Accessory

Honor now plans to release its first smart TV in the near future. This product is to be called the Vision, and will be powered by a newly-announced SoC, the Honghu 818. It will also incorporate a pop-up camera for user authentication.

An upcoming Samsung smartwatch with the model number SM-R830 has been approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This registration shows that the watch has a 40mm variant, and will come in stainless steel or aluminium casings. It also confirms that this device will not have the adjustable crown seen in earlier watches of this series.

The TicPods Free are some of the most prominent AirPod alternatives out there. They are made by Mobvoi, also known for the Ticwatch Pro. This OEM is selling their wireless earbuds at US$99.99, or $30 less than their recommended price.

With up to 60 auto-focus (AF) or auto-exposure (AE) calculations per second and 20fps shooting, Sony claims to have packed flagship speeds into its latest compact camera. The RX100 VII has a 20.1MP Exmor RS sensor and the latest generation BIONZ X image processor. It also has native 4K recording and real-time Eye AF capabilities.

Microsoft has marked an important NASA anniversary by taking part in Project Egress, in which engineering teams were challenged to re-make a component of the Apollo 11's landing module. The Redmond cohort were charged with making the craft's hatch, a small but complicated part that required advanced CNC to replicate.

The Denmark-based gaming brand wants your social media clicks in return for a chance to win some of its gear. Its grand prize consists of $400 USD of fancy PC accessories with RGB lights galore.

The ASUS ROG Phone II looks set to be a gamer's dream, with a 6.59-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display, 49 ms touch latency, a Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC, 12 GB of RAM, 512 GB of UFS 3.0 storage and a vapour chamber to minimise throttling. Oh, and a huge 6,000 mAh battery. ASUS has developed a brand-new set of gaming accessories too, with the Chinese version of the ROG Phone II going on sale on July 23. Expect a worldwide release in early September.

The 50th Anniversary watch by Xeric is the result of a collaboration between the watchmaking company and NASA. This already looks like a success: with 16 days to go, the Kickstarter project that involves this (non-smart) wearable is at over US$970,000. To get one of these special watches, one should pledge at least US$169.

With more than two weeks until the release of Samsung's next-gen flagships — which are also supposed to feature a 64 MP camera — Xiaomi's unveils the first 64 MP image sample taken using an upcoming Redmi device. The sensor used in its camera is the Samsung GW1 and the result looks simply great.

Google's Director of Product for Stadia, Andrey Doronichev, completed an AMA on Reddit yesterday (July 18, 2019) to shed more light on the company's new streaming-based gaming platform. The executive took pains to liken it to Xbox Live Gold, as opposed to a gamer Netflix. It was also revealed that the system's proprietary controller will not support Bluetooth.

Internet-protocol (or IP) cameras shipments are thought to grow to over 100 million by 2025, or 20% more than there are now. These projections are part of newly-published research on the IP surveillance market. It is thought to be mainly driven by commercial buyers, although domestic products may also play a role in their growth.

Toshiba Memory has unveiled plans to rebrand itself in 2019. Its new name, Kioxia, is a blend of 2 different words for "memory" and "value". It will take effect from October onward.

Playmaji, Inc. and extreme Co., Ltd. have announced the release of their new product: the Polymega. This new kind of console supports various classic CD-gaming platforms, including Neo Geo, PS1 and Sega Saturn. However, it also allows the user to slot in a number of modules that take cartridges from other legacy systems, including NES and SNES.

Samsung is apparently to give consumers one more reason to hate it: the company is planning to launch the Galaxy Note 10 with 45 W fast charging support, but without a charger to meet the requirements in the retail package. The 45 W charger — codenamed EP-TA845 — will be available separately and is expected to cost over US$55.

Samsung is now thought to have a successor for the Galaxy Watch Active in the works. The latest leaks on the subject claims that one variant of this putative wearable will be produced in collaboration with the sportswear company Under Armour. It may come with an exclusive band and 6 months' worth of free MapMyRun access.

Sony has launched the Alpha 7R IV (or a7R IV), its latest 35-millimeter full-frame camera. It is the first such product to feature the new, back-illuminated, Exmor R CMOS sensor with a 61.0MP resolution. The a7R IV is also capable of professional-grade 4K video, an APS-C mode and USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer speeds via a type C port.

