Developer Rocksteady Studios has reportedly decided to spend more time polishing the game. The title was initially planned for a 2022 release but was pushed back to May 2023. It’s still expected to come out this year, though exact timing isn’t clear.
The delay will reportedly allow Rocksteady to fix bugs and improve other aspects of the game that weren’t ready for a May release. Publisher Warner Bros. Games didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Suicide Squad is a four-player co-op game planned for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with players stepping into the role of anti-heroes Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, King Shark and Harley Quinn. The four have been sent to Metropolis to face off against the brainwashed members of the Justice League, including the Flash, Batman, Superman and Green Lantern.
Apple released iOS 16.4 beta 3 to public beta testers Wednesday, about a week after the company released the second iOS 16.4 public beta. This third beta means the wide unveiling of iOS 16.4 is probably close at hand. Beta testers can now try out new iOS features, like new emoji and updates to Apple Books.
These features are available only to people who are a part of Apple’s Beta Software Program. New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend downloading a beta only onto something other than your primary phone, just in case the new software causes issues. Apple provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. The app lets testers notify Apple of any issues in the new software so the problem can be addressed before general release.
Here are some of the new features testers can find in the iOS 16.4 betas.
Apple ID and beta software updates
The latest beta lets you sign into another Apple ID to access other beta software.
Zach McAuliffe/CNET
With the third iOS 16.4 beta, developers and beta testers can check whether their Apple ID is associated with the developer beta, public beta or both. If you have a different Apple ID, like one for your job, that has access to beta updates, iOS 16.4 beta 3 also lets you switch to that account from your device.
Apple Books updates
The iOS 16.4 beta 2 update brings the page-turn curl animation back to Apple Books, after it was removed in a previous iOS update. Before, when you turned a page in an e-book on your iPhone, the page would slide to one side of your screen or it would vanish and be replaced by the next page. Beta testers can still choose these other page-turn animations in addition to the curl animation.
With iOS 16.4 beta 3, a new popup appears when you open Apple Books for the first time after downloading the update. It lets you know you can change your page-turn animation, theme and more.
31 new emoji
The first iOS 16.4 beta software brought 31 new emoji to your iOS device. The new emoji include a new smiley; new animals, like a moose and a goose; and new heart colors, like pink and light blue.
Some of the new emoji released in the first iOS 16.4 beta.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The new emoji all come from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.
Apple Podcasts updates
The first beta brought a few changes to how you navigate Apple Podcasts. Now you can access podcast channels you subscribe to in your Library. You can also use Up Next to resume podcast episodes you’ve started, start episodes you’ve saved and remove episodes you want to skip.
Preview Mastodon links in Messages
Apple’s first iOS 16.4 beta enabled rich previews of Mastodon links in Messages. That’s good because Mastodon saw a 400% increase in the rate of new accounts in December, so you might be receiving Mastodon links in Messages.
Music app changes
A small banner appears at the bottom of the screen when you choose to play a song next in Apple Music in the frst iOS 16.4 beta.
Zach McAuliffe/CNET
The Music interface has been slightly modified in the first iOS 16.4 beta. When you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen instead of a full-screen pop-up.
See who and what is covered under AppleCare
Starting with iOS 16.4 beta 1, you could go to Settings to check who and what devices are covered on your AppleCare plan. With iOS 16.4 beta 2, this menu will show you a small icon next to each device that’s covered under AppleCare.
Focus Mode, Shortcuts and always-on display
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, iOS 16.4 beta 1 lets you enable or disable the always-on display option with certain Focus Modes. A new option in Shortcuts called Set Always on Display was also added, in addition to new Lock Screen and Set VPN actions.
New Apple Wallet widgets
You can add three new order-tracking widgets for Apple Wallet to your home screen with the first iOS 16.4 beta. Each widget displays your tracking information on active orders, but the widgets are different sizes: small, medium and large.
The medium-size Apple Wallet order tracking widget takes up three tile spaces on your iPhone’s screen.
Zach McAuliffe/CNET
More accessibility options
The first beta update added a new accessibility option, too. The new option is called Dim Flashing Lights, and it can be found in the Motion menu in Settings. The option’s description says video content that depicts repeated flashing or strobing lights will automatically be dimmed. Video timelines will also show when flashing lights will occur.
New keyboards, Siri voices and language updates
The first iOS 16.4 beta added keyboards for the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages, and there are new Siri voices for Arabic and Hebrew. Language updates have also come to Korean, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.
