Threads on the Fitbit community forum show people unable to sync their Charge 5 and Luxe devices on Samsung Galaxy phones. A Fitbit moderator replied saying, “Our team has identified the root cause of the bug and we are working on afix, which we anticipate releasing via an app update in early 2023.” At the moment, Fitbit recommends users sync to another phone that can install the Fitbit app to try syncing or setting up a device.
Samsung and Fitbit didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The wearables industry continues to push impressive numbers, with 41.7 million devices shipped globally earlier this year. Apple remains the largest individual player thanks to its Apple Watch, although its devices only work with the iPhone. This means that both Samsung and Google-owned Fitbit are important players in the Android market in the US.
With the Pixel Watch, launched in October, Google is starting to slowly integrate more Fitbit features into its own watch. The search giant also partnered with Samsung in 2021 to integrate its Wear OS with the Galaxy Watch series. While Apple enjoyed a healthy 36.1% global market share as of the first quarter of 2022, Samsung and Fitbit sit at 10% and 2.7%, respectively, according to a May report from Counterpoint Research.
Your iPad‘s App Library is an easy way to navigate all of the installed applications on your tablet. Apps are grouped by category: social, finance, productivity, travel and music, to name a few. And if you tap on the search box at the top of the App Library, you’ll get a full alphabetical list of your apps.
However, while the iPhone stashes the App Library neatly to the right of all your home screen pages, the iPad version of the App Library sits squarely in your dock. It takes up valuable real estate on your screen — and it’s frankly a bit of an eyesore.
If you don’t use the App Library (maybe you use Search instead), you might want to remove it from your iPad’s dock — but it’s not that simple. Unlike the other apps in your dock, the App Library can’t be removed simply by pressing down on it and tapping an “x” button.
Luckily, there’s a way to remove the App Library. It’s just hidden in your iPad settings. As a bonus, you can also remove “Recent Apps” from your dock at the same time if you’d like.
If you’ve used up almost all of your iPad’s storage and you don’t want to upload everything into the cloud, you can use this 128GB USB thumb drive to store movies, TV shows, music, photos and more. All you need to do is plug the drive directly into your iPad’s Lightning port and you’ll be able to quickly transfer and access all your important files.
You’re receiving price alerts for MFi Certified 128GB Photo-Stick-for-iPhone-Storage iPhone-Memory iPhone USB for Photos iPhone USB Flash Drive Memory for iPad External iPhone Storage iPhone Thumb Drive for iPad Photo Stick
On your iPad, go to the Settings application and do the following:
1. Tap Home Screen & Dock.
2. Under the Dock section, toggle off Show App Library in Dock.
Turn off Show App Library in Dock to disable the feature in the dock.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
As soon as you do, the App Library icon will disappear from your dock, giving you more room for other apps. Don’t worry, though — you’ll still be able to access the feature by swiping left on your home screen until it appears. You can also use the search feature by swiping down anywhere on your home screen and then typing the name of the app you’re looking for, if the App Library just isn’t your thing.
This is the iPod dock without the App Library icon.
This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
As we head into 2023 and await the newest releases on Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max and more, you may be thinking about updating your budget. Crunching numbers for your streaming subscriptions could leave you with the realization you’re spending $500 per year or more. But this is one set of expenses you can easily tweak.
Here’s the scenario: You’re subscribed to multiple streaming services, you watch one or two of them until your favorite series ends its seasonal run, then look for the next thing. But is it worth keeping all those accounts active if you’re not watching anything on them? I don’t think so.
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Take a look at this money-saving strategy to help you tame your streaming costs.
Dumping cable for good and switching to streaming is a crafty money move for cord-cutters. Because you’re able to sign up for monthly plans, it’s easy to jump into a streaming service and jump out when prices increase or content dries up. But according to Deloitte’s 2022 Media Trends report, the main reasons people cancel their streaming subscriptions are because of costs and lack of fresh content. Media companies call this behavior “churn.” We’re calling this the rotation method, and you should try it.
The incentive? You save your coins and avoid content droughts. Let’s say a popular title like The Last of Us or Willow is set to premiere on a service. Find the total episode count and wait until they’re all available at once on a platform. You cancel HBO Max, Disney Plus or other service and then, once all the episodes are available, resubscribe to catch up. Alternatively, you can start streaming a show midseason to cut costs. My monthly guide on which streaming services to cancel can help you keep up.
The downside? You won’t have immediate access to every show you want to watch and will have to wait until the full season airs. And since many streaming services release new episodes weekly, you might not be caught up at the same time as your friends. If you’re someone who prefers to watch episodes immediately when they drop, you may decide it’s worth it to have multiple subscriptions at a time. If you have patience, however, you can save some money.
The strategy can also work if you have a live TV streaming service to watch a particular sport or major event like the Super Bowl. Once the season wraps, cancel the service or move to a cheaper platform with fewer channels, like Sling TV.
Why pay for three months of HBO Max to watch The Last of Us when you can watch all nine episodes in March for the price of one month?
