U&i ha introducido nuevos productos de audio y bancos de energía en India. Los nuevos lanzamientos incluyen Budget 99 TWS, Revolution Neckband, así como los bancos de energía PowerCube y Velar Series. El TWS es compatible con ENC y se dice que ofrece un tiempo total de reproducción de música de hasta 36 horas, mientras que la banda para el cuello ofrece 300 horas de tiempo de espera. Se afirma que los powerbanks de las series PowerCube y Velar ofrecen salidas cableadas de 22,5 W y 10 W, respectivamente. Los productos admiten carga USB tipo C.
Precios de U&i Budget 99 TWS, Revolution Neckband, PowerCube y Velar Powerbank en India
El precio del U&i Budget 99 TWS se ha fijado en Rs. 499, mientras que la banda para el cuello U&i Revolution cotiza en Rs. 249. Los bancos de energía U&i PowerCube y Velar están marcados en Rs. 1.599 y rupias. 899 respectivamente. Está disponible para su compra en tiendas de accesorios móviles de todo el país.
Características de U&i Budget 99 TWS
Los auriculares U&i Budget 99 TWS presentan un diseño intrauditivo con puntas de silicona y vástagos redondeados. La compañía dice que está disponible en cuatro colores. Es compatible con la tecnología de cancelación de ruido ambiental (ENC) y se dice que ofrece una duración total de la batería de hasta 36 horas con el estuche de carga que admite carga USB tipo C.
Características de la banda para el cuello U&i Revolution
La banda para el cuello U&i Revolution Series viene con un controlador de 10 mm y se dice que está disponible en tres opciones de color, aunque la compañía no ha especificado los tonos. Se afirma que el dispositivo portátil ofrece hasta 300 horas de espera y viene con conectividad Bluetooth 5.3. La banda para el cuello también es compatible con la tecnología ENC.
Funciones de U&i PowerCube y Velar Powerbank
El banco de energía U&i PowerCube viene con soporte para carga por cable de 22,5 W y carga inalámbrica de 15 W. También admite carga multiprotocolo PD y QC. Está equipado con una luz indicadora LED y un soporte oculto.
Mientras tanto, el U&i Velar Power Bank se promociona como una “solución integral” para los usuarios. Ofrece salida de 12 W, conectividad Bluetooth 5.3 y admite tarjeta USB, FM y TF. Esto indica que el banco de energía está actuando como una unidad de altavoz. El dispositivo tiene soporte de carga USB tipo C y se dice que ofrece hasta 6 horas de reproducción de música con una sola carga.
Las versiones económicas de Vision Pro pueden reducir costos con una reducción significativa de la resolución, entre otras medidas. imagen: iFixt
Apple está considerando usar pantallas de menor resolución en una versión económica de sus auriculares de computación espacial Vision Pro, según informes recientes. Los informes indican que la resolución es mucho más baja de lo que Apple llama “4K por ojo” en Vision Pro.
La versión económica de Vision Pro puede incluir una resolución mucho menor
Al reducir la densidad de píxeles, Apple puede mantener la calidad de la imagen y al mismo tiempo reducir significativamente los costos de fabricación. De hecho, informes que datan de junio indican que Apple envió solicitudes de información (RFI) a varios fabricantes de pantallas, incluidos Samsung Display y LG Display. Según se informa, las RFI solicitaron pantallas OLED con una densidad de píxeles de alrededor de 1700 PPI, lo que sugiere que Apple está explorando múltiples opciones para auriculares más baratos.
Posibles cambios de uso y materiales.
Bloomberg En junio dijo que el Vision Pro era más barato. Es posible que requiera un iPhone o Mac conectado para ejecutarseLa historia también afirma que el prototipo de auricular de bajo costo, con nombre en código N107, tiene un campo de visión más estrecho en comparación con el Vision Pro. Es posible que Apple incluso pueda deshacerse de la función EyeSight y utilizar materiales de construcción más livianos.
En particular, se dice que la muestra proporcionada por JDI utiliza tecnología OLED Glass Core Substrate (GCS). Esto es diferente de las pantallas OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) que se utilizan actualmente en Vision Pro. Este cambio en la tecnología de visualización puede reducir aún más los costos.