There’s no word on when iOS 16.4 will be released to the general public. There’s no guarantee these beta features will be released with iOS 16.4, or that these will be the only features released with the update.
iPhone 13 deals are much easier to find now that the iPhone 14 has taken its spot as the top-tier model, and if you don’t need Apple’s latest flagship phone you could save a chunk by going for the previous-gen model.
For starters, with a new iPhone on the scene, the iPhone 13 saw a significant price drop, with the base model down to $699 (from $799) and the iPhone 13 Mini also going for $100 less. And with trade-in offers and carrier deals, you can get your hands on an iPhone 13 for much less than that.
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Despite no longer being the latest model, the iPhone 13 still packs a punch and would be a solid upgrade for a lot of folks — and it’s still our pick for the best iPhone when it comes to value. It has essentially the same design, screen and A15 Bionic processor as the iPhone 14, as well as 5G support, MagSafe charging and cameras that are on par with those seen on the previous iPhone 12 Pro Max.
If that sounds like the iPhone for you, read on for our top recommendations when it comes to iPhone 13 deals.
What colors does the iPhone 13 come in?
Apple
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini come in six different colors: green, pink, blue, midnight, starlight white and Product Red. Cases come in a much wider range of hues and patterns.
How much does the iPhone 13 cost?
The two available models of the iPhone 13 have different prices that change depending on the amount of storage. Pricing for each model starts at:
iPhone 13 Mini: $599
iPhone 13: $699
Best iPhone 13 deals
Most retailers and carriers, including Apple itself, are offering great deals on the iPhone 13. If you’ve got an older iPhone that you’re looking to trade in, you can save hundreds on a new model or save with special offers from carriers. We’ve rounded up some of the best deals out there right now.
We’ll keep updating this page as new offers become available, so check back if your carrier or preferred retailer isn’t listed below.
Use Apple’s trade-in service and save hundreds off your iPhone 13 purchase. While its site quotes up to $600 off right now, the higher prices are for handing over an iPhone 13 model, which you’re unlikely to be doing when buying one. The highest price paid for an older model is $420 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max or $300 for the standard iPhone 12. If you’re financing the purchase, Apple will apply the trade-in amount as credit after it has inspected the device you send in, or it will refund the trade-in amount to your original purchasing method if you paid in full upfront.
Grab an iPhone 13 from $10 per month via AT&T without having to trade in an old device. The deal requires that you activate or maintain eligible unlimited wireless service with the $370 discount being applied via bill credits over 36 months. Similar promotions are available for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, though the discount figure isn’t as high at $280 and $200, respectively.
Verizon is offering up to $600 off the iPhone 13 Mini (making it effectively free) or $520 off the iPhone 13 (making it $5 per month). You can get in on the savings, which will be applied as bill credits over 36 months, by taking out the device on a new line on an unlimited plan or by upgrading an existing line and trading in your old phone. New customers can also benefit from an extra $200 Verizon credit for switching. Apple Watch and iPad promos are available too, but note that these require their own service plans.
Sprint is offering $730 off the iPhone 13 lineup in bill credits with an eligible trade-in and a new line. That means you could get the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Mini for free there, effectively, or pay as little as $7 monthly for a Pro model.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a similar deal at T-Mobile, with up to $730 off with an eligible trade in and a new line. Existing customers can trade in their old device and get up to $400 off. Other promotions include a buy-one-get-$700-off-another sale and a free Apple Watch SE with iPhone purchase (though you’ll need a new line of service for that device, too).
Having suffered a 7-0 mauling at the hands of archrivals Liverpool at the weekend, Man United boss Eric ten Hag will be looking for a response from his players as they take on Real Betis in this Europa League this evening in the first leg of this round of 16 clash.
Sunday’s humiliating Premier League loss was the joint-heaviest defeat in the club’s history, abruptly ending a run of 11 games unbeaten for United, while also extinguishing talk of the Red Devils having an outside chance of winning the title.
Ten Hag will now be hoping his players haven’t been left too traumatized by the weekend’s events as they look to focus on a tournament they’re currently still favorites to win.
Having seen off Spanish giants Barcelona in the last round, United face another La Liga outfit as they take on Seville’s Real Betis, currently in fifth spot in their domestic league and coming off the back of a 0-0 draw with Real Madrid.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Talented winger Jadon Sancho looks set to start for Man United in this crucial Europa League clash.
Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
Man United vs. Real Betis: When and where?
Man United host Real Betis at Old Trafford on Thursday, March 9. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time in the UK (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US, and at 7 a.m. AEST on Friday, March 10, in Australia).
