Category: Technologies

The Pixel Watch 2 feels like everything I wanted the first version to be. It has more health sensors, a faster new processor and slightly longer battery life, making it feel like a more well-rounded watch than Google’s first attempt.

However, is the $350 Pixel Watch 2 worth upgrading from the original Pixel Watch? Having tested both, I can say the Pixel Watch 2’s changes are appreciated. But I wouldn’t recommend upgrading just yet. Some Pixel Watch 2 features, like the ability to start and stop workouts automatically and set pace goals, recently came to the first-generation watch through a software update.

Unless you’re particularly interested in the Pixel Watch 2’s passive stress monitoring and receiving irregular heart rate notifications, you’ll be fine waiting for the Pixel Watch 3.

Google also still sells the first Pixel Watch for $280 ( 279, AU$549), which is about $70 cheaper than the Pixel Watch 2. That makes the first Pixel Watch seem tempting, although I suggest splurging on the new one if you have room in your budget. The new processor and larger battery will help you get more longevity out of the second model compared to the first one if you’re deciding between the two.

Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch: Design

The Pixel Watch 2 and original Pixel Watch look almost identical, and that’s a good thing. Both watches are available in a 41-millimeter size in polished silver, matte black and champagne gold color options. Like the first Pixel Watch, the new version has a curved glass screen that gives it an elegant look compared to most smartwatches. The same watch bands are compatible with both Pixel Watch models.

The only major aesthetic difference is the Pixel Watch 2’s aluminum casing, which replaces the original’s stainless steel build. While stainless steel does look more premium, the aluminum design makes the Pixel Watch 2 lighter than the first model at 31 grams versus 36 grams. While you can feel the difference, the first Pixel Watch never felt particularly heavy to me.

The watch’s underside also looks slightly different now that Google has added more health sensors and a new charging mechanism, which you can read more about below.

My only complaint about the Pixel Watch’s design is that those black bezels framing the screen are still visible when using colorful watch faces and apps. There’s also no larger size option for people who prefer a bigger screen.

Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch: Fitness and health tracking

One of my criticisms of the first Pixel Watch was that it lacked some of the health sensors found on Fitbit’s Sense 2 (Fitbit is also owned by Google), like a skin temperature reader and a sensor for measuring continuous electrodermal activity, or EDA, which is used for detecting potential signs of stress. While these omissions weren’t deal-breakers, it felt like an odd choice considering the Pixel Watch’s higher price and otherwise Fitbit-centric experience.

That’s no longer the case with the Pixel Watch 2. Google’s new smartwatch gains both a skin temperature sensor and that EDA sensor, bringing it up to speed with Fitbit’s offerings. That means you’ll get notifications throughout the day when the Pixel Watch 2 detects possible signs of stress or excitement, which makes the second model a better choice than the first Pixel Watch for those looking to keep tabs on their stress levels.

The Pixel Watch 2’s other major health feature, and the more important one, is irregular heart rhythm detection. While the first Pixel Watch can take an ECG and alert you if your heart rate is too high or low, it can’t notify you if it detects an irregular heart rhythm. That could be critical for those interested in a smartwatch primarily for cardiac health, although it’s important to remember that smartwatches aren’t meant to replace medical devices.

When it comes to exercise tracking, the Pixel Watch 2 and original Pixel Watch have a lot in common. Previously, the biggest difference between the two watches was the newer model’s pace and heart zone training tools. But those features have since launched for the first watch through an update.

The case is the same with automatic workout detection. The original Pixel Watch recently gained Pixel Watch 2’s ability to automatically start and stop certain exercises, such as running, walking, rowing and spinning, after you’ve been working out for a certain amount of time.

Compared to last year’s model, the Pixel Watch 2 also has a new heart rate sensor with multiple points of contact, which I found to be impressively accurate when compared against a chest strap heart rate monitor. Otherwise, both watches offer many of the same health, fitness and wellness tracking features, such as sleep monitoring, high and low heart rate alerts, overnight blood oxygen levels, and a built-in GPS for tracking outdoor workouts.

Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch: Performance and battery

The Pixel Watch 2 has a few upgrades over the original that make it feel faster and last longer on a single charge. There’s a quad-core processor inside the Pixel Watch 2 compared to the first Pixel Watch’s dual-core chip, for example. But more importantly, the Pixel Watch 2 has a new crown that’s easier to twist, which makes scrolling through menus and apps feel smoother than on the first Pixel Watch.

Google’s second watch also has a slightly larger battery, meaning it can now last for 24 hours with the always-on display activated. The previous-generation Pixel Watch can also last for a day, according to Google, but without the always-on display. In my experience, the Pixel Watch 2 lasted for more than 24 hours on a light day without tracking outdoor workouts. But logging outdoor runs and walks drained the battery much faster.

But it’s not just about the battery life; the Pixel Watch 2 can also replenish its battery faster. In my testing, the Pixel Watch 2 went from flat to 97% in an hour, while the first Pixel Watch charged to 81% in the same time. It’s worth noting, however, that they both charged to around 50% in 30 minutes.

The Pixel Watch 2 also uses a different charging mechanism that replaces the first generation’s wireless charger. So if you do upgrade, you won’t be able to repurpose your old charger for the new watch.

Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch: Software and safety

Both watches run Wear OS 4, the newest version of Google’s operating system for smartwatches. Compared to Wear OS 3, the newer software brought improved notifications, better text-to-speech support and the ability to more easily transfer your watch to a new phone.

The Personal Safety app, which houses features such as emergency SOS and fall detection, is also present on both watches. The Safety Check tool for checking in with designated emergency contact during certain situations, was previously available only on the Pixel Watch 2. But the update to Wear OS 4 brought it to the first-generation model as well.

Safety Signal is new and exclusive to the Pixel Watch 2. It lets you use certain safety features like emergency location sharing without a data plan on the LTE version of the Pixel Watch 2. You do, however, need to subscribe to Fitbit Premium.

Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch: Final thoughts

The Pixel Watch 2 is a welcome improvement over the original. Its stress-tracking sensors, longer battery life, faster charging and smoother performance make for a better all-round experience. But these are mostly routine upgrades that help address criticisms of the first watch rather than meaningfully pushing the smartwatch experience forward. With that in mind, original Pixel Watch owners shouldn’t feel compelled to upgrade, especially since last year’s watch inherited some of the new model’s features through software updates.

Take a closer look at how the two watches stack up below.

Google Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch

	Pixel Watch 2	Pixel Watch
Shape	Round	Round
Watch size	41mm	41mm
Materials, finishes	Aluminum	Stainless steel
Display size, resolution	1.2-inch, 450 x 450 pixels (320 ppi)	1.2-inch, 450 x 450 pixels (320 ppi)
Dimensions	41mm x 12.3mm	41mm x 12.3mm
Weight	31g	36g
Colors	Matte black, polished silver, champagne gold	Matte black, polished silver, champagne gold
Always On	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable bands	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes
Automatic workout detection	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes
Altimeter	Yes	Yes
Water resistance	5ATM, IP68	5ATM
Calls	Yes	Yes
Microphone	Yes	Yes
Speaker	Yes	Yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Google Assistant)	Yes (Google Assistant)
Mobile Payments	Yes (Google Wallet)	Yes (Google Wallet)
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Heart Health	ECG, irregular heart rhythm notifications, high and low heart rate alerts	ECG, high and low heart rate alerts
Period tracking	Yes	Yes
Sensors	SpO2, ECG, accelerometer, gyro, ambient light sensor, skin temperature sensor, electrical sensor for body response tracking, barometer, magnetometer	SpO2, ECG, accelerometer, gyro, ambient light sensor, barometer, magnetometer
Emergency features	Safety Signal, Safety Check, emergency sharing, fall detection, medical information, emergency SOS, emergency international calling	Safety Check, emergency sharing, fall detection, medical information, emergency SOS, emergency international calling
Compatibility	Android 9 and above	Android 9 and above
Software	WearOS 4	Wear OS 4
Processor	Qualcomm SW5100 (quad core)	Exynos 9110 SoC (dual core)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, NFC, 4G LTE option	Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, NFC, 4G LTE option
Memory and storage	2GB memory + 32GB storage	2GB memory + 32GB storage
Charging	USB-C to magnetic pin charger	USB-C to magnetic charger
Battery life	24 hours with always-on display	24 hours
Battery capacity	306 mAh	294 mAh
US price	$350 (Wi-Fi), $400 (Wi-Fi + LTE)	$280 (Wi-Fi), $330 (WiFi + LTE)
UK price	349 (Wi-Fi), 400 (Wi-Fi + LTE)	279 (Wi-Fi), 329 (WiFi + LTE)
Australian price	AU$549 (Wi-Fi), $649 (Wi-Fi + LTE)	AU$449 (Wi-Fi), AU$549 (Wi-Fi + LTE)

