A proper gaming headset can make a big difference to your performance, especially if you do a lot of online and competitive gaming. The crisp, detailed audio will let your hear every shot and step, and the microphone allows you to chat and strategize with your teammates. If you’re looking for an entry-level model, you could pick up the wired Cloud Stinger Core, one of our favorite Xbox headsets for 2022, for just $19, $21 off the usual price. There’s also a wireless version available for $50, $30 off the usual price, though that model is only compatible with PCs. And if you want something a little more advanced, you could pick up the HyperX Cloud II with wireless connectivity and virtual surround sound for $115, a discount of $35.

For PC gamers, there are two of our favorite gaming keyboards of the year on sale right now. The HyperX Alloy Elite 2 is a full-size wired mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting, a solid steel frame and thee onboard memory profiles, and you can pick it up for just $85 right now, $45 off the usual price. Or, if you want something a little more compact, you can grab the HyperX Alloy Origins, a 60% wired mechanical keyboard made of lightweight aluminum for $30 off, dropping the price down to $70.

A Facebook gaming page posted a hurried unboxing video of what they claim is the Meta Quest Pro. It’s unclear how they acquired it, but it looks legit.

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Here are a few takeaways from the video:

Updated controllers: Gone are the plastic rings housing infrared LEDs for tracking. Instead, it looks like each controller has now two cameras to enable tracking: one facing the user and one facing out and away, toward a light source. The textured thumb pad sensor on the control panel seems to be absent, replaced by a downward sloping plane that may be an ergonomic upgrade. A set of three lights (or sensors?) have been added above the grip button. Other than those changes, the design looks nearly identical to the Quest 2 controllers, and there doesn’t seem to have been any adjustments made to make them less slippery in your hand.

Chicer, sleeker goggles: The Meta Quest Pro facial interface likely uses Meta’s holocake technology, which means it’s significantly slimmer than the Quest 2. The Meta Quest Pro is expected to be used at work, and a slimmer, lighter design will make it much easier to wear for longer periods of time.

New charging set up: It’s hard to see in the video, but it looks like a black charging dock is nestled in the box. Images on the box appear to show a charging dock and a cord.

No gaskets: A light-blocking gasket is necessary for total immersion, but it looks like the Meta Quest Pro won’t come with one. We don’t see one in this video, and we didn’t see one last week in a photo Zuck dropped of himself wearing what looked like the Meta Quest Pro. That means you will almost certainly need to leave room in your budget to buy one from a third party.

All-in-all, the Meta Quest Pro looks like a promising upgrade in fit and comfort, but still lacks several features that would make it peerless. But what really matters is the tech on the inside, which we’re all but certain to learn more about on October 11.

You’ve probably been listening to music on the go for most of your life. So you know that finding a good pair of earbuds is actually pretty tricky. (I’ve gone through more in my lifetime than I can count.)

Does that mean all earbuds are crap? No. It’s simply not true that bass, noise cancellation, and crisp sound can only be found in fancy over-ear headphones. Some of us prefer our headphones to be a little more inconspicuous and portable.

Since it’s always good to get a personal recommendation, we did some research and pulled out the best earbuds on Amazon. You’ll find earbuds that require a headphone jack or the beloved dongle, wireless Bluetooth earbuds that still have a connecting cord, and the truly wireless earbuds that are as discreet as you can get. Whatever your preference and whatever your price range, you’re sure to find some that don’t suck.

Earbuds versus earphones: What’s the difference?

The difference between earbuds and earphones is actually pretty simple. Earphones typically fit over your ear — if you’ve seen the AirPods Max, you’ve seen what a typical pair of over-ear headphones look like. Earbuds actually fit inside of your ear, like the Powerbeats Pro or AirPods Pro.

You can find fantastic versions of either style; your choice will just come down to personal preference. Earphones typically aren’t as harsh on your ears, featuring soft earcups to prevent soreness, but earbuds are a lot more compact and funnel audio directly into your eardrums. Earbuds can usually get a better seal for enhanced noise-cancelation, too.

How much should I spend on earbuds?

When it comes to any type of audio device, you tend to get what you pay for. Obviously, you shouldn’t put yourself into debt over a pair of headphones, but you don’t want anything too cheap, either. Sure, you can pick up a pair of off-brands at your local gas station, but those will be broken by the end of the week. $80 is normally a good starting point for decent earbuds that will last you a while, and they can cost well over $200 depending on what you get. Luckily, earbuds go on sale all the time.

