For a long time now, if you wanted a screenless fitness tracker that could properly dig into your health and recovery, there was really only one name worth talking about: Whoop. 

The wearable brand has carved out a loyal following with pro athletes and data obsessives alike, offering the kind of in-depth insights that most mainstream wearables simply can’t match.

But that could finally be about to change. 

With the Fitbit Air, Google looks to have taken the core appeal of Whoop – comfortable 24/7 tracking, sleep and recovery insights, and a distraction-free design – and wrapped it in something that feels much more accessible to everyday users. And, crucially, at a much lower price.

The Whoop band offers plenty of insights

I’m a big fan of Whoop bands; I used the Whoop 4 for over a year before transitioning to the newer Whoop MG when it was released last May, and carried on using the screenless fitness tracker for months afterwards. 

It is an impressive bit of kit despite looking rather underwhelming; hidden in the strap is an advanced heart rate sensor that can track metrics like your heart rate constantly, meaning even if you forget to track a workout in the moment, you can go back, tell the Whoop app what you did and when, and it’ll retroactively analyse your data.

Key to the Whoop experience is the strain score, a novel way to track the effort of your workouts rather than relying on metrics like heart rate or distance. It not only makes it easier to get an idea of how much effort you’ve put into a workout at a glance, but it also means that workouts of different kinds – say hiking and cycling – are broadly comparable despite different metrics being tracked. 

It also lets you drill down into your data quite deeply, with a myriad of charts and graphs you can use to track your most important vitals over time, along with sleep suggestions that actually mirror my sleep patterns rather than generic guidance to try to get to sleep earlier. 

You can go through all that data yourself, or you can use the ChatGPT-powered health assistant to make sense of your data, ask about trends and get advice on health and fitness, all personalised to your own results. 

There are also features like Whoop Age that essentially combine all your data – from health metrics like HRV to your Sp02, movement levels, sleep performance and more – to give you what it calls an accurate representation of your body’s age. And if you plump for the MG model, you’ll also get ECG and blood pressure monitoring, though the latter is only an estimate rather than clinical-grade. 

And, despite offering 24/7 monitoring, the wearable can last for up to two weeks on a single charge. It’s safe to say there are very few gaps in my data. 

These all add up to an impressively holistic overview of your health and fitness, with levels of data depth that are very rarely offered by the mainstream competition. It explains why you’ll often see Whoop bands on the wrists of pro-level athletes. 

Whoop has had a monopoly on the screenless tracker market for years now, with competing options like the Polar Loop and Amazfit Helio Strap not quite offering the same level of depth or performance as Whoop’s wearable – but the Fitbit Air could change that. 

In a nutshell, the Air offers broadly the same experience as the Whoop 5; it’s a smart little ‘pod’ that sits in a wristband, holding all the smarts like the battery and heart rate monitor.

However, while I sometimes struggled to sleep with the Whoop MG – its thickness meant it would snag on pillows and the like – Google has designed the Fitbit Air specifically for sleep, claiming that users rated it more comfortable than “leading competitors”. I think we know exactly what Google is referring to there. 

And, like the Whoop alternative, the Fitbit Air also offers 24/7 heart rate tracking along with all the key metrics – irregular notifications for signs of AFib, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking and smart wake alarms – you’ll also find in the Pixel Watch 4, a wearable that costs a whole lot more. 

This all ties directly into the Fitbit app, which is soon to become the Google Health app, and it’s a bigger deal than it sounds. The redesigned interface is not only much easier to use, but with the Fitbit Premium subscription, you’ll also get Gemini-powered coaching insights throughout the day, along with the ability to customise your workout plans in natural language. 

While I’ve not yet used the Fitbit Air, I have tried the Public Preview of the Fitbit app redesign, and I must admit, it’s the slickest, most genuinely easy-to-use interface of any fitness app I’ve used to date – Whoop included. 

