Pornhub thinks your smartphone choice reflects your kinks
Much like OK Cupid, Pornhub has access to a large repository of data concerning our most private and intimate desires. Every now and again, both sites like to reveal some statistics about what we like to get up to when nobody else is watching. Today, Pornhub is delving deep into its servers to look at the meteoric rise of smartphones over the last five years and what, if anything, your choice of smartphone says about your habits. Are iOS and Android users that different in what they like to get off to? You betcha, but for propriety’s sake, we’ll leave all of the grisly details until after the break. Adults only from here on out.
If you needed any more evidence that the smartphone is the dominant computing platform, then Pornhub’s figures should probably convince you. Back in 2010, desktop browsing accounted for 88 percent of the site’s traffic, but in 2015, that figure has fallen to just 37 percent. The rest of that figure is now accounted for by Android and iOS, with a near perfect split between the two (Android has 32 percent, iOS has 31). The company has also tracked the duration of each visit, and while the average iOS user lingering on the site for 8 minutes and 40 seconds — Android fans hang around for 10 minutes and six seconds.
The choices of content that people choose are different, too, and Pornhub believes that there’s a link between the phone you own and the sort of porn you look for. In one example, iOS users are respectively 105 and 66 percent more likely to search for Bondage and Fetish content than their Android-using compatriots. The opposite is true for films featuring fuller-figured women: Android users are 138 percent more likely to search for BBW, as well as material based on cartoons. There is, however, one sign that everyone’s not so different at all, since the most searched-for term for both teams is the same: Lesbian.
Pornhub won’t talk about the super-special secret sauce it uses to do it, but the firm believes it knows what gender its users are. The site reports that there’s a 74.5/25.5 split between men and women that like to get their rocks off with their smartphone in hand. There are plenty more insights and statistics over on Pornhub itself, but those can wait until you get home tonight, right?
Source: Pornhub
MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Copy of Macphun’s Apps, Now With OS X El Capitan Photos Integration
Macphun, the company that makes several popular photo editing apps for Mac and iOS, today updated some of its Mac apps with support for OS X El Capitan and the new Photos extension. In OS X El Capitan, third-party photo editing apps from the Mac App Store are able to share their tools with Photos, making it possible to edit images with these apps without ever leaving the Photos app.
Third-party editing capabilities have been available in iOS for quite some time, but are new to El Capitan, which was released to the public yesterday. Four Macphun apps are now able to be used within the Photos app on OS X El Capitan, including Noiseless, Tonality, Intensify, and Snapheal.
Noiseless ($14.99) is an app that removes noise or graininess from photos, while Tonality ($14.99) can be used to turn images black and white. Intensify ($14.99) enhances detail within images by increasing the sharpness, and Snapheal ($9.99) is designed to remove unwanted objects from images. All of the apps are available from the Mac App Store, and customers who already own them will receive the updates for free.
“So many people were left disappointed by the lack of editing tools in Photos for Mac. As photography enthusiasts ourselves, it made perfect sense to improve Photos’ weaknesses,” commented Alex Tsepko, COO of Macphun. “With Macphun’s photo editing extensions, Photos for Mac will finally offer the tools, features, speed and editing quality that its users were expecting. Many of the tools Macphun will bring to Photos are not present in Aperture, Lightroom, Affinity or Pixelmator. We’re confident this update will be an exciting element of Apple’s eagerly awaited El Capitan.”
To celebrate the launch of the El Capitan updates, Macphun has offered to give away copies of Noiseless, Tonality, Intensify, and Snapheal to three lucky MacRumors readers. Each winner will receive one Mac App Store promo code for each of the four apps.
To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes.
You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveawayhttp://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsThe contest will run from today (October 1) at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 5. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 5 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond before new winners are chosen.
