Ever since Samsung unveiled their first Frame TV a handful of years ago, they’ve been making waves with every iteration because of their gallery design and ability to blend into any picture wall. Now, Samsung…
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Sonos now has two different portable speakers. There’s the Move ($399), which was released in late 2019. And there’s the Roam ($169), which was is available for preorder right now and ships April 20. If you’re looking at each speaker and wondering what the similarities and differences actually are, here’s what you need to know.
Both have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and can work on their own, or in a bigger Sonos system. Both support AirPlay 2 and are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant when connected to Wi-Fi. Both have Automatic Trueplay, meaning they will automatically tune themselves so that they sound best (but the Roam will require a software update first).
Ultimately, the Move is pricier but can’t be beat on sound and the Roam is more affordable and portable beyond compare. Here’s the nitty gritty:
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Don’t tell your kids about this. Polaroid is breaking away from their instant cameras with something even more fun (and edible). The CandyPlay uses sugar-free cartridges, heats them, and then extrudes them so you can…
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When it comes to highly functional and stylish desk accessories that are purpose built to work with the entire range of Apple iDevices, you won’t find better options than what Twelve South has been releasing…
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A record stabilizer (also known as a turntable weight or clamp) is a puck-shaped object that you place on your turntable’s spindle. Its job is to add extra weight so that the record lies as flat and as still as possible. This helps the stylus read the vinyl more accurately so that, ultimately, your system sounds best.
If you have a turntable and you’re looking for affordable ways to make it sound better, buying a record stabilizer is a great way to do just that. (You can also buy a platter mat or isolation pucks, both of which can be pretty affordable.)
When deciding which record stabilizer to buy, generally the heavier the better. That said, you should also pick one based its material and how on its looks. It’s going to sit on top of your turntable, so treat it like a statement piece, too.
Hudson Hi-Fi
Hudson Hi-Fi is one of our favorite makers of hi-fi accessories. Its LittleBen is made of metal and finished in chrome. It also has a leather pad that acts as a buffer between it and the record. It weighs 13 ounces.
Price: $22
Clearaudio
The Souther Clever Clamp is a different kind of record stabilizer because it’s designed to lock the record in place without weighing down the record. The logic is that it doesn’t add extra drag on the motor which, according to The Turntable Lab, makes it ideal for low torque turntables. It’s made completely of plastic and weighs less than an ounce.
Price: $35
Audio-Technica
The AT618a is a slightly more substantial record stabilizer. It’s made of machine brass and has a protective rubber cover, which also prevents it from accumulating finger smudges. It weighs 21.2 ounces.
Price: $39
Pro-Ject
This is another lightweight record stabilizer that doesn’t actually add extra weight to the record. Instead, it has a clamping mechanism that grabs the center spindle and locks the record into place. It’s made of diamond-cut aluminum and nice leather leather accents. It weights 4.2 ounces.
Price: $99
Pro-Ject
This is an extra heavy record stabilizer that’s best for high-end turntables. The metal puck has a beautiful brass finish along with leather accents. It weighs 1.7 pounds. (If shiny brass isn’t your thing, it’s also available in an all-black version.)
Price: $120
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Sonos officially announced that its next hardware event will held on March 9, 2021. As we’re always fascinated to see what the company is up to next, we let the world know about it in this post — in which we speculated that it seemed likely that Sonos would use the March event to announce another portable speaker like the Sonos Move, but way smaller and way more affordable.
Well, it turns out we were right — but we didn’t have to wait for March 9th to find out, or for Sonos to tell us officially. On March 4th, we got our first look at that new speaker, called the Sonos Roam, thanks to leaked images of that speaker brought to light by The Verge‘s Chris Welch.
The speaker looks very similar to the current UE Boom 3, and it’s expected to cost $169, according to The Verge‘s source, which cite direct knowledge of the product. The Sonos Roam should weigh in at about a pound and stand 6.5 inches tall; a wireless charging dock will be available for an extra $49 if you’d rather not charge via USB cable. You can check out the leaked images in the embedded tweet below.
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Not many details are known about the Sonos Roam, other than that it’s expected to be fully waterproof and have both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, just like the Sonos Move does. According to The Verge‘s article, the Roam will start shipping out to retailers on April 20th. Consider this your way of getting ahead of the line.
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If you use a Mac computer then you’re well acquainted with the Dock. It’s the big menu bar located on the bottom of your screen where all your most-used apps live, such as Finder, Safari, Mail and Messages. It’s an incredibly useful tool, but it’s very important that you make sure it works best for you. That means customizing it.
