Accessory

Lenovo has introduced a new device to its Smart Home family: The Lenovo Smart Clock. According to the Chinese manufacturer, the Smart Clock can learn the sleeping habits of users and comes with Google Assistant, so it should offer quite a lot more features than just telling the time and waking you up in the morning.

MediaTek has unveiled its new silicon for connectivity at CES 2019. This chipset is compatible with next-generation WiFi (Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax) and also delivers Bluetooth access points. It supports 2x2, 4x4 and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). It is also flexible enough to adapt to any changes in the new WiFi standard before it becomes official later this year.

Jabra is one of many prominent audio companies at CES this year. It has come to present its new 85h headphones, which, as Jabra claims, can allow playback with active noise-cancelling (ANC) for as long as 32 hours. These new audio devices are also AI-enhanced and support Amazon Alexa for hands-free virtual assistant interactions.

The Razer Raptor 27 is the gaming company's entry into the gaming laptop market. The 27-inch 1440p monitor boasts a quick 144 Hz refresh rate, response times as low as 1 ms, and a bright (420 nit) HDR400 certified IPS panel. The monitor will ship with flat acid green cables tailor-made for the display's cable management system.

At one point, Belkin was the go-to brand for third-party Apple accessories, not to mention USB power banks and cables. However, it had gone quiet for a good while following its amalgamation with Foxconn. This year, Belkin and its current international brands (Linksys, Wemo and Phyn) have made a comeback to CES this year to showcase their new products.

D-Link has announced a new product it is calling a 5G-NR broadband gateway (or the DWR-2010) at CES. It is intended to use 5G in order to set up home WiFi networks that, as D-Link claims, deliver download speeds that are over 40 times faster than that of the current average US fixed broadband solution. The 'gateway' is powered by the Qualcomm SDX55 and is sub-6GHz- or mmWave frequency-compatible.

Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has announced the Lyra Voice device, or 3-in-1 Smart Voice Router. The gadget combines an AC2200 tri-band mesh Wi-Fi router with two 8 W stereo speakers and includes Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. The device even features network security provided by Trend Micro, and it has an MSRP of US$219.99.

The 0.48 percent stake acquisition comes less than a month after Xiaomi and the world's third-largest LCD TV manufacturer, TCL, entered a strategic partnership that involves joint efforts in many fields. The agreement focuses on the development of various hardware parts and the integration of TCL devices into Xiaomi's ecosystem of IoT and smart home devices.

All the negative feedback about the cameras on certain laptops has nudged Asus to simply throw in a USB camera in the box for its upcoming Zephyrus GX701 gaming laptop. Should the narrow bezel trend continue, we can see this becoming the norm in the short term.

In an interview with The Verge, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services, David Limp, has revealed how many devices have been sold that have Alexa built into them. Apparently, over 100 million speakers, smartphones, gadgets and other pieces of hardware have been sold around the world featuring Amazon’s virtual assistant.

Jenax spoke today at CES 2019 alongside medical companies Philips, Johnson & Johnson, and others, about how their J. Flex flexible battery allows designers to focus on the use-case and comfort of the device, rather than figuring out where to fit a bulky battery.

The instrument will allow us to see how fast the surface of a laptop will heat up over time when subjected to high processing loads with a precision of one-tenth of a degree Celsius. The data would supplement our existing temperature map readings from the FLIR One IR camera.

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 release event included announcements that Louis Vuitton would be one of the first OEMs to launch a smartwatch including this next-gen processor. It seems the fashion house has finally delivered with a new version of its Tambour Horizon device. This model may have improved battery life and ambient mode features.

Samsung has already announced the Galaxy Home smart speaker, and it appears the South Korean tech giant could already be working on another device in the new series. The Galaxy Home is expected to be a premium-level device, but in a market saturated with budget-accessible speakers, it seems Samsung has taken note and is preparing a “mini” version of its upcoming smart speaker.

Amazon has revealed in a press release that the company has had a record-breaking holiday season, with products such as the updated Echo Dot and the Fire TV Stick 4K helping drive sales. The press release also described how Alexa has been utilized hundreds of millions of times during the festive period. The major American tech giants have finally had a reprieve at the stock market, making gains as consumer spending turns positive.

The Zanco smart pen is a stylus with (nearly) all the features of a smartphone crammed into it. It has physical buttons, a click-pad, front and rear cameras and even a teeny tiny screen. It is intended as a smartphone replacement or companion (much like the Palm phone) and can also function as a Bluetooth remote for screens for purposes such as presentation. So far, it has raised just over US$50,000 on Kickstarter.