It just makes sense; everything is split into helpful tabs, and you can talk to the AI-powered coach at any point to not only log things like food not measured by the Air, but to ask about your data or even change your workout plans on the fly. Those workout plans, by the way, come with fully structured exercises with videos to show you how to perform the moves if you’re unsure. 

It’ll also work with more platforms than the existing Fitbit app once the rebrand rolls out in a few weeks, complete with Apple Health support for iOS users. 

Google has even thought of the little things with the Air, like the ability to use it in tandem with the Pixel Watch 4. 

They both have different focuses – the Watch 4 is ideal for checking notifications, tracking workouts and getting map directions, while the Air is better for tracking sleep and recovery – so being able to swap and choose depending on what you’re up to without the risk of duplicate or missing data is wholly welcomed by me. 

Sure, it misses out on some of the more advanced features of the Whoop MG – like ECG and blood pressure monitoring – and battery life is ‘only’ seven days compared to Whoop’s 14, but that likely won’t matter to a lot of people. 

Whoop’s subscription looks less tempting than ever

I think the real kicker here is the pricing model for the Whoop 5 and Whoop MG; rather than buying the product outright and paying a cheap monthly subscription for more advanced features like a growing number of wearables – Oura and Fitbit included – Whoop relies on a subscription-only plan. And let’s just say, it’s definitely not cheap.

The Whoop 5 will set you back either £169/$199 or £229/$239 depending on the subscription you opt for – but not outright, per year, with prices rising to as much as £349/$359 per year for the top-end Whoop MG with its blood pressure and ECG capabilities. That’s more than most other wearables outright, on a yearly basis. Safe to say that it’s a lot of money for the vast majority of us that just want reliable 24/7 health tracking.

That’s where the Fitbit Air really comes into its own; the hardware costs just £84.99/$99, with an optional £7.99/$9.99 per month Fitbit Premium subscription if you want to access advanced features like the Gemini-powered Fitness Coach tech. At that price, you’d have to buy the Air and use the Premium subscription for a few years before you’d hit the cost of just one year of Whoop. 

And, with the Whoop 5 and Whoop MG celebrating their first birthday right now, there are going to be a lot of users hitting the end of their first-year subscription, considering whether they really want to pay all that money for another year – especially when the Fitbit Air offers most of the same tech in a really consumer-friendly package.

Sure, there are areas where the Whoop will still excel, especially with its advanced metrics tailored to pro-level athletes, but for the vast majority of us who simply want a convenient, comfortable, and non-distracting way to track our health and fitness, it looks like the Fitbit Air is the one to go for. I certainly can’t wait to get it on my wrist in the coming weeks to see how it performs. 

Bloomberg has a deep dive this week into how Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is trying to rescue one of Silicon Valley’s most storied, and stumbling, chipmakers. It’s worth a read, but it actually undersells the most jaw-dropping part of the story: Intel’s stock has risen a stunning 490% over the past year, a bet by Wall Street that may be running well ahead of the company’s actual turnaround.

Tan, who took over in March of last year, has spent much of his first year schmoozing rather than restructuring — locking in a sweetheart deal with the U.S. government (now Intel’s third-largest shareholder), cozying up to Elon Musk on a factory partnership, and reportedly landing preliminary manufacturing agreements with both Apple and Tesla.

The fundamentals are still messy. Intel’s chip yields lag well behind industry leader TSMC, and employees tell Bloomberg that Tan has been light on specifics internally, with some teams adjusting missed deadlines rather than recovering from them.

But investors are betting big on the bigger picture. Whether the execution follows is the multibillion-dollar question.

Noble Audio has never been a brand that avoids taking risks, and that willingness to try something different has often worked in its favor. The new Lu Ban, unveiled at CanJam Singapore 2026, follows that same path with a design that appears to be more than just another IEM release with a familiar shape and a new name.

Noble brought something distinctive to Singapore, and the real test will be whether the Lu Ban can turn that design ambition into the kind of performance that keeps the brand near the front of the personal audio conversation.

