Já estão disponíveis no Brasil dois novos fones de ouvido sem fio da JBL: os Live Beam 4 e os Live Flex 4, expandindo a linha de modelos equipados com o Smart Charging Case — estojo com tela sensível ao toque que permite acessar funções dos fones facilmente.
Com poucos gestos, é possível controlar a reprodução, ajustar o volume, gerenciar os níveis de controle de ruído, alterar as configurações e acompanharas informações essenciais diretamente na tela do estojo.
Divulgação/JBL
Segundo a JBL, os fones Live Beam 4 foram projetados para quem busca um encaixe mais isolado e seguro, combinando conforto e estabilidade. O modelo oferece até 48 horas de reprodução, com até 12 horas nos fones e mais 36 horas no estojo, além de resistência à água e poeira com certificação IP55.
Divulgação/JBL
Já os fones Live Flex 4 têm um formato aberto e leve, desenvolvido para longos períodos de uso. Com autonomia de até 50 horas de reprodução, com até 10 horas nos fones e mais 40 horas no estojo, o modelo também conta com proteção IP54 contra água e poeira, mantendo a versatilidade para diferentes ambientes e atividades.
Divulgação/JBL
Ambos os novos modelos oferecem o JBL Signature Sound, tecnologia de áudio de alta resolução da marca que oferece graves profundos e detalhes precisos para diferentes estilos de conteúdo.
Os dois modelos contam ainda com seis microfones e tecnologia de redução de ruído com inteligência artificial para ajudar a manter conversas mais claras e naturais, mesmo em ambientes movimentados. Já os recursos Smart Ambient permitem manter a percepção do que acontece ao redor quando necessário.
Os fones já estão disponíveis no site da JBL, ambos por R$1.000, nas cores preta, prata, azul, champagne, verde, laranja e lilás.
Reset PRAM on Mac is one of those troubleshooting steps that has survived decades of Apple hardware, old support forums and emergency calls to the family member who “knows computers.” The name sounds far more technical than the procedure, which involves restarting an Intel-based Mac while holding four keys.
The reset can help when a Mac remembers the wrong basic settings. It may select an unexpected startup disk, return to an incorrect display resolution, use an unusual sound level or keep other hardware-related preferences that refuse to behave normally.
It is not a speed boost, a deep system repair or a magical cure for every Mac problem. Resetting PRAM will not clear storage, repair a damaged app or make an aging MacBook suddenly feel new. It is a focused fix for a small collection of settings stored outside the usual macOS preferences.
There is also one major limitation: the familiar keyboard shortcut applies only to Intel-based Macs. Apple silicon models handle this memory differently and do not require the same manual reset.
What PRAM Actually Is
PRAM stands for Parameter Random-Access Memory. It was the small amount of memory older Macs used to preserve certain settings while the computer was turned off.
Apple later moved to NVRAM, or nonvolatile random-access memory, but the two names remain closely connected in Mac troubleshooting. Users still search for PRAM reset, while Apple’s current documentation usually calls the procedure an NVRAM or PRAM reset.
The stored information can include the selected startup disk, speaker volume, screen resolution and other low-level settings. When that information becomes incorrect or behaves unpredictably, resetting it allows the Mac to rebuild the relevant preferences.
Nothing dramatic happens to personal data. Documents, photos, apps, emails and user accounts remain untouched. Some settings may return to their defaults, which is the point of the reset.
Reset PRAM on Mac Only When the Symptoms Fit
Reset PRAM on Mac when the problem appears connected to startup or hardware preferences rather than normal app use.
A Mac that repeatedly chooses the wrong startup disk is a good candidate. So is an Intel Mac that starts with an unexpected sound level or returns to a strange display resolution after every restart.
The procedure may also help when the date, time zone or other basic startup settings act strangely, although modern macOS versions usually manage those automatically.
It is less useful when Safari is slow, an app keeps crashing or the Mac is nearly out of storage. Those problems have different causes. Closing apps, installing updates or freeing storage will usually do more than resetting a small bank of startup memory.
