Blogroll

Many Android apps need internet access. Lots don't, but connect anyway. By installing a firewall app on my Pixel, I was able to lock down more than a dozen apps. It brings a big privacy boost as well as data and battery savings. And it's surprisingly simple to set up.

We've all heard that 5GHz Wi-Fi is better, so the logical conclusion would be to just let everything use 5GHz, right? Nope. Not so much.

TikTok has paused a test of a dating feature that put singles in live chats, Business Insider reported.

Over the past week, TikTok tested the tool, which was in a section of the app called "hangout." Users were invited to join chat rooms with "great people" or "awesome people to meet," according to Business Insider. The chatrooms ranged from unrelated to dating to more sexual in nature, like a chatroom for lesbians looking for "big beautiful women."

SEE ALSO: TikTok withheld a safety feature from 15 million users, report says

A TikTok spokesperson told Business Insider that the app wouldn't recommend dating livestreams to users unless they'd already followed the host creator. TikTok livestreams can only be hosted by users over 18, according to the app's community guidelines, and the app won't recommend "restricted content" to teens under 18.

The spokesperson also told Business Insider the test was seen by a subset of users in the U.S. and a few other markets, but it's now paused, as is a broader test of the "hangout" social livestreaming section.

Like other social media apps (like then-Twitter), TikTok isn't an explicit dating app, but people have found love therege despite this. Meta was the first social media giant to formally enter the dating app scene with Facebook Dating, which apparently has over 20 million users.

Editor's note (Aug. 6, 2026): Sydney Towle died on Aug. 5, 2026, at the age of 26, after living with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer she documented with extraordinary honesty on TikTok. We are leaving this June profile largely unchanged to reflect the community she built and the impact she had on more than 1.1 million followers. You can read Mashable's obituary honoring Towle and her legacy here.

Sydney Towle has built a large online community by documenting living with cancer in real time. The 26-year-old creator, who lives in New York, shares candid TikTok videos about undergoing treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer that typically affects people decades older than she was when she was diagnosed at 23.

Towle’s account has grown to over 1 million followers on TikTok, where viewers follow her updates on chemotherapy treatments, clinical trials, and the emotional realities of navigating illness as a young adult. Her videos often move between the everyday and the existential: hospital visits, walks through the city, and reflections on fear, fatigue, and what it means to live with uncertainty and feel like you're not in control of your own life.

SEE ALSO: Sydney Towle, who documented her cancer journey for 1.1 million TikTok followers, dies at 26

Unlike many social media narratives about illness that emphasize constant optimism, Towle’s posts frequently acknowledge the more complicated emotional terrain of treatment. In recent videos, she has spoken openly about the psychological disorientation that can accompany chemotherapy and the challenge of processing life events while going through treatment.

That openness has turned her account into more than a personal diary. In the comments, followers share their own diagnoses, stories about loved ones with cancer, or messages of support, transforming her page into a kind of digital support network.

As more people turn to social media for connection around health experiences, Towle’s videos show how creators can reshape how illness is discussed online.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Are you considering dual booting Linux and Windows? Do you want to play it safe and avoid potential pitfalls before diving in? After a decade of breaking and fixing my multi-boot setups, I've compiled seven crucial truths that nobody tells you about dual booting.

Microsoft Publisher, the classic app behind countless newsletters, flyers, brochures, and church bulletins, is about to reach the end of the road. If you still have years of .pub files sitting on your computer, now is the time to check what you need to save before Microsoft retires the app.

In an era when everything feels spendy, we're looking for ways to keep costs low. At the same time, life has essentials that come with steep prices.

A phone, for example, is something most of us can't live without but comes with a high upfront cost. Instead of worrying about the upfront cost, T-Mobile is offering a new way to get a phone in hand without spending a lot of money.

Opens in a new window Credit: T-Mobile T-Mobile EIP Flex 36   Shop Now

The new T-Mobile EIP Flex 36 financing option means you can leave with a new phone while paying $0 out of pocket. Plus, it comes with 0% APR during its launch for well-qualified customers. You can select EIP Flex 36 at checkout to see the full breakdown of device costs, taxes, and fees, including what's due at checkout and what the monthly payments will amount to. The payment plans cover a 36-month period, lowering payments to make bills more manageable.

The EIP Flex 36 plan applies not only to phones but also to watches and tablets. Well-qualified customers can snag the new lineup of Samsung Galaxy devices thanks to the new T-Mobile program.

