Category: Technologies

If you bought a new Pixel 7 or 7 Pro, there are some settings you’ll want to change. Making just a few adjustments to your Google Pixel can make it feel more convenient, useful and tailored to your needs. You can customize your home screen’s palette to match your favorite color, save some battery life and preserve storage space, for example.

Google launched the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in October, and both phones include a refreshed design, face unlock, the new Tensor G2 processor and improved cameras. But many of these settings options below should also be available on older devices too, including the Pixel 6 lineup.

Follow the steps below to learn more about how to get the most out of your new Pixel.

Turn on themed icons to make your icons match your wallpaper

One of the biggest features that debuted in 2021’s Android 12 update is Material You, which customizes the software’s color palette to match your wallpaper. To give your app icons a colorful refresh, long-press any empty space on your Pixel 7’s home screen. Then tap Wallpaper & style and make sure the switch next to Themed icons is toggled on. Now app icons on the home screen should match your wallpaper. You’ll notice that some elements within certain apps — like the keyboard in Messages and Gmail’s Compose button — will have colored accents that match your wallpaper, too.

Unlock your Pixel 7 just by looking at it

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro both support face unlock, unlike last year’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. If you own a Pixel 7 and haven’t set it up yet, you can do so by launching the Settings menu and tapping Security. Tap Face and fingerprint unlock and enter your PIN. From there, choose the Face Unlock option to register your face to your phone.

Google cautions, however, that your phone can be unlocked by someone who looks like you, such as a sibling, when using this feature. As such, the Pixel 7’s face unlock functionality is meant just for quickly unlocking your phone rather than authenticating payments and other transactions. That makes it significantly different than Apple’s Face ID, which creates a depth map of your face by “projecting and analyzing thousands of invisible dots,” according to Apple’s support page.

Use Quick Phrases to dismiss an alarm or phone call without saying, ‘Hey, Google’

We’ve all been there. It’s 6 a.m., your alarm starts blaring and you barely have the energy to reach for your phone. Google makes this a little easier on the Pixel lineup by enabling you to pause or dismiss an alarm by simply saying, “Snooze” or “Stop” without requiring the “Hey, Google” trigger phrase. You can do the same for phone calls by saying “Answer” or “Decline” without having to grab your device.

To turn this on, open the Settings menu and choose Apps. Then, select Assistant and tap Quick phrases. You should see options for alarms and timers and incoming calls. Tap the switch next to each one to enable this feature.

Have Google Assistant wait on hold for you and transcribe automated phone menus

Tired of waiting on hold? Try using Google’s Hold For Me feature, which has Google Assistant wait on hold and then notify you when a customer representative becomes available. If you don’t want to remember which number to punch the next time you’re sitting through automated voice prompts, you can also turn on Direct My Call. This transcribes automated menus so that you don’t have to remember which number to press to get directed to the correct extension. Direct My Call should work even faster on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, since Google says these phones may show some transcriptions before they’re even spoken.

Both of these features are accessible from the Pixel’s phone app. Hold For Me works on the Pixel 3 and later, while Direct My Call is available on the Pixel 3A and later. Open the Phone app and tap the three dots in the top right corner to get started. Choose Settings and you should see Hold for Me and Direct My Call under the Assistive section.

The Direct My Call feature seems promising, but it only works for toll-free numbers in English right now. That can make its transcriptions a bit confusing since many automated phone menus typically read options in Spanish, too.

Choose whether you want to extend battery life or boost performance

Google’s Pixel phones can optimize battery life depending on how you use your phone. While that’s a useful perk, there may be times when you’d prefer to turn this feature off so that you can get better performance out of your device. You can turn this setting on or off anytime by opening the Settings menu, choosing Battery and tapping Adaptive preferences.

Turn on Smart Storage to avoid running out of space

If you take a lot of photos and videos, you know how precious your device’s storage space can be. As one way to deal with that problem, you can choose to have your Pixel phone automatically delete old photos to free up space. If you enable this feature, your Pixel device will erase photos backed up to your Google Photos account that have been on your device for 60 days if your phone’s storage is less than 25%.

To turn this on, open Settings, choose Storage and tap Free up space. Then tap the menu icon in the top left corner and select Settings. Toggle the switch next to Smart Storage.

Use Storage Saver to optimize your Pixel’s photo and video storage

If you want to save space, there’s another option: Enable Storage Saver on your Pixel device. This changes settings that use large amounts of storage, such as saving RAW images as JPEG and recording videos in 1080p instead of 4K. If you care more about saving space than having the best resolution possible, you might want to try this.

Launch the Camera app and tap the settings icon in the top left corner. Then, tap More settings and select Device storage. Toggle the switch next to Storage Saver.

Customize what happens when you press the volume key while taking photos

You can use the volume button to snap a photo, adjust the zoom or control the audio volume on your Pixel device. Open the Camera app, press the Settings icon and choose More settings. Then, choose Gestures and select Volume key action to choose your preferred option.

Make sure your Pixel’s screen automatically switches orientation when needed

Few things can be more annoying than having your phone stuck in portrait mode when you’re holding it in landscape mode to watch a video. Avoid this on your Pixel phone by opening the Settings menu, choosing Display and tapping Auto-rotate screen. You can also choose to turn on face detection to make autorotate more accurate. Google says images used in face detection are never stored or sent to the company.

Identify songs playing nearby on the lock screen

Ever heard a song playing at a restaurant and wondered what it’s called? Google Pixel devices can recognize songs and display the name of the song and artist on your phone’s lock screen. Open the Settings menu, choose Display and tap Lock screen. Press Now Playing and toggle on the switch next to Identify songs playing nearby.

