Category: Apple Insider

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Audio Technica covers everything from microphones to headphones and turntables for quality audio experiences. Their headphone collection alone ranges from an affordable $30 to an exorbitant $1,999.

The ATH-M50x fits in a comfortable spot within that range at $169 retail, appealing to those who want to try out studio-style headphones for a consistently enjoyable listening experience, or others looking for an upgrade.

Out of the box, the headphones come with a carrying pouch, a quarter-inch audio adapter, a 1.2 meter to 3 meter coiled cable, a 3 meter straight cable, and a 1.2 meter straight cable for different modes of connection.

In the context of the Apple ecosystem experience, we find that these details contrast with Apple’s USB-C heavy or Bluetooth preference. The audio jack remains (mostly) universal for computers at least, and the M50x can be plugged into a Mac with little hassle.

These headphones recently turned nine years old, so to keep up with the times, Audio Technica now sells a Bluetooth version of the ATH-M50x for $199.

The M50x are over-the-ear, closed-back headphones, contributing a decent amount of natural noise isolation. This comes nowhere close to headphones with dedicated noise-canceling features, however.

Lightweight and portable, you’re able to pack up the M50x quickly or adjust them to your needs. Ear cups swivel at ninety degrees, the headphones collapse flat, and the cables are detachable.

The lack of in-line controls may conflict with portability or on-the-go listening, furthering our point that headphones like these are better when you’re sitting down at your computer.

The large size and adjustment band make it fit most head sizes. On a similar note, the light nature of the headphones combined with the comfortable earpad and headband material makes them comfortable to wear for long periods.

As for the build quality, the mostly-plastic build will save it from a few drops, and two years of usage has shown little wear and tear, contrasting with the lesser durability of the ATH-M40x, which we broke in past experiences. This, as well as the audio quality, makes the $50 difference worth it in our eyes.

Driven by 45mm diameter drivers with 99 dB sensitivity, the headphones create an even and immersive experience.

Anyone first trying studio headphones will be surprised by the lack of overwhelming bass characteristic of many popular modern headphones. Still, the M50x’s have good bass, but it’s balanced alongside the clean mids and distinct highs to create good listening all-around.

The M50x comes in metallic colors, giving it a clean look.

Our experience across voice calls, many genres of music, and TV and film using the M50x have been fulfilling.

Vocals come through clearly throughout rap anthems like Metro Boomin’s Superhero, and the sonic neutrality boosts genres like electronic and jazz. We found Miles Davis’ Milestones to be a good example of this.

The lack of base may be underwhelming when it comes to watching movies, but we’ve never felt that the bass was disproportionately low for most experiences. For casual listeners who value neutral listening, it’s a great pair of headphones, having no specific specialized features for audio but having depth and quality.

The M50x appeal to musicians, music enthusiasts, and aspiring audiophiles alike. They’ve certainly stood the test of time in the audio and tech communities over the past nine years.

Most features of the M50x take into consideration quality and comfort, but the “built for studio” nature of the headphones makes them ideal for stationary Mac or MacBook setups, leaving them at home to favor your wireless earbuds or headphones of choice.

• Compact
• Decent value
• Great, balanced sound

• Plastic-heavy build
• May not keep up with modern needs

The Etekcity ESN-C551S food scale is app-enabled

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The ESN-C551S food scale is easy to use for meal prep and portion control for users with dietary goals. Etekcity makes several versions of food scales, but this is the app-enabled ESN-C551S model.

You can get the basic version of this food scale without the app-enabled capability, but for a mere few dollars more, you can upgrade to a smart food scale that gives you more features like measuring macronutrients.

To set up the food scale, you power it on with included AAA batteries, then scan the QR code with your iPhone to download the free VeSync app. Setting up the Bluetooth connection between this food scale and iPhone is a breeze.

If you want to use this scale to measure your macros, you create a free account on the VeSync app and then set your dietary goals. Enter your goals into the app to create daily nutritional goals and track macros.

