Back in June, Spotify introduced Blend, a shared playlist that pulls together songs from your listening history and that of a friend’s. Today, that feature is not only rolling out to Spotify users globally, but it also comes with some new improvements.
To start, each time you create a Blend playlist with a friend, Spotify will generate a match score, telling the two of you how close you are on your musical tastes. Like with the company’s end-of-year Wrapped feature, it will now also create a shareable story that tells you some fun facts about the songs and artists that made their way into your playlist. Spotify says it has also tweaked the cover art to make it easier to identify each Blend playlist you create.
All users can try out the feature. However, if you’re a Premium subscriber, you’ll see whose music taste contributed to each song in a playlist. To make your first one, tap the “Create Blend” option in the For You hub in the Spotify mobile app, and then invite your friend. Once they accept, Spotify will handle the rest, and you can share the resulting story the company generates about your playlist.
Jabra's latest true wireless earbud redesign is here. Following the introduction of the Elite 65t in 2018, the company has been keen on updating its lineup every year or so. Today, it introduced three models, including a new flagship noise-cancelling option with the Elite 7 Pro. The successor to the comfy and capable 85t, this version has a revamped design and smaller size, but all the best parts of previous Jabra earbuds remain. Perhaps most notably, the company is making big promises for improving calls with its new MultiSensor Voice tech.
The main point Jabra is driving home with the Elite 7 Pro is its "ultimate call clarity." Almost every headphone company makes bold claims about voice performance and they very rarely pan out. You almost always end up sounding like you're on speaker phone. With this new model, Jabra says its MultiSensor Voice setup combines a bone conduction sensor that picks up the vibrations of your jaw with a set of four microphones and the company's "intelligent algorithms." Jabra explains that the bone conduction sensor, or voice pick-up unit (VPU), kicks in when those algorithms detect certain types of noise from the mics — like wind, for example. The company's on-board tech then combines voice data from the sensor and the microphones "to transmit the best call quality." Again, all of this is something we'll need to put to the test to properly judge its merits, but it's clear Jabra is trying to improve call audio as many of us continue to work remotely.
Jabra says the Elite 7 Pro is 16 percent smaller than its Elite 75t which was the company's most compact option thus far. Smaller earbuds typically lead to a more comfortable fit and since Jabra can lean on parent company GN's hearing aid expertise and library of over 62,000 ear scans, it has some insight on shape as well. The outside controls panel now outlines the entire earbud instead of being a perfect circle with a small elbow that extended out to hold the microphones. Jabra also redesigned the charging case, opting for a flatter pill-shaped aesthetic this time around.
Jabra
Through its Sound+ app, Jabra gives you lots of options for customization. Similar to previous models, active noise cancellation (ANC) is adjustable on the Elite 7 Pro, so you can dial in the level of distraction blocking you need. Jabra once again offers the ability to reconfigure the on-board buttons with its MyControls feature. The options here include volume, play/pause, skipping tracks, noise cancellation mode, access to a voice assistant and more. The company also provides a fit test (MyFit) to determine if you've selected the correct ear tips for a proper seal. Should you need to adjust the overall audio profile, MySound can help with EQ tweaks.
Jabra says the Elite 7 Pro will last up to nine hours with ANC enabled. Turn it off and you can expect an additional two hours of use. The case holds just under three full charges, offering up to 35 total hours between it and the buds with noise cancellation on, or up to 42 total hours with ANC off. Dock the Elite 7 Pro for five minutes and you'll get just over an hour of listening time. Jabra also says this model can hit 50 percent battery levels with a half-hour charge. And for convenience, the Elite 7 Pro supports wireless charging for all the times you'd rather just set down the case than mess with a USB-C cable.
Similar to previous sporty versions of true wireless models, Jabra is doing that once again with the Elite 7 Active. These earbuds have a similar design to the Elite 7 Pro and nearly all of the same features. ANC, HearThrough transparency mode, nine-hour battery life, wireless charging and IP57 waterproof rating are all here. The key differences are the Elite 7 Active doesn't have the Pro's MultiSensor Voice tech, but the sport model is made with a new material Jabra is calling ShakeGrip — a liquid silicone rubber that should help with the overall fit when you get sweaty.
The Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active will be available on October 1st for $200 and $180 respectively. The Elite 7 Pro comes in black, silver/black and gold/beige color options while the Elite 7 Active has black, navy and mint green versions. At $200, the the Elite 7 Pro is $30 cheaper than the Elite 85t when it debuted.
In addition to these models, Jabra also announced the $79 Elite 3 today. This affordable option doesn't have ANC or wireless charging, but it does offer a lot of features that make the company's earbuds worth considering. Those include seven-hour battery life, HearThrough transparency mode and both customizable EQ and on-board controls.
The voices on Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and other AI assistants are far ahead of old-school GPS devices, but they still lack the rhythms, intonation and other qualities that make speech sound, well, human. NVIDIA has unveiled new research and tools that can capture those natural speech qualities by letting you train the AI system with your own voice, the company announced at the Interspeech 2021 conference.
To improve its AI voice synthesis, NVIDIA’s text-to-speech research team developed a model called RAD-TTS, a winning entry at an NAB broadcast convention competition to develop the most realistic avatar. The system allows an individual to train a text-to-speech model with their own voice, including the pacing, tonality, timbre and more.
Another RAD-TTS feature is voice conversion, which lets a user deliver one speaker's words using another person's voice. That interface gives fine, frame-level control over a synthesized voice’s pitch, duration and energy.
Using this technology, NVIDIA's researchers created more conversational-sounding voice narration for its own I Am AI video series using synthesized rather than human voices. The aim was to get the narration to match the tone and style of the videos, something that hasn't been done well in many AI narrated videos to date. The results are still a bit robotic, but better than any AI narration I've ever heard.
"With this interface, our video producer could record himself reading the video script, and then use the AI model to convert his speech into the female narrator’s voice. Using this baseline narration, the producer could then direct the AI like a voice actor — tweaking the synthesized speech to emphasize specific words, and modifying the pacing of the narration to better express the video’s tone," NVIDIA wrote.
NVIDIA is distributing some of this research — optimized to run efficiently on NVIDIA GPUs, of course — to anyone who wants to try it via open source through the NVIDIA NeMo Python toolkit for GPU-accelerated conversational AI, available on the company's NGC hub of containers and other software.
"Several of the models are trained with tens of thousands of hours of audio data on NVIDIA DGX systems. Developers can fine tune any model for their use cases, speeding up training using mixed-precision computing on NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs," the company wrote.
When it comes to true wireless earbuds, Jabra consistently covers nearly all the bases. The company has continued to improve design, features and technology since the Elite 65t, but there was one thing it was still missing: a low-cost model for around $100. That changes today as Jabra is announcing the Elite 3: an $80 set of true wireless earbuds with more features than we typically see at this price.
Like the other two new models Jabra debuted today, the Elite 3 has a new design with smaller earbuds the company says are comfy enough for all-day wear. What's more, the buds are IP55 rated dust and water resistant so you won't have to worry about using them for workouts or if you get caught in the rain. Even with the lower price, you still get customizable on-board controls on each side with physical buttons instead of touch controls. Jabra gives you options like play/pause, track control, volume, voice assistant and one-touch access to Spotify. There's also the ability to activate HearThrough mode with a single press, the company's name for ambient sound. No on-board option for active noise cancellation (ANC) though because these earbuds only offer passive noise isolation.
Jabra
Jabra says it set out to build a more affordable set of earbuds that "still offers exceptional sound quality." To do so, the company relies on 6mm drivers along with aptX support. The Elite 3 has four microphones for calls, so you can use them with Zoom between podcasts. They're compatible with Jabra's Sound+ app as well, which will allow you to dial in the EQ, customize the on-board controls and more. Plus, the Elite 3 works with Google Fast Pair on Android devices so setup there should be quick and easy.
Jabra says the Elite 3 will last up to seven hours with three additional charges in the case. A fast charge feature gives you up to an hour of use after 10 minutes in the case. When the time comes to top off the entire set, you'll need a USB-C cable as this model doesn't support wireless charging.
The Elite 3 will be available tomorrow (September 1st) from Jabra's website and Amazon in dark grey, navy, beige and light purple color options for $79.99.
In addition to the Elite 3, Jabra also introduced a new flagship noise-cancelling model with the Elite 7 Pro. There's a sport version of those earbuds as well (Elite 7 Active), but the Pro offers adjustable ANC, customizable controls, long battery life and wireless charging. It also has new tech that Jabra dubbed MultiSensor Voice the company says will improve your audio during calls and Zoom meetings. These two options are more expensive at $180 and $200, plus they won't be available until October 1st.
