Gadgets Archives - Page 23 of 35

Jul 18

Should You Buy Smart Home Gadgets on Prime Day?

This story is part of Amazon Prime DayCNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.

Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale returns July 12-13, and some deals are already live in the run-up to the event. Not surprisingly, that includes a smattering of deals on Echo speakers and other Amazon devicesa few of which are already marked down to all-time lows.

If you’re an avid Alexa user interested in expanding the assistant’s footprint throughout your home, then you’ll obviously want to give those deals a look, but other smart home manufacturers are likely to be in the mix, too. from smart lights to robot vacuumsit’s a safe bet that you’ll be able to find Prime Day discounts across a variety of categories, and competing retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Target figure to be in the mix with smart home sales of their own, too.

That said, as far as smart home gadgets are concerned, the absolute best discounts of the year typically come in November, when Black Friday unleashes a flood of deals at holiday shoppers. Your best bet is to save any major purchases for then — but Prime Day can still be a great time to expand your smart home setup with a new device or two, or to try out something completely different. Here’s what you should know as you shop.

Read more: Best Cheap Alexa Devices of 2022

Prime Day pickings are slimmer than Black Friday

Don’t get me wrong, we’re definitely going to see discounted smart home tech for Prime Day, and some of those deals might indeed be pretty tempting. You can already find good deals on smart plugs, smart displays, self-emptying robot vacuums and more, many of which bring the prices of those products down to the lowest levels we’ve seen all year.

Historically, however, the best sales of the year come closer to the holiday buying season — specifically, on Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the end of November. Simply put, there’s a much, much greater number of shoppers ready to spend; in turn, that means a much greater number of manufacturers pulling out all of the stops to compete for your dollar.

On top of that, your Prime Day pickings are going to lean heavily toward the Amazon side of things, with many of the best discounts reserved for echo speakers and other Alexa-compatible devices. It isn’t all Alexa, though. Echo stuff aside, a good number of those third-party devices will work in Google Assistant smart homes and in some cases Apple HomeKit smart homes, too. Meanwhile, other retailers like Best Buy and Target working to counter-program Amazon with summertime sales of their own might provide some additional variety among brands and devices. Still, for the most part, Prime Day’s smart home deals are always going to skew toward Alexa. Maybe that’s exactly what you’re looking for — but maybe it isn’t.

In the end,

Jul 18

8 of the coolest gadgets to come out so far in 2022

From pocket-sized drones to stylish smart glasses, here are some of the coolest gadgets to release so far in 2022

With the threat of the pandemic apparently slowing down and restrictions easing up, a lot of the major tech conferences and trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress (MWC) managed to stage returns this year. Of course, with it comes the multitude of new gadget announcements. And there’s already been a lot of cool new hardware that has been released even with half a year left until 2023.

So we’re rounding up some of the ones we’re dying to have below:

Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K projector

TVs aren’t always ideal for replicating the cinema experience. For that, you might need a projector. And one of the literal and figurative heavyweights in this space is the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K portable projector. This bulky piece of hardware lets you enjoy a crystal clear picture at 3,840 x 2,160 resolution and a brightness of up to 2,400 ISO lumens. It also includes auto-focus, auto-keystone, and auto-screen-fit features if you don’t want to bother with too much setup. What’s more, it has a pair of 10W speakers for low-to-mid frequencies and a pair of 5W tweeters for high frequencies. All you’ll need now is some popcorn to enjoy your movie with.

Steam Decks

While the Switch remains as popular as ever, even the most die-hard Nintendo fans will probably admit that it’s starting to feel a little dated in terms of its capabilities. This is apparently where the Steam Deck comes in, a handheld gaming system developed by Valve that plays your Steam library. It essentially combines the portability of the Switch with the flexibility and power of a mid-range PC. Sure, it’s not a replacement for your gaming laptop or desktop, but if you’ve ever wanted to play modern AAA releases on-the-go, this will let you do that, albeit at lower graphical settings.

Ray-Ban Stories

Ray-Ban glasses have long been a staple for many fashion-forward folks. Meta probably knew that when it decided to partner with the brand to design the Ray-Ban Stories, a stylish pair of smart glasses with some neat functionalities. The device features a camera on each lens, allowing you to snap photos or record video without having to pull up your phone. It also has built-in audio drivers to play music close to your ears.

The idea of putting Meta-developed cameras on your face might be disconcerting for some, given the tech giant’s track record when it comes to data privacy. Still, this is a cool device that sort of hints at what the future might hold for smart wearables.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony’s WH-1000XM series of high-end, noise-canceling headphones have been consistently great, and the latest iteration, the XM5, is even better than its predecessors in every aspect. Almost every part of the cans have been overhauled for the better. It features a sleeker design, improved active noise-cancelling capabilities, and some

Jul 18

Travel tech: the best gadgets to pack on your holiday this summer | Gadgets

Summer is finally here, and after two years of disruption, many people will be getting on a plane, long-distance train or ferry for the first time in a long while.

A lot of us will inevitably be chucking a few gadgets and gizmos into our suitcases and hand luggage – from essentials such as travel adapters to the items that can make a journey more pleasant, such as headphones and portable handheld fans.

Here’s our guide to the best gadgets to pack on your holiday this summer.

Noise-cancelling headphones

Bose QuietComfort 45

RRP: £319.95 – deals from £289, refurbished from £160.

Take some of the stress out of traveling by canceling out the drone of engines or fellow passengers with a good set of headphones. The Bose QuietComfort 45 are the sequel to some of the best noise-cancelling headphones ever made, now with updated technology, including better battery life and sound, to give you a bit of peace and quiet.

