Gadget

AirPower on the cheap. Ocean Digital is looking to do with the XONE what Apple failed to do with the AirPower. But how does the Chinese company's 3-in-1 wireless charger shape up? The XONE comes with modular accessories too, but there are some trade-offs. The 3-in-1 wireless charger is available to order on Kickstarter now from US$49.

Apple suppliers Goertek and Luxshare are reportedly seeking financing to invest in Vietnamese AirPods Pro manufacturing. In the context of the ongoing US-China trade war and rising wages in China, this marks another instance of production shifting from China to neighbouring lower-wage countries.

Sony's image sensor business is in high demand. Even running its factories 24/7 cannot keep up with demand. Sony's semiconductor business expects to generate over US $9 billion in revenue this year, about $8.15 billion of which comes from smartphone camera sensors.

If a hands-free speaker with the ability to deliver the kind of charging to match is all you want for the holidays, it seems Xiaomi (nearly) has you covered. It has just certified a device called the Mi Wireless Charger Bluetooth Speaker. It appears to be an audio product with a built-in induction coil for smartphones and other gadgets.

The wearables brand Amazfit is increasingly well-known for its smartwatches. However, it intends to break into new categories of wearable in 2020. They will include the company's first pair of earphones, as well as another teased as a "futuristic" new option for fitness enthusiasts.

GoPro has released a new product that is compatible with its pre-existing mounts. However, it is not an action-cam: it is instead a mini LED floodlight intended to be used with one of them, the HERO8 Black. It can also clip onto this device, although it needs a 2nd accessory to do so.

PoE Texas has announced the GBT-NUC, a new type of lid for certain Intel mini PCs that enables them to access power and data through just 1 Ethernet cable. Therefore, the devices can function independently of a conventional wall-plug, and may make them into more versatile office computers, display controllers or media-centers.

Have you been undecided about which pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones to buy this Christmas? While the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the Sony WH-1000XM3 are currently some of the most options on the market, it appears that Sony has another top-tier pair of WH-1000XM headphones in the works. The WH-1000XM4 are expected to arrive at CES 2020, although we would not rule out a June 2020 release date yet, either.

After the Galaxy Fold’s well-documented problems, Samsung seems to have had a design rethink: this alleged Fold 2 leak sports a completely different foldable design, reminiscent of the 2019 Motorola Razr. Spotted on China’s Weibo microblogging platform, the new Fold is smaller and sleeker.

JBL has launched the Reflect Eternal headphones via Indiegogo. The OEM claims that they are capable of self-charging, so that it may never run out of battery life or be dependent on a cable for play-time. This is conferred by Powerfoyle technology, which is found in the device's headband.

Aipower is a start-up that had great success in its crowdfunding endeavors for its Wearbuds product. This is a type of fitness band that also houses a pair of truly wireless (or TWS) earbuds. They will be on show at CES 2020, along with some new products, a smartwatch included.

Last year, popular YouTube tech channel Marques Brownlee hosted a blind smartphone camera test that had some shocking results—with the US$300 Pocophone F1 finishing in second place. This year's version is just as interesting, as it threw a similar curveball.

Multiple families have reported their Ring cameras have been accessed by unknown third parties. The bad actors were able to access the video feeds and speakers of the cameras to frighten members of the affected households, including children. Ring has stated that the malicious parties probably accessed the cameras by using the victims' usernames and passwords, which were likely leaked in an unrelated data breach and recycled for the Ring cameras.

Apple recently acquired control of U.K. startup Spectral Edge Ltd., a company that developer AI-based photo processing software. The software merges an infrared picture with a traditional photograph to sharpen the image and improve color balance. Apple may use this technology in future iPhones, though in its current state, it relies on infrared cameras.

Tronsmart has announced the Element T6 Max, a new speaker that, despite being wireless and intended as a portable accessory, has a striking 60 watts (W) of total sound output power. The OEM claims this is due at least in part to its new SoundPulse technology.

Myonaz is a start-up with a new kind of ceramic personal space heater. Not only does its main function initialize in an estimated 3 seconds, it can also act as a warm- or cool-air fan. It also incorporates a reading light and a USB type A port to charge a phone.