The distinction keeps the old troubleshooting step useful without turning it into Mac folklore prescribed for every symptom.
Check Which Mac You Own
Before using the shortcut, confirm whether the Mac has an Intel processor or Apple silicon.
To check:
Apple menu > About This Mac
Look for a line labeled Chip or Processor. An M-series chip identifies Apple silicon. A processor name containing Intel means the traditional reset applies.
This check prevents a common misunderstanding. Holding Option, Command, P and R during startup on an Apple silicon Mac does not perform the old PRAM reset. The shortcut belongs to Intel startup behavior. Apple’s current startup-key guide lists it specifically among key combinations for Intel-based Macs.
Apple silicon Macs check and manage stored startup information through their newer boot system. A normal shutdown and restart is usually the first step when one develops unusual basic behavior.
Image Credit: AppleMagazine
How to Reset PRAM on an Intel Mac
The useful guidance is brief:
Shut down the Mac completely.
Press the power button, then immediately hold:
Option + Command + P + R
Keep the four keys pressed for approximately 20 seconds, then release them and allow the Mac to start normally.
Older Macs may play the startup sound more than once. On some newer Intel models, the Apple logo may appear and disappear during the process.
The timing is the only slightly awkward part. The keys need to be pressed immediately after the Mac begins starting. Waiting until the login window appears is too late.
After the Mac starts, check the setting that caused the problem. The startup disk, volume or display configuration may need to be selected again because the reset cleared the previous preference.
What Changes After the Reset
Most users will notice nothing beyond the original problem hopefully disappearing. The Mac does not present a dramatic confirmation screen or announce that PRAM has been purified.
Instead, a few stored settings may return to their defaults. The speaker volume may change. The preferred startup disk may need to be chosen again. A display may return to its standard resolution. Time-zone information may need a moment to update.
That understated behavior is normal. A successful reset is less like reinstalling macOS and more like asking the Mac to forget a handful of stubborn instructions.
Apple also uses an NVRAM reset as one of the preparation steps for certain Intel Macs before they are sold or transferred, since the procedure clears stored user settings from memory.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Why Apple Silicon Macs Do Not Need the Shortcut
Apple silicon changed the Mac startup process along with performance, power efficiency and system security. The older Intel keyboard combination no longer controls the same reset behavior.
For an M-series Mac showing unusual startup settings, begin with a full shutdown rather than repeatedly trying the old shortcut.
Use:
Apple menu > Shut Down
Wait briefly after the screen turns completely black, then turn the Mac back on.
If the problem involves selecting a startup disk or reaching recovery tools, hold the power button while the Mac starts until startup options appear. Apple documents this power-button process as the route into startup options on Apple silicon models. (Apple Support)
That is usually enough guidance for a light troubleshooting article. Recovery, diagnostics and deeper repair steps belong to more serious startup problems, not every incorrect volume level or display setting.
When the Reset Does Nothing
A PRAM reset can fail to change anything because the problem was never stored in PRAM or NVRAM.
A slow Mac may be running too many apps. A browser may have dozens of heavy tabs. A startup disk may be almost full. A damaged cable may cause display problems. A weak battery may cause shutdowns. A broken speaker will not repair itself because four keys were held during startup.
If the symptom continues, return to the problem itself rather than repeating the reset indefinitely.
Check the related setting in System Settings. Install macOS updates. Restart the affected app. Disconnect unnecessary accessories. Confirm that enough storage is available. Persistent hardware behavior may require Apple Diagnostics or professional support.
The reset should be treated as one useful step, not an annual Mac ritual.
Image Credit: AppleMagazine
An Old Mac Fix With a Narrow Purpose
Reset PRAM on Mac remains relevant because Intel models are still in use across homes, schools and businesses. Many continue to work well, and their owners may eventually encounter the sort of odd startup preference that this procedure was designed to clear.
