After Apple courageously removed the headphone jack from the iPhone in 2016, most people switched to Bluetooth earbuds and never looked back. But their wired counterparts have stuck around, and their sales even went up this year after five years of decline.

Part of the resurgence can be tied to the fact that they're cool now with younger generations - following the revival of tape decks and vinyl. Celebrities have been spotted wearing them, and there's even an Instagram account that follows the trend. Wired earbuds have real benefits. They don't need a battery, so they'll last longer than wireless ones that eventually die, and it's a lot ha …

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The other day I whizzed past several people while running in the park, my playlist blasting at full volume. The next morning, I smiled at a barista while ordering a caramel apple-flavored matcha latte. Afterward, I sat on a park bench reading a book, called up a pal to chat about her recent trip to Prague, and then asked my Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses what meetings were coming up on my calendar. The chipper AI voice said I hadn't connected my Google Calendar yet (I had) and asked if I would like help connecting. I sighed and then asked it to play an upbeat song. It picked Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."

These past few days, dozens of people …

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