Mercado competitivo
De todos modos, parece que el desarrollo del dispositivo aún se encuentra en una etapa temprana. Tiempos digitales Señaló que pueden pasar de dos a tres años antes de que entre en producción en masa. esto es despues de mucho tiempo Pero las expectativas indican que el lanzamiento del dispositivo podría tener lugar a finales de 2025. Al mismo tiempo, es probable que se intensifique la competencia entre los fabricantes de pantallas para conseguir los pedidos de Apple. Empresas de Corea del Sur, Japón y Taiwán pueden competir por una parte del contrato potencialmente lucrativo.
The humble bathroom scale has long been overdue to learn some new tricks. After all, who needs to devote precious real estate to a device whose purpose is merely to tell you your weight? The “smart scale” category sprung to life in the early days of the internet of things, but early models weren’t always the best, hampered by connectivity issues and general usability problems. As such, the category has largely stagnated; only a handful of companies are now making the devices, and some haven’t updated their product line in years.
Only recently has that started to change, as newer, faster, and all-around better products have begun to hit the market again. Not only can newer smart scales track a bevy of health metrics for multiple members of your household via sophisticated mobile apps, but they’ve also ironed out all the kinks, so it’s easier than ever to track your weight.
Just how smart can a scale be? And which should you buy? If an accurate weight is what’s most important to you, don’t sweat the decision too much. All of these scales I’ve tested are quite accurate. My highest and lowest weight never varied by more than 0.6 pounds across all of them—that means getting one of the cheaper models will suffice. But if you’re serious about weight loss or physical training, you’ll probably want to get further into the weeds and consider the accuracy of the additional body metrics, the wireless format, and the overall usability and robustness of the hardware and software. It’s here where I’ve spent the bulk of my testing time to find the best smart scale. With all that in mind, I have some thoughts.
How Do Smart Scales Work?
Smart scales come in two basic flavors: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The former connects directly to your phone to sync its readings. The latter uses your home’s wireless network to sync readings straight to the cloud, which your phone’s app can then access. Wi-Fi scales are more expensive but more versatile. While older scales often featured erratic wireless connections, newer models have had many of their kinks worked out—and firmware updates have improved connectivity.
Virtually all smart scales use the same type of system to gauge your additional vitals: bioelectrical impedance analysis, which involves sending a minuscule electric current up one leg and measuring what happens when it comes down the other side. Some mathematical magic converts all of this into any number of derived measurements about things like your body’s percentage of fat, water, and bone; body-mass index; and, sometimes, arcana like your basal metabolic rate, a measure of your body’s energy consumption at rest. All the scales I tested can sync data with Apple Health and Google Fit or Health Connect, either directly or by passing data via the app.
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Last year, Google trotted out a new “Chromebook Plus” label, ensuring Chromebooks meet specific hardware requirements so that they have a certain threshold of quality and—importantly—a starting price of $400. It’s been fairly successful. Chromebooks from companies like Acer and Lenovo perform well for the money—functional, affordable hardware that does the job.
Acer’s Chromebook Plus 514 (model CB514-4H/T) is yet another laptop that achieves this goal. This specific model name doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it indicates that this is the Intel-powered model not to be confused with the AMD-powered Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-3H/T) the company launched last fall. It’s a bit confusing, and it doesn’t help that there’s also the similarly named Acer Chromebook Plus 515, which is close in price but has a larger screen and a slightly different processor.
Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster
Despite slight differences in port selection and screen ratio between the Intel and AMD variants of the Chromebook Plus 514, expect them to perform largely the same. The grunt work for this machine is handled by a capable 13th-gen Intel Core i3-N305 processor, which is on par with other Chromebook Plus models and a nice bump over Chromebooks of years past. Combined with the 8 GB of RAM and a 512-GB solid state drive on the CB514-4HT-359X configuration Acer sent me for this review, you have a pretty speedy machine for school and work. This model is just $350 at Costco, and weirdly, the 128-GB model is more expensive at Amazon for $380.
