We own many devices that run on batteries, and recharging them can be a pain. It’s always welcome when a new device offers plenty of battery life. As if answering these prayers, Marshall has now released its new Monitor III ANC headphones, and you can expect them to run all day.
Marshall says that you can enjoy up to 70 hours of playtime with active noise canceling (ANC) on. Deactivating ANC increases the maximum battery up to a whopping 100 hours. That’s more than four days of continuous playback. It takes two hours and thirty minutes to fully recharge the headphones, a rather long time that’s a necessary trade-off for the long battery life they offer. The ANC has also been significantly upgraded to block out sounds better than previous iterations of the technology.
Besides long battery life, the Monitor III ANC headphones have an Adaptive Loudness feature that reacts to your surroundings and makes sound adjustments without quality loss. For those who want to mess around with the EQ settings, there’s the M-button and Marshall Bluetooth app you can get on Android and iOS.
The M-button is a physical button that users can customize to switch between three EQ presets or activate a smartphone’s voice assistant. The app also has separate settings for voice assistants and Spotify Tap. The experience is similar to using Marshall’s $179 Major V headphones, which the company released earlier this year. For the uninitiated, Spotify Tap is a feature that lets supported audio devices start a Spotify listening session with a single tap of the button.
These Monitor III ANC headphones are comfortable and lighter than their predecessor, the Monitor II ANC headphones, weighing 250 grams. They even have built-in Bluetooth LE and Auracast support, which lets users connect to Auracast broadcasts nearby and listen in.
Even the packaging is premium. The headphones come in a hard case with red velvet insides, an obvious tribute to Marshall’s guitar amp-making heritage. The Monitor III ANC headphones are on sale now at Marshall’s site and at selected retailers for $350.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/marshalls-latest-bluetooth-headphones-promise-improved-noise-cancellation-and-extreme-battery-life-140027657.html?src=rss
It has been less than a week since Apple released the AirPods 4, and there’s already a small sale available on them. Ahead of October Prime Day, you can pick up the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $169, down from $179. The AirPods 4 without ANC are also $10 off, with an eight percent discount dropping their price to $119 from $129. The markdowns aren’t significant but could be the extra push you need if you’ve been sitting on the fence.
Apple announced the two AirPods 4 models at its iPhone 16 event on September 9. The fourth-generation AirPods with ANC garnered an 86 in our review, while the standard version fared a bit better with an 88. The ANC model has improved fit and sound quality and offers Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and wireless charging. It also has perks like a speaker in the case that beeps when you activate Find My — though the AirPods only support proximity view, not precision finding like the AirPods Pro 2.
The AirPods 4 without ANC share a big con with their sister device: no onboard volume controls. They also don’t have wireless charging or Conversation Awareness. What they do give you is a good, comfortable fit and much better sound quality than their predecessor. This model also offers Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Voice Isolation and Adaptive EQ.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-4-are-already-on-sale-in-this-early-prime-day-deal-133057269.html?src=rss
TikTok has announced in its US Elections Integrity Hub that it has removed accounts associated with Rossiya Segodnya and TV-Novosti, which own and run Russia state media outlets Sputnik and RT. The company said that it kicked the accounts off the social media platform for “engaging in covert influence operations” that go against its guidelines for spam and deceitful behavior. TikTok clarified that the accounts’ content weren’t shown in the For You feed under its state-affiliated media policy and were also labeled as such. Their videos were already restricted in the EU and the UK, as well, but now the accounts had been permanently banned and are no longer visible to anyone in the world.
As CNBC notes, Sputnik has issued a statement on X that says “TikTok users and [its] 86,000 subscribers are no longer allowed to know the truth about most urgent geopolitical issues and laugh at Western politicians’ gaffes in Sputnik International videos.”
TikTok didn’t give specific examples of how the outlets are trying to spread misinformation and to manipulate this year’s presidential elections in the US. But the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI have just told reporters that Russia has generated the most AI content related to the election, so far. It has reportedly created and spread AI-made text, images, audios and videos online, mostly to “denigrate the Vice President and the Democratic Party” and to sow division by focusing on topics like immigration.
Earlier this month, the US government formally issued sanctions against Rossiya Segodnya and TV-Novosti, accusing RT of moving “beyond being simply a media outlet.” It said the Russian government embedded a cyber operational team with ties to Russian intelligence within RT, and that team allegedly focuses on “influence and intelligence operations all over the world.” That team even pays social media personalities to spread “unbranded content” meant to influence foreign government elections, the feds said.
