Month: August 2024

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber to rolling out a few new features for its teenage customers in the first major update since first opening up its platform to teen riders over a year ago.
Last year, Uber launched teen accounts in two dozen cities, in which parents and guardians can create accounts for minors aged 13–17. Since then, the list has grown to over 250 cities in all 50 states. Uber says the latest update is in response to feedback from teen users and their families.
Uber says the latest update is in response to feedback from teen users and their families
Parents and guardians can now hail a ride for their teenager from their own accounts. Previously, rides could only be hailed from the teen customers’ accounts. The ride will feature all the same safety features that are available to teens who book their own trips, including notifications when the teenager has started the ride and real-time tracking of the vehicle.
Teen customers can also schedule trips as little as 30 minutes before and as much as 90 days in advance, a feature that is already available to adult riders. And adults who are Uber One subscribers can now share their benefits with their teenagers, including $0 delivery fees on Uber Eats orders and cash back on certain trips.
To date, Uber is the only ridehail app offering service to teen customers. Lyft still requires its account holders to be at least 18 years old. Of course, teens have been ignoring these rules for years, using either their parents’ accounts or those of friends. Uber has said it wants to create clear guardrails for its service in creating teen accounts, as well as provide more clarity for drivers.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Uber to rolling out a few new features for its teenage customers in the first major update since first opening up its platform to teen riders over a year ago.

Last year, Uber launched teen accounts in two dozen cities, in which parents and guardians can create accounts for minors aged 13–17. Since then, the list has grown to over 250 cities in all 50 states. Uber says the latest update is in response to feedback from teen users and their families.

Parents and guardians can now hail a ride for their teenager from their own accounts. Previously, rides could only be hailed from the teen customers’ accounts. The ride will feature all the same safety features that are available to teens who book their own trips, including notifications when the teenager has started the ride and real-time tracking of the vehicle.

Teen customers can also schedule trips as little as 30 minutes before and as much as 90 days in advance, a feature that is already available to adult riders. And adults who are Uber One subscribers can now share their benefits with their teenagers, including $0 delivery fees on Uber Eats orders and cash back on certain trips.

To date, Uber is the only ridehail app offering service to teen customers. Lyft still requires its account holders to be at least 18 years old. Of course, teens have been ignoring these rules for years, using either their parents’ accounts or those of friends. Uber has said it wants to create clear guardrails for its service in creating teen accounts, as well as provide more clarity for drivers.

Read More 

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 have a dedicated speaker for bass.

The OpenRun Pro 2 add USB-C charging, a dedicated speaker for bass, reduced vibration, and AI noise cancellation. I’ve been hunting for a pair of open-ear headphones. I’ve tried two bone-conduction headphones from Suunto. They were lovely, but the bass left me wanting. I tried the Shokz OpenFit Air. The bass was better, but the fit wasn’t great when I wore my glasses. I’d resigned myself to forever using my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for runs — great sound but a little heavy and gross when sweaty — and then Shokz said it had a brand-spanking-new pair of bone conduction headphones for me to try. The $179.95 OpenRun Pro 2.
And after about two weeks of wearing these for every run, walk, and gym session, I think I may be a full-on convert — at least, for my workouts.

The bone conduction driver handles mids and high tones, while the air conduction speaker handles bass. It works.

The thing that ultimately sold me was the bass. Unlike the original OpenRun Pro (which are now discounted to $159.95), these don’t rely on bone conduction alone. Bone conduction drivers usually sit by your temples and rely on vibration to transmit sound into your skull. Traditionally, they’re decent for high and mid tones, but bass often sounds muddy. With the OpenRun Pro 2, there’s now a dedicated, 18mm by 11mm air conduction speaker specifically for bass. The previous OpenRun Pro had bass enhancers, but this update is meant to pack more of a punch. Another plus: fewer vibrations. One issue I’ve had with bone conduction is when you crank up the volume to catch any bass, it often means the bone conduction drivers will buzz like furious bees.
I was skeptical going into testing. I’ve heard many promises of great bass from open-ear buds only to be sorely disappointed. But to my surprise, it was pretty good! I still have to crank up the volume a bit, it’s no match for a loud highway, and it’s still not as good as in-ear buds. But to be fair, no open-ear bud will ever be free of those compromises. I was still able to groove to the thumpy intro to “Start a Riot” by Duckwrth and Shaboozey without missing too much. I listen to audiobooks on my daily walks, and those also sounded clearer than I expected — provided the construction crew down the block wasn’t making a racket.

USB-C over proprietary chargers any day. You do have to remove a lil flap to access the port, but that’s a quibble.

But an even bigger surprise was fit. It’s great. When I first tried Shokz headphones, back when the company was still AfterShokz, I hated the wraparound neckband. It felt too big and too tight around the temples, and the ear hooks were uncomfortable if I wore glasses. But in this case, the combination of ultrathin and bendy ear hooks attached to the neckband made these headphones feel secure. Shokz also says it’s tweaked the design so there’s 16 percent less clamping force on the temples — and truly, that wasn’t an issue for me this time around. I still don’t love the neckband. It’s a bit annoying when I have to tie up my hair and can get in the way if I’m doing floor exercises like a dead bug or chest presses, but these are quibbles.
Claimed battery life has also improved to 12 hours on the Pro 2. That aligned with my testing. These days, I work out about 9–10 hours per week and go on several walks. So far, I’ve had to charge about once per week. The nice thing here is the Pro 2 now use USB-C instead of a proprietary charger. Huzzah! As a wearables reviewer, I have too many proprietary chargers, so it’s always a huge plus to see companies opt for a universal charging standard.