You likely already know you can customize your Mac’s Dock. You can do things like add/remove applications or even move the position of the Dock on your screen. If so, consider this guide a refresher. But there are a few other tips and tricks you do so that the Dock works even better for you – so stick around.
It’s really quite easy to add and remove apps from the Dock — and you’re going to want to do just that. There’s no point in having apps that you don’t take up space you Dock. It adds clutter and chaos, and won’t help you stay productive. Likewise, it’s important to add your most used apps so you can quickly access them.
To add an app that’s not there:
To remove an app that you don’t use:
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You can also pin folders to the Dock so that they live right next to your apps. This will give you quick access to folders like your Download and Documents.
To add a folder to your Dock:
You might not like the size of the icons on your Dock. If you want them smaller or larger — no problem — and there are actually two ways to adjust this. The easiest way is to take your cursor and hover it over either of the horizontal dividing lines located in the Dock. When the cursor changes its shape to a double-sided arrow — click, hold and drag. If you drag it up, the icons will grow larger. If you drag down, the icons will shrink.
You can also do this through System Preferences.
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If you don’t want the Dock to be located on the bottom of your screen, you can change it so it rests vertically on either the left of right side of the screen.
By default, the Dock sits at the bottom of your screen and the only way you can make it disappear (or hide it) is when you maximize a video or window. However, you can make it disappear every time you’re not hovering your cursor over it by just checking off a box in System Preferences.
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DJI has long been the go-to when it comes to brilliant, efficient and effective and drone technology. A couple years ago, they made waves with the DJI Digital FPV System designed to deliver a first-person…
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Last week, Sonos officially announced that its next hardware event will held on March 9, 2021. As we’re always fascinated to see what the company is up to next, we let the world know about it in this post — in which we speculated that it seemed likely that Sonos would use the March event to announce another portable speaker like the Sonos Move, but way smaller and way more affordable.
Well, it turns out we were right — but we didn’t have to wait for March 9th to find out, or for Sonos to tell us officially. On March 4th, we got our first look at that new speaker, called the Sonos Roam, thanks to leaked images of that speaker brought to light by The Verge‘s Chris Welch.
The speaker looks very similar to the current UE Boom 3, and it’s expected to cost $169, according to The Verge‘s source, which cite direct knowledge of the product. The Sonos Roam should weigh in at about a pound and stand 6.5 inches tall; a wireless charging dock will be available for an extra $49 if you’d rather not charge via USB cable. You can check out the leaked images in the embedded tweet below.
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Not many details are known about the Sonos Roam, other than that it’s expected to be fully waterproof and have both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, just like the Sonos Move does. According to The Verge‘s article, the Roam will start shipping out to retailers on April 20th. Consider this your way of getting ahead of the line.
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A home-theater-in-a-box system is essentially a home theater starter kit. It has multiple-channels and will turn your TV into a bonafide 5.1 or 7.2 surround sound system, but everything is generally smaller (or less powerful) to help keep the cost down. It’s the perfect compromise between a high-quality soundbar and a full-fledged surround-sound system.
If you’re you’re in the market for a home-theater-in-a-box system, there are a couple things you want to look out for before buying. First, not every home-theater-in-a-box system comes with an AV receivers, meaning it’ll you have to purchase one separate (and it’ll most likely cost $300 or more). You also want to check if it supports surround sound technologies (like Dolby Atmos), which will make them sound better and prevent you from thinking about potentially upgrading your system in a few years.
The Monoprice 10565 is an excellent and affordable 5.1.2 home theater system complete with rear-channel speakers. The system does support Dolby Atmos, but it doesn’t come with an AV receiver — so that’ll be an extra cost and you’ll want to make sure it supports Dolby Atmos as well. Bottom line, this home theater system sounds way better than its price tag and is a superb choice for small-to-medium-sized rooms.
Price: $250
The Onkyo HT-S3910 is our pick for the best all-around option for most people. Released in 2019, the Onkyo HT-S3910 is a 5.1 system that comes with an AV receiver that supports Dolby Atmos and will be compatible with most 4K TVs. It also has built-in Bluetooth (which most modern receivers typically do) so you can stream to the system when you’re not watching TV.
Price: $399
The Klipsch Reference Theater Pack is a 5.1 home theater system that was originally priced at $999 when it was in 2018, but now you can snag it for less than half that. It’s a powerful system despite its size because it pulls speaker technologies (like its Tractrix Horn technology and aluminum tweeters) from the company’s larger Reference line. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with an AV receiver and it doesn’t support Atmos so it’s not as future-proof as other options.
