Tag - Earphones
Bang & Olufsen unveils Beoplay H5 wireless earphones
Bang and Olufsen has unveiled the first wireless earphones in the company's history, to go alongside its existing wireless headphone collection. The Beoplay H5 take the appearance of a cleanly-designed pair of in-ear earphones, with the two audio-producing sections connected by a braided cable and a compact remote section, minimizing the amount of extra bulk that typically accompanies wireless earphones to house batteries and radio components.
Bose adds more wireless headphones, earphones to catalog
Bose is making a move on the wireless headphones market, with a pair of audio accessories with active noise cancellation, among other announcements. The QuietComfort 35 are over-ear wireless headphones that follow on from the well-known QuietComfort 25, with the QuietControl 30 offering similar wireless noise cancellation with an in-ear form, while SoundSport and SoundSport Pulse are wireless earphones aimed at those wanting to keep fit.
Jaybird Freedom Bluetooth earbuds have metal body, 8-hour battery life
Jaybird has revealed a pair of wireless headphones that it claims to be the smallest the manufacturer has ever produced. The Freedom Bluetooth earphones are premium audio accessories that use an all-metal housing for the earbud itself to remove distortion that plastic equivalents can create, while its over and under secure ear fitting system uses silicone ear fins that make contact with a number of areas of the ear to keep them firmly in place.
Pointers: the hidden power of the iPhone earbuds
Today's Pointers column is about a part of the iPhone we all take so much for granted that we almost don't remember its there: the earbuds (or, if you have a more recent iPhone, EarPods) and the little controller they come with. As with iOS and OS X generally, it should not surprise you that there may be hidden abilities in there: this is true of many aspects of Apple's hardware and software. Both in Apple's own supplied earphones and Apple-compatible third-party ones with the little controller, there are some less-obvious and downright-secret features you may not know.
CES: Misfit reveals minimalist Ray activity tracker, Specter earphones
Misfit has launched a pair of activity-tracking devices at CES, in two different formats. The Ray is a traditional fitness monitor worn on the wrist that aims to be a stylish minimalist device similar to a bracelet, while the Specter is a pair of wireless headphones offers smart functionality through an extra trigger button and its own fitness tracking functions, at the same time as streaming audio from a connected smartphone over Bluetooth.
MacNN Deals: Listen to music in style with these headphones, earphones
Every day, alongside our regular Daily Deals post, we are showcasing some of the offers available from our own MacNN Deals store. Today's highlights are all personal audio items, including headphones for when you want to listen in comfort at home, and earphones for when you want music while you concentrate on your workout.
Hands On: Edifier H650 On-Ear Headphones
If you've ever traveled with headphones, you know how much of a pain it tends to be. Sure, you could snag a pair of in-ear earbuds, but if you prefer on-ear headphones, that's probably not much of a compromise. Fortunately, Edifier has stepped up to the plate to create their on-ear, travel-friendly H650 headphones, and we wanted to see how they'd stack up to our bulkier, not-so-travel-friendly headphones.
MacNN Deals: Listen to music on the move with Bluetooth earphones
Every day, alongside our regular Daily Deals post, we are showcasing some of the sales available on our own MacNN Deals store. Today's selection of three offers are themed around personal audio, with three sets of Bluetooth earphones and headphones designed for use in fitness, out and about, or for relaxing at home.
Crowdfunding Critic: Flare Audio headphones and earphones
Welcome to Crowdfunding Critic, an occasional post that arises every so often, whenever we find something on one of the many crowdfunding efforts that may be worth your time, and possibly your money. None of the projects featured in this series of posts pay us for the attention, as we select them based on if they are interesting to us and potentially you. This time we're looking at the Flare Audio lineup of premium headphones and earphones.
Briefly: Panasonic 2015 headphones, Phiaton earphones at CES
Four new models of headphones from Panasonic made their debut today at CES. The offerings included a foldable on-ear model, Bluetooth headphones with near-field communication (NFC), and two premium in-ear models. The Panasonic Foldz are designed to allow the ear cups to swivel around into a compact formation for storage and portability. The RP-BTD5 Bluetooth headphones include NFC connectivity that allows the user to connect them to a device by simply touching it to one of the ear cups.
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Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE
