Category: Technologies

A few weeks ago, I woke up a groggy mess and cast about for who was responsible — only to remember I’d stayed up doomscrolling on my phone until the wee hours of the night. I resolved to start leaving my phone out of the bedroom to remove temptation, which became its own test as I worried about potential missed texts or calls from loved ones.

There are pros and cons to having your phone in your bedroom during sleep, and they shift depending on circumstances — for instance, caregivers or emergency workers who need to respond to calls in the middle of the night likely need their phone as close as possible while they rest. Ditto for anyone on-call if a loved one needs a ride in the late hours. And for many of us, phones are the do-all gadget that also functions as an alarm clock — so why would you leave it outside the bedroom?

Studies have shown that habitually using phones late at night may lead to poorer task performance and mental health. While most of those studies have tracked student behavior, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a pop quiz in the morning or an Excel spreadsheet to fill out — if you’re up late mainlining a rectangle of blue light that keeps your brain spinning with TikToks and social posts, it’s going to take a toll the day after.

Read more: 5 Reasons You Should Unplug From Social Media

After surveying over 180,000 Australian students for a 2018 paper in the journal Sleep on the impact of late-night phone use and sleep, University of South Australia psychology professor Kurt Lushington has been exploring the same effects in adults. Though the research is preliminary, “digital device use at bedtime is associated with worse sleep and next day performance which mirrors what others have found,” Lushington said.

For adults, the phenomenon might not just be using phones in the bedroom, but continuing to use any device late at night for work or play. “Using a digital device at bedtime simply represents a continuum of overwork which may be more responsible for deficits than taking a device to bed per se,” Lushington said. He acknowledged that adults have other reasons to keep their phones nearby, including listening to podcasts or music to help them drift off to sleep.

Read more: The 7 Best Sleep Headphones in 2023

On the bright side, Lushington’s more recent study of Australian boarding students who stayed at school overnight found an enlightening consensus: boarders slept better overnight than non-boarding peers because of strict policies preventing them from taking devices to bed.

Adopting similar no-device rules could be helpful, but phones have become our lifelines to the outside world, and cutting the digital umbilical — even for the nocturnal hours when we’re not awake to use them — can be hard. Here’s how I’ve done it.

I just need some space (from my phone)

Like I imagine is the case for most phone owners on the planet, I’ve fallen into the habit of keeping my phone within arm’s reach as I sleep. But in addition to keeping me up later, if I wake in the middle of the night and check the time, seeing notifications can easily lead me to check those — and suddenly a brief break in sleep becomes a 10 to 15 minute phone scrolling section.

Moving my phone outside the bedroom was a hard habit to break. My phone is something between a daily essential and an appendage — just like patting my pockets to make sure I’ve got my handset when I leave the house, putting it outside the bedroom at night triggered my anxiety.

To soothe my mind, I replaced my lazy end-of-night sequence of falling in bed looking at my phone with an actual routine. I wound down an hour before I wanted to fall asleep and stopped looking at screens, cleaned my skin and teeth, and restricted myself to books from then until I drifted off. We’ve got suggestions for tried-and-true bedtime routines, but the most important thing is adhering to a defined schedule and keeping your brain away from news/conversations/notifications that will spin it back up. When I put my phone down outside my bedroom, it stays there until the morning.

Read more: CNET Wellness Editors Reveal the 9 Ways They Get Quality Sleep

I will confess to indulging in two minor loopholes to the above. First, I sleep with an Apple Watch, mostly so that my set alarm will wake me up in the morning. I do have a discrete alarm clock by my bedside (a leftover from high school), but the vibrations of the smartwatch are a much gentler wakeup than the blaring beeps that wake me in a cold sweat thinking I’m late for class.

So long as I set my phone in Sleep focus, zero notifications get through — except for selected family members, so I know I’m not missing an emergency call. I also use my Apple Watch to track sleep, so it’s on my wrist anyway.

The other loophole to my no-screen rule is having an e-reader by my bed. My Kindle Paperwhite is set to dark mode, and the e-ink screen doesn’t emit the blue light that keeps me up — I can even give the white-on-black letters a warmer tint to make it easier on my eyes. I can turn out the lights and read without keeping myself up. Best of all, if I wake in the middle of the night, I can turn to my e-reader to soothe myself back to sleep — no notifications, no bright light.

