Show HN: Unplugg: An automated Forecasting API  for timeseries data - <AUTHOR> http://unplu.gg/test_api.html <comment><USER2> I see from the earlier comments that this runs some sort of "optimized" ARIMA model. Is there anyway to output the statistical information of the fitted model though the API?

<comment><AUTHOR> Not really. We're directing this more towards a completely automated use-case of forecasting with no human interaction, so it's not on our plans to release internal parameterization of the forecast.

<comment><USER2> Hmm, I think at the minimum, the variance of the forecasted results should be obtainable. I'm not sure how many people would use a black box model without knowing some sort of performance/statistical confidence metric.

<comment><AUTHOR> We could return a confidence interval for the forecasted values, you're right, it can help in cases where it would be used for simple anomaly detection (and it would give a greater sense of security/control over using the forecast).

I do believe we have some similar feature in the pipeline for development, I'll make sure to push it forward. Thanks for the feedback.

<comment><USER3> I think a confidence interval would be crucial for the forecasted values.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Why is there no mention of the model you use?

<comment><AUTHOR> Our goal is to keep it as simple as we can, keeping the worries about model selection and tuning on our side as much as possible, therefore we don't go much into those details.

I can share that our platform is built on top of ARIMA models, but with a lot of pre-processing work done previously to try and figure out automatically the best parameters to use, as well as a lot of previous hand-tweaking done by ourselves in-house using different datasets (we started out tuning it for forecasting energy consumption, but figured that the resulting models were performing well enough to warrant testing in other domains).

Right now we're opening it up for testing to get more feedback on its performance, so feel free to shoot any more questions or feedback.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> @mgonatav . we are building an internal ERP for our manufacturing business. We use our sales data to try and predict what our future sales will look like. We try and produce what we think we are going to be selling in the next few months. Right, if we sale 3 items a day we just do a straight math and assume we will sale 3x10 in 10 days . I would like to talk to you and see how your service can help us

<comment><AUTHOR> Sure thing, shoot me an email at email@example.com and we'll see how we can help you out.

<comment><USER5> Sent you an email. Thanks

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> { "timestamp": 1458000000, "value": 63.422235 },

dear lord, why? this reminds me of the old "xml binary format" joke:

<byte> <bit>0</bit> <bit>0</bit> <bit>1</bit> <bit>0</bit> <bit>0</bit> <bit>1</bit> <bit>0</bit> <bit>0</bit> </byte>

<comment><USER7> I don't get the snark - what's the glaring problem with the format? I work with sensor data at my job and very rarely is it uniformly distributed so we use a similar format.

<comment><USER6> Because it's horribly inefficient. It's using 49 bytes to encode 8 bytes worth of data. If your data set is a few hundred observations this likely doesn't matter. But most users of timeseries data have millions or billions. (I come from a computational finance background.)

Even if they were wedded to JSON for some reason, they could have just used a list of observations, like:

[1458000000,63.422235],

That would have cut their data costs in half.

Or just use one of the many existing formats for transmitting time series data. It's not a new topic. [https://github.com/mobileink/data.frame/wiki/What-is-a- Data-...](https://github.com/mobileink/data.frame/wiki/What-is-a-Data- Frame%3F)

<comment><USER7> This is an API for very small datasets (daily time series data). The goal should be accessibility and readability over saving a few bytes.

I'm not saying it's ideal, I just think the snark is unwarranted considering how common it is. I just checked InfluxDB and they follow a similar model (even more verbose). [https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v1.2/guides/querying_da...](https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v1.2/guides/querying_data/)

Checked a few more and I believe they're the same - Microsoft IoT, Predix (GE), etc.

<comment><USER6> that example you give does not follow a similar model. it defines the columns once (not repeated w/ every observation):

                        "columns": [
                            "time",
                            "value"
                        ],

and then the observations as a list of lists:

                        "values": [
                            [
                                "2015-01-29T21:55:43.702900257Z",
                                2
                            ],
                            [
                                "2015-01-29T21:55:43.702900257Z",
                                0.55
                            ],

exactly as i suggested in the "even if they were wedded to JSON for some reason" section of my original explanation.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> This is interesting but, if I give you for example 12 months of data (Evenly distributed), how much time in the future will it be able to forecast?

<comment><AUTHOR> We allow for you to specify the limit of the forecasting period, so you can experiment with that.

However, due to how we model the forecast, it isn't realistic to expect ultra- long term predictions, as eventually the forecast will revert to the mean of the series.

In a more practical note, we have seen good results with forecast windows in between 1/4 and 1/8 the size of the historic data given. So, in your case you could expect between 1-3 months of forecast.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> Very cool, something I would definitely use in a project I'm working on if it were a package I could install, and something I would probably use "as is" in many other instances.

<comment><AUTHOR> Hey, you can still try it out as is, just request an API key and start using it. Unless you're worried about sending data out into unknown servers... in that case I can assure you we keep absolutely no information on the data we receive to be processed. Our initial use-case of energy consumption forecasting demanded this kind of data policy, and we're sticking to it.

<comment><USER9> I will definitely try it out, thanks!

<comment><AUTHOR> Cool! Get back to us with feedback on how it went, we're looking for as much input as possible at this point.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Is this somehow connected to facebook Prophet? How do you compare?

<comment><AUTHOR> We've been expecting this question all day long.

As fate has it, we have no connection to FB's Prophet - we at Whitesmith have been working on unplugg for some time now and decided a few weeks ago that this week we'd share it on some communities to have more people testing it and more feedback. It seems that the folks over at Facebook decided something similar. You know what they say, great minds :p

Joking aside, as intimidating as it might have been to see FB releasing a related tool, we feel that we still fill a different segment. From what I've been reading today, Prophet is a tool tailored for timeseries forecasting with human interaction and input in mind - it can work like a black forecasting box but it seems that it is the most useful when paired with an analyst that can keep looking at the output and tweak the model accordingly. It is _really friendly_ as far as forecasting packages go and trust me, we looked at a fair amount of them. That and the use of ProbProgramming to infer their params is just awesome (I'm a fervent Bayesian at heart).

Unplugg on the other hand, fills the need for a "generic" forecasting tool for uses where you don't want/need much specific tailoring and want a really Plug&Play solution - it's an API that you can call from pretty much everywhere, with no dependencies or specific environments needed (so no need to deploy your own R/Python/Matlab - yikes - environment where your models live and run). One possible use case would be an energy monitoring portal that lives completely client-side and requests forecasts to our API on-the-fly directly from the client.

We are still actively developing and testing different forecasting models - the one running is just the one we feel most confident about - and will be looking at Prophet as a possible alternative (although I haven't seen their license carefully, so can't be sure).

<comment><USER11> The last time a start up tried to sell us a plug and play generic forecasting SAAS they made the mistake wanting to impress us and showing us their backend code. It was the first time in my life seeing spark code but it took only 10 minutes to find the spot being responsible for uncontrolled overfitting making their product useless. Every time I open a black box analytic tool happens the same.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> I'm getting an unexpected error occurred. Here is the sample financial data I am using: [http://pastebin.com/W6PJfG3f](http://pastebin.com/W6PJfG3f)

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for reporting it, we believe to have fixed it in the meanwhile, feel free to keep testing.</comment></comment>


Google Drive and Dropbox: The Good, the Bad, and the Freaky - <AUTHOR> https://plus.google.com/103248009078644651328/posts/jdqL9grBWKn

<comment><USER2> "I've been exploring Google Drive for the past few hours now. It's a very stable storage platform".

How could you possibly tell that it's "very stable" after a few hours?</comment>


Ask HN: Why is Apple App store asking password for free apps? - <AUTHOR>

I get that Apple should (and does) ask password when you want to download paid apps. But even in the case of stolen iPhones, why is it important to check identity for free apps ? Is is anyhow related to avoid fake downloads / bots ? <comment><USER3> Probably for the same reason you have to enter your password to install stuff on a computer. It's a security layer to make sure only the owner is installing software on the phone.

<comment><AUTHOR> Yes but the User Experience on a computer is not the same at all. On a real keyboard, typing is much faster and therefore the pain is much smaller. Mobile is on the go, usually apps are designed to make everything easier for the end user, and Apple is usually good at doing exactly that. Except here.

<comment><USER4> I don't have to enter my password. I just put my finger on the home button.

<comment><AUTHOR> You're right, me too. But this is valid only for iPhone 5S. I'm talking more globally across Apple devices.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> One reason may be to verify what territory the user is from in order to match it to the developer's permissions. If you have an app that is released only in the U.S. for whatever technical, business, or IP reasons, it would be matched against the downloading user's registered territory (as opposed to current location), which obviously requires a logged-in state.

