Sonos announced that its new big hardware event is going to happen next month, with most rumors pointing to a new smaller portable speaker. Apple rolled out new replacement programs for malfunctioning MacBook Pros and Apple Watches. And, of course, Nintendo announced a bunch of new games coming to the Switch. On top of that, a lot of new gadgets were also announced — we've rounded up some of the most notable ones below.
BenQ X1300i 4LED Gaming Projector
BenQ announced the X1300i this week and it's marketing it as the first true gaming projector that's optimized for the PS5 or Xbox Series X. The 3,000-lumen projector will play 1080p content — so not true 4K content — at extremely low latency (8.3ms@120Hz), which is needed for competitive gamers. Additionally, it has built-in speakers and an Android TV operating system so it functions as any traditional smart TV — but it can create up to a 150-inch screen.
Price: $1,299
Wyze Bulb Color
It seems like just yesterday that Wyze was known just for its $20 smart home camera, the Wyze Cam, but in the past year (or more) the company has pushed out a line of affordable smart home gadgets. This week it announced the Wyze Bulb Color, its first set of color-changing smart bulbs. It works exactly the same as the company's existing Wyze Bulb, but now you can select from nearly infinite — or 16 million, according to the company —colors and temperatures to get your ambiance just right. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant.
Price: $35 (4-pack)
Nomad MagSafe Cases for iPhone 12
Nomad, one of the most popular makers of smartphone cases, announced its first iPhone 12 cases that fully support MagSafe. This means they're fully compatible with MagSafe accessories and can wirelessly fast-charge at up to 15-watts. There are two MagSafe cases that Nomad offers, which are essentially just MagSafe versions of the company's existing and popular Rugged and Rugged Folio lines.
Price: $60
Xbox Wireless Headset
Microsoft announced a new wireless headset for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this week. The aptly-named Xbox Wireless Headset is basically a way nicer gaming headset than the company's existing Xbox One Stereo and Wired Chat headsets. The earcups are actually rotating volume control dials, similar to the company's noise-canceling Surface Headphones, and there's high-quality boom microphone. Additionally, the headset supports all the latest surround sound technologies, including Dolby Atmos.
The headset is available for pre-order right now and shipping set for March 16. (But beware, these things are selling out fast.)
Price: $100
Amazon Cuckoo Clock
This week, Amazon announced three new products — a cuckoo clock, a smart sticky note printer and a smart nutrition scale — that fall under the company's new "Build It" program. You can't actually buy these products yet, however, because "Built It" is essentially a Kickstarter-like program where if enough customers back a certain product, then it gets made. So, if interested, you can pre-order any one of the previously-mentioned products and, given that it's Amazon and most of these products will likely be fully backed, it'll ship to you in the coming months.
Price: $80
Throwboy 1984 Throw Blanket
While technically not a gadget, this throw blanket is too cool not to mention. It's made by Throwboy, a company that has made a name for itself making pillows and blankets modeled after classic Apple devices (like the first iPhone and iPad), and this specific throw blanket is modeled after Apple's first Macintosh that was released in 1984. Too cool.
Price: $47
Satechi R1 Bluetooth Presentation Remote
Satechi released a Bluetooth clicker that's perfect for controlling presentations on your Mac or iPad. The R1 clicker looks similar to an Apple TV remote (which people admittedly have a love/hate relationship with) but has special buttons to control presentations on PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides and Prezi. It even an integrated laser pointer.
Price: $45
OWC Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C Cable
OWC announced a universal USB-C to USB-C cable that's fully compatible with Thunderbolt 3, USB 4, USB 3 and, most importantly, Thunderbolt 4. It can basically do anything you need out of a USB-C cable. It can connect and support any USB-C device, whether it's a pair of headphones or a new laptop. It can deliver power up to 100 watts and transfer data up to 40Gb/s. And it can connect your laptop up to an 8K monitor.
Price: $28
