Sonos let journalists test its new Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones in several setups, including standalone, paired with wireless Play speakers as surrounds, and streaming soundbar audio directly to the headphones. During a movie clip demo, the Beam Ultra delivered clear, well-balanced sound with surprising bass despite no subwoofer, while adding the Play speakers as rear surrounds noticeably improved immersion through Sonos's new Fabric technology, which lets devices sense their placement and surroundings.
An independent reviewer examined the track record of AI critic Ed Zitron's forecasts about the technology's trajectory, comparing them against how events actually unfolded. The author, who describes having no strong pro- or anti-AI stance and no financial stake in AI firms beyond standard index funds, set out to evaluate the accuracy of Zitron's widely circulated skeptical claims.
Responding to a June class-action lawsuit in California, Sony argued that consumers cannot reasonably believe that buying a game digitally grants ownership, since the same digital copy can be sold to countless buyers simultaneously, unlike a physical disc. The lawsuit alleges Sony's use of words like 'buy' and 'purchase' at checkout misleads consumers, while burying the true licensing terms in separate agreements they never have to actively acknowledge.
On John Ternus's first day leading Apple, Bloomberg reports that former CFO Luca Maestri has stepped down from his Corporate Services role, with those duties now absorbed by current CFO Kevan Parekh. Separately, M&A chief Adrian Perica has been dropped from Apple's official leadership page, with his responsibilities possibly being split between the services and finance divisions.
The Clarity Act, a bill meant to set clear market-structure rules for digital assets by dividing oversight between the SEC and CFTC, failed to get a vote before the Senate's August recess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has now scheduled a procedural vote for September 15, but unresolved disputes over stablecoin rewards and ethics provisions tied to President Trump's crypto holdings could still stall progress. Industry figures, including SALT CEO John Darsie, say they doubt the bill can pass before the 2026 midterms complicate the legislative calendar.
Sonos launched its Ace Ultra headphones and Beam Ultra soundbar today, and alongside them officially named its existing software platform 'Sonos 27.' The update brings four new capabilities arriving this fall: portable surround speaker pairing, seamless headphone-to-speaker audio handoff, a conversational voice assistant called Sonos 27voice, and Sonos MCP for connecting third-party AI assistants to the system.
Financial planners commonly recommend a sequence for allocating limited retirement savings dollars: capture any employer 401(k) match first, then max out an HSA if eligible, followed by an IRA (Roth or traditional), and finally additional 401(k) contributions up to the annual limit. The framework helps savers with a fixed monthly or yearly budget decide where each dollar produces the most value.
Sonos introduced two new Ultra-branded products: the Ace Ultra headphones priced at $449 and the Beam Ultra soundbar priced at $699, both available for pre-order now and shipping September 29. The company also rebranded its software platform as 'Sonos 27,' rolling out alongside the hardware launch.
GoPro has agreed to be acquired by Starman Optical for $285 million, with shareholders receiving $1.14 per share and retaining roughly 10% of the combined company. The deal, expected to close by year-end, will eliminate GoPro's $92 million in debt and keep the company publicly traded. It follows earlier signals that GoPro was exploring a shift toward defense technology, and comes just after YouTuber Markiplier disclosed an 8.5% stake in the company.
John Ternus, who officially became Apple's CEO today as Tim Cook shifts to Executive Chair, has created an X account under the handle @johnternus. His bio reads simply 'CEO' and his debut post was just 'hello.' The account's activity is expected to ramp up ahead of Apple's fall product event next Wednesday.
Sonos has released the Ace Ultra, a successor to its original Ace headphones, adding the ability to pull audio from any Sonos speaker or soundbar rather than just a limited set of compatible soundbars. The feature, powered by a new Headphone Engine 2 platform with redesigned Wi-Fi hardware, lets users move sound from TVs, turntables or streaming apps to the headphones with a single button press, though it remains an opt-in Early Access feature.
Sonos has introduced the Ace Ultra, a premium successor to its Ace noise-canceling headphones priced at $449. The new model features Sonos-designed 40mm drivers, upgraded adaptive noise cancellation, a 10-microphone array, and Headphone Engine 2, which enables direct one-button linking to a user's Sonos system. Preorders open now, with shipping starting September 29 in black, soft white, agave and sand colorways.
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