Are corded or wireless earbuds better?

They both have their uses, but the main difference is input lag. Corded earbuds wil usually have less input delay than a pair of wireless earbuds, but if you have a really nice pair of wireless buds, you probably won’t even notice. Also, fumbling around with a cord tends to get annoying for a lot of people.

What are the most important things to look for when it comes to earbuds?

The most important thing is always going to be sound quality. Whether you’re streaming music, watching movies, or listing to podcasts and audiobooks, you want them all to sound clear and immersive. (This is where “you get what you pay for” really comes in.) You’ll also want to consider things like comfort, sizing (does it come with multiple ear tips?), battery life, noise-cancelation, and the control interface.

Think about whether you want your headphones to have a microphone or not — on wired headphones it’s usually built into the cord; on wireless headphones, near the part that sticks out of the ear. Some people like to be able to take calls from their earbuds as they go; others enjoy being able to just hit ignore on the phone without knowing they could easily take the call. Not all earbud mics are created equal, either — some are downright terrible, making calls super-crackly; others will let you have a fairly clear conversation.

Airplane noise can be tricky to block out, which is why we’ve looked at the best noise-canceling headphones for travel rather than just for general use. If you’re a frequent flyer, active noise cancellation makes all the difference to ensure you get the most comfortable flight possible.

Active noise-canceling technology is more accessible than ever nowadays, so it’s easy to find a variety of headphones with the ability to block out nearly all unwanted ambient sound. Many headphones also have the ability to go wireless, sync up with your smart devices, and so much more. It’s a great time to be buying a new set of headphones.

Before you dive in, it’s useful to think about what your budget is and what your needs are. Generally, over-ear headphones provide the best noise cancellation because they close your ears in, providing both physical blocking of sounds and active noise cancellation. However, in-ear solutions are also worth considering too as some of these have increasingly smart features for providing true noise cancellation over merely passively blocking sounds.

What you decide to go for comes down to what you feel most comfortable with as well as any other features you may want. These can include voice assistant support or multiple levels of noise cancellation when flying. You may also want to consider how great the headphones sound as well, with audiophiles keen to ensure they don’t miss out on excellent sound quality for the sake of good noise cancellation.

We’ve already rounded up the best headphones in general, along with the best noise-canceling headphones, and the best wireless headphones for everything else. For now though, we’re focusing on noise-canceling headphones for flying and travel, as well as answering some questions on what you need to know before making a purchase.

What is noise cancellation?

Noise-canceling headphones work by reducing unwanted ambient sounds using active noise control. A microphone captures the ambient sounds before an amplifier generates sound waves out of phase with the unwanted sounds. That way, the music you’re listening to shines through the noises you don’t want to hear like babies crying, people talking, or general airplane noise.

Generally, noise cancellation works best with constant droning sounds like a plane engine rather than sharp sounds like voices, but the best noise-canceling headphones still do a good job of blocking these out to some degree.

Is there a difference between noise cancellation and active noise cancellation?

Some headphones offer passive noise cancellation (also known as noise isolation) rather than Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Instead of using microphones to filter out undesired sounds, these headphones rely on soundproofing by physically blocking outside sounds using the materials they’re made out of. It’s less effective than using a pair of headphones that use Active Noise Cancellation but it does mean there’s less of a strain on battery life.

Some people also prefer passive noise cancellation as active noise cancellation has been known to make people feel pressure in their ears. When using headphones for travel though, this is less of an issue and also generally something that frequent flyers will learn to live with over excessive noise.

Does paying more really get me more noise cancellation?

Generally, yes. Many earphones and headphones offer noise cancellation features but they aren’t all the same. Typically, the more you pay and the better known and regarded the brand is, the better the noise cancellation is. Brands like Bose or Sony often offer multiple different levels of noise cancellation so you can choose to be completely blocked off from the world or opt to allow some surrounding noises to come in while flying.

By paying more, you also gain better features. These can include voice assistant support, expansive battery life, advanced codec support for better-sounding music, or better call quality. If you can, it’s worth spending more on a good pair of noise cancellation headphones, particularly if you’re a frequent flyer.

Do noise-canceling headphones help on airplanes?

