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'Stranger Things' Will Be Netflix's Biggest Hit Yet. How? Netflix Changed its Rules


'Stranger Things' Will Be Netflix's Biggest Hit Yet. How? Netflix Changed its Rules

What's happening

Netflix ranks the popularity of its originals with all-time Most Popular charts, but last month it quietly changed the way it measures the watch time for some shows. The stats for those shows inflated dramatically.

Why it matters

For Netflix to launch a cheaper tier with ads, it must win over advertisers, and its measurement takes on new significance when advertisers become part of the equation.

What's next

Stranger Things, which released seven episodes last week and will drop two more July 1, is all but certain to be ranked as Netflix's biggest hit yet thanks to this rule change that works in the show's favor.

Stranger Things returned Friday with season 4. By the end of the summer, Netflix will almost certainly proclaim the retro sci-fi series' latest season its biggest hit yet. But Stranger Things 4's viewership victory, set to trump the likes of Bridgerton and Squid Game, was assured weeks before a single subscriber streamed a second of it, when Netflix quietly tweaked its own popularity rules.

The change last month has already inflated the stats for shows like Ozark and Money Heist. Stranger Things 4 is next.  

Mike, Eleven and Will gaze confusedly into the camera in Stranger Things season 4

Stranger Things 4's first volume of episodes hit Friday. The season's final two episodes, running nearly four hours combined, will land July 1.

 Netflix

When the final numbers are in, Stranger Things 4 will likely eclipse Bridgerton and Squid Game in Netflix's all-time Most Popular rankings based on total hours watched. These are charts that Netflix updates weekly at Netflix Top 10. All three shows are colossally well-watched worldwide. But among them, only Stranger Things will enjoy Netflix counting its "watch time" for twice as long. Instead of tallying up viewing hours in its first 28 days of release, as Netflix did for Bridgerton and Squid Game, Netflix will be racking up Stranger Things 4's views over 56 days total thanks to its two-part release schedule. 

While these charts can be dismissed as pageantry without much consequence, they're still the most direct data available pointing people -- whether it's Wall Street suits, Hollywood insiders or viewers like you -- to the biggest titles on the world's largest streaming service. They give investors a gauge for Netflix's competitiveness, they can help Netflix recruit talent, and they stoke buzz that may nudge you to watch something you otherwise wouldn't. 

But Netflix measurement is about to take on much greater consequence, as the service launches advertising. For Netflix to be able to offer you a cheaper tier with ads, it will need to broaden its measurement beyond watch time and get more transparent in order to win over advertisers, experts say. 

Netflix has gotten by this far releasing whatever data it wants on its own terms, said Dallas Lawrence, the head of communications and brand for Samba TV, a television researcher and ad measurement firm. That will change when Netflix must sell itself to advertisers too. 

"The buyers will not allow Netflix to grade its own homework," Lawrence said. 

Watch time turned upside down 

When Netflix launched its Top 10 rankings website in November, it unlocked an unprecedented trove of viewing data. The site details the service's most-watched titles of the previous week and how many hours they were viewed, both globally and in more than 90 individual countries. For its most voraciously viewed titles, Netflix updates a set of Most Popular charts, which rank its most watched originals of all time. 

And for a show or movie to make it on the all-time Most Popular rankings, Netflix looks at the 28 days from its premiere to rack up watch hours. 

The latest season of Bridgerton, for example, is Netflix's most watched show in English at 656.3 million hours. Squid Game, the breakout South Korean dystopian thriller, is Netflix's most-watched show in any language, at 1.65 billion hours watched in the 28-day window. 

Character Seong Gi-hun screams with clenched fists inside a colorful, brightly lit arcade.

Squid Game is Netflix's most watched title so far. 

 Netflix

That 28-day shot clock was the same for every movie and TV season, until May 10. Then Netflix quietly tweaked the rules to give some shows 56 days -- twice as long -- to amass views. For any series that releases its season in two "volumes" on different dates, the shot clock runs for 28 days after its first batch of episodes, then it resumes again for an additional 28 days after the second batch. Netflix counts the viewing of a volume's episodes only during that volume's first 28 days.

