Technologies

The Headphones Market Is Booming for 1 Key Reason

It’s all about wireless options for people buying headphones and earbuds.

Does it seem like more people around you are in their own little audio world? Are you buying AirPods to upgrade old ones every couple of years like you’d replace a worn-out wallet?

Companies that make headphones and earbuds, including some of the world’s largest tech companies such as Apple, Samsung and Sony, can expect boom times ahead, according to a new report. S&S Insider, a market research firm, predicts that worldwide sales of these portable audio products will nearly double from where they were last year, $58.41 billion, to $114.81 billion in 2032. In the US, sales are expected to nearly triple over the same time period, from $760 million to $2.13 billion.

The study says that that the market growth is being driven by affordable prices, features such as smart assistants and active noise canceling, and lifestyles centered on smartphones and smartwatches. Central to it is the widespread popularity of wireless audio devices, especially true wireless stereo earbuds.

«Fitness enthusiasts, commuters, professionals, and students are all shifting away from wired solutions, which is driving the market for wireless headphones and earbuds,» S&S Insider said in a press release for the report.

Earbuds (or «earphones» as the report often calls them) accounted for nearly 62% of the market’s revenue in 2024.

The findings align with the increasingly wide range of headphones products CNET is evaluating, from over-the-ear models to open-environment-friendly earbuds.

Apple’s iPhone 17 launch earlier this month also introduced the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds, which can do live language translation and which have improved sound quality at the same price as the previous top-of-the-line AirPods Pro 2 model.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Sept. 26

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 26.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? The Across clues were pretty easy, which is nice because a couple of the Down clues (3-Down especially) would’ve stumped me. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: What this clue is in
Answer: BOLD

5A clue: Rowing sport
Answer: CREW

6A clue: Businesses where the tongue-twisted might order a 1-Across/5-Across?
Answer: CAFES

8A clue: ___ Bunny, «Space Jam» character
Answer: LOLA

9A clue: End of a cigarette
Answer: BUTT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Include secretly, as on an email
Answer: BCC

2D clue: Toothbrush brand
Answer: ORALB

3D clue: Gaston’s sidekick in «Beauty and the Beast» (French for «the fool»)
Answer: LEFOU

4D clue: Resided (in)
Answer: DWELT

7D clue: Took a chair
Answer: SAT

Technologies

The iPhone 17 Has Arrived. Here Are 8 Essential Accessories to Pick Up

Technologies

Trump Signs Order to Transfer TikTok to US Ownership

«This is going to be American-operated all the way,» Trump says.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday spelling out a deal that could transfer the majority ownership of Chinese-founded app TikTok to Americans.

«This is going to be American-operated all the way,» Trump said, according to NBC News.

A representative for the White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president said that he had agreed with Chinese president Xi Jinping that TikTok would be separated from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, in order to continue operating in the US. US companies will own about 80% of the US version of the app. Six Americans will sit on TikTok’s seven-member board of directors, The Guardian reported.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.