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Another week down, and, per usual, a bunch of new tech and gadgets have been announced.
This past week, Audio-Technica revealed a stunning turntable for audiophiles, Beats introduced its first line of charging cables, and Samsung’s ingenious Dolby Atmos soundbar became available for purchase. But that’s just scratching the surface.
Below, we’ve rounded up all the most interesting new releases and announcements you might have missed from the past week.
Beats
Beats Cables
Beats has revealed its first-ever line of charging cables. They are made of the same high-quality woven fabric that Apple uses for its own charging cables, and they come in several different options: USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to Lightning. The USB-C to USB-C cables come in four different colors — Bolt Black, Surge Stone, Nitro Navy and Rapid Red — making them the first non-white or non-black charging cables that Apple sells for iPhones. (The only other colorful cables Apple sells are the USB-C to MagSafe cables for its MacBook Airs.)
The Audio-Technica Hotaru is a high-end audiophile turntable with a standout design. Thanks to integrated magnets, the upper section floats above the lower section, creating an incredible visual as well as dampened vibrations and promising to improve audio quality. The upper section is also integrated with an LED lighting system and can glow 20 different colors. Only 1,000 models will be made.
The ATC SCM20ASL are the acclaimed British hi-fi maker’s bookshelf-sized active loudspeakers that are meant for small-to-medium-sized spaces. They have a two-way design, consisting of a 25mm “S-Spec” dual-suspension tweeter and 150mm “Super Linear” mid/bass driver, and feature built-in class A/B amplification that can deliver up to 250 watts of continuous power. According to the brand, they were conceived to “deliver extraordinary levels of clarity, neutrality, transient response, and effortless power delivery.”
The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC are noise-canceling wireless earbuds that, most interesting, are a joint collaboration with Bose. They leverage Bose’s audio-tuning technology — called Sound By Bose — and promise to deliver a superior sound than Skullcandy’s previous offerings. They also come with similar silicone ear tips, so they should fit just like Bose’s QuietComfort line of earbuds. At $100 — which will eventually rise to $130 — they promise to be an affordable alternative to Bose’s more premium wireless earbuds.
Aura’s Aspen is the company’s middle-sized digital picture frame designed to look like a normal framed photo. Its 12-inch display sits between the company’s 10-inch Carver and 15-inch Walden, but at half an inch thick, it’s also the company’s thinnest digital picture frame to date. It has an anti-glare screen that, thanks to built-in sensors, automatically adjusts its brightness depending on ambient light throughout the day (it even turns off at night). Like the brand’s other offerings, it can be positioned horizontally or vertically.
The HW-QS700F is a first-of-a-kind Dolby Atmos soundbar for Samsung. It has an innovative “convertible” design that, along with a built-in gyroscope, allows it to adapt its sound to where and how it’s placed. The sensor detects how the soundbar is positioned — either horizontally on a tabletop or vertically wall-mounted — and then changes the jobs of its speaker drivers accordingly. When switched from a tabletop to being wall-mounted, its front-firing drivers and up-firing drivers change roles and vice versa the other way.
The Chipolo Pop is the company’s most advanced circular Bluetooth tracker. It’s compatible with Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device networks, and comes with a range of upgraded features — such as improved range and water resistance — over the company’s other trackers. It works and is priced very similar to Apple’s AirTags, but comes with a keyring hole and is available in multiple color options.
The Toshiba Aurex AX-RP10 is a compact portable record player with a belt-drive design, a moving magnet (MM) cartridge, and the ability to play 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records. Its built-in battery promises 10 hours of vinyl playback on a single charge. Although it lacks a built-in speaker, it supports Bluetooth and has an AUX audio jack for playing audio on wireless or wired headphones or speakers.
The Polaroid Flip is a point-and-shoot instant film camera designed for novice photographers. It has a neat retro-inspired design that “flips” open and shut, which protects the lens when traveling with the camera. It also has the most powerful flash of any recent Polaroid film camera, making it ideal for low-light situations. That said, the most interesting thing about the Flip is that it has a new “scene analysis” feature that can tell you if the photo you’re about to take is going to be overexposed, underexpose or out of focus, making it an excellent fit for not that experienced shooting instant film. The camera is compatible with Polaroid 600 or I-Type film.
EcoFlow’s Wave 3 and Glacier Classic are next-gen versions of its portable AC and heating and portable refrigerator and freezer units, respectively. The Wave 3 is more powerful than the Wave 2, capable of cooling and heating larger RVs and tents. While the Glacier Classic no longer has the built-in ice maker that was in the previous Glacier, but promises more internal storage while still taking up the same amount of space — it comes in 35L, 45L and 55L sizes.
Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.