Accessory

The smart home OEM TCL has announced that it will throw a Hallowe'en party for its public in 2022 - in the metaverse, that is. It will be held in the "Dream House" the OEM has built on the Roblox gaming platform. TCL will offer personalized avatar costumes at the door, after which a guest can visit showcases for products such as the company's "popular" TVs with cutting-edge miniLED panels.

iQOO has made the latest addition to its flagship-killing Neo series of Android smartphones official. Its top-end MediaTek processor runs a new build of OriginOS Ocean out of the box, whereas its main rear camera is an up-to-date 50MP shooter with OIS. The surprisingly affordable flagship-grade device has launched alongside a range of iQOO-branded TWS earbuds, a smartphone cooler and a clip-on controller.

Sony has finally outlined how much the DualSense Edge controller will cost. Announcing the wireless controller's release date in the process, the DualSense Edge will be the PS5's alternative to the Xbox Elite Series 2 wireless controller.

Soundcore touts its latest VR P10 Gaming Earbuds as the first audio products of their kind to be officially approved for use with the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality (VR) headset. They come with a USB type-C dongle for potentially reduced latency over a 2.4 GHz wireless connection, and are rated for up to 24 hours of use between charges.

Intel showed off a prototype of the next generation of its Thunderbolt standard. The as-of-yet-unnamed next-gen Thunderbolt doubles the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 while providing bandwidth of up to 120 Gbps for displays. The new Thunderbolt version supports the latest version of USB4 and DisplayPort 2.1.

The global smart TV market is estimated to attain just over US$451 billion in value by 2030 in a new market analysis report. 4K/UHD and screen sizes of 65 inches at the least are projected to be the biggest winners in terms of growth over the next eight years. The North American region is thought to contribute a good proportion of this growth until 2027.

1MORE has introduced its latest wireless earphones as its first ever audio accessories with spatial audio. The OEM claims that this upgrade confers a "3D", "cinematic" and "immersive" experience on the Aeros. The TWS buds also support its brand's active noise cancelling (ANC) features with a new, algorithmically-enhanced 6-mic system for potentially clearer voice calls.

Danish mobile accessories brand, Sandberg, has just introduced the USB Webcam Flex with Full HD 1080p resolution and the USB-C All-in-1 Docking Station that features 3 USB ports, HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA, an Ethernet port, card readers, and more. Both products are already available on Amazon and come with a 5-year warranty.

Apple has patented its own glove for virtual reality applications. The accessory incorporates a comprehensive array of sensors that might translate hand and finger movement to a game or metaverse-like environment with high accuracy and precision. Therefore, a final product based on this IP might be unveiled alongside the Cupertino giant's long-rumored AR/VR headset.

The virtual reality (VR) industry seems to have developed a distinct predilection for OLED as a display material going forward. However, according to an industry blog, Samsung now concludes that augmented reality (AR) has different requirements, and that microLED is a better fit for them. Therefore, the OEM is allegedly working on a new type of panel for the AR-optimized headsets of the future.

With its 4K/UHD resolution and form-factor, LG's new Smart Monitor 32SQ780S has clearly launched as a challenger to the Samsung M80B. The new external display combines features such as streaming app support, webOS-based UI and a "Magic" Remote with an orientation-switching ErgoStand and a USB type-C port with 65W charging. It has appeared on Amazon.com with one colorway and a competitive price.

TCL has gone to the Broadband World Forum 2022 to unveil its latest pieces of consumer premises equipment (CPE). The LINKHUB HH512 and HH512L are router-like devices that support potentially multi-gigabit 5G speeds, whereas the new LINKZONE MW513 is more of a MiFi-like device with similar connectivity.

The Xiaomi 13 has allegedly joined its Pro sibling on the 3C website, suggesting that both Android flagship variants are indeed on track to launch very soon. Should this be the case, the vanilla model will do so with the same wired charging speeds as its predecessor. It has reportedly even been certified with the same power brick as the 12 before it.