Noise-canceling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. While flying, it’s difficult to find a moment’s peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work despite airplane noise distracting them. The best way to do this is by using the best noise cancellation methods to block out what’s going on.

Do noise-canceling headphones help with flight anxiety?

It depends on why you have flight anxiety. If you hate the idea of being “stuck” on a plane, it might not work as well as if it’s the noises that cause you anxiety. However, by being able to zone out and listen to your favorite music or podcasts, you can forget that you’re on an airplane as you won’t notice you’re flying in the same way as if you hear all the surrounding noises.

Similarly, if you hate flying because of ambient noise like children crying or loud talking, noise-canceling headphones can help hide this away from your ears, meaning you can relax better. With a combination of meditative sounds and music, the best noise-canceling headphones can whisk you away from irritants. Effectively, you can cocoon yourself away from the reminders that you’re traveling.

We’ve included something for everyone, from popular brands like Sony, Beats, and Apple. These are the best noise-canceling headphones for flying in 2022.

Wednesday, at Amazon’s conference re:MARS (machine learning, automation, robotics, and space) Rohit Prasad, SVP and head scientist of Alexa AI announced Alexa’s new supernatural talent: the ability to mimic someone’s voice using less than a minute of recording.

A spokesperson said in an email this is something Amazon has been exploring based on recent advancements in TTS (text-to-speech) technology. Amazon didn’t have a specific timeline to share, only that is it something it is currently working on.

Prasad described the voices of dead loved ones as a primary use case for this feature citing attributes of empathy and affect as keys to building trust with a companion, in this case, an AI-powered device. “These attributes have become even more important in the times of the ongoing pandemic when so many of us have lost someone we love,” said Prasad. “While AI can’t eliminate that pain of loss it can definitely make their memories last.”

In the demo, a young boy is seen lying on the couch and flipping through a book. He then asks, “Alexa can Grandma finish reading me the Wizard of Oz.” Alexa says, “OK,” and Grandma’s voice starts reading as the boy happily listens while thumbing through the book.

Something tells me not everyone would react so calmly when they hear the voice of a dead loved one through an AI device.

With Prime Day officially set to kick off July 12, and early Prime Day deals already available, now is a great time to find big bargains on top tech (among a ton of other markdowns). And right now Amazon has the Razer Kaira Pro dual wireless gaming headset discounted by $70, bringing the cost to just $130.

This gaming accessory boasts a ton of features, including TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers that can tune highs, mids and lows separately to produce rich, full-range sound and immerse you in the game for extended sessions.

The detachable HyperClear Supercardioid mic on the Kaira Pro provides a good amount of voice isolation, and the included SmartSwitch technology automatically mutes a game, easily switching from audio on your console to your phone when you answer a call via the on-ear controls, making it super easy to stay connected to both worlds.

This particular headset is compatible with PlayStation 5, PS4, PC, mobile and devices with Bluetooth audio capacity. However there is a Razer Kaira headset designed for Xbox available, as well as a non-Pro version that’s discounted to just $100.

Whether you’re hoping to improve the speed of your computer or you just want something that’ll ensure your documents and data are as secure as possible, a solid state drive will do the trick.

What to consider before buying a solid state drive

Whether you think you have enough storage space on your computer or you already know you’re going to need a little boost, a solid state drive will ensure your files and data are safe and secure without bogging down your devices. You’ll want to make sure you opt for something that’s both durable and offers more storage than you think you’ll need (it can fill up fast!). You’ll also want to think about the price point you’re comfortable with as SSDs can cost a pretty penny depending on the brand and size you’re after.

Thankfully, with prices going down and quality going up, these days finding a high-quality SSD has become easier than ever. We did the research, keeping in mind functionality, storage, and price to bring you some of the top options on the market.

When picking out a phone case, it’s important to think about your priorities. Are you prone to dropping your phone often, or do you just want a slim sleeve to keep dust and debris away from your device? Do you want a case that adds something extra to your phone, like a credit card slot or kickstand? You should consider these questions — along with how much you’re willing to spend — when shopping for a new phone case.

I evaluated the cases below based on a variety of factors, including how much bulk they add to your phone, how easy they are to put on and remove, their build quality and how they hold up during drops. I dropped each case from a height of roughly three feet to test its durability. That might not sound very high, but it seemed like a good way to simulate the real-world experience of knocking your phone off a countertop or table, or dropping it as you take it out of your pocket. (Spoiler: Every case in this list passed the test and protected the Galaxy A53 from damage).

