Target’s Circle Week sale is up and running, with deep discounts now available on thousands of items for bargain hunters to grab at low prices. The event runs through Saturday, April 13, with great deals on everything from tech to home goods to apparel.
From everyday staples to device upgrades and more, you’ll find plenty of bargains worth shopping for. Check out the best Target Circle Week deals below. We’ll keep this page updated as more deals drop, so keep checking back for the best offers.
The Target Circle Week sale is set to run from April 7 through April 13, giving shoppers a week to cash in on major savings. There will be thousands of deals available, including some one-day deals.
Do I need a membership to shop Target’s Circle Week sale?
In short, yes. This is a members-only shopping event. But the good news is that it is free to join. In addition to access to exclusive sales like this one, there are a ton of other Target Circle perks like 1% cash back when you shop that you can use on a future Target purchase, and you’ll get 5% off a single purchase for your birthday.
What products are discounted during Circle Week at Target?
There are a ton of products included in Target’s Circle Week sale, including discounts on popular tech items like TVs, vacuums and headphones, as well as deals on apparel, home goods and other everyday essentials.
Erik ten Hag’s unpredictable Man United side take on title-chasing Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, with the hosts looking to bounce back from a stinging midweek defeat.
United crashed to a 4-3 loss to Chelsea in a chaotic encounter at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, despite having led 3-2 up until deep into injury time. It remains to be seen how badly that result has dented the Red Devils’ already fragile confidence.
Liverpool, meanwhile, had to work hard to beat rock-bottom Sheffield United 3-1 at Anfield in their midweek fixture. That result sent them back to the summit of the English Premier League.
While Liverpool will be marked out as favorites for the win, United will draw confidence from their memorable FA Cup quarterfinal victory over the Merseysiders last month.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool : When and where?
Manchester United host Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, April 7. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. BST, which is 10:30 a.m. ET or 7:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 12:30 a.m. AEST on Monday, April 8, in Australia.
How to watch the Man United vs. Liverpoolgame online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream Man United vs. Liverpoolin the US
Sunday’s Man United vs. Liverpoolmatch is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.
Livestream the Man United vs. Liverpool game in the UK
Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports. Man United vs. Liverpool is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.
Livestream the Man United vs. Liverpool game in Canada
If you want to stream Man United vs. Liverpool live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Livestream the Man United vs. Liverpool game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches 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 an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
In all likelihood, 2024 is going to be the year of AI. With ChatGPT dominating the headlines in 2023 and alternatives like Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing and Anthropic’s Claude popping up all over the place, it’s safe to say that AI — specifically AI chatbots and generative AI — will be front and center this year.
If you’re hesitant dive into AI, you’re not alone. In 2023, the Pew Research Center found that 52% of Americans were more concerned than excited about AI becoming a part of their daily lives.
Speaking from my own experience, I was incredibly hesitant to even toy around with AI at the beginning of last year. However, once I did, I felt a bit more comfortable using AI chatbots.
One thing that helped me become more comfortable with generative AI — which produces text and images by drawing on immense quantities of data — was making sure I was asking it well-constructed questions, or prompts. Much like learning how to ask the right Google search questions to get usable results, “prompt engineering” is the craft — and art — of creating detailed and focused prompts to get generative AI models to actually do what you want them to do.
Back when Google first hit the scene, you didn’t become an expert in crafting effective search queries overnight, and the same will be true of prompt engineering. It will take time to become a master at building productive prompts for generative AI. If you want to get started with prompt engineering and learn about how to use the AIs in your life a bit more effectively, you’re in the right place.
I’ve tested an AI use case on a couple of different AI generative models to give you the skinny on how to start on the road to becoming a competitive prompt engineer, no matter which AI model you’re using. For more, here’s what to know about AI on your phones and how Adobe is thinking about AI.
General queries won’t quite cut it
The first thing to know is that writing short, broad prompts will most likely not get you the results you want.
If you ask AI “How can I become fluent in German,” for example, you’ll get a much less focused and effective answer than if you prompt the AI with “I’m a college-educated adult who majored in English, has moderate fluency in Italian, and has taken a single semester of college-level German. I practice my German vocabulary and grammar for about 15 minutes every day. How can I become fluent in German?”
