Keeping an up to date backup of your data is crucial, whether you’re working on a big project or simply holding on to a few important pictures. If you’ve been shopping for external storage, you won’t want to miss this one-day deal at Best Buy on the SanDisk Extreme Pro 2TB SSD. It’s discounted by $95 right now, meaning you’ll pay just $200 to bring home this pocket-sized external hard drive. But this deal will expire tonight, so be sure to get your order in soon if you want to snag one at this all-time low price. Amazon is also matching the deal.
This SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD comes equipped with 2TB of storage, so you have plenty of space to back up your most important documents, photos, videos and more, and it boasts data transfer speeds of up to 2,000 megabytes per second. And because it’s pocket-sized and is designed with a carabiner loop built in, it’s easy to keep it with you, even when you’re on the go. Plus, the device itself has a durable design, including a silicone shell for protection from accidental drops and an IP55 rating that ensures water- and dust-resistance. With its USB Type-C interface, it’s compatible with a wide range of smartphones and computers, including both Mac and PC. It even has password protection and 128-bit AES hardware encryption to keep your files secure.
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There are tons of gaming systems on the market, some stationary and others that are portable. Among the latter, the Nintendo Switch remains a popular system for all sorts of gamers, especially for families. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a casual first-timer, this handheld console has pretty universal appeal, and comes in a variety of styles and prices. Even though the Switch platform is now over 5 years old, it still boasts an impressive library of games and a wide array of peripherals and accessories.
Although Switch availability is better now than it was, it’s not that easy to get a Nintendo Switch deal. That’s why we’ve scoured the internet for the best bundles, bargains and discounts on the Nintendo Switch and everything you need to go with it. Check out the best Nintendo Switch deals below.
Keep in mind that it’s easier to find deals on Nintendo Switch games than consoles, but every now and then there will be a Nintendo Switch console sale. Often we see Nintendo Switch deals during the holiday shopping season, but you can find additional offers throughout the year, so keep checking back for any new bargains that come up. Here are the sales that are available now.
Switch games on sale
There are a bunch of great Switch games on sale right now, some digital, some physical. Here are the best Nintendo Switch game deals on Nintendo’s site, but there are also plenty of other notable Switch game deals at other retailers, sometimes for even less.
Nintendo Switch physical game deals worth grabbing:
With a Family Membership plan you’ll be able to save data for up to eight people on one account, and it costs just $15 more than an individual plan, making it worth the investment if you have multiple Switch users under one roof. And this deal includes a 256GB memory card ($53 value) with a 12-month family membership together, which saves $21 over buying each individually.
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Sometimes you can find a discount on just a console without grabbing a bundle. Right now the latest discounts we have seen are sold out, but we will update this section as new deals come in.
The Nintendo Switch OLED model features a 7-inch OLED screen that offers vivid colors and sharp contrast. It also includes a wide adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN port for TV mode, 64GB of internal storage and enhanced audio from the system’s onboard speakers when playing in handheld and tabletop modes.
The regular version of the Nintendo Switch, which is now essentially the mid-size model between the larger OLED and the smaller, handheld-only, Lite versions, is at an all-time low right now. Like the OLED, this model is a hybrid that can be used as a handheld on the go or in Tabletop mode for multiplayer gaming, as well as in conjunction with a TV while at home for a more traditional console experience.
Optimized for personal, handheld play, this system is small and light, with a unibody design including fully integrated controls. It’s compatible with all physical and digital Nintendo Switch games that support handheld mode, but you can’t dock it with your TV like the bigger system.
This popular special-edition Nintendo Switch has been going in and out of stock for some time now. Fans of Animal Crossing will enjoy having a themed console, so we will keep you posted on when this special edition is back in stock. Note that this is only the special edition console and that the game is not included.
This portable game card holder is lightweight and features a durable exterior made of water-resistant material, making it an ideal option for travel. It also has a gentle inner lining that cushions each card individually. And it has a snap lock that is easy to open and close, and holds up to eight game cards or microSD cards, keeping them safe from damage. Plus, the secure snap-on locking system keeps the holder closed in transit, preventing games from falling out in your pockets, bag or wherever you put it. Note that this is only the holder and no games are included.
This controller offers both wired and wireless modes so you can play whether it’s charged or not, up to 8 meters away from the console. It also boasts four additional programmable buttons and five-level adjustable vibration with a six-axis gyro sensor. A fully charged battery can provide up to 10 hours of playtime. Be sure to clip the on-page coupon for full savings.
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This wired headset features a swivel-to-mute noise-canceling mic, an adjustable headband, rotating ear cups and 50mm directional drivers that provide gaming-grade sound quality. While the 4-foot cord makes it ideal for use with the Switch, it’s also compatible with the Xbox One, and Series X and S, PlayStation 4 and 5 and PC.
What should you look for in a Nintendo Switch deal?
As well as looking for direct price drops on the Nintendo Switch console itself, it’s worth broadening your search for Nintendo Switch bundles. Since the actual hardware rarely falls far from its retail price, these are some of the best ways to save on related accessories that you would have bought anyway. When it comes to Nintendo Switch bundles that include a choice of games, it’s a good idea to check the price of the game available separately to ensure you’re getting the best value.