Chrome OS is designed to be lightweight, and the Core i3-N305 processor subsequently tears through most tasks with ease. My daily ritual of writing in Google Docs while watching YouTube videos with several other tabs open never felt sluggish or unresponsive. Battery life has held up, getting me through eight-hour workdays, usually with an hour or two of battery life to spare.
Despite pulling from the cloud, Google Photos edits feel very responsive. I had a lot of fun using the built-in editor to tweak my (many) cat photos, and video edits felt nearly instantaneous. Just keep in mind this relies heavily on the speed of your internet connection to pull photos and videos down from your cloud storage, so your experience may vary.
I’ve never found myself drawn to using touch on laptops, but the 14-inch touch panel on the Chromebook Plus 514 grew on me. Chrome OS lends itself to touch, and the smooth matte display feels great to use under your fingertips (plus it doesn’t leave fingerprints). In my week of testing, I constantly found myself reaching out to get a better selection when editing photos in the Google Photos app or when I wanted to more precisely scroll through YouTube.
My one disappointment is that this isn’t a convertible laptop. The ability to swing the screen around to turn it into a quasi-tablet would make using touch more comfortable (and fun), so the clamshell design is a bit limiting. On the bright side, the hinge allows the back of the display to extend downward a bit when opened, propping it up on your table or lap for a more comfortable angle.
Construction of the small modular reactor CAREM, shown here in 2023 on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, has been paused owing to funding constraints.Credit: CNEA/Reuters
Owing to massive budget cuts and lay-offs of government employees, Argentina’s nuclear sector — which includes power plants and research facilities — is at risk, scientists say. The country was the first in Latin America to adopt nuclear energy, has three operating plants that provide about 5–10% of the nation’s electrical energy and runs numerous reactors used for research.
‘Despair’: Argentinian researchers protest as president begins dismantling science
With its current budget, the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) will be able to carry out its activities only “until May or June”, according to a statement published in March and signed by the agency’s leaders. The CNEA has been operating since 1950; it sets the country’s nuclear policy and carries out research to improve “the quality of life for society”, among other responsibilities.
“All these [activities] could be in danger,” Adriana Serquis, former head of the CNEA, tells Nature. On Friday, the Milei administration at last accepted Serquis’s resignation, which she had submitted before the president took office in December.
Adriana Serquis was replaced as head of Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission last week.Credit: Karl Mancini
“We cannot operate with this budget,” she says. The agency has taken out loans with private firms in the past few months to keep working, she adds. CNEA authorities stressed to the Milei administration that the agency would need a 2024 budget of US$270 million to operate at a minimal level. The government guaranteed the CNEA only $100 million.
Milei has made moves towards at least partially privatizing Argentina’s nuclear sector. Yesterday, he appointed Germán Guido Lavalle, founder of candoit, an engineering and technology consulting firm based in Buenos Aires, to lead the CNEA — a move that aligns with that push.
The agency has had to pause construction on two projects that could have brought even more renown to Argentina’s nuclear sector: one is a ‘small modular reactor’ prototype that is among the first in the world to be built for electricity generation, and the other is a research reactor that might have produced enough of the radioisotope molybdenum-99, commonly used in medical diagnostic imaging, to meet 20% of global demand.
If this continues, Serquis says, “Argentina will lose its place in the ‘nuclear club’” — referring to the country’s prowess in nuclear research, a global status it has maintained among wealthy nations.
Projects stagnate
One of the stalled nuclear projects is the small modular reactor CAREM, intended to supply low-carbon electricity to rural areas where large power plants can’t be built. Nuclear scientists have been working for decades to create this type of reactor, and countries, including Argentina, have been in a race to get theirs fired up quickly. CAREM, a prototype, would use uranium fission to supply around 30 megawatts of electrical power. If successful, it could be scaled up to larger, commercial versions supplying 300 megawatts of electric power. More than $600 million has been invested into CAREM since construction began in 2014, but another $200 million to $300 million is needed to finish it.
Argentina election: front runner vows to slash science funding
“It has less electrical production capacity than a nuclear power plant, but it’s also cheaper and safer,” says Tomás Avallone, a chemist and nuclear-reactors operator at the CNEA. It could be installed anywhere, be used for high-energy-consumption activities such as water desalinization and bring power to 300,000 people, he says.
