Latest News

Motorola’s premium Edge phones don’t get a lot of attention, and it’s too bad, as they occupy an interesting sector of the flagship phone market. While they don’t offer the rock-bottom prices of the Moto G line, nor the folding flip-phone design of the Razr and Razr Plus, they keep the curved-edge screen design alive with functional specs and a clean build of Android.

Edge phones don’t have the name recognition of Samsung’s Galaxy phones nor Google’s Pixel line, but they do have a secret weapon: The phones frequently go on sale, at times dropping to nearly half off their original price. For instance, in the case of the Motorola Edge 2023, it’s dropping from its $600 list price to $350 this week.

Read more: Best phone to buy in 2024

I took it with me on two winter vacations where its sleek design, fast 68W charging and grippy vegan leather back all made it handy to carry with me. The phone’s camera take decent photos, especially compared to phones regularly priced $400 and under. The Motorola Edge is a good option for someone who’s looking for an all-around phone that’s “cheap” but doesn’t feel cheap.

The curved display and body

The Edge 2023’s premium feel starts with its 6.6-inch curved display, which reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge I used as my work phone. Most flagship Android phones have flat screens, but Motorola opted for a screen that rounds over the edge of the side. While this type of screen draws mixed opinions, I do enjoy that I can use the display edges to scroll through articles and texts without covering up anything on the flat portion of the screen. Motorola also lets you set up the display’s edge to light up for notifications when the phone is face down, which reminds me of the long-gone notification lights on BlackBerry phones.

And while those throwback features are nice, Motorola also equips the Edge with a modern 144Hz refresh rate, making animations and scrolling look smooth. It’s close to what I see in gaming-focused phones. Its 360Hz touch sampling rate — how fast it responds to finger taps — is also nice for fast games like Dead Cells, even though this is not considered a gaming phone by any stretch. By comparison, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro’s touch sampling rate is double that at 720Hz, while the Edge exceeds the Samsung Galaxy S24’s 240Hz rate.

An important caveat to the Edge’s stylish design: I found a few scratches on the screen within days of carrying the phone in my pockets, and a more appeared throughout my travels. Nothing that a good screen protector can’t prevent, but get that installed before taking the phone everywhere you go.

I am however mixed on whether I’d want to place the Edge in a case, mostly because the vegan leather back of the phone feels so nice. It smooths out the camera bump on the handset while providing a touch of character, distinguishing it in a phone industry otherwise dominated by metal or glass backsides. Motorola recently added this same casing to its cheaper Moto G line, and I’m all for more companies experimenting with how a phone feels in the hand alongside how it looks.

Adding to the Edge’s feel is its lightness, as its 168g weight is noticeably easier to carry than other similar size phones. For instance the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus weighs 197g despite having a nearly identical-size screen, and it’s also lighter than the Pixel 7A, which weighs 193g even though it has a smaller 6.1-inch display. This is another trend I’d love to see in more, because if phones keep getting bigger, making them lighter so they don’t weigh down pockets or handbags would be the next best way to improve how we carry them.

Scenic photography

The Motorola Edge is not the best camera that I’ve used among phones that start at $600, but its 50-megapixel main camera paired up with a 13-megapixel ultrawide is capable of capturing colorful scenes in bright and indoor environments.

During a California trip in December, I took the Motorola Edge to the deserts of the Joshua Tree National Park and seaside at Venice Beach. All of my photos show off the textures of the rocks and Joshua Tree plant life, along with the waves seen on a cloudy day in Venice Beach, respectively.

And while I look rather tousled from the Venice Beach wind in this selfie taken with the 32-megapixel front-facing camera, the image captures details in my skin’s texture and strands of hair.

Below is a photo I took during a nighttime walk at a Palm Springs street fair. Notice the faint details of dark palm trees in the background and how that contrasts with the crowds and various booths.

However indoor photos taken in dim lighting appear to struggle. For instance, while the decorations inside of this photo of the Falcon Bar in Long Beach look clear, the bottom left of the photo has visible distortion in the shadows.

Seeing the Edge struggle in low-light reminds me a common nuisance found on other phones that are regularly $400 and less, where photos taken with night mode end up applying a lot of noise reduction blur.