Meta banned Russian state media outlets on its products, including Facebook and Instagram, “for foreign interference activity” shortly after the US government announced the sanction. It said it found evidence in the past that the outlets tried to hide foreign interference activities and that it expects them to continue with their deceptive practices.
If you’re wondering what kind of fake videos Russia has been releasing, Microsoft detailed a few in a recent threat analysis report. One video showed “Kamala Harris” attacking Trump rally attendees, while another video used an actor to accuse the Vice President of being involved in a 2011 hit-and-run incident that paralyzed a 13-year-old girl. There’s also another fake video showing a New York City billboard claiming that Harris wants to change children’s gender. The company warned that more Russian-made staged and AI-generated videos are bound to circulate online as the US gets closer to the election.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-removes-russian-state-owned-media-accounts-for-covert-influence-133006441.html?src=rss
The 2024 Roku Ultra is the latest update to the streaming player, announced today at the company’s developer conference. The original version of this device was one of our top picks for a streaming device. The new model promises some nice quality of life upgrades, such as 30 percent faster performance in content loading and interface navigation thanks to a new quad-core processor. It comes with Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision for 4K and HDR10+ picture quality. The Ultra now supports Wi-Fi 6 and can also be directly connected via ethernet.
This streaming device is also getting an updated controller. The Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) has backlit buttons, USB-C charging, and direct access to a Live TV Guide and to a new feature called Quick Launch. This introduces a personalized screen of a viewer’s most-used apps and voice commands. The remote also provides all the usual features for selecting content and controlling playback.
Roku is also rolling out a new version of its operating system. Roku OS 14 is getting more customization, with thumbs up and thumbs down icons to provide feedback on programming, which should lead to users receiving better recommendations. The company is also making its Kids & Family content accessible from the main home screen and adding additional voice controls. The update will be applied to supported devices in the US “in the coming months.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/roku-says-its-new-ultra-streaming-box-is-30-percent-faster-130038051.html?src=rss
OpenAI opened a newsroom Twitter account earlier this month and it’s already been hacked. The new handle was taken over by a crypto scammer promoting a fake OpenAI token that was in reality a scam to steal Bitcoins. That follows similar hacks of three key OpenAI employee X accounts over the last 15 months, including the one belonging to CTO Mira Murati.
The fraudster enticed potential victims by saying the OpenAI token is somehow “driven by artificial intelligence-based language models.” It then threw in a jumble of crypto and AI buzzwords that were probably enough to lure in some gullible users. Going to “token-openai.com” would show them a fake but convincing OpenAI site. Anything they click asks to connect to their wallet, then presumably steals everything inside it.
Several fraudulent posts were visible for around an hour before being removed and the account seems to be back to normal. OpenAI confirmed the problem and said they were looking into it, according to Bloomberg. Yesterday, the company’s security team reportedly warned employees to secure their accounts due to a rise in recent account takeovers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/openais-x-account-was-hacked-to-promote-a-crypto-scam-130020696.html?src=rss
Spotify’s beta AI Playlist feature is now available for Premium users in the US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. It lets you create and refine custom playlists using text prompts. It initially arrived in April in the UK and Australia.
The company describes it as a tool “to effortlessly turn your most creative ideas into playlists.” Spotify provided several examples, including “Upbeat folk music for a scenic fall road trip” and “2000 era hype jams for the tailgate.” If its initial results don’t quite hit the mark, you can refine the playlist with further prompts, such as “less peppy” or “hold the Nickelback.”
Spotify
Spotify says the feature leans on personalization, choosing tracks it thinks you’ll like based on your listening habits. The company says the AI produces the best results with prompts about genre, mood or artists. But you can try topics like animals, activities, movie characters, colors and emojis, too.
Premium subscribers will find AI Playlists in the Spotify mobile app. Navigate to Your Library, tap the + button and choose “AI Playlist.” Then, use the pop-up chat tool to start generating your custom tracklists.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/spotifys-ai-playlists-are-now-available-for-premium-users-in-the-us-130008423.html?src=rss
Portable monitors have been around for years, but their importance skyrocketed during the pandemic. And with the continuation of remote and hybrid work positions, they’re going to be staples for the foreseeable future. But picking one isn’t as simple as it seems. At this point, almost every major PC maker has its own take on travel-friendly displays, with prices ranging from as little as $100 to nearly $1,000. So to help sort through the confusion, I tested out a bunch of options to put together a short list of the best portable monitors on sale today.