[update] also would help the app store keep track of apps a user already has downloaded.

</comment><comment><USER6> As well as for security, I believe it's to help with things like purchase history, recommendations etc. technically even though it's free, it's still a purchase. If you change your phone it's easy to back up or remember the apps you had installed by referencing purchase history and stuff.

I'm not sure also but if something goes from being free to paid, you are covered to still get it free but that is purely speculative.

</comment><comment><USER7> Might have something to do with age requirement or age appropriateness - <USER2> sure kids can't install apps on mom and dad's phone without permission because they need a password.

</comment><comment><USER8> Also, if it's set up to, it will sync automatically to all your devices via iCloud. This could be exploited I guess.</comment>


An Open Source Multi-Cloud Container Registry by Distelli - <AUTHOR> http://www.geekwire.com/2017/distelli-aims-make-cloud-software-development-easier-open-source-container-registry/ <comment><AUTHOR> Hi I'm the founder at distelli. Here is a link to the source repo on github:

[https://github.com/distelli/europa](https://github.com/distelli/europa)</comment>


The AirPods Pro "Rattlegate" - <AUTHOR> https://annoying.technology/posts/abea6876cf4f2e13/ <comment><USER3> Wow. I've had this same problem for months. I spent over an hour on the phone with Support just trying to describe the problem, until they came to the conclusion that there was absolutely no way to send me new ones or to have me send them my broken ones...because I live in Puerto Rico. The week prior, Apple had sent me a new cable for my phone in 2 days flat, yet when I had a problem, there was nothing they could do about it.

<comment><USER4> This is a very known feature of Apple, especially if you are subscribed to Louis Rossmann's channel. Basically, Apple is going to treat you first class only until you have a hardware problem.

Not just allergic to any hardware needing repair, Apple will go out of their way to make your life miserable. At the very best their repair is to replace most of your device for a hefty price, at worst they will flat out refuse to help even if you offer them to pay out of your pocket but also put their legal departments to work ensuring there is nobody else on the market to compete with the service they don't provide, stop shipments of parts that don't infringe on any trademarks or patents, and so on.

<comment><USER5> I don't know dude, they've replaced like, 3 laptops for me, all the keyboards, everything. They fix it all, no problem, everything is easy when it's scheduled by appointment.

I'm never at fault for the issue though.

<comment><USER6> That's only for first-world countries with Apple stores. Without both of these, you are out of luck.

<comment><USER7> I had an MBP with a fried motherboard, out of warranty and paid for it to be replaced out of pocket (400 eur or so). Some months later Apple contacted me and WIRED money to my bank account to compensate the cost. This was for an Early 2011 MBP and they had GPU replacement program for it after a lot of reports about issues.

All of this in North Macedonia, with no Apple stores (but the fix was done at an authorized reseller). To be honest I was kind of amazed they did that and definitely left a lasting good impression of them.

<comment><USER6> Given I have some hardware trouble with my current MBP. Can you tell me what the process for the refund is? (I'm being quoted $800 for a battery repair).

<comment><USER8> Apple offers battery replacement at a fixed price for MBP at their service centres, and the price is $129-$199 in the US depending on which model.

[https://support.apple.com/mac/repair/service](https://support.apple.com/mac/repair/service)

        MacBook Pro                               Out of Warranty
        16-inch MacBook Pro                             $199
        15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display         $199
        13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display         $199
        15-inch MacBook Pro                             $129
        13-inch MacBook Pro                             $129
        17-inch MacBook Pro (Vintage)                   $179

        MacBook Air                               Out of Warranty
        13-inch MacBook Air                             $129
        11-inch MacBook Air                             $129

        MacBook                                   Out of Warranty
        12-inch MacBook                                 $199

<comment><USER6> I'm not in the US.

<comment><USER8> I wonder who downvoted.

I'm not in the US either.

Where I live Apple offers the same fixed-price battery replacement service but in local currency.

But if I go to a non-Apple store, but an "approved seller" of Apple products, they will quote a much higher price. I challenged them about this once, and they said it wouldn't be cheaper anywhere else, so I showed them the Apple page and they admitted that was much cheaper and I should go to the Apple store.

I told you about the Apple service in case you were being ripped off and would appreciate knowing about the Apple fixed price service, if you are in a country where they do that.

US $ prices were provided because you quoted $800, presumably US $. Other country prices are on the Apple website with a bit of searching. Look up battery service.

Refund method was asked for, which is rather dependent on country. If you're in a less-likely-for-HN country and asking how to get a refund it would make sense to say which country.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> I just had my right airpod returned and replaced under warranty, it's only a matter of time before the left goes.

It took me two hours to get a person on the phone, and we went through no less than 3 reset cycles. :|

Then the advisor told me I have to return it in person to an apple store (which is closed) or to an apple authorized repair store, and mentioned there will be a $29 fee, but fortunately for me, she was reading the prices wrong. Warranty returns/repairs should be free of cost. I asked for a supervisor, and was connected to someone who actually knew what was going on. He said they could mail the replacement and return packaging so I wouldn't have to come in. Second advisor was so helpful and knowledgeable. I'm just babying my left airpod before it goes.

<comment><USER10> Try using the official Apple Support App and chatting w them. They should send you a replacement airpod pro the same way you got a cable. They will just place a hold on your card for the amount of the replacement part until you return the defective one. They ship with a pre-filled return label - at least in the US

<comment><USER11> Nope, chatting didn't help for me, it only added to the time wasting. I had the same AirPod Pro problem and started with chat Not only did they not solve it via chat (despite detailed troubleshooting notes I provided), they wasted a lot of time asking me to try things that clearly had nothing to do w/ the problem. After a long time of this, they said I'd have to call. Even with a case number, I basically started from scratch on the phone, took about 1hr. After all that, they did finally send me one replacement (right side only). It fixed the problem, though I will say that now they perpetually unbalanced in terms of ear pressure.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> I've gotten both my left and my right Airpod pro replaced on different occasions. My right one after 4 months and my left one 1 month later. So far, all of my friends/coworkers that own the pro's also got them replaced at some point within 6 months, or are dealing with the 'Rattlegate' issue.

I am blown away by the quality of the pro, both positive and negative. How is it that we are all paying $280 and still have to replace them every year.

One good point is, Apple is sending replacements out without any questions asked other than 'is it making that sound?'. The replacement flow is really smooth too: Call or chat -> CreditCard got charged -> Left or right replacement is send via UPS -> You replace the specific side that isn't working correctly -> You pack the broken one in the bag that is included -> You return it for free at a UPS point. Obviously, this won't work anymore after a year of use because after that they are out of warranty. (At least in The Netherlands)

<comment><USER13> Isn't a 2 year warranty mandatory in the Netherlands/EU?

<comment><USER14> When I was trying to replace or return my 1 year and 2 week old Macbook Pro to Apple due to what turned out to be a faulty logic board, Apple said it was too late as their 1 year warranty had passed. But here in Australia we cannot just sign our consumer rights away. I explained this very clearly, that I was not seeking a return based on Apple's warranty but rather seeking a return based on the consumer rights that govern my country and any businesses that wish to do business here.

Many large companies have tried to skirt around these consumer rights, like Steam and E.A who both rejected the notion that they even do business in Australia, all to prevent issuing refunds. It's absurd. Telling a consumer they have no right to a refund when they do is even against the law here, yet Apple do it all the time.

Eventually I got to a senior representitve and they openly stated to me while denying my claim "I don't know why you expect me to know the laws in Australia". They bloody well should, though. Australia's consumer rights watchdog even forced Apple to display a notice on their website to prevent people being misled by Apple.

[https://www.apple.com/au/legal/statutory- warranty/](https://www.apple.com/au/legal/statutory-warranty/)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> This is a pretty short (and poorly styled) blog post that just links a much deeper dive, the latter of which should IMHO be where this submission links:

[https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airpods-pro- rattlegate....](https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airpods-pro- rattlegate.2233658/)

<comment><USER16> > and poorly styled

I disagree. Good line spacing, comfortable page width (doesn't take up the full width of my monitor), clean & concise, no 'junk' surrounding the content. I'm not sure I see where you're coming from

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks, I wasn't sure if the parent comment referred to my writing or the blog design. The latter we try to keep as minimal as possible, with no JS (Except a tiny non-Google analytics snippet), ads, external fonts or other garbage on the page.