Tiny ‘supercapacitors’ could make batteries live longer
Scientists in Canada and France have created a micro-supercapacitor with the same energy density of a modern lithium-ion battery that could potentially last forever. Supercapacitors have long been eyed by scientists and industry leaders like Elon Musk as a replacement for batteries, since they can be recharged nearly infinitely without a loss of capacity. The research does have a “small” catch, though. The capacitor’s porous cathode is just a few square millimeters in size, because it’s built out of exotic materials like gold and ruthenium oxyde. If it can be scaled up, however, it may lead to capacitors with the same energy density as existing batteries, much lower charging times and longer lifespans.
The key to the research is the 3D electrode (cathode). Normally, such electrodes are very thin, which limits their performance. However, the scientists built a 3D electrode from porous gold, vastly increasing the available surface area. When doped with Ruthenium oxide, which has excellent conductivity and rechargability, the result was “unsurpassed energy density,” according to INRS professor Daniel Guay. “For this type of application, component sizes are reduced to a few square millimeters, making it possible to use such expensive materials,” he added.
For the near future, it has the potential to replace current “micro-batteries” used for miniaturized energy storage with 1,000 times the energy density of current micro-battery tech. Such batteries could eventually end up in wearables, microcircuits and autonomous sensor networks, to name a few. We’ll probably have to wait a lot longer for instant-charging cellphones and electric cars, however.
Via: PhysOrg
Source: CNRS (PDF)
Former Boeing Executive James Bell Joins Apple’s Board of Directors
Apple today announced that former Boeing chief financial officer and corporate president James Bell has joined Apple’s board of directors. Calling himself an “avid user of Apple products” with “tremendous respect” for Apple’s ability to innovate, Bell brings nearly four decades of experience at Boeing to Apple’s board.
“James brings a wealth of global, financial and industrial experience from his successful career at Boeing as corporate president and CFO,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “I am thrilled to welcome him to Apple’s board of directors and I look forward to working with him.”
“We look for outstanding individuals to strengthen our board’s breadth of talent and depth of knowledge, and we are very happy to have identified a fantastic person in James Bell,” said Art Levinson, Apple’s chairman. “I’m confident that he will make many important contributions to Apple.”
Bell becomes the eighth member of Apple’s board of directors, joining CEO Tim Cook, board chairman and former Genentech executive Art Levinson, Al Gore, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, Grameen president and CEO Andrea Jung, former Northrop Grumman chairman and CEO Ron Sugar, and BlackRock co-founder Sue Wagner.
(Photo courtesy of JPMorgan Chase)
Hailo ditches private hire vehicles and recommits to black cabs
As the debate over whether private hire taxi apps like Uber are good for London continues to rage on, Hailo has announced it has resigned its licence and will go back to supporting regular black cabs. In a statement, Andrew Pinnington, CEO of Hailo, confirmed that the company will become a champion for the licenced taxi trade in London by campaigning “every level of government, every day” to protect the industry. It also intends to reinforce the benefits of the Knowledge and make “all transport 100 percent accessible, safe, green and reliable – and lead the world on standards, professionalism, and values.”
They are strong words, but Hailo’s announcement is certainly well timed. Earlier this week, Transport for London (TfL) announced a second consultation that proposed tighter regulation of private hire apps like Uber. One proposal suggests that drivers should be made to wait five minutes before they can pick someone up, while another asked whether they should be made to pass English-language and navigation tests, similar to those put forward by the London Mayor.
To Hailo’s credit, it was one of the first major apps to allow Brits to hail a regular Hackney Carriage. However, back in May 2014, the company confirmed it would extend its service to include private hire cars. This led to a massive backlash by disgruntled drivers, who vandalised the company’s HQ and actively boycotted the company and its app. The company has tried to rebuild those bridges over the past year, and today’s announcement appears to reinforce its commitment to the industry.
There is another way of looking at it, though. Britain now plays host to a number of successful private hire and taxi booking apps, but Uber is the one that hogs the limelight. When (dis)interested parties attempt to take action, it’s Uber that takes the heat, even though it only serves to boost its popularity. With increased competition and lower margins, Hailo’s private-hire business may not have been as successful as it would’ve liked, and TfL’s upcoming reforms gave it the perfect platform to further its support for traditional taxis.