The Babbit — a new wireless speaker now available in North America — falls into the final category. It has an extra control feature aimed at young kids, which lets them play music without interacting with a mobile device. Concerns around screen time can be poorly-defined, but it’s fair to say that pre-reading kids will have trouble navigating Spotify. While the Babbit doesn’t fully live up to its promises, it’s a device that is often delightful, with solid sound quality and a hipster minimalist vibe.

What is the Babbit?

The Babbit is a speaker that can play music and audio content via Bluetooth or locally via a USB stick. You can control the speaker either with a connected mobile device or with NFC-enabled cards and stickers. The creators of the Babbit added the latter option so that kids who are too young to effectively navigate a mobile device can still operate the boombox.

When Babbit’s NFC cards work, playing music with them is a magical delight for a kid. But like most things that appear simple, adults in the family should be prepared to put in the time to make Babbit function as designed.

Setting up the babbit

The Babbit is not simple to set up, though it does tend to work as advertised once you do. First, you’ll need to download the company’s app and use it to add the Babbit to your WiFi. Then you’ll pair the speaker with the device that will play the music. It’s not a smart speaker.

Open the app and follow the prompts to connect the speaker to your wireless network. If you have a mesh network like the Eero or another layer of security, you’ll need to use that admin device to allow the Babbit onto the network. Then, enable Bluetooth discovery on the Babbit and pair it with your device. You’ll need to make Babbit discoverable via the app any time you want to connect a new device.

Once the initial tech setup is complete, you have to decide what to play. Here, you have options: Use a device and Bluetooth, or via physical cards. Playing content on the Babbit via Bluetooth is similar to any other wireless speaker.

Using NFC cards and stickers with the Babbit

The big difference between the Babbit and standard Bluetooth speakers is the ability to control playback with NFC-enabled cards. This method has become more popular as a way to let kids play music or audio content independently and without interacting with digital screens.

The Babbit works differently than other devices with similar technology, the TonieBox and YotoPlayer. On those, content is downloaded over the internet and remains local to the device until it’s deleted. The only time content is locally accessed on the Babbit is when you plug in a USB storage device and use it to play content, a method that I could never get to work, despite repeated attempts.

Instead, the Babbit lets you assign an online stream of content, like a Spotify playlist, to an NFC card. These can either be stickers attached to household objects (fun, if slightly twee) or cardboard tokens purchased alongside the speaker.

Cards placed on the active area of the Babbit cue a stream of music to play on the target device with the Babbit as the output speaker. In essence, it’s a fancy way to play Spotify without opening Spotify, which is the service it’s most seamless with.

If using the NFC cards, you’ll need to download and log into Spotify in order to use Babbit’s curated playlists. It’s a good idea to do all of this on a device that will remain in the house most of the time — say a family tablet rather than the phone of a parent who commutes to the office.

The first time you place a card or sticker on the Babbit’s active area (the company calls these “tune tags”), you’ll need to assign content to it. Open the Babbit app, wait for the speaker to recognize the tune tag, and then touch the “play” button. Choose your content — either from a USB stick, an online URL, or a Spotify playlist — and start the stream. Then hit the “assign” button to save that content to the tune tag you’re using. Now, anytime you place the token on the Babbit’s active area, the content will play. If a sticker isn’t working, the company will replace it for free, a rep said.

The two buttons on the speaker move forward and backwards through the track lists, and the knob controls the volume. Pressing the knob plays or pauses the music.

Get a curated music library with Babbit Rainbow

My review unit came with a demo of Babbit Rainbow, the company’s library of curated music playlists for kids. The playlists are selected by “four Latvian music professionals,” the company told Mashable: a producer, a composer, a radio DJ, and a music journalist.

Give the team a medal. Every playlist was eclectic and kid-appropriate without feeling like “kid music.” It was whole-family music that everyone in my house enjoyed. The cards came in a rainbow range of themes — one set of ROYGBIV colors was moods, another was different places, and there are also party playlists for throughout the year.

One side of the cards are illustrated, and the back has a short description of the playlist’s vibe. The playlists are publicly available on Spotify. Like all tune tags, the Babbit Rainbow cards can be reassigned to new playlists repeatedly. If your kids don’t like one, you can change it. You can buy replacement cards from the company if they’re damaged.

