In brief: Microsoft's new IPX4-rated earbuds balance against two points in your ear to deliver "all day comfort." Of course, everyone's ears are different so your mileage in the comfort department will likely vary.

Microsoft jam-packed its NYC media event with an abundant supply of new hardware for the holidays and beyond. Among the newcomers are the Surface Earbuds, Microsoft's first wireless earbuds that'll compete with similar offerings from Apple, Amazon, Bose, Sony and... well, countless other smaller brands.

The latest addition to the Surface audio lineup offers omnisonic sound via 13.6mm drivers with directional, dual microphone arrays in each bud. You get one-click pairing to devices and of course, they're both voice and touch enabled for navigation. Best yet, they work on any platform and offer up to 24 hours of battery life (eight hours per charge with additional juice provided by the included charging case, totaling 24 hours).

A 10-minute charge provides up to an hour of battery life, we're told.

The Surface Earbuds aren't just for music and audio playback. Microsoft has baked in Office 365 integration as well so, for example, you'll be able to manage your Outlook calendar, listen and reply to e-mails, record to-do messages, interact with your PowerPoint presentation and more, all from the earbuds.

Surface Earbuds come backed by a one-year warranty. They'll be available in time for the holidays priced at $249.