But shows like Stranger Things 4, with seven episodes out now and another two coming July 1, still get 56 days to generate viewing hours toward their ranking. And because the release of a second volume can come soon after the first, the first 28-day window can potentially include rewatch views of the first batch as fans catch up as the second approaches. In the case of Stranger Things 4, fans who immediately binge-watched volume one could revisit these episodes to refresh in anticipation of volume two. And any of that rewatching before June 23 would count.

Shows like Bridgerton and Squid Game, which followed the Netflix convention of releasing a full season at once, are still stuck with their count over 28 days.

Netflix disclosed this change by, essentially, updating its fine print. Judging by archived screenshots of the Top 10 website, Netflix added two sentences to its methodology statement on May 10. Netflix didn't otherwise disclose that it had altered its methodology for the Most Popular rankings.

When reached for comment on this article, Netflix referred to the methodology stated on its site.

Stranger Things 4 was already sure to be a smash by Netflix's standards. Its last season is among Netflix's most watched programs ever, even though it came out when Netflix had two-thirds the subscribers it does now. A three-year hiatus has built up fan demand, and this season's runtime is much longer than the rest. (Its runtime is also much longer than that of Squid Game or Bridgerton. Its first volume of episodes runs an hour longer than the entirety of Squid Game or Bridgerton's whole last season, and Stranger Things 4 still has nearly four hours coming July 1.)

But May's methodology change stacked the deck in favor of Stranger Things. It has already generated 286.8 million hours in the first three days of availability. With 53 more days on its shot clock, it needs to generate less than a tenth of that daily to accumulate enough watch time to become No. 1. 

Overnight sensations

The rule change has wildly inflated the watch time for several other shows already. Multiple programs suddenly appeared in Netflix's top 10 charts or shot to a much higher ranking, with hundreds of millions of hours suddenly added to their counts. 

Money Heist bank robbers disguise themselves in red coveralls and masks that look like the painter Dalí.

Money Heist, which released its final season in two volumes, saw its watch-time ranking jump seemingly overnight after Netflix changed its popularity rules. 

 Netflix

Money Heist is a hit Spanish thriller series also known as La Casa de Papel. Its final season was released in two volumes, with five episodes landing on Sept. 1 and the last five episodes arriving Dec. 1. After the methodology change in May, its watch time more than doubled. Money Heist is now positioned as Netflix's No. 2 most watched show of all time regardless of language, right after Squid Game. Before the rule change, it didn't even make the top 10. 

Other shows have gotten big bumps too. Fantasy police procedural Lucifer released half its fifth season in 2020 and the other half nearly a year later. Lucifer had been absent from Netflix's Most Popular rankings since they launched, but in May, it suddenly appeared as Netflix's No. 7 most-watched program in any language. The latest season of the drama Ozark, released partly on Jan. 21 and partly on April 29, needed three extra weeks of streaming after its original 28-day window to make the English language top 10. 

Netflix's Top 10 website still characterizes the watch time of all these shows as hours viewed in their "first 28 days on Netflix."

To bolster the credibility of its stats, Netflix recruited accounting firm EY -- formerly known as Ernst & Young, one of the world's biggest accounting companies -- to vet its data. But EY finished its first Netflix report in February, long before Netflix revised its methodology. And EY's report was a light-touch vetting called a review, which essentially accepts the measurement criteria as Netflix defines them and then verifies that the data abide by those rules. Netflix has no existing plans for another accounting review.

Grading its own homework

Netflix was notoriously tight-lipped about its viewership for years. Beau Willimon -- creator of House of Cards, which put Netflix's original programming on the map -- once said the company wouldn't even share audience metrics with him. But since 2018, Netflix has grown more open about the popularity of its shows and movies, culminating with its Top 10 website. 

Penelope from Bridgerton sits in a Regency-period gown inside an opulent room lit by candles.

During Stranger Things' three-year hiatus, Bridgerton became Netflix's most-watched show in English. 

