All articles tagged with #gadgets
Shokz unveils the OpenFit Air 2, claiming the lightest earhook wireless buds at 7.2g per earbud, with a 10% slimmer charging case, Bassphere bass boost, 8-hour battery life and IP55 sweat/water resistance; no active noise cancellation on Air 2 (OpenFit Pro has it). The company also updates bone-conduction OpenRun 2 (9% smaller, IP67, 10-hour battery). Both OpenFit Air 2 and OpenRun 2 go on sale August 27 for $130.
Amazon has raised prices across its gadget lineup amid a RAM-cost surge dubbed the “RAMpocalypse,” with the Kindle family leading the hike: Kindle (16GB) from $110 to $150, Kindle Kids (16GB) from $130 to $180, Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) from $160 to $200, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB) from $200 to $250, and Kindle Colorsoft from $250 to $290. Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft keep their starting prices at $400 and $680, respectively. Other devices also see increases, including Echo devices (e.g., Echo Show 21 from $400 to $500) and Fire TV Sticks (4K Max from $60 to $85). Amazon says memory/storage costs drove the hikes, while critics call it price gouging and warn that older Kindles may be sunset or bricked to push upgrades.
Early impressions from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggest Apple’s first foldable iPhone Ultra impresses testers with a passport-style form factor, durable hinge, and an iPad-like internal layout (roughly a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover). Testers praised its use as a camera viewfinder and strong performance in gaming, productivity, and entertainment, but noted potential drawbacks like the absence of a telephoto lens and a switch back to Face ID/Touch ID considerations. The device is expected to be unveiled Sept. 8 alongside iPhone 18 Pro models, with limited initial supply and a price above $2,000, and Apple may raise prices on other iPhones due to rising memory costs.
Bloomberg’s Gurman says the foldable iPhone will lack a telephoto camera, leaving only a main wide and ultrawide lens and making true optical zoom impossible; by contrast, iPhone 17 Pro/18 Pro Max rumors suggest 4x–6x optical zoom, so deep-zoom photography on the foldable would be disappointing.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple is revamping the store’s “Avenues” section to showcase a new Siri-powered HomePod home hub with a 7-inch display, signaling a broader smart‑home push and a more interactive in‑store demonstration.
A compact tour of 10 Anker devices—from MagGo Slim and Nano 5K power banks to a 7‑in‑1 USB‑C hub, a MagGo 3‑in‑1 wireless charger, a 75W fast car charger, a waterproof Soundcore speaker, a pocketable AI notetaker, a Find My wallet tracker, and the Nebula Capsule 3 portable projector—highlighting practical use cases, charging caveats, and travel-friendly pros and cons.
Zero Zero Robotics is marketing the HoverAir Versa as an 'Intelligent Self-Flying Camera' to bypass the U.S. ban on foreign-made drones by classifying its propeller cages as accessories and obtaining FCC certification for the camera system; the crowdfunding rollout and regulatory ambiguities raise the risk of post-approval crackdowns or tariffs, making it a controversial workaround rather than a guaranteed product for U.S. buyers.
RayNeo announced the RayNeo iO Smart Glasses, a camera-free wearable with a 1,300-nit monochrome display and microphones for voice assistants and transcription (no speakers). They feature a physical Smart Crown Dial for UI control, weigh about 33g, and offer captions, transcription, voice memos, notifications, and an Ambient AI Life Log to build long-term habit context. The glasses launch on Sept. 4, with price not yet announced. RayNeo also sells camera-equipped X3 Pro glasses, underscoring options for users who want a display-focused experience without a camera.
Apple’s upcoming HomePad smart home hub is rumored to debut soon with customizable Faces that mimic Apple Watch faces, letting you tailor widgets and layouts per room, alongside Siri AI, camera functionality, and Apple Music; delays tied to Siri AI have occurred, but a launch as early as next month is anticipated.
HiLight Studio, a third‑party app by Dhananjay_Tech, lets the Pixel 11 Pro’s HiLight LED do rainbow pulses, waves, and other colors and animations, with adjustable timing, brightness, and presets. It isn’t on the Play Store yet and requires sideloading and enabling developer options to run.
Fairphone’s Gen 6+ is now available in the United StatesDirectly from Amazon or Fairphone, eliminating previous hoops. It retains the company’s home-repairable design with up to 12 modular parts (battery, USB-C port, display, cameras, etc.), and upgrades to Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 with 12GB RAM. Specs include a 6.31-inch OLED display, 50MP main camera, 13MP ultrawide, 256GB storage, and a 4415mAh battery. Pricing sits at $650, cheaper than last year’s $900 through Murena, and it supports AT&T and T-Mobile networks along with modular accessories sold separately.
Consumer Reports spotlights eight CR-Recommended gadgets under $100, including Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones, Cube GPS Tracker, Roku Ultra, Sony WF-C710N earbuds, Netgear Nighthawk AX4 router, JBL Tune 660NC headphones, Google TV Streamer, and Beats Studio Buds+, praising reliability and value while noting caveats like a required subscription for the tracker and limited codec support on some earbuds.
Grab the Glorious GMMK 3 65% mechanical keyboard at Woot for $34.99 with code WOOTGAMING (usually $139.99). This wired board ships with double-shot PBT keycaps for Windows and macOS, pre-installed linear Glorious Fox switches, and supports hot-swappable switches with an upgradeable aluminum plate/gasket for customizable sound and feel. Note: the wrist rest pictured isn’t included.
Gear Patrol's weekly roundup highlights a wave of notable new releases across hi‑fi audio gear, turntables, a premium 360 cam, and smartphones, including Fiio's vacuum‑tube EA13 amp, Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 turntable with a built‑in speed sensor, Ruka Studio's TD‑1 vertical turntable, Google's Pixel 11 series phones plus Pixel Watch 5 and Pixel Tag, the Goldmund Telos 9800 amp, Insta360 X6 360‑cam with Dolby Vision HDR, Fiio Snowsky Nature budget headphones, LG Xboom Blast speaker, and Soundpeats UU2 open‑ear buds.
Amazon is selling the second-gen Polaroid Go instant camera with a 16‑photo film pack for $71.99 (usually $109.99), the lowest bundle price yet. The Go 2 uses smaller film (53.9mm x 66.6mm) and charges via USB‑C, with a battery that can power up to 15 film packs per charge. Buying the bundle saves about $4 versus the camera alone and includes a free film pack.