Eliana Willis

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open went tooth and nail for the top spot on this list, but key feature advantages put the latter ahead. Still, the Z Fold 6 remains a formidable option for foldable shoppers this year thanks to its more refined and durable design, productivity-inducing software, and undervalued after-sales support.Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6The Z Fold 6 features the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which has proven to yield better on-device and hybrid-based AI capabilities, including Samsung’s new Sketch-to-Image, Interpreter Mode, Composer, and more. Samsung also upgraded the hinge this year, making the Fold notably thinner and lighter yet still durable enough to withstand 200,000 bends — maybe more — throughout its lifespan. Thanks to a brighter 2,600-nit display and a crease that’s a little less noticeable when open, “the Z Fold 6’s 7.6-inch screen is a near-perfect canvas for watching movies, playing games, and getting work done,” I mentioned in my review. It’s unfortunate that Samsung didn’t upgrade the cameras or charging speeds all that much with the latest generation; otherwise, it would’ve given the OnePlus a run for its money.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Display sizes: 6.2-inch exterior and 7.6-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 12GB with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Battery: 4,400mAh | Camera: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, 10MP front | Price: Starting at $1,899 More

No, ANC earbuds should not be confused with a hearing protection device, and experts agree.”Nobody should ever think of them as, in my opinion, pure hearing protection. They’re not,” says ENT Dr. Joe Donzelli. And while noise-canceling earbuds can offer some passive protection like any sound wave boundary, Dr. Donzelli assures that they don’t deter the culprit of hearing loss: Inner ear trauma.”Everything is all about the sound you’re delivering through the headphones, so you can get the greatest noise cancellation ever, but if you just turn up the volume and expose yourself to high decibels for long periods of time, you’ll then create inner ear trauma,” Donzelli explains.However, since listening to music at high volume for long periods of time can damage hearing, a good pair of ANC headphones may have some secondary hearing protection benefits.”If someone is using ANC earbuds to get rid of ambient noise, they may not have to turn the volume up as loud to hear the in-ear sound,” Donzelli says.Essentially, here’s how ANC earbuds may help: You find your ANC earbuds effectively cancel out distracting noises. Before, you had to blast the volume just to hear accurately, but thanks to the magic of ANC, the sound is clear at half the volume. Now, you’re listening at a lower volume for longer, and therefore likely have less exposure to damaging decibel levels, which means less inner ear trauma. But Donzelli reiterates that the “tighter you put something in your ear and the louder you make it, the more damage. So if somebody runs around with their [earbuds] turned up all the way with or without noise cancellation, it doesn’t make a difference.”  More

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Max Buondonno/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe $1,099 Galaxy Z Flip 6 More

Amplify your dev work with this deal on Visual Studio Pro 2022 right now.  StackSocial Having in-house development is a massive advantage for many businesses. And having software on hand to help streamline workflows, amplify productivity, and keep projects on track is a must — especially when you can get it at a discount. Right […] More