Category: Misc gadgets
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Google just outed an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast

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Many competitors have been launched recently, but Google’s Chromecast streaming HDMI stick still rules this market, having netted 10 million sales last year alone. And today the company behind it has revealed an accessory that has the potential to make the Chromecast even more useful.

What you see above is an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast. Without it, the stick can only connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. But if you don’t have Wi-Fi, or it simply isn’t convenient to connect your Chromecast to it for whatever reason, this neat little adapter is the solution. Read more »

Logitech revamps brand identity and logo

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Logitech has refreshed its entire brand identity, the first major transformation in years since it launched. The new look is colorful and bolder than the more laidback design of the past.

The biggest change is the new logo that you will start seeing on future products. Along with that, there is also a new brand name – Logi – that will appear on upcoming Logitech products. Although not clear which products they are going to be, it’s likely the Logi brand will be reserved for lifestyle products while the core products will continue to have the Logitech logo. Read more »

Hero4 Session is GoPro’s smallest camera yet, waterproof without case

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GoPro has announced its smallest camera ever. Dubbed Hero4 Session, the new device is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than other Hero4 models, the company claims. “We challenged ourselves to produce the smallest, lightest, most convenient GoPro possible,” said Nicholas Woodman, the company’s founder.

The Hero4 Session is capable of capturing 1080p videos at 60 fps, 1440p at 30 fps, and 720p at 100 fps. There is, however, no support for 4K nor 720p at 240fps modes. It can shoot 8MP stills, and can go up to 10m underwater without needing a case. Read more »

Intel Compute Stick now available for purchase in India

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The Intel Compute Stick, which was announced back in January this year and went on sale in the US in the month of April, is now available for purchase in India.

Online retailer Flipkart is selling the compact computer-on-a-stick for INR9,999 ($155). This compares to the $150 price tag that it carries in the US. Read more »

Garmin unveils Egde 20 and Edge 25 GPS cycling companions

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Garmin has added two new gadgets to it rich device collection. The Garmin Edge 20 and 25 both fall under the category of bike or cycling computers and, although, they could easily be mistaken for a wearable, the devices are pretty tailor made and specifically geared towards bike usage.

Both are GPS and GLONASS enabled so you can track your rides, as well as set routes for yourself. The small devices also record time, distance, elevation and speed by default and can also be set-up with additional sensors for heart rate and cadence. Read more »

Amazon Echo wireless speaker with voice control is now available to everyone in the US

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Amazon announced the Echo Bluetooth speaker which comes with an integrated personal assistant back in November of last year, so a long time ago. However, only today has the Echo actually gone on sale for everyone in the US.

Until this point, you needed an invite to buy one (no, seriously, Amazon got inspired by OnePlus’ strategy or something). Well, that isn’t the case anymore. The gizmo has also received a $20 price cut on this occasion, now costing $179.99. Shipping is set to start on July 14. Read more »

SoftBank’s emotion-reading robot Pepper to go on sale in Japan starting tomorrow

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Japanese company SoftBank has announced that its emotion-reading robot Pepper, which it claims is the first of its kind in the world, will go on sale in the country starting June 20. Only 1,000 units of the robot will be available for purchase this month, each worth $9,040 (this includes three-year warranty and support plan).

Interestingly, Pepper can not only read human emotions (like joy, sadness and anger), it is also capable of expressing emotions, something which it does by processing information from its cameras, touch sensors, accelerometer and other sensors. Read more »

Razer Forge TV lands in the Google Store

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Razer’s Android TV-running console is now available to purchase from Google’s hardware store in the US and Canada. Oddly enough, though, you can’t get it in standalone fashion – just bundled with the Serval Bluetooth gamepad. For both you need to pay $149.99, the same amount that Amazon has been asking ever since it started taking pre-orders for the Forge in April.

If you want, you can purchase the Serval controller separately, but it’s been priced at an eye-watering $79.99. On the other hand, you can also use it for gaming on your Android mobile device, and it even has a phone clip included. So it’s not limited to serving as the controller for the Forge. Read more »

Xiaomi just unveiled a new Wi-Fi router and a smart bedside lamp

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Xiaomi held a press conference in Beijing today at 14:00 local time. The trendy Chinese manufacturer had little to announce in terms of smartphone tech, except a new paint job for the Xiaomi Mi 4i, but the presentation still had a few interesting gadgets to show off.

