Technologies

Shopping for the New Year? Use CNET Shopping to Seek Out the Best Deals

Here’s how to use our browser extension to get the best deals (and some bonus resources, too) when shopping on many of the web’s most popular retailer sites.

It’s 2023, and even with the holidays behind us, you’re probably buying things online more than ever. But whether you’re looking for a gift or just nabbing some household basics, how do you know if you’re actually getting the best price? That’s where CNET Shopping comes in. This browser extension was formerly known as Priceblink, and it recently became a part of the CNET family. Once installed, it rides along when you’re shopping at many of your favorite online retailers — Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target, to name a few — where it’ll make sure you’re getting the best deal (among the stores we cover).

Install CNET Shopping

It’s got three main features — here’s how it works.

Three ways to save

When you install the CNET Shopping extension, you’ll unlock three ways to save money while you shop online.

Price comparison: Once you’ve installed the extension, point you browser to a product page at any major online retailer — Amazon, Target, Walmart and the like — and CNET Shopping will instantly search the web for better offers. While it’s not foolproof, it generally provides an excellent snapshot of competing prices among the web’s top stores. You’ll know right away whether you’re getting the best price, or be able to jump to a more affordable competitor.

Coupon finder: Did you know you may be losing out on free discounts when you buy online? With CNET Shopping installed, you’ll immediately be made aware of the relevant coupon codes available on the site where you’re shopping — including a checkout scan to verify any possible final deals.

Price tracking: Looking to buy something, but waiting for it to go on sale? With CNET Shopping’s price tracker, you can do just that. On some products at supported retailers, you’ll see an «Add Price Alert» button (as shown below) that will add that product to your personal tracking list. If and when it hits a discount percentage you specify, you’ll be notified so you can pounce on the sale.

How to install

Just click here (or on the button above) to install the CNET Shopping extension. It’s completely free, and it works with all major desktop web browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. Installation is quick and easy (and you can always uninstall it from your browser’s settings menu, should you choose).

Install CNET Shopping

Looking for more deals and shopping advice?

The CNET Shopping extension is just one way we help you save money. Join the thousands of subscribers of the CNET Deals texting group who get our top deal pick every weekday delivered straight to their phones — often something in the sub-$30 range.

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Other ways to save:

Check out our CNET Deals section. See every deal CNET highlights every day.
CNET’s Gift Guide. Our headquarters for top gift picks — it covers all occasions, not just the holidays.
CNET Coupons: As noted above, CNET Shopping automatically scans for the best applicable coupons while you shop. But if you prefer to browse available offers, check out our coupon hub.

More shopping advice:

CNET latest Editors’ Choice winners: These are the best products and services we’ve reviewed that you can buy right now.
CNET Shopping Tips: Looking for the best shopping tips and retail hacks? We’ve got them all here.

Originally posted December 2022. Slightly updated for early 2023.

Technologies

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

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Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

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 — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so 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: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

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:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

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:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.