Accessory

RAVPower, the well-known accessory-maker, has a stand at MWC this year. It showcases a new PD charger, an ultra-thin (14mm) 'wall wart' based on gallium nitride (GaN) technology. RAVPower also has a new wireless charging stand that is also a power bank.

There is a new alternative to the foldable phone already. Nubia has unveiled the Alpha, a device with a screen that curves along a wide watch-like form factor. This display is 4 inches long, and operates using the Snapdragon 2100 wearables processor.

The USB Implementers Forum has announced that the next generation of USB will be called USB 3.2. The new standard is capable of transferring data at 20Gbps, which puts it on a similar level to Intel’s Thunderbolt 2 technology first introduced in 2014 – the key difference is that USB is a much more generic technology and is much cheaper as a result.

The Swiss watchmaker group Swatch has filed a complaint with US legal authorities to the effect that Samsung has impinged on its trademarks. This is connected to the design of some downloadable watchfaces for Gear-line smartwatches. The company will look for hundreds of millions of US dollars in compensation for this breach.

It seems Samsung is doing more in Barcelona than MWC. The OEM has opened a Bixby Studio in the city's Plaza de Catalunya. This installation gives visitors a sense of what life would be like with Bixby-powered applicances and devices in it.

Western Digital and Micron both announced 1 TB microSD cards earlier today. At 1 TB, these will be the largest microSD cards upon release later this year. Additionally, the SD Association announced SD Express, a new protocol that will be part of the upcoming SD 7.1 specification. SD Express promises to bring transfer rates of 985 MB/s to SD cards and microSD cards, although there is no word on when the standard will be released.

The popular case-maker Spigen is collaborating with Ossia, a true-wireless charging pioneer, to bring a phone case that integrates the necessary Cota technology to market. The two groups have brought renders of this product (which comprises a 'phone sleeve' and a transceiver) to this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC19).

HTC has taken the wraps off its 5G Hub. The Taiwanese company claims that this new device can deliver the speed and poiwer of the new radio bands to homes or businesses. It is powered by the Snapdragon 855, as well as Qualcomm's 60GHz 802.11ad Wi-Fi and 2x2 Wi-Fi 6-ready chipsets.

The TCL subsidiary Alcatel has launched its new 3T 10 tablet at MWC19. This device has a 10-inch screen and runs Android 9.0 (Pie) out of the box. It also comes with a Google Assisant pre-install. The Alcatel 3T 10 is compatible with an optional "Audio Station" stand which, as the OEM claims, adds 7 hours of battery life (for some tasks) and a dedicated 'docked' interface.

Microsoft took to stage at MWC 2019 in Barcelona to demo their new HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset. The HoloLens 2 offers 2x the field of view and 3x the comfort of the previous generation while bringing more interactivity and collaboration to holograms. Microsoft is opening up the platform to all developers and is making it easy for businesses to create and deploy MR apps. HoloLens 2 is still focused on the enterprise but the next generation could possibly have a more consumer-centric approach.

LG has unveiled the V50 ThinQ 5G flagship smartphone. The multimedia-devouring powerhouse is unsurprisingly 5G ready and houses a Snapdragon 855 behind its 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED display. For more enhanced content consumption, there is an optional Dual Screen for the V50 that will offer a greater viewing area for gamers or film fans to enjoy.

The first images of the upcoming Microsoft HoloLens 2 have leaked online just hours before launch. While not much information is known about the new device, we are getting to see that Microsoft has focused on the ergonomics and a possible new menu tapping gesture. The new HoloLens might also be made available for consumers at sub-US$1,000 price points.

The LG V series has a history of including secondary displays, which are often built into their large phablet-scale screens. If a new leak is to be believed, this feature has returned to the V50 ThinQ - sort of. It consists of images showing a case that gives the upcoming LG flagship an entire extra screen.

Lioncast is a comparatively new manufacturer, but that has not stopped it from expanding its range of mice. The company has now released the LM60, a wired mouse with RGB lighting and a high-resolution optical sensor. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lioncast has designed the LM60 with gamers in mind.

Samsung seems to have exited the 4K Blu-ray market in the US citing a niche market and current domination of Sony and Panasonic. Samsung became the second company after OPPO to stop making both 4K and FHD Blu-ray players coming in the wake of increased penetration of online streaming services and HDR format incompatibilities between the industry's Dolby Vision and Samsung's HDR10+.

