David Pogue tested 40 Bluetooth earbuds to find the best of the best by David Pogue

Admit it, my people: the way of the world is to go wireless.

First phone cords went away, then internet cables, then printer cords; power cords’ extinction is coming soon.

So why, then, are we so upset about losing earbud cords?

Yes, yes, OK: It’s a pain to have yet another battery to charge, and wired buds give you better sound quality for the dollar.

But wireless earbuds have compelling advantages, too—for example, they’re wireless. You don’t have to fish out a wiry mass from your bag, untangle it, avoid catching it on your clothing or furniture, or figure out how to thread it so it doesn’t drive you crazy when you’re working out or running.

Soon enough, the decision will be made for you. Motorola (MSI), LeEco, and Apple (AAPL) have begun eliminating the headphone jacks from their smartphones, and other phone makers are following suit.

When Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, a popular cry was, “They just want to force us to buy their $160 AirPod wireless buds!” And yes, Apple would love that, but it’s not mandatory. The world is teeming with wireless earbuds that don’t come from Apple. Many are better, less expensive, or both.

How do I know? Because I’ve tested them out. Forty of them (40). My ear canals are practically bleeding at this point.

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I’ll try out 40 pairs of earbuds for you. No problem.

But you know what? You’re worth it.

What to expect from Bluetooth earbuds

Most of today’s earbuds use the Bluetooth 4.1 technology, which is pretty great. It eliminates the lag between the video you’re watching and its audio, and it lets your earbuds remain “paired” (wirelessly connected) to two devices simultaneously, like your phone and your laptop. (You hear sound from only one at a time.)

Almost all of the candidates come with a Micro USB charging cable, which you can connect to your computer or, with a USB “wall wart” (not included), to a power outlet. The earbuds get between 4 and 18 hours of music playback time, and you can wander between 30 and 100 feet from your phone before the music begins to drop out.

The good ones come with cases to protect them and an assortment of rubber or foam ear tips; it’s super important to find the ones that fit you best. Since these are in-the-ear-canal buds, a snug fit blocks outside noise and gives their generally feeble bass a fighting chance to reach your brain.

These days, wireless buds come in all kinds of crazy incarnations; it’s as though you gave some guidelines (“battery, circuit board, two earbuds”) to six different aliens and then watched how many approaches they came up with. In general, they break down like this:

• Completely detached. On these, there are no wires—not even between the earbuds. They’re two separate pieces; you can hand one to a friend, if you like, for simul-listening. For about 80% of the population, they stay in place even during running, but it may take you a long time to get over the feeling that you’re going to lose one. Most are kind of heavy, and all of them look bizarre in your ears. Most, like Apple’s AirPods, come with a battery-equipped case that recharges your buds. Controlling volume and skipping tracks can be tricky on these, since there’s no remote, and phone calls generally aren’t great, since the microphone is nowhere near your mouth.
• Cord style. The huge majority of Bluetooth earbuds still have one wire—between the buds. That way, you’re a lot less likely to lose one. The good ones offer some way to shorten that wire behind your head so that it doesn’t slap as you run. There’s usually a remote control with three buttons—volume up, volume down, play/pause—that also contains the microphone for calls and Siri/Google Now. Usually, you have to memorize patterns of short, long, double, and triple-clicks of these buttons to perform all the functions of music playback and call management.
• Collar style. You’re seeing this style crop up in offices these days: a lightweight plastic collar that hangs around your neck all day long, with thin earbud wires coming out of it. That extra real estate means more buttons for dedicated features, beefier batteries, and a vibration mode that lets you know when a call is coming in. Calls sound great, of course, because now the microphone is positioned right below your mouth. You may not be so crazy about the collar style if you run, though; it’ll bang on your collarbones.

In the endless scrolling pages below, I’ll show you my notes for each of the 40 earbuds I tested. But in the event that you actually have a life, here’s the short version: the winners in each category.

The winner: Detached earbuds

The Apple AirPods ($160) take it. Their design is far slimmer, and somewhat less goofy looking, than their bulky rivals, which look like you’ve jammed wine corks into your head. Each AirPod plays music for five hours on a charge, but when you slip them magnetically back into their little dental-floss box/case, they get a fresh charge—24 hours’ worth in all.

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If you’re prepared for the downsides of detached buds, the AirPods are great.

They really don’t fall out, as you’d expect them to, and they sound fantastic, even on phone calls. (The little stem points the microphones at your mouth.) Unfortunately, they have no buttons, so you can’t adjust the volume or skip tracks without speaking Siri commands or picking up your phone.

