JBL is doubling down on portable party speakers with a clear focus on karaoke, expanding its PartyBox lineup with the new PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus alongside the EasySing microphone ecosystem. At the center of the launch is AI-powered EasySing technology, which uses on-device processing to separate vocals from music in real time—allowing users to reduce or remove the original singer without relying on cloud services or pre-processed tracks.

The system goes beyond simple vocal stripping. JBL integrates pitch support, Voice Boost for high-frequency clarity, and built-in effects like reverb, echo, and noise suppression to create a more controlled and customizable performance. Paired with the new EasySing microphones, the platform is designed to turn any song into an instant karaoke track while keeping latency low and setup straightforward—no apps, subscriptions, or external processing required.

“As music continues to evolve, so does the way people experience it together,” said Carsten Olesen, President of Consumer Audio at HARMAN. “At JBL, we’re harnessing advanced AI technologies like real-time vocal separation and intelligent vocal enhancement to transform passive listening into shared, interactive moments. By integrating AI directly into our products, we’re creating new ways for people to connect and celebrate.”

JBL PartyBox On-the-Go 2 Plus

Designed to elevate both parties and karaoke nights, the JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus combines JBL’s signature sound and dynamic lightshow with its new EasySing AI technology. Using the JBL One app, users can adjust sound and lighting settings, while the system brings vocals forward in real time to instantly transform any track into a performance-ready experience.

Portability gets a practical upgrade with a redesigned central handle for better weight balance, along with a wider, thicker shoulder strap that makes it easier to carry between locations.

Under the hood, the speaker delivers up to 100 watts of power, driven by dual silk-dome tweeters and a 5.25-inch woofer for solid bass and clear, detailed highs. Battery life is rated at up to 15 hours, and the inclusion of a replaceable battery means it’s built for extended sessions without cutting the party short.

For even more party flexibility, the PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus is also Auracast compatible for easy multi-speaker pairing with JBL Auracast-enabled speakers

Comparison

JBL EasySing Mics & JBL EasySing Mic Mini

Pro Tip: Images and full specifications for the JBL EasySing Mic Mini were not available at the time of publication.

Expanding the EasySing ecosystem, JBL is also introducing the EasySing Mics and the EasySing Mic Mini. These AI-powered microphones integrate real-time vocal separation and enhancement into a compact, performance-ready design.

Built for flexibility, they offer users greater control over vocals with improved clarity and processing, making them a natural extension of the PartyBox experience for karaoke sessions, parties, and casual performances.

The JBL EasySing Mics provide real-time, AI-powered vocal removal from any track while maintaining clear, balanced audio. Users can adjust the level of original vocals to 25%, 50%, or fully removed, while JBL’s EasySing algorithm enhances live vocals with Voice Boost for improved high-frequency clarity, along with natural reverb, echo, and noise suppression.

The JBL EasySing Mic Mini takes a more compact approach, offering a pocket-sized solution for singing and content creation. It includes Voice Boost for high-pitch support and AI-based noise suppression to reduce background interference, making it suitable for a wider range of environments.

Setup is intentionally simple. There are no apps or complicated pairing steps—just plug the included USB-C dongle into a compatible JBL speaker and start using the microphones immediately. It’s a straightforward, wireless approach that keeps the focus on performance rather than setup.

Portability is also a priority. A compact carrying bag makes it easy to store in a pocket or small bag, while the microphone design includes a ring handle for a secure grip and a magnetic clip for hands-free use.

Each set includes two microphones, offering up to 10 hours of battery life on average and a 30-meter wireless range for duets and group performances. A USB-C dongle is also provided for seamless plug-and-play. EQ customization is provided by the JBL One App

JBL EasySing Mics are compatible with JBL PartyBox On-the-Go 2, JBL PartyBox Encore 2, JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2, JBL PartyBox Club 120, JBL PartyBox Stage 320, JBL PartyBox 520, and JBL PartyBox 720. 

JBL EasySing Mic Mini is compatible with JBL Go 5, JBL Grip, JBL Flip 7, JBL Charge 6, JBL Xtreme 5, JBL Boombox 4, and all JBL PartyBox models through Aux. (Aux cable not included.)