Another stagnating project is RA-10, a 30-megawatt reactor that would use neutron beams to produce medical radioisotopes. Scientists could also use RA-10 to conduct materials research. “It is a multipurpose reactor,” says Rodolfo Kempf, nuclear-waste manager at the CNEA. The main construction on RA-10 has been completed, Kempf says, but its instruments haven’t been installed.
Argentina has so far invested more than $400 million in building the reactor, and another $80 million is needed. The commercial sale of the reactor design should provide a significant return on investment, say researchers who spoke to Nature.
Privatization push
The Milei administration has been advocating for the privatization of science and education in Argentina. In April, it sent a bill to Congress that includes a list of state companies to be fully or partially privatized. Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, a state-run firm based in Buenos Aires that oversees the country’s three nuclear plants, is on the list to be partially privatized. If this comes to pass, the government would maintain the majority of Nucleoeléctrica shares, and its vote would be needed for actions including expanding the capacity of a power plant, building a new one or adding shareholders to the company.
‘Extremely worrying’: Argentinian researchers reel after election of anti-science president
Alfredo Caro, a nuclear physicist and former director of the CNEA’s Bariloche Atomic Centre, estimates that a 30% stake in Nucleoeléctrica would be worth between $700 million and $1 billion. If that stake were sold, it might allow the government to finalize the construction of CAREM and RA-10, as well as to complete a planned upgrade of the Atucha I power plant, located about 120 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires, to extend its lifetime, he says. “A partial privatization could help the sector carry on,” Caro says, “but only if the funds that are raised remain in the sector and are not spent on other areas of the state” — a big ‘if’, given the financial crisis in Argentina. The country’s gross domestic product is expected to drop 3.3% this year, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Officials at Argentina’s Secretariat of Energy and Nucleoeléctrica didn’t respond to questions from Nature about their plans for the nuclear sector. Meanwhile, the bill to privatize state companies has been approved by the lower chamber of Argentina’s Congress, and will now be considered by the Senate.
New information on Fujifilm’s next camera, the X-T50, has recently leaked providing some insight into its performance. According to Fuji Rumors, the device will sport in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This feature will reduce the amount of camera shake to ensure crystal-clear photographs. It’s a piece of tech that can also be found on the higher-end Fujifilm X-T5. What’s more, the X-T50 is said to house a 40 MP X-Trans V image sensor just like its counterpart
This could mean the new camera might perform just as well as the X-T5, capable of taking the same level of high-quality photographs. However, as NotebookCheck points out, this is unlikely since the X-T50 is supposed to be a budget model. Fujifilm won’t want to cannibalize sales of the X-T5 so the publication theorizes that the company will hold back their new device in some way.
The X-T50 could house older hardware like the X Processor 4 instead of the more recent X Processor 5. Certain functions, like the SD card slot, may be “significantly degraded.” NotebookCheck doesn’t expand on this idea, but it could mean there’ll only be a single SD card slot onboard, for example. Little cuts like these would keep prices low.
Possible pricing
Because the X-T50 is slated to receive a hardware upgrade, there’s a good chance it’ll still cost more than the $900 X-T30 II. No word on how much it’ll cost. That X-Trans sensor and IBIS implementation will bump up the price tag regardless of any cost cutting measures by Fujifilm.
We won’t have to wait long to receive more details. Fuji Rumors claims the X-T50 will be officially announced on May 16 at the company’s X Summit event taking place in Sydney, Australia. Alongside it will be the Fujiflim GFX100SII and the Fujinon XF14-50mm f/2.8-4.8 kit lens. Little is known about either although images for the latter did surface. Sources close to the publication state it’ll receive features normally found on “higher-end lenses” like an internal zoom mechanism.
The Anker PowerConf C200 webcam is 20 percent off right now via Amazon or directly from the company. This brings the price down to $48. The $12 dollar discount isn’t the lowest price ever for the webcam, but its dang close. In other words, this is still a fantastic deal.
Anker
This is a 20 percent discount for the well-regarded camera.