Liane Hentscher/HBO
Tip No. 1: Cancel your subscription before getting charged
Set calendar reminders for your billing cycle and upcoming TV show or movie release dates. Give yourself enough warning to begin or end a subscription. Apps such as JustWatch, V Time and Hobi help you track when and where TV shows and movies appear on a streaming service. And JustWatch recently added a tracker specifically for sports. If you have a smart home device from Google or Amazon, you can set reminders for specific dates and allow a voice assistant like Alexa to notify you of an upcoming bill or streaming release date.
Look for discounts on streaming services. For example, Starz is now $3 per month for three months, a drop from its regular $9-a-month rate. You can also take advantage of the Disney Bundle, which provides access to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus in a single package for a reduced price. And eligible Hulu subscribers can add on Disney Plus for $2. Lastly, be sure to check with your mobile carrier to see which ones offer free streaming subscriptions.
Tip No. 3: Pick one or two default streaming services
Subscribe to one or two must-have services for the year, and select only one or two more options to fit your monthly budget. Rotate the bonus service(s) according to what you want to watch, ensuring you don’t miss your favorite shows while sticking to your monthly spending cap.
Tip No. 4: Use monthly billing only
Avoid annual subscriptions and pay attention to your auto-renewal payment dates. Your billing cycle can help determine when it’s the best time to quit a service, even if you’ve only signed up for a free trial. The only advantage to signing up for an annual plan is when the price is drastically cut down.
Tip No. 5: Don’t cancel your subscription, pause it
Hulu allows you to pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks, and Sling has a similar option with stipulations. Check with your streaming provider to see if you can take a temporary break without canceling.
Give it a shot, and if you don’t like it you can always resubscribe. For more excellent tips on streaming TV, check out this guide to Netflix’s hidden tricks and our tips on the best VPNs.
Next-generation chips from Apple partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. just entered mass production, the company announced on Thursday. TSMC is highlighting the new chip’s reduction in power consumption, possibly signaling longer battery life for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The new chips will be built on a 3-nanometer process, which TSMC says will require 30% to 35% less power compared to its 5-nanometer chips. However, since Apple designs its own iPhone processors, it’s impossible to know exactly what to expect from the next iPhone solely based on TSMC’s advancements. Instead, the news suggests that TSMC’s 3-nanometer processor technology will be available for Apple to use in the next iPhone if it chooses to do so. Hardware also doesn’t tell the whole story when it comes to battery life; software plays a big role, too.
TSMC is also drawing comparisons between its 3nm and 5nm chips when it comes to power consumption. The A16 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max is built on a 4-nanometer process. Still, miniaturizing circuitry generally results in better performance since more features can fit inside the chip, as my colleague Stephen Shankland points out in his coverage of the A16 Bionic.
If Apple maintains the strategy it followed with the iPhone 14 generation, its new smartphone chip will only arrive in what we’re expecting to be called the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, for example, run on Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, while Apple’s previous-generation A15 Bionic processor powers the regular iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Assuming Apple keeps the same naming convention, its next iPhone chip will likely be called the A17 Bionic.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment about what TSMC’s new chip could mean for the iPhone 15.
Apple usually releases new iPhone models in September. There’s a chance the iPhone 15 lineup could be the company’s first phones to use USB-C charging instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector thanks to new regulations from the European Union. Otherwise, rumors suggest a periscope-style telephoto lens and new solid-state buttons could be in store for Apple’s next iPhones.
Attention all gamers! If you’re serious about gaming, chances are you have a cool set-up at home that includes a monitor and desktop. But for gamers who want to enjoy gaming on the go, check out this Asus ROG Gaming laptop tablet, now on sale at Amazon for $500 off the list price.
You get a powerful Intel i7 Core processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD in this dual laptop tablet. It’s got a detachable keyboard and kickstand that’s easy to set up on any surface. The best part? Its original price of $1,800 is slashed all the way down to $1,300.
Get ultimate versatility with the Z13 tablet. You can use the touchscreen with active stylus for support drawing and taking notes, or attach the included keyboard for serious work and play. For great performance in a compact space, this tablet is equipped with intelligent cooling that features liquid metal on the CPU and a custom vapor chamber module.
Enjoy full connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB 3.2 Type-C port and a microSD reader. The Z13 has a ROG Aura Sync System and a 13.4″ touchscreen with a 1920×1200-pixel resolution.
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The new year is coming up in just a few days, and there are Amazon deals going strong with more to come for the new year. If you’re a Prime member, there are a slew of perks included with your subscription that you’ll want to use all year round.
No, we’re not just talking about free two-day shipping. Amazon Prime members have access to tons of other perks and bonuses you might not know about.
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For example, Amazon Prime members can get deliveries much faster than two days, sometimes in a few hours. They can also schedule delivery dates for convenience or to avoid times when they’ll be away from home. And they even get exclusive deals simply by using Alexa on an Amazon Echo.
If you’re thinking about signing up for an Amazon Prime account (here’s how) or don’t know much about all of the included features, here are some ways you can get the most out of your membership while shopping for Black Friday deals.