First, there is the all new Mi Wi-Fi. It aims to build on the success of the original Mi router, which sold over two million units, not counting its later mini version. With the new generation, Xiaomi is upping the stakes. The unit promises faster and more-stable dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac support. It employs an “enterprise-class” PBC antenna array and a powerful Broadcom 4709C dual-core 1.4GHz processor and 512MB of flash storage. It also offers onboard storage, courtesy on Seagate or Toshiba surveillance. It can be used as a simple NAS or in tandem with Xiaomi’s proprietary tools for remote downloads, automatic backups, remote access to files and many more features, users have come to love from the current generation of Xiaomi smarty routers. Read more »

Job listing suggests new version of Google Glass nearing production

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Over a month after CEO of Italian eyewear manufacturer Luxottica said that Google Glass version 2.0 is coming out soon, a recent job listing posted by the search giant has revealed the new version of the high-tech eyewear might actually be nearing production.

First spotted by Business Insider, the listing seeks an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer (Final Assembly, Test & Pack) whose responsibilities include designing, developing, testing, and qualifying “solutions in a manufacturing environment, including Design for Manufacturing (DFM),” influencing “product design to improve manufacturability for yield and reliability,” as well as working “with the Quality and Reliability team to define requirements for shipment.” Read more »

HTC offering $50 off RE Camera, 50% discount on accessories

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HTC is celebrating this year’s Father’s day by offering discounts on some of the products available on its website. For example, you can grab the RE Camera for $149, which is $50 less than its usual price.

In addition, the company is also offering a 50% discount on accessories (provided that you purchase three or more), as well as 50% off card packs that are made with the company’s Print Studio app – don’t forget to use the code Dad at checkout. Read more »

Tado claims its new Smart AC Control makes any remote-controlled air conditioner smart

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Smart thermostat company Tado has launched a new device that it claims makes any remote-controlled air conditioner smart. Dubbed Smart AC Control, the device carries a price tag of $199, and is currently available directly from the company’s official website (click the Source 2 link below).

The device connects with any remote-controlled in-room AC via infrared, and works in conjunction with a companion app which senses your location to decide whether to turn the AC off or on. You can also use the app to easily change the AC settings. Read more »

Apple recalls Beats Pill XL because it’s a fire hazard

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If at some point you’ve bought a Beats Pill XL speaker, you might want to send it back to Apple (which now owns Beats as you may know). That’s because the company known more for its iPhones and Macs has had to issue a voluntary recall of all Beats Pill XL units ever sold across the US and Canada.

The reason for that has to do with the fact that the speaker’s battery can overheat, thus posing a fire hazard. All color versions of the wireless speaker are affected, as you’d imagine (the internals are obviously the same). Read more »

Xiaomi Mi Power bank 16,000 mAh to sell for $22 in India from June 9

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Xiaomi has announced it sell a new Mi Power bank with 16,000 mah capacity to replace the existing 10,000 mAh one in India. The new external charger 16,000 mAh will go on sale for INR 1,399 ($22) on June 9 on the from Mi.com website.

Slowly, Xiaomi is moving the sale of its accessories to the official Mi website in India. The company also confirmed that the 5,000 mAh capacity power bank will be sold the week following that. Read more »

SanDisk claims its new 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.0 flash drive is world’s smallest

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At the ongoing Computex trade show in Taipei, storage vendor SanDisk has launched what it is claiming to be the world’s smallest USB 3.0 flash drive. Dubbed Ultra Fit USB 3.0, the device has a capacity of 128GB, which can store up to 16 hours of Full HD video, the company claims.

Without its cap, the drive measures 0.75 inch in length, 0.63 inch in width, and 0.35 inch in height, which the company says makes it smaller than a dime. It provides speeds of up to 130MB/s, allowing users to move content up to 10 times faster than with standard USB 2.0 drives, SanDisk claims. Read more »