Technologies

The iPhone Pocket Is the Apple Accessory You Never Saw Coming

Just in time for chilly weather, it’s knitwear for your iPhone.

Remember the iPod socks? Those overpriced, brightly colored woolly wraps that swaddled your iPod like it was an infant? Apple’s decided it’s time we bring the knitwear back — but this time, for the latest iPhones.

Meet the iPhone Pocket: a glorified yarn sling for your phone and whatever else you can cram in there without stretching the poor thing into oblivion. Though yes, it does look like a sweater you stretched beyond recognition.

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A woolly iPhone sling? Really?

Designed in collaboration with fashion brand Issey Miyake, it’s got all the hallmarks of high fashion minimalism… apparently. I’m no fashion expert. But fashion writer Tiffany Lo is, and she told me that «the design embodies Issey Miyaki’s signature pleat pattern and the idea of crafting it from a single piece of fabric — it’s instantly recognizable.»

Issey Miyake, by the way, is the designer behind Steve Jobs’ endless supply of black turtlenecks. And an Apple employee uniform that almost happened.

It’s a stretchy, 3D-knitted pouch with ribbed textures that hugs your iPhone. You can wear it draped around your body as you see fit. It’s see-through when you tug at it, so you can glimpse at your lockscreen.

But Apple doesn’t just want you to put your iPhone in this accessory. You’re encouraged to slip in AirPods, lip balm, a key fob, breath mints or any other pocketable item.

It comes in two lengths: short and long. The short one is more like a wristlet bag, while the long one turns your phone into a crossbody accessory. The wearable tech pouch is certainly a fashion statement if drape it across your torso. Perhaps like a sash of questionable decisions. Whether you carry it in-hand, tie it to your bag, or sling it on like a fashion-forward postman, you’ll definitely get some looks. Perhaps confused ones.

As for the colors, you’ve got options. The short strap version comes in eight options: lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon and black. The long strap comes only in those latter three colors.

Who’ll want this? Lo says the iPhone Pocket «could appeal to younger generations thanks to the design that allows users to wear it as a crossbody.» Given that Apple released crossbody straps for all its iPhones earlier this year, maybe it has some insights into what Gen Z really wants.

If you’re itching to get your hands on the iPhone Pocket — for your Secret Santa circle of gifting — you’ll be able to buy it from Friday, online and at select Apple stores in posh locales (think Soho in New York City, Marché Saint-Germain in Paris, Orchard Road in Singapore). The short strap design will set you back $150, while the long strap version costs $230. A far cry from the $29 an iPod sock went for back in the day.

Technologies

Lego Teases a Return to Hyrule: A New Legend of Zelda Set Is Coming in 2026

It looks like Lego and Nintendo are returning to the classics with an Ocarina of Time-themed build.

Hey, listen! Nintendo’s tunic-clad elven hero is making another building block appearance in 2026, and he has his iconic shield and sword in tow. Lego on Tuesday released a 12-second teaser to announce the new set, which seemingly includes mini figures of Link and Zelda, as well as the annoyingly talkative fairy Navi from the beloved game.

The video shows Link surrounded by Lego flames in a dark room, casting his gaze upward toward an assumedly rather large threat. This could very well be Hyrule Castle — one of the most iconic locales from the Legend of Zelda series — after the villainous Ganondorf seizes power. If that is true, it will be the first time the baddie receives a minifigure variant of his own.

Link’s green outfit and Zelda’s pink dress suggest that the new Lego set will not be a set piece from the Nintendo Switch games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. If Navi is included in the new set, it is likely that the next Legend of Zelda set will be representative of the fan-favorite Nintendo 64 game Ocarina of Time. Lego’s teaser lays the groundwork for the second Legend of Zelda set. The first set, the Great Deku Tree, was released in September 2024 and featured the eponymous elder of the Korok Forest.

The Lego Great Deku Tree was a «two-in-one» set, meaning budding builders could create either the Breath of the Wild or the Ocarina of Time version of the character with the pieces contained within. It remains unclear whether the new Legend of Zelda set will also be a two-in-one build, and we don’t know how many pieces are contained in the next build yet.

Nintendo and Lego have been collaborating since March 2020. The first set the companies revealed together were simple Super Mario Brothers figure arrays, with a more complex brick-built Nintendo Entertainment System and television set released later that year. Since then, Lego Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing and Game Boy sets have also been released.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Nov. 12, #1607

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Nov. 12, No. 1,607.

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 little tricky, but it’s a fun word in the end. 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 two vowels, but one is the repeated letter, so you’ll see that one twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with D.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with E.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to the number two on a playing card.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is DEUCE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Nov. 11, No. 1606 was GIZMO.

Recent Wordle answers

Nov. 7, No. 1602: PERIL

Nov. 8, No. 1603: ARISE

Nov. 9, No. 1604: FUGUE

Nov. 10, No. 1605: TABBY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 12 #619

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 12, No. 619.

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 little meta, at least if you know the rest of the New York Times puzzles — especially its most famous one. 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: How puzzling.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Should we do the puzzle?

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:

MORE, DOWNS, CANS, CROSS, BLED, SOUL, MOSS

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: