Gadget

Multi-functional USB hubs have become a solid trend on crowdfunding websites, particularly those that bake additional functions into these ultrabook accessories. The Fophie is one such hub that adds wireless charging and phone-holding options to its ingredients list. It has now attracted just over 2000% of its original Kickstarter goal.

The URSA Mini Pro packs what is often regarded as best-in-class digital film recording into a body measuring just 9.2 inches across. Its OEM, Blackmagic Design, claims to have stuffed its latest generation with all-new internals that allows it to output in up to 12K natively. It also has new accessories that allow it to work with a Thunderbolt 3-enabled PC.

Acer has announced some new affordable curved gaming monitors to its lineup in the form of the Nitro XZ2 Series models. Gamers can choose from three different panel sizes and enjoy FreeSync technology, quick response times, decent refresh rates, and best of all, price tags that won’t break the bank.

Hardkernel has released its latest single-board computer (SBC), the ODROID-N2 Plus. Equipped with a new Amlogic S922X processor and up to 4 GB of RAM, Hardkernel claims that the ODROID-N2 Plus can offer twice the performance of a Raspberry Pi 4. The SBC is overclockable, too.

FriendlyARM has now made the NanoPi NEO3 available to purchase. Starting at US$20.00, the NanoPi NEO3 comes with up to 2 GB of DDR4 RAM and is based on the Rockchip's RK3328 quad-core ARM chipset. The tiny SBC is smaller than the Raspberry Pi Zero W but offers Raspberry Pi Model 3 levels of performance.

Samsung's 970 QVO internal SATA-based SSD and Samsung Portable SSD T7 are now available for purchase in India. The former is compatible with the SATA 6 Gbps interface, while the latter is optimized for USB Gen 3.2 ports. Prices start at INR 9,999 (US$133) for the 1TB variant of the 970 QVO. A 500GB version of the Portable SSD T7 also retails for the same amount.

A press release has revealed that Philips (TP Vision) and Bowers & Wilkins have decided to extend their partnership and continue to offer their respective expertise in future Philips OLED and LCD TVs. The duo previously collaborated on the well-received 65OLED+984 and OLED+934 models, and new televisions are expected to be released soon.

The Redmi X50 smart TV has finally gone on sale and has been priced at just 1,899 yuan (US$272). The TV, which is framed in metal and features a 4K display, offers users the chance to enjoy MEMC picture-smoothing technology on a device with a 97% screen-to-body ratio. The Redmi X50 is the smallest member of the new Redmi Smart TV X Series.
The Redmi X50 has been reduced to 1,799 yuan (US$257).

The MINISFORUM S40 keeps the dream of the Intel Compute Stick alive. Featuring a Gemini Lake processor, active cooling and 64 GB of storage, the S40 is available for under US$150. Its manufacturer claims that it can output to two 4K monitors simultaneously at 60 Hz too.

Following a directive issued by the Indian Trade Ministry, Amazon has made it mandatory for all sellers to mention its 'country of origin' on every product listing. Sellers have until August 10 to comply. Other platforms, such as Flipkart, are expected to follow suit in the coming days.

A project has shown how to utilise the Raspberry Pi as an NFC-powered music player. Bringing a degree of tactility to digital music, the project combines an NFC reader with NFC tags to play specific albums, playlists or radio stations on Spotify.

An Amazfit Band 6 device has been spotted getting its FCC certification, which is something of a surprise considering the Amazfit Band 5 from Huami only recently went by the same agency too. It could be possible that "Amazfit Band 6" might be the US market name for the widely rumored Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Pro wearable.

Some consumers might be forgiven for mistaking the TheoryBoard as a particularly extensive gaming keyboard. However, it has been designed by its OEM, the start-up Irijule, as a new technology that helps the user reproduce whatever tunes they imagine, and from scratch too if necessary. It is also a MIDI controller that works with both PC and mobile devices.

Xiaomi has unveiled its first TV dongle, the Mi TV Stick. The device retails for €39.99 and comes bundled with a smart remote. The Mi TV Stick is one of several devices that Xiaomi has launched today.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic is Xiaomi's latest pair of budget TWS earbuds. Featuring 14.2 mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and up to 20 hours of battery life, the Earphones 2 Basic retails for €39.99 in the EU and £39.99 in the UK. The earbuds also include touch controls, dual microphones and IR sensors for in-ear detection.

Xiaomi has announced two new electric scooters, along with a Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 special edition of its flagship model. Called the Mi Electric Scooter 1S and Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2, the scooters will go on sale for €399 and €499, respectively.