 Netflix

For Netflix to start offering you a cheaper tier with ads, it needs to actually win advertisers -- and advertisers won't go by Netflix's numbers. Because TV advertising is so expensive, brands and agencies want measurements comparable across services, so they can know what they're getting at Netflix versus Paramount Plus versus Disney Plus, said Needham senior analyst Laura Martin.

Netflix "can do weird things, like introduce new measurement," added Martin, who has called for Netflix to add advertising for years. "But it would slow adoption by advertisers."

Traditionally, advertisers evaluated TV programs by how many people tuned in. "As we enter this new phase, transparency around viewership data is going to be essential, especially on 'closed' platforms" like Netflix, said Anjali Midha, co-founder and CEO of Diesel Labs, a media intelligence firm. Viewership will naturally remain important, she added, but so will demographics, psychographics and other metrics of watching behavior.

But Netflix's own reputation as the gold standard of streaming TV will work in its favor, Lawrence said.

"Streaming has historically been rife with a myriad … sites that still seem like the Wild West, fraught with risky content," he said. 

Advertisers may come to welcome Netflix's safety and scope, even if its own measurement rules still shoot from the hip. 

Correction, 6:07 a.m. PT June 2: An earlier version of this story suggested Netflix may count viewing of all episodes from split-season shows over a full 56 days. Netflix counts the viewing of episodes only within 28 days of their release, but split-season shows get two 28-day periods -- 56 days total -- to amass watch time. 

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NASA's Haunting Remix Lets You Hear What a Black Hole Sounds Like


NASA's Haunting Remix Lets You Hear What a Black Hole Sounds Like

During black hole week, back in May, NASA dropped a remix that will haunt you until the end of your days. 

More specifically, the space agency made a melody from the soundwaves of a vast, monstrous black hole that sits more than 200 million light-years away from Earth. The black hole is found in the center of what's known as the Perseus galaxy cluster, which is a majestic 11 million-light-year-wide bundle of galaxies shrouded by hot gas. 

And although the sheer magnitude of Perseus and its galaxies is jaw-dropping, astronomers have been most interested in … all that hot gas. The space clouds are precisely why we're able to hear the sounds of something we can barely even see or conceptualize: the massive black hole at Perseus' center. 

They're likely exactly what you'd expect a black hole to sound like: eerie, scary, mysterious, maybe something Thom Yorke can sample for his next album. Maybe even pained, if you listen carefully enough.

Anyway, now that you have your black hole week soundtrack, here are the specifics of what you're hearing.

Decades ago, astronomers discovered Perseus' void-like interior sends out pressure waves. These waves sort of ripple through all the surrounding hot gas in the area, and those ripples, in essence, can be translated into sound. 

Think of sound waves as the vibration of air -- or rather, the vibration of things (atoms, molecules) within the air. Our ears can capture those vibrations and turn them into listenable noise here on Earth, but in space, things are a little different. 

Because space is a vacuum, there isn't any medium for sound waves to travel through. This is why space is often considered totally quiet. But the silence isn't because cosmic objects aren't making sounds. Their waves just don't have anything to vibrate.

Perseus' black hole, on the other hand, gets past this space vacuum sound barrier because it's so close to the cluster's gas. It can create sound wave vibrations, and those are the hot gas ripples scientists are focused on.

As such, in 2003, a team from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory took astronomical data from the gassy ripples and translated that into normal sound waves we're used to on Earth. But, for a long time, there was a major hurdle preventing us from listening to the black hole's song. When scientists completed the translation, or sonification process, they found that Perseus' abyss plays a note that's a whopping 57 octaves below middle C. 

Our human ears can't hear that, which is where NASA's remix comes in. 

In honor of black hole week, the agency extracted the already-identified black hole sound waves and scaled them up by 57 and 58 octaves so we can all, finally, listen to the call of the void.

"Another way to put this," NASA said, "is that the [sound waves] are being heard 144 quadrillion and 288 quadrillion times higher than their original frequency."

And, as an added bonus, NASA also released another, much less ominous, black hole sonification. This one's of the abyss at the center of the galaxy Messier 87, aka the black hole that's famous for being the first-ever photographed chasm.

