Far Cry 5 is now much more playable on modern hardware, thanks to a performance patch released by Ubisoft to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary.
The update is available for Far Cry 5 right now, meaning PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners can benefit from 60fps performance in all of the game’s modes. That includes the single player campaign and multiplayer components. Even the game’s map editor has received the performance upgrade, which is a nice touch.
The update will likely be welcome for many series fans. Especially those who were let down by the middling Far Cry 3 Classic Edition, and those who felt Far Cry 6didn’t evolve the franchise in any meaningful way.
Far Cry 5 remains a divisive entry in the series, with many feeling its setting of the American heartland to be a step back from the more exotic locales of the series’ past.
The game’s story was also a bit of a damp squib, featuring a voiceless protagonist and villains that couldn’t quite match the impact left by Far Cry 3’s unhingedVaas Montenegro or the gleefully megalomaniacal Pagan Min from Far Cry 4.
A far cry from grace
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
While it’s always nice to see games from a previous generation receive free current-gen updates to breathe new life into them, I doubt many will be jumping at the chance to replay Far Cry 5 outside of its most stalwart fans. While I personally felt Far Cry 6 was a step in the right direction thanks to its setting and absurdly fun special weapons, it too suffers from the same issues Far Cry 5 did before it, with it being an overly large open world inundated with repetitive tasks.
For the next game, I’d love a return to a more cohesive, meaningful open world. Far Cry 2’s survival elements for example, while controversial, lent a harrowing layer of vulnerability to your player character. Having to use pills to stave off the threat of malaria felt scary and intense, particularly in the middle of a firefight. It was an especially punishing game, one where every win felt earned and rewards were strictly temporary.
There are certainly elements of fun to be had in latter Far Cry’s overt power fantasies. And Far Cry 5 in particular will play better than ever on PS5 and Xbox Series X thanks to its new performance patch. Though I do hope that Ubisoft is planning a significantly different approach for its next Far Cry title. One that makes you the prey, not the predator.
The good news is that Ubisoft already may have taken a hint here. Assassin’s Creed Valhalladid streamline elements of its open world, cutting back on repetitive tasks and making found loot more meaningful. It’s an approach I feel the next Far Cry game could greatly benefit from.
When Wordle first launched you were on your own: just five squares, 26 letters, and your brain. But the huge viral success of the game soon created an entire industry encompassing Wordle alternatives, helper tools, and Wordle hints articles such as my own.
All of which means that it’s a lot easier to get help with Wordle today, if you choose to. And you should – because even if you don’t use any Wordle solver tools while you’re playing, they can definitely improve your game if you consult them afterward.
Below, you’ll find 5 Wordle solver tools and resources to level up your game and ensure your streak is safe for another day.
1. WordleBot by the New York Times
What is it?
WordleBot was launched by the NYT in April 2022 with two objectives: help people improve their game and persuade people to sign up to an NYT subscription. Obviously, they wouldn’t admit to the latter, but it’s pretty clear to me that you don’t create a tool like this and then put it behind a paywall if that’s not one of the aims.
The idea is that you access it after you’ve completed your daily Wordle (it won’t work before that) and it will analyze your game and give you helpful feedback.
And you get plenty of it. For a start, WordleBot will tell you exactly what words it would have played on each turn. I’ve learned, for instance, that LINED is a great choice if I get a yellow R and E on the first guess, and that SLATE is the best Wordle starting word (though I ignore its advice on that front).
(Image credit: Future)
It also tells you how many options remained after each guess, what other players chose, and what the overall average score for each game was. None of this is essential information – but Wordle enthusiasts will lap it up.
Best of all, it really does help you improve your game. Sure, it can be patronizing at times, but its advice around the best way to approach Wordle – ie don’t just blindly guess – is invaluable.
it’s well worth the $1/week subscription fee (£0.50/AU$0.50) – although do note that after your first year that price does jump considerably. Still, if WordleBot isn’t enough for you on its own, that subscription will also get you access to other NYT games, plus plenty of news and features.
Is it cheating to use WordleBot?
In a word: no. WordleBot will only give you information about the day’s game after you’ve completed it, so there’s no chance of spoilers and no way to use the info to cheat.