How to watch the Man United vs. Real Betis 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, nonblackout 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.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Man United vs. Real Betis game in the US
Thursday’s big match at Old Trafford will be available to stream on Paramount Plus, which has live broadcast rights in the US for every UEFA Europa League and Champions League fixture for the 2022-23 season.
Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $5 per month ($50 per year if paid annually) and Premium for $10 per month ($100 per year).Both offer coverage of all Europa League and Champions League fixtures this season.
The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount.
Livestream the Man United vs. Real Betis game in the UK
Europa League rights in the UK are with BT Sport, with this game set to be broadcast on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate 4K channels. If you already have BT Sport as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via the BT Sport app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a BT Sport Monthly Pass account to stream the game.
If you’re already a BT TV customer you can currently access BT Sport channels for 10 per month. BT Broadband customers can watch the channels via the BT Sport app for 16.
If you don’t want to be locked down to a lengthy contract, there’s also the option of BT Sport Monthly Pass, which costs 30 per month and lets you stream all four BT Sport channels across iOS and Android devices, plus a wide range of set-top boxes and smart TVs. It’s a rolling one-month contract that you can cancel anytime.
Livestream the Man United vs. Real Betis game in Canada
If you want to stream this game live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to every Europa League match this season.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$25 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to the Champions League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there’s a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream the Man United vs. Real Betis game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this UEFA Europa League fixture on streaming service Stan Sport, which is showing every single Europa League game live in Australia this season.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 per month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to the UEFA Champions League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming the Europa League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming Europa League 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.
Last month, Google announced the first developer preview of Android 14, with more app customization, new swipe gestures, app cloning for multiple accounts, support for the latest PS5 DualSense Edge controller and more. If you’re interested in testing out the latest Android software, you can download and install the second Android 14 Developer Preview right now.
Google plans to release these preview versions of Android 14 throughout much of 2023, with several developer previews in the winter, beta releases in the spring and summer and the final release sometime in the fall. While these prerelease versions of Android 14 are mainly intended for developers to try out upcoming features that are in the works, even if you’re not a developer, you can still get your hands on this version of Android 14 right now.
As long as you have a compatible phone — which currently means it has to be one of several Google Pixel phones — you can connect your device to your computer and use Google’s Android Flash Tool to download and install the Android 14 Developer Preview pretty easily.
It’s important to note that, like all prerelease software, the Android 14 Developer Preview may be unstable at times, so if you still want to install it, it’s preferable to do so on a backup phone if you have one available, and not on your primary device. There could be bugs and other issues that break functionality, so don’t try this on a phone you depend on.
If you’re OK with taking on that risk, here’s how to download and install the Android 14 Developer Preview on your phone.
Note: If you already have Android 14 Developer Preview 1, just go to Settings > System > System Update and update over the air. If you don’t have Android 14, follow the steps below.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is currently one of the only devices that’s compatible with the Android 14 Developer Preview.
James Martin/CNET
Which phones is the Android 14 Developer Preview available for?
Google is expected to release Android 14 this fall. At that time, it will be available on a wide variety of Android phones, but for now you can only install the Android 14 Developer Preview on compatible Pixel devices:
If your device is not on this list, you’ll have to wait for later releases of Android 14, whether it’s the public beta or the public release. It’s also possible that other phones will get access to the developer preview or a beta release at a later date.
Back up your Android device first
If you have a compatible Android device, you’ll now need to back up your phone. By default, your Pixel should back up automatically whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi and your phone has been idle and charging for 2 hours, but you can also do it manually. Depending on the size of your phone backup, you may need a paid version of Google One for this method, but if not, Google Drive should be fine.
To back up your Pixel, go to Settings > Google > Backup and tap Back upnow. Depending on the last backup and how many apps and files need to be backed up, this process can take up to several minutes. Once you’re backed up, you’re ready to begin the process of downloading and installing Android 14.
Back up your phone before you install Android 14 Developer Preview.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Now you’ll need to enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking
To install Android 14 on your Pixel, you’ll need to connect the phone to a computer via USB, and that requires that your Pixel be unlocked and have USB debugging enabled. Although unlocking your phone is easy enough, to enable USB debugging you’ll need to first unlock Developer options.
1. To unlock Developer options, go to Settings > About phone and then tap Build number seven times. Enter your password when prompted, and a new Developer options menu will appear in your System settings.
2. Now, enable USB debugging. Go to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle on USB debugging. In the notification that appears, which briefly describes what USB debugging is meant for, tap OK.
3. While you’re still in Developer options, toggle on OEM unlocking. This unlocks your device’s bootloader, which is what loads the operating system. Once unlocked, you’ll be able to choose a different operating system to boot up, in this case Android 14.
