A better way of thinking about the AI bubble AI isn't all or nothing, and even good bets can turn sour if you aren't careful about how you make them. 

Testing Whether Fast Charging Kills Smartphone Batteries, and Other MythsCalendar aging of NMC Li-ion cells at 50 ℃ at various SoCs. (Credit: Wiljan Vermeer, IEEE, 2021)
With batteries being such an integral part of smartphones, it’s little wonder that extending the period between charging and battery replacement has led to many theories and outright myths about what may affect the lifespan of these lithium-ion batteries. To bust some of them, [HTX Studio] over on YouTube has spent the past two years torturing both themselves and a myriad of both iOS and Android phones to tease out some real-life data.
After a few false starts with smaller experiments, they settled on an experimental setup involving 40 phones to investigate two claims: first, whether fast charging is worse than slow charging, and second, whether limiting charging to 80% of a battery’s capacity will increase its lifespan. This latter group effectively uses only 50% of the capacity, by discharging down to 30% before recharging. A single control phone was left alone without forced charge-discharge cycles.

After 500 charge cycles and 167 days, these three groups (fast, slow, 50%) were examined for remaining battery capacity. As one can see in the above graphic for the Android group and the similar one for iOS in the video, the results are basically what you expect. Li-ion batteries age over time (‘calendar aging’), with temperature and state-of-charge (SoC) affecting the speed of this aging process, as can be seen in the SoC graph from an earlier article that we featured on built-in batteries.
It seems that keeping the battery as cool as possible and the SoC as low as possible, along with the number of charge-discharge cycles, will extend its lifespan, but Li-ion batteries are doomed to a very finite lifespan on account of their basic chemistry. This makes these smartphone charging myths both true, but less relevant than one might assume, as over the lifespan of something like a smartphone, it won’t make a massive difference.

EastWest Black Friday Sale EastWest’s annual Black Friday Sale has started early this year, and what’s more, it features some of the biggest discounts in the company's history. 

HYBE’s Weverse superfan platform is growing – and going big in ChinaHYBE's superfan platform Weverse is making significant inroads into China through strategic partnerships with two of the market's digital giants
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Dylan Mixer offers the Tape Filth Kontakt 8 Cassette Synth Library for FREE
Dylan Mixer has made the Tape Filth Kontakt 8 cassette synth library available for free download.  The freeware library requires the full version of Kontakt 8, and it is not compatible with the free Kontakt Player.  You’ll also need to create a Pulse Downloader account to access the plugin, as we’ll outline below.  Dylan Mixer [...]
View post: Dylan Mixer offers the Tape Filth Kontakt 8 Cassette Synth Library for FREE

Get Ujam UFX Reverb Version 2 for $5 in 89% Off Deal at Plugin Boutique
Right now, you can get Ujam UFX Reverb Version 2 for just $5, down from $49, in an 89% off deal at Plugin Boutique.  The deal, which is part of Plugin Boutique’s Black Friday sale, expires on December 7, 2025.  UFX Reverb is a macOS (Catalina 10.15+) and Windows (10+) release for VST2, VST3, AU [...]
View post: Get Ujam UFX Reverb Version 2 for $5 in 89% Off Deal at Plugin Boutique

SOS FOR ARTISTS Black Friday Offer Our Black Friday offer is now live, with a discount of 30% currently available for the Pro plan, and everybody who signs up for a subscription or free seven-day trial will get a a free Safari Pedals

Bandsintown’s 2025 High Notes Is Coming — Artists, Prep Your Profile!Bandsintown's exclusive trending High Notes recap is back for 2025. It's an annual profile of live music both personal and global. Stay tuned!
The post Bandsintown’s 2025 High Notes Is Coming — Artists, Prep Your Profile! appeared first on Hypebot.

Your Morning Coffee Podcast: Radio Royalties, Spotify Payola Accusations, MoreEpisode 275 of Jay Gilbert and Mike Etchart's podcast Your Morning Coffee: Weekly News for the New Music Business is available now.
The post Your Morning Coffee Podcast: Radio Royalties, Spotify Payola Accusations, More appeared first on Hypebot.