You can get free same-day delivery on qualifying items
If there’s a product you want immediately, you can see if it’s available for delivery the same day you order. To check a product’s eligibility, look for delivery that’s marked as “Prime FREE Same-Day” while shopping. Note that your order will need to contain over $35 of qualifying items. If not, you’ll have to pay a small fee.
Amazon will deliver from morning until evening, so you won’t have to worry about receiving your order at 3 a.m. However, same-day delivery isn’t available in all locations, so enter your ZIP code on the Amazon Same-Day Delivery page to see if you’re eligible.
Schedule a convenient shipping date during checkout with Amazon Day.
James Martin/CNET
Alexa can share extra discounts when you shop on Echo
You can use your Amazon Echo to ask “Alexa, what are my deals?” anytime. Alexa will then share Prime-exclusive deals and you’ll have the option to add the item to your cart, buy it now or move on to the next deal.
Schedule a convenient shipping date for your package
Everyone knows about Amazon’s free two-day shipping, but another option is to choose a delivery date during checkout. It’s called Amazon Day and it’s helpful if there’s a specific day you know someone will be at home to answer for packages — especially if it’s something pricey that you don’t want to risk leaving unattended.
If you order multiple items on different days, you can have them delivered on the same day as long as they’re eligible for this offer.
Just say “Alexa, where’s my package?” and your Echo will let you know where it is, who it’s for and when it’ll arrive. Once your order has been delivered, the Echo’s ring light will pulse yellow and if you have the Echo Show, the delivery notification will appear on the screen.
Use any Amazon Echo to track your packages.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Shop Early Access deals before non-Prime members
If something you’ve been eyeing says “Prime Early Access,” as a Prime member you can shop that sale 30 minutes before non-Prime members. However, you’ll still have to compete with other Prime members who are interested in the product before it sells out.
Amazon can leave your package inside your house
When you know you’re not going to be home for a while and you’ve got a shipment on the way, it’s much safer to have an Amazon employee leave your items inside your house to avoid theft.
For in-home delivery, you’ll need a Key-compatible smart lock and an (optional) Amazon Cloud Cam. The Amazon driver will send you a notification when they’ve arrived at your house and will request to unlock your door. Amazon will verify the package is at the right address and the driver is near the door, then will turn on Amazon Cloud Cam and unlock your door.
You can also have packages delivered inside your garage
“Porch pirates” — thieves who steal packages left in front of homes — are no joke. Security site SafeWise told CNET that about 260 million packages have been stolen from home exteriors in 2022. The Amazon Key in-garage delivery service can stop porch theft completely and is free for all Amazon Prime members.
When you use Amazon In-Garage Delivery, select Key Delivery at checkout. The garage kit is $29 right now and turns your garage into a smart garage. It works the same as in-home delivery so Amazon will do all the verifying for you.
Amazon employees can leave a package inside your house with Amazon Key.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Send a gift to someone without knowing their address
An Amazon Prime feature lets you send someone a gift, even if you don’t have their address. For instance, if you’d like to send a coworker something for the holidays or their birthday but don’t know what their address is, you can still send a gift. But there’s a catch — that person must also have a Prime account and you need either their phone number or email address associated with the account.
Just note that not every item on Amazon is eligible.
Share Prime perks with family
If you’ve got another adult living in your household, like a significant other or friend, you can share your Prime membership with them. You’ll still be able to keep your personal accounts separate, but you’ll both have access to all the same Prime benefits.
You can also share your account with up to four teens and up to four children in your household. While they’ll have their own logins, you can still manage their profiles.
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This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
Ready to relax on the couch and wind down from the holidays? A Netflix marathon is a great place to start. If you’re tired of seeing the same list of Netflix TV show and movie recommendations, scrolling really isn’t the best way to find something new to watch. It’s also not a great way to find other niche genres you might be interested in.
But there’s a secret trick for filtering Netflix’s library by genre to find exactly what you’re browsing for: Netflix codes. Instead of passively accepting the algorithm’s picks, learn how to use Netflix codes to find your own next binge-watch.
Netflix codes are based on a number system that corresponds to a different genre or subgenre, which the algorithm uses to categorize and serve up recommendations. For example, instead of scrolling through Horror, you can search Small Town Scares (81496215) for more specific results.
So far, Netflix has about 36,000 codes. Note that codes can only be used on Netflix’s website and not in its apps.
This is what you’ll see when you visit the Netflix codes website.
Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET
Where do I find Netflix’s secret menu?
Check out netflix-codes.com for a full list. There are about 20 categories like anime, foreign movies and classic movies. Those categories are broken down into more specific subgenres. For example, horror movies — coded 8711 — houses 12 more codes like deep-sea horror movies, zombie horror movies, teen screams and more.
The easiest way is by installing the Better Browse for Netflix extension for Chrome. Here’s how:
1. Go to the Chrome Web Store and search “Better Browse for Netflix.” 2. Click Add to Chrome. 3. Click Add Extension. 4. Log into your Netflix account in a new tab.
At the top of the Netflix home screen, you should see a new option — Browse All — next to My List. Click that to search manually or scroll through the subgenres available.
Use the code 5475 and you’ll unlock a trove of romantic comedies on Netflix.
Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET
Another way is through the Netflix codes website. Here’s how:
1. Visit netflix-codes.com in your PC or mobile browser. 2. Find the genre or subgenre you want to explore. 3. Tap the code next to the genre or subgenre you want. 4. If you’re on a device that has the Netflix app installed, the app should open and take you directly to the genre or subgenre you chose. If you don’t have the app installed, it’ll open Netflix through the browser and you can view the specific movies and shows available. 5. Tap thetitle you want to watch.
You can also use the Netflix codes manually in your browser. Here’s how:
1. Visit netflix-codes.com in your PC or mobile browser. 2. Find the genre or subgenre you want to explore. 3. In another tab, type in <http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/INSERTNUMBER>, but replace INSERTNUMBER with the specific genre or subgenre code. 4. You’ll be taken to Netflix to peruse the titles available in that section.
From there, you can either make a mental note of the movie you want to watch and go back to the app on your preferred device, or log in to watch in your browser.
The Tennessee Titans (7-8) have lost five in a row, yet enter Week 17 tied for the AFC South title. The Dallas Cowboys (11-4), meanwhile, have locked up a playoff berth and after a win against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, still have a small chance to still capture the NFC East title. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) tonight with the game streaming nationally on Prime Video, and for free on Twitch.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys take on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.
Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Here’s how to watch the Cowboys-Titans game this evening, as well as the rest of the NFL season, without cable.
Thursday Night Football Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and NFL Plus
In past years, Thursday Night Football games were shown on Prime Video but were also available on Fox or NFL Network. This year, the games on Thursday nights will be available nationally on Amazon’s platforms, giving NFL fans more incentive than free two-day shipping to sign up for an Amazon Prime account for $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to Prime Video for $9 a month.
Fans in the local market of each team playing on Thursday night will be able to watch on an over-the-air station, while those who don’t pay for either of Amazon’s services can watch for free on Prime Video’s Twitch channel (Twitch is also owned by Amazon).
If you subscribe to NFL Plus, the league’s $5-per-month streaming service, you can also stream the game without subscribing to Prime or Prime Video. Note that NFL Plus viewing is limited to watching on just a phone or tablet, not on a computer or TV.
Can I watch Thursday Night Football on local TV?
You can. Front Office Sports’ A.J. Perez has put together a handy list of which local channels in which market will broadcast Thursday Night Football games when their respective teams are playing. For this week, that’s WNYW Fox 5 in New York and WJAX CBS 47 in Jacksonville.
What are my streaming options for NFL games in 2022?
Paying for cable is the easiest solution, but not the cheapest. For cord-cutters looking to save some money, NFL football streaming options can get a bit complicated, with games played across three different days and nights each week on different channels and streaming services.
Most NFL games are played on Sunday, with a game each week on Thursday night and another each week on Monday night. On Sundays, games start at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) and 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. ET), with most AFC teams on CBS and most NFC teams on Fox.
Although the first Thursday night game was on NBC, as mentioned above the rest of the games for Thursday Night Football will be shown on Amazon’s Prime Video and Twitch platforms. Unlike last season, Prime Video is now the exclusive home to Thursday Night Football and the games are no longer available on Fox or NFL Network (though the games will be available on TV in teams’ local markets).
As in previous seasons, Monday Night Football games will be on ESPN. In addition, NFL Network will show three international games played in London and Munich this season.
All five of the live TV streaming services carry ESPN and Fox, and all but Sling TV carry CBS. All but DirecTV Stream carry NFL Network. For the games on CBS and Fox, keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS and Fox in your area.
In addition to Prime Video, there are three other streaming services that cord-cutting NFL fans should consider. The paid Premium plan of Paramount Plus will show CBS games on Sundays, and the paid Premium plan of Peacock will show NBC’s broadcasts of Sunday Night Football.
Wait, there’s one more streaming service to consider this year. The NFL is launching a new streaming service for watching games on your phone or tablet — no casting to your TV. In past years, you could do this for free with the Yahoo Sports app, but now you’ll need to pay $5 a month or $40 for the season for the NFL Plus app. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl — again, only on your phone or tablet.
Lastly, there’s NFL RedZone, a channel that springs to life each fall and shows live NFL action during the Sunday afternoon games. It pops in and out of the live games and attempts to show each touchdown scored in each game. RedZone is available as an add-on on four of the five major live TV streaming services — all but DirecTV Stream.
Best for everything: YouTube TV ($65)
Sarah Tew/CNET
Our pick from the last two years remains our go-to choice in 2022.
At $65 per month each, YouTube TV checks all the NFL boxes. Local channels CBS, NBC and Fox are included in many markets, and ESPN and the NFL Network are also included so you can watch Sundays and Monday nights. The next best options are FuboTV and Hulu Plus Live TV; both offer the same channels as YouTube TV for NFL fans, but for $70 a month.
Want to follow your fantasy team with RedZone? That’s available on all three services as part of an add-on. If you’re a YouTube TV subscriber, you can add the $11 per month Sports Plus add-on by clicking on your profile and going to Settings, then the Membership tab. FuboTV subscribers can go into My Profile and choose Manage Add-ons to get its $11-per-month Sports Plus with NFL RedZone offering. And Hulu users can now add RedZone for $10 per month with its Sports add-on.