Before Mortal Kombat, there was Street Fighter, Capcom’s video game series that helped usher in a new era of fighting games. Now a cult favorite, Street Fighter has come a long way from its 8-bit origins to becoming a worldwide tournament event. This year’s Red Bull Kumite battle goes down in Brooklyn, New York.

A new Street Fighter 6 champion will be crowned from a pool of 16 players that includes last year’s victor, Adel “Big Bird” Anouche. Knockout rounds begin on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m. ET and last until 11:30 p.m. The final tournament matches kick off on Sunday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Look out for the opening ceremony at 1 p.m. to see how players will be set up in the bracket — this is part of the main event and will not be seeded.

You can watch Red Bull Kumite live from anywhere by streaming it on Red Bull Gaming’s Twitch or YouTube channel. Eight players will be featured during Saturday’s seeded Play-In event, with the winner moving on to Sunday’s big face-off as the 16th addition. Tune in to see players from around the globe, such as Japan’s Gachikun, Menard from the Dominican Republic, France’s Valmaster, Oil King of Taiwan and Punk from the US.

Keep up with CNET’s other gaming coverage like Apple Arcade’s upcoming releases and a test drive of the playable documentary-style Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.

Ready for the latest news in the Kate Middleton photo scandal? That news story, in which England’s royal family had to admit that the Princess of Wales had edited a photo of her family sent to news agencies, is still churning. Only now, a different photo of the princess is coming under fire.

The photo agency that provided a picture of the Prince and Princess of Wales together in a Range Rover on Monday, the same day the princess apologized for her editing, is speaking out about its own photo.

In a statement, Goff Photos said it didn’t change its photo beyond the most basic updates.

“[The] images of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the back of the Range Rover have been cropped and lightened,” but “nothing has been doctored,” the statement said, according to Today.com. Goff Photos didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The photo of William and Kate in the Range Rover is hard to see, and online detectives didn’t find as many things wrong with it as they did with the family photo. But there was still enough fuss about it — with some questioning the brick wall shown, and others claiming Kate’s hair was edited in from an older photo — that Goff Photos felt it had to make a statement.

NBC News also reported that it found no evidence that he picture had been digitally altered.

It’s a reminder that we’re in a brave new world of edited images now. Even prominent figures are comfortable attempting to pass modified photographs off as authentic, it’s never clear how much editing has been done to a published image, and people can’t be blamed for being suspicious of such photos.

How did we get here?

Kate’s surgery sparked rumors

Kate Middleton, Prince William’s wife and England’s future queen, underwent abdominal surgery in January. The original statement issued about her condition said she wouldn’t be seen until after Easter, although one paparazzi photo of the princess and her mother was released last week.

Despite the palace’s original statement, rumors about Middleton’s whereabouts reached a fever pitch on social media. Was she seriously ill? Dead? Had she separated from Prince William? There was zero evidence for any of those theories, but give the Internet zero news, and people will make things up.

The family photo was obviously edited

The buzz kicked into high gear on March 10, when a seemingly everyday family image of Kate and her children was sent to news agencies to mark the UK’s Mother’s Day. But then those groups sent out a rare notice requesting that their clients no longer use the photo, saying it had been manipulated.

Within hours, the royal family admitted the photo indeed had been changed — and the princess herself took the blame.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she said in a rare apology. British tabloid The Daily Mail reported that palace representatives refused to release the original photograph. Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Then came the Range Rover photo

While the Internet was still buzzing about the edited photo, Goff Photos released its own picture, that image of a Range Rover with two difficult-to-see passengers, who appear to be Prince William and Kate.