The importance of (rarely) letting the phone back in

That said, there are certainly times where I need my phone next to me as I sleep. Last year, I missed a 7 a.m. flight due to an iOS beta bug silencing alarms (a calamitous tech reporter failure that led me to speedrun the five stages of grief), and now I keep my handset next to me the night before travel with multiple redundant alarms queued up so I wake up on time.

Likewise, if I’m waiting to hear from a friend or having a late conversation just before sleep, I’m not going to get out of bed and put the phone away. After a few weeks of regularly keeping my phone outside the bedroom, I don’t have to because I’ve retrained my brain to not need the phone nearby — at least once I’ve started my bedtime routine.

Every other time of day, though, I’m still slavishly attached to my phone, mindlessly unlocking it to scroll through social media and browse the internet. When people reach out, I respond quickly and reinforce the notion that I’m available at all times. Ultimately, by adhering to my rigid no-screen bedtime routine, I’m treating the symptom and not the cause of my addiction to the content firehose spilling from my phone.

For my sanity, I should probably reduce my phone use overall, but it’s a Herculean effort — and as the 2018 Sleep paper showed, there is an upside of increased social connection when interacting with friends and strangers over message and social media apps. While we’re past the days of pandemic lockdown when we relied on digital platforms for our only social interaction, my phone is still a portal to people I know all over the country (and beyond). Keeping these tendrils of human connection alive has kept me going through a tough last few years.

But as I keep reminding myself, I can make that social media post or message from a friend off-limits. They will still be there in the morning, and I’ll be more rested to enjoy it.

Sometimes I get absolutely brilliant ideas. Like doing a 10,000 mile road trip in a Miata. Other times, they’re… “brilliant.” Like reviewing the bestselling projector on Amazon. Here’s that gem, the $65 AuKing M8-F. I’ll give the company the benefit of the doubt that the name is implying a chemical symbol for “gold king”, or something. As far as product names go, I don’t H8 it.

Like all ultrabudget projectors, the specs list reads like a fever dream of someone with extreme and chronic optimism: 9,500 lumens, 1080p resolution, 200-inch projected images, “50 to 100%” zoom range, 15-year “bulb” life. If those numbers are accurate, this projector would be a bargain at 20 times its price. Spoiler: They are not. But surely the 4.3 stars from 26,215 reviews can’t be a total fabrication?

Surprising no one who regularly reads my projector reviews (surely that has to be some of you? Mom?), the AuKing fails to live up to any of its grand claims. Well, maybe the 15-year thing, since it’s lit by LEDs and not a “bulb.” So, how bad is it? Compared to real projectors, it’s pretty bad. Judged including its meager price? Eh, not terrible.

‘Superlative’ specs

• Native resolution: 1,280×720
• HDR-compatible: No
• 4K-compatible: No
• 3D-compatible: No
• Lumens spec: 9,500 (lol)
• Zoom: Yes (claimed)
• Lens shift: No
• LED life: 55,000 hours (claimed)

My biggest complaint about the AuKing — and all these ultrabudget projectors on Amazon — is the way manufacturers blatantly lie about their specs. Look, companies fudge their numbers a little, I get it, but 9,500 lumens? Are you kidding me? Even super-bright projectors that cost 10 to 20 times what the AuKing does still only claim around 3,000 lumens. Going up to 9,500 would burn your retinas. Good thing it’s completely false. I measured a total of 212 lumens. So… less.

AuKing claims a “50% to 100% zoom” range. The actual amount is 0%. Unless, that is, you count physically picking up the projector and walking it farther from the screen. I guess that’s a “zoom,” technically. If you can’t sense my sarcasm, that’s because every single projector can do this.

Interestingly, it does have optical keystone correction, which is very rare. So instead of the potential digital artifacts and resolution reduction from digital keystone correction, you can get optical reduction in resolution due to the panel being out of focus from the plane of the lens. This keystone correction is important, though, because unlike most projectors, there’s no upwards throw. In order to project a square image the projector needs to be in the middle of the screen height-wise. Most projectors are designed to project a square image from slightly below or above the screen.

And then there’s the resolution. The model description says “Compatible with Full HD 1080P HDMI.” Anyone knowledgeable about such things will know that “compatible” is a weasel word to mean it can accept 1080p, not that it is 1080p. I would bet most people would miss that distinction. In the product specs it says the M8-F is actually 1,280×720, and that seems honest, at least. Side-by-side with a 480p projector and a 1080p projector, the M8-F’s pixels aren’t as chunky as the 480p’s, nor as tiny as the 1080p’s.