SEE ALSO: Amazon is giving away $100 gift cards with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 — offer ends tonight

Depending on qualification status and grabbing the initial 0% APR offer, customers are in line for a no "catch" offer, but simply paying off a device over 36 months instead of one initial lump sum. T-Mobile mentions that qualification depends on your credit, and APR rates range from 0% to 24%.

For those who've been eyeing a new phone but have been concerned about the initial costs, check out the new T-Mobile EIP Flex 36 financing program. We also have the new Apple Upgrade program to help ease cost pain.

As a cinephile who loves to spend time at movie theaters, I have to admit that the in-home viewing experience has dramatically improved. I'm so impressed when I see how people transform their spaces into legitimate screening rooms with reclining seats, pristine surround sound, and professional lighting. However, the TV itself remains the most essential part of a successful watch party.

Sydney Towle, the TikTok creator who spent the past three years documenting her battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer for a community of 1.1 million followers, has died. She was 26.

Towle's death was announced Thursday in a video posted to her TikTok account by her older brother, Austin, one day after she died. "She fought really hard, and we're so proud of her," he said, thanking the millions of people who had followed her journey and supported their family throughout her illness. Towle's mother added, "We love you, and thank you for all of your kind messages of support and love... She will not be forgotten."

For the past month and a half, Towle had remained hospitalized while undergoing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy, an experimental form of immunotherapy she hoped would slow the progression of her cancer. Just days before her death, Austin shared that she had entered hospice care after exhausting available treatment options.

Towle was just 23 when she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer that is typically diagnosed in much older adults. Rather than retreat from public view, she chose to document nearly every stage of her experience online.

Over the next three years, her TikTok account became an unusually candid record of living with serious illness. She shared chemotherapy appointments, surgeries, clinical trials, emergency hospital visits, and difficult conversations with doctors. But she also documented the moments that could have belonged to any twentysomething: walks through New York City, spontaneous dance parties in her apartment, afternoons with friends, getting dressed for the day, and reflecting on the future she was still trying to imagine.

SEE ALSO: Sydney Towle is living with cancer, one TikTok video at a time

Unlike many social media narratives about illness that emphasize relentless positivity or triumphant recovery, Towle's videos often embraced something more complicated. She spoke openly about exhaustion, anxiety, and the psychological toll of treatment while still allowing herself to hope for better days. The words Towle returned to most often — "Just keep swimming" and "Today's a great day to have a great day" — became more than personal mottos. They became the language of the community she built, repeated by followers to encourage her through every setback and, after her death, to comfort one another.

Even after doctors told her earlier this year they wanted to transition her to end-of-life care, Towle sought a second opinion and continued pursuing treatment, sharing each step of the process with her audience.

That openness transformed her account into something larger than a personal diary. The comments beneath Towle's videos became a gathering place for people living with cancer, survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, and strangers who simply cared. Followers shared their own diagnoses, celebrated clean scans together, mourned difficult updates, and offered encouragement after every appointment.

The impact of that community extended far beyond TikTok. Earlier this year, Mashable recognized Towle as a Mashable 101 nominee, honoring creators shaping internet culture through authenticity and connection.

During the past month, as Towle remained hospitalized receiving TIL cell therapy, the community waited anxiously for every update. Videos from her hospital room drew millions of views as viewers hoped the treatment might offer the breakthrough she had spent years searching for.

Towle often described her platform not as a place to inspire people, but as a way to tell the truth about what it was like to be a young adult navigating a terminal illness. In doing so, she showed that living with cancer isn't a single story of perseverance or tragedy, but an ongoing reality filled with uncertainty, humor, disappointment, joy, and ordinary life.

Her impact extended beyond awareness of cholangiocarcinoma. She showed what social media can look like when vulnerability becomes a form of community, creating a space where people facing some of life's hardest moments could feel less alone.

On Thursday, the community Towle spent three years building gathered one last time, offering condolences and sharing the many ways she had changed their lives.

Towle's diagnosis brought people to her page. The life she chose to share with them is what they'll remember.

The overwhelming consensus is that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the most exciting Samsung foldable in years. Its passport shape makes it very pocketable, but that new form factor comes in at around $2,000. If you're curious about this new shape, you can give it a shot today for a third of the price of existing book-style foldable phones.