Microsoft is now rumored to be working on 4K webcams. These accessories, which are likely to go under the Surface brand, will be compatible with Windows 10-powered devices and the Xbox One. The new webcams, which may also support Windows Hello, may be available next year.

Although there is no official information about the upcoming Huawei P30 series, a few Olixar protective cases have been listed for pre-order by MobileFun already. These accessories reveal that the P30 Pro is a handset that sports a display with a waterdrop-style notch, as well as a quad main camera setup.

A new leak based on a purported internal Apple document reiterates the rumor that Smart Battery Cases are coming back. This one suggests that this product will be compatible with the iPhone XS and XS Max only. On the other hand, the slightly disputable evidence does not match the leaked watchOS icon on which the earlier leak is based.

Razer has released a teaser video to accompany the launch of the first wireless keyboard and mouse combo for Microsoft’s Xbox One console. The launch of the video has brought to light an accompanying image of the actual keyboard and mouse that Razer first revealed a couple of weeks ago, but which slipped under the radar.

Razer has unleashed a version of its Raiju controllers for smartphones. It is ostensibly designed to compete with similar products made by Xiaomi and Asus, although it may fit devices besides the company's own gaming-focused smartphones. The 'mobile' Raiju features the Mecha-Tactile action buttons found on the Ultimate variant of this controller.

In 2014, ZeniMax sued Oculus VR on allegations that CEO Palmer Lucky had stolen technology that made the Oculus Rift VR headset possible, and it became a 4 year long battle between ZeniMax and Facebook once the latter bought Oculus VR. Finally, the suit has been privately settled for some amount of cash.

New leaks suggest that Huawei is to release its own smart TV product, and that it may be here as early as the first half of 2019. This is based on claims that the company has filed a patent for a "Huawei AI Window". The rumor may make sense, as more and more traditional smartphone OEMs are moving into this new market.

Xiaomi has showcased the fact that 5G is for IoT devices too. This was done via a Tweet by a company spokesperson, containing a video showing how quickly the 5G-enabled variant of the Mi Mix 3 could relay commands to a connected lamp. Therefore, 5G may be an exciting prospect for smart-home fans too.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is still probably months away from release. However, this has not stopped the case-maker Olixar from designing a whole range of cases for it already, or the e-tailer site MobileFun from posting a product page for them, prices and all. The Galaxy S10 in these images appears to mimic an earlier leak.

OnePlus unveiled its special McLaren edition of the 6T today in the UK. This version of the OEM's current flagship comes with 10GB of RAM and improved fast charging. The McLaren Edition will become available in two days and cost US$699.

Smart fabric is a form of textile containing nano-tech threads that can form circuits and battery connections when woven together. Google has been developing its own take on this new type of electronics, in the form of 'Project Jacquard'. Its first commercial application is a jacket designed in collaboration with Levi's, with touch-sensitive sleeves that interact with a phone as a Bluetooth device might.

The IP68-rated Mobvoi TicWatch C2 is now available for purchase in the US for US$199.99. Powered by Google's Wear OS and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, this smart wearable features NFC connectivity and has a built-in GPS, as well as heart rate monitoring capabilities.

Xiaomi is now said to be developing a new smart speaker soon. The main difference between this one and the OEM's existing line-up of such products is that this one will have both AI and a touchscreen. This rumor is derived from a new registration with Bluetooth SIG for a Xiaomi product with all the specifications necessary for the two attributes.

The ASUS ROG Phone has multiple USB type C ports, so that it can support accessories that need two of these ports. A Redditor has demonstrated that this feature can be hi-jacked in order to make it appear that the phone can charge itself. However, the effect may be less than authentic.

A new official battery case for the iPhone XS or possibly the XS Max may be available soon. This possibility has arisen from clues found in the code of an Apple software beta, which has resulted in accurate predictions about upcoming products in the past. This case, should it exist, has undergone somewhat of a design update to match the new iPhone.

A new report on the wearables market shows that Xiaomi was the single biggest company in this space in the third quarter of 2018, keeping Apple as the runner-up in terms of market share. The market also grew by 21.7% in general compared to last year. This was attributed to the release of new products and increased uptake in the Asia-Pacific region.

Google has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) that depicts motion sensors built into a smartwatch. They expand the wearable's range of user interface feedback to the device's immediate surroundings. In practice, this means the watch can turn part of the user's arm into a 'mousepad' to select letters while typing and for other similar actions.