The previously leaked Behringer BQ-10 analogue sequencer has officially launched – here’s everything you need to knowBehringer has officially launched the BQ-10, its own spin on the Korg SQ-10, marking the brand’s very first semi-modular sequencer.
The launch arrives after a leak, which occurred way back in 2023 through a synthesiser news website. A photo posted on the site showed what looked to be its remake of the famed 1978 SQ-10, which is much larger than this condensed and modern version.

READ MORE: The SDS-3 was the predecessor of the world’s first fully electronic drum kit – Behringer has just launched its own version

“Our goal has always been to make gear, even rare ones, more accessible, which is why we’re introducing the Behringer BQ-10,” explains Behringer on its website, “a fresh take on a vintage design that pays tribute to a classic and introduces new updated features.”
Behringer BQ-10 features
The BQ-10 is an analogue sequencer with 24 steps and full CV control in Eurorack format, which can function as a single 16-step sequencer or be split into dual 8-step sequences (via channels A and B). It also has a third channel, channel C, which is a separate 8-step channel where you can connect an external synth via CV. It also offers MIDI functionality.
Each step features a voltage output knob as well as a dedicated trigger output, allowing you to shorten sequences by connecting specific steps to the Reset input. It also has a rotary Sequence Mode knob that lets you select between eight play modes for channels A and B, while channel C can run continuously depending on the mode.
By default, a sequence runs on the internal clock of the BQ-10. This can be adjusted with a Clock Generator knob, and can go from 20 bpm all the way to 500 bpm. You can also use its CV inputs for plugging in external voltage sources to override the internal clock. Each channel features its own portamento control.
For a clearer idea on how it works, and to hear it in play, check out the walkthrough below:

How much does the Behringer BQ-10 cost?
The BQ-10 is priced at $149. Behringer says it is available now through distributors across the globe, though it appears that most retailers do not yet have it in stock. Some are taking pre-orders though, including Andertons.
To find out more about the BQ-10, head over to Behringer.
The post The previously leaked Behringer BQ-10 analogue sequencer has officially launched – here’s everything you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

The Drox II glitch and stutter effect by Dystopian Waves is now available as a free plugin
Recently, I covered Drox II in another article, where I lamented the fact that it was a Max for Live device and thus an Ableton Live exclusive plugin. Well, I’ve got no more reasons to stay salty, because the plugin is now Windows compatible in VST format. Great news! Drox II is a glitch and [...]
View post: The Drox II glitch and stutter effect by Dystopian Waves is now available as a free plugin

“The less tightly you’re grasping onto something, the more room there is for magic to come in”: Jim E-Stack on the importance of giving your music “space”There’s a natural temptation in modern music production to over-shape every moment – to refine, compress, automate and perfect until nothing is left to chance. But not for Jim-E Stack.
The 33-year-old producer – who worked on Lorde’s latest album Virgin and Bon Iver’s Sable, Fable – tells MusicTech that the biggest breakthroughs often come when you loosen your grip and let songs unfold naturally.

READ MORE: “They came to hear the artist, what are you going to do – wait ’til the third song to get it together?”: Drake FOH engineer on what really matters in live sound engineering

“I have a very open approach to making music these days,” Stack says. “I’ve found the less tightly you’re grasping onto something, the more room something has to grow and the more room there is for magic to come in.”
It’s an ethos that runs counter to a culture of meticulous tinkering – especially among producers, whom Stack notes can be “perfectionists by nature.”
“The more I push back on that, not necessarily in the details, but in the big picture of not trying to bend a song or production to my will and leave things a bit more natural, all the work just always feels weightier,” Stack explains, emphasising the value of stepping back and letting the artist’s vision take centre stage.
Trusting the process sometimes means embracing mistakes as well. The producer points to Sable, Fable’s If Only I Could Wait, featuring Danielle Haim, as an example: “I was really hearing this live drum thing and spent a whole fucking day recording all this shit. And it was just wrong. Justin [Vernon, Bon Iver] and I have this dynamic where I had the space to do my thing with it, and he had the space to say, ‘This isn’t right.’ That exchange is really important.”
He also recounts how Lorde’s Man Of The Year – which started as a “bass loop” he’d laid down – was the result of a happy accident in the studio.
“She wrote a bunch of melodies and we arranged them, did some lyrical work. There was a point where I was like, ‘OK, let’s flesh it out. I’m gonna put a smooth sub-bass under it.’ I went to the Minimoog, pressed the bass down and the filter was all the way up. It blew my head off. I went to turn it down, to make it smooth. And she was like, ‘No. That was sick, that felt awesome.’”
“It was not what I was imagining for the song at all,” the producer admits. “[But after that, every] song had the synth filters all the way open.”
Stack has since carried this approach into his broader workflow, learning “not to bring in a new sound just for the sake of it” and “to use your existing tools in the song you’re working on”.
“[It helps] you build a creative structure, and it presents you with a really distinct piece of work,” he says.
The post “The less tightly you’re grasping onto something, the more room there is for magic to come in”: Jim E-Stack on the importance of giving your music “space” appeared first on MusicTech.

