Accessory

Who needs an Amazon Kindle when you can build one yourself? The Waveshare e-paper HAT comes in numerous display sizes ranging from 1.54-inches to 9.7-inches. The HAT communicates with a Raspberry Pi via SPI, UART or USB depending on the model and comes in a choice of two, three or four supported colours. The Waveshare e-paper HAT costs between US$15.99 and US$169.99 and ships worldwide.

A certification for what may be 2019 iPhones has allegedly surfaced on the Eurasian Economic Commission's database. The submission details a total of 11 different model numbers apparently associated with the Apple brand. They may represent different SKUs of the XR, XS and XS Max's successors.

Today (May 22, 2019), the carrier EE announced the launch of its 5G network in the UK, the first of its kind in this country. EE has also made some devices that are compatible with this network available. They include the OnePlus 7 Pro and the LG ThinQ V50.

Graphics card specialist Manli has not skimped on the hyperbole in unveiling the Superior Ultimate Editions of the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 Gallardo desktop graphics cards. The triple cooler boards offer the power, performance, and pizzazz that any demanding gamer would require from a high-end ray-tracing capable graphics solution.

Google has announced the next generation Google Glass - called the Glass Enterprise 2. The improvements show the evolution of the device from the Original Glass through to the Glass Enterprise launched in 2017. Changes to the device improve its usability for firms while a reduced price looks set to expand its user base.

Thanks to the QNAP QNA-UC5G1T USB 3.0 to 5 GbE adapter, laptops without an Ethernet port can connect to wired networks at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via USB 3.0. However, this piece of hardware can also be used to add extra Ethernet ports to NAS devices. The QNA-UC5G1T should hit the US market by mid-June.

The Quest is Oculus' first all-in-one virtual reality (VR) headset. It is available for sale from today (May 21, 2019). It is also a truly wireless VR set, and uses the company's imaging and touch-sensor technology to deliver this. The Quest starts at US$399 for a model with 64GB of on-board memory.

The super-pricey style house Louis Vuitton has unveiled a new range called "Canvas of the Future". This, appropriately enough, means bags that incorporate flexible displays from the OEM Royole. These displays can make the side of the bag show nearly anything, and can also be controlled by the owner.

MediaTek will design AI-centric SoCs specifically for home security, screened devices, and voice-activated appliances. The goal is to get a head start in the fast-growing smart home market where big competitors like Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Huawei have yet to focus on.

OPPO has confirmed that the upcoming K3 smartphone will be launched on May 23, 2019. This new mid-range device will apparently be equipped with VOOC 3.0, with a fresh range of accessories to match. They are said to include power banks with the same technology.

The manufacturer is claiming to have the world's first ever M.2 SSD with RGB lights and a modular heatsink to prevent performance throttling. SKUs range from 256 GB up to 2 TB with prices starting at $80 USD.

The Jetson Nano Developer Kit is one mighty single-board computer (SBC). The device can churn out up to 472 GFLOPS of performance, despite its compact form factor, thanks to its quad-core CPU and 128 CUDA core GPU performance. The Developer Kit definitely gives other SBCs like the Raspberry Pi a run for their money.

The Reolink Go is a possibly worthwhile innovation in the security-cam industry: it is a truly stand-alone product that does not require external power or cables of any sort. Therefore, it can be installed so as to surveil anything the user wants. However, its need for 4G connectivity could be a drawback in some circumstances.

Nikon announces a new firmware update for the mirrorless Z 7 and Z 6 full-frame cameras. It upgrades the products with eye-detection autofocus (AF) for still-image shooting. The update also enhances the cameras' low-light AF detection range, and adds an auto-exposure tracking capability to their 'burst' modes.

Today (May 17, 2019), Sprint has begun taking pre-orders for its first 5g devices. They are the LG V50 ThinQ and HTC's 5G hub. These products are only available in certain regional markets, however.

The ToyBrick RK3399 Pro is a developer board that is powered by an RK399Pro SoC, which integrates an ARM Mali-T860MP4 GPU and an RK1808 NPU that can achieve up to 3.0 TOPS. The board can dual-boot Android and Linux out of the box and comes with up to 6 GB RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage.

