Technologies

Microsoft Will Provide Surface Pro 9 Parts for Repairs in 2023

Surface Pro part availability is a big win for the right-to-repair movement.

Microsoft will begin providing Surface Pro 9 parts for repairs in 2023, the company told DIY site iFixit on Thursday. Microsoft confirmed the statement in an email to CNET.

The Surface maker said it recognizes the importance of device repairability and decided to integrate that philosophy into the design of the Surface Pro 9. The replaceable components will include the display, battery, motherboard, thermal module with fan, SSD, SSD door, kickstand, Surface Connect port, speakers, Wi-Fi deck with microphones, front camera, rear camera, power and volume buttons and the back cover.

Repair guides will be available for download by the end of this year, according to iFixit. Microsoft is also working with a «major US retailer» to build an authorized repair network in early 2023. Spare parts for independent repair shops and consumers should land in the first half of 2023.

iFixit’s assessment of the Surface Pro 9 called it the most repairable Surface yet. Past models were difficult to repair, with the Surface Pro 7 getting a one out of 10 repair score. iFixit gave the Surface Pro 9 a seven out of 10, a major improvement.

iFixit said it’s been consulting with Microsoft’s hardware team directly, giving advice on what’s best for making a repairable device. A big sticking point has been glued-down batteries, which makes battery replacements incredibly difficult. With the Surface Pro 9, the battery is screwed into place, meaning it can more easily be swapped out.

The Surface Pro 9 follows a trend in tech spurred on by the right-to-repair movement. Earlier this year, New York passed the Digital Fair Repair Act to require companies that sell tech products in the state to provide documentation, components and software to consumers and independent repair shops. Tech influencers and lawmakers have long demanded that major tech companies make products more repairable to dismantle their control of devices and repairs.

In 2021, President Joe Biden asked the Federal Trade Commission to make it harder for companies to restrict how people can repair their devices. The FTC sent a proposal last month demanding companies produce repair documentation for some household appliances. An iPhone 14 teardownearlier this year showed that Apple made changes to the phone’s design toallow repair shops to more easily service the device. Not only that, Apple now offers do-it-yourself repair kits for some of its products.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

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.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? 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: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.