A few features short of being great. The Dripp Dropps are a pair of Qualcomm QCC3020-powered true-wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds that its manufacturer, Dripp Audio, claims to be "the most affordable Qualcomm Earbuds" afford. The earbuds support Qualcomm aptX and Qualcomm cVc noise cancellation, while Dripp Audio boasts of up to 36 hours playtime and IPX5 certification. Read on in this hands-on review to find out the Dripp Dropps perform and whether they can live up to their manufacturer's claims.

Gimdow claims that its new smart lock is one that doesn't require the user to replace the existing one (or even parts of it). This may be ideal for those who want this kind of Bluetooth-enabled security, but can't risk damage to fittings while installing it. The new product has just launched as part of a crowdfunding campaign.

MAGFAST is a company set up to offer power accessories with an innovative magnetic interface. Its largest product is the Extreme, a charging station with 3 Qi-wireless charging coils on its top. It can also support USB type C, type A and Lightning-ported devices - as well as jump-leads for a car.

Fancy an NES-style controller with your PlayStation 5 next year? Well, a recent patent publication suggests that such an accessory could be on the cards. What does Sony want with a heart-rate monitor and a fingerprint scanner though?

Historically, Canon and Nikon have dominated the digital camera market. That duopoly changes now, as Sony has sold more cameras than Nikon this year, leapfrogging its competitor into second place.

Those who use treadmills might want to keep track of their speed, incline and other metrics as they work out. The Runn is a new gadget that captures this data and sends it right to a compatible fitness app. It is up for pre-order now, and is slated to ship in mid-December

Researchers at Oxford University have developed a new device that can transmit, encode, and decode information either through light or electrons. The new device should bridge the gap between traditional computers and new light computers as well as pave the way for more efficient and faster computer hardware in the future.

Lego Group, the company behind the beloved plastic building bricks, has expertly trolled Tesla in regard to the recently revealed Cybertruck. Elon Musk unveiled the futuristic-looking electric vehicle a few days ago in a PR event that was overshadowed by the Cybertruck having its unbreakable windows shattered on stage. Lego has come up with a very attractive alternative for prospective buyers.

YI is a home security brand with some Black Friday deals that have already been added to its own online store. However, it has announced that its weather-proof outdoor variant will be up to 40% through the chain Home Depot on the day itself. The camera comes with a 6-month subscription to a cloud service for video through this retailer.

Reolink has announced its Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. It includes 31% off the Argus 2, which has been named the best 2019 home security camera (outdoor) by PCMag. There is also 25% off the 355-degree-panning E1 Pro Wi-Fi camera, and 30% off the 4G-capable Go.

North Pole Engineering has launched heartbeatz, a new device that acts as a bridge between an Apple Watch and any exercise bike or treadmill with ANT+. This enables the machine in question to display heart rate information directly from the wearable while in use. No more checking your wrist during a workout!

Intel has reportedly patented its own game controller. It is liberally provisioned with joysticks, buttons, a D-pad and what could be shoulder triggers. Furthermore, its design also includes a touchpad, which is apparently associated with a patent of its own. This new in-house controller could be related to this company's cloud-gaming partnership with Tencent.

Canon has unveiled its Black Friday 2019 week deals, which include a number of high-end cameras, on its own website. This store also offers discounts on some lenses, as does Amazon at present. These listings also include Tamron or Sigma attachments.

A Sony patent for a cartridge has been creating considerable speculation recently, with some believing the PlayStation 5 could come with a game cartridge slot while others opined the patent heralded the introduction of external SSDs for the next-gen console. However, it appears the device in the patent drawing is actually destined for use with Sony’s Toio platform.

AT&T now maintains specific bands for internet of things (IoT) devices and other low-power 4G/LTE applications. To this end, the carrier has just validated the new 9205 modem for these kinds of networks and ecosystems. This Qualcomm SoC is designed to be half as big as its predecessor, while using 70% less power and 40% fewer resources.

The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max costs between US$1,099 and US$1,449 depending on which version you buy, making it one of the most expensive smartphones currently on the market. However, although Apple extols the device's camera capabilities, DxOMark seems to think that a smartphone that costs up to 3x less offers a better camera experience than Apple's latest flagship does. While DxOMark is not the arbiter of camera reviews, but Xiaomi can probably chalk this one up as a win.

The information guide for Huawei’s Sound X smart speaker has leaked online ahead of the device’s expected launch. The Sound X offers an interesting collection of hardware specifications that includes two 60 W subwoofers and a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor. But will consumers be willing to place a hefty listening device from a controversial manufacturer in their homes?

