Technologies

Update Your LG Smartphone Now. Soon, You Won’t Be Able To

If you have an old LG phone, you’ll need to update it soon — LG stopped creating new smartphones in 2021 and is shutting down its update servers on June 30.

When LG left the smartphone industry in 2021, the company laid out a three-year plan to continue supporting customers with new updates for eligible phone models. While that support has continued for a little longer than the pledged time, LG is finally shutting down its smartphone update servers on June 30.

At the end of June, LG smartphones will no longer be able to install any new Android OS updates. This means you’ll be limited to the last version you downloaded before the servers were shut down.

Even if you’re downloading before the servers are discontinued, you can only upgrade to Android 12 or Android 13 and download any missing security patches, depending on your device.

LG is also shutting down the LG Bridge PC app. This software allows you to manage your phone’s contacts, images and videos on a desktop. More importantly, the app interfaces with LG smartphones to create data backups and install software updates. The LG Bridge software will also be sunsetted on June 30.

LG kept its phone update servers ‘past the typical use date’

Avi Greengart, a mobile analyst and president of Techsponential, says LG kept the lights on for a fairly long time in an environment in which consumers typically upgrade their devices every two or three years. Even so, he told CNET that today’s phones are being used longer than before — and they’re getting more support as well.

«Companies like Samsung are promising to update both the OS and security for up to eight years, which means that (those phones) will get new features long into the future,» Greengart said.

LG’s decision to end support for its smartphones will affect a «vanishingly small number of users,» according to Greengart. He advises that users upgrade their phones when they stop receiving security updates.

While many modern phones have outpaced the technology in older LG models, Greengart said that some customers hold onto their devices because of unique LG design traits like the rear fingerprint reader placement and dual-screen cover displays.

Greengart suggests that these customers look for alternatives that offer «secure face ID or fingerprint readers on the side power button» and «large fold phones from Samsung and Google in the US, along with Oppo and Honor in markets where those are sold.»

A representative for LG didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 3.

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.

Today’s Mini Crossword stumped me in a few spots. 8-Across had me thinking of a couple different words, but I landed on it eventually. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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: Glaswegian or Edinburgher
Answer: SCOT

5A clue: 2025 Pixar film about a boy who gets abducted by aliens
Answer: ELIO

6A clue: Strong string
Answer: TWINE

7A clue: Religious devotee with a shaved head, maybe
Answer: MONK

8A clue: Calligrapher’s assortment
Answer: INKS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Attach, as a button
Answer: SEWON

2D clue: Sound of two glasses being «cheers-ed»
Answer: CLINK

3D clue: Noises from a pig
Answer: OINKS

4D clue: «Little piggy»
Answer: TOE

6D clue: «Did I overshare?»
Answer: TMI

Technologies

Starlink Plans to Send 42K Satellites Into Space. That Could Be Bad News for the Ozone

Technologies

Scary Survey Results: Teen Drivers Are Often Looking at Their Phones

New troubling research found that entertainment is the most common reason teens use their phones behind the wheel, followed by texting and navigation.

A new study reveals that teen drivers in the US are spending more than one-fifth of their driving time distracted by their phones, with many glances lasting long enough to significantly raise the risk of a crash. Published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention and released on Thursday, the research found that, on average, teens reported looking at their phones during 21.1% of every driving trip. More than a quarter of those distractions lasted two seconds or longer, which is an amount of time widely recognized as dangerous at highway speeds.

Most distractions tied to entertainment, not emergencies

The top reason teens said they reached for their phones behind the wheel was for entertainment, cited by 65% of respondents. Texting (40%) and navigation (30%) were also common. Researchers emphasized that these distractions weren’t typically urgent, but rather habitual or social.

Teens know the risks

The study includes survey responses from 1,126 teen drivers across all four US regions, along with in-depth interviews with a smaller group of high schoolers. Most participants recognized that distracted driving is unsafe and believed their parents and peers disapproved of the behavior.

But many teens also assumed that their friends were doing it anyway, pointing to a disconnect between personal values and perceived social norms.

Teens think they can resist distractions

Interestingly, most teens expressed confidence in their ability to resist distractions. That belief, researchers suggest, could make it harder to change behavior unless future safety campaigns specifically target these attitudes.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Rebecca Robbins of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said interventions should aim to shift social norms while also emphasizing practical steps, such as enabling «Do Not Disturb» mode and physically separating drivers from their devices.

«Distracted driving is a serious public health threat and particularly concerning among young drivers,» Robbins said. «Driving distracted doesn’t just put the driver at risk of injury or death, it puts everyone else on the road in danger of an accident.»

What this means for parents and educators

The researchers say their findings can help guide educators and parents in developing more persuasive messaging about the dangers of distracted driving. One of the recommendations is that adults need to counter teens’ beliefs that phone use while driving is productive or harmless.

While the study’s qualitative component was limited by a small and non-urban sample, the authors believe the 38-question survey they developed can be used more broadly to assess beliefs, behaviors and the effectiveness of future safety efforts.