Technology

Like any outdoor enthusiast, I'm always looking for new gear to make adventures easier. I already own more coolers than I care to admit, but none as good as this one. After taking the Anker EverFrost 2 battery-powered cooler on several trips, I'm ditching my old ice chest for this modern cooler.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

If you're planning on observing the night sky, going for a night hike, or trying to snap a shot of the Moon, the phase is incredibly important. Here's everything you need to know about the current Lunar phase, as well as what you can expect in the near future.

That took a while, but it's finally real: Apple's AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones now support lossless audio.

Apple announced the upgrade in late March, and now the new firmware for the AirPods Max is out, adding support for lossless audio, as well as ultra-low latency audio, for AirPods Max.

The firmware that you want to get this upgrade is version 7E99, and you'll also need to update the device you're using as audio source (an iPhone, iPad, or Mac) to iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or macOS Sequoia 15.4, respectively.

There's an important caveat here: The upgrade is only available for the USB-C version of AirPods Max. That's the latest version that came out last September; earlier versions with Apple's proprietary Lightning port aren't getting this upgrade.

SEE ALSO: Apple announces WWDC 2025 dates

Once you get the upgrade, the AirPods Max will support lossless audio up to 24-bit, 48 kHz quality. You'll also get ultra-low latency audio, a feature that musicians will be able to utilise to record and mix music while using the AirPods Max. Gamers will also benefit from ultra-low latency audio, as there should be no discernible delay between the audio they hear in their AirPods Max and the actual gameplay on screen.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, April 1, 2025:

AcrossWITH 8-ACROSS, WHAT WAS LEFT ON WHILE MAKING THIS PUZZLE

• The answer is Caps.

SAN DIEGO BASEBALL PLAYER

• The answer is Padre.

PAIR OF CYMBALS ON A DRUM SET

• The answer is HiHat.

MONOPOLY TOKEN RETIRED IN 2013

• The answer is Iron.

SEE 1-ACROSS

• The answer is Lock.

DownCAPITAL OF EGYPT

• The answer is Cairo.

LIKE A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE

• The answer is AdHoc.

BIT OF APRIL FOOLS' DAY FOOLERY

• The answer is Prank.

READY-GO GO-BETWEEN

• The answer is Set.

SINGER COLLINS

• The answer is Phil.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 1 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 1 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's a sign!

The words are related to a time of year.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are related to signs showing this time of year.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Springtime.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for April 1

• Buds

• Springtime

• Puddles

• Robins

• Blossoms

• Showers

• Pollen

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

IGN has announced that tickets for its annual convention IGN Live 2025 are now on sale. The two-day event will feature playable demos of upcoming video games, new announcements, panels, contests, stage shows, and giveaways. It won't just be games though, with IGN stating that IGN Live 2025 will be "a huge celebration of everything fans love from the world of games, movies, TV, comics, collectibles, and more."

Here's how you can grab your tickets to IGN Live 2025.

SEE ALSO: 'Doom: The Dark Ages' preview: I am a rhino with a gun Where and when is IGN Live 2025?

IGN Live 2025 will kick off on Saturday, June 7 at the Magic Box @ The Reef in downtown Los Angeles and run through the weekend.

Fortunately for those unable to be in Los Angeles this June, the event will also be livestreamed on IGN's website, YouTube channel, Twitch channel, and X account.

Where to buy tickets for IGN Live 2025

Tickets for IGN Live 2025 are on sale now via the event's official website.

Early bird pricing ends April 30, with single-day tickets available for $15 and VIP passes for the whole weekend at $30. After May 1, single-day tickets will cost $25 while VIP passes will be priced at $40.

VIP tickets will also include a gift bag "filled with tons of cool exclusives," valued at $40.

Who are the event partners for IGN Live 2025?

Not many details on what to expect at IGN Live 2025 have been released yet. However, IGN has announced partnerships with Netflix, 2K Sports, Lenovo, and Arcade1Up at IGN Live 2025, with more to be announced soon.

Last year featured appearances by the casts of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Legend of Vox Machina, as well as Xbox executive Phil Spencer.

Note: IGN is owned by Mashable's parent company Ziff Davis.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 1 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Written money

• Green: Plus

• Blue: Expressing emotion

• Purple: Not left

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Currency symbols

• Green: And/together with

• Blue: Emoticon mouths

• Purple: "Right"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #660 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Currency symbols: $, £, ¥, €

• And/together with: &, +, N, X

• Emoticon mouths: (, ), O, P

• Right: R, →, ∟, ✔️

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 1

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Late Night host Seth Meyers has mocked Elon Musk for complaining about Minnesota governor Tim Walz finding joy in Tesla's cratering stock. Walz isn't the only one.

