Bluetooth

Bose is looking to break into the realm of the "truly wireless" today by introducing its new SoundSport Free earbuds. Focused directly at people who need a pair of wireless headphones for workouts, the SoundSport Free come with a number of exercise-friendly features, such as water and sweat resistance. They also boast an antenna that claims to keep a strong connection to your device, no matter where it happens to be.

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In iOS 11 feature nitpicking today we're getting down to business with the newest set of toggles in the software's Control Center. Apple's documentation makes clear their intentions: allowing some parts of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to remain active while the user turns other parts off in their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. There is a whitelist of devices and functionality that remains active unless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned off deeper inside iOS 11's settings.

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This week the folks at Plantronics have gone to the wireless side with a collection of active/sport oriented earbuds and headphones. Their new lineup includes the BackBeat FIT 300 Series, the BackBeat FIT 500 Series, the BackBeat FIT Training Edition, and the BackBeat FIT Boost Edition. The BackBeat FIT 300 Series will be available starting today in four lovely colors, while the other three series will be made available "in early October."

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Bluetooth is one of the most common and oldest wireless protocols used in the market. With the growing number of smartphones as well as smart home devices, there are estimated to be more than 8.2 billion devices using Bluetooth in one way or another. Now all of them are open to attack simply by just being there and being enabled, allowing hackers to easily take control of a device and, consequently, of other devices connected to it. All because of a few dangerous assumptions that developers and engineers have made regarding Bluetooth.

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The Moto X4 has plenty of features, but the most interesting might be an enhancement of a wireless technology we now take for granted: Bluetooth. Motorola's new smartphone is the first to launch with the Tempow Audio Profile (TAP), allowing the Moto X4 to stream audio to up to four Bluetooth devices simultaneously. For instance, you can take along a bag full of Bluetooth speakers to the beach, and set up an impromptu concert.

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There's been no shortage of Bluetooth speakers on display at IFA 2017, but this next one from Harman Kardon is certainly special for one reason: Alexa integration. Harman Kardon revealed today that its new Allure speaker will feature Alexa on board, making it a prime candidate for inclusion in the smart home enthusiast's IoT collection.

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As time goes on, more and more desktop PCs are coming with Bluetooth installed out of the box. This makes picking speakers for your computer equal parts easier and more frustrating. After all, Bluetooth functionality greatly expands the number of compatible speakers, but there aren't many Bluetooth speakers that are meant to be used on a desk alongside a PC. Say hello to Logitech's new MX Sound speakers, designed specifically to be used on your desk.

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Jabra has announced the launch of a new pair of wireless earbuds that feature up to 18 hours of battery life, something the company calls a 'best in class' rating. The earbuds feature a plastic neckband design, though not exactly like the ones LG popularized a couple years back. In this case, the neckband sort of drapes over the shoulders with the earbuds and cables being attached to the ends of the neckband.

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Last week, company Optoma launched a new pair of earbuds called the NuForce BE2. The earbuds were hawked as a premium product with a less-than-premium $49 price tag, seemingly offering the best of both worlds. On paper, at least, there's a lot to like about this model: water-resistance, AAC audio support, a 10-hour battery life, wireless functionality, and more. Does it live up to those promises in the real-world, though?

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While some Bluetooth speakers try to pack the best sound quality into as small a package as possible, the new JBL Boombox is taking the opposite approach. Definitely a boombox for the current decade (and century), the Boombox is one of the largest Bluetooth speakers we've ever seen. That increased size comes with some attractive benefits, though, such as a long-lasting battery and the promise of "exceptional sound and hard hitting bass."

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HTC's latest flagship phone, the U11, has proven itself to be one of the top Android device releases of the year with impressive specs and design, useful features, and a great camera — and soon it's going to get even better. HTC has revealed that U11 was just certified for the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, and that users will be able to take advantage of its improved speeds once Android O is released.

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Bluetooth tracker Tile has spawned a new, Tile Pro series, promising double the range and a generally more-unmissable alert for your lost keys. The new Tile Style and Tile Sport each increase the distance they'll work from your smartphone to up to 200 feet, twice what the previous Tile Mate and Tile Slim could manage. Meanwhile, there's the promise of greater resilience to the elements, too.

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