Accessory

Panasonic has just introduced the "evolved", Mark II form of the Micro Four Thirds GH5 camera. The new up-to-4K/60fps/10-bit unit improves on its immediate forebear in a number of ways, an upgrade to USB type-C charging at a reduced starting price compared to the Mark I included. Then again, the OEM projects that the flagship GH6 will also be there to hold out for before the end of 2021.

USB-C cables will soon be able to deliver up to 240 Watts of power, a big bump from the current standard of 100 Watts. However, the improved power delivery mandates a new USB specification, which means new cables and a new logo to designate 240 W-capable USB-C cables.

Razer's latest keyboard is the Blackwidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed. It has a 65% form-factor, which translates to a 60% form-factor that retains arrow keys. The new board also features the OEM's HyperSpeed Wireless Technology, an aluminium frame and a choice of 2 switch types.

Fuchsia is the name of an in-house OS Google has reportedly had in the works for years. Now, it is finally due to see a roll-out on one of the OEM's more recent smart-home products. The Nest Hub is slated to start using this new system in an impending update.

Carl Pei's new start-up Nothing is slated to launch its inaugural product, a pair of TWS earbuds, at some point in June 2021. This event now seems closer than ever with a new leak. It consists of an alleged BIS certification for the company's first device

The successor of the Ryzen 5 4500U-powered MINISFORUM HM50 is now available as the HM80. Inside it, there is a more potent Ryzen 7 4800U processor, alongside 16/256 GB or 32/512 GB of memory/storage. The prices of these two configurations, after the US$100 early-bird discount, are US$759 and US$829.

Google is a technology giant that has sold products exclusively through its official online stores throughout its history. However, it is now breaking that trend with an imminent brick-and-mortar equivalent, located near its New York headquarters. It is slated to open its doors in the real during the summer of 2021.

LG has reportedly chosen a slightly odd moniker for its next generation of products. It has trademarked the term Plate, and has done so in various different iterations that suggest the new line is to be applied to a range of display panels. There are also hints of a "One Cord OLED", which may or may not be good news for fans of cable management everywhere.

DOOGEE has launched the DG Band, a wearable of the traditional fitness tracker form-factor. It has a 1.05-inch LCD display, which can display data from its sensors for heart-rate, stress and blood-oxygen. It is also rated to track 14 different exercise types, and to last for up to 10 days between charges.

Seagate recently announced the 14TB Mach.2 hard disk drive, with a maximum sustained transfer speed of 524 MB/s. This would put its throughput in line with many conventional SATA SSDs and several times faster than other commercial HDDs.

The SOUNDFORM Connect is a new Belkin audio adapter designed to bring any powered speaker with a 3.5mm or optical input into an Apple-heavy smart home set-up. The user can then control it via AirPlay 2 on their iPhone, iPad or TV. Therefore, a traditional speaker can become as responsive to voice-control and automation as shiny new high-tech models.

The Realme Watch 2 Pro is a new smartwatch with a blood-oxygen sensor, 90 sports modes and sleep-tracking - as does its vanilla sibling. However, it has a bigger 1.75-inch display, as well as the in-built GPS the plain Watch 2 lacks. It also has exclusive new watch-faces, as well as a larger battery rated for up to 14 days of use between charges.

CTL, a company that normally caters to the needs of modern offices or schools in its devices, has announced a pair of monitors touted to match up to this reputation. The 24-inch FHD IP2381 has a VA IPS panel, whereas the IP2781 is an ADS QHD 27-inch display. They both have the same new minimalist stand and bezels, however.

Apple has outlined plans for new dimensions of accessibility in its mobile devices, including a new SignTime service that allows people who use certain sign languages to better use the OEM's online support system. The updates also include a new way of using the Apple Watch with just one hand.

EZVIZ introduces the C8C as its inaugural outdoor wireless home security camera capable of panning and tilting within its globe-shaped exterior glass shell. Its sensor is rated for FHD recording, as well as night vision in color and AI-powered intruder detection. The new IP65 surveillance accessory is available at Walmart with a special introductory price for its launch.

