Tag: airpods

Posted on

Apple: Premium e-Waste and Normalizing Disposability

Let’s be frank. If I hadn’t put “Apple” in the post title, would you have clicked on it?

The reason this article is going to focus on Apple, they are the highest profile company pushing these kinds of manufacturing decisions. If you’re a fan of Apple hardware, I’m sure there will be an inclination towards defending your brand.

“Other companies are doing things like this too.”

Other companies should be criticized too.

Though, we should acknowledge that many of these companies wouldn’t be following this path without Apple. AirPods show how profitable it is to make expensive headphones as disposable as possible. Apple stands to take the lion share of the profits with this tactic. It’s my belief we should start with the largest companies, and THEN work down to smaller players copying Apple.

We should “punch up” with our criticisms. Apple is currently the king of this e-waste hill. We’ll start with them. Continue reading “Apple: Premium e-Waste and Normalizing Disposability”

Posted on

AirPods 2: Better tech, but still going to wreck your hearing…

Better Siri support! Better audio quality! An optional wireless charging case for $40!

But, I’m sad to see the same “open ear” design, which does nothing to block or reduce surrounding noise.

As rates of hearing loss continue to rise in all age demographics (but fastest in kids in young adults), it’s always worth pushing back against a fashion trend, and sharing good data with people you care about.

Even though they look ridiculous, and will make you go deaf sooner, it’s pretty likely that the AirPods2 will be one of the most popular wireless headphone solutions of the year. If that’s the case, we can at least share tips and tricks on how to use these earbuds (and Apple’s wired EarPods, and Google’s lame PixelBuds) as safely as possible. I made a video on setting volume limits in iOS, to show where those volume and normalizing settings live on your iPhone.

And for more information on hearing loss, please check out my interview with Dr. Alison Grimes, head of Audiology at UCLA.

Remember, once you damage your ears, they never really fully heal or recover. Even if your hearing is already damaged, it can always get worse. And, while BT headsets are relatively cheap and convenient, hearing aids often cost around $5000 a pair, and usually aren’t covered by insurance.

Listen healthier. Listen happier.

Proudly powered by WordPress