Bragi Dash Pro true wireless earbuds review

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Bragi Dash Pro

They’re not headphones! Bragi describes its Dash and Dash Pro as wearable computers, which means before you dive into our Bragi Dash Pro review, a little background is in order.

Bragi’s first “hearable,” last year’s fully wireless Dash, promised to track exercise, respond to gestures, and even had a “transparency mode” that selectively lets outside sound in. With multiple sensors, “micro components,” and a waterproof design that was both flashy and elegant, they were unlike anything we’d ever tested. Unfortunately, as our Dash review concluded, they also came with some serious limitations, including buggy functionality, poor call quality, and connection issues. To quote Spaceballs, “Even in the future nothing works!”

But Bragi didn’t bail. Promising a better connection, flashy new features, and nearly double the battery life, the Dash Pro are Bragi’s second shot at evolving headphones. Are they finally ready to deliver?

Out of the box

Inside a black and yellow box, the Dash Pro come packed in a drawer alongside containers for their accessories. Like the original, the Dash Pro arrive nestled within a sturdy metal charging case, the beaded black buds mounted on magnetic chargers.

Those who have ponied up for the Dash Pro Tailored by Starkey ($499, plus a visit to a Starkey-authorized audiologist for gooey imprints of your ear) will get a few added perks, including a monogrammed shell for the charging case, monogrammed nameplates on the buds, and of course, custom-molded earpieces.

Both the tailored and standard Dash Pro ($329) ship with a tiny microUSB charging cable, but the two deviate in other accessories. The standard Dash Pro come with removable FitSleeves and tips to conform to your ears and keep out water. The fitted pair come with tiny replaceable earwax guards called Hear Clear filters – Starkey uses the same style in its hearing aids. They require cleaning with a toothbrush (never a Q-Tip, according to Bragi) and replacement over time, and they’re hell to put back in if you drop one.

Hang on to that manual

With so much tech, you might think setting up the Dash Pro would be complicated and challenging — and you’d be right. Bragi promises “a simple one-touch setup” for the Dash Pro, but the instruction manual and experience say otherwise.

Getting started requires charging the headphones and case in your computer, downloading the Bragi updater, installing the Bragi app for Android or iOS, and even jabbing a paperclip into the case, all leading up to that “one touch.”

These are the most complicated to configure wireless earbuds we’ve ever encountered.

We were then finally able to connect to the Dash Pro in our phone’s Bluetooth menu, but there’s a snag there, too. The Dash Pro connect to your phone in two ways: The left bud connects to Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) to send sensor data to Bragi’s app, while the right connects via your phone’s Bluetooth menu directly for audio. If you connect to the wrong one, you’ll see an “X” after the “Dash Pro” in your phone’s Bluetooth menu.

Whoops. We got it wrong the first time, but after some more paperclip pin-holing to reset and re-pairing, we were finally ready to jam! But no, it turns out we weren’t. Our first pair was a dud, and Bragi had to send another pair.

Even setting aside the defect, the Dash Pro are just too finicky to setup. These are the most complicated to configure wireless earbuds we’ve ever encountered, and we have tested dozens.

On the road

Taking the Dash Pro out and about is the best way to understand their appeal. They turned plenty of heads on the bus, and we even ended up giving a tutorial to one fascinated rider. With the phone in our pocket and control at our fingertips, we really got that futuristic feeling.

To start with, you never need to turn the Dash Pro on or off, the buds simply rest in the charger when not in use, and turn on when inserted. A familiar female voice tells you when they’ve connected, and announces other alerts.

You control the headphones with taps, swipes, and in a futuristic twist, head movements. The sensors pickup head movements for fielding calls with just a nod or shake, and after calibrating it in the app, you can add other functions like skipping songs or navigating menus. There’s even a “Virtual 4D Menu” that’s all gestures. While it’s definitely cool in theory, accuracy wasn’t always consistent in practice. At times, we had to head-bang pretty hard to get the Dash Pro to read movements.

