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A new iPhone 15 rumor suggests the two premium phones, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, will come in a pair of new signature colors: gray and blue.

In addition to traditional black and silver, in most years, Apple changes out the more unique colors for its phones. Last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max came in gold and purple hues; this year’s premium handsets will come in “Titan Gray” and a dark blue, unnamed sources told 9to5Mac.

The rumor also suggested that the higher-end phones will be offered in titanium (like the Apple Watch Ultra) instead of stainless steel.

This follows another leak earlier this week suggesting what colors Apple’s cheaper iPhones could come in. An Apple leaker who goes by @URedditor on X (formerly Twitter) posted (formerly tweeted) that this year’s baseline iPhone 15 will come in a range of colors: pink (in a rose gold or blush gold hue), green, blue, yellow, black and possibly even orange. The leaker noted that “we should see at least some of these,” suggesting that several may not make the final list.

Last year’s iPhone 14 came in five different colors at launch — midnight (black), starlight (silver), pastel purple, light blue and a special red hue for Project Red — with yellow arriving back in March this year.

Apple hasn’t publicly announced when its iPhone event will be, but since its fall showcase typically lands in the middle or end of September, we’re likely only weeks away from all the products about to be revealed by the tech giant. A new range of iPhones will top the event, but we also expect the Apple Watch Series 9 and possibly new models in other product families, like iPads or AirPods.

The iPhone 15 may be just weeks away, and we’ve already seen a host of exciting rumors about Apple’s next phone. From solid-state buttons to USB-C charging, the iPhone 15 series may get a wealth of upgrades. But I’m a professional photographer, so it’s the phones’ camera skills I most care about.

The iPhone 14 Pro is already one of the most sophisticated camera phones money can buy, with a triple camera setup capable of taking shots you might easily mistake for photos taken on a pro-level camera.

So what camera upgrades can we expect on the iPhone 15 series? Here’s what the rumors suggest. Keep in mind that all rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt, and we won’t know the details for certain until Apple reveals its next iPhones, presumably in September.

New image sensors on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

With the base iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, Apple didn’t really change the camera setup all that much compared to the iPhone 13 range. But a report from industry analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) states that the sensors on the iPhone 15 base models will get a big upgrade. New 48-megapixel sensors will replace the 12-megapixel sensors seen on the standard iPhone 14, allowing for improved image quality and better digital zoom. Apple’s Pro models are the only iPhones that currently have 48-megapixel sensors.

The report also says the phones will use a stacked CMOS sensor technology that can capture more light than previous designs. The more light captured by a sensor, the better images it can produce. It’s interesting to see Apple putting so much new tech inside its base models, rather than forcing keen photographers to opt solely for the Pro models.

And while these sensors are expected to be physically larger than the base iPhone 14 models, they reportedly won’t be as large as the image sensors found in the iPhone 14 Pro.

iPhone 15 Ultra could get a longer zoom

Apple is also rumored to release an even more expensive version of the iPhone potentially called the iPhone 15 Ultra. Rumors from known Twitter tipster Tech_Reve suggests that this phone would feature a periscope zoom offering optical zoom levels up to 5 or 6x. That would be a huge step up over the 3x optical zoom currently available on the iPhone 14 Pro, and it could help Apple compete with rivals Samsung and Google.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro features a 5x optical zoom lens, making it one of my favorite cameras found on a phone. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a 10x optical zoom that allows for amazing quality close-up shots. I’d love to see Apple push the boundaries of zoom on its phones.

The rumors also suggest that this zoom lens may even offer continuous zoom, enabling you to shift smoothly between regular and full zoom views, rather than choosing between 1x or 3x. These systems are rare on phones (the Sony Xperia 1 IV is one of the only phones that uses it) since they require extremely delicate, technical components.

iPhone 15 Ultra might have the largest image sensor ever in an iPhone

Meanwhile, prolific leakster IceUniverse predicts that the iPhone 15 Ultra (or Pro Max) will use a Sony IMX903 image sensor, which is reportedly 1/1.14 inches in size. That would make it the largest image sensor ever seen in an iPhone.