JBL EasySing Mic Specifications

The Bottom Line 

JBL knows exactly where this category is heading and isn’t standing still. The PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus leans hard into AI-driven karaoke with EasySing, combining real-time vocal removal, onboard vocal processing, and Auracast support into a portable speaker that’s built as much for participation as it is for playback. That’s the hook—this isn’t just background music anymore, it’s the main event. The addition of dedicated EasySing microphones pushes JBL further into a more complete ecosystem that feels purpose-built for social listening and performance.

What’s missing? This isn’t an audiophile product and doesn’t pretend to be. You won’t find high-resolution streaming features, advanced codec support, or the kind of system integration that serious hi-fi buyers expect. And if you don’t care about karaoke or AI vocal tricks, the standard PartyBox On-The-Go 2 might make more sense—and cost less—since it sticks to the basics with a traditional wireless mic.

Who is this for? Anyone who wants to turn a backyard, beach day, or living room into a low-effort karaoke setup without messing around with apps, subscriptions, or complicated gear. If your idea of a good night involves a microphone, questionable song choices, and zero patience for setup, JBL just made your life easier.

Price & Availability

• JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus comes with one EasySing Mic and is available for pre-sale for $419.95 on JBL.com with a sale date of April 12, 2026.
• JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 (without EasySing Mic and AI) – $419 at Amazon
• JBL EasySing Mics – $199 at Amazon
• JBL EasySing Mic Mini will be available for pre-sale beginning April 12, 2026, at JBL.com for $179.95 with an on-sale date of May 10, 2026.

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[Tommy] at Oskitone has been making hardware synth kits for years, and his designs are always worth checking out. His newest offering Space Dice is an educational kit that is a combination vintage sci-fi space laser sound generator, and six-sided die roller. What’s more, as a kit it represents an effort to be genuinely educational, rather than just using it as a meaningless marketing term.

There are several elements we find pretty interesting in Space Dice. One is the fact that, like most of [Tommy]’s designs, there isn’t a microcontroller in sight. Synthesizers based mostly on CMOS logic chips have been a mainstay of DIY electronics for years, as have “electronic dice” circuits. This device mashes both together in an accessible way that uses a minimum of components.

There are only three chips inside: a CD4093 quad NAND with Schmitt-trigger inputs used as a relaxation oscillator, a CD4040 binary counter used as a prescaler, and a CD4017 decade counter responsible for spinning a signal around six LEDs while sound is generated, to represent an electronic die. Sound emerges from a speaker on the backside of the PCB, which we’re delighted to see is driven not by a separate amplifier chip, but by unused gates on the CD4093 acting as a simple but effective square wave booster.

In addition, [Tommy] puts effort into minimizing part count and complexity, ensuring that physical assembly does not depend on separate fasteners or adhesives. We also like the way he uses a lever assembly to make the big activation button — mounted squarely above the 9 V battery — interface with a button on the PCB that is physically off to the side. The result is an enclosure that is compact and tidy.

We recommend checking out [Tommy]’s concise writeup on the design details of Space Dice for some great design insights, and take a look at the assembly guide to see for yourself the attention paid to making the process an educational one. We love the concept of presenting an evolving schematic diagram, which changes and fills out as each assembly step is performed and tested.

Watch it in action in a demo video, embedded just below. Space Dice is available for purchase but if you prefer to roll your own, all the design files and documentation are available online from the project’s GitHub repository.

Until the fall of the Soviet Union around 1990 you’d be forgiven as a proud Soviet citizen for thinking that the USSR’s technology was on par with the decadent West. After the Iron Curtain lifted it became however quite clear how outdated especially consumer electronics were in the USSR, with technologies like digital audio CDs and their players being one good point of comparison. In a recent video by a railways/retro tech YouTube channel we get a look at one of the earliest Soviet CD players.

A good overall summary of how CD technology slowly developed in the Soviet Union despite limitations can be found in this 2025 article by [Artur Netsvetaev]. Soviet technology was characterized mostly by glossy announcements and promises of ‘imminent’ serial production prior to a slow fading into obscurity. Soviet engineers had come up with the Luch-001 digital audio player in 1979, using glass discs. More prototypes followed, but with no means for mass-production and Soviet bureaucracy getting in the way, these efforts died during the 1980s.

