Technologies

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S: New Mobile Mouse Has Quieter Clicks and 8K DPI Optical Sensor

The company’s upgraded mobile mouse features a new 8,000 DPI optical sensor and its button-clicking sounds have been toned down.

As is typical for a Logitech «S» product update, its new compact MX Anywhere 3S wireless «mobile» mouse doesn’t look any different from its predecessor. However, it offers some performance upgrades, notably quieter operation and an upgraded 8,000 DPI optical sensor that Logitech says tracks on most surfaces including glass and offers faster workflow with high-resolution monitors. The new mouse ships in June in graphite, pale gray and rose colors for $80 (£65, AU$130).

See at Logitech

Like its predecessor, the MX Anywhere 3, Logitech positions the MX Anywhere 3S as a premium Bluetooth travel mouse as well as an everyday mouse for those with smaller hands (it’s an ambidextrous mouse so you can use it with either your left or right hand). Weighing 95 grams, it’s considerably lighter and smaller than Logitech’s $100 flagship MX Master 3S (141 grams), which also has an 8K DPI optical sensor and the quiet clicks feature. The MX Anywhere 3 has a 4K DPI optical sensor.

Read more: Best wireless mouse of 2023

The MX Anywhere 3S is available only in a universal version that works with Windows, MacOS, iPadOS (13.4 or higher), Android (9.0 or higher), ChromeOS and Linux computers via Bluetooth (the MX Anywhere 3 also comes in a Mac version targeted at Apple users). For better or worse, Logitech’s Logi Bolt USB dongle is no longer included but you can still connect up to three devices via Bluetooth and switch between them by tapping a button on the bottom of the mouse. Logitech says the laptop and mobile device users who tend to buy its MX Anywhere mice tend not to use the dongle and opt for Bluetooth instead, so it left the dongle out though you can request one with the company if you really want one (the mouse is compatible with Logi Bolt).

The MX Anywhere 3S in the graphite color.

Logitech

I’ve used the earlier MX Anywhere 3 off-and-on for the last year or so with my laptop and it’s a great travel mouse — maybe the best out there — and features very good ergonomics and performance, plus good customization options via the Logi Options Plus app. While the new updates aren’t exactly game changers that would give an MX Anywhere 3 owner like me a burning reason to upgrade, you can definitely hear the difference when it comes to the quieter clicks. That said, but those clicks sound muffled but aren’t completely silent. The difference in optical sensors is harder to discern but a higher DPI sensor can come in handy when you’re using a high-resolution display with your cursor tracking faster across the screen.

The mouse is equipped with the same smooth MagSpeed electromagnetic scroll wheel that «zips through 1,000 lines per second with accuracy to stop on a pixel and auto-shifts between ratchet and free spin mode,» according to Logitech. The MX Anywhere 3S doesn’t have a side scroll wheel but you can hold either of the side buttons while scrolling with the scroll wheel to scroll horizontally, which spreadsheet jockeys will appreciate. Those side buttons also have predefined app-specific settings. For instance, in Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the forward button starts and stops your video and the back button mutes and unmutes your microphone.

The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S has a 8K DPI optical sensor.

David Carnoy/CNET

Battery life is rated at up to 70 days on single charge and you can get around 3 hours of use from a 1-minute charge via the USB-C charging port. With my MX Anywhere 3, I tend to have to recharge after about a month, but that’s with with pretty heavy use.

I’ve been impressed with how the MX Anywhere 3 has held up over time — and, as I said, the MX Anywhere 3S appears to have the same design. The silicone side grip, which is pleasing to the touch and offers a nice grip, shows some slight wear in spots but is mainly in very good shape. No carrying case or pouch is included but it survived just fine after I stored it in smaller compartment in my backpack and sometime the side pocket of my slim laptop cover.

Like a lot of companies embracing sustainability directives, Logitech says this latest iteration of the MX Anywhere mouse incorporates a higher percentage of recycled plastic in its plastic components: 78% for the graphite version and 61% for pale gray and rose colors.

At the time it launched the MX Anywhere 3S, Logitech also unveiled the MX Keys S ($110), an upgraded version of its MX Keys keyboard that features better battery life, an improved key layout, customizable backlighting and a new Smart Actions feature that allows how to create shortcuts with a single keystroke via the Logi Options Plus app. The MX Anywhere 3S mouse also support the Smart Actions feature.