The bigger a sensor is, the more light it can take in. And remember, more light means better-looking photos. Even the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro’s camera sensor is only 1/1.28 inches, so if true, this sensor would be a big step up.

What else to expect from the iPhone 15

We won’t know if an iPhone Ultra truly exists until Apple announces its 2023 iPhone lineup. But otherwise, the iPhone 15 family is expected to get several upgrades. Such changes may include USB-C charging instead of Lightning (thanks largely to new laws in Europe), a new processor (likely to be called the A17 Bionic) and potentially updated titanium chassis.

Apple is expected to announce its new iPhones in early to mid-September. Apple typically puts its products on sale within the following couple of weeks, but some rumors suggest the company is already facing delays. The Pro Max model may be delayed until October, as reports suggest Sony is struggling to meet demand for its camera sensors, according to an analyst speaking to 9to5Mac.

As a photographer, I’m excited about the potential for the big camera sensor and the longer optical zoom. They’re both features I’ve had on my iPhone wish list for some time, but they’re also rumored features for the iPhone Ultra. And the Ultra may not even be unveiled this year and could instead be held back for a 2024 release, meaning I’ll have to wait longer for the iPhone camera I really want. Either way, I’ll be interested to see how Apple keeps photographers like me happy this September.

When thinking about buying a budget anything, the big question you need to ask is, “Where did they cut corners?”; followed by “Do I care which corners are lying on the floor?” A lot of models will cut memory down to 8GB; that’s not a tradeoff you really want to make. Other common manufacturer concessions are the screen, build quality and RGB lighting (for gaming laptops). In the case of the Asus ROG Strix G15, the chosen slashes are on the screen and webcam. For the latter, you’d probably be better off buying a standalone over any Asus would have offered at this laptop’s price, anyway. The screen’s pretty meh, though.

Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022)

Price as reviewed	$1,000
Display	15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 144Hz IPS
CPU	3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS
Memory	16GB DDR5-4800
Graphics	4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
Storage	512GB SSD
Ports	2 x USB-C (1 x DP 1.4, PD) , 2 x USB-A 3.2, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x audio combo
Networking	Realtek Gaming 2.5GbE Ethernet, MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E MT7922, Bluetooth 5.3
Operating system	Microsoft Windows 11 Home 22H2
Weight	4.6 lbs./2.1kg

Those compromises allow Asus to barely squeeze the G15 under the $1,000 mark. Like many of its competitors, the line starts with a 512GB SSD and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 (a last-generation entry-level graphics chip), in addition to a solid AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS processor and 16GB RAM. It’s not light at almost 5 pounds, but it’s relatively thin.

If you do want to step up from this, it’s a relatively big step — up to around $1,200 for a better screen and more storage. Whether that’s worth another $200 is between you and your budget gods.

I hesitate to call the screen bad because, in the most basic sense, it does the job. It’s surprisingly bright (measured at 333 nits) and displays a picture. Somehow it’s got around 1,600:1 contrast (as tested), despite generally appearing washed out.

But the color gamut is about 66% sRGB as tested, which is sad in 2023, and people have noticed if customer reviews are to be believed. In addition to having color uniformity issues, notably having a green cast on the left side, my evaluation unit had noticeable bleed from the edge lighting and visible brightness uniformity issues. (All measurements are performed using the most recent version of Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software using a Calibrite Display Plus HL. Read more about our monitor testing methodology.) This is not a system to buy for your creativity-on-a-budget needs.

It specs as 144Hz refresh rate, but it doesn’t seem to have a pixel refresh speed to match — there’s a lot of motion blur. Whether or not that’s an issue for you depends on what games you like to play and how much you tend to notice. Of course, if you plan to connect an external monitor to the laptop, those problems may be moot, and the built-in screen should be fine for general productivity-type work.

The design is pretty nice, both aesthetically and functionally, and feels pretty well constructed despite having a lot of plastic. It uses a power brick — no USB-C charging, but that’s pretty typical for the money — but the connector is in the back where it won’t get in your way. Most of the connectors are on the back, with two USB-A on the left side: friendly for left-handers connecting a mouse or keyboard, but less great for righties.