When are the best Nintendo Switch deals available?
Great Nintendo Switch deals come around very rarely, but the best times to try and find a discount would be during major sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals in particular tend to offer some of the best prices of the year as it takes place just before the holiday season, and the Nintendo Switch makes for a great gift.
Which retailers usually offer the best Nintendo Switch deals?
For most people, the search for a great Nintendo Switch deal should start at Amazon or a big box retailer like Best Buy, Target or Walmart. These major retailers are most likely to offer direct discounts and bundles and often match each other’s deals during major sales. Gaming-specific retailers like GameStop in the US and Game in the UK are also worth keeping tabs on.
The $699 OnePlus 11 is the company’s first true flagship to launch in 2023, and it offers plenty to get excited about. From its slick refreshed design to its hyper-powerful processor and fast charging skills, this phone works hard to earn its flagship title.
But it’s not a massive overhaul from last year’s already excellent OnePlus 10 Pro. It’s similar in design, it’s got a hefty (arguably redundant) boost in power and the new camera setup, while good, isn’t a big leap forward. If you were hoping to see a radical new OnePlus phone, you may be disappointed. Owners of recent OnePlus devices shouldn’t consider upgrading.
Price is certainly on its side. The OnePlus 11 base model is $699 ( 729 or roughly AU$1,270) comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Even the higher-end review model I tested, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, will only set you back $799 ( 799), undercutting its rivals by a decent chunk. The phone’s biggest competition comes from the superb Google Pixel 7 Pro, which at $899 isn’t a big step up in cost (it’s $999 for the equivalent 256GB model, although there’s no boost in power with the extra storage here).
The Pixel 7 Pro was one of our favorite phones of 2022, earning a coveted CNET Editors’ Choice award when it launched in October thanks to its superb cameras, slick interface and attractive design. It’s an amazing phone and one of my favorite ways to experience Android 13.
Where the OnePlus 11 excels is in its raw power, offering blistering speeds for gaming and heavy multitasking. It charges quicker than Google’s phones too. The Pixel’s Tensor G2 processor isn’t built for straight-line speed, but still handles anything you’ll find in the Play Store. The Pixel’s pure Android 13 software is clutter-free, and the cameras generally perform better — especially with the addition of the 5x optical zoom lens, which the OnePlus lacks.
Then there’s the new Samsung Galaxy S23, which starts at $800 and comes with a 6.1-inch display, a triple-camera setup, 8GB of RAM and the latest Qualcomm 8 Gen 2 processor. It’s the same chip you’ll find in the OnePlus 11, though it’s been customized for Samsung. With the S23 range going on sale on Feb. 17, we’ll have to wait to see how the new Samsung and OnePlus’ phones stack up against each other.
OnePlus 11: A refreshed design, now with added waterproofing
OnePlus’ flagship has arrived in 2023 with a fresh look, swapping out the square camera unit of the 10 Pro for a circular one, fringed with metal that curves gracefully to meet the edge of the phone. My review model’s green tone looks both stylish and smart, while the curving glass on both the front and back makes it satisfying to hold.
OnePlus 11 Flaunts Its Curving Glass and Metal Body
I love the phone’s look. It manages to appear different from its predecessors, while still looking familiar enough to feel part of the same family. The glass is toughened Gorilla Glass, so don’t worry too much about shattering it. The new phone one-ups the 10 Pro by coming with an IP64 rating for protection against water. The lack of waterproofing on most versions of the 10 Pro was annoying as it’s something we’ve come to expect on all flagships. So, it’s good to see more official protection here.
That said, IP64 only offers mild protection against water splashes while rivals — including the Pixel 7 Pro, iPhone 14 range and Galaxy S23 range — all have IP68 ratings which protect them from actual submersion in water for at least 30 minutes. IP64 is better than nothing though and will certainly help keep your phone safe when you take calls in the rain.
The rounded camera unit is a nice touch.
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At 6.7 inches, the display is sizable enough to do justice to mobile games, while its maximum 3,216×1,440-pixel resolution makes everything look nice and crisp (you can opt for a lower resolution to help eke out the battery life). It’s a SuperAMOLED panel that supports Dolby Vision HDR and HDR 10 Plus, meaning it’s bright, bold and capable of properly showing off compatible HDR content.
Its adaptive frame rate can shoot up to 120Hz to provide a smooth experience for high-intensity tasks like gaming, but can dynamically drop to only 1Hz to save power for less demanding tasks like web browsing or showing the always-on display.
There’s an in-display fingerprint scanner, which works well. Longtime OnePlus fans will be pleased to see the alert slider on the right of the phone, which lets you instantly set the phone to silent or vibrate. The slider was notably absent on last year’s OnePlus 10T.
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OnePlus 11: Potent power
Powering the phone is the aforementioned Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, backed up by a meaty 16GB of RAM (on my review model). It’s a potent chip that put in some seriously impressive scores on our suite of benchmark tests, landing it comfortably among the most powerful phones around.
