Bellabeat Let’s face it: A lot of tech gear is the opposite of stylish. The wearables category in particular tends toward the dorky black bracelet — not exactly high fashion. Bellabeat aims to change that with the Leaf, which looks more like something you’d find at a craft show than it does a tech-savvy health …
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June, 2015
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22 June
Taylor Swift revolts, Apple changes tune on royalties
Tay Tay takes on the tech giants. On Sunday, Taylor Swift announced she would not put her songs on the upcoming Apple Music service. In a blog post, she blasted the company for not paying royalties for songs streamed during free trials. Later that same day, Apple changed its policy. When Swift speaks, big business listens. Watch Update for a …
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22 June
Sony offers up Android M developer preview for a dozen phones
A developer preview version of Android M is now available for select Sony devices. James Martin/CNET Sony kicked off the week by announcing a developer preview version of Android M for its Xperia devices. Designed to help developers prepare apps and games for the next generation of Android, it’s also a taste of things to come later this year. Related …
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22 June
Apple Watch pocket watch is modern old
Tom Ford’s pocket iWatch. pic.twitter.com/VwU8JSI5k6 — Matthew Schneier (@MatthewSchneier) June 15, 2015 Steve Jobs famously restricted his own kids’ iPad time, so he might also have approved of limiting direct skin contact with Apple’s first wearable by taking the Apple Watch off the strap and putting it on a chain in one’s pocket instead. Leave it to fashion king Tom …
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22 June
Faster computers, coming soon, as graphics chip answers the call to action
Adobe’s David McGavran shows how Apple’s Metal technology gives Illustrator a fluid new zoom ability. Stephen Shankland/CNET This year, a new way to handle graphics chips will speed up everything on your computer — from Photoshop to a first-person shooter. That’s because a more efficient way for software to control chip hardware will lift graphics performance, empower the graphics chip …
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22 June
How the future of US wireless service hangs on a government auction
The US wireless carriers may not be able to stand in the same room together, but they can agree on one thing: the industry needs more spectrum. Wireless spectrum — it’ll color the future for your smartphone service. James Martin/CNET What is spectrum? It’s the set of licensed radio airwaves that allow carriers to ferry cat videos and Instagram selfies …
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21 June
Taylor Swift says Apple Music freebie strikes a sour note
Taylor Swift during her June 19 performance in Cologne, Germany, at a stop on “The 1989 World Tour.” Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images for TAS When it launches next week, Apple Music will be minus a blockbuster album from one of today’s hottest pop stars. On Sunday, Taylor Swift said that she will withhold her album “1989” from Apple’s new streaming-music service, …
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21 June
Right on, Cue: Apple tweets Swift, will pay artists during Apple Music free trial
Taylor Swift on stage June 21 in Amsterdam — the same day Apple heeded her call to action on payments to musicians. Michel Porro/Getty Images for TAS Apple Music has reversed its position on royalties for artists in the wake of a high-profile protest from artist Taylor Swift. The singer-songwriter sensation had taken to Tumblr on Sunday to tell her …
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20 June
Drool
MrSpeakers Ether headphones MrSpeakers In a crowded field of high-end contenders, the new MrSpeakers’ Ether headphones are getting a lot of attention for two good reasons: it’s a pleasure to wear, and the sound is revelatory! Even compared with one of my reference headphones, the Audeze LCD-X, Ether’s sound felt liberated, with clearer highs — it was more transparent overall. …
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20 June
Here’s what you need to know about headphone specifications
Steve Guttenberg/CNET I’ve listened to and reviewed hundreds of headphones, and here’s what I’ve learned: they all sound different. Examining their specifications — frequency response, impedance, sensitivity, driver size, etc. — rarely yields useful information. For me the only spec that (sometimes) matters is the easiest one to understand — weight — because weight and long-term comfort are related. To …
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