The Apple Watch Series 7 could be in line for a redesign according to tipster Jon Prosser. The changes would make the Watch look squared off at the edges and replace the currently rounded off look bringing it in line with the squared off look that started with the iPad Pro design and most recently made its way to the iPhone 12.

Users can combine two separate coupon codes for 25% off the original MSRP from now until May 24. The T1XS earbuds are an inexpensive audio solution for smartphones that lack 3.5 mm audio jacks.

Google I/O 2021 has kicked off with what the OEM calls "the biggest update to Wear OS" in this software's history. It has collaborated with Samsung and Fitbit to bake the better features of their wearable platforms into this upcoming version. It will be available to the next generations of both OEMs' watches, as well as those of other Android manufacturers.

The "high-fidelity" version of Amazon's music-streaming service has dropped in price by US$5 a month. This change means it now costs the same as the former price of the next tier down, Amazon Music Unlimited. In other words, customers with this service can now avail of lossless playback, or stick with their current service for a reduced rate.

The Trust GXT 258W Fyru mic has a USB interface, thus making it compatible with PCs, Macs and other devices. However, given its styling, not to mention its LEDs for RGB, it is clearly intended to pair with the PS5, especially its white SKU. Then again, with its 4 choices of recording mode and decent sampling rate, the OEM asserts it is also ideal for streaming or collaboration.

OnePlus' CEO, Pete Lau, has reportedly told several journalists that his company is planning to launch its smart screens in Europe soon. The OEM now has several TVs to its name, but has yet to sell any of them in that region. However, it now seems to believe that the time to start is at hand,

Huawei has confirmed that it will launch its latest ANC TWS earbuds, the FreeBuds 4, very soon. However, a new Weibo post may have spoiled their reveal with new hands-on images. They suggest that the accessories will resemble their predecessors, although they are expected to be improved in other ways.

Corsair has announced that it will start switching to DDR5 in its next-gen modules. It hails the upcoming standard as a significant upgrade for memory, as well as for PCs in general, due to its increased bandwidth, maximal density per die and speed compared to its predecessor.

OnePlus introduced its inaugural smartwatch alongside the flagship 9-series smartphones in March 2021. The OEM also unveiled a special, limited edition of the same wearable with more premium materials, an exclusive cobalt alloy for its case included, at the same time. Now, the company has put this version on the market for the first time in its native China.

A noted tech leaker has made a social media post about Sony and Wena that has led to some speculation about a potential Sony Xperia smartwatch being in the works. Others believe there might be a Smartwatch 4 coming, over six years after the launch of the Sony SmartWatch 3. Unfortunately, machine translation has caused some ambiguity here.

Lenovo has announced its new Go series of peripherals and accessories designed for the modern professional who needs the right kit for their remote-working set-up. The first two products from this new line are a multi-device mouse and a dual-USB type C power bank compatible with 65W ultrabooks.

The affordable smartphone OEM Ulefone has released a new teaser for an upcoming device with an extra-large charge capacity. The company asserts that it will alleviate low-battery anxiety, and will thus be ideal for working or power users. The new product's price or availability has yet to be revealed.

HTC may be just clinging on to the smartphone market, but there is little question that at its peak it produced some of the most beautiful smartphones ever made. The former design chief behind its classic M7 and M8 smartphones is now working at Apple on new Beats headphones along with other design work for the company, it has been revealed.

System76's newest product is an open-source keyboard called Launch. While Launch boasts some high-end features, they are not uncommon to mechanical keyboards. Considering the high price of $285, Launch seems to be a niche product.

LG's new line of soundbars for 2021 includes units that support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as the latest developments resulting from the OEM's partnership with Meridian Audio. They start at US$179, although the most expensive goes for $1,000. Most are available from now, although one 3.1.2-channel unit is not available until June 2021.

Casio's newest watch belongs to its iconic G-SHOCK line-up, combining analog and digital components into one fitness-focused accessory. However, it also has Bluetooth so as to transfer workout progress to a paired smartwatch via the series' Move app. It displays steps, running distance and other metrics tracked by the watch.

Honor has reportedly certified 2 new phones with the Chinese 3C authority. One has been approved in conjunction with a power adapter that can charge the device at up to 66W, whereas the other apparently has a brick that can do so at up to 100W. These high-end specs have led to talk that the devices are none other than the upcoming Honor 50 flagship series.