Palace representatives probably would have liked for that photo to have ended people’s concerns about whether Kate is alive and well. But with suspicions already high and the photo itself hard to make out, that wasn’t going to happen, and a whole new world of conspiracy theories was born.

Real or manipulated? How to tell if a photo is edited

Image manipulation isn’t new. Russia’s Joseph Stalin famously removed political enemies from photos nearly a century ago. Since then, manipulated images have become so commonplace in some parts of society that some celebrities have begun publicly criticizing the practice.

Though it’s increasingly hard to identify a manipulated photo, there are some telltale signs. Some of the giveaways that the royal image was manipulated included oddly faded strands of hair, weirdly changing lines on their clothing and a zipper that appeared to change color and appearance.

Some companies have attempted to help ensure we can at least identify when an image is manipulated. Samsung announced that its Galaxy S24, for example, adds metadata and a watermark to identify photos manipulated with AI. AI-generated images also often have the wrong number of fingers or teeth on their subjects, though the technology is improving.

Other companies too have begun promising some form of identification for images that are created or edited by AI, but there is no standard so far. Meanwhile, Adobe and other companies have created new ways to confirm an image is real, hoping to at least guarantee when an image is authentic.

The landscape has changed so quickly that there are now startups attempting to create ways to identify when images are authentic, and when they’ve been manipulated. CNET’s Sareena Dayaram writes that Google AI tools recently built into the company’s photo app both open up exciting photo editing possibilities, while raising questions about the authenticity and credibility of online images.

Read more: AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

More editing, more AI: Editing photos on your phone

Photoshop has always been able to do amazing things in the right hands. But it hasn’t always been easy.

That’s begun to change with AI-powered editing tools, including those added to Photoshop over the past couple years. While the political ramifications of photo editing sound alarming, the personal benefits from this technology can be incredible. One feature, called generative fill, imagines the world beyond a photo’s borders, effectively zooming out on an image.

AI tools are also being trained to help people more effectively edit photos, even allowing you to hone in on specific parts of images and turn them into cute stickers to share with friends.

That’s in addition to techniques like High Dynamic Range, or HDR, which has become a standard feature, particularly on mobile phone cameras. It’s designed to capture high-contrast scenes by taking and then combining multiple images that are dark and bright.

Google’s Magic Eraser photo tool can banish random strangers from your pictures with a few taps, and works for many devices including Apple’s iPhone.

And Google’s Pixel 8 phone, released last year, includes a feature called Best Take, which ensures everyone in a photo is smiling by combining multiple images, effectively creating a new picture taken from all the others.

Apple, meanwhile, focused on adding features to automatically improve image quality, including the iPhone 15 Pro’s new capability to change focus after you take a portrait photo.

Read More: You Should Be Using Google’s Magic Photo Editing Tool

Changing political landscape

While AI can help make photos look a lot better, it’s set to cause serious troubles in the world of politics.

Companies like OpenAI, Google and Facebook have touted text-to-video tools that can create ultra-realistic videos of people, animals and scenes that do not exist in the real world, but internet troublemakers have used AI tools to create fake pornography of celebrities like Taylor Swift.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump have similarly created images that depict the now-presidential candidate surrounded by fake Black voters as part of misinformation campaigns to “encourage African Americans to vote Republican,” the BBC reported.

“If anybody’s voting one way or another because of one photo they see on a Facebook page, that’s a problem with that person, not with the post itself,” one of the creators of the fake photos, Florida radio show host Mark Kaye told the BBC.

In his State of the Union address delivered March 7, President Joe Biden asked Congress to “ban voice impersonation using AI.” That call came after scammers created fake, AI-generated recordings of Biden encouraging Democratic voters not to cast a ballot in the New Hampshire presidential primary earlier this year. The move also led the Federal Communications Commission to ban robocalls using AI-generated voices.

As CNET’s Connie Guglielmo wrote, the New Hampshire example shows the dangers of AI-generated voice impersonations. “But do we have to ban them all?” she asked. “There are potential use cases that aren’t that bad, like the Calm app having an AI-generated version of Jimmy Stewart narrate a bedtime story.”

AI in images: It’s far from over

It’s unlikely that Middleton’s Photoshop kerfuffle can be blamed on AI, but the technology is being integrated into image editing at a rapid clip — and the next edited photo may not be so easy to spot.