SAVE $200: As of Aug. 6, the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station is on sale for $1,498.99, down from $1,699. That's a savings of 12% or $200.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Apex 300 $1,498.99 at Amazon
$1,699 Save $200.01   Get Deal

If you're in the market for a power station that can do a whole lot more than just charge your phone and laptop, the Bluetti Apex 300 is one of our top picks. And it's currently $200 cheaper than usual.

As of Aug. 6, the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $1,498.99. That's a 12% price drop from its typical cost of $1,699.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

While it is technically portable, the Apex 300 weighs in at around 84 pounds. So, as Mashable's reviewer writes, "It’s certainly not something you want to move around often, honing in that the Apex 300 is ideal for RV trips, van life, off-grid homes, or for whole-home backup." It also offers 2,764.8Wh of power capacity and 3,840W total output. That's enough to power full-size refrigerators and AC units. In other words, for your run-of-the-mill camping trip, it's probably overkill.

Not only is the Apex 300 one of Mashable's favorite power stations overall, but it was also named as one of Time Magazine's best inventions last year. It features four standard AC outlets, plus two more robust ones, and a toggle that lets you switch the voltage between 120V and 240V. With its massive expansion capability, you can add to it to build a system that can run your entire household during outages.

It's still quite the investment, but for a limited time, the Bluetti Apex 300 is $200 cheaper at Amazon.

TL;DR: Bogg launched its first-ever NYC-inspired collection today. The Checker Out Collection features checkered totes, crossbodies, pouches, and playful charms inspired by New York staples like pizza, coffee cups, taxis, hot dogs, MetroCards, and the iconic "Have a Nice Day" bodega bag.

Bogg is bringing a little New York energy to its latest collection. The brand's first-ever NYC-themed drop celebrates the city’s most recognizable symbols with playful accessories, including checkered bags and charms. The Checker Out Collection pairs Bogg’s signature checkered bags with a playful lineup of charms that are inspired by the city's staples.

Here's a breakdown of some of the standouts from the collection:

Checkered Out Bags Opens in a new window Credit: Bogg Original Bogg Bag $100 at Bogg
  Shop Now

The centerpiece of the collection, Bogg’s signature tote gets a New York-inspired checkered makeover while keeping the features fans already love. The washable, durable bag is built for beach days, travel, and everyday errands, with a tip-proof design that helps it stay upright and two clear insert bags for keeping smaller essentials organized.

It comes in three sizes, OG ($100), Baby ($80), and Bitty ($60), with colorways including Camel/Hot Cocoa and Coconut/In the Forest.

Credit: Bogg Bodega Charm Collection Opens in a new window Credit: Bogg Bodega Charm Collection Starting from $15 Shop Now

This is where the NYC theme really shines. You can customize your bag with charms inspired by everyday city staples, including a pizza box, Bogg Bodega bag, “Have a Nice Day” bag, hot dog, taxi, Big Apple, Cord Bow, Cord Ball, and NY Coffee Cup Bevy.

For New Yorkers, former New Yorkers, and anyone who loves the city’s little details, it’s a fun way to bring some NYC personality along. Shop the Bogg Checker Out Collection for a little bodega-inspired twist.

TL;DR: 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores nationwide are running a handful of back-to-school food deals through late August, including $3 quesadillas at Laredo Taco Company, buy-one-get-one-free breakfast wraps at Speedy Café, and $1 glazed donuts for rewards members.

Summer's winding down, backpacks are getting packed, and somewhere a parent is already dreading the 6 a.m. scramble to get everyone fed and out the door. 7-Eleven's got a few deals to help with that at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations nationwide.

Here's what's on the table:

$3 quesadillas

Through Aug. 7, participating Laredo Taco Company restaurants are slinging $3 quesadillas all day long — flour tortilla, melted Monterey and Colby Jack, and your pick of protein. There's no limit, so it works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Biscuit combos, starting at $3

Raise the Roost has a new breakfast value menu running through Aug. 25. Pick from a $3 Sausage Biscuit with hash browns, two Chicken Biscuits for $5, or two Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuits for $7.

BOGO breakfast wraps

Through Aug. 25, Speedy Café is running buy-one-get-one-free on its grilled breakfast wraps. Pick between Bacon Egg and Cheese or Sausage Egg and Cheese, and get a second one free.

$1 glazed donuts

If you're a 7Rewards or Speedy Rewards member, glazed donuts from the 7-Eleven Bakery are just $1 through Aug. 25. Easy win.

