With PC motherboard manufacturers implementing 40 Gbps USB4, one wonders what's next for the [mostly] universal connectivity standard. Turns out, it is USB4 2.0, which yields the connector 80 Gbps of data bandwidth per direction, and 60 W of power-delivery (PD). Power delivery for USB4 2.0 can be as high as 240 W (48 V, 5 A). Japanese PC peripherals maker Elecom is the first with certified cables for both 80 Gbps + 60 W PD and 80 Gbps + 240 W PD. Besides power and data, both cables support DisplayPort passthrough for up to 8K @ 60 Hz (7680 x 4320 pixels). USB-IF, the governing body of the USB standard, is expected to formally launch USB4 2.0 in December 2024. A typical USB4 2.0 host controller will require at least a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 system bus connection to reach the standard's maximum bandwidth.

Today, Bose welcomes a new addition to its iconic SoundLink Bluetooth speaker family: the SoundLink Home Bluetooth Speaker. Compact yet powerful, the SoundLink Home Speaker delivers premium sound in a sleek design capable of blending seamlessly into any room. Wireless and versatile, it offers great acoustics and aesthetics — capable of tuning any space to your musical mood.

Premium, proven audio with no fuss, just music
Hear every note as a full-range transducer and dual passive radiators turn vibrations into deep bass that fills any room, producing a sensorial experience defying its size. The SoundLink Home Speaker has been optimized for flexibility with a USB-C audio input to plug and play from a laptop or any other music source. Turn up the volume by linking two SoundLink Home speakers together to create a unique stereo experience using the speakers as left and right channels.

MSI unveils the X870E and X870 motherboards, designed to harness the full power of AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series desktop processors. The lineup includes four models: MEG X870E GODLIKE, MPG X870E CARBON WIFI, MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, and PRO X870-P WIFI. These motherboards deliver exceptional value and performance with cutting-edge features and exclusive MSI innovations. Offering top components, innovative features, and easy DIY options, MSI's X870E and X870 motherboards make building and using your PC seamless.

Introducing MSI's Ultra Connect feature in the X870E and X870 motherboards, offering next-gen networking, storage, and expansion. With built-in 5G LAN and Wi-Fi 7, users can enjoy lightning-fast speeds, reaching up to 5.8 Gbps. As well as TriLink Connectivity, Expansion is made to future-proof with PCIe Gen 5.0 for next-gen graphics cards and SSDs. The USB4 ports, which are Thunderbolt compatible, enable fast data transfers and support a wide range of next-gen devices, including display output through USB-C.

To deliver additional storage capacity options to PS5 and PS4 console users, Seagate Technology Holdings plc today announced its officially licensed PlayStation Game Drive External SSD. The new external SSD will further expand Seagate's popular line of storage for gamers. The new Game Drive External SSD is officially licensed by PlayStation for PS5 and PS4 console gamers needing additional fast and large capacity storage and comes with 1 TB and 2 TB capacity options.

For PS4 console players looking to build a massive library of readily accessible games, the drive eliminates the need to redownload files and spend time freeing up space. For PS5 console players, it's designed for gamers who are looking for additional storage for recording gameplay sessions or want to keep their collection of PS4 titles. To ensure seamless game transfers, the drive features a high-speed USB 3.2 Type-C interface. It also comes with USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to USB-C cables for easy plug-and-play use.

Cytrence, a leading innovator in automation and robotic tooling, proudly announces the official launch of Cytrence Kiwi, the first advanced KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) device over USB 3. Designed to revolutionize how engineers, IT professionals, and tech enthusiasts manage their multi-device setups, Kiwi offers unmatched performance and flexibility, establishing itself as truly one-of-a-kind in the industry.

Kiwi offers a host of innovative features, including:

• Cross-Device Control: Use your laptop or PC's keyboard and mouse to control another device seamlessly.
• Ultra-fast Video Performance over USB 3 SuperSpeed
• Compact Design: Weighing only 25 grams and fitting into the palm of your hand, Kiwi is portable and easy to use in any environment.

