Tech / Technology

Best headphones for under £50

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The best cheap headphones from top brands like Sony and Corsair.
Back of man's head listening to headphones

A good set of headphones are an absolute necessity in this increasingly noisy world. There are few greater pleasures than sticking on a set of headphones and losing yourself in great-sounding tunes. Now helped by the endless playlist on your phone.

Not only is this a tried and tested method of relaxing, it’s also pretty effective at blocking out everything that’s going on around you.

The prospect of living in your own little sound bubble is pretty appealing, and it needn’t cost a fortune. You don’t need to be loaded to get access to the best tech. There are lots of great budget headphones available. If you need some help choosing a pair, here’s some useful information to get you started.

What are the best headphone brands?

You can pick and choose from a wide selection of devices and a lengthy list of brands. You’ve almost certainly heard of Bose, Sony, and Apple, but there are lots of lesser known brands to consider as well.

Sticking to the top brands definitely has its advantages. You’re taking less of a risk by investing in one of the bigger names, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the way to go. You can often find much better value by looking at some of the smaller brands, and you don’t need to sacrifice comfort, style, or sound quality.

What features should you consider when shopping for headphones?

You might be surprised at all the features included with modern headphones — even at a budget price point. Here are some key things to consider:

  • Bluetooth — This allows you to connect to your phone or music-playing device wirelessly. It’s fairly standard with up-to-date headphones but usually for convenience rather than sound quality. Wired headphones are still the best for audio aficionados.

  • Sound quality — Serious audiophiles might want to spend a bit more to get the richest, expertly engineered sound. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get great sound for a low price. Look out for reviews that credit the lows, mids, and highs (these describe the different frequencies of music). Also, look for headphones with drivers of 50mm and under. Drivers are bits of internal tech which convert electronic signals into sound.

  • Microphone — It’s the age of connectivity and most headphones will connect to your phone and allow you make calls via an internal mic, built into the headset or the cable.

  • Manual controls — Many headphones include buttons on the headset for manually controlling the volume, playback, or making calls. Sounds simple, right? Not entirely. Be sure the controls are easy to access and are easy to differentiate from each other.

  • Closed-back/open-back — Closed back headphones have completely sealed ear cups, which direct sound to your ears and keeps out ambient noise. Open-back headphones let air into the ear cup but can cause sound leakage that goes both ways — both in and out. Expensive headphones sometimes have open backs for clearer, natural sound. But closed-back are the go-to choice for commuting and noisy environments.

  • Noise cancelling — Much like it sounds, this is a feature that cancels out ambient and surrounding noise to create a completely immersive experience. Some headphones are built to physically keep out noise. Others include specific tech that further cancels it out. That’s called “active noice cancellation” (ANC).

Keep these features in mind when shopping around for your next set of headphones.

What are the most comfortable headphones?

This is down to personal preference and — of course — what best fits your head size and shape. Some headphones are designed with comfort in mind, with padded ear cups or adjustable headband for getting the fit just right. Others are made with practicality in mind, and may fold up for added portability.

What are the best headphones for under £50?

Listen up, because we’ve done all the hard work and tracked down some of the best very headphone options for under £50. This list includes some names you probably don’t know, some budget models from the biggest brands, and everything in between. There really is something for everyone in this list. Just select the set that best fits your listening and lifestyle habits. Sounds good, right?

These are the best headphones for under £50 in 2023.

Tech / Technology

Best kitchen deal: Ryori 8-inch chef knife for $90

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The Ryori 8-inch chef knife is currently on sale for for $89.99. That’s 70% off its normal price of $299.99.
The 8-inch Ryori knife laying on a cutting board while surrounded by lemons, onions, and other foods

TL;DR: As of October 28, you can get your very own Ryori™ 8-inch chef knife for $89.99 instead of $299.99 — which is a savings of 70%.

It’s never too early to start shopping for holiday gifts. Even though the holidays are still a month or two away, getting a head start gives you enough time to think of meaningful gifts to give loved ones.