The AirPods contain what Apple calls the W1 chip, which confers several advantages. First, the “pairing” process with an iPhone is absurdly easy: Just open the case. Instantly, the phone acknowledges their proximity and offers a Connect button. The Beats X and Powerbeats 3 also contain the W1 chip, and the pairing process looks something like this:

(If you have an Android phone, you pair the AirPods the usual way, using your Bluetooth settings.)

The W1 also means that once you’ve introduced the AirPods to your iPhone, it’s automatically listed as available to your Mac or Apple Watch, too. It also boosts the Bluetooth signal considerably; you can walk really deeply into your home without worrying that the sound will cut out.

Important note: Since you have no option to choose different tips, AirPods aren’t comfortable for everyone.

The winners: Corded earbuds

The world offers hundreds of corded Bluetooth earbuds. No-name Chinese corded earbuds fill the pages of Amazon.com like grain in a silo.

I have buddies who don’t care about sweat resistance, Bluetooth range, elegant controls and all that jazz; they just buy super cheapies (you can find ‘em for under $15), good enough for listening to podcasts and YouTube, and don’t care when they die or get lost.

But if you do care about comfort, battery life, music quality, Bluetooth range, looks, sweatproofness, and features, then you can’t get wrong with today’s winner, the Jaybird X3s.

Among the finest of many, many fine corded Bluetooth earbuds.

They come with nine pairs of tips, including Comply foam tips (squish, insert, wait for them to expand) and wingtips, which hook into your cartilage to hold the buds in place. You can thread the cord either over or under your ears; a clip lets you shorten the cord to prevent slapping while running. Eight hours of playback time. All of this for $130.

A nice alternative, by the way, is the Optoma NuForce BE6i. It offers a clone of the Jaybirds’ list of virtues—eight hours, eight pairs of tips, $130—but offers voice prompts with a cute British accent, a flat, tangle-resistant cable, and a little less bass and Bluetooth range.

The winners: Collared

OK, this stunned me: For some reason, Samsung is selling a full-featured collar-style Bluetooth earbud set for $33 on Amazon: the Level U. It sounds fine, it’s got incoming-call vibrations, it has a tremendous Bluetooth range, and it’s $33. What am I missing?

Clearly, it’s not the best collared set you can buy, but it’s by far the best for the money.

At the opposite extreme, there’s the $400, super-deluxe, leather-wrapped, Klipsch x12. I mean, 18 hours of battery life. Splash resistant. Carrying case, six pairs of tips, and ridiculous Bluetooth range. And the sound—holy moly: spectacular clarity, weighty bass, detailed highs, solid midrange. You’ll think you’re listening to fancy wired headphones.

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From left: Samsung Level U ($32), Klipsch x12 ($400), LG Tone Infinim ($67).

In a more practical price range, I really liked LG’s line of collars, like the Tone Infinim, the Tone Active+, and the Tone Platinum. They have retractable, spring-loaded earbud wires, which are tidy and brilliant (above, right).

The Tone Active+ collar even has external speakers in addition to the retractable buds. Their power won’t shatter any wine glasses. But since they sit just below your ears, they’re perfectly listenable as you putter around the house, take a call at your desk, or share a song with a couple of friends sitting nearby.

Besides: having nothing in your ears is the most comfortable of all.

Lots of wireless buds offer excellence in one area or another (see below), and very few are outright stinkers. But for most people—especially those for whom money doesn’t grow on trees—the models listed above are the most likely to bring happiness.

I know, because I did the exhausting research and testing for you. You’re welcome.

The 40 contenders

Here are my notes on the 40 wireless earbuds I tested.

The little graphs for price, battery, Bluetooth range, and number of ear tips show you where they fall relative to their competitors.

For example, if you see “Battery hours: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦,” then this model can play music for only four hours, whereas the best models last 18 hours (18 diamonds).

Unless otherwise noted, they all sound basically alike: fine for watching videos, making calls, doing Skype or FaceTime—just not so great with bass.

Adv.Sound Model 3. They’re billed as “high-resolution music monitors,” and by golly, they sound fantastic. Putting them on takes some training, though, because one loop of wire goes around your head, and another down your torso.

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Adv.Sound Model 3: Exceptional sound, not so great for workouts.

Amazingly, these wireless buds can become wired buds when the battery dies or you want all the quality you can squeeze out—no other buds do that. But they’re not for working out, since they’re not sweat-resistant.

Style: Cord

• Price: $80 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Apple AirPods. No other earbuds have this design, or these pros/cons. Terrific sound, battery life, pairing simplicity, range, as described above. Double-tap to get an immediate, crisp “I’m listening” chime from Siri—and then you talk. Just ridiculous amounts of cool technology packed into tiny space. (Here’s my full review.)

