Technologies

AirPods Pro 2 Just Hit an All-Time Low at $200 as Black Friday Deals Heat Up

This Black Friday deal knocks $50 off the price of a set of AirPods Pro 2, bringing them down to a new all-time-low. Buy them now before they sell out.

The refreshed, second-gen AirPods Pro just hit shelves in September. They’re Apple’s most advanced earbuds on the market. With Black Friday just hours away, deals are already in full swing at major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and more.

For AirPods Pro 2 specifically, you can get your hands on a pair for less than ever before.

Amazon, Target, Walmart and Best Buy all have these cutting-edge Apple earbuds on sale for $200, which is the lowest price we’ve seen since they were released and saves you $49 compared with the Apple store price. There’s no clear-cut expiration at any of the retailers, but deals on the latest Apple devices rarely last for long. We’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you’re hoping to grab a pair at this price.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022

See at Amazon

The 2022 AirPods Pro offer better noise cancellation, an adaptive transparency mode, a longer battery life and a speaker in the charging case (which also works with Apple’s Find My app). There’s also a new personalized spatial audio feature along with swipe gestures for controlling playback.

Other neat additions over the 2019 AirPods Pro include a loop for attaching a lanyard to the case as well as the ability to charge the AirPods Pro 2 using an Apple Watch cable (as well as via Lightning or MagSafe), reducing the number of cables you need to pack when traveling.

CNET’s David Carnoy wrote in his review of the AirPods Pro 2 that he was impressed with how much Apple was able to improve the noise cancellation, sound quality and battery life of these already-popular devices. And if you’re looking to save on a different pair of Apple earbuds, you can check up our roundup of all the best AirPods deals you can take advantage of right now.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 28, #551

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 28, No. 551.

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.

Michiganders, today’s Connections: Sports Edition is calling your name. Players will also notice a certain primary color showing up a lot. 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: The Great Lakes State.

Green group hint: What happens when you’re at the plate.

Blue group hint: Not yellow or blue.

Purple group hint: Hallmark makes these.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Michigan teams.

Green group: Outcomes in an at-bat.

Blue group: «Red» teams.

Purple group: ____ card.

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 Michigan teams. The four answers are Lions, Pistons, Spartans and Tigers.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is outcomes in an at-bat. The four answers are fielder’s choice, hit, strikeout and walk.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is «red» teams. The four answers are Red Bulls, Red Sox, Red Storm and Red Wings.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ card. The four answers are baseball, lineup, red and wild.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, March 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 28.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I didn’t get off to a good start, as 1-Across stumped me. But once I filled in some other answers, it all came together. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Makes a choice, with «for»
Answer: OPTS

5A clue: Like winters in Buffalo and Boulder
Answer: SNOWY

6A clue: ___ Island (N.Y.C. borough)
Answer: STATEN

7A clue: HBO show that spawned the Idris Elba quote «I want you to put the word out there, that we back up»
Answer: THEWIRE

8A clue: Genre for Cardi B or Jay-Z
Answer: HIPHOP

9A clue: Remove from the top of one’s profile, as a post
Answer: UNPIN

10A clue: Consider to be
Answer: DEEM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Done impulsively
Answer: ONAWHIM

2D clue: Magical concoction
Answer: POTION

3D clue: Little scamp
Answer: TWERP

4D clue: «Auld Lang ___»
Answer: SYNE

5D clue: Vast Eurasian grassland
Answer: STEPPE

6D clue: Follower of «sun» (for weather) or «moon» (for liquor)
Answer: SHINE

7D clue: Land with a ___ (fail)
Answer: THUD

Technologies

New Vizio TVs Will Require Walmart Accounts, Report Says

The retail giant bought TV manufacturer Vizio in 2024 to push advertising, one report claims.

Customers who buy a new Vizio TV may need to sign in with a Walmart account to use streaming features.

A Walmart representative confirmed to Ars Technica that its online logins will be «mandatory on select new Vizio OS TVs» for users who set up and install streaming apps.

It’s unclear which new models and versions of its OS are affected, and whether this requirement could also apply to existing TVs.

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

Vizio released its latest Quantum 4K TV in January, one of the company’s first new models since Walmart acquired the manufacturer in December 2024. Some industry insiders saw the deal as a way for Walmart to push advertising to Vizio’s large install base.

PCMag’s TV expert Will Greenwald confirmed to CNET that he needed «to enable sharing viewing information to turn on the streaming features» on the Quantum 4K TV, but wasn’t asked for a Walmart login. Greenwald said he was still able to stream after turning the setting off. (PCMag is owned by the same company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Most new TVs require a login to set them up — Samsung TVs use Samsung accounts, Fire TVs use Amazon accounts, Google TVs use Google accounts, and so on. Since 2024, Vizio TVs have also required a Vizio login, but this appears to be the first time a Walmart login is required as well. It’s unusual for a television to force owners to use a third-party retailer account just to watch content. The move highlights how even affordable tech can come with unexpected digital strings attached.

Vizio ranks among the top brands for budget-conscious buyers, and its TVs and soundbars have been regular recipients of CNET’s Editors’ Choice Awards.