It claims 55,000 hours from the LEDs, which doesn’t seem far-fetched given how dim they are. It equates that to 15 years, and at 4 hours a night, that’s probably underselling it.

Surprisingly, lots of inputs

• HDMI inputs: 1
• USB port: USB-A (1)
• Audio outputs: Headphone output (1), line level (1), both 3.5mm
• PC: DE-15 “VGA” (1)
• Memory card: Micro SD
• Internet: None
• Remote: Not backlit

The trend in most projectors has been for fewer inputs, so I’m surprised to see so many on such an inexpensive product. HDMI, analog VGA for a PC, even a microSD card slot. I tried powering a Roku streaming stick via the AuKing’s USB output, and surprisingly it worked.

There are both headphone and line-level analog audio outputs on the AuKing. To be honest, I can think of a few projectors that would benefit with having both these options.

The remote is nondescript, looking basically identical to the one that comes with nearly every ultrabudget projector I’ve tested, but it’s fairly easy to navigate in the dark.

Picture quality comparisons

• Hision HIUS-LP-M7
• Elephas JingHuier

With a plethora of ultrabudget projectors to choose from, I figured the two most worthy competitors were the Hision HIUS-LP-M7 and Elephas JingHuier. The Hision is a jaw-dropping 20% more expensive, but also the least bad projector in this price range that I’ve reviewed so far. I described the image of the Elephas JingHuier as a “smeary, joyless mess of washed-out colors and sadness.” So it was definitely going to be a part of this comparison, and it’s $10 less than the AuKing. I connected all of them via a Monoprice distribution amplifier and watched them side-by-side-by-side on a 1.0-gain screen.

Unexpectedly, shockingly perhaps, the AuKing is actually not that bad. Let me be clear, it’s not good, but I’ve definitely seen worse. Well, for one, the Elephas JingHuier is right there. The AuKing’s colors are… OK. The contrast is… OK. The brightness is… OK. If you size it to create a circa-60-inch image and watch it in the dark, it’s not the worst thing I’ve seen.

Let’s start with the light output. The 212 lumens I measured is actually more than the AAXA P7 Plus I recently reviewed, as well as several other more expensive projectors. It’s even slightly higher than the Hision. It’s not a lot, though. I wouldn’t try watching something 100 inches in diameter. That would be hard to watch even in a totally dark room. A more TV-size image would be fine. It would still be dark, but watchable. Brightness uniformity is abysmal, with the corners noticeably darker than the center. This is yet another casualty of the simplistic lens.

One benefit of such a simple optical array, though, is a better-than-expected contrast ratio. I measured an average of 269:1. That’s not a lot, but it is actually higher than the $1,100 Anker Nebula Mars 3 (258:1). It’s about half of the Hision’s (466:1) but more than double the Elephas (136:1). So it does look fairly flat, but it’s watchable.

The colors are an odd mix of accurate and inaccurate. Green, cyan, and yellow are all surprisingly close to accurate. Red, magenta, and blue are all very undersaturated, and blue is greenish. Even the most inaccurate colors are all close enough that it doesn’t look as “wrong” as the Hision. Caucasian skin tones, for example, are far more realistic on the AuKing. A more accurate color temperature helps too.

The Hision has a little more detail… in the exact center anyway. The edges are so blurry what’s even the point of 1080p with such bad lenses? Which is to say, 720p is fine for something like this. The Elephas has pixels the size of drink coasters, so more than 480p is definitely worthwhile.

Who wins this mini-face-off of ultrabudget projectors? Let’s start with immediately dismissing the Elephas. It still strongly in the running for one of the worst projectors I’ve ever seen. It’s comically dim, the contrast is terrible, and its colors are weird. This would make a great gift for someone that you hate.

Overlooking the Hision’s bug issue (a literal bug stuck somewhere in the light path), it does look good for its price. However, the AuKing looks better. The colors are far more realistic (again, the key word there is “more”), it’s a little brighter, the video processing is better, and the contrast ratio is decent for the price. Honestly, were I forced to choose which of these sub-$100 projectors I had to watch, I’d actually pick the AuKing.

