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Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are still some of the best wireless earbuds out there, even a year and a half after they first came out. That’s because Apple added plenty of new features in iOS 17 like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume. We may see even more AirPods Pro 2 features announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.

In the meantime, there are a bunch of lesser-known AirPods Pro 2 features you can try right now. I’ve been using the AirPods Pro 2 since launch, both the original model and the “new” version with USB-C charging that arrived alongside the iPhone 15.

The best part? Some of these tips will work with earlier versions of AirPods and even AirPods Max headphones. Just make sure you’ve updated to the latest version of iOS 17.

Hidden Control Center options

The Control Center is a quick way to access many AirPods settings. With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, press and hold the volume slider, and a list of options will appear underneath, such as noise control mode, conversational awareness and spatial audio toggles.

But there’s even more you can add to the Control Center with just two easy steps. First, add the Hearing option by going to Settings > Control Center. Then, go back to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing Control Center and tap the green plus icon next to any or all of the options, like Background Sounds and Live Listen. Background Sounds plays rain, ocean and other sounds like white noise in your earbuds to help you focus. You can learn more about the Live Listen feature below.

Now, swipe down to open the Control Center again, and you should see the Hearing icon that looks like an ear. You’ll be able to see the battery charge on your AirPods and control all the options you turned on in the previous step, like Live Listen.

Live Listen

Live Listen lets you amplify what your iPhone mic picks up and beam it right into your ears with any AirPods model. It’s primarily an accessibility feature, but you could potentially use it to listen in on what’s happening in a nearby room, say for example as an audio-only baby monitor.

This feature also lives within the Hearing option within the Control Center. Once you’ve turned it on, swipe down and tap the Hearing (ear) icon in Control Center, then Live Listen.

Customize audio with Headphone Accommodations

Want to change the default sound profile on your AirPods? If you use Apple Music, you can start by adjusting the equalizer by going to Settings > Music > EQ. Other streaming apps like Spotify have their own equalizer tool you can customize to your liking.

Apple’s Headphone Accommodations options also let you tune your audio even more. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations. Now, you can choose between balanced tone, vocals or brightness, or boost soft sounds using the slider tool.

You can also add a custom audio setup within the Headphone Accommodations menu. Tap the custom audio option, then your AirPods will switch into noise-canceling mode, and you’ll be asked if you can hear the soft-spoken words. It will play two audio samples and you’ll choose which one you prefer.

Personalized spatial audio

Your iPhone’s TrueDepth camera is good for more than just FaceID. You can actually use it to get personalized spatial audio tuned to the shape of your ears.

Go to Settings > AirPods > Personalized Spatial Audio and then follow the instructions to set this up. You’ll be prompted to hold the phone in front of your face then turn your head left and right to map your ears. Now, make sure spatial audio is turned on from the Control Center, and try it out with supported movies and music.

Share audio with a friend

Remember the good old days of sharing music with a friend with wired earbuds? Here’s the 2024 version. Swipe down to open the Control Center, then tap the AirPods icon in the top right corner within the music playback box. Tap Share Audio.

Bring another pair of AirPods or Beats close by, open the lid, then press and hold the pairing button on the case. Follow the prompts on screen to connect this other pair to your phone, and you can jam out to the same songs.

Siri can describe pictures received in Messages

I’ve recently discovered Siri can describe photos received in the Messages app when I’m wearing AirPods Pro 2 and my phone is locked. For example, I was waiting for a bus one day, and Siri announced that my best friend sent a photo of a brown dog lying on a black and white checkered floor. I pulled out my phone to check, and Siri was spot on.

I haven’t found the magic trick that makes Siri do this with every single photo, but so far it’s worked on images of people and pets that are centered in the frame with a clear background. I’ve reached out to Apple for more information on this feature and will update this story with more detail.

To try to replicate this yourself, make sure “announce notifications” is turned on by going to Settings > Notifications > Announce Notifications, and that the Headphones option is also turned on. Scroll down further on this page to make sure the Messages app is turned on. Now, just get a friend to send you a photo — SMS and iMessages have both worked for me — to see if it works!

