Category: Technologies

As the weather turns colder, many of us will be spending more time inside. And you can make sure your entertainment area is ready to go without breaking the bank. Right now Woot has slashed prices on new TVs — including impressive OLED models — and soundbars that can boost your audio experience by as much as 63%. These offers are available now through Oct. 9, while supplies last.

If you’re looking for a solid discount on a quality TV, Woot has you covered. You can grab the new 2023 LG C3 Series OLED in 48-, 65-, 77- and 83-inch sizes starting at $1,197. And your purchase comes with a free Visa gift card worth up to $400 in value. For example, the 65-inch model costs $1,797, but you’ll receive a gift card worth $250, so it’s essentially like you’re paying just $1,547 for this top-tier TV that CNET’s David Katzmaier says “sets the standard for high-end TV picture quality.”

Another OLED option is the Samsung S90C Series with Quantum HDR, Dolby Atmos, Object Tracking Sound Lite, built-in Alexa and a gaming hub. The 65-inch model is down to $1,730 — that’s an $868 savings. And for the lowest cost option in the sale, the 43-inch LG NanoCell 75 Series is down to $380 at Woot (save $140). This 4K TV has built-in Alexa and supports HDR, HDR10 and HLG. Plus, it has a Game Optimizer mode with auto low-latency mode, making it a good option for gamers on a budget.

And for audio, there are plenty of great options as well. You can grab the Yamaha SR-B20A soundbar with built-in subwoofers and DTS Virtual: X for $120 right now — that’s an $80 savings. And for an entire sound system to really give your entertainment space a theatrical boost, the 2023 Samsung HW-Q930C 9.1.4 channel system, which includes a wireless Dolby Atmos soundbar, a subwoofer and rear speakers, is a solid choice. It lists for $1,400, but Woot has slashed the price by 50%, so you can get your hands on this audio system for just $698. And something in between the two, Samsung’s HW-S801B Series 3.2.1 channel soundbar and subwoofer set is discounted by 63%, bringing the cost down from $900 to just $335. It has Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual: X, as well as built-in Alexa for convenient voice control.

There are plenty of other great options available as well, so be sure to shop the entire sale selection to find the right fit for your home.

The new flagships of the Pixel lineup, the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, are nearly here, and Google fans are champing at the bit to get their hands on one. Preorders have launched and right now Amazon is sweetening the deal. Not only is the company slashing the price of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro by up to 25%, but it’s also adding a freebie onto your purchase. You’ll get a set of Pixel Buds Pro with the purchase of the base Pixel 8 or a new Pixel Watch 2 when you preorder the Pixel 8 Pro, absolutely free.

With new and exciting features such as an ultrawide camera with bigger and better sensor, a telephoto lens, and more, this new flagship lineup from Google seems like a solid upgrade for most people (though our full review is still in process). The company is also boasting its generous seven-year span of updates and support, which is two years longer than what the preceding lineup offered and longer than what most of Google’s top competitors offer as well.

You can preorder the base model of the Google Pixel 8 with128GB of storage for $699. It’ll come with a pair of Pixel Buds Pro at no extra charge, saving you $200. Or upgrade to the version with 256GB of storage for only $60 more, and you’ll still be able to get those free earbuds — now enhanced with better features.

And for folks who want to spring for the Pro, the 128GB model of the Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with a free Pixel Watch 2, the brand-new generation of Pixel’s popular smartwatch, for just $999, which saves you a total of $350. Or upgrade to the 256GB version for $60 more. There’s even a 512GB version available for $1,179.

The new Pixel phones will be released Oct. 12. Be sure to check out our roundup for more preorder deals on the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

There is hope in Washington. Not in the House of Representatives, which is in complete disarray, but with the professional football team. The Commanders are in their first year under new owner Josh Harris after the unpopular (to put it kindly) Daniel Snyder was pressured to sell the team. The Commanders hung with the Eagles for 60 minutes last week before falling in overtime, with second-year QB Sam Howell looking the part and moving the offense.

The picture is less rosy for the professional football team from Chicago. The Bears are still searching for their first win of the year, but third-year QB Justin Fields looked better in last week’s loss than he did over the first three games, in which the Bears’ offense struggled mightily.

Kickoff for the Bears-Commanders game on Thursday Night Football is set for 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) tonight with the game streaming nationally on 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 markets of the Bears or Commanders — a local network channel.

