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When Apple released iOS 17 on Sept. 18, the company gave iPhone users many new and useful features, like StandBy mode, offline maps and Check In. And crossword puzzles in the News app are among the fun new features added to the OS.

To access these puzzles, you need an Apple News Plus subscription, which costs $13 a month. However, you can try Apple News Plus for one month for free, or you can get the service for free for three months with the purchase of an iPhone, iPad or Mac. An Apple News Plus subscription is also part of the Apple One Premier bundle, which costs $38 a month and includes other services like Apple TV Plus and Apple Arcade.

Here’s how you can access daily crossword puzzles as an Apple News Plus subscriber.

Play crossword puzzles in Apple News

1. Open the Apple News app.
2. Tap Following in the menu across the bottom of your screen.
3. Tap Puzzles.

You can also access crossword puzzles by going to Apple News > Today > Latest Puzzles — this option was pretty far down my Today page.

From the puzzles page, you can find the latest crosswords from the week. Across the top of the page, you’ll also see options for Crossword and Crossword Mini, which are smaller crossword puzzles arranged in a 5×5 grid. Tap either of these options, and the app takes you to the latest puzzles for either choice.

How to play the puzzles

Once you’ve decided on which puzzle to play, there are two ways you can solve them: grid view and list view. By default you’ll enter grid view which is a traditional crossword puzzle layout. You see the whole grid, and if you tap a square you’ll see a clue below the puzzle. You can also switch between vertical and horizontal clues by tapping a square a second time or tapping the clue.

List view, on the other hand, eschews the traditional grid of a crossword puzzle and shows you all the clues and how many letters are in each answer in a list format. To access list view, tap the bulleted list icon in the top left corner of your screen when you are in a puzzle. As you enter letters in list view, letters in other clues begin populating where the clues intersect on the grid. I still think list view sounds tough, but I’m also not very good at crossword puzzles to start with.

How many puzzles are there?

There are two new puzzles every day, a crossword and a crossword mini. It appears the puzzles are accessible for about a month after they are published, so you have access to a small archive of crosswords you can play. This is also a new feature, so the number of available puzzles could change.

For more on iOS 17, check out my review of iOS 17 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

With Black Friday rolling around soon, now is the perfect time to pick up electronics like a smart TV or streaming device. If you are planning to upgrade your TV experience, Roku is one of our favorite platforms and its streaming devices are a great option if you have an older TV without a smart platform or don’t want to go with the big names like Amazon’s Fire TV or Google TV. Luckily, you have a lot of choices when it comes to Roku; whether you’d like to go for a Roku TV or just a Roku streaming device, there’s an option for every budget.

As such, we’ve scoured all the big retailers and collected all our favorite early Black Friday Roku deals so you don’t have to. That said, we’re still in the early days of Black Friday, and we’re likely to see many more deals in the coming days, so be sure to check back regularly. And, if you do end up going for a Roku device, take a look at these eleven little-known Roku tricks you can take advantage of.

Black Friday Roku streaming device deals

• Roku Express 4k Plus: $30 (save $10)

Black Friday Roku TV deals

• TCL 32-inch S2 S-Class HD TV: $120 (save $10)
• Roku 32-inch Select Series HD TV: $150 (save $20)
• TCL 40-Inch S3 Series FHD TV: $180 (save $50)

• Westinghouse 43-inch 4K TV: $190 (save $100)
• Hisense 50-inch R6G Series 4K TV: $240 (save $30)
• Roku 75-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV: $900 (save $100)

Having a solid everyday laptop is a good idea for most people. But if you don’t need a laptop purpose-built for gaming or creative endeavors, grabbing an affordable model may be the biggest priority. Black Friday is just a couple of weeks away, and plenty of deals have already dropped on tech. If you’re seeking a budget laptop, great news — you can score this 15-inch HP laptop at Walmart for just $329 with this Walmart Black Friday deal. That’s a discount of $70, making this option even more affordable.

This HP laptop has a sizable 15.6-inch, 1080p resolution anti-glare display with a 6.5mm thick bezel. Plus, it comes equipped with the Windows 11 OS and an Intel Core i5 processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage. With all that power, this laptop should deliver fast performance and handle multitasking without an issue, letting you stream content, make video calls, use productivity apps and more.

You’ll get a full-size keyboard with an integrated numeric pad, as well as access to HP QuickDrop for file transfers between your computer and your phone, along with an SD card reader and USB-A, HDMI and USB-C ports. It’s also lightweight and portable, which makes this a great laptop for working on the go. You can expect up to nine hours of battery life per charge, and when you’re low on power, this laptop can reach up to 50% in just 45 minutes of charging. At under $500, it’s hard to beat this laptop deal.

