Sonos revealed today that they'd be releasing a Sonos One (Gen 2) starting tomorrow, March 6th, 2019. Because of this release, the original Sonos One (the one still in stores right now), will be put on discount at some retailers. Sonos One was originally approximately $200 USD, and Sonos suggested today that some retailers will be cutting the price down by $20, while Sonos One Gen 2 is "transitioning into market."
Rarely do you need to review a product twice, even electronic devices that receive occasional or regular software updates. There are rare times, however, when an update changes the game so significantly that it almost feels like you’re using a completely different and newer product. That’s the miracle that Australian startup Nura tried to pull off with the G2 update to its already groundbreaking wireless headset. But does the nuraphone G2 leave up to the company’s own high standards? We prick up our ears to find out.
Holding the Jaybird Tarah Pro box in my hand, I’m struck by the image of a mountain runner moving fast and free as a bird over technical terrain. A lone human in a range of misty mountains – with no visible sign of dangling wires; simplicity at its best. Man in nature with the Tarah Pro delivering driving beats to override a mental, emotional, and physical state of exhaustion. I connect instantly with the image, since, I myself, am a mountain runner - one whose been on the hunt for the perfect sport headsets. Heartbroken, at having cycled through four pairs of dead-beat buds over the last year... might I have found my best buds ever? Tarah Pro offers me some real hope.
Some, especially real estate agents, would say it’s all about location. That’s only partly true when it comes to location-based services and technology. Because as important as knowing the location of an object may be, it’s sometimes just as important to know its direction relative to you. That’s why in the latest core specification of the Bluetooth standard, the wireless technology is finally getting a sense of direction.
Bluetooth-enabled tags and trackers aren’t exactly new but they all have one limitation in common. Aside from the range limit of Bluetooth itself, of course. Because of the electronics required to make them work, they require energy sources, often the thinnest and smallest of batteries. But if semiconductor startup Wiliot successfully proves its new tech, they won’t have to. Bluetooth trackers can be as small and as thin as a postage stamp and get what little power they need almost from the air.
Back in August, Skullcandy's Venue headphones launched with a particularly interesting feature: they had Tile's technology embedded inside. This meant that you'd be able to use Tile's app to locate your headphones in the event that you lost them. As it turns out, that team up with Skullcandy was just an indication of things to come for Tile, as it today announced that it's partnering with a number of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip companies.
At CES 2019 we'll be seeing our fair share of speakers - but likely none so extravagant as these from LG. These are the latest LG XBOOM speakers and speaker systems, ready to roll for the first quarter of 2019. Included in the mix are a high-end LG XBoom OL100 single speaker and all-in-one as well as the LG XBoom CL98 mini system - so tiny!
It seems that whenever one of these retro consoles launch, 8Bitdo is never far behind. With the PlayStation Classic now on shelves, 8bitdo has stepped in to make the console a little easier to use. It's doing that with a new Bluetooth wireless adapter that allows you to connect a variety of different controllers.
Bluetooth trackers are nothing new and you might think there’s no more room for innovation in that space. After all, how far can you take a piece of plastic with a Bluetooth chip inside? Quite far, if you ask Safedome. And not just far but also long-lasting. The maker of the world’s thinnest Bluetooth tracker has come out with the Safedome Recharge card. Not only is it thin, it’s also rechargeable. Even better, it’s wirelessly rechargeable!
Bluetooth is one of the most used wireless technologies, especially when connecting devices to one another without having to connect to Wi-Fi or cellular networks. It connects wearables, headsets, trackers, accessories, and even some smart home devices. And yet it is also one of the most inconvenient technologies to use, especially when simply pairing two devices. That’s why Google is committed to making its Fast Pair Bluetooth pairing easier, faster, and more available to take the hassle out of pairing Bluetooth devices.
Apple can perhaps be credited for popularizing the already existing “true” wireless earbuds market, giving birth to both new products and knock-offs. Chinese manufacturers are notorious for the latter and one would expect someone like Xiaomi to once again copy those designs and products. The Chinese company has outgrown that inclination and while its new Mi AirDots might sound like the AirPods, they are thankfully quite far from being cheap clones. Though they are definitely cheap if you can get your hands on a pair.
Streaming is pretty much the de facto delivery and consumption method for digital content these days. So much so that getting access to offline content is ironically now a paid subscription feature rather than the default. But there will always be times when an Internet connection isn't available or isn't good enough for quality audio, let alone video streaming. And there are also times when you'd rather not bring your phone with you to increase its chances of survival. For both those cases, the Mighty Vibe, a.k.a. the Spotify iPod Shuffle, might be your cup of tea.