Bose QuietControl 30 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
You’ve probably seen plenty of people wearing neckband-style wireless headphones, which LG pioneered with its top-selling Tone series. But think of Bose’s upcoming QuietControl 30, which ships this September, as the ultimate neckband-style Bluetooth headphone. With impressive sound and active noise reduction, it’s the wireless successor to the QuietComfort 20 and will list for the same price: $300 (£230, AU $399).
New Bose wireless headphones
- Bose intros 4 new wireless headphones you’re going to want (hands-on)
- Bose SoundSport Wireless (hands-on): The Bluetooth sports headphone you’ve been waiting for
- Bose QuietComfort 35 (hands-on): Finally, an active noise-canceling wireless headphone from Bose
Not only is the build quality really good but the headphone fits very comfortably, with an open design. By open I mean that you don’t jam the earbud into your ear. Thanks to Bose’s Stay-Hear+ eartips, which come in 3 sizes, the bud sits loosely in your ear yet remains securely in place.
The only downside to an open design is that ambient sound leaks in and normally a headphone like this wouldn’t be good for noisy environments. But that’s where the noise canceling comes in. Even though the design is open, ambient noise gets muffled, and what’s a little different from Bose’s previous active noise-canceling models is that you can manually adjust the level of noise cancellation by pressing a button on the integrated remote or moving your finger up and down a slider in Bose’s free Connect app for iOS and Android devices.
Battery life is rated at 10 hours, which is decent for this type of Bluetooth headphone, and protective carrying case is included. While Bose doesn’t advertise that the headphone is sweat-resistant, it is, and this headphone is suitable for gym use and maybe even running if you don’t mind the feel of a having something around your neck while running.
Bose QuietControl 30 (pictures)
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The QC30 is designed to be used as a wireless headset and it’s a really good one. It muffles ambient sounds like wind and crowd noise so callers can hear you better — and you can hear callers better. There’s also a side-tone feature that allows you to hear your own voice in the headphones as you speak so you don’t raise your voice while talking.
In my limited listening test at Bose’s launch event for the product, I couldn’t make a definitive judgment about its sound quality (we’ll have a full review when the product ships in September), but you can expect similar performance to that of the wired QC20, which sounds very good for an in-ear noise-canceling headphone.
This isn’t the only new wireless Bluetooth noise canceling headphone in Bose’s line up. There’s also the flagship QuietComfort 35, a full-size wireless model with best-in-class noise cancellation. Given the choice between the two, my personal inclination would be to wait for this one, but the QC35 certainly has its own appeal.
The included carrying case.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Bose QuietComfort 35 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
This is the Bose product a lot of people have been waiting for, the QuietComfort 35, an active noise cancelling headphone that’s also wireless.
At $350 (£290, AU $499), it costs more than the wired QuietComfort 25. But at least it’s only $50 price bump, which puts this around what Beats’ competing Studio Wireless costs, although that headphone has been discounted in recent months, indicating Beats probably has something new coming.
New Bose wireless headphones
- Bose intros 4 new wireless headphones you’re going to want (hands-on)
- Bose SoundSport Wireless (hands-on): The Bluetooth sports headphone you’ve been waiting for
- Bose’s QuietControl 30 is the ultimate neckband-style Bluetooth headphone (hands-on)
Like the similar looking QC25, this is a lightweight, very comfortable headphone and you get the same quality of noise reduction that you get from the QC25, according to Bose.
With microphones inside and outside the earcups, Bose says the QC35 senses, measures and sends unwanted sounds to two proprietary digital electronic chips — one for each ear — that respond with a precise, equal and opposite signal in less than a fraction of a millisecond. The headphone’s also equipped with a new digital equalizing system that balances the sound whether you’re listening at lower or higher volumes.
Battery life is rated at 20 hours, which is quite good, and there’s an integrated remote on the right earcup with buttons for adjusting the volume, controlling playback and answering and ending calls. It also comes with a cable if you want to go wired and works with Bose free Connect app for iOS and Android devices.
Bose QuietComfort 35 (pictures)
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Available in silver or black, the QC35 is designed to be used as an advanced wireless headset and it muffles ambient sounds like wind and crowd noise so callers can hear you better — and you can hear callers better. There’s also a side-tone feature that allows you to hear your own voice in the headphones as you speak so you don’t raise your voice while talking.
I only spent a limited amount of time with the QC35 at Bose’s launch event for the product, but it felt very similar feel to the QC25 and SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II, although it looks slightly sleeker. It was hard to make a definitive judgment during my short listening test about sound quality, but once I get a review sample, I’ll be able to compare it to competing models, as well as the QC25.
