Category: Technologies

Samsung has a new flagship on the way. The upcoming Galaxy S24 lineup will be showcased at the next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 17. Its predecessor, the Galaxy S23, is the best premium Android phone you can currently get, and we expect its upcoming flagship will also impress.

If you’re ready to get a jumpstart on reserving the latest devices, you won’t want to miss this offer. The company is currently letting you reserve your opportunity to preorder the newest Galaxy smartphone, and they’re sweetening the deal by offering $50 in Samsung credit and up to an additional $970 in savings for those who want to lock in preorders ahead of Unpacked.

If you’re a fan of Samsung, this is a great opportunity to secure your spot to preorder the new phone and get that additional credit to use on a purchase at Samsung’s online store. All you have to do in order to qualify is submit your name and email address on Samsung’s reservation site. We expect preorders to go live shortly after the Unpacked event later this month. And even if you reserve your space now, there’s no obligation to follow through if you decide not to buy later, so it’s worth it to go ahead and sign up if you’re interested.

Noted in the small print on Samsung’s site, the company will also be offering free storage upgrades during the preorder phase as it has done for previous launches, and additional Samsung credit may also be provided dependent on type of device purchased during preorder. Both of those factors make getting in early an even better value.

There is a caveat with this deal, though. Any reservation credit received cannot be applied to preordered Galaxy S24 devices, so you will instead need to spend it on additional Samsung products when you make your preorder purchase. That means you’ll want to use it towards items like cases, chargers and other items, but not the devices themselves. If you don’t use all of it, any remaining credit will be forfeited, so keep that in mind as you shop. Trade-in credit, on the other hand, will offset against the upfront cost of the device you buy.

When Apple released iOS 17.2 in December, the update added new features, including the long-awaited Journal app, but it also gave you more control over some features on your iPhone. For example, iOS 17.2 lets you disable inline predictive text from showing up in Messages.

When Apple launched iOS 17 in September, one of the new features was inline predictive text. The feature predicts what you are going to write as you type (although not always accurately) and if you hit space, you add the suggested text automatically. If you accidentally hit space, you have to delete the word or phrase and start over. Some people — myself included — found the feature annoying, and Apple seemingly heard the complaints and allowed people to turn this feature off with iOS 17.2.

Here’s how to turn inline predictive text off.

Turn inline predictive text off

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Keyboards
4. Tap the switch next to Show Predictions Inline

Now, when you type a message, you won’t run the risk of adding a word you don’t intend to add. You’ll still see predictive text, the suggested words and emoji, over your keyboard.

Turn all predictive text off

If you find all predictive text annoying, you can easily turn that off, too. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Keyboard
4. Tap the switch next to Predictive Text

When you type a message now, you won’t see a box over your keyboard with suggested words or emojis. Turning predictive text off also disables inline predictive text, so you won’t see any suggestions whatsoever. You can type without interruption.

For more on iOS 17, check out all the new features in iOS 17.2, what was included in iOS 17.1 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

Ever thought the Microsoft Xbox Series S game console looks like a toaster? You’re not alone. And now, there’s actually a real toaster that’s designed to look like the Xbox — and it even imprints the Xbox sphere logo on the bread it toasts. Game on!

The Xbox toaster is available only at Walmart online, where it’s priced at $40. It includes a wide slot that accommodates bagels, Texas toast and more, plus a six-setting shade selector and digital LED countdown timer so you know just how long it’ll be before your toast pops up.

A defrost button allows users to toast frozen items, and the cool-touch exterior means even younger gamers are safe from burns. There’s also an anti-jam function, automatic temperature control, removable crumb tray and non-stick coated plates.

But the two coolest things about this gamer-ready toaster are its Xbox-mimicking appearance and the Xbox sphere logos it imprints on your toast. Microsoft hasn’t exactly trumpeted the appliance’s existence — a representative for the company didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t part of the Xbox-PlayStation rivalry, but if it were, Microsoft would be winning. When the PlayStation 5 came out, many gamers joked that it looked like an ice-cream sandwich — and they weren’t wrong. So far, Sony hasn’t come out with a PS5-themed ice cream sandwich maker, although some creative types have made ice cream cone skins for the console.

In the real world of console sales, the PS5 is outselling Xbox by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, selling 22.5 million units in 2023 to 7.6 million for the Xbox Series X/S consoles, according to a Financial Times report. But in the kitchen world, it’s the Xbox that’s toasting the competition.

This isn’t the first Xbox-themed kitchen appliance. An Xbox mini fridge came out in 2021, following the brief appearance of a larger Xbox-themed fridge. Now, you can cool your Xbox jets in three sizes — there’s a cooler, a mini fridge and the larger compact refrigerator.

