Accessory

(Update: It's the Huntsman Mini) Razer is set to launch its first keyboard without any NumPad or arrow keys on July 14 at 8 AM PST. Gamers who may have been turned off by Razer's catalog of full-size keyboards may finally get what they're looking for.

The first review of sorts for the Mi Smart Band 5 is up and it confirms a heap of information about Xiaomi's upcoming fitness tracker. As feared, the device will not support Amazon Alexa integration, NFC or a SpO2 sensor. Xiaomi has teased that it will be launching a pair of TWS earbuds, the Mi TV Stick and a new Mi Scooter at tomorrow' Ecosystem Product Launch event on July 15 too.

Mobvoi has announced that today (July 14, 2020) is the anniversary of its birth as a wearables and smart-things brand. Accordingly, it is holding a sales event for the next 11 or so hours. It includes 10% off a new TicWatch C2+, or a third off the 4G/LTE version of this series' Pro variant.

The Xiaomi Vertical Wireless Charging Socket will soon be appearing on the Chinese OEM’s crowdfunding site at an introductory price of just 109 yuan (US$16). The charging accessory can offer 10 W wireless charging and comes with three USB ports. The Vertical Wireless Charging Socket is only available in white though.

Belkin's latest screen protector for Apple ultrabooks also confers a property that HP devices with SureView have by default. It occludes the content on these screens for viewing angles not those of the user, thus reducing the risk of intrusion or some immediate forms of data-theft. It is available for 13-, 15- and 16-inch MacBooks Air and Pro.

"OnePlus Buds" has just been acknowledged as a real product name by their OEM. The company has also announced that they will launch on the same day as its upcoming first-gen Nord smartphone. The former are expected to be TWS earphones that look much like Apple AirPods.

PS5 watchers have been comparing the device’s weight with other consoles, with Sony’s next-gen hardware being the heavyweight contender. Close-up photos of some of the accessories have been revealing subtle design touches and gamers can get the PlayStation 5 in almost any color they want thanks to skins and wraps.

Foxconn has reportedly begun to test out the fabrication of lenses for Apple's rumored first-gen smart glasses. Apparently, these components are to be semi-transparent, and to be capable of displaying projected images to the user. They would be superimposed on "real-world" objects in this wearer's field of view.

The Lumos Ultra smart helmet has been in the news thanks to its highly successful Kickstarter project, which still has a week left to run on it. The smart bike helmet has attracted over US$2.2 million from backers. The Lumos Ultra has integrated LEDs for turn signaling and can be operated via an Apple Watch or the included wireless handlebar remote.

Leica has posted a new YouTube link to go live later in July 2020. It will broadcast the launch of the next addition to the M10 series of cameras. According to recent leaks, it will be called the M10-R, and will be capable of ~40MP stills. It is also touted to come in black or silver colorways and have a 3-inch TFT rear screen.

LG has designed its new GX soundbar as a matching accessory for the 65-inch 'Gallery' OLED TV. Beside this, it features eARC in its HDMI ports; Bluetooth for wireless functions such as streaming directly from a mobile device, and Dolby Atmos. It will become available to US customers later in July 2020.

GoPro has addressed an increasingly prevalent issue for many users who have shifted their work, learning or hobbies online in a new update under development at this action-cam OEM. It confers a new function on its HERO8 Black model that allows owners who also use Macs to use the device as an FHD, wide-angle upgrade on their default webcams.

A new Samsung fitness tracker has been certified by the FCC. Possibly a replacement to the discontinued Galaxy Fit, the budget device may launch at Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event on August 5.

The design of Samsung's next Galaxy Buds has leaked again, this time courtesy of Evan Blass. The FCC has also certified the earbuds, which are rumoured to be called the Galaxy Buds Live or Galaxy Buds X. The earbuds, which are associated with the model number SM-R180, may well launch on August 5 at Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event.

Xiaomi has been celebrating again, this time in regard to its wearables division. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 (Mi Band 4) has been crowned the best-selling wearable band in the world. The Mi Band 5 has been selling out constantly as well, although stories of success for the Mi Band range are nothing new.

Sony has revealed the PS5 games box art with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales being the first title to be shown off. Box art designs for both Horizon Forbidden West and GTA 5 have also been shared. A supposed real-life image of the DualSense controller has appeared online…and it looks huge!

Canon has finally unveiled the long-awaited 2020 EOS R series of mirrorless cameras. The OEM has confirmed the former has a 45MP sensor, whereas the latter is 20MP. They also have DIGIC X image processor and 5-Axis image stabilization. 4 new RF lenses have also been launched alongside the new units.