Unlock more AirPods settings with the Shortcuts app

The Shortcuts app on iPhone is a powerful tool for getting even more out of your AirPods. One of my favorite Shortcuts is having the AirPods automatically switch to my favorite settings every time they connect to my iPhone: noise canceling mode at 40% volume.

First, make sure your AirPods are in your ears and connected to your iPhone. Open the Shortcuts app > Plus icon > Add action. Here you’ll want to search for “set noise control mode” then tap the gray box that says “route.” Select the name of your AirPods from this menu, then choose your mode (in this example, that’s noise canceling.)

Next, you’ll want to add another action. In the “Search for apps and actions” bar, type “Set volume” and select it. Now, change the volume to 40% (or whatever volume you want). Give your Shortcut a snappy name, and tap Done.

Now let’s make this shortcut run automatically when you put the AirPods in your ears. Go to the Automations tab, tap New Automation and find Bluetooth. Where it says device, find the name of your AirPods, make sure “is connected” is on, then “run immediately.” Hit next, and then choose the Shortcut you just created. The next time you put your AirPods in your ears and they connect to your phone, this shortcut should run and you can test it out.

You can find out more about Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and how they differ from AirPods 3 and find out about all the rumored iOS 18 updates we might get at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Today’s Wordle answer shouldn’t be too hard. It has some fairly common letters. But if it’s tripping you up, continue reading.

Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.

Today’s Wordle hints

Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Wednesday, April 17, puzzle No. 1033. That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and just don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer includes a very common letter that shows up twice.

Wordle hint No. 2: Placement

But the repeated letter doesn’t show up next to itself. There’s another letter in between.

Wordle hint No. 3: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s answer.

Wordle hint No. 4: Starting letter

The word begins with a T.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Many people associate this word with church donations.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is TITHE, as in one-tenth of one’s earnings, usually given to the church or as a tax.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, No. 1032, was SHANK.

Past Wordle answers

April 12, No. 1028, WHINY

April 13, No. 1029, STEEL

April 14, No. 1030, BLIMP

April 15, No. 1031, EQUIP

Everyday Wordle tips

I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to news about controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.

Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.

What is Wordle?

If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle or not, and if they’re in the same spot where you guessed they are. The New York Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner, and let her narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient, too, that he has a name that plays off “word.”

A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1000th word was ERUPT. As in, “Dad will erupt if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.”

There are other fun games in the Times Games stable. My latest addiction is Connections, which I think is trickier than Wordle. This is the game where you look at a grid of 16 words and try to put them into four groups of related words. Sometimes the relationships between the words are pretty out there — like the time when it was four words that all began with rock bands, such as “Rushmore” and “journeyman.” (Connections got a little sassy on April Fools’ Day with an all-emoji puzzle. Some gamers did NOT find that funny.)

Spelling Bee is a popular Times game too. And there’s a new game that’s still in beta, Strands, which I’m trying to master.

Boston Dynamics had a real hit on its hands when it introduced the Atlas robot in 2013. The humanoid Atlas could run, jump and dance, and the meme-worthy videos it produced have gobbled up tens of millions of views on YouTube over the years. Now, the Hyundai-owned robotics company is saying goodbye to Atlas with a send-off video showing off the humanoid robot one last time.

The blooper reel-slash-highlight-video shows Atlas in all of its glory as it performs backflips, runs obstacle courses and busts some dance moves. Boston Dynamics has never been one to shy away from showing its robots taking a few bumps as well. Around the 18-second mark, Atlas runs across a balance beam, stumbles, falls and grasps its robotic groin in simulated pain. Around the 1-minute mark, Atlas performs a front flip, lands low and hydraulic fluid shoots out of both kneecaps. As someone on the cusp of middle age, I’ve never identified with a robot more in my life.

It ends with Atlas giving a few waves and a bow. The retirement of Atlas marks a turning point for Boston Dynamics as the robot captured the imagination of millions throughout its life. Whether it was a big dance number with Spot, Boston Dynamics’ robot dog or watching it work a parkour course, every time Atlas did something, the Internet paid attention to it, even if it was terrible at karate.