With YouTube and YouTube TV now the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, along with games also 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 for $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to for $9 a month.

Fans in the local market of each team playing on Thursday night 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 also 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 viewing is limited to watching on just a phone or tablet, not on a computer or TV.

Can I watch Thursday Night Football on local TV?

Yes, you can, if you live in the local market of either of the teams playing on Thursday. For this week, that’s WFLD Fox 32 in Chicago and WTTG Fox 5 in Washington. There are two ways to watch local channels on your TV. The first is with a live TV streaming service. And the second is with an over-the-air antenna, if you live in an area that has good reception.

All five of the live TV streaming services carry Fox, but not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries Fox in your particular 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.

You don’t need a complicated or expensive surround sound setup to improve your TV’s audio. The JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One soundbar is simple and compact solution that can bring powerful and immersive sound to your home movie nights, and right now you can pick it up at a serious discount. Though you won’t see any savings listed at Harman Audio, the price will automatically drop to just $82 when you add it to your cart, which saves you a whopping $118 compared to the usual price. But there’s no set expiration for this low-key offer, so we’d recommend taking advantage of it sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

This 2.0-channel JBL soundbar delivers some serious sound for a single-piece setup. It boasts 80W of total output power, and is equipped with two full-range drivers for crisp highs and deep, rich lows. Plus, it features a Dolby Digital decoder to emulate multichannel audio for a truly immersive and cinematic watch experience. It also has built-in Bluetooth for easy wireless music streaming from your phone, laptop or other devices. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to setup with both an HDMI ARC port and an optical cable connection.

And if you’re in the market for a different model, you can check out our full roundup of all the best soundbar deals for even more bargains.

Charging all of your devices at once can sometimes mean having multiple plugs in play, but what if you could charge everything off of one single outlet and still have enough juice for even the most thirsty of gaming laptops? The Ugreen Nexode 300-watt charger is the answer, and right now it’s yours for just $200. Got a new USB-C iPhone 15 that needs charging? This is a good place to start.

This charger would normally cost around $270, but if you order now you’ll save a sizable 26% ($70) without having to do anything special. The charger itself is available for quick delivery via Amazon and you could be powering all of your laptops, phones and more as soon as tomorrow.

When it comes to USB-C chargers, Ugreen is one of the names that often springs to mind. The company makes plenty of chargers of different shapes and sizes, and this 300-watt monster sits at the top of the tree. It has five ports with a maximum 140 watts available via a single USB-C port. That’s enough to charge even the most powerful of laptops, but you can also charge multiple devices at once without compromising on speed. Two USB-C ports can be used to deliver 100 watts to one laptop and 140 watts to another, for example. Even if you use all five ports, you can still charge one device at the full 140 watts.

All of this comes in a box with a 240-watt USB-C cable to get you started, so you can be up and charging in no time at all.

Netflix, a CNET Editors’ Choice Award pick, is virtually synonymous with streaming TV shows and movies. On top of letting you stream shows like Black Mirror and Stranger Things, your subscription gives you access to a library of mobile games you can play on your iOS or Android device.

In October, Netflix Games is adding two spooky games for you to play in time for Halloween. Both will be added to Netflix’s gaming library throughout the month, but exact dates aren’t yet known.

Here are the titles Netflix Games is adding in October.

Dead Cells: Netflix Edition

Dead Cells, the award winning roguelike platformer, is bringing its action to Netflix. You might object that it isn’t really a horror or Halloween-themed game, but it does have “dead” in the title (and you’ll die… a lot). In this game, your character has to fight through creatures and dungeons to slay the king. And if your character dies, no worries, it’s all part of the experience. Death unlocks more powers for your character and allows you to learn the right pattern to defeat your enemies. There’s a reason the game’s tagline is “Kill, die, learn, repeat.”

Slayaway Camp: Netflix and Kill

This Netflix Games exclusive is a puzzle title where you take control of a killer named Skullface — naturally. Skullface is loose at a summer camp, and like any good killer at a summer camp, he kills camp counselors in myriad ways, like squishing and decapitating them. It’s your job to slide Skullface around the stage to get rid of the camp counselors in as few moves as possible.

Here’s how you can access games in Netflix’s library.