During the 1980s CD players were produced in Soviet Estonia in small batches, using Philips internals to create the Estonia LP-010. Eventually sanctions on the USSR would strangle these efforts, however. Thus it wouldn’t be until 1991 that the Vega PKD-122 would become the first mass-produced CD player, with one example featured in this video.

The video helpfully includes a teardown of the player after a rundown of its controls and playback demonstration, so that we can ogle its internals. This system uses mostly localized components, with imported components like the VF display and processors gradually getting replaced over time.  The DAC and optical-mechanical assembly would still be imported from Japan until 1995 when the factory went bankrupt.

This difference between the imported and localized part is captured succinctly in the video with the comparison to Berlin in 1999, in that you can clearly see the difference between East and West. The CD mechanism is produced by Sanyo, with a Sanyo DAC IC on the mainboard. The power supply, display and logic board (using Soviet TTL ICs) are all Soviet-produced. A sticker inside the case identifies this unit as having been produced in 1994.

Amusingly, the front buttons are directly coupled into the mainboard without ESD protection, which means that in a Siberian winter with practically zero relative humidity inside you’d often fry the mainboard by merely using these buttons.

After this exploration the video goes on to explain how Soviet CD production began in the 1989, using imported technology and know-how. This factory was set up in Moscow, using outdated West-German CD pressing equipment and makes for a whole fascinating topic by itself.

Finally, the video explores the CD player’s manual and how to program the player, as well as how to obtain your own Soviet CD player. Interestingly, a former employee of the old factory has taken over the warehouse and set up a web shop selling new old stock as well as repaired units and replacement parts.

Two new models of Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses are on the way, and they’re going to be catered towards those who use prescription lenses, according to a Bloomberg report. While these are supposed to be announced next week, Bloomberg noted that these won’t be a “new generation” of Meta’s smart glasses.

You can already add prescription lenses to Meta Ray-Ban’s AI glasses, but the upcoming models will come in rectangular and rounded styles and will be sold through traditional prescription eyewear channels. Bloomberg didn’t specify how these new glasses will differ from existing options, but noted that it’s the first time Meta and Ray-Ban are releasing a pair of AI glasses specifically designed for this demographic.

The two models are likely the codenamed products Scriber and Blazer, which were first spotted by The Verge in filings with the Federal Communications Commission. The filings described the devices as production units, meaning Meta could be close to the actual product launch. Looking at the filings, it’s unlikely these upcoming prescription AI glasses will have a display like the Meta Ray-Ban Displays.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hinted at AI glasses that are meant for prescription glasses wearers in a previous earnings call. As noted by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg previously said that “billions of people wear glasses or contacts for vision correction,” adding that, “it’s hard to imagine a world in several years where most glasses that people wear aren’t AI glasses.”

Usually, when we see non-planar 3D printers, they’re rather rudimentary prototypes, intended more as development frames than as workhorse machines. [multipoleguy]’s Archer five-axis printer, on the other hand, breaks this trend with automatic four-hotend toolchanging, a CoreXY motion system, and print results as good-looking as any Voron’s.

The print bed rests on three ball joints, two on one side and one in the center of the opposite side. Each joint can be raised and lowered on an independent rail, which allows the bed to be tilted on two axes. The dimensions of the extruders their motion system limit how much the bed can be angled when the extruder is close to the bed, but it can reach sharp angles further out.

The biggest difficulty with non-planar printing is developing a slicer; [multipoleguy] is working on a slicer (MaxiSlicer), but it’s still in development. It looks as though it’s already working rather well, to the point that [multipoleguy] has been optimizing purge settings for tool changes. It seems that when a toolhead is docked, the temperature inside the melt chamber rises above the normal temperature in use, which causes stringing. To compensate for this, the firmware runs a more extensive purge when a hotend’s been sitting for a longer time. The results for themselves: a full three-color double helix, involving 830 tool changes, could be printed with as little as six grams of purge waste.

As three-axis 3D printers become consumer products, hackers have kept looking for further improvements to make, which perhaps explains the number of non-planar printing projects appearing recently, including a few five-axis machines. Alternatively, some have experimented with non-planar print ironing.