There’s per-key RGB lighting for the keyboard and underglow, and the keyboard isn’t bad. You’d never mistake it for a mechanical and the keys are a little flat and slippery, but it otherwise feels OK, and has different keycaps specifically for WASD.

Asus squeezes as much performance out of the Ryzen CPU and RTX 3050 as it can; Asus usually does manage above-average performance with its gaming laptops. But you won’t be able to play some AAA games, or some games well, because the 3050 is relatively low power and only has 4GB of VRAM (which can bottleneck operations that use it, such as retrieving textures). Still, it can be pretty nimble for fast but lightweight 2D games, like Hades and Fortnite.

And while it tested as having an above-average (for this class) seven-hour battery life, unplugged performance drops precipitously at those battery-saving settings: CPU performance dropped by almost half, which makes everything feel more sluggish.

The Asus ROG Strix G15’s a pretty good choice if that’s your budget cutoff, and definitely a better buy than cheaper models with lesser graphics and 8GB RAM. But if you’re pickier you may not be able to get everything you want for that money.

Performance

Geekbench 5 (single core)

Dell G16 7620 1,739Dell G15 5520 1,695Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-58) 1,627Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022) 1,524HP Victus 15 (2023) 1,484Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 1,426

Cinebench R23 (multicore)

Dell G16 7620 17,942Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022) 14,096Dell G15 5520 13,694Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-58) 13,583Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 10,192HP Victus 15 (2023) 9,718

3DMark Time Spy

Dell G16 7620 9,326Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-58) 7,828Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 5,607Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022) 5,566Dell G15 5520 5,520HP Victus 15 (2023) 3,654

Guardians of the Galaxy (High @1920 x 1080)

Dell G16 7620 123Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022) 103Dell G15 5520 84Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 76Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-58) 71HP Victus 15 (2023) 61

Online video streaming battery drain test

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 488Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022) 438HP Victus 15 (2023) 377Dell G15 5520 307Dell G16 7620 287Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58 277

System configurations

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-12500H; 16GB DDR4 3,200MHz RAM; 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060; 512GB SSD
Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RC, 2022)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS; 16GB DDR5 4,800MHz RAM; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050; 512GB SSD
Dell G15 5520	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-12500H; 8GB DDR5 4,800MHz RAM; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050; 256GB SSD
Dell G16 7620	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-127000H; 16GB DDR5 4,800MHz RAM; 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060; 512GB SSD
HP Victus 15 (2023)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2GHz Intel Core i5-12450H; 8GB DDR4 3,200MHz RAM; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 512GB SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 5 6600H; 8GB DDR5 4,800MHz RAM; 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050; 256GB SSD

It can be hard for Apple Watch Series owners to know when is the right time to invest in an upgraded model. Year after year, Apple makes small improvements to the Series lineup — and older models hold up very well throughout the years.

But as Apple is expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 9 in just a few weeks, the second-guessing and concerns about buyer’s remorse are amped up with lots of buzz around what Apple might be working on for 2024 and the 10th anniversary of its wrist wearable: The Apple Watch X.

The headliner feature of the X (pronounced “ten”) could be a form of blood pressure monitoring, as reported by Bloomberg. But it may not release as a tool that could replace a traditional measurement from a cuff — or could it?

In this week’s episode of One More Thing, embedded above, I highlight the rumors and reported features coming to both the Series 9 and Series X watches — and why you don’t have to have stress if you want to upgrade now.

The Series 9 is reported by Bloomberg to have an improved processor that could help boost battery life, and there’s buzz that a new pink color could be in the mix. (Apple is reportedly working on a blood glucose monitor for a future Apple Watch, but it’s not expected to be ready yet.)

As for the buzz on Series X, the report mentions potential design tweaks: thinner casing, new microLED display for the screen and bands that could attach differently, possibly with magnets. It also is expected to have a sensor for pressure monitoring. It’s a feature Bloomberg reported Apple was working on for years now, and it’s been challenging to test. To get a sense of the current development of wrist-worn blood pressure monitoring, we can look to how other companies are tackling the tech.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 can track blood pressure outside the US, but you need to calibrate it with an actual blood pressure monitor cuff first.

The Omron HeartGuide, released in 2018, is a smartwatch that achieves a real measurement with an inflating cuff that pressurizes over the wrist. It received FDA clearance but costs a steep $500. CNET’s Scott Stein reviewed the Omron HeartGuide and found it to give measurements that matched up with the readings from his doctor. He said blood pressure monitoring could be the next big frontier for wearable tech, “but in its current form, it won’t be for everyone yet.”

So can it be done without a cuff? Maybe. Valencell introduced a clip-on finger-based blood pressure measurement device at CES 2023. It looks a lot light a portable pulse oximetry device, and Stein demoed it at CES by using his middle figure for a blood pressure spot check on the show floor.

The tech is still pretty tricky to get right, so it’s hard to say to what degree this tech could show up in a 2024 Apple Watch. I wouldn’t hold your breath for something that can replace a doctor visit from an Apple Watch. But when you tell me the Series 9 could include a better processor to squeeze out more battery life? Now that’s a feature people can get excited about now.

But since nothing is official, we’ll have to wait to see what Apple actually unveils next month. Apple hasn’t given any clues yet, but it’s widely expected we’ll see the Series 9 the same day Apple reveals the iPhone 15 — and pundits are pointing to Sept. 12 as the day that could happen.

Online trackers can be annoying. You search for a product or click an advertisement once, and then ads seem to follow you to the ends of the internet, even across devices. Sometimes, you just want a little privacy in your browsing. Enter DuckDuckGo, a browser and search engine that pledges to keep your search activity anonymous and not track you online.

There are other private browsers, such as Brave and the Mullvad Browser, that block other people from monitoring your online activity. But DuckDuckGo sees itself as a direct competitor to Google Search, complete with a mobile app and extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and other browsers, as well as for Windows and Mac browsers in public beta.

After major incidents like the Cambridge Analytica scandal, people have become more aware of how much personal information is available to tech companies and advertisers — and are opting out of being tracked when they can. While it doesn’t track users, DuckDuckGo’s app was downloaded more than 50 million times between July 2020 and June 2021 — more than all other years combined since its 2008 launch.

Here’s what you need to know about DuckDuckGo and how it tries to keep your searches more secure.

What is DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo is a search engine that’s available as both a mobile browser app and a desktop extension, each aimed at allowing you to browse the internet without companies gobbling up your personal data. It promises to keep your searches private, anonymous and offers built-in tracker blocking, so the sites you visit have a harder time collecting information about you.

Read more: Best VPNs of 2023

How does DuckDuckGo work?

For starters, DuckDuckGo does not track searches made through its browser extension or mobile app. Other browsers, including Chrome, allow you to use private or incognito windows that don’t track your search history, but their default windows do. (That’s the basis of every “embarrassing search history” joke.) Instead of making you navigate to a different version of its app, DuckDuckGo never tracks your search history.

Searches made through DuckDuckGo also automatically connect you to the encrypted versions of websites wherever possible, making it harder for anyone else to see what you’re looking at online. This is another scenario where both options (encrypted and unencrypted) exist on other search engines, but the default isn’t always the privacy-friendly option. DuckDuckGo saves you the extra steps of manually navigating to encrypted connections.

DuckDuckGo was criticized in May 2022 when researchers discovered some Microsoft tracking scripts while using DuckDuckGo’s browsers. The presence of Microsoft trackers seemed to fly in the face of the search engine’s privacy promise, and DuckDuckGo’s founder and CEO clarified on Reddit that the company was “currently contractually restricted by Microsoft” from stopping Microsoft scripts from completely loading. This is because the company uses Microsoft’s Bing to power its search results. The company followed up in August, however, by announcing that it would further restrict Microsoft trackers in its browsers.

However, DuckDuckGo remains ahead of other popular privacy options when it comes to blocking tracking data, and the company has clarified its app store descriptions to better clarify limitations in its privacy protections. DuckDuckGo had also previously disclosed its partnership with Microsoft, and its CEO said in the Reddit post that the company is working to get that restriction changed.

DuckDuckGo also actively blocks external trackers from following you around online. For a more detailed explanation of DuckDuckGo’s privacy features, check out DuckDuckGo’s blog.