Both YouTube TV and FuboTV allow three people to watch at once (Hulu allows two live streams) and all three have apps on nearly every mobile device and major streaming platform, including Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Roku and Apple TV.
While all three are largely similar, we like YouTube TV for its superior DVR — it features unlimited storage, compared with 30 hours on FuboTV and 50 hours on Hulu. We also like YouTube TV because it gives you an option to stream in 4K for an extra $20 a month. FuboTV does, too, with its $80-a-month Elite plan. Keep in mind that only Fox and NBC offer 4K NFL broadcasts; CBS and ESPN do not.
DirecTV Stream offers the main broadcast channels for NFL games, but it starts at $70 per month and lacks NFL Network and RedZone.
Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plan for $55 a month gets you ESPN and the NFL Network, and, in select major markets, Fox and/or NBC, but you’ll still lack CBS. You can also add RedZone for $11 per month with the Sports Extra add-on.
The cheapest way to stream NFL RedZone
NFL RedZone shows every touchdown scored during the Sunday afternoon games each week.
Rob Carr/Getty Images
A frequent fan-favorite method of following all the NFL action on Sundays, RedZone is a way to catch every big play around the league. The cheapest road to RedZone is to get Sling TV Blue for $40 per month and add the $11 per month Sports Extra add-on.
This option can also be streamed on a host of devices including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and web browsers.
Note: If you only subscribe to Sling’s Orange package you won’t be able to get RedZone in Sports Extra. Your base package needs to be either Sling Blue or its larger Sling Blue Plus Orange bundle for you to be able to get RedZone as an add-on. If you choose the latter, the Sports Extra add-on is $15 per month as you will also get additional channels like the SEC Network, ACC Network and PAC 12 Network.
If you mainly plan to watch on a phone, you can also check out RedZone Mobile, which is in the NFL app. This is a separate subscription from NFL Plus and runs $35 for the season (which breaks down to around $7.78 per month for the roughly four-and-a-half months of regular season football). While this is one of the cheapest ways to get RedZone, be aware that — similar to NFL Plus — you will not be able to AirPlay or Chromecast it onto a larger screen and will need to watch on your phone.
Budget alternative for NFC fans in big cities: Sling Blue ($40) or an antenna ($20 one-time)
Sarah Tew/CNET
Those looking to save some cash might want to check out Sling Blue for $40 a month. While it lacks ESPN, meaning you’ll miss out on Monday Night Football, in select markets you’ll be able to get Fox and NBC. The catch is that those markets are mainly in big cities, so if you live outside one of those areas, Sling Blue might not be for you.
You can also add RedZone through the company’s $11-a-month Sports Extra add-on.
Fox broadcasts most NFC games on Sundays, while NBC has Sunday Night Football. CBS, which broadcasts the bulk of AFC games, isn’t included on Sling at all. But an antenna can fill those local channel gaps without a monthly charge.
Budget alternatives for AFC fans: Paramount Plus (or an antenna)
Sarah Tew/CNET
There are some apps that offer CBS’ slate of Sunday AFC games live, including Paramount Plus’ Premium tier for $10 a month. Depending on where you live, however, your local CBS station (and those NFL games) might not be available. CBS offers livestreaming services in many markets; you can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.
An antenna is another option for getting CBS. And as we mentioned above, an over-the-air antenna connected to your TV provides another option, no streaming or monthly fee required, as long as you have good reception.
What about Sunday Ticket?
For one more season, NFL Sunday Ticket is still largely limited to DirecTV satellite subscribers. While that is expected to change in 2023, those who live in buildings that can’t add a satellite dish can already get a streaming version to watch football starting at $294 for its To Go package for the season, or $396 for a Max package that includes the RedZone channel (a student version is also available at a discount). You can check your address on the Sunday Ticket site. Both packages have a one-week free trial.
The problem here, however, is that even if you’re eligible, it doesn’t include local games. You can only watch Sunday games that aren’t being broadcast on CBS, Fox or NBC in your area. They also won’t be helpful come playoff time — as you’ll need your local stations and ESPN to catch all those games.
Thursday Night games, starting with Week 2, will be available only on Amazon Prime Video (plus the local TV stations in the market of each team playing). For millions of Amazon Prime subscribers, the Prime Video channel is already included at no extra cost. But if you’re not a subscriber, it might be worth it to shell out the$9 a month for the stand-aloneTV service fee.
For $65 a month, you’ll get all the major football channels with YouTube TV. Plus, RedZone is available for an extra $11 per month. Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV’s welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Sling TV’s $40-a-month Blue plan includes NBC, Fox and the NFL Network. Enter your address to see which local channels are available where you live. NFL RedZone is also available for an extra $11 a month.
Note: This version of Sling TV doesn’t include ESPN. For that, you’ll need to switch to the similarly priced Orange plan or go for the combined $55-a-month Orange and Blue bundle. With the combined plan, RedZone is an extra $15 a month.
