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AirPods Pro vs. Galaxy Buds Pro: The best wireless earbuds for you - CNET
The Stick-Shift 668-HP CT5-V Blackwing And 472-HP Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Are Cadillac's Last Hurrah For Loud - Jalopnik
Michael B. Jordan Embodies Alexa In Amazon Super Bowl Ad - Deadline

AirPods Pro vs. Galaxy Buds Pro: The best wireless earbuds for you - CNET

Posted: 02 Feb 2021 04:00 AM PST

Apple's $249 AirPods Pro are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, but Samsung is taking on the standard-bearer with the $200 Galaxy Buds Pro. The Buds Pro have almost the same feature set as the AirPods Pro, with active noise canceling and spatial audio support. I've spent two weeks testing both these earbuds to weigh out the pros and cons of each.

The AirPods Pro are an excellent pair of wireless earbuds with ANC that work seamlessly with iOS and Apple devices. They support spatial audio (aka virtual surround sound) and have a longer-lasting battery with ANC than the Galaxy Buds Pro. Sound quality is balanced, but they don't have a universal equalizer to change the sound across all apps. You can use the AirPods Pro on Android, although you lose some features like spatial audio and quick switching. Read our AirPods Pro review.

David Carnoy/CNET

When it comes to specs, the Galaxy Buds Pro are the most comparable of Samsung's earbuds to the AirPods Pro. They sound great, with a strong bass response, but the battery life doesn't last as long as the AirPods Pro when ANC is active. They also don't work as well on iPhones as, unlike earlier Galaxy Buds, these aren't supported in the Galaxy Wearable iOS app at the time of writing. Read our Galaxy Buds Pro review.

AirPods Pro are smaller, feel lighter in your ear

Both are in-ear buds, but they have completely different designs. The AirPods Pro have a clickable stem that sticks out of the ear and they only come in white. The Galaxy Buds Pro come in three colors (silver, black or purple) and have a round design with tap panels on the side and feel a bit heavier in your ear than the AirPods Pro.

Each pair of earbuds also come with interchangeable tips in small, medium or large. Fit will vary depending on your ear shape and size, but I've had issues with both earbuds staying in properly when working out or moving around a lot. I've actually found the most secure fit with third-party foam tips for the AirPods Pro -- I use ones from Comply, but there are many other brands available. The Galaxy Bud Pro tips don't come with the wingtip locks found in previous models like the Galaxy Buds Plus that helped lock them securely in your ear. I haven't been able to find third-party tips for the Galaxy Buds Pro yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing if that will improve the fit.

The Galaxy Buds Pro have the upper hand when it comes to durability against water and sweat, with a higher rating of IPX7 compared to the IPX4 of the AirPods Pro. This means they can be submerged in up to 3 feet (1 meter) of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. I haven't taken the Buds Pro for a swim yet or run them through the washer, but I've had no problems splashing some water on them. The AirPods Pro can withstand sweat and some light splashes, but I wouldn't suggest taking them swimming.

Galaxy Buds Pro, better sound quality; AirPods Pro, better noise canceling

Both these earbuds sound good, as long as you can get a secure fit. It's definitely a matter of preference, but I prefer the warmer sound profile and more pronounced bass response of the Galaxy Bud Pro when it comes to sound quality. You can also adjust the equalizer manually in the Galaxy Wearable app to a number of different presets, from bass boost to soft. The AirPods Pro have a more neutral sound profile which actually works in their favor if you want to jump between calls, listen to music or listen to podcasts. They have an adaptive equalizer that dynamically adjusts the sound for you.

While both do a good job at canceling out ambient noise, the AirPods Pro are a touch more effective at drowning out white noise like the sound of an overhead fan or plane engines. While you can adjust the ANC level on the Galaxy Buds Pro to high or low, I didn't really hear any difference between the two settings. I can also hear a very faint hiss when I have ANC on the Buds Pro when I'm not listening to music.