The C200 is one of our favorite webcams, easily sliding into second place on our list of the best available models. We loved the easy setup, as all you have to do is plug it into your computer or docking station and start recording. It also integrates with the company’s AnkerWork software for editing and for making quick adjustments to brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio.
The default resolution is 2K, but you can adjust to 1080p, 720p or even 360p as the content requires. The field of view is similarly adjustable, so you can offer watchers an ultra-wide view of an extremely messy bedroom. It boasts dual stereo mics with omnidirectional vocal pickup and ships with a built-in lens cover.
The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, even when compared to pricier models, and its larger f/2.0 aperture helps the image stay illuminated even in dark environments. The overall image quality isn’t quite on par with our favorite webcam, the Logitech Brio 500, but it’s also less than half the price.
We do have some complaints about the C200. It’s a bit cumbersome to adjust the angle when perched on a screen, due to the design. There’s no short neck that connects the camera to the base. It’s just one chunky piece of plastic, requiring both hands to make adjustments. Also, the provided USB-C cable is on the shorter side, so you might want to have a longer one ready to go, particularly if you use a standing desk.
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC’s sound is more bass-heavy than most over-ear headphones. It’s something I’ve come to expect with most JLab products and means your mileage will depend on how bassy you want your music to be.
JLab is mostly known for its budget headphones and earbuds, but with the JBuds Lux ANC it’s making inroads into the ‘luxury’ headphone market – that descriptor is a word JLab chose, and not my verdict, for reasons we’ll get into later. That’s not to say that the JBuds Lux ANC are premium devices – they cost less than $100 / £100. The brand’s just trying to give buyers on a budget something to buy that feels like a top-end rival.
In some ways, it’s a successful venture. As with most other JLab audio devices, these headphones pack a bassy punch, with the 40mm drivers treating your ears if you’re a fan of thumping tunes.
The JBuds Lux ANC also pack lots of features you’d expect from premium alternatives. As the name suggests, they have active noise cancellation (that’s the ANC) which works very well in its standard setting (although the ambient mode leaves something to be desired). They also have Bluetooth Multipoint so you can jump between different devices, spatial audio for improved movie or TV show watching and Google Fast Pair so you don’t have to spend ages setting up the device.
That’s not to mention the 70-hour battery life (when ANC is off, it’s reduced to 40 hours when it’s on), handy on-cup button controls and the ability for you to fold them down. These are all handy quality-of-life features that we like to see.
There are a few rough edges though. As previously stated the sound is bass-heavy, but this is at the deficit of other aspects of the sound – treble and especially the mid-range felt a little bit lacking. Your music preference will dictate whether these are great for you, or a poor choice, and in the interest of fairness it’s worth mentioning that I’m not a huge fan of this bass-heavy approach to sound.
Something which is less dependent on taste, and more on the shape of your head, is the fit and comfort of the JBuds Lux ANC. I personally found them rather uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, and also a little less grippy than many of their close rivals – they were fine when sitting still or even walking, but they wobbled on the many occasions I found myself running for a bus. As I write this, I’m having to have a little break from the JBuds Lux due to my ears aching from wearing them. Like I said, ‘luxury’ is JLab’s description, not mine.
Overall, these are decent for their price, undercutting even our top budget pick for the best over-ear headphones, but your taste is a more important factor when it comes to buying them. That’s unless you like to judge a product based on its name: the JLab JBuds Lux ANC aren’t buds and aren’t luxury, so they only score 2/4 for that metric!
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Price and release date
The signature JLab logo is very prominent on the JBuds Lux ANC. (Image credit: Future)
Released in February 2024
Priced at $79.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$120)
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC were announced in January 2024, and went on sale during the month afterwards. You might have trouble buying them though. At the time of writing, two months after their release, they’re already sold out in some regions.
The JBuds Lux ANC sell for $79.99 /£79.99 (roughly AU$120). That’s pricier than almost every other pair of headphones sold by JLab and is in line with the Studio Pro ANC, which will set you back $80 /£80 / AU$99 at the time of writing. The brand sells plenty of wireless headphones for less, though.
