Category: Technologies

There’s an update to the rumor about FineWoven, an Apple creation made of 68% postconsumer recycled content and used for phone cases, smartwatch bands and the like. On Sunday, Kosutami, a noted Apple leaker, said in a post on X that the company had ended production of the new material less than a year after its launch. And in a new post to X on Tuesday, Kosutami said there will be one more “season” of FineWoven items, even featuring some new colors, before it’s gone for good. It’s not clear how long the material will continue to be used or which new colors will be introduced.

FineWoven was big news when it was first announced in September 2023 as an eco-friendly alternative to leather for Apple accessories. Apple cited the sizable environmental impact of leather production and praised FineWoven’s subtle luster and suede-like feel, but apparently it wasn’t as durable as the company needed it to be.

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

If the rumors of the material’s discontinuation are true, they wouldn’t be terribly surprising. Apple refreshed its case lineup just last month and included some snazzy new springlike colors, and none of the refreshed cases were from the FineWoven brand. The refreshed watchbands also failed to include any new FineWoven variants. 9to5Mac noted that Apple downplayed FineWoven last week when the company bragged about its environmental initiatives over the last year.

So if FineWoven is going to be phased out, the writing is clearly on the wall. Kosutami noted that Apple is allegedly working on a new nonleather material to replace FineWoven. We’ll likely hear more about that when the iPhone 16 launches in September, since Apple likes to announce new iPhone accessories with the new iPhone every year. That is, of course, provided that the rumor is true.

FineWoven was falling apart

The biggest issue with FineWoven is its durability. CNET’s Patrick Holland took the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s FineWoven case for a spin last year and found some notable durability issues. First, a few drops of salt water from the stingray exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences permanently stained the case.

After just one week of use, the case also developed a circular indentation formed where the phone was charged on a MagSafe charger. An accidental tumble into some avocado toast left a dark stain in one corner. Wiping the MagSafe case with soapy water and a soft cloth fixed most of the issues, but even after a thorough clean, the case looked old and beat up after just one week.

Holland wasn’t alone in his assessment. There are hundreds of reports, YouTube videos and social media posts from journalists, consumers and influencers showing how easily the case could be damaged. In one notable example, YouTube reviewer Dave2D was able to scuff the case with one swipe of his fingernail.

There are some examples online of people liking the case and even defending some of the criticisms. After all, a fingernail can leave a permanent mark on leather as well. However, the micro twill cases also had a reputation for peeling, falling apart and hanging onto grime a lot more than Apple’s old leather cases. It was bad enough that we omitted the material from our best iPhone 15 case list.

Many artificial intelligence tools need an internet connection to a massive computing datacenter in order to work. But Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new AI designed for phones and PCs that doesn’t require that connection.

The company says that its new AI, called Phi-3 mini, can rival popular web-based AIs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5. Microsoft told Reuters that its new AI can compete with other AIs that are 10 times more expensive to power and run.

“Phi-3 is not slightly cheaper, it’s dramatically cheaper,” Sébastien Bubeck, Microsoft’s vice president of GenAI research, told Reuters.

Microsoft’s efforts to build more efficient AIs is part of a growing trend in the tech world to squeeze the impressive capabilities of chatbots like ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemini and many more, into smaller apps that can run on our computers and phones.

Year of the AI PC

Most AIs until now have instead relied on sprawling power-hungry server farms, often powered by chips from AI-industry darling Nvidia. While those AIs will likely continue to offer more features at ever-faster speeds, tech companies increasingly appear to be turning their attention to building capable, smaller AIs too.

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram parent company Meta last week announced a version of its Llama text chat AI that can run either over the internet or on mobile devices, with the help of specialized chips such as those made by Qualcomm. Google too last year announced its Gemini Nano AI, which it added to its Pixel smartphone line. AMD, Intel and Nvidia have also announced efforts to build additional AI features into their chips.

Even Apple is reportedly planning to announce AI capabilities designed to run on iPhones, iPads and Mac computers during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

(For hands-on CNET reviews of generative AI products including Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, along with AI news, tips and explainers, see our new AI Atlas resource page.)

For its part, Microsoft and many of its partners have dubbed 2024 the year of the AI PC, in which they’re rushing to add AI capabilities to their software and devices. Microsoft even made its first official change to the PC keyboard in 30 years, adding a dedicated key for its Copilot AI, opposite the Windows key it added in 1994.

