News
Apple announces AirPods Pro 3 with big upgrades
Better fit, live translation, and workout ready.
Apple just unveiled the AirPods Pro 3. These are the latest version of the world’s most popular in-ear headphones, and they’re packed with upgrades. Expect better sound, stronger Active Noise Cancellation, a redesigned fit, built-in heart rate tracking, and longer battery life.
Noise cancellation takes a leap
Apple says the new AirPods Pro cancel up to twice as much noise as the previous model, and four times more than the first-gen Pros. Ultra-low noise mics and advanced audio processing make them the best ANC in-ear headphones you can buy right now. Add in new foam-infused tips, and you get both passive and active noise reduction that’s tough to beat. Battery life is also longer, with up to eight hours of playback with ANC on.
A fit for every ear
Apple studied over 10,000 ear scans to refine the design. The result? Smaller buds, more stable geometry, and foam ear tips in five sizes, including a new XXS option. They’re sweat and water resistant too, rated IP57, making them ready for workouts or rainy days.
Workout-ready with heart rate sensing
For the first time, AirPods can measure your heart rate. Using Apple’s smallest custom-built sensor, the Pros track blood flow and sync workout data with the Fitness app. You can log up to 50 workout types, close your Move ring, and even get personalized insights through Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence.
Live Translation in your ears
A new feature called Live Translation makes it easier to talk across languages. With Apple Intelligence handling the processing, AirPods can help translate conversations in real time. It works with English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish now, with Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) coming later this year.
Better for hearing health
Apple continues to push hearing health features. AirPods Pro 3 expand automatic Conversation Boost for noisy environments, making voices clearer for people who use hearing aids. There’s also more protection against loud environmental noise. Transparency mode now lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.
Greener design
AirPods Pro 3 use 40 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 65 percent recycled plastic in the case. Packaging is all fiber-based and recyclable.
Price and availability
AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S. and are available for pre-order today. They hit stores on Friday, September 19. Buyers can also get up to three months of Apple Music and Apple Fitness+ for free with purchase.
Entertainment
UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October
Determination arrives in October.
For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.
On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.
The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.
In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.
Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.
SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow
The price of technology isn’t fun these days. Because of the ongoing RAM shortage wrought by AI, companies across the industry are raising the prices of their products. Some, however, are still willing to shoulder the burden for their customers. Unfortunately, Qualcomm is soon leaving that list.
As reported by Bloomberg, Qualcomm will raise the prices of its products starting in September. Though the exact figure is unknown, the company did confirm that it’s in the double digits, percentage-wise. According to them, they can no longer shoulder the costs for its customers.
If you’re just a regular user, Qualcomm’s prices might not mean much for you. After all, the chipmaker doesn’t make phones of its own.
That said, Qualcomm is still one of the biggest suppliers for smartphone chipsets, including those that Samsung uses. Pushing the burden from chipsets to phone manufacturers reduces one more buffer against costs being ultimately pushed to consumers.
All things considered, Samsung managed to keep its prices hikes relatively low with the latest batch of foldables. However, with chips getting more price increases, it’s still within the realm of possibility that Samsung will also increase the price of its smartphones. The same can be said for any Qualcomm-powered smartphone available today.
News
Apple is reportedly delaying its smart glasses due to privacy concerns
The brand wants to squash malicious recording.
Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While early adopters are celebrating the ability to record everything, a growing group of critics are decrying the loss of privacy. Formerly at full throttle, Apple, in response to these controversies, will reportedly delay its version of smart glasses to next year.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is heading back to the drawing board to further emphasize the unreleased wearable’s privacy protections, which includes “hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products.” The report, however, doesn’t enumerate what these features are.
If anything, these features will likely prevent malicious recording. Most smart glasses today have a light that tells passersby that the device is actively recording video. However, users have discovered ways to tamper and disable this light, so their devices can start recording without alerting others. Apple will likely introduce better measure to prevent such tampering.
Additionally, it’s also possible that Apple introduces a version of the smart glasses without a camera attached.
Because of these new initiatives, the brand will delay the launch of the wearable to sometime next year. Previously, there was heavy speculation that the smart glasses will launch later this year.
On the bright side, there’s still substantial reason to believe that Apple is launching its first ever foldable device later this year.
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