One of the reviewers on Walmart’s site was delighted that what was once a gamer joke has turned into a real, usable appliance.

“Haha, so they actually did it,” a reviewer going by Roberto wrote on Walmart.com. “They made another meme come true…I wasn’t sure this would even toast well, but to my surprise it actually performs really well as a toaster.”

But be warned, gamers: You’re going to have to crank up the heat in order to get X to mark the spot.

“The X logo on the toast only really appears if you really toast it,” the reviewer said.

The creative minds behind Xbox seem more than willing to play with products. In November, the company held a giveaway of an Xbox console and controller themed to fit the Wonka feature film. The console that was given away was only chocolate-colored, but one of the controllers included was made of pure chocolate, while another was a real controller in burgundy, meant to match Willy Wonka’s coat from the film. Sweet!

Years after rival web browsers made the move, Google Chrome on Jan. 4 will begin blocking websites from using third-party cookies, the easiest way to track our online behavior as we move around the web.

The browser will block third-party cookies for 1% of users on computers and Android phones, said Anthony Chavez, leader of Google’s Privacy Sandbox project, in a blog post. Google will extend the block to all Chrome users by the end of 2024 under a schedule that has been pushed back several times in recent years.

The Chrome change, even though it so far only affects a small portion of people, is a momentous change for the web. Cookies, small text files that websites store on phones and PCs, have been used nearly since the dawn of the web, and ejecting them has been tough despite a growing effort to protect privacy online. Chrome is the dominant browser, accounting for 63% of web usage, according to analytics firm StatCounter.

Major browser competitors, including Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Brave, began blocking cookies years ago, and Microsoft Edge offers the same with a “strict” privacy setting, but Google moved more slowly. It was more cautious about undermining the online advertising industry, which supports many websites as well as advertisers. And the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority intervened in 2021 with concerns that Chrome blocking third-party cookies would give an unfair advantage to Google’s advertising business by letting the company track behavior on its own websites without third-party cookies.

Cookies have plenty of benign uses, like remembering your language preferences, protecting against fraud or making it easier to return to a site without having to log in again. Many of those uses involve first-party cookies, though, not third-party cookies that can be set by advertisers showing ads or social networks adding share buttons. And worse things can happen than seeing an ad for a particular shoe on Amazon after you looked at the product elsewhere on the web.

“In the worst cases, third-party cookies are used to track users around the web, building up a detailed profile of them that could include not only interests but also deeply personal information such as gender, sexuality, religion, political affiliation, etc.,” said Chris Mills, a technical writer who previously worked at Mozilla, in a post on the MDN site for web developers. “This information can be used to build creepy, invasive online experiences and is also sold to other third parties.”

Without cookies, some have employed tracking technologies that are more surreptitious and harder to block, like fingerprinting that identifies characteristics of your computing device. Now Google and others are working on replacements for at least some of what cookies offered, for example, helping advertisers know if their ads have been seen. Finding a way to help advertisers while protecting privacy has been tough, but Google believes it’s possible.

“As we work to make the web more private, we’ll provide businesses with tools to succeed online so that high quality content remains freely accessible — whether that’s news articles, videos, educational information, community sites or other forms of web content,” Chavez said.

Google has worked to build new tools to substitute for third-party cookies. For example, a programming interface called Topics is designed to help with targeted advertising without tracking your website activity. But even when that’s added to Chrome and other browsers like Edge based on its Chromium open-source foundation, other browsers like Safari and Firefox don’t support it.

Correction, Dec. 15: This story initially misstated the time when Google will start blocking third-party cookies for 1% of users. It plans to start Jan. 4.

When you think of some of the biggest brands in audio, Bang & Olufsen is one that immediately springs to mind, though perhaps not in the world of gaming headsets. But, the B&O Beoplay Portal headphones are designed especially for gaming with all the features you might expect. And today, Woot will sell you a pair for around 66% off the retail price.

The Beoplay Portal headphones normally retail for $500, but today Woot has slashed that price to an incredible $170. You don’t need to enter any codes or clip any coupons, but this price is only available for a matter of hours — or until the units sell out. You do get to choose your color, so make sure to pick the one you like best before placing an order.

Designed to work with Xbox Series S and X, PlayStation and PC, these headphones feature multiple functions designed for gamers, including a lossless connection and quick, intuitive controls. They’re also lightweight and feature a padded headband and memory foam ear cups to relieve pressure and provide comfort, even during extended gaming sessions.

When you’re buying a set of headphones, sound quality is an important aspect to consider. The powerful sound from the Beoplay Portal headphones’ two 40mm drivers will keep you immersed in the game. These headphones also offer Dolby Atmos support and feature active noise cancellation to help you filter out distractions so you can stay focused.

While gaming, you can expect to get up to 12 hours of battery life, but you can nearly double that when you’re not connected to a console and only using Bluetooth and ANC. As for chat, these headphones feature beamform microphone technology, which creates a virtual boom arm to help you come through clearly, whether you’re talking with friends or collaborating with colleagues. You can also customize your sound through the Bang and Olufsen app, available for iPhone and Android.

Not sure these headphones are for you? Our list of the best headphone deals might just have what you’re looking for.

Ahead of next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft has announced the biggest change to Windows keyboards in almost three decades — a new dedicated key to launch its AI tool Copilot.

The Copilot key will live to the right of the space bar and activate Microsoft’s recently released Copilot service, which helps people perform tasks like summarizing documents, recommending music and answering questions you might ask a search engine or AI chatbot. It will replace either the menu key or the right control key on some keyboards.

“We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily,” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, wrote on Thursday. “The new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day.”

Read more: With Windows Copilot, AI Is Getting Into Microsoft’s Most Important Software

The addition of the AI key highlights Microsoft’s commitment to artificial intelligence. The company incorporated generative AI into some of its most important products over the last year, including Windows 11 and Microsoft search engine Bing. Copilot relies on the large language models, particularly Open AI’s GPT-4.

The button will arrive on the first wave of Windows 11 laptops and PCs of Microsoft’s partners in the days leading up to CES next week, as well as at the technology conference itself. The imminent new line of Dell XPS laptops is already featuring the new key.

Microsoft says to expect a wider release in late February through spring, including on upcoming Surface devices. In time, the Copilot button will become a required feature.

For Windows users who don’t have Copilot enabled or those who live in countries where Copilot is not available, the new key will bring up Windows Search. Windows users currently can bring up Copilot by pressing the Windows key + C.

“This [new button] will not only simplify people’s computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC,” Mehdi wrote.

Read more: Remember Bing? With ChatGPT’s Help, It’s Coming for Google Search

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

It’s a new year, and that means it’s a great time to invest in the new gear you’ll need for the months ahead. Whether you’ve just been putting off buying the things you need around the home and office or you received new devices over the holidays that now need to be outfitted with accessories, Journey can help. Right now the company is offering 20% off sitewide for during its New Year sale. Just use promo code START20 at checkout to get the discount.

If you’re looking to keep your desk free of clutter this year, you may want to grab the Alti wireless charging desk mat. It has a hideaway pocket for important documents, a spill-proof exterior and a detachable charging panel that can charge compatible smartphones and earbuds while you work. It normally costs $130, but right now the coupon code will drop the price to just $104.

And if you want a solid MagSafe power bank that doubles as a stand for your phone while you’re on the go, the Rapid Go wireless kickstand power bank is a solid choice. Regularly $70, you can get it for just $56 with the promo code. Along with wireless charging, it also sports a USB-C and a USB-A port, allowing you to charge up to three devices at once. Of course, if you prefer a charging stand, you may want to snag the Trio 3-in-1 wireless charging station. It’s just $112 with the discount, saving you $28, and it can charge your smartphone, earbuds and smartwatch simultaneously. Plus, it doesn’t take up much space if you want to put it on your nightstand.

There are plenty of other devices available as well, including laptop sleeves, phone cases and more, so be sure to shop the entire sale selection at Journey to find exactly what you need. And if you’re looking to upgrade your current device without breaking the bank, be sure to check out our roundups of iPhone 15 deals, AirPods deals and Apple Watch deals.

When the first iPhone launched in 2007, it heralded a new age for all-screen smartphones with digital keyboards. But some folks continue to miss the full physical keyboards that made handsets from BlackBerry and others reign supreme. For those tactile texters, a new accessory is launching ahead of CES 2024 that brings those glory days back — and prominent phone industry YouTubers contributed to the design.

New company Clicks Technology is debuting its eponymous Clicks keyboard as its first product for $139, which will be compatible with iPhones to start. Available with either Lightning (for iPhone 14) or USB-C (for iPhone 15) connectors, the keyboard is actually integrated into a wraparound case. Just slide your iPhone into the device and start typing. The keys are backlit for night typing, and it runs off the phone’s battery, so no charging required.