If you would prefer not to violently nod in public, the Dash Pro also have tiny touch panels. Swiping forward or backward on the right earbud controls volume quite well, though the max volume is lower than we’d like, requiring you to turn up your phone often. Swiping on the left bud controls Transparency mode, which conveniently allows you to monitor the world around you while you rock out. It’s especially useful for the custom pair, which offer excellent passive noise isolation. Swiping down on the left bud initiates a “wind shield,” but it’s hard to activate, and it pops and clicks in heavy wind. If wind is fierce, you’re better off just leaving Transparency off. It isn’t great for busy locales (or windy streets) where sharp exterior sounds tend to bombard your ears.

While a bit less accurate, the tap controls also work relatively well: Single, double, and triple taps control playback, while a quick hold calls up Siri. The app also allows you to add in more functions. Tapping or holding the left bud is less relevant, used mostly for hearing workout data. There’s also a “cheek tap” feature which can call up Siri, among other things, but we only ever got that working once.

Running the company’s new Bragi OS 3, the updated app is more functional than ever, from customizing controls to reviewing workout stats. It’s a big improvement, though we still wish it was a little easier to find the basics — specifically the full list of controls, which can only be accessed by clicking outside the app.

Smarter than your average earbuds

Controls are novel, but the Dash Pro do much more than give you cute ways to pause your tunes.

Bragi’s new translation feature, a partnership with iTranslate, theoretically allows you to speak and understand up to 40 foreign languages in real time. It’s a very cool concept, but there are some serious hurdles at present, not the least of which is the fact that whomever you speak to will need their own Dash earbuds to carry out a conversation.

You’ll appreciate the Dash Pro more while working out, where the dozens of sensors prove their mettle.

Barring that, you can still use iTranslate with the buds, but you’ll need to pass your phone back and forth to communicate. Even then, iTranslate is spotty. A quick convo with our Spanish colleague was as frustrating as it was illuminating, with sentences frequently being misread or mistranslated.

You’ll appreciate the Dash Pro more while working out, where all those dozens of sensors prove their mettle. The system automatically catalogs stats like heart rate, distance, step count, speed, calories burned, and more with relative accuracy.

The coolest part is Auto Tracking, which can be set to turn on whenever you begin running, biking, or swimming (the Dash Pro are waterproof up to three feet for 30 minutes), and it actually works. The buds knew exactly when we started our workout, pausing and resuming at our whim, and they could sense our speed when we get on a bike within the first few pedals.

Audio performance and phone calls

Bragi has touted audio improvements for the Dash Pro, including bigger bass, but to our ears the boomier sound is a step back. We enjoyed the original Dash’s sound signature, which offers relatively impressive detail and well-balanced sound. In the new version, bass takes center stage – especially in the fitted version.

Bass heads will no doubt appreciate the added oomph, and it certainly brings some unbridled power to hip hop and rock tracks. However, it’s more bloated and forceful than we’d like, at times dominating the lower midrange. This may well be exaggerated in the Starkey model, as the custom seal affords little room for frequencies to escape, naturally enhancing the lower register. The result is sometimes akin to listening to a brass band with the tuba section lined up out front.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

When bass is held in check, though, the lighter upper register does offer solid detail for wireless earbuds, providing a clean and relatively tight midrange, and some pleasant stereo spacing for subtler moments, like acoustic guitar slides or reverb splashes from side to side.

Call quality, which was dire on the Dash, has improved, especially for outgoing calls. Oddly enough, though, incoming voices were relegated almost entirely to the right earbud during testing. The left earbud also seemed to partially disconnect and reconnect between songs, or whenever volume got extremely low, emitting an audible clip. The bug eventually caused Bragi to send us yet another pair (that’s three if you’re counting), but due to supply issues we haven’t received it yet. We’ll update this review if they change our mind, but even owners of this flawed pair will only notice the blips if they’re listening very intently.

Despite this hiccup, we still experienced far fewer wireless disruptions than with the original Dash. But they’re not perfect. We heard a few signal cutouts walking outside with with the phone in our back pocket, as well as a few instances of the left earbud cutting out entirely.