<comment><USER15> Those decisions are great! The choice of an ugly mono space font isn't, and isn't relevant to those design goals.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23832054](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23832054)

<comment><USER17> As another reply mentioned, it does not specify any particular font, so the choice of an ugly font is in fact yours. It looks pretty (to me) on my computer...

<comment><USER15> I explained why that's not correct in a reply that was present at the time you made that comment. The fact that it's monospace is due to CSS; whatever font family my browser picks, it will have to meet that criterion.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23832927](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23832927)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> This happened to me four times in four months. Every time, it appeared one of the microphones was broken, because I would hear a buzzing, rattling, or clicking noise when in transparency or noise-canceling mode. The current set have both been good for a two or three months.

At least Apple has great service. When the Apple store was open I could just walk over there and get the broken AirPod swapped in minutes. After lockdown I needed to call Apple support and get them to mail me one, which would take a few days to show up.

<comment><USER19> Wow, so thats what it is? My Siri hasnt been working well and I just assumed the two were unrelated. Roughly every other sentence I dictate to Siri has the word 'Play' at the start of it as well, which must be related. I can wait 5 seconds after triggering siri to begin speaking and it is still prefixed with 'play'. No idea why but all these together sound like a support call is in order.

</comment></comment><comment><USER20> I had this problem with both left and right AirPods. I got a replacement, and a confirmation that it is a known issue. I currently live in Czechia, and there're no official Apple stores here, but this hasn't been a problem. I just had to wait a couple of days for the replacement.

Interestingly enough, I had a very similar issue with my Sony WH-1000XM3. They would click and pop whenever I moved my head, touched them, or simply when a door or window would open or close and produce a small change in air pressure. They would click several times in a row, every time with less intensity, before stopping. Extremely annoying. Just like with the Airpods, it would only happen with ANC on. After a failed attempt to repair them in warranty, I just insisted on getting a new pair or my money back.

I am fairly confident that in both cases it was a hardware failure.

<comment><USER21> I have some friends that live in CZ and they still all call it Czech Republic and hate the new Czechia name. This is my first time hearing anyone refer to it by that name before.

<comment><USER22> Here in Romania we've always called it Cehia, which sounds a lot like Czechia, so it feels more natural now.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> I had this problem with my AirPods Pro, too. Funny thing though... I have intermittent tinnitus in my left ear, and it took me a few weeks to realize it wasn't my ears making the noise but rather a problem w the AirPods. I had been switching between noise-cancelling and transparency mode, swapping ears, etc to see if it would go away. It didn't, so I assumed it wasn't an audio processing issue. Then one day I realized I hadn't tested on "off" mode (since you only get to this mode through the UI I had forgotten it even existed). The noise issue went away instantly. Called Apple and they replaced it without hassle.

Still kinda blows me away that this issue sounded so identical to my tinnitus that I literally couldn't tell the difference.

<comment><USER24> Wow! I'm in the same boat. I've had tinnitus for a while and at first I thought it was just my ears being weird. It got way worse though (the rattling) and I was able to tell the difference.

</comment></comment><comment><USER25> I always wonder with "gates" like this: how many people (what percentage) are affected?

For example, I never had an issue ever with my AirPods Pro since I bought them six months ago. Does that make me the outlier? Or is it just that 1% have issues, but they are very vocal about it (for understanable reasons)?

<comment><USER26> Disatisfied people tend to be more vocal.

Something I learnt many years ago when I worked in sales was that a happy customer might tell one or two people but a pissed off one will tell everybody.

That said it doesn't negate the underlying issue if it's a real one.

<comment><USER27> A Reason why Apple is affected relatively often is the huge volumes of products they ship. No other manufacturer ships that many identical phones and probably no one has shipped that many identical headphones over such a short time frame.

Even a problem affecting only 0.01% has a sizeable number of affected customers if you ship 100 million devices. If you only ship 1 million, that same problem is much less likely to find public support. Apple already has good quality control (my opinion) but to reach the same level of public complains as other companies, they need to be several magnitudes better.

<comment><USER28> There is also the expectation of quality, given the branding, price and the presentation. If a $50 pair of headphones break, it's not a big deal. If a $300 pair of headphones break (repeatedly, it seems), you start to talk about it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER29> Well thats a bummer to hear. I finally pulled the trigger and upgraded to the Pro after a pretty happy/successful run with the originals (1G).

Actually my revelation that the Pros are inferior came on the first day before I even popped them in my ear. You can tell just by holding the 1Gs and the Pros in your hand: note the clearance between the lid and body on the 1G is almost non-existent compared to the Pro - a sign of better build quality. When you pop open the lid on the Pros, you note they dont fit snugly in the case. You can easily wiggle them around making me wonder if the charging contact will be a problem later on.

<comment><USER30> Given the speed with which I had charging problems, it surprises me that I don't hear more people complaining about it. The metal contacts inside the case of mine don't seem to protrude enough. I can usually get it to work again with a q-tip... but not by cleaning. I kind of put it down and swirl it around until it catches on the metal and pulls them out again a bit. Without that, no amount of jiggling or pressing will get charging contact. Then it happens again a few days later. The right side started doing it first. The left one followed a few months later.

But, i just had my own 'rattlegate' around the time of this post, and apple replaced the case under warranty for me with the bad pod, at least.

</comment></comment><comment><USER31> I'm on my 3rd or 4th pair. The current ones need to be replaced as they rattle, first appearing in the left now the right are progressively following suit.

They are convenient and work well, however the fault rates are incredible. As soon as apple store opens back up I'll be replacing them for 5th time. At this point, I have given up and probably go back to SoundMagic in ears or something with noise cancelling that I can use while riding my motorbike.

PS: I didn't purchase apple care, and my friends/colleagues haven't had any issues.

<comment><USER32> Does apple replace them for free?

</comment></comment><comment><USER33> Antidotally I am a heavy airpod pro user, averaging seven hours a day. I have two pairs so one is always at full power. I have not experienced this problem.

</comment><comment><USER34> I have this exact issue.

The "fix" was to never use either NC or transparency. Just park it on the middle option.

I really dislike this product.

<comment><USER35> Is there a hardware piece physically rattling inside? Or is this a software issue?

I have the new airpods but haven't had any issues (besides a single airpod sometimes not syncing with my phone at first). For what it's worth, I rarely ever use the mic.

<comment><USER36> No, sounds like a software issue.

EDIT: other sources are saying it is actually a hardware problem. But there's nothing actually "loose" that's physically rattling as far as people can tell (specially since noise cancellation off minimizes the problem)

<comment><USER37> It's hardware 100%. I had that thing on my left one first only in noise cancellation and close to max volume. But then I dropped it onto asphalt and that thing became loud af in any mode on any volume. Doubt that the drop affected the software.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER38> I just dropped my left airpod pro replacement in the mail today. Fingers crossed this works, I had the right one replaced just three months ago for not charging. The "seal test" never works either for both ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

I do agree these have by far been the most needy/buggy pair of wireless headphones I've owned in the past 5 years (Beats, Bose, Sony, Anker, B&O). Yes, I own a lot of headphones

<comment><USER39> I have replaced my right AirPod (1 in 3 months), but as yet, these don't hold a candle to the PowerBeats3. I think I went through 5 replacements in 1.5 years.

With PowerBeats, I had to send in the headphones for warranty repair, losing any use (in the couple of cases they maybe, kind of kept working). For the replacement AirPod, at least Apple sent the replacement before I had to send it back to them.

</comment></comment><comment><USER40> Oh wild, I didn't know this was widespread. Happened in my left airpod pro, and went through Apple Support to get a replacement mailed out. Hasn't happened to the right one yet, though I _did_ notice a real difference in audio quality between the new left and the old right. I'm kind of hoping it starts to rattle so I can more-easily get a replacement for it, honestly?

</comment><comment><USER41> Up until the other day, I had only needed to replace my AirPods twice so far. But then the microphone died on the right one and now I will need to replace them yet again.

I love my AirPods but this is so incredibly frustrating.

Pro tip: Use the Voice Memo app to determine which microphone is failing, and then go into the Bluetooth settings. You can make the microphone default to the side that isn't broken.

<comment><USER42> Sheesh, this is a big reason why I dislike Airpods. They've turned headphones/earbuds into a piece of disposable tech.

Apple wants to be normalize the purchase of a new pair of earbuds every year. It sounds like you're about to be on your 4th pair since 2017. Even just having to replace them twice seems excessive.

