Technologies

Best Google Pixel Deals: Pixel 7 Free With Trade-In, $250 Off Unlocked Pixel 6 and More

We’ve rounded up the best bargains on all of Google’s latest phones, including some chances to save on the brand-new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

If you already use Google for your email, calendar and cloud storage, it’s tough to compete with the convenience offered by a Google Pixel phone. And right now you’ve got a few great options to choose from, as all of Google’s current phones have earned a spot on our list of the best phones overall for 2022.

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hit shelves just last month, and are the most advanced phones in Google’s lineup. However, there are plenty of other options if you don’t want to spend the money to upgrade to Google’s latest and greatest. The previous-generation Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are still great picks, with more than enough power for most people’s needs. And if you’re after the most affordable option, the budget-friendly Pixel 6A is our favorite Android phone under $500 right now. But no matter which model works best for your needs, there’s no reason to pay more than you have to. Below, you’ll find our roundup of all the best deals on all Pixel phones that you can shop for right now from both carriers and retailers.

Get your next phone for the best price.

Set price alerts on your favorite models with the CNET Shopping extension and get notified when prices drop.

If you’re having a hard time deciding which Pixel model is going to work best for you, be sure to check out our comparison of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro to their previous-gen counterparts for a full breakdown of their specs and performance. If affordability is your top priority, you’ll probably want to opt for the budget-friendly Pixel 6A.

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro deals

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro hit shelves back in October, and like most new phone releases, there’s a huge variety of offers available at carriers, as well as some discounts available through retailers. There’s a good chance we’ll start to see even more deals pop up as we get closer to Black Friday as well, so be sure to check back often.

Pixel 6A deals

CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco called Google’s affordable next-gen Pixel 6A the «best Android phone under $500.» It’s slightly smaller than the full-size Pixel 7, and features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 60Hz. It’s equipped with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, which is slightly less than the standard Pixel 7 has, but is still more than sufficient for most people’s needs. It also boasts 5G capabilities and support for Wi-Fi 6 for lightning-fast browsing. It’s already a solid value at its usual price of $449, but we’ve rounded up some of the best deals and offers out there so you can pick one up for even less.

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro deals

Since the release of the new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the Pixel 6 is no longer the most advanced series in Google’s lineup. However, these previous-gen flagship phones still have plenty to offer, and are a great choice if you’re looking for a compromise between Google’s latest and greatest phones, and its budget-friendly Pixel 6a. Since the release of the new phones, lots of carriers and retailers have shifted their best offers over to the Pixel 7 series, but there are still a few deals you can take advantage of to get a Pixel 6 in your hands for less.

Get your next phone for the best price.

Set price alerts on your favorite models with the CNET Shopping extension and get notified when prices drop.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Sept. 6

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 6.

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.

Today’s Mini Crossword is extra-long, as usual on Saturdays. And a couple of the clues were stumpers! Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

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.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: U.S. prez who served four terms
Answer: FDR

4A clue: Hurry, in Shakespearean English
Answer: HIE

7A clue: Only country to have a musical instrument (the harp) as its national emblem
Answer: IRELAND

9A clue: Big name in rum
Answer: BACARDI

10A clue: She holds the record for most #1 Billboard hits by a female rapper (5)
Answer: CARDIB

11A clue: Ancient time-tracking device
Answer: SUNDIAL

12A clue: Ctrl-___-Del
Answer: ALT

13A clue: Opposite of SSW
Answer: NNE

14A clue: Used to be
Answer: WAS

15A clue: Jupiter or Saturn, primarily
Answer: GAS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Small lie
Answer: FIB

2D clue: Whom Count von Count of «Sesame Street» is a parody of
Answer: DRACULA

3D clue: Takes back, as testimony
Answer: RECANTS

4D clue: 1920s U.S. president
Answer: HARDING

5D clue: Home to the W.N.B.A.’s Fever
Answer: INDIANA

6D clue: Weed gummies
Answer: EDIBLES

8D clue: Cooking grease
Answer: LARD

11D clue: Observed
Answer: SAW

Technologies

Researchers Discover 18 Popular VPNs Are Connected: Why This Matters

All are owned by 3 separate groups but CNET’s recommended VPNs are not on the list

Virtual private networks are popular ways to keep your online activity private and hide your physical location from your internet service provider and apps. But it’s obviously important to choose a safe and secure VPN.

Three university researchers have discovered that 18 of the most widely used VPNs have shared infrastructures with serious security flaws that could expose customers’ browsing activity and leave their systems vulnerable to corrupted data. These VPNs are among the top 100 most popular on the Google Play Store, comprising more than 700 million downloads.

Read more: Best VPN Service for 2025: Our Top Picks in a Tight Race

The peer-reviewed study by the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium found that these VPNs, despite calling themselves independent businesses, are actually grouped into three separate families of companies.

None of CNET’s recommended VPNs — ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Mullvad — are on the list. (If you currently don’t have a VPN, here’s why you might want to start using one.)

According to the findings, these are the three groups that contain the 18 VPNs:

Family A: Turbo VPN, Turbo VPN Lite, VPN Monster, VPN Proxy Master, VPN Proxy Master Lite, Robot VPN, Snap VPN and SuperNet VPN
Family B: Global VPN, Inf VPN, Melon VPN, Super Z VPN, Touch VPN, VPN ProMaster, XY VPN and 3X VPN
Family C: X-VPN and Fast Potato VPN

Researchers determined that the VPNs in Family A are shared between three providers linked to Qihoo 360, a firm identified by the US Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. The VPNs in Family B use the same IP addresses from the same hosting company.

Know your VPN’s parent company

It’s a cautionary tale about why it’s important to know who’s behind the VPN you’re using, says CNET senior writer Attila Tomaschek.

«It’s also crucial to know what kinds of data the VPN provider is sharing with its parent company and affiliated entities,» Tomaschek said. «Some of these companies may even be compelled to log customer activity and share it with authorities, depending on the jurisdiction in which they operate.»

Despite the warnings, Tomaschek says it’s not so easy to figure out who controls your VPN. But he says there are measures that customers can take.

«Users can do a few things to help ensure the VPN they’re using is reputable,» Tomaschek says. «Check the privacy policy — specifically for terms like ‘logging,’ ‘data sharing’ or ‘data collection.’ A Google search of the provider can help determine whether the VPN has been involved in questionable activity. Read detailed, unbiased reviews from reputable sources. Be especially wary of signing on with a free VPN, even if it’s listed as a top choice in your app store.»

The PETS researchers examined the most downloaded VPNs on Android, looking for overlaps among business paperwork, web presence and codebase. After identifying code similarities, they were able to group the 18 VPNs into three groups. The study was initially spurred by VPN Pro’s own findings, «Who owns your VPN? 105 VPNs run by just 24 companies.»

CNET’s Tomaschek has advice for anyone who has been using one of these 18 VPNs.

«I’d recommend deleting it from your device immediately,» he said. «If you suspect that any sensitive personal data may have been compromised, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your credit report and look into services like dark web monitoring or identity theft protection.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 6, #348

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 6, No. 348.

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.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition was a stumper. But if you play cards, the green group is a fun one for sure. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for 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: Racket time.

Green group hint: Ante up!

Blue group hint: NY signal-callers.

Purple group hint: Coach’s CV.