Amazon

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021) review: Can it finally replace the laptop?

(Pocket-lint) – A lot has happened in the world since the launch of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch in 2020, yet the need for us to work on the go is still an key factor for many people. Apple’s 2021 iPad Pro looks to up the ante once again, bringing a new processor, a new screen,… Read more

‘HiFi’ icon spotted in Spotify’s iOS app suggests a Spotify HiFi launch is imminent

Home News (Image credit: TheMonarc/Reddit (Spotify) ) Hot on the heels of Apple announcing Apple Music lossless and Spatial Audio earlier this week, we have a new clue that suggests the previously announced Spotify HiFi lossless tier could be with us soon. One Reddit user, TheMonarc, has apparently been able to find the Spotify HiFi… Read more

Amazon extends ban on police use of its facial recognition software ‘until further notice’

Amazon has extended its moratorium on law enforcement use of its facial recognition software “until further notice,” according to Reuters. The ban was set to expire in June. As early as 2018, Amazon employees had pushed Amazon to scale back the project, arguing that documented racial bias in facial recognition could exacerbate police violence against… Read more

There are over 3 billion active Android devices

There are over 3 billion active Android devices in the wild now. Sameer Samat, VP of product management at Google, announced the news at Google I/O 2021, which is live, but totally online, this year. Google added over 500 million active Android devices since its last developer’s conference in 2019 and 1 billion devices since… Read more

Chia Coin Won’t Drive Up Most HDD Prices, Analysts Claim

Home News (Image credit: Toshiba) Financial analysts believe that while hard disk drive pricing has spiked in recent weeks due to Chia coin mining and will continue to be higher than usual for a while, average HDD prices will not get considerably higher than they are today as there is extraordinary demand for specific models… Read more

Apple Music lossless supported devices: what will (and won’t) play lossless and Spatial Audio, and why

Home Advice (Image credit: Apple Music) Apple Music is being upgraded in a big, big way. From June, the music streaming service will support CD-quality and hi-res lossless audio as well as Dolby Atmos-powered Spatial Audio, offering subscribers much higher quality, immersive playback. Both lossless and Spatial Audio will be available to Apple Music users… Read more

Deepfake dubs could help translate film and TV without losing an actor’s original performance

What exactly is lost in translation when TV shows and films are subbed or dubbed into a new language? It’s a hard question to answer, but for the team at AI startup Flawless, it may be one we don’t have to think about in the future. The company claims it has the solution to this… Read more

Amazon’s Echo Frames can now come with sunglass or blue light filtering lenses

Amazon is launching new lens options today for its Echo Frames smart audio glasses: two types of polarized sunglass lenses for use outside, and blue light-filtering lenses for staring at bright screens. The blue light and blue mirror sunglass options will ship on May 18th, and the “Classic” dark sunglass lenses will arrive later on… Read more

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2021) vs Echo Show 5 (2019): What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Amazon updated its Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 in 2021 with a couple of new features. There aren’t huge differences between the new Echo Show 5 and the older Echo Show 5, but if you’re wondering which to buy, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re looking at whether to… Read more

Apple’s Phil Schiller gives Epic iPhone testimony

What does ‘locked in’ mean, though? We’ve gotten through the expert witnesses of Epic v. Apple, and as a reward, Phil Schiller — currently an “Apple Fellow,” whatever that is, and previously the senior vice president of worldwide marketing — took the stand like a twinkly App Store St. Nick. To hear him tell it,… Read more

Amazon’s WorkingWell will attempt to fix employee health issues with stretching and guided meditation

Amazon is launching a new series of health programs called WorkingWell designed to prevent workplace injuries in the company’s expansive system of warehouses and distribution centers in the US. While the new health program is an attempt to address the 40 percent of work-related injuries Amazon has identified as musculoskeletal disorders (think carpal tunnel syndrome… Read more

Best Bluetooth speakers 2021: portable speakers for every budget

Home Best-buys Best Bluetooth speakers Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy in 2021. Finding the best Bluetooth speaker for your particular needs isn’t the cake walk it might at first seem. It’s nothing to do with shortage of options – every online manufacturer from Apple to… Read more

Apple Music adds support for hi-res audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos – and at no extra cost

Home News (Image credit: Apple Music) As has been rumoured for the past week or so, Apple Music is adding support for lossless audio, as well as and Dolby Atmos-powered 3D audio (aka Apple’s Spatial Audio). The service’s 75 million-strong catalogue will be available in CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) or hi-res (24-bit/48-192kHz). There will be 20… Read more

How to make an AirTag holder for your pet’s collar

One seemingly obvious use for Apple’s new $29 AirTag tracker is for pets. As a new dog owner, I wanted to add an AirTag to my dog’s existing leather collar, but the options currently available are lousy. AirTags are small, but they’re not that small. Most AirTag holders currently available from Apple and its partners… Read more

Amazon stops charging extra for lossless music as Apple enters the fray

Faced with new competition from Apple, Amazon today announced that it will no longer charge an added fee for the “HD” tier of Amazon Music that lets customers stream audio at CD quality and above. From now on, lossless audio will be available to all Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers at no extra charge. Billboard was… Read more