Battery boost

The Dash Pro’s five-hour battery runtime is perhaps its biggest improvement, requiring us to charge the case only once during testing. They won’t display a battery icon on your phone like most new wireless buds, but instead Bragi offers a novel solution: You shake the buds to activate lighted rings on the outer shells, with blue, green, and red representing full, medium, and low. The charging case has its own LED indicator, too.

Warranty information

The Dash Pro have a one-year limited warranty, which the company says may differ by country and does not apply to accessories or “alterations due to normal wear and tear, or any other damages caused solely by the customer,” including failure to follow instructions. You can find out more at Bragi’s website.

Bragi Dash Pro Compared To

V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless…

Optoma NuForce BE6i

Jaybird X3

Apple AirPods

Sol Republic Amps Air

NuForce BE Sport 3

Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless Special…

Jabra Halo Smart

Plantronics BackBeat Go 3

Erato Apollo 7

Bragi Dash

Jabra Sport Pace Wireless

Jabra Sport Coach

Jabra Sport Wireless Plus Bluetooth

Monster iSport Freedom

Our Take

Bragi’s new Dash Pro packs in even more features than the company’s original “wearable computer,” including nearly double the battery life, new gesture controls, and impressive workout functions. However, an extremely finicky setup process and bugs in the system cancel out many of the new benefits.

Is there a better alternative?

Those eyeing similarly futuristic features can check out the Here One from Doppler Labs, or Nuheara’s IQbuds. However, while those earbuds offer augmented audio that goes well beyond Bragi’s Transparency Mode, they don’t offer workout features. If you want a pair of true wireless buds for the workout grind, checkout Jabra’s more affordable Elite Sport true wireless buds, which offer fewer features, but are quick and easy to use.

Other alternatives include The Headphone, Bragi’s toned-down buds, or Apple’s AirPods, both of which offer great battery life and stellar performance for their affordable price points. If you’re dying for the Dash Pro, we’d advise against the custom-fitted version. Frankly, sound performance isn’t enhanced enough to justify the $170 upgrade, and while the fit is inherently near perfect, we never had issues with the original Dash there.

How long will it last?

That’s difficult to assess, seeing as we’ve had issues with two pairs already. That said, the headphones appear to be robustly built, and Bragi has exhibited great customer service.

Should you buy it?

Unless you just have to have the latest tech, no. Battery life, features, and overall connection have improved since the original, but so has the competition. While the Dash Pro show real promise, complicated setup and buggy functionality have us once again pressing pause on Bragi’s “hearable” future.

Crazy vine robot will grow to rescue survivors, put out fires, and more

Why it matters to you

A quick-growing soft robot could be used in search and rescue missions — or even to crawl through your blood vessels for surgery.

Just when you thought you had seen every kind of robot under the sun, researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara come along and introduce you to something totally new. In this case, it’s a quick-growing soft robot that’s able to extend itself up to 236 feet in length, and navigate through some impressive tight spaces — all by pumping itself up with air.

“We’ve developed a soft robot that extends from its tip in order to navigate its environment,” Professor Elliot Hawkes, lead researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “It’s pretty different from traditional mobile robots, because the body doesn’t move, but rather grows in length. This has some interesting advantages, [such as the fact] that it creates a structure as it moves, which can later be used to move materials through.”

The robot was inspired by the natural world. While we’ve seen plenty of robots inspired by animal locomotion, in this case it was inspired by natural organisms such as vines which cover great distances by growing. It also exhibits some surprising superpowers, including the ability to manipulate itself in such a way that it can lift a 100-kilo crate, extend under a door gap that is just 10 percent of its diameter, and even spiral on itself in a way that allows it to form a freestanding structure for sending out a radio signal.

E.W. Hawkes, L.H. Blumenschein, and J.D. Greer

The soft robot determines which direction it should “grow” in via image recognition, taken from a tiny camera sensor located at the robot’s tip. For now, it’s powered by pneumatic air pressure, although the researchers say later iterations could also grow using liquid, which opens up a number of new potential use-cases.