This track, however, is only so beautiful because it's not exactly the product of pure, isolated astronomical data sonification like the music of Perseus' void. It comes from three different vessels of data -- Chandra X-rays, optical light from Hubble and radio waves from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile -- overlaid upon one another. 

The X-rays play high tones, optical light data play medium tones and radio waves are the alto's with the lowest tones. 

Together, they make a bittersweet symphony.

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Stock Market Secrets: My Smartest Investment Tips After 16 Years of Reporting


Stock Market Secrets: My Smartest Investment Tips After 16 Years of Reporting

This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of reporting, it's this: The stock market is moody.

In 2006, I began a new role as a financial correspondent reporting from the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. My job was to make sense of why the market was up or down each day. I'd start out each morning interviewing mostly older, white male brokers who were in charge of buying and selling shares on behalf of large institutional investors. (Also true: I was required to wear closed-toe shoes and a blazer. The dress code then was strict and a bit ridiculous.) 

I learned if tech stocks slumped just after the market opened, it might have been due to lower-than-expected earnings the evening before from an industry giant like Apple. Any hint of turbulence in the tech sector induced panicked brokers to drop shares at the opening bell. 

The market doesn't actually reflect reality. It measures the moods and attitudes of people like the brokers I used to interview. 

"Today's stock prices aren't because of how businesses are performing today," said Matt Frankel, a certified financial planner and contributing analyst for The Motley Fool, in an email. "They are based on future expectations." 

That's the problem: Current prices serve as a gauge of investor confidence, but stock market predictions are, at best, educated guesses. And to further complicate matters, "the markets are not always correct," according to Liz Young, head of investment strategy at SoFi. 

Farnoosh reporting from the New York Stock Exchange

Reporting from the floor of the NYSE during the May 2010 "flash crash," when major stock indices crashed and then partially rebounded within an hour. 

 Screenshot/CNET

Sound discouraging? I hear you, but it's still worth investing. Here's why.

While the stock market represents an elite class of investors (the wealthiest 10% of Americans hold 89% of stocks), it has proven over time to be a reliable way to grow your money for anyone with the tools and information to try. And technology has made it cheaper and easier to access. Now, a whole new generation has the chance to start investing and building wealth. If you can afford your basic needs and have some emergency savings set aside, there's no better time than now to invest -- even if it's just $20 a month.

Of course, the stock market feels particularly risky right now and it's natural to want to safeguard your money when the economy is volatile. If you're on the fence about investing because you're worried about a recession, or you just don't feel comfortable taking financial risks right now, you're not alone. Over 40% of Americans surveyed earlier this spring said that the bear-market downswing made them too scared to invest. 

But waiting to invest is an even bigger risk. Here's what I know for sure about how to overcome worry and invest for success.   

The 'Right Time' to Invest Is Right Now

Yes, the market is risky. Yes, there will be more crashes. But there's a high probability that the market will recover, just like it bounced back (and then some) a few years after the 2007-09 global financial crisis.

"Things will get better again. They always do," as my friend David Bach, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Automatic Millionaire told me on my podcast So Money.

Sure, it's better to buy at a low price so that you can cash in later from as much appreciation, or compound interest, as possible. But since it's very hard to predict where prices will go, the "right time" to strike is often something we only realize in hindsight. Waiting to invest until the time feels right, when you think stocks have hit a "bottom," can set you up for more failure than success. 

Your time in the market is more important than timing the market. Lying low until stocks rebound just means you're going to pay more. Instead, invest consistently and continuously, and let compounding interest build. You'll buy the dips and the highs, but ultimately, over the years, you'll come out ahead. "If you're in your 30s, or your 40s, or your 50s, and you're not retiring in the next year or two, guess what? Everything's on sale," Bach said. 

For example, had your parents invested $1,000 in the year 1960, it would be worth close to $400,000 today. That's after a presidential assassination, multiple wars, a global pandemic and many recessions, including the Great Recession. If the past is any indicator of the future, it's proven that markets will eventually recuperate from a downturn, and that they have greater periods of growth than decline. 

Read more: Investing for Beginners

Diversification is your best tool against volatility and market tumbles. Investors who are more cautious could try US bonds, which are considered "safe haven" investments because they are backed by the Treasury and offer a predictable return. 