Benchmarks don’t mean everything, of course, but rest assured that this phone will handle anything you care to throw at it. Its graphics performance is particularly strong. Demanding games like Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends (all at max resolution) displayed at consistently high frame rates for smooth gameplay.
OnePlus touts the phone’s “optimized RAM allocation,” “hardware-accelerated ray tracing” in games and “best in class” lighting and illumination effects, which is all well and good, but there aren’t any games available on Android yet that support things like ray tracing. It’s like having a car capable of driving on MagLev tracks — amazing technology, sure, but no way of actually putting it to use just yet.
It’s a powerhouse of a phone.
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In the real world, all that power means the phone is swift to use. Simply navigating around the Android interface is fast, smooth and free of the lag or stutters that might signal poorly configured hardware. There’s little that can slow it down. It handled video streaming and photo editing perfectly well.
That swift experience is helped by the phone’s Oxygen 13 OS software. Based on Android 13, Oxygen OS is a lightweight Android skin with a clean look that’s easy to use. I liked it straight out-of-the-box, but you can customize the system fonts and the always-on display to give it a more personal touch.
OnePlus extended its support period to four years for Android updates and an additional fifth year for security updates. That’s the longest the company has ever supported a phone for and means that the OnePlus 11 will still be safe to use five years from now.
The phone looks smart and stylish.
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OnePlus 11: Cameras that could do better
There are three main cameras on the back of the OnePlus 11; a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilization, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera with close focusing macro capabilities and a 32-megapixel portrait camera with a 2x optical zoom. It’s a fairly predictable triple-camera setup, but that portrait camera disappoints me.
That 2x zoom is a step down from the 3.3x zoom seen on the OnePlus 10 Pro and a big step down from the 5x telephoto zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro. Zoom skills might not seem like the most important feature, but if you want to take great images in any environment, a powerful zoom can be an invaluable tool.
The Hasselblad name is still found on the camera unit.
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Instead of using a wide lens and simply capturing everything in front of you in one image, a long zoom lens lets you find more interesting compositions within those scenes by cropping out distracting road signs, cars or crowds of people. A telephoto lens is typically part of any professional photographer’s kit bag (including my own) and I absolutely love using the zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro — and the whopping 10x optical zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Even the 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro gives me more room to work with.
Not having a proper telephoto lens on the OnePlus 11 feels like I have to make compromises in my photography that I wouldn’t with other phones. It’s not as fully rounded of a photography package as a result.
OnePlus has again partnered with iconic camera maker Hasselblad, which has apparently calibrated the camera for better colors. However, I’m not sure it’s doing either company much good as the results are hit-and-miss. While some shots look true to life, with punchy colors and pleasing contrast, others look oversaturated, with heavy-handed HDR processing that lifts shadows and tones down highlights to an unrealistic degree.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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Taken with the main camera, this image above is beautifully exposed, with warm colors and plenty of detail.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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This shot above of a ruined cottage deep in the forest is vibrant and pin-sharp. It’s a great snap, all round.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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The close-up shot above is absolutely packed with detail and the colors look spot-on. Nice work, OnePlus.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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Vibrant blue sky, lovely detail on the building to the left and a lovely flash of color from the rainbow. The phone has captured this scene above well.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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This scene doesn’t impress me though. The phone’s software has really gone hard on the HDR processing, lifting the shadows here to such an extent that the shot above looks unrealistic.
iPhone 14 Pro, main camera
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Taken on the iPhone 14 Pro, this comparison image above is darker, but the deeper shadows against that bright blue sky are much more realistic and this shot looks much more natural as a result.
OnePlus 11, main camera
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The OnePlus 11’s main camera has again lifted the shadows quite a lot in the snap above. The sky has more of a teal tone to it, which doesn’t reflect reality.
Pixel 7 Pro, main camera
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The Pixel 7 Pro’s shot above has a deeper contrast and more natural color tones both on the buildings and in the sky.
OnePlus 11, ultrawide lens
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Switching to the ultrawide camera, the OnePlus 11’s heavy-handed auto HDR resulted in the image above where the sky looks almost fake against the buildings. There’s also a noticeable color shift between the OnePlus 11’s main camera and ultrawide — a detail I’d noticed on the OnePlus 10 Pro, too.
Pixel 7 Pro, ultrawide lens
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By not reducing the brightness in the sky to the same extent, the Pixel 7 Pro’s shot above looks more authentic.
OnePlus 11, ultrawide lens, macro mode.
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Using the macro mode on the ultrawide lens, the OnePlus 11 has delivered a great close-up shot above. I love the rich, vibrant green tones.
iPhone 14 Pro, ultrawide lens, macro mode.
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By comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro’s macro mode has produced the shot above where the green tones are quite washed out and yellow-ish. I don’t like it as much.
OnePlus 11, 2x portrait mode.
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The OnePlus 11 Pro lacks the zoom prowess of some of its competitors, but its 2x lens does allow for decent portrait shots. The colors in the image above are a little cold, and there’s not a ton of detail on my face. But the blur effect is nice.
iPhone 14 Pro, 2x portrait mode.
