If you were received Apple‘s new second-generation AirPods Pro as a holiday gift, you made out well. These new AirPods were my favorite gadget Apple released this year. If you’re new to AirPods, or if you have an older generation, there are plenty of new features you’ll want to take advantage of with these earbuds.
Here are some AirPods Pro tips and tricks to get you started.
How to find your AirPods Pro if you lose them
There’s a built-in speaker in the new AirPods Pro that plays a sound so you can locate them.
Open the Find My app.
Tap the name of your AirPods (mine say Sofia’s AirPods Pro).
Tap Play sound to help you find them.
You can also see the location of your AirPods on a map by tapping Find.
Ways to charge your new AirPods
The new AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe charging case. This means you can simply plop your AirPods down on a MagSafe wireless charging pad and your headphones will start charging. They can also charge on an Apple Watch charger. Simply put your case face up on top of the Apple Watch charger to juice up.
You can now charge AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with your Apple Watch charger.
Sofia Pitt
How to control the volume directly on your AirPods
Touch control on the new Pros allows you to lower or raise the volume by lightly swiping up or down on the stem of the AirPods.
When your finger is on the stem of the AirPods, you’ll feel an area where the material is no longer slippery but a bit indented. That’s the pad where you’ll swipe up or down to control the volume. This is great for when you’re listening to something while exercising, or cleaning and you don’t have easy access to your phone to control the volume.
How to switch between noise cancellation mode and transparency mode
You can switch between noise cancellation mode, which blocks a lot of outside noise, and transparency mode, which amplifies some noises around you. The transparency mode on the new AirPods Pro is better than on the previous generation. You can hear more of what’s going on around you.
To change your AirPod settings on your iPhone:
Open Settings.
Tap your AirPods name, which will appear at the top of the menu.
Swipe between Noise Cancellation Off or Transparency Mode.
Noise cancellation and transparency settings for AirPods Pro (2nd generation).
Sofia Pitt
How to test the fit of your ear tips
When you open up your new AirPods, you’ll notice there are a few different ear tip sizes. To make sure you’re using the right ones, you can conduct a fit test.
Open Settings.
Tap Ear Tip Fit Test.
Tap Continue.
Place your AirPods in both ears so they’re comfortable. It’s best to do this test in a quiet environment.
Press the Play button.
Music will play for a few seconds and then you’ll receive the results which will let you know whether you have a good seal.
What are those two silver holes on the side of my new AirPods?
Those two silver holes on the side of your case are another nifty feature that will help you make sure you don’t lose your new AirPods. You can attach a lanyard to these holes so you can wear your AirPods on your wrist or even your neck. The lanyards aren’t included, so you’ll have to buy them separately. Here’s a pair on Amazon.
How to connect two AirPods to one iPhone or iPad
Connecting two AirPods to one device doesn’t just work for the new AirPods. You can try this trick with any generation of AirPods, and it’s great for holiday travel. Imagine both your kids want to watch the same movie on the iPhone or iPad, each using their own set of AirPods.
Two AirPods connected to one iPhone
Sofia Pitt | CNBC
Here’s how to connect two headphones to one Apple device:
Connect your AirPods or Beats to your iOS device and begin playing the content you’re hoping to share.
Tap the AirPlay button in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad, on the Lock Screen, or in the app that you’re using to watch content or stream music.
Tap Share Audio.
If you’re sharing with someone who has AirPods or AirPods Pro, have them keep their AirPods inside the case and open the lid while they’re close to your Apple device. If the person you’re sharing with has AirPods Max, these don’t need to be inside the case. If you’re sharing with a Beats user, put those Beats in sharing mode and hold them close to your device.
You should see your friend or family member’s headphones appear on your screen.
Tap Share Audio again.
That’s it! To stop sharing content, simply tap the check mark next to the headphones you want to disconnect.
The StubHub logo is seen at its headquarters in San Francisco.
Andrej Sokolow | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
StubHub is aiming to raise as much as $851 million in its initial public offering, giving it a valuation of up to $9.2 billion, the company revealed in a new filing on Monday.
The ticket reselling marketplace plans to sell more than 34 million shares priced between $22 and $25 per share, according to the filing.
The long-awaited IPO comes after StubHub hit pause on the process in April as the stock market was reeling from President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs. The company also eyed an IPO last year, but it postponed its efforts in July 2024 amid a slowdown in the IPO market.
StubHub plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “STUB.”
Klarna, a Swedish provider of buy now, pay later loans, and Gemini, the crypto firm founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, are gearing up for public debuts this week.
StubHub filed an updated IPO prospectus last month, showing that first-quarter revenue grew 10% from a year earlier to $397.6 million. Operating income came in at $26.8 million for the period.
The company’s net loss widened to $35.9 million from $29.7 million a year ago.
The company has been a longtime player in the ticketing industry since its launch in 2000. It was purchased by eBay for $310 million in 2007, but was reacquired by co-founder Eric Baker in 2020 for $4 billion through his new company Viagogo.
StubHub had sought a $16.5 billion valuation before it began the IPO process, CNBC previously reported.
Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng speaks to reporters at the electric carmaker’s stand at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany on September 8, 2025.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Xpeng plans to launch its mass-market Mona brand in overseas markets next year in a move that will boost competition with its Chinese rivals and established automakers in the electric vehicle arena.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng said the company’s international expansion is moving faster than he expected and signaled, for the first time, that the company is open to acquiring other electric carmakers.
