10 Cool New Gadgets to Keep on Your Radar

The Merak is the company’s first venture into CD players. And despite looking like a new-age portable CD player (which seems to be quite the rage right now), the Merak is very much designed as a fixed desktop component. It lacks a built-in battery. In addition to working like a desktop CD player, the Merak also functions as an all-in-one digital transport, DAC and headphone amplifier. According to the brand, it offers “a versatile and high-performance solution for both casual listeners and dedicated hi-fi enthusiasts.”

Eight years after its original release, the Canadian hi-fi manufacturer has introduced a second-generation (or v2) of its Premier Series of loudspeakers. Like before, this new affordable range is designed for those looking to take “the audiophile step up.” Each of the speakers features trickle-down technologies from the brand’s high-end lines. There are six models to choose from: two bookshelf, two floorstanding, and two center-channel speakers for those building out a home theater.

Summer is right around and a handheld portable fan is an EDC I think we can all get behind. Enter Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool, which you can consider the Rolls-Royce of the category. It’s the brand’s first-ever portable fan and, naturally, it’s engineered for excellence. It features a brushless 65,000-RPM DC motor that delivers 55mph of cool air right to the face. And despite that power, it promises not to be any louder than a common desk fan. It changes via USB-C and has an “up to six-hour” battery life. At $100, it’s cheap for Dyson but wildly expensive for a portable fan.

Polaroid’s Hi-Print 3×3 pulls double duty as both a portable printer and a digital picture frame. It’s designed to sit on a shelf and show off your smartphone photos digitally, as well as bring the really special ones into the physical world (so you can gift or hang on your fridge). It’s a mid-sized model that joins the company’s existing Hi-Print lineup, consisting of the smaller Hi-Print 2×3 and the desktop-friendly Hi-Print 4×6. As its name suggests, it produces 3×3-inch prints. Each model includes 10 prints right out of the box. Extra paper cartridges cost $30 for 30 sheets.

The MSX Series is a reimagining (or rebirth) of the company’s popular Minx speaker range, introduced in 2011. It’s the same modular speaker system, comprising four models: two small satellite speakers and two small subwoofers. The difference between the old Minx range and the new MSX Series is mostly aesthetic, as each speaker features a more refined, contemporary design. As before, they’re ultra-small, scalable passive speakers that can be configured for a range of stereo and surround sound setups. Basically, they deliver good sound without taking up much space.

The Eitr 2 is a digital-to-digital converter (DDC). It connects to your device via USB-C, reclocks the digital signal, and then outputs it to a new interface. While the original Eitr (released in 2017) only outputted via coaxial, the Eitr 2 can output via coaxial, AES/EBU, and Toslink, thus allowing it to work with a wider variety of sources. It also now supports Forkbeard, the brand’s proprietary app-based platform that gives you greater control over your system’s sound. According to Schiit, the Eitr 2 is designed to turn any old computer, tablet, or smartphone into “a world-class digital source.”

Samsung’s Music Studio 5 is a smaller version of the company’s Studio 5. It’s a wireless multi-room speaker with all the same capabilities, except it’s a 2.1-channel speaker and doesn’t have up-firing drivers. So, it supports Dolby Atmos, but can’t play as immersive a sound. Maybe most interestingly, like the Studio 7, the Studio 5 supports the company’s Q-Symphony technology, which lets you pair up to five Samsung sound devices to craft a home theater the way you want.

The Music Studio 7 is a wireless active speaker that’s capable of streaming high-resolution audio over Wi-Fi and can be configured in a multi-room system with Samsung’s other speakers, soundbars and TVs. And despite it looking like a bookshelf speaker, Samsung actually sells them as standalone speakers (two can be stereo-paired, of course). The speaker is essentially a rival to Sonos’s Era 300, as it features up-firing drivers and thus delivers a more immersive Dolby Atmos sound.

Samsung has officially introduced its soundbar lineup for 2026. And there are four models. The HW-Q990H ($1,999) is the flagship. It delivers a true 11.1.4 channel sound, thanks to wireless surrounds and a wireless subwoofer. Then there’s the entry-level HW-QS90H ($1,000), which is the brand’s “first all-in-one Samsung soundbar,” promising 7.1.2-channel sound without a separate subwoofer. Rounding out the lineup are the HW-Q900H ($1,500) and the HW-Q800H ($1,100), both of which fall as new mid-range options.

Panasonic’s ErgoFit has been one of the most popular affordable wired earphones for years. And now, finally, the company has introduced new versions with a USB-C connector (instead of 3.5mm) so that they can connect directly to your smartphone, laptop or tablet. Other than the new connector, everything about these wired earphones is the same: drivers, microphone and design. They are available in three finishes: white, blue or black.