Choose whether you want smoother scrolling or longer battery life

Certain Pixel devices can boost their refresh rates to enable faster scrolling and smoother animations, which makes the software generally feel more responsive. The Pixel 7 can bump its refresh rate up to 90Hz like the Pixel 6, while the Pixel 7 Pro can go up to 120Hz just like the Pixel 6 Pro. But since this feature increases battery usage, there are times when you might want to turn it off.

To access this option, open the Settings menu and choose Display. Scroll down to Smooth Display and toggle the switch to turn it on or off. This feature isn’t available on the Pixel 6A.

Add captions to videos, podcasts and phone calls

Google’s Live Caption feature generates captions for media playing on your device, and it works on older Pixels dating back to the second-generation model. It’s an accessibility feature, and it can also be useful for times when you’re stuck without headphones and need to hear the content of a video or podcast in a public setting. To turn this on, press the volume button and tap the Live Caption icon, which looks like a speech bubble. Just remember that using Live Caption can use additional battery resources.

Edit your quick settings to easily access shortcuts

Pulling down from the top of the screen will launch the quick settings menu. Tap the pencil icon to edit this menu and add the settings you use most often. Google offers a wide variety of options ranging from battery saver to enabling and disabling the microphone and accessing alarms. Here you’ll find staples including airplane mode, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Looking for more advice for your other Google devices? Check out our tips for boosting your productivity on Chromebooks and getting the most out of your Google Nest.

While the Orion spacecraft, a key part of NASA’s Artemis I mission, is on its way back to Earth after going far beyond the moon, a new lunar lander from Japan and a small rover from the United Arab Emirates are now en route for a visit to our planet’s lone natural satellite.

The Hakuto R mission, led by private Japanese company iSpace, launched from Florida early Sunday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to send its M1 lander to the surface of the moon. The lander is 8.5 feet by 7.5 feet (2.6 meters by 2.3 meters) when fully unfolded.

Liftoff took place at 12:38 a.m. ET (11:38 p.m. Saturday PT). The first stage booster from the Falcon 9 returned for a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station about 9 minutes later and a little less than an hour after launch, SpaceX announced that Hakuto R M1 had been deployed and was officially on its way to the moon.

“Our first mission will lay the groundwork for unleashing the moon’s potential and transforming it into a robust and vibrant economic system,” Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of iSpace, said in a statement.

Hakamada added that the company is hoping to contribute to the Artemis program. The US space agency has already committed to buying moon rocks that M1 will collect.

The company confirmed on Sunday it had established a stable communications link with the lander.

The launch had been set for last week, but the company postponed it, first to Wednesday morning and then again to Sunday, so that SpaceX could perform additional preflight checks of the launch vehicle.

iSpace was one of the finalists in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, which ended back in 2018 without any winners being declared. But it did raise funds to continue on its own and secure some customers with similar lunar ambitions. That’s how a rover named Rashid from the UAE’s space program wound up on board M1.

Rashid is set to study moon dust and will send images and data back to Earth.

If the mission succeeds, Japan and the UAE will join the US, Russia and China as the only countries that have managed to put a robot on the lunar surface. Another Lunar X Prize finalist, Israel’s SpaceIL, attempted its own lunar landing in 2019, but the mission ended with a crash into the moon that destroyed the spacecraft.

The lander has a long journey between blastoff and lunar touchdown, performing months’ worth of tests in space before arrival at the Atlas crater on the near side of the moon, which is scheduled for April.

If you already run your calendar, email and cloud storage through Google, then it just makes sense to use Google devices as well. And whether you’re in the market for a new phone, are looking to add a sleek smartwatch to your lineup or want a pair of earbuds optimized for Androids, right now’s a great time to pick one up with Amazon offering up to $150 tons of Google’s latest devices. Many are even back down to the all-time low prices we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. There’s no set expiration for this sale, but with deals this good, we don’t expect it to last for long. Get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

All three of Google’s latest phones claimed a spot on our list of the best phones overall for 2022. The newest model in its flagship lineup is the Pixel 7, which features a 6.3-inch full HD display, a 50MP camera and 8GB of RAM. Right now, you can sang the 128GB model for $499, which is $100 off the usual price. Or, if you don’t mind spending a little more, you can upgrade to the more advanced Pixel 7 Pro. It’s slightly larger with a 6.7-inch QHD display, and has upgraded hardware including 12GB of RAM and an improved camera with a that supports high-res zoom up to 30x. Prices start at $749 for the 128GB model, which saves you $150 compared to the usual price.

And if saving money is your number one priority, you can also save on Google’s already-affordable Pixel 6A. It’s the latest model in it’s budget-friendly “A” series, and while the specs can’t quite measure up to the powerful Pixel 7, it’s still an excellent option for most people. It has a 6.1-inch full HD display, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP camera and right now you can snag it sale for $299, saving you $150 compared to the usual price.

There’s more than just phones on sale, too. This is also a chance to shop the biggest discount we’ve seen so far on Google’s new Pixel Watch smartwatch and fitness tracker. Because Google owns Fitbit, it offers many of the same fitness tracking capabilities, which includes monitoring your heart rate, sleep patterns, calories burned, activity levels and much more. And because it’s powered by Google’s Wear OS, it’s compatible with tons of Google apps, including Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Wallet and more. It’s currently $50 off, dropping the price down to the new all-time low of $300.

And if you’re looking to complete your collection of Google devices, you can also snag a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series while they’re on sale for $69, $30 off the usual price. They’re equipped with 12mm dynamic drivers, adaptive sound that automatically adjusts the audio based on your surrounding environment and have a battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge. And because they’re optimized for Android devices, you can use them to get directions, check your notifications and more just by asking “Hey Google.”