For today's useless fact, Razer has sold about 1,050,000 kg worth of Deathadder mice to be its most successful accessory to date. The Deathadder is the manufacturer's least expensive mouse at $50 USD.

Unexpectedly, SIGMA Corporation has introduced the world's smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera. The SIGMA fp is extremely modular, weatherproof and comes with some very interesting features.

Smart glasses are useful in many contexts, most of them enterprise-related. However, it is also possible to replicate the smartphone experience to some degree using some of these devices, Vuzix-brand ones included. This company claims that a new development will bring peer-to-peer video calling to its Blade devices.

The Belgian news outlet VRT NWS claims to have gained access to audio recordings made as a result of Google Assistant 'listening' to user speech or activity. The recordings were leaked to VRT by a Google subcontractor. This apparent evidence suggests that the search giant allows these workers access to information that would have remained private were it not for the presence of the Assistant.

Sony has launched the world's fastest USB-C hub, the MRW-S3. The device is differentiated from other similar products on the market by being the only one to support USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds up to 1000MB's.

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is the latest platform for Google-powered wearables. New leaks suggest that a successor for this SoC is already in the works. It is rumored to be called the Snapdragon Wear 2700, and to be a derivative of the 429, another Qualcomm chipset for low-end mobile devices.

The latest market analysis indicates that the volume of eSIM-enabled device shipments reached 384 million last year. The resulting projections suggest that this figure will grow to about 2 billion over the next 6 years. Smartphones will account for the vast majority of the units in question.

The patent application filed by Microsoft back in 2017 has surfaced online now and the document made available by the USPTO clearly shows diagrams of detachable controllers that have been designed to work with smartphones and tablets. Obviously, it might take a while for such products to hit the market and is also possible for Microsoft to drop the idea.

The Nest Hello device is a smart doorbell with an inbuilt camera. A leak concerning a software update for this product has found that it may gain the ability to detect when a package has been delivered. This code may also allow for a follow-up feature in which it can tell when the same has been picked up again.

Mobvoi has unveiled a new, LTE-enabled version of the Ticwatch Pro. This wearable has most of the specs of its original variant, including its innovative battery-saving dual display. On the other hand, the LTE model is enhanced with Corning Gorilla Glass and double the RAM.

After much speculation, Sony has announced a 35 mm f/1.8 lens under its FE series. The lens incorporates 11 elements, one being aspherical to suppress aberrations and maintain image resolution into the corners of a shot. The SEL35F18F weighs just 280 g (9.9 oz) too. The FE 35 mm f/1.8 (SEL35F18F) will be available to order in August for US$750 (£630).

Fitness enthusiasts will likely recognize the name Runtopia from the Runtopia run and walk app, as well as from the smart running shoes Runtopia Reach. Now, the fitness brand is launching its first smartwatch Runtopia S1 as a GPS watch.

Seeedstudio claims that the ICE Tower CPU Cooling Fan can reduce Raspberry Pi 4 core temperatures from 80 °C to 40 °C under load, which should eliminate thermal throttling. The ICE Tower is compatible with all previous RPi boards too and just requires 5 V power via a 40-pin GPIO. The ICE Tower is available to order now from Seeedstudio for US$19.90, which ships worldwide from July 19.

Logitech has released new G PRO X and G PRO gaming headsets for 2019. The new models have been designed with the input of esports gamers while the G PRO X also features a collaboration with Blue microphones on a new Blue VO!CE feature.

A tech blogger has posted a new video citing rumors that Microsoft is working on hardware for its xCloud platform. This console would apparently work with existing Xbox controllers, but also act as a competitor for Google's own starter pack for Stadia. As this putative box could cost as little as US$60, it would also undercut the "Founder's Edition".

Samsung's SmartThings app has been found to contain diagrams of heretofore-unreleased pairs of headphones and wireless earbuds. The latter have AKG branding, whereas the former have these 3 letters as part of their model number. It is now thought that they may be products that could be unveiled at the next Galaxy Unpacked event.

A United States Senator has obtained a response to a letter sent to Amazon HQ concerning user privacy as it relates to the retail giant's Alexa platform. It advised the public representative that, although a given user can delete their own voice data from their accounts at will, the voice assistant's responses to queries are recorded and retained by Amazon for its own purposes.

Although its relationship with the US has improved a lot and last month's troubles seem to be gone, Huawei is working hard on its own operating system. HongMeng OS will replace Android on a wide range of devices and some of its components — LiveFace, Meetime, LinkTime, and Belink — have just been trademarked.