If you missed the previous sale earlier this month, you have another chance to grab one of Amazon's Echo Show 5s for less. Both the first- and second-gen versions of the compact smart display are on sale right now, with the original Echo Show 5 going for $45 and the updated version, which came out earlier this year, only $10 more.
Unlike the new Echo Show 8, the Show 5s are designed to fit neatly on your nightstand and act as smart alarm clocks. Each have a 5.5-inch, 960 x 480 touchscreen that shows the time along with things like weather forecasts, news headlines and more. They are also capable of making video calls thanks to their built-in camera and mics, and if you have multiple Alexa devices in your home, the Show 5s can be part of your larger intercom system. And when you need more privacy, you can shutter the camera and flip a switch to turn off the microphone. The smaller display isn't ideal for streaming video, but you are able to do so if you wish, along with music, podcasts, audiobooks and more.
Both Show 5 models shine as smart alarm clocks thanks to their sunrise alarm feature, which slowly brightens the screen 15 minutes before you're supposed to wake up, and tap-to-snooze function. Both also have an ambient light sensor that adjusts the screen's brightness depending on the light in your environment, so you'll never get woken up in the middle of the night by an ultra-bright display.
When it comes to differences between the first- and second-gen devices, there aren't many. The new Echo Show 5 has a 2MP camera, better than the 1MP camera in the first-gen, and it comes in a blue color in addition to the standard black and white options. Only those who plan on using the Show 5 to make video calls and drop in on family members would get the most out of the second-gen model — but when you can grab the latest version for only $10 more than the previous, it's not such a hard sell anymore.
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If you often need to tether to get internet, Netgear has a very interesting new product — if you can afford it. The Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router (unlocked) takes a 5G SIM card that's compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile's networks. Once installed, it will distribute data over WiFi 6 to a maximum of 32 devices with greater range and speed than your smartphone could ever manage.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 Mobile Platform, it delivers maximum theoretical speeds of up to 1.2Gbps over WiFi 11ax. While few if any devices can handle those speeds, the extra throughput will be handy if multiple devices are connected to it. The router also has a dedicated ethernet port that can deliver up to 1Gbps and connect to a device or mesh WiFi network, for instance. On top of 5GNR Sub 6 GHz, it supports LTE CAT 20, LTE Advanced, 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM.
Much like AT&T and Netgear's original Nighthawk LTE router, the 5G model can display pertinent information like the WiFi password and how much mobile data you've used. Other features include VPN pass-through support and password protection, 13 hours on a battery charge (or remove the battery and plug into the wall for all-day use), and the ability to plug in wired internet to conserve data.
There is one pain point: the price. The Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router costs $700, considerably more than other 5G MiFi routers on the market. The main benefits are the fast speeds, the fact that it's unlocked to any carrier (though Netgear recommends AT&T and T-Mobile) and the ethernet port. If those features are important for you, it's now available to buy at Netgear's website.
Polaroid is adding to its line-up of products that mix retro looks with modern smarts. The new Polaroid Now+ is an analog camera with Bluetooth connectivity and five physical lens filters. It's the first time the company has included the latter out of the box. You can clip the filters on to the camera's lens to saturate or deepen the contrast of your photos, or add new effects like starburst, red vignette, and orange, blue and yellow colors.
The new camera, which is out today for $150, is essentially an updated version of last year's Polaroid Now. This time, there's a new Blue Gray colorway (alongside white and black) that ditches the company's rainbow-colored strip for a more muted look. Polaroid also integrated the camera’s light sensor into the lens stage to accommodate the different filters. On top of the core autofocus, dynamic flash, and self-timer functions, the snapper now comes with a tripod mount.
What's more, Polaroid has made way for improvements on the software side. The Polaroid Originals app now boasts a new, streamlined design with new features including aperture priority and tripod mode, designed to offer more control over depth of field and long exposures. You can also swipe between light painting, double exposure and manual mode. The Polaroid Now+ camera is available online exclusively through Polaroid.