Atlas and Spot

Atlas started life as a contest project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA. The robot was based on the Boston Dynamics’ Petman project, which was originally made to test the performance of protective clothing in hazardous environments. The Petman hydraulic robot had sensors all over its body that could detect if chemicals were leaking through the biohazard suits it wore during testing.

In 2013, DARPA issued a robotics challenge, and Boston Dynamics helped. The company built several Atlas robots that were issued to the competitors so they didn’t have to build robots from scratch. At one point, DARPA requested that Boston Dynamics improve Atlas’ design and capabilities, which the company did in 2015.

After the contest, Atlas continued to star in Internet videos as Boston Dynamics tested and improved its capabilities. Over the years, the robot was improved to do more advanced parkour and gymnastics. Hyundai, which has its own robotics division, bought Boston Dynamics in 2021.

Boston Dynamics was also well-known for its robotic dog, Spot, which could herd sheep like a real dog and it could be walked remotely. It even helped protect medical workers from COVID-19. It eventually went on sale and remains a part of Boston Dynamics’ lineup. Spot has danced with BTS, a South Korean boy band, and it also helps Hyundai with safety operations in one of its plants in South Korea.

In its later years, it seemed like Atlas was becoming primed for work use. Boston Dynamics had videos of the robot helping out on simulated construction sites and performing basic factory work. The factory work video was released only two months ago, so it’s a curiosity that Atlas is being retired despite being actively worked on as recently as February.

Boston Dynamics didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

There’s no word on why Atlas was retired, but TechCrunch pontificates that it’s likely moving out of the way for the next generation of robots from Boston Dynamics, especially since the industry is very interested in humanoid robotics right now.

If you have a business, you need a website. Needing a website used to mean needing a professional coder to create one for you, but now the process has been simplified. Professional websites can be built on your own with the help of services like Squarespace, Wix and Weebly. These sites help you build a sleek site that can either just have the basic features or even add some more features like email marketing and e-commerce.

Choosing the best website builder depends on your specific needs. There are many options, so it can be a lot of work to comb through all the free providers for a simple website and all of the e-commerce website builders if you want a more sophisticated business website. The complexity and growth of the website building industry means you have more choices than ever before and you can easily find the best website builder tailored to your wants and needs.

A few favorites have indeed emerged, and those are usually a good place to start, but even the front-runners aren’t ideally suited for every scenario. To simplify it, we’ve laid out all the information you need to make a good decision on the best website builder so that you can get to the fun part of designing your own professional website for yourself or your small business. We considered whether the builder offers a solid customization option, e-commerce tools, marketing tools and an SEO tool. We also looked at the company’s customer support quality and e-commerce functionality.

Best website builders compared

		Free trial?	Starting price*
Best overall website builder (and best for free)	Wix	free plan option	$17 a month
Best prepackaged design	Squarespace	14 days	$25 a month
Easiest to use	Weebly	free plan option	$13 a month
Most customizable	Duda	14 days	$19 a month
Best no-frills option	GoDaddy	free plan option	$11 a month
Best for writers and bloggers	WordPress	free plan option	$15 a month
Best for basic e-commerce	Shopify	14 days	$39 a month
Best for bigger stores	BigCommerce	15 days	$39 a month

*The starting price doesn’t include cheaper plans if they are ad-supported. Some vendors offer free domain hosting for the first year on some plans as well.

To compile this list, we researched the plans, prices and features of over 12 different website builders and scoured reviews from several sites (including PCMag, Wirecutter, SiteBuilderReport, WebsiteToolTester, WPBeginner and more) to see where there might be any consensus. We also surveyed the CNET staff and ultimately spent time building some test sites using the tools below (if we weren’t already members). We paid particular attention to the categories that not only differentiate one site from another, but that actually matter to business owners, artists and creators such as SEO features, creative cloud, mobile-friendly website builders, available plugins, live chat options, e-commerce features, pricing plan and customer support.

If you’re still not sure which direction to go with your web builder by the end of this list, we’ve included a guide at the bottom, including key questions you should be asking yourself as you start your online venture. Finally, if you already have a basic website and just need a host or you’re interested in building a self-hosted WordPress site, check out our list of best web hosting services and our list of the best WordPress hosting services.

