Following its official release on May 28, 2025, HiBy's latest digital audio player, the R3Pro II, is now available worldwide. Combining high-performance audio with an all-Ultrasuede design, this Pure-HiFi DAP, which looks like a pocket cannon integrating monster performance and compact size, is built for modern audiophiles seeking uncompromised music quality and refined design.

At the audio core of the R3Pro II are dual CS43198 DAC chips and four OPA1622 headphone amplifiers, delivering rich dynamics, exceptional clarity, and low distortion. With 3.5 mm stereo phone-out and 4.4 mm balanced output, which is supporting up to 480 mW output on the balanced port, the R3Pro II comfortably drives most IEMs and headphones, from balance armature, dynamic, planar to even hybrid-driver ones.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Strix GS-BE18000, a high-performance gaming router designed to deliver blazing-fast wired and wireless connections for serious gamers and network enthusiasts. The ROG Strix GS-BE18000 boasts up to 20G of wired capacity with two dedicated gaming ports and tri-band WiFi 7 throughput of up to 18000 Mbps with enhanced 320 MHz channels. It delivers tri-band Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and 4K-QAM modulation for lightning-fast speed and capacity.

Unleashing the power within
The ROG Strix GS-BE18000 is meticulously crafted for uncompromising network performance. It features a high-performance 2.0 GHz quad-core CPU with robust cooling to ensure smooth operation under heavy loads. This compact powerhouse boasts eight internal antennas with six cutting-edge copper tubes and powered by independent Front-End Modules (FEMs) covering up to 3,300 square feet, eliminating dead zones and helping to ensure a seamless gaming experience throughout the home.

Acer today announced a range of new products for users on the go, including two new tablets -- the Acer Iconia V12 and the Acer Iconia V11 -- and three new 5G network connectivity devices, including the Acer Connect X6E Plus 5G CPE, the Acer Connect M5 Mobile Wi-Fi, and the Acer Connect D5 Pro 5G dongle.

Acer Iconia V Series Tablets: Portable and Reliable for Entertainment and Multitasking
The Acer Iconia V12 and Iconia V11 are versatile tablets catering to a wide range of users, from students and family members to budget-conscious consumers, seeking a reliable mobile companion for everyday use. Their stunning displays offer a large viewing area with a wide 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 2K resolution, and 90 Hz refresh rate. The narrow bezel design maximizes screen real estate to see and do more, while their thin in-cell touch panels enhance touch sensitivity performance to deliver a more responsive and immersive experience.

Nokia today announced it will showcase its Beacon 24 device at the ALGS esports gaming event, allowing fans and gamers to see firsthand the power of its Wi-Fi 7 solution for eGaming applications. Located in the heart of the convention center's challenging Wi-Fi environment, Nokia's demonstration, in partnership with Qualcomm, SONY, Corsair and EA, offers visitors an exclusive chance to battle a mystery pro head-to-head in the Apex Legends game, powered solely by Nokia's Wi-Fi device. Visitors will also be able to take on some of their favorite gaming content creators as part of a "take-over" event taking place at the Nokia booth.

The Nokia WiFi Beacon 24 embeds unique latency and queuing technology to give service providers a powerful Wi-Fi gateway solution that can rival any commercial and retail device on the market. Equipped with an advanced gaming optimization application available on Nokia's Corteca platform, the Wi-Fi 7 device delivers the ultimate end-user experience, delivering gaming-level latency that optimizes performance.

TSMC today unveiled its next cutting-edge logic process technology, A14, at the Company's North America Technology Symposium. Representing a significant advancement from TSMC's industry-leading N2 process, A14 is designed to drive AI transformation forward by delivering faster computing and greater power efficiency. It is also expected to enhance smartphones by improving their on-board AI capabilities, making them even smarter. Planned to enter production in 2028, the current A14 development is progressing smoothly with yield performance ahead of schedule.