They each have spatial audio (Samsung calls it 360 audio) for a simulated surround sound experience when listening to movies and TV shows. Again, both sound good, but if I had to choose, I would go with the AirPods Pro as the effect sounds more natural. Note that at the time of writing, 360 audio support is only on Samsung Galaxy S21 phones, whereas spatial audio on the AirPods Pro is available on any Apple device running iOS 14 or later.

But the Galaxy Buds Pro have a feature the AirPods Pro lack: voice detection. The Galaxy Buds Pro automatically lowers the volume of your media when they detect that you're talking and then reverts back to your original settings 10 seconds after you've stopped. It's great if you want to be able to have a quick conversation without actively switching the buds into ambient sound mode (or pulling one out of your ear).

You can take a listen to mic samples in the video on this page to hear the difference for calls.

Now playing: Watch this: Comparing Galaxy Buds Pro to AirPods Pro

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AirPods Pro: Most reliable battery life

Samsung quotes the battery life on the Galaxy Buds Pro at five hours with ANC on, but I never got close to that figure. With ANC turned on, the longest I was able to wear them for was roughly four and a half hours, which was disappointing considering the claim. Apple quotes up to four and a half hours with ANC for the AirPods Pro, but I regularly exceeded that and could manage almost five hours of total listen time. According to Samsung, the Buds Pro can also last up to eight hours of listen time without ANC, but again, I wasn't able to reach that claim.

Each case also holds a little extra charge, with the AirPods Pro offering 24 hours total juice and the Galaxy Buds Pro an added 18 hours. Both cases can wirelessly charge, or you can plug in Lightning on the AirPods Pro or USB-C on the Galaxy Buds Pro.

Read more: Best Apple AirPods deals right now

Smart features are similar on both

This is the first generation of Samsung earbuds I've tested that aren't compatible with the Galaxy Wearable iOS app. This means they'll connect to an iPhone ($900 at Boost Mobile) via Bluetooth and you can activate ANC and use the default tap controls, but you won't be able to change the settings. The AirPods Pro also work as regular Bluetooth earbuds on Android, but offer the most seamless experience to customize settings on iOS.

You can summon Siri on the AirPods Pro, or Bixby on the Galaxy Buds Pro by using your voice, or with touch controls. Each will read off text messages or notifications, and let you change the volume or place a call with your voice. There is no way to call on Google Assistant using your voice on the Galaxy Buds Pro yet, although you can activate Google Assistant on the Galaxy Buds Pro by assigning it as a long press of the touch panel, but you can't make calls with it yet.

Each earbud can be used independently for calls or listening to music and you can find both on a map if you lose them using the Find My app on iPhone or the Smart Things app on Galaxy devices. They both also offer fast switching between devices signed in to the same Apple ID or Samsung account.

Galaxy Buds Pro for Android, AirPods Pro for iPhone

Both earbuds have their strengths, but the best earbud for you will ultimately depend on what ecosystem you're on. Previous Samsung versus Apple earbud comparisons were more platform-agnostic, given earlier models were compatible with the Galaxy Wearable app on iOS, but this time your phone will be a big factor in your decision. I prefer the warm sound profile of the Galaxy Buds Pro, so I'd pick these for listening to music. But for multitasking between calls and music (and for more reliable battery performance), I choose the AirPods Pro.

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The Stick-Shift 668-HP CT5-V Blackwing And 472-HP Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Are Cadillac's Last Hurrah For Loud - Jalopnik

Posted: 02 Feb 2021 08:10 AM PST

This is the end. Cadillac, a brand with a rich history of stuffing gigantic gasoline motors under the hoods of luxury sedans, is about to call it quits on internal combustion, but not before going out with a bang. Well, two bangs, with one of them called the CT5-V Blackwing, a 668-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V8 sedan with a standard...standard transmission. The other is the CT4-V Blackwing, a smaller 472-HP twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 sedan that also comes with a stick shift, in keeping with the car gods' orders. Let's take a first look at these last hurrahs for high-performance gasoline Cadillacs.