The latest truly wireless (TWS) earbuds from UGREEN upgrade to a USB type C port for charging and to an IPX5 rating for ingress protection. They also have a Qualcomm chipset which confers some up-to-date audio specs on these new HiTune accessories. They include Bluetooth 5.0, cVc v8.0 for noise cancellation and aptX.

GPD's goal-based Indiegogo campaign for its 8-inch Win Max console-control-enabled mini notebook has ended in triumph, raking in about US$2.8 million from over 3,000 backers. However, the device is still available on this platform for the next few days at a price closer to its eventual retail cost. It's not all good news for the OEM, though: some early adopters claim that its speedy 65W charger has failed on them.

According to a report by a South Korean media outlet, some upcoming Samsung phones might come without a charger in the box. Samsung says that most smartphone users already have a charger and don't need a new one every time they buy a phone. The move will also help Samsung save a few extra bucks and pass the savings on to the customer.

Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi Smart Band 5 and Mi TV Stick will both retail for €39.99 (~US$45). The company has also teased that the two devices will be launched on July 15. Xiaomi has enabled Camera Shutter Control for the Mi Smart Band 5 too.

The eufyCam 2 Pro improves on its previous generation in that its image sensor's resolution steps up to 2048x1080 (or 2K). It also incorporates night vision (color and IR), 2-way audio and a battery life of up to 12 months. This new indoor/outdoor home-surveillance kit is available through Best Buy in the US.

HarmoniQLabs is a company that has an in-house 3D-printing process to make its new TWS earbuds. The OEM claims that the resulting unique shape created is better for prolonged wear and for passive noise cancellation. These new accessories will launch via Indiegogo on July 13, 2020.

Intel has announced the Thunderbolt 4 protocol and new Thunderbolt 4 controllers, which build on the capabilities of Thunderbolt 3 and also form the basis for the USB4 spec. Thunderbolt 4 offers the same throughput as Thunderbolt 3 along with additional platform and security features while also expanding the Thunderbolt dock ecosystem. Thunderbolt 4 will be compatible all existing USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 standards and will be first seen in Tiger Lake-powered laptops later this year.

Akasa has released the Gem Pro, having announced the case in May. Available for £24.75 or US$30.95, the Gem Pro features apertures for the GPIO and microSD card slot of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, along with full access to its other ports.

Logitech is back this time with a new keyboard and mouse specifically customized for use with Apple’s Macs and iPads. The new MX Keys keyboard for Mac and MX Master 3 mouse incorporate pre-set functionality and features that even Apple’s own accessories don’t offer, making them well worth a look.

A couple of leaked images of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 global activity tracker have offered up some clues of what a Pro model of the wearable could deliver. According to the poster of the images, the global Mi Smart Band 5 does not feature NFC functionality, Alexa assistant, or the SpO2 pulse oximeter sensor for blood oxygen monitoring.

This $40 USD 4-in-1 adapter is as small and light as most single-purpose adapters. If you want to make your USB-C ports more useful, then the IOGEAR GUD3C460 will be a boon to your home office or workspace.

OnePlus has been celebrating incredible sales for its recently launched smart TV series. According to the Chinese OEM, all of its new units were sold as part of a flash sale in just one minute. The recently launched OnePlus TV Series starts from ₹12,999 (US$174) for the slimline 32-inch device.

Sony asserts it has broken new ground with its latest FE G Master lens. Its zoom does indeed go down to 12 millimeters (mm) while maintaining a 2.8 aperture. This means it can summon an impressive field of view while retaining its level of brightness at all times. The OEM claims it can thus outdo the human eye in wide-angle perception.

Vizio has announced new additions to its collection of soundbars, which are available either now or later in 2020. They are headlined by the Elevate 5.1.4, which stood out in its category at CES 2020 due to its Adaptive Height Speakers. These rotating parts activate to deploy content with the high-end audio tech it supports.

8BitDo has presented a new controller for Microsoft's upcoming Project xCloud gaming platform. The controller is based on the popular SN30 Pro and features fully customisable buttons. 8BitDo has announced a Mobile Gaming Clip for Xbox controllers too, which will come bundled with the controller and will be available to purchase separately.

A promo video for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has been leaked at the same time as some live images of the upcoming smartwatch were revealed via NCC certification. The video clip for the Galaxy Watch 3 focuses more on the software functions of the wearable rather than its overall physical appearance.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C has been launched in Malaysia. The global version of the budget activity tracker has gone on sale there for 99 MYR (US$23). The Mi Smart Band 4C is basically a rebranded Redmi Band and offers users a heart-rate monitor, 5 ATM water resistance, and a 1.08-inch touchscreen.