Ancient Chinese Inspiration Meets Modern IEM Design

The Lu Ban takes its name from the legendary Chinese craftsman and inventor associated with precision, problem-solving, and practical ingenuity. Noble Audio is using that reference to frame a universal IEM that combines natural materials with a more advanced hybrid driver platform.

It is a fitting name for a product that appears focused on craftsmanship as much as performance. The Lu Ban sits as a new statement within Noble’s universal IEM lineup, and the key question is whether its design and engineering choices translate into a more distinctive listening experience.

The Lu Ban uses a three-driver configuration built around a 10mm wooden composite diaphragm dynamic driver and two newly developed Super-Magnetic planar drivers. The dynamic driver is intended to handle weight and texture, while the planar drivers are there to support speed, detail, and control.

With a rated 108dB SPL/mW sensitivity and 27-ohm impedance, the Lu Ban should not require a difficult source to drive properly. That matters, because Noble is clearly positioning this as a serious universal IEM that can work across portable players, dongle DACs, and higher-end desktop setups without needing a small power plant attached to your desk.

10mm Wooden Composite Dynamic Driver

The sonic foundation of the Lu Ban is its 10mm wooden composite diaphragm dynamic driver. The use of wood is not just a visual or branding choice. Noble is pointing to its long use in musical instruments, where resonance, density, and tonal behavior all matter.

In the Lu Ban, the wooden composite material is used within the diaphragm structure to support bass depth, control, and texture. Noble says the driver is intended to deliver extended sub bass without excess overhang, while keeping the mid bass articulate and balanced. The same material approach is also designed to give the midrange more body, harmonic weight, and a more natural sense of decay with vocals and acoustic instruments.

The goal is not to add artificial warmth or make the Lu Ban sound deliberately thick. Noble is using the wooden composite driver as the tonal anchor of the IEM, with the aim of giving the Lu Ban a more physical, natural, and musically grounded presentation.

Dual Super-Magnetic Planar Technology

To support the 10mm wooden composite dynamic driver, the Lu Ban also uses two Super Magnetic planar drivers. Noble says these drivers are derived from planar driver technology used in select loudspeakers, with the goal of improving speed, clarity, and upper frequency precision inside a compact IEM design.

The Super Magnetic planar drivers use a new generation neodymium iron boron magnetic material, refined with a controlled copper element to help stabilize magnetic flux and improve efficiency. In practical terms, Noble is using this driver system to improve transient response, micro detail retrieval, separation, and treble extension.

The planar drivers are intended to add clarity, air, and better layering without pushing the Lu Ban into an overly bright presentation. Noble says high frequencies extend cleanly, while more complex recordings remain organized and intelligible.

Acoustic Chamber

Noble also uses a Mortise and Tenon Acoustic Chamber inside the Lu Ban to help manage internal driver resonance. The chamber includes an irregular diffusion structure that is intended to reduce standing waves created by internal sound reflections. At the front, a spiral airflow guide is used to limit unwanted noise while helping preserve phase coherence.

In practical terms, the chamber is there to improve control inside the shell so the drivers can operate with less interference from reflections, resonance, and airflow issues.

 Crafted with Purpose

As noted earlier, the Noble Lu Ban takes its name from the legendary Chinese craftsman Lu Ban, and that influence carries into the physical construction of the IEMs.

Each shell combines Cocobolo wood with a 3D printed resin internal framework. The wood gives each pair a distinct grain pattern, while the resin structure allows Noble to maintain more consistent internal geometry, driver placement, and acoustic alignment from unit to unit.

The result is a design that uses natural material for the exterior character, but relies on controlled internal construction for acoustic consistency. Each pair should look slightly different, but the engineering target remains the same.

Premium Cable & Accessories

The Lu Ban ships with a 4 strand woven high purity OCC silver plated cable. Noble specifies the cable as part of the package rather than an afterthought, with the goal of maintaining signal integrity and tonal consistency from source to IEM.

