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Google launches its first pair of true wireless earbuds

Google unveiled its second-generation Pixel Buds at its 2019 'Made By' event. They are truly wireless products that, as the OEM claims, have been designed to be as compact and streamlined as possible. Nevertheless, they are rated...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Oct 2019 19:21

The Skullcandy Vert earbuds. (Source: Skullcandy)

Skullcandy invents the clip-on wireless earbud set

Skullcandy has released Vert, a new set of Bluetooth wireless earbuds. Unlike most products in this category, however, they are not of the typical "neckbud" form-factor. Instead, the buds are linked to a dial-like clip-on module, ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 13 Oct 2019 23:22

The Turtle Beach Atlas Edge USB audio adapter. (Source: Turtle Beach)

Turtle Beach claims its new Atlas Edge USB adapter gives any 3.5mm-jack headset an audio edge

Turtle Beach has released the Atlas Edge, a new USB adapter for any conventional wired headset. It is intended to enhance any headset connected to it with an in-house panel of software called Control Studio. This suite is designed...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Oct 2019 23:02

Sony unveils its new a9II full-frame flagship camera

Sony has launched its latest alpha-series flagship, the a9II. This new 24.2MP premium unit is distinctly pitched at professional photographers in sports reporting and other fast-moving fields. It is designed for continous shooting...

Deirdre O Donnell, 06 Oct 2019 15:43

The Surface Pro 7 is unveiled on stage. (Source: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro 7 defines itself through power, performance - and USB type C ports

The Surface Pro 7 has finally stepped up to USB type C support. Otherwise, it remains a 12.3-inch 2-in-1 with advanced Pen features and a refined Type Keyboard attachment. The Pro 7 starts at US$749 and ships from October 22, 2019...

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Oct 2019 18:25

The LG Tone+ Free truly wireless earbuds. (Source: LG)

LG launches its first true wireless earbuds in South Korea

LG has unveiled new products called the Tone+ Free earbuds in its home country. Unlike the OEM's earlier similar products, these wearables are completely wireless and come in a charging case like the AirPods and other similar devi...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Oct 2019 23:47

The new Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earbuds. (Source: Soundcore)

Soundcore claims to have made the world's first "sonically aligned" truly wireless earbud

Soundcore has unveiled its new Liberty 2 Pro truly wireless earbuds. The company claims that they have been designed in a way that produces true "sonic alignment", thus delivering a more accurate soundstage, clear bass and distinc...

Deirdre O Donnell, 28 Sep 2019 19:34

The Amazon Echo Studio is targeted at the Sonos One and Apple HomePod. (Source: Amazon)

Amazon intros Echo Studio speaker and Echo Buds in-ear Bluetooth headphones with Bose NC tech

Amazon has introduced a new Echo Studio speaker and Echo Buds in-ear wireless headphones. Both feature the latest sound technologies including support for Dobly Atmos in the former and Bose active noise-cancelling circuitry in the...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 26 Sep 2019 11:45

The new PuroGamer headset. (Source: Puro Sound Labs)

The latest Puro Sound Labs headset aims to boost aural health in gaming

Puro Sound Labs describes itself as "the world's leading manufacturer of premium, safe-listening headphones". It has developed the PuroGamer, a "studio-grade" headset with 50-millimeter (mm) graphene drivers for better audio at lo...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Sep 2019 21:15

Huawei's first own-brand TV represents the OEM's Vision of the smart home

Huawei also unveiled a new smart TV at its Mate 30 launch. It is called the Huawei Vision, and will come in 55- to 85-inch variants. The OEM asserts that it can also act as a full smart home control, and has AI-powered user intera...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Sep 2019 19:25

The JAM Audio Live Free truly wireless earbuds. (Source: JAM Audio)

JAM Audio claims that its new true wireless earbuds can last over 54 hours per charge

The Live Free truly wireless earbuds are the latest products from the company JAM Audio. It is claimed that they are smaller and more comfortable than their predecessors. They also come in a handy case that is rated for a battery ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Sep 2019 20:48

Some of the Huawei smart glass variants. (Source: GizmoChina)

The Huawei smart glasses are now on sale in China

Huawei unveiled a new line of smart glasses along with the P30 smartphone series. However, nothing has been heard of them since. Now, however, they have reportedly been released to the Chinese market in several different styles an...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Sep 2019 22:36

IFA 2019 | Huawei unveils the FreeBuds 3: AirPod-alikes but with a round charging case

