AirPods 2

We look at a lot of computer setups on social media, but sometimes what drives conversation among commenters surprises us. With today’s Mac Studio rig with an odd couple of mismatched displays, the main debate concerned … keyboards for iPad.

Specifically, when an iPad is so wonderfully light, what keyboard case doesn’t weight it down too much?

Apple’s excellent AirPods 2 earbuds are available for $99 on Amazon. That’s a massive 35% discount from their $159 MSRP.

While not perfect, it is hard to beat the value the AirPods 2 provide at their discounted price.

Your old AirPods aren’t what they used to be. The speakers can get gummed up, degrading the audio performance. But the Belkin Cleaning Kit for AirPods can take care of the problem.

This might save you the cost of buying a new pair of Apple earbuds.

There’s something especially convenient about having a multi-device charging station on your nightstand. Or you could place at the edge of your desk or on a table by the front door. It’s a place you can charge your iPhone, AirPods charging case and Apple Watch all at once if need be.

Ugreen sent me its version to test out, the 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Station. It’s a good charger for most people — especially because it’s MFi-certified for MagSafe. That means you get a full 15 watts for MagSafe iPhones and 5W apiece for an AirPods charging case and Apple Watch.

But the device isn’t without minor drawbacks.

Apple’s latest AirPods 3 is down to just $149.99 on Amazon — a sweet $29.01 discount from its retail price of $179.

In Cult of Mac‘s AirPods 3 review, we found them to be the best earbuds in Apple’s lineup. And this is the lowest price the earbuds have dropped to in the last month.

Amazon has an answer for what to do with that gift card you received over the holidays. The recently released AirPods 3 are once again selling for their lowest price ever: $139.99.

And there are significant deals on AirPods Pro and AirPods 2 as well.

AirPods make great gifts … especially when they’re nearly half off. You can get AirPods 2 for less than $90. That’s as low as they’ve ever been.

And there are deals on every type of Apple’s signature earbuds with significant savings. Even on the newest model.

Apple is expected to introduce the third-generation of AirPods this week. But the current version of these truly wireless headphones reportedly won’t be discontinued. This might result in AirPods 2 dropping in price.

It would be quite a change, as Apple’s earbuds are some of the most expensive on the market.

AirPods are truly outstanding headphones, especially for iPhone users. They aren‘t cheap, though. But it’s Amazon’s annual Prime Day, and both AirPods and AirPods Pro are on sale for 25% below the regular price. That’s as much as $60 off.

And there are smaller savings on the recently released AirPods Max.

Podswap takes AirPods nearing the end of their useful life and replaces them with a fresh pair. And the recycling service costs considerably less than Apple charges to replace these wireless earbuds.

Plus, anyone using the service can take comfort knowing that their old AirPods will be recycled, not thrown away.

Apple on Tuesday introduced the first firmware update for second-generation AirPods since late last year.

This should benefit those who received a replacement AirPods bud last month with unreleased firmware. They can now update both to the same firmware version so they’re usable again.

Apple sold almost 60 million AirPods wireless headphones in 2019, according to a market-analysts firm. That’s a dramatic increase from the 35 million the company is estimated to have sold the year before.

And Apple took the lion’s share of 2019 sales of totally wireless (TWS) headsets.

This week on The CultCast: Apple is readying a new display technology that could bring a huge change for MacBook Pro and iPad; our favorite Black Friday hauls; and it’s time for our favorite Gear of the Year! Plus our favorite movies, TV shows, and all the other stuff we loved most in 2019. It’s a party and you’re invited.

Our thanks to NETGEAR for supporting this episode. The Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/bestwifi.

Apple’s AirPods are brilliant. They’re incredibly convenient, sleek and offer pretty good sound. They also add a layer of functionality you don’t get with many other Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. And I’m not even talking about the new AirPods Pro.

So, now that Apple expanded the AirPods line to include both the standard AirPods, and the pricier (although more feature-packed) AirPods Pro, choosing the right option might not seem so clear. How do you choose the AirPods that are best for your life?

Apple Korea created a video to demonstrate some unusual ways to fancy up AirPods charging cases. Many people decorate their Mac and iPhone, and pick a stylish Apple Watch band too. Why leave this AirPods accessory plain white?

Watch the video now:

Apple’s Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones have been available in any color you want, as long as it’s black. That’s going to change later this week when pre-orders finally start for ivory, moss, and navy options.

Not all Apple devices will escape the taxes being levied next month on goods imported from China. The Trump Administration decided to delay tariffs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, but other popular products will still get slapped with a 10% import tax, including Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod

Back in 2014 – long before the AirPods – I picked up what would become my go-to fitness earbuds – the PowerBeats2. A year and a half later, the AirPods came out, replacing my PowerBeats2 that were literally falling apart.

Fast forward to now, and I’ve been using my AirPods – both my first gen, and more recently, my second gen – in almost every situation. I use them all the time and carry them almost everywhere I go. But sometimes I hate my AirPods. No matter how simple and convenient they are, they insist on slipping just a little when I wear them while exercising. And if there’s any background noise or wind, even the loudest volume is inaudible while wearing the AirPods.

Even with those minor drawbacks, they were my favorite headphones. Then I got the new Powerbeats Pro.

Forking over $200 for new AirPods that you’re probably just going to lose anyway seems like a bad investment. A 15-year old boy found a brilliant and cheap work around though that turns Apple’s wired EarPods into AirPods for just $4.

After seeing one of his friends get gifted a set of AirPods, Sam Cashbook decided to make his own. Using a cheap bone conduction headset he found on eBay, Cashbook managed to hot glue together his DIY AirPods.

They’re ugly, but they work:

Apple may need to update the specs for AirPods to include one new surprising feature: “stomach-proof”.

One unlucky Taiwanese man discovered this the hard way. After falling asleep, Ben Hsu woke up with one of his AirPods missing. Using Find My iPhone to track down the missing earbud, he started hearing a beeping sound that followed him around the room and realized he made a serious mistake. The AirPod was in his stomach.

Another of Apple’s rivals have apparently noticed what a huge success AirPods have turned into. Microsoft is supposedly developing its own earbuds.

These will have to face competition from Samsung Galaxy Buds as well as some possible earbuds coming from Amazon. And AirPods too, of course.

AirPods 2 have arrived. Faster, longer-lasting, and with extra Hey Siri action, they’re a solid upgrade to the  (deservedly well-loved) originals.

The new AirPods work — for the most part — just like the old ones, with a few extra Siri options. And that means that all the best AirPod tricks, like eavesdropping with Live Listen, and customizing your double-taps, all still work. Check out our roundup of the best tips and tricks for AirPods 2.

The recently-launched wireless charging case for Apple’s AirPods is starting to reach customers’ hands, and it comes with a surprise: there’s a picture of the AirPower charging mat on the box, even though this isn’t available yet.

This week on The CultCast: Apple just released so much new hardware, they had to do it over 3 full days. We’ll break it all down, and react to all the new gear. Plus, the saga of MoviePass continues with yet another new wild announcement… but is their new unlimited plan too good to be true?

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

Apple isn’t following its usual strategy for product launches. Rather than holding a press event during which a collection of devices gets shown off, it spread the news out across multiple days this week.

This bold new approach brought plenty of attention to products that might otherwise have gotten lost in the furor around bigger announcements. And it’s also creating excitement about what’s coming next.