Category: Technologies

If you’re a programmer looking for a coding tool that will simplify the development process, you should consider investing in Microsoft’s Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows. While purchasing a professional subscription from Microsoft directly will run you $45 per month, this StackSocial deal lets you pay a one-time fee of $45 and get access for life. That will save you $495 in the first year alone. We don’t know how long this offer will last, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later.

When you’re writing and editing code on a large scale, basic rich text editors probably aren’t going to cut it. Having an IDE, or integrated development environment, will allow you to not only write and edit, but also run your code so you can debug it all in one platform. Microsoft Visual Studio is a 64-bit IDE with advanced tools and built-in integrations that can make it much easier to handle a sizeable workload or a particularly large project.

Visual Studio Pro will allow you to build across languages and platforms, and with IntelliCode to help you complete lines or blocks of code, you should be able to increase your speed and accuracy on the whole. CodeLens is another great feature that allows you to see recent changes, tests, authors and more. And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll be able to collaborate in real-time and make sure your team’s code stays consistent.

There are some caveats that make this deal cheaper than the full subscription version. First, the code provided can only be used once, meaning you’ll have access to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 on only one device and will not be able to install it on multiple machines or transfer it in the event that your current device crashes. You also won’t get the Azure access and credit that the Microsoft subscription includes. The good news is that updates are included with your purchase, so this should serve you well for as long as you have your current device. Just be sure to check the system requirements to ensure your device is compatible with this program before you checkout.

Netflix, a CNET Editors’ Choice Award pick, released two new games to its growing library in January. While Netflix is virtually synonymous with streaming movies and TV shows, like Black Mirror and Stranger Things, your subscription gives you access to mobile games you can play on your iOS or Android device. If you subscribe to Netflix, you can play these games and many more without ads or in-app purchases at no additional charge.

Here are the new titles Netflix Games added in January.

Money Heist

The streaming service’s popular crime drama Money Heist is now a Netflix exclusive interactive game. You join the crew in the original heist from the show. If you’re new to the series, your mission is to infiltrate the world of underground art auctions in Spain. Your choices will determine what happens next. So will you go through with the heist or choose your own path?

FashionVerse

If you’ve ever wanted to show off your stylish side, you should give FashionVerse a try. In this game, you can design your own outfits and looks to complete daily challenges. You can also show your style to others in the game’s community with the hopes of being voted one of the top virtual fashionistas. So don’t be afraid to get creative and put a new twist on a classic outfit. It could be the next top design.

Here’s how you can access games in Netflix’s library

1. Download the Netflix app onto your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
2. Open the Netflix app and sign in to your account.
3. Scroll down your homepage until you see the Mobile Games carousel.
4. Tap into a game to learn more about it.
5. Tap Get Game to download a game you’re interested in.

An additional pop-up from either Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store will open, asking if you want to download the game. After you’ve confirmed that action, the game will start downloading on your device, like other apps.

For more on Netflix Games, you can check out all the titles announced at the company’s Geeked Week 2023. You can also check out the movies, shows and games Netflix plans to release this year.

If you’re looking for a dedicated music streaming player for your system, then the new Cambridge Audio CXN100 offers nearly all of the features you could think of, including Spotify Connect and Roon Ready compatibility.

The CXN100 is a “grown up” version of the competitive, entry-level WiiM Pro — a streamer I like a lot — and this is because the Cambridge instead uses a full-size metal housing, a bright, readable screen and a fuller range of outputs.

The CXN100’s predecessor, the CXN V2, has been my favorite streamer for many years, and the new version looks to improve on it in a number of ways. Firstly, the internals have been completely redesigned and now include the StreamMagic Gen4 module with
“MQA compatibility.” The onboard DAC has been upgraded too, from the Wolfson DAC to the ESS ES9028Q2M Sabre32 Reference chip, and the company says it has improved the post-DAC analogue stage with better signal-to-noise ratio and reduced distortion.

The screen, which is the best feature of the CXN V2, has been enhanced for the CXN100. It boasts an increase from 4.3 inches to 4.8 inches and is now surrounded by fewer, though more-dedicated physical buttons.

The CXN100 offers compatibility with music streaming standards including Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Tidal, Qobuz, Chromecast built-in and Apple AirPlay. The system also includes Bluetooth, USB, digital coax and digital optical connections. Analogue output is available through balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA sockets. As a stereo streamer it sadly doesn’t include spatial music support.

