Technologies

The Entire Beats Earbuds Range Is Discounted at Amazon Right Now

You can save up to 30% on ultrapopular Beats earbuds including the newest Beats Fit Pro colors.

Beats makes some of our absolute favorite wireless earbuds on the market right now, both when it comes to sound-quality and as earbuds for working out in. But since the company is owned by Apple, Beats earbuds have the same drawback as all Apple products — they’re pricey, and not always easy to find at a discount. But right now, Amazon is offering a rare chance to pick up a pair of Beats headphones on sale with up to 30% off regular prices. There’s no clear-cut expiration on these deals, but discounts on earbuds this popular rarely last for long. We’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you’re hoping to grab a pair at this price.

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CNET reviewer David Carnoy compared the Beats Studio Buds to a stemless version of Apple’s popular AirPods, and they’re a great pick if you want a pair of earbuds for everyday use. They have active noise canceling and a transparency mode when you need to be aware of your surroundings, an IPX4 water-resistance rating and a battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge. Right now, you can grab several colors on sale for $110, which is 20% off the usual price.

Or, if you’re looking for some earbuds that are a little more advanced, you can grab a pair of Beats Fit Pros — our overall favorite pair of earbuds for working out in. They have the same IPX4 water- and sweat-resistance as the Studio Buds above, but also feature flexible wingtips that help them fit in your ears more securely so you can use them on runs or at the gym. They also support active noise canceling and spatial audio, and are equipped with the same H1 chip as the AirPods Pro for seamless connectivity with Apple devices. They list for $200, but right now you can all colors are discounted to $160, including the special-edition Kim Kardashian variants and the recently-released yellow, blue and pink options.

And if you need earbuds that can handle even your most extreme adventures, you can save $70 on a pair of Powerbeats Pro, dropping the price down to $180. They’re one of our favorite pairs of earbuds with ear hooks, which will keep them in place even during intense activities like mountain biking or trail running where you’re getting jostled around quite a bit. They don’t have noise-canceling capabilities like the two pairs above, but they do boast spatial audio support, an auto play/pause feature that can detect when you remove an earbud and built-in voice-activated Siri assistance. They also have the same H1 chip as the Beats Fit Pros, and have a battery life of up to 24 hours with the charging case.

On the cheaper end, the Beats Flex earbuds are 30% off, down to their best price of the year at $49. These neckband-style earbuds pack in a ton of great AirPods-like features, plus some unique capabilities enabled by the neckband design like in-line controls and auto-pausing when the earbuds are removed. You’ll get up to 12 hours per charge with the Beats Flex and the built-in USB-C port allows for fast charging that can get you 90 minutes of playback from just 10 minutes on the charger.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …