Technologies

Apple pushes back return-to-office plan, now said to be set for February

The tech giant also plans to adjust its hybrid work strategy to allow for more flexibility, after employees complained.

Apple changed its return-to-office plans on Thursday, marking another shift for one of the world’s largest tech giants as it navigates what work will look like once the COVID-19 pandemic comes under control.

The iPhone maker sent a memo to staff saying it plans to reopen offices in February, as opposed to earlier plans for January. The memo, reported earlier by The Information and NBC News, also tells workers that Apple will allow for a new «hybrid work pilot,» which’ll have many employees working out of the office one or two days per week. Ultimately, the company plans to let most employees work from home up to twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday, spending the rest of their work time in the office.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the internal memo.

The move marks a key moment for Apple as it charts plans for employees to return to the office. The tech giant has faced unusually public pushback from some employees who’ve asked it to consider more-flexible work options.

In some cases, employees have moved away from the office during the pandemic, while others have said they’re still tending to vulnerable family members or unvaccinated children at home.

«We continue to be concerned that this one-size-fits-all solution is causing many of our colleagues to question their future at Apple,» the employees said in a joint letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook this summer.

Apple’s leadership, meanwhile, has argued that it believes in-person collaboration is an essential part of the company’s culture. Apple did tell employees that it’ll allow up to four weeks of remote work each year, offering more opportunity for travel or change in routine.

Technologies

Want Nothing’s Transparent Design on a Budget? The 3A Lite Is Its Most Affordable Phone Yet

It’s just a shame it won’t be available in the US.

British tech company Nothing unveiled the latest phone in its 3 series on Wednesday, bringing its signature flashy and semi-transparent design to a new audience at a more affordable price than it’s usually known for. The Nothing Phone 3A Lite is a budget device designed to tempt people who love the company’s style, but not the price of its other products.

Available in black and white, the phone is encased in glass, with visible screws that define Nothing’s signature look. Fans of the brand will be aware of Nothing’s flashy Glyph Interface that makes the rear of its phones glow to indicate notifications. The Nothing Phone 3A Lite comes with an «evolution» of this, which the company is calling the Glyph Light. It will offer customizable light sequences and other glowing features.

From what we’ve seen of the device so far, it’s probably one of the coolest and quirkiest looking entry-level phones to hit the market this year. Usually phone-makers reserve design flourishes for their higher-end models, but for Nothing it’s at the core of the company’s DNA.

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In terms of other specs, you can expect a triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 6.77-inch AMOLED display and 5,000-mAh battery. Unlike the other phones in Nothing’s 3 Series, the 3A Lite isn’t powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but instead runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip. It arrives running Android 15 and Nothing OS 3.5, with an update to Nothing OS 4.0 scheduled for early 2026.

One initial disappointment in the phone is to see that Nothing is only committing to three years of major Android updates (albeit it’s offering six years of security patches). It would have been great to see this phone able to offer owners true longevity, as well as a cool design at an affordable price.

An affordable phone — but not for everyone

The Nothing Phone 3A Lite will cost £249 ($329) with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or £279 ($369) for 256GB of storage. That’s around £70 cheaper that the Nothing Phone 3A — not a massive saving, but a saving nonetheless. That’s great news for people in the UK and Europe who are keen to get their hands on this new model. But it’s less good news if you’re based in the US.

«Phone 3A Lite will not be available in North America,» a spokesperson for the company told me. «Given the investment required to localise and scale this specific model, our focus is on markets where entry-level devices are a more natural fit and can serve as an introduction to the Nothing ecosystem.»

This isn’t the case for the other phones Nothing has unveiled this year, which include the 3A Pro and flagship Phone 3 — both of which are available in the US.

In all, 2025 has been Nothing’s most prolific year yet. Not only has it released a range of new phones across its main brand and CMF sub-brand, it’s also launched its first over-ear headphones, Headphone 1, with partner audio brand KEF.

«It’s impressive that Nothing has now managed to launch five phones in one year,» says Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. «It underlines its growing scale and determination to have devices across multiple tiers and segments»

Technologies

There’s a Sneaky Way to Save Up to 58% Off Premium Bose Headphones and Earbuds

Save more than $200 on this temporary sale of top-rated refurbished products.

Bose makes some truly excellent headphones and earbuds, with several of its pairs earning a spot on CNET’s list of the best headphones for 2025. They certainly don’t come cheap, however, with some models listing for $400 or even more. Discounts pop up occasionally, but shopping for refurbished models is the way to go for the steepest savings.

If you’re on the hunt, take a peep at sale we just spotted at Woot offering a selection of certified refurbished Bose headphones and earbuds for as much as 58% off. This sale runs through Nov. 3, but there’s a limited supply available, and it’s likely inventory will sell out before then. We definitely recommend acting fast if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

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It’s important to note that these headphones are listed as certified refurbished, which per Woot’s description is «as close to new as you can get without technically being ‘new,’ but may show very slight signs of a previous life.» Regardless, they’ve all been inspected and ensured to be in full working condition, and are backed by a one-year limited Bose warranty.

If you’re a fan of over-ear headphones, these noise-cancelling QuietComforts are a steal at just $150. They support high-fidelity audio, boast an impressive 24-hour battery life, and this deal saves you over $200 compared to a new pair.

Or, if you prefer the convenience of earbuds, you can snag a first-gen pair of QuietComfort Ultra buds for 46% off, or for $160. They support spatial audio for seriously immersive sound, and have top-notch noise-cancelling capabilities.

There’s also the Bose Ultra Open earbuds, which are designed to let you enjoy your music without sacrificing awareness. They’re clip-on rather than in-ear buds, and are great for working out with an IPX4 sweat-resistance rating. You can get this refurbished pair for just $160, a $139 discount.

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 these deals matter

Bose make some truly premium headphones and earbuds, which are also among the most expensive on the market. If you can handle buying refurbed, shopping these pairs is a really great way to get your hands on some top-rated audio tech without breaking the bank. Whatever product you purchase, you should have peace of mind getting the company’s one-year warranty.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 29, #871

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 29, No. 871.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has some very tricky words in the grid. You might not know the meaning of all of them, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time