To help me become a better AI prompter, I decided to prompt the generative AIs for information on something that I know fairly well, so I could assess how elaborating and specifying my prompts resulted in better responses.
A popular prompt — and as a runner it’s one that I’m especially interested in — is to get help from generative AI to create a training plan for a marathon or half-marathon.
To start, OpenAI suggests asking ChatGPT “Help me train for a half-marathon.” As I expected, this prompt makes sense as a starting place, but it’s not going to give specific results. ChatGPT, for example, gave me general tips for training such as setting goals and getting proper nutrition and hydration. Note: For this test, I used Red Ventures’ (CNET’s parent company) version of ChatGPT. And I compared the results with Anthropic’s Claude, which took the same general approach — no specific training programs.
While these aren’t bad places to start, it won’t take me all the way to the finish line of a marathon, which will require a specific program tailored to my fitness and experience, how long I have to train, how I typically like to train and even when and where I”ll be running my race.
Narrowing your prompts may make a big difference, depending on which model you’re using
For help with prompt refinement, I turned to CNET’s sister site ZDNET for help. ZDNET suggests adding more details to help guide generative AI.
I tried ZDNET’s suggestion next: “I am a beginner runner and have never run a marathon before, but I want to complete one in six months. How can I prepare for a marathon?” In this example, I’m providing the AI with a bit more context to work with, such as a timeframe to train in and a level of experience.
Unfortunately, with ChatGPT, the response wasn’t that substantially different. ChatGPT gave me slightly more specific advice, such as to focus on completing the marathon instead of setting a personal record and joining a running community for motivation during training. Inspirational, maybe, but still not hitting the mark.
When I gave Claude the same prompt, I got a bit more. It gave me a pretty bare-bones training program, suggested monthly training goals and even possible workouts I could incorporate into my training. Closer, but still not a full-blown training plan.
The more details, the better
It was time to take my prompt to the next level. In my next shot at an expanded prompt, I added lots of details like: running and training history, age, gender, road conditions and terrain for the marathon and training.
Success! What I got back was a good jumping-off point for a real program I could see myself using (with some tweaks of course). ChatGPT recommended a pretty detailed program, breaking down specific training targets and the pace I could be incorporating in new workouts by month. Claude broke the training plan into weeks, giving me specific workouts I could be focusing on each week, with mileage goals and the frequency I should be running each week.
I’ll just note that these programs were still not perfectly tailored to me and how I would train, but they were close and I will have a strong starting point for my training. The proof is in the prompt — the more details I added, the more details I got back from ChatGPT and Claude.
And one last tip: Whether you’re looking for a marathon training program or help preparing a meal, it’s always best practice to be critical of what AI suggests and to do your due diligence — such as checking with a doctor before starting on a strenuous exercise routine — before taking AI’s advice as fact.
See also: what to know about photography in the age of AI and the biggest AI trends in cybersecurity.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.
Target Circle Week, Target’s big sale of the season, has kicked off today. The sale will run April 7 through April 13, with deals on thousands of products. If you’re a Circle rewards member, the discounts will automatically be applied.
As of today, the Target Circle rewards program received an upgrade. The large retailer will now offer three new membership options for shoppers, including its current free membership, retail payment card options and a new paid membership that includes same-day delivery — I’ll explain what comes with each of these below.
If you’ve never used Target Circle, it’s easy to sign up. There are some great perks that come with being a rewards program member — for instance, exclusive offers and savings.
I’ll explain how Target Circle works to save you money and how you can earn cash back while you shop — with and without a credit card. For more, check out these four ways to save on your next Target shopping spree.
What is Target Circle?
Target Circle is the retailer’s loyalty program, which lets you earn 1% cash back on all your purchases at Target (more if you have the Target credit card). The program includes personalized offers and digital coupons that you wouldn’t normally get without being a Circle member.
What you get with each membership
Starting in April, Target will have three different membership options for consumers. Here’s what they are.
