Aug 03
Buenos Aires in Argentina saw an especially hot start to this August, and temperatures spiked above 30 degrees Celsius throughout the capital for the first time in years.
Aug 03
Folks on the lookout for the best wireless earbuds around should definitely consider what Bose has to offer. That’s especially true if you want to block out as much environmental noise as possible when it’s time to focus. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are your best option for noise cancellation right now and, as luck would have it, they’re on sale. You can pick up a pair for $249, which is $50 off the regular price.
That’s the same discount that was available during Prime Day last month, but it’s not quite the lowest price we’ve seen. The earbuds briefly dropped to $229 during last year’s holiday shopping season. However, the current discount is still a good deal on a pair of high-quality earbuds.
We gave the Bose QC Earbuds II a score of 87 in our review last September. Along with excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), the earbuds boast good sound quality. We found that the smaller size compared with the previous model made for a better fit, while Bose improved the ambient sound.
The QC Earbuds II lack multipoint connectivity and wireless charging, which might be dealbreakers for some. We found call quality to be somewhat mediocre too. Still, if ANC is your top concern, these earbuds are worth your attention.
Elsewhere, Bose’s QuietComfort 45 over-ear headphones are also on sale. They have dropped to $279, which is $60 off the usual price of $329.
We gave the headset a review score of 86. These cans also deliver great ANC performance, along with clear and balanced audio. They have a long battery life (over 22 hours on a single charge in our testing) and Bose says a 15-minute charge adds three hours of listening time.
Although the QC45 headphones are comfortable to wear, the design isn’t much to write home about, while the lack of automatic pausing and some niggles with multi-device connectivity may cause some frustration. Those are relatively minor quibbles, though, given the overall performance.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-ii-are-back-on-sale-for-249-152721106.html?src=rss
Aug 03
The legendary singer died on July 21 at the age of 96.
Aug 03
io9 is proud to present fiction from LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE. Once a month, we feature a story from LIGHTSPEED’s current issue. This month’s selection is “The Blade and the Bloodwright” by Sloane Leong. You can read the story below or listen to the podcast on LIGHTSPEED’s website. Enjoy!
Aug 03
Acura, Honda’s luxury and performance vehicle brand, has released a teaser for its first electric vehicle. It doesn’t really show much of the the all-electric 2024 ZDX — it’s just a silhouette of the car with an illuminated grille in the shadows — but it comes with the announcement that the EV is set to debut on August 17th during Monterey Car Week.
The 2024 ZDX was designed at the Acura Design Studio in southern California, and it retains some of the external elements the company used for the Precision EV Concept it showed off during the same event last year. It’s based on GM’s Ultium battery platform and could perhaps be one of the few, or the only, Acura models to use the modular EV architecture. Honda previously said that future EVs will use its in-house e:Architecture platform instead, with the first models based on it slated for release in 2025.
Acura announced back in June that the ZDX will come with built-in Android Auto and other Google products. Owners will have access to an enhanced version of Google Maps, which can plan optimized routes with charging stations along the way and can estimate the charging time required to reach their destination. They’ll also have access to Google Assistant for hands-free controls, as well as to Google Play, so they can download third-party apps to their infotainment system. Acura revealed last month that the EV will be equipped with a Bang & Olufsen audio system, as well.
The automaker will exclusively sell the ZDX and ZDX Type S performance EVs online starting early next year. Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales, said in a statement that the ZDX Type S will be “the most powerful and quickest accelerating SUV in the brand’s history.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acura-teases-the-zdx-its-first-electric-vehicle-130051990.html?src=rss
Aug 03
Lizzo called the allegations of weight-shaming, sexual harassment and a hostile work environment “false,” saying “these are as unbelievable as they sound.”
Aug 03
Waymo only just reached Los Angeles earlier this year, but that isn’t stopping it from expanding further. The company is expanding its Waymo One ride-hailing service to Austin. The first phase starts this fall, with completely driverless operations and public rides coming in the months ahead. The coverage will be “truly useful,” Waymo claims — it should cover major stretches of the Texas capital, including the downtown core as well as well-known areas like Barton Hills and Hyde Park. You can join a waitlist today.
The deployment is a homecoming of sorts, as Waymo chose Austin to conduct some of its first self-driving tests beyond its hometown of Mountain View. The company also made history by offering the first completely autonomous ride on public streets in 2015. The Alphabet-owned brand has been testing its self-driving SUVs in the city since the spring.
Austin will represent the fourth city to get Waymo One following Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The firm is also operating in New York City, although it hasn’t announced plans to offer commercial service in the region. While rides have typically only been available in limited sections of these cities, Waymo recently doubled its operational area to include larger swaths of the Phoenix area and San Francisco.
The announcement reflects Waymo’s strengthened focus on ride-hailing. The company recently pushed back its autonomous trucking plans to help it concentrate on passenger service. Waymo wants One to be a commercial hit first, and that means expanding operations as well as securing permission to take paying customers. There’s pressure to move quickly when competitors like Cruise and Aurora are testing in Texas.
There are some obstacles to overall growth. Officials want to stop or slow robotaxi deployments in San Francisco over safety concerns, for instance. Vehicles from Waymo and GM’s Cruise have blocked traffic, interfered with first responders and otherwise created issues. Other cities and states haven’t greenlit self-driving cars, either. Texas’ openness to the technology may help, though, and Waymo notes that Austin’s rapidly growing economy (the second-fastest for a major US city) could help its chances.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/waymo-is-bringing-its-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-austin-133949180.html?src=rss
Aug 03
Doctors Pressured Me To Breastfeed. It Led Me To The Darkest Place Of My Life.
Posted in: Today's Chili“My determination to feed my son in the ‘right’ way evolved into a crippling postpartum depression that stripped every ounce of joy from early motherhood.”
Aug 03
Richard Branson’s space tourism venture is set to launch its second commercial trip to suborbital heights in less than two weeks but the company is not too optimistic about the revenue generated by its private orbital tours.
Aug 03
The Fox News host predicted the thrice-indicted Trump will seek vengeance in a way you might not expect.
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