Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the world's first integrated 5G IoT processors that are designed to support four major operating systems, in addition to two new robotics platforms, and an accelerator program for IoT ecosystem partners. These new innovations will empower manufacturers participating in the rapidly expanding world of devices at the connected intelligent edge.

The need for connected, intelligent, and autonomous devices is growing rapidly, and it is expected to hit $116 billion by 2030 according to Precedence Research. Businesses attempting to compete in this fast-moving economy need a reliable source of control and connectivity technology for their IoT and robotic devices. Qualcomm Technologies, which has shipped over 350 million dedicated IoT chipsets, is uniquely capable of providing manufacturers with the platforms needed to address this expanding segment.

MediaTek, a fabless semiconductor company powering two billion devices a year, and Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT and Embedded Computer Technology (ECT), today announced that Kontron is integrating MediaTek's Genio 1200 and Genio 700 chipsets into its new modules for IoT applications.

MediaTek Genio is a complete platform stack for IoT, offering brands powerful and efficient chipsets, open platform software development kits (SDK), and a developer portal with comprehensive resources and tools. Genio chipsets are ideal for a wide variety of commercial, industrial, and retail applications that require highly responsive processing, advanced multimedia support, and multi-tasking.

Smartphone brands hoped that the promotional activities related to the year-end holiday season or initiated by e-commerce companies would lead to a significant reduction in channel inventory near the end of 2022. However, the recent downturn of the global economy continued to impact consumer confidence in 4Q22, so smartphone sales were lower than expected and thereby dragged down the speed of inventory consumption. Moreover, the labor shortage problem at Foxconn's electronics assembly base in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou affected Apple's efforts to raise iPhone production in 4Q22. According to TrendForce's latest research, quarterly global smartphone production totaled around 301 million for 4Q22, reflecting a QoQ growth of 4% and a YoY decline of 15.5%.

Earlier in 1H22, China's enforcement of its zero-COVID policy and the Russia-Ukraine military conflict caused the demand for consumer electronics to plunge. Later in 2H22, the global economy experienced a decline that was worse than expected as factors such as high inflation, food shortages, and rising energy prices came into play. As a result, consumer demand was further weakened. Besides these negative factors, the high level of channel inventory was also a major reason as to why smartphone brands suffered a drop in annual device production. Based on TrendForce's calculation, annual global smartphone production fell by 10.6% YoY to 1.192 billion units for 2022. This YoY decline was larger than one recorded for the year when the COVID-19 pandemic first emerged.

JLab is turning up the volume on the overlooked work-from-home category by expanding its signature innovation to its new Work Collection of keyboards, mice, webcams and microphones in the UK. They are currently available on Amazon UK with high street retailers also expected to stock very soon.

Studies have cited that the shift to remote work during the pandemic has brought a heightened level of productivity among office workers, and a recent Gallup State of the Workforce study found with 70% of workers would prefer a hybrid office arrangement in the future. To satisfy the diverse and evolving needs of the work-from-home contingent to a neglected category, JLab's new computer peripherals include mice and keyboards that seamlessly switch between three devices further evolving to today's evolving work-life blending. The new Work Collection is available in three product categories, GO, JBuds, and Epic. Further launches in these categories are expected throughout the year in the UK.

Geekbench 6, the latest version of the best cross-platform benchmark, has arrived and is loaded with new and improved workloads to measure the performance of your CPUs and GPUs. Geekbench 6 is available for download today for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

A lot has changed in the tech world in the past three years. Smartphone cameras take bigger and better pictures. Artificial intelligence, especially machine learning, has become ubiquitous in general and mobile applications. The number of cores in computers and mobile devices continues to rise. And how we interact with our computers and mobile devices has changed dramatically - who would have guessed that video conferencing would suddenly surge in 2020?

A new Android tablet has launched today, courtesy of Chinese phone maker OnePlus. However, the name leaves a lot to be desired, as OnePlus decided to call its new tablet, the Pad. There were enough jokes going around when the iPad was launched and we can only guess the OnePlus Pad isn't going to fare much better, although, as it's a much smaller brand, they might get away with it. Regardless of the naff product name, the OnePlus Pad is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 SoC, which has been paired with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 flash memory.