Bestseller

Projectors are not, to put it succinctly, “mainstream.” They are, and forever will be, a niche. Don’t get me wrong: I’m firmly within that niche. I don’t even own a TV. I only use a projector. Despite the huge leaps in brightness in the last few years, as well as a variety of new designs, most people don’t have projectors. And unlike phones and TVs, which cost a lot more I’ll grant you, I bet most people won’t spend time researching the AuKing. Either they’ll think “a projector is a projector, why spend more?” Or they’ll believe something this cheap is “probably fine” given how they intend to use it.

What concerns me is not that people are buying $65 projectors. What’s concerning is why they’re buying this one. Sure, it’s a little better than the competition. I only figured that out only by measuring it with about $15,000 worth of video test gear. I’m pretty confident I’m the only person to have done this outside the company (or more accurately, whatever company actually made this).

To me, the success of the AuKing is a failure of a different kind. There is no way consumers made this product a bestseller because it was good. They would have no way of knowing. Amazon reviews can be meaningless, especially when there’s over 26,000 of them. Maybe it being “not bad” led to a few more positive reviews than it would have, but how much of a difference would that make? For proof of that point, the AuKing has a review average of 4.3. The profoundly terrible Elephas JingHuier has an average review of 3.8. And that’s assuming a meaningful percentage of any of those reviews is actually real.

My assumption about the AuKing’s sales success can best be summed up by William H. Macy’s character in David Mamet’s State & Main: “It’s not a lie. It’s a gift for fiction.” The, shall we say, exaggerations about the AuKing’s performance were enough to give it early success, and then it just snowballed from there. A case study, for sure, in successfully selling a commodity product on Amazon. The fact that it’s decent for the price, given this sea of similar products and marketing obfuscation, is an unexpected, but welcome, twist of fate. Was AuKing the first to do this? Nope, nor are they the only one to do so on Amazon. Caveat emptor, as the Romans said. But what did they know? They didn’t even have Prime next-day delivery.

Google has added a new artificial intelligence-powered grammar checker in its search engine. While Gmail and Docs have had grammar and spelling checks for a while, this is a new feature for Search.

In a support page, Google says the grammar check feature uses “AI systems” to analyze language and is able to “check if a phrase or sentence is written in a grammatically correct way or how to correct it, if not.”

This new Search feature, spotted earlier Sunday by 9to5Google, is one of several AI-powered tools Google has rolled out this year. In May, Google launched an experimental AI-powered search, called Search Generative Experience, that’s able to summarize information from multiple sources in response to search queries. Google has also added generative AI tools to Gmail and Docs and launched its own AI chatbot, Bard.

Google, along with Microsoft, Adobe and nearly every major tech company, has been rapidly releasing new generative AI tools and products. While such tools have vast potential to help people on tasks big and small, concerns have been raised about job loss and misinformation. Advanced AI systems have also sparked worries about their impact on society.

Google cautions that the tool’s responses might not be 100% accurate.

Partial phrases especially are harder for Google to check, and as of now, it can only check searches in English.

How to Use Google Search’s AI-Powered Grammar Check

To take advantage of Google’s grammar check, simply type the sentence or passage you would like to be checked into the search bar and add the phrase “grammar check” or “check grammar” after it. Adding these phrases to the end of your search ensures that this feature is activated.

Google will bold and underline any issues in the sentence; if there are no issues, a green check mark will appear to let you know. You can copy the corrected sentence by hovering your mouse over it and selecting the Copy button that will appear.

We tried the new feature, and while it did catch some errors, it wasn’t 100% right, particularly when it comes to longer, more complex sentences.

For example, Google correctly identified and fixed an issue with the noun-verb agreement in the sentence: “The dogs is running.”

However, when asked to check more complex passages, Google failed to correctly identify and remedy this sentence: “The dogs aren’t outside today it is too hot.”

Google’s fix — adding a comma between the two clauses — might be alright for informal writing, but it is technically incorrect. The two clauses are complete sentences and require either a period or semicolon to separate them.

The “feedback” option in the lower right hand corner allows you to give feedback to Google, including options to report an incorrect suggestion or a particularly helpful one.

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

PS5 systems are melting USB ports during extended gameplay sessions, according to a report from Kotaku on Monday.

The issue was noticed this past weekend at Evolution in Las Vegas, the world’s largest fighting games tournament. Players from around the world descended on the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to compete in games like Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive and Tekken 7, among others.

Because the PS5 only has one USB-A port up front, many players plugged their fighting game controllers into one of the available ports in the back. Considering these systems were on for hours at a time with competitors filtering through, PS5s were likely heating up throughout the day. And because the PS5 exhausts heat from the back of the system, temperatures may have gotten hot enough to melt the plastic inside USB ports.

Some competitors reported that their cables ended up fusing with the PS5 USB ports, forcing the entire port to come out when yanked.

EVO is proving that PS5 is NOT the answer. Usb ports are melting like craY. @Kyoku236HS usb on his controller melted.This is not isolated. We need to go PC or xbox atleast

— SabreAZ (@Sabre_AZ) August 5, 2023

Sony and Evo didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

It should be noted that some competitors were using unlicensed converters for their old PS4 fight sticks on PS5 due to the lack of cross-system compatibility. It’s possible that issues could have arisen from using unlicensed hardware. It’s also uncertain if the affected USB ports were from defective PS5s.

Sony, along with RTS, a streaming and events management company owned by streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys, jointly purchased Evo in 2021. Because of Sony’s direct stake, the PS5 is the default system for the Street Fighter 6 competition. Older titles were played on PS4s. As Sony competes with Microsoft and Nintendo, it’s planted its flag with the fighting games community. By owning Evo, the Japanese electronics manufacturer all but ensures that its systems will be the destination for competitive fighting games players. While games like the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1 will release on multiple platforms, the competitive scene will likely gravitate toward buying PS5 copies of the game as that will likely be the system used at Evo. That’s not to say games on other systems can’t take part in Evo. There was a Killer Instinct invitational played on Xbox.

Sony’s hold on the gaming zeitgeist has helped its PS5 reach nearly 40 million units sold since its 2020 launch. Microsoft hasn’t been as generous in providing Xbox Series X and S sales figures, but during a developers’ conference in Brazil, the software giant said 21 million units had been either shipped or sold. Sony’s dominance was a key argument by Microsoft during its trial with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its purchase of Activision Blizzard, creator of Call of Duty and Candy Crush.

Tips to ensure your PS5 doesn’t melt your USB cables

1. Use the front USB-A or USB-C port rather than the rear, which is next to the heat exhaust.
2. If forced to use the rear USB-A port, make sure the console has had time to cool before plugging it in again.
3. Avoid using unlicensed converters until there’s a statement from Sony or the third-party hardware manufacturer.

Read more: Best Handheld Game Consoles of 2023

Threads’ rapid growth has begun to taper off, but Meta is pushing forward with more updates and features for its users. After conducting beta tests for Android last week, the platform rolled out a feature this past weekend that lets you see which posts you’ve liked. Just head to settings and tap “Your Likes,” and you’ll no longer wonder if you’re sending your liked posts to the void. It’s an addition that may help put Threads on par with the now-rebranded Twitter.

Meta head Mark Zuckerberg teased that more updates will hit Threads in the coming weeks, including search capabilities and web version of the app. Its last most significant upgrade was the “Following” tab, which allows users to see threads from the people that they follow, in chronological order. Previously, users could see threads only in a “For You” page, which allowed users to see only posts that were being recommended to them based upon an algorithm.

This latest series of updates comes after the initial surge of sign-ups on Threads slowed. Since then, Threads added about 19 million new users over the past few weeks. However, it also looks like Threads’ daily usage has dropped off, as expected for a new platform in a fairly crowded market.

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri took to Threads in July to announce some updates while imploring users to continue to share ideas and hopes for the platform. Along with the Following tab, other new changes included post translations, a new way to filter notifications in the Activity tab, a follow button and a new way to approve followers if you have a private account.

If you’re interested in setting up your own Threads account, you’re in luck — joining Threads is pretty easy. All you have to do is sign in with your Instagram credentials and you get to keep your username, followers and verification status.

The rising popularity of Threads comes at the same time as more and more users are becoming dissatisfied with Twitter. As owner Elon Musk continues to make controversial changes to the app — like imposing a limit on the amount of tweets you could read per day or changing the iconic blue bird logo — more users are jumping ship to Twitter alternatives.

Threads joins a line up of several Twitter alternatives, such as Mastodon and Bluesky. The platform provides the option to post text, videos and photos, and the ability to engage in real-time conversations.

Read on to learn more about how to join Threads and what features are available. For more, here’s why you might want to wait to join Threads and how Meta is using AI to organize your feeds.

What is Threads?

Created by Meta’s Instagram team, Threads is a platform that allows you to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters. You can include links, photos or videos up to five minutes long. The app is linked to your Instagram account, and according to Meta, you can “easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.”