Samsung has released three new types of wearable to go with the Galaxy S10 series in 2019. They are the Galaxy Buds, a possibly improved set of earbuds, the Galaxy Fit, a new activiy tracker, and the Galaxy Watch Active, a new sports-focused smartwatch. All three can charge wirelessly, including off S10 devices.

The Surface Headphones look good, but can they command their premium price tag, and how do they stack up against their wireless on-ear competitors? We put the US$349.99/£329.99 Surface Headphones to the test in this hands-on review.

Logitech announced today that it will reboot the classic Logitech G MX518 gaming mouse. Hailed in its day as one of the best gaming mice available, the MX518 is fondly remembered by many for its comfortable shape, fast reporting rates, and good button layout. The 2019 MX518 will use the same shell as its older brother, but Logitech will include a new 16,000 DPI sensor and a 32-bit ARM processor in the new mouse. Users will also be able to rebind all buttons on the mouse and save profiles to the mouse itself.

The S90 is Doogee's first rugged smartphone that comes with a selection of modules similar to Motorola's mods. These include a high quality night vision camera, a 5,000 mAh powerbank, a walkie-talkie and a game controller. Additionally, the casing of the S90 is made of military grade metal and polycarbonate, so it can withstand extreme conditions.

PlusUs has introduced its Xpad, a charging pad that measures only 2.2 millimeters in depth. This spec leads the start-up to assert that it is the thinnest product of its kind worldwide. It is available as a reward as part of an Indiegogo campaign, which aims to raise US$20,000.

A while ago, a series of Tweets from a smartphone case-maker presented the possibility that the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+'s fingerprint reader placement would make using screen protectors on these phones much more difficult than normal. Now, a 2nd accessory firm has released a video reiterating this line of speculation.

MyDrivers has reported that Xiaomi intends to announce a crowdfunding project for a new product: a smart sports watch. This device will apparently support real-time GPS tracking, so that a user can generate and maintain maps of their fitness-related activities (e.g. runing routes and so on).

Apple does not quite match up to some other major software companies in terms of smart-home products. It has only one product dedicated to this market: the HomePod. The company may by trying to change this by hiring Sam Jadallah, an ex-Microsoft executive with experience in the smart-home space.

A report from CNET mentions that TCL Corporation could be busy working on up to five different foldable devices. It seems two of the devices are tablets, two are smartphones, and one appears to be a combination of a smartphone, smartwatch, and bracelet. The Chinese company is apparently planning to release a foldable device in 2020.

Canon has launched a new full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS RP. Unlike other DSLRs, even those with APS-C, these devices use a sensor equivalent to traditional film (i.e. they measure 36x24mm in total). This confers advantages such as improved depth-of-field and general image quality.

A new report from the NBD Group shows that smartwatch sales in the US increased by 51% from November 2017 to November 2018. Wear OS only accounted for a maximum of 12% of all of these wearables sold. The rest of the sales were those from the top 3 in this market: Apple, Fitbit and Samsung.

The Surface Pen is Microsoft's answer to the Apple Pencil. It has been described as an effective stylus, albeit one that could produce more accurate digital writing. A new patent may help improve on this with changes to both the Pen and the screen used.

Released a few months ago, the LiteOS-driven Huawei Watch GT is now finally available for purchase in the US. Listed by Amazon for a regular price of US$199.99, this smart wearable will start shipping on February 19. Its specs and features include continuous heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS, sleep tracking, and more.

The Xiaomi M365 electric scooters is popular with ride-sharing companies such as Bird in the US. They can hire out such vehicles online thanks to the ability to remotely lock rental units as and when they need to. The research group Zimperium has claimed to be able to hi-jack this mechanism due to vulnerabilities found in Xiaomi's Bluetooth authentication procedure for the M365.

A new post on the Greek Apple leaks site iPhoneHellas alleges that the second-generation AirPods will launch in March. However, a second tipster, OnLeaks, has also asserted that his sources say they will be released 'in the fall'. Both reports contain different details on what their maker may release alongside or in conjunction with these wireless earbuds.

Dell has had to recall certain versions of its portable charging device, the Hybrid Adapter + Power Bank, because of the risk of electric shock. Apparently, the casing of the black adapter part of the accessory can break, which in turn exposes metal components that could pose a hazard. Dell has already received 11 reports of this occurring.

The next Oculus VR headset to be released is rumored to be called the Rift S. The latest leaks on this device suggests that it will come with its own onboard tracking cameras, rather than rely on USB-connected sensors. It may also fix the original Rift's problems with the appearance of 'god rays' on the lenses, and adjust for room lighting with 50-to-60Hz modes.

