AirPods - page 8

Hands-on: AirPods 3 sound great thanks to lots of trickle-down tech [Review]

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AirPods 3 on messy desk
Everything about AirPods 3 is better.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The new AirPods 3 are marvelous little earbuds. They sound fantastic, are dead easy to set up and use, and the wireless charging case is a godsend.

Compared to their predecessors, Apple greatly improved just about everything — and they are well worth their $179 price tag.

AirPods 3 review roundup: Sounds great!

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AirPods 3
The new AirPods are resistant to both sweat and water, with an IPX4 rating for both the earbuds and the case.
Photo: Apple

The first wave of AirPods 3 reviews just came out, and they’re full of good news for those considering Apple’s latest truly wireless earbuds. Sound quality draws praise, as does battery life. But reviewers don’t seem as happy about the lack of active noise cancellation. And some would have preferred silicone ear tips.

Read on for reviewers’ specific comments about AirPods 3.

Keep AirPods 3 safe and protected with Elago’s brilliantly cool new cases

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Elago cases for AirPods 3
Prices start at just $10.99.
Photo: Elago

AirPods always look great when you first take them out of their box, but it only takes a few days for their shiny white case to become covered in scuffs and scratches. That’s why you should protect yours with a great case.

Check out Elago’s brilliantly cool new lineup of cases for AirPods 3, which includes simple silicone sleeves, luscious leather options, and others inspired by awesome retro tech, including the original Game Boy and Macintosh.

Twelve South’s PowerPic Mod picture frame juices up your devices

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Twelve South's PowerPic Mod Wireless Charger looks like an unassuming piece of decor.
Twelve South's PowerPic Mod Wireless Charger looks like an unassuming piece of decor.
Photo: Twelve South

Your iPhone charger doesn’t have to look like a charger when it’s off-duty. Twelve South launched its PowerPic Mod Wireless Charger on Wednesday. The Qi-enabled charging stand serves as a picture frame, with a detachable magnetic lucite frame that fits any 4 x 6 photo or graphic.

6 awesome MagSafe accessories for your new AirPods

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Best MagSafe accessories for AirPods
Prices start at just $12.99.
Photos: Elago, SwitchEasy, Anker, Limited77, myCharge

Apple’s third-generation AirPods and slightly refreshed AirPods Pro ship with Charging Cases that are fully compatible with MagSafe. And there are whole host of third-party accessories that make MagSafe charging even better.

Choose from a wide variety of docks and trays, in-car mounts and more. We’ve rounded up some of the best MagSafe accessories for AirPods to help you ensure that you’re hard-earned cash is well-spent.

Charge iPhone and AirPods as you go with updated Power1 battery pack

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Power1 is a case that carries and charges your iPhone and your AirPods.
Power1 is a case that carries and charges your iPhone and your AirPods.
Photo: AXS Technologies

AXS Technologies has rolled out a more modular design for its Power1 battery pack case for iPhone and AirPods, Cult of Mac first wrote about in 2019. It’s an interesting product because it will carry and charge both devices at the same time, right in your pocket.

Upgraded AirPods gain spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and more

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The new AirPods 3 are $179.
The new AirPods 3 are $179.
Photo: Apple

Apple Unleashed event bug Apple used part of its “Unleashed” event on Monday to announce a major refresh of it signature earbuds. The new AirPods 3 feature spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking and come with a redesign that makes them look more like AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips).

They won’t be Cupertino’s entry-level earbuds, though, as the company said AirPods 2 will remain in the lineup.

How to watch Apple’s big ‘Unleashed’ event on October 18

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How to watch Apple's Unleashed event
It kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Unleashed event bug Apple’s next event is right around the corner, and it’s one you won’t want to miss if you’re a fan of the Mac. The “Unleashed” keynote is expected to bring a number of new Apple machines — all powered by an even faster “M1X” chip.

Just like recent Apple keynotes, this one will be streamed online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. We’ll show you how.