You don’t have to spend top dollar to get a decent laptop these days — especially with early Black Friday deals ramping up. You can snag $90 off this 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 1 right now as part of Walmart’s Black Friday sale. That drops the price to just $249. There’s no set expiration for this offer, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out.

This Lenovo laptop won’t compete with pricey high-end models, but it’s a decent option if you just want something for checking your email, browsing the web and other basic tasks. It comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 quad-core processor, as well as 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. It has a sleek, frameless 15.6-inch full HD display and a built-in HD webcam for video calls, along with a battery life of up to 14 hours on a single charge. Plus, it’s powered by the latest Windows 11 OS in S mode, which is optimized for security and performance. At around 3.5 pounds, it’s a little on the heavy side, but it’s also just 0.7 inches thick, so it’s still slim enough to easily slip in your bag and take on the go.

Gaming laptops are a great, semiportable alternative to desktop PCs that allow for gaming on the go (or at least, room to room). Though many gaming laptops tend to carry a hefty four-digit price tag, Black Friday is just around the corner, making now a great time to snag one for less. You can save $220 on this 15-inch MSI GF63 gaming laptop at Walmart’s Black Friday sale, which drops the price down to just $479.

This MSI laptop has a speedy 144Hz, 15.6-inch FHD IPS display and comes equipped with Windows 11 OS, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. It also has an Intel Core i5-11400H processor and — the big win here — an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU.

While these aren’t the latest and greatest specs out there, this MSI will still deliver solid performance for PC games across the board, and it should blow away older laptops that lack dedicated video cards. At under $500, it’s hard to beat this gaming laptop deal. Though there’s no guaranteeing how long this discount will be available, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

A new series from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan recently premiered on Paramount Plus. Executive produced by Sheridan and created by Chad Feehan, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is based on the real-life story of Reeves, one of the first Black deputy US marshals.

The eight-episode season features David Oyelowo as Reeves and counts Donald Sutherland and Dennis Quaid among its cast members. The series adds to Sheridan’s long list of Paramount Plus shows, which in addition to Yellowstone and spinoffs 1883 and 1923 include Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness and the upcoming entry Land Man.

According to Paramount Plus, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is part of an anthology series, with future iterations following “other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.” Stick around for how a VPN could potentially improve the streaming experience.

How to watch Taylor Sheridan’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Paramount Plus is the only way to watch the series. In the US, the first two episodes are available now, and the following six episodes are set to arrive one by one on Sundays.

If you aren’t already subscribed to the streaming service, you can choose between $6-per-month Paramount Plus Essential, which is ad supported, or $12-per-month Paramount Plus with Showtime, which is mostly ad free and includes Showtime programming like the forthcoming show The Curse. We compared Paramount Plus’ ad-based plan to other streamers’ ad plans in this roundup.

How to watch Lawmen: Bass Reeves with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Paramount Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.

A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you can opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose a country where Lawmen: Bass Reeves will be streaming on Paramount Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Lawmen: Bass Reeves on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Paramount Plus to stream.

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and have picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

If you’ve been holding out for an AirPods deal worth buying this year, now’s the time to whip out your credit card. Amazon has just dropped the price of the entry-level AirPods 2 down to just $69 in an early Black Friday deal you won’t want to miss.

This deal is a match for a Walmart sale on the AirPods 2, though you’ll need a Walmart Plus membership to snag the savings there until 3 p.m. ET today, Nov. 8, when anyone can get in on the deal. Amazon hasn’t waited around on matching the price though, meaning you can score the $60 savings right now.

The AirPods 2 sell for $129 at the Apple Store and go for nearer $100 at other retailers most of the year, so either way you look at it this is a stellar deal on some of the most popular earbuds on the market. This is a new all-time low price for the earbuds, beating the $79 price we saw previously during Prime Day.

And though these are a slightly older model, the AirPods 2 remain the best AirPods for folks on a tighter budget — especially at this price. They have the same H1 chip found in the newer AirPods 3, so you get the same Siri hands-free experience and easy device switching across your iPhone, Mac and iPad. You’ll get up to 24 hours of playback time on a single charge (with the included charging case).

A subscription to Walmart Plus provides a bevy of benefits like discounted gas and rewards for spending, and the most popular might be the same-day delivery of more than 160,000 different items. But that’s not the only delivery perk you’ll get with a Walmart Plus subscription.