Anker Soundcore Life Q30

The Soundcore Life Q30 headphones on a table. — The Soundcore Life Q30 offers long battery life and noise-cancelling on a budget. Photograph: Anker

RRP: £80 – refurbished from £66.

For those looking for something cheaper, Anker’s Soundcore Life Q30 offer Bluetooth 5, good noise reduction, reasonable sound quality and a 40-hour battery life that takes some beating, and cost as little as £66 refurbished. An updated model with higher-resolution Bluetooth support, the Life Q35, is also available with an official price of £130, although this week you could find them on Amazon for £90.

Portable speakers

Sonos Roam

RRP: £159 – refurbished from £130.

If you want something better than the myriad of cheap, not-great Bluetooth speakers that are available to buy, the Sonos Roam is so good, you’ll want to use it in your home, too.

Use it on wifi when at home or on Bluetooth when on the road. It’s water-resistant and durable, the battery lasts up to 10 hours, and it can fill a room with music despite its diminutive water-bottle-like size. It costs £159 without microphones or £179 with voice control.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

RRP: £90 – deals from £70, refurbished from £55.

If you are looking to spend a little less money but want something that’s just as durable and boasts really decent sound, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 is still one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get. It can be picked up for about £55 onwards. The compact Bluetooth speaker is drop-proof, has 13 hours of battery life and water resistance.

Chargers and adapters

Go Travel Worldwide Adapter

RRP: £30 – deals from £26.

Juggling multiple power adapters when traveling can

Jul 17

Gadget buyers, Intel may have ‘bad news’ for you

giant chips Intel has reportedly told customers that it will raise the price of most of its microprocessors and peripheral chip products. According to a report in Nikkei Asia, the biggest US chipmaker plans to raise prices on flagship products such as central processing units for servers and computers as well as on a wide range of other items, including chips for Wi-Fi and other connectivity. In a statement Nikkei Asia, the company said, “On its Q1 earnings call, Intel indicated it would increase pricing in certain segments of its business due to inflationary pressures. The company has begun to inform customers of these changes.”
Why the price hike
Intel has reportedly cited rising costs for increasing prices. The company said that price hikes are required due to the surging costs for production and materials. Intel’s notice to clients comes at a time when almost the entire world is in the grip of severe inflation. In the US too, consumer prices reportedly rose 9.1% in June, a 40-year record.
How much will be the price increase
According to the report, the percentage increases have not been finalized yet. They could differ for different types of chips, “but are likely to range from a minimal single-digit increase to more than 10% and 20% in some cases.”
Intel is not the only one
The world’s biggest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) recently told clients that it will raise prices by a “single-digit” percentage starting in 2023. The company plans to increase prices for most of its fabrication processes by 6% starting from January 2023, as per a report in DigiTimes. In May, Bloomberg reported that Samsung is set to increase its chipmaking prices by up to 20%. Samsung, however, has not responded to the report. China-based relatively smaller chip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp too is said to have told investors that it will be raising its prices in view of the rising material costs.

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Jul 17

Five great gadgets for the beach

You’re unlikely to be mistaken for a member of the Hells Angels on the Cake sa. Quiet and friendly-looking rather than leather-jacket-sexy, this new release from Swedish startup Cake is Still a lot of fun to zip around on.

The brand is by Stefan Ytterborn, a former Ikea employee and founder of action-helmet brand POC, who saw a gap in the market for green off-road motorbikes that can smoothly traverse the bumpiest of sand dunes and hairiest of mountain paths. There are several sa models to choose from: the sa Plus requires a motorbike license and maxes out at 90kmph, while the sa Flex – really a moped – can be used with a regular driving license but has a top speed of 45kmph. The Plus can travel about 84km, and the Flex 92km, between charges. Meanwhile, the new sa Work comes in Plus or Flex form; it’s basically a beefier update, boasting a 50 per cent bigger battery capacity than the originals.

Cake calls the sa a “Swiss Army knife on wheels”

All are low-slung, weigh less than 100kg and possess dirt bike-style wheels and stellar suspension. What the sa lacks in speed it makes up for in ease of use. It’s activated by entering a passcode on its handlebar-mounted screen; a companion app has GPS and can track your riding stats.

The best bits? The brand calls sa a “Swiss Army knife on wheels”, which is about right: it’s a versatile machine that has a mule-like carrying capacity and can be furnished with various attachments, from surfboard racks and extra seats to, as of this month , colorful windscreens. And once at your destination, its battery can be used to fire up personal devices, including phone, laptop, small stove and coffee machine. (If you intend to power several gadgets, and bigger appliances, I’d recommend the Work and/or the optional second battery.)

Pick from attachment packages such as the Carry (rack, basket, waterproof bag) or the Max (power converter, baskets, cargo net), or build your own. Cake sa, from £7,850, Work version from €8,850, ridecake.com

Walk on water

Philip Werner, Awake’s founder, calls electric surfing a “totally new sport”. Participants do not require Oahu-like waves for an adrenaline rush; they need only grip a handheld remote that Werner calls a “dynamite stick”. The new Rävik S 22 is Awake’s zippiest model yet. The jet-propelled board has a response time of 0.02 seconds and a top speed of 57kmph. It’s less buoyant than its predecessors, enabling sharper turns, and making it slightly more difficult for beginners to embrace than the Rävik 3, but novices should still be able to stand up within an hour or so. It lasts about 20 minutes with the standard battery, and can be ridden on waves as well as in sleepy bays. Awake Rävik S 22, from €12,900, awakeboards.com

Cool it

With the TravelR, Colorado upstart RovR is a challenging market behemoth Yeti for