Tesla's CEO has seen stock for the electric car company plummet, with sales down across the globe as drivers boycott its vehicles — and that isn't even to mention the numerous recalls. Meanwhile, the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been aggressively dismantling the U.S. government, cutting jobs, services, and aid to countless people who need it. 

As such, Tesla's woes have inspired vindictive joy in many. Musk has of course taken objection to those revelling in schadenfreude, calling Walz a "creep" and "huge jerk" for celebrating Tesla's misfortune. Though as Meyers pointed out, you can't actively and joyfully cut federal jobs and benefits then expect people to weep when your multibillion dollar company isn't doing well.

"You're slashing nutritional aid, veteran's benefits, and social security, and you expect us to feel bad about a stock price?" quipped Meyers. "I can't believe this is what happened to the 'fuck your feelings' crowd. They went from 'cry more, libs' to 'stop making me cry, libs.'

"Also, 'Tim Walz is a jerk'? My man, when you run around with a chainsaw on stage, you're celebrating cutting jobs and benefits. To quote I believe it was William Shakespeare, 'the jerk store called and they're running out of you.'"

TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to the BitMar content finder for only £11.60 (reg. £116.11) through 27 April. Just head to the Mashable Shop and use the discount code BITMAR5 at checkout.

Here’s a challenge: cut the cord with your streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, all of them. You’re likely paying hundreds each year in subscription fees and, chances are, you still can’t find the one movie you want to watch on any of them.

All of these reasons are probably why so many people are turning to BitMar, a streaming service alternative. You know how you can find some free movies or TV shows available online if you dig hard enough? This powerful search engine does that for you. And, for a limited time, you can get it for £11.60 (reg. £116.11) with code BITMAR5 at checkout.

Wait…how does it work?

BitMar is powered by the Bing search engine, but it only has eyes for free streaming content. You’ll use a far more user-friendly interface to plug in a channel, genre, actor, or a specific movie or TV show you have in mind, then this content aggregator scours the web to find it.

Is it legal? Yes. BitMar is fully compliant with copyright laws — and it’s simply locating content already available on the web.

If you’re wondering why you wouldn’t just spend the time searching for it yourself, that’s the reason right there — it saves you time. BitMar also filters out the garbage to leave you with high-quality, ad-free content.

Enjoy no subscription streaming with a BitMar lifetime subscription at £11.60 (reg. £116.11) with code BITMAR5 at the Mashable Shop through 27 April.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: BitMar BitMar Streaming Content-Finder: Lifetime Subscription £11.60
£116.11 Save £104.51 Use code 'BITMAR5' Get Deal

Can an AI voice bot help you land a date? That's what Tinder is aiming for with a new game in collaboration with OpenAI.

On Tuesday, Tinder launched The Game Game, an experience designed to help you practice your conversation skills by talking to an AI voice, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o model. The Game Game works by dealing you a "stack of cards," each card containing a different AI persona and "meet cute" scenario, like accidentally grabbing someone else's luggage at baggage claim. Your goal is to score a date or a phone number within the time limit. You'll also get a score based on a scale of three Tinder flame icons.

SEE ALSO: Do flirty chatbots generate good IRL dates?

The time limit isn't just there to gamify the experience. "We built the time limit on purpose because this is just a warm up," said Devyn Simone, Tinder's relationship expert in residence, at the launch event. "This is just a game. It is not designed to replace human conversations. Instead, it's actually designed to encourage real conversations with real people in real life." There's also a limit of five games per day, lest you forget the real purpose of using Tinder as a dating app for matching with humans, not bots.

Tinder isn't the only dating app to bring in AI features. Hinge recently launched an AI prompt editor, Grindr is testing an AI wingman, and then there are apps like Rizz and WingAI that are basically AI agents dating on behalf of the user. However, unlike other AI dating app features that are text-based, Tinder's new game brings a sense of realism to practicing your game by using OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode.

As part of the game, users are rewarded with points by saying flirty and engaging things that would normally keep a conversation going. "The AI rewards curiosity and warmth, listening, asking follow up questions," Simone said during the event. "It's not about being slick or having the best line, it's about being human." Additionally, The Game Game was built with social psychology frameworks that inform the scoring and give you tips and recommendations.

That said, the game isn't meant to be taken too seriously. "The Game Game is intentionally over the top—a low-stakes, playful experience that feels more like improv than a guide to perfect flirting," said a Tinder spokesperson in a follow up email. "It’s about helping people feel comfortable expressing themselves, not following a formula for success."

In other words, the point is to practice your skills in a risk-free environment so you can hopefully feel more confident for the real thing.

I was humbled by Tinder's Game Game

So what's it like to play The Game Game? At the event, I got to test it out. My meet cute was bumping into a lawyer AI persona at a busy mall. We chatted about what "he" was buying (legal books, because, ya know, he's a lawyer) and I made up something about buying an anniversary present for my parents.