If there’s someone in your life who loves cooking or meal prepping, consider getting them this Ryori™ 8-inch chef knife that’s currently $89.99, down from its retail price of $299.99.

Quality craftsmanship, precision, and culinary delight

The Ryori™ 8-inch chef knife is crafted with 37 layers of nitrogen-cooled stainless steel, increasing its strength and durability for chopping whatever is on the cutting board — thick meats, crisp vegetables, or delicate fruits and herbs. This versatility makes the knife suitable for everyday use, resulting in a practical and thoughtful gift.

You’re also gifting an overall better cooking experience. The Ryori™ knife is hand-sharpened by master chefs in Japan and has a blade edge angle of 15º. That makes for a razor-sharp knife that can make meal prep and cooking more efficient and, therefore, more enjoyable. 

A thoughtful, practical gifting option

While the Ryori™ knife is designed for long-term use, taking proper care of it can extend its lifespan significantly. Some knife care tips include hand-washing only, using only wood or plastic cutting boards, storing them properly, and giving them regular sharpening. Make your gift more meaningful by adding a sharpener, storage display, or cutting board set.

Check off shopping for someone special with this thoughtful, practical gift idea: The Ryori™ 8-inch chef knife for $89.99 (reg. $299.99).

Prices subject to change.


A close-up of the Ryori knife's details, like its handle and blade designs

Credit: Ryori


Ryori 8-inch chef knife

$89.99 at the Mashable Shop

Tech / Technology

NYT ‘Connections’ hints and answers for October 28: Tips to solve ‘Connections’ #139.

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Connections is a New York Times word game that’s all about finding the “common threads between words.” How to solve the puzzle.
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for October 28’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: The five senses

  • Green: Movie shopping montage

  • Blue: Brown-nose

  • Purple: Types of Moons

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Senses

  • Green: Appearance

  • Blue: “Agree!”

  • Purple: ___Moon

SEE ALSO:

Wordle today: Here’s the answer and hints for October 28

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #139 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Sense: SIGHT, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH

  • Appearance: DRESS, LOOK, MANNER, STYLE

  • “Agree!”: DITTO, LIKEWISE, SAME, SECOND

  • ___Moon: BLUE, HARVEST, NEW, SAILOR

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday’s Connections.

Tech / Technology

Best wireless headphones for TV in 2023 (UK)

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The best wireless headphones for watching TV, including popular models from top brands like Sony and Bose.
Wireless headphones

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

There’s no doubt that watching TV is one of the all-time great hobbies. Who doesn’t love a good session in front of the box after a hard day’s work? But sometimes your home life can get in the way of your TV time. So, if you’re a proud TV addict, you need a pair of good headphones.

You might live in a busy household where people are constantly in and out, playing loudly around you, or are working on their own activities and hobbies. Simply put, your family or housemates might annoy the hell out of you when you’re trying enjoy your latest Netflix obsession. Or maybe you annoy them with your loud TV watching.

Thank goodness, then, for wireless headphones. Wireless headphones make it possible to fully immerse into a show or movie without bothering people around you.

Do you need headphones for watching TV?

Reasons for having headphones for the TV can vary. Perhaps viewers are hard of hearing, or maybe you don’t want to disturb everyone else in the house. In the day and age of everyone having different devices — often in the same room — it makes sense to have headphones for the TV. Even if you’re not using them all the time. And, hey, there’s always the option of getting a pair that double up for TV and everyday use.

What should you look for when buying headphones for the TV?

Sound is important when you’re buying any pair of headphones, but if you’re buying specifically for watching TV, you’ll need to consider the sort of things you’ll be watching. Will you need heavy bass for the rumbling carnage of action movies? Or nuanced detail for quieter, pensive moments? Or maybe all-round, un-fussy performance for casually watching sport and comedy?

If you’re relaxing in front of the TV, chances are you don’t want to actually be connected to the TV — what you need are wireless headphones.

What’s best, Bluetooth or radio frequency technology?