Jump to: How to choose the best website builder

Best website builders of 2024

How to choose the best website builder

Given the wealth of options and the fact that many website builders don’t allow you to pick up and move later on, it’s important to enter the fray with a clear idea of what you need. By first establishing your priorities and direction, it will be easier to find a match for the best website builder and avoid buyer’s remorse down the road.

In terms of pricing, most builders offer two to four different price tiers, each with a different set of features. This can make comparing services difficult since they don’t make it easy to evaluate side-by-side, but that’s a big reason why we’ve created this handy guide.

Generally speaking, you can get a good individual website built for around $10 to $20 a month with an annual subscription. Most e-commerce plans range between $25 to $35 per month and if you need an enterprise-style plan with multiple editors and VIP-level support, prices can go up to $400 per month for a premium plan.

Storage and bandwidth are usually unlimited, but there are exceptions like Wix, which scales its storage capacity according to the plan tier. Even its lowest tier plan has a decent amount (2GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth).

After the big questions like price and storage, finding the best website builder all comes down to what you’re looking for. Below are some guiding questions to help ensure you’re ready to shop like an expert and find the best website builder for your needs.

What is the purpose of your site?

Your first step should be to determine the primary goal of your web presence. Do you want to sell a product? Attract potential customers for your services?Build a portfolio page?

By first establishing your raison d’etre, you’ll be able to prioritize the tools, plugins and capabilities you want in your builder and not get pulled off track by a fancy add-on that isn’t actually helping you achieve your goal. If you’re primarily interested in racking up sales, start by looking at e-commerce specialists, like Shopify and BigCommerce.If you’re a photographer or web designer who wants a beautiful website or portfolio website, Wix and Squarespace are good places to start. Wix might edge Squarespace if you want more control over the design, while Squarespace might be better if you just want a stylish frame for your work.

If you just want something easy to use, Weebly and GoDaddy both offer intuitive builders, with Weebly offering more features and design finesse, while GoDaddy is much simpler and more limited. If you’re setting up a site or store and you want to present a customized experience to users, or if you have something specific in mind for the mobile version of your site, Duda offers the most customization capabilities. If you need both website building and hosting from one provider, then Webflow is the best and no coding knowledge is required for web design. If you’re a wordsmith who can’t be bothered by design decisions and fancy editors, WordPress can help you get your blog up and offers good ways to reach your readers.

How much time do you want to invest in building your website?

This obviously will vary depending on a number of factors, not the least of which is how clear of a design vision you have and whether you have experience building a website. That being said, each site builder has pros and cons when it comes to the level of usability or ease of use based on the features, flexibility and intuitive design of the editing interface.On one end of the spectrum, you have a builder like Wix, which is very easy to use but also comprehensive — the sheer number of options and tools makes it hard to whip up a site quickly. On the other end, you have a builder like WordPress or GoDaddy, each of which doesn’t provide you with a ton of options when building your pages.

Most people will want to devote enough time to their site that it serves its purpose of representing you online in a good light, so we generally recommend you take the time to learn your editor and take advantage of the many options available.

How much design control do you want?

This goes hand-in-hand with time investment, since the more control you have, the more choices you have to make. There are builders like Squarespace that have a fairly rigid design structure, but still let you customize fonts, colors and content. On the other end of the spectrum, you have a site like Wix, which lets you place objects anywhere on your site (at your own risk!), or Duda, which allows you to create custom user experiences based on browsing history.

How big is your site?

Certain editors are more geared toward large site structures (40-plus pages) than others, so it’s important to know whether you will have a ton of pages and sections, or whether it’s more in the realm of a glamorized digital business card or fancy work portfolio.

The number of navigation levels, for example (which you can think of like file folders (or Inception): a page within a directory within another directory would represent three levels of navigation), can be an important consideration. Most pages probably use two levels — sections and the pages within each section, but online stores and other types of sites might need more. Weebly and BigCommerce are probably the best examples of builders that support large site structures, while Squarespace and Wix limit you to two levels of navigation.

How important is e-commerce?