In its carrying case.
Sarah Tew/CNET
This isn’t the only new wireless Bluetooth noise-canceling headphone in Bose’s line up. In September, the QuietControl 30 arrives for $300. That’s a neckband-style in-ear headphone that offers variable levels of noise-cancellation and is essentially the wireless version of the QuietComfort 20.
My personal preference leans toward the QuietControl 30, but if you’re looking for a full-size wireless Bluetooth headphone with best-in-class noise cancellation, the ultracomfortable QC35 is awfully tempting.
The QuietComfort 35’s highlights:
- Available in black or silver
- Price: $350, £290, AU $499
- 20 hours of battery life
- Proprietary Bluetooth wireless connection and active noise reduction
- NFC pairing for devices that support it
- Works as an advanced Blueototh headset
- Carrying case included
- Can be used as a wired headphone (cord included)
The Bose QuietComfort 35 comes in silver or black
Sarah Tew/CNET
Best TV catch-up on Freeview Play: The Musketeers, Pokemon and more
Freeview Play televisions and set-top-boxes give you the option to scroll back through the EPG to catch-up with shows you might have missed the previous week.
All you have to do it click on the show and it will open in each channel’s respective on demand application and play.
At present, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programming is available to scroll back to on Freeview Play, while Channel 5’s can also be played through the Demand 5 app on supported devices. UKTV Play shows are also coming to the platform.
Of course, with so much control and content at your fingertips the choice of what to watch can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together a helpful round-up of the best of the last seven days for you to check out. Just navigate backwards on the Freeview Play electronic programme guide to check any or all of them out.
READ: What is Freeview Play, when is it coming to my TV and how can I get it?
BBC
Versailles
BBC Two (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Wednesday 1 June
The Beeb’s new period drama is more than a little saucy in places, brutal in others. Will definitely appeal to those who enjoyed a spot of The Tudors.
A relatively unknown cast is headed by George Blagden (the excellent Athelstan in Vikings) as Louis XIV, so it’s great to see him in something new.
BBC
Alan Shearer’s Euro 96: When Football Came Home
BBC One (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Wednesday 1 June
As part of the build up to Euro 2016, which kicks off in France next week, Alan Shearer looks back at the last tournament to be held in England.
He’s joined by Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, who penned and sang the iconic number one hit “Football’s Coming Home”, plus manager Terry Venables and other football luminaries.
BBC
The Musketeers
BBC One (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Saturday 4 June
Returning for its third and last series, The Musketeers is big budget, Saturday evening fare for the Beeb and well worth a watch even if you’ve missed the previous seasons.
Based on Dumas’ famous characters, it’s a bit more gritty than the flouncy big screen versions you might have seen before.
BBC
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
BBC One (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Monday 30 May
Courting controversy for its gay and lesbian undertones, this adaptation of Shakepeare’s play will surely have been approved of by the bard.
Ex-Doctor Who show runner Russell T Davies provides the screenplay, which is beautifully acted by a stellar cast, including Richard Wilson, John Hannah and Maxinne Peake.
ITV
Tonight at The London Palladium
ITV (ITV Hub) – broadcast on Wednesday 1 June
It’s rare to see a real variety show on TV these days, that isn’t just a talent programme, so Tonight at The London Palladium should be applauded for that alone.
It is hosted by Bradley Walsh and this week’s show also featured namesake comedian, Seann Walsh, Alistair McGowan and Craig David.
CITV
Pokémon
CITV (ITV Hub) – broadcast on Friday 3 June
The Pokémon cartoon is shown a lot on CITV and we have to admit that even though it’s meant for kids, we’re more than happy to chuck it on occasionally too.
It’s also worth parents sitting down with their kids to watch an episode or two, if only to understand what they jabber about after each Nintendo 3DS gameplay session.
Channel 4
Father Ted
More 4 (All 4) – broadcast on Saturday 4 June
The incredible Father Ted is one of our favourite sitcoms of all time and More 4 has a couple of episodes available to watch.
If you’ve never seen it, we suggest you remedy that immediately.
Get catch-up and on demand TV for £0 per month with Freeview Play. Click here to find out more.