How is DuckDuckGo different from Google Search? What about Incognito mode and private browsing?

DuckDuckGo essentially takes the opposite approach compared to other big tech companies like Google and Facebook, which have traditionally made money by targeting ads based on your browsing history and personal data. While Google has said it’s going to stop this practice, the platform still collects a ton of data about you, including your location and search activity — yes, even in incognito mode.

Incognito mode simply deletes information related to your browsing session from your computer: your history, cookies and any info you’ve entered into fields. Notably, it only does that after you end your session by closing out all your tabs. So if you leave your incognito tabs open for hours or days at a time, that information will still build up. And no matter what, Google can save your searches — and companies, internet service providers and governments can still track you across the internet, even when you’re using incognito mode.

DuckDuckGo is different because it doesn’t store your browsing data at all, and it blocks trackers while you’re browsing.

If it isn’t targeting ads, how does DuckDuckGo make money?

DuckDuckGo still makes money from advertising — it just doesn’t use targeted ads. The search engine shows you ads based on the keywords you search for, which aren’t connected to your personal data like your browsing or purchase history. Essentially, you’ll only see ads for whatever you’re currently searching for, not the weird product your friend sent you a link to last week that you now can’t get away from.

How can I use DuckDuckGo?

On mobile devices, simply open your app store and search for “DuckDuckGo.” You’ll be able to download the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser app and use it the same way you’d use Chrome or Safari. At the bottom center of your app, you’ll see a fire icon, which you can press at any time to close all your tabs and clear all personal data.

On desktop, go to duckduckgo.com, where you’ll see a button to add DuckDuckGo to your browser. On Chrome, you’ll be directed to the Chrome webstore page to download the extension for free. On Safari, you’ll be instructed on how to set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine or to manually activate a search using DuckDuckGo.

For more about online privacy, check out the five reasons to ditch Google for DuckDuckGo, what to know about DuckDuckGo’s free AI feature DuckAssist and how DuckDuckGo’s app tracking protection beta is available to Android users.

If you are in the market looking for a gaming TV, our best TVs for 2023 list is more than enough because most modern TVs are already perfectly suited for video games and offer excellent color, contrast, brightness and resolution. However, HDMI 2.1 is important for advanced gaming features that can improve your experience, such as 120Hz and variable refresh rates. These gaming TVs are especially nice if you’ve managed to get your hands on a next-gen console like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. There are also some TVs that come with a preset gaming mode, which reduces input lag and keeps your image crisp.

How quickly you react while gaming depends on a feedback loop between your brain, your fingers, the game controller and the action you see on the TV screen. Delay at any point will diminish your performance and the thrilling immediacy of the playing experience. It takes mere milliseconds for a video signal to travel from your console through the HDMI input on your TV to display on the screen, but too many milliseconds can be noticeable to your brain — and they can be downright deadly to your in-game character. Those milliseconds of delay are known as input lag.

Select TVs’ input lag with game mode on and off (milliseconds)

TV Model	On (4K HDR)	Off (4K HDR)	On (1080p)	Off (1080p)
LG OLED65C2	9.87	81.10	9.93	72.80
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series	10.03	119.23	34.80	102.20
Samsung QN55Q60B	10.10	68.63	10.00	87.80
TCL 50S455	10.13	49.90	10.23	33.27
Samsung QN65QN90B	10.50	74.30	10.73	95.00
Vizio V550M	10.43	67.70	10.63	51.57
Hisense 50A6H	10.53	119.27	10.80	43.23
TCL 65R655	10.90	11.40	11.27	11.37
Sony KD55X80K	11.67	132.63	11.93	132.77
Vizio M65QXM-K03	15.10	127.37	15.33	60.10
Hisense 65U8H	15.43	108.73	15.33	108.73
Sony KD-65X95K	18.13	144.53	18.03	161.20

The top 5 gaming TVs

The following TVs, featured at the top of the page, deliver either the lowest lag I’ve measured among the TVs I’ve reviewed, the best picture quality for the money or a combination of both. Unless otherwise noted, prices shown below are for the 65-inch sizes.