“One of the areas we’re most interested in is search and rescue,” Hawkes continued. “We imagine growing the robots through rubble and debris to help find trapped survivors. The robot could deliver water or oxygen to the survivor, and possibly pry rubble off the survivor. We’re also looking at a much smaller scale [version], hopefully with applications in endovascular surgery.”

Yes, you read that correctly: the long-term goal is that this could be made small enough to one day fit inside blood vessels for surgery. “We’re down to 1.8mm diameter right now,” Hawkes said. If there’s a more versatile robot project in 2017, we’d love to see it!

A paper describing the vine robot was published in the journal Science Robotics.

Samsung confirms Galaxy Note 8 launch for August 23

A year later, the Note line is hotter than ever.

Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23 at various Unpacked events around the world, though the main one will be in New York City starting at 11 a.m. ET.

The company sent out press invites with a silhouetted phone slightly boxier than the Galaxy S8, replete with an S Pen overlaid on top, In other words, nothing surprising.

The date lines up with previous rumors, and gives Samsung a few weeks to get the phone onto store shelves prior to the unveiling of Apple’s new iPhone model. Samsung is also expected to spend some time reassuring the media, and potential customers, that the new Note model is free of battery defects, and that its ]eight-point battery test](https://www.androidcentral.com/samsungs-new-8-point-battery-safety-check) is the best in the industry.

This year’s Note is expected to have a 6.3-inch Infinity Display, a Snapdragon 835 processor and 6GB of RAM, along with dual 12MP rear cameras, a 3300mAh battery, an updated S Pen, running Android 7.1 out of the box.

More soon!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8: Everything we know so far
• All Galaxy Note 8 news
• Should you buy the Galaxy S8+ or wait for the Note 8?
• The buttonless future of Samsung phones
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

YouTube now redirects searches for extremist videos to curated anti-terrorism playlists

The Redirect Method is a new active stance against online extremism.

Starting today, YouTube will return results for curated anti-terrorist playlists when someone searches for hateful content. The details, from Tubefilter:

The new feature, dubbed The Redirect Method, is part of a four-prong strategy announced by Google last month to quash extremist ideologies across its platforms. The Redirect Method was developed by Jigsaw — an Alphabet subsidiary whose mission is to counter extremism, censorship, and cyber attacks — alongside another tech company called Moonshot CVE (which stands for “Countering Violent Extremism”).

Jigsaw and Moonshot CVE developed the tech after studying, over several years, how terrorist factions like ISIS leverage technology to spread their messaging and recruit new followers. In coming weeks, YouTube says it intends to incorporate The Redirect Method into a wider set of search queries in languages beyond English, use machine learning to dynamically update search terms, work with partner NGOs to develop new anti-extremist content, and roll out the Method to Europe.

This new initiative comes, for the most part, as a result of advertiser outrage because their products were regularly being advertised on videos deemed hateful. While we applaud the effort to halt terrorism and appreciate the technology that drives these tools, we also know censorship of any kind can be a very slippery slope.

We expect the people behind the scenes at The Redirect Method know this as well, and will act accordingly.

The Wirecutter’s best deals: Google Home and Philips Hue bundles drop by $70

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Google Home and Philips Hue Starter Bundle

Street price: $300; MSRP: $330; Deal price: $230

Here’s another opportunity to jump headlong into the smart home game. This bundle offers two of our picks, the Google Home Speaker and the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter kit, for $230, an excellent deal. We’ve posted deals in the past few months on the Google Home speaker at $100 and the White and Color Ambiance kit (3rd Gen) at $170, so you’re saving $40 even as compared to recent deal pricing by purchasing these two bundled. Shipping is free.

The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit is our pick for the best smart LED light bulbs. Grant Clauser writes, “Philips Hue is not just a smart bulb; it’s a whole smart system. The color-adjustable A19 bulbs can remake the look of a room in seconds. Multiple app options and device compatibility make it the best overall choice.”

