Technologies

AirPods 4 Drop to New $69 Low With This Black Friday Bargain

The budget-friendly Apple AirPods are now cheaper than ever before — if you’re quick.

Black Friday is still a few days away, but that hasn’t stopped incredible deals from flowing early. There are tons of offers across all categories, including this Black Friday deal that slashes the price of Apple’s AirPods 4 to a new all-time low.

You can pick up the entry-level AirPods 4 for just $69 right now (normally $129). That is for the non-ANC version, which is still a great buy, especially at this price. Alternatively, the AirPods 4 with ANC are down to $100 from $179. Both are at new record lows, making these some of the best Apple audio deals of the season.

The Apple AirPods 4 are available in two formats. The non-ANC version usually runs $129, while the ANC model typically sells for $179. With this discount, you pay only $69 for the non-ANC model. These AirPods have been redesigned for a more comfortable fit. The Apple H2 chip allows for voice isolation whenever you have to take calls in a noisy environment. The AirPods 4 also offer personalized spatial audio and a battery life of up to 20 hours.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

These AirPods are dustproof and waterproof and include a smaller case for easier carrying. You can use them with Siri for added voice control options, which lets you start calls or choose your audio. You can also shake your head or nod to respond to prompts.

Looking for deals on other new Apple devices? We rounded up the best iPhone 17 and Apple Watch Series 11 deals.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Apple AirPods Max ANC Wireless Headphones (USB-C Charging, Midnight):

$480 (save $70)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones:

$298 (save $131)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones:

$170 (save $180)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$250 (save $200)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Apple makes superb audio gear, and the AirPods offer good sound quality and a comfortable fit for most people. «They may not be quite as cheap or as small as the AirPods 2, but they sound a lot better and have a lot more features,» says CNET audio expert David Carnoy, who thought $100 would be a good price for them.

The lower-priced AirPods lack noise-canceling features, but for just $69, this is a deal you should seriously consider.

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Technologies

SXSW 2026 Updates: What We Expect on Tech and Culture From Austin

Technologies

Uber May Soon Let You Book a Zoox Robotaxi in Las Vegas and LA

Amazon-owned Zoox hopes to start offering paid robotaxi rides to regular riders sometime this year. Right now, the rides are free.

No steering wheel, no pedals, no problem. Zoox announced Wednesday that it’s partnering with Uber to make its robotaxis available on the ride-hailing company’s app in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, pending US government approval.

The multiyear partnership, announced by Zoox and Uber on Wednesday, would enable Uber customers to get rides on Zoox robotaxis in Vegas this summer and in LA in 2027. After the partnership launches, the app will match riders with robotaxis on eligible trips, Uber said in a statement. Zoox will also offer rides on its robotaxis through its own app, so customers can use either the Uber or Zoox app to ride in the vehicles.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called Zoox an «ideal partner» in a statement.

«The Zoox robotaxi is unlike any othervehicle on the planet — it was purpose-built from the ground up to deliveran extraordinary experience,» Khosrowshahi said. «Zoox’scommitment to safety and their advanced autonomous driving technology makethem an ideal partner. We’re thrilled to work together to introduce moreriders to the future of mobility.»

Zoox, founded in 2014 and acquired by Amazon in 2020, currently offers free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco during its demonstration phase of service. The company said its robotaxis have logged more than 1 million miles for more than 300,000 riders.

Zoox is also conducting tests in six other cities — Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, DC, and Austin, Texas — and announced earlier this week that Dallas and Phoenix are next. Only people in San Francisco and Las Vegas can currently get test rides through the Zoox app.

«We’re taking a measured, step-by-step approach by starting small, learning quickly, and scaling responsibly,» Zoox said in its announcement Wednesday. «This partnership with Uber will mirror that approach, beginning with a controlled deployment with the potential to expand as we refine our operations, technology, and customer experience.»

No steering wheel

The Zoox is a fully autonomous vehicle that can carry up to four passengers (PDF). It has no steering wheel, no accelerator or brake pedals, and is bidirectional, meaning it can go forward and reverse by simply switching which end of the car is considered the front. There are touchscreens and emergency call buttons. Zoox had early issues with erratic braking that caused injuries and a crash, but addressed the issue through software updates during the ensuing investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti caught a ride in a Zoox in Las Vegas. She said she felt «oddly at ease as I watch a stream of cars, chain restaurants and desert landscape flash past the windows.»

Before it can start making money on its robotaxi rides, Zoox must get an exemption from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. NHTSA is now accepting public comments on Zoox’s application for the exemption — you can post a comment here until April 10.

Zoox is seeking eight federal vehicle safety exemptions, including from rules requiring windshield wipers and windshield defrosting systems, TechCrunch reported.

Waymo is currently the main player in the US robotaxi market, with fully autonomous service in 10 US cities. But several other companies are looking to ramp up their self-driving presence this year, including Zoox, Tesla and Uber. That market expansion aligns with a Goldman Sachs forecast that more than 35,000 robotaxis will operate in the US in 2030, up from 1,500 currently. That would represent 8% of the rideshare market, with traditional human-driven rideshare comprising the other 92%.

Uber has partnerships with 25 other robotaxi services around the world, primarily Waymo — you can use the Uber app to get Waymo rides in Atlanta and Austin — and China’s Baidu, which will be testing self-driving rides in London this year.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 12, #1005

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for March 12 No.1,005.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

I spotted a couple of the categories in today’s NYT Connections puzzle, but the fact that I don’t take a lot of gym classes hurt my knowledge. You avid exercisers will have an advantage today. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Beach time.

Green group hint: This way, then that way.

Blue group hint: Workout time.

Purple group hint: Chirp!