HiFiMAN Arya WiFi arrives as the more affordable sibling to the HE1000 WiFi, bringing open-back planar magnetic drivers, WiFi streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, and a very different approach to wireless listening in the high-end headphone category.
At $1,449, the Arya WiFi is less expensive than the HE1000 WiFi ($2,699), but nobody should mistake it for an inexpensive experiment. This is still a premium audiophile headphone with a very specific promise: better wireless sound quality by moving beyond the usual Bluetooth-first approach and letting listeners stream over WiFi at home or in the office.
That raises the question many people will ask right away: if the HE1000 WiFi delivered an exceptional listening experience but also revealed an operational issue that gave us pause, has HiFiMAN solved enough of the user-experience problem with the Arya WiFi to make the concept feel ready for prime time?
Because at this price, clever engineering is not enough. The Arya WiFi has to sound excellent, feel comfortable, connect reliably, and prove that WiFi headphones are not just another audiophile science project with ear pads.
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HiFiMAN Arya WiFi (left) vs. HiFiMAN HE1000 WiFi Headphones (right)
Arya WiFi Specs & Technology
Inside the left earcup of the HiFiMAN Arya WiFi is the circuitry that allows the headphone to operate without a traditional source component, DAC, headphone amplifier, or cable hanging off your desk like audiophile spaghetti.
The core of the system is HiFiMAN’s 8mm HYMALAYA Mini DAC, which is specified at 0.0055% THD+N and 105dB channel separation. HiFiMAN also integrates the wireless streaming hardware and headphone amplification inside the earcup, which is rather impressive considering the Arya WiFi remains an open-back planar magnetic headphone weighing 452 grams.
The broader technology package is very similar to the HE1000 WiFi. Both models support WiFi, Bluetooth, and USB Audio operation, along with PCM playback from 44.1kHz to 768kHz, native DSD64 to DSD512, and Bluetooth codec support for SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC.
The key difference is the driver. The Arya WiFi uses HiFiMAN’s NEO Supernano Diaphragm Gen.2, while the HE1000 WiFi uses HiFiMAN’s nanometer-thickness diaphragm. HiFiMAN positions the HE1000 WiFi as the higher-resolution model, but the Arya WiFi shares much of the same wireless architecture at a significantly lower price. That makes the comparison more interesting than the price gap might suggest.
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The Arya WiFi uses HiFiMAN’s planar magnetic driver platform with Stealth Magnets, a design intended to reduce wave diffraction as sound passes through the magnet structure. HiFiMAN says the result is lower distortion and improved clarity, but as always, the listening section is where the marketing language either earns its keep or quietly exits through the side door.
WiFi is the real point of difference here. Bluetooth remains convenient, but even the better codecs are still limited by available bandwidth and device support. By adding WiFi streaming, the Arya WiFi can support lossless and high-resolution playback in a way that conventional Bluetooth headphones cannot.
For listeners using TIDAL, Qobuz, Roon, or local high-resolution files, that matters. For Spotify users, the benefit is less about lossless playback and more about connection flexibility, convenience, and avoiding some of Bluetooth’s usual compromises.
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You can also use the Arya WiFi in wired mode via USB-C, or connect it to your playback device via Bluetooth thanks to the embedded Qualcomm QCC5181 chip, which is LDAC-compatible for up to 96kHz playback.
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Design & Comfort
The HiFiMAN Arya WiFi follows the same general design language as the HE1000 WiFi, but with a different finish. The Arya WiFi wears a blacked-out look, while the HE1000 WiFi uses the more upscale brown and metallic color scheme. Black is the safer choice and probably the easier one to live with, unless your listening room already looks like a cigar lounge with a DAC budget.
The Gen.2 headband is comfortable and offers useful adjustment, although it does not provide the same full cup rotation found on some passive Arya and HE1000 models. That limits portability and flat storage, but this is still a better design than HiFiMAN’s older Sundara-style headband or the more basic strap-free assemblies used on models such as the HE400se and HE6se V2.
Build quality is good, but the Arya WiFi does not suddenly become a jewelry-grade headphone because WiFi has joined the party. There is still visible plastic, and the materials do not feel as premium as the price might suggest. That said, at $1,449 and positioned well below the HE1000 WiFi, those compromises are easier to accept.
Comfort remains one of the Arya WiFi’s strengths. The large open-back earcups, suspended headband, and familiar HiFiMAN pad shape make it easy to wear for longer sessions, provided you are comfortable with a firmer-than-average clamp. It is not featherlight, but the weight is distributed well enough that the Arya WiFi never feels like punishment for choosing wireless planar magnetic headphones.
The button layout is the same as the HE1000 WiFi. From top to bottom, there is a volume rocker, a function button for switching between WiFi, USB, and Bluetooth modes, and a power button. The buttons use different colors to indicate operating mode, charging status, and battery state. It is straightforward once you learn the color system, although there is still a short adjustment period.
The layout itself is simple and intuitive, and the buttons are easy enough to find by touch. My main issue was with the voice prompt, which was extremely quiet on my review sample. I cannot say whether that is specific to this unit or representative of the product more broadly, but it made mode confirmation less useful than it should be. Volume adjustment also felt too coarse for my liking, with each step creating a larger change than I would prefer.
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HiFiMAN keeps the included accessories minimal. The Arya WiFi includes a USB-C to USB-A cable roughly six feet long, and that is essentially it. There is no display case like the one included with the HE1000 WiFi. At $1,449, that does not change the performance case for the headphone, but it is worth noting for buyers expecting a more premium unboxing experience.