The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett says social media is turning music into “fast food”The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett has likened our consumption of music to fast food, noting how there’s less time afforded to artists to be able to develop before people’s attention moves onto the next thing.
The Prodigy played a mighty set at Glastonbury this summer, and are due to head out on tour in April 2026. According to Howlett, there’s even new music due for release next year too. Having started out in the 1990s, crafting music was a long-form art during the formative years of The Prodigy, and Howlett now fears that listeners have less patience, and creators are having to chop, cut, and condense to meet demands.

READ MORE: How does metal music fit into EDM? “When it’s done well, it always works”

Speaking to Mixmag, Howlett explains, “The main thing that concerns me is making sure my beats bang. There are artists and tunes I hear today that buzz me yeah, but the problem is they mostly don’t hang around long enough. There seems to be less time and patience now for artists to develop. It’s social media again to blame, turning music into fast food… Quick in and gone…Next…”
Further speaking on the other elephant in the room when it comes to digital progression, Howlett also shares his views on AI: “A good mate, who is a well-known producer/DJ is all over this AI shit, he’s been fucking with it for a while. Mainly on the visual side… Seeing how far he can push it. The stuff he showed me blew my mind, some mad shit.”
He adds, “Me personally, as far as using AI for music, I much prefer putting my brain through the ‘sometimes’ pain and torture of hand building the tune myself. Some tunes feel like I’m carving them out of stone sometimes because they take so long, but at least I know I did it myself… Know what I mean?”

The Prodigy’s legendary frontman Keith Flint sadly passed away back in 2019, and it took the rest of the group some time before they could even think about making music or putting on shows again. After a small taster tour back in 2022, and their colossal festival sets this summer, they’re making a mighty comeback.
Their upcoming arena tour across the UK and Ireland was their fastest-ever sold-out run of shows, and they also have four Warrior’s Dance events scheduled in summer 2026 for Dublin, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, and Manchester. Howlett feels their live shows have a different level of intimacy following Flint’s death.
“When we play live now — and I’ll try and explain this — the band feels like it somehow has an extra level of emotional depth and connection to the people… And I don’t want that to sound like some hippy shit. I’m just telling you how it feels being on stage playing the tunes, looking at the whites in the people’s eyes and their reaction… Uplifting and pure chaos,” he says.
You can get tickets for The Prodigy’s Warrior’s Dance events via their official website. 
The post The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett says social media is turning music into “fast food” appeared first on MusicTech.

Could Ace Frehley Have Been a Stand-Up Comedian? Comic Don Jamieson States His CaseThat Metal Show co-host and stand-up comedian Don Jamieson espouses on the opinion that the Kiss guitarist could have cut it as a comedian in this excerpt from Greg Prato's book, "Talk to Me: Conversations With Ace Frehley."

NatLife Sounds Trance Memories for Synapse Audio ProximaNatLife Sounds presents Trance Memories for Synapse Audio Proxima. It is a unique soundbank currently available on the market, featuring 70 high-quality presets designed specifically for Synapse Audio Proxima. This collection is ideal for producers of Melodic Trance, Progressive Trance, and Uplifting Trance, providing ready-to-use sounds that save time on sound design. Included in the pack: Leads, pads, and atmospheres for melodic and harmonic layering. Basses for solid low-end support. Effects and textures to enhance transitions and overall sound design. This is a third-party soundbank for Proxima, a niche product with very few alternatives available. All presets are fully compatible with Synapse Audio Proxima and ready for immediate use in your projects. Soundbank created by Gianfranco Carone aka GC. Read More