Xiaomi's 34-inch Curved Gaming Monitor is now available for purchase in Europe. It is clocked at 144Hz, comes with a resolution of 3440 x 1440, a curvature of 1500R, and covers 121% of the sRGB spectrum. The monitor is priced at €399 (US$455).

The first review of sorts for the Mi Smart Band 5 is up and it confirms a heap of information about Xiaomi's upcoming fitness tracker. As feared, the device will not support Amazon Alexa integration, NFC or a SpO2 sensor. Xiaomi has teased that it will be launching a pair of TWS earbuds, the Mi TV Stick and a new Mi Scooter at tomorrow' Ecosystem Product Launch event on July 15 too.

The Xiaomi Vertical Wireless Charging Socket will soon be appearing on the Chinese OEM’s crowdfunding site at an introductory price of just 109 yuan (US$16). The charging accessory can offer 10 W wireless charging and comes with three USB ports. The Vertical Wireless Charging Socket is only available in white though.

Realme has launched the Realme C11 and Realme 30W 10,000mAh Dart Charge Power Bank in India. The phone features a MediaTek Helio G35 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. Prices start at INR INR 7,499 (US$100) for the Realme C11 and INR 1,999 (US$28) for the Realme 30W Dart Charge Power Bank.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 and Honor MagicWatch 2 have received new updates. A 20 MB download, the new update adds automatic workout detection and menstrual cycle tracking, along with general system stability improvements. The update is available to download now.

Foxconn has reportedly begun to test out the fabrication of lenses for Apple's rumored first-gen smart glasses. Apparently, these components are to be semi-transparent, and to be capable of displaying projected images to the user. They would be superimposed on "real-world" objects in this wearer's field of view.

The Lumos Ultra smart helmet has been in the news thanks to its highly successful Kickstarter project, which still has a week left to run on it. The smart bike helmet has attracted over US$2.2 million from backers. The Lumos Ultra has integrated LEDs for turn signaling and can be operated via an Apple Watch or the included wireless handlebar remote.

Leica has posted a new YouTube link to go live later in July 2020. It will broadcast the launch of the next addition to the M10 series of cameras. According to recent leaks, it will be called the M10-R, and will be capable of ~40MP stills. It is also touted to come in black or silver colorways and have a 3-inch TFT rear screen.

GoPro has addressed an increasingly prevalent issue for many users who have shifted their work, learning or hobbies online in a new update under development at this action-cam OEM. It confers a new function on its HERO8 Black model that allows owners who also use Macs to use the device as an FHD, wide-angle upgrade on their default webcams.

A new Samsung fitness tracker has been certified by the FCC. Possibly a replacement to the discontinued Galaxy Fit, the budget device may launch at Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event on August 5.

Renders and specs of the Huawei MatePad T10 and Huawei MatePad T10s have been leaked. The two new tablets from the Chinese OEM feature the 14nm Kirin 710A chipset and from 2 GB to 3 GB RAM depending on the model. No prices have been leaked, but the specs suggest the MatePad T10 and T10s will be budget tablets.

The design of Samsung's next Galaxy Buds has leaked again, this time courtesy of Evan Blass. The FCC has also certified the earbuds, which are rumoured to be called the Galaxy Buds Live or Galaxy Buds X. The earbuds, which are associated with the model number SM-R180, may well launch on August 5 at Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event.

Xiaomi has been celebrating again, this time in regard to its wearables division. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 (Mi Band 4) has been crowned the best-selling wearable band in the world. The Mi Band 5 has been selling out constantly as well, although stories of success for the Mi Band range are nothing new.

Canon has finally unveiled the long-awaited 2020 EOS R series of mirrorless cameras. The OEM has confirmed the former has a 45MP sensor, whereas the latter is 20MP. They also have DIGIC X image processor and 5-Axis image stabilization. 4 new RF lenses have also been launched alongside the new units.

Pictures of Google's upcoming Nest Smart speaker have surfaced online. Published by a Japanese regulatory body, the speaker has an ungainly-looking design that is considerably larger than the Google Home.

Fancy making use of a Raspberry Pi as a smart speaker? Well, two projects have demonstrated the steps for getting the popular single-board computer working with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The realised projects support wake words and may be a cheaper option than purchasing an Echo Dot or a Nest Home Mini if you have a Raspberry Pi lying about.

Creative Technology has announced its latest headset, the Creative SXFI Gamer. Featuring replaceable ear cups, RGB lighting and USB Type-C connectivity, the SXFI Gamer retails for US$129.99 and £114.99 in the UK. The headset also includes the company's new CommanderMic and is compatible with Gen2 of its Super X-Fi technology.

Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi Smart Band 5 and Mi TV Stick will both retail for €39.99 (~US$45). The company has also teased that the two devices will be launched on July 15. Xiaomi has enabled Camera Shutter Control for the Mi Smart Band 5 too.

Intel has announced the Thunderbolt 4 protocol and new Thunderbolt 4 controllers, which build on the capabilities of Thunderbolt 3 and also form the basis for the USB4 spec. Thunderbolt 4 offers the same throughput as Thunderbolt 3 along with additional platform and security features while also expanding the Thunderbolt dock ecosystem. Thunderbolt 4 will be compatible all existing USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 standards and will be first seen in Tiger Lake-powered laptops later this year.

Akasa has released the Gem Pro, having announced the case in May. Available for £24.75 or US$30.95, the Gem Pro features apertures for the GPIO and microSD card slot of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, along with full access to its other ports.

A couple of leaked images of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 global activity tracker have offered up some clues of what a Pro model of the wearable could deliver. According to the poster of the images, the global Mi Smart Band 5 does not feature NFC functionality, Alexa assistant, or the SpO2 pulse oximeter sensor for blood oxygen monitoring.

The FCC has confirmed that the Mi TV Stick is on its way to the US. The device will be available in the EU too and will support a host of current connectivity standards. Xiaomi is expected to release the Mi TV Stick in two editions and to include a multi-function remote in the box.

OnePlus has been celebrating incredible sales for its recently launched smart TV series. According to the Chinese OEM, all of its new units were sold as part of a flash sale in just one minute. The recently launched OnePlus TV Series starts from ₹12,999 (US$174) for the slimline 32-inch device.

Sony asserts it has broken new ground with its latest FE G Master lens. Its zoom does indeed go down to 12 millimeters (mm) while maintaining a 2.8 aperture. This means it can summon an impressive field of view while retaining its level of brightness at all times. The OEM claims it can thus outdo the human eye in wide-angle perception.

Sega has unveiled another retro console. Called the Astro City Mini, the mini arcade machine comes with 36 games pre-installed, including Altered Beast and Virtua Fighter among others.

Vizio has announced new additions to its collection of soundbars, which are available either now or later in 2020. They are headlined by the Elevate 5.1.4, which stood out in its category at CES 2020 due to its Adaptive Height Speakers. These rotating parts activate to deploy content with the high-end audio tech it supports.

A promo video for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has been leaked at the same time as some live images of the upcoming smartwatch were revealed via NCC certification. The video clip for the Galaxy Watch 3 focuses more on the software functions of the wearable rather than its overall physical appearance.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C has been launched in Malaysia. The global version of the budget activity tracker has gone on sale there for 99 MYR (US$23). The Mi Smart Band 4C is basically a rebranded Redmi Band and offers users a heart-rate monitor, 5 ATM water resistance, and a 1.08-inch touchscreen.

Honor has launched a new set of earbuds, the Honor Choice True Wireless Earbuds. Priced at just US$34.99, the Honor Choice supports Bluetooth 5.0, up to 24 hours of battery life and USB Type-C charging. Touch controls are supported too and the earbuds are IP54 certified.

Placeholder images for what could end up being the Huawei Band 5 activity tracker and the Huawei Mate Watch have been shared on the Chinese social site Weibo. No specifications have been revealed, but the supposed codenames for the upcoming Huawei smartband and smartwatch along with some potential design details are displayed.

The smart-glasses company Vuzix has announced that it has 3C certification for its M400 model. Therefore, it may now target the market in question with this IP67-rated, drop-resistant smart viewer. As with many other products in this category, it is directed at professional and industrial applications.

It has been rumored that Huawei will be releasing its own Display ranges of monitors set at three different price points, and a 32-inch model is expected to be part of the lineup. It’s likely Huawei Display monitors will target the space that will be occupied by Redmi Display and Xiaomi Mi Display external monitors.

A new phone design patent attributed to the OEM Huawei shows that it has one truly massive lens in an even larger rectangular housing on its back panel. However, there may be a good reason for this: its schematics show that it may also be capable of DSLR-like zoom. Therefore, this IP may one day represent the company's next image-sensor breakthrough.

The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick appears to be getting closer to an official launch, as details about the gadget have been appearing via Geekbench, Google Play Console, and on official Google certification. It is the 1080p (FHD) Mi TV Stick model that has been spotted recently, although there is evidence of a 4K (UHD) device too.