Whatever the cause, Hailo hopes it can win back the hearts of Londoners and cab drivers alike with improved card payments, lower commission fees and reward programs. “At the heart of this is our commitment to go back to black,’ Pinnington says. “100 percent Hackney Carriage. No ifs, no buts, just taxis.”
Source: Hailo Blog
Why does the Nexus cost more in UK and Europe?
Buying a smartphone free of a contract can often be very expensive and sometimes, the location you’re buying it in can result in you paying even more for that handset.
A couple of days ago, Google announced its new Nexus handsets and with it, brought a key issue to the forefront of the market; the price. If you’re buying your new Nexus in Europe or the UK, you may end up paying over 40% more for the same handset than those buying in the US, but why is tech more expensive in the UK and Europe versus the same prices in the USA?
The Nexus pricing
To add some context to this topic, let’s take a look at the pricing for Google’s new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P in the USA and how it compares to selected European countries (you can sort this table and it will display according to the US equivalent price):
| Region | Nexus 5X 16GB |
Nexus 5X 32GB |
Nexus 6P 32GB |
Nexus 6P 64GB |
Nexus 6P 128GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (USD) |
$379 | $429 | $499 | $549 | $649 |
| Eurozone (EUR) excluding Italy |
$535 (€479) +41% |
$591 (€529) +38% |
$724 (€649) +45% |
$780 (€699) +42% |
$892 (€799) +37% |
| Italy (EUR) |
$535 (€479) +41% |
$591 (€529) +38% |
$780 (€699) +56% |
$836 (€749) +52% |
$948 (€849) +46% |
| Denmark (DKK) |
$537 (kr.3590) +42% |
$596 (kr.3990) +39% |
$732 (kr.4899) +47% |
$792 (kr.5299) +44% |
$897 (kr.5999) +38% |
| Sweden (SEK) |
$535 (kr4490) +41% |
$583 (kr4890) +36% |
$715 (kr5999) +43% |
$775 (kr6499) +41% |
$882 (kr7399) +36% |
| Norway (NOK) |
$493 (kr4190) +35% |
$552 (kr4690) +29% |
$681 (kr5790) +36% |
$728 (kr6190) +33% |
$834 (kr7090) +29% |
| Switzerland (CHF) |
$510 (Fr.499) +35% |
$562 (Fr.549) +31% |
$664 (Fr.649) +33% |
$716 (Fr.699) +30% |
$818 (Fr.799) +26% |
| United Kingdom (GBP) |
$513 (£339) +35% |
$573 (£379) +34% |
$679 (£449) +36% |
$755 (£499) +38% |
$876 (£579) +35% |
As you can see, the pricing is rather affordable in the US but as you move East towards Europe, the price rises exponentially. In the UK, the Nexus devices are approximately 34-36% higher than the US dollar equivalent while in Europe, the costs can rise by over 50% in some countries.
So why does tech cost so much more outside the USA? Here’s just a few of the reasons that can have an impact on the overall price you pay for your handset.
Exchange Rates
Exchange rates play a very large part in the overall cost you pay for your handset and as a particular currency weakens or strengthens, the cost also makes a large difference.
In the case of the Euro, a year can make a large difference. A year ago, the Euro was a lot closer to the Pound and now, it’s almost identical to the US dollar. As an example, a year ago 1 Euro was worth 1.299 US dollars, while now it is worth 1.115 US dollars. The 16 percent drop in the value means the equivalent handset pricing has risen by roughly the same amount to account for the weaker currency.
While this is certainly true of the Euro, it also explains why the UK pricing is almost the same a year later. The Pound and the Dollar have been pegged at a very similar rate over the past year and while the Dollar has grown a little stronger – a year ago, 1 GBP was worth 1.514 USD while now it is worth 1.51246 – the rate is still similar to how it was last year.
With the UK especially, there are a lot of other factors that impact the overall cost of a handset, so let’s take a look at some of the other reasons you’ll pay more for your handset on this side of the pond.
Taxes
Taxes, taxes, taxes; who needs them – apart from the government and those who need relief/benefits that is!