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The iPhone 14 Pro’s 3x portrait mode has resulted in a closer-up portrait (it was shot from the same position), and I think there’s better background blur (known as bokeh) here. The details on my face are sharper too, and although the color tones give a warmer look to the image above. It’s a strong yellow effect that I don’t like any more than the cold look of the OnePlus 11’s shot.
OnePlus 11, 2x zoom.
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There’s no question, though, that I’d miss having a larger zoom. Above is an image from the 2x zoom lens on the OnePlus 11.
Pixel 7 Pro, 5x optical zoom.
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The 5x optical zoom of the Pixel 7 Pro lets you get creative zoomed-in shots, like above, that are out of reach for the OnePlus.
OnePlus 11 main camera, Hasselblad filter applied.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
As part of the Hasselblad partnership, the phone comes with a variety of color presets created by Hasselblad ‘Master’ photographers. Take a look above. I don’t really like them and would much prefer to simply edit images my own way using any of the very good photo editing apps on the Google Play store.
OnePlus 11, night mode.
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At night the camera performs very well however. I was impressed at the brightness it was able to achieve, delivering brighter images (see above) than even the iPhone 14 Pro, albeit with less detail.
iPhone 14 Pro, night mode.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The iPhone 14 Pro’s night mode shot above has a touch more detail on some of the distant buildings, but it’s not as bright as the shot from the OnePlus.
OnePlus 11, night mode.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Pixel 7 Pro, night mode.
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It’s brighter than night mode shots from the Pixel 7 Pro, too. See above.
It’ll shoot video at up to 8K resolution, but its standard 4K footage will be plenty for most, offering HDR footage that helps keep bright skies under control. Colors look good in videos and while the optical image stabilization helps smooth out shaky hands, it can result in upright objects in your footage (trees, for example) appearing wobbly as the sensor tries to correct the movement. Check out the video below for some clips recorded on the OnePlus 11.
The camera can take some great shots overall. If photography isn’t a huge focus for you, and you just want crisp, vibrant shots of your friends or your kids at the beach then you’ll be well served by the OnePlus 11 — particularly if you like taking photos at night. If you’re looking for a more well-rounded photography experience then look toward the Pixel 7 Pro.
OnePlus 11: Solid battery and fast charging
The phone runs on a 5,000mAh battery that’s capable of getting you through a full day of use, as long as you’re reasonably careful in how you use it. With the display set to its maximum 3,216×1,440-pixel resolution, at 120Hz refresh rate and with screen brightness on max, the battery dropped from full to 92% remaining after 1 hour of streaming a YouTube video. After the second hour it had dropped to only 85% remaining, which isn’t a great performance.
With the resolution dropped to 2,412×1,080 pixels and the refresh rate at a maximum of 60Hz, it didn’t even drop below 100% after an hour of YouTube streaming and only dropped to 95% after a second hour — not bad at all. But 30 minutes of gaming in Genshin Impact with all settings on max comfortably knocked 10% off the battery.
The phone’s battery can provide a day of use.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
With more conservative settings you won’t need to worry too much about your phone dropping dead halfway through the afternoon, and you should still have plenty of juice remaining when you put it on charge at night. Demanding gamers can ramp up the settings when you want to enjoy every last detail, but make sure you’ve got your charger nearby.
Thankfully, even if you do drain the battery with gaming or YouTube streaming, getting the juice back in is a speedy process. The phone supports 100-watt fast charging in the UK (80W in the US) which will fill the battery from empty in only 25 minutes — or 27 minutes on the 80W model. That’s quicker than the 1 to 2 hours you can expect a full recharge of the Pixel 7 Pro to take.
The OnePlus 11 is a solid all-round phone.
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OnePlus 11: Should you buy it?
If you’re looking for a high-performance phone to tackle gaming, video streaming and all of life’s essentials, the OnePlus 11 is an excellent phone to consider. It’s got power enough to tackle anything in the Google Play store, it looks great and its fast-charging means that battery life isn’t an issue. The five years of security support is a nice bonus, too.
And while the camera setup is far from the best around, it’s perfectly capable of taking shots of your kids on holiday you’ll be excited to share with your wider family and friends.
But it’s the price that stands out here, being one of the cheapest flagships you can buy, undercutting both the Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23. If photography isn’t your top priority but you do want ultimate performance for gaming on the go, the OnePlus 11 is certainly worth your time.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team is actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
OnePlus 11 specs vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
Xbox released the third controller of its Shift Special Edition series on Tuesday. Dubbed “Stellar Shift,” the new controller sports a glossy, color-shifting blue to purple finish on top with a black and purple swirl pattern on the grips underneath.
Like other Xbox controllers in the Shift Special Edition series, the Stellar Shift controller features textured grips, bumpers and back case for a comfortable and stable grip. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack to plug in a gaming headset and a dedicated Sharing button which allows players to easily capture and share screenshots and videos.
Using the controller on your Xbox Series X or S console will unlock a unique, cosmic background. Directions for enabling the custom background can be found on the Xbox support page.
