Latest News

  • PS5 Gets Discord Chat, More Social Features in Beta

    PS5 Gets Discord Chat, More Social Features in Beta

    The latest beta version of the PS5 system software will allow gamers to join Discord voice chats directly from the Sony console. The changes, announced in a blog post on the PlayStation website, will be offered to select customers in select countries starting today.

    Beta-testers will be able to access the feature by linking their PlayStation Network and Discord accounts on their PS5.

    Now playing:Watch this:PS5 DualSense Edge Review: Highly Customizable, High…

    8:50

    The software comes with other new social features including new icons making it easier to find and join online friends and the option to manually select and upload screen captures, a process that “complements the auto-upload functionality that currently exists,” according to the post. PlayStation is testing voice commands for screen captures in beta in the US and UK.

    PlayStation is also testing some changes to how games are displayed, introducing variable refresh rate support at 1440p for supported games and compatible devices. Further updates make it easier to transfer saved data between consoles.

    These changes and more will be available to beta-testers in US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany and France. Not all the changes being tested are guaranteed to make it to the software’s final version, PlayStation said.

  • Samsung Unpacked Recap: Everything Announced, From Galaxy S23 to Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

    Samsung Unpacked Recap: Everything Announced, From Galaxy S23 to Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

    This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

    Samsung’s semiannual Unpacked event was held in San Francisco on Wednesday, and a collection of new phones and laptops made their debut. Samsung launched the refresh of its flagship Galaxy S line of phones — the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. The company also unveiled its upgraded Galaxy Book Pro laptops, the Book 3 Pro and Book 3 Pro 360, along with a new high-end sibling for the family, the Book 3 Ultra.

    Along with the new products, Samsung, Google and Qualcomm announced a partnership to develop a mixed-reality platform. It was heavy on words but light on details, however.

    You can also check out our archived live blog from the event if you feel more like reading a play-by-play.

    Now playing:Watch this:Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Lineup Is Here With Big Camera Upgrades

    6:08

    Galaxy phones

    All the new phones have been upgraded to the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip “for Galaxy” — a custom version of the processor that the companies have theoretically optimized for faster performance, better graphics with ray tracing and faster AI processing.

    The chip enables more enhancements to the phones’ computational photography capabilities, such as improved low-light performance and more intelligent processing for selfies. That front camera has been normalized across the product line as well, a resolution increase from the S22 and S22 Plus’ 10 megapixels but a drop from the S22 Ultra’s 40 megapixels. Improved speed also allows for 120 frames-per-second recording of 1080p for slow motion, up from 60fps, which should produce better results.

    Samsung has also introduced syncing between Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Samsung PCs with this generation.

    Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
    Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

    Galaxy S23 Ultra

    Since the design remains relatively unchanged, the biggest (literally) update to the top-of-the-line S23 Ultra is the new 200-megapixel camera using the Isocell HP2 sensor — roughly double the resolution of its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It can also pixel-bin in four- or 16-pixel blocks for smaller images with better tonal quality or other, lower resolutions for easier-to-handle file sizes.

    The new sensor is also responsible for improvements. Most notably, it has larger wells in the pixels to be able to absorb more light, which can make photos and video better across the board.

    Other camera improvements include better optical image stabilization, and video gains wider-angle shooting and 8K at 30fps (up from 24fps). Samsung’s own camera software integrates better with the native camera app as well.

    New colors abound: Now it’s available in black, cream, green and lavender. Samsung also says it has increased the use of ocean-bound plastics and preconsumer waste, too.

    Pricing for the phone begins at $1,200 ( 1,249, AU$1,949). It’s shipping Feb. 17; preorders have already begun.

    Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus

    The outsides of the base model and larger step-up model are largely unchanged.

    Both phones get a 200-mAh boost for the battery, upping to 3,900 mAh for the S23 and 4,700 mAh for the S23 Plus. The Plus has a higher entry storage capacity, now 256GB.

    The Galaxy S23 starts at $800 ( 849, AU$1,349), while the S23 Plus begins at $1,000 ( 1,049, AU$1,649). You can preorder them now, and they’re slated to ship on Feb. 17.

    Top down view of the keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra laptop sitting on a white table.Top down view of the keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra laptop sitting on a white table.
    Samsung

    Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

    Without discrete graphics or a high-end processor, Samsung’s Pro models of its laptops didn’t really feel “pro.” So now there’s the new Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, with either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU and up to a 13th-gen Core i9 CPU to at least add the option to Samsung’s offerings.