The game flashed a warning saying I needed to ask more questions. "So what kind of law do you practice?" I said in a panic, and learned he was a corporate lawyer. As I found myself listening to a boilerplate response about why he liked corporate law, it suddenly felt very much like a real life dating scenario, complete with feigned interest and jilted small talk — both enhanced by the surreal premise that I was talking to a robot.

Our time together ran out before I was able to secure a date — maybe I should have pretended to be more interested in corporate law? Or maybe we just weren't a good match to begin with. But now I can say I've had the unique experience of getting romantically rejected by a bot. For the record, this particular session was on the highest difficulty level, so my ego is still barely in tact.

Did my flirting skills get better? With a time limit and a specific objective, I definitely tried harder to keep the conversation going, so I can see how one could improve after a few more sessions. But while I played the game, I found myself wondering how a human would respond differently to the conversation, which made the whole experience feel unrealistic.

But I guess that's the point. It's supposed to just be a game so you can get out there in the real world and talk to humans instead of bots.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Used to swing on the green

• Green: Wrestling language

• Blue: St. Louis legends

• Purple: Greens

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Golf clubs

• Green: Wrestling terminology

• Blue: Cardinal greats

• Purple: ___Green

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #190 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Golf clubs - DRIVER, HYBRID, IRON, WEDGE

• Wrestling terminology - ESCAPE, PIN, REVERSAL, TAKEDOWN

• Cardinal greats - BROCK, GIBSON, MUSIAL, PUJOLS

• ___Green - BOWLING, DANNY, DRAYMOND, PUTTING

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for April 1 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 1, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A precious gem.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter J.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

JEWEL.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 1

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A pushcart.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

DOLLY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

What an Olympian might win.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 1, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

MEDAL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Not flexible.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 1 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 1, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

STIFF

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Slightly wet.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for April 1 Hurdle Word 4 answer

MOIST

Final Hurdle hint

With enthusiasm.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GUSTO

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

There is no shortage of email clients to choose from, but I wanted one that was seamless to use across different devices and platforms. So, I tried many email clients to find the one that met my practical needs and was appealing to use. Here's what I found.

Most of us use USB drives for temporary file storage, but they can do much more. You can boot an operating system, store and encrypt passwords, automate critical data backups, and more. If you have a spare USB drive that you only use for storage, here are some other ways to make the most of it.

When you hear "biology" you probably think something like "nature" or "natural", but humankind has been interfering with biology for thousands of years, and now in the 21st century our tools are more powerful than ever.

Physical media, including vinyls, cassettes, and CDs are all the rage right now. If you're looking to dust off your collection of DVDs and put them to use in your Windows PC, getting them playing is quite easy. Unfortunately, Blu-rays are more complicated, but you have a few options there too.

Many Windows users believe accessibility features are only for those with disabilities, but that’s not the case. I don't have a disability, but I use some accessibility features to be more productive. I can’t imagine using Windows without them. Here are some features you should try.

Save $100: Grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones on sale for $329 at Amazon, down from their list price of $429. This 23% discount is live as of March 31, the last day of Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones $329 at Amazon
$429 Save $100 Get Deal

When Bose named their QuietComfort line, they hit the nail right on the head.

In that line is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, which have been deemed the most comfortable headphones by not one, not two, but three separate reporters from the Mashable shopping team. And as of March 31, the last day of the Big Spring Sale, Amazon marked them down to $329, dropping their price even further from the $80 price cut we spotted earlier in the sale.

SEE ALSO: 300+ of the best deals from the final day of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

I personally tested the Bose QC Ultra headphones in the fall of 2023, shortly after they hit the market. I put them through the ringer in testing their comfort — I left them on for entire work days, wore them with earrings, and even on a cross country flight while wearing glasses. In every situation, they felt cushioned and sturdy, but not too heavy. As Lead Shopping Reporter Dylan Haas put it, "A lot of headphones advertise 'all-day comfort' as a feature, but rarely is that literally true." Like me, he was able to use them for an entire day without any soreness.

With that said, they're not perfect. While their noise cancelling is good (it is Bose, after all), Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino wasn't totally impressed, writing in her review, "while the noise cancellation is really good at blocking out low-pitched noises, it can't wholly block high-pitched sounds unless you turn up the sound to unhealthy volumes." She also felt that the sound quality didn't stand out among other premium options.

I also found that their multipoint pairing could be inconsistent at times, but that's an issue I've experienced across the board with Bose. While annoying, issues like that are easier to overlook when you're not paying full price. If you are looking to get these headphones at the absolute lowest price ever, you might want to pass this time — we've seen them drop down to $299 in the past.