Category: Technologies

The US Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it’ll approve T-Mobile’s deal to acquire Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of prepaid wireless brands Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, according to Reuters. The deal could be worth up to $1.35 billion.

The move would allow T-Mobile to more directly operate the brands, which already run on its network. The FCC says the agreement will allow Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile customers to more easily switch service providers, Reuters reports. After getting regulatory approval, T-Mobile reportedly anticipates closing the deal on May 1.

See also: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024: Our Top Picks for April

“I am so happy to report that we have received regulatory approval to acquire Mint and Ultra Mobile,” T-Mobile’s CEO Mike Sievert said Thursday during an earnings call. “We are really looking forward to welcoming them to the ‘uncarrier’ family. And I know they are going to fit in because they are hyper-focused on offering customers compelling products at a great value.”

T-Mobile shared that it had reached an agreement to acquire Ka’ena Corporation in March 2023, noting the deal would include a “combination of 39% cash and 61% stock,” it shared in a release at the time. The final sales price will be “based upon Ka’ena’s performance during certain periods before and after the closing,” T-Mobile said at the time.

The wireless carrier noted that actor Ryan Reynolds, Mint’s part owner, would stay involved in a “creative role on behalf of Mint.” T-Mobile also shared its intention to “use its supplier relationships and distribution scale to help the brands to grow and offer competitive pricing and greater device inventory” and specified that Mint and Ultra will be “complementary” to the carrier’s other prepaid options.

Updated, 6:33 p.m.: Added earnings call comment from T-Mobile’s Mike Sievert

Phone companies’ decision not to ship USB-C chargers with their products is undoubtedly good for the planet, but it does mean you might need to buy one of your own. Adding two 20-watt USB-C chargers to your collection of charging options is cheaper than you might think. Right now Amazon is currently offering a pack that includes two Anker 20-watt USB-C chargers for just $13, and you’ll even get two USB-C cables thrown in as well. That’s the good news, but there’s a catch that you need to be aware of before placing your order: You need to be an Amazon Prime member to get this special price, although at $19 the normal price is still a good deal.

Getting a single charger and cable at this price would make for a good day, so getting two is impressive. Each charger has a 20-watt USB-C port, which is enough for fast-charging even the latest iPhones. A legacy USB-A port is also included for those who need it. The two USB-C cables are both 5 feet long and come in an understated finish of black or white.

A CNET colleague of mine just bought these — annoyingly at a higher price — and says the chargers are well built and the included cables are perfectly fine if not particularly sturdy. While this deal doesn’t require any coupons or discount codes, it is listed as a limited-time offer, which means that it could end at any moment and without warning. Factor that in when planning your purchase.

Now that you’re sorted at home, maybe it’s time to reconsider your charging solution when you’re on the road as well. Our collection of the best generator deals will ensure you’re never without power, no matter where you get to.

Today’s Wordle answer could be tricky. It’s not the most commonly used word and has some letters that aren’t that commonly guessed. Speaking of common letters, we’ve got a new Wordle cheat sheet for you: A list ranking all the letters in the alphabet according to how frequently they’re used in English words.

Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.

Today’s Wordle hints

Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Friday, April 26, puzzle No. 1042 (preceded by hints that might give it away). That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and simply don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.

Wordle hint No. 1: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer features two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 2: No repeats

None of the letters in the word are repeated

Wordle hint No. 3: Starting letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter V.

Wordle hint No. 4: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer means dull, flat or unstimulating.

Wordle hint No. 5: Part of speech

Today’s Wordle answer is an adjective.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is VAPID, which we generally use to mean boring or empty-headed, not interesting. If you use it to describe a person, you’re insulting them.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s answer, #1041, April 25, was INTRO.

Past Wordle answers

April 21, No. 1037: JOLLY
April 22, No. 1038: LASER
April 23: No. 1039: ROVER
April 24, No. 1040: OVERT

Everyday Wordle tips

I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to news about controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.

Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.

What is Wordle?

If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle, and if they’re in the same spot where you guessed they are. The New York Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner and let her narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient, too, that he has a name that plays off “word.”

A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1,000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1000th word was ERUPT. As in, “Dad will erupt if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.”

There are other fun games in the Times Games stable. My latest addiction is Connections, which I think is trickier than Wordle. This is the game where you look at a grid of 16 words and try to put them into four groups of related words. Sometimes the relationships between the words are pretty out there — like the time when it was four words that all began with rock bands, such as “Rushmore” and “journeyman.” (Connections got a little sassy on April Fools’ Day with an all-emoji puzzle. Some gamers did NOT find that funny.)

Spelling Bee is a popular Times game too. And there’s a new game that’s still in beta, Strands, which I’m trying to master.

