The Verge 2018 tech report card: Headphones

Headphones did not have the most auspicious start to 2018. Back in January, it seemed like a diversity of competing voice assistants, wireless audio protocols, and idiosyncratic control schemes would lead to a fragmented mess of a market. Everyone wanted wireless headphones, and the providers of those devices were keen to establish some sort of a walled-garden effect around their particular product.

The demand for more technologically advanced headphones has only increased over the course of the year, however the threat of user-hostile competition among headphone makers has not materialized. In large part thanks to integrated wireless chips that bundle Bluetooth radios with the necessary voice assistant compatibility for both iOS and...

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Pandora Stories lets artists add commentary to their own playlists

Pandora launched Stories today, a tool that lets artists and creators add voice commentary to their own playlists. The Stories feature merges podcasts with music playlists, and is meant for artists to add context to an album, or for podcasters to experiment with new storytelling formats. The feature is part of Pandora AMP, the streaming service’s free Artist Marketing Platform that helps creators promote their work. To kick off the launch, Pandora’s prepared some Stories by artists like John Legend and Daddy Yankee, who tell listeners their personal stories interspersed between their own songs. There’s also a Stories playlist called Love Songs That Aren’t Really Love Songs , which includes commentary on individual songs like a podcast... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Xz1oNc

Nomad’s 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger and the Sonos One are down to their best prices

Nomad’s minimalist Base One Max 3-in-1 is on sale for $95. | Image: Nomad Fancy phone chargers are nice, but they’re often too expensive to justify the cost. Nomad’s Base One Max 3-in-1 is one of those rare unicorns that delivers a lot of value for your money, however, thus making it worth the splurge. After all, the device can simultaneously charge a MagSafe-compatible phone, your Apple Watch, and a pair of AirPods (or another Qi-compatible device) — that’s something not even Nomad’s forthcoming Qi2 charger can do. What’s even better is that Nomad is currently selling the hefty, MagSafe-certified charger in both black and silver for its Black Friday price of $95 ($55 off). Designed with metal and glass, Nomad’s minimalist slab will look slick on any desk or bedside table. It’s also powerful, delivering up to... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/25YJfqR

Asus’ foldable laptop goes on sale for $3,499.99

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, more or less fully unfolded. | Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge Asus’ first foray into the world of folding-screen laptops, the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, is now on sale for $3,499.99, the company has announced . Asus says the laptop is being sold in the US via B&H and Newegg though as of this writing only Newegg seems to have the laptop available for immediate shipping, with B&H listing it as “coming soon.” That aligns with the Q4 target date given to us when we reviewed the laptop in August . At $3,499.99, Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is eye-wateringly expensive, but my colleague Monica Chin points out that it’s the first such device that starts to deliver on the promise of this new form factor. You can either use the laptop with its 17.3-inch 2560 x 1920 screen fully unfolded and paired with a bluetooth keyboard... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/P4q7sej

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