As Stephen Shankland wrote on CNET, we’re right to question how much truth there is in the photos we see.

“It’s true that you need to exercise more skepticism these days, especially for emotionally charged social media photos of provocative influencers and shocking warfare,” Shankland wrote. The good news is that for many photos that matter, like those in an insurance claim or published by the news media, technology is arriving that can digitally build some trust into the photo itself.”

Google’s latest AI agent is learning how to navigate a familiar space: gaming.

The tech giant released new research on its Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent, or SIMA, on Wednesday. This agent can follow instructions to carry out tasks in video games — and play games it has never seen before.

But, like Genie, which DeepMind, Google’s AI research arm, discussed in a research paper published Feb. 23, SIMA is a research project.

“We could in the future have agents like SIMA playing alongside you,” said Tim Harley, a research engineer at DeepMind who co-led the project. “Agents that are cooperative that you can talk to and instruct to do various things in the game with you on the fly.”

DeepMind says its interest in video games is in part because they are a good training ground for AI systems. The AI company hopes research like this enables it to “understand how AI systems may become more helpful.”

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, the marketplace has been flooded with generative AI tools from Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Meta and Anthropic. More recently, generative AI has expanded beyond writing to include imagery, video, music and, of course, gaming as tech companies seek to distinguish their offerings in the burgeoning space.

Research goals

According to Harley, SIMA is trained to do as it is told, which doesn’t necessarily mean winning.

The researchers’ main questions at the outset were if an AI agent could transfer skills between games and how it would behave in game it has never played before.

“Those goals come in open-ended freeform natural language from some human user and then [SIMA] acts in these video game environments just using the natural interface to the game,” Harley said. “And the only way the agent can observe these games is just from the screen in real time.”

Training

Researchers recorded images and the keyboard and mouse inputs of human players and used imitation learning techniques to teach SIMA to play games like No Man’s Sky, Eco, Teardown and Goat Simulator like humans would.

They evaluated the agent on 600 skills, including navigation (like “turn left”), object interaction (“climb the ladder”) and menu use (“open the map”) and found SIMA performs better than game specialists.

“He’s able to take advantage of the shared concepts between games, to learn better skills and to learn to be better at carrying out those instructions,” said Frederic Besse, research engineer, DeepMind. “Seeing positive transfer between games is a key milestone for research.”

But SIMA isn’t perfect.

“All the errors we see are around more of the fine-grained understanding,” Harley said. “So if we ask an agent to chop down a tree in the game of Valheim, it’ll go and chop down a tree, but we can’t precisely specify which one.”

He’s reluctant to call SIMA’s imperfections “hallucinations.”

“Often what we see when the agent fails … I wouldn’t call them hallucinations, its behavior does look intentional a lot of the time, but it fails to execute the necessary behavior,” he added.

‘A great training ground’

From here, DeepMind hopes to improve SIMA’s performance, including making its agents able to follow more detailed instructions, and to ultimately develop AI systems “that can act in as many environments as possible and achieve a variety of goals as well as converse with the user,” Besse said.

But it’s not just about human-agent communication in gaming.

“We believe that games and simulation in general provide a great training ground for AI systems,” Besse said.

That’s in part because games are an approximation of the real world. They have visual diversity, along with diverse settings, mechanics and graphical styles. But they also share common themes, like navigating complicated spaces and interacting with objects, characters and players.

Microsoft’s artificial intelligence assistant Copilot has upped its game with a turbocharged upgrade to its free tier.

GPT-4 Turbo, the OpenAI model that powers Copilot’s Pro tier, is now available to users of Copilot’s free tier. To access GPT-4 Turbo, you need to set Copilot to either Creative or Precise mode.

Those who subscribe to Copilot Pro still have access to the GPT-4 Turbo model by default, but Microsoft advertising and web services CEO Mikhail Parakhin said Tuesday in a post on X that those users can switch to older models if they choose.

“For free users of Copilot in Creative mode, GPT-4 Turbo is now powering that experience,” a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed in a statement. “Copilot Pro users remain able to toggle GPT-4 Turbo on or off in Creative mode.”

