Is Sonos working on its long-rumoured headphones?

Sketch of Sonos' rumoured headphones from a patent application (Source: German Patent and Trademark Office)

A recent Sonos acquisition adds fuel to rumours that the company is finally working on launching headphones. The company bought audio startup T2 Software, which has been developing implementations of the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard and LC3 codec. The tech is designed to deliver improved audio quality at lower bitrates, boosting headphone battery life.

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Apple rumoured to be readying high-end over-ear headphones

Will the AirPods be joined by an over-ear option?

Audio seems to be the next focus for Apple, if the latest rumour is to be believed. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple plans to release over-the-ear headphones this year. In an investors’ note spotted by Apple Insider, Kuo said the company will release a new premium pair of headphones. It seems like a natural transition for Apple with the recent launch of the HomePod and the rumoured second iteration of the AirPods, following the success of the first versions. The company also has Beats branding under its belt but it’s possible Apple might enter the high-end headphone market using its own branding. And yes, we expect it to be quite pricey—if they do decide to pursue this. Apple hasn’t released a comment on the report yet.

Source: CNET

Review: Google Pixel Buds

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Few gadgets have been as anticipated as Google's Pixel Buds. These are neck buds which feature Google features and services and are Google's answer to Apple's popular and iconic AirPods.

Just like the AirPods, the Google Pixel Buds are designed to work best with the latest and greatest flagship Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, although they make pretty good Bluetooth headphones for almost any Android and iOS smartphone.

The Pixel Buds work best with Android smartphones, specifically the Pixel 2 devices, which don't just work in tandem with the headphones but also unlock all the features like the real-time language translation.

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There might be Google Assistant-powered headphones in our future

With Apple’s success with the AirPods, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Google might be thinking of offering its own pair. 9to5Google’s teardown of the Google app APK shows the possibility of a pair of “magic pairing” headphones that will be powered by Google Assistant. Codenamed Bisto, Android Authority says it first appeared back in April but it wasn’t clear what kind of device it could be. Strings of code show that it could possibly be a pair of headphones that work with Google Assistant: <string name=”bisto_magic_pairing_assistant_prop_text”>”Your headphones have the Google Assistant. Ask it questions. Tell it to do things. It’s your own personal Google, always ready to help.”</string>. It might also be able to read incoming notifications to you has these strings suggest: <string name=”expand_bundle4_1″>To hear them, press the Google Assistant button” and “<string name=”expand_bundle_1″>=”expand_bundle4_1″>To hear them, press the Google Assistant button” and “<string name=”expand_bundle_1″>.

These lines of codes show the headphones (or earbuds) could have two physical buttons: one activates Google Assistant, while the “top button” will activate verbal notification alerts. There are other strings in the teardown that say Bisto will get OTA software updates, which could probably be through Android Wear. If this does come to fruition, will you get a pair?