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So far, Bose has delivered two versions of its "regular" QuietComfort Earbuds: one in 2020 and another in 2022. The company followed up last year with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, debuting its take on spatial audio that doesn't rely on carefully recorded content. Now, Bose is jumping back to that "regular" model with a new version of the QuietComfort Earbuds. While it's actually the company's fourth set noise-canceling wireless buds, the new QC Earbuds will offer an entry-level option that's much more affordable than the premium Ultra. For the new QuietComfort Earbuds, Bose says the design is meant for "everyday use." There's a collection of ear tips and stability bands to help you find the perfect fit, and the IPX4 rating should be enough to withstand sweaty workouts. The shape of the outer panel has been refined, looking more like older Bose earbud models than its recent efforts. The company says you can expect its "best-in-class" active noise cancellation (ANC) to be on display here, as well as "satisfyingly rich" sound. Each earbud is equipped with three microphones for both ANC and voice pickup, so the latest QuietComfort model should be a decent option for calls. Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connectivity is also on the spec sheet, where Bose is promising up to 30 feet of wireless range. Bose Bose increased the battery life from the QC Earbuds II from six to eight and a half hours on this new version. Plus, the case holds another two and a half charges. You can get three hours of use in 20 minutes and a full charge takes 90 minutes. The QuietComfort Earbuds will work with the Bose QC Earbuds app for features and customization. Here, you can reconfigure the onboard tap controls on each earbud, with the ability to switch ANC settings between Quiet, Aware (transparency mode) and off right on the buds. A Voice ID tool can fine-tune the QC Earbuds for "performance and accuracy" while a five-band adjustable EQ offers some flexibility with the tuning. Bose has also included a Remote Selfie feature that allows you to use the earbuds as a remote camera trigger. Additionally, there's a low-latency audio mode for gaming and a Battery Prediction tool to track power consumption. The new QuietComfort Earbuds are available today for $179 in black, white and purple color options. That's $100 less the previous two QC Earbuds models and $120 less than the QC Ultra Earbuds. This new model isn't exactly a budget option, but the price is much more attractive than the company's current $299 flagship set. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/boses-new-noise-canceling-quietcomfort-earbuds-are-more-affordable-at-179-130046607.html?src=rss
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Bose has a new soundbar for the fall shopping season, and it includes a few neat tricks for owners of the companys clip-on earbuds. The Bose Smart Soundbar is a small, sleek model with AI Dialogue Mode and a Personal Surround feature for owners of the Ultra Open Earbuds. The Bose Smart Soundbar has five transducers, including two side-firing (racetrack-shaped) ones, a center tweeter and two up-firing transducers. This arrangement helps with Dolby Atmos content, with the side-facing ones focused on horizontally positioned audio and the upward-facing ones bouncing sound off the ceiling for an overhead illusion. The center tweeter handles dialog. If your content doesnt support Dolby Atmos for a spatial surround experience, the soundbars TrueSpace feature can mix them in real time to create a faux surround effect. Bose claims the process produces sound just as effectively as Dolby Atmos with similar spaciousness. Bose Owners of Boses Ultra Open Earbuds the $299 clip-on doodads that leave your ears uncovered the soundbar can deliver a more personalized surround experience for one person. Designed to add dimension to content, the feature uses the earbuds as rear surround speakers. Unlike most earbuds, the Ultra Open model doesnt obstruct your ears, allowing you to still hear the soundbars audio. Bose describes the combined effect as a sonic experience of sound all around you. The Personal Surround Sound feature launches with this model but will arrive on the (more expensive) Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar later this fall. The soundbar also supports the AI Dialogue Mode from the companys Smart Ultra Soundbar. The feature uses AI to automatically adjust the audio mix in real time when it detects speech, making voices easier to hear without losing any impact of immersive sound effects. The Smart Soundbar is 27 inches long, 2.2 inches high and 4.1 inches deep. It has a black matte body with a wraparound metal grille. On the connection front, it supports HDMI eARC (required for Dolby Atmos) and standard optical cables. You can set it up to work with Google Assistant and Alexa, and it works with other Bose smart speakers (including bass modules) for enhanced living room or multi-room setups. The Bose Smart Soundbar is available on Wednesday for $499. You can order it on Boses website. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/boses-latest-soundbar-can-use-the-ultra-open-earbuds-as-rear-speakers-130002782.html?src=rss
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The amount of fines Google has to pay in Europe may have become just a bit smaller. It has successfully convinced the European Union's General Court to annul the 1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) penalty levied against it back in 2019 for what the European Commission described as "abusive practices in online advertising." According to the Financial Times, the General Court agreed with the commission's assessment that Google did block rival advertisers from its platform. However, it argued that the commission failed to take into account "all the relevant circumstances" when it assessed how long the company had implemented anti-competitive practices. The commission, under competition chief Margrethe Vestager, found back in 2019 that Google had prohibited publishers from placing search adverts from competitors on its search results pages from 2006 until 2009. It changed its rules slightly in 2009, but it wasn't until 2016 that it removed the clause pertaining to the restriction in its contracts. The fine for this particular case was larger than expected, because the commission said it took into account "the duration and gravity of the infringement." "This case is about a very narrow subset of text-only search ads placed on a limited number of publishers' websites," Google said in a statement to the Financial Times. "We made changes to our contracts in 2016 to remove the relevant provisions, even before the commissions decision. We are pleased that the court has recognized errors in the original decision and annulled the fine. We will review the full decision closely." Meanwhile, the commission told the publication that it "will carefully study the judgment and reflect on possible next steps." It could still appeal the court's decision. This is just one of the multiple antitrust fines the European Commission has slapped against Google over the past years. Earlier this month, EU's highest court upheld a different $2.7 billion penalty against the company. The commission imposed that fine on Google back in 2017, because it found that the company, as Vestager explained, "abused its market dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in its search results, and demoting those of competitors." Vestager is stepping down from her role as the European Union's commissioner for competition within the next few weeks. She has been tough on big tech companies throughout her run, and the market abuse cases she has filed over the years led to the creation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a regulation meant to prevent the largest players in the industry from abusing their market power.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-wins-appeal-against-17-billion-eu-fine-for-abusive-advertising-practices-123006698.html?src=rss
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