Technologies

My iPhone Air Keeps Dropping Calls, but a Fix Has Finally Arrived

Some people report having cellular connectivity issues with Apple’s iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air. An update for iOS 26 should solve the problem.

The so-called scratchgate fiasco may have drummed up a lot of attention since Apple released its latest iPhones, but I’ve been struggling with a different issue.

Over the last several weeks, my iPhone Air has had trouble placing and receiving calls, and there have been periods in which I’ve completely lost service, even after turning my phone off and on again.

After digging online, it appears others have been experiencing similar problems. Phone Arena pointed to Reddit threads in which iPhone owners cite cell signal issues, regardless of whether they have service with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. I transferred my Verizon service from my iPhone 16 Pro Max to the iPhone Air, and only started having issues after doing so.

Just as I was about to resign and switch my service back to my older iPhone, Apple is rolling out an update with iOS 26.0.1 that’s designed to fix the problem. According to the release notes, Apple says this update will fix the fact that «a small number of iPhone users may be unable to connect to a cellular network after updating to iOS 26.»

The outages I’ve experienced have been sporadic. One day last week, my friend texted that she was trying to call me, but it wasn’t going through; I had to redial a few times before I could reach her. The same thing happened with a handful of other calls I tried to place. Over the weekend, my mom tried contacting me all day, and was sometimes directed straight to voicemail — as were a couple of other calls. I only became aware of these failed call attempts because someone informed me about them later; there’s no way of knowing exactly how many rings I actually missed.

The most frustrating instance was when I was out shopping with my friend and I lost service for several hours. My phone remained on SOS mode, even after I restarted it, and I had to hunt for in-store Wi-Fi just to text her my exact location so she could find me. (We both have Verizon, and her iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is still running iOS 18, had no issues.)

I asked my CNET colleagues if they’d faced similar problems, and it appears my experience with the iPhone Air was an outlier. My iPhone 17 hasn’t had any issues, nor have Patrick Holland’s iPhone 17 Pro Max or Jeff Carlson’s iPhone 17 Pro.

When I saw iOS 26.0.1 was available, I updated my phone immediately. So hopefully my mom won’t think I’m ignoring her calls anymore.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 30, #903

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 30, #903.

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 has one of those purple categories where you need to look inside of the words for hidden words that relate to each other. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now 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.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

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: Put up with.

Green group hint: Bad ending.

Blue group hint: Yo-ho-ho!

Purple group hint: Think rainbow.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Tolerate.

Green group: Flop.

Blue group: Fictional pirates.

Purple group: Ending in color homophones.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is tolerate. The four answers are bear, stand, stomach and swallow.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is flop. The four answers are bust, lemon, miss and turkey.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is fictional pirates. The four answers are Hook, Luffy, Silver and Sparrow.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending in color homophones. The four answers are Cameroon (maroon), cockatiel (teal), unread (red) and whistleblew (blue).

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Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Nov. 30, #1625

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Nov. 30, No. 1,625.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a tough one. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel and one sometimes vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with M.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with Y.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to weather that is unpleasantly warm and humid.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is MUGGY.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Nov. 29, No. 1624 was GRUFF.

Recent Wordle answers

Nov. 25, No. 1620: PLEAD

Nov. 26, No. 1621: HOVEL

Nov. 27, No. 1622: REMIT

Nov. 28, No. 1623: COLIC

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Technologies

Anker’s Best MagSafe Car Charger Is Still $27 Off Before Cyber Monday Even Starts

Get wired-like charging speeds and MagSafe compatibility with Anker’s newest wireless car charging bundle, currently just $63.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best shopping days of the year. You can find huge discounts on big ticket items like TVs and laptops. But it’s also a great time of year to snap up essential tech, like the kind designed to make life a little easier. This Anker MagSafe wireless car charging bundle is currently 30% off at Amazon, which means it’s down to just $63. That saves you $27 on a handy device you’ll use every day.

The Anker MagSafe wireless car charging gives your iPhone a fast and steady way to power up while you navigate. It delivers up to 25-watt wireless charging speeds and with onboard active cooling, your phone stays comfortable to the touch.

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

What sets this charger apart is that its performance and cooling tech is built into a surprisingly compact package. The stand uses an ultra-strong Qi2 magnetic lock to keep your phone secure through bumps and turns. You can even tilt the mount and switch between portrait and landscape modes for navigation without blocking the view. The bundle has everything you need to get started including a 60-watt dual-USB-C charger, an adequately long USB-C cable, and cable organizers for a clean setup. Anker also includes a two-year warranty for peace of mind.

If you are getting your car prepped up for driving to a holiday vacation or just need a faster charging mount for your daily commute, this deal makes a lot of sense. CNET’s experts are also tracking more Black Friday and Cyber Monday picks across Apple products, headphones, and more, so you can score more savings before the sales season wraps up. We’ve also got a list of our favorite Anker products currently on sale.

Why this deal matters

A high-quality charger is a great addition to any car, allowing you to quickly top up your phone on the go. You will especially want to look out for options from a top-tier brand like Anker for its fast charging speeds and reliability. This Black Friday deal is an excellent opportunity to save big on a staple car accessory. With holiday shopping heating up and tech accessories being one of the most popular categories, we expect the deal to sell out quick. So don’t wait too long before jumping on it.

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