In a blow to both Apple and Google, South Korea has today passed a law requiring major app stores to allow alternative payment methods. The Wall Street Journal reports that the bill, due to be rubber-stamped by president Moon Jae-in, forces platform holders to open up their stores. In addition, the new rules will prevent unreasonable delays for app approvals, which has been described as a way to prevent retaliation against developers. Companies which fail to comply with the ruling are at risk of being fined up to three percent of their domestic revenue.
The bill could have global ramifications given the battles that Google and Apple have fought concerning their app platform dominance. Both companies have come under fire for how they run the App and Play stores, respectively, with regulators and developers scrutinizing their business practices. In July, 36 US states launched an antitrust suit against Google over concerns that it is violating antitrust law, while Apple has been engaged in well-documented skirmishes with both Epic Games and Spotify. Officials in both the US and Europe, both of which are wrestling with concerns over the future of digital payments, are likely to look at both South Korea’s law, and how both companies respond to it.
EA’s Motive Studios will offer an early look at its upcoming Dead Space remake during a Twitch stream scheduled for 1PM ET, the developer announced on Monday. Fans of the classic survival horror game will get to see a prototype build that Motive said will showcase its vision for the remaster. The studio also promised senior producer Philippe Ducharme and creative director Roman Campos-Oriola will be on hand to speak to the work the team at Motive is doing to update the 2008 title for current generation consoles. Additionally, the stream will feature members from the Dead Space community who have been consulting on the project.
The passionate team at @MotiveStudio are bringing you in for a very early look at the development of #DeadSpace.
Following a series of tantalizing rumors, EA first teased it was working on a Dead Space remake during its recent Play Live event. The minute-long clip the publisher shared showed off an oppressive necromorph-infested environment and protagonist Isaac Clarke. Dead Space does not currently have a release date, but it’s heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
For anyone struggling to tear kids away from consoles and phones for dinner, homework and, well, real life, spare a thought for the Chinese youth. China has announced a further crackdown on the time children can play online games, with the new limit set to just three hours per week. Platforms like Tencent can now only offer gaming to kids between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays.
Earlier this month, Tencent was forced to cut the time minors could play its hit mobile game Honor of Kings to just an hour on weeknights and two hours on the weekend.
Further strengthening of the rules won’t come as a surprise. Earlier last month, state-owned news outlets published an editorial calling video games “spiritual opium,” outlining all the negative ways gaming could affect China’s youth.
I can already imagine parents telling their kids about the tough gaming rules in China, and how they should count their blessings. I can also imagine most kids ignoring them.
Starting next month, you'll be able to choose between Verizon and T-Mobile.
Volkswagen has unveiled a new feature for its Car-Net connected vehicle service that lets you get 4G data from two major US telecoms. It offers Verizon or T-Mobile, making it relatively easy to add your vehicle to an existing mobile plan.
Starting in September, VW owners in the US will be able to access the subscription plans on VW's dedicated website or via its mobile app. From there, they can add an account to their existing mobile wireless provider (assuming it's Verizon or T-Mobile) and pair it with their existing Volkswagen Car-Net subscription.
Jon Stewart will soon return to a screen near you to once again dissect some of the big issues of the day. His Apple TV+ series, The Problem With Jon Stewart, will premiere on September 30th. Rather than airing on a nightly basis, like The Daily Show, or even weekly, new episodes will arrive every other week. Stewart will tackle one topic per episode (similar to the much-missed Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), with a companion podcast — of course — set to run alongside it.
The classical-only service will shut down on September 7th.
Apple is expanding its music streaming options after buying classical service Primephonic. Apple Music aims to release a dedicated classical music app next year, which will combine Primephonic’s user interface with some of Apple's own features.
Primephonic wrote in a letter to users on its website saying that “to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that encompasses all music genres and also shares our love for classical music." Primephonic has closed its doors to new users, and it will shut down on September 7th.
You’ll soon get to grab the Neon Genesis Evangelion Blu-ray set in the US, without paying through the nose. While a spendy $275 Ultimate Edition has already sold out, you'll still have a chance to buy a copy of the saga on Blu-ray as there are two other options on the way from distributor GKids.
Like the Ultimate Edition, the Collector's Edition package will be released on December 8th. Lock in a pre-order and it'll set you back $175, but it'll cost $220 as of the release date. The Standard Edition arrives a month earlier, lacking the classic dub or subtitles. It costs $60 or $46 if you pre-order.