Those looking for CBS games will be able to stream them on Paramount Plus with its $10 monthly Premium tier. You can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming.
This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
If you were tempted to treat yourself to the latest iPhone this Christmas or you plan to gift one to someone else in your family, you might be wondering what the most cost-effective way to do it is. Saving as much money as possible is paramount if you’re wanting to regularly upgrade to the best iPhone which is why subsidizing your next phone by selling your current one is such a great idea. But how do you get the most money back for your existing device?
Well, there are numerous ways to trade in an old iPhone and earn hundreds toward your new one, but each option has its own list of pros and cons. Fret not, though, as we’re here to help guide you through the process. We’ve put together a list of the best places to sell, so you can work out the best iPhone deal for you. Below, you’ll find three different ways you can make some cash, as well as when to make the sale and what you can expect from the process.
1. Sell it to a buy-back service
Decluttr is one option for trading in your old iPhone. In this example from December 2022, it is offering $428 for an iPhone 13.
Screenshot by Adam Oram/CNET
Looking for a quick and easy option? Consider selling your old device to a buy-back service. Although it’s not entirely without risk — if the old iPhone isn’t in the condition you said it was, for example if it is a broken iPhone, you may not get the full value quoted by the buyer — it does minimize the time and hassle, especially compared with trying to sell it yourself on, say, eBay or Craigslist.
There are traditional trade-in options like those offered by Apple and Best Buy (see the next section), and then there are buy-and-sell marketplaces like those listed below. Before you spend a lot of time hopping from one to another to get quotes, head to Flipsy, which compares US trade-in values at multiple buy-back stores. It shows you the payment methods, price-lock duration (that’s how long you have before you need to send the phone in) and price based on the condition of the old device. (Because each buyback program and store is little different when it comes to “condition” definitions, Flipsy doesn’t drill down beyond phone model, carrier and storage.) SellCell is another price-comparison service for anyone looking to score top dollar for an old iPhone.
If you’d rather check out some individual marketplaces yourself, below are a few options that are worth a look. The sample quotes are based on iPhone 13 trade-ins for “good” condition devices in December 2022 and were correct at the time of writing.
Decluttr may have the fastest quote generator of any buy-back site. You type the brand and model of your phone, choose it from the list that appears and presto: Instant quote. (You may have to click a few times to change the carrier and the phone’s condition.) It’s worth noting that Decluttr’s “good” option is the best condition you can select; it might equate to “excellent” elsewhere.
Although GadgetGone may not have the name recognition of, say, Gazelle or Swappa, it has a high TrustPilot and it offered a solid quote for my iPhone model.
Gazelle is probably the trade-in service that most people are aware of and the name recognition might give you some added comfort when it comes to handing over your old iPhone. It’s got a lower Truspilot score than other services, though has seen plenty more reviews submitted. Being a known brand does mean that could lowball you on trade-in prices, however.
An honorable mention goes to Swappa, which has a sky-high TrustPilot score (4.8) but isn’t really a buyback service. Rather, it’s a marketplace designed to connect buyers and sellers. Think eBay, but with a focus on devices like your iPad, iPhone or other Apple product. To list your older iPhone (which doesn’t guarantee a sale), you must first create a Swappa account and then connect a PayPal account. You also set your asking price, which necessarily includes a sale fee, but not any additional PayPal fees that may apply.
Worth the extra effort? Perhaps: Swappa recommended a sale price of $646 for my iPhone 13, while noting that the same phone had recently sold for $596 — still higher than most buy-back services and more than enough extra to put towards a couple of new iPhone cases for your next phone. But a marketplace is almost always going to net you a higher profit (see below).
2. Trade in for credit toward a new one
Want to cut out the middleman, so to speak? You can start by going back to the source. That can be either the manufacturer or a big-box retailer, the largest of which generally offer solid trade-in options for a new device. Consider two of the biggest fish in the pond: Apple and Best Buy.
Apple’s iPhone trade-in program offers an easy way to better afford a new iPhone, as phone trades net you Apple Store credit or money off your next iPhone directly.
For example, here are the current estimated trade-in values for select models, all of them in “good” condition:
iPhone SE (2020): Up to $100
iPhone 11 series: Up to $330
iPhone 12 series: Up to $480
iPhone 13 series: Up to $650
Those rates are reasonably competitive for an Apple trade-in, but you should definitely shop around. Apple’s trade-in program doesn’t factor in how much storage your phone has, however, so an iPhone 13 Pro with 128GB will net you the same trade-in value as one with 1TB — which is very different elsewhere.
Best Buy offers a trade-in program as well; at press time, a 128GB iPhone 13 in good condition would fetch you $340 with Pro variants offering higher values. (Taking an unfortunate cue from Apple, trading a higher capacity model in does not raise the value.) Curiously, the Best Buy trade-in program doesn’t let you select “unlocked” and rather makes you choose from one of the Big Four carriers. I selected AT&T for my quotes.
Best Buy will either fix you up with a gift card for the phone’s value to redeem against future purchases or, if you complete the trade-in process while ordering your new phone, you can hand over your old device in store (following a visual inspection to ensure it is as described) and Best Buy will refund the value to your payment method. There will occasionally be additional promotional offers from Best Buy which can add value to the trade-in, too.