The auto industry is quickly entering the electric era, so it feels a bit strange for Cadillac to be debuting two entirely-conventional flagship sedans. But this is the last stand for performance gasoline Cadillacs, and my god is GM's premium brand going out swinging.

So Much Power, So Many Pedals

The CT5-V is a 668-HP, 659 lb-ft supercharged V8 sedan with a six-speed manual transmission sending torque to the rear wheels. On paper, it is epic, fulfilling the entirety of Maslow's Hierarchy of Automotive Needs (other than perhaps "low curb weight" — the CT5-V Blackwing weighs roughly two tons). I can't wait to drive this machine.

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The other car Cadillac showed was the CT4-V, which also comes standard with a manual transmission, and also has a boosted engine that sends torque to the rear wheels, though that engine is a V6, and the high intake manifold air pressure comes from a pair of turbochargers instead of a supercharger.

Here's a little walk-around of these two cars with marketing manager Ken Kornas:

When Cadillac released horsepower figures for the regular CT4-V and CT5-V, the automotive media pretty much spit out its drink and laughed. "We Regret To Inform You That The Cadillac CT4-V Has Just 24 More HP Than A Toyota Camry," my colleague wrote after Jalopnik's initial article titled "The 2020 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Arrive Without The Big Power We're Used To."

After having been spoiled by the 464 HP ATS-V and 640 HP CTS-V, we just weren't excited about the paltry 325 HP turbocharged inline-four in the CT4-V or the 360-HP twin-turbo V6 in the CT5-V. "Hey, this isn't the real V, is it?" my Editor-in-Chief Rory Carroll asked Cadillac at an event in 2019. The brand responded that a "big V" was under development. Now it's here along with its little sibling.

The 668-HP CT5-V Blackwing can allegedly pull off a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds, and reach a top speed of over 200 mph. The 472-HP, 445 lb-ft CT4-V Blackwing takes a tenth more to get to 60, and its top speed plateaus at around 189 mph, per Cadillac. Both cars are built on the Alpha II platform, the successor to the Alpha platform that underpinned the Chevy Camaro and Cadillac ATS. Like the ATS and Camaro, the CT4 and CT5 have MacPherson strut front suspensions and five-link setups in the back.

Speaking of the ATS, the CT4-V Blackwing is likely going to be quite similar to that car's V-model, which was an excellent driver's car thanks to incredible steering feel and sharp handling. The CT4 has essentially the same engine and transmission, with roughly the same power (it's up 8 HP). Car And Driver gets into the differences, writing in its story 472-HP 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Is like an ATS-V, but Better:

Chassis upgrades include larger front and rear brake rotors, a newer version of the standard magnetorheological dampers, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of the old Pilot Super Sport rubber. These tires wrap around 18-inch wheels with a staggered-width setup; the magnesium wheels that Cadillac teased earlier won't be available until later in the production run. The housing for the electronic limited-slip differential is now aluminum, which Cadillac says saves 22 pounds. Overall curb weight is up by a claimed 77 pounds.

I'm conflicted here, because as much as I love the idea of an improved ATS-V that handles well, the bigger, couple-of-hundred-pounds-heavier CT5-V Blackwing has the V8 with a 1.7-liter Eaton supercharger on it, and you know that's going to sound much, much better. So the question is: Do you choose nimble(ish) handling or do you choose the glorious sound of a boosted V8?

Perhaps I'm a bit basic, but my initial primal instinct is to go with option B.

The Hardware

Cadillac didn't have engineers at my preview session in a warehouse in Warren, Michigan, so the brand wasn't able to get deep into the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing's tech. But right away, it was obvious how epic the cooling systems are — unsurprising, given the ATS-V was a masterpiece in this area.