The Google Home is our pick in our Is Google Home the Right Voice-Controlled Speaker for You? guide. Grant Clauser and Brent Butterworth write, “The Google Home brings Google’s search and voice-control expertise to the category, making this device especially compelling for people who have already entrusted their digital lives to the Google ecosystem.”

Vantrue OnDash R2 2K Ultra HD 2.7-Inch LCD Dashboard Camera

Street price: $100; MSRP: $160; Deal price: $70

Here’s a great price, matching our previous low, on the Vantrue R2 dash cam. This cam is seeing a recurring monthly sale at this point which has seen it drop incrementally down to $70, but this is the second month in a row the drop has stopped at $70, so this could be as low as the price of this item gets. As it is our runner-up pick primarily because of its cost relative to our top pick, you’re getting a great deal on a top performer. Shipping is free to most states.

The Vantrue R2 is our runner-up pick for the best dash cam. Eric Adams writes, “The Vantrue OnDash R2 slots into our runner-up position on cost rather than quality. It produces great videos, but it’s too expensive compared with the Z-Edge Z3—almost $50 more at the moment before factoring in the cost of the Zero Edge’s included microSD card, which the Vantrue lacks. Its images are just a hair too dark compared with the Z3, but they still blow most other dash cams out of the water, leading us to recommend this as a backup if its price drops or the Z3 sells out and you need a dash cam right away. The Vantrue was our top pick in testing until the Z3 arrived late in the process and displaced it.”

Refurbished Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones

Street price: $350; MSRP: $350; Deal price: $260

This is an excellent deal on these refurbished noise cancelling headphones, which typically cost $350 new. The Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones have remained consistently at $350 since their release, expensive enough to give even the biggest Bose devotee pause, but this refurb deal offers some relief. These headphones are factory refurbished by Bose, sold via the Bose eBay storefront, and offer the same warranty as a new pair. At $260, they’re nicely discounted and available in both Black and Silver. Shipping is free.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 are our runner-up pick in our Best Noise Cancelling Headphones guide. Lauren Dragan writes, “New this year is the QuietComfort 35 model, the wireless counterpart to the QC25s. Their size, shape, and comfort are all the same as the QC25s. In objective tests they offer slightly better noise cancelling on average than their wired counterparts, though in the real world this difference wasn’t apparent. Their sound quality is a bit different too; it’s a bit more lively, with a bit more sizzle. Some people might like it, others won’t. It’s not an improvement over the QC25s, just a different sounding headphone.”

LG LW8016ER Window Air Conditioner

Street price: $230; MSRP: $240; Deal price: $170 w/ code FRIDGE7

If you’ve waited this long on a new window air conditioner, you’re probably pretty warm right now. It’s not too late, though – whether you need to add an additional window AC or your existing window unit just isn’t cutting it, this LG LW8016ER unit is at a great price at $60 below the typical street value of $170, besting our previous low, when you use code FRIDGE7. It is unlikely to last long this heavily discounted. Shipping is free.

The LG LW8016ER is our pick for the best air conditioner. Liam McCabe writes, “The LG LW8016ER is the window AC you should probably get, especially if it’s for an office, den, or other room where you won’t be sleeping. Though for some people, it’ll be fine in the bedroom, too. Its price is fair, and this model is widely available, so you’ll have no trouble running out and grabbing it for a decent price on short notice—for instance, in the middle of a heat wave, like when you’re probably reading this article. Compared with other ACs at this price, it’s quieter and hums along at a lower pitch, so it’s easier on the ears. And though AC controls aren’t rocket science, this one offers a greater level of flexibility in total than most of its competitors, covering all the little details, from the fan’s directional controls and outdoor-air vent to the dehumidifier mode and removable drain plug.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursdays, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Alexa helps Android users shop in the Amazon app

iPhone users have been enjoying Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant within the retailer’s main shopping app for some time. Now, however, Android owners can finally ask Alexa about package shipping, to watch a show on Netflix, or even to pay their American Express bill from the Amazon shopping app on their Google-powered handsets.