Compared with the N2 process, which is about to enter volume production later this year, A14 will offer up to 15% speed improvement at the same power, or up to 30% power reduction at the same speed, along with more than 20% increase in logic density. Leveraging the Company's experience in design-technology co-optimization for nanosheet transistor, TSMC is also evolving its TSMC NanoFlex standard cell architecture to NanoFlex Pro, enabling greater performance, power efficiency and design flexibility.

Last month, ASRock added two "brand-new" B650M Pro X3D motherboard models to its global website. The Taiwanese manufacturer did not release any press material at the time, so the low-key additions were only spotted by watchful PC hardware news outlets. At the time, ASRock signalled that the eventual launch of "Pro X3D" mainboards would be restricted to certain market regions. Roughly a month later, momomo_us has stumbled across fresh listings in Japan. Yodobashi and Dospara are ready to ship out the ASRock B650M Pro X3D WiFi SKU to local customers. Respective price points—including VAT—are 26,640 yen (~$179 USD), and 23,980 yen (~$161 USD).

Curiously, the B650M Pro X3D series registers as an almost perfect visual match when compared to ASRock's "slightly older" B850M Pro RS mainboard family. Dospara's current price for the B850M Pro RS WiFi SKU is 27,800 yen (~$186.61 USD). This "refreshed" B650M design is up-to-date enough with PCI-E 5.0 support for mounted graphics cards and SSDs. According to the brand's product description: "(our Pro X3D motherboard series) is optimized for AMD Ryzen (9000 and 7000) X3D processors, delivering superior stability, compatibility, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for gaming and creating." Due to apparent confusion between "Pro X3D" and the latest "Pro RS" aesthetic, ASRock is not expected to roll out of with a wide release (of the former).

Press outlets have spotted two new B650M motherboard models on ASRock's product site; the B650M Pro X3D and B650M Pro X3D WiFi (6E). According to the manufacturer's descriptions, both are advertised as: "optimized for AMD Ryzen X3D processors, delivering superior stability, compatibility, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for gaming and creating." The "Pro X3D" SKUs have not launched at retail, so pricing information is not available at the time of writing. ASRock could publish a dedicated press release in the near future, but we are looking at a very quiet reveal. Curiously, the Taiwan-based motherboard and graphics card specialist has seemingly "downcycled" its fairly new B850M Pro "Race Sport" RS board design.

VideoCardz's coverage of the Pro X3D series includes a handy image comparison tool. When lined up against each other (visually), the B650M Pro X3D and B850M Pro RS designs are nigh identical. Two of the images (below) show a minor difference in printed-on model names. As expected, the ASRock website comparison tool reveals only minor disparities between respective specification sheets. The standard B850M Pro RS variant is currently on sale for $148 (normally $180). The B650M Pro X3D (non-WiFi 6E) equivalent could arrive at retail with a slightly lower price point. ASRock has signalled that its "Pro X3D" mainboard series will only be available within certain regions. According to VideoCardz, a comprehensive global rollout is not planned.

Sapphire Technology has introduced a new NITRO+ motherboard model in China—weekend reports pointed to a listing on JD.com, where the latest addition resides alongside various previous-gen B650 options. This appears to be another region specific release—priced at 1299 RMB (~$179 USD). The NITRO+ B850M Wi-Fi model seems to share its overall aesthetic design with the preceding B650M-equipped equivalent. As surmised by VideoCardz, the Sapphire NITRO+ board's VRM patterning reminded them of the leaked premium-tier Radeon NITRO+ RX 9070 graphics card series.

The generational jump from AMD B650 to B850 chipset—as expected—yields only minor benefits (see below). The older NITRO+ B650M Wi-Fi model is a significantly cheaper prospect; coming in at 899 RMB ($124 USD). VideoCardz's weekend detective work settled on a nice improvement: "based on our research, the memory overclocking support has increased from 7600 MT/s+ to 8000 MT/s. Keep in mind that these figures may be higher for both motherboards; this is just what Sapphire guarantees when paired with a supported memory kit." Industry watchdogs believe that ASRock is likely involved in the contract manufacturing of Sapphire's motherboard offerings—the former has been long-involved in pumping out NZXT-badged products.

