Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails has just published two new albums and they're both free to download on the band's website. The downloads went live ahead of plans to make them available to stream through popular streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, according to the band, which says that there are 'hours and hours of music.'
On Thursday, March 26, Major League Baseball was scheduled to officially kick off its 2020 season, ushering in a new round of games and more. For fans who are stuck at home, SiriusXM is offering a special treat: classic game broadcasts that will be available to stream starting tomorrow. These game broadcasts will include commentary from hosts, interviews with the opening day stars who participated in them, and more.
Retro speaker company Marshall has announced its latest portable speaker product: Uxbridge. The new model functions as a smart speaker, meaning users can summon and use Amazon Alexa alongside expected wireless connection options like Bluetooth, Airplay 2, and WiFi. The model brings the same classic Marshall design as the company's other more modern speakers, as well as physical button controls.
The SOUL Sync Pro wireless earbuds have a pair of microphones - dual microphones, they say. With these microphones and Qualcomm cVc noise cancellation (for the mics, not the audio coming out of the buds), they're meant to allow super clear calls and commands. These earbuds work with Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, and AAC Codec, and they're made to work just as well with iPhone as they do with Android smartphones of many sorts.
![Sonos Trade Up program ends controversial Recycle Mode requirement [Update]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/snoos_main-1280x720.jpg)
In December, audio company Sonos faced criticism over the 'Recycle Mode' mode it introduced to brick perfectly good, but obsolete, speakers. The mode was a requirement for customers who wanted to use the company's Trade Up program, which offers a discount on new products that are still supported. Going forward, Sonos no longer requires users to brick their devices, but the speakers will still soon be obsolete.
Wireless headsets, those bulky over-the-ear cups you put on your head, are a dime a dozen these days. Almost all of them, however, aren't completely wireless. When it comes to recharging the batteries that power their wireless audio connectivity, they suddenly become enslaved once more to the inescapable power cable. HyperX, however, wants to break free with the Cloud Flight S, the first wireless headset to support the Qi wireless charging for complete freedom and portability.
Today we're looking at the newest and most convincing clone of the Apple AirPods yet - though Honor would never say as much. These are the Honor Magic Earbuds, made by the company that normally writes its name in all caps: HONOR. This company is associated with Huawei, based in China, and is notorious for making very good-looking products that cost a WHOLE LOT less than the competition. These earbuds are made to look the part, that's for certain.
LG has definitely seen better days and has been largely outpaced by its rivals in many key aspects of the mobile market. It has, however, still held strongly to a few traits, like its ability and courage to make risky innovations short of foldable phones and its audio acumen. Unfortunately, those may no longer be enough to keep it from sliding down even further, especially when its most prized audio features on the LG G8 ThinQ may not be cut out for the job.
iHeartMedia, the company behind iHeartRadio, has teamed up with Flatiron Books to establish a new imprint for podcasts turned into books. The new imprint is called 'Stuff You Should Read: An iHeartBook,' according to Flatiron, which reports that it will kick things off with four books based on popular podcasts from the iHeartPodcast Network. 'Stuff You Should Know' is among the first podcasts to have reached one billion downloads.
Spotify has 'refreshed' its Podcast Show page with new tools to help users find the content they're most interested in. In addition to the new category tags that simplify finding similar content, the Podcast Show page also now features show trailers, which are exactly what they sound like. With these, users can get a quick preview of the show before deciding whether to stream or download.
Marshall has released an updated version of its Monitor headphones, a model that brings the same retro design we've seen with the company's other products. Users can expect ultra-long listening sessions from the headphones' built-in battery; there's also active noise cancellation and the same gold control knob found on some of the company's other earphones.
A new version of the Pandora app for Apple Watch was launched that requires no assistance from an iPhone or iPad or smartphone of any sort. This app is what's called a "standalone" app for Apple Watch, meaning Pandora's claim for "on the go" functionality is about as true as it's ever going to get. This app allows music and podcasts to be played on Apple Watch devices right out the gate.