Setup & Usability
The first thing I tried to do after unboxing the Arya WiFi was connect it to my home WiFi network. That process proved more frustrating than expected.
Setup requires a specific sequence of button presses on the earcup, entering URLs on a smartphone, navigating web pages that feel unfinished, and entering more than one password before the headphones can join the network. If everything works the first time, the process may only take a few minutes. In my case, it repeatedly failed at the final stage when entering my router password, for reasons that were never clear. After roughly 20 minutes, I was eventually able to complete the connection.
That matters because WiFi is the feature that separates the Arya WiFi from a conventional wireless headphone. If users struggle with the setup process, some will likely default to Bluetooth or USB-C operation instead. Those modes are useful, but they also reduce the value of buying the WiFi version in the first place.
HiFiMAN already has the GAIA app, and this seems like the obvious place to guide users through WiFi setup in a clearer and more polished way. A step-by-step setup flow inside the app would be preferable to asking users to rely on a web-based process or a support video. For a company selling a $1,449 wireless planar headphone built around WiFi streaming, the setup experience needs to feel more mature.
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Battery life was also a concern. HiFiMAN rates the Arya WiFi at 6.5 to 7.5 hours in WiFi mode and up to 23 hours over Bluetooth. In my testing, WiFi playback landed closer to 5 to 6 hours, which is below the rated figure but not dramatically far off. Bluetooth battery life was more disappointing, coming in around 12 hours, well short of the claimed 23 hours. Battery life will vary with volume level, codec, connection stability, and usage conditions, but that gap is large enough to be noted.
Listening
The Arya WiFi and HE1000 WiFi look closely related, feel very similar on the head, and share much of the same internal wireless architecture. The obvious question, then, is whether they sound the same.
The answer is almost, but not quite. The two models are clearly cut from the same cloth, and the Arya WiFi gets closer to the HE1000 WiFi than the price difference might suggest. That makes the less expensive model a more interesting proposition than expected.
Among the wireless headphones I have heard, HiFiMAN’s WiFi models are among the most technically capable, even when used over Bluetooth. For this review, however, most of my listening was done in WiFi mode, using a mix of Spotify streams and high-resolution FLAC files. That matters because WiFi playback is the main reason these headphones exist, and it is the mode that gives the Arya WiFi its best chance to separate itself from conventional Bluetooth designs.
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Bass
The Arya WiFi has a slightly elevated bass response, but it is not tuned like a consumer noise-cancelling headphone trying to win a fistfight in the low end. The bass sits just above the rest of the spectrum, giving music some added weight, warmth, and physical presence without overwhelming the midrange.
It is not the fastest or most controlled bass I have heard from a planar magnetic headphone, but that comparison mostly involves high-end wired models with dedicated amplification. Against other wireless headphones, the Arya WiFi is much stronger. Bass notes start and stop cleanly, texture is easy to follow, and there is very little sense of bloat or overhang.
Sub-bass extension is also impressive for an open-back wireless headphone. The Arya WiFi can reproduce very low information with useful audibility, including material around the 20Hz region, although there is some slight roll-off as it approaches the lowest octave. On Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s “Why So Serious?,” the deep rumble around the 3:30 mark was clearly present, which is not something every open-back headphone manages convincingly.
Midrange
Moving up from the bass, the transition into the lower midrange is smooth and well controlled. Male vocals do not sound thickened or pushed back by excess upper-bass energy, which helps the Arya WiFi maintain good clarity through the lower registers.
The midrange itself is slightly relaxed compared to the bass and treble, but I would not call the Arya WiFi a strongly V-shaped headphone. It has some extra energy at the frequency extremes, while the center of the presentation remains smooth, open, and even-handed.
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That character works in its favor with vocals and acoustic instruments. The Arya WiFi does not push singers forward in the way some midrange-focused headphones do, and listeners who prefer a more relaxed presentation may find it easier to live with over longer sessions. Compared with something like the Sennheiser HD600, the Arya WiFi is less intimate and less midrange-forward, but it still presents vocals and instruments with convincing timbre and very good tonal balance.
On Dominique Fils-Aimé’s “Birds,” breath detail, vocal texture, and the space around her voice were easy to hear without sounding exaggerated. The Arya WiFi does not put the singer right in your lap, which is probably healthier for everyone involved, but it does a strong job of preserving the natural shape and presence of the performance.
Treble
The Arya WiFi follows the HE1000 WiFi with a treble balance that is more forgiving than some of HiFiMAN’s older or brighter-leaning models, including the Arya Organic and HE6se V2. It still sounds open and detailed, but it avoids the sharper edge that can make long listening sessions feel like a test of character.
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There is enough presence in the upper registers to show what the planar magnetic drivers can do, particularly with cymbal decay, small percussion details, and the air around instruments. Fine detail is easy to follow, but the Arya WiFi does not push treble information forward just to create the impression of resolution.
“La lune” by L’Impératrice is one of my regular treble test tracks because of the faint triangle hit that runs through much of the song. The Arya WiFi keeps that detail audible within the mix without turning it into a distraction. It has the clarity to reveal the upper-frequency information, but enough restraint to keep the presentation smooth and listenable.
Soundstaging & Imaging
HiFiMAN’s egg-shaped open-back headphones are known for producing a wide, spacious soundstage, and the Arya WiFi continues that pattern. The presentation is larger than average for a wireless headphone, with good width and a convincing sense of height, although it does not sound quite as expansive as some of the wired Arya variants, including the Arya Organic and Arya Unveiled.