The standout feature of the Pad is its 11.61-inch 2800 x 2000 pixel resolution IPS display, with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz. The odd resolution means that it has a 7:5 aspect ratio, something never before seen in a tablet and it places it somewhere between a 3:2 and a 4:3 display in terms of the aspect ratio. The panel offers up to 500 nits brightness and a 1400:1 contrast ratio and the Pad is said to have an 88.14 percent screen-to-body ratio. The back of the Pad is home to a 13 Megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video and around the front is an 8 Megapixel camera with 1080p video support. OnePlus has kitted out the Pad with a 9,510 mAh battery which is said to be good for 14 and a half hours of usage and a full charge from empty takes only 80 minutes thanks to support for 67 W SuperVOOC charging. The housing is made of aluminium and OnePlus offers an optional magnetic keyboard and a stylus for the Pad. No pricing was announced.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23, marking a new era of Samsung Galaxy's ultimate premium phone experience. Samsung Galaxy's epic camera gives users more freedom to explore their creativity, like capturing truly cinematic Nightography videos with transformative AI. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy unleashes premium experiences, including groundbreaking AI, future-ready mobile gaming feature and powerfully sustained game play with the world's fastest mobile graphics. On the Galaxy S23 Ultra, an embedded S Pen that many long-time Samsung Galaxy users know and love offers more possibilities for productivity, notetaking, hobbies and more. All the Galaxy S23 series' new standard-setting innovations are housed within a striking design that advances the company's sustainability commitment with more components made using recycled materials than any other Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

"The value of impactful technology is measured, not just by what it enables for people today, but also how it contributes to a better future," said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "The entire Galaxy S23 series is the new standard-bearer of trustworthy premium smartphone experiences. We're on a mission to redefine peak performance by bringing together powerful, lasting innovations and sustainability."

Today, Nex Computer is excited to announce the launch of NexDock Wireless, the latest version of its innovative device that turns smartphones into a laptop. With NexDock Wireless, users can now connect their smartphones to the device wirelessly using Bluetooth and Miracast technology. This means that they can enjoy all the benefits of NexDock, including a larger screen, physical keyboard, and trackpad, without the need for a cable.

"We're thrilled to bring NexDock Wireless to market," said Emre Kosmaz, CEO and founder of Nex Computer. "This latest version takes the convenience and versatility of NexDock to the next level, and we can't wait for users to experience it for themselves."

IK Multimedia releases iRig Stream Mic Pro, combining a professional multi-pattern condenser microphone and 24-bit, 96 kHz audio interface for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and PC into a single ultra-portable solution for music and content creation. iRig Stream Mic Pro makes it easier than ever for users to share their voice and music.

Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone
With dual mic capsules, iRig Stream Mic Pro offers selectable cardioid, figure 8, omnidirectional or stereo pickup patterns. These patterns range from noise-rejecting to immersive audio, so whether it's recording a podcast, interview, instrument or ensemble, the sound signal is crisp, clear and detailed with easily adjustable gain and selectable high-pass filter.

Following the release of the award-winning Razer Kishi V2 for Android last year, Razer announced a major update to their Razer Nexus software and Kishi V2 for Android controller firmware. The new Virtual Controller Mode allows all Kishi V2 for Android owners to use their controller to play touch-screen games. This new addition brings console-quality controls to all mobile platforms for the ultimate mobile gaming experience.

Razer's solution relies on a novel combination of hardware in the Kishi V2 controller and software in the Razer Nexus app, to enable reliable, secure, and easy-to-use controller support on countless touch-screen games. Virtual Controller Mode is available as a free update to all Kishi V2 for Android owners today, via the Razer Nexus app on the Google Play Store. This feature will also be rolling out to the Razer Edge in Q1 2023.

As hybrid living continues to blur the lines between work and recreation, consumers are prioritizing convenience and premium experiences from more multifaceted and personalized technology. Both at home and on the go, people now demand versatile tech that can enable them to do more in all aspects of their lives - whether collaborating across devices or simplifying to fewer.