Price: $999 $420
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When it comes to display technology, Sony, LG and Samsung are perhaps the biggest names out there. Although there are Chinese brands such as TCL and Xiaomi that have been surging in popularity, discerning buyers will go for established names in the industry. After giving us The Frame TV, the South Korean consumer electronics outfit targets another segment with The Sero.
In its regular configuration, this model seems like any other flat screens out there. Samsung loves to innovate home entertainment and their engineers came up with a crazy feature. With the understanding that most people now consume their multimedia on their smartphones and tablets, the company endows The Sero a quirky but interesting functionality.
To make it easier for us to view content in a format that is compatible with mobile devices, this TV rotates. Yes, surveys show that these days, most videos and images are usually taken with a vertical screen in mind. By default, we normally hold our handsets and slates in portrait orientation. To ensure that whatever we mirror on The Sero scales properly, Samsung allows it to rotate.
You can always switch it back to landscape to play video games or watch movies. Nevertheless, it’s the novelty of keeping it upright that’s becoming its biggest selling point. Another awesome element about The Sero is the integrated stand/speaker assembly. The casters make it easy to move around, while adjustable stoppers keep it in place.
The bottom section houses a 60W speaker system to deliver powerful audio. Meanwhile, the Navy Blue colorway somehow pairs well with the overall design. The Sero flaunts a 42.5 QLED panel with a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. Those who frequent social media platforms are sure to love it.
Images courtesy of Samsung
Apple isn’t expected to release the iPhone 13 for quite a while — based on past reveals, we expect the new phone to debut this September — but that hasn’t stopped the leaks from the leaking and rumor mill from turning. People love Apple rumors, after all.
It’s likely that Apple will again release four models of the iPhone 13 (even if there are conflicting reports about that, given that the iPhone 12 mini isn’t selling as well as Apple likely hoped), but most of everything else is relatively unknown. Nonetheless, we’ve rounded up all the new iPhone speculation from across the Internet and brought it together for your reading pleasure
All signs are pointing to 2022 being the big year for an Apple redesign. According to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 14 that arrives in a year and a half or so will be the one where Apple tries to tackle the iPhone’s current notch problem.
The iPhone 14 could have more of a “hole punch” design, similar to the latest Samsung Galaxy smartphones, where the notch is replaced with a small cutout for the camera that seems to float in the top corning of the display. (There’s a slight chance that Apple could solely integrate this smaller notch into the Pro models of the iPhone 14, as it tends to give those the best features before sharing them with more affordable models the following year.)
However, since Apple gave the iPhone 12 a pretty big redesign (with its flat edges, new MagSafe charging system, and new camera systems), it’s likely we’ll have to wait a little longer for the next one.
While most high-end Android smartphones offer a 120Hz refresh rate display, the iPhone 12 maxes out at 60Hz. The higher refresh rate means that the screen image refreshes more frequently, allowing the display to look and feel faster — great for scrolling and mobile gaming.
Apple has integrated a 120Hz refresh rate (which it calls ProMotion) into its recent iPad Pro models, but likely opted against bringing it to the iPhone 12 due its potential drain on battery. Kuo expects that the next two iPhone “Pro” models will support ProMotion for the first time.
Apple gave the two iPhone 12 Pro models a LIDAR sensor, which was first featured in last year’s iPad Pro. The sensor helps with AR effects and, more importantly, with low-light photography; it greatly improves a camera’s autofocusing ability (making it up to six times as fast) so that it can gather more light. (It also allows the Pro models to capture Night Mode portrait shots.)
With the iPhone 13, Apple is expected to integrate the new sensor in all models, and therefore make these previous “pro” features more accessible.
The iPhone 13 will still have a Lightning Port. It’s been said for years now that USB-C is “the port of the future,” and indeed, Apple has itself integrated it into its latest laptops and iPads — but don’t expect it to abandon its proprietary charging port just yet. MacRumors attained a note by Kuo, who suggested that Apple is worried that because the USB-C port isn’t as waterproof as Lightning, it wouldn’t be as reliable as to integrate in a waterproof iPhone. (Even most Androids have a high water-resistance rating and also have a USB-C charging port.) Kuo even suggests that Apple is more likely to jump to a port-less iPhone — meaning it only charges wirelessly — rather than go to a USB-C charging port.
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Vintage audio components are in vogue again — there’s no denying it — and there’s good reason for it. You can find pair of 30-year-old speakers or a 40-year receiver and chances are that it’ll sound just as good (if not better) than something more modern. Not to mention it’s likely to look way cooler and cost significantly less.
In 2021, there are still a host of heritage audio companies still thriving. The likes of Bang & Olufsen (since 1925), Wharfedale (since 1932), Klipsch (since 1946) and JBL (since 1946) have all survived generations of listeners. But not all audio companies have been so lucky.