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AirPods. Amazing, but not suitable for all ear canals.

• Style: Detached
• Price: $160 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 5 (with case, 24) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 1 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Beats Powerbeats 3. Apple owns Beats, so it’s no surprise to find the W1 chip in these corded earbuds—so you get the insta-pairing with an iPhone and the insane range. These are made for working out: they’re sweat-resistant, hook over your ears, and allow ambient sound. These babies aren’t going anywhere. They have unusually good battery life. If you’re rushed, five minutes of charging provides one hour of listening. A clip can shorten the cord.

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PowerBeats 3, complete with W1 chip.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Beats X. Another Apple-owned product—with that nice W1 chip. A standard earbuds-and-cord design, but there are three pods along the cord instead of the usual one. One has the playback controls, one has the power button, and one’s there just to confuse you. Magnets keep the buds together when you’re not listening. Requires a Lightning cable to recharge (included); five minutes gives you two hours of juice. Not much bass (yes, even though it’s Beats).

• Style: Corded
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Bose QuietControl 30. These are the buds you want on a plane; they’ve got Bose’s famous noise cancellation technology, which shuts up the engine roar amazingly well (though not as well as Bose’s wired models). That helps with the sound quality, which is leaps better than the cheapy buds. You can control how much outside noise you want to admit, using either buttons on the controller or a companion app—handy when you’re biking or running. Pairs with NFC, if your Android phone has it. Gorgeous build quality; sweat resistant and pricey.

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Bose QuietControl 30: Best noise cancellation you can buy.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $300 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Bose Soundsport Wireless. Here’s Bose’s take on corded workout buds. Splash/rain resistant, a clothing clip, and terrific bass. The little globules stick way out from your head, though, so you can’t put a helmet on over them, and they look a little goofy.

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Bose Soundsport—good sound for athletes.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Bragi The Headphone. Totally detached—a followup to the Bragi Dash (a do-it-all in-ear doodad that purports to measure your heart rate). The right earbud contains three tiny control buttons that are no picnic to operate; the left one has only one big button. Sound quality isn’t great, and the real heart-breaker is that the charging case doesn’t also have a battery, as rivals do, so the buds don’t recharge except when the case is plugged in.

Bragi The Headphone. Totally detached.

• Style: Detached
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 30 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Decibullz Custom-Fit Wireless. Cheap, pretty bad earbuds (the shortest battery life, and shortest range, of this roundup)—with a clever gimmick: The earbuds melt into pliable goo when boiled in water. You’re supposed to mash it into your ear as it cools, so that it perfectly fits your nooks and crannies. It really works—it helps out with sound, fit, and comfort, and easily accommodates a helmet—but looks bizarre. (You can also buy the mashable plastic portion separately to use with better earbuds.)

• Style: Corded
• Price: $120 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Jabra Halo Free. OK cheapo buds. Dedicated button for Siri or Google Now. An app that offers additional features, like a map that shows you the last place you had them turned on, and a voice that can read your messages. Water resistant. The protruding bulb blocks helmets.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? No

Jabra Halo Smart. Amazingly cheap, super lighweight collar-style buds with astonishing battery life (15 hours). Magnets for bud-clicking; vibration for incoming calls; mediocre, bass-free sound. Companion app tracks last known location.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $50 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 15 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Jabra Sport Rox Wireless. Nice, steel buds. Magnets on the buds that auto-pause your music (why didn’t anyone think of this before?). Rain, shock, dust resistant. NFC pairing.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 5.5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 7 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Jabra Halo Fusion. Nice to have a dedicated power/Siri button on one of the collar’s two lobes; otherwise, cheap and basic.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 6.5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Jaybird Freedom. Tiny, sweat-resistant, metal buds, helmet-friendly; very bright sound. Charges from a tiny cradle that snaps onto the remote on the cord—a blocky, bulky arrangement, but the cradle has a 4-hour booster battery inside. Loaded with features and cord-draping options. App lets you adjust the sound character.

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Jaybird Freedom. Super tiny and light.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 4 (plus 4 in the cradle) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Jaybird X3. The champ. For $130, you get it all: category-leading sound, battery, and range; helmet-friendly size; sweat and water resistance.

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Jaybird X3—the sweet spot.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

JBL Reflect Mini BT. Reflective cables—a great idea for night joggers. Sweat/water resistant. Weak range, no case. They don’t turn off automatically after you stop using them.

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JBL Reflect Mini: Reflective cords. Good idea.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $90 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? No

JLab Audio Epic2. An over-ear memory-wire hook keeps these babies in place. Sweatproof and even rinse-able. Impressive battery life.