Xpeng launched the Mona brand in China last year with the debut of the Mona M03 electric coupe. The car was launched with an aggressive starting price of 119,000 Chinese yuan, which is just under $17,000.
Xpeng will launch Mona-branded cars in Europe next year, He told CNBC. This is the first time the launch has been reported.
“In 2026 you can expect a variety of Mona products launched into the Chinese and European markets, as well as in rest of the world,” He said, in comments translated by CNBC.
“I believe by then, what we launch will be very proven and very excellent vehicles.”
These cars will likely be cheaper than some of Xpeng’s higher-end models such as the P7 and G6.
It comes as Chinese automakers are aggressively launching cars outside of China and finding success in Europe where companies like BYD have continued to grow.
Adding even more competitively priced cars into the mix overseas will ramp up competition in markets like Europe where traditional automakers such as Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen have launched their own electric vehicles to fend off Chinese rivals.
The Guangzhou-headquartered auto firm began its global expansion in 2020 with Norway and has since launched in other markets including Germany and France.
Xpeng had previously stated a goal of establishing a presence in 60 countries and regions by the end of 2025. He said this goal had been met already, due to faster-than-expected global growth. For reference, the CEO said Xpeng was only present in three to five markets two years ago.
Xpeng displayed its humanoid robot called “Iron” at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany on September 8, 2025.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
At the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, Germany, Xpeng brought an upgraded version of the flagship P7 car — the Next P7 — to showcase in Europe for the first time.
Even as Xpeng continues to push overseas, especially in Europe, it faces challenges including dealing with the European Union’s tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.
This has led Chinese automakers to explore manufacturing their cars in Europe. Xpeng would like to manufacture in Europe but has not not yet made a decision on the timeline for this, He said.
Xpeng open to acquisitions
At home in China, the price war continues as EV makers battle it out for market share. Competition is ramping up between domestic automakers and Tesla.
This has prompted Chinese regulators to call a halt to excessive competition, known colloquially as “neijuan” or involution.
The Xpeng CEO himself has previously warned that only a handful of Chinese carmakers will survive in the coming years as many go out of business.
He said the collapse is already happening.
In this environment, He said he is open to acquisitions, something that the company hasn’t done in large quantities to date. In 2023, Xpeng acquired the electric car development business of Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi.
He said Xpeng would be open to acquiring companies, including other electric carmakers.
“I think if we have the opportunity then we want to acquire some companies,” He said. “For us it’s a good thing to do. Manufacturing companies, EV companies are always possible.”
Eightco Holdings, a tiny company that currently trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker “OCTO,” announced Monday that Ives, Wedbush’s global head of technology research, is now chairman of the board of directors. It also announced a $250 million private placement to implement a buying strategy around Worldcoin as its main treasury asset.
“As someone that’s so passionate about the AI revolution and the future of tech, I view World as really the de facto standard for authentication and identification in the future world of AI,” Ives told CNBC. “I would not be doing this initiative if it was just a cookie cutter token strategy.”
The offering is expected to close on or around Sept. 11, at which point it plans to change its ticker to “ORBS.”
Ives’ move is similar to one made by another widely-followed Wall Street forecaster, Tom Lee of Fundstrat, who in June joined the ether accumulatorBitMine Immersion Technologies as chairman. BitMine shares have rocked more than 800% since Lee announced his involvement.
That company also made a $20 million strategic investment in Eightco, it announced Monday, marking the start of its “Moonshot” strategy to back bold ideas that strengthen Ethereum’s ecosystem.
Given the more crypto-friendly regulatory environment this year, more public companies have adopted the MicroStrategy playbook of using debt financing and equity sales to buy crypto to hold on their balance sheet to try to increase shareholder returns. Companies with high-profile backers like Fundstrat’s Lee and tech billionaire Peter Thiel (who has a stake in both ether-focused companies BitMine and Ethzilla) have been holding up better in the recent crypto pullback.
Increasingly, companies pursuing crypto treasury strategies are looking further out on the risk spectrum of crypto, beyond bitcoin, hoping for even bigger gains. For example, DeFi Development Corplaunched in April with a focus on accumulating Solana’s SOL token, and a little-known Canadian vape company called CEA Industriesannounced a Binance Coin (BNB) accumulation plan in July.
Altman’s World venture aims to authenticate actual humans on its network given the acceleration of the number of threats from artificial intelligence, such as deepfakes. The project provides users with a “World ID” for anonymous sign-ins and rewards them with its Worldcoin cryptocurrency.
“As the AI infrastructure and [large language models] are built out without true identification and proof of human, it’s a limiting factor in the growth of AI for the coming years,” Ives said. “I view the whole crypto world going more and more toward a focus on blockchain, and how are you going to identify humans … in a future where robots are going to play a major role in physical AI?”
His comments on the need for a digital identity verification system echo those made by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink who has said in his annual letter this year that one day “tokenized funds,” or funds represented on a blockchain network like Ethereum, “will become as familiar to investors as ETFs — provided we crack one critical problem: identity verification.”
Worldcoin launched in 2023 and has a market cap of about $1 billion, compared to bitcoin’s roughly $2 trillion and ether’s $518 billion, according to CoinGecko.
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