Technologies

AT&T Is Raising the Rates for Its Unlimited Plans, Bumping Hotspot Data

Its unlimited plans are going up by 99 cents per line, per month. But at least you’ll be able to get more hotspot data.

AT&T customers on its unlimited plans will start to see their bills go up in March. The carrier confirmed to CNET on Friday that it will raise the rates for its unlimited plans by 99 cents per line, per month.

Notifications will begin going out to customers this weekend, with the increases taking place March 5.

The new pricing is already visible on AT&T’s website for new users, alongside the new names for the company’s main wireless plans and increased high-speed hotspot data that the carrier is offering as part of the move. Unlimited Starter, the company’s base unlimited plan, has become «Unlimited Starter SL» and will now include 5GB of hotspot data (up from 3GB), while Unlimited Extra — the middle plan in the company’s portfolio — will be renamed «Unlimited Extra EL» and include 30GB of hotspot data (up from 15GB).

The carrier’s priciest Unlimited Premium option is now dubbed «Unlimited Premium PL» and comes with 60GB of hotspot data, an increase from 50GB on the old plan. The Dominican Republic has also been added as a country that users on this plan can roam in with full talk, text and data.

Users on AT&T’s old Unlimited Elite plan, which includes access to Max, will not be getting any pricing changes, though it raised rates on those lines last summer. Despite the pricing, hotspot and branding adjustments, AT&T has not re-added Max to any of its plans and, unlike rivals T-Mobile and Verizon, it still does not bundle in or discount streaming services with its main wireless service.

In addition to updating its main plans, AT&T is also adding a 99-cent increase to its cheapest Value Plus option and rebranding that as AT&T Value Plus VL. This plan still lacks hotspot data, but the carrier is now allowing you to have up to 10 lines, whereas it previously limited this plan to just a single line.

Those opting for Value Plus VL, however, will need to have all lines on this plan. That means they can’t have some on a pricier option that offers extra features like hotspot data and others on the cheaper alternative.

«We are bringing new benefits and added value to our best unlimited plans. This includes increased hotspot data — doubling on Unlimited Extra EL — and adding roaming in the Dominican Republic on Unlimited Premium PL. We are also taking our Value Plus plan, now Value Plus VL, from 1 to 10 lines, including connected devices. Customers on our current Unlimited Starter, Extra, Premium and Value Plus plans will receive the additional benefits starting in March,» an AT&T spokesperson told CNET in a statement.

«Existing customers will be notified of these changes in the coming days and will have several weeks prior to the effective date to update their plan or make other changes if they’d like to.»

AT&T notes that this is the first increase it has had on these plans since introducing them in 2020.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 10, #533

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 10, No. 533.

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 features a lot of team names, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to solve. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for 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: Play ball!

Green group hint: Not front.

Blue group hint: Certain NFL player.

Purple group hint: They play at Smoothie King Center.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: An AL Central player.

Green group: Words appearing before «back,» in football.

Blue group: Associated with Derrick Henry.

Purple group: New Orleans Pelicans.

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 an AL Central player. The four answers are Guardian, Royal, Tiger and Twin.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is words appearing before «back,» in football. The four answers are corner, defensive, full and running.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Derrick Henry. The four answers are Heisman, King, Ravens and Titans.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is New Orleans Pelicans. The four answers are Bey, Fears, Murphy and Queen.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, March 10

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 10.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? I’d just like to point out that the New York Times puzzle-makers love the 7-Across answer — they use it about every other week. 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? Read on. 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: Writing that lacks substance
Answer: FLUFF

6A clue: Pencil in a cosmetics bag
Answer: LINER

7A clue: ___ acid (building block of proteins)
Answer: AMINO

8A clue: Partner of services, in economics
Answer: GOODS

9A clue: Small criticism
Answer: NIT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Warning sign in a relationship, metaphorically
Answer: FLAG

2D clue: Fancy prom ride
Answer: LIMO

3D clue: SAG-AFTRA, for one
Answer: UNION

4D clue: Luxury fashion house headquartered in Rome
Answer: FENDI

5D clue: Ground coating on a cold morning
Answer: FROST

Technologies

Australians Flock to VPNs in the Wake of Online Age-Restriction Laws

App downloads for VPN services increase sharply as websites in Australia go behind age-restriction walls.

A new set of laws in Australia requiring adult websites and app stores to age-restrict content for those under 18, and requiring AI companies to restrict chatbot offerings from displaying certain types of sensitive or adult content to minors, is apparently driving many to download Virtual Private Network apps there.

Major adult sites have closed their virtual doors to those who aren’t age-confirmed in Australia, and these changes follow a nationwide ban on social media use by teenagers and young children that went into effect in December.

According to reports from Reuters, The Guardian and others, in response to the bans, downloads of VPN-related apps, which people can use to circumvent location-based restrictions, are sharply on the rise. According to Reuters, three of the 15 most downloaded free iPhone apps in the country were VPN-related as the new laws went into effect on Monday.

Lawmakers in some regions, including the US, are well aware that people use VPNs in this way. In states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, laws are being proposed to limit or outright ban VPN use. Wisconsin’s proposed law would require adult sites to block VPN traffic, while Michigan’s proposal would ban VPN use entirely in the state.

There is also a proposal in England under consideration to ban VPN use by minors. That proposal is currently under review.