Wood MagSafe Charger is prettier, more affordable than Apple’s [Review]

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Limited77 Wood MagSafe Charger for iPhone
It's just as practical, but much more interesting.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

MagSafe is a huge step forward in wireless charging for iPhone. But Apple’s own MagSafe Charger is somewhat boring and pretty overpriced. The Wood Charger from Limited77 is a great alternative.

It works just like a MagSafe Charger, magnetically attaching itself to the back of iPhone 12, and it charges just as quickly. It’s also much more affordable. Want to know more? Here’s our full review.

Apple quietly extends AirPods Pro repair program for crackling sounds

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AirPods-Pro-crackle-GIF
You're now covered for up to three years.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s repair program for AirPods Pro, which addresses hardware issues that can cause crackling and static sounds, has been quietly extended.

The program originally covered faulty buds for two years after their initial purchase. It has now been extended to three years, with affected customers getting free replacements if they pass an Apple inspection.

AirPods 3 refresh could finally appear at next week’s Apple event

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AirPods 3 refresh on the way
It's about time Apple delivered a refresh.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple will finally introduce its third-generation AirPods refresh during next week’s “Unleashed” event, according to one reliable leaker. We’ve been waiting for them to appear for over a year now, and an upgrade is long overdue.

AirPods 3 are expected to look a lot like AirPods Pro, with shorter stems that result in a slightly more compact design. However, they will skip “Pro” features — like active noise cancellation — to remain more affordable.

Apple considers future AirPods that monitor temperature, posture and hearing

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In the future, your AirPods might take your temperature, check your posture and help with hearing.
In the future, your AirPods might take your temperature, check your posture and help with hearing.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel

Apple appears to be looking into new ways to expand its health-related features. This time it focuses on its popular AirPods, according to a new report. In the future, in addition to filling your head with tunes and podcasts, the earbuds may take your temperature, monitor your posture and help improve your hearing.

AirPods 3 still on track to arrive before the end of 2021

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AirPods sales
They could drop at any time.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next-generation AirPods refresh is still on track to arrive before the end of 2021, according to a new report. The upgrade is rumored to bring a new design, similar to that of AirPods Pro, and other improvements.

The buds were widely expected to appear alongside iPhone 13 and Apple’s newest iPad models during the September 14 event, but that didn’t happen. It has now been well over three years since the last AirPods refresh.

Super-clean rig relies on Magic Trackpad and mouse combo [Setups]

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It seems more and more people swear by the Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse combo.
It seems more and more people swear by the Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse combo.
Photo: i_am_cris@Reddit.com

When you travel the online highways and byways in search of cool computer setups, you start to notice certain patterns. One is that lots of people seem to love Apple’s Magic Trackpad. Another is that plenty of folks hate the Magic Mouse. And a third seems to see a growing number of people absolutely love using a Magic Trackpad + mouse combo — which some onlookers find mystifying.

Apple delays Find My network support for AirPods until ‘later this fall’

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Locating AirPods with Find My
It's not the only iOS 15 feature we'll have to wait longer for.
Photo: Apple

It seems Find My network support for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max won’t roll out with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as originally planned. Apple says the feature, which can make lost headphones easier to find, will be available “later this fall.”

Once the Find My network is enabled for the high-end headphones, another iPhone, iPad or Mac owner in the vicinity of the lost item can can passively update your gear’s general location. The Find My network functionality makes the feature far my powerful by tapping the millions of Apple devices in use around the world.

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds harmonize on set of Apple TV+ musical Spirited

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Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in the holiday musical comedy
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in the holiday musical comedy "Spirited" from Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The streets of Boston have recently been all dressed up in Christmas cheer, but not because consumerism has gone wild even earlier than usual. It’s because the Apple TV+ holiday musical comedy Spirited is in production there. Stars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell harmonized rather nicely their entry in the TikTok “Grace Kelly challenge” while on set.

7 things to love (or hate) from the Apple September event

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7 things to love (or hate) from the Apple September event
There was a lot to love at the Apple September event. But not everything.
Photo: Apple

Apple surprised us several times Tuesday during its September product launch event. There was a lot to love on display … but not everything was awesome. We got some products we expected and some we didn’t.

Here are the high and low points of Apple’s “California Streaming” event.