    Other features include a 16:10, 2,880×1,800-pixel OLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate; a 1080p webcam; a quad-speaker audio system; and more ports than the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, with a USB-A port and HDMI 2.0 output joining its two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, microSD card slot and headphone jack. It’s a bit on the heftier side for its family at 16.5 mm thick and 4 pounds (1.8kg).

    Now playing:Watch this:Samsung’s Galaxy Book 3 Ultra Fixes Two Things I Didn’t…

    5:02

    The Core i7 and RTX 4050 configuration starts at $2,400; the Core i9/RTX 4070 model is going for $3,000. UK and Australian prices weren’t immediately available.

    Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360

    The 16-inch, 16:10 screens and upgraded camera, audio and port configurations also come to the clamshell and two-in-one down-line models. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro is 4mm thinner and about 8 ounces lighter than the Ultra. It also comes in a 14-inch model that weighs 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms).

    The 16-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 two-in-one comes with one of Samsung’s excellent S Pens, and it’s also the only model to come with optional 5G wireless.

    The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and Pro and Pro 360 laptops are available to preorder now through Samsung’s site and the Pro models are expected to start shipping on Feb. 17.

  • Why Everyone’s Obsessed With the Mind-Blowing ChatGPT AI Chatbot

    Why Everyone’s Obsessed With the Mind-Blowing ChatGPT AI Chatbot

    There’s a new AI bot in town: ChatGPT. Even if you’re not into artificial intelligence, you’d better pay attention.

    The tool, from a power player in artificial intelligence called OpenAI, lets you type natural-language prompts. ChatGPT offers conversational, if somewhat stilted, answers and responses. The bot remembers the thread of your dialogue, using previous questions and answers to inform its next responses. It derives its answers from huge volumes of information on the internet.

    ChatGPT is a big deal. The tool seems pretty knowledgeable in areas where there’s good training data for it to learn from. It’s not omniscient or smart enough to replace all humans yet, but it can be creative, and its answers can sound downright authoritative. A few days after its launch, more than a million people were trying out ChatGPT.

    And it’s becoming big business. Microsoft pledged to invest billions of dollars into OpenAI, saying in January it’ll build features into cloud services. OpenAI announced a $20 per month ChatGPT Plus service that responds faster and gets new features sooner.

    But its creator, the for-profit research lab called OpenAI, warns that ChatGPT “may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information,” so be careful. Here’s a look at why ChatGPT is important and what’s going on with it.

    What is ChatGPT?

    ChatGPT is an AI chatbot system that OpenAI released in November to show off and test what a very large, powerful AI system can accomplish. You can ask it countless questions and often will get an answer that’s useful.

    For example, you can ask it encyclopedia questions like, “Explain Newton’s laws of motion.” You can tell it, “Write me a poem,” and when it does, say, “Now make it more exciting.” You ask it to write a computer program that’ll show you all the different ways you can arrange the letters of a word.

    Here’s the catch: ChatGPT doesn’t exactly know anything. It’s an AI that’s trained to recognize patterns in vast swaths of text harvested from the internet, then further trained with human assistance to deliver more useful, better dialog. The answers you get may sound plausible and even authoritative, but they might well be entirely wrong, as OpenAI warns.

    Chatbots have been of interest for years to companies looking for ways to help customers get what they need and to AI researchers trying to tackle the Turing Test. That’s the famous “Imitation Game” that computer scientist Alan Turing proposed in 1950 as a way to gauge intelligence: Can a human conversing with a human and with a computer tell which is which?

    But chatbots have a lot of baggage, as companies have tried with limited success to use them instead of humans to handle customer service work. A study of 1,700 Americans, sponsored by a company called Ujet, whose technology handles customer contacts, found that 72% of people found chatbots to be a waste of time.

    What kinds of questions can you ask?

    You can ask anything, though you might not get an answer. OpenAI suggests a few categories, like explaining physics, asking for birthday party ideas and getting programming help.

    I asked it to write a poem, and it did, though I don’t think any literature experts would be impressed. I then asked it to make it more exciting, and lo, ChatGPT pumped it up with words like battlefield, adrenaline, thunder and adventure.

    One wacky example shows how ChatGPT is willing to just go for it in domains where people would fear to tread: a command to write “a folk song about writing a rust program and fighting with lifetime errors.”

    ChatGPT’s expertise is broad, and its ability to follow a conversation is notable. When I asked it for words that rhymed with “purple,” it offered a few suggestions, then when I followed up “How about with pink?” it didn’t miss a beat. (Also, there are a lot more good rhymes for “pink.”)