Video quality is decent, with options to shoot at 4K and 30fps or 1,080p at 60fps. It’s not doing anything groundbreaking for a $600 phone, but can grab videos for sharing with friends or posting on social media. While Motorola touts the Edge’s video stabilization feature, the footage I recorded walking the Venice Beach pier still looked shaky. It’s viewable, but I wouldn’t put its stabilization feature anywhere near the level that Asus provides to its Zenfone line or on the Pixel 7A.

When taking into account the Edge’s original $600 price, I would sooner recommend the Pixel 7A or the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE for photography, but when considering it as a $350 phone, the Edge is quite a deal.

Fast charging, but not a powerful phone

The Motorola Edge’s 68-watt charging could be its best feature, even as we see new 2024 phones like the OnePlus 12R bring 80W charging speeds to phones that cost $600. That’s because while the OnePlus uses its own proprietary charger to achieve those speeds. Motorola’s 68W speeds work with nearly any compatible USB-C charger. During a 30-minute wired charging test, I was able to take the phone from 0% to 69% in 30 minutes. The 15W wireless charging isn’t nearly as dramatic, but it’s nice to have an option that could took the phone from 21% to 45% during a 30-minute wireless charging test.

The Edge has a 4,400-mAh battery, that’s smaller than the 5,000mAh size I see in a lot of Android phones, but I easily got through a day of use on a single charge. In CNET’s YouTube streaming drain test — in which the phone’s battery is charged to 100% and I stream a video over Wi-Fi for 3 hours checking the battery every hour — the Edge depleted from 100% to 72%. That’s faster than the same test on the Galaxy S23 FE, which ran down to 77%, and the Pixel 7A which depleted to 85%. The FE has a bigger 4,500-mAh battery, while the 7A has a comparably sized 4,385-mAh battery.

YouTube streaming drain test

Phone	1 hr.	2 hr.	3 hr.
Motorola Edge (2023)	90%	81%	72%
Google Pixel 7A	96%	90%	85%
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE	94%	85%	77%

The Edge’s overall performance is a weak point compared to 2024 phones and other $600 phones released last year, and is more in line with $400 smartphones. In Geekbench 6 and 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark tests, the Edge’s score was closer to the $400 Moto G Stylus 5G than it was to the Pixel 7A or the Galaxy S23 FE.

Benchmark testing: Motorola Edge (2023) vs. Google Pixel 7A vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs. Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)

Phone	Geekbench 6.0 Single Core	Geekbench 6.0 Multi Core	3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Motorola Edge (2023)	1,019	2,289	696; 4.17 fps
Google Pixel 7A	1,439	3,560	1,855; FPS did not show
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE	1,620	3,982	2,588; 15.50 fps
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)	714	2,497	609; 3.7 fps

That might be due to the phone running on a MediaTek Dimensity 7030, as opposed to the 7A’s Tensor G2 or the S23 FE’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. I didn’t notice particularly slow performance when it came to using apps or multitasking, and perhaps this is an area that inadvertently helps the Edge achieve a decent battery life.

Even though I referenced how gamer-friendly the Edge’s display was earlier, I would avoid cranking up all of the performance settings available in some Android games.

Motorola Edge might be just enough phone, but has competition

Last year’s Motorola Edge has a lot to offer, as long as it happens to be on sale at $350 or $400. When it is, you have a phone with a sleek and light design, decent cameras, fast charging and enough performance to get through most tasks without a hiccup. The Edge just received an update from Android 13 to Android 14, and should receive Android 15. It will also get security updates through Sept. 2026.

These software timelines are short compared to the Galaxy S23 FE’s four years of software updates and five years of security updates.

However there’s a lot of competition among Android phones between $300 and $600. For instance, the Pixel 7A is also on sale this week, discounted from $499 to $374. Meanwhile Google I/O is coming in May, where we will likely see the debut of the Pixel 8A — which could come with an even deeper price cut for the Pixel 7A. And while Samsung isn’t bringing the Galaxy A55 to the US this year — which traditionally hits the $450 price — the company is instead bringing the $300 Galaxy A25 stateside. That latter move makes some sense, as Samsung’s $200 A series phones often break into US sales charts that are otherwise dominated by Apple’s iPhone.

