JBL has entered 2022 in the same way it left 2021 – by announcing three new pairs of mid-range true wireless earbuds .
Having already unveiled the JBL Reflect Flow Pro , JBL Tune 230NC and JBL Tune 130NC in September of last year, the audiomaker took to the floor at CES 2022 to lift the lid on its latest in-ear offerings: the JBL Live Pro 2, JBL Live Free 2 and JBL Reflect Aero.
Like their 2021 counterparts, these new wireless earbuds are all relatively inexpensive, too. The JBL Live Pro 2, Live Free 2 and Reflect Aero will all retail for $149.95 (around £113 / AU$210), and are set to hit shelves in “spring 2022” (that’s between March and June, for our readers in the Southern Hemisphere).
So, what are JBL’s latest earbuds bringing to the table? Well, beginning with the Live Pro 2, users will get adaptive noise cancellation technology, up to 40 hours of playback time (10 hours from the earbuds, 30 hours from the charging case) and six microphones equipped with their own noise and wind isolation features – all delivered in an Apple AirPods -esque design package.
They’ll come with hands-free voice control functionality, too, along with access to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, though JBL’s dedicated headphone app will work with all three new models.
The JBL Live Free 2 are, essentially, a slightly smaller variant of their Pro siblings, delivering similar audio specs in a more compact form – they were also a Best of Innovation Honoree at this year’s CES showcase.
With these in-ears, you’ll get 35 hours of total playback time and slightly smaller dynamic drivers (10mm compared to the Pro’s 11mm), but they’ll still come packed with the same adaptive noise and wind cancellation technology, as well as all that handy hands-free-ness.
Then there’s the new, cheaper sibling to the JBL Reflect Flow Pro: the Reflect Aero. These buds are intended for those on-the-go, hence their adjustable ear-fin design and excellent waterproof rating (though you’ll get the latter with the other two newbies, too).
The Reflect Aero are a little less impressive on the technical side – for instance, their 6.8mm dynamic drivers are smaller than those of their siblings. Larger drivers displace more air to create a more powerful sound, so the Reflect Aero may not pack as much of a sonic punch.
The battery life is lower too, with up to 24 hours of playback – they are, however, still rocking the same microphones, noise cancellation technology and voice controls as the Live Pro 2.
We’re bound to see plenty more true wireless tech unveiled at CES 2022, but JBL clearly intends to lay a marker in the sand when it comes to the amount of audio products one company can announce in a given period.
It’s no secret, though, that quantity doesn’t always equal quality, and we rarely see top-end audio brands (think Bose and Sony) releasing more than one model each year. It’ll be interesting to see, then, whether JBL’s ambition translates into products that are actually worth buying.
Naturally, we’ll have more on each pair of new earbuds when we’ve tested them later in the year.
Glass app trumps Instagram by bringing its photo-sharing network to iPad
Instagram's move away from its photographic core has left a spot open for enthusiast-friendly photo-sharing apps like Glass – and now that new contender has brought its glossy, magazine-like experience to iPad.
Glass 2.0 is now available for iPads running iPadOS 14.0 or later, although you'll still need to pay the monthly £4.49 / $4.99 or £24.99 / $29.99 annual subscription to access it. There's a two-week free trial to give you a taster, though.
As we discovered in our exclusive interview with the makers of Glass , this membership fee is partly a result of the developers' decision to forego venture capital investment, with the aim being to create a sustainable community.
Given what's happened to Instagram, and many other pretenders to its photographic throne, this seems a wise move – and the arrival of an iPad app in particular supports the idea of a photo-centric sharing space.
The larger screen gives you a better view of painstakingly-crafted shots, and many photographers use iPads anyway as part of their in-the-field editing workflow thanks to apps like Lightroom. Strangely, Instagram has never launched a dedicated iPad app and, last year, said that one is unlikely to arrive anytime soon.
Since its launch six months ago, Glass has added new features including categories and 'appreciations' for liking photos, but there's no algorithm running behind it to organize your feed. Instead, you get the chronological feed that Instagram has hinted will be returning to its app in 2022 .
The Glass team will also be launching a web-based version of its app, to rival the likes of Flickr, with a beta version expected to arrive in March or April.
Analysis: A pricey but polished Instagram alternative
Our early experience with the Glass iPad app is that it's a little buggy, with the app having a tendency to crash on our iPad Air. But we're sure these wrinkles will be ironed out and the app certainly has potential on the bigger screen of Apple's tablets.
Sadly, there's no Android version in the works just yet, with Glass' maker stating that its focus is currently on launching Glass for Web over the next few months. But if you're an iOS fan and photographer, the free trial is certainly worth a spin.
There is currently a gap between Instagram – which we've previously argued is broken for photographers – and veteran platforms like Flickr, which is big on community but lacks the polish of Glass.
There's no doubt the £4.49 / $4.99 monthly or £24.99 / $29.99 subscription fee is pretty high and could be off-putting for anyone who's bank balance is currently enduring death by a thousand subscriptions.
But the flip-side is that the ad-free Glass is being developed by a small team of photography enthusiasts who are keen to avoid the bloat and e-commerce traps that have lured Instagram away from its photographic heritage.
When is West Side Story coming to Disney Plus?
It's official: West Side Story is coming to Disney Plus. Steven Spielberg's reimagining of the legendary musical will launch on the streamer soon, too, after its release date was finally revealed.
The 21st-century remake of the original 1957 broadway musical, which was also turned into a classic movie in 1961, seems like it's well worth a watch. That is, if you factor in West Side Story's recent nominations on the 2022 awards circuit. Indeed, Spielberg's incarnation was recently nominated for seven Oscars , 11 Critics' Choice Awards, and five BAFTAs . It's also up for multiple gongs at many other ceremonies, but the big trio is where it'll hope to secure some of the world's most sought-after prizes.
But we digress. You're here because you want to know when West Side Story will be released on Disney Plus . Below, you'll find out exactly when it'll arrive on the streamer. You can also read up on how you can watch a TV special, which charts Spielberg's vision for his West Side Story movie.
West Side Story Disney Plus release date: when is it?
West Side Story will launch on Disney Plus on Wednesday, March 2 . That's less than a month from now, and only a few weeks before the 2022 BAFTA and Academy Award ceremonies. So, it seems like it'll be the perfect time to check it out if you haven't already.
The movie will debut on Disney's streaming platform in the US, UK, and most other international countries where the service is available. Meanwhile, West Side Story will also be released in theaters in Taiwan on Wednesday, March 9, and in Japan on Wednesday, March 30.
While fans wait for West Side Story's arrival on Disney Plus, there is some musical content that they can enjoy right now.
A one-hour ABC special titled "Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20" is currently available to stream on Disney Plus. The feature goes behind-the-scenes on the film's production, with interviews from Spielberg and the cast, as well as Puerta Rican actors, artists, and journalists whose lives have been impacted by West Side Story. The special also includes one of the last-ever interviews with legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who passed away in November 2021.
Will West Side Story be a Disney Plus Premier Access title?
No. As West Side Story has already been released in theaters – it originally launched in December 2021 – it won't be a Disney Plus Premier Access title .
That means that all current Disney Plus subscribers will be able to watch it for free from March 2. If you're not signed up for Disney Plus yet, you can find out more in our subscription guide .