Category: Technologies

If you’re going to be doing some traveling abroad in 2024, you may want to brush up on the language before your trip. And if you learn best through listening, we’ve got a deal you won’t want to miss. Rosetta Stone is our favorite language learning app for auditory learners, and right now you score a lifetime subscription — which includes access to all 25 languages — for just $190 at StackSocial. That saves you a whopping $209 compared to the usual price. There’s no set expiration for this deal, so there’s no guaranteeing how long it will be available. We’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

This membership gives you access to 25 different languages, from Spanish to Korean, allowing you to better communicate with locals on your travels and increase your comfort level in international settings. Of course, even those who do not plan on traveling far from home can benefit from improved language skills. Whether you want to speak with international neighbors or enjoy media from other places, hobbyists can also take advantage of this deal.

Every single lesson — no matter the language — is broken up into manageable chunks, both online and offline. You also have access to an immersive learning environment that will keep you interested throughout the course to keep your mind on perfecting your studies. Plus, you can even practice your accent using speech recognition technology.

Social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, suffered from on outage globally for about an hour on Thursday.

People using X, which is owned by Elon Musk, were not able to view their regular posts or their timelines, but were instead greeted with a message that said “Welcome to X!”

Web outage reporting site own Detector Downshowed a spike in reports at about 12:40 a.m. ET Thursday with complaints highlighting issues on both the app as well as the website. In the US, more than 74,000 people reported issues, while in the UK nearly 7,000 filed reports on the website. DownDetector tracks outages by aggregating status reports from user-submitted reports on its website as well as other sources including Twitter.

X didn’t immediately respond to a CNET request for comment.

X is a social media platform that allows users to share text, photos, and videos, as “posts” (previously called tweets) with their followers. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, and renamed the popular microblogging platform to X, along with introducing a slew of major changes. Those changes included laying off half the staff, changing moderation and verification policies and unbanning extremist accounts. X had relied on advertising as a key revenue driver for the company, but that business has been in decline since Musk’s takeover.

There’s a mess of NFC teams at .500 scrabbling for a Wild Card playoff spot. The Saints and Rams are two of five teams in the conference at 7-7, which means the winner of tonight’s game in Los Angeles will greatly improve its playoff position while the losing team will face an uphill climb. It’s probably more important for the Rams, who have no hope of catching the red-hot 49ers in the NFC West, leaving the Wild Card as their only path to the playoffs. The Saints, meanwhile, find themselves in a first-place tie with the Buccaneers in the lackluster NFC South.

Kickoff for the Saints-Rams Thursday Night Football matchup is set for 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) tonight with the game streaming nationally on Amazon Prime Video and for free on Twitch.

Keep reading to see your options for watching Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, Twitch, NFL Plus and — if you live in the home market of either the Saints or Rams — a local network channel.

With YouTube and YouTube TV now the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, along with games streaming on Paramount Plus, Peacock and ESPN Plus, there’s lots for NFL fans to keep track of this season. Check out our picks for the best live TV streaming services for NFL fans in 2023.

TNF streaming: Prime Video, Twitch and NFL Plus

Thursday Night Football games are streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video, giving NFL fans more incentive than free two-day shipping to sign up for an Amazon Prime account, which costs $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to Prime Video for $9 a month.

Fans in the local market of each team will be able to watch on an over-the-air station, while those who don’t pay for either of Amazon’s services can watch for free on Prime Video’s Twitch channel. (Twitch is owned by Amazon.)

If you subscribe to NFL Plus, the league’s $7-per-month streaming service (or $15 a month with Red Zone included), you can also stream the game without subscribing to Prime or Prime Video. Note that NFL Plus is limited to viewing on a phone or tablet, not on a computer or TV.

Can I watch Thursday Night Football on local TV?

Yes, but only if you live in the local market of either of the teams playing on Thursday. This week, WDSU NBC 6 in New Orleans and KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles will be showing the game, according to 506 Sports. There are two ways to watch local channels on your TV. The first is with a live TV streaming service. The second is with an over-the-air antenna, if you live in an area that has good reception.

You can watch local networks with a live TV streaming service, but not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries the channel you need for the game in your area.

All 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.

If you’re behind on your shopping this year, Adidas has some great last-minute options to consider. And if you act right now, you’ll score some deals and discounts on your purchase. Adidas has all the gear you need for cozy season and beyond. There are tracksuits, sneakers, tees and all your everyday basics. But if you can’t decide, there are gift cards too.

Looking for more discounts? CNET has the best deals from Adidas and many others, along with promo code offers — all updated and verified daily.

Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.

If you manage a business or organization with a lot of employees, keeping everyone on the same page can be a serious challenge. Written instructions can get confusing and overwhelming, and sometimes it just makes more sense to use a visual aid. Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 allows you to easily generate custom flow charts, network diagrams and other organization guides, and right now you can score a lifetime license at a serious discount.