But that might be exactly why the Motorola Edge is a compelling deal when it’s available for $350 or $400. At this discount, you have a phone that includes a lot of comparable features to other $600 phones, alongside a few compromises that are more forgivable at the lower sale price.

Motorla Edge (2023) vs. Google Pixel 7A, Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)

	Motorola Edge (2023)	Google Pixel 7A	Samsung Galaxy S23 FE	Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
Display size, resolution	6.6-inch OLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 144Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60/90Hz	6.4-inch AMOLED display; 2,340 x 1,080 pixels; adaptive 120Hz refresh rate (60-120Hz)	6.6-inch LCD display; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 120Hz refresh rate
Pixel density	402 ppi	361 ppi	466 ppi	399 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.2 x 2.8 x 0.3 in.	6.00 x 2.87 x 0.35 in.	6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 in.	6.41 x 2.9 x 0.37 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	158.5 x 72 x 7.6 mm	73 x 152 x 9.0 mm	157.9 x 76.4 x 8.1 mm	162.8 x 73.8 x 9.3 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	168 g (5.9 oz.)	193g (6.81 oz.)	209 g (7.4 oz.)	202 g (7.13 oz.)
Mobile software	Android 13	Android 13	Android 13	Android 13
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 13-megapixel (ultrawide)	64-megapixel (main), 13-megapixel (ultrawide)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	32-megapixel	13-megapixel	10-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	8K	4K
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 7030	Tensor G2	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
RAM + Storage	8GB + 256GB	8GB + 128GB	8GB + 128GB, 256GB	4GB RAM + 128GB; 6GB RAM + 128GB; 6GB RAM + 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	Yes
Battery	4,400 mAh	4,385 mAh	4,500 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Side	Under display	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	Yes
Special features	5G, Moto Gestures, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, NFC	5G (5G sub6 / mmWave), IP67 rating, 18W fast charging, 7.5W wireless charging	Wireless PowerShare, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Samsung Knox with Samsung Knox Vault, IP68 water resistance	Stylus, Moto Gestures, stereo speakers
Price off-contract (USD)	$600 (256GB)	$499 (128GB), $549 (128GB + mmW)	$600 (128GB)	$400 (128GB)
Price (GBP)	N/A	449 (128GB)	599 (128GB)	Converts to 317 (128GB)
Price (AUD)	N/A	AU$749 (128GB)	AU$1,099 (128GB)	Converts to AU$590 (128GB)

The iPhone’s design changes every year, sometimes in big ways, and other times more subtly. The iPhone 16, if rumors are true, will fall into the latter category.

Among the biggest expected changes is the addition of new buttons for both models. Otherwise, the Pro versions could get slightly larger screens, while the standard model may get a redesigned camera module. None of these reports have been confirmed or acknowledged by Apple, so we’ll have to wait until September to know what’s truly in store for the iPhone 16.

The iPhone’s design has largely remained the same over the last couple of years, aside from the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium build and the iPhone 15’s color-infused glass. It also removed the SIM card slot from new iPhones in the US starting with the iPhone 14 in 2022, meaning new iPhone buyers must rely on electronic SIMs. But arguably the biggest overhaul in recent memory came in 2020 when Apple changed the iPhone’s shape by giving it flatter edges, starting with the iPhone 12.

Now, here’s what we’re expecting from the iPhone 16. Apple did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

Read more: AI Is Changing Our Phones, and It’s Just Getting Started

iPhone 16 may get a new camera bump

Apple may switch up the camera arrangement on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, according to MacRumors. The cameras will reportedly be stacked vertically on both phones, similar to the iPhone 12.

It’s unclear why Apple would change the positioning of the cameras on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus specifically. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, on the other hand, are expected to keep the same camera bump design, according to 91Mobiles, which claims to have obtained drawings of the phones’ design.

When Apple shifted from a vertical arrangement to a diagonal one starting with the iPhone 13, it said doing so made it possible to fit a larger module in the device, as noted in CNET’s review. It’s possible that it no longer needs to position the cameras in that way to fit the iPhone 16’s sensor, but this is just speculation at this point.