Most wireless headphones are Bluetooth-enabled, the standard technology these days for hooking your headphones to a smart device. It might be standard, but this is not necessarily the best tech for wirelessly watching TV. There might be some lag between what you’re watching on the screen and what you hear in your headphones, which means the picture and sound might be slightly out of sync. Bluetooth is a good option for podcasts or music on your smartphone or laptop, but it’s not always the best for watching TV.

Believe it or not, headphones that use old school radio frequency technology (RF) are excellent for watching TV because lag or latency is minuscule and virtually seamless between picture and audio. This doesn’t mean there aren’t good Bluetooth options out there, but it’s something to consider when shopping.

What are Bluetooth codecs?

If you do want to buy a Bluetooth-enabled set of headphones, check out which codecs they support. These encode and decode digital audio signals. Codecs decode at a specific bitrate, which determines whether the headphones have a high or low latency (AKA lag), which is measured in milliseconds. High latency means your picture and sound may be out of sync.

Look out for headphones with low latency that support Qaulcomm’s aptX codecs, which are generally rated as the best codecs for streaming video content or hooking up to a TV.

Do you need noise cancelling headphones to watch TV?

Ultimately, it’s down to personal preference but if you want a totally immersive experience, noise cancelling headphones will block out the world and put you right at the centre of a movie or show.

There are two kinds of noise cancellation — passive and active noise cancelling. Passive noise cancellation is achieved by the design and build of the headphones, which physically block out noise. Active noise cancellation (usually called ANC) uses a system of small microphones which pick up incoming sounds and create anti-noise sound waves to cancel them out.

What are the best headphones for watching TV?

If that seems like a lot of information to take in, don’t worry, because we’ve scoured the reviews and have come up with a list of your best options for watching TV. We’ve lined up all the best wireless headphones for watching your favourite show or movie, including popular devices from top brands like Sony and Bose.

There should be something for everyone and every budget in this list. We recommend taking your time and considering everything that has made the cut. Weigh these headphones up against your priorities and a favourite should emerge.

These are the best wireless headphones for watching TV in 2023.

Tech / Technology

Language learning deal: Get Rosetta Stone for $160

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Get a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone and Stack Skills and learn any language or career-changing skill, now just $160.
person using tablet

TL;DR: As of October 27, get lifetime subscriptions to Rosetta Stone and StackSkills for just $159.97 — usually $749.

Personal growth is all the rage — and we are here for it. Many people are taking action and learning something that’s been a lifelong dream. If learning a new language is one of yours, this learning bundle could be just the thing to kickstart that journey.

This lifetime learning subscription bundle features all-language access to Rosetta Stone for life, as well as lifetime access to StackSkills to boost up an array of skills you’d like to focus on. And the two lifetime subscriptions are just one exclusive price of $159.97 (reg. $749) with code ROSETTA through October 31.

Rosetta Stone is a pioneer in language learning at home. Trusted for nearly 30 years by names like NASA, Rosetta Stone aims to have you speaking, writing, and reading like a natural quickly and easily using its intuitive, immersive training method. Start learning vocabulary via images and step up to interactive lessons utilizing Rosetta’s speech-recognition technology to help you speak the language the way it was meant to be expressed.

Learn essential conversational topics like shopping, ordering, and taking a taxi, which will help you build your confidence and allow you to converse if you plan to travel. And you can do it in all 24 of the Rosetta Stone languages — including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin, and more.

The other half of this bundle is lifetime access to StackSkills, which is a platform for learning many of today’s hottest skills. From finance to marketing, IT, and design, try your hand at over 1,000 courses taught by some top-rated web instructors. And the best part is that over 50 classes are added each month.

Lean into the personal growth movement with this diverse, exciting, and exclusive bundle while it’s on sale ahead of the holidays.

Get a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone and StackSkills for just $159.97 (reg. $749) when you use code ROSETTA at checkout until October 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Prices subject to change.


A Rosetta Stone and Stack Skills infographic.

Credit: Rosetta Stone


The Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle ft. Rosetta Stone

$159.97 at the Mashable Shop