Offer windows and participation vary by location, so double-check with your local store before you build your whole morning around a $3 quesadilla.

Do you understand quantum parallel repetition? What about quantum complexity, lattice cryptography, or extremal combinatorics?

The new OpenAI model Astra knows all about them.

Recently, OpenAI confirmed the existence of Astra, calling it "our next major model." Over the weekend, the ChatGPT-maker revealed that "an internal version of Astra" solved 10 major open math problems, some of which have been unresolved for decades. This follows OpenAI's earlier AI-generated disproof of the Erdős unit distance conjecture, another major math accomplishment.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

What do we know about OpenAI Astra?

Precious little, so far. Besides its internal name, Astra, and the fact that it's currently in testing to become OpenAI's next major model, the company has released few concrete details. At this point, it's unclear if Astra will be released as GPT-5.7, the beginning of GPT-6, or something else entirely.

(The company has also so far declined to answer our questions about Astra, but we'll update this story if we receive more information.)

However, we can make some deductions based on OpenAI's recent blog post, "Ten advances in mathematics and theoretical computer science." We also talked to a mathematician about what the company's results mean for the future of AI and science — and what it doesn't mean — which we will explore shortly.

Bleeping Computer recently described Astra as "a powerful model that allows AI agents to collaborate on different parts of a larger problem." That suggests it's designed for agentic work and can "tackle complex, long-running tasks," also per Bleeping Computer.

For now, it's also safe to say that OpenAI's new Astra model has made significant advances in science and mathematics.

New Anthropic and OpenAI models are really good at coding and math

Earlier this year, Anthropic announced that its unreleased Mythos model was so good at hacking that it was too dangerous to release to the public. At the time, we questioned this narrative, as the company's warnings effectively doubled as PR for itself. However, there's no denying that the latest frontier models from Anthropic and OpenAI have gotten remarkably good at cybersecurity coding and discovering zero-day bugs.

More recently, OpenAI and Anthropic have shown progress on research-level mathematics as well.

First, OpenAI released a disproof of the aforementioned Erdos unit-distance conjecture in May. Then, an Anthropic-linked mathematician casually announced that he used Fable 5 to disprove the Jacobian Conjecture, one of the infamous Smale's problems in mathematics. Now, OpenAI has announced that Astra solved 10 more open problems in mathematics.

It's a potentially paradigm-shifting moment, though this is hardly proof that artificial general intelligence or the singularity is nigh.

First, most of these math accomplishments take the form of disproofs and counterexamples, which aren't as impressive as positive proofs that greatly expand our understanding of the universe, like, say, Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's Theorem.

When Fable 5 disproved the Jacobian Conjecture, I spoke to Columbia professor Andrew Blumberg, who is also on the board of directors of the First Proof project, which tested the capabilities of frontier large language models in solving research-level mathematics.

At the time, he told me that Fable 5's feat "did not cause me to update my priors about what AI can and can't do." Blumberg added, "This is exactly the kind of thing I would expect AI to be able to do. If there was a counterexample that was concise and easy to state that people haven't found because it's a pain to search through all this stuff, AI will find it."

Ultimately, Blumberg said that Fable 5's counterexample to the Jacobian Conjecture didn't necessarily teach us anything new or exciting about the world, even though it is very impressive.

I went back to Blumberg to ask about OpenAI's latest work, and he said his priors still haven't changed — AI is a very useful tool for advanced science, but this doesn't suggest AI is ready to replace human scientists and mathematicians.

"If you look at what these are, they're pretty short. They are either counterexamples or they are small, extremely clever constructions that build on known things, and it's super cool, right? I want to be clear: If a person had done many of these things, that person would be justly lauded for their achievement, and so [this work is] great, but they don't change my priors."

And, as many people have pointed out (including, most recently, data scientist Nate Silver), we have to put these results in perspective. While OpenAI was keen to point out that these problems were solved with just $2,000 worth of tokens, that doesn't account for the trillions spent on AI technology in recent years.

"When you hear about the amount of money that's being poured into these machines, and you think about what it would be like if we spent a trillion dollars on hiring and training mathematicians and paying the best mathematicians football players' salaries to do nothing but solve these problems, I think we'd see a shitload of progress," Blumberg told Mashable.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

At the same time, the prospect of Astra-level models being in the hands of every scientist, physicist, and mathematician on Earth is exciting.

When will GPT Astra be released?