Read more: Walmart Black Friday Deals: Score Early Savings on Tech, Home Goods and More

Walmart Plus offers two types of shipping — free shipping with any purchase amount and free same-day grocery delivery, depending on where you live. We’ll explain below. You can also return items for free.

We’ll tell you about the benefits you get as a Walmart Plus member when it comes to shipping and delivery. For more, here’s what you need to know about signing up for Walmart Plus.

Free shipping with any purchase

If you’ve got a Walmart Plus membership, you can get free shipping on any purchase — even if it’s as low as $3 or you’ve ordered several boxes worth of products. There’s no minimum or maximum. Plus, you can get your items as early as the next day with a Plus membership.

For non-members, you have to spend at least $35 to get free shipping. So if you only need to order a set of sponges for the kitchen, you’ll either have to pay $7 in shipping or look around the house for other things you need to buy. Pickup is also a free option, but it’s not as convenient.

If you typically buy things you need as you think of them rather than stacking your cart, a Walmart Plus membership, which costs $98 annually or $13 a month, could be beneficial just to get the free shipping benefit. You can also sign up for a free 30-day trial right now.

Free same-day grocery delivery

Walmart Plus offers free same-day grocery delivery, depending on your location. For some subscribers, they’ll have to spend a minimum of $35 to get free delivery. Otherwise, they can expect to pay a $7 delivery fee for orders below $35. Check your location before signing up to find out if you’ll have to pay the fee.

When you choose same-day delivery, you’ll have the option to select a timeframe by the hour for when your groceries arrive at your home. This convenience is to ensure you’ll be home when the food arrives so it’s not sitting outside, melting in the heat.

To find items eligible for same-day delivery, you’ll need to select “delivery” before you begin shopping. Your other options are “shipping” and “pickup” so make sure you select the correct one. If an item doesn’t have “delivery” listed next to it, it’s likely not eligible for same-day delivery and you’ll instead need to have it shipped.

Free returns without going to the store

If after getting an item shipped to your home you find it’s not what you expected, you can return it to Walmart without paying a fee. But you have more options than just driving it back to the store. You can print out a label from Walmart.com and ship it back to the store, or Walmart can send someone out to pick it up from your home — even if it’s a grocery item — for free.

The option to have someone pick up a return from your home is new as of March 2023. You don’t even need to print a label when you select this option. You do, however, need to be home when the person arrives to pick up the package. To select this return method, choose Returns from home. Note that not all items are eligible for return this way.

Also, you have 90 days to return the item after it’s been delivered to your home.

For more, don’t miss out on these student-only deals from Walmart Plus and more. Also, here’s what you need to know about Target Circle rewards and hidden Amazon Prime perks.

You don’t have to spend top dollar to get a decent laptop these days — especially with early Black Friday deals in full swing at the moment. Walmart’s sale officially kicks off today, and it knocks $90 off this 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 1, which drops the price to just $249. This deal is available to Walmart Plus members starting at 12 p.m. ET, and everyone else at 3 p.m. ET. There’s no set expiration for this offer, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

This Lenovo laptop won’t compete with pricey high-end models, but it’s a decent option if you just want something for checking your email, browsing the web and other basic tasks. It comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 quad-core processor, as well as 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It has a sleek, frameless 15.6-inch full HD display and a built-in HD webcam for video calls, along with a battery life of up to 14 hours on a single charge. Plus, it’s powered by the latest Windows 11 OS in S mode, which is optimized for security and performance. At around 3.5 pounds, it’s a little on the heavy side, but it’s also just 0.7 inches thick, so it’s still slim enough to easily slip in your bag and take on the go.

Black Friday is just around the corner, and Amazon is already offering tons of excellent early deals. But pricey tech like TVs and tablets aren’t the only things you’ll find on sale right now. This is also a great chance to snag some discounted basics, like a spare wall charger or two.

This Ugreen USB-C adapter supports 30-watt fast charging, and right now Prime members can grab it for 35% off, which drops the price down to just $13. Other colors are available at 30% off even without Prime. There’s no set expiration for these deals, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later.

This Ugreen power adapter has a single USB-C port that supports up to 30 watts of power delivery. That’s enough power to recharge the latest high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max up to 55% in just 30 minutes. Plus, it has multiple built-in safety features, including protection against short-circuiting, overloading and overheating to prevent damage to your devices. And it has an ultracompact design with a foldable plug that makes it easy to slip into your bag or pocket and take with you on the go. You can also save an extra 5% when you bundle it with other Ugreen mobile accessories, many of which are also on sale right now.

And if you’re looking for more tech and home discounts, be sure to hit up our massive Amazon Black Friday deal roundup.