A Bloomberg report suggests a new version of Apple’s wireless AirPods could be released this year, incorporating better wireless tech, improved water resistance, and improved Siri access. I’ve worn a pair of AirPods almost nonstop since their release, and they’ve become my instant, go-to earbuds for everyday use. But they could still use improvement. Here’s …
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Are you guys ready for the first Apple Byte giveaway of the year? We are kicking things off with the Apple HomePod, the first smart speaker from Apple. It finally went on sale after a tumultuous prologue that started back in 2016. With an 8.0 overall rating, the bottom line of our review says “Apple’s HomePod won’t slay Amazon Alexa …
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In anticipation of next Friday’s release of the Apple HomePod speaker, Apple has updated some of the tech specs listed for the product on its website. The list of “Audio Sources” confirms that the HomePod sits very comfortably inside Apple’s walled garden of apps and services, and isn’t as friendly to outside sources as other smart home speakers. Apple lists …
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Spotify reached 70 million paying subscribers, the music-streaming company tweeted Thursday, indicating it had added a net 10 million members in about five months. The swelling membership suggests Spotify, which passed the 60 million mark at the end of July, is successfully preserving its wide lead over Apple Music, its next-closest rival. Apple said its service had “well over 30 million paying subscribers” in …
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Pandora will let you listen to whatever song you want without signing up for a $10-a-month subscription, by giving you a 15-second video ad to watch instead. The new feature is aimed to help Pandora better compete with Spotify, the biggest streaming-music service that offers free on-demand listening, by holding people’s hands to becoming subscribers. Pandora was an early leader …
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Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives. Apple does not make him happy. Matt Kincaid/Getty Images Could it be that Apple doesn’t have a heart of gold? Could it also be that Tim Cook’s company has an ear of tin? Music legend Neil Young seems to believe that Apple has single-handedly wrecked …
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Pandora is ratcheting up its human touch. The music streaming service unveiled “featured playlists” Monday, its latest gambit at appealing to music listeners by promising to surface music they’ll like. The playlists, which are picked and refreshed by curators, are available to people who subscribe to Premium, Pandora’s $10-a-month competitor to Spotify and Apple Music that lets you listen to …
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I used to wear an iPod Nano on my wrist. It stored songs, it had an FM radio and it told me the time. Years later, the Apple Watch is finally living up to the promise of being an iPod on my wrist again — a little voice-activated streaming music player, in fact. The upgraded features come courtesy of the …
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You can get FM radio in your car, so how come you can’t get it on your phone? Well, here’s a news flash: You probably can. Most smartphones include integrated chipsets that offer a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM radio. But until a few years ago, device manufacturers disabled the function — often at …
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Update, Sept. 16 at 6:50 a.m. PT: T-Mobile CEO John Legere took to Twitter late Friday to announce that the carrier is adjusting its earlier plan to include faster 4G LTE speeds on the Apple Watch Series 3 at the $10 rate. The Apple Watch Series 3 plan on @TMobile will be $10/m for unlimited 4G LTE. Thanks for your …
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