    When I asked, “Is it easier to get a date by being sensitive or being tough?” GPT responded, in part, “Some people may find a sensitive person more attractive and appealing, while others may be drawn to a tough and assertive individual. In general, being genuine and authentic in your interactions with others is likely to be more effective in getting a date than trying to fit a certain mold or persona.”

    You don’t have to look far to find accounts of the bot blowing people’s minds. Twitter is awash with users displaying the AI’s prowess at generating art prompts and writing code. Some have even proclaimed “Google is dead,” along with the college essay. We’ll talk more about that below.

    CNET writer David Lumb has put together a list of some useful ways ChatGPT can help, but more keep cropping up. One doctor says he’s used it to persuade a health insurance company to pay for a patient’s procedure.

    Who built ChatGPT?

    ChatGPT is the brainchild of OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research company. Its mission is to develop a “safe and beneficial” artificial general intelligence system or to help others do so. OpenAI has 375 employees, Chief Executive Sam Altman tweeted in January. “OpenAI has managed to pull together the most talent-dense researchers and engineers in the field of AI,” he also said in a January talk.

    It’s made splashes before, first with GPT-3, which can generate text that can sound like a human wrote it, and then with DALL-E, which creates what’s now called “generative art” based on text prompts you type in.

    GPT-3, and the GPT 3.5 update on which ChatGPT is based, are examples of AI technology called large language models. They’re trained to create text based on what they’ve seen, and they can be trained automatically — typically with huge quantities of computer power over a period of weeks. For example, the training process can find a random paragraph of text, delete a few words, ask the AI to fill in the blanks, compare the result to the original and then reward the AI system for coming as close as possible. Repeating over and over can lead to a sophisticated ability to generate text.

    Is ChatGPT free?

    Yes, for the moment at least, but now there’s a paid version that offers responses faster and keeps working even during peak usage times. You can sign up on a waiting list if you’re interested. OpenAI’s Altman warned that ChatGPT’s “compute costs are eye-watering.” For comparison, OpenAI charges for DALL-E art once you exceed a basic free level of usage.

    But OpenAI seems to have found some customers, likely for its GPT tools. It’s told potential investors that it expects $200 million in revenue in 2023 and $1 billion in 2024, according to Reuters.

    What are the limits of ChatGPT?

    As OpenAI emphasizes, ChatGPT can give you wrong answers. Sometimes, helpfully, it’ll specifically warn you of its own shortcomings. For example, when I asked it who wrote the phrase “the squirming facts exceed the squamous mind,” ChatGPT replied, “I’m sorry, but I am not able to browse the internet or access any external information beyond what I was trained on.” (The phrase is from Wallace Stevens’ 1942 poem Connoisseur of Chaos.)

    ChatGPT was willing to take a stab at the meaning of that expression once I typed it in directly, though: “a situation in which the facts or information at hand are difficult to process or understand.” It sandwiched that interpretation between cautions that it’s hard to judge without more context and that it’s just one possible interpretation.

    ChatGPT’s answers can look authoritative but be wrong.

    “If you ask it a very well structured question, with the intent that it gives you the right answer, you’ll probably get the right answer,” said Mike Krause, data science director at a different AI company, Beyond Limits. “It’ll be well articulated and sound like it came from some professor at Harvard. But if you throw it a curveball, you’ll get nonsense.”

    The software developer site StackOverflow banned ChatGPT answers to programming questions. Administrators cautioned, “because the average rate of getting correct answers from ChatGPT is too low, the posting of answers created by ChatGPT is substantially harmful to the site and to users who are asking or looking for correct answers.”

    You can see for yourself how artful a BS artist ChatGPT can be by asking the same question multiple times. I asked twice whether Moore’s Law, which tracks the computer chip industry’s progress increasing the number of data-processing transistors, is running out of steam, and I got two different answers. One pointed optimistically to continued progress, while the other pointed more grimly to the slowdown and the belief “that Moore’s Law may be reaching its limits.”

    Both ideas are common in the computer industry itself, so this ambiguous stance perhaps reflects what human experts believe.

    With other questions that don’t have clear answers, ChatGPT often won’t be pinned down.

    The fact that it offers an answer at all, though, is a notable development in computing. Computers are famously literal, refusing to work unless you follow exact syntax and interface requirements. Large language models are revealing a more human-friendly style of interaction, not to mention an ability to generate answers that are somewhere between copying and creativity.

    Will ChatGPT help students cheat better?

