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9 great reads from CNET this week: PS5, Apple Watch, kettlebells and more

We look at a way to (maybe) get a PS5 on Black Friday, at how the Apple Watch got better for certain workouts, at one company's pandemic-inspired product switch, and then some.

CNET News staff
2 min read

It's November and the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Retailers are focused on Black Friday , still two weeks away, but they're not waiting for it. The deals are out there already. 

You won't necessarily be able to find everything you want, though, or at least not in a timely manner. Partly to blame are sticking points in the supply chain. Partly it's the incredible demand for certain products. When it comes to the hard-to-get PS5, retailers have come up with a solution of sorts: offering early access via pricey subscription services, as CNET's Russell Holly explains.

His story is among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss.

As the holidays arrive, retailers are forcing more PS5 restocks behind paywalls

Commentary: You're paying to avoid a bot problem the industry has ignored for far too long.

PlayStation 5 and controller
Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Apple Watch's cycling detection makes your next bike ride count. How it works

Thanks to WatchOS 8, the Apple Watch is now a lot more helpful for cyclists, whether you ride a regular or electric bike.

Apple Watch on a bicycle handlebar
Lexy Savvides/CNET

From machine parts to dumbbells: How a cast-iron foundry responded to the pandemic 

Making weights was the answer for one company when its industrial orders took a hit during the pandemic.  

A man holding a Goldens' kettlebell
Goldens' Cast Iron

Climate crisis ravages Bangladesh as rich nations look away: 'It's already too late'  

Natural disasters are growing in severity, but wealthy countries still haven't delivered on their $100 billion promise of climate aid to poor nations, including Bangladesh.

People in Koyra, Bangladesh, wade through flood waters after Cyclone Yaas
Getty Images

Cryptocurrency scams are all over social media. Don't get duped 

That tweet, live event or ad you see on social media could be fake. 

Illustration of a bitcoin on a fishing hook
Getty Images

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on Nintendo Switch sucked me right back in 

Commentary: The best Star Wars game of all time is getting a remake, but the original remains a glorious RPG experience... despite some creaky elements. 

Duel with Darth Malak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Aspyr/Nintendo

Rebel scientists' COP26 protests seek more than climate lip service

Climate science experts are gluing themselves to Glasgow buildings and chaining themselves to bridges to protest government inaction on the climate crisis.   

Astrophysicist Tim Hewlett on the River Clyde
Katie Collins/CNET

Orphan Black is being revived... as a podcast (again)

It's not often a cast can get the band back together, but Tatiana Maslany, Evelyne Brochu, Jordan Gavaris and Kristian Bruun made it happen.

Orphan Black characters
BBC America

Relax, there will still be TV deals this year for Black Friday

Supply chain disruptions have brought TV prices to a nine-year high. But that doesn't mean holiday sales are going away.

TVs at Costco
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Watch this: How to win Black Friday 2021