US Army’s smart earplugs spare soldiers from loud noises
As you might imagine, soldiers can’t just use garden variety earplugs to protect their ears. It might tone down the sounds of explosions and gunshots, but it’ll also prevent them from hearing a crucial command or an enemy on the other side of a doorway. It’s less of an issue for the US Army these days, though. The military branch has been gradually rolling out a smart earplug, TCAPS (Tactical Communication and Protective System), that adapts to the audio realities of war. The smartphone-linked device softens louder noises, but amplifies quieter ones; if your squad leader needs to issue a command, you’ll hear it over the din of battle.
It’s a relatively simple system, but it’s very flexible. Some versions link to a soldier’s existing communications, and it’ll play nicely with hearing aids.
TCAPS is far from ubiquitous. Only 20,000 of the earplugs are in the field, and it’s doubtful that every single person in the infantry will get one when they cost around $2,000 a pop. However, it stands a relatively good shot of catching on. More than anything, the technology provides confidence — you know you’ll get crucial audio cues without going deaf.
Source: NPR
The Galaxy S7: imperfect, but still the best phone in 2016 [review]
I’ve now spent about three weeks with Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7. Like any experience with a new smartphone, it has its benefits and drawbacks, its features and its quirks. You may have read a few weeks ago that I’m planning on sticking with my Nexus 6P over the Galaxy S7 (Edge) and that’s still true but a lot of my original gripes have faded away over time. Pending what we see from HTC in the “10” smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is shaping up to be the best smartphone in 2016.
The specs are pretty standard for what we’ll be seeing this year:
- Display: 5.1″ QHD (1440×2560, 577 PPI) Super AMOLED panel
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996)
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 32 GB, with microSD expansion up to 200GB
- Cameras: 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS & 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm
- Battery: 3000 mAh, non-removable
- OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Given that it’s pretty much exactly the same on the inside as both the HTC 10 and LG G5, Samsung had to differentiate themselves by what’s on the outside.
Design
The Galaxy S7 is without a doubt the most elegant Android phone ever built. The industrial design of the HTC One series over the last couple of years and then the Nexus 6P last last year are certainly great, but the Galaxy S7’s fusion of metal and glass is absolutely gorgeous and it feels so great in the hand that you don’t want to put it down.
One often overlooked part of the design is where to put the 3.5mm headphone jack. It seems that nearly every OEM has moved this to the top of the phone in recent years, which leaves wires going everywhere if you’re using the phone and listening to headphones at the same time. Samsung put it back on the bottom, which may sound like a small point, but it’s an appreciated design choice.
Speaking of design choices and ports on the bottom of the phone, it is very surprising given Samsung’s propensity for wanting to be on the cutting edge that they would forego the USB type-C port on its new flagship. Every other major Android OEM that has released a phone in the last 6 months has gone with USB type-C and there has even been speculation that Apple may be putting it into the new iPhone in the fall.
The only reason that I have been able to think of that Samsung would have done this was to keep the new model phones compatible with the Gear VR headset. The Gear VR is an awesome accessory, but Samsung could definitely afford to come up with a new Gear VR tomatch the new port.
The Display
Samsung is known for having the most striking displays on the market. Another year, another Galaxy, nothing has changed. The screen on the Galaxy S7 is the same size and resolution as last year’s model. I wouldn’t be the first reviewer to say so but the Galaxy S7 is a refinement upon the S6 and in the case of the screen, there wasn’t a whole lot to improve upon because the screen in the S6 was the best on the market last year and this year it is no different.
Even though this isn’t the Edge variant of the phone, the glass does not stop flat at the edge of the phone, but instead curves around the edge by about 1mm in order to make the overall look and feel of the phone more smooth. The result of such form over function is that you end up constantly touching the screen when you’re just holding the phone normally.
The Software (aka Touchwiz)
This is without a doubt the best spin on Android that Samsung has ever made. I said the same thing last fall when I reviewed the Note 5 and I meant it. Samsung has been steadily making its flavor of Android better and better. I’m not sure how much the modern processors contribute to cleaning the clunk in Touchwiz, but the point is that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is smoother than the Nexus 6P.
Samsung has finally stopped making putting new gimmicks into the OS a selling point for its phones, which is great, but it also means there’s less to talk about on the software side of things. Still, I have some favorite features of Touchwiz that I would like to share.
Much like on the Note 5, one of my favorite features is still the theming engine/store. I’ve been a part of the root/ROM scene since my first smartp
hone in 2010 and theming has always been one of my favorite parts of that. Seeing that feature on mainstream Android devices was a dream come true and still is a lot of fun. It’s a little annoying that it is attached to the Samsung Hub rather than Google Play, but who would actually be surprised by that?
