Experience

Apple Music’s spatial audio is sometimes amazing but mostly inconsistent

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Late on Monday night, Apple flipped the switch on two new features for its Apple Music subscription service: immersive Dolby Atmos spatial audio and lossless-quality streaming. It feels like the company is really only excited about one… Read more

HBO Max update fixes the worst of its Apple TV woes

HBO Max has updated its Apple TV app as it attempts to fix the myriad issues that have been plaguing the software since last week. The update fixes significant problems with basic features like fast-forwarding and rewinding, which had been introduced after the software switched away from using the native tvOS video player. The software… Read more

OnePlus to launch stripped-down Nord CE 5G this week

OnePlus is planning to announce a new budget smartphone called the Nord CE 5G this week. TechRadar has a render of the device straight from OnePlus itself, showing that, well, it looks quite a lot like the original OnePlus Nord. The CE 5G, however, will be a little cut back in terms of specs. OnePlus’… Read more

HBO Max has been busted for days

If you’ve attempted to stream something on HBO Max from an Apple TV sometime during the last several days, you may have noticed that its player controls are unusable. It’s not just you. Ongoing issues seem to be related to an app update that supposedly addressed “a few bugs lurking around” on June 5th. Since… Read more

Google TV just got a much cheaper streaming option for its live TV guide

Google TV, which offers one of the cleanest streaming experiences to cord-cutters, just vastly improved its live TV options — which is to say, users actually have options now. While the “Live” tab was previously limited to Google’s own pricey live TV streaming service, YouTube TV, the company has introduced a cheaper alternative with a… Read more

Intel Expands List of Thunderbolt 4-Compatible Chips Due to Shortages

Home News (Image credit: Intel) Sometimes small chips cause major problems. According to a report from Igor’sLab, Intel recently had to allow its partners to use previously uncertified USB Type-C and Power Delivery controllers from Texas Instruments with its latest Tiger Lake platforms, as well as previously-uncertified discrete Thunderbolt 4 JHL8440/JHL8540 ‘Maple Ridge’ controllers. Every personal… Read more

Sony WF-1000XM4

Our Verdict You won’t find many true wireless earbuds that come close to matching the all-round brilliance of the Sony WF-1000XM4 For Clear, detailed bass performance Wonderful sense of musicality Comfortable Class-leading battery life Against Missing Sony’s Multipoint feature Lacking ear tip choices No aptX HD How do you improve on arguably the best all-round… Read more

Microsoft is getting back into physical retail — sort of

Microsoft is returning to selling products at brick-and-mortar stores, kind of. The software giant will start selling products at its “Experience Centers” in London, New York City, and Sydney next month. Select Microsoft products will be available on July 1st, but the global chip shortage will impact what’s available to buy. Xbox Series X /… Read more

macOS and tvOS are getting spatial audio support with the AirPods Pro and Max

Apple is extending support for spatial audio to macOS and tvOS. The feature will work with the company’s high-end AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, using the devices’ built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes to create a 3D audio effect that tracks the listener’s head movements. Apple initially announced spatial audio for the AirPods Pro last year and… Read more

Windows 11: What We Know About Microsoft’s Likely Next OS

Microsoft is getting ready to announce the biggest update to Windows since Windows 10’s debut in 2015, and even though the company hasn’t officially revealed anything about this update, all signs point to it offering a significantly different experience for PC users. In fact, the update is supposed to be so radical that it could… Read more

Google Stadia is coming to Google TV and Android TV this month

Home News (Image credit: Google) The Google Stadia could gaming service is finally branching out to more devices. It will arrive on the excellent Google Chromecast with Google TV streaming dongle on 23rd June, as well as a number of TV sets running the Android TV operating system. And, all you’ll need to enjoy the… Read more

tvOS and MacOS to get Spatial Audio support for AirPods Pro and Max

Home News (Image credit: Apple) We’ve had not one, but two big Apple Spatial Audio announcements during today’s 2021 WWDC keynote. The first is that Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio for Apple Music is rolling out now. The second is that Apple is bringing spatial audio to tvOS and MacOS. This means you’ll be able to… Read more

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is next-gen Uncharted by way of Pixar

Filed under: Games Review The PS5 gets a family-friendly blockbuster There were times during Rift Apart, the latest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series, when I felt like treasure hunter Nathan Drake. Buildings collapsed around me as I made my way through perfectly tuned action set pieces, and I’d manage to jump out of… Read more

Amazon’s new Echo Show 8 is a little faster and has a better camera

Amazon’s midsize Echo Show 8 is the best smart display in its lineup. It is larger and more capable than the diminutive Echo Show 5, while costing far less than the larger Echo Show 10. The Echo Show 8 is handy for watching video, listening to music, getting weather reports, controlling smart home devices, making… Read more

Apple Music spatial audio with Dolby Atmos launches today

Home News (Image credit: Apple) Spatial audio is coming to Apple Music today, Apple has confirmed at its WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference). Last month, Apple announced that Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio tracks would soon be coming to its music streaming service alongside CD-quality and hi-res lossless audio for no additional cost, and while we… Read more