CEO Satya Nadella said the juiced-up search service aims to take on queries that aren’t getting good results on today’s search engines. People increasingly use search engines to get advice and information on complex topics, not just a link to a website, and the AI boost to Bing aims to help it keep up.
“It’s a new day in search,” Nadella said.
ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot from a company called OpenAI, burst onto the scene in November with a breathtaking capacity for drawing information from the web and presenting it in plausible essays, poems and other formats. Last month, Microsoft said it would be investing billions of dollars into the company. Meanwhile, Google, the dominant search engine on the web, on Tuesday announced Bard, its ChatGPT challenger.
Microsoft says its technology makes Bing your co-pilot on the web. Here’s a taste of what you can try out with the AI-powered search.
Search
You can search on Bing.com, as always. What’s new here is that Microsoft has applied OpenAI’s model to its search ranking engine. That led to a huge leap in the relevance of search results, the company says, so Microsoft believes you’ll find better responses to your basic searches on Bing.
The AI also augments the search results with written summaries. A use case Microsoft predicts will be popular is planning a trip. If you’re going to New Orleans for three days, for example, what should you do? A search on Bing will show you not just links to sites with sight-seeing and museum suggestions for the Big Easy, but also a sidebar with a summary of information from around the web, written by AI. The sidebar will link to sources that can let you explore further.
Ask for more details
If you want to ask more questions after your initial Bing search, you can click the chat icon near the top of the search page. Here you can refine the results. In the trip planning example, you can do things like clarify that you’re visiting New Orleans with kids, or ask for a three-day itinerary for your visit.
Bing can offer pretty fine-grained results in this conversational format. In addition to a detailed itinerary with descriptions of the places you’ll visit, you can ask for travel times between activities in New Orleans, for example.
This also applies to searching for advice on a home improvement project, like installing air conditioning in your house. If you clarify that you have air ducts in your home already, for example, it can give you information more relevant to your project.
Write something
The new Bing can write for you. After you research your home improvement project, for example, you ask Bing to write an email to your partner summarizing what you found. You can edit the writing, click into the text box of a new email and have Bing insert it there.
You can also ask Bing to write something with a fresh prompt, similar to many examples of ChatGPT’s writing that users have shared online recently. Anything from the whimsical “write a story about a curious dog who goes to the moon for preschoolers” to the more serious “write a letter to my apartment contesting an upcoming increase in rent” can generate text. You can also tweak the tone of the writing, like requesting it be funny.
Get context for a website
On the newly revamped Edge browser, you’ll be able to open a Bing sidebar and get more information about something you’re looking at online. You can open a product listing on Amazon, for example, and then open up the sidebar to ask Bing to tell you about the product. It’ll give you a summary of the product’s specs, cost and use cases.
For a specific iRobot vacuum, for example, you can also ask Bing for examples of reviews from cat owners. That’ll pull up quotes from Amazon reviews for the vacuum that mention cats and some summary from Bing.
You can also ask Bing to give you the key takeaways from a long document, and then compare it to another document.
Ask a broad question
If you’ve ever typed a query like “who are some famous Mexican painters?” into a search engine, you’re probably familiar with the experience of getting an excerpt from one website, a list of relevant people and a link to Wikipedia. The request is so broad that you typically have to leave the search page to get the answer. The new Bing wants you to stay, at least for a while.
Ask about Mexican painters on the new Bing and you’ll get a written summary of the key players and a description of their work. You can click on links to sources to learn more, if you like, or you can ask for more fine-grained results in the chat function.
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.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is reportedly overhauling its virtual reality metaverse app Horizon Worlds in an attempt to attract teens and young adults. Meta hopes to soon open the app to audiences between the ages of 13 and 17, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing an internal memo.
First launched in December 2021, Horizon Worlds is an online world built for Meta’s Quest VR headsets. In the app, users can play and explore with friends, solve puzzles and compete in games. Horizon Worlds is currently accessible to adults 18 years and older, but there are concerns that the app isn’t pulling in enough users.
Super Bowl Sunday will be one of the biggest events in television this year. On Feb. 12, the Chiefs face off against the Eagles and Rihanna hits the stage in a highly anticipated halftime performance. Hours before the big game, though, you may want to check out Puppy Bowl XIX to watch adorable, adoptable dogs hit the turf.
The Puppy Bowl goes down at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Feb. 12, with a pregame show that starts at 1 p.m ET/10 a.m. PT. Now in its 19th year, the event will feature over 100 dogs, a kitty halftime show, a puppy cheer squad and guest appearances from Flipping Virgins’ Egypt Sherrod, chef Alex Guarnaschelliand cast members of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. During the show, viewers will meet pets from all over the country and learn how to potentially adopt a furry, new family member.
The event will simulcast live across multiple streaming and cable platforms: Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, Discovery Plus and HBO Max. Here’s how to stream the cuddly sporting matchup if you don’t have cable.
Effie is just one of the pups up for adoption during Puppy Bowl XIX.