Imaging is the stronger part of the presentation. The Arya WiFi places sounds with very good precision, and that matters more to me than absolute stage size. On TOOL’s “Chocolate Chip Trip,” the headphone made it easy to follow the individual layers, percussion hits, and spatial effects without turning the mix into a blur. That track can become a mess on less capable headphones. The Arya WiFi kept it organized.
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Detail retrieval is also strong. The Arya WiFi does not leave much feeling hidden, especially in WiFi mode with high-quality source material. The HE1000 WiFi still has a slight edge in resolution and low-level information, but the gap is not large. You are most likely to notice it during direct comparisons, not during normal listening. That is probably the healthier way to experience music anyway.
The Bottom Line
The HiFiMAN Arya WiFi makes a strong case for itself because it delivers much of the HE1000 WiFi experience at a significantly lower price. It does not quite match the more expensive model for resolution or refinement, but the gap is small enough that many listeners will find the Arya WiFi the more sensible buy.
Sound quality is the main reason to consider it. The Arya WiFi offers a spacious presentation, strong imaging, extended bass, smooth mids, and a treble balance that is detailed without becoming aggressive. In WiFi mode, it feels like a meaningful step beyond most Bluetooth headphones, especially with lossless or high-resolution material.
The problems are not sonic. The WiFi setup process needs to be more polished, and battery life is only fair in WiFi mode and disappointing over Bluetooth based on my testing. Those issues matter because they affect daily use, and they make the Arya WiFi feel less finished than it should at $1,449.
Still, if you can live with the setup process and the need for frequent charging, the Arya WiFi is the better value in HiFiMAN’s WiFi headphone lineup. The HE1000 WiFi remains the more capable headphone, but the Arya WiFi gets close enough where the extra money becomes harder to justify.
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Pros:
Built-in WiFi streaming supports higher-quality wireless playback than conventional Bluetooth headphones
Can also be used over USB-C or Bluetooth
Comfortable fit with good weight distribution for longer listening sessions
Spacious soundstage, strong imaging, and excellent detail retrieval for a wireless headphone
More affordable than the HE1000 WiFi while retaining much of the same wireless architecture
Cons:
Build quality is good, but the visible plastic and limited accessories do not fully match the price
First-time WiFi setup is more complicated and less polished than it should be
Battery life fell short of HiFiMAN’s stated figures in testing
Bluetooth mode is useful, but does not deliver the main benefit of buying the WiFi version
Now seems like a good time to revisit the recent Chess Records 75th Anniversary Series audiophile reissue of Chuck Berry’s 1959 one-LP masterpiece, Chuck Berry Is on Top. With one of Mr. Berry’s most famous musical progeny, the Rolling Stones, back on the charts with their very strong Foreign Tongues LP, newer fans discovering the glories of good old rock ’n’ roll would be wise to take a very enjoyable history lesson with Berry’s iconic third studio album.
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For those unfamiliar with the Stones’ deep repertoire, they covered numerous Chuck Berry songs over the years, and much of their musical style, especially early on, was influenced by his writing and overall sound. Their versions of “Carol,” “Little Queenie,” “Around and Around,” and “You Can’t Catch Me” made that debt rather difficult to miss.
Effectively a greatest-hits collection in all but name, most of the tracks on Chuck Berry Is on Top were originally issued as 45 rpm singles during the late 1950s. Many became Top 40 hits, including “Almost Grown” (No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the R&B chart), “Carol” (No. 18 Hot 100, No. 12 R&B), “Maybellene” (No. 5 Hot 100, No. 1 R&B), “Sweet Little Rock and Roller,” “Johnny B. Goode” (No. 8 Hot 100, No. 2 R&B), “Little Queenie” (No. 80 Hot 100), “Jo Jo Gunne,” “Roll Over Beethoven” (No. 29 Hot 100, No. 2 R&B), and “Around and Around.”
In terms of sound quality, this new reissue of Chuck Berry Is on Top is exemplary. The project was supervised by Chad Kassem of Analogue Productions, a division of Acoustic Sounds. Disc mastering and lacquer cutting were handled by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, located within Quality Record Pressings (QRP), where the albums were manufactured.
Much like an Acoustic Sounds or Blue Note Tone Poet Series reissue, Chuck Berry Is on Top is packaged in a deluxe, expanded, laminated gatefold cover, rather than the single-pocket, flat-matte design of the original. Each disc is housed in an audiophile-grade, plastic-lined inner sleeve. The iconic black Chess Records label design has also been reproduced. Some original pressings used a blue label, but it is still a very cool detail.
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For those dead set on finding an original 1959 copy of Chuck Berry Is on Top, tempered expectations may be in order, as copies in good condition remain quite rare. At the time of writing, only eight are listed on the vinyl marketplace Discogs, none graded higher than VG, with asking prices ranging from $35 to $185. It took me forever to find an original copy in playable condition out in the wild, so unless you are willing to pay collector prices, be prepared for a very long search.
That said, the prospect of buying a pristine new 180-gram pressing of Chuck Berry Is on Top, made from the original monaural master tapes and supervised by one of the most highly regarded vinyl production teams in the world, for $38.98 at Amazon seems like the logical choice for most fans.
Were the cover on my original copy not quite so nice, I might purge it entirely, knowing that this new Chess Records 75th Anniversary Series audiophile reissue will be my go-to listening copy for the foreseeable future. It sounds excellent and remains very much in keeping with the character of my original, minus the clicks and pops, of course. Perhaps it will become your go-to copy as well.