Another one of my favorites was the addition of ultra power save mode. I don’t remember seeing this on the Note 5, which was running Lollipop at the time, but this seems to be 
something that Samsung added with its Marshmallow release. It essentially takes regular power save mode on stock Android and turns it up to 11.
It limits your data and CPU usage, as well as completely shutting off a majority of the apps on your phone except for those that the user deems essential. It also utilizes the AMOLED display and makes everything black and white. It even disables the screenshot function!
The battery life on the Galaxy S7 is pretty good, but I’ve found that in a pinch, ultra power save mode can be invaluable. Ironically, using ultra power save mode disables the themes.
I’ve been using the Verizon variant of the phone, which normally requires the obligatory complaint of bloat. This isn’t to say that there isn’t bloat on this phone, there most certainly is, and you’ll probably want to be disabling some of them if you’re on Big Red lest you get annoying notifications about visiting the Verizon store. I feel sorry for the average Verizon customer who will never think to a install third-party SMS client, but I found that after I settled in with the phone and got it all set up the way that I like, I didn’t care about the apps that came pre-installed.
Samsung doesn’t just stuff things into Android, though, they take things out, too. In Marshmallow they removed two features that I thought were pretty crucial and left me disappointed with the implementation. One was something that I detailed a few weeks ago – they removed the ability for timed or ’til next alarm’ do not disturb. These are pretty small features, but why remove them? It’s really nice to be able to put my phone into do not disturb while I’m at the movies and set it to two hours so I don’t have to remember to turn it back on when I leave!
The other is something that a lot of people probably didn’t know about, maybe don’t care about, and technically can be brought back; and that’s adoptable storage. There was a feature introduced in Android 6.0 Marshmallow where the system could adopt the SD card as though it were internal memory and treat it the same way that it already treats the internal memory. That means that you can install as many apps as you want on a phone that is only sold with 32GB of storage but has been expanded to accommodate up to 160GB of storage. Samsung took this feature out. It can technically be brought back with some work at the command line, but why take it out in the first place?
Battery Life
Like I mentioned before, the battery life on the Galaxy S7 is pretty 
good. It’s not as good as the OnePlus One, but it worked some sort of magic. Impressively, Samsung packed the same 3000 mAh battery that it had in the Galaxy Note 5, which had a lot more physical space to work with and more pixels to push, into the smaller footprint of the Galaxy S7, giving it better battery life than the Note 5. The battery on the S7 regularly lasted me throughout the day and only when I was planning on going past midnight did I bother with recharging before the end of the day.
Like with overall performance, I’m sure that some of the battery performance can be attributed to the Snapdragon 820 under the bonnet, but I’ve heard that the Galaxy S7 with an Exynos 8890 Octa, which is sold everywhere that isn’t America.
The Camera
It’s no secret that Samsung is the unquestioned leader in Android cameras, if not smartphone cameras in general and that hasn’t changed with the Galaxy S7. Photos outdoors come out very crisp and enjoyable and thanks to a lower resolution sensor and some new licenced tech, it’s better than ever in low light and has an impeccably fast shutter speed/auto focus. There’s a little bit of noise in the low light photos but they’re still better than what you’ll typically see from the competition.
I’m not what you would call a photographer and if I were I wouldn’t probably recommend using a smartphone to take pictures. But for the casual snapper, it’s hard to go wrong with the S7.
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Other stuff/Final thoughts
The biggest selling point for the Galaxy S7 after having used it for several weeks is not the phone itself, but the Gear VR headset that came with a lot of early sales. Even for $99, it’s a great accessory to your smartphone.
WIN A GEAR VR!
I’ll be doing a full review of the Gear VR soon, right after we give one away, but it was the highlight of my review and for my roommate’s girlfriend, the only thing she cared about when I told her that I had the Galaxy S7 to review.
In the meanwhile, we’re going to give away a brand new Samsung Gear VR. All you have to do is head to our Instagram page and leave a comment on this post. We’ll pick a winner on April 27!
Overall, I’m still going to keep my Nexus but that doesn’t mean that the Galaxy S7 isn’t a great phone. In fact, I think it’s the best phone you can buy right now, especially if you have already owned Samsung phones and are used to some of their quirks. It’s a gorgeous phone, one that I would be ashamed to put a case on but almost definitely would have to. Make no mistake, you’ll be paying nearly $700 for this phone and almost $800 for it’s edged brethren, and that’s no small amount of money but if you have to live with a phone for two or more years, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one.
