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Shazam Expands TV Tagging to 160 Channels

Shazam has announced a major expansion of its television companion service, officially known as Shazam for TV. The update brings television fans in the US access to audio recognition during practically any show on any channel. Shazam now has support for 160 channels, with the exception of some shows such as local news broadcasts or local paid advertising programs.

Shazam app recognizes TV

You may have seen the "Shazam for more" logo pop up on your television before. The popular app is also capable of tagging TV shows and ads at any time, right from your smartphone. So what information can Shazam deliver about your favorite program?

iPhone 5 Already Unboxed in Photos

Looks like one lucky Apple customer already received an iPhone 5 in the mail. While the rest of us are waiting until Friday for the first round of pre-orders to arrive, here are some unboxing photos thanks to a tip sent to BGR. So what does the unboxing tell us about the iPhone 5?

BGR iPhone 5 unboxing

For one, that's a new charger that has been redesigned to deliver more power to the iPhone while charging via the Lightning cable. The Lightning to USB cable is packaged along with Apple's completely revamped EarPods with remote. iPhone 5 owners will get the same EarPod carrying case that comes when they are purchased separately.

EarPod Teardown Confirms Several Improvements

Once a new Apple product hits the market, it doesn't take long for someone to disassemble the unit to see what makes it tick. In classic fashion, iFixit did just that to the EarPods, even though they are not designed to be opened or repaired. Despite this drawback, there are several design improvements beyond just acoustics.

iFixit disassembles EarPods

The EarPods are the first Apple earbud headphones to utilize paper cones in the speaker diaphragms as opposed to all plastic. Not only should this improve frequency response, but it results in a more durable speaker that will better resist tearing. Other durability improvements were also spotted in the teardown.

More iPhone 5 Lightning / 30-Pin Adapter Details Surface

Connector details continue to surface ahead of the iPhone 5 arrival next Friday. One of the biggest questions facing Apple was how to implement a smaller dock connector to replace the aging 30-pin design in service since 2003. We already know the Lightning 8-pin dock connector will be 80 percent smaller and completely reversible.

iphone 5 lightning

As it turns out, Apple decided to go with the Lightning proprietary design over micro-USB because the USB cables lack functionality. Engineers believed the disadvantages of losing the standard cable format would be outweighed by additional connectivity made possible by the Lightning cable, giving third-party devices more possibilities.

What's Different About Apple's EarPods?

Apple announced new in-ear headphones called EarPods at its keynote on Wednesday. The EarPods will begin shipping with every iPod touch, iPod nano and iPhone after the iPhone 5 is released on September 21. Apple spent three years redesigning the old in-ear headphones that previously came with older Apple devices.

iPhone 5 Accessories

Apple uploaded a video to YouTube explaining why the new EarPods are better. Jonny Ive, Apple’s head of industrial design explains in the clip that making one headphone to fit everbody’s ear would be impossible, but that's exactly what Apple set out to do.

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