Samsung will start rolling out an update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that will give users more control over how much ambient sound they want to hear. After the software updates goes out, users will find two additional levels on top of the original three for their ambient sound volume settings under the Laboratory menu of the Galaxy Wearable app. And they can customize how much ambient sound to let in for each ear, since it's possible to adjust the volume for each earbud independently. 

The settings page already offers users the capability to customize their ambient tone range, with five stages from soft to clear. But the update will introduce a new section called "adapt ambient sound," which adds even more clarity to the environmental sounds getting into the earbuds. Samsung says it unveiled an enhancement to ambient sounds on Global Accessibility Awareness Day for people who could benefit from sounds amplification. The update, however, could also be useful for those with no hearing issues and simply just want to hear the world around them better so they could feel safe while they're running or walking outside. 

Samsung is releasing its enhanced ambient sound feature and will be rolling out a software update for it over the coming weeks.

Speech recognition company Voiceitt has announced it's integrating its technology into Webex Meetings. Building on Webex's existing live translations, Voiceitt's AI establishes and transcribes what people with non-standard speech are saying on calls. Its machine learning technology works by familiarizing itself with a person's speech patterns to better understand what they want to communicate, predicting phrases and elaborating on user-chosen shortcuts. 

Voiceitt is available as a standalone app, but the new partnership means Webex Meetings will have a chat bar pop up with live transcriptions. "The integration with Webex is game-changing because it creates more independence for users with disabilities, while increasing the potential for more collaborative, inclusive work environments," Sara Smolley, co-founder and vice president of strategic partnerships at Voiceitt, said in a statement. "True collaboration means everyone at the table has a voice."

This partnership is one of many interactions between Voiceitt and Cisco, Webex's parent company. Cisco Investments provided capital in Voiceitt's latest round of funding. The pattern follows Amazon's investment in Voiceitt and subsequent integration of the technology into its smart home assistant, Alexa.

Cisco says Voiceitt should be available to download from the Webex App Hub for meetings starting in June and plans to make it available across the entire Webex platform by the end of the year.

With Global Accessibility Awareness Day just days away, Apple is previewing a raft of new iOS features for cognitive accessibility, along with Live Speech, Personal Voice and more. The company said it worked in "deep collaboration" with community groups representing users with disabilities, and drew on "advances in hardware and software, including on-device machine learning" to make them work. 

The biggest update is "Assistive Access" designed to support users with cognitive disabilities. Essentially, it provides a custom, simplified experience for the phone, FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music apps. That includes a "distinct interface with high contrast buttons and large text labels" along with tools that can be customized by trusted supporters for each individual. 

Apple

"For example, for users who prefer communicating visually, Messages includes an emoji-only keyboard and the option to record a video message to share with loved ones. Users and trusted supporters can also choose between a more visual, grid-based layout for their Home Screen and apps, or a row-based layout for users who prefer text," Apple wrote. 

The aim is to break down technological barriers for people with cognitive disabilities. "The intellectual and developmental disability community is bursting with creativity, but technology often poses physical, visual, or knowledge barriers for these individuals," said The Arc's Katy Schmid in a statement. "To have a feature that provides a cognitively accessible experience on iPhone or iPad — that means more open doors to education, employment, safety, and autonomy. It means broadening worlds and expanding potential." 

Another important new feature is Live Speech and Personal Voice for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Live Speech lets users type what they want to say and have it spoken out loud during phone and FaceTime calls or for in-person conversations. For users who can still speak but are at risk of losing their ability to do so due to a diagnosis of ALS or other conditions, there's the Personal Voice feature.

Apple

It lets them create a voice that sounds like their own by reading along with a randomized set of text prompts to record 15 minutes of audio on iPhone or iPad. It then uses on-device machine learning to keep user information private, and works with Live Speech so users can effectively speak with others using a version of their own voices. "If you can tell [your friends and family] you love them, in a voice that sounds like you, it makes all the difference in the world," said Team Gleason board member and ALS advocate Philip Green, who has had his own voice impacted by ALS. 

Finally, Apple has introduced a Point and Speak function in the Magnifier to help users with vision disabilities interact with physical objects. "For example, while using a household appliance — such as a microwave — Point and Speak combines input from the Camera app, the LiDAR Scanner, and on-device machine learning to announce the text on each button as users move their finger across the keypad," it wrote. The feature is built into the Magnifier app on iPhone and iPad, and can be used with other Magnifier features like People Detection, Door Detection and others. 