It’s unclear how Microsoft’s Phi-3 mini will show up in our daily lives, but the company speculated in a conversation with the Verge that it could help power custom apps for companies that may not have a lot of computing power to run more sophisticated AIs.

Editors’ note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you’re reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our AI policy.

The home teams took care of business last night, with the Cavaliers, Knicks and Nuggets all winning to go 2-0 up in their respective series. The Knicks needed a wild finish that started with a lucky bounce on a 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson followed by a steal, a scramble and a go-ahead 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo in the closing seconds. Madison Square Garden erupted, and the Knicks left the court with a 104-101 victory over the 76ers.

In the nightcap, the Nuggets trailed the Lakers for most of the night as LeBron James was magnificent on both ends of the court. LeBron’s efforts weren’t enough, though, as the Nuggets clawed their way back from a 20-point second-half deficit and won the game 101-99 on a buzzer-beater from Jamal Murray.

Tuesday brings three more contests, with Game 2s coming up for the Suns-Timberwolves, Pacers-Bucks and Mavs-Clippers.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the NBA playoffs.

How to watch the NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs are being shown across four channels: ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can watch the games with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service.

Three of the five major services offer all four channels. Hulu with Live TV lacks NBA TV, which will show only a handful of playoff games. Fubo lacks TNT, which shows a big portion of the NBA playoffs, making Fubo a poor choice for hoops fans. You can also watch TNT broadcasts of playoff games with Max.

What is the playoff schedule for today?

Here’s the schedule for today’s games, and for the next few days (all times ET):

Tuesday, April 23

• Suns vs. Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Timberwolves lead series 1-0)
• Pacers vs. Bucks, 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV (Bucks lead series 1-0)
• Mavericks vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT (Clippers lead series 1-0)

Wednesday, April 24

• Heat vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT (Celtics lead series 1-0)
• Pelicans vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT (Thunder lead series 1-0)

Thursday, April 25

• Cavaliers vs. Magic, 7 p.m. on NBA TV (Cavaliers lead series 2-0)
• Knicks vs. 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Knicks lead series 2-0)
• Nuggets vs. Lakers, 10 p.m. on TNT (Nuggets lead series 2-0)

Friday, April 26

• Bucks vs. Pacers, 5:30 p.m. on ESPN (Bucks lead series 1-0)
• Clippers vs. Mavericks, 8 p.m. on ESPN (Clippers lead series 1-0)
• Timberwolves vs. Suns, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN (Timberwolves lead series 1-0)

What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?

The Boston Celtics earned the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the West. Here’s what the matchups look like for the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs:

Eastern Conference

• No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
• No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
• No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
• No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic

Western Conference

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
• No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
• No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
• No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks

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.

DJI has long been one of the biggest names for those looking to get their hands on a new drone. Its drones are great, frequently topping our list of the best drones available. But, as is usually the case with best-in-class products, DJI drones come with high prices. Thankfully, there are occasionally some great drone deals to be had, and right now is one of those times. The DJI Mini 3 would normally sell for about $609, but if you order from Amazon today you’ll pay just $549. Prefer to get your new drone from Best Buy? You’ll pay an extra dollar, which is still a great price at just $550.

No matter where you place your order, you won’t have to enter any codes or clip any coupons, but we don’t expect either deal to stick around for too long, so factor that into your buying decision.

In terms of the drone itself, the Mini 3 weighs in at just 8.78 ounces (249 grams), which makes it easy to take with you. And with a flight time of up to 51 minutes when using the optional Flight Battery Plus, you can expect plenty of opportunities to capture the perfect shot.

Capturing that shot will be a 4K HDR camera with vertical shooting capabilities for photographing landmarks and more. Wind resistance and stable flight features help ensure that your drone will fly straight and true, making this a great option for beginners. The same can be said for the included remote control and DJI Fly app, complete with a preinstalled 5.5-inch display to make it easy to see where your drone is even when you can’t see it for yourself.

It’s the preschool show that adults love too, and there’s a triple helping of the Heeler family on deck, as Bluey hit fans with yet another new standalone episode featuring the cattle dogs from Brisbane.

Coming hot on the heels of season 3, the first of the new episodes in April, Ghostbasket, promised the return of two classic characters, with Bluey and Bingo’s granny alter-egos Janet and Rita making an appearance.