Target Circle (free): This free membership option offers every member access to automatic deals applied at checkout, without the need to search for or add individual offers. Customers will still be able to earn Target Circle Rewards and save with personalized deals.
Target Circle Card: The Target Circle Card (previously known as the Target RedCard) will offer an extra 5% off every day, on top of Target Circle deals. Target Circle Card holders will also have access to no-rush returns and free two-day shipping on Target’s site and cardholder special pricing for the paid membership.
Target Circle 360 ($99 annually): Shoppers also can sign up for Target Circle 360, a new paid membership that includes unlimited free same-day delivery in as little as an hour with no delivery fees or markups and free two-day shipping. It also includes access to Shipt Marketplace, which offers same-day delivery from more than 100 retailers nationwide.
As a special launch offer, from April 7 to May 18 customers can sign up for Target Circle 360 for $49 (save $50) for the first year. Target Circle Card holders have access to the $49 offer at any time.
What you get with the free Target Circle membership
Having a Target Circle membership gets you benefits and deals that other shoppers don’t get. Here’s what they are.
1% earnings on every purchase you make at Target. You can use any cashback on future purchases.
Birthday gift of 5% off your purchase.
Digital coupons for specific store categories — 20% off baby clothes, for example, and 10% off beauty products.
Personalized bonus offers — for example, you may get a deal that lets you make two qualifying purchases of $60 or more to earn a $10 reward in Target Circle earnings.
Deals automatically applied during Target Circle Week.
You can use up to 75 offers at once. Note that all offers and earnings have an expiration date, so make sure you use them before it’s too late.
How to sign up for Target Circle
If you regularly shop at Target, there’s really no reason not to sign up for its loyalty program. To sign up, visit target.com/circle and click Create account, then provide your email address, name and phone number. You’ll also create a password at this time.
How to use Target Circle rewards
Once you’ve got a Target Circle account, you can begin using it at any time. Make sure you’ve activated any offers and coupons before you head to checkout. If you’re in the store, you just need to enter your phone number on the keypad at checkout or scan your Target Circle barcode.
If you forget to enter your phone number at checkout, enter the receipt numbers on the Target Circle dashboard or use the app to scan the barcode.
If you’re shopping online, just make sure you’re signed in to your account before checking out. You should see all your discounts applied in your cart.
How to redeem Target Circle earnings
After making purchases, you earn 1% cash back that you can use on future trips to the store. There’s no purchase minimum to redeem your earnings, and you can use them at any time on anything you’d like.
To redeem them in-store, head to the Wallet section in the Target app or online. Toggle the switch next to Target Circle earnings. It’ll show you how much you have available to use on a purchase. You’ll then select the box next to your earnings and click Save. Note that your earnings will expire if they aren’t redeemed within one year.
If using online, you’ll be given the option at checkout to apply your earnings.
Bonus: You can even use your Target Circle earnings at Starbucks inside Target.
For more Target shopping tips, here’s a Target clearance cheat sheet to help you get more and spend less. Also, if you’re interested in Target’s credit card, read this.
In the world of cryptocurrencies, a unique opportunity has emerged to earn without specialized equipment – simply using the Verum Exchange mobile app. It’s the first currency converter to introduce mining, opening doors for everyone interested in entering the world of cryptocurrencies.
In the latest update of the Verum Exchange app, the Verum Coin (VERUM) mining feature was added, attracting attention from crypto enthusiasts and investors. Now, anyone who installs Verum Exchange can become a miner and start earning. All it takes is to open the app every day and activate mining with just one button press.
As a reward, miners receive Verum Coin directly to their crypto wallet, which is automatically created upon app authorization. Miners can easily withdraw Verum Coin to exchanges such as BitCoinPay Trade or Crypto Bank BitInterPay, or keep them in the crypto wallet and wait for the price to rise.
Verum Coin (VERUM) is not just a digital currency but an innovative tool for fast and reliable transactions worldwide. Based on the Verum Chain network and Binance Smart Chain blockchain, Verum Coin boasts high throughput and transaction processing speed. A total of 84 million coins will be issued, and over 3.7 million are already available.