We said day two of the BGIS Grand Finals would be the day of comebacks. While we did see some amazing games from the likes of K9 and NINZ, nobody could challenge SOUL, who were undefeated from their top position. Several teams occupied the top three throughout the day, but ultimately, it was Soul, Genesis, and GodLike. The losers of today included the likes of Team Tamilas and WELT, who couldn’t get the hang of their game and strategy. Here’s what the standings look like after day two of BGIS Grand Finals.

BGIS 2026 Grand Finals Standings After Day 2

The final day of the BGIS Grand Finals awaits us tomorrow. The top three look pretty settled, but a few bad games, and we could have a new face at the top. If you missed today’s games, check out our highlights for both the first and second day.

If you’re looking to explore your creativity, there are a number of iPad apps that can help you get started. Although the iPad started off as a simple device that could be used to stream content or browse the web on the go, Apple has essentially turned its iPads into powerful machines that can be used to do things like create digital art and edit videos.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best iPad apps for creativity that are available on the App Store. 

Before we delve in, it’s worth noting that although Adobe’s creative apps are often top choices for creativity on the iPad, this list won’t include them because they are already well-known. We’re focusing instead on somewhat lesser-known apps that you’ll want to know about and try.

Lake

Not every creative app has to involve a blank page staring back at you. Lake takes a more relaxed approach, letting you digitally color hand-drawn illustrations by independent artists using more than 700 colors and a selection of brushes.

If you want to let your imagination run wild, you can also color and draw on a blank canvas. You can also jot down your thoughts in a coloring journal.

The app is great for people who are just getting started with exploring their creativity or for those who just want a moment to de-stress. You don’t have to be artistic to use it, either; there’s no penalty here for drawing outside the lines.

Lake offers free access to a limited number of illustrations. To unlock the full catalogue of illustrations and features, you’ll need to pay a $9.99 monthly subscription fee.

Procreate

Procreate is one of the most popular drawing apps for the iPad, and for good reason. The app lets you create digital paintings, sketches, and illustrations using dozens of different types of brushes. Procreate is easy to use and features built-in gesture controls, along with a simple interface. 

The app allows for high-resolution canvases up to 16K by 8K on compatible iPad Pros. It also lets you create storyboards, GIFs, animatics, and simple animations. Plus, you can import image files such as JPG, PNG, and TIFF. Procreate includes several features that are designed to help you during the creative process on your iPad, such as QuickShape, StreamLine, Drawing Assist, and ColorDrop — tools that handle the technical heavy lifting so you can focus on the fun part.

Once you’re finished creating your piece, you can relive your creative journey with the app’s time-lapse “Replay” feature — a surprisingly satisfying way to watch your work come together — and share a 30-second clip on social media.

You can access Procreate with a one-time payment of $12.99.

LumaFusion

LumaFusion is a great app for editing videos if you’re ready to graduate from iMovie. The app features numerous user-friendly features that make it perfect for aspiring videographers or indie filmmakers on a budget. 

With LumaFusion, you can create multiple layer edits with 4K ProRes and HDR media. You can add different effects, choose from dozens of transitions, and record voice-overs. The app lets you create multilayer titles and import fonts and graphics. Plus, you can fine-tune audio with Graphic EQ, Parametric EQ, Voice isolation, and more. 

The app lets you create projects with a variety of aspect ratios, including 16:9 landscape, 9:16 portrait, square, widescreen film, anamorphic, and more. 

LumaFusion is available for a one-time payment of $29.99. You can also purchase additional features, such as multicam editing and the ability to send your project to Final Cut Pro for Mac. 

Canva

Canva offers a user-friendly platform that allows anyone to create visual content, even without graphic design experience. You can use it to create presentations, infographics, videos, websites, social media posts, and more with over 250,000 templates.

Canva features tools for editing photos, personalizing content with logos and images, adding audio, and cropping and speeding up video. 

The platform also has a series of AI features that are designed to make the creation process easier. For instance, you can extend an image using “Magic Switch” or turn ideas into images with “Magic Media.”

Canva is free but offers a $12.99 monthly subscription if you want unlimited access to its AI features, premium templates, and more. 