There are lots of Wordle Solver tools that let you input your letters and then show you your possible answers, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest: the aptly named Wordle Solver on The Word Finder site.
Its key advantage over the competition is that it enables you to specify the exact positions from which yellow letters have already been ruled out, whereas none of the others do. It’s not perfect, because if you’ve ruled out a letter in multiple positions it won’t be able to account for that, but it definitely serves up more accurate solutions as a result.
As an example, I tried it with yesterday’s Wordle (game #635), which ended up being CIDER. I had the I and E in place, so entered them in the green boxes. I also knew that I had an R and a D in there and that the D couldn’t go at the end.
That gave me this result:
(Image credit: The Word Finder)
CIDER, the answer, was there, as were other guesses I tried including EIDER and WIDER, plus other words that WordleBot subsequently suggested were options: RIDER and HIDER.
The other tools, in contrast, all suggested FIRED as a possible solution, even though it couldn’t have been the answer on this occasion.
I don’t personally use it while playing the game, because I like to challenge myself to find as many possible answers as I can, but if you’re in a rush to complete a game before the midnight deadline, or are completely stumped, it’s a great option. It’s also handy for post-game use to see what you could have played, if you don’t subscribe to WordleBot.
Is it cheating to use the Wordle Solver?
Well, it depends on how you use it – and on your perspective! I wouldn’t personally use it during a game, but I’ve definitely found it helpful afterward. And besides, I’m a bit hardcore about how I play – ultimately you get to draw the line wherever you want.
The longer Wordle goes on, the harder it will get to remember all of the past Wordle answers. After all, there have now been 637 of them (it started with game #0), and unless you have a much better memory than me, you’ll probably struggle to remember more than a few dozen of them.
It’s made worse by the fact that so many answers are similar. Did we have FLOAT or GLOAT (or both)? Was that really tough one RIPER or PIPER? Some will doubtless stick in your mind, but many won’t.
One option is to consult a list of past answers. A simple page search can tell you whether the word you were about to play has been a previous solution or not, and potentially turn a 5/6 into a 4/6.
Is it cheating to consult a past Wordle answers list?
Again, it’s up to you to decide – but I think most people would consider this a fair resource to use while playing. There is no way anyone can remember that many answers, and in a couple of years’ time we’ll have more previous answers than the number remaining. Games could get farcical without checking a list like this.
One of the best ways to improve your Wordle skills is to practice. But given that Wordle itself can only be played once a day, that’s not going to help much. Enter Wordle Unlimited, a site that gives you (guess what) unlimited games of your favorite word-guessing puzzle.
It’s essentially the exact same game as Wordle, right down to the stats/streak info, so it’s a small wonder that it hasn’t yet been shut down by the NYT. Play it today and sharpen up your game.
Is it cheating to play Wordle Unlimited?
Absolutely not. It can help you hone your game, but there’s no way it can spoil the day’s answer.
The other way to practice Wordle is to play old games – potentially all 600-plus of them. This offers an obvious advantage over playing Wordle Unlimited or the like because you might also remember some of the answers when tomorrow rolls around and it’s time to play the real thing.
Playing past Wordles has sporadically been possible via one of several Wordle Archive sites, but they’ve mostly been closed down by the NYT over the last year. However, at the time of writing, there is at least one such site in existence: the prosaically named Wordle Archive. So, may I suggest you give it a go sooner rather than later?
It does exactly what you’d expect: let you replay every single Wordle right back to the very first one. I tried it myself and got all the way up to present day with just one failure – and trust me, that was a tough one! The game itself is set out exactly like the real Wordle, but you can jump to specific puzzles if you want, which is a nice extra touch.
Is it cheating to play the Wordle Archive?
Mostly not – but it does include the current game, so you could conceivably play it there then go to the official site and complete it for a 1/6 or whatever. But you’d only be cheating yourself, really!
We all know that a bad night’s sleep can ruin your mood the next day and that, conversely, a good eight hours of restful slumber can make you feel unbeatable. But how strong is the connection between sleep and mental health? A new poll from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has been looking into just that, and the results are pretty clear: there’s a strong correlation between poor sleep and depression.