Your feed will include posts from people and accounts you follow on Instagram or Threads, as well as recommendations for undiscovered content. You also have the ability to filter specific words from your feed and restrict who is allowed to mention you.

Threads is free to use and is available to download from the App Store (iOS) and the Play Store (Android).

The app launched in more than 100 countries, but its release has been delayed in the European Union, reportedly due to data-sharing concerns between Instagram and Threads. Meta is also reportedly blocking attempts by people in the EU to access Threads using a VPN, telling TechCrunch in a statement that, “we’ve taken additional steps to prevent people based there from accessing it at this time.”

How to sign up for Threads

You must have an Instagram account to join Threads, as the service requires you to use your Instagram login credentials to sign in.

First, launch the Threads application and select the Instagram profile you want to make a Thread account for. If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can switch at the login page.

Next, add your name, bio and any links you want to show on your Threads profile. You can also just hit the Import from Instagram button to port over that information from your IG profile.

Finally, choose to follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram, on Threads. You can do this one by one, by scrolling through the accounts you follow on Instagram or by searching for an account. You can also just follow every single account you follow on Instagram with a single tap — hit Follow all.

The last page will give you a bit of info about Threads and its future, like how Threads and Instagram are intrinsically tied and how you’ll soon be able to interact with other social media platforms, like Mastadon. You can hit Join Threads to begin browsing through your timeline.

A quick guide to using Threads

The Threads user interface is pretty simple for now. Everything you need you can find at the bottom in the navigation bar: home, search, new thread, activity and profile. There are also your settings, but we’ll get into that a little bit later. To start, let’s go through what each button in the navigation bar means.

The first, on the left is home, which is where your timeline lives. You may be a bit startled to see posts from users you don’t follow, but that’s how the current iteration of Threads works. Here you can like, leave a comment on, repost and share posts. Threads now has a For You tab, which is a series of recommended threads, and a Following tab. The Following tab displays posts from accounts you follow in chronological order.

Then we have search, where you’ll find recommended profiles and can manually search for other accounts. A few of the biggest existing accounts include Mr. Beast, Jennifer Lopez, the NBA, Marvel, the Kardashians and Zuckerberg himself.

Next is new thread, which is where you create posts. You can write up to 500 characters and include links, photos and videos. For now, hashtags aren’t a thing.

In activity, you’ll see who you recently followed, who recently followed you, replies to your posts, mentions and activity from verified users.

And last we have profile, where you can view your Threads profile. Here you’ll see your name, profile photo, biography, links, followers, threads and replies. You can also edit your profile and browse through various settings.

A little more about the settings in Threads

Speaking of settings, let’s spend a little more time on which settings you can adjust in Threads. In the profile section, hit the globe on the top-left or the two-dash icon on the top-right to access your settings, where you can configure your notifications, privacy and account.

Notifications is pretty straightforward. Toggle off push notifications for threads and replies and following and followers. You can also just pause all of them.

In privacy, you can make your profile private, which means only approved followers can check out and interact with your posts and replies. You can also choose who mentions you, mute accounts and hide offensive words and phrases. At the bottom, you’ll see two settings: one for blocking profiles and the other for hiding likes. If you configure any of these two settings, changes will apply to both Threads and Instagram.

Account is where you can set up reminders to take a break from Threads and deactivate your profile. There are other settings that apply to both Threads and Instagram, including two-factor authentication and password changes.

Can you really not delete your Threads account?

If you’ve seen the news, many users are upset about Meta’s policy regarding deleting your Threads account. Yes, you can delete your Threads account, but you also have to delete your Instagram account, because they’re tied together as one. If you don’t want to delete your Instagram, you do have the option to individually deactivate your Threads account.

This won’t delete your account and data for good, but it will hide your profile, posts and comments from everyone until you decide to come back. Here’s how to deactivate your threads account.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, posted that although Threads is powered by Instagram, the company is looking for a way to allow users to delete their Threads account separately.

What about Hashtags? And Lists?

In Mosseri’s Threads post where he announced the latest updates to the app, he encouraged users to keep sharing their ideas and hopes for the platform. Two of the most commonly mentioned features are hashtags and apps. It seems like users are fairly spilt on whether hashtags should be added, but most agree on the value of the list feature.

Given the number of mentions, users could see these features added in future updates. Mosseri has indicated that hashtags are “on the list,” but there has been no indication about the status of the list feature.