Here are a handful of the best forgotten hi-fi companies that are no longer around. But what’s cool is that, thanks to a thriving refurbished market, you still find and buy their vintage audio gear to keep their memory (and sound) alive.
Sansui was a Japanese hi-fi company was a Japanese hi-fi company that was most prominent in the ’70s and early ’80s, but ultimately went out of business in 2014. Their vintage receivers and amplifiers are still well sought after, many of which you can find via online auctions such as eBay or Yahoo Japan, thanks to their many tactile knobs, wonderful blue back-lighting (similar to many vintage Marantz receivers) and bushed aluminum front panel. The Sansui 6060 receiver (above) is one such example; it was originally released in the mid-70s and demanded a $420 price tag at the time.
Thiel Audio was a Kentucky-based manufacturer of high-performing loudspeakers. It was started in the late ’70s by Jim Thiel (along with his brother Tom Thiel and Jim’s wife Kathy Gornik) and continued into the late 2000s. Their speakers were known for their “phase-coherent” designs, which allowed them to sound great across all frequencies, and beautiful wooden veneers. The company was sold several years after Jim’s passing in 2009 and has since been discontinued. However, you still find Thiel loudspeakers, such as the TT1 (above), which was actually one of the few loudspeakers not designed by Jim Thiel, fetching a pretty penny on online auction sites.
Realistic was the house brand of electronics sold by Radio Shack and it was a prominent player in the receiver market in the ’70s, ’80s and even ’90s. Its stereo receivers shared a similar look — bushed aluminum front panel, glowing lights, tuning meters, copious knobs — to many receivers by Marantz, Pioneer and Sansui at the time. They stopped making Realistic receivers decades ago, but you can still find a variety of different models like the above STA 240 receiver (above), on online auction sites.
Pacific Stereo was one of the biggest sellers of stereo equipment during the ’70s and early ’80s. Before it went under in the mid-80s, Pacific Stereo had two house brands, TransAudio and Quadraflex, the latter of which was comprised of high-end speakers, radios and audio componets. Today, there’s a rich market of vintage Quadraflex receivers being sold by third-party resellers, like the above Quadraflex 676.
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These days drones are everywhere. Since most can be bought cheaply, it doesn’t even matter if your first flight ends up in failure. Just throw the damaged one away and grab a new one. For those who want some serious performance and capabilities, the FPV from DJI might be your next quadcopter.
Aside from pulling off crazy stunts or taking breathtaking shots or videos, some folks using drones for racing. This is the niche in the quadcopter market that DJI hopes to corner with the FPV. Normally, enthusiasts rely on a specific equipment combo to participate.
These include the drone, a camera, and a pair of VR/AR Goggles, and the remote controller. Just like other ready-to-fly platforms in DJI’s growing catalog, the FPV packs all the features you need to have fun. There are three flight modes to choose from and each has a set of parameters to match the user’s skill level.
Novices should start with Normal mode unless they just want to burn money. If you know your way around DJI’s lineup of quadcopters, then Manual is the way to go. The third is Sports mode which combines a bit of the hand-holding features with unrestricted control over the FPV’s maneuvers.
If things get rough, just activate the Hover or Emergency Brake function. Another handy option is the Return to Home which you can toggle to have the FPV navigate back to a set location or do so when it loses connection.
The standard package includes the FPV drone, FPV Goggles V2, remote controller 2, cables, and a battery unit. The quadcopter is controllable and will transmit footage up to 6.21 miles via dual-switching frequencies. Its integrated camera is mounted to a gimbal for shake-free operation.
Images courtesy of DJI
The 6th annual Moment Invitational Film Festival returns this year with its biggest and best opportunities to date. MIFF continues to empower filmmakers around the world to push the boundaries of what can be shot on a phone. With more categories, more money and more learning, this year’s festival is not one to miss. The prizes include $150k in cash and gear as well as 25 filmmaker grants, with an epic two-day workshop followed by one massive premiere. If you’re interested in entering, here’s what you need to do. Attend Moment’s epic two-day filmmaking workshop (optional), make a film on your phone or drone and submit it by 6/4/2021 for your chance at becoming a finalist and winning $150k in prizes.
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Welcome to Product Support, a column devoted to helping you get the most out of the gadgets and software you already use.
That fresh-out-of-the-box performance you get from your laptop when you boot it up for the first few times doesn’t last, unfortunately: as programs and files start to clutter up the system, and more and more software updates roll down the pipe, as the years go by you can start to see some serious slowdowns.
