Sony’s Xperia Ear Open Style is its most promising concept yet

After teasing its Xperia Ear Open Style Concept earlier this year at MWC 2017, Sony is now sharing more details about the wireless audio set. For starters, as we found out in Barcelona, the Xperia Ear has traditionally consisted of a single device, but now it’s a pair built for both of your ears. Another big change is that they’re now meant to be clipped around the bottom of your earlobes, rather than just sit without any support near your ear canal. That also means the earbuds are now designed to let noise from the outside world in as you’re wearing them, a feature that may be both good and bad.

If you’re a runner, for instance, the Open Style Xperia Ears probably make sense, since you should be aware of all your surroundings during your workout. That said, when people put on earbuds or headphones, it’s likely because they want to focus and block out, well, the outside world. Sony’s betting that its new concept can be a solid compromise though, since the buds can deliver solid sound and be inconspicuous at the same time. During our demo, in which we listened to an ’80s track at near-full volume, we noticed that while the sound did bleed a little, the person wearing the Xperia Ears it said the music quality was quite clear. It does get a little trickier when, for better or worse, you can hear someone else having a conversation next to you.

As was the case with the previous Xperia Ear model, the new version supports Sony’s underwhelming Agent virtual assistant and others like Google’s own and Apple’s Siri. The company doesn’t seem to have a clear strategy here, but it’s worth noting it just announced a smart speaker with Google Assistant. Naturally, the Open Style earbuds comes with a stylish, compact charging case. Sony says that companion device can give you about a 12-hour charge, compared to the up to four expected out of the box. Additionally, the new earbuds’ support for quick-charge tech means you can get two hours of listening out of a 12-minute charge.

Since this is a concept, there’s no info on whether the Open Style Xperia Ear will ever make it to market, or how much it could cost. But we hope to spend more time with it, because it’s definitely a lot more promising than the many Ear concepts that came before it.

Cherlynn Low contributed to this report.

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Logitech’s MX speakers have motion-activated controls

Among Logitech’s suite of releases this week comes MX Sound, billed as ‘the first premium Bluetooth speaker for your desk’. An elegant design and quality audio output make them a nice addition to your workspace, but it’s the features within that actually make them a really useful addition. Alongside the ol’ 35mm jack, you can pair up to two devices via Bluetooth and seamlessly switch between them. Simply pause music on one device and hit play on the other for instant playback — no fiddling around with settings. You won’t forfeit sound from your PC either, so you can play audio through a Bluetooth-connected device without missing alerts and chimes from your desktop.

Another major feature is the motion activated controls. Wave your hand in front of the speaker and a set of illuminated icons appear, allowing you to pair a device or adjust volume, which is handy if there’s already a lot happening on your desktop. It’s motion activation at its most basic, but it does hint at future possibilities — skipping tracks with hand gestures, for example. The speakers — which have been designed to aesthetically complement other products in the MX range — also boast a decent Bluetooth range of 80ft and automatic standby mode to help conserve power when not it use. They’re slated for release in October at $100/£90.

Source: Logitech

B&O Play Unveils Beoplay E8, the Danish Brand’s First Truly Wireless Earbuds

Bang & Olufsen today unveiled a pair of $299 truly wireless earbuds called Beoplay E8, the Danish company’s pricier luxury alternative to Apple’s $159 AirPods.

The E8 Bluetooth in-ear headphones are a mixture of aluminum and polymer, making them splash and dust-proof, while each earpiece features a touch surface that supports fingertip gestures to play/pause music, take calls (a mic is integrated into the buds), and change volume.

There’s also voice recognition support for activating virtual assistants like Siri, as well as a Transparency Mode that lets environmental sounds in for safer commuting. There’s also a built-in digital signal processor that enables custom output tuning with equalization and gain.

The buds provide up to 4 hours of play time at a moderate sound level, while the included leather charging case supplies two additional charges to give users up to 12 hours of listening time on the go. For reference, AirPods offer up to 5 hours’ play time and Apple’s charging case carries up to 24 hours’ charge.

Four pairs of different-sized silicon tips are included along with a USB charging cable (USB-A to MicroUSB). The Beoplay E8 wireless buds are available in black and charcoal sand colors, and will be available from the company’s website from October.

Tag: Bang & Olufsen
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Qardio Debuts New QardioBase 2 Smart Scale and Body Analyzer

Qardio today announced the second-generation version of its QardioBase Smart Scale and Body Analyzer, introducing design upgrades and new features.

QardioBase 2 has been designed with a wider base for more stability on any floor surface, a welcome change as the unstable base was one of the main features we disliked when we reviewed the original version last year.

It continues to feature the same circular “floating” design, but Qardio says it should be much more stable, even for people with large feet.

QardioBase 2 also includes an enhanced sensor system that improves accuracy and introduces quicker weight measurements, and it has an embedded rechargeable battery that lasts for up to 12 months before needing to be recharged.