Right now, with inflation at 8.5%, Americans are flocking toward Series I Savings Bonds, a government-issued investment that's protected against inflation. I bonds have both a fixed rate and an inflation rate that's adjusted every six months. Right now, I bonds will deliver a 9.62% annualized interest rate, which means they'll get you higher guaranteed returns than any other federally backed bank account. 

Technology Makes Investing Cheaper and More Accessible

Investing can be unnecessarily complicated and exclusionary, and the financial industry as a whole can do a lot more to break down barriers to entry. Guests on my podcast So Money, especially women, people of color and young adults, have shared how they wish they'd learned about investing sooner. 

My advice? Lean on technology, as well as the proliferation of social media and podcasts, to gain better access and education. At CNET, we are big fans of robo-advisors, such as Wealthfront and Betterment, that provide low-cost portfolio management. There's no need to wait until you have $1 million in the bank, which is what some professional investment advisors require before working with clients. You can start with just a little cash. 

And whether you're a fan of TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, there are some reputable experts there offering free education. One cautionary tip: Be sure to check their backgrounds and ensure whomever you're following is not a salesperson disguised as an investment educator!

Read more: Investing Doesn't Have to Be Intimidating. Pros and Cons to Robo-Advisors

Once you're investing, embrace automation so you never go astray. Automating our savings or retirement contributions is a smart move that, honestly, saves us from ourselves. With money in our hands, it's much easier to spend than it is to save, but technology can automatically move that money into an account. We're more likely to save for our future if we're already enrolled in a company retirement plan as opposed to choosing to opt in with each paycheck. Start your contribution with the maximum employer-match rate and try to increase your contribution to 10% or even 15%. That could net you thousands of dollars more each year. 

Pro-tip: If you're saving for retirement, see if your plan provider will automatically increase your savings rate each year (60% of employers offer this feature, according to the American Benefits Council). 

For all other types of long-term investments such as a brokerage account or Roth IRA, create a calendar reminder at the beginning of the year or on your birthday to increase your contributions.

Read more: Need to Save for Retirement? This Is the Easiest Way

You may also be able to set your portfolio to auto-rebalance so that it adjusts and automatically scoops up more stocks after a down period in the market, which can give you the right balance of stocks and bonds in your portfolio. 

Auto-rebalancing is a feature many banks and brokerages offer to ensure your portfolio's allocation doesn't fall off-kilter, says David Sekera, chief US market strategist for MorningStar. For example, let's say you set up your portfolio to have an equal mix of stocks and bonds. A bear market like the one we're in now may reduce the weight of stocks and be too heavy with bonds. But an auto-rebalance can fix that by buying more stocks when prices are low again, according to Sekera. 

I've seen first-hand how market volatility is creating a lot of uncertainty, and I know why it's hard to feel confident about investing. But history shows that staying on the sidelines as an investor can be riskier than participating in the market and riding out the dips and highs. 

Getting into the market sooner rather than later can be one of the smartest decisions on the road to building personal wealth and economic security. Along the way, be mindful of your risk tolerance, stay diversified and rely on automation to help you stay the course.


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'Halo' TV Show on Paramount Plus an Ultra-Violent Assault on the Senses


'Halo' TV Show on Paramount Plus an Ultra-Violent Assault on the Senses

You could argue that Halo, the new Paramount Plus TV show based on the popular video game, is arriving 15 years too late. 

Despite coming in the wake of Halo Infinite, arguably the best Halo video game in well over a decade, the cultural cachet of the franchise has been dipping since 2007, when Halo 3 was released and a generation of gamers sat transfixed in front of their consoles to "Finish The Fight."

Since then, we've finished that fight. We've finished a few more fights in the years following. In fact most of us, even the most diehard fans of the Halo series, are a little over finishing fights.

Kwan Ha, played by Yerin Ha

Kwan Ha, played by Yerin Ha.

 Paramount

The original Halo game, released in 2001, was a vaguely jingoistic, post-9/11 tale of heroic UNSC soldiers battling against a hyperreligious (read: Muslim) alien race known as the Covenant. A race hellbent on activating a universe-destroying ring world -- aka the titular Halo. 

