All posts tagged: gadgets

The 7 coolest gadgets I saw at Computex 2026 (and when you can buy each one)

The 7 coolest gadgets I saw at Computex 2026 (and when you can buy each one)

Published by skeptic

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Computex, the world’s biggest computing trade show, takes place in Taipei every year, but 2026 was especially big. For starters, Nvidia announced its new RTX Spark processor for high-end consumer laptops, rallying each of the major consumer laptop brands to show off their new models to much fanfare and impressive stats (but not a whole lot of backup). On the flip side, many of those same brands also announced new “cheap premium” laptops in the $599-$699 range as a response to the MacBook Neo — Apple’s incredible-value laptop that thoroughly disrupted the PC market earlier this year.  Also: Dell’s new XPS 13 is a MacBook Neo rival that costs $599 and retains premium features Computing was front and center, but there was some awesome gaming gear as well, like Asus ROG’s X1 Real AR glasses that transform gaming on your handheld or PC into a 3D experience with an incredibly crisp micro-OLED display and immersive 171-inch virtual screen. Here are the top five …

Enclayve Is a Drab Black Box for Your Private Group Chats

Enclayve Is a Drab Black Box for Your Private Group Chats

Published by skeptic

Enclayve is a private social service hosted on a physical device. Plug it in, connect to Wi-Fi, and the device acts like a central server for a social network that can accommodate up to a few hundred people. Only the person with the device and the people they invite can log in and see what is shared there. The device is a little rectangular plastic box, smaller than a credit card. It costs $129, but only one person needs to own it, and they can invite others in. (They’ll also have to download the app.) Once allowed in, the app looks like a bare-bones social media site. People can post in groups to chat and share photos. All messages and media sent between people in a group are stored on the device, which comes with a 32-GB microSD card that can be swapped out as needed. There is no subscription cost, no ads, no in-app purchases, and no data tracking by Enclayve, the company says. Enclayve is meant to be a rebuttal to social sites …

Flush With Cash From OpenAI, Opal Is Making an AI-Powered Audio Gadget

Flush With Cash From OpenAI, Opal Is Making an AI-Powered Audio Gadget

Published by skeptic

A small San Francisco startup known for making well-appointed, beautifully designed webcams is now vying to become the AI hardware company of the moment. Opal Camera is rebranding to Opal Electronics and will expand its product portfolio beyond webcams to a broad range of consumer devices, some of which will be AI-focused. It aims to emulate Sony Electronics as a wide-ranging consumer gadget brand by focusing on design and culture, not just tech. The transition was possible thanks to a $40 million Series B funding round from OpenAI. Some details about the investment were first reported in 2024, but the deal was closed in the first quarter of 2025. Other investors in Opal include Samsung, Peter Thiel, Seven Seven Six (Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm), and noted tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (known as MKBHD), among others, according to a source close to the deal. Opal is now valued at around $275 million. Opal Electronics declined to comment. OpenAI did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was an early customer and …

How to Avoid Scams and Bad Gadgets on Amazon (2026)

How to Avoid Scams and Bad Gadgets on Amazon (2026)

Published by skeptic

You can find anything on Amazon—plus thousands of versions of that thing. If its virtual shelves were translated into a brick-and-mortar storefront, it would probably be the most overstimulating space in the world. Take power banks, for example. Search “power bank” on Amazon and you’ll get more than 40,000 results, ranging from well-known brands like Anker and Belkin to obscure brand names with zero product reviews. There are hundreds of companies and sellers to sift through, with varying capacities, port options, and charging speeds. So how do you know which brands are high-quality? Which listings are legitimate? What’s a good price to pay? Are any of these power banks actually on sale and worth buying, or are the discounts fake? It’s remarkably easy to sell products on Amazon (as evinced by its millions of sellers). That means there are plenty of subpar product listings that come from sketchy sellers—often with gibberish names or multiple sellers that are using the same photos and claiming to sell the same product. While many items on Amazon are safe …