Mobvoi has released a YouTube video offering hints of its next product release. It appears to be a new smartwatch, most likely of the Ticwatch line. The OEM claims that it can "boost your daily efficiency" and has an improved heart rate monitor.

UMIDIGI's latest smartwatch, the Uwatch2, boasts a fully metallic unibody, an IP67 rating and a 1.33-inch 240x240 display. The OEM claims that it offers 25 days' worth of standby time and 7 to 10 days of active use. It is sold at US$33.32, although this comes down to $24 with an upcoming promotion.

With the upcoming TRIO from MobilePixels, laptop users will soon be able to benefit from multi-screen setups, just like desktop users. Besides the obvious advantage offered in games, a dual or triple-screen setup can also improve productivity and multitasking. The TRIO module attaches via magnets on the back of the main laptop screen and only needs USB cables.

The latest report projects that the power bank market will be worth US$29.5 billion in the next 5 years. It indicates that the growth in demand for devices such as smartphones drive this industry. In addition, it is possible that different forms of energy storage (such as hydrogen as opposed to lithium-ion batteries) may influence this market in the near future.

The Cluster HAT v2.3 does what it says on the tin. It allows you to combine a Raspberry Pi A+/B+/2/3 with up to 4 Raspberry Pi Zeros. The latter connect via a Controller Pi GPIO and are configured to use USB Gadget mode, making it easy to simulate or test small-scale cluster computing. The Cluster HAT v2.3 is designed by Pimoroni and is available to order from SB-Components for US$49.22.

YI (or Xiaoyi) is a company known for camera-related product and accessories, including dash-cams. Its newest version of these is the Nightscape, a 1080p, Wi-Fi enabled device with a 140-degree field of view. It also integrates Sony's STARVIS technology for improved low-light imaging.

Wearables are currently projected to influence the way personal electronics are used more and more in the future. This technology now covers both devices that can double as accessories and as clothing. Their market is estimated to be worth up to US$51.6 billion in the next 3 years.

Wireless charging is already appreciably popular today. Its market is thought to be capable of attaining a US$27 billion value over the next 6 years, according to the latest research. Its results show the most prominent application of this technology is in (surprise surprise) smartphones.

Vuzix has filed a new patent with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). It will inform future smart glasses made by this OEM, particularly regarding their use in augmented reality (AR) applications. Vuzix also claims that it will help the company use the latest materials in the spectacle-making industry, as well as the most up-to-date AR sensors.

Sony has unveiled the UBP-X1100ES, its latest 4K/UHD Blu-ray player. This machine supports HDR, Dolby Vision, 4K upscaling and the new BT.2020 color-space standard. Sony also asserts that this new disc player has every kind of connectivity needed to integrate into any system.

The Red Magic 3 is already probably one of 2019's most interesting gaming phones. Its manufacturer, Nubia, has also now made a 12GB RAM variant available on its international retail platform. This phone also has a camo finish that is exclusive to the SKU.

Based on the PiJuice HAT released in 2016, the PiJuice Zero allows the Raspberry Pi Zero to be used on the go away from a power outlet. Pi Supply has developed a software suite to help get you started and has included a low-profile to keep the overall build size small. The PiJuice Zero is available to order on Crowd Supply now for US$45 with orders shipping worldwide on October 31.

Running on a Python library, the Enviro+ can monitor indoor and outdoor atmospheric changes from air quality to temperature, humidity and noise. The board can contribute to big air quality projects like Luftdaten too. Pimoroni has developed the Enviro+ with The University of Sheffield and has included several sensors, along with a 40-pin header and a 0.96-inch colour LCD. The Enviro+ is available to pre-order now for US$47.63 and will ship worldwide from July 5.

Based on a Microchip MGC3130, the 3D Gesture & Tracking Shield brings gesture and motion tracking to the Raspberry Pi at a reasonable price. The Shield supports touch gestures and emits a short-range magnetic field to allow it to recognise gestures performed nearby it too. The 3D Gesture & Tracking Shield communicates with a Raspberry Pi via I2C and is available to purchase worldwide from Seeedstudio for US$12.90.

The FCC has given Ossia the green light to begin installing Cota in industrial and commercials sites. Devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops can be recharged without any AC adapters much like how Wi-Fi has replaced RJ-45 in certain applications.