Technologies

Snag Refurbished iPhone and Apple Watch Models at a Huge Discount Just Before Christmas

This one-day sale offers iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 and more with massive markdowns.

Apple devices often score highly in our reviews and its flagship products top our best phone and best smartwatch lists as we approach the end of the year. Sleek design and impressive performance comes at a premium, though, meaning Apple gear is often more expensive than devices from competing brands. However, if you don’t mind a preowned device, you can save a ton of cash this side of Christmas this one-day sale at Woot. You can choose from a massive selection of refurbished Apple Watches and iPhones and save big compared to buying from Apple directly.

See at Woot

All the devices you’ll find at this sale are «scratch and dent» refurbs. According to Woot, that means that you can expect these items to show moderate signs of wear and tear, but they have all been thoroughly inspected to ensure they’re in full working condition. Though none of the latest iPhone 14 or Apple Watch Series 8 models are on sale, many of these previous-generation devices are still great buys.

Last year’s iPhone 13 is included in the sale with prices starting at $570. Considering Apple still sells this device from $700, it’s a rare chance to save on a really recent model. Similarly, this sale offers some solid savings on 2021’s Apple Watch Series 7 with models available there from $260. Where you can find a Series 7 brand new these days you’re still regularly looking at prices north of $300 at best.

For those wanting to spend a little less, the iPhone 12 is still an excellent phone that’s more than sufficient for most users thanks to its 5G capabilities, OLED display and powerful A14 Bionic chip. It’s a great value starting at just $360, which is $239 less than buying new from Apple directly, or $340 for the iPhone 12 mini. In our iPhone 14 review, CNET’s Patrick Holland stated that there isn’t really a compelling reason to upgrade to the iPhone 14 from the iPhone 12 meaning it’s still a great phone for a lot of folks today.

On the smartwatch side, the Apple Watch Series 6 is a good choice from as little $190, offers many of the same features as the Series 7 at a lower price. Or, you can spend a little less with Series 4 and Series 5 models starting at just $150 — ideal for someone just testing the waters with their first Apple Watch.

Older phones like the iPhone SE and iPhone XR start at $160 for those looking for the cheapest devices, and Apple Watch Series 3 is also available from as little as $80.

Overall, these are some of the best value Apple deals you’ll find right now — but the sale expires tonight at 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET), or when these refurbished models sell out, so we recommend acting sooner rather than later.

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Technologies

Apple Launches Creator Studio Package as $13 a Month Subscription

Mac users can still buy the apps individually, but subscribers get access to Final Cut Pro and other Studio tools.

Apple is bundling its pro filmmaking and audio tools including Final Cut Pro with its productivity apps Keynote, Pages and Numbers into a subscription software suite called Apple Creator Studio.

The package, which includes apps for Mac, iPad and iPhone, includes Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, MainStage and the whiteboard app Freeform. Creator Studio will be available starting Jan. 28 at a cost of $13 per month or $129 per year, or $3 per month or $30 per year for students and educators. Mac users will still have the option to purchase software like Final Cut Pro for a one-time free. The current price for Final Cut Pro in the Mac App Store is $300.

While apps such as Keynote and Pages are already free on Apple platforms, it appears that new versions of those apps will receive access to beta features that will roll out first to Creator Studio subscribers. The announcement by Apple alludes to «new AI features and premium content» in some of the apps it otherwise makes available to use for free.

What the Creator Studio bundle comes with

The star of the show in Creator Studio is Final Cut Pro, the video editing software that will now include Transcript Search on both Mac and iPad. There is also a new Beat Detection feature Apple says uses an AI model to analyze a music track and display a beat grid, making it easier to cut video to music rhythms. The software also will include a new Montage Maker on iPad for quick social video creation.

Motion, the 2D and 3D graphics tool, and Compressor also integrate with Final Cut Pro. Apple touted Motion’s Magnetic Mask feature for isolating objects or people without the need for a green screen.

Logic Pro has new features for musicians, including a Synth Player addition to AI Session Players. Chord ID, a new AI feature, can create chord progressions from audio or MIDI recordings. A new Sound Library will have hundreds of royalty-free clips, samples and loops.

A revamped MainStage app gives subscribers access to instrument, voice-professing and guitar rig tools. Pixelmator Pro arrives with new tools and filters, and there will be an iPad version in addition to the Mac tool.

Freeform in the Creator Studio package will add premium content, including curated photos, graphics and illustrations. It will also get new AI features that include image creation.

Technologies

Reddit Outage Resolved: Here’s What Happened

Did you have trouble reading your favorite subreddits today? You weren’t alone.

If you had trouble accessing the news and discussion forum Reddit on Tuesday, you weren’t the only one. However, as of 10:15 a.m. PT, the site appears to be back up and running normally. Reddit’s status monitoring page, RedditStatus.com, notes that «all systems (are) operational» after the brief outage.

But earlier, at 9:30 a.m. PT, RedditStatus.com said the company was «investigating elevated errors across reddit.com and native apps.» RedditStatus.com reported degraded site performance for both desktop web use and native mobile apps.

Earlier on Tuesday, the site-monitoring service DownDetector also reported issues at Reddit, providing additional details. At one point on Tuesday, DownDetector received over 100,000 reports that the site was having problems. At 10:25 am PT, the report numbers fell to under 600. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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«Reddit is currently experiencing a significant internal outage causing widespread service disruptions,» the site said earlier Tuesday. «The impact is categorized as Very High, primarily affecting mobile app access (55%) and website connectivity (39%). While reports are heavily concentrated in major hubs like New York City and Chicago, the lack of ISP correlation suggests a broad, nationwide issue stemming from Reddit’s internal servers rather than external network providers.»

A representative for Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another social media site, X, formerly Twitter, also showed problems on Tuesday, according to DownDetector. Those problems seemed to spike around 6:30 a.m. PT and improve after.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.