Ultimate Ears’ latest earbuds fit like in-ear monitors

Ultimate Ears brought its in-ear monitor (IEMs) expertise to true wireless earbuds in 2020 with the UE Fits, a set of buds with fancy tech that molds the tips to fit your ears. Despite the interesting premise, the earbuds didn’t deliver on a lot of the basics you expect from an audio accessory these days, namely subpar audio and limited features. The Logitech-owned brand is back with a new take on custom-fit buds, only this time the company is making the process more like how you would order a set of IEMs with the UE Drops.

Indeed, the main attraction of UE Drops is the custom fit, which is coordinated via the company’s FitKit. Once you place your order, Ultimate Ears will ship you a FitKit that the company says includes the “technology and information” to guide you though the process of taking your “earprint.” More specifically, the kit shows you how to take impressions of your ears with an app, just like you would if you were ordering a set of the company’s CSX IEMs. A set of eartips are molded to your ears with a warming process that looks similar to the light and heat method for UE Fits, only this time they’re attached to a contraption you plug in. You then return the impressions and your pair of UE Drops are built to those specifications. You can expect to receive your pair about 2-4 weeks after the FitKit is received back at the factory. 

Inside, 9.2mm drivers power the sound the UE describes as “revered by music professionals and music lovers alike.” There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC), but the custom-fitting tips should provide better passive noise isolation than most off-the-shelf earbuds. However, there is a transparency mode, allowing you to tune into your surroundings as needed. Dual beamforming microphones on the water- and sweat-resistant buds are there for calls, plus handy features like on-board controls, in ear detection and wireless charging are here too. 

Ultimate Ears says you can expect up to eight hours of battery life with 14 additional hours in the case. A quick-charge feature offers one hour of use in five minutes. You can check your battery status in the UE Drops app, where you can also choose between sound presets, manage connected devices, configure voice controls and more. 

The UE Drops are now available in the US via the Ultimate Ears website for $449, which means you’ll pay a premium for that custom-tailored fit. The company says UE FitKit and UE Drops apps are available for both Android and iOS devices. 

Dell’s affordable G16 gaming laptop features a 12th-gen Intel CPU and NVIDIA RTX graphics

New Alienware laptops with optional 480Hz displays aren’t the only computers Dell announced today. The company also has a new option for those looking for something more affordable. The G16 represents the first 16-inch laptop for the company’s Dell Gam…

Samsung’s 1TB 980 Pro SSD with heatsink is cheaper than ever right now

Many PS5 owners were thrilled when Sony finally unlocked the console to accept expandable SSD storage last year. However, as we explained in our guide, adding extra space to the PS5 isn’t as easy as buying the highest-capacity drive possible and installing it. You’ll need a certain style of drive, plus a heatsink among other things. We’ve got a whole list of compatible SSDs that we like for the console, and one of our favorites that comes with a heatsink is down to its lowest price ever. The 1TB model of Samsung’s 980 Pro SSD with heatsink is on sale for $140 right now, or 39 percent off its usual price. You’ll find a similar discount on the 2TB version, which is 38 percent off and down to $250.

Buy Samsung 980 Pro (1TB, with heatsink) at Amazon – $140Buy Samsung 980 Pro (2TB, with heatsink) at Amazon – $250

The 980 Pro is a good choice for the PS5 because it comes in an M.2 form factor and supports read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s. It also has a nickel coating plus a special thermal control algorithm that both help manage heat levels, and its 8.6mm housing helps it fit nicely into PS5 machines. You can also use Samsung’s Magician software to do things like monitor drive health, optimize performance, receive updates and more. Considering $140 is the best price we’ve seen on the 1TB model with the heatsink, it’s a good option for anyone looking for an all-in-one solution to their console storage needs. But if you’d prefer to DIY it a bit more, you can pick up a PS5-compatible heatsink for as low as $6 and the Samsung 980 Pro drive by itself for $120.

A couple of other PS5-compatible SSDs that we like are also on sale, so you have other options, too. PNY’s XLR8 CS3040 in 1TB is 42 percent off and down to $105, and even at its normal price of $180, we considered it to be one of the best affordable drives out there for the console. There’s actually a great deal on this drive with a heatsink, but it’s not one that’s compatible with the PS5. It’ll work just fine for desktops and other systems, but you’ll have to buy a different heatsink if you want to use this drive with the console. On the flip side, Seagate’s 1TB FireCude 530 with a PS5-compatible heatsink is down to $170, which is only $10 more than its all-time low.