Along with the new functions, Apple is introducing new features, curated collections and more for Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Those include a SignTime launch in Germany, Italy, Spain and South Korea to connect Apple Store and Support customers with on-demand sign language interpreters, along with accessibility informative sessions at select Apple Store locations around the world. It's also offering podcasts, movies and more around the impact of accessible tech. The new Assistive Access and other features are set to roll out later this year, Apple said — for more, check out its press release. 

The Mac Mini M2 is the cheapest way to get Apple's latest processors, and now Amazon is has dropped them back to the lowest prices we've ever seen. You can buy the 256GB version for just $500 ($100 off the regular price), the 512GB model for $690 ($110 off) and the Mac Mini M2 Pro for $1,100 — all the best deals we've seen.

In our Engadget review, we gave the Mac Mini a solid score of 86, lauding the performance and classic aluminum design. It's tiny but mighty, with the M2 processor easily powerful enough for productivity chores and multitasking. The chip combines computing operations, like CPU, GPU, input/output interfaces and certain memory processes into one "system on a chip," allowing for faster processing speeds.

On top of that, you get killer connectivity, with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, HDMI 2.0 (with 4K 240Hz and 8K 60Hz output), two USB-A ports, a headphone jack and gigabit Ethernet (upgradeable to 10 gigabit). The M2 Pro model adds two additional USB-C ports, making it even more useful for creatives with a ton of accessories.

The Mac Mini M2 won't replace your gaming machine, but it can handle nearly everything else you throw at it. The Mac Mini M2 Pro, however, is powerful enough for just about any task including content creation, if you can afford it. We wouldn't recommend the overpriced storage or RAM upgrades, as the M2 is much more efficient with RAM than typical PCs. Still, if you're looking for a cheap but powerful Mac, this is the way to go.

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Microsoft says iPhone support for its Phone Link app is now available for all Windows 11 users. Announced in February, Microsoft’s feature allows syncing calls, contacts and messages — including limited iMessage support — between an iPhone and PC.

Phone Link has been around (under various names) for Android-synced desktop features since 2015, but this is the first time it’s supported iPhones. Microsoft has deployed a phased launch, starting with select Windows Insider preview testers in late February. Then, the company began rolling out general availability last month, promising to support all Windows 11 users by mid-May. So, right on cue, it said today that everyone with a Windows PC and iPhone can now use the new feature.

Phone Link for iPhone has several limitations that Android phones don’t. First, although it supports iMessage syncing, it doesn’t work with group chats or sending images and videos. In addition, voice messages and iMessage apps won’t work. Still, it could serve as a handy built-in service to save you from switching between your computer and phone.

To get started, you’ll want to search for “Phone Link” in the Windows taskbar. After opening the app, you’ll still need to set up a few things on both devices. First, select iPhone as your device type, and use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code in the Phone Link app. The devices will pair over Bluetooth, and you’ll need to confirm several permissions on both iPhone and PC. It supports any iPhone running iOS 14.0 or later.

Sonos will soon end support for a feature that allows users to stream files stored locally on their Android devices directly to its speakers. "As newer versions of mobile operating systems are released, it can sometimes change the way information is shared between devices, and this feature will no longer be compatible with newer versions of the Android operating system," a Sonos community post reads. The change comes into effect starting on May 23rd. The company ended support for a similar feature on iOS in 2019.

There are other options for you to play files stored on your Android devices to Sonos speakers, with Bluetooth perhaps being the easiest one. Alternatively, you can upload the files to a NAS drive on your network or a supported streaming service. Sonos supports user-uploaded file playback from Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and Plex. On the other hand, if you don't mind going old school, Sonos' new Era 100 and Era 300 speakers have line-in support.

While several of these methods are straightforward enough, nixing On this Device support on Android removes one of the many listening options from the Sonos app, making it less of a one-stop shop for all your audio needs. However, given the popularity of streaming services, it may be the case that this feature wasn't seeing much use anyway.

It seems plausible enough that Sonos is ending support for the feature due to compatibility reasons but, as The Verge notes, Google and Sonos are involved in a legal battle against each other over patent infringement. Still, the timing of Sonos' move is likely just a coincidence given that the tussle between the two sides has been lumbering on for severalyears.

TCL just announced a bunch of new TVs in two different product lines. As originally teased during this year’s CES, the S Class models are easy on the old bank account. Despite the budget-friendly price, S Class TVs boast plenty of modern features, like a metal bezel-less design.

S Class models break down into three sub-categories. The S2 is the barest of the bunch, with a 720p resolution and display sizes perfect for easy transport, going all the way down to 32 inches. The 1080p S3 ranges from 32 inches to 43 inches and throws in HDR, a voice remote and Bluetooth audio.

