Accessory

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.

At least 60% or more of US consumers aged 55 years or more favor Fitbit when buying a wearable. This is due to the demand for smartwatches and fitness trackers in the relevant age ranges. However, Apple is more popular among those aged 18 to 24.

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.

AZIO has a new RGB mechanical keyboard up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo. This one has a less retro appearance, yet is still touted to be high-end in terms of its materials and build quality. It also has the OEM's new FOKAL spinning control, which can be used for a variety of sliding-value options and also acts as a 360-degree joystick.

OPPO's Inno Day 2019 event was mostly dominated by upcoming products such as its AR headset. However, it also teased new wearables that may launch soon as well. They are a new pair of truly wireless (TWS) earbuds, as well as a square-faced smartwatch.

OnePlus released its first smart TV series (the Q1 and Q1 Pro) this year. Now, it has unveiled a new accessory for it: an alternate remote control with a Netflix-branded button. However, existing customers can get it for free.

The panel-maker Vizio has reported that it "exceeded expectations" over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period just gone, having sold 500,000 or more units of its smart TVs between these days in 2019. For example, it sold 87% more premium 4K UHD big-screens year-on-year (YoY) compared to the same event in 2018.

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.

Garmin has launched its Venu wearable in the Indian market. It has a smartwatch form factor, with a round 1.2-inch AMOLED display, but also has modes to track over 20 fitness-related activities and an inbuilt coaching interface for workouts. It will go for 37490 INR (or about US$525) when it is released to Amazon.in on December 15, 2019.

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?

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

Huami has released a statement on how its latest device, the Amazfit GTS, did in the recent November 2019 sales event. It claims that the smartwatch was a hit on numerous regional online sales platform. The GTR and Bip Lite wearables also allegedly sold out in 1 hour in 1 store.

Huawei has announced that it will introduce its Watch GT 2 to Indian customers on December 5, 2019. This will be the first device with the new Kirin A1 processor for wearables released to this market. This smartwatch also boasts a 2-week battery life and a bezel-less display.

Samsung released the Galaxy Buds earlier in the year. The AirPods competitor have an MSRP of US$129.99 but can be had for quite a bit cheaper right now. For US$99.99, to be exact—US$30 or 23% off.

Mobvoi's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale has started. It includes a 25% discount on its Ticwatch Pro and Pro 4G/LTE models, which are normally US$249.99 and $299 respectively. The OEM is also offering other smartwatches at up to $50 off.

Lepow has announced a 30% discount on its portable monitor as of tomorrow (November 30, 2019). This product is a 15.6-inch display with a built-in stand-cover and dual speakers. It has USB type C and mini HDMI ports so as to be compatible with mobile devices, PCs and consoles.

Huami is a smartwatch OEM that has developed a habit of releasing titanium-cased variants of its products. Now, it has given one of its latest releases, the GTS, the same treatment. Its new edition costs about US$185, or about $58 more than the original.

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.

Google introduced Ambient Mode for the Assistant at I/O 2019. It is a kind of alternative interface for Android devices that makes them take on the functions of a smart display. This can involve a revolving series of screens showing calendar information, photos or other content.

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.

What can you expect from a pair of luxury headphones retailing for over $300? If you're looking for features, wireless, microphone support, and software, then these are not for you. If you want headphones that focus on nothing more than utmost comfort and superior audio quality, then the Meze 99 should be on your Holiday shopping list.

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.

Apple launched battery cases for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max today. The new cases feature a dedicated camera button that can snap a photo or start recording video without the need for launching the Camera app or unlocking the device. The cases are priced at $129.

Dripp Audio is a new company that has put its interestingly-named true-wireless earbuds on Indiegogo. The "Dropps" are described as the cheapest products in their category to have Qualcomm aptX and cVc noise-cancelling tech. They also have Bluetooth 5.0 and IP5X ingress protection, and start at US$39.

A new leak points towards the DualShock 5 only being a minor revision of the DualShock 4. Sony has already confirmed that it will incorporate new triggers in the controller that it will release alongside its next console. However, the patent offers an insight into the other features that the DualShock 5 will also include, along with the ones that it will likely remove.

Mobvoi has released the 4G/LTE version of its TicWatch Pro to the European region. It costs €329.99 (about US$365) in its new market. However, its SIM functions can only be activated in Germany through this country's Vodafone division.

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 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.

Lenovo has launched the Smart Display 7, which, like its predecessors, is a smart speaker with an in-built touchscreen. This new version has its display above its speakers this time, although they are still 10-watt (W) drivers. It also has Google Assistant, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and an ambient color sensor.

The Mi Surface is a recently-released gaming-focused monitor from Xiaomi. Now, a new leak has pointed toward an additional variant of this display line. It is to measure 29 inches rather than 34 as in the original, yet retain this device's 1500R curvature and 144 hertz (Hz) refresh rate.

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.

A new study of wearable uptake in the US shows that 56% of its participants own such a device. Furthermore, another 13% of this group reported considering the purchase of one by 2020. This study's publication also contained some recommendation for Google's next moves in this game following its Fitbit acquisition.

Snap Inc has officially launched its new Spectacles 3. The Spectacles 3 feature dual built-in cameras that can shoot photos and video in 3D at up to 60fps with the ability to overlay 3D AR-style effects.

The Amazfit Sports Watch 3 was released in China recently. However, its series is also marketed internationally as the Stratos line of sports-focused wearables. Its 3rd generation is now set for launch across multiple European countries later in November 2019.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has conferred a number of CES 2020 Awards on some OEMs ahead of this event. They include OnePlus, LG and Acer, who have won recognition for their latest flagship devices, (or, in some cases, upcoming releases) in various categories. The actual show will run from January 7, 2020 in Las Vegas as usual.

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.

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.

The Fossil Hybrid HR is a new hybrid smartwatch that mixed the traditional face and hands of a mechanical watch with an E Ink display for notification and fitness tracking information. The watch runs proprietary software rather than Wear OS, limiting the feature set. However, the Hybrid HR can still sync with Google Fit for fitness tracking.