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Jlab Audio Epic 2: The memory wire forms to your ear tops.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 26 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Klipsch x12. Almost absurdly overbuilt: leather band, copper accents, black chrome. 18-hour battery life, huge distance range, vibration mode for calls, crazy great sound. Super comfy, thanks to the unique oval-shaped silicone ear-canal plugs. 6 tip pairs, including Comply foam ones.

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Luxury comes to earbuds: The Klipsch x12.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $400 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

LG Tone Infinim HBS-910. Inexpensive, likable collar-style. Sturdy yet flexible plastic collar. Press buttons on the inner collar to make the retractable earbuds snap back inside to avoid tangle and clutter. Dedicated buttons for volume, track forward/back, calls, power. No case, not sweat resistant.

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LG Tone Infinim HBS-910: Retractable buds.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $80 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

LG Tone Active+. External speakers—not powerful, but very handy (calls, listening to music without anything in your ears). Retractable buds (tug on them rather than pressing a button). Sweat/water resistant. Tone & Talk app can read your notifications and texts, and let you customize the button controls.

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LG Tone Active+. External speakers!

• Style: Collar
• Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

LG Tone Platinum HBS-1100. LG’s top-of-the-line Bluetooth collar. Great dedicated buttons. Earbuds retract with buttons. Tone & Talk app. Not sweat-resistant. (Clearly, LG offers a huge range of these collar-style buds—for help in telling them apart, here’s a chart.)

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LG Tone Platinum HBS-1100 collar style.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $200 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

LG Force. LG also makes this standard corded earbuds, distinguished by the ear-shaped loops. Takes a little effort to put on, but they stay on. Incredibly light (under an ounce); nice sound. Dedicated power button. Sweat/water resistant.

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LG Force. These babies won’t fall off unless your ears do.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

MEE Audio X7 Plus. Memory-wire loops route over your ears and stay in place. Cable shortener included. Great range. Sweatproof.

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MEE Audio X7 Plus. Memory wire for added eargrip.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $90 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 35 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Monster iSport Victory. The cable is coated with rubber, for a weird, non-tangling feel. A shortener is built in. It has above-average sound, and the buttons on the remote are much more feel-able than on most. Sweat resistant. Short Bluetooth range.

Monster iSport Victory, with its weird cool rubbery cords.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $57 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 11 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Motorola VerveOnes+. Fully detached, sweat/waterproof earbuds. The bulky outer pod may or may not nestle neatly into your particular ears. You have to learn the meanings of various clicks, double, triple, and long presses on each side. Great sound. Long delay before Siri. Have to pause the  music before you can use Siri or Google Now. Case is also a recharger, providing a total of 12 hours of playback.

Moto VerveOnes+, shown in their little recharging cylinder case.

• Style: Detached
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 3 (12 in charging case) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? NO
• Case included? Yes

Motorola VerveLoop+. Super light, waterproof/sweat-proof. Companion app notes the last connected location—a sort of “Find my buds.” Protruding bulge not helmet-friendly.

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Moto VerveLoop+: a fine choice.

• Style: Corded
• Price: $57 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? No

Motorola VerveRider+. Super light, water/sweat-proof, excellent battery life. Bright orange for visibility. Magnetic tips. Companion app for locating or turning notification vibrations on and off.

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Moto VerveRider+, in “don’t hit me with your car” orange.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $85 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Optoma NuForce BE6i. Magnetic, aluminum-construction buds; sweat-proof; voice prompt has a cute British accent. Have to pause music before triggering Siri/Google Now. Flat, no-tangle cable. Everything included. Overall, a superb pair.

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Optoma NuForce BE6i: Competent and satisfying all the way around.

• Style: Cord
• Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 7 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Phiaton BT 220 NC. Strange design: The wires connect to a control box that dangles on your torso—will drive runners crazy. Supposedly has noise canceling, but it’s very, very weak. Amazing battery, poor range.

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Phiaton BT 220 NC: The stethoscope design doesn’t really help.

• Style: Cord
• Price: $125 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 16 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth. Super minimal and light. No remote on the cord; the buttons are on the buds themselves. Thick rubberized cord wraps over your ear—stays in place. Sweat/waterproof. Reflective armband case. Lets in ambient sound for running/biking safety (plugs don’t seal ear canals). Bluetooth 3.0, alas.

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Plantronics BackBeat Fit. Minimalist, waterproof, rugged.

