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Verizon Goes After Switchers With a New Welcome Unlimited Plan Discount

Verizon is lowering some of its pricing to fight T-Mobile.

Verizon is making some small adjustments to its cheapest unlimited plan in its latest bid to lure new users. The carrier has announced that it will be running a «limited time» offer that will drop the price for its Welcome Unlimited offering by $5 a month, pitting it more closely comparable to rival T-Mobile’s Essentials and Base Essentials offerings. The new deal starts on Friday.

In addition to the cheaper price, Verizon is also noting that those who take advantage of this deal will be getting a «three-year price guarantee.» T-Mobile has been touting its own «price lock» promise that it won’t raise its plan pricing on a variety of its most recent plans.

Verizon’s change is available to new users of Welcome Unlimited. Under the offer, the rates will be the following (assuming automatic payments and paper-free billing are set up):

  • 1 line: $60 a month (down from $65)
  • 2 lines: $50 per line, per month (down from $55 per line, per month)
  • 3 lines: $35 per line, per month (down from $40 per line, per month)
  • 4+ lines: $25 per line, per month (down from $30 per line, per month for four lines)

The deal is not available for existing Welcome Unlimited users. If you have Welcome Unlimited right now you’re stuck with the rate you have. If you have Welcome Unlimited and wanted to add a line, however, the new line — and only the new line — would be discounted at the above rate.

First introduced in July, the Welcome Unlimited plan is Verizon’s answer to T-Mobile’s cheaper Essentials and Base Essentials plans. It includes unlimited talk, text and data, but there are no perks like the free Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu), and it comes with a handful of other restrictions that are worth keeping in mind.

For one, all lines on the account will need to be on this plan — you cannot «mix and match» lines on a family plan that would’ve allowed you to get perks like the Disney Bundle from one line while also getting the cheaper rates on the others. There are no discounts on upgrading to new phones when on Welcome Unlimited; you will need to bring your own device or pay full price to upgrade.

And while you will have unlimited talk, text and data, those on Welcome Unlimited do not have access to Verizon’s fastest 5G flavor (what the carrier calls «5G Ultra Wideband») and do not get mobile hotspot access.

The new offer comes as Verizon looks to turn around a recent string of poor results that have seen customers flee its network for different providers. The carrier had been busy raising prices earlier in the year, and customers have left as a result. In its most recent quarter, the carrier reported a loss of 189,000 wireless postpaid phone users.

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.


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The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.

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Technologies

Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code

It’s dangerous to explore Kairos without some legendary gear. These promo codes will unlock epic loot and vault hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.

The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and tons of players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control time, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.

Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.

If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.

All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4

You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.

Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:

Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes

Reward SHiFT code Expiration date
Golden Key WZK3B-SHTHF-JZ59K-SBT3B-TWHXT Oct. 19, 2025
Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5 Jan. 1, 2031
Amon Cult Classic Skin JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB Dec. 31, 2030
Rafa Savings Savior Skin TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B Dec. 31, 2030
Break Free Cosmetics Pack JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R Jan. 1, 2031
Golden Key T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9 No expiration

How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account

While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.

SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.

Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.

However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes, and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.

Where are SHiFT codes normally released?

SHiFT codes are released fairly frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.

What are SHiFT codes?

SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.

But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.

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Technologies

Barack Obama Reveals He Only Plays This One Phone Game

No, it’s not Wordle or Connections, but you’ve almost certainly heard of it.

Many of us rely on our smartphones for entertainment as well as communication, playing New York Times games such as Wordle, Connections and Strands on our phones. (CNET has daily answers for those games, plus Connections: Sports Edition and the Mini Crossword, if you’re ever stumped.) Now, one very famous person recently revealed that he plays only one phone game — and it’s one you’ve likely heard of.


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Former President Barack Obama appeared on the final episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maronhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1686-barack-obama/id329875043?i=1000731550704#link={%22linkText%22:%22final episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22href%22:%22https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1686-barack-obama/id329875043?i=1000731550704%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22}on Monday. He revealed the only game he plays on his phone is Words With Friends.

Obama says he plays the word game to keep up his friendship with longtime White House photographer Pete Souza.

«I could be in the middle of negotiations on a nuclear treaty, and if that ping goes off, there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘I wonder what [word] he [Pete Souza] played,» Obama said.

Words With Friends is similar to, but not associated with, the world-building game Scrabble. It was released in 2009 and is owned by game company Zynga, and can be played on devices running iOS and Android. Players take turns creating words on a game board using their rack of seven letter tiles, trying to score as high as possible while using special bonus squares to double or triple their points. As of Tuesday, Words With Friends ranked No. 14 on the free Word Games list in the Apple App Store.

Obama did not share whether he or Souza tends to win the majority of the pair’s games.

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