At CES 2025, NETGEAR announced its new Orbi 870 mesh networking system, positioned between the company's existing 770 and 970 WiFi 7 models. The mid-range system features tri-band connectivity with combined speeds rated at 21 Gbps and coverage up to 9,000 square feet when using three units. In testing environments, the system supports up to 150 simultaneous device connections. Specifications include a 10 Gigabit internet port on the main router and four 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports on both the router and satellite units. The system utilizes WiFi 7's multi-link operation capability, which can combine two frequency bands to potentially reduce latency and improve reliability.

The hardware incorporates NETGEAR's router protection system that can deploy security patches independently of full firmware updates. Standard features include WPA3 encryption, customizable access controls, and separate network options for guest and IoT devices. The Orbi 870 will be sold in multiple configurations: a three-unit package for $1,299.99, a two-unit system for $999.99, and individual satellite units for $549.99. Both black and white color options will be available through NETGEAR's website and major retailers.

ASUS and Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced a suite of innovative networking products at CES 2025, pushing the boundaries of Wi-Fi 7 connectivity for gamers, network enthusiasts and home users. In addition, ASUS RT-BE58 Go, a compact mini travels router with versatile connectivity; and ASUS 5G-GO, a sleek 5G mobile router with roaming support in up to 232 countries, both received the prestigious CES 2025 Innovation Award. The latest lineup includes ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI, the world's first AI-powered gaming router with a built-in NPU; and the ZenWiFi outdoor series, a robust outdoor Wi-Fi 7 mesh solution. All of these solutions are designed to deliver unparalleled performance, security, and flexibility.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock's upcoming Live Mixer series motherboards based on mid-range chipsets from AMD and Intel. The Live Mixer brand of motherboards has a similar positioning in ASRock's product stack as Steel Legend, but with a variation in product design, and a mid-range onboard audio solution that uses audio codecs such as the ALC1200 or ALC4080. There's nothing that particularly stands out in this audio solution (no fancy amp circuits or exotic I/O). The B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi is an ATX board based on the AMD B850 chipset. This is essentially a re-brand of the popular B650, but with out-of-the-box support for the latest Ryzen 9000 series processors, including the 9000X3D series. The board offers three M.2 NVMe slots, one of which is Gen 5, and the others Gen 4. The WLAN solution is very likely Wi-Fi 6E.

Next up, is the ASRock B860 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. This Socket LGA1851 motherboard is based on Intel's mid-range chipset for its "Arrow Lake" processors, the Intel B860. Much like the previous generation B760, it is expected to lack CPU overclocking support. This board visually looks a lot similar to its AMD B850-based sibling, you could almost confuse the two if you're not looking at the CPU socket. You get three M.2 NVMe slots here, too; one of which is Gen 5, and doesn't eat into the x16 PEG slot. We expect this board to offer Wi-Fi 6E, just like the B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. Lastly, there's the B860M Live Mixer Wi-Fi, a Micro-ATX variant of this board, with mostly the same feature-set, it's just that the third M.2 slot is without a heatsink; and the second PCIe slot is physically x8 instead of x16, which shouldn't matter since the slot is likely electrical x4 on both motherboard models. Intel and AMD are expected to debut the B850 and B860 in January.

GEEKOM, a Taiwanese tech company also known as the Green Mini PC Global Leader, just released its first model powered by an Intel Alder Lake-N series SoC. The GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite is a tiny desktop PC with an Intel N100 quad-core processor, DDR4-3200 RAM, a PCIe Gen 3 SSD, and support for dual displays. The mini PC is now available on Amazon and GEEKOM's official website.

The Mini Air12 Lite measures 135.5 x 115.5 x 34.5 mm (0.5L) and weighs about 1 kilogram. It features a single SO-DIMM slot which supports up to 16 GB of DDR4-3200 MHz memory, and an M.2 2280 slot that can accommodate a PCIe 3.0 or SATA SSD of up to 1 TB. The mini PC runs on a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro out of the box.

