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OtterBox reveals a portable and stackable wireless charging system
OtterBox has a solution to limited battery life. Today, the company revealed OtterSpot, its Qi wireless charging power bank, and stackable batteries. The OtterSpot Charging Base looks a bit like a thin hockey puck. It's designed to be stackable, meaning you can pile up to three puck-like OtterBox Wireless Charging Batteries and a device on top of it and charge all of them simultaneously. Each battery can then power any Qi-enabled device and support wired charging via a USB-C port. The battery packs come with 5,000 mAh of capacity and up to 10-watt wireless charging speeds.
The new Organelle is a synth built around a Raspberry Pi
It's a niche company, but Critter and Guitari was a big name during the portable synth renaissance, and back in 2016 it released its flagship instrument, the Organelle. Now, it's had a pretty significant upgrade.
IK Multimedia’s $250 drum machine is available now
IK Multimedia's $250 drum machine, Uno Drum, is available starting today. The company announced the portable, battery-powered device last month, but we weren't sure when it would be available.
Urbanears' $199 portable speaker is meant to be shared
Urbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolside -- where Urbanears promises it's water resistant (IPX2).
Sony game cartridge patent is for a product called Toio, not a new handheld
Correction, 11/28/18, 11:00AM ET: This post originally stated that "a new patent reveals what Sony might have in store for its next attempt at a handheld console." Further research has revealed that this patent was filed in 2017 and relates to a product known as Sony Toio, which was released last year and features cartridges like those found in this patent filing. Our original post remains below. We apologize for the error. Sony didn't see the success it had hoped for with the PlayStation Vita, but despite claims back in 2015 that there wouldn't be a sequel, the company announced earlier this year it wasn't ready to give up on portable gaming after all. Now, a new patent reveals what Sony might have in store for its next attempt at a handheld console.
Gmail's 'Confidential Mode' arrives on mobile devices
Google's big Gmail redesign was revealed this past April (with G Suite customers getting the first look). It became default for everyone starting in July. One of the key features, Confidential Mode, is now available for mobile devices, though not everyone is as confident in its ability to keep your data private.
Sony's portable projector tech displays perfect images on curved surfaces
The future of portable projectors just got a whole lot clearer, as Sony launches two bits of tech that will give gives portable projectors both HD capabilities and the ability to provide a distortion-free picture even on curved surfaces. This means you could whip out your device anywhere and enjoy an almost crystal-clear picture, no matter what background you're projecting it onto.
Nintendo's latest 2DS XL is a tribute to Link's Shield
Nintendo has a history of dressing up its handheld systems in festive fashions, and the 2DS XL is no different. This time out, the clamshell console is getting a special edition that resembles Link's Hylian Shield from The Legend of Zelda franchise. From the looks of it, the Gamestop-exclusive hardware's styling betrays the 2Ds' flat motif.
Sony isn't ready to give up on portable gaming just yet
While the PlayStation Vita didn't exactly set the world alight, there still might be a future in portable gaming for Sony. Gaming division head John Kodera said, according to Bloomberg, that Sony is testing mobile gaming efforts, which he believes should be a part of PlayStation's overall strategy.
'Splatoon 2' is a cautious but excellent evolution of the original
The Wii U was far from the most popular console of its generation -- but fans who took a chance on Nintendo's first HD machine were rewarded with a tightly curated library of modern-day classics. Exclusives like Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze showed that the value of the Wii U wasn't in its hardware but in Nintendo's creative library of games. Among them was Splatoon, the company's first online competitive shooter. The game's quirky squirt gun multiplayer battles were a genuine, delightful surprise -- and its Nintendo Switch sequel takes everything that was great about the original and makes it just a little bit better.
NVIDIA 'Max-Q' gaming laptops are Ultrabooks with GTX 1080 power
Based on NVIDIA's 2017 Computex announcements, PC gamers won't have to choose between bulky gaming laptops and desktop-level processing power for much longer. A new design called "Max-Q" is arriving in laptops that it claims are both three times thinner and three times more powerful than their predecessors. Think: 18mm thick, 5 pounds and with the power of NVIDIA's GTX 1080 inside. Plus, there's "WhisperMode," which can pace the game's frame rate to keep the laptop cool and quiet during a plugged-in gaming session.
ASUS lays claim to the "world's lightest 14-inch business laptop"
If weight is your biggest concern when buying a laptop, you've probably grown used to 11- and 13-inch ultraportables. If you're looking for something a little bigger but still light, ASUS may have something for you. Weighing in at 2.31 pounds, the company's new 14-inch ASUSPro B9440 claims to be the lightest business notebook in its class. Despite its larger screen, the machine itself is actually pretty small: At just 12.6 inches wide, it's a little narrower than the 13-inch MacBook Air.
Xbox One S converted into a road-ready laptop
Do-it-yourself Xbox laptops have been around since Ben Heck cobbled one together from an Xbox 360, but "laptop" is a misnomer -- most are more like small desktops with screens hinged on. Modder Edward Zarick, the creator of the "Xbook One," is trying to change that (a bit), though. The "Xbook One S" is a smaller and slimmer thanks to the Xbox One S guts and a Samsung 19-inch screen. Unlike the 22-inch Vizio model used on the original, the new display has 720p rather than a 1080p resolution, unfortunately.