Buy PNY XLR8 CS3040 (1TB) at Amazon – $105Buy Seagate FireCuda 530 (1TB, with heatsink) at Amazon – $170

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Apple Pay illegally profited by walling off contactless payments, lawsuit alleges

A proposed class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of payment card issuers accuses Apple of illegally profiting from Apple Pay and breaking antitrust laws. Iowa’s Affinity Credit Union is listed as the plaintiff in the complaint, filed today in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleges that by restricting contactless payments on iOS devices to Apple Pay and charging payment card issuers fees to use the mobile wallet, the iPhone maker is engaging in anti-competitive behavior.

While Android users have options for contactless mobile wallets, iOS users can only use tap-to-pay technology through Apple Pay. In other words, while iPhone users can download the Google Pay app, they can’t use it to make contactless payments in stores. Android doesn’t charge payment card issuers for use of any supported mobile wallet. But it’s a different story for Apple Pay, which charges card issuers a 0.15% fee on credit transactions and half of a cent on debit transactions. These fees have brought in up to $1 billion annually for Apple, the lawsuit alleges.

“In the Android ecosystem, where multiple digital wallets compete, there are no issuer fees whatsoever, ” said the complaint. “The upshot is that card issuers pay a reported $1 billion annually in fees on Apple Pay and $0 for accessing functionally identical Android wallets. If Apple faced competition, it could not sustain these substantial fees.”

The suit alleges that by restricting iOS users to only Apple Pay for contactless payments, Apple is blocking competing mobile wallets from the market. Payment card issuers are essentially forced to pay Apple’s transaction fees if they want to offer their service to iPhone users.

Apple is facing a similar challenge over its payment system in the EU, where an antitrust commission in May said that the tech giant is illegally blocking third-party developers from enabling contactless payments. Apple has denied the EU’s allegations, arguing that giving third-party developers access would be a security risk. This is an argument that Apple has used before as a reason why it doesn’t open up its platform, such as in the case of third-party app stores.

Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment on the lawsuit and will update if we hear back.

Snapchat’s messaging and calling features land on a new set of screens

Snapchat’s messaging and video chat features are no longer limited to just the mobile app. More than a decade after the Snapchat app first launched, company is introducing Snapchat for Web, a new browser-based version of its service.Snapchat+ subscribe…

Apple’s latest iPad mini with LTE is $99 off at Amazon

If you’ve been holding out for a good deal on the latest iPad mini with cellular connectivity, you’re in luck. Amazon has dropped the prices of all color options for the 64GB iPad mini with LTE, bringing them all down to $550. That’s nearly $100 off their usual rate, not to mention the cheapest we’ve seen these models. It’s hard to get your hands on the iPad mini right now if you’re going through Amazon — most WiFi-only models are sold out, and very few WiFi + Cellular models are in stock. But if this configuration fits your needs, you can save a good sum of money if you pick it up right now.

Buy iPad mini (64GB, WiFi + Cellular) at Amazon – $550

Apple gave the iPad mini a much-needed facelift last year, and it only made the small tablet better than it was before. It now looks like a smaller version of the iPad Air, with a nearly edge-to-edge, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, flat edges, a TouchID power button and a USB-C port for charging. It also has Apple’s latest camera array that features Center Stage, making the tablet even better for FaceTime calls.

Overall, the iPad mini is a slick little device that should not be underestimated purely because of its size. Powered by the A15 Bionic chip, the iPad mini handled everything we threw at it well. We also like that it works with the second-generation Apple Pencil, allowing you to treat the tablet almost like a digital notebook. Battery life is solid, too: we were able to get around 12 hours before needing to recharge the device.

The iPad mini now supports 5G, too, so you’ll get faster data speeds if you’re in an area of 5G coverage. Would we recommend using the iPad mini as your daily driver when you’re out and about? Not necessarily, but only because most people prefer larger screens. The iPad Air may be better if you’re looking for a true laptop replacement, but it’s hard to beat the iPad mini if you want something as lightweight as possible to use when you’re on the go.

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