A new set of leaks concerning the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 has appeared, including information and a picture of a brand-new product. There are some live photos of two different Galaxy S10 devices in the hand, and there is an image of a pair of wireless earbuds in their case that look like they are being reverse wirelessly charged by an S10+.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9's S Pen gained interesting new Bluetooth capabilities over previous versions of the same stylus last year. Now, the OEM has obtained a patent to pack a whole camera into a version of the same component. This camera has a tiny lens, but also has optical zoom and a battery to power it.

The Samsung Gear Sport may get a successor soon, which is likely to be called the Galaxy Sport. This smartwatch will be the first product to feature Bixby Reminders. A new leak allegedly associated with this wearable shows that it may ditch the rotating bezel that has become a hallmark of Tizen devices.

Anker now has a USB type C-to-Lightning cable with MFi certifcation available for pre-order on its website. This cable is 3 feet in length and has TPE shielding for durability and longevity. Anker claims that it can charge an iPhone (8 or later) by as much as 50% in 30 minutes, so long as a USB-PD brick is used.

TechnoBuffalo has posted a range of images showing a device with Fitbit design language, but in colors previously unknown to this brand. They are apparently called Cyan Blue, Silver, Rose Pink and Purple. The renders have led to speculation that they are for the Fitbit Versa 2, but are more likely to simply be new color options for the pre-existing Versa.

Microsoft has been receiving praise for the Xbox Adaptive Controller commercial that was shown this Super Bowl Sunday. The clip, which was called “We All Win,” gives some children with disabilities the opportunity to speak about their love of video gaming. The Microsoft device helps users create customized controllers, giving the kids an opportunity to “crush my friends” as one pleased young gamer admits.

RetailMeNot, a company that collates online deals for consumers, has released a report indicating that this month is a good time to buy a new TV, along with some other appliances - second only to the Black Friday weekend, in fact. This mainly applies to the US, as it cites factors such as President's Day sales and Super Bowl promotional events.

The Austrian company Noctua has issued a press release to announce the introduction of the new NT-H2 thermal compound. The award-winning cooler manufacturer claims the second generation of its “enthusiast-grade” paste managed to deliver up to 2 °C lower temperatures in the firm’s tests than the predecessor NT-H1. The thermal paste will be available in 3.5 g and 10 g packages.

While most people around the world are still waiting to get 5G access, T-Mobile and Metro are back with an accessory for their 600 MHz LTE network. The Coolpad Surf hotspot is capable of connecting up to 15 devices simultaneously and its 2,150 mAh battery can last for up to 5.3 hours of continuous use or 48 hours on standby.

Samsung has announced in a press release its intentions to become considerably more environmentally friendly. The company will ditch product plastic packaging and replace it with various alternatives, including paper, pulp, and other recycled materials. The smartphone manufacturer’s revised policy also means that phone chargers will lose their glossy finish.

Will there finally be a Rose Gold or bright pink Razer Blade laptop? The OEM has been teasing pink mice, keyboards, and headphones for weeks and a pink gaming laptop would essentially complete the collection.

A new report by ResearchAndMarkets.com indicates that the wireless headphone market will continue to show healthy growth into the year 2024. At that point, it could be worth as much as US$34 billion. The report indicates that this could be driven by increasing sophistication in wireless audio features and technology.

Our last report on the Apple AirPods 2 covered rumors that they could have been released by now, at least. However, their maker failed to live up to this leak, and the 2nd generation of these wireless earbuds has yet to appear. A newer article in DigiTimes alleges that these wearables will be here by July 2019.

Codenamed Pulse, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Sport smartwatch is expected to feature Bixby support and Bixby Reminders. Since it has just received its FCC certification, it would not be surprising to see the new Tizen-driven smart wearable being unveiled alongside the Galaxy S10 lineup on February 20.

The new Intel RealSense Tracking Camera T265 was designed for applications such as robotics, drones, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR). This US$199 piece of hardware uses proprietary visual inertial odometry simultaneous localization and mapping, can be already pre-ordered, and shipments will begin at the end of February.

The professional DK30C2HAGPD and DK30C2DAGPD docks are able to make the most of USB Type-C Gen. 1 by switching between two different modes depending on user application.

Although the 20 MP resolution is no longer a high-end specification for a modern single-sensor smartphone camera, the ISOCELL Slim 3T2 by Samsung focuses on other attributes instead. Advertised by Samsung as the industry's most compact image sensor, this piece of hardware was designed with full-screen display smartphones in mind.