Technologies

Upgrade Your Game With $30 Off Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Controller

Score the white version of the Xbox pro controller for a record-low price while this deal lasts.

Adorama is giving you the chance to upgrade your Xbox gaming setup right now with $30 off the Elite Series 2 Core controller. Down to $100, this deal marks a return to the lowest we have seen Microsoft’s latest controller go, though the deal probably won’t last for long. Shipping is free. Other retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Microsoft’s own store have the controller listed for just a few bucks more.

See at Adorama

See at Amazon

The Elite Series 2 Core controller, unveiled in September 2022, is essentially a more affordable, trimmed-down version of its namesake Elite Series 2. As you’d expect, the two offerings share a bunch of features, like adjustable-tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wrap-around rubberized grips and 40 hours of rechargeable battery life — all things that can help serious players up their performance and stay in the game for longer.

The Core version, however, comes without the swappable paddles, thumbsticks and D-pad or the charging dock and protective case. If you decide you want all of those customization options down the line, they can be purchased separately in the Complete Component Pack, meaning you can get in the door for less with the Core model and spend the extra as and when you need to.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 3, #753

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 3, #753.

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 could be tough. The green category came together quickly for me, but purple, as usual, was tricky. 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 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: Let’s discuss.

Green group hint: Before a trip.

Blue group hint: Sports stars.

Purple group hint: E-I-E-I-O.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Correspondence.

Green group: Airport board info.

Blue group: Pro athlete data.

Purple group: Farmers’ things.

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is correspondence. The four answers are contact, dealings, exchange and interaction.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is airport board info. The four answers are arrival, destination, flight and gate.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is pro athlete data. The four answers are college, number, position and team.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is farmers’ things. The four answers are almanac, insurance, market and tan.

Technologies

The End of Wireless Dead Zones? T-Mobile’s Starlink Service Launches in 3 Weeks

Satellite data access through third-party apps like X and WhatsApp will be available in October, T-Mobile says.

Imagine being able to send a text, video or voice recording from the remotest corners of the country. That’s the future T-Mobile envisions, as its partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service gets ready to launch on July 23. The alliance will provide direct-to-cell messaging service, called T-Satellite, which will also be available to AT&T and Verizon cellphone customers.

T-Mobile says its goal is to “eliminate mobile dead zones for good” by utilizing 657 Starlink satellites that will be used exclusively for cellphone service. T-Satellite has been in beta testing since December 2024, with nearly 1.8 million users signing up so far.

The direct-to-cell messaging service represents a major step forward in mobile technology: It works with most phones made during the last four years, according to T-Mobile, instead of requiring dedicated hardware. It will be available to T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon customers for $10 a month — or free for anyone on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plans.

“At the end of the day, it’s nice to be able to send a selfie when you’re in a place where there is no coverage, but it’s vital to be able to connect to emergency services,” Mike Katz, T-Mobile president of marketing, strategy and products, told CNET’s Jeff Carlson. “We just think that with a technology like this, no customer should ever be in a situation where they are unconnected in an emergency.”

However, you might still benefit even if you don’t sign up, as T-Mobile will make the service free for emergency uses. The company said 911 texting will be available later this year to “any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier or whether or not they are subscribed to the service.”

What is T-Satellite?

T-Satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink that will allow direct-to-cell SMS messaging accessibility in areas where there is no cellular coverage. Starlink has more than 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in the sky, and now, 657 of them will be devoted entirely to T-Satellite. The goal is to expand coverage into the 500,000 square miles of the US that traditional cell towers can’t reach, says T-Mobile.

“When you leave the terrestrial network and you go to a place where there’s no network, your phone will automatically search for and connect to the satellite network, which is quite different than any other of the satellite systems that are out there that force you to manually connect, and you have to point your phone up to the sky,» says Katz.

Satellite connectivity in cellphones isn’t exactly new — iPhones have had it since 2022 — but it’s typically been reserved for SOS messaging to connect you with an emergency dispatcher. On July 23, T-Satellite users will be able to send SMS texts on iPhone and Android. Android users will also get MMS immediately, with iPhone support “to follow.”

This means users will be able to send images and audio clips in addition to standard text messages. In October, the service will expand to include data support in third-party apps like AccuWeather, AllTrails, WhatsApp and X. The access takes advantage of hooks built into iOS and Android software, so developers can make their apps capable of sending data through the narrow amounts of bandwidth available via satellite.

This is far beyond what the other phone carriers have launched so far in the satellite realm — largely due to T-Mobile’s partnership with Starlink. AT&T and Verizon have both partnered with AST SpaceMobile for satellite messaging, and Verizon told CNET’s Eli Blumenthal last year that it’s still planning on working with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which launched its first 27 satellites on April 28, 2025

“Despite things that our competitors have said, they are way, way behind on this technology,” says Katz.

How much will T-Satellite cost?

On July 23, T-Satellite will be available to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon customers for a standalone $10 per month. But there’s one exception: Customers on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan ($100 per month for one line) or the Go5G Next plan will get the service for included in the cost of the plan going forward, and those on the Experience More plan ($85 per month) will get it through the end of the year.

Even if you don’t pay the $10 a month, T-Mobile says 911 texting will be available later this year “to any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier.”

If you’re a Verizon or AT&T customer, you’ll have to activate T-Satellite as a second eSIM on your phone to take advantage of the service. You can find instructions on setting up the eSIM here.

Which phones are supported?

Most phones released in the past couple of years will work with T-Satellite. Here are the devices that are currently compatible with the beta version:

Apple

iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (all models)

Google

Google Pixel 9
Google Pixel 9A
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2025
Moto Razr 2024
Moto Razr Plus 2024
Moto Razr 2025
Moto Razr Plus 2025
Moto Razr Ultra 2025
Moto Razr Ultra Plus 2025

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy A25 5G SE*
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
Samsung Galaxy A36
Samsung Galaxy A36 SE
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G*
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S22 FE
Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
*Some non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

When T-Satellite launches on July 23, the following devices will also be compatible:

Motorola

Motorola Edge 2024
Moto G 2024
Moto G Stylus 2024
Moto G 5G 2024
Moto G Stylus 5G 2024

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy A14
Samsung Galaxy A15*
Samsung Galaxy A16
Samsung Galaxy A35
Samsung Galaxy A53*
Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
*Some non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile Revvl 7
T-Mobile Revvl 7 Pro

How to try T-Mobile’s Starlink service today

If you’re anxious to try T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite messaging service and don’t want to wait until July 23, you can still attempt to sign up for the beta. I wouldn’t hold out too much hope, though — when I entered my information, I got a message back saying, “Due to high demand, we’re admitting beta testers on a rolling basis. Keep an eye out for an update in the coming weeks.”