You don’t have to just sit back and accept this gradual slide into obsolescence though. We’ve rounded up the most effective tricks for making your laptop feel like its younger self again. Give some (or all) of these a try and it’ll be like having a brand new machine…. almost.
What’s the difference between your computer when you got it and your computer now? A whole host of programs and apps, many of which you probably don’t even need any more. Uninstalling as many of them as you can should give your laptop a bit more room to breathe.
Stick to the essentials: get rid of games you haven’t played in an age, and applications you tried for a bit but then abandoned. You can easily install this software again, if needed.
The same principle goes for the extensions and add-ons weighing down your browser too — get rid of the ones you don’t really need or have completely forgotten about, and your web browsing should speed up (fewer extensions mean fewer potential threats to your security as well). Both Apple and Microsoft have extensive guides on how to scrub your system of unwanted apps.
As your laptop gets older, more and more of the applications you install will want to start up at the same time as the operating system. As this list grows, and includes more things that you don’t actually need, it can seriously impact the time it takes for your computer to wake up.
On Windows, open Settings (via the cog icon on the Start menu), then choose Apps and Start-up to see a list of programs starting up with the OS. You can also launch Task Manager (search for it from the taskbar), then open the Start-up tab to disable more low-level processes. On macOS, from System Preferences (in the Apple menu), choose Users & Groups and then Login items.
Don’t go too crazy here and start removing things that could be essential services. Just take out the programs you recognize that you know don’t need to be launching alongside Windows or macOS.
Whether your laptop uses an old mechanical hard disk drive or a more modern SSD, it will suffer if its drive is close to full.
It’s not just that you’ve got nowhere to install apps and save files. Spare hard drive space is often used as an overflow for system memory. So when you’ve got too many programs or files open at once, Windows or macOS will temporarily park some of the data on disk until it’s needed again.
As this available overflow space runs out, the system has to do more juggling, and can start acting sluggish if you’re trying to do a lot at once. Really, the more space disk space you’ve got, the better. A portable SSD like Samsung’s 500 GB T5 can go a long way to making sure you always having breathing room.
Various laptop-cleaning applications are out there, if you know where to look, which can give you a hand with tidying up the cluttered mess that your computer has become. Wise Duplicate Finder (Windows) and Duplicate File Finder Remover (macOS), for example, can spot and erase duplicate files for you—both are free to use with paid-for upgrades available in the app.
As an all-in-one system cleaner, IObit Advanced SystemCare works well for Windows: it cleans out temporary and junk files that you don’t need, and even tidies up the Windows registry settings file that can often become bloated. The software is free to use, with a paid-for pro upgrade available for more features.
On macOS, CleanMyMac is well worth a look if you want to boost the performance of your MacBook. It can free up space on your disk drive, optimize the performance of your apps, get rid of programs you’re no longer using. The software will set you back $35, but it’s very comprehensive, and a free trial is available.
That’s not a comprehensive list, but those are some of the best options out there—be wary of installing anything from developers who aren’t well known and don’t have a solid bank of user reviews to their name.
Both Windows and macOS come with a handful of built-in utilities that can put a bit more zip back in your laptop. For example, run the Defragment and Optimize Drive tool in Windows (search for it from the taskbar), and you can get Windows to tidy up the local hard drive and make it easier for applications to use.
Another Windows app you can search for from the taskbar is Disk Clean-up. This particular tool removes files on disk that you don’t actually need—temporary files, old system update files, cached files from the web, and so on. As you select each category you can see how much space you can free up.
Over on the macOS side, open the Apple menu, click About This Mac, and then switch to the Storage tab. If you then click Manage, you’ll see a host of clean-up options for your Mac, from deleting temporary files to wiping downloaded movies you’ve watched (you can always download them from Apple again).
On both macOS and Windows, make sure all the latest software updates are downloaded and installed (either Update & Security from Settings in Windows, or Software Update from the About This Mac dialog). This makes sure you’re running all the latest optimizations and bug fixes for your operating system.
This one is not for the faint of heart, but it is the most effective: go right back to the beginning and start again with a fresh install of Windows or macOS. Before you do this, you should make sure all your files are safely backed up somewhere else, and that you can easily reinstall all your applications and games, because everything is going to be wiped.
The process is actually very straightforward on Windows. If you open up Settings (via the cog icon on the Start menu), then click Update & Security, then click Recovery, you can reset your PC. You’ll be left with a brand new version of Windows, and your laptop should run as well as it originally did.
The process on macOS is a little more involved. You need to restart your Mac, then hold down Command+R as it reboots. When the macOS Utilities window appears, choose Reinstall macOS, and follow the instructions on screen. When everything is done, your laptop will restart again.
