Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds leaked this week with features that look to compete with AirPods on several fronts. Most compelling is the wireless earbuds ability to charge wirelessly, using the case they come in and a new Sony Android smartphone as a charging pad. These earbuds will likely roll with Hi-Res audio support and 6 hours* of battery life.
Windows is arguably the most-used operating system in the world and yet there are things where it's still playing catch up with others, especially mobile platforms like Android and iOS. One area it has long been criticized for is the handling of Bluetooth audio, both the media itself as well as related accessories. It seems, however, that Microsoft is finally catching up in some regard with the next version of Windows 10 that will finally bring support for one popular audio codec as well as make Bluetooth audio accessories less of a pain to manage.
It would appear that T-Mobile USA is ready to roll with a tracker device that'll do battle with Apple's AirTag and Tile. T-Mobile revealed the SyncUP TRACKER this week with connectivity to the T-Mobile LTE network. The device is tracked with an app on Android and iOS devices, and does not need to be within a specific range of a smartphone to work.
There's a new very tiny mouse in the world this week called Raer Orochi V2. This device is wireless, working with Razer HyperSpeed Wireless technology with ultra-low-latency as well as 2nd-gen Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches. It also works with a variety of aesthetic design options courtesy of Razer Customs... or you can just get it in white or black.
Most vehicles made within the last handful of years have built-in tire pressure monitoring systems that alert drivers if their tires are low. Low pressure impacts the performance of the tires and reduces fuel economy. Mountain bikers who have wished their bike tires could monitor their own tire pressure can now do so using the Tubolito MTB PSENS inner tubes.
Samsung has released a new portable keyboard called the Samsung Smart Keyboard Trio 500. The keyboard is thin and lightweight and designed to slip into a bag to be carried with the user during the day. The device's highlight is that it can connect to multiple devices at once and features shortcuts to help with multitasking allowing the user to get work done wherever they are.
Apple has finally launched its much-awaited AirTag to help users locate items from keys to luggage and pets. With the launch of Apple’s own tracking accessory, the market for such devices has started to create a buzz; already there are surveys suggesting that almost 63-percent of smartphone users are “somewhat” interested in purchasing a tracking device. If you’re willing to take the leap of faith yourself, it’s important to weigh your choices before committing to a tag for its affordable price alone.
Beating Apple AirTags to the punch, Samsung launched its Galaxy SmartTags last year to offer an alternative to the popular Tile trackers. The Bluetooth-enabled accessories worked in tandem with Samsung's improved SmartThings Find in order to create what is practically a crowdsourced network of users that can help locate any lost item, even if they're outside of Bluetooth range. That said, that system may have also raised some questions about privacy that Samsung will be addressing next week with an important update to SmartThings.
Back in April of 2019, we reviewed Embr Wave, AKA "your own personal thermostat." This was a wearable that was able to transmit warmth and coolness to the wrist of the wearer, allowing the wearer to feel some sense of temperature control with a tap of the device. Now, having found some measure of success with the first unique piece of hardware, a new version of the device is ready to roll: Embr Wave 2.
A new sort of fitness tracker appeared in a leak this week, one that you might recognize. Fitbit became one of the biggest names in fitness tracking wearables due to its sustained presence in the market and relatively reasonably priced gadgets matched with usable software. Now, with a device called Fitbix Luxe, they might well have created a wearable that's able to compete directly with the traditional wristwatch.
Bluetooth is such a pervasive wireless technology that most people take it for granted until they have to go through pairing processes. Despite how widely it is used in wireless audio accessories, smartwatches, and even smart home appliances, pairing Bluetooth devices has never really become painless or consistent across platforms. Android, however, is catching up to the former and the newly redesigned Fast Pair feature promises a smoother experience for over a hundred Bluetooth devices from different brands.
Earlier this year, Samsung revealed an enhanced SmartTag it's simply calling the SmartTag+. Functionality is still mostly the same - you'll still attach these SmartTags to items that prone to to being misplaced so you can find them easily - but as the name suggests, SmartTag+ comes with new functionality over its predecessor. Now, Samsung has told when we can expect SmartTag+ to launch.