Like last year, Puppy Bowl will be available to stream on Discovery Plus. Viewers will get to see interviews with coaches and trainers, watch Pup Close and Personal stories and meet one doggie who gets pointers from an NFL player at the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp. The service costs $5 a month for the basic version but comes with a free trial.
HBO Max will broadcast the Puppy Bowl live, which is a first for the streaming service. Subscriptions start at $10 a month for the ad-based version, but no free trials are available. Bear in mind that because this is a livestreaming event, commercials will be part of the program whether you have the ad-free or ad-supported version of HBO Max.
Love Animal Planet? Philo is one of the cheapest live TV streaming services that offers the network and the Discovery Channel in its lineup. You can watch the Puppy Bowl on the platform, which costs $25 per month and comes with a seven-day free trial.
If you’re a cord-cutter who prefers a live TV streaming service, Sling gives you more bang for your buck. The platform carries TBS and the Discovery channel, and you can watch the Puppy Bowl on any of its plans: Sling Orange ($40), Sling Blue ($40) or Sling Orange & Blue ($55). New customers can pay $20 for their first month.
You may already have YouTube TV, but if you don’t, the service costs $65 monthly and features the Discovery Channel and TBS. Stream the Puppy Bowl live on the platform. There’s also a free trial available for up to 14 days.
The Galaxy S23 has arrived and if you’re here, you’re probably looking for a new case for whatever S23 model you’ve purchased. There are certainly a lot of Galaxy S23 cases to choose from, and we’re now seeing some case makers add magnetic properties to their cases so you can use them not only with Apple MagSafe accessories but non-Apple magnetic accessories like wallets, batteries and stands.
Finding a case that fits your budget is important, but there are certain case features you may want to consider. For example, Galaxy S23 Plus and S23 Ultra owners may want a case with an integrated kickstand because they’re larger phones (the Ultra in particular) that you’ll want to prop up while watching videos. That said, case choice comes down to personal taste, which is why I’ve tried to include a variety of styles in this roundup.
Note that, for now, the recommendations for these Galaxy S23 series cases are based on my experience using nearly identical models with preceding Galaxy smartphones, as well as iPhones. The cases below are listed at the starting price for the line, so make sure you’re buying the case that matches your S23. The same goes for tempered glass for extra protection — match the size to the specific model of your S23, whether that’s the Ultra, Plus or base model.
I regularly update this best Samsung case roundup with new picks as more candidates arrive.
Leading case-maker Speck brings a selection of protective case options to the Galaxy S23, including the Presidio2 Grip (shown in blue), Presidio Perfect-Mist and Presidio Perfect-Clear.
All the new models have very good drop protection (from 13 to 16 feet, depending on the model) as well as Speck’s Microban antimicrobial coating. The cases start at around $40 in various color options, and Speck frequently offers discounts to first-time buyers on its site.
Clckr’s cases feature a built-in kickstand and grip strap that folds out and clicks into place on the back of your phone. Clckr sells just the stand/strap accessory to stick on the back of your phone (or on a case), but the Galaxy S23 Clear case with the integrated kickstand accessory is better and also comes in a Textured version if translucency is not your thing. I wouldn’t say the cases are super protective but they’re sturdy enough, with raised edges to protect the screen.
With the stand clicked in place, you can use your device hands-free in either portrait or landscape mode. Note that you can wirelessly charge your phone with this case on, though you have to be more careful about placing it in the right spot on a wireless charging pad for it to work.
Urban Armor Gear offers several case options for the Galaxy S23 models in a variety of colors. I like the Pathfinder series, but am highlighting the new Plyo Pro, which features a built-in “magnetic module” that looks a little like a MagSafe module and allows you to use magnetic accessories with the case.
UAG’s cases all feature good corner protection and meet military drop-test standards, with the Plyo Pro rated for 16-foot drop protection.
British case-maker Gear4, now owned by Zagg, makes cases that are right there with those from OtterBox and Speck. They’re all lined with the company’s D3O shock-absorbing material and feature beveled edges to protect your phone. For the Galaxy S23, I like the Denali with Kickstand (pictured — 16-foot drop protection) and the Everest with Kickstand precisely because they have built-in kickstands and are also protective and feel good in hand. The Milan (13-foot drop protection) and London (13-foot drop protection) also have eye-catching designs.
If you’re looking for a cheap, clear case for your new Galaxy S23, Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid is a good value at around $16 to $19, depending on the version you get. I like the Ultra Hybrid Zero One that has an imprint of the innards of your phone, which makes it look like the back of your phone is open and exposed when it really isn’t.
I also like the Ultra Hybrid S ($20), which is a clear case with a built-in kickstand. The Neo Hybrid ($20) is a fairly basic case, while the Cryo Armor is a $21 triple-layer “gaming” case that’s designed to “absorb and dissipate heat from your phone during hours of gameplay.”
No drop rating is listed for these Samsung phone cases, but most Spigen cases, except for the slimmest models, offer reasonable protection. If you want a tough case with decent protection, get one of its Armor models.
Note that a lot of these cheaper clear cases have a habit of turning yellow and degrading over time, which makes them less translucent. But they’re cheap enough that you probably won’t mind shelling out for a replacement if and when that happens.
