Technologies

iPhone Air Proves That Thinner Can Be Better, and Easy to Repair

The battery on the new skinny iPhone isn’t the strongest, but it isn’t hard to replace, according to DIY repair website iFixit.

The iPhone Air is really thin and, as it turns out, easy to repair, too. iFixit, a website that helps people DIY repair a wide array of electronics, tested the iPhone Air and gave it a «respectable» 7 out of 10 for repairability.

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

«Apple has proved that thin doesn’t have to mean unfixable,» iFixit noted in its field test. «Its layout and design trade-offs make repairs more approachable, not less. It still has limits, but the design shows that good engineering can make even the slimmest devices last longer in the real world.»

Read more: The iPhone Air Reminds Me That I’m Just Not a Skinny Phone Girl

The iPhone Air’s battery life might not be as strong as its thicker iPhone brethren (although it’s better than expected), but it’s also the easiest battery to replace. To make the Air as thin as it is, no other parts — namely, the logic board — are stacked on top of the battery. That enables easier battery access.

As iFixit explains, thanks to Apple’s «dual entry design, » you can access the battery through the back glass. Then, with the back cover off, you can free and remove the battery without having to pry it out.

iFixit also points out that the iPhone Air battery is the same one used in Apple’s MagSafe battery pack.

iPhone Air battery life appears better than pre-launch concerns warranted. CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti found that «the battery took a noticeable hit on heavy-use days, though it held up surprisingly well under more moderate use and in CNET’s battery tests.»

iFixit says that 80% of how it scores repairability is based on how easy it is to replace the parts that are most important and most likely to break.

One of the other issues that iPhone customers face is a USB-C charging port that collects lint, dust and dirt over time and sometimes prevents charging cables from working. iFixit says the iPhone Air’s port is «decently modular,» which enables replacement if necessary, albeit after a fairly tedious but «feasible» process.

iFiixit says Apple doesn’t perform in-house USB-C repairs or sell replacement ports for iPhones, but parts are available from other sources.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 27, #992

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 27 #992.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features a mix of difficulties. For me, the purple category was easy today, but the blue and green ones were tougher. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Like a double agent.

Green group hint: Ambiance that surrounds you.

Blue group hint: Ripple is another word that could be in this category.

Purple group hint: Freedom of the ____.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Backstabber.

Green group: Aura.

Blue group: Kinds of chain reaction «effects.»

Purple group: ____ press.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is backstabber. The four answers are Judas, snake, traitor and turncoat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is aura. The four answers are air, impression, manner and quality.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of chain reaction «effects.» The four answers are butterfly, domino, ripple and snowball.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ press. The four answers are bench, drill, French and printing.

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the «shuffle» button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. «Rushmore» was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

Technologies

A Hacker Threat Is Hiding in Your Car’s Tire Pressure System

A new study reveals that a car’s tire pressure monitoring system can be easily accessed by hackers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Feb. 27

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 27.

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.

Was today’s Mini Crossword too short for you? The New York Times now has a Midi Crossword, which is not as big as the original NYT Crossword, but longer than the Mini. Read on for the answers to today’s Mini Crossword. 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.