Amazon Alexa is probably Google Assistant's most consistent competitor. The voice-powered software will add another feature to its set soon: Apple Music support. Amazon has announced that users will be able to play tracks associated with this streaming service from December 17, 2018.

QNAP's new HS-453DX silent NAS is a storage accessory for home users that sports an Intel Celeron quad-core processor, 4K real-time transcoding, and 10 GbE connectivity. The best part of it all is that these capabilities are provided via a fanless set-top design that is perfect for living rooms and home theater setups.

Antlion Audio claims that its ModMic Wireless attachment adds mic capabilities to any kind of headphone. It has the aptX low-energy Bluetooth codec, 16-bit 48khz audio and a USB type A receiver. The ModMic Wireless also has a patented clasp to stay attached to its headphone cup.

Apparently called First Snow White to commemorate the first snowfall of the year in Taiwan, the white Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now official. Obviously, this color option for Samsung's latest Galaxy Note also comes with a white S Pen. Those interested will be able to buy it starting next month for the equivalent of almost US$1,000.

The Gameband, formerly known as the Atari Gameband, looked like a promising gaming-focused smartwatch during its successful Kickstarter campaign last year. Despite raising a total of $500,000 between Kickstarter backers and other investors, the Gameband has officially been killed. Worst of all, backers may never receive a refund

Whatever happened to the Apple-branded Chromecast/TV Stick competitor? What indeed; however, some sources close to Apple allege that there was a team dedicated to such a product at one time. A cheaper version of Apple TV could have benefited some groups...however, it's apparently long gone now.

Valve quietly announced that once physical stock of the Steam Link streaming device sells out, they will no longer sell physical units. Instead, Valve will shift focus and support to the Steam Link mobile app, currently only available for Android. While the reasons for the discontinuation aren't entirely clear, it's likely that the Steam Link is no longer selling enough to warrant continued support.

Many Microsoft users will soon be able to make Skype calls over their Alexa-powered smart speakers. This feature is only available in select countries, however. Those living in them may be able to find the new function in the speakers' Settings menu.

The cycling deals will run throughout the week with savings between 10 percent and 35 percent across Lenovo's popular product lines. Newer models like the Legion Y530, however, have much smaller discounts compared to older models.

Samsung is one of the world leaders in curved display technology, and is to take flexible OLEDs even further with its upcoming foldable phone range. However, IceUniverse believes that the company has even more of the same up its sleeve; a 360-degree type of transparent display.

Microsoft is offering a sneak peek at its Black Friday deals for 2018. They include US$330 off the Surface Pro 6 bundled with its Type cover (in any color so long as it's black) and $310 off the Surface Pro Core M. There is also a range of XBox offers, including a Game Pass for $1 to new users.

Wear OS is getting a new update. Known as "H", it adds a new battery-saving mode to Android-powered watches. The new update also overhauls how a watch reboots or shuts down, as well as how it resumes apps and handles the switch to sleep mode.

Corsair has announced that its wide range of gaming keyboards and mice will support the Xbox One. Microsoft recently announced keyboard and mouse support for the Xbox One and developers can choose to support their game for such input if desired. Corsair also said that the Elgato Stream Deck can now be integrated with Mixer for improved live streaming.

It has been claimed that Apple will be releasing the successor to its AirPods product before the end of the year. There has been speculation that AirPods 2 could feature a case that can be charged wirelessly, but nothing has been confirmed from Cupertino yet. Leaked images of stacked AirPods cases have added fuel to the fire.

Google Glass was the search giant's first attempt at smart glasses, and could clip onto transparent spectacles to deliver info and shots from its camera via an eyeball-level LED. It was not a popular release, not least because of its ultra-high price tag. Nevertheless, Google is developing second-gen Glass, which is to target corporations rather than consumers.

Huawei introduced a new feature known as reverse (or inverted) wireless charging with the Mate 20 Pro. It means that the new flagship can be used as a charging pad for other devices with compatible technology. However, Android Authority found it to work very slowly for a Pixel 3 in comparison with its own chargers.

Microsoft is making good on their September promise to bring mouse-and-keyboard input support to the Xbox One. Starting this Wednesday, November 14, select titles will receive updates that will allow them to be played with a mouse and a keyboard instead of a traditional controller. The first titles to receive the update will be Fortnite and Warframe. Microsoft will also partner with Razer to release "Designed for Xbox" branded mice-and-keyboard sets.