The Chicago Bears are expected to select quarterback Caleb Williams from USC with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, which starts tonight. Questions arise as soon as the next pick, however, with the Washington Commanders picking second and also in need of a QB. Will Washington go with Drake Maye from North Carolina or Jayden Daniels from LSU?

With the third selection, the New England Patriots are also looking for a quarterback and are likely considering between Maye or Daniels and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Other quarterback-needy teams, including the New York Giants with the sixth pick, Minnesota Vikings (11th), Denver Broncos (12th) and Las Vegas Raiders (13th), could be looking to trade up for one of the top quarterbacks.

In addition to the top four quarterbacks, a trio of talented wide receivers is expected to go within the first 10 picks: Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State, Rome Odunze from Washington and Malik Nabers from LSU. These players and many more will find their NFL homes this week.

The NFL draft is a three-day event that starts tonight with the first round at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Here’s everything you need to know to watch all the action without cable.

How can I watch the draft live?

Watch live for free: ABC will air all three days of the draft. If you have an over-the-air antenna hooked up to your TV and get your local ABC station, you can watch for free.

The Pat McAfee Show will be in Detroit to cover the first round of the draft on Thursday night. Co-hosting the show with McAfee will be legendary head coach Bill Belichick, and you can watch on YouTube, TikTok, the ESPN App and ESPN Plus.

Subscription options: The NFL draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. There will also be a livestream on the WatchESPN app or the NFL Mobile app (or ESPN.com or NFL.com). One caveat: You will need to prove you have a TV subscription (from a cable or satellite provider or live TV streaming service) that includes ESPN or the NFL Network in order to watch live on either app.

Cable TV cord-cutters have a number of options for watching the draft via a live TV streaming service, detailed below.

When does the NFL draft start?

The NFL draft gets underway with the first round tonight. The three days of the draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network.

Here’s the TV schedule (all times ET):

Thursday, April 25

• Round 1: 8 to 11:30 p.m. on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

Friday, April 26

• Rounds 2 and 3: 7 to 11:30 p.m. on ABC, ESPN2 and NFL Network.

Saturday, April 27

• Rounds 4 to 7: Noon to 7 p.m. on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

On ESPN, Mike Greenberg will serve as host for the first two nights of the draft alongside Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick, Booger McFarland, Adam Schefter and Molly McGrath.

On ABC, Rece Davis will host with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Field Yates from one set, and Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III reporting from another set. For Day 3 of the draft on Saturday, ABC and ESPN will combine forces with Davis, Kiper, Riddick and Yates covering rounds 4 through 7.

On the NFL Network, Rich Eisen will lead coverage featuring Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Kurt Warner, Joel Klatt and Ian Rapoport.

What’s the order of the draft picks?

After trading the top pick last year to the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears hold the first pick in this year’s draft. Here’s the draft order for the first 10 picks:

1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina)
2. Washington Commanders
3. New England Patriots
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Los Angeles Chargers
6. New York Giants
7. Tennessee Titans
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears
10. New York Jets

You can track all of the picks with ESPN’s DraftCast.

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.

If your Roku TV has been crashing while you’re trying to relax by watching the latest Netflix hit, you’re not alone. It seems to be an ongoing error many Roku users are experiencing with no word from Roku or Netflix on a permanent fix yet. When this happens, there are a few potential temporary solutions. We’ll walk you through the steps for a few fixes to hopefully get you back up and running so you can dive in and sit down.

How to Fix Netflix Crashing on Roku TV

When you have an issue with any app on your Roku TV, it’s a good idea to start with making sure the app is updated. To verify, you just need to highlight the app from the home menu and press the * button on the remote. This will pull up a popup of channel information with an option to Check for Updates.

If the app is updated and you’re still encountering problems, your next step should be clearing the cache. The cache on the Roku TV is where temporary app data is stored. If you have many apps, you might have a lot of space being taken up here slowing down the function.

Before you begin, you will want to remove the Netflix app from the TV by highlighting it on your home menu, pressing the * Button on your remote and selecting Remove app. Then clear the cache one of two ways.

• Go into the Settings menu, select System, and go to Power to get to the System Restart option.

  – OR –

• Using your remote on the Home menu on the left side, press the Home button on the remote five times, Up Arrow once, Rewind twice, Fast Forward twice and wait for your TV to restart.

Either way should restart your TV and clear out your cache. Next, you will go to Add Channels and reinstall Netflix. From here you should be able to resume watching Netflix as normal.