• Style: Cord
• Price: $78 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 1 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Roam Ropes. Radical, somewhat tangly stethoscope/pendant design, created by the guy who originally developed the Beats headphones. You’re supposed to let it just hang around you when you’re not using the buds. Painful treble when cranked. App lets you adjust the sound signature.

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Roam Ropes. OK, what?

• Style: Stethoscope
• Price: $200 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 9  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Samsung Level U. Stunning value for the money. Vibration for calls, magnets for buds, amazing range.

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Samsung Level U: Cheap and good.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 11  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? No

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 Wireless. Removable rigid neck channel for the wire, to give the neck portion some rigidity (if you like). Super crisp highs.

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Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 do not actually smoke.

• Style: Cord/collar hybrid
• Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 7  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Skullcandy XTFREE. Big box attached to each bud—no go for helmets or looking normal. Short, behind-head cord. Sweat resistant.

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Skullcandy XTFREE: Earboxes aren’t so trendy.

• Style: Cord
• Price: $70 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 6  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? Yes
• Case included? Yes

Skullcandy Ink’d. Very inexpensive. Light, flexible collar; you can roll it up. Limited tip options—no wings.

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Skullcandy Ink’d, from the bargain bin.

• Style: Collar
• Price: $40 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Skybuds. Incredibly tiny, detached-style separate buds. You have to turn the right and left buds on separately. There’s an app to find your lost bud, and it has great sound. The case recharges the buds. No way to adjust volume without using your phone.

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Skybuds: Detached and tiny.

• Style: Detached
• Price: $200 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 4 (with case, 24) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? Yes

Sol Republic Shadow Wireless. Great-looking hybrid design: a thickened band around your neck. May bounce out of your ears when running. Water/sweat resistant. Bluetooth 4.0 (not 4.1).

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Sol Republic Shadow Wireless: Sharp-looking.

• Style: Semi-collared
• Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 8  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

Sol Republic Amps Air. Detached-style. Entire outside panel is a button—hard to avoid hitting accidentally. The remarkable recharging case is a huge battery: can recharge the buds 15 times, or recharge your phone! Just put buds in case to turn them off; take out to turn them on. Case can charge buds 15 times or be a backup battery for phone! Case has charge LEDs. No volume control or track controls on the buds. Real bass.

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Sol Republic Amps Air: Detached, if you’re into that kind of thing.

• Style: Detached
• Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Battery hours: 3 (with case, 45) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
• Ear wings included? No
• Case included? No

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You have no shortage of options. Go forth and shopify!

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How to make a lasting copy of a Photos Library before cleaning it out By Glenn Fleishman | Senior Contributor

A bulging Photos Library that consumes 30GB of iCloud storage has led Sante Kotturi to want to offload all their current images and videos, and start fresh. But Sante wants to store the existing media securely and for a long time.

I thought of just copying the Photos Library file in User/[me]/Pictures onto an external drive, but this runs into a problem if you try restoring it after changes to macOS Photos make the file format incompatible.

My next thought was to export all 7,000 photos and videos, and then delete all the photos. Wait for iCloud photos to sync, which will probably take the full 30 days for deleted photos to disappear.

Despite thousands of questions about Photos, no one has ever asked for advice on this particular combination of factors, so it deserves tailored set of answers.

Copying Photos Library and compatibility. I definitely see Sante’s concern here. You can simply copy the library file and then, whenever you want access to it, quit Photos, hold down the Option key while launching it, and then select that copied library. However, what if Apple changes the library format so much it’s unreadable in the future?

Over a several-year period, this seems unlikely to me. The Photos app can import iPhoto 8.0 and later libraries, and 8.0 shipped January 2009. That’s a long span. Conceivably, Photos 1.0 and later libraries will be readable for years to come, too. Even if the library file is unreadable, you can open it as a package (Control-click and select Show Package Contents) and retrieve full-resolution original images.

Exporting all images. I’d suggest doing this as a secondary move, rather than a primary one. When you export from Photos, you have to choose between unmodified and modified media. If you choose unmodified, any edits you’ve made to images and videos aren’t exported. If you choose modified media, you lose the full resolution of the original, especially with raw files. (You could export as two sets: one modified and one unmodified.)

Emptying the iCloud-linked library. Deleting everything isn’t a bad idea, because the deletions will be synced. However, you don’t have to wait. After deleting, select the Recently Deleted Album from the sidebar, and then click Delete All in the upper-right corner.

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Pogue: Here's what Snapchat is all about by David Pogue

Today is a big day: The company that created Snapchat, that baffling (to parents) smash hit (among teens), is going public. It’s expected to be a huge stock offering, offered at $17 a share, making the company worth $24 billion.

