Technologies

HBO Max Will Relaunch in May as Max for the Same Monthly Price

The «enhanced» streaming option will still cost $16 for ad-free, but another premium plan is being added.

HBO Max as we know it is changing.

April marks one year since the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery. Last year, the new Warner Bros. Discovery promised to introduce by summer 2023 a revamped streaming service that combines content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus, and the rebranded platform now has a name: Max.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the name Wednesday during a virtual press event, along with the tagline, «The One to Watch.» Global streaming boss J.B. Perrette said the new streaming service will roll out in the US on May 23. Viewers in Latin America will get Max this fall, with Europe, Asia and other markets to follow in 2024.

Max will stick with HBO Max’s current price plans, at $10 per month for the ad-supported subscription and $16 monthly for ad-free with two streams, and it’ll offer a new, ad-free $20 «Ultimate» option that features four concurrent streams, 4K HDR video, Dolby Atmos audio and more downloads.

wbd-prices-max-service — Subscription plans for the Max streaming service.

Warner Bros. Discovery; screenshot by CNET

Since the current version of HBO Max includes 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos and three streams in the $16 ad-free tier, the new plan structure amounts to a $4 price hike for viewers who want higher streaming quality and the ability to watch on more than two devices at the same time.

Discovery Plus will remain a standalone streaming option priced at $5 per month for the ad-supported plan and $7 monthly for the ad-free version. The platform houses a variety of reality shows, sports and infotainment from more than 20 networks, such as TLC, HGTV, Food Network and Animal Planet.

HBO Max began adding Discovery Plus titles to its platform in September. Viewers are able to stream shows like Fixer Upper from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network empire, as well as other Discovery-branded fare, like Maine Cabin Masters and Trixie Motel. Though HBO Max is no stranger to the world of unscripted TV, the addition of niche content from Discovery’s portfolio caters to audiences with an appetite for nonfiction.

Chief Content Officer Kathleen Finch spoke about the slew of new original releases coming to Max, including reality series Barbie’s Dreamhouse Challenge, TinyToons Looniversity and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. The company is building out universes for The Conjuring, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and The Big Bang Theory with a slate of new projects. More 90 Day Fiance and Magnolia series are also in the pipeline.

In the last 12 months, Warner Bros. Discovery made significant programming changes to HBO Max under the leadership of Zaslav, a Discovery veteran. More than six dozen movies and TV shows have been canceled, licensed out or removed from the platform altogether, including scripted favorites like Westworld and reality series such as Craftopia. Some projects — such as Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt — were scrapped as a cost-cutting measure. Ahead of both streamers’ catalogs consolidating, Discovery Plus lost a handful of titles too, including House Haunters and Love in the Jungle.

Compared with rivals Paramount and Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a different route with its two services. Paramount Plus folded Showtime content into its app and offers the combined version as a premium bundle, with standalone options still currently available. The company also rebranded Showtime’s linear cable channel as «Paramount Plus with Showtime,» which airs content from both brands. Though Disney Plus and Hulu remain separate streaming platforms, they can be bundled in three packages. Some Disney-owned titles are available to stream on both services at the same time.

Since taking the reins, Zaslav has been eyeing Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon’s Prime Video as top competitors in the streaming business. During his 2021 keynote speech at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference, he described the prospect of a unified Discovery Plus-Warner offering as «complete» and «competitive with Netflix and Disney.»

When discussing the launch of Max today, Zaslav said, «Max is the one to watch» for its navigation capabilities, content and global reach.

Technologies

iPhone Battery Draining Fast? You Might Need to Undo These 3 Settings

If battery life is your priority, consider turning off features like haptic vibration.

It’s not just your imagination: Your iPhone’s battery doesn’t last as long as it used to. That’s because every phone’s battery gradually loses its ability to hold a charge. But even if your iPhone is a few years old, you shouldn’t have to keep it in Low Power Mode all day. By making a few small changes, you can give your battery life a big boost.

Whether you’re using your phone to get directions, stream music or send that one last text, the last thing you want is for it to shut down at the worst possible moment. Instead of scrambling for a charger or switching on Low Power Mode every few hours, take a minute to check your iPhone settings. Turning off a few power-draining features could be the fix your battery desperately needs-and it only takes seconds to do.

You can also keep an eye on your Battery Health menu — it’ll tell you your battery health percentage (80% or higher is considered good), as well as show you how many times you’ve cycled your battery and whether or not your battery is «normal.»