Action and camera capture buttons for the iPhone 16

Expect your next iPhone to come with more buttons.

The iPhone 16 is reportedly getting a dedicated button for shooting video, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, although it’s unclear if it would be available on all phones or just the Pro models. At the same time, Apple is expected to expand the Action button to all iPhone 16 models, Bloomberg also reports. Both buttons will be capacitive, according to MacRumors.

The Action button, which can be used as a shortcut to launch the camera or turn on Do Not Disturb among other tasks, is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. In addition to extending the Action button to the standard iPhone this year, I’m also hoping Apple expands what it can do. For example, as my colleague Patrick Holland writes, the ability to trigger different actions with multiple presses could open up a bunch of possibilities.

Read more: The iPhone May Get a Big Dose of AI This Year. Here’s What to Expect

Larger sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone Pro’s screen size has remained the same for years, but that could soon change. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models are expected to include bigger screens, according to reports from Bloomberg, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, MacRumors and Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young.

The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max currently measure 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches respectively. If the reports from Young and MacRumors end up being true, the Pro’s screen could end up measuring 6.2 or 6.3 inches, while the Max could be 6.8 or 6.9 inches. That may not sound like a big difference. But in a device as small as a phone, even a fraction of an inch can go a long way.

Apple hasn’t updated the iPhone’s screen size of its Pro Max iPhone since 2020 when it introduced the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max to replace the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Pro model also got a size bump that year, growing to 6.1 inches compared to the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro.

Read more: Best iPhone to Buy in 2024

iPhone 16 possible colors

Apple may have a couple of new color options in store for the iPhone 16 Pro, if rumors turn out to be true. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max may come in space black, gray, rose and white colors, according to a leak that surfaced on the Chinese social network Weibo. The rumor was reposted by a notable leaker who goes by the alias ShrimpApplePro on X. That would differ from the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max’s color options, which include natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium and black titanium.

All told, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro sound like they will be an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 15. Check out our full preview of what we’re expecting from the iPhone 16 to learn more about what we may see from the camera and other key areas.

Two of the Premier League’s traditional super powers face off at Stamford Bridge on Thursday as Chelsea take on Man United in the unfamiliar scenario of a mid-table match up.

Perfectly illustrating just how far off the pace they are from this season’s title contenders, both these sides come into this clash having failed to be beat relegation contenders at the weekend, with Chelsea playing out a 2-2 stalemate at home to Burnley and United having been held 1-1 away at Brentford.

Despite mediocre campaigns, both teams remain in contention for European qualification, making this a game a must-not-lose fixture for under pressure managers Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live, wherever you are in the world.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United: When and where?

Chelsea host Manchester Unitedat Stamford Bridge on Thursday, April 4. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. BST local time, which is 3:15 p.m. ET or 12:15 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 6:15 a.m. AEDT in Australia on Friday morning.

How to watch the Chelsea vs. Man Unitedgame 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 Chelsea vs. Man Unitedin the US

Thursday’s Chelsea vs. Man Unitedmatch is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Chelsea vs. Man Unitedgame in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The Manchester City vs. Aston Villa game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 1 HD channels as well as in 4K on TNT Sports Ultimate.

Livestream the Chelsea vs. Man Unitedgame in Canada

If you want to stream Chelsea vs. Man United live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Chelsea vs. Man Unitedgame 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.

It’s been 25 years since we’ve seen Tom Ripley on screen, and that’s all about to change. Netflix’s Ripley, which hails from Oscar-winner Steve Zaillian (Schindler’s List, The Irishman) and stars Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Fleabag), Johnny Flynn (Emma) and Dakota Fanning (The Alienist), premieres on Netflix on Thursday, April 4. This eight-episode adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s famed novels is a brilliant new take on the anti-hero story.

If you’re expecting a retread of The Talented Mr. Ripley (the 1999 movie starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow), you have another thing coming. The narrative bones may be the same, but this show is on another level entirely. Some may even call it a work of art.

