5 New Gadgets to Have on Your Radar This Week

The big news of the week was that Microsoft officially bought Activision Blizzard, the company behind some of the biggest video games, including all the Call of Duty titles. for nearly $70 billion. Yes, that’s billion with a “b.” But don’t worry PlayStation fans, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has promised it won’t be pulling COD from the rival console. In other news, Amazon announced plans to open a number of high-tech brick-and-mortars clothing stores called Amazon Style. And the White House launched COVIDTests.gov, a website that allows you to order free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests (up to four) online. Additionally, a bunch of new gadgets were announced.

Canon EOS R5C

Canon

Canon’s 2020 EOS R5 is a beast of a stills camera, and one of the best tech products that came out that year. But while it could also take 8K video, it struggled with overheating issues that made the R5 impractical as a real video workhorse. Enter the EOS R5C. This newly announced shooter comes with a dedicated cooling system (and some additional bulk) to help realize the full 8K HDR potential of Canon’s full-frame 45MP sensor. The catch? It’s $600 more expensive and doesn’t have in-body image stabilization, which means that as a stills camera, it a big step back from the R5’s 8 stops of IBIS. Looks like the R5 can be wickedly capable for video or stills, but maybe not both at the same time.

Price: $4,499 (body only)

Suunto 5 Peak

Suunto

The Suunto 5 Peak is the company’s latest GPS smartwatch designed primarily outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a new-and-improved version of the Suunto 5 GPS, with a considerably slimmed-down and lighter design — in fact, it’s one of the company’s thinnest smartwatches ever. It also has an incredibly battery life that can go up to 100 hours between charges. Maybe most crucially, the Suunto 5 Peak is actually more affordable. It costs $329 and will start shipping February 1st.

Price: $329

Audio-Technica ATH-GL3 and ATH-GDL3

Audio-Technica

Audio-Technica announced two new high-fidelity gaming headsets, the ATH-GL3 and ATH-GDL3, both of which have extremely lightweight designs; the ATH-GL3 weighs 230 grams and the ATH-GDL3 weighs just 220 grams. The only big difference between the two headsets is that the ATH-GL3 has a closed-back design, so it’s better at keeping out ambient noises (in case you play games in noisy room), while the ATH-GDL3 has an open-back design and delivers a wider soundstage. Additionally, both have detachable boom mics, are fully compatible with the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and are available in either white or black finishes.

Price: $99 — $129

Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger

Mophie

Mophie’s latest MagSafe charger is essentially a souped-up version of the MagSafe Duo ($129), Apple’s portable charger for the iPhone 12/13 and Apple Watch. It has a similar foldable design, but it’s actually a 3-in-1 wireless charger (rather than 2-in-1) that supports MagSafe; in addition to spots for charging iPhone and Apple Watch, it has a dedicated spot for charging your AirPods or AirPods Pro (must have wireless charging case). It also comes with USB-C wall adapter (which the MagSafe Duo does not) and fabric carrying case. It’s available for pre-order now on Apple’s website.

Price: $150

Belkin Boost Charge Pro

Belkin

Belkin announced a new MagSafe accessory for iPhone 12/13 that looks (and works) like a full-fledged MagSafe charger — it supports 15-watt fast charging — but it has a neat integrated kickstand. This way you can stand your iPhone up while you charge it. The Boost Charge Pro is available right now for $60. It does not come with a USB-C wall adapter.

Price: $60

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