I can barely move a muscle. My feet, tied into cycling shoes, are locked behind me. My hands are clenched around metal grips, while my chest is pressed against a padded support bar.

“Go ahead and press Cowboy,” my instructor Jonathan says.

I release one hand from its grip and reach out to tap “Cowboy Mode” on the tablet that’s suspended a few feet from my face. With the sound of motors whirring to life, everything starts vibrating.

“The mech is yours.” Jonathan shouts.

The mech is an 18-foot-tall, 9,000-pound human-driven exosuit called Prosthesis. It can scale hills, cross rivers and flip cars. Jonathan is Jonathan Tippett, the co-founder of Exosapien Technologies. He spent more than a decade designing and building Prosthesis and is the self-described world’s leading mech pilot.

“I wanted to make a machine that captured that age-old pursuit of human skill and mastery but combined it with supermodern technology, and in a novel way that was not automated.”

We’re at a ranch that belongs to a friend of Jonathan’s east of San Francisco, where he’s agreed to give me a crash course in piloting Prosthesis.

I ask him what makes a good mech suit pilot. “People with good body awareness. Gymnasts, snowboarders, mountain bikers.” he says. “Having good rhythm. If you’re a good dancer or you play a musical instrument, that seems to help because there’s a rhythmic element to the kinematics of the machine.”

Pilots control Prosthesis’ four identical limbs with their own human limbs. Their arms operate the two outside legs, and their real legs operate the two mechanical legs on the inside. It sounds pretty simple. Spoiler alert: It isn’t. In fact, almost no one manages to take an actual stop on day one. Watch the video above to see my experience.

Though anyone can book a training session with Prosthesis (lessons start at $1,500 for 90 minutes), Jonathan envisions mech suit piloting as a competitive sport with pilots racing obstacle courses and solving puzzles. “Picture American Ninja Warrior meets monster trucks,” he says.

The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 isn’t just a new name on an old chair. Secretlab improved one of the first chairs to make our best list by making small but user-friendly changes.

The head pillow and armrests, for example, attach to the chair magnetically, improving the Titan aesthetically and functionally. Chair makers typically use a track or straps for headrests, but the magnets clean up the design while the headrest stays stationary. Plus, if you’ve ever experienced cracked, torn or simply worn-out armrests, you’ll understand why the magnets there are so welcomed. The armrest padding can easily be swapped if damaged or to change the look with a different color.

One of the Titan’s best features stays in the mix: an adjustable internal lumbar support. If you move around a lot like me, you’ll find it’s so much better than the average lumbar pillow support. In addition, Secretlab kept the chair’s locking padded 4D armrests. This is great because when I stand, I occasionally grab the armrests, and if they don’t lock, they move out of place.

The Titan Evo 2022 is a comfortable chair with a firm feel. The seat base is wide for larger users and those who like to cross their legs. The backrest is wide and high enough to fully support your back and tilts 160 degrees. The star-shaped base of the chair is wide and secure, with no creaking when I flop in it.

The Titan Evo 2022 comes in three sizes: small (which supports bodies up to 5 feet, 6 inches tall and up to 200 pounds), regular (5 feet, 7 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 220 pounds), and extra large (5 feet, 11 inches to 6 feet, 9 inches tall, 395 pounds).

Along with accommodating all sizes, the Evo has four upholstery choices: Neo Hybrid Leatherette, Softweave Plus Fabric, Napa Leather and Exotic. The starting price for the Titan Evo 2022 is $484.

Secretlab Skins are a new offering exclusive to the Evo 2022. It’s essentially a chair cover that wraps around the Evo and fits it like a glove. It’s a great feature for anyone who’s had buyer’s remorse when choosing a color or design. Secretlab offers many design collaborations, too, such as Attack on Titan, Star Wars and Batman. Users can coordinate the armrests with the skin or swap and customize them to fit their personalities. Using skins also helps prevent wear and tear to the actual chair.

For a breakdown of the skins, check them out here.

If you don’t want to use a video chat service like Zoom or Google Meet, Facebook has an easy-to-use alternative. Messenger Rooms arrived in May 2020 as people began looking for an alternative to Zoom, which faced a number of security and privacy issues at the time. Keep reading for Facebook Messenger Rooms’ stance on privacy, and how to get started using the new video chat platform.

You can create a video chat room via Facebook or the Messenger app and invite up to 50 people to join a video call — even if they don’t have a Facebook account. There are no time limits on calls.

Read more: Facebook Messenger Rooms vs. Zoom: Which video-chat app is better?

Facebook Messenger Rooms privacy concerns

While Facebook has also grappled with many security and privacy problems, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a livestream that the company has been “very careful” and tried to “learn the lessons” from issues with other video conference tools in recent months.

More than 700 million accounts participate in voice and video calls every day on Facebook Messenger and the Facebook-owned WhatsApp, and the number of calls has more than doubled in many areas since the coronavirus outbreak began, the company said in a press release.

Messenger Rooms’ privacy protections include the ability to control who sees your room, and can lock or unlock it. If it’s unlocked, anyone with the link can join and share the room with others. But the room creator has to be present to start the call. They can control who can join, and can remove participants at any time, too. People can report a room for violating Facebook rules — though those reports will not include any video or audio from the call. Facebook doesn’t listen to your calls at all, the company said.

