Notebookcheck has received written confirmation from Google that it deliberately blocked the installation of benchmarks on its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices during the review embargo period. It confirms our earlier report on the issue while raising questions about the company’s practices.

The supposed PlayStation 5 Slim release date for Japan and the US has been shared by a known leaker. It appears there will be a special PS5 Slim bundle made available first, featuring Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. A talented designer has come up with a great augmented reality (AR) comparison of the revised PS5 against the original model and the Xbox Series X.

Several new iReader e-book readers have been released, namely the iReader Light 3, Light 3 Turbo and Ocean 3 Turbo. Two of these are already available worldwide.

The PocketBook InPad Color 3 is a mid-sided E-reader with a few tricks up its sleeve. On the one hand, the InkPad Color 3 has a colour display, as its name suggests. On the other hand, the E-reader is waterproof to IPX8, unlike many of its peers.

According to the latest information from an extremely reliable source, Apple will announce a number of new Macs based on the Apple M3 in the coming days, including a new iMac as well as three new MacBook Pros.

The Onyx BOOX Note X3 is one of the company's many new large E-readers that runs Android. Available already in some markets, the Note X3 has a 4,600 mAh battery, among other features.

iQOO's upcoming flagship smartphones are said to be the subject of a new leak that consists of a photo of a heretofore-unseen handset in the wild. Should that be the case, the 12 and 12 Pro have undergone a potentially significant design upgrade over their 11-series predecessors. It involves a camera hump that, while mounted in one corner, is so big it virtually spans the entire rear panel.

Xiaomi has refreshed its small mini-PC, previously available with a mid-tier Intel Alder Lake-P processor. This year, Xiaomi's mini-PC has received a comparable Raptor Lake-P part, which has a faster CPU and GPU.

According to a new report, NVIDIA has already provided initial information about two new RTX 40 series desktop graphics cards to its add-in board (AIB) partners. Currently, the pair are considered to be the RTX 4070 SUPER and RTX 4080 SUPER, which will feature more powerful VRAM and GPUs compared to current models.

Edifier asserts that its second-gen NeoBuds Pro pack a patented form of active noise cancellation (ANC) that should block a greater and broader range of unwanted sounds than the average pair of TWS earbuds. The Pro 2s are also rated for spatial audio, a low-latency gaming mode and the LHDC 5.0 codec as well as LDAC and SBC. The NeoBuds Pro 2 also offer over 20 hours of estimated battery life for under US$150.

Lenovo has revealed the Xiaoxin 100S projector in China, with a pre-order campaign starting this November. The cheaper 1080p model has up to 270 CVIA lumens brightness and can throw images up to 150-in (~381 cm) wide. Other features of the Android projector include automatic image-perfecting tools and built-in speakers.

What can be better than a new Tesla Model Y with free charging for life? The many thousands of Tesla owners who are riding on older electric vehicles can now transfer their free unlimited Supercharger sessions offer that came with the car to new purchases.

The Neakasa M1 is a cat litter box that stands out not only because of its open design, but also because of its self-cleaning function. This means that cat owners don't have to clean the litter box as frequently as before.

Huawei has pushed a new HarmonyOS 4 update to the Watch GT 4. Rolling out as HarmonyOS 4.0.0.109, the update introduces sleep tracking and SpO2 level monitoring for the series' 41 mm and 46 mm variants.

More details about the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 have emerged online, less than a week before the camera's official release. Not only have various product specifications leaked, but so have unboxing videos of a retail unit and US pricing.

Geekbench 6 founder John Poole has responded to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro benchmarking controversy. In exclusive comments obtained by Notebookcheck, Poole says Primate Labs is unaware of any issues with compatibility that might have otherwise resulted in the app from being made unavailable to reviewers.

The Reink Case C1 adds a color E ink display onto the back of an Apple iPhone. Both communication and power are supplied via the NFC chip, so the case never needs to be charged and power consumption is minimal.

Anyone using a Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro can customize the look of the smartphone in numerous ways thanks to the Casetify Impact case. Casetify not only promises protection for Google's new flagships, but above all offers a gigantic selection of more than 900 designs.

The MagicX XU10 is another vertical-orientated gaming handheld based around a Rockchip RK3326S chipset. Also equipped with 1 GB of RAM, the MagicX XU10 has a 3.5-inch display, a 3,000 mAh battery and is available in three colour options.

Dell's Latitude 7340 not only scores with its reduced dimensions and a weight of just over 2.4 lbs during testing, but can stand up to its slightly larger 14-inch sibling, the Latitude 7440, in terms of performance and endurance.

So far, Garmin has only distributed its ECG app to three countries, including the US. Following this week's expansion to Epix 2 Pro, Fenix 7 Pro and Venu 3 series smartwatches, some intrepid owners have already got ECG functionality working in the UK and Europe with a few temporary tweaks.

Released two years ago, the Asus ROG Gladius III wired gaming mouse, which also has a slightly different wireless version, is now down by 44% on Amazon. Thanks to this generous discount, it can be acquired for US$49.99 instead of the US$89.99 list price. Due to special tuning, its 19,000 dpi sensor goes up to 26,000 dpi.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 will soon come onto the market as a stylish retro edition, which can now be seen in leaked images. Meanwhile, Samsung claims that the functionality of the large secondary display has been significantly expanded over the past few months.

Those using an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max as a camera phone now finally have the option of saving photos directly to an SD memory card or external SSD instead of the iPhone's internal storage, enabling entirely new workflows.

