John Higgins is a Los Angeles-based senior reviewer at The Verge covering TVs and audio. Before joining The Verge, he’s been the Senior Editor of AV at Digital Trends and Managing Editor, Tech at Reviewed. During his 20+ year career in publishing, he’s written reviews and features for the New York Times’ Wirecutter, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, Business Insider, CNET, Sound & Vision, IGN, T3, Projector Central, and Home Theater Magazine, where he got his start in 2003. He is also an ISF Level III-certified display calibrator. Away from his desk, John is a musician with a Masters degree in piano from University of Southern California. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and son, or playing D&D or video games. Signal: johnhiggins.01
Gaming and a renewed interest in physical media like VHS tapes (mixed with good ol’ nostalgia) continue to drive the niche CRT market, which had a boom during the pandemic after some restoration struggles. From Minnesota parking lot deals to global capers, the lure of scan lines holds strong.
8
Verge Score
While the tech is still new, Sony’s Bravia 7 II proves that RGB LED TVs are capable of serious performance.
8
Verge Score
Soundcore earbuds have outperformed their price for years, but now with vastly improved call quality, the Liberty 5 Pro set the bar.
Google TV developers can add motion-controlled input support for navigation on the home page and within apps. LG TVs have included its magic remote for years, but those TVs run webOS and not Google TV, so this could be a sign new Google TV pointer remotes are coming.
[Android Developers Blog]
7
Verge Score
The latest headphones from Sony are a more plush take on its flagship series, with a price tag to match.
The Studio Display is barely changed from 2022, but now it has competition.
In addition to the new Lifestyle Collection speakers announced today, users of existing Bose speakers and soundbars can opt in to add generative AI-powered Alexa Plus functionality starting on May 15th.
You can use Alexa Plus to play songs, add reminders to your schedule, or ask questions, and it will respond more conversationally like other AI chatbots.
[Amazon News]
The Lifestyle Ultra speakers have big sound, can group with non-Bose speakers, and don’t need the Bose app to stream.