I wish I had a cuter color, but those are coming later. There is an orange version now, though.

The only thing I wasn’t sold on was the mic quality. Shokz claims there’s a new AI noise reduction algorithm and better, wind-resistant microphones. However, whenever I called up friends while on walks, they said I sounded like crap and begged me to switch to AirPods. Granted, I rarely call people on walks, and I definitely don’t want to talk to anyone while exercising, but it’s something to consider if you do like chatting while on the go.
For me, using the OpenRun Pro 2 was like the stars finally aligning. I’m not making a huge compromise on bass, the fit is secure and comfortable, and I can stay aware of my surroundings. I’ll probably switch back to the Beats Fit Pro for gym sessions, but until I find better bass on an open-ear headphone? These are the ones I’ll be reaching for.
Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 have a dedicated speaker for bass.

The OpenRun Pro 2 add USB-C charging, a dedicated speaker for bass, reduced vibration, and AI noise cancellation.

I’ve been hunting for a pair of open-ear headphones. I’ve tried two bone-conduction headphones from Suunto. They were lovely, but the bass left me wanting. I tried the Shokz OpenFit Air. The bass was better, but the fit wasn’t great when I wore my glasses. I’d resigned myself to forever using my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for runs — great sound but a little heavy and gross when sweaty — and then Shokz said it had a brand-spanking-new pair of bone conduction headphones for me to try. The $179.95 OpenRun Pro 2.

And after about two weeks of wearing these for every run, walk, and gym session, I think I may be a full-on convert — at least, for my workouts.

The bone conduction driver handles mids and high tones, while the air conduction speaker handles bass. It works.

The thing that ultimately sold me was the bass. Unlike the original OpenRun Pro (which are now discounted to $159.95), these don’t rely on bone conduction alone. Bone conduction drivers usually sit by your temples and rely on vibration to transmit sound into your skull. Traditionally, they’re decent for high and mid tones, but bass often sounds muddy. With the OpenRun Pro 2, there’s now a dedicated, 18mm by 11mm air conduction speaker specifically for bass. The previous OpenRun Pro had bass enhancers, but this update is meant to pack more of a punch. Another plus: fewer vibrations. One issue I’ve had with bone conduction is when you crank up the volume to catch any bass, it often means the bone conduction drivers will buzz like furious bees.

I was skeptical going into testing. I’ve heard many promises of great bass from open-ear buds only to be sorely disappointed. But to my surprise, it was pretty good! I still have to crank up the volume a bit, it’s no match for a loud highway, and it’s still not as good as in-ear buds. But to be fair, no open-ear bud will ever be free of those compromises. I was still able to groove to the thumpy intro to “Start a Riot” by Duckwrth and Shaboozey without missing too much. I listen to audiobooks on my daily walks, and those also sounded clearer than I expected — provided the construction crew down the block wasn’t making a racket.

USB-C over proprietary chargers any day. You do have to remove a lil flap to access the port, but that’s a quibble.

But an even bigger surprise was fit. It’s great. When I first tried Shokz headphones, back when the company was still AfterShokz, I hated the wraparound neckband. It felt too big and too tight around the temples, and the ear hooks were uncomfortable if I wore glasses. But in this case, the combination of ultrathin and bendy ear hooks attached to the neckband made these headphones feel secure. Shokz also says it’s tweaked the design so there’s 16 percent less clamping force on the temples — and truly, that wasn’t an issue for me this time around. I still don’t love the neckband. It’s a bit annoying when I have to tie up my hair and can get in the way if I’m doing floor exercises like a dead bug or chest presses, but these are quibbles.

Claimed battery life has also improved to 12 hours on the Pro 2. That aligned with my testing. These days, I work out about 9–10 hours per week and go on several walks. So far, I’ve had to charge about once per week. The nice thing here is the Pro 2 now use USB-C instead of a proprietary charger. Huzzah! As a wearables reviewer, I have too many proprietary chargers, so it’s always a huge plus to see companies opt for a universal charging standard.

I wish I had a cuter color, but those are coming later. There is an orange version now, though.

The only thing I wasn’t sold on was the mic quality. Shokz claims there’s a new AI noise reduction algorithm and better, wind-resistant microphones. However, whenever I called up friends while on walks, they said I sounded like crap and begged me to switch to AirPods. Granted, I rarely call people on walks, and I definitely don’t want to talk to anyone while exercising, but it’s something to consider if you do like chatting while on the go.

For me, using the OpenRun Pro 2 was like the stars finally aligning. I’m not making a huge compromise on bass, the fit is secure and comfortable, and I can stay aware of my surroundings. I’ll probably switch back to the Beats Fit Pro for gym sessions, but until I find better bass on an open-ear headphone? These are the ones I’ll be reaching for.

Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

Read More