An interesting new custom kit has been discovered that can turn a simple-looking Raspberry Pi board into a handheld gaming console with keyboard and game controls. The Hyper Keyboard Pi is currently being sold for ¥6,980 (~US$64), although users will have to purchase the rest of the key components separately.

The TinyPICO ESP32 development board has been making some waves at the Crowd Supply website. The developer of the board set a very realistic goal of US$100, although the little product has proved to be a very popular project to back. The current total stands at US$19,156 for a development board that measures just 18 mm x 32 mm.

A flaw discovered in Google's Bluetooth Low Energy Titan Security Keys leaves a hole open for potential attackers. Under certain circumstances and with proper timing, an attacker could potentially hijack the Bluetooth pairing process used by the Titan to log into a user's account. Google has offered to replace affected Titan Security Keys free of charge.

The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro were recently released alongside some new features for their Android skin, OxygenOS. They include new camera modes, including a second-generation NightScape for low-light shots. However, the OEM has indicated that older flagships may not be in line for the same.

According to a new report, the virtual reality (VR) gaming market will grow from its most recent US$10.3 billion valuation to one of $40.2 billion in 2024. This is likely to be driven by advancements in VR equipment design and function. However, the cost of the same is also thought to be what is holding this market back at present.

Some renders of Xiaomi’s Mi Band 4 fitness tracker have been leaked online. The wearable now appears to have a color screen, which will be a new feature in the Mi Band series. It looks slightly refined in comparison to its predecessor, and it is expected to be released within the next few months.

Biostar has announced the 300 and 400-series motherboards that will offer compatibility with AMD’s upcoming range of Ryzen 3000 desktop processors. There are models from the A320, B350, B450, and X470 lineups that will be able to welcome the 3rd Gen chips. A promo image has also shown off the “AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop Ready” logo.

Xiaomi India’s managing director, Manu Kumar Jain, has announced a new initiative by the OEM: a vending machine for its devices and accessories. It is located in Manyata Technological Park, Bengaluru. The innovative "Mi Express Kiosk" accepts a wide range of payment types to dispense phones, power banks and more.

The RPI Relay Board allows the Raspberry Pi to control high current and voltage devices like home appliances. The expansion board supports up to 5A/250V AC or 5A/30V DC and comes with extensive development resources such as sample programs written in BCM2835, python, shell, WebIOPi and WiringPi. The RPI Relay Board is available worldwide for US$18.99.

Earphones and headphone sales drive a healthy market in the United States. The market analysis firm ReportBuyer estimates that it will grow at a compound rate of over 12% until it is worth approximately US$9 billion in 2024. The products in question are mostly used in fitness, entertainment and gaming pursuits.

Google has unveiled its latest Nest product at I/O 2019. It is called the Nest Hub Max: a possibly more extensive, useful and powerful version of the Google Home Hub released earlier. It will retail for US$229, or its regional equivalent.

Samsung’s Galaxy Home smart speaker has missed its April launch date. The company, however, says that the device will still ship in the first half of the year but hasn’t offered any explanation for the delay.

A new entry into the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may show where Samsung may think foldable displays and their use in the future are headed. It depicts an electronic product that can lay flat, but can also be folded...into a 3D rectangle. This "display device", therefore, may be a new kind of convertible, although it does not really seem that portable.

The popular audio company Skullcandy has unveiled Indy, a pair of truly wireless earbuds aimed at those wishing to get into this product category at a decent price. They offer IP55 ingress protection, Bluetooth 5.0 and a combined battery life of 16 hours for US$79.99.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered the recall of a wireless charging pad sold by the company Imagine Nation Books due to a burn hazard. This order affects about 64,000 of these products circulating in the country. Those who have bought them are advised to return them for a refund without delay.

A number of 'new brands' are emerging rapidly in the US smart TV market, despite being less than readily associated with this product category. Prominent examples include Hisense, TCL and Vizio. Recent research indicates that, of these, Hisense is regarded as the superior option among US customers.

