Bluetooth - page 2

Nuheara assistive earbuds get active noise cancellation, lower cost

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Nuheara IQBuds2 Max are hearables more than just headphones.
Nuheara IQBuds2 Max help you hear conversations in noisy environments.
Photo: Nuheara

CES 2020 Nuheara’s Bluetooth earbuds help users better hear what’s going on around them, as well as play music and podcasts. The latest version adds active noise cancellation, and comes at a considerable price drop.

The new IQBuds2 Max garnered innovation awards in three categories at CES 2020.

Magic Keyboard and Mouse in silver and black require buying $6,000 Mac Pro

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Apple Magic Keyboard in black and silver is surprisingly expensive.
Getting the new Apple Magic Keyboard in black and silver costs much more than you might expect.
Photo: Apple

A black-and-silver Magic Keyboard, Mouse 2 and Trackpad 2 debuted in Apple’s product lineup today, but only a fortunate few can order them. As it stands now, these accessories are only available for people who also buy a 2019 Mac Pro.

But that’s likely to change soon.

How to use iOS 13’s Audio Sharing

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Audio sharing in iOS 13
Look how friendly these people are. Just look.
Photo: Apple

In iOS 13, you can share songs and watch movies with a friend, with each of you using your own AirPods. The new feature is called Audio Sharing, and it lets you instantly — and temporarily — pair a second set of AirPods to your iPhone or iPad. It’s like the olde schoole method of using a headphone splitter to plug two sets of headphones into one jack socket, only way more expensive and fancy.

Here’s how to use it.

Bluetooth box bridges gap between iPhone and studio monitor speakers

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The Kali Bluetooth Input Module
The Kali Bluetooth Input Module puts a big knob on your desk.
Photo: Kali Audio

Problem: You have a kick-ass stereo, or a pair of excellent studio monitor speakers, and you want to hook up your iPhone to listen to some music. Only you don’t want to dig out the headphone dongle and plug in a cable.

Solution: The Kali Audio Bluetooth Module. It hooks up to your speakers via cable, adding a Bluetooth receiver that lets you get the music out of your iPhone or iPad. It seems simple, and it is. But it’s also super-duper handy.

AirDrop flaw makes it possible to gather strangers’ phone numbers

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That's not a great look for AirDrop!
That's not a great look for AirDrop!
Image: Hexway

A Bluetooth LE security flaw could let malicious actors discover people’s iPhone numbers using Apple’s file-sharing AirDrop feature.

An attacker would need to create a phone number database for a specific region. Using a special script, they then could collect information on users who tried to AirDrop a file.

This little adapter lets you use AirPods with almost anything

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RHA-Wireless-Audio-Adapter-AirPods
Add Bluetooth to your old iPod and more.
Photo: RHA

AirPods might just be the most convenient wireless headphones money can buy. But because they rely on Bluetooth, you can’t use them with everything. This little adapter from RHA hopes to change that.

The Wireless Flight Adapter plugs into any 3.5mm headphone jack to make it wireless. It’ll work with in-flight entertainment systems — as its name suggests — as well as the Nintendo Switch, TVs, old iPods, and more.

Sony’s answer to AirPods boasts one big advantage

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Sony-wireless-buds
But they’re not cheap.
Photo: Sony

Sony’s new wireless earbuds are ready to take on AirPods.

The horribly named WF-1000XM3 promise the same impressive audio quality as Sony’s best-selling headphones — but in an earbud form factor. And they boast one big advantage.

Here’s why you might want to avoid Apple’s hottest accessory and pick up these instead.

5 new iOS 13 features you haven’t heard about yet

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iOS 13 has almost too many features to cover -- but that won't stop us trying.
iOS 13 has almost too many features to cover -- but that won't stop us trying.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iPadOS and iOS 13 have gotten so many new features and tweaks, it’s hard to know where to start. We will continue to cover everything in-depth over the coming weeks and months, but here’s a little glimpse at some of the best new features in the newest version of iOS.

How to use a PS4 or Xbox One controller with iOS 13 and iPadOS

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
Controller support is better than ever.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

iOS 13, iPadOS, and tvOS 13 will finally allow you to play games with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One controller.

That means there’s no need to purchase a pricey MFi controller that is restricted by Apple’s outdated gamepad guidelines. Simply connect one of the controllers you already own and you’re good to go.

Here’s how to get set up.

Apple doesn’t want everyone to use a mouse with iPhone and iPad

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iPad-Pro-mouse
Not everyone should use a mouse. Especially not this kind.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

You might think it would be pretty simple for Apple to add mouse support to its mobile operating systems. But that’s not so. The company reportedly spent years developing its newest accessibility feature.

Apple is also keen to stress that mouse support in iOS 13 and iPadOS is for certain users — those who cannot easily use touch. It was not added to replace touch for the average iPhone and iPad user.

How to turn on Mac Bluetooth without a mouse

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Dust off any old USB keyboard and get your Bluetooth back in action.
Dust off any old USB keyboard and get your Bluetooth back in action.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

You wake up or restart your Mac, and nothing is connected. Your Bluetooth keyboard does nothing. You wiggle your Bluetooth mouse or trackpad, and the on-screen pointer refuses to wiggle in response. The problem? You Mac’s Bluetooth is switched off. But how do you switch it back on without a mouse?