That's hard to say, but we can make an educated guess.

First, the White House is reportedly close to finalizing a voluntary AI framework for testing new frontier models before they're released publicly. OpenAI is very likely to adhere to these guidelines. And if Astra is deemed to have dangerous capabilities like Claude Mythos, then a safe-for-public-consumption version would need to be developed as well.

However, The Information recently reported that OpenAI is actively previewing Astra in Washington, D.C., so this process is likely already underway.

However, let's look again at how OpenAI described Astra: "The results were achieved by an internal version of Astra, our next major model." (Emphasis added.)

Major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have been releasing major updates to their models every few months, with entirely new model families coming out every one to two years. GPT-5 was introduced in August of 2025, which means we're due for GPT-6 any time now.

Presumably, if Astra is already generating major results in math, it's pretty far along in testing.

I'm speculating, but I'd be surprised if we don't see Astra by the end of the year.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SAVE UP TO 40%: T-Mobile's Student Perks plans start at $30/month, with tiers up to $80/month for more data and perks. Bundle any tier with 5G Home Internet for another $30/month.

Opens in a new window Credit: T-Mobile T-Mobile: Student Perks Wireless plans for eligible college students start from $30/month Get Deal

Back-to-school season means back-to-school bills, but T-Mobile's trying to take a little pressure off.

The carrier just launched Student Perks, a new set of discounted wireless plans built for eligible college and grad students — letting you get your own line (or split one with a roommate or partner) without paying full price. There are three tiers to choose from:

• Essentials Saver — $30/month with AutoPay
  Unlimited talk, text, and data at the lowest price point. No streaming or upgrade perks bundled in — this is the bare-bones option.

• Experience More — $65/month with AutoPay
  Same reliable service, but with streaming thrown in — Netflix is free with standard ads, and Apple TV is just $3/month if you want it.

• Experience Beyond — $80/month with AutoPay
  The all-in option. You get Netflix and Hulu both included free, Apple TV for just $3/month, and the 5-Year Price Guarantee — basically the fullest lineup of streaming and travel perks T-Mobile offers.

Pair any Student Perks plan with T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet for just another $30/month — $5 cheaper than T-Mobile's standard bundle discount. All three tiers also include:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays

• T-Mobile Work Perks

• 12 months free DashPass by DoorDash (redeem within 30 days of activation)

• $100 referral bonus (up to $500/year) for referring friends

Before you sign up:

• You'll need to verify student eligibility within 45 days of signing up, and T-Mobile can ask you to re-verify later — if you don't, your plan reverts to standard Essentials Saver pricing (up to $20/line more per month).

• AutoPay is required for the listed pricing; skip it, and you'll pay more per line.

• The $30/month home internet bundle credit is a limited-time offer and is subject to change.

• Regulatory fees and surcharges apply in addition to the listed prices.

Ready to pick your plan? Head to T-Mobile's Student Perks page to explore all three tiers and find the one that fits your semester (and your wallet) best.

We're always looking for new and inventive ways to hit you with big savings on popular items. We cover hundreds of deals every month. You can find these deals on site, on socials, and on our newsletter. We've also launched a Mashable Deals text group. The daily deals that we send to this group are researched and assessed by the team with the same level of care that we dedicate to the rest of our shopping content.

You can find a live hub for those deals right here.

It's that time of the week again, the time when I show you some fun Raspberry Pi projects to tackle before Monday arrives. This weekend, I'm showcasing how to build a custom photo frame with Immich, how to simplify your Docker setup, and how to build a whole-home dashboard.

Milwaukee makes some of the best cordless power tools, and they come in all sorts of sizes. Sometimes, you don't need a large powerful tool, and instead, something a little smaller that's easy to use around the house. Whether you're short on space or don't want to buy huge tools, here are some tiny Milwaukee tools that are good enough for any job.

Robert Pattinson hits the Primetime in A24's latest thriller, playing investigative journalist and TV presenter Chris Hansen, host of the notorious Dateline series To Catch a Predator in the mid-2000s.

Directed by Lance Oppenheim (Some Kind of Heaven), Primetime explores Hansen's mission to make the controversial true crime NBC show, one Jimmy Kimmel once referred to as "Punk'd for pedophiles." Hansen's team deployed undercover reporting, decoy actors, and hidden surveillance cameras to expose — and assist in arresting — men soliciting sex with minors through chatrooms online. Hansen worked with police and online watchdog group Perverted Justice to confront accused sexual predators on camera — and ratings soared.