Price forecasts for VERUM suggest its growth potential in the coming years, making it attractive for investing in digital assets. According to forecasts, by the end of 2024, the price of VERUM could reach an average of $518.07, and by 2030, it is expected to increase to $2,316.06.
Today’s Wordle answer has some fairly common letters, but it still might have stumped some players.
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 Sunday, April 7, puzzle No. 1023. 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: Two vowels
There are two common vowels in today’s answer word.
Wordle hint No. 2: No repeats
There are no repeated letters in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: Starting letter
Today’s answer word begins with L.
Wordle hint No. 4: Acronym
This word is actually an acronym, an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word.
Wordle hint No. 5: Tattoo you
If you have a tattoo you no longer like, you might turn to this answer word to remove your tattoo.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is LASER. The acronym mentioned above is “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” I’m a big fan of SNL’s “Laser Cats” sketches.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer was FINCH, as in the small songbird.
Past Wordle answers
April 2, No. 1018, SERUM
April 3, No. 1019, PLAIT
April 4, No. 1020, CLIMB
April 5, No. 1021, WRIST
April 6, No. 1022, FINCH
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 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 are in the same spot where you guessed them to be. The Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner, and let them narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient of him to have a name that plays off “word,” too.
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 Fool’s 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.
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James BricknellSenior Editor
James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools — 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser cutters — he also loves to play board games and tabletop RPGs.
Expertise3D printers, maker tools such as Cricut style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, traditional paper printersCredentials
6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
Russell Holly is a Managing Editor on the Commerce team at CNET. He works with all of CNET to assemble top recommendations as well as helping everyone find the best way to buy anything at the best price. When not writing for CNET you can find him riding a bike, running around in Jedi robes, or contributing to WOSU public radio’s Tech Tuesday segment.
Expertise7 years experience as a smartphone reviewer and analyst, 5 years experience as a competitive cyclistCredentials
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
The digital age makes it hard to get to a physical book but there’s no denying their allure. Tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons tend to have a lot of books that you can physically hold in your hand as the game is played. These can be around a table, with a map, dice and other D&D accessories. Dungeons & Dragons also offers plenty of online tools.
If you’re trying to play the game with friends in different time zones, digital books can be very helpful, but you miss out on some amazing art, and that very physical feeling of holding knowledge in your hands. Dungeons & Dragons books can be expensive, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals, and there are some great third-party books to augment your Wizards of the Coast books too. With a combined total of 54 years of D&D games under our belts, we know a little about what books are best, and we wanted to share that knowledge with you.
This article is primarily about the best Dungeons & Dragons books, but we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the D&D Starter Set. This small box contains everything you need to get started in D&D, including a compelling beginner campaign, some basic rules, dice and pregenerated characters to help you get the feel of how to play. It’s a really good place to start playing, then, when the bug really gets you, these books are the next step.
What’s the best Dungeons & Dragons book?
Whether you’re new to Dungeons & Dragons or an experienced adventurer, the Player’s Handbook — often called the PHB — should be on your gaming shelf. The entire game of D&D can be played with just the PHB, a notepad and pencil, and a set of polyhedral dice. All the other stuff is cool, but those four things are all that’s required.
The Player’s Handbook is specifically designed to be a one-stop shop for the basics of Dungeons & Dragons. It doesn’t contain everything, that’s why you buy other books, but it has all of the basic rules, basic spells and how to start a campaign. The most important part of the PHB is the character creation rules, as that’s where the entire game stems from and there is even a section specifically for Game Masters to help them get the party started. If you only buy one book from this list, it should probably be this one.
A random table is a wonderful thing. They’re used to create names, plot devices, treasures and just about anything else by assigning a number to a random thing and having you roll a dice to choose the number. For example, if you roll a 17-18 on a D100 at the ballads and ditties table, you’ll get a song called, “Nate the Naughty and the Trustworthy Orc.” It’s about a farmhand so ugly even the orc won’t eat him.
With the advent of digital random generators, the need for tables in a book may be waning, but for now, this is one of the funniest books to use in the middle of a campaign. With over 300 tables there’s something for everyone.