Report the Issue to Roku

In some cases, the above solution hasn’t fixed the issue. At the time of this article, Roku has a ticket tracking this problem open on Roku Community Discussions. As more people report the same situation, Roku asks users to comment on the discussion with some information. Here’s what you’ll need if you want to report your issue to Roku:

• Model, serial number, device ID and software OS/version of your Roku device – Go to Settings, then find System and all of these numbers will be found in About.
• Netflix version – Highlight Netflix from the Home menu and push the * button on your remote.
• Tracker ID – When Netflix crashes, push the Home button on your remote five times, then the Back Arrow (not the rewind) five times to get an ID.
• Steps you’ve already taken.

The US Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it’ll approve T-Mobile’s deal to acquire Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of prepaid wireless brands Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, according to Reuters. The deal could be worth up to $1.35 billion.

The move would allow T-Mobile to more directly operate the brands, which already run on its network. The FCC says the agreement will allow Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile customers to more easily switch service providers, Reuters reports. After getting regulatory approval, T-Mobile reportedly anticipates closing the deal on May 1.

See also: Best Cellphone Plans of 2024: Our Top Picks for April

The FCC and T-Mobile didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

T-Mobile shared that it had reached an agreement to acquire Ka’ena Corporation last March, noting the deal would include a “combination of 39% cash and 61% stock,” it shared in a release at the time. The final sales price will be “based upon Ka’ena’s performance during certain periods before and after the closing.”

The wireless carrier noted that Ryan Reynolds, Mint’s part owner, would stay involved in a “creative role on behalf of Mint.” T-Mobile also shared its intention to “use its supplier relationships and distribution scale to help the brands to grow and offer competitive pricing and greater device inventory,” and specified that Mint and Ultra will be “complementary” to the carrier’s other prepaid options.

Electric-vehicle maker Polestar has a new product, and it isn’t another car. This time, it’s a smartphone. The Swedish automaker said Tuesday that it plans to release a phone in China that’s designed around the “FlyMe Auto” Android-based software from partner and corporate cousin Xingji Meizu Group, a phone-maker.

The smartphone, which offers up to 1TB of storage and a 50-megapixel camera, is designed to act as a companion to Polestar’s in-car infotainment system, including through a digital car key that’ll automatically “wake up” the car when a user is nearby. The company is taking orders now in China, charging roughly $1,019 for the device.

A Polestar spokesman said the company has “no plans to bring the phone to other markets at this stage.”

At first glance, it may seem odd that a carmaker is releasing a smartphone, but this is far from the first time a company has attempted to jump between the two industries.

Read more: Best phones to buy for 2024

Apple famously spent a decade developing an EV, in addition to its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, before shutting down the project earlier this year. Alphabet, which owns Google, has also developed its own self-driving technology powering robotaxis in some US cities. Meanwhile, as Bloomberg noted in its article about the Polestar phone, Chinese tech giants Huawei and Xiaomi have begun to make their own cars that link with their devices.

“We also need our defensive measure as the auto industry incorporates more intelligent technologies and consumer electronics,” Xingji Meizu Chief Executive Officer Shen Ziyu told Bloomberg in an interview. Polestar is owned by Swedish carmaker Volvo and Chinese carmaker Geely.

In Chinese marketing materials, Polestar is promoting artificial intelligence technologies for the handset, powered in part by one of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips. Polestar said its AI will be able to answer questions; edit and curate photos; and help users more easily reply to chat conversations.

The $160 TCL 50 XL 5G is going on sale Thursday with a hefty feature list, especially for a phone that costs under $200. I spent a few hours with it, and so far the cheap phone seems quite capable at most tasks. While this TCL 50-series phone is not the NxtPaper model that includes a paperlike screen which is easier to see at night, it has a 120Hz refresh rate display and NFC contactless payments down to one of the lowest-priced phones that I’ve tested so far.

TCL ships the 50 XL with Android 14, 128GB of storage, a 5,010mAh battery and — in another rarity for phones in this budget price range — 1,080p resolution on its 6.78-inch display.

There are some early caveats to note. This phone is currently a T-Mobile exclusive, likely one of the reasons it has such a low price. It will also only receive one major software update to Android 15 and two years of security update support, which is on the lower side compared to the three years of security updates Motorola offers to its Moto G phones or the five years of security updates coming to Samsung’s $200 Galaxy A15.

But if you can deal with those caveats, this might otherwise be one of the most feature-rich phones you can find at this price.

The camera bump

The TCL 50 XL is big, just as its name implies. However what really sticks out is the large circular camera bump, which adds a bit of styling that we typically see on OnePlus phones. There’s three lenses within it: a wide, ultrawide and a depth sensor. The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor, the ultrawide a 5-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front is an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

I took a few quick office photos, and while I’ll have test the cameras more, initial images look OK with balanced colors. But I found these early photos to struggle when it came to details.