    Yes, but as with many other technology developments, it’s not a simple black and white situation. Decades ago, students could copy encyclopedia entries, and more recently, they’ve been able to search the internet and delve into Wikipedia entries. ChatGPT offers new abilities for everything from helping with research to doing your homework for you outright. Many ChatGPT answers already sound like student essays, though often with a tone that’s stuffier and more pedantic than a writer might prefer.

    Google programmer Kenneth Goodman tried ChatGPT on a number of exams. It scored 70% on the United States Medical Licensing Examination, 70% on a bar exam for lawyers, nine out of 15 correct on another legal test, the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, 78% on New York state’s high school chemistry exam‘s multiple choice section, and ranked in the 40th percentile on the Law School Admission Test.

    High school teacher Daniel Herman concluded ChatGPT already writes better than most students today. He’s torn between admiring ChatGPT’s potential usefulness and fearing its harm to human learning: “Is this moment more like the invention of the calculator, saving me from the tedium of long division, or more like the invention of the player piano, robbing us of what can be communicated only through human emotion?”

    Dustin York, an associate professor of communication at Maryville University, hopes educators will learn to use ChatGPT as a tool and realize it can help students think critically.

    “Educators thought that Google, Wikipedia, and the internet itself would ruin education, but they did not,” York said. “What worries me most are educators who may actively try to discourage the acknowledgment of AI like ChatGPT. It’s a tool, not a villain.”

    But the companies that sell tools to high schools and universities to detect plagiarism are now expanding to detecting AI, too.

    One, Coalition Technologies, offers an AI content detector on its website. Another, Copyleaks, released a free Chrome extension that’ll spot ChatGPT-generated text with a technology that’s 99% accurate, CEO Alon Yamin said. But it’s a “never-ending cat and mouse game” to try to catch new techniques to thwart the detectors, he said.

    Copyleaks performed an early test of student assignments uploaded to its system by schools. “Around 10% of student assignments submitted to our system include at least some level of AI-created content,” Yamin said.

    Can ChatGPT write software?

    Yes, but with caveats. ChatGPT can retrace steps humans have taken, and it can generate actual programming code. “This is blowing my mind,” said one programmer in February, showing on Imgur the sequence of prompts he used to write software for a car repair center. “This would’ve been an hour of work at least, and it took me less than 10 minutes.”

    You just have to make sure it’s not bungling programming concepts or using software that doesn’t work. The StackOverflow ban on ChatGPT-generated software is there for a reason.

    But there’s enough software on the web that ChatGPT really can work. One developer, Cobalt Robotics Chief Technology Officer Erik Schluntz, tweeted that ChatGPT provides useful enough advice that, over three days, he hadn’t opened StackOverflow once to look for advice.

    Another, Gabe Ragland of AI art site Lexica, used ChatGPT to write website code built with the React tool.

    ChatGPT can parse regular expressions (regex), a powerful but complex system for spotting particular patterns, for example dates in a bunch of text or the name of a server in a website address. “It’s like having a programming tutor on hand 24/7,” tweeted programmer James Blackwell about ChatGPT’s ability to explain regex.

    Here’s one impressive example of its technical chops: ChatGPT can emulate a Linux computer, delivering correct responses to command-line input.

    What’s off limits?

    ChatGPT is designed to weed out “inappropriate” requests, a behavior in line with OpenAI’s mission “to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.”

    If you ask ChatGPT itself what’s off limits, it’ll tell you: any questions “that are discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate. This includes questions that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory or hateful.” Asking it to engage in illegal activities is also a no-no.

    Is this better than Google search?

    Asking a computer a question and getting an answer is useful, and often ChatGPT delivers the goods.

    Google often supplies you with its suggested answers to questions and with links to websites that it thinks will be relevant. Often ChatGPT’s answers far surpass what Google will suggest, so it’s easy to imagine GPT-3 is a rival.

    But you should think twice before trusting ChatGPT. As when using Google and other sources of information like Wikipedia, it’s best practice to verify information from original sources before relying on it.

    Vetting the veracity of ChatGPT answers takes some work because it just gives you some raw text with no links or citations. But it can be useful and in some cases thought provoking. You may not see something directly like ChatGPT in Google search results, but Google has built large language models of its own and uses AI extensively already in search.

    That said, Google is keen to tout its deep AI expertise, ChatGPT triggered a “code red” emergency within Google, according to The New York Times, and drew Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin back into active work. Microsoft could build ChatGPT into its rival search engine, Bing. Clearly ChatGPT and other tools like it have a role to play when we’re looking for information.