Huawei has taken to IFA to unveil new wireless earbuds alongside the Kirin 990 SoC. They are the latest in the Freebuds line of wearables, and are thus AirPod clones (in their looks at least). These 3rd-gen products have a dedicat...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Sep 2019 17:20

The new JBL Pulse 4 in action. (Source: JBL)

IFA 2019 | JBL introduces the Pulse 4, a 20W portable LED speaker

The JBL Pulse 4 is the latest in a series of portable Bluetooth speakers that also light up as they stream audio. This iteration also has an IPX7 rating and an estimated 12 hours of playback. Its LEDs are controlled by a proprieta...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Sep 2019 00:05

The Xiaomi AirDots Pro. (Source: Xiaomi)

2nd-gen Xiaomi AirPod clones inadvertently make their way onto Weibo

The AirDots Pro are Xiaomi devices that conform to the "toothbrush" form factor of truly-wireless earbuds. Chinese social media users have spotted what looks like their packaging, but with a new product name, in a photograph. The ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Sep 2019 20:12

The Liberate Air earbuds. (Source: House of Marley)

The new truly-wireless earbuds from House of Marley are made from 100% recycled materials

The Liberate Air earphones are made from reclaimed silicone and have a bamboo finish. In addition, they have a charging case described as made from recycled aluminium, wood, cotton and plastic. These new House of Marley products a...

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Aug 2019 18:23

Sony has won an award for its Real-Time Eye AF technique. (Source: Sony)

Sony smashes through records at the 2019 EISA Awards

Sony has announced that it has hit a new record for wins at the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awards for this year. The company won 7 times at this event, 3 of which were for its innovative, extensive G-series FE len...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Aug 2019 18:50

The AI-powered YI Home Camera 3. (Source: YI)

The latest YI home security camera has AI for smarter, more selective user alerts

The YI Home Camera 3 is an AI-powered security camera. It notifies the user about possible intrusions - however, it solves the problem of potentially indiscriminate, unnecessary messages by using its new software to judge which on...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Aug 2019 18:57

The HomePod captured more inadvertant Siri recordings than other devices like the iPhone. (Source: Apple)

Apple suspends Siri eavesdropping program in wake of privacy scandal

Apple has suspended a controversial Siri grading program that allowed contractors to listen to recordings of customers using the voice recognition software. The purportedly privacy focused company was caught out by a whistleblower...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 02 Aug 2019 13:30

The Galaxy Buds may now come in this new Aura shade for the Galaxy Note 10 launch. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung develops new colorway for Galaxy Note 10 line - and the Galaxy Buds

Some up-to-date renders of the Galaxy Note 10 are depicted as having an unfamiliar finish that appears as a gradient from pale purple to pale green. The latest rumors indicate that this is in fact an official color option, called ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 28 Jul 2019 22:39

The TicPods Free. (Source: Buzz This Viral)

Deal | Mobvoi is offering TicPods Free at US$30 right now

The TicPods Free are some of the most prominent AirPod alternatives out there. They are made by Mobvoi, also known for the Ticwatch Pro. This OEM is selling their wireless earbuds at US$99.99, or $30 less than their recommended pr...

Deirdre O Donnell, 26 Jul 2019 20:42

The Vuzix Blade 3000 smart glasses: would you take calls on them? (Source: Vuzix)

New update will bring video-calling to Vuzix smart glasses

Smart glasses are useful in many contexts, most of them enterprise-related. However, it is also possible to replicate the smartphone experience to some degree using some of these devices, Vuzix-brand ones included. This company cl...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Jul 2019 16:31

Spotify Lite is far easier on a phone's memory compared to the regular vision. (Source: Spotify)

Spotify launches a Lite version of its app for Android

The ability to use Spotify on your phone may be restricted in terms of the storage it can take up. The new Lite version of this Android app, however, takes up about a tenth of the space compared to the regular download. It also ha...

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Jul 2019 17:46

Logitech is targeting esports gamers with its new G PRO X and G PRO gaming headsets. (Source: Logitech)

Logitech rolls out the G PRO X and G PRO headsets aimed at esports gamers

Logitech has released new G PRO X and G PRO gaming headsets for 2019. The new models have been designed with the input of esports gamers while the G PRO X also features a collaboration with Blue microphones on a new Blue VO!CE fea...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 09 Jul 2019 13:03

Samsung may be getting 2nd-gen Galaxy Buds ready for release. (Source: Samsung)

New Samsung AKG-linked wireless audio products may be on the way

Samsung's SmartThings app has been found to contain diagrams of heretofore-unreleased pairs of headphones and wireless earbuds. The latter have AKG branding, whereas the former have these 3 letters as part of their model number. I...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Jul 2019 22:37