The cable uses a fiber woven surface coating, standard 0.78mm 2 pin connectors with left and right markings, and a 4.4mm copper gold plated balanced termination. That makes it ready for many modern DAPs, portable DAC amps, and balanced desktop headphone outputs without requiring an immediate cable swap.

A 3.5mm option would have been useful for wider compatibility, but Noble is clearly aiming this package at listeners already using balanced portable sources.

Lu Ban IEM Specifications

Key Features

Hybrid Driver Configuration: The Lu Ban uses a 10mm wooden composite diaphragm dynamic driver paired with dual Super Magnetic planar drivers, giving Noble a platform designed to balance body, speed, and precision.

Natural, Controlled Low End: The wooden composite dynamic driver is intended to deliver deeper bass response with texture and control, while keeping the mid bass articulate rather than bloated.

Detailed and Refined Highs: The Super Magnetic planar drivers support the dynamic driver by adding faster transient response, cleaner detail retrieval, and more extended high frequency performance.

Balanced Hybrid Tuning: Noble’s goal is to combine the weight and tonal character of the dynamic driver with the clarity, air, and separation provided by the planar drivers.

Precision Crafted Shell Design: The Lu Ban uses a Cocobolo wood shell with a 3D printed resin internal structure, allowing for natural visual variation while supporting consistent driver placement and acoustic geometry.

Premium Cable Package: The Lu Ban includes a 4 strand OCC silver plated cable with 0.78mm 2 pin connectorsand a 4.4mm balanced termination, along with additional accessories.

The Bottom Line

The Noble Audio Lu Ban stands out because it does not follow the usual hybrid IEM formula. The combination of a 10mm wooden composite dynamic driver, dual Super Magnetic planar drivers, Cocobolo wood shells, and a Mortise and Tenon Acoustic Chamber gives it a more distinctive design story than most wired IEMs in this price range.

At around $1,400, the Lu Ban is not entry level, especially compared to Noble’s $700 Van Gogh, but it also sits well below the company’s $4,500 Kronos. What is missing? Wireless capability, for one. Like most serious IEMs, the Lu Ban is wired only, so there is no Bluetooth unless you add a wireless adapter from brands like iFi. A 3.5mm cable option also would have made the package more flexible for casual users.

The Lu Ban is really for listeners who already understand the appeal of wired IEMs: dedicated audiophiles, serious portable audio users, and studio listeners who want detail, control, and a more distinctive material design. Its 108dB sensitivity and 27 ohm impedance suggest it should work well with a quality dongle DAC, but a good DAP with a balanced 4.4mm output is the more natural match. Think less phone accessory, more serious portable rig without needing a brick in your pocket.

Price & Availability

The Noble Lu Ban IEM is available for $1,399 / £1,299 / €1,499 at Noble and selected retailers worldwide.

CANJAM Singapore 2026 attendees will be among the first globally to experience Lu Ban in person on May 16th and 17th, 2026.

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New Year’s Day doesn’t always call for a big plan. For a lot of people, it’s about staying in, slowing down, and putting something on without overthinking it. That’s also where free movies start to make more sense, especially when you can press play without worrying about subscriptions or rentals.

The shift toward free, ad-supported streaming has made it easier to find something that fits how you actually want to watch. Sometimes that means an easy film you can let play in the background, while at other times it’s something you settle into properly. The difference isn’t about what’s “best,” but what works for the kind of day you’re having.

Some picks here are familiar rewatch options, others are more recent films that are currently available to stream for free. Each one is chosen to match a different viewing mood, so you can find something that fits without spending time scrolling through platforms trying to figure out what’s available.

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Few films carry over from New Year’s Eve into the next day as naturally as When Harry Met Sally, largely because of how its story resolves. That final sequence gives it a built-in sense of closure, which makes it just as fitting for a quieter New Year’s Day watch as it is for the night before. We first curated this list in 2024, and since then, When Harry Met Sally has remained one of the easiest recommendations to return to.