While the WiiM Pro and Pro Plus are unbeatable for the money, they’re not the last word in usability. For instance, these models lack a screen, and the unlit, capacitive buttons are not really much fun to operate.

At the end of the day, it is the screen and controls that set the CXN streamers apart from almost every other competitor, including WiiM, the Bluesound Node and Sonos Port. If you like the flexibility of having a host of streaming options, and want to own something that looks spiffy sitting on your AV unit, then the CXN100 appears to be a great option.

The Cambridge Audio CXN100 is available now for $1099 or 899.

If you like to get things done away from your desk, whether that’s for work or pleasure, you’ll need a great laptop. The LG Gram 16 has a huge 16-inch display so you have plenty of room to work. It also has plenty of other features that make it a great option if you’re considering an upgrade. And it doesn’t hurt that it can now be had with a huge $450 saving, too.

That saving is available today via a Woot deal that brings the price all the way down to just $750 without the need for those pesky codes and coupons. The catch? This deal won’t hang around for long — Woot says that it’ll run for the next few hours or sooner should stock run dry. That means that we would heartily suggest that placing an order soon is the best way to lock this price in before it’s gone for good.

When you take a look at the LG Gram 16’s specs that huge 16-inch display dominates proceedings with a non-reflective coating and DCI-P3 99% color gamut. It’s sharp and bright, and a great way to get things done whether you’re playing a game or working with spreadsheets.

The spec list contniues with the 12th Gen Intel Quad Core i7 CPU and Iris Xe Graphics while 16GB of RAm and a 256GB SSD round out the main specifications. A webcam is built in with support for Windows Hello while ports include USB-A, USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI. There’s even a headphone jack as well.

Laptop deals that save you $450 off a popular model don’t come along every day so make sure to consider this one while the going is good.

Samsung phones are among the best phones on the market, and the new flagship lineup offers some solid upgrades over its predecessor, including upgraded batteries, brighter screens and on-device generative AI capabilities, thanks to Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which means you won’t need to connect to the web to take advantage of the service.

Best Buy has unlocked versions of the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra available for $800, $1,000 and $1,300, respectively. However, even without direct discounts, if you have an older phone you’re willing to part with, as the company is offering up to $750 in trade-in credit, so you’ll be able to lower the cost overall. Additionally, Best Buy is sweetening the deal by offering gift card bonuses with your purchase. When you order the base model Galaxy S24, you’ll get a free $50 Best Buy gift card. Or score a $100 gift card when you grab the S24 Plus. And if you opt for the S24 Ultra, you’ll get a $150 gift card bonus.

Keep in mind that newer phones will earn a higher trade-in credit than older models, with the largest savings available on Samsung’s previous-gen Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, you can check your phone’s estimated trade-in value on Best Buy’s website before you purchase.

And if you’re ready to upgrade, but you’re not completely sold on the Galaxy S24, you can check out our roundup of all the best phone deals currently available from a variety of brands including Apple, Google and even other Samsung models.

Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset is available to the general public starting Friday, Feb 2. But its retail starting price is $3,499, and not everyone will be willing to spend that much money on a computer you wear on your face.

Read more: Apple Vision Pro Review: A Mind-Blowing Look at an Unfinished Future

That said, you still might be interested in taking the Vision Pro for a spin, and for good reason. The headset is compelling. It’s a technical marvel, with impressive visuals — you don’t necessarily need to be an Apple fanboy (or fanperson) to be curious about it.

If you check out the review of the Vision Pro by CNET’s Scott Stein, you’ll understand why.

If the price does give you pause but you want to test out the Apple Vision Pro right now, there’s some good news: v-pre You don’t have to drop thousands of dollars. You can just go to an Apple store. Scroll on for details about that.

Want to learn more about the Vision Pro? Here’s what you need to know before buying the Vision Pro, and here’s all the apps that will and won’t appear on the Vision Pro.

Check Out Apple’s Vision Pro Headset and Everything in the Box

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Sign up today for a Vision Pro demo at your local Apple Store

Starting Friday, Feb. 2, you can sign up for a demo of the Apple Vision Pro at your local Apple Store. During the 25-minute demonstration, an Apple Store employee will go through the process of using the headset.

Be warned — with the frenzy surrounding the Apple headset, you can expect long lines this weekend, and the demos are first-come, first-served, so get there early if you want a good chance of trying out the Vision Pro this week.