The NSF’s annual Sleep in America poll has been running for 25 years, making it one of the longest-running records of U.S. perceptions, attitudes, and trends in sleep health. With organizations including the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizing mental health as a critical issue right now, this year the NSF felt the need to explore the connection between sleep health and mental health conditions like depression.
The headline numbers make a strong case: the poll found that 65% of adults who are dissatisfied with their sleep also experience mild or greater levels of depressive symptoms, while half of adults who get less than the NSF-recommended 7-9 hours of sleep every night similarly experience mild or stronger depressive symptoms.
(Image credit: Getty)
Looking more closely at the figures, the poll reports that adults who slept less than seven hours per night on weekdays were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms than people who got the recommended seven to nine hours’ sleep.
And it isn’t just poor sleep every night that can have an impact on your mental wellbeing; the study also found that people who have trouble falling or staying asleep for just two nights a week tend to have higher levels of depressive symptoms than people without sleep difficulties.
On the plus side, however, the NSF’s poll also reveals that over 90% of adults with high levels of healthy sleep behavior report both good sleep health and no significant depressive symptoms. And in all, the poll reports a strong association between healthy sleep behaviors and good mental health, suggesting that as sleep-promoting behaviors increased, levels of depressive symptoms decreased.
(Image credit: Getty)
Now, it feels reasonable to point out here that correlation is not the same thing as causation; many factors other than sleep can have an impact on mental health, and it may be just as reasonable to suggest that mental health issues can be a cause of poor sleep; our guide to better sleep when you’re feeling anxious is a good starting place if you suspect that anxiety is causing insomnia.
But that said, if fixing your sleep habits has the potential to reduce the chances of depression and improve your mental health in general, it’s something worth pursuing. So what can you start doing now to get better sleep?
How to change up your sleep habits
Fortunately there are plenty of options. Starting with the sleep basics, often the most straightforward reason for poor quality slumber is the bed that you’re sleeping (or failing to sleep) in. By investing in the best mattress for your sleep style, along with a set of the best pillows, you can make an instant difference to your quality of sleep and it might not cost you as much as you’d expect, especially if you take advantage of regular mattress sales.
(Image credit: Getty)
But if your bed’s not the problem there’s still plenty you can do to improve your sleep. For Sleep Week 2023 we’ve gathered together a selection of the best sleep tips and explainers, covering everything from straightforward hacks to help you fall asleep quicker and enjoy more restful sleep, through to more general sleep advice and tips on using sleep trackers and other devices to give your sleep a technological boost.
Be your best slept self
For an easy-to-remember way to get your house in order, sleep-wise, the NSF’s Best Slept Self initiative is a great starting point. It comprises six steps – three to use in the daytime, and three to use at night – that together can help you be your best slept self:
Light: ensure that you spend time in bright light during the day.
Exercise: try to exercise regularly, ideally for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Mealtimes: have your meals at consistent times every day.
Avoid: Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals before bedtime.
Wind-down: have a consistent, relaxing wind-down routine before you go to bed.
Environment: put your devices down an hour before bed, and sleep in a dark, quiet and cool environment.
This article is part of TechRadar’s Sleep Week 2023 celebration (running until Saturday 19 March), a week-long look at all things slumber. We’ll be bringing you proven techniques and tips to help you sleep better, and have rounded-up all the top-rated tech to transform your sleep.
For a while, the value offered by YouTube TV seemed too good be true – and now the streaming service has shown that was indeed the case with its first big price hike in three years.
The US-only subscription service, which offers cable-like features like live sports, will see its price raised to $72.99 per month (up from $64.99). YouTube TV has blamed the rise on the fact that “content costs have risen”. Subscribers will see the price change from April 18, while new members will be charged it now.
That price doesn’t include 4K resolution streaming, but YouTube TV has at least lowered the cost of that add-on to $9.99 per month (down from $19.99). However, the Google-owned company hasn’t yet said if this price drop is temporary or permanent.
In an apologetic email to subscribers, YouTube TV added that “we also understand that some members may want to cancel their service”, which echoed an official Tweet stating that “we want to give you the flexibility to cancel at any time”. It provided subscribers a link to do just that.