What else you need to know about input lag

How to turn on game mode. In most cases, viewing in game mode isn’t automatic so you’ll have to turn it on manually, and sometimes the gaming monitor setting can be difficult to find. Many use a picture mode called “Game” while some, like Samsung and Vizio, let you apply game mode to any setting.

Game mode makes a difference, except when it doesn’t. As you can see in the table above, many TVs cut lag substantially when you turn on game mode, but plenty don’t. In general, expensive TVs with elaborate video processing get more of a benefit when you engage game mode.

Most TVs’ game modes are good enough for most gamers. No matter how twitchy you are, it’s going to be tough to tell the difference between 13 and 30 milliseconds of input lag. Many gamers won’t even be able to discern between having game mode on and off — it all depends on the game and your sensitivity to lag.

Turning game mode on can hurt image quality (a little). TV makers’ menus often refer to reduced picture quality. Reduced picture quality is generally the result of turning off that video processing. In my experience, however, the differences in image quality are really subtle with console gaming, and worth the trade-off if you want to minimize lag for a great gaming experience.

4K HDR gaming lag is different from 1080p. The display resolution you play at has an impact, and since new consoles prominently feature 4K HDR output for games, I started testing for 4K HDR lag in 2018. In general, the numbers are similar to the lag with standard 1080p resolution, but as you can see from the chart above, there are exceptions.

Testing is an inexact science. I use a Leo Bodnar lag tester. Here’s how it works, and how I use it. You might see different lag test results from different review outlets, which may use Bodnar or another method.

What’s the best TV for gaming, period?

As I mentioned at the top, the best TV for gaming is one that has the best picture quality for viewing everything else, too. Games benefit from deep black levels, bright highlights and uniform screens just as much as movies and TV shows do.

Yes, there are other factors, but they don’t apply to most gamers. If you play the same game constantly on your smart LED TV and never put anything else on the screen, and that game as a bright static element that stays in the same place on the screen (like a HUD or other status display), you might be at risk for OLED burn-in. But most gamers don’t have to worry about OLED burn-in.

If the TV input where your console is connected is shared with other devices and you don’t want to remember to re-engage game mode all the time, an auto game-mode feature might be useful. And some cutting-edge PS5, Xbox Series X and PC gamers might appreciate 4K/120Hz input and variable refresh rate.

Most gamers, however, will find that the best TV for gaming is the best TV, period.

YouTube TV is taking a page out of DirecTV’s playbook when it comes to its student discount for NFL Sunday Ticket. After teasing that a student plan was coming, the search giant has revealed that it will charge college students $109 to get its NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube package, or $119 for those who want Sunday Ticket and the popular NFL RedZone channel.

DirecTV, which previously was the exclusive home of Sunday Ticket before Google’s YouTube and YouTube TV took over the rights, charged a similar $120 per season for Sunday Ticket to college students for a version that included RedZone. That said, the college discount is still a significant savings compared with getting Sunday Ticket from YouTube at its regular price of $399 for the base package and $439 for the option with RedZone (both prices factoring in $50 discounts that Google is currently offering).

Under its regular pricing, those who pay for YouTube TV can tack on the base Sunday Ticket for $299 and the RedZone version for $339 (again including $50 discounts).

NFL Sunday Ticket allows football fans to watch all out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons that aren’t airing on their local CBS or Fox stations. To watch those “in-market” games, you’d need to use an antenna or pay for cable, satellite or a streaming service like YouTube TV.

As detailed in a support page, the new student offer began rolling out on Aug. 23, though it seems to be a gradual rollout as the page cautions that “if you don’t see the option to buy the Student Plan today, check back soon.” YouTube promises on the support page that it will make the offer available nationwide “before the start of the regular season in September.”

The first Sunday of the NFL season is Sept. 10.

While CNET did not see it on YouTube’s main Sunday Ticket plans page at press time, following the support page’s instructions did bring up a way to purchase it. Simply log into a Google account, go to the NFL’s YouTube page and then click “Get NFL Sunday Ticket” next to the “subscribe” button to bring up the deal. From there you’ll see a link for “eligible students can save with a student plan.”