GPT-4 Turbo has been trained on data up to April 2023 and can also handle text-to-speech prompts, and its context window can accept 128,000 tokens — the highest amount offered in a GPT version. Tokens are pieces of words. The more tokens a model can accept, the more text a user can input into the model to provide additional context and get a better result.

Microsoft launched Copilot last year to add AI across its platforms. The AI assistant is available online and is also baked into Windows 11, the Bing search engine, Microsoft 365 and the Edge browser. Copilot’s Pro tier costs $20 per month and adds extra AI-powered features in Office apps, along with priority access to new OpenAI models and enhanced image-creation tools.

Every tech company under the sun is finding ways to fold generative AI into its products, spurred by the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022. Google is experimenting with integrating AI into search and Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 smartphone earlier this year with a host of AI features. Apple has yet to announce a generative AI product, but has said it sees a “huge opportunity” and is excited about “what’s in store for us for the rest of the year.”

OpenAI, meanwhile, is now letting users build special-purpose AI apps. And its AI chatbot rivals, from Google Gemini to Anthropic’s Claude, continue to upgrade their offerings.

Is GPT-4.5 Turbo coming next?

It’s unclear why Microsoft decided to bring GPT-4 Turbo to its free Copilot tier. Microsoft intentionally offered a more-capable AI model in Copilot Pro to attract users to the paid version. By offering the same model in both the free and premium tier, those who would only subscribe to Copilot Pro for the better GPT option may otherwise stick to the free version.

That said, Microsoft’s decision could also be a tell. OpenAI is rumored to be working on a new model called GPT-4.5 Turbo. Although the company has been tight-lipped on future GPT iterations, Reddit users discovered earlier this week that OpenAI mistakenly published a blog post saying GPT-4.5 Turbo “surpasses GPT-4 Turbo in speed, accuracy and scalability.”

While that blog post was quickly removed from the OpenAI website, it would suggest an upgraded GPT model is coming soon. It would also suggest, if Microsoft indeed wants to differentiate its Copilot versions by offering the better model in its paid tier, that the company might be planning to bring GPT-4.5 Turbo to Copilot Pro, if and when the new model launches.

German giants Borussia Dortmund host Dutch Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven today in this delicately poised last-16 UEFA Champions League clash.

Luuk de Jong held his nerve to convert a second-half penalty to earn PSV a draw at home in the first encounter at the Philips Stadion last month. Dortmund had taken an early lead thanks to Donyell Malen’s deflected strike.

PSV have been the model of consistency in recent weeks, and will be hoping to extend an unbeaten streak of eight games, while Dortmund claimed a morale-boosting 2-1 away win against Werder Bremen at the weekend, despite being reduced to 10 men.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching every game wherever you are in the world.

Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven: When and where?

Borussia Dortmund play PSV Eindhoven at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday, March 13. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CET local time in Germany, which is 4 p.m. ET or 1 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, 8 p.m. GMT in the UK and 7 a.m. AEDT on Thursday, March 14, in Australia.

How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven online from anywhere using a VPN

If you’re unable to view Champions League matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the action; that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN can stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you want an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins while traveling and using various Wi-Fi networks.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the game. If your internet provider or mobile carrier assigns an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can fix that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. Be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it suspects is circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven in the US

American soccer fans can stream this season’s tournament via Paramount Plus, which has exclusive live English-language broadcast rights in the US for UEFA Champions League matches.

Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven in the UK

TNT Sports has Champions League live broadcast rights in the UK.

Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven in Canada

If you want to stream UCL games live in Canada, subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the Champions League this season.

Livestream Borussia Dortmund vs. PSV Eindhoven in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch UCL matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show the Champions League live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming UEFA Champions League matches using a VPN

• With four variables at play (your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN), your experience and success when streaming Champions League games may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs including Roku don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main sites for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We recommend Brave.

There are a wealth of streaming services to pick from these days, but not all of them deliver enough quality content to be worth the subscription. If you’ve been holding out on trying Paramount Plus or Showtime, now is your chance to check them out to see if they’re a good fit. To celebrate the return of The Lodge, Paramount Plus is letting new subscribers score a free month of service when you use the promo code LODGE24 at sign-up. That gives you a chance to try out both services before committing to a subscription. Just be sure to take advantage of this offer by April 15 to make sure you don’t miss out.