This, you understand, is for a company whose growth stalled last year, whose software features have been copied by Instagram, and whose losses keep growing—It lost $515 million last year, and $373 the year before.

All of which might make you wonder more than ever: What the hell is SnapChat?

Here’s an explainer.

Meet Snapchat

Every year, there’s another app that everyone talks about, that gets bought for a billion dollars, whose name gets tossed around in articles as though we’re all familiar. It’s enough to give you app-hype fatigue.

I don’t use Snapchat. And no wonder: Most people who use it are under 25, and 70% of them are female. I’m neither.

At the same time, I’ve been dying to understand Snapchat. I mean, it’s a major cultural force. Somewhere between 100 million and 200 million people are using it every day. They send 20,000 photos a second, and watch 8 billion videos a day.

So I decided to dive in, to talk to people, to pound on this app until I finally understood its absolutely baffling layout.

Here, for the benefit of people who don’t understand Snapchat, is what I discovered.

Lesson one: Snapchat is really three apps crammed in one.

Function 1: Self-destructing messages

First, Snapchat’s most famous purpose is to let you send self-erasing photos to people.

To be more precise, it lets you snap a picture or record a 10-second video, dress it up with funny overlays, type and format a caption, draw on it with your finger and then send it to specified friends. Once they’ve seen your snap once, it disappears.

Or you can post them publicly to your time line (here called your Story), just as on Facebook or Instagram. The difference is that whatever you post vanishes after 24 hours.

For non-teenagers, the whole concept is a little bizarre. Why would you take photos and videos knowing that they’ll disappear after one viewing? Isn’t the whole purpose of photos and videos to capture cherished memories to be viewed years from now?

Here’s my theory: Deep down, Snapchat’s appeal has to do with teenage angst and insecurity.

Usually, what you post online is there forever. It can come back to haunt you. Everything on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the Web, text messages, email—it will always be there for people to judge you. Your parents might see it. A college admissions officer. A prospective employer.

But Snapchat takes the pressure off. If your snap is goofy or badly framed or embarrassing or incriminating—you don’t care! Post it anyway. No employer or principal or parent will ever find it and disapprove.

Furthermore, there are no comments, no Like buttons, no counts of how many friends you have. No judgment.

All of this gives Snapchat an honesty, an authenticity, and an immediacy that the other social media apps lack—and that millennials love.

The screenshot loophole

It is true, by the way, that if someone sends you a Snapchat photo, you can take a screenshot of it before it disappears, thereby preserving it forever and defeating the whole purpose of Snapchat. (To take a screenshot, you press sleep button+Home on the iPhone, volume-down + Home on most Android phones.)

The app does notify the sender that you screenshot the image before it disappeared. But still: Who would risk sending naughty stuff, knowing that it could be captured?

One good answer came from a respondent on Quora: “If you don’t trust someone to not take advantage of you, don’t send them that snap—it’s really that easy.”

Another came from a high-schooler I interviewed: “Nobody really thinks that the point of Snapchat is to send messages that will delete…unless it’s something secret or embarrassing, I guess. Anyway, I don’t think people care if you screenshot something.”

Either way, the screenshot loophole doesn’t seem to bother anyone.

One more exception: Once a day, you can watch one snap one more time in case you missed it. Incredibly, you can also pay money for the ability to view snaps again (three replays for a dollar). Mostly, nobody bothers. (“I did not even know that was feature. Neither did my cousins—noted avid Snapchat users,” said my high-school source.)

Function 2: Standard chat program

Many teenagers use Snapchat constantly. They send many, many snaps. They live in the app.

The Snapchat folks only have fanned that flame by adding text, voice, and video chat capabilities to the app. You can have a conversation by typing, by talking, or by video calling.

These communications also disappear, once both parties have read them.

Function 3: A news app

The third face of Snapchat’s personality is its recent incarnation as a news app. Online publications can post their own stuff for you to read: ESPN, Comedy Central, BuzzFeed, People, National Geographic, CNN, and many others.

What does any of this publishing stuff have to do with chatting with friends or sending self-destructing photos?

Beats the heck out of me. Probably has something to do with Snapchat trying to make money.

How to use Snapchat

Snapchat wins no awards for ease of use. In fact, it’s incredibly hard to figure out, filled with unlabeled icons and confusingly arrayed screens.

(Maybe that, too, is part of the appeal to teenagers. Every generation of teens has its secret, proprietary culture—slang, music, rituals—deliberately designed to shut out or mystify their parents. 

Maybe mastering Snapchat’s bizarre layout makes its fans feel like insiders in an exclusive club.)