Things to consider before buying a portable monitor
Before you start looking at specific products, it’s super important to think about how and where you plan on using a portable display. Larger panels are great for home use where you may only need to move it or put it away when you have company over. Meanwhile, smaller screens are great for travel and whipping out at a coffee shop or shared workspace. But if you go too small, you may be adding extra weight to your bag without providing a ton of extra utility.
It’s also important to consider your typical workload, as artists may get extra value out of monitors with higher brightness and wider color gamuts. Those who spend all day looking at spreadsheets won’t get as much value from more vibrant displays.
What to look for in a portable monitor
Aside from price and the size of the screen, some of the most important specs in a portable monitor include panel type, brightness, refresh rate and connectivity. Most portable monitors use IPS LCD displays, which generally offer good viewing angles, strong brightness and good power efficiency. However, there are a few models sporting OLED screens that support wider color gamuts, which can be a major benefit for artists and content creators. Some budget models may use TN panels, as that can help cut costs and reduce energy consumption. That said, we generally try to stay away from those as they often have worse image quality compared to IPS screens.
For brightness, 300 nits is the lowest we recommend — anything less can make the monitor hard to use even in some indoor environments. Ideally, we look for screens that are closer to 350 or 400 nits and above.
Connectivity is also important because if you can’t easily hook your phone or laptop to a monitor, it becomes an oversized paperweight. Most travel displays include HDMI or USB-C ports (or both), which cover the large majority of devices. However, we also like models that support passthrough power over USB-C, which reduces the complexity of your setup and decreases the number of cords and adapters you have to carry around.
Finally, most portable monitors feature 60Hz refresh rates, which is fine for most use cases. However, there are a handful of models that go up to 120Hz or even 240Hz. Panels that fast are especially good for gaming, especially for those planning to bring the console or gaming PC on the go.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-portable-monitor-120050851.html?src=rss
“It’s the most powerful wearable tracking the most important organ in your body.”
Dr. Ramses Alcaide is explaining the electroencephalography (EEG) technology that his company Neurable uses to track activity with its brain-computer interface (BCI). Alcaide is the CEO and co-founder, and notes that a huge problem with EEG sensors is that they are often affixed to bulky, awkward-looking headsets — not exactly something you want to wear out in public. And to him, that’s why the technology hasn’t yet “created the type of impact that they could [on] the world.” Sure, we’ve seen a variety of headbands over the last decade, but those add an additional device to your bag. Alcaide argues there’s a better way to use EEG tech that’s even less intrusive.
Neurable began at the University of Michigan in 2011 where its technology was initially created. The overall platform is an AI system that combines filtering to increase and boost the signal of brain data. The company spun out in 2015 and has been working to bring its EEG-powered tech to “smaller everyday devices,” as Alcaide describes them.
“[It] took a lot of time, but what we’ve been able to do is take what was traditionally these large systems and bring it down to everyday devices using AI,” he says.
Devices like headphones, earbuds, helmets, AR glasses and more can be equipped with EEG sensors so that they can track neurodegenerative diseases and neurodivergence based on brain activity. For example, the ability to track Alzheimer’s or ADHD before a person knows they even have it is part of the plan for Neurable. Right now though, the company’s first step is one of those “everyday wearables” that can track decreases in focus to create what Alcaide calls “good wellness hygiene.”
Billy Steele for Engadget
The company’s first device is the MW75 Neuro: a set of headphones built in collaboration with Master & Dynamic. Based on the existing MW75, this version has dry fabric EEG sensors in the ear pads, sending 12 EEG channels to the Neurable app for the software to do its AI analysis and signal processing. The app then interprets the data “with high confidence” and “lab-level accuracy,” according to the company.
The Neurable app is where all the data is displayed for the MW75 Neuro. First, it essentially gamifies mental hygiene with focus tracking. You earn points for high (2), medium (2) and low (1) focus levels, accumulating points throughout the day. You’re then able to view comparisons week-to-week as well as individual session summaries with attention span graphs. During these periods, the system can prompt you to take a break when focus decreases, which Neurable says this should help with burnout to some degree. Of course, “burnout” isn’t something that’s easy to quantify, or even tangibly measure, since there’s more than your focus or attention at play.
The MW75 Neuro isn’t just meant to keep you working. The company says monitoring your focus levels can assist you with gaming, meditation, reading and even decision-making. Noise cancellation can block out distractions during periods when you need to be locked in, which doesn’t only apply to the office. Neurable says no matter the activity, its app provides the data necessary to recognize your performance over time and identity when you need to take breaks or maybe find a different environment in order to be productive.
“This is just scratching the iceberg,” Alcaide explains. “We’re not claiming or diagnosing everything, [but] it really shows you a glimpse of the future that these everyday wearables can deliver on.”