Paramount Plus offers two different subscriptions that you can try out for free with this offer. The $6 per month Essential plan is the most affordable and gives you access to Paramount Plus shows and movies with limited commercials, as well as NFL on CBS, top soccer games and CBS live news. Or you can upgrade to the $12 per month Paramount Plus and Showtime bundle. In addition to the entire Showtime library of movies and shows, it also gives you access to your local CBS channel, removes ads for everything except live TV and a handful of shows, and allows you to download content so you can enjoy it on the go. Just remember that, after your free trial, your subscription will auto-renew at the regular price unless canceled. And be sure to check out our roundup of all the best streaming service deals for even more ways to save.

The Dell TechFest is happening now through April 1. If you want to ramp up your entertainment or gaming space, and are in the market for a deal, the hardware giant’s event offers some of the best prices of the year on products. They’ll even price match another retailer if you find a better offer elsewhere. Browse what’s on sale here.

In recent years, Dell has rounded out their product selection, including hardware tailored specifically for gamers. From blazing-fast graphics cards to ultra high-resolution monitors and advanced gaming laptops, here are some of the best TechFest specials to consider.

XPS 13 Laptop

Dell “radically redesigned” their XPS laptop last year, said CNET laptop expert Matt Elliott, and during TechFest you can get up to $500 off.

The XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus feature a borderless touchpad, a keyboard that extends the width of the device, and a backlit function row. As with most purchases on Dell’s website, you can customize your machine’s operating system, memory, storage and display.

The XPS 13 is $799 during TechFest, a $300 savings, and the XPS 13 Plus is $999, a $500 savings.

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Alienware M18 R2 Gaming Laptop

The Alienware x14 R2 Gaming Laptop is a great option if you’re looking for performance on the go. It’s an ergonomic work and gaming laptop configured with a 14th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics (With better graphics cards available if preferred). Visuals pop on its 18-inch QHD+ display with a 165Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.

The M18 R2 features Alienware’s Legend industrial design for battle and travel with programmable RGB keyboard backlighting. Through March 24, you can get $300 off, bringing the price down to $1,999.

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Aurora R16 Gaming Desktop

The Alienware Aurora R16 is a top-of-the-line gaming desktop built for power and performance. At the heart of the Aurora R16 lies an Intel Core i7 14700F processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics with 16GB of GDDR6X video memory, making it an absolute beast when it comes to both gaming and creative work such as video and photo editing.

Through March 31, Dell has the Aurora R16 priced at $1,599, a $300 savings. For users looking for no-compromise performance, the Aurora R15 delivers power that can handle the most demanding games and applications.

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Dell S2721HGF 27″ Gaming Monitor

The Dell S2721HGF is an affordable 27-inch curved gaming monitor designed to draw you deeper into the action. It features a fast 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, delivering smooth, tear-free visuals during fast-paced games. AMD FreeSync Premium support eliminates stuttering and screen tearing. The 1500R curved display and slim bezels expand your field of view for an immersive gaming experience.

Is interoperability a must-have? This monitor will literally hook you up, with extensive connectivity, including dual HDMI ports, DisplayPort, and audio out. It has a convenient stand for easy height and tilt adjustment and a joystick and shortcut buttons that simplify menu navigation. Right now, the curved display is priced at $229.99. Whether you’re editing a video for work or playing Alan Wake 2, this monitor is an affordable way to level up your visuals.

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Tri-Mode AW720M Gaming Mouse

Can a mouse be fashionable? If the answer is yes, the Alienware Tri-Mode certainly meets the moment. This ambidextrous mouse offers an ultra-responsive 26,000 DPI optical sensor that can track up to a blistering 650 inches per second with 50G acceleration.

Alienware’s exclusive magnetic force keypads provide faster, stiffer and more durable inputs than traditional spring mechanisms. Seven programmable buttons and 3D sculpted thumb grips allow for customized controls. When it’s time to recharge, the magnetic snap charging is quick and convenient, delivering up to 20 hours of gameplay from just 5 minutes of charging.

