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☆ The Problem With Your Dying AirPods and Other Bluetooth Earbuds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Nicole Nguyen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AirPods are a daily fixture in my life. I’ve recommended nearly every model of the wireless, portable and easy-pairing earbuds from their start. But Apple ’s market-leading earbuds, along with most other competing Bluetooth buds, have a big problem: tiny, irreplaceable batteries. I have the first-generation AirPods Pro and, after about three years of constant calls, music and podcast playing, I can use them for less than an hour before the “womp womp” low-battery sound plays.

☆ The 14-slide pitch deck a Los Angeles-based fintech startup used to raise $10 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Users can borrow up to $1,000 each time, and they have the option to tip the lender and SoLo Funds. It showcases how simple the SoLo Funds design is, how borrowers have control, and how they set their own terms." After meeting the SoLo Funds team, he invested $1.6 million. SoLo Funds now has more than 100 employees and is a registered B Corp. Here's the original pitch deck that the team used to raise a $1.2 million pre-seed round, which led to raising $10 million in January 2021.

☆ Roku will sell its first company-made smart TVs exclusively at Best Buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A video sign displays the logo for Roku Inc, a Fox-backed video streaming firm, in Times Square after the company's IPO at the Nasdaq Market in New York, September 28, 2017. Roku said Thursday it will sell the first smart TVs designed and made by the company exclusively at Best Buy and the electronic retailer's website. Roku's hardware items, including streaming players and sound-amplifying devices, have often been the money-losing parts of the business. Roku CEO Anthony Wood told CNBC in January he is optimistic about selling the new TVs. The new TVs will feature Roku's voice remote pro, Bluetooth private listening, automatic brightness and local dimming.

☆ Marlboro Maker Ditches Juul and Buys NJOY
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jennifer Maloney | Robb M. Stewart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. agreed to buy vaping pioneer NJOY Holdings Inc. for at least $2.75 billion, after closing the chapter on its disastrous investment in e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. The deal for NJOY, one of the few e-cigarette makers whose products have clearance from federal regulators, includes an additional $500 million if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes additional NJOY products. Those include the menthol-flavored refill pods it currently sells and a new version of its device that uses a Bluetooth connection to authenticate the user before unlocking.

☆ Reporters hid tracking devices in shoes that were supposed to be recycled, and they ended up at a market in Indonesia instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters tracked 11 pairs of donated shoes to test a recycling program launched by Dow and Singapore. Dow launched its own investigation and removed an exporter from the recycling program. That's not what happened to 11 pairs of sneakers in which a team of Reuters reporters hid tracking devices. After dropping the shoes in the program's recycling bins across Singapore, Reuters traced most of the shoes to secondhand markets or remote locations in Indonesia. A 2021 media release said the program aimed to divert 170,000 pairs of shoes annually from landfills.

Wonderboom 3 is a compact Bluetooth speaker that delivers a ton of value for $100. The new speaker improves upon the battery life and Bluetooth range of the older Wonderboom 2, while keeping that model's compact, waterproof design. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 The newest ultra-portable speaker from Ultimate Ears, the Wonderboom 3, is a 360-degree speaker that's ideal for travel and outdoor listening. There's also a feature that lets you pair two Wonderboom speakers together as a stereo set. Ultimate EarsThe Wonderboom 3 has nearly every feature you'd want from a portable Bluetooth speaker in the $100 price range.

☆ iPhone users will soon be able to send iMessages through their PCs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Phone Link for iOS will let iPhone users send and receive iMessages on their Windows devices. Despite not being able to share photos on Phone Link, iCloud Photos is already integrated into the Windows 11 Photos app. Messages sent from Phone Link appear as iMessages on iPhones, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's head of consumer marketing, told The Verge. "It's something we've been wanting to do for a long time," Mehdi told The Verge about bringing iOS users to Phone Link. However, Apple hasn't budged towards switching to RCS, and CEO Tim Cook has previously said he doesn't hear many Apple users request a change to texting between iPhones and Androids.

☆ Microsoft Windows 11 update puts AI-powered Bing front and center
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

(A preview version of the AI tool remains available on a limited basis.) Last year, Microsoft unveiled several AI-powered Windows 11 features, such as quieting background noise like lawnmowers and baby cries on video calls and automatic framing so the camera follows the speaker’s movements. A look at the new Bing on Windows 11 MicrosoftThe Bing integration is just one of several notable updates coming to Windows 11. Apple users will now be able to receive iOS alerts and messages directly on their Windows 11 devices, potentially chipping away at Apple’s closed ecosystem. It’s also adding a Recent Websites feature that allows users to transfer their browser sessions from their smartphone to their Windows PC.