Read more: 10 Free Zoom Alternative Apps for Video Chats

How to create a Facebook Messenger Room

To create a room from your phone, make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook and Messenger mobile apps downloaded from the App Store or the Google Play Store. Then follow these steps:

1. Open the Messenger app.

2. Tap the People tab at the bottom right of the screen.

3. Tap Create a Room, and select the people who you want to join.

4. To share a room with people who don’t have a Facebook account, you can share the link with them. You can also share the room in your News Feed, Groups and Events.

You can join a room from your phone or computer — no need to download anything, according to Facebook.

Facebook plans to add ways to create Rooms from Instagram Direct, WhatsApp and the Portal smart display as well. Features will include 14 camera filters and changeable backgrounds.

For more, check out 11 video chat app tricks for Zoom, Skype and FaceTime.

Your Android phone is online constantly, and your web browser in particular is picking up data from all the different websites you visit. Much of that data builds up in your web browser app — whether you’re using Google Chrome, Firefox or Samsung Internet — storing it as part of the cookies and cache within those apps. This data can be helpful for websites you regularly frequent, letting them load faster with your accounts already logged in.

While data for the websites you frequent is certainly convenient, the cache and cookies are also where data from websites you visited as a one-off along with random data trackers also build up. Some of the cookies in particular can track your browsing history, and it could be helping serve up personalized advertising based on your web history. For instance, the way you end up seeing advertising for a product that you might have viewed briefly on a shopping website.

Want to improve your cybersecurity?

We’ll teach you why protecting your identity and data is important. Plus, get recommendations for VPNs, Password Managers and Antivirus Software.

Because of this, every so often it’s good to clear out your cache. This way you can remove data that you simply don’t need on your phone, especially if it’s a data tracker that you aren’t even aware is part of your phone’s cookies. This will lead to a minor convenience of having to log back into some of your favorite websites, but it’s a small price in order to make sure your phone isn’t stocking up on extraneous data.

The steps differ slightly depending on the type of phone and web browser app you’re using, so below we’ll go over how to clear this data for Google Chrome browser (often the default for many Android phones like the Google Pixel line), Samsung’s Internet browser (often the default on the Galaxy phone series) and Mozilla’s Firefox browser. You can also check out our separate guide on how to clear your cache on an iPhone web browser in case you have a few Apple devices to tidy up, too.

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Google Chrome

You can delete your cookies and cache from within the Android version of Google Chrome by first tapping the More button in the top right corner of the browser, indicated by a column of three dots, then tapping History, then Clear browsing data. You can also access this from the Chrome Settings menu, tapping Privacy and Security and then Clear browsing data.

Chrome also offers Basic and Advanced settings for clearing your Browsing history, Cookies and site data and Cached images and files. You can use the Time range drop-down to select whether you want to delete the entire history or a selection of anywhere from the past 24 hours up to the last four weeks. Tapping Advanced will also give you access to deleting Saved passwords, Autofill form data and Site settings. After selecting what you want to delete, tap the blue Clear data button. You might receive an additional prompt in the event Chrome deems certain websites as being “important” to you, and if so you’ll get the chance to confirm before clearing. Otherwise if you do not receive that prompt, Chrome will immediately proceed to clear as you instructed.

Read more: Ditch Google Chrome and Use This Privacy-Focused Browser Instead

Samsung Internet

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There are two different ways you can clear your Samsung Internet browser’s cache and cookie data. You can clear from within the browser itself, or you can go through your phone’s Settings app.

To clear while in the Samsung Internet browser app, first tap the Options button in the bottom right corner represented by three horizontal lines, then Settings; scroll down to and tap Personal Data, then tap Delete browsing data to get a menu of options to delete. You can clear your Browsing history, Cookies and site data, Cached images and files, Passwords and Autofill forms in any combination. After tapping Delete data, you’ll then receive a prompt asking for you to confirm your choices before deleting.

Going through the browser app itself provides the most customization of what you want to delete. However, if you want to access similar options from your phone’s settings menu, open the Settings app and tap on Apps, then scroll down to and tap Samsung Internet and then Storage.

At the bottom of Storage, you get separate options to Clear cache and Clear data. Tapping Clear cache will immediately delete the cache, but Clear data brings up a prompt that warns you that all of the application’s data will be deleted permanently, including files, settings, accounts and databases. While it doesn’t specify cookies, this “going nuclear” approach should zap all remaining data, letting you restart the Samsung Internet browser as if it were brand-new.

Read more: Change These Android Settings to Get the Most Out of Your Phone

Mozilla Firefox

Much as with Google Chrome, you can clear the cache from within the Mozilla Firefox Android app. To access this function, tap the More button on the right of the address bar, again symbolized by three vertically aligned dots. Then tap Settings and scroll down to Delete browsing data.

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Of the three browsers we’re discussing here, Firefox gives you the most options under the Delete browsing data menu, allowing you to also delete any existing Open tabs, your Browsing history and site data, Site permissions and even your Downloads folder alongside Cookies and Cached images and files.

While you can’t pick a time range as you can for Chrome, you can be more specific regarding what type of data you would like to remove.

Read more: Browser Privacy Settings to Change ASAP in Firefox, Chrome and Safari

And Firefox has an additional option for those who never want to keep their browsing data after they’re done using the app. Inside of Settings is a Delete browsing data on quit option, which instructs Firefox to wipe any combination of these same settings every time you quit the application. It’s a useful feature if you’d like to keep the browser tidy and, say, avoid accidentally handing off your browser history to someone who may have stolen or otherwise gained access to your phone.

For more, check out everything to know about Google’s new operating system, Android 13, including how to download the beta. Also, take a look at CNET’s list of the best Android apps and some settings you’ll want to change on your current phone.