A new screen is included, with a brighter and crisper display to make it easier to see weight and other body measurements at a glance, and there’s a new haptic engine for better vibration feedback.

“In everything we do, it is important to us to combine high accuracy and performance with superior design,” said Rosario Iannella, CTO of Qardio. “QardioBase has been found to be the most accurate smart scale in benchmarks done by third parties and with QardioBase 2 we take it to the next level and make it a beautiful addition to any room of the house.”

Like the original QardioBase, the new version measures weight, body mass index, and body composition. It also includes a smart feedback mode that offers up smileys as a user progresses towards a weight loss goal, and it supports multiple users.

To keep track of weight data, the QardioBase connects to an iPhone using Bluetooth and the Qardio app. The Qardio app integrates with Apple’s Health app so you can keep track of all of your information in one place.

QardioBase 2, which comes in Arctic White and Volcanic Black, can be purchased from the Qardio website for $149.99. It’s available in the United States, UK, and Europe starting today, with sales in Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong to start on September 18.

Tag: Qardio
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Philips Hue Announces New Light Fixtures and Expanded Starter Kits

Philips today announced an expansion of its Hue smart lighting range, bringing two new fixtures and two additional starter kits to its Apple HomeKit-compatible family of products.

The Philips Hue White Ambiance Cher Suspension is the largest new fixture – a hanging pendant light made for a kitchen island or dining table. The fixture outputs 3000 lumens and costs $230.

Meanwhile, a new Hue White Ambiance downlight is being introduced to replace existing ceiling lights. The downlight will be available in two sizes – 4-inches at 700 lumens and 5/6″ at 750 lumens – costing $35 each.

In addition to the above, the company is bringing a $50 Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance candle bulb to its Color Ambiance range. The smaller E12 base of the 40W-equivalent candle, with a range of more than 16 million colors, is made for ceiling fans, chandeliers and decorative table lamps.

Finally, Philips is now including four traditional A19 light bulbs in its starter packs, all of which come with the Philips Hue bridge to set up and customize the system. The new starter kits come in White and Color Ambiance ($200), White Ambiance ($150) and White ($100). Multi-packs of Philips Hue light bulbs continue to be available separately for extending existing installations.

Philips says the new starter packs and fixtures will be available to purchase online and in retail stores beginning October.

Tags: HomeKit, Philips Hue
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Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2 Support Coming to Libratone Zipp Wireless Speakers This Fall

Bluetooth speaker maker Libratone has announced that beginning this fall, Zipp and Zipp Mini speaker owners will be able to use their devices to invoke Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant as well as tap in to Apple’s forthcoming AirPlay 2 protocol.

The company said it will make a free firmware download available in the coming months that activates Alexa support in the wireless speakers, which connect to Wi-Fi and have integrated microphones.

Following the update, Zipp and Zipp Mini owners will be able to touch the button on the top of the speakers to ask Alexa for news, sports, traffic updates, and all the other things that can be done on Amazon’s Echo range of speakers, including controlling smart home devices.

Libratone intends to add Apple AirPlay 2 support as soon as Apple releases the new protocol, which will enable users to stream music wirelessly to multiple speakers of different brands on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay 2 is expected to arrive with the release of iOS 11 next month.

Tags: AirPlay, Alexa, Libratone
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Logitech’s CRAFT Keyboard for Mac and PC Features a ‘Smart Dial’ for Creatives

Logitech today announced CRAFT, the company’s latest $200 “advanced keyboard” for Mac and PC that features a creative input dial for more easily accessing context-specific controls while working.

Called the Crown, the “smart aluminum dial” sits on the top-left of the new full-size keyboard and is touch sensitive, enabling creative users to tap or turn it to adjust settings like brush size, brightness, chart type, font size, and so on.

“Our new flagship Logitech CRAFT keyboard is for all creators who spend a lot of time designing and creating – who want to work with greater precision and feel connected to their work,” said Art O’Gnimh, global head of keyboards at Logitech. “The creative input dial gives you instant access to the functions you need, the moment you need them, allowing you to increase your productivity by simply touching the dial. CRAFT puts you in your creative element – every time you sit at the desk.”

Users can customize the Crown’s functionality using custom profiles in the Logitech Options software utility, which is compatible with Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Adobe InDesign CC and Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and Word, although Microsoft functionalities work on PC only at this time, according to Logitech.

The dial can also be set up to access global Mac controls – giving users the ability to change desktops, navigate between apps, or adjust volume, as well as assign one additional Crown function in each of their favorite apps.

In addition to the creative dial, the CRAFT Advanced Keyboard features smart illumination with backlighting that detects hands and adjusts lighting automatically depending on the room conditions. Meanwhile, a proprietary button on the keyboard allows users to dynamically switch between – and type on – any three connected devices, whether they are using a Windows PC, Mac, or tablet.

