Category: Tech News

If you’re hoping to catch the first meteor shower of the year, you have time until January 12.

Dolby Atmos can be a great surround sound experience. But just because your gear bears an Atmos label, that doesn’t mean you’ve got Atmos sound. Here’s why.

At CES 2025, Satechi introduced a new accessory for the Mac Mini that combines a stand with some handy additional ports for the Apple computer. The Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure will release on February 17 with limited availability; the company expects the product to be widely available in March. It will retail for $100.

One of the main selling points of this item is that it makes accessing the petite PC’s power button easier. The stand elevates the Mac Mini off your desk, but leaves a concave space so that you can reach the power button on the bottom of its rear side. This awkward location was one of the very few dings we had against the Mac Mini M4 in our review of the computer.

On the front of the hub are USB-A 3.2 and 2.0 ports, as well as an SD card reader that promises speeds of “up to 312MB/s” for file transfers. The SSD enclosure allows you to add up to 4TB of NVMe storage for the Mac Mini. The hub has a recessed space at the top to keep from obstructing the Mac Mini’s fans, and it comes with its own bottom vents as well.

Design-wise, the stand looks like a slightly squatter version of the Mac Mini, boasting a similar finish and profile to the computer. There are a lot of quality USB-C hubs on the market, but customers who favor the Mac Mini for its simplicity and small footprint might appreciate how cleanly this Satechi accessory pairs with the machine.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/satechi-details-new-mac-mini-m4-stand-at-ces-2025-170038397.html?src=rss

Before CES 2025 began, LG appointed will.i.am as its “Experiential Architect,” working with the rapper and singer on the “development, design and brand marketing” of its xboom audio line. Today, the company revealed the first results of the collaboration with the xboom Bounce, Grab and Stage 301 speakers alongside the xboom Buds. I haven’t gotten a chance to try the noise-canceling earbuds yet, but I did hear all three of the speakers in LG’s home theater suite in Las Vegas. 

The xboom Grab is the smallest of the three speakers. It’s a cylinder-shaped device, complete with lighting that projects out from the bottom (or side). Controls for power, volume, play/pause and Bluetooth sit up top. The compact design is meant to be taken anywhere, and the speaker will even fit in a cup holder. Straps enable you to affix the xboom Grab to hooks, handles and other objects in either a vertical or horizontal fashion. This speaker is IP67 rated dust and waterproof, plus it passed the Military Standard 810G durability test. You can also expect up to 20 hours of battery life on a charge. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how much bass the xboom Grab mustered during my demo, with punchy highs and solid mids holding the details. That low-end tone seemed slightly muffled to me, but I only got a quick listen, so a full review would confirm if that’s actually the case. The other surprising thing is how loud the xboom Grab can be. At only 50 percent volume, the compact unit produced an almost uncomfortable level of sound for the room. 

The next speaker in the lineup is the xboom Bounce. Named for the bouncing passive radiators on the top that also light up to the beat. LG promises “precise highs and an expanded soundstage, surrounding listeners with enhanced clarity and depth” on this device thanks to those radiators, dual dome tweeters and a track-type woofer. This one is also IP67 rated and military-grade tested for durability, plus it offers up to 30 hours or battery life.

If you seek bassy thump in a portable LG speaker, this will be the option for you. The bass here is much fuller than the xboom Grab, and once again it doesn’t drown out the crisp highs and mids. This was my favorite of the three in terms of overall audio performance, although I could do without the pulsing lights. 

Lastly, there’s the xboom Stage 301: a speaker designed for performances and karaoke. Inside, a 6.5-inch woofer and dual 2.5-inch midrange drivers power 120 watts of 2.1-channel sound that LG describes as “rich, full-bodied audio.” The Stage 301 has a wedge design that’s akin to a stage monitor with a built-in handle for easy transport. You can also sit this speaker on a tripod, in addition to flat and tilted orientations. There’s only an IPX4 water resistance rating here, but the battery is replaceable. Each one provides up to 11 hours of use.

The xboom Stage 301 will offer an alternative to the party box speakers from the likes of JBL, Sony and others. LG says the unit is “optimized for busking, karaoke night or any sort of indoors or outdoors gathering.” This was definitely the loudest of the three, which isn’t a surprise given the size and power. There’s plenty of bass, all of that wattage easily fills a large room and all of the controls you’d need are right up top — including a dedicated EQ button. 