To get a demo on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you’ll need to head to your local Apple Store and sign up in person. Once you’re at the store, the process is easy: Head to the store’s Vision Pro display area, scan a scan a QR code on a sign-up iPad and reserve a demo time.

The process to book a demo next week is easier: Head to either Apple’s Vision Pro page or retail store page and tap the Book a demo button. After you sign in with your Apple ID (you’ll need two-factor authentication enabled), book your appointment. Right now, you can book an demo for Feb. 5 through 8.

And while you’re here, check out what iPhone spatial videos look like on the Vision Pro.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One and PC for $17 a month. With a subscription, you get new games every month — like the gaming world’s latest obsession, Palworld — and other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Here are the titles Game Pass Ultimate has recently released and the titles it’s adding soon.

Palworld

Available now.

If you’ve ever played any of the Pokemon games and thought, “Yeah, these creatures are adorable and cute, but I wish they had guns,” Palworld is for you. In this open-world adventure, you can use weapons to collect over 100 creatures, called Pals. Then you can use your Pals to fight bosses or accomplish tasks for you.

Persona 3 Reload

Available now.

This game is a much-anticipated remake of the award-winning 2006 roleplaying game Persona 3, but its director, Takuya Yamaguchi, hopes players feel the remake is something new.

“I wanted users to think that when they played this game, ‘I’m playing not a remake of something old, but I’m playing something that is the newest entry to the Persona series,’” Yamaguchi told Xbox.com. “I wanted to leave all of the parts that made Persona 3 what it was … but then try to address the things that have changed in the interim.”

New to the Persona franchise? Here’s some info. Your character can summon a physical manifestation of their inner spirit, called a Persona. As you explore areas, you and your Persona will fight different enemies, like Demons, Shadows and other Personas. And there’s also a social aspect to the Persona games, where you can perform activities like cooking, gardening and chatting with other characters. Besides being pleasant and relaxing, these activities also have in-game benefits, like improving relationships and raising some stats. So if you’re having trouble with a certain fight, try reading a book. You might learn a thing or two.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank

Available now.

This quirky adventure game is filled with roguelite elements, heists and your daily recommended amount of vegetables. You play as the titular Turnip Boy as he teams up with the Pickled Gang as they shake down hostages, steal valuables and plan what is likely the strangest heist you’ve ever seen.

F1 23

Available now.

The official video game of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship is coming to Game Pass Ultimate. You can create your own dream team of some of the best Formula 1 drivers in the world, and test out your own skills in this exhilarating racing game. And maybe stop Red Bull winning it this time.

Go Mecha Ball

Available now.

This game puts a new spin on roguelike gameplay. In it, you blast through arcade-style levels using a combination of pinball-style physics and an arsenal of weapons. You’ll also have to upgrade your mech along the way to take on waves of enemies and huge boss battles.

Brotato

Available now.

In this top-down roguelite arena shooter, you fight off hordes of aliens until help arrives. And if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, you play as a rootin’, tootin’, gun-totin’ potato. What else needs to be said, bro?

Anuchard

Release date: Feb. 6

A kingdom has fallen, and you’ve been selected to bring it back to its former glory. In this action RPG, you explore dungeons, solve puzzles and battle monsters. Then, it’s up to you to decide whether bringing back the kingdom is worth it.

Titles leaving Game Pass

While you’ll be able to play these games on Game Pass Ultimate in the coming weeks, there are two titles that left the service. So if you have any side-quests left to finish, you’ll have to buy these games separately.

• Hitman: World of Assassination
• F1 2021

For more on Xbox, here are other titles available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now and what to know about the gaming service.

After an electrifying first encounter, India and England go head-to-head once more for the second test of the series in Visakhapatnam.

The tourists stunned India with a performance for the ages in the first test, as England battled its way to a 28-run victory in a tense finish.

That win was spearheaded by a superb 196-run stint by Ollie Pope and an equally important 7-62 from spinner Tom Hartley on his debut.

India’s hopes of bouncing back have taken a hit with batsman K.L. Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja both ruled out of the second test through injury, adding to a lengthy absentee list that includes reliable run-machine Virat Kohli.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the second match of the series, no matter where you are in the world.

India vs. England: When and where?