The S4, however, is where things get interesting. These TVs offer 4K resolutions, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and frame insertion for smoother motion. Best of all? The S4 starts at $280 for the 43-inch model and sizes go all the way up to 85 inches.

TCL’s Q Class begins with the Q6. The QLED display offers a 66 percent brighter picture than any of the S Class models and it also features something called “Game Accelerator 120” which is a tool that pushes the refresh rate to 120Hz when playing games, at the expense of half the vertical resolution of a 4K image. The Q6 line ranges from 55 inches ($500) to 85 inches ($1,600).

The Q7 includes a native 120Hz panel that balloons to 240Hz by accessing its own Game Accelerator mode, though with the same cut in vertical resolution. These TVs support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Dolby Vision IQ and ship with a backlit remote. TCL’s Q7 line starts at 55 inches ($750) with sizes going up to 85 inches ($2,200).

Finally, there’s the flagship QM8 line. These TVs are all about picture quality, with Mini LED backlighting, 2,000 nits of peak brightness, thousands of local dimming zones and a proprietary engine to improve contrast. These models also boast a built-in subwoofer, much like the Hisense U8H, Wi-Fi 6 for improved streaming and a height-adjustable stand for proper soundbar positioning. The QM8 starts at 65 inches ($1,700) and goes all the way up to 98 inches (an eye-watering $10,000).

Most of these televisions are already available at both online and physical retail locations, except for that massive 98-inch QM8. That one comes out later this year, so start saving now. 

Never mind free streaming services — one startup is giving the hardware away, too. Telly is now taking US reservations for free 55-inch 4K TVs that continuously display ads on part of a secondary screen. So long as you're willing to accept those ads (or tune them out) and share data, you won't have to pay a thing.

As Telly explains, the smaller display also shows news, sports scores and other useful data. You won't have to interrupt a show just to stay in the know. The set has its own camera, microphone array, sensors and voice assistant, enabling video calls and motion-captured fitness apps. There's a built-in five-driver sound bar as well. You're not stuck using the company's platform, as you'll still find three HDMI ports to plug in other media devices.

The reservations cover the first 500,000 TVs, which are expected to ship in the summer. Telly hasn't outlined full specs as we write this, but the set is estimated to be worth $1,000 at retail.

The strategy isn't surprising given Telly's leadership. Company chief Ilya Pozin co-founded Pluto TV, Paramount's free-to-watch service. He sees the free TV as making viewers an "equal part" of the ad system — you're benefiting as much as the corporations, Pozin claims. 

Whether or not customers follow suit isn't clear. The ad-supported model might not thrill privacy-minded viewers who'd rather not share info. There's also just one size and configuration, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want a larger or higher-quality screen. This is for viewers who'd rather not pay for a cut-rate TV (which may still have home screen ads) just to outfit their living room.

Telly's launch is part of a broader rush to offer free TV experiences. Amazon, Roku, Tubi and others all have ad-supported streaming channels, while Google TV is integrating many of those providers into its platform. The difference, of course, is the business model. Companies like Amazon and Roku see ad-supported TV as a way to spur hardware sales, while Telly is depending solely on those ads to turn a profit.

If you're looking to zhush up your workspace or gaming setup, or you simply need more screen real estate to help you get things done, you may want to consider picking up a Samsung Smart Monitor, as several models are currently on sale. Take, for instance, the 43-inch M70B. It's a 4K monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate that is currently available for $380. That's $120 off the regular price, and the lowest we've seen this monitor dip to since last year's holiday season.

The M70B can help you to get some work done without having to hook it up to a PC. You can use it to connect to a computer remotely, access the Microsoft 365 suite directly and link to a Samsung mobile device to use the Samsung DeX productivity experience. You can connect a SlimFit camera to use video calling apps such as Google Duo. The camera has a privacy cover and you can always disconnect it.

When you're done with work, you can kick back, relax and watch your favorite shows and movies via streaming apps. You'll be able to access free streaming channels through Samsung TV Plus and get personalized recommendations. You can stream games from the likes of Microsoft Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Amazon Luna as well, as it's possible to connect a wireless controller to your TV.

On top of all of that, you can use the M70B to control smart home devices. There's support for the Bixby and Amazon Alexa voice assistants, as well as AirPlay.

The sale includes deals on several other Samsung displays, including some Odyssey gaming monitors. The 32-inch Odyssey Neo G8 is a curved, 240Hz, 4K monitor with G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro support. It has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and latency as low as 1ms. The Neo G8 is available right now for $1,200, or 20 percent off the regular price of $1,500.