Read more: Best iPhone of 2024

“We use keyboards on our desktops, laptops and tablets every day — so it’s kind of odd that we abandoned physical buttons on the smartphone,” Michael Fisher, known as Mr. Mobile on YouTube and co-founder of Clicks Technology, said in a press release. Fisher’s channel includes contemporary reviews and throwback profiles of phones from yesteryear, when screens where smaller and designs were weirder in the days where manufacturers gave phones bold and bizarre looks to entice buyers.

The Clicks keyboard brings some of this energy back in its bright banana yellow color, which wouldn’t look out of place on a Nintendo N64 controller. It’s also available in a more svelte gray hue for this early Founders Edition round of the product; other colors may be available in the future.

Having a physical keyboard below the phone elongates the whole package, so you might not be able to fit it in your pocket, and it’s hard to tell if the extra length will make it a bit tougher to hold while typing. But there are definite advantages to a dedicated keyboard, most notably faster and more accurate typing than on a digital keypad, as well as a command button to allow for shortcuts to the home screen or search bar. A less obvious benefit: Without a digital keyboard popping up, you keep your full screen when typing.

Read more: Best iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Cases

“We labored over every decision from exactly how the buttons should feel to the keyboard layout, ensuring it would be intuitive for iPhone users,” said Kevin Michaluk, known as CrackBerry Kevin on YouTube and co-founder at Clicks Technology. He joined Fisher and a team with mobile experience from companies like Apple, BlackBerry and Google to design the keyboard.

The Clicks keyboard is available to order now and will begin shipping on Feb. 1. The keyboard runs on a partner app that will soon be downloadable from the Apple App Store and will “bring new functionality to the keyboard over time,” according to a press release.

You just received a brand new SIM card for your iPhone, and you want to start using it pronto. But you’re not sure how to activate it. Don’t worry. Activating a new SIM card on your iPhone is a simple process that just takes a few easy steps.

Read more: Best iPhone of 2024

Follow our step-by-step guide to help get your new iPhone up and running.

1. Contact your carrier: Your iPhone needs a physical SIM or an eSIM to connect to a cellular network. Contact your carrier to get a SIM and set up cellular service. If you have an eSIM, you can digitally store it on your iPhone. In the US, the iPhone 14 series and newer, only supports eSIMs.

2. Insert the SIM card: If you have a physical SIM card, insert it into your iPhone. To do this, use a SIM eject tool or even a paperclip to open the SIM tray on the side of your device. Place the SIM card in the tray and push it back into your phone.

3. Turn on your iPhone: Press and hold the side button to turn on your iPhone (or the top button on an iPhone SE). Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your iPhone.

4. Activate your SIM card: If you have an eSIM, you can activate it during setup. If you have a physical SIM card, you may need to activate it by following the instructions provided by your carrier. You may also need to enter your Apple ID and password. If adding or swapping eSIMs you can use a QR code that your carrier gives you or transfer one from a nearby iPhone.

5. Connect to a Wi-Fi or cellular network: If prompted, connect your iPhone to an available Wi-Fi or cellular network. eSIM setup requires an internet connection.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your new SIM card should be activated and ready to use. If you have any issues activating your SIM card, contact your carrier for assistance.

If you found this article helpful, check out CNET’s cheat sheet for iOS 17. And for more advice on how to make the most of your iPhone, read our roundup of tips and tricks that you’ll want to master in 2024, if you haven’t already.

Samsung’s rumored Galaxy S24 lineup may stand out from its predecessors in one big way. Though the world’s largest maker of smartphones usually prioritizes high-resolution cameras, bright screens and snappy performance, new software features could be the S24’s biggest attraction.

That’s because Samsung is expected to bring more generative AI-powered features to its next major phones. The company recently announced its own AI model, as well as Galaxy AI, a new AI “experience” for mobile devices, and it seems likely these technologies will play a big role in the Galaxy S24.

Generative AI, or AI that can churn out conversational (but not always accurate) answers to prompts based on training data, was everywhere in the tech world in 2023. That applies to smartphones too, especially toward the end of the year, as Google unveiled the Pixel 8 series and Qualcomm and MediaTek introduced new phone chips optimized for AI.

Read more: Best Phone of 2023

Here’s a look at what we know so far about Samsung’s AI plans for the Galaxy S24 lineup. The phones are rumored to debut in January, according to Korean news outlet SBS Biz, so we should learn more soon enough.

What is Galaxy AI?

We don’t know much about Galaxy AI yet. But Samsung describes it as a “comprehensive mobile AI experience” and “universal intelligence on your phone.” Samsung mentions communication, productivity and creativity as areas where Galaxy AI will show up on its phones, meaning it’s possible we’ll see Galaxy AI features in Samsung apps like phone, messages, S Note and the camera.