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A great gaming headset is a must-have for anyone who enjoys playing their PS5. Whether you’re a hardcore multiplayer gamer or a devoted single-player savant, a headset can enhance your experience.

They’re also great for late-night gaming, as well as for during the day when other people in your home are doing their own thing. A huge number of gaming headsets are compatible with the PS5, from Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless to USB and 3.5mm wired options.

On a technical note, Sony has equipped the PS5 with its new Tempest 3D AudioTech. You could only experience 3D Audio on the PS4 with certain headsets. With the PS5, any headset or headphone will do, though the experience is better with some headsets than others. (Check out this list of games that currently support Tempest 3D Audio.)

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Prices for PS5 headsets range from $30 for entry-level wired models to more than $400 for wireless models that also can be used with PCs and offer high-quality audio for music listening. As you might expect, a headset’s comfort level along with sound and microphone quality are key factors in our evaluations. With higher-end models, bonus features or premium designs can also help certain models stand out.

As new PS5 headsets are released, we’ll update this list. And if you’re still having trouble tracking down a next-gen console, be sure to check our PS5 restock tracker for the latest on where they’re available.

David Carnoy/CNET

Sony Pulse 3D

Best Sony wireless PS5 headset

When the PS5 launched, Sony also released the Pulse 3D, a new wireless gaming headset that’s designed for Sony’s Tempest 3D AudioTech. This wireless headset delivers a very good virtual surround experience with PS5 games that support 3D Audio. And while it doesn’t feel all that premium, it is relatively lightweight and comfortable to wear.

For better or worse, there’s no retractable boom microphone but overall microphone performance is good. As I said, the build quality didn’t blow me away — I like this headset better than Sony’s earlier headsets for the PS5. It’s certainly a safe pick.

$100 at Best Buy

$95 at Amazon

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SteelSeries

SteelSeries Arctis 7P Plus

Top midrange PS5 headset

SteelSeries recently released the 7P Plus ($170), which has a new multiplatform wireless USB-C dongle, improved battery life, USB-C charging and new software for PC. It offers “seamless” compatibility for PC, PS5, PS4 and now Switch and Android.

SteelSeries headsets offer a good combination of top-notch comfort, strong sound quality, excellent microphone performance and solid built quality. The 7P Plus is a good choice if you’re looking for something significantly better than entry level but also not crazy-expensive. It’s one of my favorite midrange wireless models out there right now and also features strong battery life (up to 30 hours) for wireless gaming.

$150 at Amazon

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HyperX

HyperX Cloud Alpha

Best wired PS5 headset under $100

After I try a headset, I often hand it over to my 15-year-old son, who plays pretty much exclusively on PS5. I have several gaming headsets lying around, and he always returns to the HyperX Cloud Alpha. It’s just very solidly built, has good sound with strong microphone performance and most importantly, it’s comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions.

For about $30 more you can get the HyperX Cloud Alpha 7.1, which has a nearly identical design but supports virtual surround sound audio — only for PCs, though. This PS4/PS5 headset is stereo-only for PS5.

Read our HyperX Cloud Alpha preview.

$100 at Best Buy

$140 at Amazon

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Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Wireless

Midrange favorite PS5 headset

Last year, Turtle Beach upgraded its popular Stealth 700 headset, improving both its performance and comfort. The build quality is solid, and I liked the “cooling gel-infused” memory foam ear cushions, which really fit my head nicely and played well with glasses. The headband is also sturdy and well-padded.

Turtle Beach says this Gen 2 model has improved 50mm Nanoclear drivers — the sound is more detailed and “precise,” — there’s a redesigned metal-reinforced headband and a larger, high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic. Its engineers tuned it to deliver even “more detailed and precise sound.” I thought it sounded quite good, and the headset pairs to your phone and is good both for music listening and taking calls while you’re gaming. There’s a new Turtle Beach Hub app for iOS and Android that allows you to tweak the audio and remap buttons.

This PS4/PS5 version includes a Mini-Wireless USB Transmitter for wireless use. Battery life is rated at 20 hours and the headset charges via USB-C.

$200 at Amazon

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Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Wireless

Solid wireless PS5 headset under $100

If you can’t quite afford Turtle Beach’s new Stealth 700 Gen 2, the new Stealth 600 Gen 2 is a good alternative at $80. While it doesn’t have the more premium build quality of the Stealth 700, it’s a very comfortable headset with good sound and performance. The audio quality has been improved slightly, and like the Stealth 700, it’s equipped with a larger high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic that seamlessly integrates into the headset when retracted (muted).

The headset is pictured in white but is more readily available in black. The PlayStation version includes a dongle for wireless connectivity with the PS4 and PS5. Battery life is rated at 15 hours, and the headset recharges via USB-C. An audio preset button on the left ear cup allows you to quickly customize your audio, too.

There’s also an Xbox version.

$100 at GameStop

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Beyerdynamic MMX 150

PS5 headset with excellent sound

Beyerdynamic has a couple of new wired gaming headsets, the MMX 100 ($100) and MMX 150 ($150). They’re both solidly built and comfortable to wear and have very good microphone performance with good noise reduction (they’re equipped with a detachable “Meta Voice” microphone).

The MMX 100 is a straightforward analog wired model while the more expensive MMX 150, which delivers better sound — and I preferred — has a USB digital connection option.

Most people will still connect the headphone cable directly to the PS5 controller, but you can use the USB cable to connect to the console itself or a PC. There’s a volume control wheel with control element for volume, mute and “augmented” mode that allows sound in and amplifies the outside world (however, the feature is only available when connected to USB).

This is a headset that can double as an everyday wired headphone, owing to its excellent sound quality for both gaming and music. It’s essentially a studio headphone with a detachable microphone and some added gaming features.

