Technologies

‘Secret Invasion’: How to Stream the Marvel Series From Anywhere

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series sees Samuel L. Jackson return as Nick Fury.

Comic book fans are hoping Secret Invasion, the first Phase 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe series to arrive on Disney Plus, hits the mark after a string of so-so recent TV and movie offerings from the normally reliable franchise.

Based on the espionage-themed comic book series of the same name, the new show sees Samuel L. Jackson reprise his role as ex-SHIELD director Nick Fury as he and his allies attempt to thwart an invasion of Earth by shape-shifting aliens the Skrulls. It makes its debut Wednesday.

It boasts a star-packed cast that also includes Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Martin Freeman, Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke and Rogue One’s Ben Mendelsohn. The series comes after disappointing reviews for the recent show She-Hulk and movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Our streaming guide below lets you see for yourself if Secret Invasion is another step in the right direction for Disney after the excellent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Plus, you’ll learn how a virtual private network can come in handy while you stream.

Composite image of Samuel L Jackson starring as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. — Disney

When is Secret Invasion released?

The first episode of this new Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series will drop on Disney Plus on June 21 at 12:01 a.m. PT (3:01 a.m. ET and 8 a.m. BST in the UK). It’s in most regions where Disney Plus is available. New episodes are set to drop at the same time on the service every Wednesday.

If you aren’t a Disney Plus subscriber but want to be, there’s an ad-supported and ad-free plan to choose from. Your subscription gives you access to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, if a catch-up is in order.

Read more: Best Streaming Services of 2023

How to watch Secret Invasion from anywhere on VPN

So what if you’re traveling outside your home country and want to enjoy the TV series or want an added layer of privacy for streaming? There’s an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the show. If you find yourself unable to watch locally, a VPN can come in handy. It’s also a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins.

Most VPNs, like CNET’s Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it easy to virtually change your location. Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals.

Sarah Tew/CNET

ExpressVPN

Best VPN for streaming

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month. But you can save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Secret Invasion in the US, UK, Canada and Australia on Disney Plus

Sarah Tew/CNET

Disney Plus

Now streaming Secret Invasion

Secret Invasion is available to stream on Disney Plus in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

For US viewers, the basic tier costs $8 a month and includes ads, while the premium, ad-less tier costs $11 a month. If you’re interested in getting Hulu or ESPN Plus along with your Disney Plus, you can pay for a bundle and save (a plan bundling the ad-supported versions of Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus is $13 a month, for example). Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic are found on the Disney Plus streamer.

In Canada, the service costs $12 a month or $120 for the year.
Film fans in the UK can watch Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney Plus, where it currently costs £8 a month but doesn’t currently offer a free trial. You can, however, subscribe for a year and save 16%.
Fans in Australia get Disney Plus for AU$14 per month or AU$140 per year.

Tips for streaming Secret Invasion using a VPN

With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
If you’re having trouble viewing after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is located in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a network’s app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log in to your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for May 26, #1437

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,437 for May 26.

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 answer is a word with numerous meanings. One refers to bees, one to an annoying sound and another to a flying craft. 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 are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter D.

Wordle hint No. 4: Sound

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a continuous low hum.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a small flying device controlled from the ground.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is DRONE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, May 25, No. 1436 was GRIFT.

Recent Wordle answers

May 21, No. 1432: ALARM

May 22, No. 1433: FOLIO

May 23, No. 1434: SHUCK

May 24, No. 1435: SUEDE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 26, #449

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 449 for May 26.

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 rather tough. Some of the words aren’t super common, and the unscrambling could trip you up. 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: Body language

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Signal with your body in some way.

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:

STED, SALT, MARS, HARM, HARMS, STEM, TOOK, COOK, CART, CARTS, LUTE, LUTES, HAND, HANDS, TARE, SHAKE

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:

SHRUG, KOWTOW, SALUTE, CURTSEY, NAMASTE, HANDSHAKE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is GESTURES. To find it, start with the G that’s four letters down on the first row, and wind across.

Technologies

Memorial Day Sale: Prime Members Can Save $30 on This Baseus Blade 6-in-1 Power Strip and Get 2 Free 45W USB-C Chargers

You can now enjoy a steep discount (and some free goodies) on the purchase of this 6-in-1 power strip if you’re quick.

If you’re constantly on your phone and laptop throughout the day, or have a bevy of accessories to keep topped up (like the dying battery on my phone I’ve been needing to replace for three months now) you know that a shortage of electrical outlets and charging ports can be inconvenient. Luckily, Baseus is behind some nifty charging devices that can help solve this issue and make sure every one of your devices can be easily recharged. The best part? You don’t have to pay the full price for a power solution right now, thanks to Memorial Day sales.

Amazon is currently offering a $30 discount on the Baseus Blade 140W charging station to Prime members as a part of its Memorial Day sale, which means you can grab it for just $70. Even better, the retailer is also including two free 45W USB-C chargers with your purchase. Not only is this a great opportunity to save on this charging device, you might also be able to avoid potentially rising costs due to tariffs on electronic devices and accessories.

This Baseus Blade charging station is a 6-in-1 powerhouse with two electrical outlets, one USB-A port and three USB-C ports for a convenient place to charge your laptop, tablet, smartphone, lamp and other necessary work devices. Its smart display also shows you how much power is being distributed per port.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Thanks to its GaN technology, this charging station is safe to use and is built to prevent overheating and keep your devices safe. Amazon is also throwing in two 45W charging blocks valued at $35, which makes this deal even sweeter and lets you charge even more devices. Just be sure to click on the on-page offers to add the chargers to your cart. You could also select a couple of other items with this buy one get one free promotion, like two MagSafe power banks, a MagSafe charging station and some open ear headphones.

Looking for charging devices but not sure if this deal is right for you? Check out our list of the best USB-C chargers, docks, hubs and more.

Why this deal matters

This Baseus Blade 6-in-1 charging station is not only $30 off, it also includes two 45W charging blocks so you can expand your charging options at home or during travels. That makes now a great time to stock up and potentially save before tariffs start affecting the price of electronic goods and accessories.

When does this deal expire?

We don’t have an exact ending date for this deal, but since it’s tied to Memorial Day, it’s likely around only for a short time or until the stock runs out. It could disappear at any moment, so if you’ve been wanting to invest in a power solution, don’t wait up. If you’re looking for even more charging deals, Anker is running a few as well, but none with this level of freebies.