Elsewhere, you can snap up the Odyssey G51C for $270. That's 23 percent off the typical price of $350. This is a 27-inch, QHD display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 and a 1ms response time. There's FreeSync Premium support to minimize screen tearing as well.

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If I don’t sleep well, I’m a mess. That wasn’t always the case, but having a kid subjected me to two years of boot camp-level exhaustion and my reserves are gone. So I was curious whether a sleep machine could improve my shut eye in any meaningful way. Hatch’s latest device, Restore 2, combines wind-down routines, sleep noises and wake-up techniques in a $200 bedside device. The optional subscription costs another $5 per month and lets you access a larger library of content.

I set the Restore 2 on my bedside table anticipating a few breathing sessions at night and perhaps a less jarring alarm in the morning. I didn’t expect to be so enamored with its “Rest” and “Rise” routines that I’d look forward to pushing its oversized buttons each night, but that’s what happened.

Design and setup

The Restore 2 looks good on a nightstand, with a half-moon shape, neutral colors and textured fabric covering the front and back. The first generation Restore had less textile and more exposed plastic; this new version looks classier and less like a sleep machine. Hatch replaced the physical volume and brightness buttons of the first model with hidden touch controls near the clock readout. Also, instead of touch sensors on top for the alarm and routines, you have two oversized buttons. A physical toggle on the side stops the alarm from going off, even if it's been scheduled in the app.

The two big buttons are easy to find and operate without looking since the Rest circle curves downward and the Rise key bubbles up. The toggle is a tangible way to know you won’t be woken up unnecessarily on an extra day off. But the volume and brightness touch sensors are disappointing. True, the unbroken expanse of fabric looks nice, but the capacitive controls are finicky if you come at them from an odd angle – such as lying down in a bed. I found myself twisting and struggling to turn down the sound, when a simple push button would have made things easier.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Setup is a non-event. Plug the device in, open the app and let the Restore 2 connect to your WiFi. Time sets automatically and you can schedule the on-device clock to turn off at night. I love this feature; I wake at least once each night and the first thing I do is look at the time so I can worry about how much longer I have before I have to get up. With no display, I don’t get anxious and just go back to sleep. If you need that info, you can just tap on the side of the device and the time will pop up for a few seconds.

After choosing alarm sounds and lights, the app walks you through picking out your “routines.” You essentially make two of them: one for sleeping and one for waking up. A Rest routine might consist of a breathing exercise and an ambient music mix to get you drowsy, followed by flowing river sounds while you sleep. Wake-up sessions could include gentle guided stretches and a motivational talk.

From the Wake menu, I chose a four-minute guided stretch called “Shine & Rise” and a two-minute “Jump Start” motivational talk. For the evening, I picked out a three-minute body scan followed by 15 minutes of ambient music and added pink noise to play the rest of the night. You can adjust the brightness and volume levels of each element, but since I was setting this up midday in an active house, it was hard to tell how bright and loud things would feel at 10 PM, so I stuck with the defaults.

Turns out the defaults did not work for me. I got in bed, pressed the Rest button and was greeted by a bright reddish light and someone speaking at a normal conversation level. Right next to my head in an otherwise silent house, that was far too loud and bright. I then spent the next 20 minutes messing with the app to adjust the levels. Of course, I could have used the touch controls for a temporary adjustment, but I wanted to get my defaults right for consecutive nights.

The app has a few inconsistencies, too. You can replace an existing step from the library; you can’t add to your routine. You can only do that through the Rest or Rise tab. Yet, browsing from those tabs won’t show full descriptions of the segments; that info is only available in the library view. That creates some back and forth that could be streamlined. I was also disappointed when a routine repeated content from earlier in the week. A motivational speech doesn't have the same impact if you just heard it two days ago. It only happened a few times, but I wish there were failsafes against same-week duplication.  

Once, a seeming glitch made the Restore 2 start my evening routine at 100 percent volume and brightness, waking the whole house. The volume controls didn’t respond, so, in a panic, I just unplugged the whole thing. The problem resolved after I reconnected the app from my phone, but I wish that defaulting to scream-level sounds was an impossibility. I asked a Hatch representative about the mishap and was told it had to do with an older version of the Hatch Sleep app, and should be resolved with the latest update.

Rest and wake routines

In all, it took a week of adjustments to set things to my taste. As it turns out, I’m too squirmy at night for a meditative breathing session, so I tried something I didn’t think I’d like: sleep stories. The 25-minute “Train of Thought” is presented by a friendly conductor who tells you mildly interesting things about trains before collecting tickets from her passengers, asking them where they’re going as the click-clack of rails play in the background. Her sing-song “Tickets… tickets, please… tickets…” is now more effective at putting me to sleep than popping a melatonin.