India take on England in the second match of this test series at the Dr. Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadiumin Visakhapatnam from Friday, Feb. 2, until Tuesday, Feb. 6. Play is set to start each day at 9:30 a.m. IST local time in India — that’s 4 a.m. GMT in the UK, 3 p.m. AEDT in Australia, and at 11 p.m. ET or 8 p.m. PT in the US on Thursday, Jan. 3.

How to watch India vs. England, 2nd test online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view this test match locally, you may need a different way to watch the action — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to encrypt your traffic and stop your ISP from throttling your speeds, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling, find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. 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 Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

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

Livestream India vs. England in the US

This second test in the series will be available to watch live on dedicated cricket streaming service Willow TV.

Stream the 2nd test in India for free

The second test between India and England will be available to watch in the host nation on sport network Sports 18. That means you’ll be able to watch for free via its OTT platform JioCinema.

Watch India vs. England in the UK

This series is being shown exclusively live in the UK by TNT Sports.

Stream India vs. England in Australia

Pay-TV network Foxtel and its streaming platform Kayo are showing the second test match of this series Down Under.

Quick tips for streaming India vs. England using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider, and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this test match live 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 in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log in to your services. We normally recommend Brave.

A portable headphone amp might seem anachronistic in this age of Bluetooth headphones. Why be tethered to wires when wireless is the future? While many BT headphones offer impressive sound quality, they’re inherently limited in their design. Built-in batteries and electronics take up space and add to the overall cost. Many manufacturers of wired headphones and earbuds offer models that, in theory, offer similar prices as BT models but with better or more drivers. Others have models that have drivers that are too power-hungry to be driven well by built-in batteries.

You could power these wired headphones from any headphone jack, but built-in ports like that rarely have much power. Instead, a portable headphone amp can give audiophile headphones the juice they need without tying you to a chair or desk.

Which brings us to the DragonFly Cobalt from AudioQuest. It has been out for a few years, but is now 30% cheaper and going forward will be the only model in the DragonFly line. Roughly the size of a small thumb, it connects to any phone or computer via USB. Inside is an amp and a DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, that claim to elevate the listening experience. We shall see. Or hear. We shall hear.

Specs and such

• DAC Chip: ESS ES9038Q2M
• Max sampling rate/frequency: 24-bit/96kHz
• Amp chip: ESS Sabre 9601
• Power: “2.1 volts”

The Cobalt looks like a USB thumb drive, if anyone remembers those. Included is a short dongle that converts the USB-A on the Cobalt to USB-C for use with phones and many laptops. To connect to Apple products you unsurprisingly need a special adapter, which is available separately. You also get a small pleather case, which is a nice touch though I don’t imagine it will get much use.

Inside the Cobalt is a ESS Sabre 9601 headphone amp and a ESS ES9038Q2M DAC. The Cobalt maxes out at 24-bit/96kHz, which is less than some USB DACs. There isn’t a ton of music available at higher rates, but there is some. Personally I think there is value in higher-than-CD sampling rates (16/44.1) but I’m skeptical of anyone who says they can hear a difference between 96 and 192kHz.

The claimed power rating of “2.1 volts” is unclear and practically misleading. Nearly all amplifiers are rated in watts and it’s easily the most recognizable audio spec. Watts is volts times amps, and no device like this is putting out anything close to 1 amp. So no doubt “2.1” is far more impressive a number than whatever milliwatts this (or any, to be honest) headphone amp provides. For comparison, the older and cheaper DragonFly Black had a claimed 1.2 volts while the similar iFi Go Link (review coming soon), claims 70mW into 32 ohms and and 2.05V into 600 ohms (which converts to 7mW).

The dragonfly on the DragonFly lights up different colors with different sampling rates: Red for Standby, green for 44.1kHz, blue for 48kHz, yellow for 88.2kHz, light blue for 96kHz, and purple for MQA. At least, that’s the theory. Rarely did this match up with the claimed sampling rates on content I tested with my Pixel 7. It matched better, or at least faster, with my Sony NW-A306 portable media player.

Sound

I tested the Cobalt using some high-end headphones, two of which are borderline what could be considered “portable.” At least in the sense that I don’t think most people would walk around with them. Those would be the Audeze LCD-3 ($1,945) and the Sendy Audio Apollo ($500). These are headphones made for sitting in one place and enjoying. I also used the Meze Audio Rai Penta in-ear monitors ($1,100) which aren’t particularly difficult to drive, but have excellent clarity. Why use ultra-expensive, and in two cases huge, headphones to test a $200 amp? Well, if it can power these it can power just about anything. I used a mixture of CD-quality and high-resolution FLAC from Qobuz.