Amazon keeps a record of tasks carried out using Alexa. (Source: VentureBeat)

Amazon keeps records of users' Alexa interactions - and may not delete them

A United States Senator has obtained a response to a letter sent to Amazon HQ concerning user privacy as it relates to the retail giant's Alexa platform. It advised the public representative that, although a given user can delete ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Jul 2019 19:40

Sony launches WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling in-ear headphones

Sony has launched its latest truly wireless in-ear buds. The new WF-1000XM3 aims to deliver a light-weight alternative to Sony's hugely successful WH-1000XM3 wireless and noise cancelling over-ear headphones.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 05 Jul 2019 12:06

The Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S. (Source: Sharkoon)

Sharkoon claims its Gaming DAC Pro S can deliver sound card-level audio via any USB port

The Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S is a new product to which any headset with a 3.5mm jack can connect. It also has a USB type A interface to link the same to a PC. This may confer an improvement on the audio coming through the DAC.

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Jun 2019 18:45

The Red Magic 3 Pro Handle. (Source: Red Magic)

Nubia releases gaming-centric accessories for the Red Magic 3

The Red Magic 3 is a 2019 gaming phone with a 90Hz refresh rate. Its maker Nubia has just released the Pro Handle, a joystick attachment, as well as a Magic Adapter, especially for this device. These new accessories add off-screen...

Deirdre O Donnell, 26 Jun 2019 19:18

The FDA approves Cochlear's Nucleus Profile Plus, a hearing-aid implant that can control an Android phone

The Nucleus Profile Plus is a freshly-approved hearing aid from Cochlear that can connect to an Android phone using Google's new, improved ASHA protocol for this purpose. It allows those with aural impairments to control, stream f...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 15:21

Qualcomm has a new Aqstic audio codec. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm unveils its latest series of Aqstic audio codecs

Qualcomm claims that the audio codec integrated into its flagship mobile SoCs can rival DACs produced by dedicated manufacturers. Its latest iteration of these are found in the new Snapdragon 730 mid-range chipsets. They are calle...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Jun 2019 16:11

The Cable Matters Dual-Input USB-C Docking Station with Dual HDMI for 4K. (Source: Cable Matters)

Cable Matters offers a dock that can drive 2 4K/60Hz monitors with a MacBook Pro for under US$200

The connectivity-equipment maker Cable Matters has released a new docking station that can expand a MacBook Pro's output by up to 2x 4K at 60Hz via HDMI. This Dual-Input USB-C accessory can also support 80W Power Delivery (PD) cha...

Deirdre O Donnell, 12 Jun 2019 17:01

UMIDIGI Ubeats launching June 17 (Source: UMIDIGI via email)

US$19.99 UMIDIGI Ubeats Bluetooth 5.0 earphone promises 12 hours playtime

Advertised as "the most advanced 12h playtime Bluetooth 5.0 earphone" created by UMIDIGI so far, the Qualcomm QCC3003-powered Ubeats provides up to 12 hours of autonomy on a single charge and will go on sale via AliExpress next Mo...

Codrut Nistor, 12 Jun 2019 14:26

Wireless audio has been revolutionized over the last few years. (Source: Outer Audio)

The portable Bluetooth speaker market will be worth nearly US$3 billion by 2025

Speakers with built-in Bluetooth have become better and better at bringing your music places where traditional wired devices can't go. The market built up around these products is now estimated to grow to the tune of US$2.64 billi...

Deirdre O Donnell, 06 Jun 2019 14:17

The Aukey Key Series of earphones. (Source: Aukey)

Aukey's first foray into premium audio includes a new pair of wireless earbuds

Aukey is already a familiar name in the affordable personal audio game. Now, it has released a new line of earphones called the Key Series with a higher-end appeal. It comprises the EP-T10 true wireless earbuds and EP-B80 wireless...

Deirdre O Donnell, 04 Jun 2019 20:30

Creative will integrate its Super X-Fi audio tech into Clevo notebooks. (Source: Creative)

Next-gen Clevo notebooks will incorporate Creative Super X-Fi audio at a hardware level

Today, (May 31, 2019) Creative unveils a new partnership with the Taiwanese PC-smiths Clevo. It will involve the integration of Super X-Fi technology into this manufacturer's notebooks in the future. Therefore, this platform will ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 May 2019 18:14

Samsung could be calling time's up for the headphone jack. (Image source: PhoneArena/Gizmodo/edited)

Hit the road jack: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 to join the USB-C brigade by ditching the headphone jack

The latest leak about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is likely to infuriate some people. Apparently, there’s a strong probability that the phablet will not feature a 3.5 mm headphone jack. While some have bemoaned the passing...