A key thing that I’ve been caught out on before is taxes when buying an item in the USA; as every state can charge their own tax rate (and some don’t charge any tax at all), most – if not all – items you buy show the pre-tax price. Once you enter your ZIP code, the shopping cart will then update with the final price including all taxes and subsidies.
In comparison, when you buy a handset in the UK or Europe, the price listed almost always includes the tax, which can be 20 percent or more depending on the country you’re buying in. For companies aiming to import their devices for sale in a particular country, a key barrier can be the fact that before any of the other associated costs are included (see below), taxes will be levied by the respective government.
At least in the UK, there’s no way to buy without paying the relevant taxes (including most of the times when importing from abroad) and as I discovered on a trip to New York a couple of years ago, 4 percent sales tax on an $800 item can increase the cost by quite a large amount.
Distribution and other costs
A lesser known element to pricing is the distribution channels, cost structures and tariffs, which all vary from country to country and, at least in the UK, can make up a significant part of the overall price you pay.
For those that aren’t sure on how the process works, let us try and explain; a company is more than welcome to introduce a new handset into the market and attempt to sell directly to consumers but what happens when someone actually buys one? Without a distribution warehouse to ship the handset, the customer won’t receive their phone and without a customer service infrastructure, there’s no one for customers to contact when something goes wrong.
That’s one side to distribution but there’s also the other side of distribution; partners. With the new Nexus devices, you’re able to either buy them directly from Google or pick one up on a post-paid plan from one of the carriers here. When dealing with carriers, the overall price of a handset – either on a post-paid or outright – includes the carrier’s and Google’s percentage of revenue, the costs of distribution and any other marketing and sales-related activities.
Marketing is also another key factor that will impact on the overall cost you pay for your handset; as the cost of marketing activities such as TV exposure, billboards, newspaper ads and more vary according to each country and the market position in that country, the overall cost of marketing can be a key factor behind the difference in the overall cost of a particular handset.
Should you import from the USA to the UK (or Europe)?
With all of these factors in mind, should you import a handset from the USA to either the UK or Europe? Or once all the various costs of importing are included, would you be better off buying from your local market?
Let’s remind ourselves of the Nexus pricing in the USA and UK but this time, we’ve added the state taxes you’re likely to pay in five selected states (New York, Florida, Nevada, California, Oregon):
| Region | Nexus 5X 16GB |
Nexus 5X 32GB |
Nexus 6P 32GB |
Nexus 6P 64GB |
Nexus 6P 128GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US pre-tax (USD) |
$379 | $429 | $499 | $549 | $649 |
| New York State Sales Tax: 4% |
$394 | $446 | $519 | $571 | $675 |
| Florida State Sales Tax: 6% |
$402 | $455 | $529 | $582 | $688 |
| Nevada State Sales Tax: 6.85% |
$405 | $458 | $533 | $587 | $693 |
| California State Sales Tax: 7.5% |
$407 | $461 | $536 | $590 | $698 |
| Oregon State Sales Tax: 0% |
$379 | $429 | $499 | $549 | $649 |
| United Kingdom Value Added Tax: 20% |
$513 (£339) |
$573 (£379) |
$679 (£449) |
$755 (£499) |
$876 (£579) |
Now let’s consider the various costs of importing a handset into the UK; the cost of delivery (which we’ve estimated as $30 including insurance for relatively speedy delivery), the taxes (20% on the item price including delivery) and the charge applied by a courier when an item is intercepted by customs (which varies by courier but averages to around $15).