Apple today introduced iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, featuring Apple Intelligence, larger display sizes, new creative capabilities with innovative pro camera features, stunning graphics for immersive gaming, and more—all powered by the A18 Pro chip. With Apple Intelligence, powerful Apple-built generative models come to iPhone in the easy-to-use personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy. Camera Control unlocks a fast, intuitive way to tap into visual intelligence and easily interact with the advanced camera system. Featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 FPS video recording in Dolby Vision, these new Pro models achieve the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone. Additional advancements include a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio. The durable titanium design is strong yet lightweight, with larger display sizes, the thinnest borders on any Apple product, and a huge leap in battery life—with iPhone 16 Pro Max offering the best battery life on iPhone ever.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in four stunning finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 13, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.

Magewell's USB Capture family has long been the gold standard for professional video capture devices, earning a reputation for being the easiest and most reliable way to bring video and audio signals into software for live streaming, video conferencing, medical imaging and more. Magewell has expanded the renowned product line with the unveiling of a new model that captures video sources up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second - the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro. The new model will be demonstrated alongside other Magewell innovations in stand 7.A44 at the IBC2024 exhibition in Amsterdam from September 13 to 16.

Magewell's compact USB Capture devices enable computers including laptops to capture high-quality AV signals through a USB interface, with no additional power source required. The new USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro offers everything that users love about the existing USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus model, while leveraging 20 Gbps USB transfer performance on compatible host systems to enable the capture of 4K video at higher frame rates and color precision.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announces the Razer Kraken V4 and the Razer Kraken V4 X gaming headsets. Building on a legacy spanning over 12 years since the first Razer Kraken headset, and celebrating over 20 million units shipped worldwide, these headsets are the latest evolution in Razer's renowned Kraken lineup. Known for redefining immersive gaming audio, the Kraken V4 line offers innovative features, stunning lighting effects, and versatile connectivity options, providing gamers with the ultimate immersive gaming experience.

3 Modes of Connectivity for Seamless Versatility
The Razer Kraken V4 supports Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, Bluetooth, and USB connections, delivering seamless audio across devices including PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and mobile. This versatility ensures full immersion with ultra-fast 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or a wired USB connection for uninterrupted gameplay.

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC), today announced the launch of the new MultiSync DD-EA272U 27" desktop display. This fully featured high resolution LCD display is ideal for users in corporate, finance, healthcare and education.

High-Quality Image Performance
The DD-EA272U features an IPS LCD panel with great viewing angles and an immersive 4K UHD native resolution. With a 3-sided ultra-narrow bezel, the DD-EA272U is designed to eliminate distractions when used in multi-monitor configurations.

Simply NUC, Inc., a leading custom computing company, proudly announced the launch of the Scorpion Canyon NUC 14 Performance device across their global websites, a revolutionary PC workstation designed to meet diverse computing needs. Featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" CPUs, Intel Arc integrated graphics, and optional NVIDIA RTX 4060 or 4070 graphics, the NUC 14 Performance redefines computing in a compact form factor.

"Introducing the NUC 14 Performance is a significant milestone for us," said Aaron Rowsell, Founder & President of Simply NUC. "This product family ushers in advanced AI capabilities and top-tier graphics in computing power. With unmatched performance, AI-readiness, and a sleek tool-less design, the NUC 14 Performance sets a new standard for compact workstations."

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the Azoth Extreme, a custom 75% gaming keyboard featuring a precision-crafted aluminium-alloy chassis with metal frame, delivering premium aesthetics and top-tier wireless performance. A carbon-fiber positioning plate delivers a crisp typing feel and keeps keystroke vibrations down to a minimum. The keyboard includes an adjustable gasket mount that can be toggled to offer a hard or soft typing feel via a quick-flip switch. A full-color OLED touchscreen on the top right corner of the keyboard can show system info and keyboard settings; with the adjacent three-way knob allowing for instant volume, multimedia, lighting adjustments, and settings customization. An extended wrist rest ensures comfortable typing experiences and retains its firmness over time.

Superior build quality
The eye-catching ROG Azoth Extreme gaming keyboard boasts a premium aluminium-alloy chassis with a metal frame that undergoes an intricate 12-step manufacturing process that includes sandblasting, anodizing, CNC machining, and more. Additionally, the Azoth Extreme achieves an impressive 8000 Hz polling rate when used with the ROG Polling Rate Booster, while offering up to 1600 hours of battery life.

Cable Matters, a leader in providing top-tier connectivity solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable manufactured by Lintes Technology Co., Ltd. The cable is available in 3 different lengths: 1 foot, 1.6 feet and 3.3 feet. This latest innovation delivers unparalleled performance, supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional data transfer and up to 120 Gbps of video bandwidth, a substantial leap from the previous Thunderbolt 4 technology.