Our Ratings
★★★★★★★★★★ Music
★★★★★★★★★★ Sound Quality
★★★★★★★★★★ Pressing Quality
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Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
IBM expects HRL’s technical breakthroughs will help drive its quantum programme for ‘decades to come’.
IBM is acquiring Boeing and General Motors’ jointly-owned research and development institute HRL Laboratories.
HRL’s expertise in silicon-spin qubit engineering is expected to help IBM in its long-term quantum plans. The lab was established in 1948 as Hughes Research Laboratories by the late prominent aviation expert Howard Hughes. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
IBM has major ongoing quantum computing projects, including a roadmap to delivering Quantum Starling by 2029, expected to be fault-tolerant and 20,000-times more powerful than today’s quantum computers – capable of running 100m quantum operations.
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As per IBM’s plans, Starling will be followed up with an even more powerful quantum computer called Blue Jay, projected to be capable of 1bn quantum operations.
In May, the company pledged more than $10bn to quantum research over the next five years and announced ‘Anderon’, the world’s first pure-play quantum wafer foundry in the making, with support from the US government.
The acquisition gives IBM a boost in quantum research and allows the incoming team from HRL to partner closely with Anderon to scale quantum manufacturing and enable faster learning cycles. Quantum technology has the potential for commercial impact across industries, including in life sciences, defence and navigation, according to IBM.
HRL’s support could also allow IBM to innovate and industrialise new technologies such as quantum sensing, and conduct deeper research into the sensors detecting and capturing subtle measurements.
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Combined with additional technical capabilities in cryogenics, control electronics, qubit interconnects and packaging, IBM anticipates the acquisition will fuel its quantum programme for “decades to come” and help develop next-generation computing, communications and mission-critical systems.
HRL has also innovated in quantum materials that have the potential to unlock better semiconductors and more sensitive sensors.
“The HRL team will help IBM push even farther forward toward the frontiers of quantum innovation,” said Jay Gambetta, IBM’s director of research and an IBM fellow.
“This talented group of researchers brings a broad portfolio of technologies that will strengthen IBM’s long-term plans to deliver useful quantum computing to the world, bringing together advances across quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum networking to enable the applications of the future.”
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The announcement comes after a disappointing quarter for IBM, which reported a 1pc revenue growth and a marginally lower net income compared to the same quarter last year. The company lowered its 2026 forecast as a result.
“Joining IBM is the natural next chapter for what we have built at HRL, where our team has dedicated years to exploring paths to how future quantum computers could be built at scales that today seem impossible,” said Rob Vasquez, the president and CEO at HRL.
“We now look forward to leveraging IBM’s industry leadership and working alongside their world-class talent on fundamental infrastructure to take this vision forward.
“Additionally, our cutting-edge physical and information science innovations will combine with their advanced research capabilities to deliver an unmatched suite of technology solutions for our commercial and government customers.”
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In a sign of the times, Firefox’s New Tab page could soon include a crossword puzzle from AI-powered news platform Particle. The blog OMG Ubuntu reports:
The mini crossword game is updated daily, with puzzles based around recent content Particle’s AI has ingested and summarised that day. [After solving the crossword, links appear to related news articles…] If you just want to try the crossword, you access it in any browser via a direct link.
While it may look like Mozilla is trying to capitalise on the Wordle craze several years too late, it’s part of its strategy to make the Firefox new tab page a discover destination in itself, not just a springboard for new searches. The ‘Daily Grind’ crossword widget (name subject to change) is just one of several widgets Firefox has (or will get). You’ll also find a to-do list, timer, stock checker, world clock, picture of the day, privacy report and new-look weather widget (bigger than the existing one). During the World Cup 2026, Firefox offered real-time match scores and fixture information too…
[T]hey aren’t mandatory. You can disable the ones you don’t want to use, or, if you don’t want any at all, turn them all off to hide the widget area itself. A button to ‘show fewer widgets’ frees up room to allow other distractions (sponsored stories) on the new tab page to show… [Presumably you can also still open new tabs to a blank page…]
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They’re rolling out to users in certain region and locales already. Plus, Mozilla routinely tests new features with a small set of users before they hit stable builds (i.e., the “Allow Firefox to run feature studies” setting). If you don’t have widgets in your Firefox build, but you want them, you can manually enable them in Firefox 153 and later from the about:config page. Search for the following master switch and set it to true to enable the widget area:
Then, enable the widgets you want to use by searching:
activity-stream.widgets.*.enabled
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However, the usual caveats about “trying things not enabled by default” still apply. Mozilla hasn’t set a firm rollout date, though the feature is already documented on its support site. With fortnightly Firefox releases about to start, and a big Nova redesign, chances are we’ll all be puzzling over these widgets sooner rather than later.
Nearly 400 4K Blu-ray users shared info about player problems
There’s a huge gap between the best and worst in the poll
Panasonic will be happy; Sony not so much
One of the things I like best about Reddit is the way people share their experiences of particular products: whether it’s a kitchen knife, a portable AC or a Gibson guitar I know I’ll be able to find sage advice on what to buy and what to watch out for. And now the good people of r/hometheater have come together to talk about the best 4K Blu-ray players and their reliability.
The poll was carried out by r/hometheater poster “requieminadream” and generated nearly 400 responses — almost double the number of previous poll respondents — from r/4KBluray, r/Bluray, r/PhysicalMediaMatters, the AVS Forums, and the Blu-ray.com forums. And there are some very clear differences between different firms’ Blu-ray devices.