With all these costs of importing in mind, now let’s take a look at the same table, with the five popular locations, but add the estimated cost of importing into the UK, if you were to choose a shipping service from that location.
| Region: | Nexus 5X 16GB |
Nexus 5X 32GB |
Nexus 6P 32GB |
Nexus 6P 64GB |
Nexus 6P 128GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (pre-tax): | $379 | $429 | $499 | $549 | $649 |
| New York (State Sales Tax: 4%) |
$524 (£346) |
$586 (£387) |
$674 (£445) |
$736 (£486) |
$861 (£569) |
| Florida (State Sales Tax: 6%) |
$533 (£352) |
$597 (£394) |
$686 (£453) |
$749 (£495) |
$877 (£579) |
| Nevada (State Sales Tax: 6.85%) |
$537 (£355) |
$601 (£397) |
$691 (£456) |
$755 (£499) |
$883 (£583) |
| California (State Sales Tax: 7.5%) |
$539 (£356) |
$604 (£399) |
$694 (£458) |
$759 (£501) |
$889 (£587) |
| Oregon (State Sales Tax: 0%) |
$506 (£334) |
$566 (£374) |
$650 (£429) |
$710 (£469) |
$830 (£548) |
| United Kingdom Value Added Tax: 20% |
$513 (£339) |
$573 (£379) |
$679 (£449) |
$755 (£499) |
$876 (£579) |
There you have it – just some of the reasons that the cost of a phone varies according to different countries and whether it’s worth importing or buying locally. Importing the new Nexus handsets from the USA into the UK or Europe also means you won’t have access to all the network bands that the international model has, but this is the same with importing most phones.
What do you think? Would you buy the Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P (or another flagship) from the USA and import to the UK or Europe? Personally, I would probably buy it locally, as the savings are minimal at best and require you to find a shipping service that will deliver to the UK (at least in my case, I’m yet to find one!) But what do you think? Do you have insight into other factors that you feel impact on the overall price that we’ve missed out? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Google Photos updated with new Chromecast features
If you caught Google’s Nexus event last week, you may remember that Chromecast support and a selection of new features were announced for Google Photos too. Today, the updated app, version 1.6, has appeared on the Play Store.
The updated app allows users to view their pictures and videos directly on their TV, even if they haven’t been backed up online yet. If you are thinking about picking up the new Nexus 6P or 5X, you will also be able to adjust the playback speed of slow motion videos shot with the Google Camera app while streaming them.
See also: Google Photos adds Chromecast support, labels and sharing
Google Photos now has some new sharing features too, which enables users to invite friends to view and contribute to your albums, to help flesh out your memories from multiple angles. Animations can also now be shared to WhatsApp, and will continue to work once they’re there. US users can also label people in their photos to find them later and can merge these labels with other search terms, such as a particular location or event.
The latest Google Photos app also comes with a few bug fixes, performance improvements and promises to start up a little faster. You can grab the app directly from Google Play via the button below.
Google and Microsoft drop all twenty lawsuits between the two
Google and Microsoft have been fighting over patents for quite some time. As of today, both companies have decided to terminate all twenty lawsuits debating patent filings between the two.
Starting today, Google and Microsoft will be friends again now that neither has to worry about their 5-year long dispute over patents. The argument consisted of everything from smartphones to game consoles with lots between. According to Bloomberg, the two companies have solved their issues and are now looking to partner up for future technologies. The companies agreed to set up what they’re calling a ‘royalty-free video format’ to prevent further disputes between the two.
It’s great to see that lawsuits have calmed down a bit. Both companies have changed to a large degree since 2010 when some of these disputes began. The market has changed a whole lot and each other’s goals today are not necessarily what they had in store back in 2010. Now we just need Apple and Samsung to do the same.
Source: Bloomberg
Come comment on this article: Google and Microsoft drop all twenty lawsuits between the two
Check out these 7 cases to protect your Galaxy S6
Protecting your cell phone is important. One of the first things most of us do is search for a case either while we’re still in the store or after we get home. AndroidGuys is here to help you get the best case you can for your Galaxy S6. We’re going to be taking a look at three different categories today. Ultra protection, barely-there and in-between. All of the cases on our list have 4 stars or greater and free Prime shipping from Amazon. Here are our choices for some of the best cases for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Ultra Protection
If you drop your phone a lot or just want to make sure your phone lasts for the full two years of your contract or financing agreement, these are the cases for you.
