Technologies

Pumpkin, Fanta or Cheetos: What Flavor of Orange Is the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro?

We did some extremely scientific tests, and it turns out that the new cosmic orange iPhone is really, well, orange.

The new iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are officially on sale and start at $1,099 and $1,199, respectively. The phones feature a new unibody redesign, a new telephoto camera, an updated screen and a larger battery.

The iPhone 17 Pro is also available in some fresh and eye-catching colors, including silver, dark blue and cosmic orange. Black, space gray and white are now passé. The new innovative colors have some people scratching their heads, and others falling in love.

Say goodbye to titanium metal finishes, and hello to a new orange color that’s as divisive as it is bold. Its hue makes it double as a road hazard warning sign, and that’s one reason not everyone is a fan.

«Apple may be calling it ‘cosmic orange,’ but there’s absolutely nothing heavenly about it,» according to CNET’s Macy Meyer.

Rival phone makers like Motorola are also experimenting with divisive colors and alternatives to a glass back (you can get the Motorola Razr with a wood back). It seems here that in response to criticism about its mostly colorless titanium finishes on recent Pro iPhone models, Apple is now offering a color you can’t ignore.

As I was testing the iPhone 17 Pro Max for my review, the bold, bright orange drew multiple «Is that the new iPhone?» inquiries from passersby.

But is an orange iPhone not what we need right now, as my colleague argues? Will it look less appealing when we hit next year?

«Bold colors can work. Ferrari red? Iconic. Deep midnight blue? Elegant. I even really like the iPhone 15 that’s Barbie pink,» Meyer writes. «But fluorescent traffic-sign orange? That’s a statement that’ll look like a seasonal prop left over from Halloween exactly three months from now.»

To show you just how orange the iPhone 17 Pro Max is, we snapped pictures of it next to as many orange things as I could find.

Looking to order the iPhone 17 Pro Max? Check out our deals guide to learn if you can get it free and other great offers.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

For more about the new Pro phone, check out my iPhone 17 Pro Max review. And if you’re curious about the other phones Apple released, read our iPhone Air review and our in-depth look at the iPhone 17.

Technologies

VPNs Are in High Demand for These Main Reasons

A new study reveals how virtual private networks are expanding outside of the niche technology just for businesses.

We all have concerns about online privacy and security, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

According to a new report from Maximum Market Research, the global market for virtual private networks will grow by more than 17% annually over the next five years. VPN expenditures are projected to reach $150 billion by 2030, more than triple what it was ($48.7 billion) in 2023.

Two key drivers for that growth are the lack of data security on public networks and the increasing number of employees doing remote and hybrid work.

VPN providers are working to boost the appeal of their services for consumers. This week, for instance, ExpressVPN introduced new features for Apple’s iOS app, including shortcuts, Home screen widgets and integration with Siri voice commands.

If you’re not already using a VPN, maybe you’re getting a sense of FOMO — should I jump into the VPN pool?

There are lots of good reasons to do so, including improved privacy, streaming without geo-restrictions and preventing ISP tracking. Check out CNET’s recommendations for the top VPNs (Canada, see here).

If you’re still in the «what’s a VPN?» camp, here’s a short description of how it works. First, you connect to a VPN server, which allows your device to establish an encrypted connection (sometimes called «tunneling in»). Then, all of your internet traffic is routed through that server, thus hiding your public IP address and physical location. The encryption also scrambles data related to your online activity, rendering it unreadable to hackers or cyberthieves.

VPNs are no longer just a «niche» nice-to-have technology for businesses, according to the report cited above. The projected growth of VPNs through 2030, it says, underscores the urgency we feel to keep our data secure.

Maximum Market Research expects North America to dominate the VPN market, with approximately 41% of the market share by 2030.

Technologies

Inside the Ocean’s Version of the International Space Station

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 21 #567

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 21, No. 567.

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 tough one. The words are long and there are many that could fit the category. 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: Stand by me.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Need a friend to lean on?

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:

PORT, SODA, SECT, MOST, RENT, RENTS, FORT, FOOL, FOOLS, PORT, RATS, STAR, SPOT, TOPS

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: