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Lilbits: Leaks (GPD Win Max 2, MS Surface Laptop 4, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Lite?)

Every GPD Win handheld gaming PC to date has been powered by an Intel processor. The company started with low-power Intel Atom chips, but last year’s GPD Win Max shipped with a 25 watt Intel Core i5-1035G7 Ice Lake processor and this year’s GPD Win 3 is supports up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 chip […]

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound aims to bring better audio to mobile devices

Smartphone audio can be a bit hit or miss. Some phones ship with HiFi digital audio converters (DACs) capable of delivering high quality audio to headphones and speakers while others take a something-is-better-than nothing approach. Now chip maker Qualcomm is introducing a new Snapdragon Sound set of technologies designed to bring high-quality, low-latency audio to […]

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Google’s Lyra audio codec delivers high-quality audio at low bit rates

Broadband wired and wireless internet connections are getting faster all the time. But in many parts of the world high-speed internet access is unavailable and/or unreliable. So researchers continue to find ways to find ways to use compression to save bandwidth while transmitting audio, video, images, and other content that typically uses a lot of […]

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Razer’s $100 Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds promise low-latency audio

Bluetooth headphones are convenient alternatives to wired options — especially if you’re using a newfangled smartphone that lacks a headphone jack. But there are some downsides. The batteries never run out on most old-school headphones, and I don’t typically worry about audio and video going out of sync when using a wired connection. Razer’s new […]

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Google’s next-gen Pixel Buds coming in Spring, 2020

Google is updating its Pixel Buds lineup with a new set of truly wireless earbuds that support Google Assistant voice interactions, feature adaptive sound to adjust the audio according to your environment, and a compact design that Google says allows the new Pixel Buds to sit nearly flush with your ear. The 2nd-gen Pixel Buds […]

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Pocket Casts is now free (with optional subscription-based features)

One of the most popular podcast apps for iOS and Android is now available for free. Previously the Pocket Casts app for Android cost $4, while the iPhone app was $4. Now you don’t have to pay a penny to use either one. But the company behind the app needs to make money somehow. Enter Pocket […]

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Amazon Music HD provides lossless streaming starting at $12.99 per month

Amazon has added a premium tier to its music streaming service: the new Amazon Music HD lets you stream lossless audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz quality. The service is compatible with most iOS and Android devices launched since 2014, most Amazon Fire tablets, Fire TV devices, and 2nd-gen or later Echo devices), and many […]

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Crowdfunded portable cassette player is the first with Bluetooth 5.0 (if that’s something you want)

Tape cassettes have been making a surprising (if small) comeback in recent years, with a growing number of musicians releasing albums in the format. Sure, they don’t have the same level of sound quality as CD, vinyl, or even Hi-Fi digital streaming. They’re not as convenient as digital, since you have to manually fast forward […]