Many D&D books let you know upfront if they’re built for younger players, folks who have never played before, or a more advanced and slightly darker ride. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a unique combination, taking what was originally a small story inside a D&D starter set to help new players get the hang of the game and make it spectacularly more complex. If you’ve played Lost Mine of Phandelver before, you’ll find the first 40% of this book familiar and easy to play with any age or skill level, but that story quickly turns to something a great deal scarier and more challenging as your characters grow in level. It’s a great addition to any collection, if only for its ability to be played anywhere by anyone, as well as to offer the kind of darker twist folks who discovered D&D through Stranger Things might be expecting.
Eberron is one of many alternatives to the main universe of Dungeons of Dragons. It’s a world of science and magic, where both of those words are interchangeable. Think steampunk, if the steam was made of magic. There are trains, skyscrapers and sentient robots called the Warforged who are looking to find their place in a world recovering from a giant war. It’s a different take from the low fantasy of Faerun that we’re all accustomed to when playing D&D, but familiar enough to be enjoyable by purists.
While it’s common for DMs to pull stories from published books and add them to a unique campaign, there are few books designed specifically with that idea in mind. Keys from the Golden Vault is a collection of 13 heists built for player groups ranging from level 1 to level 11, each with its own unique story and motivations for whatever alignment your group is currently playing. You certainly can play through this book as though it were a single story, but its higher purpose is to allow you to drop a heist and its associated puzzles into an existing game to offer greater depth to your story.
This book has nearly endless replay value and makes for a genuinely compelling way to either encourage players to work together or gain a little additional experience before being faced with a greater challenge. It’s never far from my table, just in case.
It may surprise you to know that D&D had a multiverse well before the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s called Planescape. This new collection of books called Adventures in the Multiverse is everything you need to run a game across the Planes. There’s a book full of new rules and best practices, a book outlining the many creatures you’re likely to run into when you wander too far from home, and a campaign book with a compelling story to help outline this broader set of worlds to explore. There’s also a special DM screen in the box, which includes quick-glance rules and charts to make running the game a little easier. This is a collection for more advanced players and DMs, but it’s the kind of thing you’ll use for years to come and makes just about any game a bit more interesting.
Just in case you want to dip your toe into a tabletop RPG that isn’t Dungeons & Dragons, we recommend the Monster of the Week playbook. MotW is powered by the Apocalypse system that uses two six-sided dice to make all of your tough decisions. This particular book gives you a game that feels like TV shows where a new monster appears each week, hence the name. Archetypes from Buffy, Angel, Supernatural and even Scooby Doo are represented and its serialized play style makes it easy to pick up and put down across different sessions.
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Dungeons & Dragons FAQ
There are always a lot of questions to ask when starting a new hobby. Hopefully we can answer some for you here.
What do you need to get started with Dungeons & Dragons?
Playing D&D can get incredibly complex and you will likely find yourself with a lot of books, dice and other accessories. To get started though you’ll need these six things:
With just those things, you can start playing D&D, and you’ll likely have a fun time doing it.
Is Dungeons & Dragons expensive to play?
It doesn’t have to be. As a player, all you need is the things listed above. Or, if you’re the Game Master, you could pay $5 a month for D&D Beyond, and your players can share the books for free, making it an even less expensive proposition. Most of D&D occurs in the mind, with dice rolling thrown in for good measure. It can be as budget-friendly as you want it to be.
How long is a standard Dungeons & Dragons game?
Most D&D games are broken down into two different types: campaigns and sessions. A session normally lasts anywhere from two to eight hours depending on everyone’s schedule, and is the normal measure of a game. A campaign is the entirety of multiple sessions strung together. When your story reaches its conclusion, a campaign ends, and it’s time to start a new one.
Are there Dungeons & Dragons novels?
Yes! Arguably, the most popular set of D&D novels are R. A. Salvatore’s tales of Drizzt the drow ranger. Starting with the Crystal Shard in 1998, this massive collection of books showcases the adventures of a drow — normally an evil bunch, worshippers of a spider queen — who wishes to do good. Drizzt becomes a ranger, and, with his companion panther, and several awesome friends, saves the world more than once.