I'm on my second pair of corded over the ear headphones since 2008. My current ones still work, but one of the ear cushions is starting to fall apart. Instead of throwing all the electronics away, I can just get a new ear piece on eBay for $3

<comment><USER43> I hear this a lot, but headphones and earbuds are distinct products, and earbuds have always been semi-disposable for me.

I've only ever had one pair of headphones, which are on their third (fourth?) cable and needed muff replacement on one side.

Earbuds? The corded ones last me 2 to 6 months before the thin copper in the cabling work-hardens and breaks.

Airpods are semi-disposable as well, and much more expensive, but convenient and nice, while lasting quite a bit longer than corded earbuds. My first pair lasted 18 months, and the battery was fine, I just blew out the speakers. I value not being tethered to my phone.

Your mileage may vary, I'm kinda hard on my stuff.

<comment><USER42> That's fair, in general I wouldn't expect small earbuds to be as repairable or durable as full on headphones.

OTOH, I've been able to keep a pair of wired earbuds going for another year with heat shrink tubing. Even though that isn't great, just that new lease on life I've been able to give them sounds like it's comparable to the Airpods MTBF.

<comment><USER44> I can't recommend getting some good quality earbuds from China, with metal faceplates (or entirely metal) and replaceable wires, enough. Cables cost 4$, you can buy a second one off the get-go, and if the connector breaks at least for mine you can simply unscrew the connector, replace it (it's a standard), and resolder the two wires.

The key is to spend a bit more and do your research, mine cost 40$ and will probably last a decade. To name them, the model is KZ ZSX - the sound quality is absolutely excellent too, and there are impulse response files to make them sound almost completely perfect.

There are also other more reputable brands such as Shure, but AFAIK none that will make headphones with metal faceplates for under 150$.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER45> The author calls out Apple for the ecological implications for replacing faulty AirPods every few months, but accepts no responsibility for purchasing the AirPods himself-- the product is designed around an embedded battery that can't be serviced and has a limited lifespan.

If you want ecological headphones, you could buy ones with no battery or a replaceable battery.

</comment><comment><USER46> I have this issue; have been waiting for the apple stores to re-open, wasn't aware it was wide-spread.

<comment><USER47> I had my faulty Airpod replaced via mail after calling them. They ship you a working one with a return label and you have a few days to send your broken one back. They also put a hold on a card as a deposit.

<comment><USER48> No idea why Apple, one of the richest companies in the world, and "all about the customer" needs to place a hold on my card for a warranty replacement. I've exchanged a faulty $3,000 camera on Amazon and they overnighted the replacement, and said that if I didn't return the faulty one within 30 days they'd charge me. They didn't pre-auth or hold funds.

Better hope you have a credit card, I guess.

<comment><USER47> Absolutely agree.

My list of questions that begin with "no idea why Apple, one of the richest companies in the world..." is quite long.

Most recently posed here [https://jborichevskiy.com/posts/spending- electronics/](https://jborichevskiy.com/posts/spending-electronics/)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER49> I contacted apple support and got a new pair. Free (with credit card hold until I sent the defective pair back). So far so good. But if it happens again... yeah not sustainable.

<comment><USER50> My guess is that Apple can replace them 7 times and still be ahead profit- wise.

<comment><USER51> I daresay an iPhone, after R&D costs to Apple and third parties, probably costs less than $100 in materials.

<comment><USER52> You'd be very wrong. Component cost (not including any assembly cost) for any modern flagship smart phone is well north of $100. North of $300 on most phones.

Take a look at the cost estimates that most folks do on smartphones (Ex. [https://www.techinsights.com/blog/samsung- galaxy-s10-teardow...](https://www.techinsights.com/blog/samsung- galaxy-s10-teardown)). Apple isn't undercutting other companies by $300+.

<comment><USER51> Do you think third party vendors don't charge for R&D?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER53> Same here I had both replaced, but they would only let me replace one and later the other. Replacing was great at first, I observed that the first few days the sealing test was perfect, but already the test is not passing. I m pretty sure it's a hardware problem, could be shock resistance could be wax could be humidity but it looks like the mic (or many?) who is needed to do the noise cancellation gets faulty somehow. If it's a design issue I guess the only option will be to wait for the next gen, apple might offer a discount if you bring back your pro but I'm pretty sure they won't do a thing unless this becomes a public issue (maybe the European Commission or some class action) too bad as I love this product hopefully the next gen will fix it

</comment><comment><USER54> I've had this problem. It comes and goes randomly. Finally someone said something.

</comment><comment><USER55> Apple will replace your AirPod Pros if you have this problem. You can submit the request online and they will just send you a new pair. Most likely you fall under the support warranty period, and it will be at no cost to yourself.

<comment><USER56> In the article the writer says that they've had to do multiple replacements so far, and having to get replacement AirPods every several months isn't sustainable or convenient.

<comment><AUTHOR> Writer here: Yes, they replaced them twice and currently in the process of replacement number 3. I'll just see if I can get a refund though. I'll wait for the next generation.

<comment><USER57> This seems to be a trend with apple products.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER58> Question for everyone with the Rattlegate problem: Do you brush your teeth with an electronic toothbrush while you hear something with your headphones? My theory is that various micro vibrations cause the problem :D

<comment><USER59> I noticed that the rattling was most noticeable when I brushed my teeth with my electronic toothbrush. Not sure if the toothbrush caused it or not. I eventually got the faulty AirPod replaced.

</comment></comment><comment><USER60> I had a 'rattling' issue, but mine correlated with moving my head. If I held very still, the sound was fine. This didn't happen at first, it developed over time. I wondered if the issue was either loose/dirty silcone tips, even though I was wearing the best fitting size (and they passed the ios ear tip test). Cleaning the tips didn't make a difference.

So I bought some new foam tips from www.complyfoam.com , and to my pleasant surprise, the rattling stopped.

Not sure if this is different from the vast number of other reports, but fyi.

</comment><comment><USER61> The over-usage of the "-gate" addition to anything that people take issue with is getting old as fuck. Seriously, can people not come up with something better? Also, is it truly a conspiracy? That's what an association to Watergate is... that or just breaking the law. neither of which is what is going on. I really, seriously doubt that Apple is conspiring to have their earbuds rattle.

Please, for the love of everything sane, stop using "-gate" to catch eyes with your clickbait captions and titles.

</comment><comment><USER62> Does anyone know a workaround for having to switch microphone to Internal on MacBook Pro every time you connect AirPods Pro to avoid terrible sound quality?

<comment><USER63> That's just Bluetooth being Bluetooth. You can either have good sound quality but no mic or shit sound quality and mic.

I'm surprised and disappointed that Apple, despite the proprietary W1 chip in the AirPods didn't build a custom protocol to work around this limitation.

</comment></comment><comment><USER64> I've had the same issue. And another, more important one: the noise- cancelling/passthrough features have gradually ceased to work entirely. I replaced one bud when this started happening and was making things asymmetrical (super annoying), then noticed the new one was noise-cancelling _more_ than the "still good" one, indicating that the other one had started degrading too. Eventually both of them stopped working for anything but basic playback.

I've heard theories that the outer mics can get clogged with ear wax over time, and I tried several different strategies for cleaning them. I even bought entirely new rubber caps, just in case that contributed. Nothing I did worked. Eventually I just gave up and bought another pair of the regular AirPods, which had always worked reliably (I gave away my first pair as a gift when I got the Pros).

It's honestly shameful that such an expensive product can be so problematic, but I got weary of being upset about it and just wanted to get on with my life.

<comment><USER65> A common theory on forums is that noise cancellation was reduced by a firmware update (to version 2B588), for unknown reasons.

<comment><USER64> That isn't what I'm talking about here. It's most obvious on passthrough: there's simply almost no sound being picked up by the ambient mics.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER66> Started a couple of weeks on my pair. Called up Apple. The support representative didn't ask me a lot of questions and said I'd get a replacement Airpods for free.

Then I got quoted for a £75 deposit held until sent back the broken one back and no clarity from the representative on when the deposit would be repaid. So I just issued a replacement request with Amazon instead.

</comment><comment><USER67> Wow. I have the same problem. I just got my left AirPod Pro replaced at the Apple Store last wednesday because of rattling. (It appears to only happen in noise canceling mode. When noise canceling is off it doesn't rattle).

A couple days later I started to notice the right airpod is rattling.

I've used up my warranty now so would have to buy a new pair if I want this fixed.

<comment><USER68> You don't get at least a year warranty?