Huawei has reportedly filed patents for phones with reversible cameras. This design choice is found in a pre-existing Asus phone: the ZenFone 6 (or 6Z), which uses a flip-action module to deploy its dual cameras as both main and selfie shooters. Huawei's apparent competing IP has either 1 or 2 sensors in its own rotating component.

TheGodThings claims that the PrinCube is the smallest mobile colour printer on the market. Better still, the device can print on all surfaces and fits in the palm of your hand. The PrinCube costs US$109 and ships next month.

The LattePanda is now available to purchase worldwide. The powerful single-board computer (SBC) incorporates an Intel Celeron N4100 processor, 4 GB of LPDRR4 RAM and 32 GB of eMMC 5.0 flash storage. The SBC supports USB Power Delivery via Type-C, has two M.2 PCIe slots and has an Arduino co-processor on board, along with two 50-pin headers and three USB 3.0 ports. The LattePanda Delta 432 is compatible with Windows, Linux and other OSes and retails for US$188.00.

The Canon EOS Ra is now available to purchase, having leaked earlier this month. The night shot and astrophotography specialist launched quietly, and includes the same 30.3 MP full-frame CMOS sensor as the regular EOS R does. Canon has added a modified IR filter though, which promises to transmit up to four times the volume of Hydrogen Alpha rays than the IR filter in the regular Canon EOS R can. The EOS Ra will start shipping on December 3.

Sony started selling its first consumer-grade robot puppy, aibo, quite some time ago. Therefore, you'd think the OEM would have also released advanced development tools so that the more tech-savvy of this product's owners could have really made it their own by now. However, this has only happened with the latest app update for this device.

Some renders and the specifications of the upcoming Ricoh Theta SC2 360-degree camera have appeared online. The pictures show the device in a range of pastel colors and it sports a similar design language to the Theta SC. According to the leaked specifications, the Theta SC2 has the ability to record 4K video at 30 fps.

Huawei is expanding the launch of its FreeBuds 3 beyond China within the next few days. The wireless earbuds will undercut the Apple AirPods Pro on price while featuring active noise cancellation (ANC) and a Kirin A1 SoC. Some preorders will include a complimentary 15 W wireless charger too.

DJI has introduced its Remote ID, which allows a drone to "beam" its identity and other prevalent information to any smartphone on the ground via Wi-Fi. The company has developed this modality, which can be used through an app, in accordance with government recommendations for safety and compliance while flying personal aerial robots.

Intel unveiled its upcoming vision processing unit (VPU) for edge computing devices. Dubbed Keem Bay, the new chip offers major improvements over existing VPUs from Nvidia and Huawei. Additionally, Keem Bay offers better performance with a significantly lower power draw.

Canon USA has unveiled its inaugural 8K broadcast lenses, the UHD-DIGISUPER 51 and 7x10.7 KAS S attachments. The company is pitching them at the capture of live TV in this UHD resolution. They also have an image format size that could become standard for the same.

Home theaters brought in a total of US$7.7 billion last year. However, this market value is thought to be capable of growing by up to $5.7 billion more over the next 6 years. The sound bar sector may grow at the greatest rate over this period.

The NVIDIA Jetson Nano is one of the most powerful SBCs on the market, but it only passively cools its 128 CUDA core and 472 GFLOPS-capable GPU. Now 52Pi, the company behind the ICE Tower Raspberry Pi CPU cooling fan, has returned with a version for the Jetson Nano complete with two 5 mm copper cooling tubes. The cooling solution replaces the pre-installed heatsink on the Jetson Nano and ships globally for US$24.90.

The Rock Pi S has finally made it to market, after being announced this summer. The miniature SBC is underpinned by a Rockchip RK3308 quad-core SoC, either 256 or 512 MB of RAM and 1 GB of NAND flash storage. The board has a microSD card slot too, Wi-Fi connectivity and a 26-pin GPIO header among other features. The Rock Pi S measures just 3.8 x 3.8 cm and starts at US$9.90. Orders will begin shipping globally from November 12.

Samsung's Developer Conference (SDC) 2019 contained numerous interesting announcements, not the least that Tizen OS for TVs can be ported to third-party devices. In addition, there are now additional developer-friendly facilities for this part of the OEM's ecosystem. They include more granular user opt-outs for ads.