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Tech News
A piece compares typical white noise machines to compact air purifiers, noting a $47, 6.5-inch purifier that cleans 34 cubic feet of air per minute (CADR) at 45dB — similar noise levels to a classic sound machine. It contrasts this with a larger, pricier AirFanta 3Pro unit ($165, 12.6 inches) that cleans 6 to 12 times more air depending on noise level (up to ~56dB).
On the Happy Hour podcast, host Chance Miller shared a week-long hands-on account of Apple's rumored foldable iPhone Duo, covering its hinge positions, software maturity, Touch ID versus Face ID, and battery performance. The episode also discussed Apple's newly announced 'Pro and Tell' product event and covered a HomePod Sound Glow feature test plus Apple's explanation that its new Apple Music logo was 'built by sound'.
Bose announced Wednesday it is acquiring Skullcandy, the bass-heavy headphone brand, which will operate as a separate entity within Bose's Premium Consumer Audio division while remaining headquartered in Park City, Utah. The two companies had already been collaborating through Bose's Sound by Bose licensing program, starting with the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds in 2025 and the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones in July.
Apple is preparing HomePod 27.2 software, currently in developer and public beta testing, that brings some new HomePod Mini 2 capabilities to older models. Per MacRumors, the first-gen HomePod and Mini will gain lock-controls functionality, with the Mini also getting the Sound Glow RGB light display, while the 2nd-gen HomePod will additionally support Mac audio output and four-speaker arrays with the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K.
Apple's iOS 27.2 release candidate introduces Sound Glow, which turns the HomePod mini and 2nd-gen HomePod's LED top cap into an animated, color-matched display that reacts to playing music and podcasts, with custom animations for Soundscapes. The update also adds a Lock Controls option to prevent accidental top-cap taps, new profile support in the TV app, Suggested Actions in Messages, and new assets for Apple TV's surround-sound Home Theater feature.
Microsoft is increasing its return-to-office mandate for Xbox employees within 50 commuting miles of its Puget Sound campus from three to four days a week, effective February 1, 2027. The change was announced in an internal memo from Xbox chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson, who cited employee feedback and a desire for more in-person collaboration. Employees with existing remote-work exemptions will need to reapply for them.
Apple is rolling out Sound Glow, a feature that lights up the touch surface of HomePod mini and the second-generation HomePod with colors drawn from the currently playing song's album artwork. The feature requires software version 27.2, is enabled via the Home app or Apple TV Control Center, and does not work on the original HomePod.
A developer posted a Show HN project called 'The Duck Pond,' a web-based audio simulation featuring three hens, two drakes and two broods of ducklings. All duck sounds are generated in real time through synthesis rather than played from recordings, with spatial audio simulating a listener's position on the bank.
Apple announced a free software update bringing three new features to the existing HomePod (2nd generation), alongside this week's launch of HomePod mini 2, HomeView and a new Apple TV 4K. The update adds Sound Glow lighting effects synced to music, the ability to set HomePod as the default Mac speaker, and support for four-HomePod surround sound when paired with the new Apple TV 4K.
LG has rolled out new features for its modular Sound Suite home theater system, including DTS:X surround sound support for the H7 soundbar, Google Cast streaming, dual W7 subwoofer compatibility, and expanded Wi-Fi options covering 6 GHz networks and 5 GHz DFS channels. LG also previewed a forthcoming 'Media Connect Hub' designed to extend DTS:X compatibility to external source devices.
Apple's new Apple TV 4K replaces the 2022 model's A15 Bionic chip with an A19, which Apple says is up to 50 percent faster at CPU tasks and twice as fast at graphics, alongside doubled RAM, AV1 decoding, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The box now has three built-in mics for hands-free Siri, and a new $59 remote adds Precision Finding for compatible iPhones. The system also now supports four HomePods as a surround setup, up from the previous two-speaker stereo limit.
Apple's new HomePod mini 2 replaces the 2019 model's S5 chip with the more powerful S10, enabling Siri AI capabilities such as natural conversation and more accurate general knowledge answers, though this won't be available at launch. The speaker also gains a visual feature called Sound Glow, which syncs its touch-surface lighting with music and album artwork, and supports multi-speaker surround sound setups with other HomePod units via Apple TV.