    So ChatGPT, while imperfect, is doubtless showing the way toward our tech future.

    Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.

  • Save Over $400 on Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 Plus and Get a Free Type Cover

    Save Over $400 on Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 Plus and Get a Free Type Cover

    The Microsoft Surface Pro is our favorite detachable two-in-one laptop on the market at the moment. And while Surface Pro 7 Plus is a step down from the Surface Pro 8 featured on our top-tier list, it’s still an excellent option for most people. And right now you can pick one up at a serious discount. Today only, Best Buy is offering $430 off this sleek hybrid laptop, plus the type cover, dropping the price down to $800. This deal expires at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET) tonight, so be sure to get your order in before then if you don’t want to miss out.

    This versatile two-in-one is perfect for taking care of work both at home and on the go. It has a 12.3-inch QHD touchscreen display, and weighs in at just 1.7 pounds, so it’s easy to slip in your bag and take on the go. Internally, it’s equipped with an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, and comes with 256GB of built-in storage. It also features front and rear cameras, and dual-array microphones so it’s ready for video calls and meetings right out of the box. And despite its slim design, it still has a USB-C and USB-A port, headphone jack and a microSD card reader. And it comes with the keyboard cover included, which would typically cost you another $130 on its own.

  • More OSHA Fines for Amazon Over Warehouse Safety

    More OSHA Fines for Amazon Over Warehouse Safety

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued new citations to Amazon for failing to keep workers safe at more Amazon warehouses, the US Department of Labor announced on Wednesday.

    The OHSA complaints allege that requiring employees to lift heavy items at a high frequency during long shifts has created unsafe working conditions, among other claims. In a review of federally required on-site injury logs, OSHA found that Amazon warehouse workers experienced high rates of musculoskeletal disorders.

    OSHA has already been investigating Amazon after multiple workers died last summer at warehouses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The new OSHA claims against Amazon cite hazardous working conditions in more warehouses in Colorado, Idaho and New York, saying that Amazon exposes its workers to ergonomic hazards such as a “high risk of low back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders.” The latest OSHA citations against Amazon could cost the company around $47,000.

    “Amazon’s operating methods are creating hazardous work conditions and processes, leading to serious worker injuries,” Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, said in a statement. “They need to take these injuries seriously and implement a company-wide strategy to protect their employees from these well-known and preventable hazards.”

    Amazon has said it intends to appeal the citations.

    “We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously, and we don’t believe the government’s allegations reflect the reality of safety at our sites,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told CNET. “We’ve cooperated with the government through its investigation and have demonstrated how we work to mitigate risks and keep our people safe, and our publicly available data show we reduced injury rates in the US nearly 15% between 2019 and 2021.”

    In a recent win for workers, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act in December, which now requires logistics companies with warehouse operations to disclose quotas to employees, as well as protects workers who fail to meet quotas that haven’t been disclosed or don’t allow for legally mandated breaks.

  • Best Garmin Deals: Save on Fitness Trackers, Smartwatches and More

    Best Garmin Deals: Save on Fitness Trackers, Smartwatches and More

    If you’re a fitness buff who is not deterred by cold winter weather, you already know there is no off-season. Whether you’re braving the cold for cardio or focusing on indoor exercises like weightlifting and yoga, you’ll want to make sure you’re using workout equipment that’s as tough as you are. Garmin makes some of the most advanced and rugged fitness tech on the market to take your workouts to the next level, so that you can reach your wellness goals — and right now you can pick some up at bargain prices.

    Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals you can shop right now on Garmin’s high-tech smartwatches, fitness trackers, GPS navigators and more. We’ll continue to update this story as prices change and deals emerge or expire, so be sure to check back for the best prices on all things Garmin.

    Smartwatch deals


    Monitor fitness goals without breaking the bank.

    We’ll help you find the best deal on your next smartwatch or fitness tracker.


    Wellbots

    The Fenix 6 Pro multisport GPS smartwatch has an always-on 1.3-inch display that’s 18% larger than previous Fenix models. The bezel is stainless steel and it has been tested to US military standards for thermal, shock and water-resistance. It tracks even more rugged challenges, delivers text messages and alerts to your wrist, and you can use it to pay for stuff. With a battery life that can last up to 14 days between charges in smartwatch mode, you’ll be able to keep going no matter what comes your way.

