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Chris Welch

Chris Welch

Former Senior Reviewer

Former Senior Reviewer

    More From Chris Welch

    Sennheiser SoundProtex earplugs review: concert safety without sacrifice

    Foam earplugs are convenient and cost virtually nothing. But with ticket prices these days, it’s worth spending a bit more on earplugs that preserve the fidelity of live music.

    Chris Welch
    Apple just fixed the most annoying part of its Self Service Repair programApple just fixed the most annoying part of its Self Service Repair program
    Sonos lays off 7 percent of employees as demand cools for its speakersSonos lays off 7 percent of employees as demand cools for its speakers
    Google’s latest Pixel drop adds macro video, cinematic wallpapers, and moreGoogle’s latest Pixel drop adds macro video, cinematic wallpapers, and more
    Google’s Pixel 8 series will again put the best cameras on the biggest phoneGoogle’s Pixel 8 series will again put the best cameras on the biggest phone
    The next Sonos Move has shown up at the FCC ahead of its summer releaseThe next Sonos Move has shown up at the FCC ahead of its summer release
    Chris Welch
    Chris Welch
    Imagine seeing a Logic Pro pop-up ad in Apple Music.

    That’s pretty much what Spotify is doing here. I saw this ad for the company’s subscription-based Soundtrap after opening the Mac app this morning.

    Amid layoffs and a “realignment” of its podcasts business, you get the sense that Spotify is growing desperate to make money any way it can.

    Very curious what the click through on this looks like. Maybe someone out there needed one last push to become the next Jack Antonoff. Or, more likely, they just wanted to hear their Daily Mix.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    New York City’s orange Wednesday, in pictures.

    The Verge snapped some photos of the apocalyptic scene in the Big Apple yesterday — from amber skies to desolate streets. To stay updated, you can follow the EPA’s air quality monitoring tool AirNow. Its forecast for Thursday is still bad — not quite a Code Maroon (hopefully) but a Code Red for “unhealthy” air.

    A biker at a street corner against an orange sky hazy with smoke.
    Manhattan’s skyline, shrouded in smoke.
    1/6Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
    Chris Welch
    Chris Welch
    The EPA’s air quality app is more popular than Snapchat right now.

    As New York and other eastern US cities grapple with treacherous air quality, the Environmental Protection Agency’s AIRNow app is climbing US App Store charts and currently ranks in 15th place — above Netflix, Spotify, Telegram, Snapchat, and other mainstays.

    If you’re trying to figure out when is best to go outside, PurpleAir is a great resource with hyper-local data. Ideally you should wait until the AQI drops below 50 before venturing outdoors. My Brooklyn neighborhood is currently sitting at an AQI of well over 300. Be safe out there.

    Apple’s AirPods are about to get much smarter with Adaptive Audio and Conversation AwarenessApple’s AirPods are about to get much smarter with Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness

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    4. Samsung’s first smart glasses have leaked
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