Continuing with its move toward USB-C, Apple looks set to incorporate the connector into the charging case for its AirPods Pro earbuds, according to respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The second generation of Apple’s top-of-the-line earbuds, which the tech giant released in September last year, features a Lightning charging case. But Kuo, who has called it right in the past when it comes to Apple’s plans, said in a recent tweet that Apple is “likely” to start selling a USB-C charging case with Apple’s premium buds, adding that it could start shipping as early as the second quarter of this year.
The analyst also said that Apple “currently appears to have no plans for USB-C versions of the AirPods 2 and 3.”
To be clear, it seems that the USB-C charging case will come with the current, second version of the AirPods Pro, which launched in September last year, meaning that it won’t be a part of any major hardware update to the buds themselves.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Apple has tweaked the charging setup for its wireless earbuds following their release. Well after the first AirPods Pro buds launched, for example, Apple swapped the charging case with one that supports MagSafe.
Bringing USB-C to the AirPods Pro 2 wouldn’t come as a major surprise as the tech giant has been gradually moving away from its proprietary Lightning port toward the more widely used USB-C connecter in recent years.
The iPad Pro has used USB-C for years, followed by the iPad Air, the iPad Mini, and, just last year, the standard iPad. It also added USB-C to Apple TV’s Siri Remote and is expected to finally bring it to its smartphone with the launch of the iPhone 15 later this year.
Apple has been encouraged to shift away from Lightning after the European Union brought in legislation last year that meant many electronic devices sold there will soon have to come with a USB-C port. The move is designed to reduce e-waste while easing cable-related stress for consumers constantly messing around with different connectors.
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This tiny Ikea waterproof Bluetooth speaker is just $15
Ikea is well known for selling attractively designed products at reasonable prices, but its latest Bluetooth speaker is priced so low that even Amazon might not be able to compete. The Vappeby waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker, as its name suggests, is tiny, waterproof, and surprisingly cheap at $15.
The tiny, silicone-wrapped speaker measures only three inches square and is just two inches thick. For reference, that’s about as wide as an iPhone 14 in portrait mode. It comes with its own lanyard cord, which you could use to hang the Vappeby in a shower as Ikea shows in its photos, or you could simply use it as a wrist strap. It’s available in three colors: yellow, black, or red, and if you buy two of them, they can be used as a stereo pair.
What is Dolby Atmos Music, and how can you listen to it at home and on the go?
Whether we get our music through streaming services, satellite radio, CDs, or vinyl, most of it has been recorded using the time-honored technique of two-channel stereo. But over the past few years, there’s been a growing movement in the recording industry toward so-called spatial audio formats. The most popular of these formats is Dolby Atmos Music, and it can make good ol’ stereo sound like mono AM radio.
But what exactly is Dolby Atmos Music? How is it different than stereo? And what kind of gear do you need to listen to it at home and on the go? We’ve got everything you need to know to get on the Dolby Atmos Music train.
What is Dolby Atmos Music?
YouTube TV rolls out multiview: watch up to 4 NCAA games at once
If you love college basketball and can process more than one game at a time, you’re going to go bananas for YouTube TV’s new multiview feature, which will be rolling out on a limited, early access basis starting March 14. With multiview, you’ll be able to pick up to four channels and see them all simultaneously, with the ability to easily flip the active audio from one to another. The new feature is compatible with any TV-based YouTube TV installations (streaming media players, smart TVs, and game consoles), but it doesn’t yet work on mobile devices or computers.
Initially, multiview will only be available to select YouTube TV users, who will be chosen at random. But Google says the goal is to include every subscriber by the time NFL football season starts in the fall. Another limitation, at least for now, is that YouTube TV will preselect the multiview channels you can choose. At launch, only channels that carry NCAA tournament games will be included in that preselected list.
How to use YouTube TV multiview
If you’re one of the lucky, randomly chosen users, you’ll see an option to watch up to four preselected, different streams at once in your “Top Picks for You” section. After selecting multiview, you can switch audio and captions between streams, and jump in and out of a full-screen view of a game.
It’s all about sports
At the moment, YouTube TV sees multiview as an enhancement of the sports viewing experience, so only sports content will be eligible. YouTube TV has had some big sports wins in 2022, including 4K coverage of the Soccer World Cup, and that trend will continue in 2023 thanks to its acquisition of the NFL Sunday Ticket games. However, YouTube TV recently lost access to MLB Network and the MLB.tv add-on, which reduces the amount of sports content available for multiview in 2023.
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Trevor Mogg