The new Thunderbolt 5 cable by Cable Matters represents a significant advancement in connectivity technology, offering increased bandwidth and power delivery capabilities. The Bandwidth Boost technology enables the cable to transmit up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience, providing up to 3 times increase over Thunderbolt 4's maximum bandwidth. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for demanding applications such as high-resolution video streaming, extensive data transfer, and high-speed gaming.

AVID Products, a Rhode Island-based audio company, is thrilled to unveil their latest innovation in headset technology—the AVIGA gaming headset. Designed to deliver high-quality sound, performance, and comfort at an accessible price point, AVIGA aims to amplify the esports experience for gamers of all levels.

The AVIGA gaming headset made its debut at DreamHack in Dallas, a globally renowned gaming festival held from May 31st to June 2nd, 2024, bringing together over 45,000 gamers from around the world. This premier event set the stage to showcase AVIGA's high-quality audio and gamer-focused features to an enthusiastic audience.

Currently, only Phison offers widely available performance PCIe 5.0 NVMe controllers for consumer SSDs, although the competition is heating up and Chinese SSD controller makers MaxioTek and InnoGrit, as well as Taiwanese Silicon Motion either have or will be releasing competing controllers this year. However, it also looks like Taiwanese Realtek will be joining the fray, albeit a tad late, as their upcoming RTS5782 PCIe 5.0 NVMe controller, but the company didn't reveal a release schedule. Although Realtek is known as a more budget friendly chipmaker, regardless of the product segment, the RTS5782 will be an 8-channel controller with support for 3600 MT/s NAND, and it will have a dedicated DRAM cache using either DDR4, LPDDR3, LPDDR4 or LPDDR4x memory. It's said to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 14 GB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 12 GB/s, with random read and write IOPS hitting 2500K.

Realtek is also working on a pair of new DRAM-less models, the PCIe 4.0 RTS5776DL and the PCIe r5.0 RTS5781DL, both having support for 4-channel flash, but still supporting NAND speeds of up to 3600 MT/s. Engineering samples of the RTS5776DL are expected to be available before the end of this year, and it's said to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 7400 MB/s and random read and write IOPS of 1200K. The RTS5781DL will enter the engineering sample stage in the beginning of 2025 and will up the sequential read and write performance to 10 GB/s and the random read and write IOPS to 1400K. In addition to the new NVMe controllers, Realtek also had its RTS5736DL on display at Computex, which the company claims is the world's lowest power DRAM-less SATA SSD controller, that also supports size of up to 8 TB. Realtek claims the RTS5736DL is an ideal solution to pair with a USB 3.x bridge chip for external drives.

ASUS today announced the unveiling of a groundbreaking lineup of displays at Computex 2024. These all-new monitors include the stunning ProArt Display 5K and 8K professional range, flexible ZenScreen displays and wellness-focused ASUS VU displays. These cutting-edge screens are designed to boost professional content creation, hybrid work, entertainment and well-being - ready to provide unrivalled windows of clarity on the exciting new era of AI-powered computing.

ASUS ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV: Redefining your 5K dream
The all-new ASUS ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV is a 27-inch 5K high-PPI professional monitor, featuring a stunning 5120 x 2880 resolution and 218 high-PPI display for unparalleled clarity and color accuracy. With 99% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB wide color gamut, it ensures true-to-life color reproduction. It features ASUS LuxPixel technology that includes an anti-glare and low reflection (AGLR) coating for a paper-like screen effect. Unlike a traditional matte finish, which can soften images, this special formulation provides exceptional pixel color fidelity and sharp details for extended creative session. Calman Verified and factory calibrated for Delta E < 2 color accuracy, it's trusted for precise color grading.

Elgato, Corsair's game streaming and content creator-focussed brand, showcased its latest portfolio of Stream Deck control panels, mics, lighting, and boom armatures, except they're all so colorful and themed. We've seen not just Elgato, but even Corsair, pivot to customization, with its Corsair Custom Lab service. Elgato has its Wave 3 microphones in close to a dozen new design collections, and its Stream Deck control panels in eight of them. Most notably, their Fallout collection that they recently announced.