$149 at Beyerdynamic

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Roccat Elo X

Budget wired PS5 headset pick

There’s nothing fancy about the Roccat Elo X headset, but it’s lightweight, relatively comfortable (don’t expect plush, swanky ear pads but they’re not bad) and sounds decent with acceptable microphone performance. I have a lot of gaming headsets lying around but for some reason my 12-year-old always grabs this one when he plays Fortnite and FIFA 22 with his friends and has logged hours with it on my Xbox Series X (since it’s wired, it works with any game console or PC). It’s held up well.

$50 at Amazon

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David Carnoy/CNET

JBL Quantum 100

Solid under-$40 wired PS5 headset

The Quantum 100 is the entry-level model in JBL’s new line of Quantum gaming headsets, which run from $40 to $300. There’s nothing fancy about this model, but it’s pretty lightweight and comfortable with nicely padded ear cups, plus it has a detachable boom microphone. On the left ear cup there’s a volume control dial along with a microphone mute button. This wired gaming headset also works with other game consoles and is pretty decent for music, though it’s a touch bright.

While some of JBL’s higher-end models feature wireless connectivity and even noise canceling, the Quantum 100 is just a basic gaming headphone that will appeal to more casual gamers on a tight budget.

$20 at Amazon

$20 at Best Buy

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HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless

Incredible battery life

Aside from being comfortable and sounding good, with excellent microphone performance, HyperX’s new Cloud Alpha Wireless’ standout feature is its awesome battery life. While the headset is rated for up to 300 hours of battery life, you may not get quite that, but you’re still probably looking at around 10 days without charging if you’re using it heavily.

The DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio feature only works with PCs (with the PS5 you can tap into Sony’s 3D Audio) and like other wireless headsets, this one includes a 2.4GHz USB dongle that plugs into your PS5. Alas, there’s no cord to make it wired, or Bluetooth to connect it to your phone.

Read our HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review.

$156 at Amazon

$158 at Best Buy

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Master & Dynamic MG20

Pricey PS5 headset with excellent sound

Known for its beautifully designed headphones that feature excellent sound, Master & Dynamic has entered the gaming headset arena with its $449 MG20 wireless headset, which is compatible with the PS5/PS4 as well as PCs. Available in white or black, it’s a wee bit overpriced, but it’s a good-looking headset and comfortable to wear (though not any more comfortable than several less expensive models on this list).

It includes a wireless USB transmitter for wireless gaming on the PS5 and PCs and has 7.1 virtual surround sound for PC gaming. You get a carrying pouch along with a few different cables for wired gaming and listening, including a USB-C to USB-A cable. Also, there’s Bluetooth on board so you can wirelessly pair the headset with your phone for music listening. Battery life is rated at 22 hours.

Aside from its swanky design, the best thing about the MG20 is its audio quality — and that goes for gaming and music listening. The boom microphone is detachable so this can be used as an everyday headphone (it has internal microphones that can be used for calls). If you can afford it, that’s the main reason to get it over another premium gaming headset.

While it is missing such features as active noise canceling, you can tweak its sound profile using the companion app for iOS and Android. There’s an eSports sound profile as well as a bass boost mode that I went with because the default sound profile is a little too neutral.

$449 at Master & Dynamic

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Disney Plus has been the breakaway success among a wave of new streaming services in the last two-plus years, thanks in part to its large library of shows, movies and exclusive originals. The service already raised its price once since launch, and Thursday brought another hike, with a twist: The service also introduced a second subscription tier with advertising.

Here are the big details to know about the tiers, pricing and everything else.

How much did Disney Plus raise prices?

Previously, Disney Plus had a single subscription level, which was ad free. On Thursday, the service launched a new tier with ads in the US; at the same time, it hiked the price on its ad-free memberships in the US from $8 a month to $11. That means that if you’re an existing Disney Plus subscriber who pays every month, your next bill will be $3 more.

Annual membership are now $110, up from $80 previously.

Disney Plus’ US price still undercuts the $15.50 monthly fee for Netflix‘s most popular plan in the US, which lets you stream to two different devices simultaneously in high definition. And Disney Plus allows all subscribers to stream to four devices and access 4K content at no extra cost — features Netflix charges $20 a month to unlock on its premium tier.

Way back in 2017, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger noted that Disney Plus pricing at launch would reflect the “fact that it will have substantially less volume” than prime competitor Netflix. As the months and years pass, Disney Plus is accumulating a bigger catalog of exclusives and originals. As that happens, it’s widely expected the company will continue pushing its price higher.

How much does the new ad-supported tier cost?

The new ad-supported subscription to Disney Plus is $8 a month, which matches the price of the ad-free tier before Thursday’s hikes. That means if you want to keep streaming Disney Plus but don’t want to pay any more money than you already were paying, you’ll need to switch levels and start watching with commercials. Otherwise, ad-free streaming on Disney Plus is now $11.

The ad-supported subscription doesn’t offer an annual plan.

By comparison, Paramount Plus charges $5 for its tier with advertising, and $10 for the ad-free version. HBO Max is $10 a month if you watch with ads or $15 a month to strip out all commercials. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has a limited free tier with advertising, which blocks some library from being streamed, and it offers two all-access subscriptions: an ad-supported membership for $5 and an ad-free one for $10.

How much is the Disney bundle with Hulu and ESPN Plus?

The company offers bundles that combine Disney Plus with Hulu and ESPN Plus, offering a discount if you subscribe to more than one.