But that’s just speculation, we won’t know for sure until Samsung reveals more details. Samsung says Galaxy AI will arrive early next year, which means there’s a good chance it’ll debut with the Galaxy S24 series.

Samsung provided one example of how Galaxy AI will appear in future phones. AI Live Translate Call, which the company says will be available on “the latest Galaxy AI phone,” will provide audio and text translations in real time during phone calls made through Samsung’s native phone app. It sounds similar to the Pixel Live Caption feature currently available on Pixel phones.

Based on Samsung’s press release, it sounds like certain Galaxy AI features would be processed on the device to preserve privacy, while others could be executed in the cloud. AI Live Translate Call is one such example of a feature that would work locally.

AI isn’t new to Samsung phones

Generative AI may be having a moment, but AI has powered many smartphone features for years, particularly voice assistants, language translation apps and photography tools like portrait mode. Samsung has already been ramping up the use of AI in its phones, and its existing efforts could provide a hint at what’s to come with Galaxy AI.

In early 2023, Samsung upgraded its Bixby voice-enabled helper with a few new tricks, such as the ability to have it blend traditional phone calls with texting through Bixby Text Call. As the name implies, it allows you to answer a call and carry out a conversation via texting while the caller speaks verbally, with Bixby acting as the intermediary.

You can even clone your voice to make Bixby sound like you when it reads your texts to the caller. Samsung also expanded Bixby’s offline functionality with support for certain commands without an internet connection, such as setting a timer or activating the flashlight.

Read more: Best Samsung Phone of 2023

Samsung’s description of Galaxy AI sounds a bit like a supercharged, updated version of Bixby. And Bixby’s recent direction feels aligned with where Galaxy AI could be going, especially with features like Bixby Text Call. But given that Samsung has broadened Bixby’s role in its smart home platform, it seems unlikely that Galaxy AI would wholly replace the company’s 6-year-old voice assistant.

Instead, I could see Galaxy AI serving as an umbrella term for various AI-powered phone features, including those that work through Bixby. Or maybe it’ll be a rebrand of Bixby’s phone-centric features. We’ll know for sure when Samsung has more to say.

An AI-centric processor for the Galaxy S24

The Galaxy S24, which according to SBS Biz could debut Jan. 17, will likely have a new chip to fuel Galaxy AI and other similar features. Samsung typically puts the latest Qualcomm chip in the version of its Galaxy S phones sold in certain markets, like the US, while its Exynos processors power other international models.

If the Galaxy S24 is indeed powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, it should be well equipped to handle plenty of AI tasks. When Qualcomm announced the chip in October, it emphasized its ability to run AI models and perform AI actions both locally on the device and in the cloud.

Qualcomm showed off various use cases for AI on smartphones during its Snapdragon Summit in October, including a virtual assistant that can summarize phone calls and provide notes and suggestions afterward. The chip can also “zoom out” on photos that have already been captured, by analyzing the photo to fill the frame. But of course, it’s up to phone-makers like Samsung to put the technology to use in their own devices.

Samsung’s new Exynos 2400 mobile chip was also designed with AI in mind, with the company claiming it offers a nearly 15-times improvement in AI performance over the older Exynos 2200 processor. Samsung also demonstrated how the new chip can enable text-to-image generation, during its LSI Tech Day event in October, according to the company’s press release.

Read more: I Could’ve Used Qualcomm’s ChatGPT-Like Phone AI on My Trip to Hawaii

Based on these new chips, it sounds like both the Qualcomm and Exynos versions of Samsung’s next phones could share the same AI features. Since these processors are optimized for AI tasks, there’s also a chance Galaxy AI could be exclusive to the Galaxy S24 lineup — similar to how certain Pixel features work only on the Pixel 8 Pro or other devices running on Google’s Tensor chips. However, Samsung regularly releases new software features through its One UI updates, so it’s possible certain AI features that don’t require on-device processing could trickle down to older devices.

There’s a lot of hype around generative AI, and Samsung is known for integrating new technologies into its products early — sometimes while it’s still figuring out whether they’re truly valuable to the overall experience. Remember the Galaxy S4’s eye tracking features? What about the Galaxy Note Edge’s curved sidebar?

The good news is that gimmicky features like these no longer define Samsung’s approach to smartphones, as evidenced by its simpler approach to the Galaxy S series in recent years and the success of its foldable phones. But 2024 will still be the year in which AI has to prove its purpose on smartphones, and it looks like that will start with Samsung.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.