Smart Speakers

Sonos Expands High Fidelity Audio With 24-Bit Music Streaming Option

March 25, 2021

Some Sonos speakers now support high-fidelity 24-bit music streaming, thanks to Qobuz. Support for the Hi-Fi French streaming platform came to Sonos speakers two years ago. Now, Qobuz is bringing 24-bit audi... Read More...

Apple’s New HomePod Devices Will Feature Screen and Camera, Report Says

Ashley King

March 22, 2021

A new report suggests Apple is working on HomePod devices with a screen and cameras. The actual report focuses on the unactivated temperature and humidity sensor in the HomePod mini. But a brief mention says... Read More...

Apple Kills Off Original HomePod Speakers to Focus on HomePod Mini

Ashley King

March 15, 2021

After four years, Apple has officially discontinued its original HomePod speakers. Instead, the Cupertino giant will focus on the HomePod mini, which it introduced last year. The larger HomePod speaker was s... Read More...

Facebook Joins Amazon’s Voice Interoperability Initiative — Microsoft, Apple, Samsung Missing

Ashley King

September 14, 2020

Facebook, Xiaomi, Garmin, and Dolby are joining Amazon's voice interoperability initiative. Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung remain absent. Amazon debuted its Voice Interoperability Initiative (VII) last year i... Read More...

Sonos Isn’t Bricking Old Speakers – But Say Goodbye To Updates

Ashley King

March 19, 2020

Sonos isn't bricking old speakers anymore – but you can say goodbye to updates for them. Today Sonos revealed details surrounding its multi-room home audio strategy going forward. The smart speaker manufactu... Read More...

After Controversy, Sonos Scraps Recycle Mode that Bricks Old Speakers

Ashley King

March 6, 2020

Sonos is doing away with the company's controversial Recycle Mode for its trade-up program. Recycle Mode on devices is a setting that could be activated by customers. Once activated, the speaker could not be... Read More...

Researchers Use Ultrasonic Waves to Hijack Digital Voice Assistants

Ashley King

March 4, 2020

Security researchers say they can use ultrasonic waves to hijack voice assistants like Bixby and Siri. Ultrasonic waves are sounds that humans cannot hear, so the hijacking is imperceptible. The attack can b... Read More...

Sonos CEO Issues a Half-Baked Apology, Continues Bricking Old Speakers and Sending Them to Landfills

Ashley King

January 24, 2020

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has publicly apologized for confusion around Sonos' smart speaker plans. The company announced that older hardware would stop getting software updates in May. Those devices will cont... Read More...

Sonos Will Stop Updating Older Hardware in May — Even Though 92% of Its Speakers Are ‘Still In Use’

Ashley King

January 22, 2020

Sonos will stop updating its older speakers and hardware in May, the company has announced. Sonos says it is retiring old products because "they have been stretched to their technical limits in terms of memo... Read More...

If You Think Bluetooth Audio Sucks, There’s Something Less Sucky Ahead

Ashley King

January 8, 2020

Let's face it – Bluetooth audio sucks; it's unreliable, static-y, and doesn't offer multi-stream listening. That's all about to change with the newest Bluetooth audio standard. The Bluetooth wireless standar... Read More...

Sonos Trade-Up Program Bricks Old Speakers, Creating Toxic Landfill Waste

Ashley King

December 30, 2019

The Sonos Trade-Up program launched this year for speaker loyalists. It offers discounts on new products for trading in old speakers. But what happens to the old speakers? Sonos sells the program to particip... Read More...

More Than Half of Americans Are Concerned About Smart Speaker Data Privacy

Ashley King

November 25, 2019

As smart speakers gain popularity, more Americans are turning an eye towards their privacy. A new report estimates over half of Americans are concerned about smart speaker data privacy. Pew Research Center c... Read More...

SRR Capital Launches With a VC-Style Approach to Music Investing

What Is Attribution?

So Busy With "The Quiet Time..."

Netflix Won the Streaming Wars. YouTube Changed the Rules.

Indonesia: One of the World’s Most Promising Digital Music Markets

What Politicians Could Learn from the Music Business: A Midterm Election Primer

After a Serious TV Audio Upgrade, Apple Reveals HomePod Mini 2 ‘Four-Speaker Surround Sound Experience’

LG Electronics Expands will.i.am xboom Partnership, Preps Four New Speaker Launches for 2026

Apple’s New HomePad Might Launch This Year

Sonos & IKEA Quietly End Their Partnership

The Botched App Rollout Cost Sonos Dearly—Now It’s Working On A Video Streamer

Sonos Expands High Fidelity Audio With 24-Bit Music Streaming Option

Apple’s New HomePod Devices Will Feature Screen and Camera, Report Says

Apple Kills Off Original HomePod Speakers to Focus on HomePod Mini

Facebook Joins Amazon’s Voice Interoperability Initiative — Microsoft, Apple, Samsung Missing

Sonos Isn’t Bricking Old Speakers – But Say Goodbye To Updates

After Controversy, Sonos Scraps Recycle Mode that Bricks Old Speakers

Researchers Use Ultrasonic Waves to Hijack Digital Voice Assistants

Sonos CEO Issues a Half-Baked Apology, Continues Bricking Old Speakers and Sending Them to Landfills

Sonos Will Stop Updating Older Hardware in May — Even Though 92% of Its Speakers Are ‘Still In Use’

If You Think Bluetooth Audio Sucks, There’s Something Less Sucky Ahead

Sonos Trade-Up Program Bricks Old Speakers, Creating Toxic Landfill Waste

More Than Half of Americans Are Concerned About Smart Speaker Data Privacy