In fairness to YouTube TV, many of the best streaming services have raised their prices in recent months. That includes the likes of Sling TV, which has traditionally been one its cheapest rivals, and also Hulu, whose Hulu Live TV bundle went up to $69.99 at the end of last year.
But during this challenging financial year, some subscribers may understandably conclude that the live elements and choice offered by YouTube TV are difficult to justify at this new monthly price, which now works out to over $875 a year.
Analysis: End of an era?
(Image credit: YouTube TV)
When it launched in 2017, YouTube TV looked like the perfect replacement for cable TV providers who bundled too many unnecessary features into overpriced bundles, while charging you for the privilege of bonuses like HD quality.
Back then, YouTube TV cost only $34.99 a month. So while this new price hike is the first one in three years, the service still costs more than twice its original launch price, which puts it closer to those cable TV rivals.
YouTube TV still has a few advantages over traditional cable, including the ability to cancel at any time. That’s a lot better than being locked into a never-ending contract. You can also share your YouTube TV membership with up to five other people by creating a ‘family group’.
But given the similar rises we’ve seen from its TV streaming rivals like Sling TV and Hulu, it does feel like the glory days of cheap TV streaming are over. Even if the likes of YouTube TV do now let you watch four streams simultaneously with features like ‘multiview’ (above).
Power and style come together in the 2023 Indian Sport Chief, a fresh take on the factory performance cruiser.
Cruisers have never been my bag. I was raised to appreciate the joy of pushing a motorcycle on a tight, twisty road, and the quintessential “cruiser” has historically represented all the things I avoid in a fun two-wheeler. They’re slow. They’re heavy. They handle like a lead pogo stick and they stop about as well as your average Greyhound bus.
Unfortunately the terms “cruiser” and “American motorcycle” have been interchangeable for as long as I can remember. With a few notable exceptions like the short-lived Harley XR1200 and a handful of genuinely innovative designs from Erik Buell of Buell Motorcycles, handling and performance simply haven’t been a part of the American manufacturing equation.
Garth Milan
That all started to change back in 2019, when a recently revived Indian Motorcycle Company introduced the FTR 1200 and brought power, handling, and braking in equal measure back into the picture for North America.Of course the FTR isn’t a cruiser by any stretch of the word, and for many riders, the term “performance cruiser” is still entirely tongue in cheek.
Fortunately for cruiser aficionados everywhere, that’s started to change over the past few years as well. Harley Davidson’s Low Rider S and ST models have brought the dream of a true factory-custom sport cruiser that much closer to reality. Now, the new Indian Sport Chief takes direct aim at these models and their West Coast club-style aesthetic. But has Indian hit the mark? I flew out to Austin, TX, to see for myself.
Garth Milan
Behind the Bars on the 2023 Indian Sport Chief
You’ll find two very distinct types of roads sprinkled around the meandering elevations of Texas Hill Country: The first are high-speed sweepers—those beautiful stretches of pavement as long as they are smooth with a clear line of sight that promises drama-free thrills.
The second sort of road on offer is the exact opposite. I’m talking about those tight, knotted backroads where lanes don’t exist, livestock roam freely, and every blind corner promises some new, life-threatening experience, be it a patch of gravel, a rickety wooden bridge, or (my personal favorite) rusty steel cattle grates that set your teeth chattering in your skull.
Needless to say, the Austin countryside seemed like the perfect place to test Indian’s new Sport Chief, a fresh take on the factory performance cruiser that promises style and performance in equal measure with ample power on demand, suspension that’s built to lean, and high-performance brakes to keep the whole production in check.
We’ve all heard these claims before, so let’s address the 685-pound elephant in the room that is the Indian Sport Chief: Can this all-American fire factory actually handle, or is that whole “Sport” thing just fresh lipstick on an old hog?
I’m happy to report that Indian seems to have really put their money (and some serious R&D) where their mouth is here. The Sport Chief earns its new prefix with a smattering of premium componentry.
Garth Milan
The most significant improvement here over the standard Chief is one cruiser owners have been demanding for years: A full inch of suspension travel added to the rear via a pair of dual Fox piggyback shocks, paired with a set of inverted KYB forks to bring balance and composure to the front.