All three of the new xboom speakers have a dedicated button to instantly connect to will.i.am’s RAiDiO.FYI platform. This service offers customized content at the hands of an AI radio host. That’s not all of the AI that’s onboard though. AI Sound analyzes content to automatically make adjustments, AI Lighting ensures the visuals match the tunes and AI Calibration helps the speakers “recognize” the environment to properly produce “ample” sound for indoor and outdoor spaces. You can also use Auracast to pair multiple xboom units together in Party Link mode, and you don’t have to open an app to do so. 

I’m hoping to listen to the xboom Buds later this week, but here’s a quick rundown of what to expect there. The active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds have graphene drivers inside, which LG says produce “pure, well-balanced sound with rich bass.” The company developed a new earbud shape to increase comfort, adding ergonomic ear tips and small fins for stability. The xboom Buds are also quite tiny, which should add to the overall comfiness as well. In terms of battery life, there’s 10 hours on a charge with two additional top ups in the case.

There’s no word on pricing or availability yet for any of the so-called xboom by will.i.am products, but LG has announced they’ll arrive later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/lg-xboom-speakers-hands-on-built-with-the-help-of-william-and-a-dash-of-ai-170030904.html?src=rss

Apple has moved to settle a five-year-old class action lawsuit over Siri privacy. Reuters reports that the proposed settlement was filed on Tuesday in Oakland, CA. The company agreed to pay $95 million to class members, estimated to be tens of millions of Siri-enabled device owners. US District Judge Jeffrey White needs to approve the settlement before it becomes official.

The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 report that Apple quality control contractors could regularly hear sensitive info accidentally recorded by the voice assistant’s “Hey Siri” feature. The clips were said to include medical information, criminal activities and even “sexual encounters.” Apple denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle the case.

Two plaintiffs claimed their inadvertently recorded mentions of Nike Air Jordans and Olive Garden restaurants led to receiving ads for those products. After talking about it with his doctor, another plaintiff said he got ads for a brand-name surgical treatment.

In a statement to Engadget, Apple highlighted its Siri privacy protections and motive for settling the case. “Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning,” an Apple spokesperson wrote. “Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose. Apple settled this case to avoid additional litigation so we can move forward from concerns about third-party grading that we already addressed in 2019. We use Siri data to improve Siri, and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private.”

Apple says any data you choose to share with Siri is never used for advertising, and the company has stressed that there isn’t any evidence in this lawsuit (or anywhere else) that the company has done so. The assistant does as much learning as possible on-device, and modern devices — those with 2018’s A12 Bionic chip or newer — process your audio entirely that way. The company added that Apple Intelligence doesn’t train on user data.

Apple

After the original story broke five-plus years ago, Apple highlighted its layers of privacy protections and stressed that the recordings weren’t tied to Apple accounts. It also said its quality control teams studied the clips in “secure facilities” and were bound by “strict confidentiality agreements.”

After an internal review in 2019, Apple suspended the program and admitted it wasn’t “fully living up to” its ideals. The company returned to reviewing Siri recordings soon after — but with some big changes. It reportedly fired hundreds of quality control contractors. It changed its policy so that only Apple employees could review private Siri data — connected to a random identifying number, not your Apple account. (And the company says they take measures to delete any inadvertently triggered recordings). It also began requiring users to opt in to sharing Siri recordings or transcripts.

You can check if you’ve opted in from your device. Head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Improve Siri & Dictation. You can also review and delete any stored transcripts in the same location. (If you don’t see that option, you likely weren’t opted in.)

Reuters notes that the proposed $95 million in cash amounts to about nine hours of profit for the company. (Nice work if you can get it.) The settlement’s class period runs from September 17, 2014 — when Apple launched “Hey Siri” in iOS 8 — to December 31, 2024. If you owned a Siri-enabled mobile product during that period (and Judge White approves the settlement), you might get up to $20 per device. However, you’ll have to join the class, and it isn’t yet clear how to do that.

Update, January 6, 2025, 11:57AM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Apple and additional context.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-agrees-to-settle-a-2019-siri-privacy-lawsuit-for-95-million-195820723.html?src=rss

Disney and Fubo have reached an agreement to merge Hulu + Live TV with FuboTV, the companies announced via a press release. This will create a new entity that Disney owns 70 percent of, with Fubo taking up the remaining 30 percent. Once combined, the service will boast over six million subscribers, making it the second-biggest digital pay-TV provider behind YouTube TV.