1. Download the Netflix app onto your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
2. Open the Netflix app and sign in to your account.
3. Scroll down your homepage until you see the Mobile Games carousel.
4. Tap into a game to learn more about it.
5. Tap Get Game to download a game you’re interested in.

An additional pop-up from either Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store will open, asking if you want to download the game. After you’ve confirmed that action, the game will start downloading on your device, like other apps.

For more, check out other Netflix Games titles, like Oxenfree 2, WrestleQuest and The Queen’s Gambit Chess.

With a new iPhone officially available, you may be in the market for a new case or other accessories. And right now, CNET readers can snag some at a major discount. Totallee will be offering 50% all products during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale next week, but you can get in on the savings a little early when you use the promo code EARLYDEAL50. The code will be valid until the main Prime Day sale kicks off on Oct. 10.

Totallee makes some of our favorite iPhone cases on the market right now. Its basic case is ultra-thin at just 0.02 inches, and has a raised lip to protect the camera. It comes in six different colors, and you can pick it up for just $15 right now, which saves you $14 compared to the usual price. And for an extra $3 you can upgrade to the magnetic case, which is compatible with a variety of accessories and features a non-slip rubbery. There are cases for all iPhone 15 and 15 Pro models, as well as the iPhone 14, 13, 12, 11 and SE series.

And even if you don’t need a new case, there are tons of other convenient accessories that you can pick up for less right now. These tempered glass screen protectors are already $6 off, and you can save an extra $14 with the promo code, dropping the price down to just $15. Or you can pick up this 10-watt wireless charging pad for just $35, which is $34 off the usual price.

If you’ve been using the internet for any substantial period of time, it’s likely that your online personal data is scattered all over the place. When you sign up for a new social media platform, for example, or purchase something online, you give those companies pieces of your personal information.

That private information is collected by both companies and data brokers — which can then sell it to other companies who can use it to sell ads targeted at you. If you’re anything like me, you gave out your online data willy-nilly when signing up for rewards programs, for example, without knowing what you were really doing. And you’re paying for it now with ads that track you across the internet. But Consumer Reports now has an app called Permission Slip that can reach out to companies for you to order them to not sell your information.

Read on to find out how exactly to use Permission Slip to reassert some control over your online data. Plus, here are six tips to help keep your data private and why you need a password manager.

What is Permission Slip?

To help you claw back a bit of your personal data, some states have passed legislation that allows you to exercise some control over what happens to it. Depending on the state, you can prohibit data brokers from selling your data or delete your online data outright. But the process of controlling your data on websites can be confusing, and it’s often unclear whether you’ve opted in or out of selling your personal data. And due to the nature of how your data is shopped around, it could be nearly impossible to locate all of your online data and protect it.

This is where services like Consumer Reports’ Permission Slip come in. Permission Slip does the legwork of collecting the places that might have your data, including more than 100 companies that use your personal information. All you have to do is submit your request for your info to either be deleted outright or simply not sold any more.

How do I use Permission Slip?

To get started using Permission Slip, all you have to do is sign up for the service with your email address. I decided to sign up with the email address that I frequently use when signing up for rewards programs or making accounts online — that way I would be addressing most of the places that could be selling my data.

After signing up, you’ll be presented with options of popular companies and data brokers that could have your information. If you think that company might have your data, and you want to do something about it, select Learn More & Take Action. If you don’t think this company has your data and you would like to no longer see it as an option, select Hide and it won’t clog up your suggestions.

Once you’ve selected Learn More & Take Action you will be taken to a screen that shows you what sort of data the company usually collects, and what your options are. Depending on the company and the state that you live in, you could have the option to prohibit companies from selling your data or to delete your account outright. It’s important to note that if you’re deleting your account and you have a rewards program with that company, you will lose those rewards upon deletion.

When you’ve decided whether you want to delete your account with a specific company or simply prohibit them from selling your data, Permission Slip will ask you a couple of questions that can help companies and data brokers correctly identify you and properly take care of your information.

After you input your personal info the first time, the process for continuing to remove your data is pretty simple. You will just scroll through Permission Slip’s suggestions, select companies that might have your info and then delete your account or prohibit the company from using your data.

It’s important to note that while Permission Slip is submitting the request on your behalf, you still might have to confirm the request directly with the company. It also might take a bit of time to have your request processed and your information deleted, so patience will be your friend during this process.

For more, here are the best internet providers of 2023 and the best VPNs of 2023.