5 Gadgets to Have on Your Radar This Week

Apple’s WWDC was this week, but it didn’t bring any new hardware. A 14-inch and 16-inch M1 MacBook Pros are still expected this summer, but you’ll have to keep waiting. As far as new gadgets go, Sony and Jaybird both announced their latest and greatest wireless earbuds (both of which are great). And a bunch of new MagSafe accessories were announced by Mophie, too. We’ve rounded up them all — and a few others below.

Jaybird Vista 2

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Jaybird announced the follow up to its Vista wireless earbuds this week, which were already one of the best wireless earbuds you could buy for running and working out. The new models, called the Vista 2, add noise-cancellation and transparency modes and they’re even more rugged; with an IP68 rating, which Jaybird calls “earthproof”, they are some of the most waterproof and dropproof wireless earbuds you can buy. They are available now for $200. (Jaybird has dropped the price of the original Vista wireless earbuds to $150, which is a better deal for those who don’t need noise-cancellation or the extra ruggedness.)

Price: $200

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony

Sony finally announced the WF-1000XM4, its new flagship noise-canceling wireless earbuds (and the successor to the 2019-released WF-1000XM3), and they’ve been completely redesigned from the ground up. They have a new look and fit that’s more rounded and smaller (each earbud is 10-percent smaller and the charging case is 40-percent smaller). Sony also have them improved noise-cancellation and transparency modes, and they support wireless charging for the first time. They’re available now.

To learn more, read our review of the Sony WF-1000XM4.

Price: $278

Mophie Snap+ Accessories for iPhone 12

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Mophie, one of our favorite smartphone accessory makers, launched its “Snap” series of accessories this week, all of which is designed to magnetically clip to the back of your iPhone 12. The Snap series is made of two wireless chargers, two car mounts, two portable power banks (one that doubles as a wireless charging stand) and more.

Price: $20 — $70

Yeti 1000X Portable Power Station

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Goal Zero announced a portable power station for people spending the weekend off the grid. The all-new Yeti 1000X is 983Wh portable battery that is perfect for charging medium-to-large appliances, such as your camper’s refrigerator or television, as well as your normal travel gear, such as laptops, camera equipment and smartphone, while on the road. It also has an integrated MPPT so, if you have one of Goal Zero’s portable solar panels, it will be able to recharge more efficiently.

Price: $1,300+

Otterbox Power Swap Controller Batteries

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Xbox controllers don’t come with a rechargeable battery meaning that, unlike a PlayStation controller where you can plug it in during the game without missing a beat, you need to keep a spare pair of AA batteries nearby. The new Otterbox Power Swap solved this issue. It’s a system consisting of two rechargeable battery packs and a cage with a small reserve cell. The cage plugs into the back of the controller and then one battery pack gets plugged into the cage. The cage has a small reserve of power that’s enough to give you a 30-second window to swap in a newly charged battery pack — without losing your place in the game. It could be a game-charger for more serious Xbox Live gamers or streamers.

Price: $60

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