Two Chinese companies that create components for Apple AirPods are looking to expand outside of China. A report suggests Luxshare Precision and Goertek could expand production lines in Vietnam. Both companies are seeking to raise funding to the tune of…
Category archives: Gear And Software
What Headphone Jack? AirPods Sales Top $6B This Year, Expected To Rise
Apple AirPods sales nearly doubled this year as they crossed the $6 billion threshold. Analysts believe the wireless earbuds could sell even more next year. Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst for Bernstein, predicts that Apple could sell 85 million AirPods in…
Offline Streaming Player Mighty Adds Support for Amazon Music
The iPod Shuffle-like Mighty player now supports Amazon Music. Mighty users can now add content from Amazon Music to their devices for offline playback. The Mighty music player allows digital music streaming services to be taken ‘offline’ w…
JBL Is Crowdfunding a Pair of Solar Powered Wireless Headphones
JBL has announced a new crowdfunding initiative for solar powered wireless headphones. The project is currently in the prototype phase with a working demo. The crowdfunding project is live on Indiegogo and has already met its funding goal. JBL partnere…
Amazon Unveils AI-Powered Keyboard, DeepComposer — For Machine Learning Generated Music
Amazon DeepComposer is a new AI-powered keyboard announced at AWS re:Invent. The 32-key, 2-octave board uses machine learning to generate music from what you play. Amazon says the keyboard is designed to help developers learn about machine learning whi…
US-Based Speaker Manufacturing Could Go Away Entirely If Chinese Trade Tariffs Continue, CEO Says
The Misco speaker company is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. But CEO Dan Dirge warns the company’s future is uncertain due to aggressive Chinese tariffs. Misco employs about 100 people in the Minneapolis area and manufacturers speaker…
More Than Half of Americans Are Concerned About Smart Speaker Data Privacy
As smart speakers gain popularity, more Americans are turning an eye to their privacy. A new report estimates over half of Americans are concerned about smart speaker data privacy. Pew Research Center conducted a study of U.S. adults to determine Ameri…
AirPods Account for 50% of All Wireless Headphones, According to Latest Estimates
Apple’s AirPods dominate the ‘hearables’ market, according to a new report. The company is expected to retain its 50% market share throughout the holiday season. Apple is expected to ship 60 million AirPods wireless earphones in 2019,…
Amazon Music HD Massively Expands Catalog With Warner Music Tracks
Through a partnership with Dolby Atmos, music from Warner Music Group is now available on Amazon Music HD. WMG teamed up with Dolby to bring Dolby Atmos support to its entire catalog of albums. Dolby says it is working closely with artists, record labe…
Smart Speaker Growth Up 44% — But Google Home Marketshare Crashes
A new report from Canalys shows global smart speaker growth up 44.9% in Q3 2019. Google Home growth is down -40%. Smart speaker adoption continues to grow at a record pace. Amazon shipped 10.4 million devices last quarter, handily edging out the compet…