As with student deals offered by other companies, Google is relying on a third party (in this case SheerID) to verify that you are actively enrolled in an “accredited college or university.” In some cases, YouTube notes, you may need to submit proof of enrollment through a student ID card, tuition receipt or class schedule to verify that you’re eligible.

It is worth noting that the discounted student version of Sunday Ticket is a bit more limited than the regular-priced counterparts. YouTube says that this plan won’t allow for family sharing and will allow for only “one signed-in device and one concurrent stream at a time.”

The regular Sunday Ticket plans allow for unlimited streams at home as well as the ability to have two extra streams “out of the home for household members on the go.” You can also create a Google family group with up to five other people, and they’ll be able to access your Sunday Ticket subscription through their own Google accounts.

Max is adding a 24/7 CNN news stream, called CNN Max, to its service, the recently rebranded streamer said Thursday. CNN Max will launch Sept. 27 in the US and will be included with all three of Max’s plans at no extra charge.

Max’s CNN Originals hub will be renamed CNN Max. It’ll house “expanded access to CNN Max 24/7 Live stream, CNN Originals, and additional news content,” according to a press release. CNN Max will feature new programming built specifically for Max such as CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker and Fredricka Whitfield and CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto. It’ll also feature programs like Amanpour, Anderson Cooper 360, The Lead with Jake Tapper and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

“We’re excited to engage our Max community in this initial beta stage to help us learn and develop what appeals most to our customers in this new genre,” Jean-Briac Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement.

The upcoming debut of CNN Max comes after the arrival and swift closure of the standalone CNN Plus streaming service in 2022. The service, which lasted less than a month, was a casualty of the merger between CNN parent company WarnerMedia and Discovery.

HBO Max became Max in the spring, uniting the HBO Max and Discovery Plus libraries. Plans start at $10 a month and go up to $20 per month. In our review of Max, we found that the streamer’s extensive catalog, among other features, make it worth checking out.

If you want to learn more about streaming, here are guides to the best live TV services, on-demand services and deals.

Picking up a new Microsoft Surface Pro 8 just got a whole lot cheaper, but only if you act fast — these discounted prices are only going to be live for a few hours. Act now and you’ll pay just $630 for Microsoft’s 128GB tablet. Need more storage? Upgrade to 256GB and pay just $680.

These deals save you at least 37% on the original asking prices. But place your order tomorrow and you’ll pay more than you had to.

Woot’s limited-time sale offers the 128GB Surface Pro 8 in platinum and the 256GB model in graphite, both of which are gorgeous colors. The tablets are identical — apart from storage — on the inside, however. That means you’ll get an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU and 8GB of RAM, while the 13-inch PixelSense Flow display has a resolution of 2,880×1,920 pixels and a super fast 120Hz refresh rate for a responsive experience.

Thunderbolt 4 ports, a built-in 1080p camera and up to 16 hours of battery life round out the main specifications, while Windows 11 is the software that holds it all together. That means you’ll also be able to use Windows Hello for quick and easy authentication, while the built-in kickstand makes this a great option for watching media on the go.

Remember that Woot’s deals will only hang around for a few hours, although you don’t need to do anything special to get these prices — just choose the storage option that’s right for you and place your order.

Most of us love our technology, but the devices we rely on most have a limited battery life — and the more we use them, the faster those bars drain. Having a versatile USB-C PD charger to juice up all of your electronics quickly can be a lifesaver, whether you’re traveling or just need to charge multiple items at once. Usually the more powerful a charger is, the higher the price tag.

Right now, you can score a massive markdown on Insignia’s NS-PW3X1A1C2W22 wall charger at Best Buy. Normally $93, this one-day sale slashes the price by $65 — that means you can snag one for just $28 if you buy today. This offer expires tonight, Aug. 24, at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET).

Not only does this wall charger deliver up to 112 watts of power so you can power even your most demanding devices throughout your day, but when you you have more than one device that needs a boost, the two USB-C ports and single USB-A port can be used simultaneously. It’s also compact and has a foldable plug, which makes it even easier to store or transport. Note that this charger does not come with any charging cables, but it’s universally compatible with all brands, so it’s easy to buy extras if you need them.