At eero, we've been delivering world-class wifi in homes and businesses across 24 countries for almost a decade, and one of my favorite things is seeing tens of millions of eeros providing fast, reliable, and secure wifi to customers around the world.

Even better than seeing our products out in the world is hearing regularly from our incredibly passionate community. Since we shipped our first systems in 2016, customers have wanted to expand their eero networks beyond their four walls and cover every inch of their property in wifi. Over the years, we've seen our customers come up with all sorts of inventive solutions like eero devices inside weatherproof boxes, in outdoor closets, and even strapping them to poles with rubber bands. We wanted to build something extraordinary for our customers that is tough enough to keep all their outdoor devices connected in snowstorms, rain, and the summer heat. Today, I'm excited to introduce eero Outdoor 7, which will take your wifi beyond your walls and into the great outdoors.

For over 70 years, Marantz has led the way in high-performance audio products that combine innovative technology and effortless musicality with beautiful, luxurious and intuitive design. Now, the brand is bringing its unique expertise to the wireless speaker category thanks to two radically advanced new models that will transform customer expectations in the market.

Introducing the Marantz Horizon and its larger sibling, the Marantz Grand Horizon; two luxurious new wireless speakers crafted for passionate, discerning listeners who demand both exceptional sound and timeless elegance.

Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) announced today the introduction of Sonos Arc Ultra, a new premium soundbar that also debuts the brand's revolutionary transducer technology called Sound Motion. A significant breakthrough in audio engineering, Sound Motion drastically reduces the size of the transducer while supercharging the bass, opening a new chapter in sound innovation where bigger, better sound can be delivered from smaller products. Arc Ultra delivers up to double the bass of its predecessor, with an unprecedented 9.1.4 spatial audio experience in a sleek, sophisticated design.

Sonos is also introducing Sonos Sub 4, the next generation of our iconic subwoofer with a refreshed design and internals that elevate your favorite movies, hit shows and more with rumbling bass.

ASRock has a pretty comprehensive lineup of upcoming Socket LGA1851 motherboards based on the top Intel Z890 chipset, which the company will launch alongside the new Intel Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors later this month. The company's Z890 lineup has been leaked to the web by VideoCardz. The lineup covers nearly every brand extension by ASRock, addressing a wide category of PC users, from the entry level that just wants an office desktop to harness the CPU power of the new processors, to the two distinct classes of the enthusiast segment—one which overclocks, and the other that needs every possible premium I/O from this platform, with the bulk of the lineup targeting gaming PC builders across price-segments.

At the very top are ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF and the ASRock Z890 Taichi. The Taichi OCF is the spiritual successor to the OC Formula series by ASRock targeting professional overclockers. It has the strongest possible CPU VRM solution from the company, the largest selection of overclocker-friendly features, and a 1 DIMM per channel (1DPC) memory configuration, for the highest possible memory overclocks. The Taichi OCF has most if not all of the I/O goodies ASRock has to offer. For this, you'll have to seek out the regular ASRock Z890 Taichi, with its four DDR5 memory slots, nearly the same overclocking feature-set as the Taichi OCF, but some added toys, such as Thunderbolt 4. The Z890 Taichi Lite is an interesting product—it has nearly all features that place it into the high-end segment, such as that 8-layer PCB, a strong CPU VRM, and premium onboard audio, among others; but skips on the bulk of the dramatic flair of the Z890 Taichi.

MSI launches its WiFi 7 Roamii BE Lite Mesh System, made to provide seamless home connectivity for an increasing number of WiFi 7-supported mobile devices and AI-accelerated applications. The MSI Roamii BE Lite features a range of WiFi 7 enhancements that ensure you experience smooth WiFi as your roam around.

Seamless Home Connectivity with Roamii WiFi 7 Mesh System
MSI Roamii BE Lite Mesh System has dual-band WiFi 7 streams that supports transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps. Advanced WiFi 7 features, including 4K-QAM, Multi-RU, and MLO (Multi-Link Operation) ensure users experience seamless and uninterrupted internet access throughout their homes. A 2.5G Ethernet port offers the flexibility for use as a mesh backhaul connection.