Lifetime access to Visio Pro 2021 will cost you a whopping $310 if you purchase it through Microsoft directly. But with this StackSocial bargain, you can snag it for just $30. This program features hundreds of templates and thousands of shapes and stencils for flow charts, timelines, floor plans and much more so you can distill complex processes into simple, easy-to-follow visual guides. Plus, it allows you to import data from other Microsoft programs like Excel.

Just note that this deal is only available to new subscribers, and the license can only be used for a single PC running Windows 10 or 11. You’ll also need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription and access to the desktop version of Microsoft 365 apps, along with a Power BI and Power Automate subscription. And you’ll have to redeem this offer within 30 days of the purchase.

LG revealed its 2024 range of soundbars on Tuesday, which includes models offering a wireless Dolby Atmos connection with a compatible TV.

The three models, with price and availability yet to be announced, are the flagship S95TR, the OLED-partnering SG10TY and the compact S70TY.

All of LG’s new soundbars offer compatibility with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, while the S95TR and SG10TY will also be able to stream Atmos wirelessly from LG TVs. All three models include the WOW interface, which lets you adjust sound settings from the TV itself, as well as LG AI Room Calibration to analyze and enhance the room’s acoustics.

The flagship S95TR model offers 15 channels with five up-firing channels, including the “industry’s first” up-firing center speaker, which the company says helps dialog sound as if it’s coming out of the TV screen.

Meanwhile, the SG10TY is designed to match the width and frame colors of LG OLED TVs while also including Wi-Fi music streaming from Tidal and Spotify.

Lastly, The S70TY soundbar features a “simple and compact design” and also includes an up-firing center speaker. You can opt for a dedicated bracket that allows the soundbar to be flush-mounted to QNED TVs.

The most interesting feature here is the wireless Dolby Atmos connection, which is something competitor Samsung has offered for a couple of years. However, in CNET’s tests of the Q990C, we found it doesn’t always work — even with TVs that are supposed to be compatible. Watch for a closer look at LG’s soundbar range during CES 2024.

There’s a festive treat in store for Marvel fans, with nine new mind-bending alternate realities on their way in season 2 of What If…

As with the previous installment of the animated series, S2 is set to explore stories in which events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe played out differently, with this latest run based around MCU’s Phase 4 plot lines.

New episodes of What If… season 2 are set to be released daily over the Christmas period, starting from Dec. 22, with episode titles posing such questions as “What If… Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?”, “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602?” and the holiday-themed offering “What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”

Fans can also expect return appearances from Strange Supreme, Captain Carter and The Watcher, as well as the introduction of a brand-new Marvel character called Kahhori. There’s also a pretty A-List roll call of voice acting talent on board, with Jude Law, Kurt Russell, Sam Rockwell, Cate Blanchett and Michael Douglas all confirmed for the nine-episode season.

Find out by following our guide on how to watch the What If… season 2 and why a VPN could be a useful tool.

How to watch the What If… season 2 on Disney Plus

All-new episodes of What If… season 2 will be rolling out on a daily basis over the Christmas season on Disney Plus, with the first episode available to stream from Dec. 22, with one episode premiering every day from then on in until Dec. 30.

Release timings haven’t been confirmed by Disney Plus, but the streaming service tends to make shows available at 12 a.m. PT, which is 3 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. GMT in the UK and 7 p.m. AEDT in Australia.

All previous season 1 episodes of the show are also available to watch on demand on the service.

Disney Plus’ ad-free service costs more in the US, but you can also try out the new ad-free Disney bundle, which launched in September. The service’s ad-free tier increased to $140 a year or $14 a month, and there’s also an ad-based tier that costs $8 per month (no option to pay annually). Read more on how we tested Disney Plus’ ad-supported tier and what to expect with the price hike.

How to watch What If… season 2 from anywhere using a VPN

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

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

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

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation and choose a country where What If… season 2 is streaming on Disney Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the TV show on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Disney Plus to stream.

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

With the New Year just around the corner, you may already be thinking about your resolutions. If you’re looking to focus on your fitness in 2024, we’ve got some deals you won’t want to miss. Garmin makes some of the best fitness trackers and rugged workout tech on the market, and right now you can snag some for less. Woot is offering big savings on a variety of refurbished smartwatches, dash cams, GPS navigators and other great gear. Plus, all of the products included in this sale have been returned, inspected and restored to fully working condition, which means they’re as close to new as you can get without actually being new.

These deals are available through Jan. 1, but there’s a limited supply available, so some items may sell out before then. We’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

Exercise enthusiasts looking for more than just a tracker can grab the Garmin Venu 2 Plus — a CNET Editors’ Choice Award winner and one of our favorite smartwatches for 2023. This smartwatch works with both Android and iOS devices, making it a great choice for just about anyone. Plus, it has an AMOLED display, offers activity tracking and gives you insight into other health data. It also has speaker and microphone support (unlike other models) and gets up to eight days of battery life per charge. Originally $450, Woot has gray, black and ivory variations on sale for $300 right now.