    More Fenix smartwatch deals:

    Lexy Savvides/CNET

    The Venu is packed full of helpful health metrics like heart rate, blood-oxygen saturation, breathing, sleep cycle and more. You can even log your hydration for a more accurate read on your body’s energy levels throughout the day. It typically sells for $350, but right now at Amazon you can pick up the gold and black model for just $200, with slightly smaller discounts available on other color variants.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Venu: $200

    More Venu smartwatch deals:

    Garmin

    This watch features eight days of battery life on a single charge and boasts many of the features of the Venu series, though it does lack some of the heart-monitoring tech available on the other models. The best discount available is on the silver 40mm model with a gray band, but you can find smaller discounts available on other configurations.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Vivoactive 4/4S Series: $192

    Garmin

    The Forerunner is a good midrange pick for those who are looking to fine-tune their workout without breaking the bank. It tracks tons of helpful health metrics, including your heart rate, blood-oxygen levels, sleep patterns and much more. And when you pair it with Garmin’s chest strap monitor (sold separately), you can get detailed information to help improve your form like your stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and much more.

    Garmin

    The Forerunner series has a lot of different features depending on which model you select, but if you’re a runner, these are optimal for training. There are more models available below, but we wanted to highlight the Forerunner 945, the premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch with music, as it’s exceptionally durable and offers the most features.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Garmin Forerunner 945: $398

    Garmin

    If you don’t want to drop over $300 on the Forerunner 945, its step-down cousin Forerunner 935 is still an excellent choice. It’s not quite as scratch-resistant and has a less powerful GPS, but it shares many of thee 945’s features and trackers, including heart-rate, oxygen levels and advanced biomechanical measurements like cadence, stride length and vertical oscillation.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Garmin Forerunner 935 (black)

    More Forerunner series deals:

    Garmin/CNET

    If you have a youngster who is ready for a a fitness tracker that is both durable and has parental controls, check out the Vivofit Jr. 3. It has a Marvel Avengers app, tracks steps, sleep and daily activity and has a battery that lasts up to a year (and is easily replaced). It’s swim-friendly, too.

    Sports equipment deals

    Garmin

    Garmin also makes some great tech to give you the best chance of getting some bites when you’re out on the water. This Striker fishfinder comes with a GT20 transducer and has built-in sonar so you can get a clear view of what’s happening beneath your boat. It also has a high-sensitivity GPS so you can plot your routes, and you can mark waypoints so you can easily get back to your favorite fishing hotspots. Prices start at $160 for the model with a 4-inch display, but you can upgrade all the way up to nine inches if you don’t mind spending the extra money.

    Driving GPS deals

    Garmin

    This 5-inch Garmin Drive 52 GPS navigator with traffic and map updates is everything you need to drive safer and get to your destination with ease. The bright display is easy to see and driver alerts will warn you of any sharp curves or speed changes ahead. With preloaded Foursquare data, you can search restaurants and businesses by name, and you can view Tripadvisor ratings and reviews to help you find the perfect spot to stop. You can currently pick it up for just $100 at Best Buy, which saves you $30 compared to the Garmin price.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Garmin Drive 52: $100

    Garmin

    This premium navigator comes with Amazon Alexa to make playing your music, checking your calendar, creating tasks and setting routes easier than ever. It features a 6.95-inch screen and detailed maps of North America. Alexa can even control compatible smart devices like lights and locks from the car, so you can park and unload without ever being in the dark. The best price you’ll find right now is $200 at Amazon, which saves you $70 compared to the $300 Garmin price.


    Monitor fitness goals without breaking the bank.

    We’ll help you find the best deal on your next smartwatch or fitness tracker.


  • How to Stream Netflix, HBO Max and More for Less Money Every Month

    How to Stream Netflix, HBO Max and More for Less Money Every Month

    This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.

    Given the current economic climate, you may be seeking ways to slash your monthly costs. It could be time to eye your streaming subscriptions. If you add up the cost of each one, you may realize you’re spending $500 per year or more. But you can cut that down.

    Here’s the scenario: You’re subscribed to multiple streaming services, you watch one or two of them until your favorite series ends its seasonal run, then look for the next thing. But is it worth keeping all those accounts active if you’re not watching anything on them? I don’t think so.

    Take a look at this money-saving strategy to help you tame your streaming costs.

    Put your streaming services on a rotation

    CNET Tech Tips logoCNET Tech Tips logo

    Dumping cable for good and switching to streaming is a crafty money move for cord-cutters. Because you’re able to sign up for monthly plans, it’s easy to jump into a streaming service and jump out when prices increase or content dries up. But according to Deloitte’s 2022 Media Trends report, the main reasons people cancel their streaming subscriptions are because of costs and lack of fresh content. Media companies call this behavior “churn.” We’re calling this the rotation method, and you should try it.