According to TechCrunch, who initially reported a Twitter user’s discovery of the feature, Alexa should start to roll out to Android OS Amazon shopping app users this week. While Android users can already use voice search in Amazon’s shopping app, it makes sense to upgrade that to something more robust like Alexa. It could also likely bring the voice assistant to the attention of even more folks out there on Android. At least there’s parity between the Amazon apps for both Android and iPhone users. We’ve reached out to Amazon for confirmation and will update this post when we hear back.

Source: TechCrunch

Mozilla’s new Firefox features improve browsing on iOS and Android

Firefox is adding a few quality-of-life features to its mobile browsers. To celebrate hitting one million downloads in the month since it launched, the minimalistic, privacy-intensive Firefox Focus for Android now lets users download files, supports full-screen video and enables opening the browser right from notifications.

Firefox for iOS added a night mode to ease your nocturnal journeys across the web and a QR code reader for…whenever you need that. The browser will also display recently-visited sites and highlights from earlier sessions when users pop open a new tab, and the Feature Recommendations addition will point out time-saving shortcuts.

Source: Mozilla (iOS version), Mozilla (Android version)

Apple CarPlay now supports Google Play Music

If for some reason you’re an iOS and CarPlay user that also manages your tunes with Google Play Music, you’re in luck. Google’s music service is now compatible with Apple’s in-car system, which means you can control things from the safety of your car’s display rather than fiddle with your iPhone while on the road.

CarPlay already works with Apple Music, Amazon Music and Spotify, so it makes sense that Google would want to get its own service into rotation here. According to 9to5Google, Google Play Music for CarPlay has four main sections. You can view your recommendations on the Home screen, recently played tunes on Recents, your saved music catalog on Music Library and find genres and other collections on Stations. To get this fine feature, you only have to update your Google Play Music app on your iPhone and you’ll be good to go. You can also move the Play Music icon to your main CarPlay screen in the CarPlay Settings on your iPhone to make it even easier to access.

Source: 9to5Google

Netflix drops the full trailer for David Ayer’s ‘Bright’

Netflix has some 40 original movies due for release this year, but the highest profile release will likely be Bright. Directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch), it stars Will Smith and Joel Edgerton as a pair of cops, but the twist is that they live in a world with orcs, fairies and elves. Following a panel appearance at Comic-Con Netflix posted this three minute trailer on YouTube, giving us our first good look at the movie ahead of its December 22nd release date.

Getting ready for our Hall H panel. You coming? #SDCC #BrightMovie pic.twitter.com/xdNhtet9Ph

— Bright Film (@BrightNetflix) July 20, 2017

So how does it look? Despite the objections of Christopher Nolan and his ilk, it appears that Netflix can deliver on a big budget fantasy flick. The service paid a reported $90 million for the flick, and visually it delivers. It’s still too early to know if it will impress critics more than Ayer and Smith’s last effort with SS, but if things go well Netflix is apparently considering making this a franchise.

Source: Netflix (YouTube), Netflix

Google Play Music iOS App Now Supports CarPlay

Google’s music subscription service, Google Play Music, now has a dedicated CarPlay app available, according to comments shared on reddit. That means Google Play Music users who own a vehicle equipped with CarPlay can access their music directly through the CarPlay interface when an iPhone is connected to the car.

The Google Play Music CarPlay app is sectioned off into Home, Recents, Music Library, and Stations, giving subscribers access to recommendations, their own custom playlists, radio selections, and more.

Google Play Music is the first Google-made app to be available for CarPlay, and it joins music apps from services like Pandora, Amazon, and Spotify.

Google Play Music allows users to store up to 50,000 songs and listen to ad-supported radio stations for free. With a premium account, priced at $9.99 per month, users can listen to more than 40 million on-demand streaming songs without advertisements.

Google Play Music can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google Play Music
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