Leak of Bose QuietComfort 35 II tipped to get Google Assistant support

Last month we reported about a leaked headset from Bose and now we get more details about it and its features. Bose is reportedly releasing the QuietComfort 35 II and with it includes support for Google Assistant. The Verge previously spotted an unidentified button the QC35 II but they didn’t know what it was for. 9to5Google got their hands on the QC35 II’s fact sheet from Bose retail employees and they saw information on Google Assistant information there which states: “With your Google Assistant built in, you can control music, send & receive texts, and get answers using just your voice. Just press and hold the Action button, and start talking.” Android Police got a copy of a leaked official product video in French, which you can check out in this link.

The QC 35 II looks similar to its predecessor with the exception of the button. It also comes in the same black and silver color options. It has “adjustable noise cancelation” and “noise-rejecting dual microphone” for “clear calls and accurate Google Assistant response in noisy environments.” This pair is supposedly lighter at 5.7oz (compared to the 8.3oz of the original QC 35), which should be great for longer use. Battery is still rated at 20 hours. Price might be the same as the original QC35 as was reported from a buyer in Australia who made a down payment for AU$499 (around CA$490) for a pair of QC35 IIs, which is the price of the current model.

New ‘Star Wars’ audiobook enlists Hollywood stars like Jon Hamm

Banking on the star power or just the really sultry voice of Hollywood’s elite, an upcoming audiobook about Star Wars: Episode IV has enlisted help from some big stars. Entitled From a Certain Point of View, this Del Rey Books audiobooks will feature the voices of Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Neil Patrick Harris, and Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Janina Gavankar, to name a few. There will be 40 stories with each tale told by a different author about a character from the movie. Not much is known about who will voice whom but Hamm is confirmed to be voicing Boba Fett and Harris will tell the tale of an Imperial officer who’s aboard the Death Star. Gavankar will voice a different Imperial soldier from the one she voices in Battlefront 2.

The other voice actors include Now on the writing side, the authors contributing to this book include. All the authors have forgone payment for their stories and will have their proceeds go to First Book, a nonprofit that gives new books, learning materials, and other necessary tools needed by educators and organizations that serve children in need. According to Penguin Random House, the publisher has donated US$100,000 to First Book, while Lucasfilm gave 100,000 books to the charity that’s estimated to be worth US$1 million. From a Certain Point of View will be available for purchase starting October 3^rd.

Source: Star Wars

BlackBerry inks licensing deal with Timex

BlackBerry might no longer be in the hardware market but it has been busy signing licensing agreements with other companies. Its latest deal is with Timex, which gives the watchmaker access to over 40,000 patents. Android Authority speculates this could possibly lead to a BlackBerry-branded smartwatch. But this must be taken with more than just a grain of salt. BlackBerry has patents all over, including “wireless communications, networking infrastructure, acoustics, messaging, enterprise software, operating systems, virtualization, and cybersecurity.” The deal could lead to other products. BlackBerry is keeping mum about the possibility of a smartwatch in our future.

But we at least know it might focus on mobile communications. According to BlackBerry senior director of intellectual property licensing Jerald Gnuschke, “This license agreement with Timex demonstrates the strength of BlackBerry’s patent portfolio, and will enable us to focus on further patent licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market.”

Leaked Nokia 2 might be a budget phone with a big battery

HMD Global is steadily building up its Nokia brand and it looks like a budget option might be on its way. Evan Blass just leaked what’s said to be the Nokia 2. And looks-wise it does look like an entry-level option. Those who are averse to bezels will not like this option. But beggars can’t be choosers, right?

Android Authority is speculating October 5 to be the release date, because dates in renders usually match launch time. However, that could change so we’ll keep our eyes out for any announcements. As for specs, we don’t have those yet but if the Nokia 3, which is a budget-friendly option already, expect this to be smaller and with less powerful specs. One thing where the Nokia 2 might shine though is in terms of battery. An FCC certification for the phone claims the battery will be 4,000mAh battery, which would be amazing for a budget phone with a small display. We should find out more about this device soon.