    The incentive? You save your coins and avoid content droughts. Let’s say a popular title like The Last of Us or The Masked Singer is set to premiere on a streaming service. Find the total episode count and wait until they’re all available at once on a platform. You cancel HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus or other service and then, once all the episodes are available, resubscribe to catch up. Alternatively, you can start streaming a show midseason to cut costs. My monthly guide on which streaming services to cancel can help you keep up.

    The downside? You won’t have immediate access to every show you want to watch and will have to wait until the full season airs. And since many streaming services release new episodes weekly, you might not be caught up at the same time as your friends. If you’re someone who prefers to watch episodes immediately when they drop, you may decide it’s worth it to have multiple subscriptions at a time. If you have patience, however, you can save some money.

    The strategy can also work if you have a live TV streaming service to watch a particular sport or major event like the Super Bowl. Once the season wraps, cancel the service or move to a cheaper platform with fewer channels, like Sling TV.

    Need help figuring out the best way to rotate? Follow the tips below to learn how to churn streaming platforms until your wallet feels content.

    Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us gazes downward while standing outsidePedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us gazes downward while standing outside

    Why pay for three months of HBO Max to watch The Last of Us when you can watch all nine episodes in March for the price of one month?

    Liane Hentscher/HBO

    Tip No. 1: Cancel your subscription before getting charged

    Set calendar reminders for your billing cycle and upcoming TV show or movie release dates. Give yourself enough warning to begin or end a subscription. Apps such as JustWatch, V Time and Hobi help you track when and where TV shows and movies appear on a streaming service. And JustWatch recently added a tracker specifically for sports. If you have a smart home device from Google or Amazon, you can set reminders for specific dates and allow a voice assistant like Alexa to notify you of an upcoming bill or streaming release date.

    Tip No. 2: Sign up for streaming service deals

    Look for discounts on streaming services. For example, Starz is now $3 per month for three months, a drop from its regular $9-a-month rate. You can also take advantage of the Disney Bundle, which provides access to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus in a single package for a reduced price. And eligible Hulu subscribers can add on Disney Plus for $2. Lastly, be sure to check with your mobile carrier to see which ones offer free streaming subscriptions.

    Tip No. 3: Pick one or two default streaming services

    Subscribe to one or two must-have services for the year, and select only one or two more options to fit your monthly budget. Rotate the bonus service(s) according to what you want to watch, ensuring you don’t miss your favorite shows while sticking to your monthly spending cap.

    Tip No. 4: Use monthly billing only

    Avoid annual subscriptions and pay attention to your auto-renewal payment dates. Your billing cycle can help determine when it’s the best time to quit a service, even if you’ve only signed up for a free trial. The only advantage to signing up for an annual plan is when the price is drastically cut down.

    Tip No. 5: Don’t cancel your subscription, pause it

    Hulu allows you to pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks, and Sling has a similar option with stipulations. Check with your streaming provider to see if you can take a temporary break without canceling.

    Give it a shot, and if you don’t like it you can always resubscribe. For more excellent tips on streaming TV, check out this guide to Netflix’s hidden tricks and our tips on the best VPNs.

  • Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Skips Out on Satellite Connectivity (for Now)

    Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Skips Out on Satellite Connectivity (for Now)

    This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

    One of the iPhone 14’s most significant new features is its ability to communicate with satellites to contact emergency responders when cell service isn’t available. Chipmaker Qualcomm has also pledged to bring similar tech to Android phones later this year.

    Samsung, however, is sitting this one out. At least for now.

    The South Korean tech giant unveiled the Galaxy S23 lineup at its Samsung Unpacked event on Wednesday, which includes all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from premium smartphones in 2023. All three new devices boast faster processors and more advanced cameras, while the two smaller phones are also getting bigger batteries. But satellite connectivity, which is already shaping up to be a key trend in new phones, is noticeably absent.

    TM Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, acknowledges that there’s interest and promise in bringing satellite connectivity to smartphones. But he also thinks it’s too soon because the satellite functionality on today’s phones is still fairly limited. Roh spoke through a translator in an interview with CNET ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked event.

    “When there is the right timing, infrastructure and the technology [is] ready, then of course for Samsung Galaxy, for our mobile division, we would also actively consider adopting this feature as well,” he said.

