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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

David Gewirtz/ZDNETI love my Echo Show More

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

Out of the four current models of AirPods, I recommend the AirPods Pro 2 the most because they fit almost every type of ear, are comfortable to wear, and include all of the best and latest features that Apple offers in headphones. Plus, they get a bonus set of new features as part of the iOS 17 update.These will be ideal for those long-haul study sessions at the library when all you want is silence and time to focus or as you’re exercising at the bustling campus gym and want to lock in on your favorite music. They’re the best earbuds in the lineup and a great choice for portable headphones with competitive noise-canceling. Most Redditors agree that the AirPods Pro 2 takes the cake. When searching on Reddit for the best AirPods to buy, it isn’t easy to find an alternative recommendation. One user on the r/AirPods thread called the earbuds “transcendent,” and another said they are worth the money.  The AirPods Pro 2 uses silicon tips to fit into your ears (with four sizes to choose from), similar to the ones you’re probably familiar with in most earbuds you’ve used. Comparatively, the standard AirPods have hard plastic tips like the traditional Apple EarPods that used to come in the box with most iPhones — which many people found to fall out of their ears easily or weren’t very comfortable to wear. The AirPods Pro 2 were the first to get Apple’s latest H2 chip for improved sound. That includes active noise cancellation, which roughly doubles the noise cancellation of the first-gen AirPods Pro and works impressively in loud environments like airplanes and city streets. It also includes adaptive transparency mode, which lets you hear the world around you when you have your earbuds in while also automatically reducing loud sounds such as sirens. In 2023, Apple slightly revised this model as the “AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C,” swapping out Apple’s Lightening connector with the more universal USB-C that has also come to iPhone 15. But it also added Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency for the Apple Vision Pro headset that launched this week.If you use headphones for more than a couple hours every day, wireless headphones might be your most important device next to your smartphone and your laptop — and they can enhance the experience of using both. If you use headphones that much, spending $250 on the best and most versatile wireless earbuds Apple offers will likely be a worthy investment to raise the quality of your daily life.AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C features: Type: In-ear | Chip: H2 | Battery life: 6 hours | Water-resistant: Yes More

The Samsung S95D is the brand’s latest iteration of their OLED lineup, and it offers plenty of reasons to upgrade. Along with signature OLED picture quality, you’ll get a base refresh rate of 120Hz that can be bumped up to 144Hz for gaming or smoother action during fast-paced movies, shows, or sports broadcasts. It works with both Dolby Atmos and Samsung’s object tracking sound technology to create 3D virtual surround sound without the need for extra speakers or sound bars. Read more: Samsung’s S95D OLED is the best TV of CES 2024 and the best in the world right now You’ll also get built-in voice controls via Alexa, Samsung’s Bixby, and Hey Google for hands-free use of your TV. ZDNET’s editor-in-chief, Jason Hiner, got to check out the Samsung S95D for himself at CES 2024, and he not only named it the best TV of CES, but the “best in the world right now.” He was very impressed by the anti-glare coating of the screen, which helps boost visibility in brighter rooms. He also praised the color accuracy and crisp text the QD-OLED panel can produce. And verified reviews from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung’s own site agree that the picture quality is some of the best on the market and highlight that the TV’s quality is well-worth the price.Samsung S95D specs: Screen size: 55-77 inches | Panel type: OLED | Refresh rate: Up to 144Hz | Resolution: 4K | HDR: OLED HDR Pro | Audio: Dolby Atmos, Object Tracking Sound+ | Voice controls: Alexa, Bixby, Hey Google More

Samsung S90C OLED TV 65-inch Jason Hiner/ZDNETIf you’re in the market for a TV with the best possible picture for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics, then you’ll have a difficult time finding many TVs better than Samsung’s S90C OLED TV More

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETIf you have an iPhone and regularly use Slack, you should appreciate Slack’s four new widgets that give you access to key features at the tap of a finger. Released by Slack on Monday, three of the widgets are meant for the Home Screen, while the fourth is geared for the Lock Screen. The widgets let you quickly access certain features so that you don’t have to open the actual app yourself.The first one for the Home Screen is a Catch Up widget, which displays unread messages and mentions to help you catch up on the latest info. More