The launch of the ad-based Disney Plus tier has tweaked the various combinations and prices of the bundles:

• $10 a month: Disney Plus and Hulu, both with ads
• $13 a month: Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus, all three with ads
• $20 a month: Ad-free Disney Plus and Hulu, plus ad-supported ESPN Plus

Disney has one additional bundle, but it’s only available for customers who already subscribe to it — you can’t enroll in it anymore. This bundle combines ad-free Disney Plus with ad-supported Hulu and ad-supported ESPN Plus for $15 a month.

Does Disney Plus have a free trial? Or other free offers?

Disney Plus no longer offers a standard free trial. It eliminated its one-week free trial program in June 2020.

But other deals may unlock Disney Plus free (or at no added cost).

For example, Disney and Verizon have a deal that will gives some customers on certain plans the Disney “bundle” — Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus — at no extra cost; you’re supposed to be eligible with Verizon’s higher-end 5G Play More, 5G Do More and 5G Get More unlimited plans, as well as its non-5G Get More or Play More. Other Verizon plans, such as its more affordable Start and Do More plans, have six months of Disney Plus included, but not the bundle. A Verizon websitehas the fine print with the terms those deals.

When do new movies and new shows hit Disney Plus?

All new titles are added to the service at midnight PT/3 a.m. ET on the day of their release.

Typically, Disney Plus releases new series episodes early Wednesday mornings, and original films tend to land early Friday mornings — but it isn’t an ironclad rule.

When will Black Panther: Wakanda Forever start streaming?

Disney hasn’t confirmed a streaming release date for the Black Panther sequel yet, but it’s reasonable to estimate that Wakanda Forever will likely start streaming sometime between late December and mid- to late January.

To make an educated guess about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s timing, it’s most helpful to look at the timeline for other Marvel films once Disney revived the practice of theatrical exclusives.

So far this year, Marvel theatrically released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in May and Thor: Love and Thunder in July. Although Doctor Strange took 47 days to reach Disney Plus, Thor: Love and Thunder, its most recent Marvel movie, hit Disney Plus 62 days after its theatrical release. That’s closer in length to Marvel’s theatrical exclusives last year: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was in theaters for 70 days and Eternals, 68 days.

If Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were to match Doctor Strange’s 47-day timeline, it would be on Disney Plus on Dec. 28, tucked into the week after Christmas but before New Year’s Day. Every year, that week is an extraordinarily popular time for streaming — it’s often when Netflix racks up some of its biggest hits of all time.

But if Disney opts for Black Panther’s theatrical exclusive to be closer in length to that of its other Marvel movies, then Black Panther won’t become available to stream until mid- to late January, or possibly even later.

Disney’s timing decisions for Black Panther and other upcoming movies — the new Avatar movie and the next Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy films, to name a few — are likely to hinge on how much the company wants to generate box office dollars versus how much it wants to reel in new streaming subscribers and keep the ones it has.

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What devices support Disney Plus?

Disney has wide device support, streaming to phones, tablets, computers, connected TVs and streaming media boxes. The company has global distribution agreements in place with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, Sony, Amazon, Samsung and LG. That encompasses the makers of:

• Roku’s boxes, sticks and TVs.
• Apple TV, iPhone and iPad.
• Phones and TVs running on Android operating systems, as well as Chromecast streamers.
• Xbox One.
• PlayStation 4.
• Amazon Fire TV devices.
• Samsung smart TVs.
• LG smart TVs.
• Comcast X1 set-top boxes and Flex platforms.

What product features does the service include?

Video and audio formats: Disney Plus can stream 4K Ultra HD content in Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. You can see a title’s available formats in any of the Disney Plus apps by clicking to that show or movie’s main page and then clicking on the “details” tab. The app for streaming boxes, like Roku and Apple TV, is also designed to briefly flash a symbol telling you the format that you’re watching; it appears in the upper right corner of the screen for a few seconds when a video begins to play.

Simultaneous streams: Every Disney Plus account can stream to four devices simultaneously and can create seven user profiles for different members of the household. Each account can pick an avatar of a Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars character, with more than 200 avatars available.

Mobile downloads: Disney Plus also offers unlimited mobile downloads for offline viewing. Subscribers can download to up to 10 mobile or tablet devices, with no constraints on the number of times a title can be downloaded. The number of titles stored at one time on a device depends on how much storage space is available on the device.

Languages and accessibility: The service supported English, Spanish, French and Dutch at launch, including in its user interface as well with audio support and subtitles for library content. Disney Plus originals and much of its library is available with multiple languages as the audio or as subtitles. The app also supports closed captioning, descriptive audio and navigation assistance to help subscribers with disabilities. (In July, the American Council of the Blind gave Disney Plus an achievement award for its descriptive audio, specialized tracks that describe the settings and the action taking place alongside a program’s dialogue.)

Parental controls: Disney Plus offers parental controls in the form of kids profiles. You can designate any profile to be in a kids mode, which has a simplified interface designed for younger viewers. These kids profiles limit the library to programming that’s rated TV-7FV and G in the US, or the equivalent ratings in other geographic markets.

Group watch: Disney has a group-watching feature, which lets you synchronize your stream of any title on Disney Plus with other accounts through the app, so you can watch a program at the same time as friends or family even if you’re apart.

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When it comes to exercising, a lot of us fall into one of two categories: fitness lovers or the exercise-averse. It can be more challenging to maintain a regular exercise schedule as cool weather rolls in at the end of the year.If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, consider investing in a fitness tracker. Fitness trackers like Fitbits can assist you in setting, achieving and monitoring your progress over time.

Regardless of whether you enjoy working out, staying active is important. And a tool that will help you on your health and fitness journey could be the key to staying on task, even when cold weather moves in. If you think you would benefit from having data points about how much movement you get in a day, you should consider purchasing a Fitbit to track your activity to hit daily targets and keep you inspired.

Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers can keep up with all activities, tracking your steps and workouts. Fitbit devices can also track your sleep patterns, stress levels and heart health. If you’re interested in monitoring your fitness journey through the end of 2022 and beyond, a Fitbit is a stylish, comfortable and effective tool that could help you get in shape.

While you can find really good offers on Fitbit devices all year long if you take advantage of special markdowns, you’ll usually find impressive sales during the holiday season, making now a great time to invest in one of these wearables. It’s also worth remembering that Google’s new Pixel Watch, which includes many of Fitbit’s best activity tracking features, launched in October. Many of the products listed in this article are previous-generation Fitbit devices, but they still pack plenty of functionality and value — especially at these lower prices.

If you’re already sold on getting a Fitbit but aren’t sure which one is right for you, we’ve got you covered with all the information you need. Read our deep dive on a few of Fitbit’s most prominent models.

Best Fitbit deals available right now

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Fitbit Sense 2: $200

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With tools to monitor heart health, stress management and even skin temperature, this is a bit like having a medical assistant around your wrist at all times. This is the second generation of Fitbit’s health-focused smartwatch, and the updated interface return of the physical navigation button make this wearable particularly appealing — especially at this price. Besides keeping a close eye on atrial fibrillation (heart rate irregularities), this Fitbit includes a cEDA sensor that detects electrodermal activity, which often correlates to your body’s response to stress. You can also see your nightly blood oxygen levels at a glance.

It still has all the great features the first-gen Sense offered, like built-in GPS for hikes, biking and driving. The watch also has Amazon Alexa built in for news updates, bedtime reminders and alarms, and it can control smart home devices, too. The smartwatch comes with a variety of clock face options. One battery charge lasts six full days, and a full day’s charge takes only 12 minutes. It’s available in gold, platinum or graphite.

$200 at Amazon

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Fitbit Versa 3: $139

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The Fitbit Versa 3 is Fitbit’s previous-generation watch, but it still offers quite a few useful features. In addition to heart rate and sleep cycle monitoring, the Versa 3 includes blood-oxygen tracking for more detailed health metrics.

Named our favorite Apple Watch alternative for 2022, this fitness tracker doesn’t skimp on the smartwatch features, either. In addition to adding Google Assistant to its smart home compatibility, the new Versa 3 can also run hundreds of apps like Spotify and Uber.

$139 at Amazon

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Fitbit Versa 2: $110

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Oct 2019

While it’s not one of the latest models, the Fitbit Versa 2 is still a popular fitness wearable that offers a whole lot of features at a really great price. The Versa 2 is one of the company’s fitness smartwatches, meaning it has a few more advanced features to help you know who’s calling, give you access to Alexa for controlling your smart home devices with your voice and much more.

For the better part of the past year, the Versa 2 has sold for around $180, so this current markdown is a great deal. The Versa 2 is available in a variety of colors as well, though the discounts vary.

Read our Fitbit Versa 2 review.

$110 at Amazon

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Fitbit Charge 4: $125

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Nov 2020

Again, it’s not the most recent Fitbit fitness tracker in the series, but the Fitbit Charge 4 has plenty to offer, and you can get it at a pretty deep discount. The Fitbit Charge 4 was given the CNET Editors’ Choice Award in 2020 for its low price, stylish design and health features, including heart rate notifications and sleep tracking.

This smartwatch is half the size of other watches and its touchscreen makes it easier to go through the settings as needed. Even better is that it can track more than 20 different activities and can assist you in setting goals for your workouts and routines. If you’re not using GPS, the battery can last for up to seven days on a single charge, but if you are, you’ll need to charge it much more frequently.

Read our Fitbit Charge 4 review.

$125 at Amazon

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Fitbit Inspire 2: $57

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For a simpler, sleeker smartwatch, the Inspire 2 puts an emphasis on keeping you moving. Track the day’s activities and progress toward goals for total steps, movement and calories burned. The Inspire also has 24/7 heart-rate tracking to calculate resting versus active rates. It even tracks your light, deep and REM sleep to give you a sleep score and improve on nightly habits. And the Inspire 2 goes 10 days on a single charge. It’s not the newest Inspire fitness band, but at this low price it still has plenty to offer.

$57 at Amazon

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Fitbit Luxe: $100

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Fitness trackers are generally not the nicest-looking devices on the market, but the Fitbit Luxe does a pretty good job of breaking that mold. The overall design of it is slimmer, with rounded edges, nicely colored bezels and unique bands that can be paired with it to make the fitness tracker look like a piece of jewelry. While a Luxe typically lists for $130, you can grab the black-and-graphite model from Amazon for $30 off right now.

When it comes to fitness tracking, the Luxe is no slouch. It offers sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring and stress management. It gives you up to five days of battery life per charge. Read our Fitbit Luxe review.

$100 at Amazon

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Fitbit Charge 5: $148

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One of the most popular Fitbit styles in recent years has been the Charge line. The Fitbit Charge 5 is the newest in the lineup, making its debut in September of 2021. It was just recently updated with a new electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) functionality and Daily Readiness Score, which add to the existing sleep tracking, built-in GPS and heart rate alerts.

Its features and long battery life combine to make this a must-have fitness tracker this holiday season. The Fitbit Charge 5 earned an Editors’ Choice Award and is considered “the best Fitbit you can buy” right now. Read our Fitbit Charge 5 review.

$124 at Amazon

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Read more: Fitbit Sense, Versa 3 and Inspire 2: How to Decide Which Wearable to Buy