With this in mind, today Lenovo introduced bold new products to address the wide-ranging needs of the modern consumer. The new, cutting-edge Yoga Book 9i hails a new chapter for Yoga in incredible innovation, premium style, and performance for versatile experiences. Redefining what an all-in-one desktop computer could look like, the Yoga AIO 9i is more than meets the eye. In tablets, the new feature-rich Lenovo Tab Extreme and Lenovo Smart Paper digital notepad introduce exciting capabilities for school, home, and beyond. Last but not least, Lenovo's Project Chronos concept (formal name forthcoming) is a new technology that captures a user's movement and enables them to interact with and perform activities in 3D virtual worlds without glasses or wearables.

Ahead of CES 2023, MediaTek today announced the latest chipset in the Genio platform for IoT devices, the octa-core Genio 700 designed for smart home, smart retail, and industrial IoT products. The new chipset will be featured as part of a demo at MediaTek's booth at CES 2023. With a focus on power efficiency, the MediaTek Genio 700 is a N6 (6 nm) IoT chipset that boasts two ARM A78 cores running at 2.2 GHz and six ARM A55 cores at 2.0 GHz while providing 4.0 TOPs AI accelerator. It comes with support for FHD 60p + 4K 60p display, as well as an ISP for better images.

"When we launched the Genio family of IoT products last year, we designed the platform with the scalability and development support that brands need, paving the way for opportunities to continue expanding," said Richard Lu, Vice President of MediaTek IoT Business Unit. "With a focus on industrial and smart home products, the Genio 700 is a perfect natural addition to the lineup to ensure we can provide the widest range of support possible to our customers."

Ahead of CES, Lenovo unveiled its latest generation of consumer devices loaded with standout features and enhancements designed to help people connect with their passions and achieve their daily goals. With five new performance-driving and portable IdeaPad laptops, a sleek and compact IdeaCentre desktop, and a 9-inch Lenovo tablet, these devices are designed for all the spaces and places in line with the on-the-go lifestyle of today's consumer. Whether working, studying, creating, or just catching up with friends out of town, these new products offer speed, versatility, and convenience to suit their needs wherever they are.

"As consumers continue to seek out the most effective ways of working and studying in a hybrid world where versatility and convenience are paramount, Lenovo's IdeaPad products continue to provide reliability and performance at incredible value," says Jun OuYang, Vice President of the Consumer Segment, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. "This latest generation of products come with a range of striking new features and enhancements that significantly improve the user experience while still maintaining its reputation as an affordable product."

MediaTek today announced the Dimensity 8200, the company's newest chipset for premium 5G smartphones. Smartphones powered by the Dimensity 8200 will offer flagship level experiences - including connectivity, gaming, multimedia, displays and imaging - at a more accessible price point. Built on the 4 nm-class process, the new chipset delivers unparalleled power efficiency. It also integrates an octa-core CPU with four Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at up to 3.1 GHz, along with a powerful Mali-G610 graphics engine, for better performance across applications.

To enhance gaming performance, the chipset takes advantage of MediaTek's HyperEngine 6.0 gaming technologies so users can enjoy smooth high framerate gameplay without suffering connection drops, FPS jitter, or gameplay hiccups. MediaTek's Intelligent Display Sync 2.0 technology intelligently adjusts the display refresh rate according to the game frame rate detected, which helps provide smoother viewing experiences.

Today, C+A Global, an authorized brand licensee of HP, announced the launch of the HP Sprocket Studio Plus Photo Printer, a newly redesigned printer with the ability to print vibrant 4x6" photos. The Studio Plus serves as a personal photo lab, printing bright, glossy photos that can be used in picture frames, to create greeting cards, collages, and more. The launch of the Studio Plus adds to a robust, existing lineup of HP Sprocket printers, ensuring there's one to suit every need.

