Gadgets

Gadgets

Matter, the smart home connectivity protocol that revolutionized the IoT world, has done wonders to bridge the interoperability gaps between brands. For various reasons, however, Matter hasn't completely solved the problem of incompatibility in the smart home. IoT company Copilot.cx aims to change that by giving users access to different brands' devices with a single mobile app. Copilot.cx has introduced Copilot Star, a platform that enables manufacturers to builda branded app based on a single framework, connecting smart home devices running on different platforms.

Plenty of Pokémon fans and engineers have created working Pokédexes complete with image recognition to let you scan toys and art to identify your favorite monsters . BigRig Creates and Mr. Volt have taken this a step further, creating what they're calling the "World's Smartest" Pokédex, capable of not only recognizing Pokémon, but giving you data about them from the games, acting as a voice assistant, and much more.

When I talk to users looking to make this leap, the first thing I want to discuss is the desktop environment. After all, I'd rather not send Windows users to a distribution that uses GNOME, hyprland, i3, or any other DE that in no way resembles Windows. Recently, I stumbled upon a distribution called VailuxOS that uses KDE Plasma to create a somewhat Windows-esque desktop that would make any user of a Microsoft OS feel right at home.

Tired of sitting in a dark office while you work from home? You could save over $40 on one of our favorite LED desk lamps, the Lume Cube Edge Light 2.0. This upgraded LED light can do duty as both a work light for a study, or as a main light for improving your webcam quality on work calls. It could even be part of a lighting suite for a proper streaming setup.

I've grown accustomed to being impressed by Geekom products. You might not know the name, but it has produced some pretty impressive small form factor desktops, many of which I've reviewed. Also: I converted this Windows 11 mini PC into a Linux workstation - and didn't regret it Now, the company has hopped into the laptop market, and I'm glad it did.

Most of us have some internet of things (IoT) devices at home, whether it's a phone, a tablet, or a collection of security cameras and sensors. When you learn that 120,000 home security cameras were hacked in South Korea for sexploitation footage, it makes you think twice about adding such devices to your home, which is your most sacred space for privacy.

In the fast-paced race to load AI into every smartphone, laptop, tablet, and earbud, the flashiest AI-powered features usually receive the most attention. When your earbuds use AI to perform real-time translation services or allow hands-free access to a gen AI chatbot, you'll know. There's another way your earbuds use AI that isn't as exciting to talk about, but when it's done well, it's incredibly valuable: AI-powered adaptive noise cancellation.

Despite the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) releasing the Bluetooth 6.2 core specification in Nov., you'll find that many headphones released as recently as this year still feature Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4. Not every specification brings mind-blowing features, but there are connectivity, latency, and performance improvements to look forward to within the 6.0+ specifications. This year, several smartphones but fewer headphones debuted with Bluetooth 6.

Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META) has been a one-trick pony for most of its existence. The company makes almost all of its revenue from online ads. While other tech giants have diversified beyond their original revenue source, Facebook's parent company still heavily relies on ads, but that may finally change. The tech company is starting to see early signs of success as it diversifies beyond ad revenue thanks to AI. These are some of the things investors should monitor as Meta Platforms seeks to produce big gains for investors after a relatively slow 2025.

Like all nice things, the best gaming PCs on the market can cost a pretty penny, but that's not the case today. Amazon just dropped the 2025 ASUS TUF T500 PC by 11% which brings its $900 price to $800 - an impressive $100 discount. There are no complicated coupon codes to enter or long checkout steps to worry about, either. Just add the PC to your cart, and the discount applies automatically.

If you've ever been in a predicament where you've run out of battery at the worst time possible, you probably want to have a charger that's easier to use and access all the time, no matter where you are. But which one do you get, since there are so many out there and more being manufactured all the time? We've found a particularly good one that you won't want to miss, and it's on sale for an excellent price.

Soundcore by Anker's P20i wireless earbuds feature an ultra-compact in-ear design that fits inside a pocketable charging case and delivers powerful, enhanced bass. Utilizing oversized 10mm dynamic drivers that maintain strong low-frequency performance, these earbuds deliver an overall rich experience when listening to music, watching videos, or listening to podcasts for the price. The wireless connection to your smartphone or tablet is handled via Bluetooth 5.3, providing a consistent audio signal as you move about.

Insta360 has introduced two AI-powered 4K webcams, the Insta360 Link 2 Pro and Insta360 Link 2C Pro. The new models aim to narrow the gap between basic webcams and professional camera and microphone setups by offering improved video quality, enhanced audio capture, and smarter software tools. The Link 2 Pro has received a 2026 CES Picks Award in the TWICE category. Both webcams are built for desktop use and are said to be aimed at professionals, educators, and content creators seeking reliable performance.

