Ultimate Ears is adding to its portable rugged Bluetooth speaker line, and the new UE HYPERBOOM is as big as it promises to be loud. Resembling what the apes from 2001: A Space Odyssey might come up with were they tasked with designing a speaker, it's an ominous black monolith that's topped with some unexpectedly simple controls.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds+ may have had to share stage-time with the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip at Unpacked 2019, but that's not to say the updated wireless earbuds weren't worth attention. Follow-up to last year's well-received Galaxy Buds, the new earbuds promise a boost in audio quality, usability, and battery life, though with an increase in price along the way.
Sony Japan has introduced an unusual new product that combines a large wireless speaker with an atypical television remote control. The device enables users to listen to the television content no matter where they're located in the house; the built-in controls eliminate the need to carry around the remote alongside the speaker. The device would be particularly useful for the elderly.
Today the folks at IKEA revealed a limited-edition collection of products made in collaboration Teenage Engineering. Included in the mix of items is a speaker with subwoofer, a tripod, an LED spotlight, a bar stool, a serving set, a tote bag, a blanket - and a few other oddities. Just when you thought you'd never see a Cajon drum at IKEA, they make one available - neat!
Once in a while, one company stumbles onto a new technology that pulls the rug out from under their industry - and sparks plenty of competitors trying to do the same. For Nura, that innovation centered on how it could create truly personalized hearing profiles simply by having people sit through a series of beeps and boops while wearing their headphones. Headphones offering personalized audio has since then popped up left and right, pushing the company to step up its game. That next level comes in the form of the NuraLoop, a pair of around the neck earbuds that brings Nura's technology to a more discreet and more personal wearable device.
As we enter into 2020, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is announcing a new specification for audio over Bluetooth. Just as we have devices that can leverage Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), we’ll soon see audio devices that use Bluetooth LE Audio. It sounds like it’ll be some time yet before we hear more about Bluetooth LE Audio, but at CES this year, the Bluetooth SIG is outlining a couple of potential applications for the spec.
HP Elite Dragonfly will be the first device with a Tile tracker embedded within, shown first at CES 2020. This is the first of what'll probably be a whole line of laptops with "embedded" Tile technology, allowing users to search for their lost laptop with the standard Tile app* and network. Much like a normal Tile tracker, this Tile works without the assistance of the laptop's own, separate technology. You can track this laptop even when the laptop is offline or powered off.
There's a DIY Simpsons gift out there this holiday season called "The Dud". It's the sort of creation that gives its components meaning. It's the sort of thing a big product company might never think of because it's too simple, or not part of a never-ending profit model. This is the most interesting piece of Simpsons fandom in the world today.
The Galaxy Note line was almost predicted to be discontinued this year. There have been debates, both on the Internet and, some say, internally, about the future of a device whose only remaining unique feature is its stylus. With the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung put its bet once more on the S Pen, giving it features that some consider more of a gimmick than a practical utility. It seems that the Galaxy Note 10 Lite will make that new feature a bit more useful but, ironically, might not become available on the more expensive model.
Master & Dynamic is turning five years old, and because of that milestone, it's releasing a wireless version of its MH40 headphones. The original MH40 is one of Master & Dynamics more successful models, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to see it get a wireless version. The headphones are launching today, but if you want a pair for yourself, you'll need to plop down a fair amount of cash.
It seems like every other tech brand is developing its own “true” wireless earbuds. Since the success of Apple AirPods, companies have quickly jumped on board the bandwagon, offering their renditions of these tiny audio devices, housed in a small charging case.
Tile's tracker range is getting a full refresh for 2019, with new Tile Sticker and Tile Slim designs joining revamped Tile Pro and Tile Mate models. The Bluetooth beacon line-up has come a long way from its early days, now with more choice in form-factor, how you can fix it to things you really don't want to lose, and how Tile's crowd-powered locator network will help you track those items down.