We started our tour of Texas cruising around the heart of downtown Austin, where recent years of constant construction have made the city’s potholes as numerous as its BBQ pits and juke joints. Where most cruisers treat your back like a first-year chiropractor, slipping disks from your spine at random intervals, the Sport Chief’s new suspenders make big bumps in the road a pain-free ordeal.
The ride is impressively plush over rough stuff around town, but it’s outside the city on the winding roads of Texas Hill Country where the new suspension really earns its keep.
When it comes to those sweet sweepers I mentioned, the Sport Chief handles with commendable athleticism. Come in as hot as you dare, dig the fantastic four-piston Brembo calipers into their upgraded 320mm rotors, then tip the bike in confidently with the wide moto-style handlebar. Keep going until the distinct timbre of footpeg-meeting-pavement reaches your ear. Then just hang out, reveling in the upgraded suspension’s newfound competence and stability.
Garth Milan
On those tight, gravel-strewn backroads, however, it didn’t take long to find the Sport Chief’s limitations hidden among the hairpin turns. Truth be told, bouncing a motorbike over a cattle grate at full lean will always be a harrowing experience, but having my hind quarters bucked clear out of the saddle was just the reminder I needed that I wasn’t riding a proper sport bike.
Of course the Sport Chief was never intended to compete with backroad brawlers like the venerable KTM Superduke R or Ducati Hypermotard, and keeping in mind this is still a cruiser at heart, I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. That extra inch of finely tuned suspension travel does wonders for the overall handling of the bike, and once you learn to respect its limitations, it’s clear to see the Sport Chief does indeed raise the bar for the factory sport cruiser.
Yes, you’ll still get a bit of wobble from the rear when the bike is near its limit. And no, you’ll never quite forget you’re riding a 600-plus-pound sled with a nearly 65-inch wheelbase, but the Sport Chief is a giant leap in the right direction from the usual white-knuckled pogo-ing I’ve experienced aboard other cruisers.
Now would also be a good time to mention the Indian Sport Chief inherits its massive 114 cubic inch Thunderstroke V-twin (that’s 1,890cc for those of us measuring in metric) directly from the Chief Dark Horse, which means it also inherits the Dark Horse’s beefy 120 ft-lbs of peak torque at just 2,900 rpm.
Out in the twisties this translates to stump-pulling power on every corner, and reliable engine braking each time you roll it back. Personally, this has always been my favorite one-two punch for finding the “groove” on a winding road. The Sport Chief delivers a particularly satisfying rhythm in that regard.
Garth Milan
Overall, my complaints with the Indian are few and far between. Truth be told, the only time I really didn’t enjoy the bike was when it stopped moving. The chief culprit here is the twin low-mount exhaust which, in the 80-degree Texas sun, radiated a ton of heat and felt something akin to sticking your leg inside a roadhouse smoker.
I’ll also note that while the Sport Chief comes standard with three selectable engine modes (tour, standard, and sport), sport mode isn’t something you want to take lightly when leaving a stoplight. The throttle response from a standstill in sport mode is so immediate and abrupt it can be downright shocking when taking off from a stoplight.
The extra-aggressive character is good fun out on the open road, but I had to constantly remind myself to either tread lightly or switch it off completely when it came time to stop. I’ve never been opposed to the occasional burnout, but I do prefer to know in advance when it’s coming.
Garth Milan
Tech, Fit, & Finish
The Indian Sport Chief hits dealerships this month starting at $18,999, and if you’re wondering what else you’re getting for your money aside from a brawny motor, top-tier ABS brakes, and a dramatically improved chassis, the answer is quite a lot.
Cosmetically, Indian nails the club-style look on the head with sleek quarter fairing, sporty mid-mount controls, 6-inch machined bar risers, and a nice wide handlebar that delivers both comfortable ergonomics and aggressive looks. From there the devil is truly in the details, as every inch of the Sport Chief looks and feels refined and cohesive from the blacked-out engine and steel tube frame to the matching contrast-cut wheels.
I’m also genuinely impressed by the amount of modern technology Indian has managed to sneak aboard the Sport Chief and how well they’ve managed to hide it.