You must first enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking before you can connect your phone to your computer to install Android 14.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Flash your device using Android Flash Tool in Chrome
You have two ways to flash the Android 14 Developer Preview system image on your Pixel using your computer, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll be using the Android Flash Tool, which works only with certain web browsers, including Chrome. Also, your computer must have 10GB of available storage for this to work.
If everything is good, connect your Pixel to your computer via USB, unlock your device and go to the Android Flash Tool website in Chrome and do the following:
1. First, click Get Started at the bottom of the website.
2. Next, click Allow ADB access in the pop-up that appears (if there are any ad blockers, turn them off).
3. Now click Add newdevice, choose your device from the list and hit Connect.
4. On your Pixel, check the box next to Always allow from this computer and then tap Allow to give Android Flash Tool access to your phone.
5. Back on your computer, click Developer Preview 2 under Popular builds.
6. Click Installbuild and then click Confirm.
Install the Android 14 Developer Preview with the Android Flash Tool.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
The pop-up will warn you that installing Android 14 will factory-reset your phone, but that’s not an issue if you backed up your Pixel. If you haven’t done that, back up now. Also, make sure not to touch your phone or disconnect it from the computer during this process, or else it could brick the phone (make it unresponsive and useless). If you receive another pop-up on your computer that mentions accepting the Android 14 build, do so to continue the process.
Now do the following:
1. Hit Start on the pop-up that appears on your computer.
2. Back on your Pixel, use the volume keys to choose Unlock the bootloader and then hit the side key, which will cause your phone to restart.
3. The software will begin to download, which can take a few minutes, depending on your internet connection.
4. Once the installation process is complete, click Start in the pop-up that appears on your computer.
5. Again, back on your Pixel, use the volume keys to switch to Lock the bootloader and then hit the side key.
6. And finally, on your computer, hit Done and your phone will restart like normal.
If everything is successful, it should say “Install Complete” in the Android Flash Tool.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
The Android 14 Developer Preview should now be installed on your phone. You can safely disconnect your Pixel from your computer.
You can now use Android 14 on your Pixel
Once your Pixel boots back up, you’ll see a notification that says you’re now running the Android 14 Developer Preview. Hit OK and then set up your phone just as you would a brand-new phone, which means connecting to Wi-Fi, copying over apps and data from your latest backup via Google, agreeing to terms and conditions, setting up a password and so on.
Multitasking is essential when using your computer, which is why there are so many productivity features built into your Mac. Hot corners make it easy to quickly run system actions with your mouse, while keyboard shortcuts do the same, but with your keyboard, of course.
There are always new productivity features to discover on MacOS — and there’s one in Safari you should know about.
Picture-in-Picture mode allows you to shrink any video you’re watching in Safari, whether it’s on YouTube or Twitch, and create a floating window you can move around your screen. That way, you can visit other websites and use other applications, while you continue to watch.
There are several ways to enable PiP, which I’ll show you below.
If a video is playing in Safari, go to the address bar at the top of the window, right-click the blue audio button on the right of the website address and click Enter Picture in Picture. The video will then automatically move to a floating window.
You can also mute the tab and configure auto-play settings from here.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
The floating window playing the video will appear above all other open applications, including Safari, and will snap into any of the four corners of your desktop. You can adjust the size by hovering the mouse over the window’s borders and corners and then clicking and dragging to make it bigger or smaller.
The window also has two buttons: One to pause/play the video and the other to snap the floating window back into the web browser. You can also just close the floating window with the X button on the top left.
The floating video window can be moved and resized across your desktop.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
There are two other ways to enable Picture in Picture on MacOS
If you don’t see the blue audio button in the address bar or have multiple videos playing in Safari, there are two other ways to use Picture in Picture.
The first is by clicking the PiP button in the video’s playback controls. Not every video player will have the PiP button, so you’re limited in use. The PiP button appears as two rectangles with an arrow pointing from one to the other, but you can also just hover your mouse over the various buttons to find the Open Picture in Picture mode option.
You’ll find Picture in Picture between the AirPlay and Full Screen buttons on YouTube.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
If you don’t see a PiP button, you can right-click the video and see if you get an Enter Picture in Picture option. On YouTube, you have to right-click twice to get the correct menu, but you may only need to right-click once on other websites to find the PiP setting.
You can also use this menu to enter full screen and show the video player’s controls.
