Technologies
My Favorite Portable iPhone Charger From Anker Is Down to Just $35 at Amazon Right Now
The Anker 622 MagGo snaps nicely onto the back of my iPhone, and at just half an inch thick, it’s ultra-compact. Plus, it’s up to 22% off as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.
Like most people, I’ve come to rely on my phone for pretty much everything — from driving directions to work communications, weather, news and more. So the last thing I need is for my iPhone’s battery to run out of power at just the wrong time. Luckily, ever since I bought this handy magnetic charger, that’s never been a concern. It’s so portable and practical that it now goes everywhere I do.
The Anker 622 MagGo is a small slab of battery with a few features that make it an ideal on-the-go accessory. Right now, you can get one for as much as 22% off as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. That brings the price down to as low as $35. It comes in a variety of colors, and all of them except for Interstellar Gray are down to $35. For me, it’s more about power than color, but if you want to snap up a battery pack that complements your phone, you can choose from Buds Green, Dolomite White, Lilac Purple and Misty Blue.
Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.
Here’s why I’ve stuck with this little charger for so long
Have you seen people walk around with a loop of cable hanging from their pocket to their phone? I’ve been there and hooked that loop on too many chairs and table corners. Never again. The ring of magnets in the Anker 622 MagGo aligns with the MagSafe magnets in every iPhone since the iPhone 12, latching securely and charging without wires.
It’s also compact — a little backpack feeding power to the phone while you’re holding it or have it stashed in a pocket, even a jeans pocket if your fit isn’t too tight.
Those features alone would have convinced me, but the Anker 622 also includes a fold-out back flap that props up my iPhone and can also hold the phone in its wide orientation for StandBy mode. With a power adapter such as the Anker Nano Pro (not included) and a charging cable, I’ve taught long classes with the phone angled to help me keep track of the time without checking my watch.
Essential Anker 622 MagGo specs
Here’s what you need to know.
- Battery capacity: 5,000 milliamp hours
- Voltage: 1.55 volts
- Output: 7.5-watt Magnetic (compatible with MagSafe-equipped devices, iPhone 12 and later) or 20-watt USB-C port. Can charge only one device at a time.
- Input: The same single USB-C is also how you recharge the device.
- Size: 4.13-inch by 2.61 inches by 0.5 inch
- Weight: 5 ounces
- Included: Magnetic battery, 60cm (23.6 inches) USB-C to USB-C cable
- Warranty: 24 months
MagSafe-compatible charging
I’ve owned several battery chargers, and each one has some sort of compromise. They’re bulky. They require a cable. They charge wirelessly but don’t include a magnet to keep the phone in place, so it’s hard to maintain that connection. There’s always something.
The Anker 622 is half an inch thick and snaps onto the back of my iPhone using the MagSafe-aligned magnets. I don’t have to turn it on to start charging — power flows as soon as the connection is made.
Now, this isn’t the highest-capacity (5,000 mAh) or fastest portable charger. That’s fine. What I usually need is a way to eke out a few more hours of battery life on my iPhone. I can typically get a full top-off of my iPhone 15 Pro.
Making a stand
The other appealing feature of the Anker 622 MagGo for me is its built-in stand. Honestly, it doesn’t look like it should work well: It’s a fabric-covered set of plastic pieces that lie flush against the case, folds in two places and attaches to the back of the unit with a magnetic strip when extended. Yet I’ve had no problems with the stability of my iPhone 15 Pro or even the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max size.
This also lets me use standby mode by turning the iPhone to landscape orientation (the magnets are strong enough to hold the phone in place) when it’s on a table or desk.
Smart port placement matters
The charger gets its juice from a single USB-C port, which is positioned on the edge of the case, not the bottom. That means you can replenish it while the stand is open — many chargers’ ports are stuck on the bottom.
That USB-C port also acts as a charger for other devices when you plug in a cable, such as when your Apple Watch needs a boost.
How the Anker 622 MagGo compares to similar power banks
Before getting the Anker 622 MagGo, I carried an Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless, which doubles the battery capacity, includes a USB-A port and charges wirelessly but without magnets to hold the phone in place. That meant if I didn’t use a cable, the phone and charger needed to be stable and level; too often I’d find the iPhone slid off its wireless perch and not charged. It’s also larger and heavier. I still use it, but it’s the power bank that goes into my carry-on suitcase as a backup charger.
Since I’ve owned this Anker 622 MagGo, the company has released a few updated models. The $55 Anker 633 (currently on sale for $40 if you clip the on-page coupon) packs 10,000 mAh into a slightly thicker brick, includes a USB-A port in addition to USB-C and has a metal kickstand for resting the phone upright.