Requieminadream very kindly summarized the results in a sentence: “The Sony UBP-X700 is still the problem child, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is still champ, and the pricey UB-9000 posted the cleanest numbers (small sample though).”
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But there were some interesting discoveries in the detail too, so it’s definitely worth looking at if you’re considering a pre-owned 4K Blu-ray player purchase, or just which one seems to make people the happiest long-term.
One of the reasons I like Reddit wisdom is because with few exceptions, reviewers can’t spend years with the products they test — so the reviews of my car don’t know about the software issues that drive me wild and sometimes require a reboot at traffic lights, and the reviews of my router don’t know about its tendency to misbehave every few weeks.
It’s the same with Blu-ray players: even the most in-depth review won’t be able to tell you if a player’s likely to pack up in year two or three. (Though one exception is our Panasonic DP-UB820 review, written by our TV Hardware senior writer James Davidson, because he wrote us a fresh review based on combining using it in our test room and having used it daily for several years beforehand.)
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But in general, polls like this are a brilliant resource.
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By a large margin, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is the community’s favored player: 43.4% of respondents have one, and its problem rate was around half that of the Sony UBP-X700. The rate of serious issues was very low, at just 8% — backing up what James had said, when he called it “the workhorse of the 4K Blu-ray player world”.
The “problem child” that emerged from this latest poll is the Sony UBP-X700. Of the 103 Sony users, some 77.7% reported some issues over time; recurring and/or serious issues were 23%. The number one complaint is freezing during triple-layer transitions, which is something that has long been discussed on Blu-ray forums.
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The poll shows another interesting pattern, which is problems over time. For the Sony, issues became more common over time — but for the Panasonic the pattern was of any failures showing up early, but better long-term reliability.
The other players in the survey came in between the two extremes, but some of the best results were from “other” players including games consoles and more niche Blu-ray products.
Satisfaction with those products was exceptionally high, with the PS5 getting a significantly higher rating than the Xbox. That’s all the more striking given the Sony X700’s performance: the PS5 is a more premium product and that seems to be reflected in its reliability — alas, we shouldn’t expect any more PlayStations to arrive with a disc player.
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I should make clear, as the original Redditor did, that in some cases the sample sizes for ownership in these polls is pretty low, so we should take the results with a pinch of salt. However, the Panasonic UB820 and the Sony X700 were the best-represented, and are the two most popular players, so their data is arguably the most useful anyway.
AI tools now record conversations without announcing themselves, and users are bringing them to dates and personal chats
A growing number of professionals have started using AI tools to record every conversation they have, and the people being recorded usually have no idea it is happening. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that apps like Granola, which transcribes meetings without deploying a visible bot or announcing its presence, have made ambient recording so frictionless that users are now bringing the technology out of conference rooms and into personal settings. The shift raises legal and ethical questions that neither the tools nor their users appear ready to answer.
Granola, which raised 125 million dollars earlier this year at a valuation of one and a half billion dollars, works by recording audio directly through the user’s device microphone rather than joining a call as a separate participant. That means no bot icon appears in the meeting and no automated message tells attendees they are being recorded. Michelle Lim, CEO of meeting software company Flint, told the Journal that she wishes Granola were running in every room she enters, a statement that captures both the appeal and the problem.
Some users have taken the concept well beyond the workplace, with Emmie Chang, founder of startup Yuzu Labs, telling the Journal she records first dates and sends the transcripts to Claude for feedback on how the conversation went. Others described recording therapy sessions, doctor visits, and casual dinners with friends, all without telling the other person. In the eleven US states that require all-party consent for recordings, including California, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, doing so without disclosure is a potential felony under state wiretapping laws.
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The workplace implications are already materialising. Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certification Institute, told the Associated Press that AI note-takers pose enormous organisational risk, arguing that companies should not use them at all. Reports have surfaced of AI notetakers remaining on video calls after employees have left, silently documenting informal conversation and gossip, and privacy law expert Alex Alben warned that automatic recording involving third parties creates liability that most users have not considered.
Researchers have raised a separate concern that goes beyond privacy, with studies on cognitive offloading finding a negative correlation between heavy AI use and critical thinking. The worry is not just that people are recording without consent, but that they are losing the ability to listen, remember, and process conversations on their own. As these tools become cheaper and more invisible, the question is no longer whether they will spread but whether anyone will bother to ask permission first.
Amazon’s weekend Apple sale is going strong, with price drops of up to $150 off Apple Watch, AirTag, and iPad devices.
Apple Watch Series 11 from $299
Save $100 on several Apple Watch Series 11 styles.
Apple Watch shoppers have plenty of reasons to take a look at Amazon, where several Series 11 styles are $100 off. The standout offer drops the 42mm GPS model to $299, within $20 of the lowest price on record.
42mm Apple Watch Series 11 deals
42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS (Aluminum Case, Sport Band): $299 ($100 off)
42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular (Aluminum Case, Sport Band): $399 ($100 off)
42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular (Titanium Case, Milanese Loop): $649 ($100 off)
46mm Apple Watch Series 11 deals
46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS (Aluminum Case, Sport Band): $329 ($100 off)
46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular (Aluminum Case, Sport Band): $429 ($100 off)
46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular (Titanium Case, Milanese Loop Band): $699 ($100 off)
Get 4 AirTags for just $89 at Amazon.
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Amazon’s weekend AirTag sale drops the 4-pack down to $89 after a 10% discount.
The second-generation AirTag tracker builds on the original design while adding hardware improvements aimed at helping users locate lost items from greater distances. And according to Amazon, the deal is selling fast.
