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Soundcore announced the first sleep earbuds with active noise cancellation: Heres how to preorder them

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2 months ago

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UPDATE: Jun. 16, 2025, 12:07 p.m. EDT This post has been updated with new photos, plus more information following our initial testing of the Sleep A30 earbuds.

PREORDER NOW: Preorder the new Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds for $159 on Kickstarter, down $70.99 from their full release price of $229.99. That's a 31% discount to score the new earbuds with upgraded features like active noise cancellation. The earbuds are set to begin shipping before August.


the two colorway options for the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds

Credit: Anker


Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds

$159
at Kickstarter

$229.99
Save $70.99

estimated shipping before August

Good sleep can be hard to come by, but Anker is aiming to ease the pain. That's especially true if you're not sleeping well because the dog is snoring, the birds are awake at dawn, or traffic is loud. Instead of using your daytime earbuds to mask the sound, the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds come packed with sleep-centric features, a comfortable design, and finally — active noise cancellation.

Mashable was smitten with the Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds, earning them the top spot when it comes to the best sleep earbuds. But like every other sleep earbud in the space — including the $349 Ozlo Sleepbuds — they lacked active noise cancellation. Anker went ahead and blessed our good sleep by adding that this feature into the new A30 earbuds, which are set to begin shipping out before August.

mint soundcore sleep a30 earbuds and cream soundcore sleep a20 earbuds

The Sleep A30 earbuds versus the Sleep A20 earbuds.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

As of June 16, you can preorder the new Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds via Kickstarter for $159, discounted from their standard price of $229.99, saving you $70.99. That's also cheaper than buying the Sleep A20 earbuds which are currently listed for their full price of $179.99 at Best Buy. This price might not last too long, though — the super early bird pricing tier of $139 sold out within hours of the Kickstarter going live.

When comparing the new Sleep A30 earbuds to the older Sleep A20 earbuds, it appears that Anker went all-out with upgrades. Not only are we getting active noise cancellation, we're getting memory foam ear tips, and real-time adaptive snore masking audio. Yes, the earbuds use the included charging case (which is likely on your nightstand) to detect snoring and adjust sound accordingly. As a nice bonus, the newer earbuds are also seven percent slimmer — it sounds like a small difference, but in our initial few nights of testing, we found these earbuds to be even more comfortable than their predecessors.

sleep a30 earbud next to sleep a20 earbud on desktop

The Sleep A30 earbud (left) is ever so slightly slimmer than the A20 earbud (right).
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

In terms of battery life, the new Sleep A30 earbuds get nine hours per charge with local audio and ANC, which should be enough to get you through one night of restorative and restful slumber. The case provides an additional 45 hours per charge, so you won't have to plug it in every couple of nights. If you prefer to stream your own audio via Bluetooth, that number drops down to 6.5 hours per charge in the buds and 35 hours in the case — though not quite enough to play through an entire eight hours, it is more than enough time to help lull someone to sleep.

More upgrades come in the form of better sleep support. The Sleep A30s now come with a library of audio for sleep in addition to meditation and focus tracks, which are organized in the app much better than the previous generation's library. There's also more advanced sleep report metrics like sleep latency and a rating system. While we still need some time with the earbuds to determine just how well these upgrades perform, we can say that our initial testing is promising, from the ANC to the newer app features.

SEE ALSO:

Bose introduces new QuietComfort earbuds, SoundLink speakers, and a summery yellow colorway

Finally, Anker offers plenty of options for comfort with these earbuds: you'll have your pick between four silicone ear tips, three memory foam ear tips, and three pairs of wings. The case also lights up when you open it, making it easier to see where to grab and place the earbuds in a darker room. And the earbuds even come with a cosmetic upgrade in the form of a new mint green colorway, in addition to the standard white version.