Engadget giveaway: Win a pair of Muo speakers courtesy of KEF!
As the reality of spring takes hold, we get to enjoy longer, warmer days and a burst of colorful foliage. To celebrate this positive seasonal swing, we've got a duo of rose-colored Muo speakers for one lucky reader this week. These Bluetooth portables from high-end UK audio maker Kef feature 12-hour battery life, a compact version of the company's Uni-Q driver array and styling by industrial designer Ross Lovegrove. The design echoes the curves of Kef's flagship $225,000 Muon loudspeakers. You'll be able to send CD-quality audio over Bluetooth aptX to the Muo (with a compatible device) or connect directly to its 3.5mm jack. They can be used as standalone speakers or paired for wider coverage and stereo sound when it's time to party. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this colorful speaker set from Kef. Winner: Congratulations to Christopher S. of San Jose, CA!
Razer's Blade Stealth gaming ultraportable is all work and no play
At some point, every laptop-owning PC gamer asks the question, "Can I hook a desktop graphics card up to my notebook?" Until recently, the answer was no, but times are changing. In the past year Alienware, MSI and ASUS have all announced laptops with external GPU accessories, promising a workhorse on the go and a gaming behemoth at home. Razer's take on this trend took CES by storm, running away from the electronics show with Best of CES awards for both People's Choice and Best PC. And why not? The Razer Blade Stealth is sleek with impressive specs and has a strong pedigree. Still, there's a problem: This ultraportable laptop ships without the GPU dock it needs to actually play games. Whoops.
EE's free portable chargers prove so popular there aren't any left
Mobile operators very rarely offer something for free, so when they do, you can expect that people will be quick to take advantage. That's exactly what's happened in the case of EE, which has seen over a million of its subscribers sign up for one of its free branded "Power Bars" in just four days. The rush for the 2,600mAh blue and yellow charger helped drive a 300 percent increase in visitors to stores over the weekend, inevitably resulting in a complete wipeout of stock.
LG's Sonos-fighting WiFi speakers add a battery powered option
The race to CES continues, and today we're saying hello to the 2015 generation of LG's Music Flow WiFi speakers. Last seen at the IFA trade show in Europe, the big addition this time around is its first battery-powered model, the H4. While Bluetooth speakers are a dime-a-dozen, LG claims that its approach -- linking the speakers via WiFi -- means users can keep streaming music from their phone, even when a call comes in, for example, or stream directly from any supported services. Sonos gained a direct WiFi link with its upgrade a few months ago, but this Music Flow setup (and related control app for Android or iOS) has been in the works from LG for a while. There are three other WiFi speakers and upgraded WiFi soundbars coming to the show in Las Vegas too, and hopefully when we see them there will be price tags attached.
Upp comes to the UK with the promise of hydrogen-fuelled device charging
If your smartphone dips into the red while you're out of the house, why scrabble for a portable battery when you can recharge with hydrogen? That's the sales pitch being made for the Upp, anyway. Intelligent Energy's first fuel cell charger is now available in Apple Stores across the UK, as well as on the Upp website. It gives power-hungry gadget fans a cleaner way to keep their devices topped up, but inevitably, there are some caveats. For one, the Upp charger will set you back a whopping £149, an amount that far exceeds the asking price for a handful of portable batteries. For another, the device is a little large and cumbersome; this isn't something you can just slide into a handbag or jacket pocket.
WD unveils a truly portable Thunderbolt drive for performance junkies
There are already a few portable hard drives that take advantage of Thunderbolt's brisk performance, but they have to plug into a wall outlet -- not very convenient when you're in the field. Western Digital is fixing that discrepancy today by unveiling the My Passport Pro, the first dual-drive Thunderbolt storage that takes its power solely from Intel's high-speed port. The drive isn't the fastest we've seen at about 233 MB/s, but it's still quick on its toes; it can copy that giant video project to your MacBook Pro in roughly half the time it would take on USB 3.0. If you're the sort who would rather not go hunting for power sockets while editing outside of the office, you can grab the My Passport Pro right now for $300 with 2TB of capacity, or $430 in 4TB form.
Nintendo announces 2DS handheld gaming system, $129 on October 12 (video)
Well, this is certainly a surprise. While the other big names in gaming are rolling out their new home consoles, Nintendo's bringing a new handheld to the table. Called the 2DS, it looks like a 3DS laid flat without the hinge, and as you might surmise from the name, no three dimensional graphics. IGN reports that the 2DS will come in red and blue (with the front either being black or white, depending upon region) and will cost $129 when it arrives on October 12. For your money you get a handheld that packs dual screens, two cameras round the back, a single speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus a 4GB SD card. The new handheld is considered to be a part of the 3DS family, and as such, it can play all 3DS and regular Nintendo DS games, and also provides access to 3DS apps like the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo is positioning the 2DS as a far more affordable option than the $169 3DS, which should make it the more palatable choice for parents with small children. Strong move, Nintendo, get 'em hooked while they're young.