Every builder we researched has an e-commerce option available, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all up to the task. A site like WordPress isn’t really what you want if your plan is to sell products online, while a site like Shopify or BigCommerce is expressly focused on online sales and has lots of e-commerce features. If you really just want to have a clean and easy-to-use online storefront, one of the dedicated e-commerce builders makes the most sense, but if it’s more of an ancillary service or simply nice to have, you can go with the builder that feels the best and sign up for its e-commerce option. There are even builders like Duda, which allow you to sell up to 10 products for free using another plan.

How big is your sales operation?

Transaction fees: While we’re not small business owners, we do like math and this variable struck us as particularly important. If you sell $10,000 of products in a month with a 3% vendor processing fee, you’re spending an extra $300 every month. If you’re paying your website host an extra 1% to 3%, that’s another $100 to $300.Those numbers greatly eclipse the monthly rate you’re paying and add up even more if you’re selling significantly more. Before you choose a builder, make sure you read the fine print about transaction fees.

Many builders don’t charge on top of the Square or PayPal rate (usually 3%), but some do. Shopify charges extra if you don’t use Shopify Payments, but if you do use its services, you can get a rate below 3%. Then there are sites like BigCommerce, which doesn’t charge extra but has sales limits for each plan.

We know you’re a smart and savvy business owner who pays close attention to the books, but we thought it would still help to remind you to do the math before signing up.

How flexible do you want to be with the host?

As we mentioned at the top, many builders lock you into their hosting service, but not all. If you’re afraid of commitment or think you might want to switch as your business or services evolve, go with a service like Weebly or Duda that allows you to download your website files for easy use on another host.

The other big factor here is the free trial period. The industry standard is around 14 days, but some go up to a month. Others don’t have a trial period but will give you your money back within 30 days if you’re not happy.

If you have an Apple AirTag, or you’re thinking about getting one while they’re on sale, you probably already know you can use it to track your wallet and keys. But there are many other uses for the tracking device that you may not have thought of before.

Generally, you need to be within Bluetooth range to find your AirTag, but you can use Apple’s Find My service to locate it if it’s farther away, as long as it’s still in range of another Apple device. (Here’s how the Find My network works.) To do so, just put your AirTag into Lost Mode and you’ll get a notification once it’s within range of the Find My network.

We’ve created a list of some unexpected places to put an AirTag to help prevent you from constantly retracing your steps. For more details, here’s how to tell if an AirTag is tracking your location on Android.

In your tent when you go hiking

If you’re setting up camp in a location you’ve never visited, it could be useful to place an AirTag inside your tent so you can easily find your campsite. For instance, if you decide to hike several miles one day, you can use Find My to look up the AirTag’s last location (your tent) and get directions back to the campsite. Remember, it’ll need to be within range of someone else’s device, so don’t rely on this out in the wilderness. (This is also why Apple advises you not to use AirTags on pets.)

In your jacket pocket

How often have you left your coat behind in a restaurant, bar or friend’s house? Forgetting to grab your jacket when you head out is easy to do, especially if the weather is warmer than you expected or your hands are full of leftovers and to-go cups.

If you know you’ll be hanging your jacket on a coat rack — or the back of a chair — when you arrive, place an AirTag inside the pocket so you know where you left it. This can help prevent yet another favorite jacket from getting lost, and less money out of your wallet to replace it.

Inside your luggage

Airports can be tricky to navigate, and can become especially difficult when you’re trying to find the correct luggage pickup. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes until your bags finally roll out on the conveyor belt — and sometimes they get lost. To relieve the stress of trying to locate your suitcase, you can put an AirTag tracker inside so you can track its whereabouts.

This can help you find out if your bags were left on the airplane, if they’re on the conveyor belt but you haven’t spotted them yet or if someone mistakenly grabbed your luggage. Once you find out where your bags are, you can remedy the situation and continue on to where you’re going.

Inside your laptop bag

Laptop bags can be easily left behind at a cafe when you’re picking up coffee for everyone at the office. When your hands are full and you’re distracted wondering how you’re going to open your car door, it’s hard to remember to grab your bag from the booth you were sitting in.

That’s why it’s a good idea to place an AirTag inside one of the pockets. You will be able to not only locate your expensive laptop but also save any confidential company or personal information you had in your bag.

