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Ultimate Ears Block Party Lets You (and 2 Friends) Play DJ

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Your Ultimate Ears speaker is about to get a whole lot more social.

The company on Tuesday introduced a new feature, dubbed Block Party, which lets up to three friends play deejay and pump up the jams from their favorite music services through the same speaker. The feature is available now via the UE apps for the Boom 2, Roll, or Megaboom speakers.

UE Block Party"We live in a world with multiple music services and devices," UE General Manager Rory Dooley said in a statement. "With Block Party, we've made it as simple and as easy as possible for you to share your music."

The update also brings Tap Controls to the Megaboom, so you can leave your phone in your pocket and play, pause, and skip songs by simply tapping the top of the speaker. This feature is already available on the Boom 2.

Meanwhile, the UE apps also let you set an alarm clock so you can wake up to your favorite jam, custom-tune your speaker using the five-band equalizer, remotely turn the device on and off, and pair multiple UE speakers to amplify the sound.

The updated apps are available now via the iOS App Store and Google Play.

The update comes after UE last month unveiled the second-generation Boom, which is 25 percent louder than its predecessor with a longer wireless range of 100 feet. About the size of a water bottle, the $200 Boom 2 offers a 15-hour battery life, a waterproof rating of IPX 7, and is drop-proof from up to 5 feet.

For more, see PCMag's full review of the Boom 2.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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