Technologies

Save $100 on the AI-Powered Google Pixel 9 at Best Buy

Stop spending hours hunting for screenshots and editing by hand: with built-in Gemini AI, the Google Pixel 9 automates your tasks and makes taking beautiful photos a snap.

We keep almost everything on our smartphones nowadays, from our communications to our photos to our calendars. But the more data piles up on our devices, the harder it can be to find when we need it, or to put it to use without cumbersome scrolling and searching.

Google’s Pixel 9 changes all that with generative AI that sees everything on your phone and assists with exactly the task you need done right now. Google’s built-in Gemini AI also helps you take great photos even in less-than-ideal conditions. and easily edit or reimagine them the way you want. It doesn’t skimp on hardware, either, making it the whole package: CNET’s reviewer says the Pixel 9 «shines for its great camera, elegant design, and clean software.»

There’s never been a better time for an AI-forward upgrade: now through October 6, you can save $100 when you buy the Pixel 9 at Best Buy.

Always-on AI assistance at your fingertips

No matter where you are on the Google Pixel 9, AI is never more than a long-press away. All you have to do is click and hold the power button or voice the wakeup phrase to activate Gemini. What sets it apart from other chatbots is that it already has the context it needs to deliver what you ask.

Say you have come across a photo of a landmark on Instagram, you can simply tell Gemini to explain what’s on your screen, and it will automatically grab a screenshot and find out more about it for you. If you need to take notes on an important call, Gemini can do it for you. If someone texts you an invite, it can add it to your calendar.

Similarly, the built-in Pixel Screenshots app leverages Gemini AI’s smarts to organize your heaps of screenshots. As opposed to manually going through your gallery to retrieve a piece of information you screen-grabbed weeks ago, you can punch in what you are looking for, like an Airbnb Wi-Fi password or a restaurant receipt, and the app will pull up all matching screenshots.

AI experiences are incomplete without a little whimsy, and the Pixel 9 is no different. Its Pixel Studio service can produce AI-generated imagery of just about anything, based on brief prompts — perfect for whether you need visuals for your new business or an invite for a Pokémon-themed game night.

A camera that lets your imagination run wild

Spending hours to set up a shot doesn’t always guarantee flawless results. Some aspects of taking photos, like a passerby walking into your scene when you’re about to click, or gloomy weather in the background, will never be in your control. The Google Pixel 9 changes that. Its pair of rear cameras can still snap high-quality photos even in less-than-ideal conditions, but it’s what it allows you to do after you click the button that stands out.

Is there an unwanted object or person in your photos? Just tap or circle them, and Pixel 9’s Magic Editor will get rid of them without ruining the rest of the image. A trash can in your selfie’s backdrop? Ask Magic Editor to replace it with flowers. Cloudy sky? Magic Editor can switch it to bright and sunny.

The Pixel 9 eliminates the need to request strangers to take your group’s photo, too. Its «Add Me» tool intelligently merges two pictures: each taken by a different member of the group, so that everyone can be in the final shot. You don’t have to worry about aligning the two frames, either. The phone superimposes where everyone was positioned in the first photo so that the second photographer can frame their shot accordingly.

Get your Google Pixel 9 at Best Buy

Since Google promises seven years of updates and new features every few months, the Pixel 9 won’t go out of style anytime soon, irrespective of new models and successors. So grab yours at Best Buy and save an extra $100 on it now.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 8, #562

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 8 No. 562.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Working out.

Green group hint: Cover your face.

Blue group hint: NFL players.

Purple group hint: Leap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Exercises in singular form.

Green group: Sporting jobs that require masks.

Blue group: Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Purple group: ____ jump.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is exercises in singular form. The four answers are crunch, plank, situp and squat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sporting jobs that require masks. The four answers are catcher, fencer, football player and goaltender.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame defensive ends. The four answers are Dent, Peppers, Strahan and Youngblood.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ jump. The four answers are broad, high, long and triple.

Technologies

The $135M Google Data Settlement Site Is Live — See If You’re Eligible

Use the settlement website to select your preferred payment method, and you may end up $100 richer.

You can now file a claim in the $135 million Google data settlement. The case centers on claims that Android devices transmitted user data without consent. Specifically, the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC contends that Google’s Android devices passively transferred cellular data to Google without user permission, even when the devices were idle. While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $135 million to about 100 million US Android phone users.

The official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live. The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will consider whether Google’s settlement is fair and listen to objections. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much will I get paid?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.