I did need to adjust how I respond to hearing a story. If I miss so much as a preposition in an audiobook, I’ll rewind. My active brain wanted to do the same with the sleep stories, but allowing myself to tune in and out let me use the narration as a raft, something to return to when my thoughts took me out to sea. Soon I was all done thinking and ready to sleep.

After the story, a 15-minute music segment called “Ambient Overlook” played its combo of wind and naturescapes with quiet strings and synths. For sleep sounds, I tried pink noise but that sounded too much like an ebbing ocean that never comes back to shore. I thought I’d like a flowing river, but it just made me have to pee. I tested out Hair Dryer, Forest Wind and Thunderstorm before finding my goldilocks track: Road Trip, which is just the steady sound of tires on asphalt and the low rumble of passing cars. I adjusted it to turn off after about a half hour because the sounds woke me up during lighter periods of sleep.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

A blaring alarm can ruin whatever peace you found in the land of nod, but Restore 2’s music, tones and field recordings come on softly then build up enough steam to get you up. One exception is Retro Beep – its shrill, electronic staccato should pierce through the deepest sleeper’s dreams. I went with windchimes, which are randomized and high-pitched enough to get me up, but the first few bongs are so subtle that they slip in under my consciousness. It’s the most gentle alarm I’ve ever used.

The sunrise light goes off before your alarm, which can help some people, particularly those who sleep with blackout curtains, to more gradually wake up. I set the sunrise glow to activate 10 minutes before my alarm, but it doesn’t tend to wake me, probably because my room is not light proof so the change is hard for me to detect. I’m curious if that will be different during winter when I’m getting up in the dark.

As it happens, the Rise routine I picked when I first set things up works best for me. I tried others: “Pop Cultured” pulls inspiration from things like Rocky III and the Wu-Tang Clan. “The Reset” uses repeated self-affirmations to help generate positive thinking. But right now, Becca’s stretches in “Shine & Rise” help spur the transition from sleep zombie to mobile human, and Dane’s “Jump Start” motivations have actually made me approach my day differently. Once he suggested doing the “hardest thing first,” which led me to ship back a bulky review unit that I’d been putting off. Another morning, he advised not to think of the stuff on your list as what you have to do, but rather what you get to do. That stuck with me.

Membership

Hatch adds content regularly that only paying members can access, and that’s my biggest reservation about the Restore 2. After paying $200 for the device, a $5-per-month subscription is all but required to get the most out of it. Even if you save on the cost with a yearly $50 plan, after two years, you’ve paid $300 for an alarm clock. True, it’s a good one. And I understand that the company charges a monthly fee to keep producing new content.

Without a membership, you get some but not all sleep sounds (white noise, nature scapes, etc.), plus alarm sounds and sunrise lights — no sleep stories, no morning stretches. I signed up for the free week-long trial and, though I planned to, I haven’t canceled just yet.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

If you don’t plan to pay for the membership, there are cheaper options for sunrise clocks. Smart displays are another option. Amazon’s $85 smart display, the Echo Show 5 fits on a bedside table and, depending on which services and Skills you connect to, can get you up in a slew of different ways. Google’s Nest Hub not only has a sunrise alarm, it also tracks sleep and retails for $100. And if you just want motivational and sleep content without having to buy a new device, you can get a subscription-based app like Headspace, which plays meditations, stories, and other talks straight from your phone. Other apps, like Sleepwave, use steadily improving motion-sensing tech in your phone to track sleep. 

Wrap-up

I’m surprised by how much I like using the Restore 2. It makes a difference in the way I fall asleep, letting my brain go quiet much faster than it would otherwise. The alarm tone wakes me gently to the point that it’s almost eerie, and I like that you can turn the clock off entirely if you prefer a fully dark room. Once I got the settings dialed in, the Restore 2 became a habit I looked forward to. And the content Hatch creates isn’t a rehash of greeting-card poems and motivational poster rip-offs — it's thoughtful, intelligent sessions and stories, paired with competently produced music and sounds — all of which add up to a better night’s sleep.

Of course, if you have a partner with a different sleep schedule, running the routines might prove a little awkward. I also worried when I kept having to mess with the app to figure out what content and which settings worked for me. (I try not to use my phone in the bedroom.) And I don’t love adding another subscription to my life, which comes on top of the already-pricey $200 device. Ultimately, the Hatch Restore 2 has the right combination of external design and worthwhile content to usher you into dreamland — as long as you’re willing to pay for it.