Technologies

Save $30 on This Pair of Marshall Minor III True Wireless Earbuds

These tiny, compact and powerful earbuds will stand out.

We’re all used to the typical names when it comes to headphones and earbuds: AirPods, Beats and Sony. But there are many other brands that you wouldn’t even think produce earbuds. That’s especially true for Marshall, the original amplifier company that specializes in musical equipment.

I remember jamming to my electric guitar on a small 20W Marshall amplifier. The amp lasted me years and its rugged case got through many tough situations. Fast forward to today: Marshall has produced quality earbuds that are just as sturdy and provide as good sound quality as their amps. The company has had decades to perfect its craft.

You can grab the Marshall Minor III true wireless in-ear headphones for just $100 (and save $30) today on Amazon. We’re not sure how long this deal will last, so act quickly before it goes back to full price.

These earbuds feature Marshall’s signature sound and have Bluetooth 5.2 capabilities. You get 25 hours of playtime: five hours on the earbuds and an additional four charges in the carrying case. With powerful 12mm drivers, these buds deliver enhanced bass, smooth mids and clear highs.

The Marshall Minor III buds have a rugged design on the earbuds and the case, making it stand out from competitors like AirPods or Beats Studio which pride themselves on smooth and sleek designs. The part of the buds that goes into your ears are ergonomically designed, however, and have IPX4 waterproof rating.

Technologies

AT&T Says It’s Pumping $250 Billion Into New Infrastructure Improvements

Technologies

Apple’s New Smart Home Display Delayed Until Fall Over Siri Issues

It has been nearly a year and a half since the company announced the AI-powered product.

Your home could get smarter with Apple’s Siri, but it will have to wait a few more months. Bloomberg reported the iPad-shaped AI home hub won’t be ready until September, several months after the company was hoping to launch it this spring. Apple engineers first need to complete work on a new and improved Siri assistant for the home device, code-named J490, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was hoping to release J490 this month, along with a slew of other new devices, including the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air M5, new Pro models, and iPad Air M4. Apple first teased the smart home display in November 2024.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant that uses voice recognition and AI to fulfill a variety of tasks and commands, along with intriguing uses. You might use Siri to find your iPhone — «Hey Siri, where are you?» — or to hear the weather forecast — «Siri, what will the weather be today?» Siri is available on iPhones, MacBooks and iPads. It was launched in 2011 as a feature of the iPhone 4S.

As CNET reported last month, Apple engineers have struggled to push the upgraded Siri assistant out the door. It isn’t fast enough, gets confused by complex commands and doesn’t interact well with other Apple AI models. The company is also wrestling with how much personal data to access to inform the AI, and the new Siri is not yet able to complete in-app tasks, such as finding a photo and posting it to socials, all with one command.

It has been nearly two years since Apple announced that it would give Siri a major upgrade. In the meantime, competitors like Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home have entered the marketplace.

Tech tester Jon Rettinger, whose YouTube channel has 1.66 million subscribers, says the repeated delays in upgrading Siri can «erode» confidence in Apple’s ability to keep up in the AI race.

«Apple as a whole is still one of the strongest companies on the planet. But their AI play is clearly the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain,» Rettinger told CNET.

Rettinger said he has had issues getting Siri to complete basic commands, such as setting two alarms at the same time, and that it’s a bit of «a mess» right now.

«Having said that, the iPhone has such massive market penetration that I’m not sure it will actually matter in the end. Which is kind of wild when you think about it,» Rettinger said.

Facial recognition for residents

The hardware for the forthcoming smart home display has already been finished. It resembles an iPad and can be either attached to a wall or rest on a half-domed-shaped base, the Bloomberg report said.

The device will be equipped with facial recognition, so when residents walk up to it, they will be shown personalized data such as music preferences, news headlines, appointments, reminders, tasks and so on.

The screen interface will include a bunch of circular app icons, similar to the display on an Apple Watch. The Bloomberg report said the smart home display will be the first of several home devices by Apple. Future products include a tabletop robotic limb with a 9-inch screen, a smart security camera and a Face ID-enabled smart doorbell.