Remember the iPod socks? Those overpriced, brightly colored woolly wraps that swaddled your iPod like it was an infant? Apple’s decided it’s time we bring the knitwear back — but this time, for the latest iPhones.

Meet the iPhone Pocket: a glorified yarn sling for your phone and whatever else you can cram in there without stretching the poor thing into oblivion. Though yes, it does look like a sweater you stretched beyond recognition.

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A woolly iPhone sling? Really?

Designed in collaboration with fashion brand Issey Miyake, it’s got all the hallmarks of high fashion minimalism… apparently. I’m no fashion expert. But fashion writer Tiffany Lo is, and she told me that «the design embodies Issey Miyaki’s signature pleat pattern and the idea of crafting it from a single piece of fabric — it’s instantly recognizable.»

Issey Miyake, by the way, is the designer behind Steve Jobs’ endless supply of black turtlenecks. And an Apple employee uniform that almost happened.

It’s a stretchy, 3D-knitted pouch with ribbed textures that hugs your iPhone. You can wear it draped around your body as you see fit. It’s see-through when you tug at it, so you can glimpse at your lockscreen.

But Apple doesn’t just want you to put your iPhone in this accessory. You’re encouraged to slip in AirPods, lip balm, a key fob, breath mints or any other pocketable item.

It comes in two lengths: short and long. The short one is more like a wristlet bag, while the long one turns your phone into a crossbody accessory. The wearable tech pouch is certainly a fashion statement if drape it across your torso. Perhaps like a sash of questionable decisions. Whether you carry it in-hand, tie it to your bag, or sling it on like a fashion-forward postman, you’ll definitely get some looks. Perhaps confused ones.

As for the colors, you’ve got options. The short strap version comes in eight options: lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon and black. The long strap comes only in those latter three colors.

Who’ll want this? Lo says the iPhone Pocket «could appeal to younger generations thanks to the design that allows users to wear it as a crossbody.» Given that Apple released crossbody straps for all its iPhones earlier this year, maybe it has some insights into what Gen Z really wants.

If you’re itching to get your hands on the iPhone Pocket — for your Secret Santa circle of gifting — you’ll be able to buy it from Friday, online and at select Apple stores in posh locales (think Soho in New York City, Marché Saint-Germain in Paris, Orchard Road in Singapore). The short strap design will set you back $150, while the long strap version costs $230. A far cry from the $29 an iPod sock went for back in the day.

A great pair of ANC headphones can be a costly investment, but sometimes you just need a basic pair for listening to podcasts and audiobooks in peace. That’s where the JBL Tune 510T headphones excel, and this Black Friday deal makes them a stellar pickup at just $25. This is close to the lowest price we’ve seen these headphones retail for, so now is definitely the time to act.

This deal isn’t only available on the one color nobody wants, either. Amazon is offering the black, pink and white versions of the JBL Tune 510BT at this low, low price. Just make sure to pick your favorite color before placing your order.

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

All of these headphones are the same under the hood. You can expect up to 40 hours of battery life per charge and the built-in microphone is perfect for placing calls and joining meetings. The foldable design makes them great traveling headphones.

Why this deal matters

These headphones don’t have a ton of features that you’ll never use, and that’s why they usually sell for a respectable $50. But this deal slashes that by 50% to just $25, making these headphones an even better deal. Just make sure to place your order before this limited-time deal draws to a close.

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 a fun one, especially for fans of certain fables and childhood stories. 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: Aesop’s animals.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Stories with morals.

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:

• BEND, MOLE, BLAM, BRAN, PAIL, FALL, MULE, RIOT, RISE, ROSE, RAMBLE, SORT

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:

• BULL, GNAT, HARE, LION, WOLF, CRANE, MOUSE, TORTOISE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FABLEDPAIR. To find it, look for the F that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind down.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT. 

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.