These books are so popular they became a part of canon Dungeons & Dragons, appearing in multiple books and entrenching themselves in the lore of Faerun.
It’s the preschool show that adults love too, and there’s a double helping of the Heeler family on the way as Bluey returns with two new standalone episodes featuring the Cattle Dogs from Brisbane.
Coming hot on the heels of season 3, the first of the new episodes is titled Ghostbasket, and promises the return of two classic characters, with Bluey and Bingo’s granny alter egos Janet and Rita set to make an appearance.
Even bigger news for fans of the 2D animation is the release a week later of The Sign, the show’s longest episode yet, which clocks in at 28 minutes — the equivalent of four normal Bluey episodes. The special is set to see the Heeler family getting ready for “the wedding of the year” between babysitter Frisky and their uncle Radley.
Find out by following our guide on how to watch the new Bluey episodes and why a VPN could be a useful tool.
When are new Bluey episodes ‘Ghostbasket’ and ‘The Sign’ released?
Both episodes are set to air first in Australia before becoming available in much of the rest of the world.
Ghostbasket will premiere in Australia via ABC Kids and ABC iview at 8 a.m. AEDT on Sunday, 7 April, before being made available on Disney Plus at 3 a.m. ET (12 a.m. PT) in the US and Canada, and at 8 a.m BST in the UK on the same date.
It’s the same timings a week later for the extra-long special The Sign.
How to watch new Bluey episodes ‘Ghostbasket’ and ‘The Sign’ in Australia for free
Australian terrestrial station ABC Kids and its ABC iview on-demand service will be the first place in the world to show both of these new Bluey episodes.
How to watch new Bluey episodes ‘Ghostbasket’ and ‘The Sign’ in the US, UK and Canada
The two new episodes of Bluey will be available to stream in the UK, US and Canada on Disney Plus, with Ghostbucket hitting the service on Sunday, April 7 and The Sign released on Sunday, April 14.
Disney Plus’ ad-free service costs more in the US, but you can also try out the new ad-free Disney bundle, which launched in September. The service’s ad-free tier increased to $140 a year or $14 a month, and an ad-based tier is also offered which costs $8 per month (no option to pay annually). Read more on how we tested Disney Plus’ ad-supported tier and what to expect with the price hike.
How to watch new Bluey episodes ‘Ghostbasket’ and ‘The Sign’ from anywhere using a VPN
Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream the new Bluey episodes 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 and 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 may 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 Bluey is streaming on Disney Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the TV show 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 Disney 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 you’ve 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.
The Final Four is set. No. 1 UConn has dominated throughout the tournament as the Huskies look to repeat. UConn faces No. 4 Alabama in the second Final Four game on Saturday. Today’s first game features the tournament’s Cinderella team, No. 11 NC State. The Wolfpack have become just the seventh team to reach the Final Four as a double-digit seed. It’ll face No. 1 Purdue, led by Player of the Year Zach Edey. Both games are on TBS.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Final Four and the National Championship game. The short of it is you need only one app for $10 a month — Max (with Ads) — to watch the final three games of the tournament.
Read More: Women’s March Madness 2024: How to Watch Caitlin Clark Today and Every Tournament Game
How can I watch or stream March Madness?
At this stage in the tourney, you need just one channel — TBS — for the Final Four and championship game.
You can watch TBS with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service, but the most affordable option is signing up for a month of Max. With the basic, ad-supported $10-a-month Max streaming service, you can watch the TBS broadcast of both Final Four games on Saturday and the National Championship game on Monday.
Does Max have a free trial?
No, Max does not offer a free trial. The streaming service is, however, offering a deal of 40% off for the first year if you subscribe with its annual plan option. For the “With Ads” version, that would be $70 for the year, which amounts to $5.83 per month.
Which devices can I use to watch March Madness?
You’ll find an app for the Max streaming service to watch on an iPhone or Android phone as well as an iPad, Android tablet or Amazon Fire tablet. Max is also available on mainstream streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV/Google TV and Fire TV, as well as smart televisions from major manufacturers LG, Samsung and Vizio. It is also accessible through Xbox and PlayStation game consoles.
What is the March Madness schedule for the Final Four?
