USB-C

Playdate was given a pre-order time and date and some more information on how and why you'd want to get a device. If you've made it this far, you probably already know what Playdate is, but just in case: It's a very strange piece of gaming equipment. You play games on it with hardware buttons and a crank - a hardware crank. It's just about the most unique attempt to make a bit of gaming hardware in the past decade, and it's about to become available to the masses.

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The iPad mini has always been the odd duck in Apple's mobile lineup, but it has also been one of its biggest miracles. Even with the arrival of larger iPhones, the iPad mini continued to sell well enough to have reached five generations so far. Despite that, it is also the only one that hasn't seen a significant change in design for years. That might be changing with the sixth-gen iPad mini later this year, but its redesign won't just be skin-deep.

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USB-C has truly become the universal port to rule them all but it isn't a clear-cut victory yet. In addition to Thunderbolt 3 and 4, which is like USB-C but isn't, implementations of USB-C features can vary from device to device. Things might get a bit more confusing once a new USB-C specification comes out that more than doubles USB-C Power Delivery's supported output from 100W to 240W.

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The next major Sonos speaker (Sonos Roam) was revealed in a leak this week and a price likely set at around $169 USD. This speaker appears to be next in a line of Sonos speakers that expand beyond the confines of the home, complete with Bluetooth for wireless audio out in the wild. This device will likely be ready for release by the end of April 2021.

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The folks at HyperX revealed a new 60-percent mechanical gaming keyboard this week at CES 2021. This new keyboard is sleek, extremely colorful, and includes keycaps with symbols on more than one side. This HyperX Alloy Origins 60 model works its wonders with a function button.

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BenQ just announced their new BenQ PD3420Q ultrawide monitor made for designers. This monitor works with BenQ's own AQCOLOR tech for top-notch color accuracy, Display P3 coverage, and a 34-inch, 21:9 aspect ratio flat screen display panel. This monitor is what BenQ America director Houston Wei describes as "the most comprehensive display for graphic designers, web designers, artists, and creatives."

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The BenQ EW3280U doesn't have a punchy name, and it doesn't roll any sort of flashy borders or big logos. Instead, the BenQ EW3280U is made to provide a solid monitor that's worth what it'll cost. The main product is the 32-inch IPS LCD panel with LED backlighting and 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution. This monitor works with a built-in sound system, 60Hz image refresh rate, and a 178-degrees of viewing, and it looks and sounds highly decent.

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Google's official controller for its Stadia game streaming service has always been an odd duck. It turns out that when paired with a Chromecast, the Stadia Controller connects to your Wi-Fi network to communicate with Stadia servers directly. Its special behavior has seemingly made it harder for Google to push out features some would consider trivial, like supporting even Android devices and web browsers. Now another promised feature has finally landed, allowing users to connect wired or even wireless headsets via the Controller's USB-C port for an additional audio input and output channel.

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As the iPhone 12 is near to launch, leaks indicate the appearance of a USB-C cord in the box. But it's not what you might've expected - every cord has two ends. On this cord, this leaked photo of a cord, it would appear that even though we're getting USB-C on one end of the braided length, we've still got Lightning on the other. It's not the USB-C bit that matters most, here.

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Today we're taking a peek at the OnePlus Buds wireless earbuds with touch controls in two colors. One is the White, one of two versions that'll be available for purchase in the United States. The other is the Nord Blue, a version that'll only be available in India and parts of the EU.

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It definitely took a while but wireless charging has become more or less common even if it still isn't a standard. While already a standard right from the start, USB-C, on the other hand, is only recently becoming more ubiquitous as well. But while computers and smartphones are quicker to adopt them, some places where you will find these new technologies aren't. Inside cars, for example, the full-sized USB port still holds dominance but not anymore in Tesla Model 3 cars headed for the US.

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Razer makes solid gaming hardware. They've made a lot of gaming-centric devices over the past two decades, and I've not always been a member of Razer's target audience. With the Razer Kishi, I find myself excited by a smartphone accessory for the first time in what feels like forever. Razer Kishi is a gaming controller that connects to Android devices via USB-C and folds up to a compact size when not in use. This is about more than gaming - it's about the future.

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