Xiaomi's FlipBuds Pro are the OEM's first TWS earbuds with triple-mic active noise cancellation. They also feature a dedicated audio chip from Qualcomm, Bluetooth 5.2 and up to 28 hours of battery life. These high-end specs do make them more expensive than their predecessors.

The DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 is now available in two new colourways, Midnight Black and Cosmic Red. Both variants will be available for purchase starting next month.

The electronics giant Xiaomi had been banned from the US investment market following a blacklisting by the Trump administration, based on claims of the OEM's association with the Chinese military. However, Xiaomi has strongly denied this, and has now won legal action in order to reverse the action against it.

New Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4 details have been shared online that will likely be greeted with mixed responses. The good news is that it seems the smartwatches, sometimes stylized as the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch Active4, could be released soon. However, there is bad news for those hoping for the presence of Tizen or a non-invasive blood sugar monitor.

A German security researcher who goes by the alias "stacksmashing" posted a YouTube video detailing how he was able to dump the firmware of an Apple AirTag. Furthermore, he was able to inject a custom firmware that changed the AirTag's "Lost Mode" function. This could open the door to more malicious jailbreaks of AirTags in the future.

Mini doesn't mean watered-down - the smallest smartwatch from Huami's Amazfit GT family made that clear in our review. Especially in comparison with the Amazfit GTS 2e, which we also reviewed, it was definitely able to stand out with its own distinctive features.

Carl Pei's new tech start-up Nothing debuted in January 2021; now, it has revealed that it is ready to launch its first-ever product, a pair of TWS earbuds. The company has chosen to keep the design of these Ear 1 wearables under wraps for now, but does suggest they will stand out on the market. They are now slated to launch in June 2021, although pricing and availability remains a mystery.

Xiaomi has announced that its next TWS earbuds will be the first to launch with a case inspired by the OEM's re-designed logo. Therefore, it will have apparently precisely-crafted curves to its edges, whereas its predecessors were more boxy. The wearables within are slated to have "Pro"-grade noise-cancelling technology and to launch very soon.

Kingston recently revealed a new lineup of HyperX DDR4 modules that clock up to 5333 MHz, which would make them among the fastest commercially available DDR4 stick on the market. The new HyperX parts will, unsurprisingly, be expensive, with a 16GB set to cost over US$1200.

A report by Spanish outlet Area Jugones indicates that Sony is planning to bring new DualSense controller variants to the market soon, in a wider range of colors. According to the outlet, both Red/Black and Grey/Black DualSense controllers are set to arrive as alternatives to the standard White/Black DualSense color scheme.

Opinion The current chip shortage is preventing eGPUs from becoming mainstream. Once it's over, however, we suspect that many gamers will opt for an affordable eGPU over paying 2x to 3x the price for a full-fledged gaming laptop of similar graphics performance.

The Amazfit GTS 2e is the square-shaped counterpart to the round Amazfit GTR 2e. In our review, the Huami smartwatch scored points with dual-frequency GPS and good software - both on the wrist and on the smartphone.

Apple's AirTags might be the latest thing in personal possession-tracking, although customers might find it hard to actually secure said things with the little monolithic smart pucks out of the box. However, Spigen has stepped up to offer new holders with the keyrings and clips necessary to take such a tag anywhere.

GoPro has reported that it made a total of US$204 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2021 (1Q2021), or 71% more than it did in 1Q2020. Of this, 40% (or $82 million) came from its website's sales, a 224% increase year-on-year (YoY). The action-cam company also celebrated selling its first millionth subscription in this quarter.

Sony has just added new variants of its Mobile Elevated Standard (ES) audio equipment for cars. They consist of 4 kinds of speaker and 1 subwoofer equipped with the latest generation of the OEM's MRC-reinforced diaphragms, combined with Separated Notch Edge Surround technology for increased clarity and an "audiophile-grade crossover" in certain units. They are available to pre-order from now.

IMore's True Wireless ANCs were the world's first TWS earbuds to receive certification from the audio specialists THX. Therefore, they don't come cheap, and have a normal price of US$200. However, the OEM has announced they are down to $130 as part of its 2021 Summer Sale