Even nongamers will recognize the "Halo," an enormous, ancient weapon designed to make all sentient beings extinct. The game was a pretty straightforward, well-executed "good versus evil" story designed to efficiently get players to the good part: lobbing grenades and firing guns at an endless onslaught of aliens intent on murdering you and the entire human race. 

But in 2022, in the wake of prestige TV, a pandemic and a society far less trusting of authority, that story doesn't exactly pass the vibe check. Particularly the jingoism and the mild space racism. It's for this reason that the Halo TV show, starring Pablo Schreiber as the protagonist Master Chief, with Natascha McElhone as his creator Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, wisely deviates from the video games in a number of smart ways. 

In the TV show, Halo's soldiers are far from the good guys. Instead they're part of a fascist army hellbent on suppressing human colonies off-world. The Master Chief is their wrecking ball: an overwhelming one-man army capable of killing aliens and his fellow humans without mercy at the behest of his superiors. 

But after touching an alien artifact that unlocks long suppressed memories, the Master Chief begins to slowly discover his humanity -- pitting him against not just the Covenant aliens, but the army that helped create him. 

Despite tropes and some clunky expository dialogue, Halo is perfectly serviceable science fiction that borrows liberally from other influential shows. Its off-world rebel groups resemble the "Belters" from The Expanse, while its central emotional core, the burgeoning relationship between the Master Chief and Kwan Ha -- the sole human survivor from the show's opening battle -- borrows beats from The Mandalorian. 

Master Chief and Spartans in the Halo TV series

Master Chief and his fellow Spartans are humanity's only effective weapons against the Covenant.

 Paramount Plus

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Halo is compelling and barrels along at a friendly pace, clearly wrestling with its source material in fundamental ways, trying to make video game elements work in a new format. Not everyone will enjoy the choices made. After the release of the show's last trailer, fans went ballistic upon discovering that Cortana -- an AI character from the video games -- wasn't blue and transparent like she is in the original. 

If that upsets you, then brace yourself. Wait till Master Chief removes his helmet -- probably the best example of the show literally and figuratively breaking free from the shackles of the video game.   

But the show is faithful where it makes sense. Its action sequences are kinetic and incredibly visceral -- ultra violent even. Legs are blown off, bodies are ripped in half. Early in the first episode an alien mercilessly murders a group of small children cowering in a hidden bunker. Fans of the game may remember that Neil Blomkamp was slated to direct a Halo movie back in the mid-2000s. District 9 was born of the bones of that failed project and, ironically, the Halo TV show feels very influenced by Blomkamp and his work. 

In the show, Covenant forces are utterly terrifying and completely indestructible until the Master Chief and his band of Spartans arrive. These encounters do a tremendous job of communicating what makes the game special. Fans complaining that Cortana is the wrong color will forgive it all when they see Master Chief hiding behind cover waiting for his shields to recharge. 

But ultimately, whether fans like it or not, Halo is at its best when it pushes back. Dedicated fans may resent some of its braver choices, but it's undoubtedly for the best. Dialogue clunkers aside, Halo is a well-produced TV show with solid performances and brilliantly executed set pieces. Given the history of video game adaptations, I'm taking that as a win. 

Halo might be 15 years too late, but better late than never. 

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Score a Kid-Friendly Kindle for Just $50 With This Early Prime Day Deal


Score a Kid-Friendly Kindle for Just $50 With This Early Prime Day Deal

Ditch the traditional bookshelf and upgrade to an e-reader for your child. E-readers save space, are ultraportable and grant access to a massive library of options whenever you want to explore something new. 

In anticipation of Prime Day, plenty of early Prime Day deals have already arrived, helping you save money on a ton of popular items, and right now, Kindle Kids devices are discounted by $60 at Amazon, bringing the price to just $50 for these e-readers designed for especially for children. This offer is available through July 11.

The Kindle Kids e-reader has a 6-inch, black-and-white, glare-free, 167-ppi display and 8GB of storage. It can connect to Bluetooth headphones or speakers. That means your kids can access a ton of audiobooks from Audible, too. These e-readers are specifically for reading, so your kids won't be distracted by apps, videos or games while they're using their device, like they might on a traditional tablet.