The cars each have roughly a dozen heat exchangers, with tiny outboards ones tilted, and angled a bit inboard:

My favorite heat exchanger (everyone should have a favorite heat exchanger, right?) on the CT4-V is the flat one up front, which I'm fairly sure cools the transmission and rear differential.

A heat exchanger whose face is actually parallel to airflow?! It seems counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you consider that it's located just ahead of the main cooling module, which — due to its restriction — creates an area of high pressure ahead of itself. That high pressure, along with the low pressure under the vehicle as air rushes at a high velocity, forces air through the heat exchanger mounted parallel to the car's floor:

While we're on the topic of aerodynamics, Cadillac says the new grille design is a key enabler for improving airflow over the ATS-V, and the brand mentions a new Carbon Fiber Aero Package, which allegedly reduces lift by 214 percent on the CT4-V Blackwing and 75 percent on the CT5-V Blackwing. It goes without saying that there's a drag penalty.

Also exciting are the underbody "airflow-channeling strakes" that make up what Cadillac calls the "Underwing" — basically, an underbody airflow strategy that Cadillac says reduces drag and improves track performance:

Speaking of the underbody, here's an "Easter Egg" V-Series logo at the bottom of the liquid-cooled electronic limited-slip differential:

The brakes are huge. The CT4-V Blackwing's rotors are 15 inches up front and 13.4 out back, while the bigger sibling has 15.7-inch rotors ahead of the driver and 14.7s behind. Both cars have six-piston calipers at the nose and four-piston grabbers at the tail.

The standard manual transmission is a six-speed Tremec, with a dual-disk LuK clutch. In case you're not familiar with how a twin-disc clutch works, it essentially involves bolting a housing to the flywheel, using axial space to create an additional surface for an additional clutch to grab onto. Here, watch this Aussie show you how it works:

Both cars get rev matching capability and "No-Lift Shift," which is what it sounds like: You can stay hard on the accelerator pedal while shifting — something that, per Cadillac, helps keep the CT4-V Blacking's turbos in boost.

There's also a 10-speed automatic available if you're into that sort of thing.

Pricing

The CT4-V Blackwing starts at $59,990, while the CT5-V Blackwing costs $84,990. These are higher base prices than those of the Audi RS3 and BMW M3 with which GM says the two cars compete, respectively. How the Caddies will hold up on the track against their German counterparts is something I can't wait to find out. Will Cadillac's final internal combustion engine V-Series cars go out on top?

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Michael B. Jordan Embodies Alexa In Amazon Super Bowl Ad - Deadline

Posted: 02 Feb 2021 06:30 AM PST

Michael B. Jordan is making his Super Bowl advertising debut in a plug for Amazon's voice-recognition system Alexa.

The spot, titled "Alexa's Body," will run 90 seconds online and will premiere as a 60-second ad during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LV on Sunday. (Watch the game-ready version above.)

Jordan has displayed his well-developed physique and leading-man looks in films like Creed, Black Panther and the forthcoming Tom Clancy thriller Without Remorse (which will soon hit, yes, Amazon Prime Video). Those aesthetics are the key to the ad, which starts with a group of executives in a generic office marveling at the design of a new, spherical Alexa device.

"I literally could not imagine a more beautiful vessel for Alexa to be inside," one woman says. At that moment, she gazes out the window and spies an ad with Jordan in a matinee-idol pose, which starts her daydreaming about a different "vessel" for the voice-recognition system: Jordan himself.

In her reverie, Jordan teaches the married woman French phrases, helps her cook and even joins her in a candle-lit bubble bath, where he reads her a steamy passage from her audio book. The over-the-top intimacy of the interactions is so exasperating to the woman's husband that he soon starts contradicting her voice commands, like "add bath oil to my shopping list."

The commercial was created by Amazon and agency Lucky Generals. It extends a run of several recent Super Bowl appearances for Alexa, whose ads have featured a number of A-list stars like Harrison Ford, Rebel Wilson, Cardi B and Anthony Hopkins.

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