The Razer Kraken Kitty Edition V2 has been unveiled at Razercon 2022. It includes kitty, bunny and bear ears in the box, along with a detachable microphone. It goes on sale later this year for US$199.

Sony pitches the new ZV-1F as a camera for those who want an edge for their content creation and would probably be using a smartphone otherwise. It improves on its Exmor RS 1.0-type predecessor in that it has a new stock lens with an improved wide-angle perspective and easy bokeh. The ZV-1F also packs a number of vlog-friendly features such as Shot Mark, Active Mode image stabilization and Product Showcase.

The mini projector supports wireless video streaming via smartphone or PC to be much more versatile than most other projectors in the category. Manual focus comes standard likely to save on costs.

Snow Joe has launched a new portable power station, the Sun Joe 300 W. You can simultaneously charge up to six gadgets with the product via USB-C ports and a 10 W wireless charging pad. The station has four ports for compatible 24 V iON+ batteries, which can either power or be recharged by the Sun Joe device.

An updated version of the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery 5000mAh Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger has been launched. The gadget has a foldable kickstand and is compatible with many iPhone 14, 13 and 12 models. The device has many similarities to its predecessor, but with a repositioning USB-C input port for ease of use.

With 27 days left in the campaign, 77 backers, and US$13,872 pledged out of the US$19,574 goal, the UDU CONSOLE can be already considered beyond the "Kickstarter project looking for funding" stage. However, it might take a while for it to hit the market. If everything works as planned, shipments should start in April 2023.

XMG has confirmed that it has made improvements to the OASIS, its laptop liquid cooling solution. Already shipping with compatible CORE and NEO machines, the XMG OASIS (Rev.2) retails for €199 on its own.

How would Nothing's inaugural headphones look and work? Yanko Design has set out to answer that question with its latest renders. They propose that these accessories should be called the head (1), adopt some of the phone (1)'s most unique design cues and charge wirelessly via a custom-made cradle.

AOC has introduced the AGON AGM600, a wired gaming mouse equipped with the Pixart PW3389 sensor. Available for £39.99, AOC claims that it has designed the AGON AGM600 for Esports players and hardcore gamers alike.

Qualcomm has formally introduced the chipset found in the new Meta Quest Pro headset as the Snapdragon XR2 Plus (or XR2+) Gen 1 platform. It is rated for potentially significant gains in thermal management and performance compared to its immediate predecessor, and has been confirmed to arrive in the form of upcoming headsets from different OEMs soon.

The old-but-new keyboard is now shipping for $99 USD for nostalgic users who miss the age of beige-colored PC accessories. It's not perfect, however, despite all the modern touches.

Redmi has unleashed something it calls a Writing Pad on the Indian market. It has an LCD display and a stylus - and that's just about it. This spin on a tablet PC is clearly meant to be a gadget dedicated to note-taking or casual drawing, particularly as it does not even come with USB charging.

The ZTE Axon 30 is an Android flagship smartphone with a powerful Snapdragon 870 SoC, up to 12GB of RAM and an FHD+ AMOLED display with a selfie camera hidden under it for a truly edge-to-edge screen. It also has a discount of nearly US$200 on its OEM's Amazon US store in a Fall 2022 Prime event that also includes a deal on ZTE's new Wi-Fi 6 router.

Google will start shipping the Pixel Watch soon, with the smartwatch set to leave warehouses alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Now, Google has provided details about the metal watch straps that it has designed, including Milanese designs. Surprisingly, Google has priced some of its watch straps higher than equivalents that Apple sells for its smartwatches.

Mobvoi has announced a limited-time 2022 "Prime Fall Sale" with discounts on the new TicWatch E3 and its top-end Pro 3 GPS sibling, as well as that smartwatch's iterative Pro 3 Ultra GPS upgrade. They are available at up to 45% off, although the affordable TicWatch GTH might have one of the best deals of the lot among the OEM's wearables.