The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S is available in a rose color — The mouse in the rose color.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 20 #566

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 20, No. 566.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be a puzzler. Some of the answers are long and a bit tough to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Dire straits.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Oh no! Get me out of here!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

PICK, PIED, DIRT, DIRE, MANE, MILE, MAIL, MALE, DAME, FRET, MACE, RENT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

PICKLE, MESS, MUDDLE, DILEMMA, QUANDRY, PREDICAMENT

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is INAFIX. To find it, look for the I that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind up.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Hiking Xbox Series Console Prices Again. Here’s What You’ll Pay This Fall

Gaming is getting more and more expensive due to tariffs.

Microsoft will increase the prices of its Xbox Series consoles once again in October. This latest increase comes just five months after it raised prices due to tariffs.

An Xbox support page notes the upcoming price increase happening on Oct. 3, as first reported by Windows Central on Friday. Console costs will jump $20 to $70, depending on the version.

The new prices are:

Xbox Series S 512GB: $380 to $400
Xbox Series S 1TB: $430 to $450
Xbox Series X Digital: $550 to $600
Xbox Series X: $600 to $650
Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: $730 to $800

To provide some context on the pricing, the Xbox Series S 512GB was $300 at launch, and the Xbox Series X was $500. In December 2023, the Xbox Series X went for as low as $350.

Microsoft says the price changes are «due to the changes in the macroeconomic environment.» This likely refers to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump, which have also caused prices to increase for other video game hardware from Nintendo and Sony.

«We are navigating an incredibly dynamic environment right now,» a company source told Windows Central. «We’ve assessed the changing macroeconomic environment and addressed the applicable impacts.»

When asked for further comment, a Microsoft spokesperson pointed CNET to the Xbox support page.

Where to get an Xbox Series X at its original price

The Xbox price hike won’t take effect until Oct. 3. Until then, you can pick up the Xbox Series consoles for the current pricing at retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.

Technologies

The New Meta Ray-Bans Might Be Your Next Disneyland Tour Guide

Disney’s Imagineers are prototyping a virtual assistant to guide you through its theme parks via your own smart glasses.

Walt Disney Imagineering is in the early stages of prototyping a new augmented reality experience at its theme parks. This week, the team released a video showing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses used as a personal virtual assistant inside Disneyland.

Meta is just one of the companies Disney Imagineering R&D is working with on AR. The Ray-Ban smart glasses allow Disney guests to ask questions out loud and receive real-time responses with information about rides, attractions, merchandise, food and directions.

Disney Imagineering’s R&D team has been working on early prototypes for how our AI glasses can help bring easy to access tips while in the parks, using our new Device Access Toolkit pic.twitter.com/japyanoSEh

— Jake Steinerman (@jasteinerman) September 18, 2025

The video shows a Disney cast member walking through Disneyland wearing Meta Ray-Bans. As she approaches the paddleboat attraction, she asks, «What’s that, and how can I ride it?»

«That’s the Mark Twain River Boat,» the AI-powered glasses respond instantly. «It’s nearby and you can board for a relaxing 14-minute cruise.»

She proceeds to ask, «Where can I get a gluten-free snack?» The answer is, at a snack stand nearby, with the glasses offering to check the full menu for her. She also asks whether a certain ride is appropriate for her 4-year-old, and focuses on a guest’s Porg keychain to inquire, «Where can I get one of those?» It responds by telling her it’s from a store in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Another part shows the glasses suggesting activities. «Pirates of the Caribbean currently has a short wait time. Want directions?» And «Winnie the Pooh is nearby, want to meet him?»

Meta’s latest Ray-Bans were unveiled on Wednesday. The second-generation Meta smart glasses have received AI upgrades, a better battery life and an improved camera. They are available now for $379.

Augmented reality experiences have become a way for theme parks to distinguish themselves from the competition. Earlier this year, Universal opened its brand new theme park, Epic Universe, featuring a blend of immersive technology.

Disney doesn’t shy away from using the latest technology in its parks and experiences. There are wearables for park and hotel room entry, new Haunted Mansion illusions and apps for checking ride wait times or voting for that evening’s nighttime entertainment. Let’s not forget the latest Walt Disney animatronics or Disney’s groundbreaking holotile floor, either.