The sub-$100 / £100 / AU$130 headphone market is a fiercely competitive one, with many other brands trying to convince you that you don’t need to pay top dollar for great headphones. At the bottom of this review you’ll find some of our favorite similarly-priced headphones that you should consider alongside the JLab JBuds Lux ANC.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Drivers
40mm
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Battery life
70 hours (44 w/ANC)
Weight
235g
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Waterproofing
NA
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Features
On the side of the JBuds Lux ANC, there’s a USB-C port, as well as buttons for power, volume and noise cancellation. (Image credit: Future)
Battery life reaches 70 hours, 44 with ANC
Three ANC modes, standard works but ambient doesn’t
App brings some handy extra features
As the name suggests, a key feature of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC is the active noise cancellation, which blocks out surrounding sounds while you’re listening to music. This isn’t a given in the best cheap headphones, so it’s welcome here, but even more welcome is the fact that it’s actually good!
The standard noise cancellation mode is great at isolating and removing background sound, great for if you’re sick of the inane chatter of nearby teams in the office or the rumble of the bus every day on your commute. You can turn it off if you want to hear these sounds, plus there’s a third option called Be Aware.
Be Aware is effectively an ambient mode, so that annoying noises (babies crying) are removed while important ones (large vehicles bearing down on you) remain audible. Unfortunately this didn’t work too well: I found that sounds Be Aware let in were given a tinny make-over, so they were even more annoying to hear than if I’d just turned ANC off. I didn’t use this for long.
The JLabs have a fantastic battery life, you love to see it. With ANC turned off, they’ll last for up to 70 hours without needing to be charged, though with ANC or Be Aware turned on that drops to a still-impressive 44 hours. You can charge them via USB-C cable.
You can completely customize the sound performance of the JBuds Lux ANC via the JLab control app. (Image credit: Future)
Downloading the JLab app onto your smartphone offers a few extra features. You can control the noise cancellation and change what the buttons do, but you can also set a volume limit, changing between ‘movie’ and ‘music’ modes and also fiddle around with an equalizer.
This latter lets you jump between three presets: ‘JLab Signature’, ‘balanced’ and ‘Bass Boost’, but there’s also a custom mode for if you feel comfortable messing around with sliders to personalise the tone.
Most headphone smartphone apps tell you the battery percentage, so you can accurately gauge how long they’ll last for before needing a charge. Curiously, the JLabs one doesn’t, beyond showing you a vague battery icon, which is an annoying omission.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Design
You can pick up the headphones in four colors: Graphite (black), Cloud (white), Sage (green) or Mauve (uh… mauve). (Image credit: Future)
Handy on-cup controls
Uncomfortable to wear for long periods
Folds up but no IP rating
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC are supposedly comfier to wear than most budget headphones, hence the ‘lux’ in its name. This adjective is exhibited by the use of soft fabric at the arch of the headband, and soft foam ear cups to settle on your ears.
Several people who’ve used the JBuds Lux and reported back online have called them comfortable to wear, but I don’t concur – no matter how much I extended or retracted the band to adjust its size, I found that they pinched a little too much. It wasn’t too noticeable in the moment, but wearing them for more than an hour in one sitting brought about mild earaches. The fact that not everyone has found this issue suggests that it depends on your head size, though I must point out that it’s not something I often find with headphones.
The headphones didn’t sit totally still either. When I was relatively inactive – say, relaxing on the grass in the warm sun, or sitting at a desk to write this review – there were no issues, but vigorous movement caused them to wobble and sometimes resulted in a cup falling off my ear. By ‘vigorous movement’ I mean running for a bus or jumping down stairs, and I daren’t not even attempt to use them for runs or workouts. Again, I can see this as being a head size issue, but I’d be remiss not to point it out.
The JBuds Lux ANC fold up, making them ultra portable and perfect for travel. (Image credit: Future)
Weighing 235g, these aren’t too heavy, though they’re not among the lightest headphones we’ve seen either. Like the best travel headphones, at least you can rotate the cups, extend the band and fold in the cups to make the JLabs more portable, which is a little more versatility than we see in all pairs of wireless headphones. There’s no IP rating though.
On the right cup you’ve got the USB-C port for charging as well as a power button, a volume rocker and a noise cancellation toggle (between off, on and Be Aware mode). Each of these was easy to locate and press when wearing the headphones, though when I first started testing the headphones, I did mix up the power and noise cancellation buttons a few times.