Xreal’s New 9 ‘xbx’ Smart Glasses Channel Xbox Vibes

Xreal’s New $299 ‘xbx’ Smart Glasses Channel Xbox Vibes

Published by skeptic

Xreal, known for its high-end display-centric smart glasses, is making its gear more accessible. On Wednesday, the company revealed a new sub-brand—X By Xreal—focused on lightweight display glasses that start at $299. Xreal is the Chinese tech company that makes screen-forward smart glasses. Its devices connect to a phone, desktop, or console and provide a display that beams large, high-quality video directly into the wearer’s eyeballs. The glasses are meant to provide a sharp, reasonably comfortable way to play games or watch movies on a big screen, without having to crane your neck down at a phone, laptop, or gaming handheld. X By Xreal, or xbx for short, sounds a little like Microsoft’s popular gaming console, but Xreal thinks it’s different enough that the naming convention won’t draw Redmond’s ire. The first pair of glasses—the a01—look like they feature Xbox branding, with the xbx logo rendered along the frames in a bright yellow-green font that invites comparison. Courtesy of Xreal The a01 are extra lightweight, weighing around 62 grams (0.14 pounds). Xreal says the displays …

6 kitchen gadgets that make adulting feel easier

6 kitchen gadgets that make adulting feel easier

Published by skeptic

Recently, the biggest trend in kitchen gadgets has been “hands-free” and AI-powered devices that act as automated countertop assistants. There are plenty of devices that exist now for people who want to cook more (or at least look like someone who has their life together) but don’t always have the energy for a full kitchen marathon after work.  From a robot stirring your soup to a bread machine that kneads your dough while you watch TV, here is a list of gadgets that may make you feel like you’ve won adulthood. Or at least make cooking feel much less intimidating. Image Credits:Nosh The Nosh Chef Robot is a huge upgrade from a slow cooker or Instant Pot, as it can manage much of the cooking process autonomously.  The AI-powered robot dispenses exact amounts of oils, spices, and ingredients from reusable ingredient cartridges. Users still need to load ingredients beforehand, but once everything is in place, the robot can roughly chop, stir, sauté, portion, plate, and self-clean after meals. However, it can’t bake, roast, or steam, …

These are my favorite gadgets to add ambiance to your home, and they’re all on sale

These are my favorite gadgets to add ambiance to your home, and they’re all on sale

Published by skeptic

Displaying photos of family, friends, and memories makes any home more personal, but an excess of personal photos can distract from your home’s overall decor. To still display those personal touches, I use a digital photo frame that blends in nicely with my home decor while not being overbearing, given a wall full of family photos.  Review: As a millennial, I love this digital photo frame to display memories The Nixplay Touch Digital Photo Frame is one I really like because friends and family can easily share photos with it, and it automatically rotates photos based on whether they’re horizontal or vertical. I also like the playlist feature, so that, for example, around Christmas time, I can display all our holiday memories in one album.  Source link

7 WFH gadgets that are huge quality of life improvements

7 WFH gadgets that are huge quality of life improvements

Published by skeptic

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Working from home has become a bit of an art, with different folks prioritizing different elements to maximize productivity. Some people need the most comfortable, ergonomic keyboards — others value a tidy workspace above all else.  Also: My favorite Memorial Day deals: Save big on laptops, tablets, and more I’ve personally tested all seven of these products and can attest that they each increase my home office’s quality of life in different ways. Jabra’s Evolve3 75 headphones, for example, made hands-free calls a breeze with their boomless mic and lightweight design, and the ProtoArc CaseUp combo remains my go-to travel laptop kit.  Of course, the ReMarkable Paper Pure is the best way to give your eyes a break from the screen and write things down the old-fashioned way.  The best part? Most of these WFH gadgets are on sale for Memorial Day. You can also check out our favorite Memorial Day deals on TVs, SSDs, Apple products, laptops, phones, headphones, and outdoor gear. My favorite WFH gadgets …