Technologies

Is the iPhone Air a Klutz’s Worst Nightmare?

Commentary: It’s only 5.6mm thick! I can’t be the only one worried about breaking the new iPhone Air.

Maybe I’m just getting bent out of shape, but the new iPhone Air seems like it would be my worst nightmare. The slim and trim version of the brand new iPhone 17 was the star of Apple’s «awe dropping» September event, with Apple bragging they created a model that’s only 5.6 mm thick, about the size of three stacked credit cards. But I have to ask: Did anyone really ask for a super-thin iPhone?

Apple has loaded up the iPhone Air with better battery life and faster processing power via the A19 Pro chip. It’s also got a 48-megapixel fusion camera and a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto camera. Apple said this is the most power-efficient phone it’s ever made. It’s likely to be a value-packed iPhone — or at least it should be, since the prices start at $999 for 256GB. But none of that matters if the phone breaks, bends or shatters.

I’m not a total klutz, but I drop my phone occasionally. I throw it in my bag while running out the door, shove it in my pockets while on a run and toss it on the counter while cooking. I need a phone that can take a bit of jostling. I’m not convinced that Apple’s thinnest ever model is going to be able to withstand all that, despite the company calling it its «most durable design yet.»

I have precedent to back up my concerns. When Apple released the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, previously the slimmest model Apple produced, early users reported that the device would bend when they kept it in their pockets — it became known as Bendgate. Apple said it only happened for a few iPhone owners at the time, but history tends to repeat itself.

Read More: iPhone Air: Preorders for Apple’s Thinnest Ever Phone Are Live. Save Up to $1,000

«The iPhone 17 Air is an impressive feat of engineering, and Apple went into detail about the device’s design. Given the challenges faced with the iPhone 6 Plus, which resulted in the ‘bendgate’ controversy, Apple clearly wants to put minds at rest,» said Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight.

Maybe Apple’s presentation would’ve eased my worries about the durability of the iPhone Air if it had mentioned anything practical about its testing and development beyond marketing fluff. If the company wants us to spend a thousand bucks on a new iPhone in this economy, we deserve to know it won’t bend or break after a few uses. (Luckily for us, CNET plans to test it soon.)

I appreciate what Apple is trying to do, and I’m sure the iPhone Air will be appealing for some folks who want a lighter device. But thinner isn’t always better.

For more, check out everything Apple announced at the iPhone 17 event.

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.