Billy Steele for Engadget
Of course, the MW75 Neuro is a set of noise-canceling headphones, which means you’ll get a host of audio features on top of the fancy brain tech. Master & Dynamic CEO Jonathan Levine told me that this version of the headphones has an identical industrial design to the regular MW75. 40mm Beryllium drivers carry M&D’s trademark warm sound profile and four microphones are employed for active noise cancellation (ANC) and calls. There are still a host of sound modes and you can customize the EQ and more inside the M&D Connect app.
Besides the ear pads, there are some other changes on the MW75 Neuro. Neurable’s version supports Adaptive Transparency mode for starters, but the key difference is inside. The electronics were completely redesigned to add EEG processors that power the AI tech, including an ARM Cortex chip. Since the sensor-packed cushions on this model are fabric instead of leather, Levine says the variation does change the sound profile slightly. And during my testing I noticed that they aren’t quite as comfortable as those on the original model either. If you pre-order from Master & Dynamic, the company will throw in non-EEG leather ear pads for free.
There’s a big hit to battery life, too. Neurable says the MW75 Neuro offers 10 hours of EEG tracking on a charge (8 hours with ANC on), compared to up to 28 hours with ANC on the regular version. I don’t think you’re going to use Neurable’s features for more than a few hours at a time, but you should know they do impact longevity.
Once you start a focus session, a timer begins in the app and continues until you turn it off. There’s a button up top if you need to take a break, otherwise the headphones continue tracking your brainwaves until you tell them to stop. There’s also an indicator on the timer screen to let you know if the sensors are properly connected. A reliable connection ensures optimal EEG signal quality during the session.
Neurable
During my tests, I used the MW75 Neuro to track short focus sessions. It’s nice that the whole system runs in the background without any distractions – other than the break suggestions. Of course, you’ll have to think back to remember if any dips lined up when you look at the graph, but I felt like the app’s prompts to take a break were well-timed and probably overdue. The software can give you voice or push notifications (or both), and the app provides a separate 10-minute timer for the so-called Brain Breaks.
I don’t have any lab-grade tech to thoroughly evaluate what Neurable is doing on these headphones from a tracking standpoint. And I’ll admit that my short time with the MW75 Neuro isn’t enough time to fully evaluate their utility. But, I can begin to see how they could help over time, especially for those of us who are incentivized by streaks and daily scores. I found it interesting to see how much time I spent in high and medium focus, as well as trying to recall if a text or Slack message may have caused me to stumble during a session.
Neurable is actually working to help with that common distraction. The company is allowing developers to build apps for the MW75 Neuro, including one in the works that will automatically pause Spotify when you lose focus. To help with messages, the company is working on a chat integration that allows you to respond with head movements while remaining in the productivity zone. Alcaide argues that 90 percent of text messages can be responded to in a simple manner with a response created by ChatGPT, so the headphones’ accelerometer can be used to detect a nod or shake for automatic replies. This goes beyond what Apple is doing with Siri Interactions on AirPods since it helps facilitate an appropriate response.
“When the iPhone came out, a touchscreen was the interface,” he continues. “For [Neurable], it’s going to be the neural interface and the accelerometer. It’s going to enable us to do a lot of the same things we do with our phone with our everyday wearable.”
The MW75 Neuro is available for pre-order today in the US in silver, onyx, navy and olive color options for $699. Neurable plans to make the headphones available in Europe and the UK in 2025 for €729 / ₤629. That’s a lot for a set of headphones, but the regular MW75 is $599, so there’s only a $100 premium for Neurable’s tech.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/neurables-brainwave-tracking-master–dynamic-headphones-tell-you-when-to-take-a-break-120004736.html?src=rss
At some point, we’ve all encountered someone who just doesn’t get boundaries. They get too deep into our personal space, oblivious — or all too aware — of our discomfort. This problem is magnified online where there’s instant access to someone’s broader digital footprint, which can be a vector for abuse. It’s why most platforms have some sort of block feature, enabling people to limit some user’s access to their lives.
Elon Musk announced a change to X’s policies to enable users you’ve blocked to see your posts. They won’t be able to interact with you, but they will see what you’re posting to the platform. Musk has railed against the block feature before, saying users could already get around this by switching to a non-blocked account. Which is true, in the sort of tell-on-yourself way that suggests he’s got form not respecting someone’s boundaries.
Obviously, the reasons this is a terrible, dreadful, no-good and generally bad idea are so long we’d be here forever trying to list them. But it’s a good reminder that X is a place that thinks trust and safety are four-letter words.
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