The Bosstouch PM156 is more than your average portable display. The 15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen includes three video outputs and operates at 85 Hz. The PM156 is available to pre-order on Seeed Studio for US$169 and will ship on May 27.

Anker has released details on its new PowerIQ chips to control its upcoming charging accessories. The OEM asserts that they are compatible with QuickCharge 3.0 and PowerDelivery (PD) platforms that charge at up to 100 watts (W). However, the first PowerIQ 3.0 product will be a 60W 2-port charger that can be used with a MacBook.

There are those who prefer their home cinema with the accent on the 'cinema'. To this end, Epson has made the Pro Cinema 6050UB 4K PRO-UHD projector. The OEM claims that its HDR10 rating, strong brightness and proprietary UltraBlack tech give the best and most accurate domestic theater experience possible.

An advert from One-Netbook Technology seems to show that the company is preparing to enter the handheld gaming PC market. Depending on the development time involved, any product could end up being a rival to the upcoming GPD Win Max and the Smach Z. The new brand name (and possibly the name of the console) is OneGx.

Nebra put its innovative projector, the AnyBeam, up as a reward for its crowdfunding campaign. The start-up claims that this product is the "world's first pocket laser projector". This, apparently, was quite the draw among backers, as this project has gained 1.57 times its original goal.

It has been reported that an AirPod has managed to survive passing through the entire digestive system of an adult male human being. Fortunately, this is not some new horrifying development test by Apple nor is it an extreme benchmark created by a voracious tech blogger. It’s simply the result of a case of accidental swallowing while sleeping.

Notebookcheck has partnered with Dutch premium smartphone case maker Mujjo to offer readers a sitewide discount. All you need to do is type in the custom code for a 15% discount to help treat your mother, or yourself, to a great new case or sleeve.

Counterpoint Research's latest data on the smartwatch market indicates that 48% more of these products were shipped in 2019's first quarter (1Q2019) compared to that of 2018. Apple still has a considerable majority in these terms. This may have something to do with the ECG functionality of its fourth-gen Watch.

Are you a fan of open source? Do you like making things? If so, then the SmarchWatch, a homebrew smartwatch, could be the ideal project for you. You will need a 3D printer and plenty of patience though.

The Recon 70 headset already exists for the Nintendo Switch; now, Turtle Beach has released variants of the same that are compatible with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The headphones have faux-leather cups over 40mm drivers, complemented by the OEM's flip-up mic.

The company behind the crowdfunded laptop shell still has its order page live, despite admitting privately to backers that it has run out of money with potentially thousands of orders still unfulfilled.

Huawei is rumored to release its first TV this year. Most recently, the outlet Nikkei Asian Review has reported that this product could have an 8K resolution when it comes out. It also alleges that the same device will have its own 5G connectivity.

Samsung has unveiled a new line of TVs in South Korea recently. However, rather than being mere flat content-displays, this new line is apparently designed to fit into the 'millennial' lifestyle. To this end, one of them, the Sero, can be switched between horizontal and vertical orientations.

Perhaps more importantly, will the toaster be compatible with Razer Chroma and require a Razer Synapse account to toast bread?

The Game Case has proven a hit with professional footballers, F1 drivers and MotoGP riders who like to game when staying away in hotels. The JZ Design Game Case ships worldwide and is available for €699 (~ US$783).

The Verge has reported on access it was allowed to a near-production unit of the upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro. The outlet is in a position to state that one of the phone's main cameras has 3X optical zoom as a result. In other news, IceUniverse has claimed to be able to affirm the notchless, curved nature of the 7 Pro's screen.

Anki, the startup which attempted to make robotics mainstream through tiny, but relatively expensive, toys has folded. Based in San Francisco, CEO Boris Sofman broke the news to emotional staff that all 200 have been laid off with just one week of severance pay.

Asus has posted a statement detailing which of its motherboards will be compatible with the upcoming next-generation Ryzen 3000 series of processors from AMD. The list covers models from the 300 and 400 series of products, and Asus has added that further motherboards will be included on the list soon.