The last few years have seen a revival of handheld game consoles, thanks to the convenience of on-the-go gaming and streaming technology, and no doubt in part due to the success of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. There are tons of options now: the Switch and Steam Deck, indie consoles like the Panic Playdate and Analogue Pocket, and mobile streaming devices like the Razer Edge and Logitech G Cloud. Here are the best dedicated handheld game console options, and why they’re worth considering.
Phones and tablets already do a fine job of playing tons of great games, or streaming games from consoles or the cloud. Dedicated devices can provide unique features, exclusive games or extra power to do things your phone can’t. It almost feels like a return to the mid-2010s era of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo Switch has been the best and most affordable portable game system for years, and continues to be CNET’s clear top pick. At $300 (or $350 for our favorite model), it can play a huge variety of Nintendo games and indie games, it can dock with a TV and can even play some fitness games. But Valve’s Steam Deck offers a unique proposition for those with deeper pockets: It’s large, and it can double as a full gaming PC. A year later, it’s still great (and arguably even better than before).
For those who miss retro game handhelds like the Game Boy, you might consider putting yourself on the waiting list to order the Analogue Pocket or Panic Playdate, too, but both of those systems are more niche — and more indie/retro targeted — than the Switch and Steam Deck.
The Nintendo Switch is over five years old now, but Nintendo has indicated that no true successor is coming right now. A Pro model has been rumored for a while, but in the meantime the existing Switch remains extremely capable, full of great games (including lots of indie offerings), and pretty affordable considering its handheld/TV-connected dual function. The Switch has also become a fantastic source of retro games (Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, N64 and more) via the subscription-based Switch Online service.
The OLED-screened Switch, which was released in October 2021, is the best Switch and our recommended pick. The more vivid and larger display looks fantastic, its rear kickstand works better for tabletop gaming, and both of these upgrades are worth the extra $50. The original Switch (or the V2 version), at $300, works similarly and is also still fine, and occasionally comes in special editions and holiday game bundles. The smaller, handheld-only Switch Lite is a great value pick at $200 for anyone who just wants a basic portable game system, but it lacks any ability to connect to a TV, and its controllers don’t detach. This makes it less versatile for families, and means you can’t replace the controllers if they break.
Valve’s big and powerful Steam Deck is a marvel. It can play a wide variety of PC games surprisingly well, and is the dream portable for any hardcore Steam fan, or anyone who has a big library of PC games. The Steam Deck can get expensive for the larger storage tiers, but for what it’s capable of, it’s not a bad deal. The ability to play PC games or stream cloud-based games, and to connect to a monitor, keyboard or other accessories, puts the Steam Deck in a class of its own. A year later, it’s still fantastic and worth getting right now (we don’t know when a second-gen Steam Deck will be announced, though).
The Pocket looks like a totally remade Game Boy, and it is, in a sense. Analogue’s gorgeous handheld can play original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges perfectly, and can even play Sega Game Gear games using an adapter (Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and Turbografx-16 adapters are supposed to be coming soon). It has a high-res color screen and USB-C charging, and there’s a separately sold dock for TV play. One of the most exciting updates to the Pocket is its support for FPGA cores that can replicate classic game hardware and play ROMs. There’s no game store for buying games: Pocket is a system to play classic cartridges or other games in amazing quality, if you want to tinker around with FPGA. There’s also a growing library of Pocket-compatible software in indie gaming channels like itch.io that can be sideloaded to a microSD card, too.
The tiny, yellow, black-and-white-screened Panic Playdate looks like a weird Game Boy with a mechanical crank sprouting from its side. But this system, made by the indie game company that developed Untitled Goose Game, plays its own tiny season of 24 indie-developed games, which come included with the purchase and appear over time like weekly presents. The Playdate has Wi-Fi and can download games or sideload other indie-developed titles from sites like itch.io, but you’ll have to learn to love the experiences you discover. We’ve loved playing on it so far, but alas, the Playdate doesn’t have any backlighting — you’ll have to find a lamp instead. A recent update has added a new on-device app catalog where games can be purchased separately, but the price of the Playdate is also going up to $199: for the same price, you can also get a Switch Lite.
Tablets and phones are extremely valid game consoles: The iPad has tons of games on the App Store, and hundreds more on Apple’s subscription-based Apple Arcade. The iPad can pair with Bluetooth game controllers, too. iPhones and Android phones have tons of games as well, obviously, and a number of great game controller cases are available, including the Backbone and the Razer Kishi.
Phones and tablets also offer other advantages, including an ability to cloud-stream games on a growing number of services including Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus.
The handhelds listed above have other advantages: unique game libraries, a chance to connect to a TV and play with others, and the capability to play higher-end PC games or classic game cartridges.