Ripley follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a quick-witted grifter, as he struggles to find a lucrative niche amid the mean streets of New York. After an unexpected meeting with a wealthy shipping magnate, Tom heads to Italy to talk the man’s son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), into returning to the States. Instead of sticking to the plan, Tom befriends Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning), and discovers a radiant life filled with art, culture, and beauty. It’s what he’s always dreamed of, and he does whatever it takes to keep this newfound status; he lies, cheats and even kills.

Scott’s version of Tom Ripley vastly differs from Damon’s rendition. Damon brought a sinister, sociopathic flavor to Ripley. Scott, however, brings a clumsiness to his Ripley. There’s a flawed sense of humanity here that leads to an enduring sense of wonder from the audience. Are we to root for this guy or champion his demise?

It’s clear he’s troubled and does a slew of nasty things. But, as with Highsmith’s original story, the jury is ultimately out on whether Tom Ripley is evil.

From going toe-to-toe with Sherlock Holmes as his nemesis Moriarty, to making audiences swoon as Fleabag’s Hot Priest, and plucking heartstrings in the recent All of Us Strangers, Scott has proven his talents for bringing various stages of enigmatic trouble to life on screen. Ripley is Scott at his absolute best. He was born to play this role and commands every moment on screen — and trust us, there are many. Tom Ripley thrives in the silent pauses and empty spaces and Scott’s performance feels the loudest when things are most still.

Flynn and Fanning offer suitable foils to Tom’s awkward actions. Eliot Sumner delivers a memorable turn as Dickie’s pal Freddie Miles and Maurizio Lombardi’s subtle take on Inspector Pietro Ravini is a series highlight.

Stillness isn’t just Tom’s vibe; it’s an aesthetic that connects the series. Visually, Tom Ripley’s journey has an enduring brooding nature. There are influences here from Italian cinema of the ’50s and ’60s. There are pieces throughout that feel like homages to filmmakers Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni. It could also feel that way due to the story’s locale and the program’s black-and-white format.

Ripley is not just a noir story; it’s a period piece and a tragedy. The unique black-and-white perspective breathes life into this genre piece. Zaillian, the mastermind behind each episode, had a distinct vision when he embarked on this storytelling journey. The retro palette chosen for Tom Ripley’s story was a stroke of genius, adding an artistic quality and grounds the story in its period setting while keeping Ripley as the focal point.

The camera’s position remains fixed throughout the program, creating an immersive experience for the viewer to delve into the intricacies of Tom’s world in every frame. As the artist, Zaillian presents most scenes as a still life, allowing the audience to soak in the lush environments Mr. Ripley traverses — from New York’s seedy streets to Italy’s picturesque coastlines and opulent apartments.

Continuing with the quietness of the show’s narrative, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the story’s pacing. As a television series, Ripley is an outlier all around. One could quickly call this show a slow burn, yet it never drags. There’s always the looming specter on the horizon that Ripley could be found out at any moment, keeping the momentum on track. The stakes are high from the start, and they ebb and flow with each episode until a satisfying crescendo.

Saltburn drew comparisons to The Talented Mr. Ripley when it hit theaters in 2023. Netflix’s Ripley feels like an answer to Emerald Fennell’s flick’s audacity, offering a provocative and new perspective on the antihero. And there’s something super satisfying about watching Ripley break bad.

As the audience, we live vicariously through Mr. Ripley as he eludes law enforcement, commits fraud and takes on different identities. His adventure appeals to something dark and toothsome in all of us. And boy, is Ripley delicious.

Facebook is taking a page out of TikTok’s playbook. The social media giant is launching an updated video player that incorporates all video lengths and formats, including Reels, longer videos and live videos. As part of the update, horizontal videos can be opened up in full-screen mode, and a slider will appear to let you skip ahead in longer videos. Users will also get more “relevant” video recommendations on their Feed and in the Video Tab, regardless of video length.

If this all sounds familiar, it’s because this setup closely resembles what you’ll already find on competitor TikTok. Scrolling through the app’s For You page (or “home” page), you’ll find a combination of longer and shorter videos, a slider to move forward or backward and live videos dispersed throughout. TikTok has reportedly been experimenting with videos as long as 30 minutes, potentially encroaching on YouTube’s territory.