</comment></comment><comment><USER69> I've also been dealing with rattling and buzzing noises in my airpods pro. Usually (but not always) turning noise cancellation mode off fixes the issue, but that totally defeats the purpose of having the pro model. Not to mention they are nowhere near as comfortable in your ear as the base-model airpods. Definitely a disappointing purchase

<comment><USER70> Your point about comfort is accurate. I can sleep with the base model in comfortably. Not so much with the pros.

</comment></comment><comment><USER71> This might be off topic or overly pedantic but why must this be referred to as 'rattlegate'? How is this a 'gate'? In what way does a line of rattling heaphones resemble an incident where the president of the united States was caught incriminating himself on tape in a hotel? Why must this term be used for everything?

<comment><USER72> I like to think how everything must be so right in the world were this people live that what makes them the most active and angry is their pieces of cheap consumer electronics not working perfectly.

And yeah your Airpods are cheap, $250 for a wireless noise cancelling pair of headphones that fit in a pocket is wonderfully cheap and Apple can only sustain that pricing because this fashionable products are almost a loss leader.

<comment><USER73> Is there a source for that? Similar products are only a fraction of the cost of Airpods. Granted, they don't work as well, but that's to be expected as Apple has complete control over the device.

Accessories like this are generally where Apple has enjoyed huge margins.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER74> I'm kind of surprised so many people are having issues in this thread. This is probably the only apple product that hasn't caused problems for me. My iPad constantly has weird internet disconnect issues, I have the faulty keyboard on my macbook pro that's just unnaceptable, but never had an issues with the airpod pros.

<comment><USER75> Fault rates of 50% will make a lot of people angry, but if you're in the "right" 50% you won't notice it.

The Airpods are possibly the single best-selling Apple SKU at the moment, so even a 10% fault rate will generate a lot of unhappy people.

</comment></comment><comment><USER76> I had my left AirPod Pro replaced in the past few weeks. It was straightforward and effortless to get support via iMessage, and I got a replacement in 2 days. It seemed a bit too easy, to be honest, so I figured Apple knows about this issue and is trying to solve it as quietly as possible.

Interesting to see how widespread this issue is.

</comment><comment><USER77> Am I the only one who prefers the original Airpods to the Airpods Pro? I have both but I haven't used the Pro ones in months. I find the NC to be a little finicky, but more than that, I just don't like the way the ambient environment sounds when I'm wearing them. This is especially true when I'm not listening to something. With the Airpods, I'll often just leave them in my ears for hours whether I'm listening or not. With the Pros, I feel like I have to take them out if I'm not actively listening to something. I also don't like that I have to squeeze them for controls instead of just tapping (but maybe there's an option for that somewhere).

I have good over-the-ear headphones for when I really need noise cancelling, and the rest of the time, the Airpods are perfect for me.

</comment><comment><USER78> Almost 60 people in this thread claimed having this issue with their AirPods Pro. Doesn't look like a case of 'a loud minority' to me.

I bought mine a few week ago for $370. No issues so far, was supper happy that after 5 years I had finally found perfect earphones.

<comment><USER79> Zero problems here either. I paid much less than $370 in the USA. Much better headphones than my Sony wh-1000xm3 or powerbeats.

So at least two of us.

</comment></comment><comment><USER80> Yep, I'm having the same issue. Got my left replaced, then about 2 days later my right started. I haven't gotten around to swapping the right yet as I didn't want to do them to close together and have them be like, HEYY!

</comment><comment><USER81> Same happening for about 5 weeks now with my left and now a little bit on the right. Had the right replaced earlier because it kept randomly buzzing.

It's actually really helpful to see that it doesn't happen when Noise Control is Off, since I failed to notice that. That gives me a mode that works temporarily.

Had no real issue getting replacements(for both sides since I think it's starting on the right too) in the mail just now (since my local Apple stores are closed). Do need to provide a credit card hold / deposit until you return the old ones. Last time my replacement included fresh ear tips too so a small bonus for the trouble.

</comment><comment><USER82> > _Support agreed that this is a problem and sent a new AirPod._

I've had this problem with companies, too.

I owned a Belkin router. If the microwave was on, WiFi devices "connected" to the router would lose the connection. The router's front panel LED would go from green to red.

When the microwave was done, sometimes the WiFi would recover … sometimes it wouldn't.

Support agreed that this was a problem and sent me a new router.

It, of course, had the same issue. I _sort_ of understand the WiFi and the microwave interfering. I do not understand why it should persist even after the microwave is off.

Oh well. I later changed to Comcast's router. If you enter in WPA2-PSK key ( _not_ a password, an actual key) and you power-cycle the router (which happens automatically on occasion) the router will reset the key to the factor default password. But _only_ the password/key changes, not the SSID or any other settings.

Support agreed that this was a problem and sent me a new router. (I… actually didn't want a new router, I just wanted to make them aware of the issue, but okay.)

And yeah, that one of course does the exact same thing because it's a software bug, not a hardware one, and I'm the only person on the planet choosing a key by random generation.

So now I feed the output from urandom through base64 to make it a password, which goes through whatever KDF (at least, I hope it's a KDF, but my gut doesn't trust WPA2 that much) WPA2 uses just to get random data into more random data. Or, IDK, perhaps I should just give up and declare WiFi patently insecure and just craft a nice riddle for the password.

It is sort of along the lines of something else I've noticed: there are a _ton_ of companies, who, in one way or another, sell software, but have absolutely no public-facing bug tracker, and doom their support agents to just fielding the same bugs all day, which, practically speaking, they likely just /dev/null those reports, and in the same breath, their marketing department will shove the words "valued customer" down your eyeballs.

<comment><USER83> I'd also check my microwave if I were you. They shouldn't be leaking so much as to interfere on a home wifi signal.

<comment><USER84> Yah this sounds like a leaky microwave interfering with the 2.4GHz band. I've had it happen with older microwaves in university housing interfering with the ubiquiti APs that they had on site.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER85> Interesting. I've had mine since November last year and use them for many hours per day. Haven't had any issues.

Could it be the way it is being used causing it? Maybe dropping a lot? Or carrying it in a bag with other items, E.g. magnets?

<comment><USER86> I don't think so, on my anecdatum.

I've also had mine since early November last year, and also use them many hours a day, mostly at my desk. Never dropped. Either left on desk in case or carried in a trouser pocket with nothing else except my iPhone.

They were absolutely perfect until about ~6 weeks ago, when the right bud started to make an awful tinny noise (which I thought was imperfect cancellation, and a software bug of some kind) when I coughed, which it had never done before.

Yesterday, I started getting the rattling sound when walking, right earbud only. Goes away for a couple of steps if you take it out and reseat it, then comes straight back. Rattles in time with footstep.

Since it's an impulse thing for me (force of cough, force of bouncing when walking), I'm guessing defective connection (defective solder joint?) that is misbehaving when stressed?

</comment></comment><comment><USER87> Had them since January, not a single issue. Perhaps eu gets different batches.

<comment><USER88> Same here, also in the EU. But seems that the issue develops with time.

</comment></comment><comment><USER89> I currently have mine delivered for a service. Started experiencing the popping sound. There is something off with these.

Would not change them out though. I've also have new Comply Foam ear foam on their way.

</comment><comment><USER90> dont have AirPods but had over the ear headphones that had similar rattling issues that were just the result of a small hair getting through the mesh and interacting with the driver

</comment><comment><USER91> Apple replaced my left pod for this... Fast forward a few weeks and now the right pod is doing the same thing.

Meanwhile my regular Airpods are still working like a charm.

<comment><USER92> My regular airpods, which are now three years old, are tanks. I use them now exclusively for running/exercising and they won't die. My new ones are better for the sound isolation/listening to music, but they rattle now and do migrate out of my ears when I talk too much, so the latter part of meetings is usually a little annoying with me needing to constantly re-adjust them.

<comment><USER93> My old AirPods went through the washer on accident and wouldn't power on. After dunking them in some rubbing alcohol and charging them, they still work flawlessly to this day.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER94> Does anyone have a problem with their AirPods (not Pro) suddenly seeming dead silent? I've cleaned my AirPods very carefully and they are spotless. I've also had my ears cleaned out, but my AirPods seem to be whisper quiet. I've done all the tricks of trying to reconnect and disconnect and checked all the volume settings. Any advice here would be really welcome.

<comment><USER95> Honestly I went at the grille with an electric toothbrush for a while and that fixed it.

<comment><USER94> I used an ultra fine point and covered it in a tiny hard wax ball to clean off my AirPods. I bet they're cleaner than even new ones at this point. No clue why they still sound so faint.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER96> Only sort of related but I hate how I sometimes get the impression that review sites do not take the date of review into the account when presenting a final rating.