The company’s super-protective Defender series case is available for all the Galaxy S23 models, but most people want something less bulky. I like the Symmetry series cases — they’re slim with beveled edges, making them a good mix of sleek and protective. That said, I’ve come to like the more protective Commuter Series better, thanks to the grips it has on the back and sides, as well as having raised edges on the front that should help protect your screen. The raised bezel acts as a screen protector to keep your screen scratch-free, and the camera module gets the same treatment.
Samsung’s Clear Gadget Cover has a built-in ring kickstand that allows you to prop the phone up horizontally. You’ll also be able to attach other optional accessories to the case. The Gadget case is available for all three S23 models but makes more sense for the larger Plus and Ultra models.
Particularly with the two larger models of the Galaxy S23, I find that having an integrated kickstand is a nice feature, and the ESR kickstand case is about as affordable as you get at around $19. It could dip to closer to $15 in time.
Samsung’s new Frame case for Galaxy S23 is an interesting concept. In the box you get a “frame” (we used to call this a bumper case) and two interchangeable backplates — one clear and one card slot — so you can go with a wallet-style case or plain case. Needless to say, you’ll also be able to buy other backplates with different designs to give your case a new look if you get bored with it.
Cyrill is a sub-brand of Spigen and like Spigen, its cases generally sell for less than $20. Cyrill doesn’t have quite the same selection for the Galaxy S23 as it does for the iPhone 14, but it does offer its UltraColor case, which has a soft-to-the-touch finish. It has a raised frame on the back that provides some extra protection for the camera lenses. The corners of the case have a raised lip as well.
Available in black, green and camel, Samsung’s leather case offers a nice, smooth yet grippy feel with decent edge protection in a slim package. Alas, there’s no kickstand, but if you’re looking for a clean, elegantly designed case, this Samsung-branded leather case fits the bill.
For the Galaxy S23, UK-based Mous has done something a little different. It’s brought MagSafe compatibility to its line of Samsung cases with a few different eye-catching styles, all of them lined with the AiroShock material that the company says delivers excellent protection in a slim design (you can use MagSafe and other magnetic accessories with these cases).
Based on my previous experience with Mous cases, they do seem durable and all include a lifetime warranty. I’m personally a fan of the Iridescent model pictured, but the Walnut, Bamboo and Silver Pearl cases are also nice.
Incipio has its usual robust lineup of cases for the Galaxy S23, including old favorites like the sturdy Duo (pictured in red; 12-foot drop protection), Grip (14-foot drop protection) and the Organicore (14-foot drop protection), which is an eco case that’s 100% compostable and is now available with a translucent back. It also has licensing deals with Kate Spade and Coach, and some of those cases offer eye-catching designs.
At $35, the Duo is the most affordable of the bunch, but look for prices to come down once the phones have been out for a while.
Rokform’s been making tough smartphone cases for years, and aside from their durability, their key feature is the ability to use them with various mounts — including bike, car and motorcycle mounts — that are sold separately.
Rokform’s cases have removable magnets and they’re compatible with wireless charging if you remove the included center magnet. “With the lower magnet still intact, you can still wireless-charge while utilizing magnetic mounting and all of our mounts,” Rokform says.
When you have a phone with a large screen, it can be a good idea to get some added screen protection with a folio case that also has slots for a couple of credit cards. Otterbox’s folio case, the Strada, is nicely designed with a magnetic clasp. Its only drawback is that it doesn’t convert into a kickstand for watching videos.
Note that the photo pictured is the case for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but the S23 Ultra’s case looks very similar.
Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Bing search engine that incorporates the technology behind ChatGPT, an AI system for conversational and creative responses that marks the first big chance in years to get ahead of search king Google.
Bing now is an “AI-powered co-pilot for the web,” the tech giant said, delivering search results infused with information from the large language model from Microsoft partner OpenAI. Bing also gets a new chat window that Microsoft said will help deliver shopping lists and advice, travel advice and trivia games. The technology also is built into Microsoft’s Edge browser, able to perform tasks like summarizing PDFs and generating LinkedIn posts.
“All computer interaction is going to be mediated with an agent helping,” Chief Executive Satya Nadella said at a launch event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. “We’re going to have this notion of a co-pilot that’s going to be there across every application.”
You can try a preview version of the new “AI powered co-pilot” technology with a limited number of queries at bing.com/new and sign up to get on a waiting list for broader release. In coming weeks, Microsoft plans to offer it to millions of people and add a mobile version.
The technology is a major new development for the search business, which hasn’t changed much over the years. Google has worked to blend more answers into its results, but that pales in comparison to what new AI technology can offer. Chat technology based on large language models — the AI systems trained on huge swaths of text on the internet — offers vastly more complex answers and information.
“Microsoft does have a window now to be a bigger player in the consumer tech space, starting with its chatbot assistant embedded with Bing,” Gartner analyst Jason Wong said.