Should I wait for something else?
The Nintendo Switch Pro, a long-rumored upgrade to the Switch, could eventually offer 4K gaming and perhaps upgraded controllers, although the existence of such a device is entirely speculative. Odds are that Nintendo will instead just keep slightly improving the Switch via new models every couple of years, similar to how it kept upgrading its Nintendo DS and 3DS line over time.
The Steam Deck has been on the market for just over a year, but it’s unclear when and if Valve will ever choose to upgrade it with better processors or newer features. And right now, Microsoft and Sony have stayed out of the handheld gaming picture.
Razer’s Android-based gaming tablet, the Razer Edge, shows where a wave of new gaming tablets could emerge to become the Steam Decks of the mobile world. The Edge is more Android device with controller attached, however, and isn’t much better right now than a controller you could just buy for your phone.
Logitech’s streaming-only G Cloud handheld is a similar proposition, but with its controls attached to the device. These handhelds could be pointing to how more console/PC accessories could pop up as home handhelds to stream games away from a TV, but right now you’re probably better off using your phone or tablet and a game controller to do pretty much the same thing.
What’s best for kids?
My kids alternate between iPad gaming and the Nintendo Switch. The Switch is without a doubt the best kid console, with the most family-friendly game library and best parental control settings. Still, be prepared to get annoyed at buying multiple copies of games and trudging through the process of creating multiple Switch family accounts.
Grammarly, which offers a real-time spelling and grammar checking tool, is expanding its artificial intelligence resources with a new generative AI tool called GrammarlyGo that the company says is intended to improve communication. Most Grammarly users will be able to use it starting in April.
“Poor communication erodes relationships, stifles business growth and results, and slows feedback loops that devour our time, just to name a few effects,” Rahul Roy-Chowdhury, Grammarly’s global head of product, wrote in a blog post. “In research we conducted with The Harris Poll last year, we established that poor communication costs US businesses up to $1.2 trillion annually — or $12,506 per employee.” You can read the full report here.
According to Grammarly, GrammarlyGo will use personal, organizational and situational context to help craft messages for email, social media and long-form communication. That means if you use GrammarlyGo to write an interoffice message to your work team, the tool could help make your message sound more professional.
GrammarlyGo will give you prompts to improve, simplify or shorten a message, as well as a prompt to adjust the message’s tone for different scenarios. You’ll also be able to enter your own prompt to fit your needs.
GrammarlyGo can also be used to generate outlines or ideas, which can be added to messages or used as references. The tool will also have one-click prompts to help you get over writer’s block.
GrammarlyGo could step in to try to help you land that job you’re interested in.
Grammarly
“By embracing new technologies like generative AI, we can advance our vision of supporting the entire process — from conception to comprehension,” Roy-Chowdhury wrote.
Grammarly is the latest tech company to announce an AI tool in the wake of OpenAI’s ChatGPT bursting onto the scene at the end of 2022. Other companies, like Microsoft, Google and Snapchat, have announced AI chatbot tools that a person can seemingly carry on a conversation with and that are poised to remake internet search and other familiar online activities, from writing essays to planning a week’s vacation to a new destination. These tools can also generate messages and ideas but don’t appear to take context into account when generating content.
GrammarlyGo’s ability to understand context and tone to a limited degree implies this AI tool is not only a generative AI but a very basic contextual AI, as well.
According to Techopedia, generative AI is an umbrella term that can apply to any type of AI that can be used to create things like text, images, video, audio and code. The technology company Symbl.ai writes that contextual AI can analyze cultural, historical and situational aspects of data to make the best decision.
Users need to give GrammarlyGo information about what kind of text they want the tool to create.
Grammarly
According to Grammalry, GrammarlyGo can understand situational context enough to create tailored communication for different scenarios. You still need to input certain data, like the level of formality and tone, into GrammarlyGo in order for it to create the right message. Although the tool may not intuitively be able to respond appropriately, it can differentiate between crafting a casual and formal response if it’s given the data.
GrammarlyGo will be available across other Grammarly products, like Grammarly Premium, Business, Education and Grammarly for Developers. Some Grammarly Free users in select markets will also be able to access GrammarlyGo.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.
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Drones have increased in popularity as innovation has brought better video quality and competition has made these nifty gadgets more affordable than ever. DJI continually impresses us with quality drones, which is why the brand has six models that earned a place on our best drones for 2023 roundup. You can snag the DJI Mini 3 for just $469 right now — that’s a $90 savings on the usual price.
