Technologies

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S: New Mobile Mouse Has Quieter Clicks and 8K DPI Optical Sensor

The company’s upgraded mobile mouse features a new 8,000 DPI optical sensor and its button-clicking sounds have been toned down.

As is typical for a Logitech «S» product update, its new compact MX Anywhere 3S wireless «mobile» mouse doesn’t look any different from its predecessor. However, it offers some performance upgrades, notably quieter operation and an upgraded 8,000 DPI optical sensor that Logitech says tracks on most surfaces including glass and offers faster workflow with high-resolution monitors. The new mouse ships in June in graphite, pale gray and rose colors for $80 (£65, AU$130).

See at Logitech

Like its predecessor, the MX Anywhere 3, Logitech positions the MX Anywhere 3S as a premium Bluetooth travel mouse as well as an everyday mouse for those with smaller hands (it’s an ambidextrous mouse so you can use it with either your left or right hand). Weighing 95 grams, it’s considerably lighter and smaller than Logitech’s $100 flagship MX Master 3S (141 grams), which also has an 8K DPI optical sensor and the quiet clicks feature. The MX Anywhere 3 has a 4K DPI optical sensor.

Read more: Best wireless mouse of 2023

The MX Anywhere 3S is available only in a universal version that works with Windows, MacOS, iPadOS (13.4 or higher), Android (9.0 or higher), ChromeOS and Linux computers via Bluetooth (the MX Anywhere 3 also comes in a Mac version targeted at Apple users). For better or worse, Logitech’s Logi Bolt USB dongle is no longer included but you can still connect up to three devices via Bluetooth and switch between them by tapping a button on the bottom of the mouse. Logitech says the laptop and mobile device users who tend to buy its MX Anywhere mice tend not to use the dongle and opt for Bluetooth instead, so it left the dongle out though you can request one with the company if you really want one (the mouse is compatible with Logi Bolt).

The MX Anywhere 3S in the graphite color.

Logitech

I’ve used the earlier MX Anywhere 3 off-and-on for the last year or so with my laptop and it’s a great travel mouse — maybe the best out there — and features very good ergonomics and performance, plus good customization options via the Logi Options Plus app. While the new updates aren’t exactly game changers that would give an MX Anywhere 3 owner like me a burning reason to upgrade, you can definitely hear the difference when it comes to the quieter clicks. That said, but those clicks sound muffled but aren’t completely silent. The difference in optical sensors is harder to discern but a higher DPI sensor can come in handy when you’re using a high-resolution display with your cursor tracking faster across the screen.

The mouse is equipped with the same smooth MagSpeed electromagnetic scroll wheel that «zips through 1,000 lines per second with accuracy to stop on a pixel and auto-shifts between ratchet and free spin mode,» according to Logitech. The MX Anywhere 3S doesn’t have a side scroll wheel but you can hold either of the side buttons while scrolling with the scroll wheel to scroll horizontally, which spreadsheet jockeys will appreciate. Those side buttons also have predefined app-specific settings. For instance, in Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the forward button starts and stops your video and the back button mutes and unmutes your microphone.

The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S has a 8K DPI optical sensor.

David Carnoy/CNET

Battery life is rated at up to 70 days on single charge and you can get around 3 hours of use from a 1-minute charge via the USB-C charging port. With my MX Anywhere 3, I tend to have to recharge after about a month, but that’s with with pretty heavy use.

I’ve been impressed with how the MX Anywhere 3 has held up over time — and, as I said, the MX Anywhere 3S appears to have the same design. The silicone side grip, which is pleasing to the touch and offers a nice grip, shows some slight wear in spots but is mainly in very good shape. No carrying case or pouch is included but it survived just fine after I stored it in smaller compartment in my backpack and sometime the side pocket of my slim laptop cover.

Like a lot of companies embracing sustainability directives, Logitech says this latest iteration of the MX Anywhere mouse incorporates a higher percentage of recycled plastic in its plastic components: 78% for the graphite version and 61% for pale gray and rose colors.

At the time it launched the MX Anywhere 3S, Logitech also unveiled the MX Keys S ($110), an upgraded version of its MX Keys keyboard that features better battery life, an improved key layout, customizable backlighting and a new Smart Actions feature that allows how to create shortcuts with a single keystroke via the Logi Options Plus app. The MX Anywhere 3S mouse also support the Smart Actions feature.

The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S is available in a rose color — The mouse in the rose color.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.

Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm

Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 30, No. 1472: BLINK

July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY

July 2, No. 1474: INCUR

July 3, No. 1475: POPPY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

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.

The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. 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: Every second counts.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?

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:

DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON

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 have 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:

CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare

Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.

Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.

When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.

July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.