Here is the schedule for Saturday’s games (all times ET).
Saturday, April 6
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue, 6:09 p.m. on TBS
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn, 8:49 p.m. on TBS
What is the March Madness tournament schedule?
Here’s the remaining schedule, round by round:
Final Four: Saturday, April 6
NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8
What’s the best live TV streaming service for March Madness?
After Max for $10 a month, Sling TV at $40 per month is the next cheapest option for watching the Final Four and National Championship on TBS.
With its multi-view capability, YouTube TV was a great pick for earlier in the tournament if you wanted to watch more than one game at a time, but that’s not a concern at this stage of the tournament when only one game is played at a time. YouTube TV, along with Hulu with Live TV and DirecTV Stream offer TBS.
Can I stream March Madness for free?
Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you’ll be able to watch games for free. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android devices along with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox. The app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast.
As with most things that are free, there’s a catch. Without proving you’re a pay TV subscriber, you get only a three-hour preview, after which point you’ll need to log in to continue watching.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
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Andrew LanxonEditor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET’s go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
8.4/ 10 SCORE
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Pros
Astonishingly good camera system
Unique camera grip transforms it into a compact camera
Lightning fast performance
Great, vibrant display
Cons
Very expensive; camera grip is a pricey extra
Battery life is only OK
Software support period could be longer
The 14 Ultra is Xiaomi’s brand-new flagship Android phone, and while it comes with a suite of top tech like a blistering Qualcomm chip and glorious display, it also has an awesome camera setup that’s capable of taking some of the best images I’ve ever seen from a phone.
That’s perhaps no surprise given the massive image sensor stuffed inside, along with a wide, variable aperture and Leica-engineered optics. Together with the handy Photography Kit, which includes a grip with shutter controls, I’ve loved using the 14 Ultra simply as a compact camera.
Read more: Best phone to buy in 2024
But it’s still good as a phone, too, with stellar performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a glorious display and good enough battery life. And you’d be right to expect good performance, as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra costs 1,299. Add on the 179 photography kit and that comes to the princely sum of 1,478. Xiaomi doesn’t officially sell its phones in the US, but that base UK price converts to $1,640.
That’s a fair step up over the $1,420 it will cost you to put the same 512GB capacity Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in your pocket. Most people will probably get on better with Samsung’s phone or even looking towards the much more affordable Pixel 8 Pro.
But the photographers among you who want to always carry a truly superb camera setup, without the hassle of actually having to pack a dedicated camera, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is well worth splashing out on. I’ve taken better photos on this than I have on any other iPhone or Android phone, and using it with the grip makes it feel just like a regular compact camera.
A massive image sensor for amazing photos
The main camera is the hero of the bunch, packing an image sensor which is physically much larger (1/0.98-inch) than the sensors you’ll find in almost any other phone, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max (1/1.28-inch) or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1/1.33-inch). A larger image sensor can gather more information, resulting in better looking shots and a wider dynamic range.
That big sensor has been paired with a variable aperture lens that can open wide to f/1.6 or stop down to f/4. Xiaomi partnered with legendary camera maker Leica, which lent some of its expertise to the 14 Ultra’s lens elements too, all of which make this phone capable of taking beautiful, pin-sharp images.
I took the camera around London and Edinburgh in a variety of conditions, and I have been genuinely blown away by the photos I was able to take. I shot most of my images using the phone’s pro mode, which allows for raw image capture. I have it set to shoot both raw and JPEGs, and I use the Leica high contrast black-and-white filter for a punchy monochrome look.
By shooting both JPEG and raw, I can capture the original black-and-white JPEGand still have the raw file, which can be turned back to color if I want to as raw files retain that color information. But I’ve actually been really pleased with JPEGs straight out of camera, especially when using the high-contrast monochrome mode. Personally, it’s black-and-white imagery where I think this camera excels.
The DNG raw files allow for deeper editing in apps like Adobe Lightroom and again, and I am blown away by the depth of editing possible on the 14 Ultra’s image files. The huge dynamic range gives me latitude to tone down highlights and rescue shadows, and that allowed me to edit these phone images in exactly the same way I would with images from my regular camera.