With efficient Bluetooth capabilities, photos can be snapped on any smartphone (iOS or Android) then edited and printed directly through the HP Sprocket application. The app allows users to get creative and enhance the beauty of their photos with stylish borders, stickers, filters, text, and more. Users can also take advantage of exploring various photo creations within the app - creating a multi-photo collage, taking a professional photo ID, or embracing the fun photo booth feature. Customized photos can be shared on social media directly as well. Following suit with the current line of HP Sprocket printers, the HP Sprocket Studio Plus is also travel-friendly. To take your photo printer on the go, simply disconnect the printing tray and secure it to the top of the printer.

During the Snapdragon Summit 2022, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Adobe announced an expanded collaboration to support creative experiences on Snapdragon powered devices across mobile, compute, and XR platforms. Together, the companies will push the boundaries of creativity and document productivity for Snapdragon users.

Building on the rich experiences already found with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom for Windows on Snapdragon devices, Adobe remains committed to bringing the best of Creative Cloud natively to the Snapdragon platform, including Adobe Fresco and Adobe Acrobat. Bringing the strength of Adobe Sensei, Adobe's artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, alongside the dedicated on-device Qualcomm AI Engine on Snapdragon compute platforms, users can experience enhanced device performance for creative workflows and tasks including super-resolution, background removal and color enhancement, editing content on-the-go, and more.

Best-selling gaming headset and leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR) today announced the launch of the Turtle Beach Atom Controller, the brand's new hyper-portable mobile gaming controller. The Atom Controller is an easily packable and portable mobile gaming controller with a unique design. The Atom's two ergonomic grip modules fit nearly every size Android 8.0+ smartphone, and adjustable spring-loaded clamps ensure there is no need to remove phone cases. The two Atom modules stay connected wirelessly to perform as a single unit when gaming using Turtle Beach's proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless link, while low-latency Bluetooth guarantees a lag-free connection with Android smartphones when cloud gaming on Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, Steam Link, and more. When it's time to stow-and-go, the two Atom modules magnetically connect to easily fit in a pocket or in its included carrying case.

An exclusive Designed for Xbox Atom Controller is available in Black and Yellow and features the Xbox Guide button plus a complimentary 1-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The Atom Controller also comes in Black and Teal and Red versions, and all three colorways are available today at www.turtlebeach.com and participating retailers worldwide for $99.99 MSRP.

Worldwide tablet shipments were down 8.8% year over year in the third quarter of 2022 (3Q22), totaling 38.6 million units, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. This was the fifth straight quarter of decline for the tablet market. Chromebook shipments also struggled in 3Q22, falling to 4.3 million units and a year-over-year decline of 34.4%. Both markets have now shifted from supply constrained industries to ones that are demand challenged as consumer and education spending has slowed in the face of economic uncertainties.

Chinese vendors continue to do well in emerging markets where there is low-end demand. Sanctions from many vendors also enabled Chinese vendors like Huawei to perform well in the Russian market. Meanwhile, the emergence of low-priced Chinese OEMs like Realme, Xiaomi, Oppo and others, has fueled strong competition in the lower range devices. However, these gains still couldn't offset the decline experienced by the main tablet vendors.

Today Nothing introduced its most advanced audio experience to date, Ear (stick). Featuring up to 29 hours playtime, a 12.6 mm custom driver, and a comfortable half-in ear design, Nothing Ear (stick) delivers powerfully authentic sound with a featherlight feel, for just $99 USD / $149 CAD. "As we're about to cross one million products sold worldwide, I can't wait for people to get their hands on our third product, Ear (stick). It balances comfort while delivering our most advanced sound experience to date. The case is inspired by lipstick silhouettes and features a unique, yet functional, twist opening," said Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing.

A supremely comfortable half in-ear design, Ear (stick) offers users a new choice in the Nothing audio ecosystem, delivered in a unique, compact cylindrical case inspired by cosmetic silhouettes. The earbuds sit less intrusively in the ear canal for a naturally comfortable fit. Ergonomically shaped and tested on over 100 people, Nothing Ear (stick) feels weightless at just 4.4 g per earbud, for effortless all-day wear.

Basemark launched today GPUScore Sacred Path. It is the world's only cross-platform GPU benchmark that includes the latest GPU technologies like Variable Rate Shading (VRS). Sacred Path supports all the relevant device categories - ranging from premium mobile phones to high-end gaming PCs and discrete graphics cards, including full support of the major operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.

