Technologies

Prime Day Deal: Two Samsung Battery Packs Are 31% Off Right Now and One Has a Wireless Charger

Both chargers also come with multiple ports so you can charge more than one device at a time for a great deal.

Running out of battery stinks, especially on your smartphone and doubly so when you’re nowhere near a charger. That’s why the power bank business is booming with hundreds of products across dozens of manufacturers. It’s also no secret that mobile accessories like battery banks are often deeply discounted for events like Amazon Prime Day. Samsung is no exception to this rule, and two of the Korean tech giant’s portable battery packs are on sale for about 31% off. Spoiler alert, one of them has wireless charging capabilities too.

The two batteries only have a couple of small differences. The smaller one features 25W charging, 10,000mAh of capacity and two cable ports. Samsung says the extra port is for charging your wireless earbuds alongside your phone, which is a good idea. It also comes with a wireless charging pad, so you can rest your phone on the bank and get a charge that way.

The larger one features 45W charging, 20,000mAh capacity and, somewhat weirdly, omits the wireless charging found on its smaller sibling. Samsung makes up for this discrepancy by including a third charging port.

Both devices have a fairly good discount as well. The 45W version is $38, down from $55, which equates to a little less than 31% off while the 25W version is $31, down from $45, which is just a little more than 31% off.

Samsung clearly designed these for Galaxy devices, per the product image above. However, it should work with any tablet or smartphone. You just might experience a reduction in charging speeds because the Super Fast charging standard is specific to Samsung phones. On a positive note, Samsung claims to make the battery banks out of recycled materials, which is always a plus.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Samsung’s accessories are built for Samsung’s products. If you’re here and you don’t have a Samsung phone, it’s OK. We have a whole list of portable chargers specifically for Android phones and also iPhones that you can sift through. These include power banks and MagSafe chargers, so you should be able to find something you like.

Why this deal matters

For starters, first-party accessories are almost always more expensive than third-party accessories, so the opportunity to get a Samsung-branded battery for your Samsung-branded phone and accessories for a discount is a win. You can use any old power bank on just about any old phone these days. However, the inclusion of Super Fast charging on both battery banks and the wireless charger on the smaller bank presents a unique value proposition for Samsung phone owners. The 45W Super Fast charging is usually only attainable on a wall charger, so having those speeds in a portable package is a nice upgrade from the standard stuff you see online.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 17.

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.

I breezed through today’s Mini Crossword. There’s a little something for everyone. Birders will appreciate 3-Down while musicians will immediately know the answer to 6-Down. Read on for an assist with today’s Mini Crossword. 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: Workout facilities
Answer: GYMS

5A clue: Pipe dream? Just the opposite!
Answer: LEAK

6A clue: In good spirits
Answer: JOLLY

7A clue: Up to the task
Answer: ABLE

8A clue: Headache-inducing situation
Answer: MESS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Boston newspaper
Answer: GLOBE

2D clue: TALKS LIKE THIS
Answer: YELLS

3D clue: Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g.
Answer: MALES

4D clue: Drone’s zone
Answer: SKY

6D clue: Rock out
Answer: JAM

Technologies

WeTransfer Backtracks on AI File Training After Backlash: What You Need to Know

The company has updated the changes to its policies after some users objected to new terms.

WeTransfer, the service that allows users to send large files to others, is explaining itself to clients and updating its terms of service after a backlash related to training AI models.

The company published a blog post, «WeTransfer Terms of Service — What’s Really Changing,» that details more updates the company made to its policies, after users noticed that recent changes seemed to suggest WeTransfer was training AI models on the files users are transferring.

In the blog post, the company says: «First things first. Your content is always your content.»

The post goes on to say, «We don’t use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer.» WeTransfer explains that its use of AI would be to improve content moderation and enhance its ability to prevent the distribution of harmful content across its platform.

The company adds that those AI tools aren’t being used and haven’t been built yet. «To avoid confusion,» it says, «we’ve removed this reference.»

A representative for WeTransfer did not immediately return an email seeking further comment.

The backlash over the terms prompted users such as political correspondent Ava Santina to write on X, «Time to stop using WeTransfer who from 8th August have decided they’ll own anything you transfer to power AI.»

What this means for users

Anxieties are high about what information users share or store in services such as social media accounts is accessed by companies to train AI models. WeTransfer may be used for highly sensitive file transfers, raising fears that private information might be accessed by AI. According to the company, this isn’t the case.

To further explain, the company said in its post:

«YES — Your content is always your content. In fact, section 6.2 of our Terms of Service clearly states that you ‘own and retain all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Content’.»
«YES — You’re granting us permission to ensure we can run and improve the WeTransfer service properly.»
«YES — Our terms are compliant with applicable privacy laws, including the GDPR.»
«NO — We are not using your content to train AI models.»
«NO — We do not sell your content to third parties.»

When the Terms of Service change

While eagle-eyed experts understood the potential implications of what WeTransfer’s new terms could mean for people using the service, it’s unlikely that most people would be able to spot such changes.

«Expecting users to fully understand Terms of Service is unrealistic. These documents are often too complex to navigate,» says Haibing Lu, associate professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.

Lu told CNET that companies would do well to clearly highlight any changes they make to AI-related terms and explain them clearly to give people a real choice. «That’s what true transparency looks like,» Lu says. «Companies are increasingly risking backlash when they update Terms of Service to include AI, especially when users’ data is involved.»

Companies including Adobe, Slack and Zoom have had similar issues with terms changes related to AI, but it’s not just AI that’s the problem, Lu says — rather, it’s the lack of transparent communication.

In the case of WeTransfer, Lu says the company’s response, including revising the terms and blogging about them, «was a smart move and helped rebuild trust. It showed they were listening and willing to act fast.»

WeTransfer could include more understandable language in its terms, or communicate the changes better or sooner, Lu says, adding: «Transparency shouldn’t start after a backlash.»