Apple introduced AirPods 5 alongside its iPhone 18 Pro event, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to both versions of the earbuds for the first time. The base model starts at $129 with up to 20 hours of battery life with the case, while a $149 higher-end version adds on-stem volume controls and a wireless charging case. Apple says the new earbuds deliver 50% more noise reduction than AirPods 4, along with redesigned internals and improved Adaptive EQ and Spatial Audio.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple released a document detailing how its newly announced Audio Intelligence features—Siri Recap, Live Rewind, Sound Recognition, and Music Recognition—process audio without storing or exposing raw recordings. The company says these features rely on a hardware-isolated 'Secure Exclave' in the Apple Watch's S11 chip, which processes sound locally and never creates an accessible audio file. Any data transferred to iPhone is encrypted between Secure Exclaves, and users must manually activate features like Live Rewind and choose what text to retain.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 at its September 9th event, featuring a new Siri-powered Audio Intelligence system with live rewind and ambient 'Siri Recap' note-taking. The watch runs on a new S11 chip, starts at $399, and ships September 18th with health upgrades including continuous heart rate sensing and a new Readiness score.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-09
Audio-Technica has released the ATH-AL5NC, a $279 wireless open-back headphone that pairs 53mm drivers with LDAC hi-res audio support and multipoint Bluetooth. The company says the headphones deliver up to 75 hours of battery life, with 15 minutes of charging yielding roughly eight hours of playback, and offer app-based control over EQ, presets and listening modes.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-09
A YouTube video titled 'I'm Back,' credited to Eminem but actually created with AI voice-cloning tools, has drawn more than 100,000 views since being posted last week. The clip ranks highly in YouTube searches for the rapper, outperforming some of his genuine charting songs, despite an artificial-sounding beat and vocals. Many commenters in the video's replies appear to believe it's a legitimate new release from Mathers.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-08
Portable CarPlay screens typically cost between $50 and $150, offering a cheaper alternative to buying a new car with built-in infotainment. Buyers should weigh screen size (6 to 11 inches), resolution (ideally at least 1280x720), audio output options like Bluetooth, AUX or FM, and whether the unit supports wireless CarPlay rather than requiring a cable.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-07
Razer introduced the Clio X at PAX West 2026, a cheaper version of its head-cushion speaker for gaming chairs, priced at $110 versus the original Clio's $230. It swaps the flagship's 43mm aluminum drivers for two 38mm speakers and two 55mm passive radiators, still supporting THX Spatial Audio and Razer's low-latency HyperSpeed 2.4GHz wireless connection. It attaches to any gaming chair headrest via a nylon strap and runs on USB-C power, ideally a 15W PD source.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-05
Android Auto users noticing sudden volume dips are likely experiencing 'audio ducking,' a feature since Android 8.0 that temporarily lowers media volume to let notification sounds like texts come through clearly. A less common cause is Android 14's hearing safety feature, which automatically reduces volume if loud audio plays for extended periods to protect users' hearing.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-05
Roland has released Melody Flip, a digital audio workstation plug-in that uses generative AI to create musical building blocks rather than finished songs. The tool draws from roughly 250 genre-based 'Palettes' to generate melodies, chord progressions, basslines, or drum patterns, either from scratch or based on a reference track fed in by the user. Outputs come as simple MIDI loops with basic instrument sounds, meant to be exported into a DAW and refined with other synths.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-04
The open-source audio editor Audacity has released version 4.0, bringing a redesigned user interface alongside improvements to its editing tools. The software remains free, cross-platform on desktop, and supports common formats like WAV, AIFF, FLAC and MP3, along with over 100 sound effects and features such as auto-ducking for podcast mixing.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-04
The developer behind Whistle Synth, a tool that turns whistling into synthesizer sound, has rebuilt it with AI assistance and released it as a free, ad-free, open-source Mac application. The overhaul cut audio round-trip latency from 80ms to 5ms and fixed stuttering by separating pitch detection from sound synthesis.
jefftk.com
· 2026-09-04
Google is expanding its Gemini Live conversational AI, first shown at I/O, into three Workspace apps as Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live. Gmail Live lets users verbally query their inbox for details like meeting times, Docs Live acts as a spoken co-writer that can pull context from other Workspace apps, and Keep Live converts rambling voice notes into organized, actionable lists. The features are rolling out now to eligible paying Workspace subscribers.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-04
GoKawiil