Panasonic has announced pricing and availability data for its new RB-M500B and RB-M700B wireless headphones. Both feature 40 millimeter (mm) neodymium drivers housed in ergonomically-designed ear-pads, although only the latter features active noise cancellation (ANC). They are also designed to enhance bass using this OEM's XBS DEEP technology.

Honor has launched a new set of earbuds, the Honor Choice True Wireless Earbuds. Priced at just US$34.99, the Honor Choice supports Bluetooth 5.0, up to 24 hours of battery life and USB Type-C charging. Touch controls are supported too and the earbuds are IP54 certified.

Placeholder images for what could end up being the Huawei Band 5 activity tracker and the Huawei Mate Watch have been shared on the Chinese social site Weibo. No specifications have been revealed, but the supposed codenames for the upcoming Huawei smartband and smartwatch along with some potential design details are displayed.

Huawei's best SuperCharge wired power adapter can charge a compatible device at up to 40 watts (W). However, a leak points to a new generation of these accessories that is capable of 66W. The OEM has reportedly had it approved for use by the regulator 3C, which may make it available for the Mate 40 series.

LG has updated the portable variants of its XBOOM speaker line-up. These new PL7, PL5 and PL2 models feature an equally renewed design that incorporates Meridian technology for their audio clarity. They can also be controlled via an iOS or Android app and respond to voice commands.

The Panasonic RZ-S300W are new TWS earbuds with a non-AirPod-clone form-factor and a unique finish. A further variant of the same (the RZ-S500W) have "Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling Technology" with an ambient mode for "best-in-class" audio isolation. The OEM also has a 3rd pair of new buds launched under its high-end Technics brand.

The smart-glasses company Vuzix has announced that it has 3C certification for its M400 model. Therefore, it may now target the market in question with this IP67-rated, drop-resistant smart viewer. As with many other products in this category, it is directed at professional and industrial applications.

It has been rumored that Huawei will be releasing its own Display ranges of monitors set at three different price points, and a 32-inch model is expected to be part of the lineup. It’s likely Huawei Display monitors will target the space that will be occupied by Redmi Display and Xiaomi Mi Display external monitors.

In what is essentially an eGPU docking station in reverse, the Eurocom Riser card allows users to install laptop MXM3 graphics cards directly onto their desktop PCIe slots. The product is aimed at professionals and workstation environments for specialized SFF PCs rather than a home office.

The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick appears to be getting closer to an official launch, as details about the gadget have been appearing via Geekbench, Google Play Console, and on official Google certification. It is the 1080p (FHD) Mi TV Stick model that has been spotted recently, although there is evidence of a 4K (UHD) device too.

Xiaomi has officially launched its first OLED TV in the form of the 65-inch Mi TV Master Series set, which will be sold at a price of 12,999 yuan (US$1,840) in the company’s domestic market. The smart TV is bursting with gaming-friendly features and offers a 120 Hz panel with a 1 ms response time. MIUI for TV and a MediaTek processor are also onboard.

There has been another reference to a Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Pro activity tracker discovered recently. A Pro variant of the wearable was already rumored due to it being mentioned in app code, and now it has been spotted again as “Kongming Pro” in a settings screenshot. The Mi Band 5 was released in June.

Vizio has unveiled its 2021 TV Collection that includes two OLED 4K TVs that should appeal to future owners of next-gen consoles. The 55-inch and 65-inch Vizio OLED 4K TVs feature the company’s ProGaming Engine and HDMI 2.1 support, which is ideal for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The pricing should help Vizio stay competitive in the crowded marketplace.

Xiaomi has released a new XiaoAI Portable Speaker via Youpin that can also be ordered from Banggood for international customers. The mini Bluetooth speaker has a power rating of 2 W and is being offered to domestic shoppers for 49 yuan (US$7). The Xiaomi XiaoAI Portable Speaker with virtual assistant is priced at US$19.99 at Banggood.

The NH-L12 is a cooler that, according to its maker Austria-based Noctua, offers many advantages for compact PC builds. However, it did not completely fit in the Ghost S1 case by the Swedish company Louqe. Therefore, the 2 firms have collaborated on a new variant for self-building fans of both PC-component brands.

At just over 40 grams, the SL200 is looking to be one of Lexar's lightest external SSDs yet with 256-bit AES encryption and drop, shock, and vibration resistance.