You can’t beat a pair of noise-canceling headphones, whether you’re rocking out or just want to be able to hear your audiobook in a noisy office. You don’t always have to spend a lot to get a pair, either, and this Sony WH-CH720N headphones deal is a perfect example of that.

They’d normally sell for around $150, but an Amazon deal has slashed that to just $88 if you choose the black finish. Don’t worry if you don’t see the discount initially, the new price will be reflected when you add your new headphones to your cart. This is a limited-time deal though, so order soon before you risk missing out.

These headphones don’t have as many features as the more powerful WH-1000XM5 headphones from Sony, but they do have a lot going for them, especially at their more affordable price. In addition to good sound quality, these headphones have 30mm drivers and come equipped with Sony’s V1 chip for solid active noise cancellation. They also have an ambient sound mode and robust EQ settings, which you can customize to your taste. 

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

Another feature these headphones offer is multipoint connectivity, which means you can connect to your computer or phone at the same time. They’re a good option for making voice calls as well. Additionally, Alexa is built-in, making it easy to ask for a specific song, control compatible smart home devices and more. As for battery life, you should get up to 35 hours per charge or as much as 50 hours if you have noise cancellation turned off. 

In his review, CNET’s David Carnoy noted that Sony’s WH-CH720N offers «the appealing combination of a lightweight, comfortable design with respectable performance,» which makes this sale perfect for people who don’t want to splurge on a premium headset costing upwards of $300.

For other budget-friendly listening options, be sure to check out our roundup of the best headphone and earbud deals currently available.

Why this deal matters

We’re big fans of ANC headphones because they can be so handy in a variety of ways. Whether you’re commuting and want to block out the noise or you need to focus in a noisy office, ANC headphones can drown out the din of sound wherever you’re using them. There are plenty of relatively inexpensive headphones with similar features to Sony’s WH-CH720N, but few are from a brand that’s so well-known for the quality of its personal audio gear.

A limitation on exports of AI processors made in the US that was set to go into effect on May 15 has now been rescinded after an order from the Department of Commerce (PDF).

The AI Diffusion Rule was set in motion at the end of the Biden administration and would have limited the number of AI processors that could be sold to foreign countries. It was meant to give the US an edge in the race for global AI technology, but critics, including tech companies, said it would hurt the companies making the processors by capping their sales.

The Trump administration’s move now lifts restrictions on companies such as Nvidia from selling processors meant for AI applications to other countries, including Mexico, China and Russia.

«These new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements,» the Department of Commerce said in a statement. «The AI Diffusion Rule also would have undermined US diplomatic relations with dozens of countries by downgrading them to second-tier status.»

The Department of Commerce said it is still warning companies and the public about allowing US-made AI chips to be used for Chinese AI models and is discouraging the use of Huawei Ascend chips specifically for exported products.

‘Cautious relief’ among chipmakers

Some in the industry worried that the rule could have hurt startups or mid-tier players, but now, the mood is «cautious relief,» said one tech-industry executive. 

«While most companies support the need for guardrails around advanced AI capabilities, the AI Diffusion Rule as originally framed created a lot of ambiguity — especially around how ‘diffusion’ would be interpreted in deployment, licensing or technical architecture,» said Dmitry Zakharchenko, chief software officer for Blaize, a California-based AI chip company.

Zakharchenko says the concern among companies like his wasn’t just sales but also cross-country research collaboration, AI model deployment and cloud-infrastructure partners. 

«The risk was that overbroad policy could inadvertently restrict benign use cases, including public safety, industrial inspection, and transportation,» he said.

As for what comes next, Zakharchenko said that some of the companies that would have been affected are taking their own steps to mitigate risks from overseas. That, he said, is happening «both at the hardware level and through partner ecosystems.»

«That includes secure boot, encrypted pipelines, regional deployment controls and tighter collaboration with integrators who understand where and how inference workloads are run,» Zakharchenko said.

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.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword is one of those where the same letter gets circled over and over. So if you see a pattern where a certain letter keeps showing up, fill them in, it might help you solve the puzzle. 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.

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Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Direction opposite of WSW
Answer: ENE

4A clue: Shoot out, as lava from a volcano
Answer: SPEW

5A clue: «In what place?»
Answer: WHERE

6A clue: Plants you didn’t plant, perhaps
Answer: WEEDS

7A clue: Like Mini crosswords … and a phonetic description of this puzzle?
Answer: EASY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Fencing swords
Answer: EPEES

2D clue: Prone to geeking out
Answer: NERDY

3D clue: Farm animals that sound like vowels not seen in this puzzle?
Answer: EWES

4D clue: Stadium at which the Beatles performed an iconic 1965 concert
Answer: SHEA

5D clue: Org. for Hulk Hogan and John Cena
Answer: WWE

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.