Facebook’s latest update is rolling out on iOS and Android in the US and Canada before eventually becoming available globally in the coming months. To pull up the player, tap on a video anywhere in Facebook’s app.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is no stranger to adopting popular features from competitors. Instagram notably mimicked Snapchat’s stories feature back in 2016 and launched Reels in 2020 in a bid to compete with short-form video giant TikTok. Now, Facebook is banking on a layout that’s worked well for TikTok, which now has over 1 billion monthly active users.

There’s a feature Facebook is adding that doesn’t exist on TikTok: the option to jump forward or backward in 10-second increments. Tapping on a video brings up controls that let you skip forward or go back with the tap of a button. A pause/play button will also appear.

Facebook also says it’ll surface more Reels “to meet the growing demand for this format.”

See also: This Privacy Setting Helps Keep Instagram and Facebook From Tracking You

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa and Adam Scott headline an impressive field that’s set to take on the TPC San Antonio this weekend at the Valero Texas Open.

The final event of the PGA Tour ahead of the all-important Masters, the event provides a last chance for players to earn a spot at the Augusta National.

Last year’s event saw Corey Conners win the tournament for a second time, ending a four-year winless run for the Canadian star.

Keep reading to find out the best live TV streaming services to use to watch each day of the tournament live wherever you are in the world.

Livestream the Texas Open 2024 in the US

Linear TV coverage in the US is on The Golf Channel and NBC, while streaming service Peacock also boasts the same coverage of the entire tournament.

For more comprehensive coverage, PGA Tour Live streaming coverage takes place Thursday through to Sunday on ESPN Plus, offering main action feeds, marquee groups, featured groups and featured hole coverage.

Four of the major live TV streaming services offer Golf Channel.

Livestream the Texas Open2024 in the UK

Golf fans in the UK can watch the tournament live on Sky Sports. The tournament will be broadcast across its Sky Sports Golf and Main Events channels, with further coverage on its Red Button service.

Livestream the Texas Open2024 in Australia

The Texas Open2024 can be watched Down Under on Fox Sports via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for the streaming service Kayo Sports.

Stream the Texas Open 2024 in Canada

Live coverage of the 2024 Texas Openwill be available in Canada via TSN. Cord-cutters can watch via the network’s streaming service TSN Plus. Coverage of the third round starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, while Sunday final round broadcast starts at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Quick tips for streaming the Texas Open2024 using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming 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 tournament 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.

Today’s Wordle isn’t the toughest word in the dictionary (we know, players, you’re still mad about SALLY being an answer back in March). Today’s answer is a much more commonly used word.

For me, this answer was pretty easy, because I have two regular start words, and between them, they gave me three of the five letters. Plus, it didn’t have any extremely rare letters or unusual patterns.

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 Thursday, April 4, puzzle #1020. 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 #1: Starts with two consonants

Just like yesterday’s word, today’s answer begins with two consonants.

Wordle hint #2: One vowel

But there’s only one vowel, so if you’ve nailed which one it is, you just need to work on the placement.

Wordle hint #3: Movie mania

The answer is also the first word in a song title from the musical The Sound of Music.

Wordle hint #4: Starting letter

The answer begins with the letter C.

Wordle hint #5: Meaning

The word means, “to go up or to ascend.”

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is CLIMB. Climb every Wordle mountain, ford every Wordle stream. Follow every rainbow, don’t run out of steam. Hey, not everybody can be Rodgers and Hammerstein, you know.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s answer was PLAIT, which sparked some debate between Americans and those abroad about what exactly you call a hair braid, and how you pronounce the word for it. PLAT or PLATE, your call. I thought that was a tough one, but a friend got it on his second guess.

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.

Samsung’s next update to its lineup of folding smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, has been rumored to have a boxier design when it launches this summer, with squared edges similar to those of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Now, new leaks say it’ll be thinner and lighter as well.