"Our vision is to bring together the latest technology with fun, thoughtful design to create small EVs that inspire people to adopt these more efficient modes," says Chris Yu, President of ALSO. "This launch has been years in the making and it is just the beginning of a broader platform we are building that we believe will catalyze adoption globally."

YouTube is rolling out some additional parental controls, including a way to set time limits for viewing Shorts on teen accounts. In the near future, parents and guardians will be able to set the Shorts timer to zero on supervised accounts. "This is an industry-first feature that puts parents firmly in control of the amount of short-form content their kids watch," Jennifer Flannery O'Connor, YouTube's vice president of product management, wrote in a blog post.

Like all sports teams these days, Bath Rugby has found that providing state of the art connectivity is part and parcel of the modern experience, and looking to elevate matchday mobile for its fans, the club has announced the successful deployment of an Antevia Networks 5G Shift end-to-end private network at its Recreation Ground stadium. The current Premiership Rugby Champions, Bath first began life as a rugby club in 1865, and played its first game at the historic stadium in 1894.

With a cultlike following and a fairly simple construction, it can be easy to assume that these keyboards aren't worth the high price-and they aren't for most people. However, the HHKB brings something unique to the table: A design that has been refined over the years, creating an out-of-the-box experience that can't be improved. In an age of planned obsolescence and enshittification, a mechanical keyboard like this is hard to find.

The Oppo Reno 15 Series 5G was launched in India on January 8, alongside the Oppo Pad 5. All the latest products will be available for purchase beginning today (January 13) at 12pm IST. The Reno 15 Series 5G has three models - Oppo Reno 15 5G, Reno 15 Pro 5G, and Reno 15 Pro Mini 5G, and all of them are available with offers.

The Oppo Reno15 series, announced for India last week, is now available for purchase in the country through Oppo India's official website, Amazon.in, Flipkart, and mainline retail outlets. The lineup includes the Reno15, Reno15 Pro, Reno15 Pro Mini, and Reno15c. The Reno15c will be available in India next month. The Oppo Reno15 comes in Glacier White, Twilight Blue, and Aurora Blue colors with three memory options - 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB, and 12GB/512GB, priced at INR45,999, INR48,999, and INR53,999, respectively.

Sometimes I'm rather impressed by the ingenuity of those in the business of making scammy gadgets. Over the years, I've examined a wide range of products, from scam devices that claim to save you money on your power bill to a high-power USB charger filled with an unusual goo-like substance. Also: Want to cut your electric bill? Skip these scam 'power-saving' devices - and buy this instead

But one thing did catch me by surprise. For a split moment, as I fidgeted with the various crevices, buttons, and hinges of the TriFold, I felt a sense of nostalgia. Specifically, in 2019, when the very first Galaxy Fold was released. It was far from being a lavish or refined handset, with its bulky design and oddly sized cover screen.

The US has increasingly shut out Chinese smartphone makers in recent years with outright bans and punitive tariffs, not to mention Apple's dominance. But the truth is, some of the best smartphones you can't officially buy in the US are simply some of the best smartphones. If you want cutting-edge photography, interesting innovations, and top-tier hardware that won't break the bank, you can find them in China.

CES 2026 was full of weird, fun tech that you didn't know you needed. Not everything is practical, but a lot of it is surprisingly clever. AI is popping up in places you'd never expect. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is known for featuring some of the weirdest and wildest new tech products and concepts of the year.

The release of the iPhone in 2007 marked the beginning of the end of the BlackBerry era. The prospect of on-screen keys was undeniable, and the trend of having a pocket PC left everyone dazed over the years as smartphones evolved into their best version, year after year, for decades. However, things then go full circle, and we are plateauing with what bezelless smartphones can offer.

The most interesting story at this year's CES was just a little tiny bundle of technology. One way to look at Lego's new Smart Brick is as something like a Raspberry Pi, an endlessly remixable gizmo with infinite hacking potential - it can be anything, in the best possible way. Another way to look at it is as a crushing blow to creativity, a new way for things to break or be paywalled, and an affront to everything we love about Lego. Maybe it's both.

The Asus ZenBook Duo (2026) features two 14-inch OLED touchscreens with a 2,880 x 1,800-pixel resolution (2.8K), a 144Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,000 nits peak brightness for supported HDR content. Each of them are in a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is the same as the M4 MacBook Air's display. This year, Asus expanded the screens to minimize bezels near the hinge, offering a 93% screen-to-body ratio and a more immersive experience.

The Snap-n-Charge is small as power banks go, and only 3,200 mAh/16 Wh. This is good enough for a quick top-up of a smartphone or headphones. And a top-up is what you get -- the capacity is enough for about a 50% top-up for a smartphone or portable speaker, or about three or four recharges of earbuds or headphones. The power bank is housed in a polymer shell that shrugs off impacts and damage from being rattled around pockets and bags with things like keys.