☆ Dow said it was recycling our shoes. We found them in Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

While the sample was small, the fact that none of these shoes made it to a Singapore recycling facility underscores weaknesses in the system. Dow said these builds will use the 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of recycled shoe material that have been produced through the Singapore recycling project so far. Reuters had dropped those shoes into a Dow recycling bin at a Singapore community center in September, three months earlier. Recycling flopsThis is not the first novel recycling scheme launched by Dow that hasn’t lived up to its billing. In its Jan. 18 statement, Dow said the shoe recycling partners are “energized by the common vision of sport championing a greener and more sustainable Singapore.” Dow did not comment on the Journal of Consumer Psychology study.

☆ Another smartphone supports satellite connectivity, as mobile space race heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

British smartphone firm Bullitt on Friday launched a new phone capable of sending text messages via space, joining a crowded race to commercialize satellite-enabled devices. They will have to have Bullitt Messenger — the firm's proprietary satellite messaging app — installed in order to reply. Satellite phones have been in the works for decades, but have not yet entered mainstream usage. Bullitt is also launching a Bluetooth accessory, the Motorola Defy Satellite Link, that lets any Android or iOS device connect to its Bullitt Satellite Messenger app, effectively enabling any phone to become a satellite phone. "The company is a trailblazer for satellite messaging but competition is snapping at its heels," Wood told CNBC.

☆ High-tech dashboards, driving assistants vex luxury vehicle owners -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The gap in reliability scores between luxury brands and those for mass market brands such as Kia were the widest in the 34 years that J.D. Power sets Tesla aside from other brands in the rankings because the electric vehicle maker doesn't provide it with full access to information about owners. Other luxury brands fared poorly, too. Infotainment systems complaints, such as problems with wireless Bluetooth phone connections, dragged down scores from vehicle owners of several luxury brands, according to the report. Even as luxury brands compete to offer more advanced digital content and dashboard features, luxury vehicle owners are finding fault with the infotainment systems at about double the rate as owners of mass-market brands, Hanley said.

☆ When Your Dog Eats Your Apple AirTag
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Dalvin Brown | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Colin Mortimer knew there was trouble when his dog Sassy started beeping. He’d been trying to locate a lost AirTag, the $29 Bluetooth device designed by Apple Inc. to help people keep tabs on their keys, luggage and other personal items. This particular AirTag normally attaches to his other dog’s collar, letting him keep track of her location.

☆ What diabetes is revealing about the benefits and risks of personal medicine connected to the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ellen Sheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Devices such as insulin pumps, which go back decades, and continuous glucose monitors, which monitor blood sugar levels 24/7, are increasingly connected to smartphones via Bluetooth. Sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes and remote health careIt's not just diabetes where the medical device market is offering patients new benefits from remote monitoring. The number of internet-connected medical devices grew during the pandemic, as lockdowns created a big push to treat people at home. Multiple forms of medical cybersecurity riskIndustry security experts categorize cybersecurity risks of medical devices into three buckets. Many medical devices such as insulin pumps require patients to create online accounts to download data to a computer or smartphone.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows man being hit by a live wire in India, not being electrocuted due to Bluetooth earphones
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video shows a ticket examiner at the Kharagpur railway station in India being electrocuted when a live wire hit him on the head. The video, however, is being shared online alongside an unrelated claim that the electrocution happened due to wearing Bluetooth earphones. The video shows two men talking on a train platform when a long, thin wire comes into frame and lands on the head of the man on the left. He is electrocuted and falls back onto the tracks, while the other man and onlookers run out of frame. The incident seen in the video took place in India, where a ticket examiner was injured by a falling live wire, according to local reports.

☆ Chips Are the New Oil and America Is Spending Billions to Safeguard Its Supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Asa Fitch | Greg Ip | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Only in the past two years has the U.S. fully grasped that semiconductors are now as central to modern economies as oil. In the digitizing world, power tools commonly come with Bluetooth chips that track their locations. Appliances have added chips to manage electricity use. In 2021, the average car contained about 1,200 chips worth $600, twice as many as in 2010.