Elgato also showed off its next-generation Neo series of Stream Deck, Wave microphone, Facecam, and Key Light. These come in a silvery-white finish, and a more compacted design. The Stream Deck Neo features eight programmable buttons, each with a higher resolution OLED display, and a rectangular display called the Infobar. Although designed for its core market of game streamers, Elgato is also targeting the home-office crowd with this device. It is priced at $99.99. The Facecam Neo is a high-performance 1080p 60 Hz HDR webcam with a 26 mm 1:2.0 autofocus lens, and a CMOS sensor. The central theme behind the Neo series carries on, and this webcam is targeted as much toward the home-office crowd as it is at game streamers.

MSI also brought plenty of SSD products to the Computex 2024 show, including the new SPATIUM M560 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD based on the Phison E31T controller and Kioxia's 218-layer BiCS 3D TLC NAND, the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution, and a couple of SSD accessories, including the DATAMAG Magnetic Portable SSD and the DATAVAULT SSD Enclosure.

As said, the new SPATIUM M560 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD will use the Phison 7 nm E31T controller paired up with Kioxia 8th generation 218-layer BiCS 3D TLC NAND and offer transfer rates of up to 10,000 MB/s. The controller, according to MSI, should bring up to a 15 percent reduction in power consumption as well as "maximize bandwidths and link efficiency". It will be available in 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities, and MSI will probably have a version that will include the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution which has been also showcased at the Computex 2024 show. MSI says that this is yet another world's first, which uses "a two-phase flow transition of gas and liquid with minimal signal interference, ensuring rapid and silent heat exchange." According to MSI, the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution should provide up to 11 degrees lower temperature compared to a standard aluminium heatsink.

It appears that Sony decided to sneak out a new product during the already busy Computex week of new product announcements. This is something many PC gamers have been waiting for, at least those interested in VR gaming. Although the device itself is a rather nondescript black box with a cable at one end, it delivers what many have been hoping for, PC support for Sony's PlayStation VR2 headset. The little black box has inputs for the PlayStation VR2 headset and a single DisplayPort 1.4 input which is connected to your graphics card of choice, as well as a USB port for communication with the PC and a power input of some kind. The only potential downside here is that the adapter won't work with some gaming laptops that only have HDMI display output.

Sony's system requirements are rather pedestrian, although the company is recommending a GeForce RTX 3060 or an AMD Radeon RX 6600XT or better graphics card, for best performance. Another minimum requirement which not everyone might have on their desktop systems, is support for Bluetooth 4.0 or later, but this can easily be resolved with a cheap USB dongle. Sony didn't reveal the full hardware details, which makes it unclear if an extra power source is needed, but it's clear from one of the two photos provided by the company, that there's more to it than just the DisplayPort and USB cables. The adapter doesn't work on PC without a lot of caveats though, as "HDR, headset feedback, eye tracking, adaptive triggers, and haptic feedback (other than rumble), are not available when playing on PC" according to Sony's blog post. The PlayStation VR2 PC Adapter also requires the Sony PlayStation VR2 app to be installed and for now it appears to only be working with Steam VR. The adapter will be available in retail on the 7th of August for an MSRP of $59.99 / €59.99 / £49.99.

CHERRY XTRFY, the specialist for high-quality gaming peripherals, presents the Ngale microphone series, designed specifically for gamers, streamers and content creators. Ngale X and Ngale R are the first two microphones to be launched under the CHERRY XTRFY brand. The Cherry group, which is particularly known for the production of mechanical high-end keyboard switches, continues to expand its portfolio of gaming peripherals.

Ngale R: USB Microphone With Retro Innovative Design and High Sound Quality
This Ngale R not only impresses with its design, but also with its performance. The standalone USB microphone prioritizes sound quality over multiple polar patterns, featuring one large, high-quality cardioid capsule for streaming, voiceovers and solo recordings with greater detail. When gaming intensively, a low-cut filter can be activated to reduce noise.

With the explosion of digital content, people need bigger and more robust solutions to help access and preserve it all. Western Digital today is introducing a portable HDD expansion across its WD, WD_BLACK and SanDisk Professional product lineups, boasting the world's highest storage capacity in a 2.5" portable HDD. The WD My Passport portable HDD line, WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive and SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD will all now be available in 6 TB capacities.

"Expanding our portfolio with the world's first 2.5" 6 TB portable hard drive is an incredible technological achievement, and it enables us to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible," said Nitin Kachhwaha, Director of Product Management at Western Digital. "Offering up to 6 TB in such a small form factor and accessible price point gives everyone - from students, gamers, professional videographers, and more—greater flexibility to create and keep even more of their essential content in one portable drive."