Swappable batteries promise low down-time for commercial delivery companies, effectively extending range where swap stations are available. The MEV-Van concept is based on the compact Honda N-Van e: that debuted earlier this year, and will be trialled by Japanese delivery company Yamato Transport.

A heavily pockmarked Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted driving on the highway, with Elon Musk later stating that the vehicle had undergone some serious bulletproof testing. It seems the test went well, as Musk was pleased to announce that none of the rounds had managed to get into the Cybertruck’s passenger compartment.

Tesla's 2024 VIN decoder reveals that the Cybertruck will be available in two different powertrains at launch. Initially, it will only be available in AWD, and it looks like Tesla may have abandoned the planned quad-motor AWD version of the electric pickup truck, at least for now.

Toyota and Lexus have become the last big automakers to adopt Tesla's North American Charging Standard for their future electric vehicles. This will give future Lexus EVs access to the whole of Tesla's Supercharger network in the US.

The Amazfit Falcon has a new firmware update, currently rolling out to the wearable. The latest software was announced on social media and contains various new features and improvements. For example, you can now view offline maps in a new Maps App, and the Zepp Coach workout records have been enhanced.

Apparently, Apple plans to overhaul the iPad Air, having upgraded the mid-range tablet to its M1 SoC last year. According to new rumours, the next iPad Air will arrive in two variants, with a new larger size designed to fill the gap between its mid-range and flagship tablets that exists in its current product stack.

OnePlus has now started teasing the release of a new flagship, a day after debuting its first foldable. Described as a 'moment of historical significance for Chinese screens', the OnePlus 12 could make its debut as soon as next week with the world's first 3,000-nit smartphone display.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro may have one of the best camera systems around, but it cannot match the might of some of its competitors. In a reversal of last year, Google's latest flagship falls short of its Apple and Huawei equivalents, with there being a small gap between it and its predecessor this year, too.

The Juiced RipCurrent S e-bike is being discounted by US$800 in the Brushed Aluminum colourway due to a clearance of discontinued stock. The fat-tyre e-bike features a 1,000 W (1,300 W), throttle-operated hub motor that purports to deliver speeds upwards of 28 mph (~45 km/h) for a claimed 70 miles (~113 km) of range.

It has been alleged that Nvidia wants to be recognized for all the work it has purportedly put in on the Nintendo Switch 2. Along with likely sporting a custom Tegra SoC from Team Green, believed to be in the shape of the T239 chip, it seems the Switch 2 can also count on some limited DLSS 3.5 support to help it compete with the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

The launch of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is just a few days away. In the meantime, a renowned leaker of all things DJI has published over two dozen pictures of the Pocket 2 successor, including a hands-on photo showcasing the camera's compact dimensions.

Lenovo's next Xiaoxin-series tablet is touted as having an all-metal unibody and a high-refresh-rate screen, yet is pitched at everyday tasks with a new-ish mid-range Qualcomm processor. Nevertheless, it also supports storage expansion via microSD card and an up-to-date version of Android. The Xiaoxin Pad 2024 also boasts quad speakers and a 3.5mm jack.

With the refresh of the Raptor Lake processors, Intel continues to keep the 1700 socket. It quickly becomes clear that this is not a completely new redesign. The current model of the Intel Core i9-14900K now places at the top, even though the increase in performance only turns out marginal. On the other hand, the power consumption hits some new records, which is also our main complaint.

The Garmin Beta software version 26.79 is now available for Fenix 6, Enduro and MARQ smartwatches. The update brings new Device Settings Backup, Connect IQ Rating and OTA update tools. Plus, the Ski and Snowboard activities have been adjusted to improve the accuracy of the data collected.

PCIe 4.0 is finally coming to microSD Express cards, doubling the maximum speed to 1,969 MB/s. The latest SD 9.1 specs are also defining four SD Express classes with minimum read/write speeds between 150 and 600 MB/s, as well as offering improved power and heat management for all types of cards.

The Gen 8 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 gaming laptop with a 16-inch 1600p display, an 8-core Ryzen 7 7745HX CPU, and an RTX 4070 mobile GPU is enjoying an enormous 36% discount at Lenovo’s online store. With strong gaming performance, a fast 240 Hz panel, and solid construction, the Legion Pro 5 is among the cream of the crop of mid-range gaming machines.

Hisense has launched its C1 TriChroma Laser Mini Projector in the US and Europe. The gadget has up to 1,600 ANSI lumens brightness and can throw images up to 300-in (~762 cm) wide. Other features include built-in speakers, Apple AirPlay or Miracast screencasting and support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Popular YouTuber @Mrwhosetheboss has singled out the Google Tensor G3 as a major failing of the Pixel 8 Pro. According to the YouTuber, all of the new generative AI features found on the Pixel 8 Pro cannot be processed onboard the device, but need to be off-loaded to the cloud for processing, despite Google pitching the device as being “AI-first.”

Indian space technology startup Agnikul has secured US$26.7 million in its series-B funding round. The company is developing its own launch vehicle propelled by the 3D-printed ‘Agnilet’ rocket engine. The rocket is unique in being configurable as per the payload size, between 30 and 300 kg.

The HoloLens virtual reality headset, which Microsoft manufactures for the US military, has met with widespread rejection by soldiers because it can cause various physical ailments. There are now also fears that hacker attacks on the VR/MR headset could jeopardize mission security and the health of soldiers.