A known tipster, Ice Universe, posted on X on Wednesday that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would have an unfolded thickness of 5.6 millimeters, and a folded thickness of 12.1mm. That would make the device up to 10% thinner than last year’s model. Ice Universe also posted that the device will weigh 239 grams, putting it on par with the OnePlus Open and making it a little lighter than the 253-gram Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 Is Coming in July, Report Says

The buzz of rumors around the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 suggest that the folding smartphone is being prepped for a launch this July. Though foldable smartphones aren’t big sellers, they do make for a premium, futuristic-looking product that’s particularly popular among techies.

When it inevitably launches, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will give Samsung an opportunity to talk about innovation, using devices like its folding smartphones to gesture at magical-seeming technologies that used to exist only in sci-fi.

Read more: The Galaxy S24 Is Just the Start. Here’s What Else Samsung May Launch in 2024

Other companies have followed a similar approach, with Motorola in particular drawing attention during Mobile World Congress in March by showing off a smartphone designed to bend around your wrist like a bracelet. Unlike those prototypes though, Samsung offers its folding phones for sale, not just as a concept device.

One rumor that hasn’t surfaced about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is word about the price. Folding phones in general are still expensive, launching with price tags around $1,800 before discounts and incentives. That cost is far higher than the price of the Galaxy Z Fold’s more standard, candy bar-shaped cousins, such as phones in the Galaxy S24 line, which typically start at $800. Another downside is that foldables are fragile, though Samsung has improved on that with more-resilient screens and hinges.

Last year, Google warned users that it would stop supporting the Dropcam, Dropcam Pro and Nest Secure security devices on April 8, 2024. The date is next Monday, meaning people who still have these devices must figure out their next steps as device support is ending soon.

Once the date hits, a few things are going to happen. The affected devices will no longer record video. Users will have access to their prior video histories for the remainder of their subscriptions, which The Verge says can range from five to 30 days. Once the subscription end date passes, video history will become inaccessible, so if you want to save anything, you should do so as soon as possible.

Dropcam user instructions

For Dropcam owners, Google has two different offers. The first is a 50% discount toward the purchase of an indoor wired Nest Cam for people who aren’t subscribed to Nest Aware. Those who are subscribed to Nest Aware can get the Nest Cam for free. Google should have already emailed the promotion to users, but if you didn’t receive one, you may want to contact Google support.

The Nest Cam is Google’s least expensive camera, but it doesn’t lack in features. In our review, we called it a great little camera. Users who end up with one can get three hours of cloud storage for free along with smart alerts that detect people, pets and objects that are moving around the room. It should serve as a solid upgrade to the outgoing Dropcam.

Nest Secure user instructions

Nest Secure users also have two options when it comes to migration. The first is a free Self Setup System from ADT where you can transition into ADT’s service to keep using your device. Google will handle the bill, provided that the system costs less than $485, according to PCMag. Alternatively, Google is offering a $200 voucher that can be used on the Google Store to purchase newer Nest products to replace the Nest Secure.

Nest Secure users with Nest x Yale Locks have a few additional steps to perform. Once April 8 comes and goes, the Nest Guard keypad won’t be able to connect your lock to Wi-Fi anymore. To avoid being locked out, you’ll need to procure a Nest Connect if you don’t already have one. Google is giving people a free Nest Connect if they own a Nest Secure. Most people should’ve received their emails for it by now but if not, you may want to check your deleted and spam folders and then get in touch with Google support.

The final thing affected users will want to do is cancel their Nest Aware subscription if they no longer need it. To do so, head to home.nest.com or use the Google Home app. Google will not cancel your subscription automatically if you no longer own products that can use Nest Aware, so you’ll need to do that yourself if you no longer need it.

Why is Google ending support for Dropcam and Nest Secure?

In 2023, Google unified its smart home ecosystem under the Google Home and Google Assistant Umbrella. Google determined that the Nest Secure and the two Dropcam devices were too old to integrate properly with the new system and have thus ceased support. The rest of the Google Nest hardware family is still supported for the time being.

Google began its migration last year when the company asked Nest users to migrate their accounts from Nest to Google Home. Around that same time, Google released a script editor so that Nest users could continue using home automation. Nest account holders were also encouraged to migrate their Nest accounts to a Google account so that they wouldn’t lose functionality when the company shut down Works with Nest.

