This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out. With a possible recession on the horizon, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your spending habits. Inflation is steep, utility bills are skyrocketing this fall and winter, and …

Microsoft today opened a new 20th anniversary Xbox controller for preorder, to celebrate the two decades since the original Xbox system was released. The controller costs $70. The controller’s design, with its neon green highlights, translucent plastic shell and original Xbox logo, evokes the original system launched in 2001 — the American computer company’s first foray into console gaming, against …

Boost Mobile’s newest phone, the Celero5G, is launching for $279 — and it will include unlimited talk, text and data for 12 months, if you preorder it by the end of October. The phone will be available this fall. This phone comes after Dish Network purchased Boost Mobile — a prepaid phone provider — from T-Mobile last year, while the …

Apple removed the 256GB iPhone SE from its online store after its “California streaming” event on Tuesday. The change was first noted by MacRumors, which reported that the highest-capacity model of the iPhone SE has been discontinued. This change to product availability came after Apple’s latest streaming event, during which the Cupertino-based tech giant announced the 2021 launch of the …

Apple on Tuesday announced a new iPad Mini, and with it comes support for USB-C charging — a faster method of charging than the previously used Apple 12W USB power adapter. USB-C charging is quickly becoming a standard for all sorts of devices, from tablets like the iPad Mini to gaming consoles and laptops. “The iPad Mini now has a …

A new study from Opensignal has broken down 5G performance across the US according to a variety of metrics, offering a window into mobile internet access across a massively diverse country — geographically and by population. The study included all 50 states and as many as 250 cities, measuring availability, download speeds, video and gaming performance. Although the study doesn’t …

Zoom’s newest feature, called focus mode, could help online classrooms stay more focused as the school year starts up. Zoom announced the new mode on Wednesday, alongside a number of other education-oriented updates to its video-calling platform. Focus mode acts as a filter for students in an online classroom. Teachers can see all of their students, but students can’t see …

Qualcomm and Asus are releasing a Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders, a 5G and Wi-Fi 6E-compatible phone for the Insiders program, which has around 1.6 million members worldwide. The phone will be available for everyone after Insiders get early access. The $1,500 phone will include a set of Master & Dynamic earbuds, and run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888 5G chipset …

Instagram will begin testing new video features over the coming months to make the social media platform compete more directly with TikTok and YouTube. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the dramatic changes on Wednesday. “We’re no longer a photo-sharing app,” Mosseri said in the video announcement. Video-sharing apps are rapidly expanding, and Mosseri says Instagram aims “to lean into …

Apple’s newest iMac, iPad Pro and Apple TV devices could launch on May 21, according to reports Thursday from 9to5Mac and MacRumors. Both tech sites point to online listings for the Apple products on UK retailer John Lewis, which says “Available 21 May 2021” for the iMacs as well as the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models.  The new Apple …