Anker says they expect the new Sleep A30 earbuds to begin shipping out before August and delivery could take between one and two weeks, depending on logistics. After the Kickstarter ends, the earbuds will be available on Soundcore's website and Amazon for their full price of $229.99 in August. If you're not willing to wait that long to get undisrupted sleep, you can snag the A20s from Best Buy for $179.99. They're still a great option, they just won't come with active noise cancellation.


the Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds

Credit: Anker


Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds

$179.99
at Best Buy

Preorders on Kickstarter for the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are set to continue until July 6, but it's likely the $159 backing option will sell out. The next available tier is one pair for $179, which still saves you $50 compared to the list price of $229.

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The best-selling $169 AirPods Pro deal is back — grab em while you can

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8 hours ago

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August 10, 2025

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SAVE $80: As of Aug. 9, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are on sale for $169 at Amazon. That's 32% off their list price of $249.


Apple AirPods Pro 2 in charging case

Credit: Apple


Apple AirPods Pro 2

$169
at Amazon

$249
Save $80



The battle of the best earbuds is a pretty tough race, but the AirPods Pro are still a huge standout — especially now that they feature USB-C charging. And we love them even more when they're on sale.

As of Aug. 9, the AirPods Pro 2 are down to just $169 at Amazon instead of the usual $249. That's a savings of 32% and just $20 shy of their best-ever price from Prime Day. The Apple earbuds do fall to $169 pretty regularly, but that doesn't mean this isn't a solid deal. That's only $40 more than the AirPods 4 at full price, which don't even offer noise cancellation.

SEE ALSO:

Shop Apple's most affordable iPad for its lowest price yet

We particularly love the rich and well-balanced sound of the AirPods Pro, although we wish they offered customizable EQ. They also offer best-in-class noise cancellation, decent battery life (up to six hours per charge, 30 hours with case), and seamless Apple ecosystem integration. The Pros regularly top our lists of the best headphones, and our readers seem to love them just as much. "For portability, active noise cancellation, and balanced sound, your search ends with the AirPods Pro," our reviewer writes.

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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 9, 2025

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8 hours ago

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August 10, 2025

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Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

SEE ALSO:

Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

SEE ALSO:

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for August 8, 2025

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Ways to throw a baseball

  • Green: Hockey fouls

  • Blue: Women's hockey

  • Purple: Roll Tide QBs

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Connections: How to play and how to win

Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Baseball Pitching Arm Slots

  • Green: Hockey Penalties

  • Blue: PWHL Teams

  • Purple: Former Alabama QBs

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #320 is…

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

  • Baseball Pitching Arm Slots – OVERHAND, SIDEARM, SUBMARINE, THREE-QUARTERS

  • Hockey Penalties – BOARDING, CROSS-CHECKING, HOOKING, INTERFERENCE

  • PWHL Teams – CHARGE, FLEET, FROST, SIRENS

  • Former Alabama QBs – NAMATH, STABLER, STARR, YOUNG

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

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Microsoft is shutting down its Lens PDF scanner app

Published

8 hours ago

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August 10, 2025

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The Microsoft logo and lettering can be seen on the Microsoft Deutschland GmbH headquarters building in Parkstadt Schwabing in Munich

Microsoft is quietly winding down its Lens scanning app for iOS and Android, the company confirmed in a support document.

Formerly known as Office Lens, the app lets users convert images into PDFs, PowerPoint slides, and Excel files, handling both handwritten and printed documents with ease. It was simple, reliable, and widely used — but it’s now on the chopping block. Microsoft plans to officially retire the app on Sept. 15, 2025.

SEE ALSO:

Apple will soon be ending support for Intel-based Macs

Support will end on Nov. 15, 2025, when Lens will be pulled from both the App Store and Google Play. Users will still be able to create scans until Dec. 15, 2025, but after that, the feature will be disabled. Existing scans will remain accessible as long as the app stays installed on the device.

The move marks the end of an app that’s seen more than 50 million downloads on Google Play and nearly 136,000 ratings on Apple’s App Store.

Microsoft is pointing users toward Microsoft 365 Copilot, which carries over most of Lens’s scanning capabilities. However, Copilot lacks some of Lens’s biggest perks, including direct saving to Microsoft Suite apps and accessibility features like read-aloud support and Immersive Reader integration.

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