Another solid option is the Fenix 6 smartwatch, which you can snag for just $290 right now. While it’s not the newest model in the Fenix line, it’s a decent smartwatch with GPS, fitness and sleep tracking. It has a 1.3-inch display and includes convenient features like Garmin pay for contactless payments and also sports solar-charging capabilities, which can extend the battery life as you’re enjoying the outdoors. You can upgrade to the 6X Pro edition for $20 more.

Dash cams are also a good investment because they can record your adventures or collect evidence if you ever encounter road hazards or get into an accident. The Garmin 57 features 1440p HD video resolution and a 140-degree field of view and you can pick it up for $130 right now, which saves you $100 compared to the list price.

Cyclists can score Garmin’s Edge 830 GPS bike computer for $265. It can track your distance, offer training guidance and record other data that can offer you insights on your performance. If you’re a golf enthusiast, you can pick up the Approach Z82 GPS laser range finder, which is down to $400 — a $200 savings on the regular list price of a brand-new version. If you want an easy way to monitor your weight, BMI, muscle mass and other factors over time, you can pick up the Index S2 smart scale for $100.

Other options are available, and each product comes with a warranty, just in case — so be sure to shop the entire sale selection at Woot and cash in on these deals before they’re gone. If you’re looking for even more bargains on rugged smartwatches and other fitness tech, you can check out our full roundup of all the best Garmin deals.

Famously causing singer Olivia Rodrigo to walk out of a screening because she was “so scared”, Beau Is Afraid was one of 2023’s most original and divisive movies, and is now available to watch from the comfort of your own home via Paramount Plus.

Directed by Hereditary and Midsommar’s Ari Aster, the movie follows anxiety-ridden Beau Wasserman (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of a famous and wealthy businesswoman, as he embarks on a darkly surreal journey home to his mother following her involvement in a “chandelier accident.”

Somehow managing to combine elements of tragicomedy, arthouse and horror, it’s a tense, gallows-humor-packed ride that’s not for the faint-hearted — nor those with a weak bladder, thanks to its three-hour runtime.

While it may not have been the box-office smash Aster had hoped, streaming may be the natural home for what looks set to become a slow-burn cult classic just like his previous movies.

You can see what all the fuss is about yourself by following our guide below to watching Beau Is Afraid, no matter where you are in the world.

When is Beau Is Afraid released?

The A24 hour comedy is set to be available to stream via Paramount Plus in the US and Canada from Thursday, Dec. 22.

How to watch Beau Is Afraid from anywhere on VPN

So what if you’re traveling outside your home country and want to enjoy the movie or want an added layer of privacy for streaming? There is an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to Beau Is Afraid. If you find yourself unable to watch locally, a VPN can come in handy. Plus, it’s a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

Most VPNs, like CNET’s Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it easy to virtually change your location. Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals.

Watch Beau Is Afraid in the US and Canada

Beau Is Afraid will be available to stream in the US and Canada via Paramount Plus, with the movie arriving in those territories on Thursday, Dec. 21.

Tips for streaming Beau Is Afraid using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble viewing after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a network’s app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

If you’re looking for a device perfectly suited to reading and writing, you’ll find E Ink tablets may be the right fit. Right now Best Buy has marked down bundles that include our favorite E Ink tablet for writing and note-taking, the ReMarkable 2, to under $500. This 1-day deal expires tonight at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET), so be sure to get your orders in before then if you want to take advantage of these savings.

Ditch your spiral notebook for this 10.3-inch tablet. It’s a great solution for staying organized by keeping your notes all in one place, making it a great tool for students and writers, alike. Plus, if you’re easily distracted, you may appreciate that this device has no social media, ads or notifications to get you off task. As tablets go, it’s fairly basic, with a monochrome display that boasts a resolution of 226 DPI. The device is thin, coming in at just 4.7mm thick, and it has an impressive paper-like feel. This tablet can even convert your handwriting into typed text, write directly on PDFs, import Microsoft Office files and more. A single charge should provide you with up to two weeks of battery life.

The bundle includes the magnetic Marker Plus, which comes with a built-in eraser and never needs to charge, along with a 1-year subscription to Connect, which lets you add to the 8GB of internal storage by adding unlimited cloud storage, as well as the ability to sync files with Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. Plus, you’ll get either a polymer weave book folio or a premium leather book folio, depending on which bundle you choose. The first is discounted by $50 right now, bringing the price to $499, while the latter is marked down to $529 — a $70 discount. Note that there is no backlight, so you won’t be able to use this tablet in the dark, and it only supports select formats, including PDF and unprotected epub. If you’re looking primarily for an e-reader, you may want to pass on this option.

Looking for other discounted models? Be sure to check out other tablet deals happening now. For more great gadgets worth buying, take a look at our roundup of tech gifts under $100.