OtterBox Defender Series
OtterBox is the biggest name in phone protection. They’ve been doing it longer and better than anyone else. The Defender Series is the most popular line that OtterBox offers due to its multi-layer design that absorbs shocks and keeps scratches away. While it’s one of the top heavy-duty cases, it’s also deceptively light-weight. Weighing in at less than 5 ounces the Defender Series keeps your device protected without adding a lot of heft.
You can pick up the OtterBox Defender Series in one of four colors for about $31 with free Prime Shipping.
Product link: OtterBox Defender Series
Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged
Spigen is one of the most well respected case makers around due to their high quality and low prices. You can almost always find a design to fit the needs for your flagship phone because Spigen tries to protect just about everything out there. Their Capsule Ultra Rugged case is a great combination of protection and looks. It has a distinct design that covers makes your phone stand out while keeping it protected from those nasty falls and scratches. One of the best features of the Capsule Ultra Rugged is how slim it is. It’s one of the smallest cases on the list so it doesn’t bulk up your phone.
You can pick up the Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged case for $11.99 with free Prime Shipping.
Product Link: Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged
SUPCASE Water Resistant Rugged Case with built in screen protector
If you’re looking to protect your phone from more than just the drops and scratches, this may be the one for you. For $20, you can pick up this rugged case from SUPCASE that protects from splashes and spills and comes with three different backs so you can change the color whenever you want. The case has two layers, a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) core and Polycarbonate (PC) outer case, and a built in screen protector to extend the scratch protection to the screen. SUPCASE also included covers for the auxiliary jack and charging port, so you can keep water and dust out. Note that this isn’t a case you should take your phone with you while swimming, but it definitely should protect you in case of an accidental splash or two.
You can pick up the SUPCASE Waster Resistant Rugged case with built in screen protector and three backings for $19.99 with free Prime Shipping.
Product Link: SUPCASE Rugged Case
Barely There
Swees Transparent TPU Case
Sometimes less is more. If you want a case that will protect your phone but has less bulk, the Swees Transparent TPU Case may be the one for you. As the name indicates, it is transparent so you can see that beautiful glass back and the aluminum sides of your Galaxy S6. Since it’s made out of TPU it’s also going to add a fair bit of grip to your phone too. The S6 is a pretty slippery phone so this is definitely a huge plus for this case. There’s a raised lip to protect your screen and it’s easy to take on and off. This case from Swees has the recipe for success.
You can pick up the Swees Transparent TPU Case for only $4.99 with free Prime Shipping
Product Link: Swees Transparent TPU Case
Spigen Liquid Crystal Case
The Liquid Crystal case from Spigen is a lot like the Swees Transparent TPU case in the aspect that it focuses on a nice transparent case and doesn’t add a lot of bulk. Spigen advertises that the Liquid Crystal case is the thinnest and lightest Samsung Galaxy S6 case on the market and that the urethane coating they use prevents discoloration. Part of the advantage of the Liquid Crystal Case is that there is an anti-smudge inner dot design that creates a buffer between the TPU case and glass back. This protects your phone from not only fingerprints but scratches and provides some drop protection as well.
You can pick up the Spigen Liquid Crystal Case for $10.99 with free Prime Shipping
Product Link: Spigen Liquid Crystal Case
In Between
Caseology Wavelength
The Caseology Wavelength series is one of the best looking cases on the market. The dual layer TPU and Polycarbonate case will protect your phone from drops while looking good doing it. This is a case that will fit in no matter the situation. You could be in a business meeting or just out with your friends and it won’t look out of place. There are precise cut outs for all of your ports and a camera cut out big enough that the flash won’t rebound back into the lens. And no matter what your taste, Caseology is going to have a design for you with 37 color combinations to choose from.
You can pick up the Caseology Wavelength case in one of 37 combinations for only $17.99 with free Prime Shipping.
Product Link: Caseology Wavelength
Obliq Slim Meta Case
The Slim Meta case from Obliq is one of the thinnest, full coverage cases out there. This shock-resistant case is made out of TPU and in addition to being shock resistant, the Slim Meta case promises to keep your device free from scratches. There’s a lip that barely comes over the front of the case so it can protect your screen from face down falls while not impacting your ability to swipe in from the side, a common action in Android today. It looks great with an airbrushed, two-tone design.