This drone lives up to the name — it’s small, coming in at just under 249g, and it’s foldable, too. Not only does that make it easy to throw it in your bag when you’re traveling, but it means you can avoid the hassle of registering your drone in most areas. (However, you should check the laws of whatever area you plan to fly your drone in before you do, just in case.)
It shoots 4K HDR video at 30 frames per second with a 12-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor and dual native ISO technology. It also has f/1.7 aperture for better performance in low lighting conditions, so you can shoot both day and night. And it can perform true vertical shooting, large-angle camera tilt and other dynamic angles with QuickShots, which can make it easy to record and post what you capture to social media.
The Mini 3 also transmits up to 10 kilometers and can get up to 38 minutes of battery life per charge, but keep in mind that flight conditions like wind may drain the battery faster. However, it does have 38kph wind resistance (level 5), which means your drone should be able to fly and shoot in winds up to 24 miles per hour. And if you really want a long battery life, you can buy the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus (sold separately) that can extend that flight time to up to 51 minutes.
Professional content creators may want to opt for the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which does offer a higher megapixel camera and more frames per second (as well as a few other bonus features), but those additions bring the cost to $759, which is a $290 difference. This regular Mini 3 model should be more than enough for the average user.
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Streaming services may be your kids’ go-to source of TV entertainment aside from YouTube or Cartoon Network. Streamers such as Disney Plus and Netflix can offer something for the entire family to watch and are often the sole home of franchises you can’t find on YouTube.
But as a parent, you probably want to keep an eye on their viewing habits, ensuring the content is fun and age-appropriate, whether it’s educational or entertainment. Fortunately, there’s more than one streamer that offers a mix of family-friendly content and parental controls.
Each streaming service on this list is packed with great TV shows and films, with some acting as headquarters for your kids’ favorite characters. Here’s a guide for choosing which kids streaming service may be the best fit for your family.
Where do we begin? With a wealth of content rated PG-13 and below, Disney Plus has a large catalog of kid-friendly series and films. In addition to carrying Disney Junior, Disney Channel and everything else with the Disney stamp, you’ll find Pixar, National Geographic, Marvel and Star Wars titles on the platform.
Keep toddlers occupied with animated and live-action versions of Disney classics, or binge on every title starring Bluey, Tinkerbell or all their other favorite characters. Tweens and teens can enjoy The Proud Family, Gravity Falls, Turning Red and Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and movies from the Disney Channel or the company’s blockbuster lineup are a click away.
To navigate Disney Plus’s library, you can click on a designated tile for Pixar, Marvel, etc., or search by title, character, or genre. Kids and parents can scroll through the platform’s special collections, musicals, movies, and exclusive originals and shows from every decade of Disney.
Parental controls allow you to add a four-digit PIN and set ratings limits for each regular profile. But creating a kid’s profile automatically curates content that’s appropriate for all ages. To add an extra layer of security, toggle the Kid-Proof exit feature that prevents kids from switching profiles. If you opt for the $7 ad-supported version of Disney Plus, note that many kids’ titles contain commercials. But you can stream Disney Plus entirely ad-free for $8 a month.
Paramount Plus has its nice collection of iconic characters and series. It’s basically Nickelodeon central. SpongeBob, iCarly, Rugrats, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and other Nick superstars sit beside Paramount Plus originals Big Nate and Star Trek: Prodigy on the platform.
You’ll find a kids’ section on the menus for the shows or movies tabs, but you can also search for Noggin, Nick Jr. or other branded content on Paramount Plus. Additionally, there are five live channels that run content 24/7 for kids, including dedicated hubs for SpongeBob, Paw Patrol and “Kids and Family Fun.”
Paramount Plus enables parents to create kids’ profiles by activating “Kids Mode.” Choose an avatar and specify whether it’s for older kids or younger kids, and the content will adjust ratings based on your selection. Subscriptions cost $5 for the ad-supported Essential version and $10 for ad-free Premium.
Netflix offers a range of kids’ titles in the realm of music, education and entertainment and the platform caters to every age and stage in your child’s life. Popular series include CoComelon, Octonauts and Ask the Storybots. The streamer routinely drops new originals including The Sea Beast and My Dad the Bounty Hunter, but there are plenty of Dreamworks titles on Netflix, too, such as Camp Cretaceous.
Netflix’s search function allows you to drill for niche content like kiddo-friendly movie adaptations, cooking stuff or coming-of-age stories. Type in a specific term or a “hidden” code and you’re likely to find a match.