You can also consider getting the chunkier Anker MagGo Power Bank that delivers 10,000 mAh and follows the same idea of compact magnetic charging and a convenient kickstand. Its main appeals are faster 15-watt magnetic charging and Qi2 compatibility, plus a small display on the side that reports the battery capacity and an estimate of the remaining battery in hours.
For more smart buys, check out this amazing multitool and a portable TV that can go anywhere. You can also find our complete roundup of the best deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale event. And if you happen to be gift shopping, check out our roundup of the best gifts for grads and best Mother’s Day gifts.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 11
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 11.
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? I thought it was a bit tricky. 1-Down is one of those old-fashioned comic-book sounds that I had to remember how to spell correctly. 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: Study of the human mind, informally
Answer: PSYCH
6A clue: Common fixture in a gym bathroom
Answer: SCALE
7A clue: Kinda boring
Answer: HOHUM
8A clue: Like a commenter without a username, for short
Answer: ANON
9A clue: «All good between us?»
Answer: WEOK
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Old-fashioned «Yeah, right!»
Answer: PSHAW
2D clue: Coffeehouse pastry
Answer: SCONE
3D clue: Google alternative
Answer: YAHOO
4D clue: Sound of a dull thump
Answer: CLUNK
5D clue: Line on the bottom of a pant leg
Answer: HEM
Technologies
OnePlus and Oppo to Raise Smartphone Prices as Memory Costs Climb
Oppo says rising costs for key phone components will trigger price adjustments on some devices starting March 16.
Chinese smartphone-makers OnePlus and Oppo plan to raise prices on some existing models starting next week, according to a 9to5Google report citing GizmoChina and a notice posted on Oppo’s China online store.
In its notice, Oppo said it would adjust pricing after evaluating rising costs for several key components used in its mobile phones. The changes are expected to take effect around March 16 and will affect some of the company’s more affordable smartphones, as well as some OnePlus models.
Flagship devices — like those in the Find and Reno series — are not expected to be affected for now. The reported adjustments currently appear to be limited to China.
The move highlights growing pressure across the smartphone supply chain as component costs climb. Analysts say prices for memory and storage chips used in phones have been rising in recent months as demand surges across the tech industry.
Much of the chip demand is coming from the rapid buildout of AI data centers, which rely on large amounts of high-performance memory.
That pressure isn’t limited to Oppo and OnePlus. Analysts say smartphone brands across the industry are facing rising component costs amid increased demand for memory chips.
As manufacturers shift production toward higher-margin memory used in AI servers, supply for consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops can tighten.
If component costs continue to rise, manufacturers may face difficult choices later this year, including raising retail prices or adjusting device specifications to offset higher manufacturing costs.
OnePlus and Oppo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Technologies
Harvard Business Review Study Finds ‘AI Brain Fry’ Is Leaving Workers Mentally Fatigued
Study participants reported increased mental fatigue while using AI tools, but less burnout overall.
Workers who excessively use AI agents and tools at work are at increased risk of mental fatigue, according to a recent Harvard Business Review study. In certain industries, more than 25% of hired professionals report increased mental strain due to their role in AI oversight — though these professionals also generally experienced less burnout than peers who aren’t using AI.
This phenomenon — which the researchers refer to as «AI brain fry» — is described as a «‘buzzing’ feeling or a mental fog» that caused study participants to develop headaches and difficulty focusing and making decisions. Individuals pointed to being overwhelmed by large amounts of information and to frequent task switching as the reasons for these feelings.
Studied individuals experienced more brain fry when they utilized AI agents to manage a workload beyond their own cognitive capacity. When participants used AI to replace mundane, repetitive tasks, managing the growing number of tools led to increased mental fatigue.
Crucially, the study found that fewer individuals who used these AI agents reported workplace burnout.
The researchers predict that this is because burnout testing assesses emotional and physical distress. In contrast, they report, acute mental fatigue «is caused by marshalling attention, working memory and executive control beyond the limited capacity of these systems.»
These are the processes that are taxed when study participants use multiple AI tools in their workflow, according to the researchers.
The Harvard study identifies several business costs incurred by workers suffering from AI brain fry. The foremost consequence is that these individuals may end up making lower-quality decisions. «Workers in [the] study who endorsed AI brain fry experience 33% more decision fatigue than those who did not,» the study reports. Workers who report AI brain fry were also more likely to self-report making both minor and major errors at their jobs.
Another recent Harvard Business Review study similarly found that employees who use AI tools «worked at a faster pace, took on a broader scope of tasks and extended work into more hours of the day,» but warned that «workload creep can in turn lead to cognitive fatigue, burnout and weakened decision-making.»
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