Even bigger news for fans of the 2D animation was the release of The Sign, the show’s longest episode yet, which clocked in at 28 minutes — the equivalent of four normal Bluey episodes. The special saw the Heeler family getting ready for “the wedding of the year” between babysitter Frisky and their uncle Radley. And then Disney rolled out Surprise this past weekend, with Bluey and Bingo dragooning their dad into two games at once.

Find out by following our guide on how to watch all the new Bluey episodes and why a VPN could be a useful tool.

When did the Bluey episodes ‘The Sign’ and ‘Surprise’ come out?

The Sign was released on Disney Plus on April 14, and on April 20, Disney announced a pop-up episode called Surprise, which dropped on April 21. Viewers could watch the series on ABC Kids in Australia, and globally on Disney Junior, Disney Channel and Disney Plus.

How to watch new Bluey episodes ‘Surprise’ and ‘The Sign’ in Australia for free

Australia’s ABC iview carries the series on-demand in the country.

How to watch new Bluey episodes ‘The Sign’ and ‘Surprise’ in the US, UK and Canada

The latest episodes of Bluey are available to stream in the UK, US and Canada on Disney Plus, with Ghostbucket, The Sign and Surprise all on the platform now.

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 an ad-based tier is also offered which costs $8 per month (with 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 new Bluey episodes from anywhere using a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream the new Bluey episodes 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 Bluey 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.

Arsenal have the opportunity of putting daylight between them and title rivals Man City and Liverpool, as they host Chelsea in Tuesday’s London derby at the Emirates.

After a battling 2-0 away win against Wolves on Saturday, the Gunners could open up a 4-point gap at the top of the English Premier League.

Having lost to Man City in their FA Cup semifinal clash at Wembley at the weekend, a top-seven finish now represents Chelsea’s only hope of qualifying for Europe next season, making a win here just as vital for the Blues.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: When and where?

Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in north London on Tuesday, April 23. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. BST, which is 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 5 a.m. AEST on Wednesday, April 24, in Australia.

How to watch the Arsenal vs. Chelsea game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream Arsenal vs. Chelsea in the US

Tuesday’s Arsenal vs. Chelsea match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Chelsea game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Arsenal vs. Chelsea is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Chelsea game in Canada

If you want to stream Arsenal vs. Chelsea live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Chelsea game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches 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 getting the game 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 into 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 cable network’s sports 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.

Season 10 of Overwatch 2 brings back the best part of Overwatch 1 (instant access to new heroes), alongside the usual suite of seasonal goodies, plus a new limited-time mode. It’s a strong showing after the significant changes in season 9, which changed health pools for all heroes and added size changes for all damage projectiles. The new season launched on Tuesday, April 16, and while it’s a little light on balance changes, there’s plenty for new and returning players to like.

Here’s your guide to Overwatch 2 Season 10.

Mirrorwatch swaps the forces of good and evil

I haven’t been this excited about a seasonal event and battle pass theme since season 4’s space opera theme. Season 10 introduces Mirrorwatch, an alternate universe where the heroes of Overwatch and the villains of Talon have switched sides — with Doomfist, Sombra and Widowmaker leading Overwatch against villainous versions of Ana, Reinhardt and Mercy. Some skins are available in the battle pass, while others can be purchased in the shop. (I can’t tell you whether the Arch-Commandant Ana skin is worth $40 for the ultimate battle pass, but I personally couldn’t resist.)

The Mirrorwatch limited-time event starts today, giving heroes twists on their usual abilities, like Doomfist’s Power Block providing a shield for his team. The Mirrorwatch event pits the twisted versions of Overwatch and Talon against each other on the Watchpoint Gibraltar map and will be available until May 13.

New Hero: Venture

The first new damage hero since Sojourn joined the roster at launch, Venture is a dynamic addition to the game. Their excavation drill quickly grinds down enemies at close range, and both of their abilities offer neat mobility options. Venture’s ultimate ability blasts powerful shockwaves in a conical pattern, and enemies who get hit take major damage and are launched several feet into the air

I played Venture a few weeks ago during the trial weekend and had a blast. When playing the damage role, I typically prefer sniper heroes like Ashe and Widowmaker, but I really enjoyed how fluid and dynamic Venture’s kit was. Unlike previous hero releases, Overwatch 2 has made Venture immediately available in competitive mode.