Pattinson joins a talented cast with Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers in her acting debut.

Primetime will hit cinemas Sept. 25 after its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.

Few names in headphones are as iconic as the Bose QuietComfort line, and as of Aug. 6, a new addition to it is here.

The Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones come with a new design, upgraded noise cancellation, and audio features, all for the same price as the first generation headphones — $359. The headphones are available to preorder as of Aug. 8 on Bose's website and will be widely available on Aug. 13.

My testing unit of the new headphones is on the way, but ahead of preorders opening, I've gathered everything you need to know about Bose's latest headphones launch.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) $359 at Bose
  Learn More Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) at a glance In addition to the classic black and white headphones, the second-gen Bose QuietComforts will come in a two-toned mint, mauve, and green colorway. Credit: Bose Specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes, with manual adjustment available

• Microphones: Six

• Lossless playback: Wired USB-C audio up to 24bit/48kHz

• Equalizer: Three-band custom equalizer

• Spatial audio: Bose TrueSpatial technology with Immersive Audio modes for Still, Motion, and Cinema

• Battery life: 24 hours per charge (18 hours with Immersive Audio)

• Quick charge: 15-minute charge for 2.5 hours of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.4

• Multipoint: Yes

• Weight: 0.5 pounds

• Colors: Black, white smoke, eucalyptus green*, dewdrop mint*, rosewood mauve* (*limited edition colors)

Price

The second generation Bose QuietComfort headphones will retail for $359, putting them at the same price point as the first gen QuietComforts. If you're looking for an even more affordable option, the older headphones are often on sale for under $300.

This also puts them at a considerably cheaper price point than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), which cost $449, and have been our pick over the standard QuietComfort headphones due to their slightly better comfort, presence of spatial audio, and slightly better ANC. With improvements on all three coming on the second gen QC headphones, it will be interesting to see how wide the gap remains between the two options.

What's new with the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones?

The Mashable team loves the Bose QuietComfort headphones. Lead Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino calls them her "go-to headphones for everything," praising their solid ANC, rich sound quality, and incredibly comfortable design that's glasses and earrings-friendly. She also appreciates the tactile on-ear controls that are intuitive and way more reliable than finicky touch controls often found on over-ear headphones.

SEE ALSO: We tested every pair of Bose headphones and earbuds. We found 5 we love, and 1 to buy on sale.

Her one complaint? That sometimes sudden, loud sounds — like a train rolling up to a platform — could cause audio distortion. With this new generation, Bose is providing a fix for that issue, as well as improving on all of the parts of the headphones Mangino already appreciated. Here's the breakdown:

Design upgrades

At a casual glance, these headphones look similar to the first generation, but come with a few upgrades. For starters, the ear cups have more of an oval shape to provide a fit that's better for maximizing passive noise cancellation without sacrificing comfortable wear. The headband is more plush with improved sliders for easier adjustment, and the button placement is even more intuitive than the first generation, according to Bose.

SEE ALSO: The 6 most comfortable headphones are like small hugs for your ears

Of course, there are also the three new colorways: eucalyptus green, dewdrop mint, and rosewood mauve, featuring two-toned palettes for a more striking design.

Sound upgrades

One of the most major differences between the OG QuietComforts and QC Ultras was the presence of spatial audio on the latter. That difference is no longer. Bose introduces TrueSpatial technology on the second generation QuietComfort headphones, featuring spatial audio listening modes in Still, Motion, and Cinema modes.

Bose also introduces lossless playback via the USB-C cable, which can still charge the headphones while they're being used.

Noise cancellation

Bose has always been solid in the noise cancellation space, but they're making even more improvements to their tech (now called QuietControl). As the name suggests, the QC line is focused on comfort, so the headphones are intentionally left with some gaps to allow for all-day wear. According to Bose, those gaps will be addressed due to improved tech in the six-microphone system and adaptive controls in the headphones.

Spikes of noise, as Mangino mentioned, will also be addressed in Aware Mode with the addition of ActiveSense response, which engages some noise cancellation for mitigating the impact of the spikes.

Where to buy the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones

The Bose QuietComfort headphones will be available to preorder from Bose and other sellers on Aug. 8, and will become widely available on Aug. 13. We'll update this post with more information once links to product pages go live.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones (Gen 2) $359 at Bose
  Learn More