Today we’ll see how to activate Bluetooth on an iMac, Mac Pro or Mac mini 1 without having to touch a mouse or trackpad. All you need are a USB keyboard, Spotlight and one clever trick.

These bone-conduction smart glasses make headphones unnecessary [Review]

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Lucyd Loud review
For some people, Lucyd Loud smart glasses are a better option than AirPods.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Headphones are so ubiquitous we often don’t think about their disadvantages. Lucyd created a pair of smart glasses that let you listen to music or podcasts while still allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. This Bluetooth accessory also lets you access Siri from your iPhone, as well as make and receive calls.

Don’t miss our hands-on review of the Lucyd Loud tech frames.

Braven’s rugged portable speaker can take whatever you dish out [Review]

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Braven BRV-105 review: This Bluetooth speaker is as active as you are. It’s up for biking, sailing ... you name it.
The Braven BRV-105 is as active as you are. It’s up for biking, sailing... you name it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Braven BRV-105 can go anywhere and survive whatever you can. This palm-size speaker is waterproof and rugged without being too bulky. Attach it to your bike or belt and listen to music wherever you go without headphones.

We fully tested this Bluetooth accessory, so don’t miss our review.

Bluetooth 5.1 makes it easier to find gear with direction sensing

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Bluetooth 5.1 should make point-of-interest (PoI) notifications much more accurate.
Bluetooth 5.1 should make point-of-interest (PoI) notifications much more accurate.
Photo: Bluetooth SIG

The lust-introduced version of Bluetooth enables devices to sense the direction a wireless signal is coming from. The goal is to significantly improve the performance of location services.

If nothing else, this should hugely enhance Tile trackers. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is promising accuracy for personal property tags down to the centimeter.

Tile Bluetooth tracker finally adds replaceable batteries

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Tile will speak out against Apple in Congress antitrust hearing
Tile will speak out against Apple in Congress antitrust hearing
Photo: Tile

Tile offers some of the most popular Bluetooth trackers, but these had a significant drawback: non-replaceable batteries. Getting a fresh battery required buying a whole new tracker. That finally changed today.

The latest Tile Mate and Tile Pro also offer longer range and louder volumes. 

Satechi’s new extended keyboards gives you Apple looks on a budget

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Satechi Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard
Satechi's Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard is the perfect match for your Apple setup.
Photo: Satechi

Accessory maker Satechi has been around for years, offering a wide range of charging solutions, headphones, dongles, and computer peripherals for both Mac and PC. Their newest Mac accessories, the Aluminum Bluetooth keyboard and Aluminum USB keyboard offer Apple-inspired design at a fraction of Apple’s keyboard prices.

Fender Bluetooth speaker looks like a 1950s tweed-covered guitar amp

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Fender Tweed Monterey
This, believe it or not, is a Bluetooth speaker.
Photo: Fender

This is Fender’s new Tweed Monterey. No, it’s not a tweed-covered guitar amp from the 1950s, although it certainly looks just like one. It is, in fact, the sweetest-looking Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever seen. It might not be the most practical, most portable or even best sounding Bluetooth speaker around. But if you want people to think you play guitar, this is the perfect accessory for your fake sleeve tattoos.

Avanti Air headphones combine retro cool with wireless future [Review]

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Moshi headphones
Pricey, but worth every cent.
Photo: Luke Dormehl/Cult of Mac

When a “premium accessories maker” known for its battery packs and dongles sets out to make wireless headphones, you might fear for your ears. But the only thing in danger from Moshi’s Avanti Air Bluetooth headphones is your wallet.

With a price tag of $299.95, these headphones certainly fit the “premium” bill. Happily, they’re beautifully designed and will please your ears as well as your eyes.

tvOS 12 brilliantly fixes the biggest password pain on Apple TV

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Apple TV
Apple TV uses Siri remote to prompt nearby iPhones for passwords.
Photo: Imgur

Apple TV is about to get a lot more friendly when it comes to inputting passwords and PINs.

Entering passwords on Apple TV has been one of the biggest pain-points on its entire existence. But starting with tvOS 12, Apple is giving its box the ability to prompt all nearby iPhones to enter a password, even if you’ve never connected to that Apple TV.

Here’s how it works:

Why you can’t play Fortnite mobile with a game controller

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Fortnite mobile controller
You can now play at 120Hz on iPad Pro.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite Battle Royale on mobile is a boatload of fun — but it could be a lot better. Clunky touch controls make it more difficult to play on iOS than on console or PC, and there’s nothing game controller manufacturers can do about it right now.

Gamevice has explained why its controllers do nothing if you attempt to use them in Fortnite — and why it’s taking Epic Games so long to add controller support.

Forget HomePod — check out Ikea’s amazing new home speaker

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eneby ikea speaker
The Eneby is $300 less than a HomePod, and it's not like Siri works properly anyway.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea’s new Eneby speaker may not pack the smarts of a HomePod or an Amazon Echo, but it’s great-looking and it’s pretty cheap. The new range of Ikea Bluetooth speakers starts at $49. If all you want is a nice, easy speaker for the living room, kitchen, or even the backyard, you should take a look.