The Logitech CRAFT Advanced Keyboard is expected to become available in October 2017, but can be pre-ordered now from the company’s website for the price of $199.99.

Tag: Logitech
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Vodafone’s Voxi SIMs come with ‘free’ social media data

Vodafone is so desperate to be down with the kids, it’s launching a new mobile network. Voxi, a sub-brand of Vodafone, will offer three SIM-only plans aimed at people aged 25 and under. All of them include “free” data for the following social media apps: Facebook and Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter and Viber. The rest of your allowance can then be saved for the essentials — emails, navigation, that sort of thing — and hefty streaming apps such as YouTube or Spotify.

Customers can pay £10 for 2GB, £15 for 5GB or £20 for 15GB every 30 days. It’s a month-to-month contract, meaning you can cancel at any time. Each plan also comes with unlimited texts, calls and no premium roaming in Europe, which of course is now mandatory thanks to the European Commission. If you burn through your monthly data allowance, you can buy another 1GB for £3 (Vodafone will send an alert when you’ve used 80 and 100 percent of your plan.) The company will also offer “passes” in the future so customers can use specific video and music apps for “free.”

If this sounds like zero-rating, that’s because it is. Almost every major UK network is exploring the concept as a way to entice subscribers. Last month, Three launched its “Go Binge” plans with “free” Netflix, Deezer and SoundCloud streaming. Virgin Mobile disregards all Twitter, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp use. EE, meanwhile, is offering six months of free Apple Music streaming. These deals, while advantageous for consumers, arguably impact net neutrality. Critics worry the trend will suffocate innovative startups that offer superior services, but lack the funding to “buy in” to carrier and ISP zero-rating initiatives.

Voxi is launching on September 8th. It will have its own distinct branding — very Urban Outfitters — and marketing campaign developed in partnership with young artists, filmmakers and designers in the UK. In short, the company is trying its hardest to differentiate Voxi from the rest of Vodafone, which has a pretty musty, “old reliable” image. “We’ve worked with hundreds of people aged 25 and under, and have really listened to them,” Dan Lambrou, head of Voxi said. “They are a generation that’s tired of being stereotyped and talked at.” These comments, while a tad overkill, do suggest the company is serious about attracting a younger audience.

Source: Vodafone (Press Release)

Uber Movement’s traffic data is now available to the public

Back in January, Uber announced that it’s giving urban planners access to a website with traffic data of their cities. Now that website is out of beta, and anybody can access it anytime. The Uber Movement website can show you how long it takes to get from one part of a city to another based on the day of the week and the time of day. People like you and me can consult it for realistic travel times, since its data came from actual Uber trips. However, its real purpose is to help city officials and planners figure out how to improve their transit systems.

Despite its good intentions and the anonymized data, the project wasn’t met with the warm reception Uber expected. The company has a pretty bad track record when it comes to privacy, after all. If you’ll recall, the New York Attorney General’s office discovered a few years ago that Uber’s corporate employees could track passengers’ rides and logs of their trips through the “God View” app. Uber had to purge riders’ identifiable info from its system and limit the app’s access to settle the probe. More recently, the ride-hailing firm had to change an app setting that tracked customers five minutes after their rides end after pressure from privacy groups.

At this point in time, Uber Movement only has data on Boston, Washington DC, Manila and Sydney. If it doesn’t want to put the project in jeopardy — because it will add more cities in the future — it has to be very, very careful with the data it collects.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Uber Movement

Logitech Craft keyboard has a ‘smart’ dial for creatives

Logitech has unveiled a very interesting flagship wireless keyboard that should grab the attention of folks who do video editing and web or graphics design. Called the Craft, it has a “creative input dial” installed in the top left part of the keyboard. That lets you do image adjustment in apps like Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC or InDesign CC, or jog video in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, not unlike Microsoft’s standalone Surface Dial product.

The dial, which can be rotated or clicked, can handle more than just creative chores, Logitech says. It also lets you scroll through Excel spreadsheets, navigate playlists in Spotify or jump from tab to tab in a browser. Using Logitech’s “Options” software, you can assign a turn or click to just about any app, the company says. It will also release an SDK “soon” for software developers.

As for the keyboard itself, Logitech says that it’s designed for comfort, and that “each key is engineered for efficiency, stability and precision.” With Bluetooth LE wireless, you can instantly switch between up to three devices, either on Windows or Mac. It also features smart illumination that can sense room lighting and your hands to turn or adjust the backlighting. The Craft will play nicely with other Logitech MX products, including its MX Master series of mice and the new MX Sound PC Bluetooth speaker.

The dial is a genius idea, and may be enough to tempt creative pros who were thinking of using a Loupedeck, Palette, or other external control. The craft keyboard arrives to the US in October 2017 for $200, and will hit the UK sometime in September for £179.00.

Source: Logitech