Below are two images of a roller skater. The first one is straight out of camera and underexposed. But as you can see in the second one, I was able to edit the photo and bring up a lot of detail while still maintaining a good exposure in the bright sky.
Here are two versions of a shot of people queuing at a food stall. The original image had some really overexposed highlights that I’ve again been able to rescue in post to create this great looking final shot with beautiful shadows.
The same thing happened in this shot. I assumed the original image would be irreparably blown out in the highlights. But the 14 Ultra’s file actually gave me plenty of room to bring the shot back to exactly where I wanted it.
To make it even more of a fully fledged camera, Xiaomi sells what it calls the Photography Kit. It comes with a case, a 67mm mount for attaching professional photo filters and a grip that lets you hold it exactly like a compact camera. The grip has a shutter button on top that lets you half-press to focus and fully press to take your image — again, just like a regular camera. It also has a small battery inside to help keep you shooting longer.
I loved using the camera grip when I was out and about in London as it’s a much more natural way of shooting. It even makes the phone look just like a camera, and there’s something about that which allows me to engage with my photography more than I would if I was just holding up a phone and tapping on the screen. The photography kit is a must-buy if you’re getting this phone for its image-taking prowess.
You’ll also find 3.2x and 5x optical zoom lenses, both of which have 50-megapixel sensors and both of which can take great-looking images packed with detail. The ultrawide — again, 50 megapixels — does a similarly good job.
The phone is great at night too, as that big sensor and wide aperture allow it to capture plenty of detail in low light. But for proper night photos I actually prefer to take manual control and step down the aperture to around f/3 to achieve gorgeous star bursts on points of light in the scene, which isn’t something I’ve ever been able to achieve on a phone before.
Again, shooting in high-contrast black and white works really well at night, though I’ve also found I can push the raw DNG files (that were also taken at night) hard to achieve the exact look I want.
It’s fair to say that I am suitably impressed with the photography prowess of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and I can comfortably say that it is the best camera phone I have ever used.
So what about the rest of the phone?
Well, it ticks all of the boxes you should hope for from a top-end flagship phone in 2024. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor delivered excellent benchmark scores and makes the phone a breeze in everyday use. Navigation around the Android 14 interface is swift and playing demanding games like Asphalt 9 or Genshin Impact on max settings is no problem at all.
The 6.73-inch display is bright, vibrant and pin sharp, and the Android software is easy to use, although there are a variety of preinstalled apps from both Xiaomi itself and third parties like AliExpress that I find cluttered the place up.
Battery life is one of the only places where the phone doesn’t earn my praise. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine. Like most phones, you’ll be able to get pretty much a full day of mixed use between charges, but it’s not top of the class in this regard.
The other disappointment is the software support period, where Xiaomi has committed to four years of Android updates and an additional fifth year of security patches. That’s not bad, but it falls behind the seven years both Google and Samsung are offering for their flagships.
Is this a phone you should buy?
Seen purely as a phone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is par for the course for a top-end Android phone, with excellent all-round performance and decent, if not great battery life. If all you want is a good Android phone you’d be better off looking toward the Pixel 8 line, which will get you a great Android experience for quite a lot less money.
But if photography is your thing, then the 14 Ultra is the Android phone to buy. Its images are exceptional, giving huge creative scope for photographers of all kinds to get the shots they want. It’s finally a phone where I don’t need to consider taking a proper camera with me on day trips or photo walks, I can just take the phone, knowing I’m still going to be able to capture beautiful images.
Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass
2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
US price starts at
Converts to $1,646 (512GB)
$1,300 (256GB)
Converts to $1,076 (256GB)
$800 (128GB)
UK price starts at
1,299 (512GB)
1,249 (256GB)
849 (256GB)
799 (128GB)
Australia price starts at
Converts to AU$2,509 (512GB)
AU$2,199 (256GB)
Converts to $1,640 (256GB)
AU$1,399 (256GB)
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes, using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark as well as our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features, like support for 5G; satellite connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus support; fast charging speeds; and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. And we balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. Though these tests may not always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