Not wanting to listen in a vacuum, so to speak, I compared the Cobalt to several other amp/DACs, starting with the headphone jack on my computer and then the analog output of my Pixel 7 via a USB-C-to-1/8th analog dongle. I also compared the Cobalt to the iFi Audio hip-dac2. This is also technically a portable headphone amp, and priced similarly to the Cobalt. However, it’s much, much larger, and has a rather cumbersome connection process that’s not something I’d expect most people to use walking around.

With the Cobalt vs the (admittedly anemic) desktop PC’s headphone jack using the LCD-3s, the sound via the Cobalt sounded fuller at the same volume level. Percussion had a tighter, more immediate attack. Most notably, I was able to get a much higher volume with better bass via the Cobalt. With the PC’s volume control all the way up, I could get a sound that was a little higher than typical listening volume. With the Cobalt, that same approximate volume was achieved with a setting around 60, with 75 being plenty loud and 100 being beyond comfortable. Not bad for a thumb drive-sized device and huge planar magnetic headphones. Admittedly, the sound at maximum wasn’t as clean as it was at lower volumes.

With the Sendy Apollos there was better clarity with the Cobalt compared to the computer’s built-in headphone jack. Switching to my phone’s output via the dongle, the Apollos had fuller bass when played through the Cobalt, and sounded more open. Once again, volume was the biggest difference. With the volume control all the way up on my phone, the Apollos were just above what I’d call a normal listening volume. Through the Cobalt, however, maximum volume was louder than I’d listen to for any length of time.

With the Rai Pentas, there was less of a noticeable difference. Despite their price and 5-driver design, they’re not particularly difficult to drive. So even the Pixel 7’s dongle could drive them with enough volume. Was there a little more realism to the overtones and high frequencies with high-resolution tracks? Possibly. For instance, the glockenspiel at the start of “Sloop John B” from the 24-bit, 192 kHz version of Pet Sounds had a richer, more realistic timbre, despite the Cobalt’s downconversion to 96 kHz. It could also have just been a slight change in the tonal balance, since the Rai Pentas have a more mellow sound with lesser amplifiers. I’m not sure I’d bet my house on a blind A-B test either way. The truth is, there is far less difference between modern DACs than everything else in the audio chain.

Lastly, I donned the LCD-3s again to compare the Cobalt to the iFi Audio hip-dac2. If you’re looking for something that gives you better audio on the go, the hip-dac2 is probably too large. It’s a bit smaller than a flask. That extra space includes beefier electronics, though, so if you usually listen at your desk or seated, this is a potential alternative. Because of that, the hip-dac2 just has more power. Not only can it drive the LCD-3’s louder, it sounds cleaner doing it. The hip-dac2 sounds less compressed at higher volumes. The difference isn’t huge, but is noticeable back to back.

Go-balt?

There are two questions that arise from a product and review like this. First, does it improve the sound over a reasonable baseline? Yes, with any hard-to-drive headphone the Cobalt will absolutely sound better than a headphone jack and cheap dongle. Even many easier-to-drive headphones will likely sound at least a little better (or at the very least, louder).

Second, does it perform well enough to justify its price? That’s a bit harder to say. Do you have headphones that either need an amp or will sound better with one? Do your usual sources limit the performance of your headphones? Since most computers and phones (dongle required or not) have terrible headphone amplifiers, the answer to that latter question is often yes. To the question of price, the DragonFly seems a little expensive. There are a wider variety of amp/DAC dongles like the Cobalt on the market now compared to when the DragonFlys first took flight (pun intended), and many are a lot less money. We’ll be checking some out soon.

Lastly, if you don’t have headphones that can justify the price of a $200 accessory, this shouldn’t be your first purchase. It’s not going to make $50 headphones sound like $500 headphones. If you’re only ever listening to amp-deserving headphones while seated in one place, the hip-dac2 has a little better sound at the cost of portability and overall convenience (the newer hip-dac 3 has a more user-friendly dual USB-C connection).

That all said, if you do fit in the above-outlined niche, I will say the Cobalt impressed me more than I expected for its size. For something smaller than a thumb it definitely improved the sound of some great-sounding headphones in a way that was exceptionally portable.

As well as covering audio and display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, and also Budget Travel for Dummies. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.