Affinity Designer 2

Affinity Designer 2 is a graphic design app that combines vector design, pixel-based textures, and retouching into a single platform. It’s great for professional illustrators, web designers, game developers, and other creatives. 

The app lets you create illustrations, branding, logos, icons, UI/UX designs, typography, posters, labels, fliers, stickers, concept art, digital art, and more. It supports Apple Pencil’s precision, pressure sensitivity, and tilt functionality.

Affinity Designer 2 features gesture controls to speed up your workflow, and it lets you customize keyboard shortcuts. You can also do things like create your own custom font and zoom to over 1,000,000% for absolute precision. 

You can access the app through a one-time payment of $18.49. 

Concepts

Concepts is a great app for exploring your ideas and experimenting with designs. You can use the app to sketch plans, make notes and mindmaps, and draw storyboards and designs. 

The app features Nudge, Slice, and Select tools that allow you to easily change any element of your sketch without redrawing it. The app features realistic pens, pencils, and brushes that flow with pressure and tilt. 

Concepts gives you access to scale and measurement tools that calculate real-world dimensions, and also features a tool wheel or bar that you can personalize to your liking. 

The app’s basic features are free. Concepts offers a $4.99 monthly subscription if you want access to additional features, such as the ability to create your own brushes and premium editing tools.

Tayasui Sketches

Tayasui Sketches is a good, user-friendly sketching and drawing app. It has several different features such as a realistic watercolor brush, digital acrylic brushes, the ability to blend two colors to get the perfect shade, gradient and depth tools, and more.

The app lets you multitask by opening up another app and dragging lawyers and documents between the two. There’s also a “Zen Mode” that lets you create without distractions.

You can also upload your images to incorporate them into your creations. Tayasui Sketches lets you store your creations into personalized folders.

Tayasui Sketches’s basic features are free. The app offers a $2.99 monthly subscription that unlocks unlimited layers, new brushes and markers, an extended brush editor, the ability to backup your drawings, and more.

Dudel Draw

Dudel Draw is a bit different from the other apps on this list: It’s designed to unleash your creativity by giving you a new shape every day that serves as a starting point to sketch on top of.

These daily shapes vary from basic geometrical forms to more complex and abstract designs. Plus, you can explore your creativity further by choosing to view the shape from all angles with the app’s “flip” and “rotate” features.

You can also get your friends in on the creativity with some fun competition by comparing your different creations each day. Dudel Draw offers a great way to sharpen your artistic skills, challenge yourself to create something new every day, and just simply express yourself.

Dudel Draw is available for free.

Sketchbook

Sketchbook is an easy-to-use app for sketching, painting, and drawing. The idea behind the app is to make it feel like you’re drawing on paper, as the digital brushes and pens behave like the real thing.

The app’s interface is simple and lets you tuck away palettes and tools to make it easier to focus on drawing.

You can customize brushes by tweaking the size, opacity, flow, and more to align them with your personal style. There’s also a “predictive stroke” feature that helps smooth out the lines of your drawing.

Sketchbook is available for free, but you can unlock premium features for a one-time payment of $2.99. Premium features include the ability to import additional brushes and color palettes, adjust the size of your canvas after you’ve started working, export multiple canvases or an entire album as a PDF, and more.

This story was originally published in December 2024 and is updated regularly with new information.

Earlier this month, it looked like all but two of Elon Musk’s 11 co-founders at his AI startup xAI had departed the company. Now, according to Business Insider, the remaining two co-founders, Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen, have left as well.

BI said on Wednesday that Kroiss had told people that he’s leaving xAI, then reported that Nordeen left the company on Friday.

Musk recently claimed xAI “was not built right [the] first time around,” so it’s now “being rebuilt from the foundations up.” The company was recently acquired by Musk’s SpaceX, bringing SpaceX, xAI, and X (formerly Twitter) together under one corporate umbrella, all as SpaceX is reportedly planning to go public.

Kroiss and Nordeen both reported directly to Musk, according to BI, with Kroiss leading the company’s pretraining team, while Nordeen was Musk’s “right-hand operator.” Nordeen reportedly came to xAI from Tesla, and was involved in planning major layoffs at Twitter after Musk acquired the company in 2022.

TechCrunch has reached out to xAI for comment.