For example I got an Instant Pot once. It worked fine for a year. Then one day I was steaming some lentils and it just shut off. No error or anything, it just shut off without a sound and never turned back on.

And because my continued existence was basically contingent on that Instant Pot I began to starve.

So I bought another.

Two weeks later it was dead in _exactly_ the same manner.

And I went back to starving.

Then I went back and read the most recent reviews on Amazon and realized that if I had paid attention I might have noticed that so many other people were having the same kind of problem and various other mechanical failures and leaving one-star reviews. But because the reviews section was swamped by five star reviews from years ago that got highly upvoted, I didn't notice. At least, that was my impression.

I think it might be hard to change the public's mind if you have a large group of people leaving reviews saying "it works great" in the first few months of the product being released, and you build up this false credibility. Then suddenly a defect occurs that only appears after a very long period, say a year or more, and people don't bother to update the five star review and figure it's time to buy a new pressure cooker anyways.

If there were some way of verifying this were the case it would certainly be frustrating.

Do _all_ the people who wrote those five-star reviews years ago that haven't been edited still use the product and never had it break on them after a few years?

Eventually I got a Yedi and it's more convenient since the pressure valve never clogs like it did with the Instant Pot all the time and is automatic release. I get the impression that it's just better engineered and Instant Pot was just overhyped garbage. But still that's my impression because I've had it for only a month and can't judge if I'll be able to keep using it for another year yet. Maybe I just got lucky.

Look at how Steam does reviews. If a developer releases a patch several months after initial release that improves or breaks something, you have a better chance to know about it since they have a separate rating for only the most recent reviews. And sometimes the difference between the two is stark. I would say this is innovative. More sites with review systems really ought to follow suit.

And I really wish Amazon were like that.

</comment><comment><USER97> I had this exact same thing happen with the Powerbeats Pro. A buzzing that would change in intensity relative to head movement. No music. Annoyingly I noticed just before I packaged them to return that they were working normally again. As expected they came back untouched. They've not done it since but now I feel I own a pair of time bombs.

</comment><comment><USER98> I've got a similar problem a couple of months ago - so had around 6 months of problem-free operation, and then it started out of blue in only one headphone. Rattling or static noise is added only to certain sounds, looks like depending on their frequency, and is very audible when noise canceling mode is on, otherwise it's almost inaudible,

</comment><comment><USER99> Same issue with the airpod pros.. clearing my throat or talking a bit loudly results in a buzz/rattle in my left earbud

</comment><comment><USER100> I had this after I dropped my right earbud ~3 feet. There was a click every time I took a step with noise canceling or transparency mode. The outer grille on mine was very barely dented. I think this caused the external mic to pick up unexpected noise and try to cancel noise that wasn't there.

Apple was very quick to send a replacement.

</comment><comment><USER101> I've been googling about this same exact issue for the last week seeing if there are any "fixes". damn.

</comment><comment><USER102> More on the environmental effects of airpods: [https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neaz3d/airpods-are-a- trag...](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neaz3d/airpods-are-a-tragedy)

That they're unreliable is just the icing on this sandwich.

<comment><USER103> Admittedly not tiny little wireless earbuds, and costing twice what airpods do, my Sony XM3 noise cancelling headset had 30 hours of battery life when it was new.

After 1 year of full day usage during the work week, they last 24 hours. Kinda surprised the Airpods battery dies so quick.

<comment><USER104> My airpods last not even 15 minutes of phone call. They were about 18months old

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER105> I had this problem; Apple just replaced the affected earbud. Hasn't recurred, it's been a few months.

But, I mean, I've had problems with most of the IEMs I've ever bought at one point or another. It's just that you don't get to the top of HN with a post about a pattern of Shure product defects.

</comment><comment><USER106> I was just on Apple's support page for this exact issue. I ordered my pros on launch day so I was hoping it was a quality control issue from the first batch.

One thing I've noticed is that the rattling noise goes away if I disable noise cancellation. It seems to be an issue with the NC microphones.

</comment><comment><USER107> I've had two replacements on my AirPods Pro so far because of this issue.

First time the issue started after 6 months of use. The second time was within a week of the original replacement. All good so far after the second replacement (about a month).

Fortunately Apple makes the replacement process easy.

</comment><comment><USER108> Had the same problem, spoke with Apple Support over text, got a replacement sent overnight to me with free return shipping. The only thing that could have gone better is it never happening in the first place, but overall, I'm pleased with how it was handled.

</comment><comment><USER109> I had this problem with my left AirPod Pro for a few weeks and it was super- annoying. I chatted with Apple support and they replaced it in a couple of days. But it was annoying having to try a bunch of random things that clearly weren't going to work.

</comment><comment> a-wu I've had my pair replaced for this too. It seems to be an issue with the NC mics. When neither NC nor Transparency are on, I didn't get the issue. Apple will do an Express Replacement (2-day new pair, _then_ you mail old pair back) which is nice.

<comment><USER91> Mine got so bad I would get the "rattle" anytime music had any amount of bass/mids. Regardless of noise-cancellation or transparency.

<comment> a-wu yikes, that sounds like blown out drivers?

<comment><USER91> Possibly. It started out with just the "rattle" in noise cancellation or transparency mode. Then I started noticing it any time I talked on the phone/zoom/etc... (I have a deeper voice) then it started without the mic being used at all (NC completely off, just music or podcasts) ... Now the other pod is doing the same thing.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER110> My left AirPod pro began rattling. It's obviously annoying/upsetting that this is an issue, but AppleCare+ support was awesome. I chatted with Apple on a Thursday and on Friday I had a new left AirPod Pro via overnight mail. No cost to me.

</comment><comment><USER111> Yes! This has been driving me insane. I spent an hour on support with Apple, was sent to Best Buy, but do to COVID-19, cannot get an "appointment" for a replacement for 2 months... I should have opted for a mailed replacement. :/

</comment><comment><USER112> > It also started to behave weird as soon as there was a bit of wind.

Heh evenmy sony mx3s do this in the wind.

So is that the problem? Noise cancelling failure? Generally noise cancelling has problems with wind, air pods are the kind that probably see a lot of use outdoors.

<comment><USER113> I'll add that my Bose headphones have also always have trouble in the wind. That's to that there not be something wrong with the airpods/bose, but Sony's have a distinct advantage

</comment></comment><comment><USER58> Haha I just received a new left AirPod Pro. I was wondering why they send it so fast and I thought maybe they know this problem, send me a replacement so I don't ask any more questions. Rattlegate seems to be an appropriate name for this!

</comment><comment><USER114> I just got my AirPods Pro replaced last week due to the same issue, it started with some squeaking sounds, but eventually it became a loud rattling sound and it became unusable.

Stopped by the Apple Store and they just replaced both he left and right one.

</comment><comment><USER115> I had a different issue. My right AirPod Pro just flat out refused to connect. It was still "hissing" from the NC and making the click noise from the pause gesture. But it wouldn't connect to my phone, even after resetting the Airopds.

</comment><comment><USER116> Yep this happened to me too after a few weeks of owning them. Luckily a trip to the Apple store and they replaced straight away. It made me question them at the time though. The guy said it wasn't common back then

</comment><comment><USER117> I had this same problem. One of them rattled so loudly I couldn't hear anything else while walking. Had it replaced and then noticed the other one is doing it, but much quieter...for now.

</comment><comment><USER118> Had this issue on AirPods Pro, first with the left ear approx. 2 months after purchase and then with the right ear approx. 6 months after purchase. In both cases Apple replaced at no cost.

</comment><comment><USER119> This has happened to me with both my left and right AirPod, Apple was pretty good about replacing them but it was obviously still annoying especially since they're $400 earbuds.

<comment><USER93> >they're $400 earbuds.

You do realize that the price of these is listed on their website. They're not $400.

<comment><USER119> I do realise that, Apple's website is where I got the price from and how much I paid.

They are $399 (sure, $1 less than $400) in Australia and New Zealand - <USER2> you're in a different country?

Link: [https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/MWP22ZA/A/airpods- pro](https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/MWP22ZA/A/airpods-pro)

Screenshot: [https://i.imgur.com/lfyAVod.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/lfyAVod.jpg)

<comment><USER120> Australian dollars are worth way less than the American dollars we're talking about.

<comment><USER119> I didn't reply to any comment that was talking about the price in the USA, state or suggest I was talking about how much they might cost in the USA and the article was not discussing anything USA specific.