A few meaningful drawbacks

You’ll get the most out of the Babbit if you pay for ad-free Spotify. My kids would be in the middle of a jam session and I’d hear ads wafting down the hall. Since Babbit makes what’s actually happening so opaque with its use-card-play-music format, I don’t think they realized what they were actually listening to, which made the ads all the more jarring.

If the USB option worked better, or could be connected to a bigger storage device, it would likely push the Babbit over the line into a truly great device. The NFC playback is useful and delightful, but I wish that I could connect it with the music or audiobooks that I already own or buy.

If I unplugged the Babbit to move it to a different room, I often had to set it up all over again. This took a record 40 minutes on one occasion. These drawbacks are small, but feel meaningful in the context of the Babbit’s price.

What does Babbit cost?

The Babbit speaker is expensive: It costs 690 Euros, or roughly $730 at time of writing. To take advantage of the NFC-enabled playback feature, you’ll need to also spend another $20 or $26 to buy a package of NFC stickers or blank cards. The speaker and full library set of cards is 790 Euros, or $836 at time of writing. That’s cheaper than buying the speaker and full card set separately.

Babbit vs. YotoPlayer and TonieBox

The YotoPlayer and TonieBox are aimed at young kids and focus mainly on audio-books. Babbit’s marketing says it’s meant to foster music discovery, and it’ll be more appropriate for a kid who’s at least in elementary school.

The Babbit is much more likely to be used by a whole family and for much longer than the other two devices. The YotoPlayer can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker, but its sound quality is lacking.

The payment models of these devices are also wildly different. Once you buy the speaker and any cards, you’re done paying money for the Babbit. It works with a library of free content via USB or Spotify. The YotoPlayer and TonieBox require you to purchase each additional story or album you want, at a cost that’s more expensive than alternatives like Apple Books or Apple Music. You’re locked into a content ecosystem and limited by the licensing agreements that those devices negotiate. The Babbit largely sidesteps this issue.

Is the Babbit worth it? 

The Babbit’s sound quality is excellent, with a full-throated bass and no whiff of tinniness. It holds its own against a Bose SoundLink Revolve+. Given its cost, it absolutely should. But it’s worth acknowledging that other devices aimed at kids or with features for them often fall short in this department.

It seems fairest to compare Babbit to another large home speaker and on that metric, it is more accessible and more useful to an entire family than a traditional Bluetooth speaker. However, if your kids are 10 or older, you will likely get much less use out of the NFC-enabled playback, which is Babbit’s main differentiator.

Since starting to test the Babbit, I’ve tried to figure out what problem it solves. It creates an experience that most closely resembles playing CDs on a family stereo as a kid. Seeing what’s available, trying out music, and just chilling out. I can’t think of another device that uses the online streaming ecosystem to make music available in an analog way. Yes it’s a pain to set up and requires some playlist maintenance, but the payoff — giving children meaningful independence over their time and listening in a device that they can grow into over time — is there. It’s a creative engagement with real life that I wish more technology companies would attempt, even though it falls a bit short.

The iPhone maker’s proprietary charging standard isn’t long for this world, per analyst and prolific Apple predictor Ming-Chi Kuo. Just days after Kuo said Apple is working on iPhones that charge via USB-C instead of Lightning, the analyst updated his tweet with clarification that Apple’s other Lightning-powered products would also make the switch. That includes AirPods, MagSafe chargers, and Apple’s mouse and keyboard peripherals.

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As for when exactly this would happen, Kuo didn’t specify beyond “in the foreseeable future.” His initial iPhone take and a subsequent Bloomberg report that backed it up suggested iPhones wouldn’t ditch Lightning until 2023 at the earliest. Apple could choose to slowly phase out Lightning, but it might also make sense to move everything over to USB-C at the same time, too.

For the non-tech-savvy folks out there, USB-C is the oval-shaped charging port you’ve likely seen on recent Android phones, modern video game controllers, and even some of Apple’s products like MacBooks. It charges and transfers data more quickly than Lightning, to go along with the obvious benefit of being able to use the same charging cable for every device you own.

The main benefit of Apple sticking with Lightning for this long has probably been the company’s ability to charge third-party peripheral makers a fee to use the standard, but at some point, it’s best to let go. Please, Apple, let us live in a world without Lightning.