In a hidden place on your bicycle

If it hasn’t happened to you, you probably know someone who has had this experience. You get home from a bike ride, go inside to grab water and something to eat and completely forget about the bike you left outside. Or maybe you went to the store, didn’t lock your bike up and when you came back it was gone.

If you place an AirTag in a hidden place on the bike, you can easily locate it. We don’t recommend tracking the bicycle down on your own though. It’s best to notify the police and let them retrieve your bike for you to avoid any dangerous situations.

This method also works on your car if it’s been stolen or towed away — or if you can’t remember where you parked it. Although if you have an iPhone and it’s connected to your car via Bluetooth, your phone can locate where you last left it.

More common areas to put your AirTag

AirTag is commonly used to locate these items.

• Your purse or wallet.
• Your keychain.
• Your phone or tablet.
• The remote to your TV.
• Anything valuable that you leave outside your home.

For more Apple information, here’s how to send secret messages on your iPhone. Also, this new iOS 16 feature can save you from cringeworthy iPhone texts.

After a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Bernabéu last Tuesday, there’s a mouth-watering second leg in store at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as Man City host Real Madrid — with a place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals the reward for the victor.

Defending champs City had looked on course for a memorable away win last week after left-back Joško Gvardiol hit a superb right-foot shot to give the English Premier League side a 3-2 lead in the 71st minute, only for Real to claim a draw via a stunning volley from Federico Valverde eight minutes later.

Aurélien Tchouaméni misses out for Real after picking up a yellow card last week, triggering a suspension, while Ederson is expected to start in goal for the home side in favor of Stefan Ortega, who played in the first leg.

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

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid: When and where?

Manchester City play Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, April 17. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. BST local time in the UK, which is 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 5 a.m. AEST on Wednesday, April 17, in Australia.

How to watch Man City vs. Real Madrid 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, nonblackout 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 Man City vs. Real Madrid 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 Man City vs. Real Madrid in the UK

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

Livestream Manchester City vs. Real Madrid 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 Man City vs. Real Madrid 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.

The Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches we’ve tested, and while there are a few different models, you can’t really go wrong with any of the more modern ones. Buying the latest Apple Watch Series 9 can be costly, though, and that means that finding a deal on an older-gen model can often be the best way to go. Right now there’s one example of just that, with Woot offering refurbished Apple Watches from just $160 for a limited time only.

Some of the best Apple Watch deals tend to be refurbished models, which makes this sale well worth paying attention to. The cheapest model on offer is the 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE, which can be had from just $160 right now. Have a little more room in the budget? The Apple Watch Series 7 is available from $180 for those who want to go that route. That model was the flagship device just a couple of years ago, too.

The latest model included in this sale is the previous-gen Apple Watch Series 8, yours today from just $240. Remember that none of these prices are going to last beyond April 20, and stocks may run dry before that point, too. Keep that in mind if you want to be sure of bagging a bargain before it’s too late.

Looking for the latest and greatest model? Be sure to check out our list of the best Apple Watch Series 9 deals before you place an order anywhere else. The same goes for our list of the best Apple Watch Ultra deals as well, for that matter.

Taking a photo that encapsulates a core memory, or even one that details the more mundane moments of life, is something that many people tend to do.

However, most of us take the same shot several times over before capturing the “right” image — and then we promptly forget to delete the extras. This results in a slew of duplicate images that hog precious storage space on our iPhone or in iCloud.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way around this issue that is built into your iPhone if you have iOS 16 or later.

Apple introduced its “duplicate detection” feature in 2022, and it works just as its name suggests. The tool uses on-device AI to identify identical images and aggregate them in an easy-to-find album in the Photos app. Apple says the iPhone classifies duplicates not only as exact copies, but also as photos that appear to be the same but have unique resolutions, file formats, or other slight differences.

Read More: Best iPhone of 2023

Make sure to turn on iCloud syncing before going through the step-by-step process below.

Here’s how to use the iPhone’s built-in tool to free up storage space:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Tap on the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.

3. Scroll down to the Utilities section and tap Duplicates. This is where you can view all the duplicate photos on your iPhone and delete them, either individually or at once.