Where the streamer stands out is with its kids’ profile. While you can set up parental controls on each profile with ratings restrictions, the Netflix Kids Experience comes with a bright logo and a ready-made batch of content. No need to handpick shows and movies for young ones, because the streamer does it for you. If you select titles outside the ratings limits for Kids Experience, the logo is removed and the profile type is automatically changed.
To cap it off, the platform showcases a Top 10 row for kids’ programming and sends out biweekly emails to parents with recommendations and other child-centric tools. Last year, Netflix introduced a “Mystery Box” feature on kids’ profiles, which surprises them with a new title to check out. Go ad-free for $10 per month or try the ad-based plan at $7 a month.
Don’t sleep on HBO Max. Not only is it the place to stream Cartoon Network favorites like We Bare Bears and Adventure Time, but also Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and animated DC superheroes. That includes the OG Teen Titans.
HBO Max allows you to select Kids & Family from its menu and then you’ll be taken to its dedicated page. To make it easy to find content, you can click on a character’s icon — like Elmo, Scooby Doo and Batman — for a program lineup featuring said characters.
Prefer to search a different way? HBO Max divides content into categories for kiddos ages 2-5, 6-9, 10-12, and 13 and up. You can also browse titles from A-Z or search specifically for series or movies. The streamer also announced the addition of Lellobee City Farm, Blippi and Vlad & Niki for its preschool Cartoonito audience. But don’t forget there are plenty of movies available for teens who need a break from animation.
While you can watch TV with your children, you can also just give them their own kid profile on HBO Max. The service requires adults to log a four-digit PIN in order to create it, and then provide birthdate information so the system can customize age-appropriate content. Subscribe to HBO Max for $10 a month with ads or $16 for the ad-free version.
For decades, PBS Kids has been the destination for Sesame Street and other childhood favorites. Elmo, Arthur, Daniel the Tiger and Curious George are among the characters who entertain while teaching lessons. While SpongeBob and Disney get a lot of love, it’s noteworthy that Arthur was the longest-running animated kids’ show in history. The 8-year-old aardvark is a PBS rock star. And though Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO own Sesame Street, new episodes are still available to watch on PBS Kids.
PBS Kids is available to Prime Video subscribers for free, and kids can access it 24/7 on The Roku Channel. But parents, you can also download the stand-alone PBS Kids video app for free on your mobile device or TV. That means your children can stream Elmo or Wild Kratts when you’re on a road trip or visiting family.
Like PBS Kids, Kidoodle TV offers free entertainment that’s geared toward younger children up to age 12. Some of the content is educational, and some is purely recreational. The app features licensed TV shows and movies from properties such as Lego, My Little Pony, SpongeBob, Pokemon and Baby Shark.
But there are also videos from the Dodo about nature and animals, game-themed content with Mario, Minecraft and Roblox, and a host of crafting tutorials. YouTube favorites like Ryan’s World are nestled in with picks that focus on learning. Kidoodle also has a set of originals that launched in 2020, including StoryRaps from Wes Tank. Another plus is that parents can choose videos from Little Pim that teach five different foreign languages: French, German, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.
You can watch for free as a guest on Kidoodle without registering. But if you sign up, you’re able to create accounts for kid or parent users. Everything on the app is age-appropriate, vetted by Kidoodle parents and staff. The Freemium account includes family-friendly ads, but if you want to skip the commercials, you can get the Premium version for $5 per month.
PIN-enabled parental controls enable you to set screen time limits, choose titles or set curfews with the option to automatically turn the app off. And the analytics feature gives you a glimpse at viewing habits. Kidoodle is available on Roku, FireTV, smart TVs and other devices.
Kids streaming services FAQ
Are Hulu and Amazon’s Prime Video great for kids too?
We considered both streaming services for this list but examined content offerings as well as user-friendly interfaces. While Prime Video has some original content, it gleans much of its kids’ programming from Nickelodeon, PBS Kids and other Viacom properties. The same holds true for Hulu. It’s easier to access these shows and movies directly through Paramount Plus or PBS.
What if you don’t want your kids watching ads while streaming?
We know that screen time is not the only area of concern, because advertising impacts kids, too. Disney Plus has an ad-supported plan that includes commercials in its kid-friendly content. But Netflix’s ad-based plan keeps ads out of children’s titles. Both services — in addition to HBO Max, Kidoodle and Paramount Plus — offer more expensive plans if you want to watch all content without commercials. The PBS Kids app is ad-free.
Which streaming service has the best parental controls?
While you can set parental controls on streaming devices from providers like Amazon, Roku and Apple, you can also monitor and restrict what your kids watch directly on the services. Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max have the best features for allowing you to set maturity ratings and PINs for kids’ profiles.