Connectivity is king with the AW720M’s tri-mode design. Enjoy wired-like, lag-free gaming productivity with its 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle with a 1000Hz polling rate. Or go the ultra-low latency route via USB wired mode. The Bluetooth 5.1 connection is perfect for pairing with mobile devices. The slimmed-down, ambidextrous shape is supremely comfortable for marathon gaming sessions. The iconic Alienware aesthetic rounds it out, with the option for Lunar Light or Dark Side of the Moon color schemes complemented by 16.8 million AlienFX RGB lighting that syncs across your Alienware battle station.

The Alienware Tri-Mode is available for $99.99 during TechFest, a savings of $30.

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Alienware AW510K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

The Alienware AW510K gaming keyboard is built for ultimate performance, rapid response times and easy customization.

This beautifully designed keyboard features the latest low-profile Cherry MX red switches for smooth, linear keystrokes with shorter travel and quick triggering. The durable 5000 series aluminum construction provides a robust and reliable foundation. The floating keycap design offers full n-key rollover and a staggering 50 million keystroke lifespan per key. Fully programmable keys allow for custom macros and key assignments via the Alienware Command Center software.

Immerse yourself in brilliant lighting atmospherics with the AW510K’s per-key AlienFX RGB backlighting, offering 16.8 million colors. The sleek, slim profile provides an ergonomic and comfortable typing experience. Dedicated media keys, a volume roller, and an integrated USB pass-through put convenient control at your fingertips. The optimized three-section layout helps maximize your reaction time during gameplay.

The Alienware AW510K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is $109.99, a savings of $20 during TechFest.

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Tri-Mode AW920H Wireless Gaming Headset

The Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset is designed for immersive comfort. These AI-powered headphones will quickly become your audio companion, delivering a rich audio experience that immerses you in your games.

Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound provides crystal clear, three-dimensional precision audio that lets you easily pinpoint enemies and objectives, even in the most chaotic battles. The 40mm Hi-Res Certified Drivers capture an incredibly wide range of frequencies, ensuring you don’t miss a single auditory detail. Active Noise Canceling helps shut out external distractions through four integrated microphones, while the AI Noise-Canceling mic ensures your voice communications come through clearly to teammates.

This headset has versatility covered as well. Experience lag-free wireless audio on your PC via the USB-C dongle, connect via Bluetooth 5.2 to your phone tablet or go wired with the 3.5mm cable for consoles. The fast-charging battery provides up to 55 hours of use on a single charge. Designed for marathon gaming sessions, the premium leatherette earpads, intuitive controls, detachable boom mic, and sleek aluminum frame offer day-long comfort. The iconic Alienware design features customizable AlienFX RGB lighting to complete this headset’s battle-ready aesthetic.

The Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset is $159.99 during TechFest, a savings of $20.

Music streaming service Spotify is adding full music videos to its platform in about a dozen countries, the company said Wednesday. The feature is available in beta for Premium subscribers across mobile, desktop and TV devices.

The company is starting out with a smaller catalog of artists, including Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat and Ice Spice. The Premium add-on is limited to users in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia and Kenya, but not yet in the US.

Now, those subscribers will be able to hit Switch to Video when listening to a track to open up the music video. Turning your phone to landscape mode will open up full-screen videos, similar to the experience on YouTube. Tapping Switch to Audio will take you back to just the music.

“Music videos play a key role in hooking you: Taking you from being a listener to leaning in and becoming a fan,” Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s vice president and head of music product, said in a release. “They’re an important part of so many artists’ tool kits, and it’s a natural fit for them to live in the same place that more than half a billion people choose to listen to music.”

The addition of music videos pits Spotify against YouTube, which has dominated the music video scene for almost two decades. YouTube Music also offers listeners the option to toggle between audio and music videos. Apple Music has a section for watching an artist’s music videos, too.

Spotify’s superpower is its user base; the company says it has more than 602 million users, which includes 236 million paid subscribers. YouTube Music and YouTube’s paid Premium tier, by comparison, has 100 million subscribers. But the perk of the baseline YouTube app and site is that you can watch music videos for free (you may just need to sit through some ads if you don’t subscribe to Premium).

Last year, Spotify rolled out Clips, which are 30-second vertical videos artists can create to connect with fans. They resemble videos on TikTok — a platform where music also takes center stage.

See also: Best Music Streaming Service of 2024