Garth Milan
The new Chief’s 4-inch, full-color touchscreen display is small and unobtrusive enough to pass for an analog gauge from a distance, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find a lot to love there. Nestled within this compact clock you’ve got all the usual suspects, like a speedometer, tach, fuel gauge, and gear indicator—but Indian also managed to shoehorn GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity for calls and music, and menus for selecting your desired road mode inside.
Indian does a particularly good job of walking the precarious line between old-school charm and modern performance, and the Sport Chief may be their best example yet of keeping tradition alive without sacrificing anything in the way of technology or creature comforts. While I firmly believe a package deal with a flannel shirt and a pair of high-top vans would certainly help seal the deal, I’m confident the Sport Chief has everything it needs to convert its fair share of Dyna-devotees this riding season.
Google’s security research team has discovered some major vulnerabilities in Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones that you’ll want to protect yourself against as soon as you can.
The issues were discovered in the Exynos modems produced by Samsung that are used by a variety of smartphones including the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 7, and Samsung Galaxy S22 among others.
As revealed in the Project Zero team’s blog post people using a device that relies on this chip will want to turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE in their device settings in order to protect themselves until a security patch is released. The affected devices are:
Samsung’s S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21, A13, A12 and A04 series phones
Vivo’s S16, S15, S6, X70, X60 and X30 series phones
However, not every version of every device is affected. For example, the European Samsung Galaxy S22 uses a vulnerable Exynos modem, but the American version doesn’t. But for other devices, like the A53, all versions of that phone use the vulnerable Exynos 1280.
So before turning off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE you might want to double check your exact model is indeed impacted using Samsung’s official information.
How can you protect your phone?
For its part, Google says the March 2023 security update that’s been rolled out to Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 phones should patch these issues.
In a statement we received, Samsung told us that it takes its customer’s safety seriously and it has released a patch for five of six vulnerabilities impacting select Galaxy devices this month. Another security patch will be coming in April to address the remaining vulnerability, so make sure your device is up to date if you want it to be protected.
The Google Pixel 7 should already be safe thanks to a security patch (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
In the meantime, you can protect yourself by going into your phone’s Settings. Using the search option look for “Wi-Fi Calling” and you’ll see a toggle to turn it on or off in the Connections sub-menu. If you want your Samsung phone to be secure you’ll want to turn it off, though you’ll then lose access to the feature until you turn it back on.
To turn off Voice-over-LTE, head back to the Connections menu and this time tap on Mobile Networks. You should then see a new list of options and toggles next to “VoLTE calls SIM 1” and “VoLTE calls SIM 2” (though the second option will only appear if you have two SIMs installed). Turn the toggles off and that should mean your phone’s protected against the vulnerabilities discovered by Project Zero.
Turning off these features will mean your calls are lower quality, but you should still be able to make calls.
Analysis: Why reveal these flaws?
If these flaws represent serious risks to our devices, why would Google Project Zero reveal them? Wouldn’t it be better to keep them private so hackers don’t know they exist?
The newer Galaxy S23 phones use a different modem so aren’t affected (Image credit: Samsung)
Project Zero does keep the most serious of exploits private only sharing them with relevant device manufacturers to ensure that they aren’t abused by bad actors. But for other security vulnerabilities, it can be better to keep a wider net of people in the loop.
For one, there is a way for us to protect ourselves from attacks that take advantage of these vulnerabilities – until a patch is rolled out you can turn off Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE as we explained above. For another, it’s possible these exploits aren’t too difficult to discover, so by keeping them hidden from the public Project Zero runs the risk of leaving regular folks in the dark while hackers run rampant.
Lastly, revealing the issues should encourage device manufacturers to roll out a patch asap. Now not only is Google’s Project Zero team hounding them to fix the issue, but device owners can also reach out through official forums and contact forms to get their phone maker to fix the problem.
Looking for a phone that’s not impacted by this modem issue? Check out our picks for the best phone to find several options that don’t rely on the affected Exynos modem.
An alternative to steeply priced cable subscriptions, Sling TV has two plans available, as well as the option to bundle both together. Sling Orange pertains to families with a range of channels in its roster that benefit all tastes and interests within one household, as well as being the plan of choice for sports fans.