This deal only includes Hulu + Live TV, and not the traditional Hulu subscription, as noted by Bloomberg. The combined business will operate under Fubo, with current management staying on, though both FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV will continue to stream as separate entities. The new business will also negotiate carriage agreements with content providers without help from Disney.

Fubo plans on creating a new live streaming service dedicated exclusively to sports, which will leverage Disney’s contracts and broadcast networks like ABC and ESPN. As part of this deal, Fubo will drop all legal claims against the company regarding Venu Sports.

Venu is a forthcoming sports-focused streaming service that will air content from Disney/ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. The multi-company streamer was supposed to launch last fall, but has been delayed due to an antitrust suit brought forth by Fubo. A hearing was scheduled for January 6, so this merger announcement certainly has auspicious timing.

Today’s deal means that Venu Sports could once again be coming soon. An unnamed source told The Hollywood Reporter that this is likely the plan, but we don’t know if or when it will become available.

The agreement also includes new distribution rights between Fubo and Disney, in which the former will be allowed to offer a bundle built around ESPN and ABC. Additionally, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery will pay Fubo $220 million, with Disney loaning the company an additional $145 million.

The merger is expected to be completed within the next 12 to 18 months, pending regulatory approval. There’s a clause in the contract that mandates Disney pay Fubo $130 million if the transaction fails to close for any number of reasons.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/disney-to-merge-hulu–live-tv-with-fubo-challenging-youtube-tv-163627571.html?src=rss

Ecobee introduced a new smart thermostat at CES 2025 and it looks pretty nifty. The Smart Thermostat Essential is packed with most of the features found with the $250 premium model, only with a price tag of $130.

There’s a full-color touchscreen for making adjustments, though that can also be done via the Ecobee mobile app. The app will send alerts to “prevent heating and cooling disruptions” and will even whip up a comprehensive home energy report each month to provide a macro look at energy usage. This is a modern smart thermostat, so customers can also use smart assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit for the aforementioned adjustments.

Ecobee

Ecobee says the Smart Thermostat Essential is packed with software that will automatically learn how long it takes to heat and cool the home, which will then inform the device of how much energy to use to reach a desired temperature. The end result? A cheaper utility bill. The company claims that this thermostat will actually pay for itself in just six months.

The savings can be increased by adding a few of the company’s optional SmartSensors, which cost around $55 per pair. These sensors will teach the thermostat which rooms are used the most, so they’ll get increased temperature regulation.

Ecobee promises that the thermostat is easy to install, but it likely still requires some light wiring. Anyone familiar with smart thermostats should know the drill. The Smart Thermostat Essential will be available at major retailers in March.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ecobees-smart-thermostat-essential-is-packed-with-features-but-still-affordable-160046079.html?src=rss

Audio brand JLab has unveiled its first headphones with adaptive active noise cancellation at CES 2025. The company’s Epic Lux Lab Edition Wireless Headphones will cost $199. Pre-orders begin today and shipments are expected to go out starting January 30.

The Epic Lux Lab is an over-ear headphone set with 32mm high-fidelity custom dynamic drivers. The set’s adaptive ANC can react in real-time to changes in ambient noise levels. Its noise cancelling mode can diminish environmental audio up to 42 dB, while the Be Aware mode allows outside sounds to reach the user. Both modes can be customized with the JLab app.

The headphones come with a magnetic wireless charging pad and also have a built-in USB-C port for wired charging. JLab says the Epic Lux Lab can deliver “over 90+ hours of playtime on a single charge,” or 60 hours when active noise cancelling is in use.

In addition to the Epic Lux Lab, JLab is also introducing an on-ear headset at CES called the Go Lux ANC Wireless. This option provides hybrid active noise cancellation of up to 30 dB as well as a Be Aware mode. The Go Lux ANC Wireless only support wired charging via USB-C, but will last up to 70 hours depending on use cases. These entry-level headphones retail for $50. Like the upscale option, pre-orders are open now and the product is slated to begin shipping on January 30.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/jlab-debuts-its-first-adaptive-active-noise-cancellation-headphones-at-ces-2025-160036341.html?src=rss

An earlier bad update forced many Nessus agents offline, Tenable says.