In any case, Functions 2 and 3 are easy to use. To read the articles posted by media organizations, tap the menu button (lower right) to see the names of the magazines and Web sites, and tap your way in to start reading.

And it’s easy to use the chat feature. Tap the lower-left corner of the camera screen to access your list of contacts, and then tap one to start typing or calling.

That leaves us with only the Big One, the primary Snapchat feature, the really fun one: Sending self-deleting photos and videos.

Here’s how it goes.

When you first open the app, its camera screen appears. It works just like your phone’s regular camera app. Tap the upper-right camera button to use the phone’s front-facing camera to take a selfie, which is usually the point. Touch the big round shutter button to take the photo. (Or hold it down for up to 10 seconds to record a video.)

All Snapchat photos and videos are vertical, by the way; nobody turns the phone 90 degrees to take or view them.

Once you’ve snapped a shot, the real fun begins: Dressing it up.

* Apply a filter. Swipe horizontally to apply a color filter—to impose a blue or green tint to the whole thing, for example.

* Stamp some stickers. At the top right, the square icon shown here opens a page of emoji-like faces. Tap to stamp one on your photo. At that point, you can drag the “sticker” around to move it or pinch/spread with two fingers to enlarge it or shrink it.

* Type some text. When you tap the Text icon, the keyboard opens. Type a caption and then Done. Now you can drag with your finger to slide the caption up or down the photo.

Or maybe you’d prefer giant lettering. To do that, tap the T to make the text huge. Once it’s huge, tap the text itself to open a page with a color slider, so you can change its color.

* Draw on the photo. Tap the pencil icon to draw or write on the shot with your finger. Once again, a slider appears so you can specify the color.

* Put on a virtual mask. You’d never in a million years stumble onto this feature without being told, but it’s hilarious and fun: Snapchat can turn you into a gorilla or a Viking or a bobblehead, either as a still or a video.

To see these software “masks,” the trick is to hold your finger down on your own face in the live camera view. After a moment, a grid out of a sci-fi movie appears on your face, and icons for virtual masks fills the bottom of the screen. Tap one to try it out. (They change all the time, for variety.) Some come with instructions, like “open your mouth,” which triggers a funny animation.

When you’ve got a look you like, snap it as a photo or video just as you normally would—by touching or holding your finger down on the round button on the screen.

(I would have written that these virtual masks are so witty, new, and interesting, it’s worth installing Snapchat just to try them out—except that MSQRD is a free app that does exactly the same thing, with even better animations and smarts and without all the extra clutter of Snapchat. If you have a child and an upcoming car ride, you must download MSQRD.)

Finally, you’re ready to post your masterpiece. For this, you use the icons in the lower-left corner of the screen:

* Seconds. The lower-left icon specifies how many seconds your recipients will have to view your masterpiece before it disappears.

* Save. Your friends aren’t supposed to keep copies of your photos, but it’s OK for you to keep them. Tap the Save button to preserve it in your phone’s photo collection.

* Post to your Story. Story is Snapchat’s name for your time line or newsfeed, much like your Facebook wall or your Instagram feed. It’s a way for you to make your snaps viewable to your entire social circle (which you specify in settings)—although anything on your Story page disappears after 24 hours. This is Snapchat, after all.

Now you get it?

As you now know, the first Snapchat mystery—how do you use it?—is easily solved, once you have a cheat sheet.

As for the second mystery—why do people use it?—it helps to be a teenager. But if you’re not, your answer lies in the same qualities that have made hits out of any super-hyped app in recent years: convenience, delight, popularity among your friends, and—in Snapchat’s case—a sense that whatever you do, you won’t someday regret what you’ve sent into the electronic ether.

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10 Tips to Prevent Phishing Attacks by Panda Anti Virus

As you know, phishing is a technique that involves tricking the user to steal confidential information , passwords, etc, into thinking you are a confidential site.

So far the hackers have used emails to launch this type of attack, but with the widespread use of social media networks and smartphones with internet access, the types of attacking are multiplying.

These emails include a link that takes the user to site known to have a confidential website, but they’re mere mimics with zero confidentiality.

Thus, overconfident users who do not have adequate antivirus protection, could be involved in attacks that are aimed to steal personal data.

And because of the economic crisis which is unfortunately affecting several countries, phishing attacks attracting people with the promise of a great job or an easy way to get money.

The question is … How can we prevent this type of phishing attack? 

10 Tips to Prevent Phishing Attacks

1. Learn to Identify Suspected Phishing Emails

There are some qualities that identify an attack through an email:

• They duplicate the image of a real company.
• Copy the name of a company or an actual employee of the company.
• Include sites that are visually similar to a real business.
• Promote gifts, or the loss of an existing account.

