Car infotainment systems have grown dramatically in size, and Sony promises one that allows people with older models to upgrade to an 8.95-inch screen. It supports Apple’s CarPlay, so the driver’s iPhone is ready to provide navigation, make calls or play music.
Noise-canceling headphones are fantastic. They cut down on traffic noise, airplane rumble and even — to a certain extent — the racket from that never-ending construction work across the street. Not only is life more pleasant without this noise pollution, but less background noise is also healthier for your ears.
Because you’re not trying to drown out the ambient noise with your music, you can set the volume lower, thus preserving your hearing (as well as your sanity).
Today we’ll see how to choose from the different kinds of available noise-canceling headphones, and how to use them. What this won’t be is a buyer’s guide — although I do have some recommendations based on personal use.
Taking aim at professional photographers, Sony Electronics unveiled a USB hub that includes readers for UHS-II SD and microSD cards. There are plenty of hubs that can access memory cards, but the MRW-S3 is faster than any of them.
Sony’s hub also has an HDMI port, plus high-speed USB-A and USB-C ports.
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.
Apple is now the world’s fourth-largest gaming company, according to a new report.
It is ranked higher than gaming giants like Nintendo, EA, and Activision — thanks mostly to the popularity of mobile gaming on iPhone. Apple is estimated to have earned $9.453 billion from games during 2018 alone.
Sony could be preparing to finally step up its smartphone camera game.
A new Xperia handset has been leaked with twice as many rear-facing cameras as the upcoming iPhone 11. It will reportedly offer eight camera sensors in total, plus a gorgeous edge-to-edge display.
Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup could feature 12-megapixel front-facing cameras for even sharper selfies, according to one reliable analyst.
Apple is also expected to use a new coating that will hide the iPhone’s lenses behind its screen.
Vizio has started inviting TV owners to test AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support.
The invites come just over a month after users started registering their interest in the beta. Apple’s frameworks are baked into Vizio’s new SmartCast 3.0 platform, which is managed via an iOS app.
You can now play PlayStation 4 games on your iOS device. Sony has finally brought an official Remote Play app to iPhone and iPad, giving gamers the ability to connect to their console and play almost anywhere.
The first wave of AirPlay 2 enabled TVs are already here.
After revealing at CES 2019 that some of its new TVs would ship with an iTunes Store app and AirPlay 2 support, Samsung announced today that its QLED TVs are shipping out now. Sharing video from your iPhone to the big screen just got a whole lot easier.
Apple’s Beats lineup of headphones could soon face some new competition from one of the HomePod’s biggest rivals.
Sonos is allegedly planning to create a set of premium headphones. Development for the over-the-ear buds is reportedly in the early stages, but they could launch by next year and offer some features rivals can’t.
This week on The CultCast: Smart window blinds, smart plugs, smart lights, smart locks and now … the best televisions on the market. Apple just revealed big moves to bring HomeKit to all your favorite gadgets, and Cupertino is just getting started. In 2019, the smart HomeKit devices we’ve always wanted finally arrive. Plus: Tim Cook just let it slip — Apple’s got new services lined up for release this year, but what could they be? We think we might just know.
Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.
One of the nice surprises to come out of CES this week is that a bunch of TV manufacturers are finally adding AirPlay 2 support to their latest sets. To help you keep track of which ones, Apple has published a list of TVs that are compatible with its streaming platform.
These are the ones to look out for if you want to send content to your TV over AirPlay.
Apple is reportedly interested in next-generation 3D sensor manufactured by Sony. These chips will power the next generation of front and rear-facing 3D cameras in multiple phones launching in 2019.
And it opens up some pretty exciting new applications in the process.
The lovable Lemmings are back and better than ever. Help them navigate there way through challenging environments in a brand new game, exclusively for mobile, from Sony PlayStation.
With more levels than every previous Lemmings game combined (literally thousands!), carefully perfected touch controls, and plenty of variety throughout, it’s a must-have for mobile gamers.
Fortnite’s account merging tool has been delayed until 2019, Epic Games confirmed today.
The feature, which will allow players to combine two accounts into one, was supposed to arrive in November. It has been held back as a result of “ongoing technical concerns.”
Apple promises that the iPhone XS Max delivers better battery life than any other iPhone. It also lasts longer than rival devices in between charges, according to a new battery test.
Apple’s most expensive smartphone to date easily outpaces the Sony Xperia XZ3 and the new Google Pixel 3 XL. It even manages to last a little longer than the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — but there is a catch.
Epic Games is giving Fortnite players a new tool that will allow them to merge multiple accounts.
The merge will combine all item purchases, V-Bucks, game stats, and Save the World campaign access. It’s perfect for those who were forced to set up a second Epic account to play Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch, or because they were locked out of their original.
Future iPhone cameras could soon rival the pixel count of high-end DSLRs thanks to a new 48 megapixel sensor created by Sony.
Sony says it has created the highest pixel count sensor for a smartphone with its new IMX586 sensor. Usually higher pixel count means lower quality low-light photos, but Sony has managed to merge the best of both worlds. And it might make you want to toss your DSLR.
The iPhone is made in China, so most of the profit stays over there, right? Actually, everything in that sentence is wrong.
A new study finds that China makes less than $9 from each iPhone 7. Some of the rest goes to other Asian countries, but the lion’s share is earned by Apple and other U.S. companies.
You might soon be able to team up with friends on PlayStation 4 when playing Fortnite on rival consoles.
Sony has finally said that it is exploring the possibilities of a cross-play “solution” that it hopes will make everyone happy. Microsoft and Nintendo are already allowing gamers to play together, regardless of the device they’re using.
Smart speakers are about to get upstaged at home by an arguably smarter device – smart displays.
During its I/O developers conference Tuesday, Google announced smart displays with Google Assistant would hit store shelves in July, adding yet another screen to vie for our already fractured attention.
Apple wants to create a hit TV show that’s as popular as Game of Thrones only without all the nudity and violence.
According to a new report, Hollywood talent pitching Apple’s TV team has been informed that the company wants to make original shows that are suitable for all audiences so they can be played at Apple stores.
Hollywood is racing to do business with Apple in hopes to help the iPhone-maker create its first breakout TV series and movies.
Apple’s LA-based TV execs, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, have been lining up meetings with some of the top names in town, according to a new report that sheds some light on the company’s TV strategy. Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Steven Spielberg has pitched the duo. But in true Apple fashion, they’re being very picky about what they say yes to.
Apple has reportedly signed its first major music streaming deal since launching Apple Music in 2015.
Sources “familiar with the matter” say it has signed a new, cut-rate agreement with Warner Music Group, and is on the verge of reaching a similar deal with Sony Music Entertainment.