Including live sports channels and kids channels like Disney Channel, there is also a heavy dose of entertainment with Freeform and more niche channels. Below we’ve broken down what you’ll get from a Sling Orange package: the channels exclusive to the plan alongside the full line-up, plus the exciting Extras available to enliven your streaming experience.
Get 50% off your first month of Sling TV Opt for either its Orange or Blue plan (or both) and new and returning customers can currently save 50% off their first month of Sling TV. That brings the price down from $40 to $20. Or, if you opt for both, it’ll cost $30 for your first month of both the Blue and Orange packages.
Sling Orange explained: what is the package and how does it differ from the Blue plan?
Sling TV Orange is made up of 31 channels from the Sling TV channels roster. It includes three ESPN channels, MotorTrend, the Disney Channel and Freeform, describing itself as the perfect package for NBA coverage and families, while Sling Blue is tailored for those who want more entertainment and news.
ESPN provides coverage of everything from football, boxing, basketball, tennis, and golf, while car enthusiasts can enjoy Top Gear and more on MotorTrend.
There’s heaps of child-oriented programming courtesy of the Disney Channel. Meanwhile Freeform provides even more movies and TV shows aimed at families – for example, The Lion King, Grown-ish, 10 Things I Hate About You – but of a more grown-up, PG-rated nature.
The only other disparity between Sling Orange and Blue is the number of devices subscribers can stream to with each. A Sling TV Orange package lets one user log in and watch content at a time, while Blue allows you up to three simultaneous streams.
How much does Sling Orange cost?
A Sling Orange subscription is $40 per month, which makes it an incredibly affordable option when compared to IPTV platforms like Hulu with Live TV and FuboTV. Currently you can also shave 50% off your first monththanks to one of the current best streaming deals available.
Not only do you get an enticing bundle of live channels and VOD content, but 50 hours DVR storage is thrown in for free – which just about makes up for the lack of a Sling TV free trial right now. That’s perfect for recording the latest football match or that explosive TV season finale. There’s no long-term contract, either – unlike cable – so you can cancel your membership at any time.
The great thing about Sling is that, once you’ve picked your core plan, you can enhance it by purchasing additional content for an extra fee: themed bundles of content, a la carte Premium channels, and even a wide range of international programming, including Spanish-language content from Sling Latino. So, you can diversify and expand your plan according to your budget.
There are eight mini bundles available, depending on your interests:
Total TV Deal – $21
4 Extras Deal – $13
Sports Extra – $11
Comedy Extra – $6
News Extra – $6
Lifestyle Extra – $6
Hollywood Extra – $6
Heartland Extra – $6
AMC+ – $7
Even more excitingly, you can add 37 Premium channels to your line-up, ranging in price between $3 and $10 each. These include Showtime, Starz, Hallmark Movies Now, and even Dog TV.
Want to exercise from home more? Then grab this elliptical from Dick’s Sporting Goods while the price is 40% off more than normal.
Even with the weather getting warmer out, sometimes the weather just won’t work with us. It’ll rain and keep us inside. Which is not great when you want to get a workout in that demands you be outside, like riding a bike or going for a run.But that will not be a problem when you pick up the Horizon Fitness EX59 GO Series Elliptical from Dick’s Sporting Goods for 40% off the regular price.
When it comes to cardio workout equipment for the home, you can’t go wrong with getting equipment from the Horizon Fitness brand. Made with the highest level of craft, you can be sure the investment in them is well worth it. Especially when you can save 40% on the Horizon Fitness EX59 GO Series Elliptical.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
With the Horizon Fitness EX59 GO Series Elliptical in your home, you’ll be able to get a run-based workout in no matter what the weather is outside. It’s really easy to do so since the care taken in putting this together means you got a really smooth ride. The pedals are as smooth as butter, no matter how fast you go. And you can go really fast with the motor on this keeping up with the pace you set.
Included in this is an easy-to-use/read LED interface that lets you choose from the 4 goal-oriented workout programs that are built in. It lets you see how long you’ve been going and how far you rode. You can easily set up a phone to it via Bluetooth to listen to your favorite music or stream workout classes through it. It even has charging ports so your device of choice doesn’t run out of steam while you’re using it.
