Technologies

HBO Max Will Relaunch in May as Max for the Same Monthly Price

The «enhanced» streaming option will still cost $16 for ad-free, but another premium plan is being added.

HBO Max as we know it is changing.

April marks one year since the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery. Last year, the new Warner Bros. Discovery promised to introduce by summer 2023 a revamped streaming service that combines content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus, and the rebranded platform now has a name: Max.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the name Wednesday during a virtual press event, along with the tagline, «The One to Watch.» Global streaming boss J.B. Perrette said the new streaming service will roll out in the US on May 23. Viewers in Latin America will get Max this fall, with Europe, Asia and other markets to follow in 2024.

Max will stick with HBO Max’s current price plans, at $10 per month for the ad-supported subscription and $16 monthly for ad-free with two streams, and it’ll offer a new, ad-free $20 «Ultimate» option that features four concurrent streams, 4K HDR video, Dolby Atmos audio and more downloads.

wbd-prices-max-service — Subscription plans for the Max streaming service.

Warner Bros. Discovery; screenshot by CNET

Since the current version of HBO Max includes 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos and three streams in the $16 ad-free tier, the new plan structure amounts to a $4 price hike for viewers who want higher streaming quality and the ability to watch on more than two devices at the same time.

Discovery Plus will remain a standalone streaming option priced at $5 per month for the ad-supported plan and $7 monthly for the ad-free version. The platform houses a variety of reality shows, sports and infotainment from more than 20 networks, such as TLC, HGTV, Food Network and Animal Planet.

HBO Max began adding Discovery Plus titles to its platform in September. Viewers are able to stream shows like Fixer Upper from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network empire, as well as other Discovery-branded fare, like Maine Cabin Masters and Trixie Motel. Though HBO Max is no stranger to the world of unscripted TV, the addition of niche content from Discovery’s portfolio caters to audiences with an appetite for nonfiction.

Chief Content Officer Kathleen Finch spoke about the slew of new original releases coming to Max, including reality series Barbie’s Dreamhouse Challenge, TinyToons Looniversity and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. The company is building out universes for The Conjuring, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and The Big Bang Theory with a slate of new projects. More 90 Day Fiance and Magnolia series are also in the pipeline.

In the last 12 months, Warner Bros. Discovery made significant programming changes to HBO Max under the leadership of Zaslav, a Discovery veteran. More than six dozen movies and TV shows have been canceled, licensed out or removed from the platform altogether, including scripted favorites like Westworld and reality series such as Craftopia. Some projects — such as Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt — were scrapped as a cost-cutting measure. Ahead of both streamers’ catalogs consolidating, Discovery Plus lost a handful of titles too, including House Haunters and Love in the Jungle.

Compared with rivals Paramount and Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a different route with its two services. Paramount Plus folded Showtime content into its app and offers the combined version as a premium bundle, with standalone options still currently available. The company also rebranded Showtime’s linear cable channel as «Paramount Plus with Showtime,» which airs content from both brands. Though Disney Plus and Hulu remain separate streaming platforms, they can be bundled in three packages. Some Disney-owned titles are available to stream on both services at the same time.

Since taking the reins, Zaslav has been eyeing Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon’s Prime Video as top competitors in the streaming business. During his 2021 keynote speech at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference, he described the prospect of a unified Discovery Plus-Warner offering as «complete» and «competitive with Netflix and Disney.»

When discussing the launch of Max today, Zaslav said, «Max is the one to watch» for its navigation capabilities, content and global reach.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 28.

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.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? As is usual for Saturday, it’s pretty long, and should take you longer than the normal Mini. A bunch of three-initial terms are used in this one. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

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

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

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Rock’s ___ Leppard
Answer: DEF

4A clue: Cry a river
Answer: SOB

7A clue: Clean Air Act org.
Answer: EPA

8A clue: Org. that pays the Bills?
Answer: NFL

9A clue: Nintendo console with motion sensors
Answer: WII

10A clue: ___-quoted (frequently said)
Answer: OFT

11A clue: With 13-Across, narrow gap between the underside of a house and the ground
Answer: CRAWL

13A clue: See 11-Across
Answer: SPACE

14A clue: Young lady
Answer: GAL

15A clue: Ooh and ___
Answer: AAH

17A clue: Sports org. for Scottie Scheffler
Answer: PGA

18A clue: «Hey, just an F.Y.I. …,» informally
Answer: PSA

19A clue: When doubled, nickname for singer Swift
Answer: TAY

20A clue: Socially timid
Answer: SHY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Morning moisture
Answer: DEW

2D clue: «Game of Thrones» or Homer’s «Odyssey»
Answer: EPICSAGA

3D clue: Good sportsmanship
Answer: FAIRPLAY

4D clue: White mountain toppers
Answer: SNOWCAPS

5D clue: Unrestrained, as a dog at a park
Answer: OFFLEASH

6D clue: Sandwich that might be served «triple-decker»
Answer: BLT

12D clue: Common battery type
Answer: AA

14D clue: Chat___
Answer: GPT

16D clue: It’s for horses, in a classic joke punchline
Answer: HAY

Technologies

Ultrahuman Ring Pro Brings Better Battery Life, More Action and Analysis

The company’s new flagship smart ring stores more data, too. But that doesn’t really help Americans.

Sick of your smart ring’s battery not holding up? Ultrahuman’s new $479 Ring Pro smart ring, unveiled on Friday, offers up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge. The Ring Pro joins the company’s $349 Ring Air, which boosts health tracking, thanks to longer battery life, increased data storage, improved speed and accuracy and a new heart-rate sensing architecture. The ring works in conjunction with the latest Pro charging case.

Ultrahuman also launched its Jade AI, which can act as an agent based on analysis of current and historical health data. Jade can synthesize data from across the company’s products and is compatible with its Rings.

«With industry-leading hardware paired with Jade biointelligence AI, users can now take real-time actionable interventions towards their health than ever before,» said Mohit Kumar, CEO of Ultrahuman.

No US sales

That hardware isn’t available in the US, though, thanks to the ongoing ban on Ultrahuman’s Rings sales here, stemming from a patent dispute with its competitor, Oura Ring. It’s available for preorder now everywhere else and is slated to ship in March. Jade’s available globally.

Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro boosts battery life to about 15 days in Chill mode — up to 12 days in Turbo — compared to a maximum of six days for the Air. The Pro charger’s battery stores enough for another 45 days, which you top off with Qi-compatible wireless charging. In addition, the case incorporates locator technology via the app and a speaker, as well as usability features such as haptic notifications and a power LED.

The ring can also retain up to 250 days of data versus less than a week for the cheaper model. Ultrahuman redesigned the heart-rate sensor for better signal quality. An upgraded processor improves the accuracy of the local machine learning and overall speed.

It’s offered in gold, silver, black and titanium finishes, with available sizes ranging from 5 to 14.

Jade’s Deep Research Mode is the cross-ecosystem analysis feature, which aggregates data from Ring and Blood Vision and the company’s subscription services, Home and M1 CGM, to provide historical trends, offer current recommendations and flag potential issues, as well as trigger activities such as A-fib detection. Ultrahuman plans to expand its capabilities to include health-adjacent activities, such as ordering food.

Some new apps are also available for the company’s PowerPlug add-on platform, including capabilities such as tracking GLP-1 effects, snoring and respiratory analysis and migraine management tools.