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Apple and Koss avoid trial by settling AirPods-related patent dispute

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Apple and Koss settled the dispute just two days ahead of the trial.
Apple and Koss settled the dispute just two days ahead of the trial.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Court documents submitted Saturday indicate Apple settled a patent-infringement lawsuit related to AirPods with audio manufacturer Koss.

The company had accused the maker of AirPods and Beats earbuds and headphones of infringing on Koss wireless headphone technology patents.

The Best Travel Gadgets [Best Of]

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It’s August, which means two things. One, there’s no news to report on, which means that most of a gadget blogger’s workday is taken up with siestas and refreshing beverages. And two, it’s vacation time! That’s right: The whole northern hemisphere likes to take a break at exactly the same time, all the better to enjoy congested roads, overpriced plane tickets and overcrowded hotels.

To ease your pain, we’ve put together a list of the best travel gadgets. You may not enjoy spending a hot and stuffy month with your in-laws, but at least your tech won’t let you down.

The Best Headphones [Best Of]

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The earbuds that came with your $600 iPhone are junk, and if you bought an iPad, Apple didn’t even include a pair in the box. It’s time to upgrade.

Trouble is, there are all kinds of cans out there. How do you know what set is right for you? Some people (like me) seem to have a pair for every situation. For everyone else, here’s our guide to the best.

Koss’s Striva Headphones Stream Internet Radio Direct

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No matter how hard I try, I can't get enthusiastic about these white elephants
No matter how hard I try, I can't get enthusiastic about these white elephants

You know how many tech companies strive to make our experience of their products easier and more transparent so that — in the case of things like the iPad — the product disappears and lets us enjoy whatever it is that it does?

Koss didn’t get that memo, and has launched Striva, an “initiative” which takes something as simple as a headphone and makes it as complicated as an old-school router.

Koss’s PortaPro KTC Headphones Are Sick, Sexy, Vintage And Ready For Your iPhone [Review]

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Koss's PortaPro KTC Headphones with in-line mic and remote.

The most common reaction people have when they see me wearing my Koss PortaPros is: “Don’t you work in tech? Can’t you afford some Skullcandies or something, instead of those hand-me-down headphones from the 70s?”

I always want to smack these people for their shameful ignorance and misguided elitism, but don’t… mostly because this is exactly the same reaction I had when, two years ago, I saw a pair of Koss PortaPros perched upon Cult of Mac review editor Charlie Sorrel’s lank, salt-and-peppery head.

Since then, I’ve converted a dozen friends to Koss PortaPros the same way Charlie converted me: by taking them off his head and making me put them on and listen to them for a few seconds. Everyone I’ve converted has sworn by Koss, just like Charlie and I do.

Koss’s PortaPro series isn’t old or antiquated: they’re design and quality are timeless. There’s a difference. But that doesn’t mean a timeless design can’t be improved or added upon, and with the PortaPro KTC line, Koss has done it.

How? How else. A built-in mic and in-line controls for your iPhone. Those sneaky devils.

Koss’s Timeless Porta Pros Just Became The Best iPhone Compatible Headphones You Can Buy For Under $50

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For years now, I’ve been singing the praises of Koss Porta Pro headphones whenever anyone asks me which headphones they should by. Really, for the price, absolutely nothing beats them: they are rugged, extremely comfortable, and sound better than headphones that cost twice as much, all by-products of a classic, time-tested design that has kept mobile audiophiles pleased for decades now, and which Koss stands behind with a lifetime warranty.

The only problem with the Porta Pros is that their design is so classic, so time-tested that it doesn’t feature one of the major necessities of a good pair of on-the-town headphones of the last few years: an in-line mic and remote for answering calls on your iPhone. So hooray! Guess what the Porta Pro KTC (Koss Touch Control) fix?

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