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

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

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Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

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 is a fun one — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so 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: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

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:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

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:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.