This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas. Good headphones — really good headphones — are a treat, an indulgence. And I know some folks who would never deign to put inferior ‘phones on their ears. But, come on: $350 for a sweet pair of Sonys? I love …

There’s a headphone-shaped elephant in the room this week: Apple just announced the AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones, challenging the premium likes of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the Sony WH-1000XM4. But if you thought the AirPods Pro were pricey at $249, get a load of this: The AirPods Max (with its much-mocked Smart Case) will run you $549. …

Samsung will be globally launching its Galaxy S21 phone on Jan. 14, according to a recent report from Android Authority. This information comes from Samsung’s largest mobile store in India. This report comes on the heels of others like it, including leaked official renders of the phone — along with the rest of the S21 series. The S21 will reportedly …

This story is part of Tech for a Better World, stories about the diverse teams creating products, apps and services to improve our lives and society. The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of students, workers and people in general across the world cooped up at home, stuck in Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting and struggling to stay positive and …

Disney will stream some of its new movies on Disney Plus at no added cost instead of bringing them to theaters at all, the company said Thursday. But it remains unclear if Disney’s biggest-budget films — like its Marvel movies Black Widow, Shang Chi and Eternals — are destined to premiere in theaters exclusively for a period of time before they …

You want to skip the ads on Hulu? There’s a Disney Bundle for that.  The company said it would launch a new bundle that includes Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and a version of Hulu without commercials for $18.99. That’s $6 more than the $12.99 it charges for the bundle with the ad-based version of Hulu.  The announcement was made during …

After Oppo announced the imminent arrival of its next-gen Find X flagship line in early December, new leaks are shedding more light on what the Chinese company’s fanciest phone could look like when it’s launched early next year. According a Twitter post this week by noted leaker Evan Blass, Oppo will launch a trio of phones as part of the …

Folding portable laptop stands exist and so do small, simple USB-C docks. But the Ugreen X-Kit is the first mash-up of the two I’ve ever seen.  The compact aluminum stand unfolds in a second; you simply pull apart its feet to reveal an X-shaped brace to support your laptop. Lift up on the top of each foot and braces drop …

Disney Plus is raising its US price by $1 to an $8-a-month subscription starting in March, after Disney launched the streaming service in November 2019 to enormous popularity. In continental Europe, prices are going up by two euros to nine euros a month, and it will be making similar adjustments in other markets where Disney Plus is charged in local currencies.  “These …

Disney’s plan for streaming Marvel’s Black Widow after it hits theaters May 7 remained a mystery Thursday, as the company completed its investor day without detailing any adjusted release plans for the movie or other Marvel flicks next year, like Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals.  The fogginess around Marvel releases means Disney, which has racked up …