This benchmark is of great importance for application vendors, device manufacturers, GPU vendors and IT Media. Game developers need a thorough understanding of performance across the device range to optimize the use of the same assets across a maximum device range. GPU vendors and device manufacturers can compare their products with competitor products, which allows them to develop new product ranges with the correct targeting. In addition, Sacred Path is a true asset for media reviewing any GPU-equipped devices.

Verizon, the Network America relies on, together with Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the Razer Edge 5G, the ultimate 5G handheld gaming device during the keynote address of RazerCon 2022. This groundbreaking collaboration will bring to market the world's first dedicated 5G handheld console—equipped with the world's most advanced display of any gaming handheld, powered by the latest Snapdragon G3xFort Gen 1 Gaming Platform, and running on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, the 5G network for gaming. It is specifically engineered to provide the best gaming performance while on the go.

"The core concept of every product we put out always boils down to one thing, our 'For Gamers. By Gamers.' motto," said Richard Hashim, Head of Razer's Mobile & Console Division. "With the Razer Edge, we've created the ultimate handheld gaming platform. Together with Verizon and Qualcomm, we designed the Razer Edge 5G to be a true gamer device, capable of supporting gamers' entire catalogs of AAA games or allowing them to stream endlessly online, taking their gaming experience on the go with low latency."

BenQ, internationally renowned innovator of visual solutions and digital lifestyle devices, unveiled today GV11 smart portable projector, focusing the company's professional color expertise and quality leadership into an ideal personal entertainment appliance.

Offering unlimited enjoyment for modern lifestyles with space and time constraints, GV11 provides the freedom of rotating-angle ceiling / wall / screen projection and battery-powered portability with the convenience of certified Android TV content diversity in an all-in-one audio-visual design.

Expected to be announced later today, Logitech's G Cloud handheld gaming device has been leaked courtesy of Amazon Canada. Although the full specs are yet to be revealed, we now know a lot more about the device. For starters, it'll have a 7-inch 1080p touch screen with 60 Hz refresh rate. The G Cloud weighs in at 463 grams and is said to offer 12 hours plus battery life. Other hardware features include dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-C connectivity.

On the software side, it appears that the G Cloud runs custom version of Android with support for not only Google Play apps, but also NVIDIA's GeForce Now and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming services. The G Cloud also supports haptics, remappable controls and it has a built in gyroscope which suggests that the entire device can be used for controlling supported games. According to Amazon Canada, the release date is the 18th of October.

The brand that invented noise cancelling headphones is once again transforming the industry. Today, Bose announces its next generation of truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds—the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. With Bose CustomTune sound calibration technology, QC Earbuds II intelligently personalize audio and noise cancellation performance to the unique shape of every ear—resulting in an unprecedented listening experience and the world's best noise cancellation from any headphone—banded or in-ear.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II have an all-new design. Each bud is about one-third smaller than its predecessor, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, and they come in a pocketable charging case. And for further personalization, they also include an eartip Fit Kit featuring a new two-piece system with interchangeable stability bands and eartips—delivering the all-day comfort and wearability the QuietComfort name is known for.

Around 20 years ago, most people replaced their phones on a yearly basis in some countries, largely due to the fact that if you signed the right mobile service contract, you got a free phone. These days, it's not nearly as common to get a free device with your service, but then again, mobile service contracts also tend to cost much less these days in many countries. As such, people retain their devices longer, which has put the device upgrade cycle somewhere around the two or three year mark. Now the EU is proposing new regulations that will force the mobile device makers to re-think the current status quo, as the European Commission regulators are considering asking mobile device makers to offer not just better battery life, but also spare part availability for as long as five years after a device was launched.

When it comes to battery life, the EU Commission is intending to offer the device manufacturers two options. The first is that they'll have to offer batteries that can deliver 83 percent of their rated capacity after 500 charging cycles, followed by 80 percent capacity after 1000 charging cycles. Alternatively, they can offer replacement batteries and phone back covers to its end-user customers, so they can replace their batteries once the batteries no longer hold charge that meets the owners expectations.