New heroes freed from battle pass jail

One of the biggest complaints about Overwatch 2 when it launched was that new heroes were stuck behind battle passes. Players could unlock them at tier 45 on the free battle pass, or buy the premium battle pass for $10 that season to get immediate access. This was a drastic change from Overwatch 1, where every new hero was released to everyone for free.

In a developer update last month, Overwatch 2 Game Director Aaron Keller announced that new heroes would be immediately available to all players starting in season 10, no battle pass required. This is an enormous improvement for the game, removing a point of friction for returning players and giving new players the opportunity to jump in if a new hero piques their interest. This is the best change the game has made since it launched in October 2022.

More ways to unlock mythic skins

Mythic skins are among the coolest features Overwatch 2 added to the game, allowing players to customize the look of their heroes and enjoy unique voice lines, visual effects and sound effects — like the lightning bolts that strike players when Zeus Junker Queen lands a knife toss on them. In past seasons, the premium battle pass allowed players to unlock only the mythic skin introduced that season. But starting in Season 10, players can earn mythic prisms, which can be used to unlock mythic skins from any season, including this season’s Vengeance Mercy. Players can earn mythic prisms in the premium battle pass or purchase them separately from the store. If you’re not a fan of this season’s mythic and you missed out on an earlier mythic, you now have the ability to save up and pull something from the vault.

New game mode trial: Clash

For the first two weeks of the season, you can try out an upcoming game mode called Clash. As Blizzard describes it in its Season 10 blog post: “This ultimate tug-of-war challenges teams to capture points along a linear path. With five capture points strategically placed on a mirrored map, teams must deftly maneuver to capture and defend points to clinch victory.”

Clash feels like a cross between the Flashpoint and Push game modes, where you’re fighting over capture points, but the areas you’re fighting over change location as you or your opponents successfully take control. My early experience is that it’s fast and frantic with less downtime than other game modes. Clash will be available until April 29 and will formally enter the map rotation in a future season.

Grouping changes in competitive

Overwatch is answering a long-requested change by allowing players to queue for competitive matches regardless of their ranks. No more getting left behind by your grandmaster friend while the rest of you languish in plat, or leaving your silver friends behind when you hit diamond. Now, competitive groups are classified as either narrow (players are close in ranks) or wide (players are uncommonly far apart in rank, or are queuing in the grandmaster or champion ranks regardless of rank disparity).

Wide groups will face longer queue times and lower rank gains the larger the gaps are between the ranks of your team members. If you’re in a wide group, the system will notify you before you queue up for a game. According to a developer blog post, the matchmaker will attempt to match wide groups against wide groups and narrow groups against narrow groups, which means wide groups of four players are not allowed (thus sparing solo players from being thrown into a game with a wide group of strangers). Good news, solo players: You’re now queuing exclusively against other solo players and narrow groups.

Overwatch 2 is free to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox One and Series X/S.

The latest edition of Adobe’s Firefly generative AI model is out, promising better images and prompt analysis, along with the ability to add new details and work faster.

According to Adobe, Firefly has generated over 7 billion images since its debut in March 2023. It has also helped the nearly 40-year-old image-editing software Photoshop realize a 30% year-over-year increase in users, said Zeke Koch, vice president of generative AI product management.

Now, as competitors like Google and OpenAI push into Adobe’s visual turf with gen AI tools like Gemini and Sora, Adobe wants to remind users of its prowess in visual content.

The Firefly Image 3 Foundation Model offers “massive advancements to quality and control,” Adobe says.

That includes more photorealistic images thanks to better lighting, positioning and attention to detail — particularly when it comes to rendering people, including emotions.

If you look closely at AI-generated images, you’ll likely notice certain details like hands or clothing aren’t quite right, or are sometimes blatantly weird. This is what Adobe sought to address in the latest model — in part by offering what Koch referred to as “photographic detail.”

That would be an improvement from earlier this year, when CNET’s Stephen Shankland found that “Firefly images suffered plenty of the common generative AI problems like weird anatomy and unreal rendering of areas where two subjects come into contact.”

• For expert reviews of other generative AI tools like Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, along with all the latest AI news, tips and explainers, see CNET’s new AI Atlas guide.

