast icon represented by a rectangle with three wavy lines. You’ll then tap the device you want to cast to. The biggest difference between how AirPlay works on the iPhone and Chromecast is that you won’t be able to mirror your iPhone’s display over Chromecast.

Certain apps like YouTube will blend these casting options together for convenience. When tapping Google’s Chromecast button, a submenu will let you choose between using AirPlay, Chromecast or linking directly to your TV’s YouTube app using a code.

And if you want to connect your iPhone to your television using an HDMI cable, Apple also sells a Lightning-to-HDMI adapter that allows for screen mirroring without using AirPlay.

Android always supports Chromecast, sometimes supports Miracast

Android phones don’t support AirPlay, but they sometimes support two wireless casting options that connect to nearly any television.

First, all Android phones include Chromecast support. So if your TV has Chromecast built-in or has a Chromecast streaming player attached, you’ll be able to connect your phone by tapping the Cast icon from an app or screen mirror using the Google Home app. You can also set up a Screen Cast shortcut in the quick settings drop-down panel, which will provide an even faster way to quickly cast to your TV. CNET’s Nelson Aguilar has put together a guide for this, which you can check out here.

And while it’s not supported on every Android phone, Samsung and Motorola both make Android phones that support Miracast for screen mirroring. These features are labeled as “Smart View” and “Ready For” respectively, and will let you connect your phone to televisions or displays that support a setting that’s often labeled “Screen Mirroring.” What’s unique about Miracast is that many Windows PCs also support this style of casting, and during my recent trip that came in handy in order to play some Jackbox games.

An additional note about Samsung’s Smart View and Motorola’s Ready For is that both support connecting your phone to a television using a USB-C to HDMI cable, should you have one on hand. This could be particularly helpful if you’re trying to do a more data-intensive activity on your phone, such as connecting to your TV in order to use your phone more like a computer.

More tips about wirelessly connecting your phone to a TV

Even though many televisions and streaming devices support one or more of these methods, it’s still entirely possible that when traveling you won’t have a perfect match. For instance you might have an Android phone, but the TV in your hotel room only supports AirPlay or blocks access to the HDMI port. But for home use, now that many televisions support multiple connection options, there’s a good chance you can set up a method that works for day-to-day viewing.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that much like with video streaming, your network could also affect how effective a wireless connection will be to your TV. Where possible, you will want to have your phone as close to a router as possible, which will help with the connection. If your video quality degrades while streaming, you may also want to turn casting off and on again to reset the connection.

But as long as your phone and television can connect with one of the above methods, you should otherwise be free to stream any movies or music from your phone onto your TV.

Google’s line of Pixel phones includes some of the best Android phones you’re likely to find thanks to the way they offer a tight integration between hardware and software. Right now, Best Buy has a number of discounts across the entire Pixel lineup, with savings of up to $200 off regular prices. Models on sale include the entry-level Pixel 7A, the midrange Pixel 8 and the high-end flagship model, the Pixel 8 Pro. That means that there should be a new phone for all budgets here, but act soon — the Google Store listings state the end the sale ends May 4. Prefer to get your new phone from Amazon? That’s an option, too.

The best phone for a lot of people will be the midrange option. The Pixel 8 is discounted right now, with a massive $150 off. That means you’ll pay just $549 rather than $699. The deal is close to its best-ever discount, making it one not to be ignored. And at the top of the range, we have the biggest of the bunch, the Pixel 8 Pro, with its own $200 discount. There are multiple storage configurations on offer, but the cheapest is now just $799 instead of the normal $999. That’s an impressive model, sharing the same Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8 but adding a new, larger display that runs to 6.7 inches. Other big features include the screen’s 120Hz variable refresh rate for ultra-smooth motion and no fewer than four pro-level cameras.

Read more: Save Hundreds on Google Pixel and OnePlus Phones in Woot’s Latest Sale

However, if you’re searching for the cheapest of the phones on offer, you may want to grab the Pixel 7A, which costs just $349 (a $150 savings) if you order at one of the above retailers today — though you can actually nab one for $9 less via Woot right now. Either way, it’s a low price for a phone that has many of the Pixel mainstay features without any of the high prices you’d pay for the Pixel 8 lineup.

Not into Google’s own hardware? Be sure to check out our roundup of the best phone deals for more options.