Today’s AirTag 2 deals
iPads from $399
Get an iPad 11 for $399 with month-end deals.
Amazon is also running discounts across Apple’s iPad line, with month-end deals delivering prices as low as $399.
A new memory cartoon is waiting for me. When I open the app, I see a multipanel strip called Big Little Moments. It appears as soon as I plug the Looki AI device back in to recharge, after almost a month not wearing it. It shows moments of me at a bar with my friend in LA, watching a stage presentation, eating a meal, seeing a demo, two women sitting across from me and then just me, walking with a phone in my hand.
These moments are from two days in June, when I wore the Looki to the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. I’d been wearing it almost nonstop since April. I wore it to Apple’s WWDC, to Google I/O. I wore it to my Princeton college reunion. I wore it at home and commuting. And then I stopped.
The Looki L1 is a little black pendant, sort of watch-sized, with a camera on the front and microphones hidden somewhere. It has a clip and a lanyard. It can be worn around the neck or left propped on a desk. It’s an AI wearable but, unlike smart glasses, it has a battery that can run a whole day while intermittently recording audio and video clips. My colleague Katie Collins tried it last year, but I never got to test one out until this spring and summer.
The Looki is a round-with-spiky-bits pendant with a magnetic back clasp. Buttons to trigger recordings are studded around the sides. There’s also a touchpad. (Scott Stein/CNET)
AI wearables of all shapes and forms are everywhere now. OpenAI may be next to offer one. Some of these devices come in glasses form. Some are pendants. Some are pins. Some are earbuds. As AI keeps spreading everywhere and trying to absorb more of our personal information that it can craft into patterns and narratives, wearables are the physical form of trying to give AI eyes, ears and, increasingly, memories of your own life.
The Looki device follows in a long line of lifelogging wearables that go back over a decade. In 2014, I reviewed an occasionally recording lifelogging camera called the Narrative Clip, which promised to capture our memories. I found its memory, in practice, to be full of holes. In 2026, that’s pretty much still the case.
The Looki L1 promises a fun way to remember and record life’s moments, to have a companion to travel with you and save moments without having to record them. To be an all-day wearable camera.
But when I wore one, it made me feel awkward, like I was being a jerk or a spy. At best, it’s odd; at worst, it feels like I’m a guy with, well, an always-on camera. Which, in 2026, isn’t nearly as “fun” as it was in 2014, it turns out. I tested the Looki because I was curious, and because I’m legitimately interested in the future of assisted memory tech.
What the Looki L1 is, and isn’t
Looki L1 is an odd duck product, as many AI wearables are. The $250 lifelogging camera has no subscription, although the product team I chatted with suggested that some services could be subscription-based down the road. It uses its own proprietary AI service, and can’t hook into any other platforms such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, although it borrows models from several sources.
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I do like the snap-on magnetic pendant strap that doubles as a charging dongle and can serve as a desktop stand if you want to perch it somewhere to take photos or video. The magnetic clasp works through clothing, too, so the pendant could look like a clip-on pin. But I don’t like that the Looki’s active recording LEDs are small. They’re less noticeable than those on Meta’s glasses by far.
There’s a phone app that the Looki pairs with, just as a smartwatch or pair of smart glasses would. That’s how the pendant gets its firmware updates and uploads its recorded clips to your phone and the cloud.
Looki’s highlight video compilations feel pretty random at the events I wore them at, and of course, no one really knew I was recording. (Scott Stein/CNET)
Looki has an “AI Mode” that stays on and intermittently records short video clips (no more than about 5 seconds each), apparently picking moments of interest. In my three months of use, it didn’t seem to have any pattern. There are dedicated buttons to trigger manual audio recordings, still photos or video recordings. There’s also a front touchpad, which I could hold down to summon a voice AI to chat with for feedback on what I’d recorded, or anything else. I rarely used it.
The Qualcomm chip on the Looki is an older watch-oriented model, but it still lasts a day on a charge. The future for pendants like these is likely even longer battery life, based on the specs of Qualcomm’s newest AI-optimized chips, released this year. These types of pendants are probably going to do even more on-device without relying on the cloud at all.
But, for the most part, the Looki is a repository. It sucks up images and videos, and then syncs them over to its companion phone app (which takes several minutes) and cloud-analyzes them later (which can take up to several hours). It’s like burying a time capsule and then digging it up later that day to see what you’ve got.
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And what did I get? Mostly a hot, sometimes fascinating, often awkward mess.
As a memory maker, full of holes
The best thing the Looki does is generate comic book-like generative AI images based on things it automatically captures. The results vary in style and structure, with absolutely no discrete controls to make anything turn into a comic if you’d like it to. You just have to get lucky, I guess.
A few images of people I met, comic-transformed, are fun. A few story panel-type comics tried to distill a day, or several days, into a narrative. Sometimes they were clever (one, a map of New York and New Jersey showing me commuting, seeing tech demos and going to a Princeton reunion) felt sharable. One, of my trip to WWDC, was weirdly focused on my pre-event breakfast with my colleague Bridget Carey rather than all the hours I wore it during Apple’s keynote, which was the whole point of the day.
Sometimes the Looki auto-inserted me into images, inventing a narrative. (Since I’m wearing the pendant, I was clearly not in the picture.) My comic portrait ranged from oddly accurate to something more like Marc Maron. One comic picture of me buying a coffee at a Hyatt was inexplicably done in Minecraft-style blocks.
As for the rest of the recorded memories? There are AI-made supercuts of videos, set to odd preselected music. The tone often felt generic, and the captured videos are frequently at bad angles. When I had coffee with friends, several of the clips were accidental crotch shots. Other times, faces were cut out of the picture. (Did I need to wear the pendant higher up?)