2. Check the Source of Information From Incoming Mail

Your bank will never ask you to send your passwords or personal information by mail. Never respond to these questions, and if you have the slightest doubt, call your bank directly for clarification.

3. Never Go to Your Bank’s Website by Clicking on Links Included in Emails

Do not click on hyperlinks or links attached in the email, as it might direct you to a fraudulent website.

Type in the URL directly into your browser or use bookmarks / favorites if you want to go faster.

4. Enhance the Security of Your Computer

Common sense and good judgement is as vital as keeping your computer protected with a good antivirus to block this type of attack.

In addition, you should always have the most recent update on your operating system and web browsers.

5. Enter Your Sensitive Data in Secure Websites Only

In order for a site to be ‘safe’, it must begin with ‘https://’ and your browser should show an icon of a closed lock.

6. Periodically Check Your Accounts

It never hurts to check your bank accounts periodically to be aware of any irregularities in your online transactions.

7. Phishing Doesn’t Only Pertain to Online Banking

Most phishing attacks are against banks, but can also use any popular website to steal personal data such as eBay, Facebook, PayPal, etc.

8. Phishing Knows All Languages

Phishing knows no boundaries, and can reach you in any language. In general, they’re poorly written or translated, so this may be another indicator that something is wrong.

If you never you go to the Spanish website of your bank, why should your statements now be in this language?

9. Have the Slightest Doubt, Do Not Risk It

The best way to prevent phishing is to consistently reject any email or news that asks you to provide confidential data.

Delete these emails and call your bank to clarify any doubts.

10. Check Back Frequently to Read About the Evolution of Malware

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The technical support scam and how to avoid it by Panda Anti Virus

When talking about cybersecurity, we instantly think of viruses and malware. But advances in personal computer security have made it much harder for hackers to infect your PC through traditional channels like email.

As a result, they have developed new attack methods to get around your defences using a range of techniques, on and off-line. One of the most used and also successful is the “Technical Support Scam” that combines social engineering and technology to empty a victim’s bank account.

What is the Technical Support Scam?

Social engineering relies on building trust with a victim, before tricking them into doing something that gets around their security defences. In the case of the Support Scam, criminals telephone their victims pretending to be from a reputable business, like Microsoft or your security or telephone provider – a company name you recognize.

Posing as an engineer, the hacker informs their target that they have already fallen victim to criminals, and they must take urgent action to plug the security gap. The victim is asked to visit a webpage from their computer, and to download a remote control tool that will allow the engineer to access their system to perform “repair work”.

Once in control of the computer, the “engineer” may call up the computer’s event log and show a number of scary looking (but completely harmless) alerts. They will then suggest downloading further tools that allow them to fix these errors.

Unfortunately these tools are actually malware that will steal valuable information from the victim’s computer – particularly online banking details and passwords. The victim may feel that the engineer has done them a favor, but the reality is that they have invited the hacker to steal from them.

Avoiding the Technical Support Scam

There are several ways you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of this scam. These four tips will help keep you safe:

1. Use your common sense

Microsoft or Panda (for example) never ring customers to inform them of security problems. These companies may provide assistance by telephone, but they never call you first. In fact, unless you pay for a third party technical support service, no one should call you about problems with your computer or router.

No matter how urgent the issue sounds, anyone claiming to be calling about PC security problems is lying.

2.Protect your personal and sensitive information

Never give your account numbers or passwords to anyone over the phone or the Internet unless you are 100% sure who they are. If you are in any doubt at all, hang up. Keep in mind that fraudulent activities are profitable for the bad guys.

A good rule to follow for any incoming call: never hand over your credit card or bank details. Just don’t do it!

3. If you have a doubt: tell everyone about it

The Telephone Support Scam preys on people’s insecurity about their lack of tech knowledge. It is very easy to be a victim, and the best defence is sharing knowledge – telling other people about this scam, and what the criminals are doing. It is much easier to put the phone down if you know that the call is a scam.

You should also consider reporting the scam to the company being investigated. If you do, make sure you find the right details though.

4. Protect your PC in advance

Do not forget to use antivirus protection for all your devices. If your device is protected by an anti-malware toolkit, it will not be generating security errors online or anywhere else. So you know that someone claiming you have a problem is also lying.

If your computer does not have an up-to-date security toolkit installed, you must act now – download a free trial of Panda Security to get started.

Most social engineering attacks can be avoided by taking a second to think through the implications of what you are being told. You must not allow yourself to be bullied into making what could be a very costly mistake.

For more useful tips and advice about staying safe online, please check out the Panda Security knowledge base.

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