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Beats' spin on the new AirPods could debut in April
Apple at long last has updated its AirPods, and subsidiary Beats may be set to expand its own product lineup with its first true wireless earbuds. CNET reports Beats will announce a fully wireless version of its Powerbeats next month.
Teenage Engineering OP-Z review: Small synth, big dreams
Read the fucking manual. It's pejorative advice usually dispensed to someone struggling to find an answer — one typically available to them with minimal effort. The OP-Z from Teenage Engineering doesn't ship with a full manual (though there is one online). But even if you read that thing from top to bottom, twice, I bet you still wouldn't know everything this magical box of secrets has to offer. It's a mind-bendingly complex, yet hysterically fun mini-studio that keeps on giving. And at $600, it's not crazy expensive, so you're probably going to get more than your money's worth.
Now your Beats headphones can match your NBA fandom
We don't get too excited about new colors of existing products here at Engadget, but hey, Dr. Dre is full of surprises. Just ahead of this weekend's All-Star Game in Charlotte, Beats revealed its first collection as a partner of the NBA: The Studio3 Wireless NBA Collection. The new colorways of the over-ear Bluetooth headphones are painted in the appropriate colors for six teams: Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Each set also features a color-on-color pattern of the team logo so it's clear where your allegiance lies.
Trump will reportedly spare Apple products from latest China tariffs (updated)
If you were scrambling to buy the latest Apple Watch out of concern that Trump's next round of tariffs could lead to price hikes, you can likely relax. Bloomberg sources have claimed that the new tariffs don't affect a technology category that covers many of Apple's products, including the Watch, AirPods, the HomePod and Beats headphones. This is also likely to exempt comparable products from other companies, such as Fitbit's activity trackers and Sonos' speakers, but the scoop only mentioned Apple's by name.
The nine headphones that made our back-to-school guide
So you're headed off to college in the fall. What are you going to use to help you focus when you're on deadline? To tune out the rowdy partiers down the hall? Whether you need a pair of earbuds, a set of sound-cancelling cans or just a pair of budget headphones that don't suck, our annual back-to-school guide has you covered. If you can only afford one pair, Jabra's Elite 65t wireless earbuds are our go-to recommendation. Athletes will appreciate the Jaybird Run earbuds or perhaps the wired Beats X 'buds, while market leader Bose remains our top pick in the noise-canceling category. (Go with the QuietComfort QC35 II.) And if you're looking for an over-the-ear-style headset, we have picks from Audeze, Blue, TMA-2, Corsair and Even, including a few models designed for gamers. Find all that and all our other picks in Engadget's full back-to-school guide.
Oddball is a drum machine controller you toss around to make beats
Making beats with various drum machines and sequencers can be a fairly sterile affair. Typically, you hit some buttons on a rectangular box or click grid squares in a software interface, looping the pattern again and again until you've created a beat you're happy with. A new Kickstarter project, however, changes the game completely with Oddball, the beat-making ball that you can bounce, hit and toss to create beats kinesthetically.
Beats co-founders lose $25 million royalty lawsuit
The long-running feud between Beats and claimed co-founder Steven Lamar appears to be winding to a close. A jury has told Beats luminaries Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to pay Lamar $25.2 million in royalties for breaching a contract. Lamar contended that he played a key role at the company and deserved $130 million for working on a dozen headphones. Beats recognized Lamar's early involvement, but insisted that he was only supposed to get money for the original Beats Studio (which, of course, had already been paid).
Apple lists speakers that work with AirPlay 2 streaming
Today, Apple released iOS 11.4, bringing with it AirPlay 2, Apple's latest standard for streaming audio, video and games to your speakers or TV. One of the key features of AirPlay 2 is the option to play audio through two HomePod speakers in stereo -- that's the only speaker which supports AirPlay 2 right now. But there are a number of third-party speakers you can also soon use with AirPlay 2, with the option to chain them together to set up groups and multi-room playback.
The best wireless headphones
Music is a necessity while I'm working. If it's not tunes from Spotify, there's at least a podcast chattering on in my ear. Of course, if you don't want to bother those around you with what you're listening to, you need a good set of headphones. The best options will also do a good job of blocking out the outside world. We've already offered some suggestions on the best wireless earbuds, so now it's time to examine the best over-ear wireless headphones. Each was selected for its mix of comfort, sound quality and effective noise cancellation. Because let's be honest: Audio is just one part of the equation when it comes to long listening sessions.
