Always Be a Sort-of-Early Adopter

If you were looking to buy a pair of AirPods, you may be better off waiting a few more months. Bloomberg reported Thursday that Apple is working on a second version of its popular AirPod in-ear headphones. The updated product will include an upgraded wireless chip for faster and more powerful on-board processing; a greater level of water resistance, in case you get caught in a downpour; and the addition of Hey Siri, the entirely voice-based version of Apple's virtual assistant. The news is a good reminder: Second-generation products, particularly by Apple, are almost always vastly superior to the original. Apple's first stab at AirPods has not been a bad one, all things considered.