All of that is well worth the cost of admission and it makes working out so much easier because you can do it from home. With the usual high level of craft that comes from this brand, the Horizon Fitness EX59 GO Series Elliptical is a worthwhile pickup. Even more so with this discount. So head on over to Dick’s Sporting Goods and grab one while there’s still anything left to grab.
So what now – a music-streaming kettle? A solid-state amplifier-slash-egg-poacher? No. IKEA has added to its entry-level Vappeby lineup with a tiny Bluetooth speaker – and if it looks like a soap on a rope, that’s because it was designed primarily for the shower. The best bit? It’s priced at just $15 (which will be around £12 or AU$22 when it launches globally in April), and it’s available now in the US.
The Vappeby portable Bluetooth speaker is silicone-coated to achieve an IP67 water- and dustproof rating – it can actually be submerged in water up to 3 feet / 1m deep and survive for 30 minutes – and measures just three inches square and two inches deep.
It’s available in yellow, red or black (yellow is my personal favorite), and if you buy a second you can create a stereo pair. You could even put another hook in the shower for it…
Perhaps most surprising is the claimed 80 hours of battery life at 50% volume though. That figure tramples all over its closest competition (arguably the dinky Tribit Stormbox Micro 2, which is excellent for the money but boasts only 12 hours), not to mention the best Bluetooth speakers on the market – yes, including the best waterproof speakers of 2023.
Analysis: epic battery life in the shower, check. But can it deliver epic sound? There’s the rub…
That thing really is soaking – and it seems fine (Image credit: IKEA)
If, like TechRadar’s chief sub-editor, your idea of an ‘epic shower’ would be (and I quote), “standing under an Icelandic waterfall while a live opera company performs Ride of the Valkyries”, this speaker likely won’t interest you.
But if by ‘epic’ we simply mean ‘long’, (epic hangover, anyone?) this little speaker’s 80-hour battery will see you through dozens of such showers before it needs a recharge. And that’s not to be sniffed at.
The IKEA Vappeby portable Bluetooth speaker does not come bundled with a USB-C charger; but come on, we’ve all got one of those in 2023 haven’t we?
As an audio-lover, the rub is always the sound quality. I see no point in purchasing something, however cheap, if I find the sound quality to be actively wearing, bloated, woolly, tinny or annoying. That said, I really want to hear it this speaker. I want it to be one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the scene – but I’ll have to reserve judgement for now.
That said, for this money and with this stamina, I predict a stonking great hit…
Starfield has received a restricted rating from the Australian Government thanks to ‘high impact’ drug use in the game.
Starfield’s recent classification issued by the Australian Government has broken down all the reasons for its restricted rating. While drug use in the game has served it an R 18+ rating, the Australian Government has also flagged the violence present in Starfield as potentially having a ‘strong impact’ on an audience.
Other themes, such as sex and nudity, reportedly have little to no impact on the sci-fi RPG. However, the themes and language in Starfield reportedly have a “moderate impact”, which could mean that this action-adventure title may turn to some dark places.
How much is too much?
(Image credit: Microsoft)
So far, we have no other indication that Starfield will contain drug use. However, it is reported that Starfield will have a huge world. With hundreds of solar systems and thousands of planets, it’s easy to think that at least a few would be lenient on drug use or at least have a few more available recreationally.
Likewise, it is equally unsurprising that Starfield was reprimanded for its violent themes. Placed in a chaotic world, you join Constellation, the last group of space explorers, in their quest to find rare artefacts scattered around the galaxy. However, this journey won’t be easy as you’ll have to fight tooth and nail for these precious resources against enemies like the Crimson Fleet.
Unwarranted restrictions
(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)
It’s surprising that the Australian Government has dealt such a harsh blow to what will likely be Xbox’s most significant release this year. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Starfield will suffer, thanks to this rating.
Historically, Bethesda games have tended to include significant drug use and, as a result, are reprimanded for this. Previously, Bethesda removed scenes and references to the drug morphine in Fallout 3. This came after the Australian Office of Film and Literature gave the apocalyptic game a harsh rating thanks to the use of a real-life painkiller in a fictional setting.
With this track record, we may see the drug use taken out of Starfield before we even know what it looks like. While it would be a shame not to see everything this highly-anticipated title offers, I’ll be happy as long as I can still build an outpost and customize my spaceship.