Xiaomi had reportedly been in talks to sell its premium gaming smartphone brand, Black Shark, to Tencent since early 2022. However, the latest word is that the software giant has ultimately passed on buying the company. Black Shark is now apparently obliged to let as many as half of its employees go, and to abandon plans for a foray into virtual reality (VR) tech on top of that.

Xiaomi is said to have new top-end Android smartphones for its sub-brand Redmi in the works. They are now thought to consist of a vanilla "K60" and a "K60 Pro": two devices that may launch fast, albeit hardly ground-breaking, wired charging speeds, considering their OEM. However, they are also slated to be the inaugural Redmi K-series generation to ship with support for wireless charging.

The Odyssey Ark is a pioneering Samsung monitor in that it is a 55-inch monitor with a pronounced 1000R curvature and an imposing portrait mode. It has now arrived on the OEM's Indian webstore, bringing its height-adjustable (or HAS) stand and 165Hz refresh rate with it. It has also started with an introductory deal for its new potential buyers.

Sony Electronics' latest stand-alone condenser microphone is a relatively affordable new offering from its Pro Audio division; however, it has inherited design elements from higher-end and "revered" counterparts such as the C-800G. Accordingly, the OEM asserts that the new uni-directional mic will deliver high-end audio specifically optimized for voice recording at a more accessible price.

Gigabyte has already debuted its new X670-type motherboards for new AMD Ryzen 7000-series processors. Now, the OEM has announced a new extended warranty program for the same new DDR5-, PCIe 5.0- and Wi-Fi 6E-compatible components. It applies to boards sold in the United States only, and, according to the company, further enhances their "Ultra Durable" appeal.

Amazfit's wearables started out as fitness trackers with a purely in-house software ecosystem. However, the latest versions of their Zepp OS is playing nicer with more and more third-party apps that the user might want to connect or sync to their health-focused smartwatch. Adidas Running is an example of these that has just become compatible with the new GTR 4 and GTS 4 flagships.

Ifory has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its 40,000 mAh power bank. The device has 100 W PD fast charging technology and can simultaneously power four devices. A built-in LCD shows real-time information such as output power, and an integrated LED light can be used as a flashlight or table lamp.

The Bluetti EB3A portable power station is currently discounted in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the EU. Customers can get up to US$60 off the device at the company’s online store or on Amazon. The gadget has eight ports with a 600 W pure sine wave inverter and can be recharged at up to 430 W.

According to the data revealed by the company's preliminary earnings guidance, Samsung Electronics' operating profit took a nearly 32 percent dive in the third quarter, the first time it dropped in the last three years. This was most likely caused by the low demand for memory chips and came alongside a less than 3 percent revenue increase.

Proprietary storage loses the battle yet again. By sticking with standardized M.2 2280 PCIe4 x4 SSDs, PS5 owners are now paying much less than XBox owners when it comes to adding additional storage.

Valve has officially launched a docking station for the Steam Deck called the Steam Dock. It offers a wide range of connecvity options such as a DP port, HDMI port, USB-Type-A/USB Type-C ports and an Ethernet jack. One can purcahse it from Valve's website for US$89.

Tronsmart has announced a new, Mini version of its RGB-enabled Bluetooth speaker with an in-built power bank. The new Bang variant has 83.3% of the audio power of its inaugural larger sibling, as well as the same estimated max play-time; then again, it has a smaller on-board battery. It also drops proprietary Tronsmart multi-device connect technology and app support for a reduced asking price.

An Apple Watch Series 7 has recently started overheating, and less than a day later, it began emitting smoke, and finally blew up. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the process, but Apple tried to convince the user in question to stay silent on this matter, which he refused to do.

The Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station is currently on sale in the US, UK and Canada, with up to US$252 off the regular retail price of US$1,099. The discounts are offered at the Jackery online store and on Amazon. The compact device has a 1,002 Wh capacity and a maximum power output of 1,000 W.