As mentioned, there are four color options, and our review unit was mauve. All four options are fairly subdued, so you’re not getting anything too lurid whatever you pick.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Sound quality
Unfortunately, for me, the fit was a little too tight. (Image credit: Future)
Bass-heavy sound
Treble lost in the mix
Lots of peaking at high volumes
When going into the sound section, it bears repeating that the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are low-end headphones, and as such the best they can aim for is ‘decent’ or another similar synonym. And that target is basically hit, although more so than for most headphones, taste will be the most important judge.
Headphone or earbud fans probably know JLab’s reputation for creating bass-heavy audio devices, which is either draw you or put you off depending on what you like in your music.
If you want as much bass as possible to enhance your music, you’ll get on well with the JBuds Lux; it’s clearly the focus of the sound mix of the headphones and it pounds through in all the songs it can. It can provide a nice warm sounds if you listen to the right type of music.
(Image credit: Future)
This all comes at the cost of balanced audio, though, with treble lost in the mix, even when you try to eke out as much as possible from the app equalizer. I frequently struggled to hear, say, rhythm guitars, piano countermelodies or vocal harmonies that are usually fairly audible.
Like an unsuccessful mountaineer, the JLabs often felt close to peaking, especially when you turn the volume high. However at medium and low volumes I didn’t often hear noises get outright distorted.
I did miss the soundstage and bright audio of some of the JLab’s rivals when testing these, but then again I’m not one who prefers a bass-heavy sound. Your mileage will vary.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Value
Affordable over-ear headphones
The ANC is competitive
(Image credit: Future)
You’re getting what you pay for in the JLab JBuds Lux ANC. These are some affordable headphones that deliver the kind of sound quality and feature set that we often see in similarly-priced products.
The noise cancellation does compete with higher-end headphones, so if that’s your metric for value, you’re getting it here. But in most other categories, the JBuds Lux basically match the price.
Should I buy the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Long-lasting battery, good ANC and a useful app? Three green ticks.
4/5
Design
I found the JLabs uncomfortable to wear, despite some good design features.
2.5/5
Sound quality
The JLabs are good for bass fans but won’t appeal to listeners who prefer a bright sound.
3.5/5
Value
You’re getting what you pay for with the JLabs. That’s not a bad thing, but not a good one either.
3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
JLab JBuds Lux ANC
Earfun Wave Pro
JBL Tune 670NC
Drivers
40mm
40mm
32mm
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Battery life
70 hours
80 hours
70 hours
Weight
235g
268g
174g
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3
Waterproofing
NA
NA
NA
How I tested the JLab JBuds Lux ANC
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office and on walks
I used the JLab JBuds Lux ANC for roughly two weeks prior to writing this review. They were the latest in a string of budget headphone reviews I’ve done for TechRadar, so I compared them directly to a few close rivals.
Testing was largely done at home or in the office, with some listening done while on walks in both busy and quiet areas. These all provided different tests for the ANC as well as the quality-of-life features for the headphones. To give the JLabs a fair shake, I tried to listen to a diverse range of music on them including rock, pop, classical, country, jazz and streamed TV shows from Prime Video.
I’ve been writing about tech for six years now including five for TechRadar, so I’m well versed in the headphone and tech space. As stated I’ve reviewed other similarly-priced headphones and I’ve also tested other JLab products.
There are a frankly ridiculous number of Chromebooks on sale to choose from, but Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative that launched last fall has gone a long way towards standardizing some key specs for ChromeOS devices. That in turn has made it a little easier to pick ones that’ll provide a consistent quality experience without breaking the bank. Acer’s latest Chromebook Plus 514, which the company just announced today, is a good example — at first glance, it looks like it checks most of the boxes I’m looking for when recommending a basic Chromebook that’ll work for most people.
