 |
|
|
|||||
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are on sale right now for $179, which is a discount of $50. Just head on over to Wellbots and pop in the code ENGAD50 to score the deal. This is Googles latest and greatest audio product and easily made our list of the best wireless earbuds. They are smaller and more comfortable than the previous version, which is great. Despite the product shrinkage, the sound has also been improved. The bass is punchy and the highs are crisp. The battery life is also slightly improved when compared to the original earbuds. You can expect eight hours of use with ANC on, but this increases to 30 hours when you consider the included charging case. These are the companys first earbuds with a Tensor chip, which allows for ultra-low latency audio processing and multi-path signal handling. Other perks include conversation detection, multipoint Bluetooth and the ability to customize what long-pressing the button does. These earbuds can also automatically switch between devices linked to a Google account, which is great for Android users but doesnt do much for Apple fans. For those on a serious budget, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds are also $50 off via Wellbots. Enter the same ENGAD50 code to bring the price down to just $49. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-are-50-off-right-now-130054223.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
For earbuds in the $150 range, theres usually not a lot to get excited about. Sure, those models typically offer the basics with decent sound quality, but very few have a stand-out feature that leaves a lasting impression. For its ATH-CKS50TW2 ($149), Audio-Technica sought to do this with extremely long battery life and a neat trick that will help you make the most of it. Theres a lot more to like on this set, including a list of tools that rival more expensive alternatives, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is far from a complete package. The satisfying audio performance and ability to use them for over 20 hours on a charge might be enough to entice you to overlook those shortcomings. The good: battery life, magnets and sound quality When Audio-Technica announced the ATH-CKS50TW2 at CES, the first item on the spec sheet that struck me was the battery life. The company says you can expect up to 25 hours on a full charge without active noise cancellation (ANC) and up to 40 more hours from the charging case. With ANC enabled, youll still get a whopping 15 hours of listening time, which is about double what a lot of the competition offers these days. Importantly, those claims actually held true during my tests. To maximize those numbers, the company equipped the ATH-CKS50TW2 with so-called Magnetic Switch technology. Specifically, the earbuds snap together with magnets to turn off before you put them in the case. Much of the competition doesnt power down until the earbuds are inside of the case, but with the ATH-CKS50TW2, you dont need to worry about that extra step. Simply take them off and snap them together, then youll know youre no longer wasting precious battery power while the buds are resting on your desk. This also means the ATH-CKS50TW2 wont always be charging in the case when youre not using them, which should help extend battery longevity. Im also happy to report that Audio-Technica brought its trademark warm, inviting sound profile to the ATH-CKS50TW2. More specifically, the stock audio isnt overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when its not. The bassline of Kendrick Lamars tv off booms while the hi-hats, claps and vocals cut through clear. When you switch over to something more mellow with less low-end bombast like Turnpike Troubadours Be Here, you get the full gamut of the acoustic instruments and light drums without bass overpowering the mix. It doesnt deliver the enhanced clarity and pristine detail that more expensive, flagship-level earbuds do, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is plenty good for $150. In fact, this may be the best option in terms of sound quality in this price range. On Jason Isbells Foxes in the Snow, for example, the acoustic guitar the lone instrument on the album doesnt have the expressive nuance as it does on Technics AZ100 or Bowers and Wilkins Pi8. But Ill admit the ATH-CKS50TW2 holds its own against similarly priced competition. That, and the extended battery life alone make these earbuds a compelling package. The not so good: design, controls and a missing feature By 2025 standards, the ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds are big and bulky. They also feel unbalanced, with much of the weight sitting well outside the curves of your ears. This means theyre not as comfortable as smaller models and feel unsteady. I never had issues with them falling out, but they feel like they could, which isnt great. Perhaps Audio-Technica needed the extra space for bigger batteries, which Im guessing will be an acceptable trade-off for users searching for longer listening times between charges. Audio-Technica gave the ATH-CKS50TW2 physical controls, which is usually a good thing. Like some of the companys previous models, the buttons are small, positioned along the top edge of the earbuds. Due to the design of the ATH-CKS50TW2 though, you have to hold the earbuds in place while pressing those buttons. Its cumbersome, mostly due to the size and weight of each bud. The bulky, unbalanced construction has trickle-down effects on other aspects of the listening experience. Billy Steele for Engadget The ATH-CKS50TW2 is missing a crucial feature wear detection. But the company has done well to include ANC, Hear-Through (ambient sound) mode, a five-band EQ, soundscapes, media controls and battery updates in its app. Theres also a private timer and low latency mode for games and video. You can even adjust how many steps volume adjustments will jump and test your microphone to see if optional noise reduction is needed during calls. Additionally, a quick-attention, Talk-Through mode that reduces volume and activates ambient sound for brief chats too. But you wont find the simple, and handy, automatic pausing when you remove the earbuds from your ears. The final verdict on the ATH-CKS50TW2 My initial assumption was correct: the main reason to buy the ATH-CKS50TW2 is the extremely long battery life. I dont think the Magnetic Switch feature is necessary to hit the promised runtime, but its nice to know the earbuds are off without having to put them in the case where theyll recharge even when you dont need them to. Audio-Technicas sonic prowess is on display here as well, albeit to a lesser degree than some of the companys other earbuds and headphones. The design isnt the most comfortable and the controls are awkward to use, but the full list of the ATH-CKS50TW2s features is quite long. espite a few flaws, theres plenty to like here, including the two most important things for a lot of users: sound and battery life. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/audio-technica-ath-cks50tw2-review-long-battery-life-and-satisfying-sound-for-150-130042531.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
OpenAI is giving free ChatGPT users limited access to its Deep Research tool without the need to pay for it. In addition, the company has expanded the tool's limits for all users by rolling out a lightweight version of it powered by its o4-mini model. It says the o4-mini Deep Research feature produces slightly shorter responses, but is "nearly as smart, more cost-efficient and delivers similarly high-quality results" as the original version. OpenAI previously released the tool for use by paying Pro, Plus, Team, Edu and Enterprise subscribers. But even they have a limited number of Deep Research queries per month. The lightweight version of deep research is powered by a version of OpenAI o4-mini and is nearly as intelligent as the deep research people already know and love, while being significantly cheaper to serve.Responses will typically be shorter while maintaining the depth and pic.twitter.com/H2UD5GThVj OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 24, 2025 Plus users, for instance, only had access to 10 inquiries, whereas Pro subscribers paying $200 monthly had a limit of 125. Now, when users hit their limit on the original version, ChatGPT will switch over to the lightweight one. Plus and Team subscribers are now getting an extra 15 Deep Research inquiries a month on top of their 10, while Pro users are getting an additional 125 tasks powered by the lightweight version of the tool on top of their 125. Enterprise and Edu users are getting access to the lightweight tool next week and will get 15 more inquiries every month. As for free users, they can use the tool powered by o4-mini to get up to five answers monthly. Deep Research has the capacity to analyze websites and various sources to create thorough reports with citations. The company says the tool is "fine-tuned on the OpenAI o3 reasoning model," but the lightweight version is "significantly cheaper to serve."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-deep-research-tool-is-coming-to-free-accounts-123031773.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||