You can pick up the Obliq Slim Meta case in a number of colors for only $14.55 with free Prime shipping.
Product Link: Obliq Slim Meta Case
What are your suggestions for cases for the Galaxy S6? Let us know in the comments what your favorite case is.
The post Check out these 7 cases to protect your Galaxy S6 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sound Guys Monthly – JBL Flip 3 International Giveaway
As the summer fades away here in New York — which is as close to a headquarters for Sound Guys as anywhere else — one thing makes us welcome the falling leaves and coming snow, and no, it doesn’t have “pumpkin spice” in the name. We’re talking about the slew of audio products released around this time every year. From the look of things, 2015 isn’t going to be any different.
We’d also like to congratulate Mustapha A. from the United States on winning last month’s giveaway for the Jaybird X2s! For all of you who were hoping to win but didn’t, you’ve got another chance this month, this time for the JBL Flip 3.
Sennheiser at IFA 2015: Bringing affordability with Sennheiser goodness
IFA kicked off September with a bang, with several audio companies showing off new products at the show. For its part, Sennheiser debuted three new models in its long-running HD400 line: the HD451, HD461, and HD471. While the HD451 aren’t coming to the U.S., the HD461 and 471 will be on sale later this month.
Parrot Zik 3: Making wireless headphones more connected?
Once upon a time headphones had coiled cables and needed to be plugged into giant hi-fi amplifiers. Eventually both headphones and the devices they played through got smaller, leading to wireless headphones. Now Parrot is taking wires out of the equation entirely by adding wireless charging to the upcoming Parrot Zik 3.
The Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Headphone II update great headphones with 2015 hardware
The Bose AE2W are among the company’s most popular headphones, despite the clunky external Bluetooth module needed for wireless connectivity. As we saw in our review, the Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Headphone II may have a clunky name, but the headphones themselves are worth it, and at $280, the price is fairly reasonable given the Bose name.
When artfulness meets IndieGoGo: Meze’s 99 Classics
Electronics may be useful, but they’re not exactly the most unique or personal products. You can slap a case on your phone, but chances are there is at least one other person with that phone + case pairing. Meze is attempting to solve this problem — at least for headphones — with its new 99 Classics, which it promises are as “unique as fingerprints.”
Logitech UE Boom 2: Making 360 sound with IPX7 certification
Nobody was really asking for the UE BOOM 2, mainly because most people were big fans of the original (except for Kris – see our review). Still the new iteration is more weatherproof and available in several fun new color combinations, which makes the new model an easy pick for those who haven’t yet looked at the OG BOOM.
Coolest of the month: Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II
With a whopping three 9.0 review scores given out this month, it was tougher than it’s ever been to pick the coolest of the month, but in the end Bose pulled it out, despite the awkward name. The sound and comfort are right in line with other Bose headphones, and the easy pairing and solid connectivity absolve the AE2W’s sins.
Best bang for the buck: Monoprice Hi-Fi Lightweight On-Ear Headphones
![Monoprice[4]](https://i2.wp.com/www.soundguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Monoprice4-1024x576.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Given that one of the top scores for the month only costs $99, this was another tough category to pick, but at just $15, the Monoprice couldn’t be ignored for this slot. We honestly weren’t surprised as we’ve come to expect great things at astonishingly low prices from this company, and these headphones delivered on that expectation.
Giveaway: JBL Flip 3
![JBL Flip 3[4]](https://i1.wp.com/www.soundguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JBL-Flip-34-1024x576.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
When it comes to speakers that can fit in your pocket, the UE BOOM and Beats Pill might be the better known options, but the JBL Flip has been around just as long as both of those speakers, and offers a much better price-performance balance. The JBL Flip 3 is the best iteration yet of this powerful yet portable speaker, and now it can be yours without paying a cent.
AIVAnet 