For years, I was a nuisance to anyone with an iPhone. While I proudly toted my Samsung Galaxy devices, my friends would deplore the havoc I’d wreak on any text or group chat by “turning everything green.” There’s apparently nothing worse to an iMessage user than an Android user who crashes their precious blue bubble party.

I’ve since given up the fight and switched to the iPhone, and now reap the many benefits of iMessage, including sending high-resolution photos and videos, seeing typing indicators and sharing reactions. These perks are limited to messaging fellow iPhone users. I’m now the one who, much to my chagrin, laments getting green texts from anyone on the “outside.” Exclusivity brings out the worst in us.

Read more: Best iPhone to Buy in 2024

Now that Apple has said it’ll adopt Rich Communication Services messaging, things should get better. RCS is a protocol that replaces SMS (Short Message Service) and has a lot of the same features as iMessage, including typing indicators, high-resolution media sharing and end-to-end encryption. It’s already available across Android devices and, after years of pressure from iPhone users, competitors and lawmakers alike, Apple has said it’ll adopt RCS on iPhones too.

This update might arrive with iOS 18, which Apple is expected to debut during its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. And it’s also possible that, in light of a recent Department of Justice antitrust suit against Apple, the iPhone maker will use the event to tout its efforts to bridge the divide between its devices and Android phones.

Here’s everything to know about how Apple’s adoption of RCS could improve messaging.

RCS will replace SMS texting on iPhone

When RCS arrives on iPhones, it should transform basic messaging with Android users into a more modern, sophisticated experience by replacing SMS and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

Instead of getting small, grainy photos and videos from Android friends, you’ll see high-quality photos and videos. RCS could also bring perks like read receipts and typing indicators, and will improve group messaging.

But there’s a big caveat: adopting RCS won’t solve the blue-bubble-green-bubble issue. iMessage will continue to be available only to Apple’s customers, meaning texting anyone who doesn’t have an iPhone will still be a separate (but hopefully more comparable) experience.

Some features will remain exclusive to iMessage or Google’s Messages app. For instance, while you can edit or unsend texts in iMessage, you probably won’t be able to do so for messages sent via RCS. And Google Messages-exclusive features like drafting texts using the Gemini AI model likely won’t transfer across devices either. It’s also not clear yet whether messages sent across Android phones and iPhones will be end-to-end encrypted.

Still, this update should make messaging across Android phones and iPhones feel less archaic.

When will RCS become available on iPhones?

That’s still unclear, though the update is likely to arrive in the fall. In fact, Google seems to have accidentally leaked RCS’s arrival on iPhone in a new landing page for Google Messages.

According to 9to5Google, the search giant noted the new messaging protocol is “coming soon on iOS” and that “Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024.” This mention has since been removed, but it’s as if Google can hardly contain its excitement.

Either way, it’s possible we’ll get RCS-related updates during Apple’s WWDC on June 10.

Will the DOJ’s antitrust suit open up iMessage?

In its sweeping complaint against Apple, the DOJ accuses the iPhone maker of hindering competition, delving into a range of practices it sees as monopolistic. This includes allegations that Apple “undermines cross-platform messaging” by not extending its iMessage service to Android.

Apple has maintained that keeping iMessage exclusive to its own devices is in the interest of user privacy and security, noting it wouldn’t be able to ensure that encryption and authentication measures on third-party devices meet its standards. It’s also pointed to the company’s ongoing work to support RCS, which it says will allow for an improved messaging experience with non-iPhone users.

And if that’s not enough to make people happy, Apple noted the range of other messaging platforms people can use to communicate across devices, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Snapchat. But, depending on where you live, it might be more intuitive to reach for the native text app on your phone, whether that’s Apple’s iMessage or Google Messages.

Whether the DOJ’s complaint will force Apple to open up its walled garden remains to be seen. The European Union has also been applying pressure on Apple and other tech giants as part of its Digital Markets Act, which is designed to promote fair and open competition in the tech sector. Last month, the EU determined Apple’s messaging platform doesn’t qualify as a “gatekeeper” service, meaning it won’t have to connect directly with other chat apps. (Meanwhile, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger apps do fall under the EU’s gatekeeper label and will therefore have to allow for conversations across other services.) Time — years, perhaps — will tell how Apple fares in the face of the DOJ’s allegations, and whether or not changes are in store for iMessage.

In the meantime, iPhone and Android users alike can find reprieve in Apple’s imminent adoption of RCS, which should hopefully make talking to your friends on different devices less painful. And even if the texts stay green, hopefully the grass on the other side looks a little less so.