Google, king of the search engine business, tried to upstage Microsoft by revealing its own AI chatbot, Bard, on Monday. Google invented the “transformer” AI technology key to these large language models, and it’s a serious contender. For one thing, Google, not Bing, is the go-to site for people searching for information today.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
Stephen Shankland/CNET
But Microsoft appears to be ahead in building the technology directly into its products. And when Bing incorporated the AI information into its search results, “We saw the largest jump in relevance in two decades,” said Yusuf Mehdi, chief consumer marketing officer at Microsoft.
Microsoft will show ads next to the new AI search results, Mehdi said.
As of January, Bing had a 3% share of search engine usage, compared to Google’s 92%, according to analytics firm StatCounter. Search is Google’s top revenue source, since the company places ads next to search results.
Microsoft tries to avoid AI pitfalls
Microsoft is trying to avoid some big potential AI problems. It bills its AI answers as suggestions and starting points, not the final word — thus the term “co-pilot,” not pilot.
For example, When you want to use Microsoft’s new AI tools for a creativity boost, you should treat the AI text as a draft, not the final words you’ll post. The technology uses its own Bing technology to try to find useful and authoritative information sources and to scrub out bad data, including low-value text generated by AIs.
Travel planning is another example of AI-augmented help that Bing can offer.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
And Bing in some situations shows its sources, for example articles with product recommendations, for better transparency. In comparison, it’s anybody’s guess where ChatGPT gets its advice and answers.
And if you don’t like the results, the Bing interface offers a thumbs down button where you can complain next to a thumbs up button for praise.
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.
A few years ago, Nintendo’s real-life-meets-video-game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit turned my pandemic home into a theme park race course for my kids. Mario Kart Live’s RC cars need a Nintendo Switch to work, but now Mattel and Hot Wheels have made a whole new RC car mixed reality game experience made by Mario Kart Live’s developer, Velan. Hot Wheels Drift Rally, arriving March 14 for $130, is an RC car video game that races around your real world. And just like Mario Kart Live, it’s a lot of fun.
You need a Switch to play Mario Kart Live, but Hot Wheels Drift Rally works with iPhones, iPads and the PlayStation 4 and 5. It can cross-play between them, either locally or with others online.
Hot Wheels Drift Rally is an RC car video game with a camera built in to stream racing to your phone or TV, with mixed reality effects.
Scott Stein/CNET
I played with Drift Rally for about an hour in New York. The concept is similar to Mario Kart Live: A camera-enabled RC car streams its point of view to your TV or Apple device. From there, you drive the car and see the real world augmented with all sorts of video game special effects and a glowing race track.
The twist with Drift Rally is that the car itself, a sort of futuristic compact race car called the “Chameleon Car,” can transform in-game into 140 different Hot Wheels cars. It works weirdly well. Even though the physical car drives around your home the same way, in-game you see a different car appear, along with different driving physics and speeds.
Drift Rally works on iOS with or without a controller: We played with an iPhone and a Backbone snapped on.
Scott Stein/CNET
Much like Mario Kart Live, the camera-equipped car works along with four included gates that form marker waypoints for your real-world race track. These get dropped down anywhere, and then the car drives through them and anywhere else to “paint” a track. Once that’s done, augmented reality effects sprout up all around, along with virtual race car opponents, to make a race experience that’s in your actual home.
The experience, zooming through your real world and floor-level obstacles as if you’ve been shrunken down to toy size, feels like a car-based version of drone racing. Drift Rally’s mix of TV via PlayStation or iPhone/iPad controls flexes the experience out around your home in a similar way that the Switch’s Mario Kart Live could work on-Switch or with the TV dock.
Playing on a TV screen on a PlayStation 4/5, you’ll see a bigger-picture view of the virtual version of your car, plus mixed reality effects cast over the video feed of your home.
Scott Stein/CNET
Drift Rally has some key improvements over Mario Kart Live: it can work at larger and smaller scales. By also connecting with Wi-Fi networks instead of just your iPhone, iPad or PlayStation, the cars can work across larger home spaces: I drove my car all through a four-room apartment while sitting on a sofa, watching my race car zip under beds and around kitchen cabinets. Besides the race modes, there are also stunt modes that could be set up without all the big race gates, meaning you could possibly play around in a smaller corner of your home more easily. Still, these cars are big; much bigger than your everyday Hot Wheels car. They’re roughly the size of the Mario Kart Live cars, and run for about 2 hours on a charge.
The cars are the same size roughly as Mario Kart Live’s cars: bigger than normal Hot Wheels, small enough to race around a living room.
Scott Stein/CNET
Drift Rally works with up to four car racers at once in the same room, or has split-screen multiplayer with one real car and everyone else driving virtual ones that can collide with the RC car on the race track. But, like Mario Kart Live, the cars aren’t meant to be used outdoors unless they’re on a flat driveway. (They’re not made to handle debris, dirt and water.)
At $130 — or $150 for a “deluxe” version that also comes with an actual collector’s Hot Wheels car — this game is more expensive than Mario Kart Live, which cost $100 at launch. But if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch and want to try to shrink yourself down into a mixed-reality RC racing game, this looks like your best bet.