> "Dollar (symbol: $) is the name of more than 20 currencies, including those > of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Liberia, Namibia, New > Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States." \- Wikipedia

When you talk about the price of pacemakers, penicillin or Wifi do you expect everyone to talk about them in AUD just because they were invented there?

Just because you (presumably) live the USA doesn't mean the rest of the internet does.

<comment><USER120> I'm Norwegian. However, when people on an American website talk about dollars the americanness of the dollar is obviously implied.

"I made 20 million dollars last year" will usually be interpreted like you are rich, not that you had a decent salary of 20 million Liberian dollars.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER121> I don't have this problem, but a lot of times my right airpod pro does not connect, so i have to put it back to the case, wait a few seconds ant try again.

</comment><comment><USER122> > The first generation of the AirPods was generally regarded as a perfect > product

If you don't care about sound quality, isolation, noise cancelation, mic quality, or using it with a non-apple device of any kind, sure. In other words, if you primarily care about form and only peripherally about function.

Edit: for reference, rtings gave them a 6.4 [https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-1-tr...](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-1-truly- wireless-2017)

<comment><AUTHOR> The first generation was never advertised as having a noise cancellation feature so I'm not sure why that that should be a negative point. They also work well with non-apple devices as they can just be paired via Bluetooth like any other wireless headphones.

<comment><USER122> A perfect product would be a product which has all the features you would want. How do you adjust their onboard eq from your Android phone? Change their settings in any other way than volume?

Unless you use the word perfect to mean something other than "having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics".

<comment><USER123> > How do you adjust their onboard eq from your Android phone?

Almost _nobody_ wants to do this. It's a vanishingly minor requirement. You end up with a 'Homer Car' forcing all these wacky features in.

I'd actively prefer a product that's simpler, without features like this.

<comment><USER122> HN: anything other than totally free software is a crime against humanity.

Also HN: Apple knows best, don't adjust your radio. If you think the audio could be better, you're the problem.

What a horrifyingly boring world we are building in the name of "simplicity"

<comment><USER123> Yeah, guilty, I want simple, boring, but perfectly formed products. I think many people do.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER124> Have not had this issue, after daily use since release.

</comment><comment><USER125> I had this. The first attempt to fix was to ship a replacement rubber earpiece, which didn't work. Ultimately they replaced the entire earbud.

</comment><comment><USER126> I had the same thing happen. I think that the problem is that the little grille on the ear side of the airpod is getting clogged with wax.

</comment><comment><USER127> I can attest to the same issue ... Apple Pods Pro purchased for Christmas, had the problem twice and replaced both airpods twice already.

</comment><comment><USER128> _picks up her trusty B &O earbuds and kisses them_

Never need to worry about charging them, soft replacable rubber cups fit into my asymmetrically-sized earholes, they're always there waiting in my bag on the rare occasion I want to use them, I am gonna be so sad when my 6s breaks and I have to replace it with either an Android phone or an iPhone with no audio jack, maybe I'll just get one of those lightning⟷audio adaptors and keep it on the earbuds forever.

I still do not see how the Airpods are an improvement in any way.

<comment><USER129> Cables. It's fair if they are not a problem for you, but they are for me and getting rid of them is a gamechanger. I move around a lot all day, most days. They were constantly getting caught in things throughout my day and pulling at my ear in a very unpleasant way, or got caught snagged on something like ladder I'm climbing and would go flying out of my ears. Hatred.

Airpods (not pro) are fantastic for what they are. They last for hours, charge in minutes, pair reliably with my iphone 11 and sound very ok. Not great, but not bad. Ok. Perfect for podcasts, audiobooks, lectures, and calls I have to take throughout the day.

The famous photography advice "the best camera in the world is the one you have on you when you need to take a picture" definitely applies. It lets me listen to spoken word and a little music very comfortability throughout the day, and I have big cans at home for everything else.

<comment><USER130> Just grab a regular Bluetooth earphones then. Those $20 ones may seem to be too good to be true, but they work and sound great, and you can replace them on a whim if they do die.

Source: owns a cheapass Soundpeat.

<comment><USER129> I worked for an electronics testing lab for several years and used about, um, maybe 20 pairs of different headphones. Bluetooth sucks and most people's implementation of it sucks even more. Maybe I have bad luck but almost all Bluetooth devices I have used have been absolute garbage without apple'a OOB pairing.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER131> I've been noticing this on one of mine lately. I didn't realize it was so widespread. Good to know I'm not the only one.

</comment><comment><USER132> Thinking im buying a classic one next time again. Don't really need the noise cancelling. Have different ones for that

</comment><comment><USER133> Can confirm. Apple has replaced (for free, to their credit) at least two, maybe three airpods for me for this issue.

</comment><comment><USER92> Wow! I thought I had broken mine or something. My left one rattles constantly as I'm walking, unless I tiptoe.

</comment><comment><USER134> Same issue.

I had my left one replaced and then the right one. My wife's hasn't failed yet...

</comment><comment><USER135> Are airpods really universally agreed upon to be a "perfect product"?

Are we forgetting the price tag, the limited use time, the fact that they add 3 disconnected parts to your phone/headphones setup, or the fact that they were released along with the removal of a headphone jack, preventing users from opting out?

<comment><USER136> The success of AirPods continues to astonish me. I was gifted a pair, and they're sitting at the bottom of a drawer somewhere because I find them so irritatingly bad.

<comment><USER137> Highest customer satisfaction of any Apple product in history.

<comment><USER130> You sure as hell better be satisfied when you're paying quarter of a grand for an earphone.

<comment><USER137> AirPods were only $149.

Mine have lasted nearly three years, the first time I've ever had earphones last over 6 months without breaking.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER138> I have the exact same problem, and its becoming an issue. If I laugh, I get rattle.

</comment><comment><USER139> Crazy! I have had the same issue and have had my left airpod replaced twice.

</comment><comment><USER140> I had this problem and surprisingly doing a factory reset fixed the issue.

</comment><comment><USER19> Just want to add same here.

</comment><comment><USER141> I'm having this same issue. Thinking of sending mine in as well.

</comment><comment><USER142> I was seriously thinking of getting these. I think I'll wait.

</comment><comment><USER143> Glad my first gen still work super fine - even with Android. :)

</comment><comment><USER144> Interesting, I have noticed the same issue this week :'(

</comment><comment><USER145> I have received 3 full replacements for this issue.

</comment><comment><USER146> Oh nice, mine are getting delivered tomorrow!

</comment><comment><USER147> Mine rattle too! Man, I hate that. I assumed it was just my bad luck, and since peaceful protestors looted my local Apple Store I wasn't able to bring them in.

<comment><USER148> > since peaceful protestors looted my local Apple Store

There is a difference between peaceful protestors and people who engaged in looting. Don't conflate the two for the sake of a snarky comment.

<comment><USER149> The parent commenter was making a facetious reference to the way the protests were reported in the news media. They surely know there's an actual difference, which was the point.

<comment><USER92> Maybe, or maybe they're one of those that use protests as a scapegoat for everything from the Apple store being closed to new instances of coronavirus. You just can't tell, so it's not worth engaging.

<comment><USER147> Especially when you don't have a clue. I had to call mall security to find out that it was closed because 20% of the mall was looted. No local media coverage, and the police wouldn't tell me why. Can you think of a better way to get the information? It took me quite a lot of work.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER150> My airpods pro are rattling as well. Great.

</comment><comment><USER151> Jogging with them = rattling sound

</comment><comment><USER152> Can we _please_ stop using -gate as a suffix for anything on the spectrum from annoyance to full blown scandal?

<comment><USER153> Why ? Rattlegate sounds better than "rattle scandal".

<comment><USER154> But it's not a scandal - it's an issue with a product, not some government conspiracy

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER155> Left rattling here.

</comment><comment><USER156> Right airpod has rattling issues from time to time, via voice calls.

</comment><comment><USER157> This thread shows the absurd level of Stockholm Syndrome between Apple users. Year after year of user hostility and people still write "at least Apple has great service" (which is clearly not the case for a noticeable part of users here).

<comment><USER158> No it doesn't. Apple has shipped an insane amount of AirPods and even if a minuscule amount is affected by the hardware issues, thousands of people will still experience them.

The same goes for Apple support: you won't read online complaints from people who got their laptop immediately replaced or who were sent a new keyboard without question.

You will read the bad experiences where potential factors such as own fault or shitty behavior are not mentioned, further skewing the picture.