We’ll explain three iOS features that put a strain on your iPhone’s battery to varying degrees, and show how you can turn them off to help preserve battery life. Here’s what you need to know.

Turn off widgets on your iPhone lock screen

All the widgets on your lock screen force your apps to automatically run in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information the widgets display, like sports scores or the weather. Because these apps are constantly running in the background due to your widgets, that means they continuously drain power.

If you want to help preserve some battery on iOS 18, the best thing to do is simply avoid widgets on your lock screen (and home screen). The easiest way to do this is to switch to another lock screen profile: Press your finger down on your existing lock screen and then swipe around to choose one that doesn’t have any widgets.

If you want to just remove the widgets from your existing lock screen, press down on your lock screen, hit Customize, choose the Lock Screen option, tap on the widget box and then hit the «—« button on each widget to remove them.

Reduce the motion of your iPhone UI

Your iPhone user interface has some fun, sleek animations. There’s the fluid motion of opening and closing apps, and the burst of color that appears when you activate Siri with Apple Intelligence, just to name a couple. These visual tricks help bring the slab of metal and glass in your hand to life. Unfortunately, they can also reduce your phone’s battery life.

If you want subtler animations across iOS, you can enable the Reduce Motion setting. To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and toggle on Reduce Motion.

Switch off your iPhone’s keyboard vibration

Surprisingly, the keyboard on the iPhone has never had the ability to vibrate as you type, an addition called «haptic feedback» that was added to iPhones with iOS 16. Instead of just hearing click-clack sounds, haptic feedback gives each key a vibration, providing a more immersive experience as you type. According to Apple, the very same feature may also affect battery life.

According to this Apple support page about the keyboard, haptic feedback «might affect the battery life of your iPhone.» No specifics are given as to how much battery life the keyboard feature drains, but if you want to conserve battery, it’s best to keep this feature disabled.

Fortunately, it is not enabled by default. If you’ve enabled it yourself, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic to turn off haptic feedback for your keyboard.

For more tips on iOS, read about how to access your Control Center more easily and why you might want to only charge your iPhone to 95%.

Technologies

Dyson’s OnTrac Headphones Are Certainly Unique, and They’re a Massive $200 Off This July 4th Weekend

Dyson’s OnTrac headphones are stylish and block up to 40 decibels of exterior sounds. They’re now just $300.

Summer is in full swing and that means there are major shopping events to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday that can help you save on essentials, tech and even high-end headphones. We’ve spotted these Dyson OnTrac headphones for just $300 at Amazon. This saves you a massive 40% and amounts to $200 off for some of the most unique noise-canceling headphones on the market.

Dyson’s OnTrac headphones are comfortable, stylish and include simple touch and voice controls. If you enjoy changing your aesthetic once in a while, you can switch the colors of your earphone caps and cushions for a custom look. Keep in mind that different caps and cushions are sold separately.

The OnTrac’s battery lasts up to 55 hours so you can get through the week without having to worry about frequent charging. They also include noise cancellation, transparency and an off mode so you can also let sound in during walks and other situations where you need to be a bit more alert.

To customize your sound EQ levels, simply download the MyDyson app and tinker around until your audio sounds just right. Sound tracking also protects you from harmful volume levels so you can protect your hearing health. Your purchase includes a USB-C charging cable and a protective case. If you want to be able to switch out your cap colors from the jump, you can find this bundle including different colors for just $390.

Looking for a new pair of headphones but aren’t sure if these are for you? We’ve got a list of the the best headphone deals you can check out. Our shopping team is also tracking early and upcoming Prime Day deals so you can save on essentials, tech and more.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones (Navy):

$298 (save $50)
Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$40 (save $20)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$300 (save $51)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$299 (save $151)
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$220 (save $180)

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

Why this deal matters

Dyson is no stranger to making quality products, and these headphones are no exception. They’re comfortable, have a long battery life and both touch and voice controls. Not only do they have three modes you can use for noise-canceling or transparency, you can also buy separate cap or cushion attachments to create custom looks. While still looking a bit cyberpunk, they’re not a weird headphone-facemask combo like the last headphone effort from the vacuum brand. At a massive $200 off, this is an excellent Fourth of July and early Prime Day deal.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, July 5

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 5.

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? 14-Across was a real doozy. I hadn’t ever heard anyone use that word to mean what the NYT says it means, even though I do recognize it as part of a related word. Whether this clue or another one has stumped you today, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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.