Technologies

Save Up to $900 With B&H’s Limited-Time MacBook Pro Special Offers

With several recent Apple laptops discounted by $100 or more, now’s the time to upgrade.

With solid build quality and years of software updates, Apple’s laptops offer great longevity. But if you’ve been holding on to an aging MacBook for a little too long, now might be the time to pull the trigger on an upgrade, with as much as $900 off recent MacBook Pro models at B&H. These limited-time discounts apply to several different configurations and display sizes, so you can find one to meet your budget with prices from $1,199.

See at B&H

The most affordable model in the sale is Apple’s M1-powered MacBook Pro. This machine, released in 2020, offers a 13-inch Retina display and efficient M1 processor, which has an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. Despite being an entry-level pro machine, it’s equipped with key features like two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 6 and Apple’s Touch Bar control strip. It’s seeing a $100 discount on the model with a 256GB solid-state drive and 8GB of RAM, or you can take $500 off the higher-spec 1TB/16GB configuration.

If you want a little extra power or a larger display, you can step up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro models from $1,699. These 2021 machines feature Apple’s fancy Retina XDR display with mini-LED technology, as well as more powerful M1 Pro or M1 Max chips. These upgraded chips offer more cores dedicated to graphics processing than the base M1 (with 14, 16 or 32 GPU cores) making them ideal for multimedia workflows. Essential ports like USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, MagSafe and even an SD card slot are all on board too. A variety of configurations are on sale with discounts running from $300 to $900.

At the top end, the 16-inch MacBook Pro offers the biggest display of the bunch, as well as the best battery life, for those who need to take a whole workstation on the go. Prices start at $2,999, which is $300 less than usual, with discounts running as high as $600 for those who need the bigger 2021 machine.

Though all of the laptops on sale at B&H are now previous-gen models and have been supplanted on our list of Best MacBooks by the 2022 versions, they’re still worth considering if you prefer to save a chunk of cash rather than have the very latest model. If these older MacBook Pro models aren’t for you, be sure to check out our Best MacBook deals roundup for more promotions.

Technologies

Tariff Surprise: Smartphones and Computers Get Exempted in Late-Night Reversal

The Trump administration has spared iPhones, laptops and other electronics from its reciprocal tariffs, but it’s unclear if that’ll last.

Another twist in the tariff saga: Smartphones, laptops and other consumer electronics may not see soaring prices due to tariffs after all, at least for the time being.

Late Friday, the Trump administration exempted such products from the reciprocal tariffs it had imposed earlier, including the 125% fees levied on imports from China, where many tech and electronics products are manufactured.

A notice to shippers posted late Friday by US Customs and Border Protection included a list of tariff codes for product categories that won’t be subject to the fees. Code 8471 covers computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing, Reuters reported. Flat panel displays, memory chips and semiconductors will also sidestep the tariff fees, the news outlet said.

Industry observers had feared massive price hikes on tech and other gear as a result of tariffs, and concerns had prompted some consumers to rush to buy iPhones and other products. Apple Store employees saw an uptick in foot traffic last weekend, with one worker telling Bloomberg that the surge felt like the holiday shopping season.

It’s unclear whether the exemption will stay in place, however, with both Bloomberg and The New York Times reporting that different tariff fees may end up affecting electronics equipment down the line.

What this means for you

If your head’s spinning over all the back-and-forth tariff developments, you’re definitely not alone. What does it mean for the prices you’ll see when crossing things off your shopping list? The short answer is: Don’t be surprised if you wind up paying more for at least some goods and services. For details, you can check out our Tariffs Explained piece.

And before this latest news, we asked CNET experts to give us their best predictions and advice when it comes to shopping for tech products like laptops, phones, TVs and more. See their responses in our Buy or Wait guide.

Although a CNET survey showed that some people are rushing to buy tech gear before anticipated price rises, experts caution against busting out the credit card. If you already had your eye on a particular product and you’d set aside the money for it, buying now, or during an upcoming sale, could help you save money. It could also help you breathe a little easier. But again, be wary of taking on debt. Find out more here.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 13, #406

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 406 for April 13.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a real puzzler. Even once I solved it, I had to get the spangram before I knew what the heck was connecting all the answers, and even then, it took me a minute. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Orange door hinge

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Sounds like a hue.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

HELP, HELL, THEY, HEEL, SEAT, POSE, PLAT, PILE, COPE, COLE, ROLE, SHELF, LOAD, POLL, GREY

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

FLEW, QUEEN, HELLO, PILOT, HEIGHT, PLAQUE, SPREAD (The colors they rhyme with are blue, green, yellow, violet, white, black and red.)

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is COLORRHYMES. To find it, start with the C that’s four letters down on the far left and wind up, then down and over.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 13, #202

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 202, for April 13.

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.

Connections: Sports Edition is tough every day, but I found today’s puzzle to be a tiny bit easier than usual. Team and athlete names are scattered throughout, so be sure to look for those. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it 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: Hoops info.

Green group hint: Fore!

Blue group hint: Honored athletes.

Purple group hint: Charm City.