Are there advertisements on Threads?

According to Mosseri, advertisements are currently not a priority. “So humbled by everyone signing up, but we gotta make sure this is an app people want to keep using before we worry about making money…” The company is reportedly talking to advertisers.

What features are coming to Threads?

Mosseri and others have posted about what features may eventually make it to Threads, because according to Mosseri, this current Threads is just the first version. Below are a few of the features and settings mentioned as in the works for Threads:

• Delete Threads account without also having to delete Instagram account
• Improved search
• Hashtags
• Graph syncing
• Messaging (maybe)
• Support for ActivityPub (allows Threads to be part of the fediverse, “a social network of different servers operated by third parties that are connected and can communicate with each other”)
• Multi-account options
• Web interface

Meta’s Threads vs. Twitter

Competition between the two tech giants is going beyond the proposed cage match between Musk and Zuckerberg. With Threads’ built-in connection to Instagram, it can make it much easier to gain users within a short period of time.

Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said that Meta is taking advantage of the current wave of dissatisfaction with Twitter, but noted that the company has had shaky launches of other services.

“While credit should be given to Meta’s steadfast test and learn strategy, the company doesn’t exactly have a successful track record launching standalone apps outside its core family,” Proulx said in a statement to CNET, pointing to projects like Slingshot and IGTV.

Proulx added that the market is inundated with Twitter challengers such as Bluesky, Mastodon and Hive. “This only serves to fracture the Twitter alternative-seeking user base,” he said.

Twitter is clearly aware of the challenge from Threads. A lawyer for the social network sent a letter to Zuckerberg last week threatening legal action over the app, accusing Meta of intentionally stealing “Twitter’s trade secrets.”

For more, check out CNET’s coverage on social media platforms, including TikTok rules and Meta’s paid verification system for Instagram and Facebook.

Netflix is adding a new way to show a title some love (or loathing) with a thumbs rating on mobile.

The streamer said Monday that users will be able to give a series or movie a thumbs up, thumbs down or a double thumbs up at any point while watching on a mobile device. With the update, the streamer aims to make it easier for people to rate and thus receive better recommendations. The update is rolling out now on iOS and later on Android, Netflix said.

Thumbs ratings can also be given if you go into a title’s details page, according to Netflix (and this is currently the only way to give a thumbs up when watching on a TV). An image from the streamer shows what the feature will look like: You’ll be able to tap the screen and see three thumb rating choices appear among other typical on-screen options, like pressing pause on a title or closing out of it.

Here’s more on what differentiates a double thumbs up from a one-thumb thumbs up and tips to help you get the most out of Netflix.

While most TVs these days come with streaming apps built-in, it’s not the only way to easily access all your shows and movies. A streaming device can instantly turn just about any screen with an HDMI port into a smart TV, and right now, you can snag one of our favorite models of 2023 at a discount. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the fastest streaming device we’ve tested, and right now, you can pick it up for just $27, which saves you $28 compared to the usual price.

(Note that you can save a bit more by supplying a trade-in, or — for some users — by adding the code FTV25 at checkout.)

This deal doesn’t quite beat the all-time low price we saw during Amazon’s massive Prime Day sale event last month, but it is the lowest price we’ve seen before or since. It’s the most advanced model in Amazon’s Fire TV Stick lineup and features a quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 support (with a compatible router), making it 40% faster than the basic 4K model. Plus, it supports Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 Plus for vibrant colors and sharp contrast, as well as Dolby Atmos for immersive, room-filling audio. It also comes with its own remote with a built-in microphone so you can play, pause and browse hands-free. This streaming device does push Amazon content a little more aggressively, which is why we preferred Roku’s streamers overall. But Amazon’s Fire TV products are better for those looking to widen their streaming content choices with a VPN, and at less than half the usual price, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still a great value.

It’s been nearly three years since Sony’s ultra-popular PlayStation 5 first hit shelves. And while it was nearly impossible to find one in stock when it was first released, it’s gotten a lot easier to get your hands on one in the past few months. And now, for the first time ever, we’re starting so see some straightforward deals on this next-gen console.

Target, Best Buy and Amazon have all knocked $50 off the full-size console, which drops the price down to $450. There’s no set expiration for these deals, but we don’t expect them to stick around for long, so get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these rare savings.

The discount on the console is coming just before some of the biggest games of the year launch. Spider-Man 2 and Lies of P will be hitting shelves in the coming months, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is officially available now.