The Kindle Kids also has a long battery life -- it can last weeks on a single charge, which is great for when you're on the go. And when you buy a new Kindle Kids e-reader, you'll get a kid-friendly cover, a one-year subscription to the Amazon Kids Plus service and a two-year guarantee to replace broken devices. 

Amazon Kids Plus has a ton of children's literature available. Some titles, like the Harry Potter series, are included for free, while there are thousands of other books available for purchase as well. After the first year, your subscription will renew at $5 a month, but you can cancel anytime by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard. You'll find parental controls on the dashboard, too, allowing you to adjust age filters, add books to your child's library, view reading progress and more. You can also use Amazon Kids Plus on other compatible Kindle devices, Fire tablets, Echo smart speakers and more.

There are also tools to help your child tackle more challenging books such as Vocabulary Builder, which can help look up words and create flash cards for practicing new words, and Word Wise, which can automatically show simple on-screen definitions above difficult words. At $50, this is a great time to invest in an e-reader that can help your child form strong, healthy reading habits.

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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trailer Shows Off New Pokemon Fidough and More


Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trailer Shows Off New Pokemon Fidough and More

The Pokemon Company has shared a new trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, providing another look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch games ahead of their November launch.

Among other things, the trailer showcased a handful of new Pokemon that players will meet in the game, including Fidough, a fairy-type puppy Pokemon made of dough. We also got a glimpse at a new regional variant of Wooper, as well as a new ice-type whale Pokemon named Cetitan.

Fidough

Fidough is one of the new Pokemon you'll meet in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

 The Pokemon Company

Beyond the new Pokemon, the trailer also offered a closer look at the games' setting, which we now know is called the Paldea region. This is the first fully open-world backdrop in series history. Players will be able to freely explore Paldea while riding atop Koraidon or Miraidon, the legendary Pokemon that grace Scarlet and Violet's covers.

Both Koraidon and Miraidon will be able to transform so they can cross all kinds of terrain, including swimming across expanses of water and gliding through the air. This versatility will come in handy, as the Paldea region is vast and geographically diverse.

Map of the Paldea region

The Paldea region.

 The Pokemon Company

Finally, the trailer gave us our first look at Scarlet and Violet's signature new battle mechanic: Terastallizing. Similar to Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing, this lets your Pokemon undergo a temporary transformation during battle, in this case giving your Pokemon a jewel-like body. 

Every Pokemon found in the Paldea region is capable of Terastallizing, and each has a Tera type that it will become when it undergoes the transformation. Most Pokemon's Tera types will match their standard ones, but some have a different Tera type. For instance, while Eevee's Tera type is typically normal, it's possible to catch an Eevee whose Tera type is flying or grass.

Terastallized Quaxly

A Terastallize Quaxly.

 The Pokemon Company

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launch for Nintendo Switch on Nov. 18, with a special bonus for early adopters. Everyone who purchases a copy before Feb. 28, 2023 will be able to receive a special flying Tera type Pikachu. You can read more on the games in our roundup of everything we know so far.

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Your Electric Bills Are Likely to Skyrocket This Summer. Here Are 23 Ways to Save


Your Electric Bills Are Likely to Skyrocket This Summer. Here Are 23 Ways to Save

1 of 24 Alina Bradford/CNET

Stop spending so much on electricity

You've probably noticed that your gas and electric bills have been more costly than usual this year. According to the US Energy Information Administration, these electricity prices are only going to increase more significantly throughout the summer. 

In fact, the EIA estimates the Northeast regions could see a $100 increase in wholesale electricity over last year. And other regions across the country are seeing rising prices too. 

If you're looking for ways to cut down on utility costs, there are plenty of simple measures you can take to lower your energy bills from turning off the lights to doing laundry the cost-efficient way. Here are the top 23 ways to start saving now. 

2 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Use your dishwasher

Dishwashers may use electricity, but they save more energy, money, water and time than washing dishes by hand.