☆ The biggest security pros and cons of using Bluetooth GPS trackers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Bluetooth tagging devices are catching on, and keeping an eye out on the world in ways never before possible. For pet owners, these GPS devices can be used as a cheaper alternative to microchipping your dog. Here are some basics to know about Bluetooth tags if you're using one already, or considering adding one to your tech-enabled life. "The problem with Bluetooth trackers … is there's no way to prevent a victim from being stalked by one of these devices because they don't control it. Two women recently filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple alleging lack of protections the AirTag has against stalking.

☆ Apple to replace key Broadcom chip with in-house design - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) plans to replace a Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O) chip from its devices with an in-house design in 2025, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple plans to replace Broadcom's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to the Bloomberg News report, which added that Apple is the U.S. chipmaker's largest customer. The Cupertino, California-based company accounts for about 20% of Broadcom's revenue. Apple's decision is likely to hit Broadcom revenue by about $1 billion to $1.5 billion, said Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with financial services firm AB Bernstein. Apple and Broadcom did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments.

☆ Lowe's to sell power tools that won't work if they're stolen, as retailers take increasingly desperate measures to prevent theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lowe's is combining RFID and blockchain technologies to ensure stolen products are rendered inoperable. In other words, if a power tool is stolen from Lowe's, it isn't going to work. Additionally, Project Unlock focuses on transparent purchase records. In 2021, Home Depot began selling power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. Lowe's didn't immediately respond to Insider's inquiries about when it plans a full rollout of Project Unlock.

☆ 8 rowing machines to consider in 2023 for home workouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Justin Redman | Justin Redman Was Formerly A Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

This smart rower is highly adjustable. More affordable than other smart rowers, the Echelon Smart Rower is a good option for those who aren’t looking to splurge. Like other smart rowers, the Hydrow must be plugged into a wall to use. Yasmin Farooq is an American rowing cox and the head coach of the University of Washington women's rowing team. is an American rowing cox and the head coach of the University of Washington women's rowing team.

There were new twists on foldable devices, cars that changed colors and smart ovens that live streamed dinners. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesBMW unveiled a wild color-changing concept car with 260 e-panels that can change up to 32 colors. During a demo, different parts of the car, including the wheel covers, flashed in varying hues and swirls of colors. A new look for foldable phonesSamsung's Flex Hybrid Display concept folds and slides SamsungSome companies offered a new twist on the foldable phone concept. The lock, which will cost $300, will be available for purchase late this spring, according to a company press release.

To fix one AirPod dying faster, switch ears regularly if you use one more than the other. Usually, the battery of each earbud is roughly the same in each ear all the time, but in some cases, you may find that one AirPod dies a lot faster than the other. Here's how to adjust your AirPods settings. Check the Apple support page for the latest AirPods firmware version that your earbuds need to have. If you want to remove your AirPods, tap the "i" icon and then tap "Forget This Device."

☆ See Inside Iberia's New Airbus A350-900 Cabin With Private Business Seat and Bluetooth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Currently, Iberia flies its A350 aircraft on routes between Madrid and over a dozen destinations like Bogota, Colombia; Tel Aviv, Israel; Prague, Czech Republic; and New York City, according to Cirium data. An Iberia A350. AirbusSource: Cirium

☆ I've driven 15 different electric cars this year — these are the 3 I'd buy (if I was rich)
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My three favorites were the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Rivian R1S, and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. The Hyundai Ioniq 5The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD. The Porsche Taycan Cross TurismoThe 2022 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S. Tim Levin/InsiderThe Taycan Cross Turismo is Porsche's totally badass electric station wagon. The Taycan Cross Turismo showed me why the German brand has been the poster child of impeccable driving dynamics for decades. The Taycan Cross Turismo starts at $97,700, $11,000 more than the regular Taycan sedan.

To fix an iPhone that is not receiving texts from Android phones, try toggling Airplane mode on and off. Restarting your iPhone, updating it, and resetting your network settings can also fix the problem. Even so, you should generally be able to exchange texts between iPhone and Android seamlessly — iPhones can receive SMS messages just as easily as Android. If you have trouble getting texts from Android devices on your iPhone, here are nine ways to troubleshoot the problem. Tap Messages.

☆ Slow Internet? Bluetooth Blues? These Tips Can Fix 99% of Your Tech Problems
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Nicole Nguyen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

All year long, I hear from readers and friends sharing their tech woes. Last year, I wrote about ways to avoid tech problems. This year, I’m sharing how to tackle the most common issues, including laggy internet, Bluetooth fails and public Wi-Fi connection conundrums. If you have suffered from one of these headaches—or are similarly bombarded with queries as the official family IT person—there’s good news: With patience, you can solve the majority of problems yourself.

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