September was officially Apple month. We saw the release of four highly anticipated iPhone 16 models, among several other Apple refreshes. We also checked out the weird and cool gadgets at IFA 2024 in Berlin. Kyle spent the day jetskiing with the GoPro Hero 13 Black and found it packed with features, even though it was a bit pricey. Also, Google has updated its Pixel Buds lineup with the nearly perfect Pixel Buds Pro 2.
XGIMI has refreshed its MoGo Pro lineup with the $500 MoGo 3 Pro, but the third iteration looks nothing like its predecessors. It’s incredibly cut down to the size of a soda can and as heavy as a milk carton. Instead of Android TV, it is now integrated with Google TV so it offers native access to live streaming programs.
Google TV integration means you don’t need a dedicated smart TV, set-top box, or smart TV dongle. It offers native access to any service offered by Google TV, so it’s great to use your favorite app out of the box. The remote includes dedicated shortcut buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and a button to customize the service of your choice. – Dua Rashid
I know it sounds weird and a little touchy but EcoFlow has released a Power Hat with eight solar panels and dual charging ports, and it can charge two devices while hiking. You’ll have to shell out $80 for it, though, which sounds like a lot for a regular beach hat, but not when you’re thinking about a dual-effect power bank.
Adorned with a 360-degree solar panel edge, the helmet sits on your noggin and offers two charging outputs, Type-A and Type-C, to charge your devices on the go. Eight panels on the cap ensure that it gets enough juice to last at least a few hours. The capacity ultimately depends on the amount of sunlight the solar panels receive, but the hat is good for fully charging a 4,000mAh battery (a standard smartphone battery size) in three to four hours. – Dua Rashid
If cost isn’t a concern, the new Hero 13 Black is still a step up from the previous generation. The new GoPro has a 10% bigger battery at 1900mAh than the Hero 12. The company promises that you can get more than 2.5 hours of footage at 1080p or 90 minutes of 4K at 30FPS. It should also be better in extreme temperatures, but GoPro also says you’ll see the biggest improvement when shooting in 10-bit high mode rather than the standard 8-bit.
The new GoPro has new sensor capabilities but isn’t as flashy as the extra accessories. It can still capture 5.3K at 60 FPS and 4K at 120 FPS. It retains the vertical shooting from the Hero 12, but now supports slo-mo bursts up to 5.3K at 120 FPS and 900P at 360 FPS. A major new addition to viewing quality is HLG HDR support with its 10-bit recording and wide color gamut. For long-time GoPro users who criticized the loss of GPS tracking, it’s now back. – Kyle Barr
If you’re going to upgrade this year, you’ve been dealing with an old iPhone on its last legs, and you’ve been thinking about going Pro, yes, you should consider the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. As Apple said, it built this phone with Apple Intelligence, which should tell you about what’s around the well-fenced garden for the next year. It’s also nice that you can choose a smaller phone that has all the camera glass of a larger device but not the bulk.
The new Pro phone is not just a ship of artificial intelligence, although it has all the hardware tools to make the action happen for those willing to be early adopters. Everything about the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max is solid, from its seven-lens camera system to its battery life. Its new colors this year are also bright and light. We’ve only had the iPhone Pro/Pro Max for a week so far, but if this is your year to upgrade, get ready to be prepared and pampered next time. – Florence Ion
The iPhone 16 sets a good example for model iPhone users going forward. You’re no longer getting the junk of last year’s Pro model in a refreshed, color-friendly smartphone. Instead, you are buying a compact version of the iPhone Pro model and a little protection for what is to come, which will be the case as Apple gradually reveals its AI story.
This year’s iPhone 16 adopts many of the premium offerings of the iPhone 16 Pro, making it sound like a slightly better deal. Like the Pro, the main camera of the iPhone 16 is an integrated camera, there are Apple Intelligence features, and there is an Action Button and a new Camera Control button that just came out of the iPhone 16 Pro. – Florence Ion
If we only look at the W95A 4K mini-LED TV, Panasonic has managed to keep up with the times as it sells its TVs in the European and Asian markets, but you should not expect a bright example of viewing pleasure. It’s solid, and if it’s in your price range, I don’t feel you need to look too far elsewhere for a bright, colorful, easy-to-use TV.
Our 55-inch W95A review unit represents one of this year’s mid-range mini-LED offerings, though it’s not as expensive or as high-end as quantum dot LED TVs like Samsung’s 4K NEO QLEDs, LG’s QNED, or Sony’s Bravia 7. . Unlike its competitors, I didn’t have to do nearly as much in the settings to get an image that felt true to the cinema’s intended purpose. The W95A has the widest screen size of the company’s US slate, from 55 inches to 85 inches. – Kyle Barr
The Asus Zenbook S 14 is a great laptop, thanks to its hardware, plenty of ports, and lightweight design rather than relying on a new chip. There is something to be said about a cover that feels and looks unique. There is also a new Lunar Lake Intel Core Ultra chip stored inside. Both of those features are solid, though you should ignore the hype.
It’s easy to recommend the Zenbook S 14 because it offers more I/O ports and a unique design compared to other 14-inch laptops. It just feels a little diluted with middling performance, even if it really knows its worth. Its design is cool, but you’ll want more power to match. If I had one suggestion for anyone considering the Asus Zenbook S 14, it would be to go for the less expensive model that sports an Intel Core Ultra 258V and 32 GB of RAM. – Kyle Barr
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are excellent buds that give you everything you want. The size and weight have been dramatically reduced, so they are comfortable to stay in your ears all day. The twist-to-adjust stabilizer is far from a gimmick. It gives the buds their comfortable, ear-hugging fit. The navigation is so intuitive that it makes me wonder why more earbud companies don’t take the same, direct approach, especially with volume. The sound profile is impressive, with deep, booming bass being the star of the show. And the noise cancellation is so powerful that you feel transported to a private void. – Dua Rashid
The $300 haptics-integrated gaming pillow, Freyja, (previously called Project Esther) was unveiled earlier this year during CES. Fast forward nine months, and the idea came to life in Freyja, named after the Norse goddess of war.
The cushion has six haptic actuators that send tactile sensations to various well-placed areas on your back and upper legs. Razer has partnered with select game developers—20 so far—to precisely integrate haptics into their games and is continuously working to expand that list. Of course, the performance will work with all of your titles, but you’ll enjoy that perfect sync with those on Razer’s growing list of collaborations.
In the short demo I received, I was blown away by the haptics, power, and precision of Mortal Kombat. Not a single random or unnecessary vibration. Each one was perfectly synchronized with the events in the game, matching its subtle attributes. They were also multi-directional in some cases, sending sensations through many parts of my body. They breathe life into every explosion, gunshot, and footsteps. – Dua Rashid
Source link
