Tech Talk

Plus, save on OLED TVs, controllers, and the 2020 iPad Air In the market for a quality pair of noise-canceling earbuds that don’t cost a fortune? If so, you’ll definitely want to check out today’s deal on Amazon’s second-generation Echo Buds. Right now, Amazon is taking a whopping 59 percent off , selling its popular wireless earbuds with a wired charging case for just $49.99 instead of $119.99. The ones that include a wireless charging case cost $139.99. (If you really want the wireless charging case, buying it separately costs $69.99 .) That’s a new all-time low on a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that offer very good sound quality for the price, along with an excellent passthrough mode that allows you to hear your surroundings. Their noise cancellation tech may not be as good as the more expensive AirPods Pros or that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but we still found it effective (it’s a great perk for this price). P

Second chances Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) $120 at Amazon Pros Smaller and better fit Hands-free Alexa access Improved ANC performance Maintains EQ support Great support on both iOS and Android Faster charging Cons No real difference in battery life No multipoint Bluetooth Finicky touch controls Amazon is back for an encore with the second-gen Echo Buds, focusing on improving the things their predecessors didn't do so well. The results will largely depend on how you view the audio output, but the supporting features at least move the ball forward. First time out Amazon Echo Buds $100 at B&H Pros Solid active noise reduction (ANR) Up to 20 hours of total listening time Hands-free Alexa access EQ support for some custom sound Great support on both iOS and Android Compact charging/carrying case Cons Aging Micro-USB for charging No wireless charging Only available in black The debut Echo Buds don't look to be here for long, as Amazon looks

At a jam-packed 2019 fall product launch, Amazon announced over a dozen new Echo and Alexa products to a gathering of tech reporters and enthusiasts, and I, for one, was keen to get my hands on the Echo Buds for review. You could say that leading up to that announcement, perhaps no device was as widely anticipated as the Echo Buds. But what are the Echo Buds, you might ask? The simple answer is that they're Amazon's first real attempt at truly wireless smart earbuds. The more complicated answer is that they're part of the company's larger efforts to make their smart assistant even more ubiquitous in the wider world. From the smart assistant's earliest days, Amazon recognized the need to remove Alexa from her black cylindrical prison and push her out the front door. After the initial Echo speaker launched in late 2014, the next batch of products to come out included the now-defunct Amazon Tap, which was a portable Bluetooth speaker with Alexa built-in. With the Fi

Returning Echo Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) $120 at Amazon Pros Smaller and better fit Hands-free Alexa access Improved ANC performance Maintains EQ support Great support on both iOS and Android Faster charging Cons No real difference in battery life No multipoint Bluetooth Finicky touch controls The second-gen Echo Buds are Amazon's latest effort to improve upon their debut earbuds, and the results are largely focused on getting more out of the audio from the start. Smaller size and better fit, plus active noise cancelation, only make these newer buds worthy successors. Sticking around Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus $149 at Amazon Pros Long battery life Great sound USB-C and wireless charging Ambient mode Customizable gestures Great color options Cons No ANC or ANR support Glossy case gets messy The Galaxy Buds Plus were the first real leap forward for Samsung when making better wireless earbuds, and they remain a pretty solid option. The colorful va