Reinstalling Windows or macOS is so effective at making your laptop feel like new, you might want to think about doing it regularly—every few months or so. Just make sure your important files can be quickly restored afterwards (tools like OneDrive on Windows and iCloud on macOS are making this easier all the time).
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Sadly, travel will never be like it used to if the pandemic does not end soon. As some regions enforce lockdowns once more until the vaccine completely rids the world of the 2019 novel coronavirus, we’re stuck here debating where to go next. Thanks to the Gateway Foundation and the Orbital Assembly Corporation, we have the Voyager Station to dream of.
Those with a fear of flying or heights, in general, should sit this one out. Why, you ask? Well, because this journey requires a lot of guts to sit inside something that uses rocket fuel to achieve lift-off. Yes, this is a step on your way to one heck of an accommodation.
Moreover, it comes with a view that’s to die for. The Voyager Station made its debut in 2019, but the low Earth orbit structure will begin construction in 2025. It’s mind-blowing that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming reality.
When the space hotel finally reaches completion in the years to come, it can house up to 400 guests. Aside from rooms – in the form of pods – the Voyager Station will have options for its those who visit. Restaurants, recreational facilities, theaters, are just a few of what the developers plan to install.
Reusable rocket technology like the ones from SpaceX should keep costs down overall. The folks behind this monumental endeavor still have a lot to share about the Voyager Station. For example, weightlessness shouldn’t be a problem as an artificial gravity system will keep your feet firmly planted. We can’t wait to learn more about this groundbreaking project.
Images courtesy of Gateway Foundation
True wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) are a relatively new development in the audio scene, with the Sony WF-SP700N being the first pair to make a considerable splash when they landed in late 2018.
Fast forward to late 2020 and the landscape for ANC true wireless earbuds has changed entirely. There are more options than ever before and all the heavy hitters — including Apple, Sony and Bose (finally) — have released their pair of wireless earbuds with active noise-canceling abilities. These are the best offerings that 2020 has to offer.
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The AirPods Pro deliver almost as powerful noise-canceling skills as the Bose QC Earbuds and sound just as good. The cool thing is Apple packed the AirPods Pro with a ton of new tech. There’s Adaptive EQ, which is a sort-of hearing test to help you find the best fitting silicone ear tip. The transparency mode is pretty phenomenal. They have Apple’s H1 chip for easy iPhone pairing. They have a new “Spatial Audio” feature (with iOS 14 or later) and support for immersive sound technologies like Dolby Atmos. And they also Apple’s first-and-only wireless earbuds that are sweat-resistant (IPX4), so you should have no problem exercising with them.
Price: $249 $200
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The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds might be late on the scene — released in late 2020 — but they’re definitely worth the wait. The company’s first noise-canceling wireless earbuds pack great sound and top-class noise-canceling abilities into a familiar looking and fitting wireless earbuds; they use the same StayHear eartips that Bose has integrated into all of its in-ear headphones and wireless earbuds. The noise-canceling and transparency modes are also extremely customizable, just like with Bose Headphones 700. The only downside is that they’re substantially more expensive than closest rivals, the AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3
Price: $280
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The Echo Buds are the most affordable wireless earbuds with noise-cancellation. Or rather, they use Bose’s “active noise-reduction” technology, which Bose claims isn’t as good as the “active noise- cancellation ” technology that’s in the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. That said, the noise-canceling ability of the Echo Buds is surprisingly good; the secret, I think, is that in addition to the noise-reduction technology, the Echo Buds go for a fit that is snugger than most and it creates a natural, passive noise-canceling seal. The downside of these earbuds they feel kind very plastic-y. Also, to get the most out of these earbuds you’ll want to use the Alexa app, which can be confusing for the unfamiliar.
Price: $130
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are really the “OG” wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation and they still offer the most effective noise-canceling abilities of any wireless earbuds on the market. Their noise-canceling abilities aren’t quite up to the levels of the Sony WH-1000XM3, the company’s flagship noise-canceling over-ear headphones, but then again we wouldn’t expect it to. Additionally, they’re still one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds on this list. If you’re looking for a downside, the only thing is that the charging case is quite large.
Price: $228
These are Sennheiser’s second-generation wireless earbuds and they look pretty much identical to original Momentum True Wireless that were released in 2018. Only, they have significantly most battery life, active noise-canceling and transparency modes, and they still pack Sennheiser’s best-in-class sound. If you’re comfortable paying $300 and they fit in your ears (of few of my colleagues can’t wear these), then these are one of the best-sounding noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy.