With the app, you can scan the barcodes of ingredients and food, which makes it easy to log your meals. The app uses the Nutritionix database, which claims to be the world’s largest verified nutrition database.

In rare instances when an ingredient is not in the database on the app, you can still manually enter it.

You can use the VeSync app on your iPhone to track macros while weighing your food. The ability to measure macros and weight simultaneously is one reason a smart food scale is better than a basic one.

For example, if you need specific macros for the day, you can adjust the amount of food you need to complete your macros instead of only measuring the portion.

Keep track of your macronutrients with the Etekcity ESN-C551S food scale

The app does well to track your fitness goals like your weight and daily macros, and even includes a timer for those who are intermittent fasting. However, the VeSync app’s font size may be too small and hard to read for some.

The VeSync app is not the most intuitive to use. For example, you need to tap on a tiny untitled arrow on the bottom right of the screen to log a new body weight, which was hard to find initially.

The app connects to Apple Health to easily track your fitness goals. The app also works with Apple Watch to get quick updates and track things, like calories and macros throughout the day.

Even when the ESN-C551S scale is not being used as a nutritional food scale, it can still help you save money on groceries. For example, you can buy ground beef in bulk for a lower price and use the scale to accurately divide it into portions before freezing it.

The scale is compact and can fit into a small nook in the tiniest kitchens. Even so, the max weight capacity is 11 pounds, which is impressive for its size.

This small scale is user-friendly and has just two buttons to control functions. The one on the left allows you to set the tare weight, which is the weight of an empty container.

For example, you can place a dish on the food scale, press the tare weight button to set it to zero, then place your ingredients in the dish. This way, the food gets weighed accurately without the weight of the dish.

Using Etekcity ESN-C551S food scale’s tare weight function

This food scale is budget friendly but still built with durable materials. The top part of the food scale is made from stainless steel and is very easy to clean.

You can wipe off food debris, dribbles, or smudges with a moist cloth, and the scale will look good as new.

The Etekcity ESN-C551S food scale is an impressive tool to better control your health by keeping your portion sizes in check and measuring your daily macronutrients. It’s no wonder the scale has gained over 100,000 reviews on Amazon, especially at a price that’s hard to beat.

• Budget friendly
• Easy to use for meal prep and portion control
• App enabled
• Integrates with Apple health
• Stainless steel top

• App’s font size is small, and some functions are hard to find

Crash Detection

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On Wednesday, a 46-year-old man from New Zealand crashed his car into a tree at 1:00 am. After detecting the crash, his iPhone 14 automatically called 111, the emergency line in New Zealand.

The driver spoke to the dispatcher, telling them that the police “should not worry about it,” according to Stuff.

However, because he sounded intoxicated, dispatchers sent a patrol to the scene. After police attempted to conduct a sobriety test, the man became unruly, pushing police and refusing to cooperate.

Crash Detection is a feature that uses hardware sensors and algorithms to detect if the user has been in a severe car accident. While useful in theory, the feature is prone to sending false reports.

In December, British Columbia search and rescue teams complained that they’d often send helicopters for search and rescue purposes, only to find no one was there.

However, that same month, a man was notified of his wife’s nearby car crash in an instant thanks to Crash Detection, allowing him to arrive on the scene and provide help before paramedics arrived.

Apple Pay Later

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Apple Pay Later is a buy now, pay later program that will allow users to split any Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments over six weeks with no additional interest or fees. When using the feature, the amount and due date for each payment are specified on the purchasing page.

According to Bloomberg, Apple contacted its retail staff to offer them a test version of the service. The test suggests that the feature is nearing release.

Apple has reportedly formed a subsidiary company to finance the lending for the Apple Pay Later service. Apple Financing LLC will be separate from the company’s primary corporate entity.

Apple Wallet is used to manage payment plans. The functionality is also built into the Apple Pay platform, so various applications and services will already support it.