Apple can have very shitty service - no doubt - but what really is the overall experience of support when Apple ships many millions of hardware devices every year?

You insinuate that people are too stupid or too Stockholmy to apply consequences after continuous bad experiences and also that Apple just doesn't give a shit about customers which is absurd.

<comment><USER159> You are literally the example of what he's saying.

Any kind of headphones that are $150 and over are expected to work PERFECTLY. It's a fucking high end product, there is no company in the world that would survive having it returned 4 or 5 times without being blasted all over the internet. Except for apple and its mind controlled apologists...

<comment><USER68> You understand that there is nothing available at any price that works perfectly, for everyone, all the time?

<comment><USER159> That's a nice straw man you've built there. This is a mass produced faulty product, not a fringe case where some guy got unlucky and ended up with a subpar purchase.

<comment><USER144> > _This is a mass produced faulty product_

...and Apple is replacing them for free.

<comment><USER160> They replace it for free until they don't.

See top comment on this thread:

> Wow. I've had this same problem for months. I spent over an hour on the > phone with Support just trying to describe the problem, until they came to > the conclusion that there was absolutely no way to send me new ones or to > have me send them my broken ones...because I live in Puerto Rico. The week > prior, Apple had sent me a new cable for my phone in 2 days flat, yet when I > had a problem, there was nothing they could do about it.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23826526](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23826526)

Or this one:

> A couple days later I started to notice the right airpod is rattling. I've > used up my warranty now so would have to buy a new pair if I want this > fixed.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23830886](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23830886)

\</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment>-----

edit: instantly double downvonted without any replies for demonstrating anecdotes that shine a bad light on Apple. Stockholm Syndrome exhibit A. This is why people take any Apple user input with a grain of salt. They tend to try to shrug problems under the carpet as if these facts would cause them physical pain.

<comment><USER144> So you've identified 2 problem cases of the ~ 90 million Airpod Pros sold. You get my point, it's not very representative.

</comment></comment><comment><USER161> It is not a gate level issue. Any lying. Any secret tape. Any abuse of public authority involving CIA ...

</comment><comment><USER162> The level of hyperbole in calling so many things __*-gate is starting to really annoy me.

Watergate was a historic breach of trust that to me seems to have marked an inflection point in the decay of trust in American society.

This person had some issues with a new technology product which were ultimately resolved.

I know it's common within certain subcultures to have this kind of lingo and hyperbole. But you end up sounding really whiny and entitled to my ears.

</comment><comment><USER163> Consumer electronics are usually a letdown. The solution should be to buy fewer of them.

Many of these consumer electronics don't actually save you time, but instead save you impulse control. There's nothing wrong with traditional headphones, except you have to think about putting them on, and wrapping up their cord when you take them off. This doesn't actually take time to do, mind you, but instead requires the consumer to exercise some impulse control, or to ignore some inconvenience.

We're a long way away from something like the invention of the washing machine, which saved countless women hundreds of hours a year. Prior to a washing machine, you'd be stuck next to the laundry for the duration of the laundry. Laboring the entire time. The washing machine automated a monotonous task, and allowed women to do nearly anything else while the laundry was going. It was an enormous game changer.

Compare that to something like Google Home. What does it do? It prevents you from having to type in your phone? It's not as if the voice prompt takes a meaningfully different time than typing a query into a phone. And for that matter, it's not as if walking over to a traditional computer and typing in your query takes a significantly greater time than either alternative. No, what the Google Home does is prevent you from having to think about switching your task, and that's about it.

Are AirPods any different? Corded headphones don't prevent you from doing anything, they just require a small amount more impulse control: to wrap them carefully every time. And in exchange, you get a product that is: expensive, has a short shelf live (due to using a battery), and apparently sometimes has reliability issues.

<comment><USER77> You've picked a remarkably poor example to make your point. My Airpods (not the Pro, intentionally) are easily one of the best consumer electronics purchases I've made in the last decade. And it has little to do with not having to wrap the cord up. It's that they're so light and unobtrusive that I can wear them for hours at a time, whether I'm listening to something or not.

<comment><USER163> I can see I have an unpopular opinion here. I really disagree that this should be a game changer for anybody, and I think it fits my original example quite well.

But please know, I don't mean this argumentatively. It's just a difference of perspective I suppose.

<comment><USER77> I downvoted your comment because you didn't present it as your personal perspective, but almost as a moral judgment that anyone who buys or enjoys consumer electronics just lacks impulse control or something. Sorry, but no longer worrying about snagging my headphones cord on workout equipment isn't a sign of a moral failing :)

<comment><USER163> Thanks for the explanation, I appreciate the further detail.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER164> I don't know how I feel about these types of threads... the airpods are something of a technological miracle, I frankly can't believe how reliable they are despite the shortcomings (I have the Pros and have experienced occasional rattling issues, as well as connectivity issues, but still less issues than on similar devices from other manufacturers I had previously)

I kinda feel like overly nitpicking these types of extremely advanced pieces of technology risks discouraging Apple and other companies from experimenting on cool new technology.

Can't we just all agree that the Airpods Pro give an awesome experience to 95% of people, and be happy with how great that is? :)

<comment><USER165> > risks discouraging Apple and other companies from experimenting on cool new > technology.

I don't think we have to worry about hurting Apple's feelings.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: Focus of a resume? (Writing vs. code, etc) - <AUTHOR>

I'm a freshman in college looking for jobs that are interesting, and I've realized that my resume focuses almost exclusively on programming as opposed to other skills. I saw an offer for a job that asked for writing samples, but the job application system only accepted resumes. Does anyone put links to writing samples in their resumes, or have a similar experience with competing mediums in their CV? <comment><USER2> Running a regularly updated blog and linking to it in your resume is a great way to do both.

You can pretty much write about anything that is related to your education, your programming skills, your choice of algorithms, and so on.

Don't worry too much about your writing style in the beginning and just keep posting. Once you write about 50 posts, you'll see that your writing style will improve a lot. In my example, I have started writing blog posts about a half of a year ago. Now, my writing skills have improved so much that my article is going to be published on Opensource.com during this week.

So basically, I've put in my resume the link to my personal blog alongside links to my online portfolio and my LinkedIn profile. The rest of my resume is now pretty much the same and I do have a way of showing my writing skills.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks! I've done this, but my latest post is a rant and I wonder if that comes off as abrasive. I don't want the idea that a potential employer might turn me away for strong opinions to influence me. What do you think?

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> Generally, you should tailor your resume to the job/company (at least to some extent). So feel free to add some more writing-focused information for this job, and to de-emphasize your programming experience.

It's also not uncommon to put a link to a blog in a resume. ;-)</comment>


Are We Born to Work and Die? A Soul-Crushed Employee Looks for a Way Out - <AUTHOR> http://wanna.live/are-we-born-to-work-and-die-a-soul-crushed-employee-looks-for-a-way-out/ <comment><USER2> You have textbook clinical depression. It's the nature of the illness that you don't see it from inside: it's a warping of the lens you use to observe the world and yourself. I speak from experience, as a healthcare professional and as someone that has suffered from it.

Regardless of the merit of your article one way or another, get your ass to a doctor as soon as possible.

<comment><AUTHOR> Highly appreciated.

I understand that it's a big piece to go into all the details, but I also covered getting professional help. I'll paste the paragraph below:

"Ended up going for half a year and it was concluded that I'm beyond help (I can't help myself). Waste of money and wouldn't recommend if your problem is not related to self-esteem or childhood trauma. If you know a person that could understand or give me valuable input, please let me know."

Do you think I should give it one more chance? I feel like at a certain level I have realistic concerns, but I also understand that I may be cynical because of the condition...

Thank you

<comment><USER2> Your concerns are realistic. Whether or not you have depression is entirely orthogonal to whether you are facing real and valid obstacles in your life. Please don't take my comment as invalidating your feelings or difficulties. Depression has a lot more to do with the mental resources you can bring to bear in dealing with those difficulties.

From what you say, I believe you saw a talk therapist (often a psychologist or licensed therapist) rather than a medical doctor (psychiatrist). I strongly suggest you see a medical doctor. No competent psychiatrist will tell you that you're beyond help. There are a slew of medications, cognitive therapies, and other interventions available. It's a process to find out which combination may help you, but it's rare to find someone that can't achieve some level of relief.

Also, I thought I read your whole piece, but I guess I blanked on that passage. Sorry.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you once again. I'll allocate a budget and give it a try.

Also, I'm really grateful that you went through the whole thing, I understand it's pretty long, so it means a lot to me.</comment></comment></comment></comment>