What keeps When Harry Met Sally in rotation is how well it holds up beyond the occasion. The writing and performances still feel precise, and the film doesn’t depend on surprise. The progression of the relationship, the rhythm of the scenes, and the dialogue carry it, which is also why it works just as well whether you’re watching it closely or letting it play in the background.

Stream When Harry Met Sally… for free on Pluto TV.

John Wick

Best for: A fast, no-friction action watch that keeps the energy up

John Wick makes the list because it delivers action in a way that’s easy to follow without losing impact. I did want to include Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol — the series itself is a personal favourite, and when reviewing TVs, I often go back to some of its sequences for testing refresh rates, while John Wick is something I return to for darker scenes. But Mission: Impossible films aren’t always available to stream for free, which is what brings John Wick in here.

The film keeps things direct. The setup is simple, the pacing stays consistent, and you’re never trying to keep up with too much at once. It’s easy to sit through or just let play, and it still holds attention because of how cleanly everything is put together. That makes it a natural pick for a day when you want something that moves without asking too much from you.

Stream John Wick for free on The Roku Channel

Chef

Best for: A relaxed, feel-good watch that fits a slower New Year’s Day

Chef fits naturally into a slower New Year’s Day when you’re not looking for anything intense. The story is straightforward, but it’s carried by its tone, which stays warm and easy without feeling flat.

It’s also the kind of film you can return to without thinking twice. The pacing is steady, the moments are given space, and it doesn’t demand constant attention to stay engaging. That balance is what makes it a good pick for a day when you want something that feels comfortable without being repetitive.

Stream Chef on Tubi

Now You See Me

Best for: A group-friendly watch that stays easy and entertaining throughout

Now You See Me keeps things simple without feeling flat. Built around a strong ensemble including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco, the film follows a group of illusionists pulling off increasingly elaborate heists in plain sight, which gives it a clear, easy-to-follow hook from the start.

The constant shifts between characters and reveals keep it engaging even if you’re not tracking every detail. It’s also one of those films that holds up as a repeat watch. This is something I keep going back to, and no matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still lands because of how it’s paced and structured. If you want to continue, Now You See Me 2 is an easy follow-up that stays in the same lane without changing the experience too much.

Stream Now You See Me for free on Tubi

Game Night

Best for: A fast, easy comedy that keeps things light without feeling repetitive

Game Night makes the list because it balances straightforward humor with a structure that keeps it moving. Horrible Bosses was a close call and is still a personal comfort watch I return to often, but Game Night fits better here because it holds its pace more consistently and works across more viewing situations.

It fits particularly well on New Year’s Day when you want something light that doesn’t need much effort to stay with. The film moves quickly, the humor lands without much setup, and it doesn’t lose momentum as it goes. You can watch it properly or just let it play, and it still keeps things engaging, which is exactly what you want when you don’t feel like committing to something too involved. If you want to stick to comedy as genre, we also have a list of 5 greatest comedy movies that you should watch.

Watch Game Night on The Roku Channel.

Parker, a well-funded startup offering corporate credit cards and banking services for e-commerce businesses, has filed for bankruptcy and is widely reported to have shut down.

The startup was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2019 cohort, and its Series A was led by Valar Ventures. 

Parker came out of stealth in 2023, touting a corporate credit that it said was designed for use by e-commerce companies. At the time, co-founder and CEO Yacine Sibous said the startup’s “secret sauce” was an underwriting process that could properly assess e-commerce cash flows. 

“We imagined building better financial products for e-commerce founders with the mission of increasing the number of financially independent people,” Sibous told TechCrunch.

Parker’s website is still up and doesn’t mention any shutdown. Instead, a banner at the top boasts that the company has raised more than $200 million in total funding, including a $125 million lending arrangement.

However, multiple social media posts state that Parker’s credit card partner Patriot Bank sent a message to customers this week confirming the shutdown. Parker’s competitors seemed to jump on the news with their own posts seeking to lure over the startup’s former customers.