The Looki seems to take video clips but not photos automatically, which were harder to download and share with friends. Also, a lot of the captured clips were either too brief or the people in them were discussing things that nobody approved sharing in the first place. If you’re wearing a Looki, prepare to do a lot of warning, explaining and apologizing.
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Do I like having them to look over? Sort of, but so few are actually good. You can just take photos and videos when you want, rather than having the intermittently recording AI mode on. But then, if you do that, the device doesn’t feel like a true lifelog.
Sadly, a lot of the captured supercuts just showed me on my phone. Which, of course, just illustrated a sad state of my own life. I am on my phone a hell of a lot. Too much. And the comics, the autocaptures, they all tended to have at least one shot capturing me looking at my phone, since the pendant was around my neck, over and over and over.
Besides keeping these lifelog videos and autocaptures and creating comic strips, it weirdly tries to analyze meals I’ve eaten (not to any true success), and also pops occasional random notifications based on location, I think, and what the camera sees. These notifications are meant to be smart and context-aware. Sometimes they’re oddly on point (telling me I’m at AWE and reminding me of the start of the opening keynote, even though I never told it I was at AWE). Other times it just noted a store or maybe someone standing nearby. Again, like everything else the Looki does, these notifications can’t be customized at all.
As a public device, it’s embarrassing
My son has told me to take off the Looki pendant more times than I can count. My wife shamed me about my decision to wear it in a Japanese supermarket (I didn’t). People who saw it at public events, like WWDC or Google I/O, were either mildly curious or mildly offput. I awkwardly took it off a lot and stuck it in my pocket on trains, in bathrooms and, increasingly, many other places.
At a Whole Foods, someone next to me noticed it as I was shopping for chocolate bars and asked if it was recording. I explained it might be and that I test tech products for my job. They said they weren’t that upset, they knew that people are wearing cameras more and more. I didn’t believe they weren’t upset. And that reaction, too, has stuck with me. I wear smart glasses at least half the time now. Where does that put me on the socially acceptable spectrum? Don’t tell me.
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I still find smart glasses less personally embarrassing, because they look and function like actual glasses. And, in reality, Meta’s glasses very infrequently record anything. While Meta has an autocapture mode for the glasses now, running it would wear out the battery fast.
The Looki, meanwhile, does nothing at all except be a AI-enabled camera pendant on your neck. To remember to charge that up and wear it, like an odd necklace that nobody asked for… I just can’t justify it. I made myself wear it for more weeks than I thought I would. Now, it’s out of batteries and sitting in a bag somewhere. I gave up.
The Looki was really just my Memory Cartoon Generator, for the most part, as you can see from all the images I shared. They’re interesting, but I can’t choose when they happen, or how they happen. And they’re not enough to keep me wearing the Looki. As you can see above, sometimes it even captured when I went to my home bathroom. (I never kept it on in an actual public bathroom, but this is exactly the nightmare stuff that the Looki embodies.)
If devices like the Looki could be actual memory assistants, deeply aware and able to help see and guide you — Or, if they were better cameras, taking photos I’d actually use — Or, if it could hook into AI services I actually semi-trusted and recognized — well, maybe. Right now, the Looki is more like a harbinger. Of glasses that really and truly will have longer battery life, someday soon, and be able to record all day long, if intermittently. And more AI pendants.
When that day happens, then yes, maybe my glasses will truly be recording all the time. And yes, that’s concerning. But even more concerning is the lack of any tech company efforts to manage privacy and deeper control over these random AI wearables. Or to elevate them beyond just gimmicks.
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What I learned is I hit my limit. The Looki is not on me anymore. But the spirit of the Looki is everywhere else, coming fast.
Scott Stein
Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
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The European Commission has accused TikTok of falling short on protecting minors, saying the platform’s current account settings don’t meet the child safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The findings are preliminary, but if upheld, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.
Why the EU thinks TikTok isn’t doing enough
According to the Commission, TikTok allows minors to set their accounts to public, making their content visible to anyone — including people without a TikTok account. Regulators also say that content posted by older teenagers (aged 16 and 17) can still be recommended to other users through the For You feed, increasing the risk of unwanted contact, cyberbullying, or exploitation.
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The Commission argues that stronger privacy protections for children should be enabled by default, rather than relying on users to change their settings manually. It also wants content from minors’ public accounts to be visible only to approved TikTok followers instead of being accessible to a broader audience, while recommending that minors’ content should not appear in the For You feed for other users.
EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said protecting minors online should never be optional, adding that platforms are expected to build child safety into their services by design rather than offering it as an opt-in feature.
What TikTok said
TikTok has pushed back against the findings, saying it shares the Commission’s goal of protecting young users and already offers more than 50 privacy and safety features for teens. As reported by Reuters, the company notes that accounts for users under 18 are private by default, while younger teens cannot use direct messaging and their content is not recommended in the For You feed. TikTok says it will review the Commission’s findings and continue working with regulators before a final decision is reached.
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Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends
The Commission’s announcement represents preliminary findings, meaning TikTok now has the opportunity to formally respond before the EU decides whether the company has violated the DSA. If regulators remain unconvinced, they could issue a non-compliance decision along with financial penalties. The investigation is one of several ongoing DSA probes into TikTok as European regulators continue tightening oversight of how large social media platforms protect younger users online
Canon registered three new EOS R cameras. Rumours point to a retro-styled R8 II (digital AE-1), an R7 II with Canon’s first stacked APS-C sensor, and an R10 II. All expected H2 2026.