The key takeaway here: Shop around. There are plenty of services with program options that will buy your old iPhone or take it in trade, but you might do better selling it yourself.
3. Sell it yourself
Selling an iPhone yourself will usually net you the most profit, but it’s not without risks and hassles.
Craigslist is probably the riskiest option, but buyers will pay cold, hard cash for iOS and Android devices. The biggest challenge here isn’t finding customers — it’s getting them to show up. Be prepared for flakes.
If you do decide to use Craigslist or another in-person option to sell an iOS device, make sure you meet your buyer in a well-lit, public place (many police departments offer their parking lots as transaction sites). For the smoothest transaction, make the agreement clear prior to meeting — your customer should know the price, the condition of the phone and its wireless carrier (especially if the phone isn’t unlocked) in advance.
I consider this a big step up from Craigslist, because not only are your listings free, but Facebook removes much of the anonymity from the transaction of your Apple gadget. You can check the profile of any interested buyer. You can also control where your listing is seen and by whom. I’ve sold lots of items this way, and while I’ve had my share of last-minute no-shows, most of the transactions worked out well.
If you don’t mind putting in a little work — listing, shipping and paying a small sales fee — eBay is arguably a better place to sell a used phone than either Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. That’s because it offers purchase protection, which makes people more comfortable buying from strangers.
The downside? Fees. eBay charges a sales fee for products that are sold through its site: 10% of the final selling price.
To figure out a ballpark selling price for your device, search for your model and check the “sold” listings.
If there’s a downside to selling your iPhone on eBay, it’s the potential risk of buyer’s remorse. eBay offers protection to both the seller and buyer, but customer service tends to side with the buyer in the event of a dispute. Scammers know how to take advantage of this. You can minimize your risk by documenting everything (including taking photos or screenshots of the phone’s IMEI number) and making sure to get signed proof of delivery.
Your old phone is losing market value by the day, so the best time to sell it is always as soon as possible. It’s estimated that within 24 hours of a new iPhone’s unveiling, your old phone loses up to 30% of its trade-in value so you can try to time it right and sell it in the weeks leading up to an iPhone event if you’re smart.
One concern is that if you sell your old smartphone immediately, you’ll be phoneless until the new one arrives. Thankfully, many of the aforementioned buy-back and trade-in services give you a grace period (also known as a “price lock”) of up 30 days after selling your phone before you have to send it in — time enough, hopefully, to purchase and receive your new phone and get everything migrated over (including the SIM card — don’t forget that!). Since the iPhone 14 is just a few months old, this is less of an issue currently.
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What to know before you sell your old iPhone
Whether you sell by yourself or trade to a third-party company, make sure you prep your iPhone properly before selling it
. Here are some tips:
Back it up: Back up all of your important data — including contact, photos, videos and apps — using Apple’s iCloud service or a third-party cloud storage service.
Turn off Find My: Apple’s Find My app (formerly known as Find My iPhone) is a security feature that must be turned off before you sell your phone — or nobody else will be able to use or reset it. To turn off Find My, open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Settings > [Your username] > Find My and turn it off.
Wipe it: Sign out of all apps, services and connected accounts (like your iCloud account). Then, open the Settings app and go to General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings to erase everything from your iPhone. Once this is complete, you can also go to General > Reset > Reset All Settings to restore the iPhone to factory settings, just in case.
Remove the SIM card: Don’t forget to pop out your SIM card, which you’ll likely need for the new phone to keep your existing number and service.
You’ll receive the most money for your phone if it’s in tip-top shape, but you can still do well if it’s in “good” condition: No cracked screen, no big dents or scratches in the casing, no water damage, and everything working well (meaning the phone turns on, holds a charge and so forth).
If your phone is damaged, you can probably still get something for it, even if the device doesn’t turn on. It’s not worth it to repair a cracked phone screen before you sell, but if your screen is only slightly damaged — a small hairline crack in the corner, for example — you may want to sell it on your own instead of trading it in. An individual may be willing to overlook superficial screen damage for a good price.
On Dec. 15, Twitter reached a boiling point when the site suspended several journalists who report on or have been critical of Elon Musk. Twitter reinstated some accounts, but other reporters who did not delete certain tweets are still locked out of the site two weeks later, and more have joined them.
Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET
Today, San Francisco Chronicle reporter Gil Duran reported that he’s been banned from Twitter for more than 10 days for tweeting a question about the other suspended reporters: “Is tweeting about a banned account now prohibited? How about tweeting about an account that was banned for tweeting about a banned account?”
For several of those journalists formerly on Twitter, you can now only read their full stories on Mastodon.
Learn more about Mastodon and how to find the accounts of the reporters who’ve been locked out of Twitter. You can also find a step-by-step process for creating a Mastodon account and participating on the growing social network. For more about social media, here’s how to delete your Twitter account and how to download your Twitter archive before you do.
Which reporters and accounts were suspended by Twitter?