And Parker’s troubles seem to be confirmed in its May 7 filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The filing states that the company has between $50 million and $100 million in assets, with liabilities in the same range. It also states that Parker has between 100 and 199 creditors.

Fintech consultant Jason Mikula recently claimed that Parker had been in negotiations for a potential acquisition, with the failure of those talks ultimately leading to the startup’s abrupt shutdown. Mirkula added that this “has left small business customers in a tough spot” and also raised “questions about [banking partner] Piermont’s and Patriot’s oversight of the program.”

Parker did not immediately respond to an email from TechCrunch. 

The company’s CEO Sibous has not explicitly acknowledged the shutdown or bankruptcy on LinkedIn, and in a recent post, he repeated the $200 million funding figure, adding that the company had reached $65 million in revenue. But he also said that if he started over, he’d do some things differently, such as: “Avoid over-hiring, reactive decisions, and doomsayers.”

Following more than a year of “intensive talks,” The Wall Street Journal reports Apple has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel for the former titan to produce some of the chips that power its devices. The scale of agreement is unknown at this time. As the Journal notes, Apple has recently shipped more than 200 million iPhones per year, and needs a steady supply of silicon for millions of other devices, including iPads and Mac computers.     

Apple did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request. Intel, meanwhile, declined to comment.  

According to the Journal, over the last 12 months Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has repeatedly met with Apple leadership, including outgoing CEO Tim Cook, to convince the company to get back into business with Intel. Prior to 2020 and the arrival of the first Apple Silicon chipset for the Mac, Intel was, arguably, one of Apple’s most important partners. Starting in 2006, the company’s iconic MacBook line experienced its first renaissance after former Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the company’s initial wave of Intel-equipped laptops. In a roundabout way, Apple’s own C1 modem also wouldn’t exist without Intel; Apple bought the majority of the company’s modem division in 2019 for $1 billion. That deal saw approximately 2,200 Intel employees, as well IP and equipment, transfer to Apple. 

But like many of Apple’s supply relationships, the honeymoon with Intel was not to last. By 2010, the company had begun designing its own chips, starting with the Apple A4, which eventually made its way to the first iPad and iPhone 4. In 2015, Apple also released the 12-inch MacBook, its first fanless laptop. The 2015 MacBook was a device ahead of its time, but it was also the debut of the company’s widely reviled “butterfly” keyboard design. I suspect the performance of the Intel’s ultraportable processors in that computer played a part in Apple’s decision to go with its own chips. Speaking from experience, the 2015 MacBook and its revisions never felt particularly fast on account of their x86 architecture.

By 2020, Intel was a shell of its former, once dominant self. The company had, for many years, failed to counter Qualcomm — and by extension ARM — in the mobile space. More recently, the once unthinkable began to occur when AMD began to take PC CPU market share away from Intel on the back of its excellent Ryzen processors. 

However, recent geopolitical shifts appear to have worked in the company’s favor. After Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan in 2025 to take over for former CEO Pat Gelsinger, President Trump was quick to criticize the executive and call for his resignation over past ties to China. But Tan appears to have won the president’s ear shortly thereafter, because later that same year the White House announced it would take a 10 percent stake in Intel. In September, Intel then signed a $5 billion agreement with NVIDIA to build PC and data centers CPUs for the AI giant. In April, it then followed that up with agreement to support Elon Musk’s Terafab project, which will see Intel produce chips for Tesla, SpaceX and xAI. 

Now the company would appear to have at least a preliminary deal with Apple. The Journal reports President Trump personally advocated for Intel to Tim Cook during a meeting at the White House. 

Dexter: Resurrection season two has officially begun filming, and this time around, there are even more of New York’s murderers coming to face off against Dexter Morgan.

While it hasn’t yet earned a place amongst the best Paramount+ shows, Dexter: Resurrection is the show that most fans didn’t see coming (Dexter: New Blood IYKYK).