The method is simple, safe for personal files and quick enough to try when the symptoms fit. Its usefulness comes from being specific.
An Intel Mac remembering the wrong startup disk or display setting may benefit. A Mac with an unrelated software or hardware problem will need another answer.
The four-key shortcut has survived because it occasionally solves a strange problem in about 20 seconds. That is a good troubleshooting tool. It just should not be asked to perform miracles.
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For more than a century, musicians have maintained that the way a pianist touches a key influences the sound that emerges. Many scientists, however, have argued that after the hammer strikes the string, the instrument itself determines the outcome, making the pianist’s touch irrelevant.
A research team led by Dr. Shinichi Furuya of the NeuroPiano Institute and Sony Computer Science Laboratories developed a custom sensor system called HackKey. This system can record the movement of all 88 piano keys at 1,000 frames per second, with a spatial precision of 0.01 millimeters. The team invited 20 internationally recognized pianists to play notes while intentionally aiming for contrasting timbres, such as bright versus dark and light versus heavy. Listeners were able to distinguish among the different timbres, even individuals with no experience playing the piano.
The Movements Behind the Sound
The researchers identified a series of micro-movements beneath each keystroke. These movements are so subtle that they are almost impossible to see, but precise enough for listeners to perceive differences in sound.
Small changes in how quickly a key accelerates, slight overlaps between notes, and variations in the speed of initial contact with the key all influenced how listeners described the resulting sound. When each of these factors was adjusted individually, the perceived timbre changed. Adjusting a single movement feature was enough to reliably change how listeners perceived timbre. The results show that touch has a direct effect on sound, independent of factors such as volume or tempo.
The study describes these micro-movements as a motor skill developed through years of advanced training. The researchers call the emerging science of mapping movement to musical experience “dynaformics.”
A Debate as Old as the Modern Piano
The debate over whether touch can alter piano timbre dates back to at least the early 1900s, when music educators began discussing what distinguishes one performer’s sound from another. The piano’s mechanical action appeared to support the skeptics, since the hammer, once released, moves independently before striking the string and is not directly contacted by the pianist’s finger.
As a result of this mechanical process, many acousticians concluded that any reported differences in tone were psychological, influenced by context, volume, or timing rather than by touch. Musicians maintained their position but did not have the scientific tools to prove it.
To settle this debate, Furuya’s team developed a custom biometric contact-sensing system called HackKey, capable of recording the movement of all 88 piano keys at 1,000 frames per second with sub-millimeter precision. The system captured in-depth piano movement data that previous technology could not. For the first time, researchers could observe the specific actions of elite pianists and relate those movements to listeners’ descriptions of sound.
What It Means Beyond the Concert Hall
Piano teachers have often used general phrases like “play warmer” or “use a softer touch” because the specific movements that create certain sound qualities were not well understood. This study now offers a guide to those movements.
Future training tools may allow students to see precisely what their fingers are doing when a note is played successfully or not. Instead of relying on a teacher’s metaphor, students could compare their own keystrokes to a standard and work to improve their technique. The researchers suggest that this approach could make expressive technique easier to teach and visualize, especially for students who find it difficult to translate verbal instructions into physical actions.
The research may also apply to rehabilitation, robotics, and human-computer interaction. Discovering that small differences in movement can shape auditory perception offers new insight into how the brain links movement and sensory experience. Some researchers are exploring whether systems based on expressive musical movement could help patients recover dexterity and coordination after injury.
Most scientific research on music has focused on elements that are easier to measure, like pitch, loudness, and rhythm. Timbre, or the quality or “color” of a sound that makes one instrument or voice different from another, has been harder to measure. This study offers a new way to understand the mechanics behind this concept. The findings suggest that some of the most expressive parts of music come from movements too small to see, developed through years of practice.
Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.
New research led by scientists from the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) suggests cows (Bos taurus taurus) can distinguish between known and unknown people, and even match a familiar voice to the correct face.
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