Technologies
Nothing Ear 2 Buds Have Great Sound and Noise Canceling for $149
I had a chance to try Nothing’s new buds, which offer great rock and indie audio performance.
Nothing’s second-gen earbuds — the Ear 2 — have arrived. I’ve used them and found they offer good sound quality and solid active noise cancellation. They replace the first-gen Nothing Ear 1 buds, which were launched back in July 2021, and they’ll cost $149 (£129, which converts to roughly AU$275) when they go on sale on March 29.
Nothing is the fairly fresh tech firm founded by Carl Pei, who’s better known for having co-founded OnePlus. I’ve been impressed many of OnePlus’s products since day one, so I was excited to see what its former CEO might cook up next. Nothing’s first products including the Ear 1 buds and the Nothing Phone 1 echoed OnePlus’ philosophy of not having «to choose between performance, quality and price.»
When they launched, I admired the Ear 1 buds’ stand-out design, decent sound quality and fair pricing. To be honest, not a lot has changed for the newer version. Physically there’s very little difference. The Ear 2 buds come with an almost identical (although slightly smaller) clear perspex charging case and the buds themselves are almost indistinguishable from the previous model.
If you’re hoping for wild new looks from Carl Pei’s design team with every generation, you may be disappointed. But I like the look, even if it’s not a departure from the Ear 1. The buds are small and lightweight which makes them comfortable to wear for long periods. I even found them unobtrusive enough to sleep in.
The touch controls have been adjusted, so you now need to squeeze the stems rather than tap them. This makes it less easy to accidentally change tracks — a small update but one I found to be helpful in everyday use. They’re also IP55 rated for water-resistance, so you don’t need to worry about wearing them in the rain or during a particularly sweaty workout.
The case charges the buds, providing a total of up to 36 hours of battery life (with noise cancelling turned off) which is a slight improvement over the 34 hours of the last model. It also has fast charging giving 8 hours of use from just 10 minutes of charging.
The Ear 2 bud (left) and the Ear 1 bud (right). Spot the difference.
Andrew Lanxon/CNETSo what about that all-important sound quality? Nothing says its audio engineers worked hard to upgrade performance, and indeed I noticed an improvement over the last model. Don Broco’s track Pretty was handled well, for example. I could hear crystal clear cracks on the snare in the opening beats, and brightly ringing cymbals with a deep bass when it really kicked in.
The buds are a talented all-rounder, so if you tend to bounce between genres on your playlists then they’ll likely suit you well. I found the buds to perform optimally, though, with rock and indie genres, with songs like Atreyu’s Baptize sounding punchy and detailed, while Cage The Elephant’s In One Ear struck a satisfying balance between the warmth of the bass and the crunch of the guitars.
There have been key updates on the software side, with the Nothing X app (available on both Android and iOS) offering sound tests to check you’re wearing the right sized ear tips and a sound profile mode that aims to automatically tune the audio to your personal needs. I tried it but for the most part found I’d rather just use the «Balanced» mode in the app’s equalizer.
Using the app to perform setup also allows you to tailor the active noise cancelling function to the frequencies you can — or can’t — hear. I found the resulting cancellation effect to be excellent. It easily removed the background hum of my computers and fans and the road noise outside my window.
If you own the first-generation model already then there’s little need to upgrade to the the Ear 2 buds. They perform similarly and look identical. But if you’re in the market for a new pair of ANC earbuds, and you’ve been curious about the Nothing brand, then the Ear 2 buds are a solid option to consider.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 4, #284
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 4, No. 284.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has kind of a July 4 flavor. But come on, New York Times puzzle makers, is the blue category really a sport? Read on for hints and the answers. And pass the mustard.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: What you won.
Green group hint: Lone Star State sports.
Blue group hint: Chow down.
Purple group hint: Not cold.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: A monetary reward.
Green group: A Texas basketball player.
Blue group: Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners.
Purple group: Hot ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is a monetary reward. The four answers are prize, purse, stakes and winnings.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is a Texas basketball player. The four answers are Maverick, Rocket, Spur and Wing.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners. The four answers are Bertoletti, Chestnut, Kobayashi and Sudo.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is hot ____. The four answers are corner, dog, hand and stove.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 4, #754
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 4, #754.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was a fairly simple one, I thought. Maybe it was a July 4 gift from the puzzle-makers. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Round and round.
Green group hint: Salute.
Blue group hint: Turn the air on.
Purple group hint: Threw away your shot.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Parts of a wheel.
Green group: Military clothing descriptors.
Blue group: Used in ventilation.
Purple group: Fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is parts of a wheel. The four answers are hub, rim, spoke and tire.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is military clothing descriptors. The four answers are camo, drab, fatigue and khaki.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is used in ventilation. The four answers are duct, exhaust, hose and pipe.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity. The four answers are blow, lose, miss and waste.
Technologies
Motorola’s July 4th Sale Can Save You Up to $650 on Popular Phones Like the Foldable Razr Ultra
This massive sale from Motorola brings you brand-new, unlocked Android phones, starting at just $130.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend is upon us and with it a huge array of bargains to be had. If you’ve been thinking about a new Android phone, Motorola is having a big sale on its most popular devices, making these already affordable options even more attainable. With savings of up to $650 on phones in the Razr, Edge and Moto G families, there’s something for every style and budget. Just keep in mind that these deals are likely to fade as fast as fireworks in the sky. We don’t have an exact end date, but «limited time» means if you see something you like, don’t wait.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is the company’s competitively priced foldable phone. You can pick one up with 1TB of storage for $1,300, which is $200 off the regular price and available in a variety of colors and finishes. If you prefer the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 model instead, you’ll find that starting at $799, again $200 less than the typical retail price. We spotted this same deal at Amazon right now as well, if you prefer to shop there.
Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.
If the Motorola Edge lineup is more your style for a limited time, you can get the Motorola Edge 2024 for just $350 and the Motorola Edge Plus 2023 for $400, both deals reflecting a $400 savings. We also spotted the Edge 2024 for the same price of $350 at Best Buy.
And for the most wallet-friendly phones, the Moto G phones make a great option. These already super-affordable phones are now even less, including the Moto G Power 5G 2024, which is $210 at Amazon or at Motorola, a price that falls $90 below the regular cost.
More Motorola July 4th phone deals:
- Motorola Razr 2024: $550 (save $150)
- Motorola Razr Plus 2023: $350 (save $650)
- Motorola Razr 2023: $300 (save $400)
- Motorola Moto G 5G 2024: $170 (save $30)
- Motorola Moto G Play 2024: $130 (save $10)
MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$920 (save $280)
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$350 (save $50)
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$525 (save $125)
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$300 (save $100)
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$334 (save $295)
Why this deal matters
Concerns over the rising cost of tech because of tariffs may have you feeling more urgent about getting a new phone before there’s a further price increase. Between the Fourth of July discounts and forthcoming Prime Day offers, it’s a great time to stock up on tech. Motorola is already known for making some of the more affordable Android phones on the market, including foldable options, so if you’ve been wanting to upgrade or try one out, this July 4th sale is the time to do it.
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