Canon has registered three new cameras with wireless certification agencies, a step that typically signals imminent announcements. Rumours point to updates across Canon’s mid-range mirrorless lineup: the EOS R8 II, EOS R7 II, and EOS R10 II. All three are expected in the second half of 2026. The most interesting is the R8 II, which may arrive in mid-September with retro styling inspired by the Canon AE-1, a legendary 1976 film SLR that turns 50 this year.
The AE-1 was one of the most popular cameras ever made, beloved by amateur photographers for its accessible design. Nikon already proved the retro-digital formula works with the Zf, and Canon has reportedly been working on a similar concept for years. The rumoured R8 II specs include a 32.5MP full-frame sensor, 40fps electronic shutter burst, in-body image stabilisation, oversampled 4K video, and two SD card slots, up from one on the original R8. Whether the retro styling is cosmetic or extends to film-style image processing modes remains unclear.
The EOS R7 II may be more significant technically. It is rumoured to feature Canon’s first stacked APS-C sensor, a design that moves circuitry behind the sensor for faster readout, enabling higher burst speeds and blackout-free viewfinder shooting. Currently, only Fujifilm’s X-H2S offers a stacked APS-C sensor. Resolution may increase from 32.5MP to 39MP. The EOS R10 II, Canon’s beginner model, is expected with improved autofocus and a deeper burst buffer but fewer dramatic changes.
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None of this is confirmed. Canon has not announced anything beyond the wireless certifications. The memory crisis has pushed component costs higher across consumer electronics, and Canon’s ability to price these cameras competitively will depend on how much the DRAM shortage has affected sensor and processing costs. Apple raised iPhone 17 prices 10% in Japan due to currency and component pressure, and camera manufacturers face the same headwinds. Three registrations in one batch suggests Canon is planning a coordinated launch, not a staggered rollout. The AE-1 anniversary gives them until the end of the year to make it count.
Electrolyte powders, dissolvable tablets, and trendy ready-to-drink waters have graduated from the pockets of athletes to one of wellness’s buzziest categories.
And it’s a crowded market, worth an estimated $39 billion globally in 2025 and forecast to double within the next decade. Much of the growth has been fueled by wellness trends and influencer-fronted hype cycles, like Prime Hydration, created by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI, which the company claimed pushed past $1 billion in sales in a single year. In other internet corners, dozens of celebrity and podcaster-adjacent brands are all promising a means of optimizing your way to hydration.
These products are marketed as daily essentials for everyone—from office workers to gym regulars—promising to combat brain fog, improve skin, banish fatigue, and aid recovery. Here’s everything you need to know about the electrolyte obsession, and when these products are actually worth buying.
What Are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are essential minerals, among them sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride, that carry an electrical charge once dissolved in fluid. That charge is what lets the body do much of its basic work, such as helping muscles and nerves work correctly. They work to ensure fluid stays balanced inside and outside every cell, as a serious imbalance can cause headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue, and weakness. In more serious cases, severe electrolyte imbalances can interfere with heart function and require medical treatment.
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Who Needs Electrolytes?
For most healthy adults, the body has been regulating electrolyte levels perfectly well long before trendy, flavored hydration sticks landed on supermarket shelves. In fact, if you eat a reasonably balanced diet and drink water when you’re thirsty, there’s a good chance you’re already getting everything you need.
The sachet earns its place in roughly three situations. Studies from the American College of Sports Medicine suggest that water alone is sufficient for exercise lasting less than an hour, but electrolytes become increasingly useful during longer sessions of prolonged, sweat-heavy exercise, particularly in high temperatures or humidity. They’re also useful for illness involving heavy fluid loss, which is why oral rehydration salts are a recognized medical treatment rather than a wellness trend. And you should also consider them during long stretches of fasting, when the food that usually supplies these minerals is absent.
Are There Natural Electrolytes?
There are many sources of electrolytes in everyday foods. If you’re eating a reasonably varied diet (fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, nuts, seeds), your electrolyte stores are continually being topped up without the need for specialist drinks or powders.
Research by the Beverage Hydration Index shows that milk-based drinks can maintain hydration for longer than plain water. The combination of protein, natural electrolytes and small amounts of fat slows the rate at which fluid leaves the stomach, helping the body retain hydration for longer. Coconut water too can replenish potassium.
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The Nutrition Source from Harvard’s School of Public Health notes that, essentially, “any beverage containing electrolyte minerals may be labeled an electrolyte drink. Some are very costly yet only contain a small amount of these nutrients, while others may contain a high amount of only one nutrient such as potassium or sodium.”
Can You Have Too Many Electrolytes?
For healthy adults, an occasional electrolyte drink is unlikely to cause harm. Daily consumption, however, can sometimes be counterproductive.
Many electrolyte products contain significant amounts of sodium, despite the fact that most populations already consume considerably more salt than recommended. The World Health Organization estimates the global average of sodium intake a day is more than double its recommended limit and roughly 1.89 million deaths a year can be linked to excess intake. Regularly adding extra sodium may not be ideal for anyone managing high blood pressure or cardiovascular risk. Some formulations also contain substantial amounts of added sugar, making them nutritionally closer to soft drinks than health products.
Anyone recovering from illness or sweating through an August shift outdoors has a fair case for supplementing. For everyone else, the best approach to hydration remains an unremarkable one. Electrolytes themselves are nonnegotiable. Electrolyte products are mostly just a lifestyle purchase.
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