NASA and Germany extend the life of their flying observatory
SOFIA, the airborne telescope that backed up New Horizons in studying Pluto, will go on flights to observe our universe until the end of 2020. NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt or DLR) have extended their joint project for four more years. SOFIA is a 17-ton infrared telescope with an 8.9-foot-diameter primary mirror fitted into a Boeing 747SP wide-body plane. A hatch on the aircraft slides open so the telescope can get a view of the sky. And since it operates at altitudes of about 41,000 feet, it can make its observations above most of the water vapor in the Earth’s atmosphere, which blocks some infrared waves.
SOFIA has flown at least 250 10-hour flights since 2011, studying the atmosphere, comets, planets and stars. While the new contract is only until 2020, the aircraft itself was designed to last until 2030. NASA and DLR will sit down again in 2018 to determine whether they should extend the partnership even further.
Source: German Aerospace Center
American Airlines planes will get ViaSat’s powerful WiFi
American Airlines is equipping a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes with in-flight WiFi other than Gogo’s. It has inked a deal with California-based company ViaSat, which also provides internet connection to some of Virgin America’s newest A320 planes. ViaSat promises an “at home” experience by providing you with a (12 Mbps) connection strong enough to stream movies and music. It uses a high-capacity satellite system, and it’s launching another satellite in 2019 to make its connection even faster. You can’t confirm that speed on an AA plane just yet, though: the 100 737 MAX planes the carrier ordered won’t be delivered until September 2017.
According to Chicago Tribune, Gogo’s shares dropped after the partnership was announced. However, despite AA’s and Gogo’s tumultuous relationship, they’re not completely breaking up just yet. American Airlines petitioned a district court in February to allow it to ditch Gogo and switch to ViaSat. It ended up withdrawing its request, though, and agreed to equip 134 Airbus planes with Gogo’s newer 2Ku WiFi service.
Source: ViaSat
Password app developer overlooks security hole to preserve ads
Think it’s bad when companies take their time fixing security vulnerabilities? Imagine what happens when they avoid fixing those holes in the name of a little cash. KeePass 2 developer Dominik Reichl has declined to patch a flaw in the password manager’s update check as the “indirect costs” of the upgrade (which would encrypt web traffic) are too high — namely, it’d lose ad revenue. Yes, the implication is that profit is more important than protecting users.
The impact is potentially quite severe, too. An attacker could hijack the update process and deliver malware that would compromise your PC.
To his credit, Reichl notes that he’d like to move to encryption as soon as he believes it’s possible. You can also verify that you’re getting a signed download, if you’re worried. However, it’s still contradictory to develop a security-centric app and decide that security should take a back seat. Even if it’s true that ad income would take a steep hit, the consequences of knowingly exposing people to attack (including alienating those who once trusted the password tool) are likely far more severe.
Via: Hacker News, SwiftOnSecurity (Twitter)
Source: Bogner.sh, Sourceforge
Silk Road 2.0 staffer gets 8 years in prison
It’s clear that authorities want Silk Road 2.0’s operators to face stiff penalties for running an online black market… even when they’re not the top dogs. A federal judge has sentenced Brian Farrell, a key assistant to site architect Blake Benthall, to 8 years in prison. Farrell had pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to sell illegal drugs (including cocaine, heroin and meth) through the Dark Web portal, which emerged just weeks after law enforcement shut down the original Silk Road in fall 2013.
The penalty isn’t entirely shocking. Prosecutors say that Farrell admitted to being vital to Benthall. He may not have been running the show, but he was more than just a cog in the machine. However fitting the penalty might be, it’s likely intended as a warning to other secret site workers: you won’t get a slap on the wrist just because you’re a subordinate.
Source: Reuters
Microsoft Band 2 gets Cortana support for Android users
Microsoft Band 2 pairs up just fine with Android phones. But if you want to be able to issue voice commands through the wearable, check out the latest update for Microsoft Health. The app’s newest version comes with Cortana integration for Android users — something that only used to be available for people whose Bands are connected to a Windows Phone device.
After updating your Health app, you’ll be able bark voice commands on the Band’s mic without having to touch your phone and get instant notifications. According to The Digital Lifestyle, though, you have to be in the US (due to the app’s limited availability) and have Cortana for Android installed on your phone to be able to use the feature. You can read the application’s change log on Google Play, which also lists the ability to create challenges for everyone in your friends’ circle who has the wearable.
Via: The Digital Lifestyle
Source: Microsoft Health (Google Play)
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