Price: $300 $250
1More is a company that specializes in hi-fi headphones and earbuds that are way more affordable than the competition. And the 1More True Wireless ANC, which is the company’s first pair of true wireless with active noise-cancellation, as fit the company’s ethos. They deliver solid sound and impressive noise canceling abilities, and they come at a price that’s slightly more affordable than the AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM3 and Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus.
Price: $180
The Sony WF-SP800N are the company’s mid-range pair of wireless earbuds. They’re a more affordable alternative to Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM3, and they lack same level of noise-cancellation and sound-quality (but the two earbuds utilize the same companion app). The real unique thing about the Sony WF-SP800N, however, is that they have a workout-focused design and an IP55 water-resistance rating. They’re one of the few noise-canceling wireless earbuds that are optimized for runners and people going to the gym.
Price: $198
The MW07 Plus is Master & Dynamic’s second-generation wireless earbuds (along with the MW07 Go) and its first with active noise-cancellation. They sound excellent and have pretty decent noise-cancellation abilities. They lack of a companion app, however, which makes it a little difficult to know which mode you’re in (there’s an ambient listening mode in addition to an ANC mode). They’re on the expensive side, for sure, but they’re made of acetate and stainless steel, and are definitely some of the most unique and flashiest wireless earbuds you can buy.
Price: $299 $270
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Released in fall 2020, the Elite 85t are the company’s first pair of wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation. (However, Jabra was able to roll out a software patch to its previous wireless earbuds, the Elite 75t, that gave them active noise-cancellation, too.) They have improved drivers and an improved ergonomic fit, so they should sound better and be slightly more comfortable to wear than the Elite 75t. That said, Jabra has been making some of our favorite wireless earbuds for several years now and the Elite 75t are still excellent and way more affordable.
Price: $230
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The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are the company’s newest and innovatively-designed wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation and transparency modes. They have a unique bean-like shape and fit comfortably in your ears without creating a physical seal, which also prevents you from getting that pressurized feeling of being underwater (and also allows you to better hear ambient sounds). While very good noise-canceling wireless earbuds, they’re really designed for Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners because it has exclusive features like quick pairing and wireless charging (via Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare).
Price: $170 $140
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The Galaxy Buds Pro are the best noise-canceling earbuds that Samsung currently offers, and they’re different from the company’s Galaxy Buds Live in a couple key ways. They have a more traditional in-ear design which helps them deliver better sound and improved active noise-cancellation. They also have a significantly better water-resistance rating (IPX7), so they’re more suited for workouts. They also have a cool “voice detect” feature that you can turn on, which automatically lowers the volume of the music when you start talking. Again, these wireless earbuds should really only be considered if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone as there’s no app support for iPhones.
Price: $200
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Apple introduced the Health app back in 2014 (with iOS 8) and it’s been baked into every iPhone since. Over the last several years, Apple has continued to build out the Health app, adding new features (such as ECG and sleep tracking) and even opening it to third-party apps. And today, the Health app is actually a pretty robust and useful tool.
The beauty of the Health app is that pulls data (such as fitness, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness and overall health) from a variety of different apps and keeps track of it all in one central app. It works well with Apple’s own apps, such as Fitness, Sleep, and ECG, but it also supports many third-party apps. So if you use apps like Nike Run Club or Zwift for fitness, or MyFitnessPal or Weight Watchers for nutrition, the Health app can pull data from those as well.
Everybody with an iPhone can take advantage of the Health app, as it can pull data from various apps and sensors baked into your iPhone. It can track your steps, speed, distance, even how much time you spend in bed. However, to get the absolute most out of the Health app you should consider buying an Apple Watch (or another wrist-bound wearable, like a Fitbit) as it adds a whole layer to the experience; it opens the Health app up to all the other sensors (like heart rate, ECG and blood pressure) and more accurate data.
That said, there’s a a good chance you aren’t using your iPhone’s Health app. It can be intimidating, admittedly, and you might think it’s easier just to check the individual apps that you’ve been using for years. But if you give it a chance, you’ll find that the Health app can be a powerful tool — and it’s also pretty easy to use.
Apple has pretty straight-forward instructions on its website on how to get started with the Health app. Basically, you open the app and enter your health details (such as your height, weight and age) and choose which activities/things you want to be tracked. It’s as simple as that.
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The Health app is essentially a hub, so your first order of business is to tell it where you want it to get its data. You can choose the apps you want the Health app to pull from — including third-party apps. To add third-party apps (or see if the Health app supports them), you first what to open that app, go to its settings, and allow it to share data with the Health app.
There are actually a lot of third-party apps that work with the Health app. We’ve listed a few of them below.
• Fitness/ Activity apps: Nike Run Club, Zwift, AllTrails, Aaptiv and FitOn.
