Technologies
HBO Max Is Raising Its Ad-Free Subscription Price by $1 a Month
As of now, any new signups will need to pay the higher price. If you’re already a subscriber, your bill will go up starting Feb. 11.

HBO Max is raising the price of its ad-free subscriptions in the US by $1 to $16 a month, joining a parade of subscription video services hiking prices lately.
HBO said Thursday that the higher price for new HBO Max ad-free subscriptions is effective immediately, so anyone signing up from now on will be paying more. Existing subscribers who are paying the old $15-a-month rate will see their charges go up in their next billing cycle on or after Feb. 11.
Over more than three years, Hollywood’s major entertainment companies (and some big tech ones too) have piled on with their own subscription streaming services, taking on the likes of Netflix by embracing streaming as the future of TV. These so-called streaming wars meant, one, that companies were plowing billions of dollars into their services, and, two, that competition for your subscription dollars intensified. Now companies across the field are raising prices to cope.
HBO Max’s hike is the latest after Disney Plus raised prices in December, Apple TV Plus and Hulu increased in October, and Netflix upped US prices early last year.
«This price increase of $1 will allow us to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users,» HBO said in a statement.
It’s the first time HBO Max has increased its monthly subscription price since it launched in May 2020. HBO Max also offers a cheaper, ad-supported tier of its service; the company didn’t specify any changes to the price of that HBO Max With Ads option.
HBO Max is in the midst of upheaval, after an ownership change last year. In April, HBO Max became the property of newly formed company Warner Bros. Discovery, a merger of cable network giant Discovery with WarnerMedia, which AT&T had bought for $85 billion less than four years prior.
Now with a mountain of debt and Discovery’s famously frugal CEO, David Zaslav, as its leader, HBO Max has been canceling a laundry list of shows and movies, including a nearly complete Batgirl film that reportedly cost $90 million. It’s also removing some shows, like Westworld, from HBO Max so that the programs can be licensed out to other services — and pull in fresh revenue as a result.
In addition, HBO Max will combine with Discovery Plus into a single service this year. The combo will put prestige fare like House of the Dragon next to basic-cable reality hits like 90-Day Fiancé on the service. But it also means subscribers will get a much bigger library with their memberships: Essentially, the combined service will be bulking up HBO Max with the addition of $7-a-month Discovery Plus, a prospect that was likely to effect pricing at some point.
Technologies
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Technologies
The Best PS5 Deal Sold Out On Black Friday, but It’s Back Ahead of Cyber Monday
This amazing PS5 Black Friday deal is back as an early Cyber Monday offer. It has already sold out once, so don’t miss your chance this time.
Black Friday deals kicked off a bit earlier this year, meaning buyers had more time to shop for great discounts. However, it also meant some of the hottest offers disappeared faster than ever. One of the most exciting gaming deals was a $100 price cut on the PlayStation 5 Slim digital edition. This deal already sold out once, but it’s back as an early Cyber Monday offer for $399 on Amazon. So, if you’ve been waiting to get a PS5, there’s no better time.
You can also get the version with a disc drive for $450, and the mighty PlayStation 5 Pro for $649. All of these are $100 off, so you can get a great deal regardless of your preference.
The disc‑free console is the cheapest option, but it means all your games will need to be downloaded. While digital discounts can go pretty far, physical games are nearly always cheaper if you know where to look. If you’d rather save a bit of money in the long run, then go for the disc drive version now.
Not only will you be able to play any old PS4 discs in your collection, but you’ll also be able to borrow games from friends and take advantage of discounts on physical titles at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and more.
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The PS5 Pro is the pinnacle of the PlayStation offerings and has more speed and power all‑around, making it ideal for those who only want the best.
If you decide to commit to Sony with a new console, then it’s definitely worth taking a look at all the best PlayStation deals for even more savings on games, headsets and controllers. You can save a lot of money if you can be patient with these things.
CHEAP GAMING LAPTOP DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$950 (save $850)
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$800 (save $150)
Why this deal matters
The PS5 doesn’t drop in price often, and this is an excellent discount on three different versions. Being able to save $100 across the Slim digital, Slim disc and Pro models is a rare opportunity. Whether you’re looking to get your very first PlayStation 5 or upgrade to the Pro, this is a fantastic chance to do so — especially since the Slim deal has already sold out once and may not linger for long.
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Technologies
The $69 AirPods 4 Black Friday Bargain Is Still Around. Get It While Stocks Last
If you’re quick, you can grab Apple’s AirPods 4 for $69, a budget-friendly deal that feels hard to pass up.
There were a lot of deals on your computer screen this Black Friday, some more exciting than the others. One of those was this AirPods 4 deal, which is still available on Amazon. If you’ve been waiting to buy new earbuds, pick up the entry-level AirPods 4 for just $69 right now (normally $129). This is a record low price.
If active noise cancellation is a must, you’ll be happy to see that the AirPods 4 with ANC are currently selling for $139 on Amazon (normally $179). This isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen — they were down to $100 on Black Friday — but it’s still a decent discount.
The Apple AirPods 4 are available in two formats. The non-ANC version usually runs $129, while the ANC model typically sells for $179. With this discount, you pay only $69 for the non-ANC model. These AirPods have been redesigned for a more comfortable fit. The Apple H2 chip allows for voice isolation whenever you have to take calls in a noisy environment. The AirPods 4 also offer personalized spatial audio and a battery life of up to 20 hours.
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These AirPods are dustproof and waterproof and include a smaller case for easier carrying. You can use them with Siri for added voice control options, which lets you start calls or choose your audio. You can also shake your head or nod to respond to prompts.
Looking for deals on other new Apple devices? We rounded up the best iPhone 17 and Apple Watch Series 11 deals.
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$248 (save $152)
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$170 (save $181)
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$199 (save $150)
Why this deal matters
Apple makes superb audio gear, and the AirPods offer good sound quality and a comfortable fit for most people. «They may not be quite as cheap or as small as the AirPods 2, but they sound a lot better and have a lot more features,» says CNET audio expert David Carnoy, who thought $100 would be a good price for them.
The lower-priced AirPods lack noise-canceling features, but for just $69, this is a deal you should seriously consider.
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