4. For the latter option, tap Select in the top right corner.

5. Tap Select All to merge all the duplicate photos your iPhone detects and delete them at the same time.

6. If you want to delete duplicates individually, scroll up and tap Merge on your chosen selection of duplicate images. Then tap Merge [number] Copies to delete duplicates. Go down the line and repeat this step for all the identical photos you want to delete.

Merging keeps the best version of the photo in your library. The duplicates are moved to the Recently Deleted album.

Read More: No iOS 17? No Worries. Check Out the Coolest Hidden Features of iOS 16

If you found this iOS 16 feature helpful, check out CNET’s cheat sheet for iOS 17. And for more advice on how to save space, read our full list of tips for clearing your iPhone’s storage.

If you want to spruce up your home sound system, the Roku Wireless Bass & Wireless Premium 4K HDR soundbar with subwoofer might be for you. But this wireless system does more than provide great quality sound, it also lets you use the Roku interface in 4K and HDR. Best of all, it costs only $150, down from its usual price of $250 at Amazon right now. The last time this deal was available was during the holidays, which makes this deal a welcome spring find.

The system is equipped with HDMI and optical connectivity so you can quickly connect it to your TV. Its best features are the wireless and Bluetooth functions that let you use your favorite headphones or even expand your sound system using other Roku speakers for an even more cinematic experience. You’ll get the full benefits of the Roku interface, which lets you enjoy Roku-exclusive channels or connect to popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or YouTube (remember these are sold separately or require an extra payment for ad-free versions).

Tired of very loud commercials that force you to make quick adjustments? This soundbar and subwoofer system let you create settings that will do that for you so you won’t have to worry about major sound discrepancies. You can also boost voice volumes and even create settings for night TV watching — perfect for keeping the peace between you, your neighbors, and housemates. Dolby settings mean your movie nights in will get an upgrade. Act now to snag this deal and save $100.

Need to look at all of your options before making a decision? We’ve got you covered with other soundbar reviews.

Apple released iOS 17.4 on March 5, more than a month after the tech giant released iOS 17.3 to the general public. This major iOS update brings new features, including major changes for people in the European Union and new emoji, as well as important bug fixes to your iPhone. Apple later released iOS 17.4.1 on March 21, but that update patched a couple of zero-day vulnerabilities on your iPhone and didn’t include any new features.

To download the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update, tap Install Now and follow the onscreen prompts.

Here’s what iOS 17.4 brings to your iPhone.

Read more: You Should Really Update to iOS 17.4.1 Right Now

Downloading other app stores in the EU

Apple introduced a significant change to Safari, the App Store and iOS with iOS 17.4, but only for people in Europe. With iOS 17.4, people in the EU can download an alternative app store and apps from outside the App Store. As CNET’s Katie Collins reports, this marks one of the largest changes to the App Store since its inception in 2008. People in the EU will also be given new default app controls, giving them more ways to customize their iPhone experience.

Apple made these changes, which were announced in January, to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

Read more: Apple Will Allow Installation of Rival App Stores On iPhones In Europe

More options for in-app payments

Apple introduced more ways to make in-app payments with iOS 17.4. If you go to Settings > Privacy & Security, you’ll see an option called Contactless & NFC, or near-field communication. If you tap the new option, you’ll be taken to a mostly blank page that has a small disclaimer that says the page will show apps that have requested the ability to use contactless and NFC payments in the future. Apple announced these options alongside the changes for people in the EU, and there’s no word on whether this will be used by apps outside that region.

At least 100 new emoji

Apple introduced over 100 new emoji to iPhone users with iOS 17.4. Those emoji include heads shaking up and down or left and right, a phoenix and a slice of lime. These emoji were announced in 2023, and some Android devices, including the latest Samsung phones, already have them.

Improved iMessage security against future threats

With iOS 17.4, your iMessage chats get a security boost to protect them from cyberattacks that involve quantum computing. According to CNET’s David Lumb, Apple said it hasn’t seen these kinds of cyberattacks yet, but the company wants to get ahead of the potential threat now.