Jimmy Iovine reportedly plans reduced role at Apple Music
In January, rumors surfaced that Jimmy Iovine would be leaving Apple Music later this year, but he denied the reports, saying there was still more he would like to do in the music streaming business. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Interscope Records and Beats co-founder will be scaling back his involvement with Apple Music starting in August. Sources close to Iovine say that he'll transition to a consulting role and will no longer be involved with daily operations.
Apple may launch over-ear headphones without Beats branding
AirPods may be far from the pinnacle of audio quality, but they're definitely popular -- so much so that Apple may be expanding the variety of audio gear it releases under its own brand. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a generally good track record forecasting Apple gear) claims that Apple is making over-ear headphones under its own name, rather than Beats. Most details aren't clear, but Apple would reportedly focus on higher-end audio -- hopefully, that means balanced sound rather than Beats' signature tendency to drown you in bass.
Netflix will stream HBO’s ‘The Defiant Ones’ outside of the US
Netflix might make headlines for securing its latest show, but its documentaries have been powerhouses in their own right; Last year, The White Helmets won the streaming service its first Academy Award. But the company is just as open to securing non-fiction content from other providers. On March 23rd, Netflix subscribers outside the US and Canada can watch The Defiant Ones, the HBO documentary miniseries chronicling Dr. Dre's and Jimmy Iovine's decades-long partnership.
Jimmy Iovine is reportedly leaving Apple Music this year
One of the main reasons why Apple purchased Beats might leave the company this year. According to Hits Daily Double, Billboard and Bloomberg, Apple Music chief Jimmy Iovine is already preparing for his exit sometime in August after he gets his final payout from Cupertino's $3 billion Beats purchase. Iovine, a famous producer and Interscope Records' co-founder, created the audio company with Dr. Dre back in 2006. He headed Apple Music after Beats' acquisition, but he has a long history working with the iPhone-maker and is often cited as one of the key players who made iTunes and the iPod possible.
Beats' Studio3 headphones pack improved features at a lower price
It has been a while since Beats updated the top-end Studio line of headphones. In fact, the most recent model, Studio Wireless, debuted in 2013. Well, until now. Today, Beats is introducing the Studio3 Wireless, the latest high-end headphones for the popular brand that pack in Apple's W1 wireless chip, Pure Adaptive Noise Cancellation and much-improved battery life into a familiar design.
Recommended Reading: Trent Reznor on Beats, Apple Music and more
In Conversation: Trent Reznor David Marchese, Vulture Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor helped craft Beats Music, the streaming service that would eventually become Apple Music after the tech giant purchased the popular headphone brand. On the heels of NIN's most recent EP release, Add Violence, the musician sat down with Vulture to chat about a range of topics. Among other things, Reznor talks Beats, Apple Music, streaming, his new music and lessons learned.
Apple tosses in free Beats headphones for students buying Macs, iPads
Apple has offered student discounts on its hardware and services for awhile now, but now it's taking that further. In an effort to make its gear even more ubiquitous on campus, Apple will throw in a pair of Beats headphones with Mac and iPad Pro purchases from now until September 25th, full details here (PDF).
Apple brings multiroom speaker support to HomeKit with AirPlay 2
Apple's HomeKit has provided iPhone and iPad users with a simple platform to connect multiple smart home devices, but it's shied away from one of the most important gadgets: speakers. Before revealing the rumored Siri speaker, the company announced today that it's expanding its smart home hub to support a large number of third-party audio hardware.
Apple blames third-party batteries for exploding Beats headphones
Apple has refused to compensate an Australian woman who woke up on a flight to the sound of her Beats headphones exploding in her face. According to Australian site Adelaide Now, Apple says they have investigated the incident and determined that third-party batteries were to blame.
The delayed BeatsX wireless earbuds arrive February 10th
If you've been waiting to get your hands on a pair of BeatsX wireless earbuds, you're in luck. Today, Beats revealed on Twitter that the delayed model will arrive this Friday (February 10th). What's more, in addition to the black and white color options that were previously announced, the company tells CNET that blue and gray versions will follow shortly.
Apple's BeatsX wireless headphones are delayed until February
When Apple announced it was killing the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, it revealed a handful of wireless options to keep the music going. In addition to those AirPods that just went on sale today, the company's Beats line pulled the wraps off of three headphone models that featured the same W1 quick-pairing chip as Apple's delayed wireless option. Today, Apple also updated the BeatsX product page to note that the set of wireless in-ear headphones won't ship until February.