NETGEAR, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and secure solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today expanded its Nighthawk WiFi 7 standalone router line to include the new RS600, RS500, and RS200. The lineup of Nighthawk routers is built on the company's promise to deliver the latest WiFi 7 technology combined with powerful WiFi performance and secure connectivity for homes of any size.

Powerful, Secure WiFi 7 for Everyone
Since the launch of NETGEAR's first WiFi 7 offering - Nighthawk RS700S - multi-gig internet speeds have become more accessible and affordable, and IoT devices that require extreme low latency and higher throughput continue to be adopted at high rates. WiFi 7, which is 2.4x faster than WiFi 6, offers enhanced performance to address the ever-growing demands of modern connectivity. This next-generation technology supports increased capacity across multiple connected smart home devices, providing faster speeds, near-zero latency and the ability to handle the demands of high-quality video streaming as well as advanced computing, including AI-driven applications and AR/VR experiences.

Today, Google has announced that it will discontinue all of its Chromecast products, as the company is transitioning to the Google TV Streamer, which offers a very different form factor to its Chromecast products. Over the past 11 years, Google has sold some 100 million Chromecasts over a handful of different generations of products with quite different feature sets. The most recent addition launched in 2022 and Google has promised to continue to support the latest generations of Chromecast devices for now, although the company didn't say for how long.

The Google TV Streamer moves away from the HDMI dongle design, which some might see as a mistake by the company, but those wanting a set-top-box type device will on the other hand be pleased. The white (porcelain) or grey (hazel) slate isn't the most attractive design maybe, somewhat due to the choice of colours by Google, but it's what's on the inside that counts, right? Although Google didn't reveal the CPU used, the company claims the Google TV Streamer is 22 percent faster than the Chromecast with Google TV, comes with 4 GB of RAM and more importantly, it has 32 GB of built-in storage, compared to 8 GB for its latest generation of Chromecast devices.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking products that power businesses of any size, announced the launch of the WBE710 Insight Manageable Tri-band WiFi 7 Access Point, the newest addition to the company's WiFi 7 business access point lineup.

The number of devices with multi-gig capabilities is increasing, and upgrades to a business's network must be made to meet the volume of data. As businesses scale and more WiFi 7-enabled devices enter the market, this need will only continue to become more critical. Based on the latest WiFi 7 technology, the WBE710 improves data throughput across multiple bands and reduces network congestion, surpassing older access points in speed, latency, and capacity. The access point will also solve issues around signal interference with preamble puncturing, which will soon be available, and will allow devices to use parts of different channels to transmit data, greatly reducing network congestion.

ASUS today announced availability of the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro and ZenWiFi BT10, premium Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems that feature powerful 6 GHz Wi-Fi and whose 2-pack versions offer speeds of up to 30 Gbps (BQ16 Pro) and coverage of up to 8,000 square feet (2-pack BQ16 Pro). Dual 10 Gbps Ethernet ports enable future-ready 10 Gbps Internet and 10 Gbps wired backhaul for fast, stable, and seamless whole home Wi-Fi for next-gen smart home entertainment and home studio productivity.

The ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro and ZenWiFi BT10 boast exclusive ASUS Smart AiMesh technology to intelligently harness WiFi 7 Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and AI for both fronthaul and backhaul, Multi-Link Operation—automatically aggregating or switching across multiple bands for minimized latency and efficient transmission. By leveraging MLO, Smart AiMesh MLO backhaul automatically switches to the fastest band while its fronthaul also intelligently prioritizes demanding packets for max connectivity and efficiency. Smart AiMesh also empowers loads of advanced network features such as security, parental controls, and VPNs in the extendable network while offering full compatibility with all ASUS AiMesh-compatible ZenWiFi and standalone routers.

ASUS today announced that selected routers in designated countries in the APAC region will bundle a complementary trial subscription to GearUP Console Booster, a service that optimizes the network connection for more than 1,000 online games, reducing latency and improving overall gaming experiences for popular game consoles and smart handhelds. The ASUS RT-AX86U Pro and RT-AX82U routers will include a three-month subscription, while the TUF-AX6000 and TUF-AX4200 routers will include a two-month subscription. Existing owners of these routers can add support for GearUP Console Booster with a firmware update. The RT-AX86U Pro is available in the APAC region now, and the other routers in this promotion are currently scheduled to be available starting in July 2024.

Accelerate gaming with GearUP Console Booster
Through the in-house Adaptive Intelligent Routing (AIR) system, GearUP Console Booster quickly determines and activates the fastest connection to a game server. Adaptive QoS on a compatible ASUS router can prioritize this connection over others on the network to ensure that it remains fast and stable. The ASUS Router mobile app and web interface includes an intuitive setup wizard to get GearUP Console Booster running.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of innovative and secure solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today expanded its WiFi 7 mesh and standalone router lines with the new Orbi 770 Tri-band Mesh System and Nighthawk RS300 Router. NETGEAR's most affordable WiFi 7 products to date build on the company's promise to provide powerful WiFi performance and secure connectivity.

WiFi 7 Changes the Game
WiFi 7 unlocks 2.4 times faster speeds than WiFi 6, delivers low latency and better handles WiFi interference for families to seamlessly enjoy next gen 4K/8K streaming, video conferencing, gaming, and more. Since the launch of NETGEAR's first WiFi 7 offerings - Nighthawk RS700 and Orbi 970 - multi-gig internet speeds have become more affordable, work from home demands have remained steady, and more devices such as AR/VR headsets or AI-focused platforms like CoPilot+ have been introduced that require extreme low latency and higher throughput.

ASUS today announced the RT-BE88U, the world's first WiFi 7 router that offers up to 34 Gbps of combined wired network capacity. With a 10 Gbps LAN / WAN port, a 10 Gbps LAN / WAN SFP+ port and four 2.5 Gbps ports, the RT-BE88U stands ready to deliver massive amounts of Ethernet performance for online gaming, media streaming and more - now and well into the future. It also offers up to 7200 Mbps of cutting-edge WiFi 7 networking, bringing the enhanced data rates of 4K-QAM and dual-band Multi-Link Operation to compatible devices. Plus, Guest Network Pro, subscription-free security features and site-to-site VPN support help to make an RT-BE88U-based network flexible, safe and easy to manage.

The WiFi 7 advantage
With WiFi 7 cornerstones such as the boosted data rates of 4K-QAM and dual-band Multi-Link Operation (MLO), the ASUS RT-BE88U ushers in a whole new wave of networking possibilities. 4K-QAM increases speeds by packing signals more tightly, which increases bandwidth efficiency. Thus, data rates can be up to 20% higher than what a WiFi 6 network can achieve. Meanwhile, Dual-band Multi-Link Operation (MLO) lets a WiFi 7 device connect to both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network to increase throughput and minimize latency. This future-proofs the network, giving users the capacity to handle even more connected devices without sacrificing performance

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking products that power businesses of any size, today launched the most compact WiFi 7 access point on the market. The tri-band WBE750 is designed for businesses heavily reliant on wireless internet and delivers up to 18.4Gbps1 total WiFi throughput, supported by a 10 Gbps/Multi-Gigabit PoE++ port.

The WBE750 Insight Manageable Tri-band WiFi 7 Access Point provides the deep capabilities that today's complex businesses need, including real-time responsiveness, low latency, and increased capacity. Employees are using an increasing number of connected devices at work - including laptops, cell phones, tablets, on top of office-wide connected devices such as collaboration systems, portable POS systems, smart lighting, and more, all of which can eat up precious bandwidth. Limited bandwidth can lead to decreased productivity and inefficiencies within a company, ultimately impacting the bottom line. The WBE750 access point with its high WiFi throughput and ability to support up to 600 concurrent devices is among the most advanced available today.