audio - CybAI news

30 Jul

Spotify lyrics are back for free users

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, gear, music, news, spotify, streaming

Spotify users who don't pay for a subscription can once again see lyrics for any song they listen to on the service. Back in May, the company began a wider rollout of a test that it initiated last fall, requiring a paid subscription to see lyrics to any track. Free users could still follow along with the words, but only for three songs a month. Now, Spotify is removing the restriction so free users can see all the lyrics they need to with no cap on viewing them.“At Spotify, we’re always testing and iterating. This means availability of our features…

03 Jul

The best wireless earbuds for 2024

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, best tech, Commerce, evergreen, feature, gear, headphones, holiday gifts, shopping, streamshopping, thebuyersguide

New Bluetooth earbuds are arriving nearly every week nowadays, and while all of that variety can be good for your wallet, deciding which pair is best can also be tricky. After considering things like active noise cancellation (ANC), sound quality and design, the next deliberation is over unique features that big companies like Sony, Bose, Apple and Samsung put in their products. I test dozens of sets of earbuds a year for Engadget, constantly pitting new models against the previous best across all price ranges to keep this list of the best true wireless earbuds up to date. This guide…

02 Jul

JLab’s Flex Open Earbuds are a $50 version of the Bose Ultra Open

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, earbuds, gear, headphones, jlab, news

Bose surprised everyone when it debuted its clip-on Ultra Open Earbuds early this year. The premise was part fashion and part function, leaving your ears open to ambient sounds while you listen to tunes or podcasts. That model is $299 though, a price that's prohibitive for anyone looking to give the unique wear style a try. Enter JLab, the budget audio company with a solid track record for sound quality and features for under $100, and its new model: the Flex Open Earbuds. At just $50, it's much easier to take a gamble on the clip-on design, especially if you…

26 Jun

UE’s Everboom speaker is a smaller, floatable version of its Epicboom

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, gear, news, speaker, ultimate ears

Ultimate Ears is expanding its lineup of portable Bluetooth speakers with the Everboom. This one should be pretty safe to take with you on your wildest adventures, as it has a rugged design and an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. It can even float, so you can bring it with you into the pool or lake. There's also an Outdoor Boost button, which you can press to bump up the bass and optimize the audio for the great outdoors.The oval-shaped Everboom, which is essentially a smaller version of UE's Epicboom, offers 360-degree audio and a 180-foot Bluetooth range. UE says…

25 Jun

Beats Pill speakers are back and have been redesigned from the inside out

stp2y0 CommentsNewsapple, audio, beats, gear, news, pill, speakers

In 2022, Beats discontinued the Pill+, the company's last remaining Bluetooth speaker. Prior to the move, Beats had decent run of smaller, portable speakers, including its original Pill and Pill XL models. Of course, that period wasn't without some headaches and there hadn't been a new model since 2015. Now it's time for a revival. Beats reintroduced its Pill speaker today with a new design that's been re-engineered from the inside out.The first change you'll likely notice is the 20-degree upward tilt of the new Beats Pill, which the company says gives the unit improved sound projection. Beats is promising…

14 Jun

So long, Jabra earbuds, it’s not your fault

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, earbuds, feature, gear, headphones, jabra

Jabra has been a mainstay in the true wireless earbuds category since 2018, but it won’t be any longer. Shortly after revealing two new products in its Elite lineup this week, parent company GN announced that it was shutting down its consumer earbud business to focus on other audio devices. The news was a shock given the timing and quickly put a damper on any excitement around the second-generation Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active.“This announcement by GN is in an effort to concentrate resources and efforts on Jabra's enterprise products within audio, including enterprise-grade true wireless earbuds, as well…