Technologies

Best Streaming Service Deals From Verizon, T-Mobile and More

These money-saving deals can help you save on Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, MLB.TV and other streaming services.

In an era of Disney Plus, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount Plus, HBO Max and Peacock, there seem to be more streaming services than days in a month. With subscription prices constantly rising,the cost of signing up for more than one service can quickly rival an old cable bill.

Depending on your cell phone service, however, there could be ways to score discounts on one or more of these options. Some T-Mobile plans can get you a free subscription to Netflix and Apple TV Plus. Verizon offers the Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) with certain plans, while one of Cricket Wireless’ unlimited plans includes ad-supported HBO Max.

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Let’s break down the best streaming service deals that are available now from each carrier.

Read more: Best Streaming Service Deals

Verizon

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Free Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus with some Verizon unlimited plans

Save $13 per month

Have your sights set on Disney Plus?

Verizon includes the Disney Bundle — subscriptions to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus that run a combined $15 a month — with its 5G Play More and 5G Get More unlimited plans. Other plans, such as its most affordable Start and Welcome Unlimited plans, have six-month trials of Disney Plus included, but not the bundle.

Verizon allows mixing and matching with most of its unlimited plans, so as long as one line on your account has a Play More or Get More plan, you will be able to get the perk. Note that it is only one Disney subscription per Verizon account, not per individual line.

The deal works for both new and existing Disney Plus subscribers, so if you already have a subscription you can either cancel or, if you have the six-month trial, have the Verizon subscription run first and then have your regular subscription continue after.

It is also worth noting that the Disney Bundle Verizon offers includes ad-free Disney Plus (though Hulu still has ads). Disney’s regular triple play offer starts at $13 per month but has ads for Disney Plus and Hulu. Going ad-free for Disney Plus and Hulu in a triple play with ESPN Plus runs $20 per month.

According to Verizon’s website, both the Disney Bundle and six-month Disney Plus offerings are available until March 31. Verizon didn’t immediately get back about if the deals would be extended past that date or what would happen to those who have already signed up.

See at Verizon

Apple

Free Apple One with the One Unlimited for iPhone plan from Verizon

Save $23 per month

On top of its Disney-related perks, Verizon includes Apple One with its One Unlimited for iPhone plan.

You can’t mix and match One Unlimited for iPhone with other unlimited plans, so all of your phone lines will need to be on the plan if you want the perk. One line gets you Apple One’s individual plan, which includes 50GB per month of iCloud Plus storage plus access to Apple Arcade, Apple Music and Apple TV Plus. Two or more lines get you Apple One’s family plan, which bumps the iCloud Plus storage to 200GB per month and adds the ability to share with up to five other users.

Apple One individual plan runs $17 per month while the family plan costs $23 per month.

You can learn more about what’s required to get Apple One with Verizon on Verizon’s website.

See at Verizon

T-Mobile

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Free Netflix on some T-Mobile unlimited plans

Save $15.49 per month

T-Mobile, through its Netflix on Us perk, has long offered free Netflix on some of its unlimited plans, including Magenta and its newer Magenta Max option. Older plans, called One and One Plus, also have Netflix included. The version of Netflix you get depends on your plan and how many lines you have.

Currently, any type of Magenta plan will get you Netflix Basic, so long as you have multiple lines. The exception is a Magenta Max plan, where you’re required to have only one line. If you have multiple lines of Magenta Max, you’ll get Netflix Standard instead. The basic version typically runs $10 a month and lets you watch on a single screen at a time. The standard version is the most popular version of Netflix that runs $15.49 a month and allows viewing on two screens. Full details, including what you’d need to pay if you want to upgrade to a higher plan like the 4K-capable Netflix Premium, can be found on T-Mobile’s website.

Note: It’s one Netflix subscription per T-Mobile account, not per individual line.

See at T-Mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Free Apple TV Plus on some T-Mobile Magenta, Magenta Max plans

Save $7 per month

In addition to Netflix, T-Mobile offers free Apple TV Plus as a perk. The Apple TV Plus deal is available to new and existing T-Mobile customers, but, like the Netflix deal, it varies based on your plan.

It is worth noting that T-Mobile doesn’t let you «mix and match» different plans on a family account, so you can’t have one person be on Magenta Max and get the Netflix and Apple TV Plus perk and then have other lines on cheaper Magenta plans.

A subscription to Apple TV Plus, normally $7 per month, is included with Magenta Max and specialized plans like Magenta Max 55+, Magenta Max Military and Magenta Max First Responder, among other plans. Six months of Apple TV Plus are included with plans such as Magenta, specialized Magenta plans and Sprint ONE. The company lists more eligible plans and how long they get Apple TV Plus on its website.

See at T-Mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Free year of MLB.TV for T-Mobile Customers

Save $150

Are you a baseball fan? MLB.TV costs $150 per year, but customers with T-Mobile, Sprint or Metro by T-Mobile can receive a free one-year subscription to stream Major League Baseball games and events. Opening Day is March 30, so the deal arrives days before the 2023 season kicks off.

From March 28 through April 4, customers can redeem the limited-time offer through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Bear in mind that you won’t be able to stream live games in your local market with MLB TV, including those on local regional sports networks or games airing on national platforms like ESPN or TBS.

See at T-mobile

Metro by T-Mobile

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Free Amazon Prime membership with Metro by T-Mobile’s heritage $60 rate plan with Amazon

Save $15 per month, though you need to call in

Metro by T-Mobile includes a subscription to Amazon Prime with its heritage $60 rate plan with Amazon, which differs from its regular $60 per month unlimited plan that is currently available online. To get Prime, you need to call Metro by T-Mobile customer service and request it. In addition to two-day free shipping, it also means you’ll have access to Prime Video, for streaming movies and shows like Shotgun Wedding, The Boys and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

In addition to Prime, the plan also includes 100GB of Google One storage and 15GB of mobile hotspot. As its name suggests, Metro by T-Mobile is owned by T-Mobile and runs on its network.

See at Metrobyt-mobile

Cricket

Sarah Tew/CNET

Free ad-supported HBO Max on Cricket Wireless’ $60-per-month Unlimited plan

Save $10 per month

Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&T, has added a deal that will bundle a subscription to the ad-supported version of HBO Max with the carrier’s $60-a-month unlimited plan. The streaming service gives you access to all HBO content as well as Max originals such as Peacemaker, The Flight Attendant and Our Flag Means Death.

Note: It’s one HBO Max subscription per Cricket account, not per individual line.

See at Cricket Wireless

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Technologies

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

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Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.