According to the California Energy Commission, using an Energy Star-qualified dishwasher instead of hand washing can save you 5,000 gallons of water and $40 in utility costs each year, on average, not to mention 230 hours of your time.

3 of 24 Alina Bradford/CNET

Air-dry your dishes

Opt out of the heat-dry cycle on your dishwasher. Instead, crack open the door and let your dishes air-dry. If your dishwasher has an air-dry option, use that instead of heat-dry. 

Air drying plates can reduce your dishwasher's energy use by 15% to 50%, according to the California Energy Commission.

4 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Get 'em clean

These dishwasher tips won't save electricity if you have to repeat loads because the dishes just won't get clean. That's why you need to make sure to load the dishes correctly.

For example, you should place plates in the bottom rack, bowls on the top rack and cups upside-down. Pots and other large items should be washed separately.

5 of 24 Taylor Martin/CNET

Use a fan

If you live in an area of the world where the summers are hot, turn on your ceiling fans instead of touching the thermostat. Using a ceiling fan can make a room feel 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler, and a fan uses 10% of the energy that a central air conditioner does, according to the US Natural Resource Defense Council.

6 of 24 Alina Bradford/CNET

Use a smarter bulb

If you haven't switched to LED lighting, now is the time. The US Department of Energy says that LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy -- and last 25 times longer -- than incandescent lighting. That equals a lot of savings over time.

7 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Use motion to stop waste

If you're constantly following family members from room to room and turning off lights behind them, a little automation can save you time and money. One solution could be motion detectors, like GE's LED Plus lineup or Ring's smart outdoor lights. They turn on when they sense someone's in the room and turn off when no movement is detected.

8 of 24 Sarah Tew/CNET

Turn off the burner a little early

According to the California Energy Commission, if you turn off the burner early, the stove will release enough heat to finish up whatever you're cooking and save electricity. This tip works for most dishes, though there are a few exceptions.

9 of 24 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Keep your oven closed

Every time you open an oven door while cooking, the internal temperature can drop 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven then has to use more electricity to bring the temperature back up. To save electricity, peek through the window and rely on the oven's light instead of opening the door.

12 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Use a smart plug

You may think that your electronics and appliances are energy-efficient, but you might be using more electricity than you think.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is a gadget that plugs into your wall; you can schedule it to turn your electronic devices on and off automatically.   

13 of 24 Sarah Tew/CNET

Put it on standby

Putting your electronics on standby saves more money than leaving them on 24/7, but it still uses a substantial amount of electricity. 

According to the US Department of Energy, electronics on standby account for 10% or more of your electricity bill.

14 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Better yet, get a strip

One of the best ways to control these power wasters is by plugging them into a power strip or a smart outlet like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip. 

Just switch the strip off or use the smart switch's app to turn off electricity guzzlers when you go to bed or you're not home. 

16 of 24 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Check your thermostat location

While you're considering a programmable thermostat, check your current thermostat's location. It could be on the wrong wall.

Drafts, direct sunlight and other factors can trigger your AC or furnace to kick on when it doesn't need to. Here's the perfect place to put your thermostat.

17 of 24 Alina Bradford/CNET

Baby your dryer

The California Energy Commission says that dryers use approximately 6% of a home's total electricity usage. You can help your dryer work more efficiently by keeping it clean, and emptying the lint trap after each load is one of the most important things you can do to stop a dryer from working harder than necessary. 

Here's more on how to deep-clean your dryer  and your dryer vent.

18 of 24 Chris Monroe/CNET

Go cold

Start using cold water when you wash laundry. Why? Because 90% of the electricity used to wash a load goes toward heating the water, according to Consumer Reports. 

The Alliance to Save Energy also says washing clothes in cold water can save you $63 a year on electricity bills. Most detergents are designed to work better in cold water, anyway, so this is an easy swap to make.

22 of 24 Alina Bradford/CNET

Switch out your showerhead

Switching to a 2.5-gallon-per-minute (low-flow) showerhead and taking a 10-minute shower not only saves you 5 gallons of water over taking a bath, it also saves up to $145 each year in electricity, according to Energy Star.

Source

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