Customers who buy a new Vizio TV may need to sign in with a Walmart account to use streaming features.

A Walmart representative confirmed to Ars Technica that its online logins will be «mandatory on select new Vizio OS TVs» for users who set up and install streaming apps.

It’s unclear which new models and versions of its OS are affected, and whether this requirement could also apply to existing TVs. 

A Vizio representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vizio released its latest Quantum 4K TV in January, one of the company’s first new models since Walmart acquired the manufacturer in December 2024. Some industry insiders saw the deal as a way for Walmart to push advertising to Vizio’s large install base.

PCMag’s TV expert Will Greenwald confirmed to CNET that he needed «to enable sharing viewing information to turn on the streaming features» on the Quantum 4K TV, but wasn’t asked for a Walmart login. Greenwald said he was still able to stream after turning the setting off. (PCMag is owned by the same company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Most new TVs require a login to set them up — Samsung TVs use Samsung accounts, Fire TVs use Amazon accounts, Google TVs use Google accounts, and so on. Since 2024, Vizio TVs have also required a Vizio login, but this appears to be the first time a Walmart login is required as well. It’s unusual for a television to force owners to use a third-party retailer account just to watch content. The move highlights how even affordable tech can come with unexpected digital strings attached.

Vizio ranks among the top brands for budget-conscious buyers, and its TVs and soundbars have been regular recipients of CNET’s Editors’ Choice Awards.

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 is a pretty tough one, especially the blue and purple groups. 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.

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: All aboard!

Green group hint: Terms you might find in a physics class.

Blue group hint: Look in your schoolbook.

Purple group hint: You might need a watering can.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Step onto, as a vehicle.

Green group: Quantities in mechanics.

Blue group: Textbook images.

Purple group: ____ plant.

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 step onto, as a vehicle. The four answers are board, embark, enter and mount.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is quantities in mechanics. The four answers are acceleration, force, mass and momentum.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is textbook images. The four answers are figure, illustration, picture and plate.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ plant. The four answers are face, pitcher, power and Robert.

One thing’s for sure, there’s no shortage of premium ANC headphones on the market right now. However, the Sonos Ace headphones check everything off my list of must-haves for headphones, like fast charging, premium sound and active noise cancellation to name a few. These top-quality headphones come at a hefty price tag of $399, but now they’re down to $299 during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. That’s $100 off.

This deal is available at Amazon, Walmart and Sonos right now — and only on the black model. But we don’t know how long this deal will last, so I’d recommend acting fast. 

CNET headphones expert David Carnoy liked the Sonos Ace a lot, remarking that «overall, they deliver a more premium listening experience, as well as better noise-canceling and voice-calling performance» than many other options at this premium price range, though he did state that the price tag was an issue. Beyond that, they’re comfortable, have strong spatial audio and look good to boot. 

These headphones boast support for lossless audio via Bluetooth and their USB-C port, while plush memory foam ear pads ensure a comfortable fit all day long. You’ll also get up to 30 hours of battery life even with ANC enabled, while just three minutes on the charger gets you up to three hours of playback.

The newness of the Sonos Ace headphones and the rarity of Sonos deals make this one of the best Amazon Big Spring Sale headphone and speaker deals right now, especially if you like having the latest devices. 

Why this deal matters

The Sonos Ace headphones are currently available at a significant discount, especially if you’re not adamant about getting the headphones in white. You can save $100 on these if you’re quick. This is very nearly the lowest price we’ve seen, so we recommend ordering your new headphones sooner rather than later. Amazon’s Big Spring Sale ends on March 31, but some deals could end sooner.