The smart speaker competition is getting fierce. Voice-powered digital assistants — Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri — appear in more standalone audio products every day, from tiny Dots and Minis to more expensive Echos, Homes and Maxes. For people willing to pay extra for better sound quality, though, only a handful are worth …
Read More »
Perhaps you’ve gone away for the weekend only to discover — horror of horrors — that you forgot to pack your Bluetooth speaker. Or perhaps you are simply trying to listen to a podcast while cooking dinner and can’t hear over the running water and sizzling skillet. There are a number of scenarios where you may need to boost the …
Read More »
When UE told us it was announcing five “new designs” for its Wonderboom speaker, we were hoping there was some actual change to the speaker. But it turns out its just a cosmetic refresh. Launched last year in six color options, the fully waterproof Wonderboom is adding five more with the arrival of the new Freestyle collection. They include: Concrete, …
Read More »
CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! The Bip’s backlight makes the screen easily readable indoors, and the watch has a raise-to-backlight option. Photo by …
Read More »
Dayton Audio’s $30 per pair B652 speaker has long been one of my favorite budget speakers, so now I’m pleased to report Dayton’s new DTA-2.1BT integrated amplifier is also a honey. Firstly because it sounds nice, secondly because its all-metal chassis is so darned small — just 1.4 by 5.25 by 5.2 inches — and best of all the DTA-2.1BT …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! CyberLink Anyone can shoot video. But editing? That’s a skill — some would say an art. And like …
Read More »
DTS’ Play-Fi whole-house audio system is now capable of TV audio streaming with synchronized video on select products, the company announced on Tuesday. Play-Fi has had the ability to stream audio from a 3.5mm-connected device for many years, but this is the first time we’ve been able to adjust lip-sync within the app. Previously there was a significant lag between …
Read More »
It’s go time. You can now preorder the Apple HomePod. (Here’s how to do it.) The company’s inaugural smart speaker will hit store shelves on Feb. 9 in the US, UK and Australia. The release will conclude the HomePod’s tumultuous prologue, which started with rumors of a standalone Siri-powered speaker in 2016. In 2017, Apple confirmed its existence at its Worldwide Developers Conference — …
Read More »
For Apple’s HomePod, it’s better late than never. The smart speaker became available for advance orders in the online Apple Store in the US, UK and Australia on Friday. While you can typically put in an order for new Apple products at 12:01 a.m. PT, the HomePod wasn’t available until just before 5:45 a.m. PT. A little patience was required …
Read More »