Since then, Google has migrated the rest of its Nest lineup to the Google Home app where they can be managed as they were in the Nest app. Anyone who still hasn’t migrated their Nest accounts yet is encouraged by Google to do so before support ends so they can continue using their tech after April 8.

Discord, the voice and video chat service for gamers that’s more recently expanded its scope, is joining the long list of free services that use ads to support their platform. The change is an about-face for a company that’s long held an anti-advertising view.

Ads should start showing up on Discord within the week, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The ad slots will be offered to game developers as a way for them to get Discord users and their friends to play their games, earning the developers money from sales, in-app purchases and in-game ads.

Instead of standard ads, however, the Discord advertisements will appear in the form of “sponsored quests,” Discord Senior Vice President Peter Sellis said in a blog post last month. When someone streams over Discord and they’re playing a game with a sponsored quest, they’ll have the opportunity to perform the quest while others watch. Viewers can then hop into the game and also complete the quest for rewards.

Discord reportedly said it’ll target ads based on a user’s gameplay, age and geographic location, but you can turn off your personalization in the app’s settings.

Here’s what we know so far about sponsored quests.

Sponsored quests aren’t new

Sponsored quests are something Discord has tried before. The chat service collaborated with Epic Games and Lucasfilm Games for a sponsored quest in May 2023. Players could share Fortnite gameplay with their friends in a Discord stream, complete the quests, and earn Star Wars-inspired skins that were exclusive to the event. It’s likely the new sponsored quests will work in a similar way.

Currently, you can disable quests in the app’s privacy settings. However, that setting may be altered or removed when sponsored quests officially launch.

In addition to adding advertising, Discord will also ramp up its efforts to sell things such as sponsored profile flair in its shop. This initiative began last week with the release of the Valorant collection, which includes avatar decorations and profile effects inspired by the game. Such sponsored collections will join the profile flair already available in the shop.

The move to advertising comes amid a push to generate more revenue for the chat service. Discord laid off 17% of its workforce back in January. The company has attracted plenty of investors, but it’s never posted a profit, despite large revenue gains over the last few years and hundreds of millions of registered users.

During an interview with Bloomberg, Discord CEO James Citron said Discord hopes “every game will offer quests on Discord.” He also told Bloomberg that Discord will likely file for an initial public offering at some point and become a publicly traded company.

For now, Discord likely hopes that sponsored quests and collections in its shop fare better than the company’s game store, which lasted two years before it was axed in 2021.

How will sponsored quests work?

Developers who pay for a sponsored quest from Discord are hoping to encourage a game-playing user’s friends who are watching the stream to also play their game. A sponsored quest will pop up, a game-playing user will be able to engage in the quest through Discord’s interface, and once they complete the quest, other users in the stream will have the opportunity to tackle the challenge. After they finish a quest, users will be able to claim rewards to redeem in-game.

What will sponsored quests look like?

Once you start streaming a game that has a sponsored quest, while friends are watching, you’ll receive a prompt to engage in the quest. Once you’re done, another pop-up will appear to let you know the quest is complete and that the rewards are available to redeem. People watching the stream may also get pop-ups inviting them to perform the quest once the streamer finishes. The exact graphics will be available after sponsored quests launch.

Can I turn off sponsored quests?

Yes, for now. Open Discord and navigate to the Privacy & Safety section of the Settings. There, you should see a selection for In-game rewards (aka Quests). Turn off that setting.

But know that this setting is likely to change when sponsored quests go live.

“Users can opt out of personalized promotions for quests based on activity or data shared with Discord,” a representative for Discord said in an email. “Users may still see quests, however, if they navigate to their gift inventory and/or through contextual entry points, like a user’s friends’ activity. They’ll also have the option to hide an in-app promotion for a specific quest or game they’re not interested in.”

When will Discord launch sponsored quests?

Discord didn’t give an exact release date, but it did tell The Wall Street Journal that it would be sometime during the first week of April.

Will I see advertising if I don’t stream?

We won’t know until the update fully launches. However, it appears that the majority of the advertising will be shown only to people who use Discord’s streaming feature. But if you don’t stream, you may still see pop-ups, as Discord does advertise events through its notifications.