Daniel R Deakin, 31 May 2019 10:44

LG releases its 2019 XBOOM speaker line-up to the US market

LG's XBOOM series is often worth a look, as they can be high-powered speakers in relatively compact or portable form-factors. Its 2019 iterations are not exceptions to this rule. They range from entire sound-systems to smart speak...

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 May 2019 18:54

The new Bose Headphones 700 offer 11 levels of noise cancelling for US$399. (Source: Bose)

Bose Headphones 700 are its all-new US$399 noise-cancelling cans

Bose has launched an all-new range of premium noise cancelling headphones. The first to hit the market is the new Headphones 700 that packs in 11 levels of noise cancellation.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 30 May 2019 09:20

LG is ready to activate Amazon Alexa on US 2019 ThinQ AI TVs. (Source: LG/Amazon)

2019 LG TVs with ThinQ AI in the US will be able to use Amazon Alexa soon

Some of the most recently-released LG ThinQ TVs have been advertized as Amazon Alexa-capable. However, customers in the US may have noticed that this apparent functionality was missing - until now. The OEM has announced that the s...

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 May 2019 15:19

Google Coral comprises hardware, software and content for AI applications. (Source: Music Paradise Pro APK)

Computex 2019 | Asus is now partnering with Google Coral for AI and Edge applications

Coral is a platform developed by Google to support and facilitate on-device AI. Asus has announced that it will use its system-on-module (SOM) on its new AI development kit and single-board computer (SBC). They will be called Tink...

Deirdre O Donnell, 28 May 2019 19:16

The Chatterbox has already reached nearly four times its funding goal. (Image source: Chatterbox)

The Chatterbox, a Raspberry Pi smart speaker that you can build and teach yourself

The Chatterbox is a DIY smart speaker that even children can build. The device has a chipboard case and is built around a Raspberry Pi 3B. The speaker can be taught new commands using the Chatterbox app too. The Chatterbox is curr...

Alex Alderson, 26 May 2019 17:00

Nura has launched its first adaptive earphones dubbed the NuraLoop. (Source: Nura)

Nura's new learning NuraLoop earphones are up for pre-order

Nura the company behind the critically acclaimed NuraPhone learning headphones has launched its first Bluetooth earphones. The like NuraPhone, the NuraLoop learns and adapts to the way a listener’s ears respond to audio tones to c...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 19 May 2019 08:04

Asus ZenFone 6 is official and may be one of the best phones of the year

The ZenFone 6, announced today, offers a unique solution to the notch problem plaguing modern smartphones. In addition to its flagship specifications, the ZenFone 6 features a rotating camera module that flips the dual-camera arra...

Sam Medley, 16 May 2019 21:58

The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro. (Source: YouTube)

The OnePlus 7 Series is now official

OnePlus has launched its latest flagship series. As expected, it includes the 7 Pro and the base 7. The 4G variant will go on sale on May 21, 2019; however, there will be some special events prior to that.

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 May 2019 19:34

The earphones and headphones market will remain healthy into the next decade. (Source: headphonezone.in)

The US earphone/headphone market will be worth US$9 billion in 5 years

Earphones and headphone sales drive a healthy market in the United States. The market analysis firm ReportBuyer estimates that it will grow at a compound rate of over 12% until it is worth approximately US$9 billion in 2024. The p...

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 May 2019 20:32

The Samsung Galaxy Home was supposed to launch in April, but is MIA. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy Home delayed, still coming 1H 2019

Samsung’s Galaxy Home smart speaker has missed its April launch date. The company, however, says that the device will still ship in the first half of the year but hasn’t offered any explanation for the delay.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 11 May 2019 14:19

The Skullcandy Indy earbuds. (Source: Skullcandy)

Skullcandy releases Indy, its latest truly wireless earbuds

The popular audio company Skullcandy has unveiled Indy, a pair of truly wireless earbuds aimed at those wishing to get into this product category at a decent price. They offer IP55 ingress protection, Bluetooth 5.0 and a combined ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 May 2019 17:37

tHE Hisense H8F Android TV. (Source: Hisense)

US consumers reportedly prefer Hisense TVs over those of this brand's competitors

A number of 'new brands' are emerging rapidly in the US smart TV market, despite being less than readily associated with this product category. Prominent examples include Hisense, TCL and Vizio. Recent research indicates that, of ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 May 2019 19:52