For instance in the photo of the grass wall in CNET’s office, there’s various shades of green but also notice that the individual blades of grass blur together.

Meanwhile the selfie photo I took in a well-lit podcast studio is noticeably blurry. However, I found that front-facing camera useful for a video call I took with my friend.

That big rear camera bump however made it quite easy for me to line up the rear camera to take a photo of myself with the better lens, which captured slightly more shades of color than those taken with the front-facing camera.

TCL 50 XL’s design, screen and specs

The rest of the TCL 50 XL’s back has a textured-plastic that’s reminiscent of the feel of leather, but I wouldn’t confuse it with the more pronounced texture that we’re seeing on this year’s Moto G line. On the 50 XL, you can feel some subtle bumps that’s more tactile to the touch, but the phone still has a more slippery feel closer to plastic.

The 6.78-inch display is the best feature. It looks sharp and clear thanks to the aforementioned 120Hz refresh rate and 1,080p resolution. TCL also includes its NxtVision HDR settings, which increases the color saturation for videos or games.

The phone has dual speakers — which sound tinny — but provide decent stereo separation and can get loud for the music and videos I’ve streamed. There’s also a headphone jack, which we often see in these cheaper phones.

The phone has a MediaTek Dimensity 6100 Plus processor and 6GB of memory which should help with multitasking. The 50 XL ships with its RAM expansion feature turned on, which uses storage to virtually simulate an additional 6GB of memory. And while the 128GB of internal space is a lot for this price (by comparison the $150 Moto G Play has 64GB), the 50 XL has a microSD memory card slot to expand storage up to 2TB.

I’ve been able to launch in and out of a mix of games and apps fairly easily, although games chugged along when I bumped the graphics from low to medium settings. It was easy to set up my various texting apps, scroll through news and stream YouTube, with the latter benefitting from the smoother 120Hz refresh rate.

I almost did a double take seeing the Google Pay setup screen since there are no other phones at or below the TCL 50 XL’s $160 price point that include the feature. Considering how prevalent contactless payment terminals are, it’s nice seeing NFC for Google Pay on more sub-$200 phones. It comes in handy for everything from transit systems to vending machines.

TCL 50 XL has a lot of potential value

While I have to run the TCL 50 XL through our variety of review tests, it’s striking to see so many high-end phone features make their way down to a $160 phone. The big 1080p display should provide plenty of space for most apps and media, while NFC for contactless payments will make the phone useful for making purchases.

Even if the phone’s cameras and software support fall short, ultimately the low price is still compelling for someone who just wants a functional phone.

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No one likes to be in the middle of trying to relax with their favorite show only to be met with technological resistance and overly drawn-out waiting times. If you’re struggling to get your Roku TV to open your shows, it may seem like you need to delete apps or even get a new TV, but luckily there may be an even more simple solution than that.

When your computer, Android or iPhone starts to slow down and take a while to load programs or files, one of the first steps is clearing the cache. What you might not know is Roku TVs store cache as well and can also be slowed by holding too much. The cache is where apps on your TV store temporary data, but the more apps you have, the more storage space this takes up on the TV.

How to Clear Roku TV Cache

This process on a Roku TV isn’t as straightforward as it is on other devices. Improve the performance of your device and get it cleared by following these steps. Keep in mind your Roku will restart, clearing the cache, but it will not factory reset:

Reset Roku TV in Settings

1. From the main menu, go to the end of the list and select the Settings menu.
2. Within Settings, find System and open it.
3. Scroll down to Power and select it.
4. Select System Restart and click Restart to confirm.

This will turn off your TV and clear the cache, but will not factory reset. Your Roku TV should turn back on in about 30 seconds. If this doesn’t work, you can try using the hidden remote function to reset the TV instead.

Reset Roku TV with Remote

1. Go to the Home menu and make sure the highlight is over the Home option on the left.
2. On your remote push the Home button five times.
3. Push the Up arrow once.
4. Push the Rewind button twice.
5. Push the Fast Forward button twice.
6. Wait for your Roku to restart.

Uninstall the App

If resetting the Roku TV doesn’t solve the issues with slowing, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the app you believe is causing the issue. As a warning, all users and settings will be removed from the app and you will need to set this back up upon reinstall.

1. Highlight the app, but do not open it.
2. Push the * button on your remote.
3. Select Remove Channel from the popup.

Factory Reset Roku TV

For those still having issues at this point, you may be better off doing a factory reset of the whole Roku TV. This will remove all your users, sign-ins and apps. It will be the same as if you just brought it home from the store.

1. From the menu, select Settings.
2. Find System and select it.
3. At the bottom of the System menu, go to Advanced System Settings.
4. Select Factory Reset and enter the code underneath the number pad on the right to confirm reset.