Adobe also says that Firefly Image 3 has a better understanding of text prompts and scenes, which means you can input long, complex prompts to get precisely what you want.

“We made a new version of Firefly that’s about twice as big inside,” Koch said. “And because it’s twice as big, it has twice as much of an understanding of the world [and] it generates images that are way more photographically detailed.”

Firefly Image 3 is available in beta via Photoshop and firefly.adobe.com. That means you can try it out and provide feedback, but you can’t use the tool commercially. A spokesperson said it will be more widely available later this year.

On Tuesday, Adobe also announced the addition of new editing features to Photoshop, which are powered by Firefly Image 3. They include the ability to use reference images to generate new content, as well as to create and replace backgrounds and fine-tune images. Firefly is also coming to publishing software InDesign.

The goal is to help users bring their ideas to life more quickly. As a result, even novice users can find their way around Photoshop and become more advanced users more quickly, said John Metzger, director of product management of gentech AI in Photoshop.

Editors’ note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories, which are labeled accordingly. The note you’re reading is attached to articles that deal substantively with the topic of AI but are created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more, see our AI policy.

Apple hasn’t had a new iPad in years, but the wait should be over in a few weeks.

An invite for a virtual Apple event appeared in my inbox this morning, scheduled for May 7 at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET). The invite, which says “Let Loose,” shows a hand holding an Apple Pencil. Considering the iPad is the only device that uses the Apple Pencil, that doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Apple’s been expected to release new OLED-screened iPad Pros with newly designed Pencils and Magic Keyboard cases. New iPad Airs are also expected, including a larger-screened 12.9-inch model. Apple’s iPad Air lineup tends to be slightly redesigned versions of previous-model iPad Pros, so just look to the M2 iPad Pro lineup for a sense of what the next Airs could be. These would be the first new iPads since the iPad Pro M2 model arrived in late 2022.

Budget iPads aren’t expected to be on tap here: Both the entry-level iPad and iPad Mini may not get updated until sometime in the fall. In the meantime, Apple will likely push new creative uses for these higher-end iPads, and justify what could end up being a significantly higher price for the revamped OLED-screened models. The Pro modes are also expected to have M3 processors, and all the iPads should finally have front cameras centered on the landscape edge for better-framed video chats when docked with a keyboard, like the 10th-gen iPad has (and all MacBooks).

There are two open-ended questions I have: Will iPads and Pencils become more hooked-in to the Apple Vision Pro? And will iPads become more of a Mac replacement than they currently are? The answer to both is probably no for now, but with Apple’s software-focused WWDC conference only a month afterwards, it’s an interesting time to release new pro hardware.

Time to cue up Natasha Bedingfield. Anyone But You, the rom-com starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, is now available to stream on Netflix.

The film originally opened in theaters during the 2023 holiday season. It was the highest-grossing romantic comedy in recent years, earning over $200 million globally, according to Variety. After leaving theaters, it became available to rent on demand. And now, Netflix subscribers can stream the R-rated flick at home. Alongside Sweeney and Powell, the cast includes Darren Barnet, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, GaTa and Charlee Fraser.

Here’s what you need to know about streaming Anyone But You and why you may want to consider using a VPN to stream it.

For more, check out what streaming services to keep in April and the best VPNs for Netflix.

What to know about Anyone But You

Anyone But You has an intriguing premise: rom-com king Glen Powell and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney star in a loose, modern adaption of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. If you’re not the biggest fan of the Bard, that means two household names take on some classic rom-com tropes, including enemies to lovers and fake dating.

The movie features the song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, an early-2000s pop anthem. Powell’s character Ben refers to it as his “serenity song” in the movie, and like all good rom-coms, we get an end-credits montage of the whole cast singing along. It also led to a series of TikToks of folks dancing to the song in theaters after the movie ended.

When to watch Anyone But You on Netflix

Sony Pictures’ Anyone But You is available to stream on Netflix now, beginning Tuesday, April 23. If you only have the ad-supported plan for $7 per month, you will not be able to watch the movie. Other Netflix plans, including the standard and standard plus, will have the flick. Previous Sony movies, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and No Hard Feelings, were restricted to these more expensive plans due to licensing agreements.

How to watch Anyone But You from anywhere with a VPN

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

A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you 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 legal 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 Anyone But You is streaming on Netflix. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the rom-com on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you are 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 Netflix 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.