On Dec. 14, Twitter suspended @elonjet, a bot account that tracked the private flights of Elon Musk. It’s run by University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney, whose personal account and other bot accounts were also suspended. Musk had criticized Sweeney’s account but also pledged not to ban it in a now infamous tweet from Nov. 6.
To justify its suspension of Sweeney’s accounts, Twitter updated its private information and media policy on Wednesday to prohibit “live location information, including information shared on Twitter directly or links to 3rd-party URL(s) of travel routes.”
The following day, the official Twitter account for Mastodon was suspended, apparently for sharing a link to the Elonjet account on mastodon.social.
Later in the day on Dec. 15, around 4:30 p.m. PT, several technology reporters found their Twitter accounts had been suspended. Some, but not all, of the accounts had posted links to the Elonjet account on Mastodon.
In response to news of the suspensions, Musk tweeted, “Same doxxing rules apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else.” Suspensions of other reporters who tweeted about Musk continued through the evening. Musk posted two Twitter polls asking when the journalists should be allowed back on Twitter, and the “Now” response won both polls. Several, but not all, journalists had their Twitter accounts reinstated after deleting certain tweets. Others have refused to delete tweets, and others yet have been suspended for uncertain reasons.
Most of the major Twitter accounts that were suspended on Twitter have created accounts on the decentralized social media network Mastodon, with differing levels of participation. Here are the links to their official accounts on Mastodon:
How can I follow someone on Mastodon without joining?
Almost all Mastodon servers allow public posts on the network to be viewed by anyone, regardless of whether you have a Mastodon account. You can simply point your web browser to any user’s profile and scroll through their posts.
If you want a centralized way to track multiple Mastodon users, the easiest way is to join a Mastodon server and follow people as you would on Twitter or any other social network (see more below). However, if you really don’t want to join Mastodon, you can also follow accounts using an RSS reader.
Every account on Mastodon automatically publishes an RSS feed that can be followed, For example, you can see an RSS feed of my original Mastodon posts at mas.to/@peterbutler.rss.
How do I join Mastodon?
Unlike Twitter, Mastodon is not a single website: It’s a decentralized network made up of thousands of websites talking to each other. To start posting on Mastodon (which until quite recently was called “tooting“) and following other people, you’ll need to create an account on a specific Mastodon server or “instance.”
To start following people and posting messages on the Mastodon social service, you begin by joining one specific instance. Each server (if open for registration) has its own sign-up process, but the majority only require a username, email address and password.
Once you’ve joined a Mastodon instance, however, you’re not limited to just following people and posts on that server. You can follow, favorite, reblog or reply to any Mastodon account that’s connected to the larger Fediverse.
How do I choose a Mastodon server?
The Mastodon organization provides a partial list of servers — about 100 — on its joinmastodon.org site. You can filter the servers by geographic region, language, topic registration process and whether or not they’re hosted by individuals or organizations. All servers on the official Mastodon site have agreed to follow the best practices of the Mastodon Server Covenant.
If you’re just testing Mastodon out, you might consider one of the official server instances run by the Mastodon organization. The first and biggest — mastodon.social — has been inundated with new users and has spawned a second mastodon.online server to pick up the slack.
The site provides useful data about each Mastodon instance, including number of users, number of “statuses” (posts), server uptime percentage and which versions of the Mastodon software it is running. It also lets you filter servers by language; minimum/maximum number of users; and prohibited/allowed content such as nudity, pornography, advertisements or entertainment spoilers. You can also click any instance name — fosstodon.org, for example, a server devoted to open-source software — to read a brief description of the community.
Once you’re actually on a Mastodon site, you can learn about the instance from its “about” page, browse community users on its “explore” page or view recent posts on its “public” page.
You should read the server rules for each Mastodon instance to make sure it’s a good fit, but don’t worry too much about which server you join. You can follow users on other servers and join and leave as many Mastodon servers as you’d like. If you do move around, Mastodon allows you to migrate all of your followers and lists with you.
How do I join a Mastodon server?
Joining a Mastodon server only requires a few personal details.
Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET
Each Mastodon instance will have its own sign-up process, but the vast majority are the same. You provide a username, email address and password, check the box agreeing to the terms of service and server rules, and click “Sign Up.”
You’ll then see a notification asking you to check your email for a verification message. Click the “Verify email address” in that email message, and you’re done. You can now start posting on your Mastodon server and follow anyone in the Fediverse.
Because of the increased traffic to Mastodon servers since Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, some of those registration emails are taking a long time to show up or never arriving at all.
When I registered for the mas.to server, I got a confirmation email in about 15 minutes. Be patient, and try a new server if you can’t complete the registration for another.
After you verify your email address, your Mastodon account should be up and running. You can start posting or following people, though it will take a while to build up your feed. Web tools like Debirdify and FediFinder can jump-start the process by helping you find your Twitter contacts on Mastodon.
While most Mastodon servers offer the quick registration process described above, other, more private instances will ask that you apply for an invitation to the instance, which requires a manual review and longer registration time.
If you do decide to register on a Mastodon server and make it through the process, come visit me @peterbutler@mas.to to say hi.