Decades of providing relief from wrist and shoulder discomfort have established the trackball mouse as a compelling alternative to the standard mouse. ELECOM, with nearly 30 years of experience in innovating trackball mice, now introduces the IST trackball mouse, a revolutionary device boasting a Swappable Bearing System designed to redefine the user experience.

After four years of research and user surveys, ELECOM identified the key factors that make trackball mice appealing to users and found two standout reasons - the smoothness of ball operation and an ergonomic design. The IST trackball mouse addresses these aspects with a cutting-edge approach, delivering an ultra-comfortable shape while incorporating an unprecedented Swappable Bearing System.

AVerMedia Technologies, a leader in digital audiovisual solutions, today announced a firmware update for its well-received HDMI 2.1 USB Capture Card, Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1. The update gives users three new features - including 5.1 multi-channel audio pass-through and capture - fulfilling some highly wished-for upgrades of the capture card, making it even more powerful.

"We're constantly listening to our customers to ensure that we're bringing nothing but the best to the table," said Michael Kuo, President and CEO of AVerMedia. "Now, with the three added features, creators can take their content creation and gaming experience to greater heights."

BenQ, the globally renowned brand of digital lifestyle devices and pioneer of professional display technology, today announces the upcoming launch of the RD Series, the world's first line of monitors custom-crafted to meet the unique and extensive needs of programmers. Equipped with BenQ-exclusive Fine-Coated Panel (varies by models), with advanced anti-glare, anti-reflective properties designed specifically for coding, RD Series offers devs utter clarity to focus entirely on long lines of code. "As a user-centric company, BenQ is dedicated to prioritising the needs of its users," said Conway Lee, President of BenQ Corporation. "With a sincere commitment to serving the community, we aim to bring innovation to life and pave the way for the future by introducing the world's first programming monitors in the RD Series."

RD Series displays promote programming productivity with an advanced coding mode, delivering crystal-clear fonts for improved code differentiation in both light and dark themes adaptable to diverse development work environments. Accessible at the touch of the dedicated Coding HotKey at the centre of the function bar, the RD Series coding mode readily helps programmers achieve a focused state of flow.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) has expanded its SanDisk portfolio with the new 8 TB SanDisk Desk Drive, its highest capacity yet on an external desktop solid state drive (SSD). Featuring the speed and reliability of an SSD, this new class of drives gives content creators and business professionals an easy way to back up and access their high-resolution photos, videos and files quickly in a single, convenient location. From photo and video pros to tech enthusiasts, there are a growing number of digital creators generating massive amounts of content who need flexible high-capacity storage solutions to do more, faster.

"As digital content creation continues to soar, there is an increasing need for high-performing and high-capacity storage solutions to help manage and preserve it. Expanding our SSD portfolio is the first step in offering creators backup solutions that deliver the speed and flexibility they need to unlock their creativity," says Susan Park, Vice President, Consumer Solutions, Western Digital. "By next year, we expect to double the capacity of the SanDisk Desk Drive from 8 TB to 16 TB on a single desktop SSD."

Thanks to recent developments in the AI field, and following in the wake of the world's recovery from COVID-19, the transition of factories to partial or full automation proceeds with unstoppable momentum. And the best place to learn about the latest technologies that aim to make this transition as painless as possible is at Automate 2024. This is North America's largest robotics and automation event, and it will be held in Chicago, Illinois from May 6 to 9.

Automate attracts professionals from around the world, and Apacer is no exception. Apacer team will be on hand to discuss the latest technological developments created by our experienced R&D team. Many of these developments were specifically created to reduce the pain points commonly experienced by fully automated facilities. Take CoreSnapshot, for example. This backup and recovery technology can restore a crashed system to full operation in just a few seconds, reducing downtime and associated maintenance costs. Apacer recently updated CoreSnapshot, creating CoreRescue ASR and CoreRescue USR. The name of CoreRescue ASR refers to Auto Self Recovery. This technology will harness AI to learn the system booting process and analyze how long a boot should take. If this average boot time is significantly longer than usual, the system will trigger the self-recovery process and revert to an earlier, uncorrupted version of the drive's content. CoreRescue USR offers similar functionality, except the self-recovery process is triggered by connecting a small USB stick drive.