• Nutrition apps: MyFitnessPal, WW Weight Watchers Reimagined, Lose It! Calorie Counter
• Mindfulness apps: Calm, Headspace: Meditation & Sleep, Ten Percent Happier
• Sleep apps: Sleep Cycle, Beddit, Sleep+
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Once you’ve finished the set-up process (and figure out which apps you want the Health app to pull data from), you can actually take advantage of what the Health app has to offer — and that, first of all, means understanding the Summary feed.
The Summary tab is the first thing you’ll see when you open the Health app and it aggregates all the data from all your various fitness, sleep, nutrition and mindfulness apps so that it’s easily visible. The Summary tab will show all that data that you’ve designated as “Favorites” right when you open the app, so you’ll want designate the data that you care most about— be it from your activity, heart rate, blood oxygen or sleep —as a Favorite. To do this:
Apple
It took a while for Apple to release a sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch, but the Sleep app is finally available and you can do some pretty awesome things with it via the Heath app. The first is set up a daily sleep schedule.
From here, you can select a “sleep goal” or the amount of hours of sleep you want to get each night, as well as which nights of the week you want to achieve those goals (maybe not the weekends?). Once set, your alarm will automatically go off at your chosen wake-up time. You can also add sleep schedules for different days and adjust things like “wind down” and “sleep mode” times. Once finished, you’ll not only set up your alarms and sleep schedule for the week, but you’ll also allow the Health app show metrics from your sleep.
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Typically speaking, every March, Apple holds a big event where it announces new products — and we expect the March of 2021 to be no different. In 2019, we got Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and its first credit card, the Apple Card. In 2020, Apple introduced new versions of its MacBook Air and iPad Pro. What will this year’s spring event bring?
Well, we’re almost done with February, and while hard confirmation of a spring Apple event hasn’t cropped up yet, there’s good reason to suspect Apple’s got another spring event in the works. In the meantime, we’ve rounded up the latest rumors floating around the web. We almost certainly won’t see all of these at an upcoming event…but they’re all possibilities.
The most likely new hardware announcements will affect the iPad line, as Apple is expected to announced new iPad Pros and a new iPad mini. Don’t expect drastic redesigns, however.
The biggest change is expected to be to the two iPro Pro models. TechRadar is reporting that they’ll get a new-and-improved display with mini-LED technology, which should deliver OLED-esque levels of brightness and contrast, but without the potential issue of burn-in. The iPad mini could have smaller bezels and a slightly larger display.
Both the iPad Pro and iPad mini will likely get the M1 chip treatment, which should give them huge performance and efficiency boosts.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on an external monitor that’s a more affordable alternative to its high-end Pro Display XDR. Apple currently doesn’t make a so-called “affordable” external monitor, but it has recommended LG’s UltraFine line of external monitors for years — this new monitor could replace those.
This rumor has only been furthered by the fact that, according to MacRumors, Apple has removed LG’s UltraFine 4K and 5K displays from its online store across Europe. This March event might be too soon for Apple to announce this new affordable monitor…but who knows?
It’s been widely reported that Apple is working on new-look AirPods with a more compact design (meaning shorter stem) and swappable silicone eartips like the current AirPods Pro — and 52audio has just leaked apparent photos of these so-called “AirPods 3” that seem confirm these rumors. The photos also show a charging case that looks like a more-compact version of the AirPods Pro’s existing case.
The iMac has looked pretty much the same since 2012. Sure, Apple has upgraded the display and guts a few times, but the design has remained largely unchanged. (Even the more pro-grade iMac Pro that was announced in 2017 looks almost identical to iMac — it’s just in a darker “space gray” finish.)
But that’s expected to change in the near future. Apple could release a redesigned iMac with a larger and near-bezel-less display. Other features likely will include Apple’s M1 chipset and potential support for Face ID, though a recent Bloomberg report says that might be pushed back.
It’s been rumored that Apple would be announcing its “AirTags” for almost two years now. These would essentially be Apple’s version of what Tile has been doing for years: tiny Bluetooth trackers that attach to your things — your wallet, backpack, keys or bike — and allow you to easily find them through the Find My app. (Of course, we thought Apple would have announced these AirTags by now.)
Apple released the fourth-generation Apple TV (now called the Apple TV HD) in 2015 and the subsequent Apple TV 4K in 2017 — and the two models, which look basically identical, have been largely untouched since. It’s unlikely that Apple is going to give us a completely redesigned streaming box, but it could release a new-and-improved Apple TV that’s more powerful and comes with a Siri remote that’s compatible with your iPhone’s Find My app. (I’d love a more portable streaming box, but that might be asking too much.)
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