To make things confusing, Acer already sells a few Chromebook Plus 514 models; this one is the CB514-4HT and is priced at $399. Look for that SKU if you want to make sure you’re getting the latest one. This laptop is powered by Intel’s 13th-gen Core i3-N305 processor and pairs that with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage — that latter spec is a bit of surprise and is a lot more storage than I’d expect to see on a $400 Chromebook. To meet the required Chromebook Plus specs, this laptop includes a 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter. While the resolution is pretty solid, not all webcams are equal so we’ll have to see how this one performs in real life.
Acer
The display is a 14-inch, 1080p touchscreen, so it’s not quite as tall as the 1,920 x 1,200 screens that I’ve seen on a number of other Chromebook Plus laptops. But again, at the price I’m not going to complain too much. It has a decent selection of ports, too: two USB-C and USB-A slots along with a microSD card reader. I wouldn’t have minded seeing HDMI here, as the USB-C ports could quickly be taken up by power and a monitor, but I just keep reminding myself this computer is only 400 bucks.
Acer says that this laptop will hit stores in early May, though the specific SKU we’re talking about here should also be at Costco as early as next week. The company also says it’ll have some other configurations available in the near future, though they didn’t say what’ll change. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a model with less storage or perhaps no touchscreen, which could drive the price down even more. If so, this might be a great budget option. But even as is, you should get a pretty good laptop here for the price.
Motorola has launched two new wireless earbuds that bring Bose’s audio tuning and best-in-class active noise cancellation for very competitive prices. It’s calling the new earbuds: the Moto Buds and Moto Buds Plus.
The Moto Buds Plus are the more attention-grabbing earbuds of the two, as they sport some impressive features that you’d find in the best wireless earbuds for a budget price of just £129 (roughly $160 and AU$250 but we have yet to get pricing for other regions). There’s hi-res audio support along with active noise cancellation and Dolby Atmos with Head Tracking tech to provide dynamic directional audio when listening to compatible continents.
The earbuds have two triple-mic systems, which aid with noise cancellation and ambient noise suppression when making and taking phone calls. There’s also what Motorola calls ‘CrystalTalk AI’ on board, which uses algorithms to mitigate noise caused by windy conditions.
Eight hours of battery life are offered by the buds themselves, while the case holds up to 38 hours of playback power. And three hours of playback time can be had from just 10 minutes of charging, which could be useful if you’re the forgetful sort who leaves earbuds outside of their case on a regular basis. As a handy extra, the case offers wireless charging and the buds are water resistant.
The Moto Buds Plus come in two colorways: black and gray or white. (Image credit: Motorola)
However, arguably the standout feature is the audio tuning done by Bose. Normally, one would need to look at the best noise cancelling earbuds to find Bose’s audio chops but with the Moto Buds Plus, you get EQ tuning from the audio giant, in addition to its expertise on the ANC front.
Depending on your audio playback tastes, Bose tuning could be a real boon or bust here. Having used Bose headphones before, I’m reasonably partial to how the bass and mid-range tones are tuned. And Bose’s ANC is right up there with Sony’s ability to crush external sounds with its WH-1000XM5 series of headphones.
The caveat here is slapping Bose tuning onto earbuds may end up being a marketing gimmick if the Moto Buds Plus’ dual dynamic drivers can’t deliver the punchy audio one expects from Bose. We’ll find out once we give the Moto Buds Plus a rigorous testing.
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Available to buy today (April 16) the Moto Buds Plus come in ‘Forest Gray’ (basically a smokey black) or ‘Beach Sand’ (a form of off-white).
Motorola’s Moto Buds: Key specs
Here are the Moto Buds’ five different colors you can choose from. (Image credit: Motorola)
For people on a tight budget, Motorola has the £49 (about $61 and AU$95) Moto Buds. These earbuds don’t get the Bose tuning, but still have hi-res audio support and ANC – and that’s not bad at all for the price.
Battery life comes in at nine hours, with two hours of listening time coming from just 10 mins of charging. Combined with the power the case can hold, the Moto Buds offer up to 42 hours playback time. And thanks to water resistance, these earbuds could be good for sweaty workouts.
The Moto Buds come in a quartet of colour options called ‘Starlight Blue’, ‘Glacier Blue’, ‘Coral Peach’ or ‘Kiwi Green’. And they’ll be available from mid-May. Stay tuned for our reviews and further thoughts.