Read more: Apple’s Next iOS Update Protects iMessage Against Future Quantum Computing Attacks

Podcasts can now show transcripts

In iOS 17.4, you can read the transcripts of your favorite podcasts as you listen to them. To see the transcripts, go into the Podcasts app and start listening to a show, then tap the media player across the bottom of your screen. There’s a new button in the bottom left corner of your screen that looks like a speech bubble with quotes inside it. Tap this button and you’ll see the transcript of the show you’re listening to.

You can search within the transcript, too, so if someone mentions a book or movie title and you only remember part of it, you can search the part you do know and find the whole title.

Read more: What to Know About Podcast Transcripts on iOS 17.4

Virtual card numbers come to Apple Cash

Your Apple Cash gets an upgrade with iOS 17.4, too. Now you can view virtual card numbers for your Apple Cash which lets you shop at online stores that don’t accept Apple Pay. This card comes with its own number, expiration date and three-digit security code, like a physical card. You can also easily request a new card number if you think your card has been compromised.

Read more: How to View Your Apple Cash’s Virtual Card Numbers

Another digital clock widget

In iOS 17.4, Apple introduced a new digital clock app widget called City Digital. This widget displays the time as well as a set location as opposed to wherever your iPhone is at the moment. This can be helpful if you’re traveling or live far from family and friends but want to keep in touch without waking them up in the middle of the night.

Apple introduced the digital clock widget to iPhones with the release of iOS 17.2.

More Stolen Device Protection options

Apple introduced a few new options in Stolen Device Protection with iOS 17.4. The new options let you choose whether you want to always require a 1-hour security delay to access certain settings or make changes, or to only require the delay when you’re away from a familiar location like your home.

Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection with iOS 17.3 with the intent to protect some of your data if your device is stolen or falls into nefarious hands. The feature doesn’t protect all your data, but Apple still recommends everyone turn it on.

Read more: How to Give Your iPhone’s Stolen Device Protection a Boost

New Battery Health readout for iPhone 15 models

With iOS 17.4, iPhone 15 models get a new Battery Health readout. If you go to Settings > Battery, you’ll see a new option that tells you the status of your battery’s health in a word, like Normal or Service. You can also tap this option for more details about your battery, like its cycle count and maximum capacity. Before, your iPhone would show a percentage correlating to your battery’s health without any indication of what it means.

Read more: iOS 17.4’s New Tool Shows if Your iPhone 15’s Battery Health Is Normal

New Home button in the Music and Books apps

Apple introduced a Home button in Apple Music and the Books app with iOS 17.4. If you open either app and look at the bottom of your screen, the Home button is in the far-left corner. This button replaced Listen Now in Apple Music and Read Now in Books.

If you’re an Apple Music subscriber and tap the button, you’re taken to a page that shows you menus, like Recently Played, and recommendations based on artists you’ve listened to. If you tap this button in the Books app, you see menus like Current Bestsellers and Start Reading for Free.

Previous iOS updates brought Home buttons to the Podcasts and Apple TV apps, so this change is likely Apple trying to apply some uniformity across its apps.

Siri can read messages in multiple languages

In iOS 17.4, Apple gave Siri the ability to read messages in multiple languages. Once enabled, Siri can read messages in languages like Spanish, dialects of Mandarin and Thai. Apple writes that this won’t change the primary language Siri listens and responds in.

Read more: How to Enable Siri to Read Messages in More Languages

New Apple CarPlay and Maps experience in certain vehicles

With iOS 17.4, if you use Apple CarPlay with Maps in certain supported vehicles, you’ll see a new instrument cluster.

“With supported CarPlay vehicles, Apple Maps will present a new instrument cluster experience with information about upcoming maneuvers,” Apple wrote online. “Users will be able to swap the desired display type between the main and instrument cluster screen by tapping the map configuration button on the upper right of the Maps main screen.”

Apple didn’t say which vehicles support this new feature, and the company didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Here are the full release notes for iOS 17.4.

Emoji

New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard.

18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction.

Apple Podcasts

Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German.

Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast and VoiceOver.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classic.

Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language.

Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations.

Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.

Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo and department name when available.

Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into.

Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill.

Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My.

Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged.

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

For more on iOS 17, here’s what could be coming in iOS 17.5 and what you should know about iOS 17.4.1. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.