And the PS5 console isn’t the only thing on sale right now, either. Amazon, Best Buy and Target also have several colors of the next-gen DualSense wireless controller on sale for $50 right now, which saves you $20 or $25 compared to the usual price.

There are also tons of great PS5 gamest that you can grab on sale right now as well, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War: Ragnarok and more.

And for more ways make the most of your new console on a budget, you can check out our roundup of all the best PS5 deals for even more bargains on games and accessories.

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of the fall semester. And if you’re looking to upgrade your phone, tablet or smartwatch before you head back to campus this year, then we’ve got some deals you won’t want to miss. Samsung’s latest generation of Z series foldable phones, as well as the new Tab S9 tablet and Galaxy Watch 6, will hit shelves next week, and there are some exclusive offers for students that can help you snag one for less, or even get your hands on one for free.

Samsung already has some great preorder offers available that can save you up to $1,000 on its latest devices when you trade-in an eligible phone, tablet or smartwatch. However, students and teachers will also get an instant discount of up to 15% off. And these extra savings mean you can potentially get your hands on one of these new devices for free. For instance, the new Z Flip 5 lists for $1,000, and you can save up to $900 when you trade in an eligible device, with the latest high-end phones from Apple or Samsung netting you the biggest discount. But students and teaches will also get another $100 off instantly, which drops the price down to $0.

There’s also the larger Z Fold 5, which lists for $1,800, and is up to $1,000 off with a trade-in. And with the instant $270 education discount, the price drops down to just $530. It’s not totally free, but it’s an impressive price for one of the most advanced phones on the market right now. Both phones also come with a free storage upgrade, which means you’ll get the 512GB model for the same price as the basic 256GB model.

Students and teachers can also save $45 on the new Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatch, or 15% on the new Galaxy Tab S9 lineup, which starts at $800. To take advantage of these education discounts, you’ll need to have or create a Samsung account, and then sign up with an eligible email.

And you can check out our roundups of all the best preorder offers on the Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 and Tab S9 series for even more bargains and savings.

Lionel Messi arrived on these shores amid huge expectations. And the soccer icon has somehow exceeded them, leading his new team, Inter Miami, to three straight wins and netting five goals in the process. Next up for Messi and Miami is a Leagues Cup Round of 16 game against FC Dallas tonight. The Leagues Cup is a 47-team knockout tournament that includes every club from both the MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.

After playing his first three games on his home field in Miami, Messi will get his first road test during Sunday’s game. FC Dallas will host Inter Miami on its home field in Frisco, Texas, for the Leagues Cup knockout game.

Kickoff for Sunday’s contest is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) and will stream on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. Here’s everything you will need to know on how to watch.

Lionel Messi’s next game: Where and when is Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas?

This Leagues Cup fixture is set to take place at Toyota Stadium in the Dallas suburbs on Sunday, Aug. 6. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. PT in the US and Canada. That makes it a 2:30 a.m. BST start in the UK and a 11:30 a.m. AEST kick-off in Australia on Wednesday morning.

How can I watch Messi’s MLS games?

Apple TV now has a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer and is the exclusive broadcaster of every MLS game in the 2023 season plus Leagues Cup fixtures in most parts of the world via its MLS Season Pass service.

That means that, unlike Messi’s unveiling event last weekend and his first match, which also aired on Univision, you’ll need an Apple TV Plus or MLS Season Pass subscription to watch this game live.

In the US, MLS Season Pass costs $13 a month or $79 for the season if you’re already a subscriber to the Apple TV Plus streaming service. If you don’t subscribe to Apple TV Plus, the MLS Season Pass costs $15 a month or $99 for the season.

MLS Season Pass subscriptions are also available in over 100 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia. For prices outside of the US, check here.

Read more: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: How to Watch Major League Soccer in 2023

You can watch the games on any device that has the Apple TV app, including TVs, phones, tablets and computers. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices that run the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV platforms.

If you have a game console, there’s an Apple TV app for Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PS5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple’s site.

Although Apple does not have Apple TV apps for Android phones and tablets or Windows computers, it does let you stream its shows and MLS games using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.

How to watch Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas online from anywhere using a VPN

While MLS Season Pass is available in most parts of the world, there are some exceptions. If you find yourself in a country where you’re unable to view either service locally, you may need a different way to watch Messi play — 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. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream live sports events is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, 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.

Quick tips for streaming Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this match live 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.