    Now playing:Watch this:Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Lineup Is Here With Big Camera Upgrades

    6:08

    Apple’s implementation of satellite connectivity kicks in automatically if you have an iPhone 14 and attempt to call 911 without a cell signal. When this happens, you should see the Emergency Text via Satellite option, writes my colleague Patrick Holland, who has tried the feature. But Apple’s service isn’t available everywhere; it launched in the United States and Canada initially before rolling out to parts of Europe in December.

    The feature also works a little differently than traditional texting. Instead of typing out a message, you answer prompts on your phone so that dispatchers can gather more information about the emergency. Although the technology is new, there have already been reports of Apple’s satellite network being used to locate a stranded snowmobiler in Alaska.

    Qualcomm, meanwhile, debuted Snapdragon Satellite last month at the annual CES trade show in Las Vegas. But unlike Apple, Qualcomm has already said it plans to expand beyond emergency scenarios so people will be able to send texts for social purposes too.

    According to Roh, satellite connectivity is just one way to make phones better at helping people communicate in emergency scenarios. He says Samsung has made other efforts to give people a sense of security, such as improving the sensors found inside its phones and broadening 5G coverage.

    “I do not believe that is the end-all or be-all of the solutions to ensure peace of mind among users,” he said.

    For more, check out CNET’s first takes of Samsung’s newest Galaxy Book and phones, the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. They’re available for preorder now.

  • FTC Accuses GoodRX of Sharing User Data Without Consent

    FTC Accuses GoodRX of Sharing User Data Without Consent

    GoodRX will pay $1.5 million and be barred from sharing user data with outside companies for advertising purposes under a deal that would settle allegations that it shared some of its users’ most intimate health-related information with companies like Facebook and Google.

    The Federal Trade Commission characterized the action, which is pending approval by a federal court, as the first of its kind under its Health Breach Notification Rule, adding that the agency won’t hesitate to use its full legal authority to take action against companies that willingly misuse or exploit consumer data.

    “Digital health companies and mobile apps should not cash in on consumers’ extremely sensitive and personally identifiable health information,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

    According to the FTC’s complaint, GoodRX, which helps users find deals on prescription drugs and offers telehealth and other health-related services, shared its users’ data with outside companies for advertising purposes, despite promising it wouldn’t.

    It also made money from that same data by using it to target its own users with personalized health-related ads on Facebook and Instagram, the FTC said. The complaint also accuses the company of failing to limit third-party use of the data, misrepresenting its compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, and failing to put in place policies and procedures to protect its users’ data.

    In a company blog post, GoodRX pushed back against the FTC’s allegations, saying they’re focused on an “old issue” that was “proactively addressed” more than three years ago before the FTC’s inquiry began. The company admitted no wrongdoing, adding that the proposed settlement will allow it to move on and avoid the time and costs of drawn-out litigation.

    In addition to the civil penalty and ban on collecting data for advertising purposes, the settlement requires GoodRX to get users’ consent before sharing data for purposes other than advertising; reach out to the third parties it shared the data with and ask them to destroy it; limit its own retention of user data; and put in place a privacy program designed to protect user data.

  • Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Phones Get Nature-Inspired and Online-Exclusive Colors

    Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Phones Get Nature-Inspired and Online-Exclusive Colors

    If you’re thinking about upgrading to the new Samsung Galaxy S23, you’ll have up to eight colors to choose from at launch depending on where you purchase your phone. The new phones were announced Wednesday at the Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco.

    The phones will be available in four nature-inspired matte colors: phantom black, cream, green and lavender. The new Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra are all available in these colors no matter where you purchase your phone.

    If you buy any of the Galaxy S23 phones from Samsung’s website, you’ll be able to choose from four online-exclusive colors, too. Those colors are lime, graphite, sky blue and red.

    On Monday, one AT&T store in Atlanta leaked the Galaxy S23 specs and some of the available phone colors. The information was removed around 8:20 a.m. PT that same day.

    The Galaxy S23 starts at $800 (about 645, AU$1,120), the Galaxy S23 Plus starts at $1,000 (about 800, AU$1,400) and the Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,200 (about 975, AU$1,700). We’ll update with the actual UK and Australian prices when they’re released. You can preorder Galaxy S23 series phones now, and the phones go on sale on Feb. 17 on Samsung’s website, at Samsung Experience Stores and at major carriers and retailers.

    For more, check out what to know about the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, CNET’s hands-on review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S23 preorder deals,

    Now playing:Watch this:Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Lineup Is Here With Big Camera Upgrades

    6:08