News

Apple might not provide free audio adapter dongles anymore

Is it time to go wireless for real?

Published

August 6, 2018

Luigi Leonardo

Do you have a drawer full of unused earphones, tangled forever in a maze of oblivion? Much like the ghastly camera notch, we all have Apple to thank for our forgotten audiophilic hardware.

In 2016, Apple did away with the 3.5mm audio port for all existing and future iPhones. Accordingly, the move created an industry-wide cascade that killed the port in favor of the more universal USB Type-C. Wired earphones quickly fell from grace.

Thankfully, phones (both iPhone and Android) began shipping with a free adapter dongle to their respective ports. The audio industry enjoyed a slight reprieve from the impending end.

Sadly, that all might change in a flash this year. In an investor’s note, analysts strongly hint that Apple will not bundle a free audio dongle starting this year.

From 2016 to now, audio hardware supplier Cirrus Logic was instrumental in transitioning Apple to a wireless future. The company created valuable hardware (including the dongle) for Apple. As such, Cirrus’ financial results escalated beyond expectations in their most recent statement.

Cirrus’ quarterly financial statement “all but confirms that Apple will not bundle the DAC headset converter ‘dongle’ in its new iPhone models,” according to Cowen analyst Matthew D. Ramsay. Regardless, he notes that the dongle will continue distribution for older iPhone models.

Recently, Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis also predicted the dongle’s demise. He states that there are no models for the dongle this year.

If true, the dongle’s end will spell a modicum of outrage from concerned Apple users. However, with the industry adapting to the trend already, the backlash will not escalate to the same heights as in 2016.

Already, the audio industry is pumping out earphones with a USB Type-C connector, instead of the traditional 3.5mm connector. Also, wireless audio has drastically improved over the past couple of years.

If anything, Apple’s latest move will further irk purists who prefer wired connections over wireless ones. For most users, alternatives already exist. Additionally, Apple will still sell the dongle separately for around US$ 9.

Related Topics:Apple iPhone Lightning USB Type-C

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.

Gaming

Silksong is getting its first major expansion next year

The expansion is called Sea of Sorrow.

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I still can’t believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong came out this year. After years of just waiting for the mythical title, it’s surreal to have it in my library. Now, barely waiting to catch their breath, Team Cherry is already working hard towards the next content drop, starting with Silksong DLC.

Just like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is getting free DLCs to expand its story. The upcoming Sea of Sorrow DLC will be the game’s “first big expansion.”

The expansion’s trailer barely shows anything about the new content, besides vague allusions to what’s coming. At the very least, Team Cherry has confirmed, both via the announcement and the accompanying poster, that Sea of Sorrow will be nautical-themed.

It will feature new locations, new tools, and new enemies. By itself, Silksong is already a huge game. Adding more content then is a massive undertaking. Plus, Team Cherry says that this is just the first expansion, hinting at more coming in the future.

Sea of Sorrow will launch in 2026.

Besides the new expansion, the studio is also working on a Nintendo Switch 2 update for the original Hollow Knight. It will add higher framerates, resolutions, and more graphical effects. PC players will also get some upgrades to support larger screens.

The Switch 2 update, which will be free for those who already own the original game, will also launch next year.

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

Published

December 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.