Author: News Room

The convenience of contactless payments can already feel magical, but Cash App is really leaning into that with its latest accessory. The mobile payment service is launching the Cash App Wand: an NFC-enabled, iridescent, star-topped wand that allows users to make on-the-go payments without pulling out their phone or card.Cash App’s alternative differs in that it’s more compact and uses a built-in NFC tag that pairs with an active Cash App Card. It comes with a keychain that you can attach to your belt or bag (provided you’re not worried about it being snatched, though this obviously doesn’t look like…

The Shokz OpenDots 2 open earbuds are an upgraded version of the $200/£179 open ear buds boasting improved Dolby Audio and upgraded bass. Shokz is unashamedly sticking to its open-ear ethos, providing an alternative to rivals who are often doubling down on noise cancellation. Having tested them, I can confirm the sound is much improved and I look forward to bringing you a full review soon. They certainly appeal mostly to the traditional Shokz buyer for running or fitness where being aware of the world around is important. And we’re seeing more and more running races that previously banned headphones…

I can’t remember the last time Microsoft kicked off a Build keynote with Windows front and center, but that’s exactly what CEO Satya Nadella did this week. Nadella didn’t address the issues Microsoft is trying to fix in Windows 11 but chose to woo the audience with Microsoft’s slick Surface RTX Spark Dev Kit instead, calling it a “dream machine.”Nadella unveiled the new Surface hardware just days after Nvidia officially returned to Windows on Arm with its new RTX Spark chips. Both companies are talking up these chips as some kind of new beginning for PCs, and it’s clear that…

Today on Decoder, I’m talking to Ryan Mac, a technology reporter at The New York Times and coauthor of the excellent book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, which came out in 2024. I can’t recommend it enough.I wanted to have Ryan on the show because we’re on the cusp of the SpaceX IPO, which promises to be one of the most consequential public offerings in history for a variety of reasons — its biggest-ever size, of course, at nearly $2 trillion dollars, but also because all kinds of rules that keep our markets fair are being bent, if…

Are you a Mario fan that thinks Nintendo’s Switch gaming handhelds are just a little too dainty? I found the original Switch’s Joy-Cons so uncomfortable that I barely ever took it out of its dock, and while Ninty improved things for the successor console, it’s still not a perfectly natural fit in my hands. Belkin’s new Gaming Charging Grip ought to fix that – and provide enough extra charge for some serious gaming time away from the mains. The wraparound case comes in three parts: one for the console itself and two for the Joy-Con 2 controllers. The latter add…

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. — the world’s biggest semiconductor-maker — is struggling to meet demands from American customers even with its factory buildout in the US, according to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg. “Customer demand is so high, and we can only support so much,” TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said after a shareholder meeting on Thursday, Reuters reports. “We are doing our best to ensure TSMC does not become a bottleneck.” Read the full article here

If you prefer your headphones expensive and decked out in a menacingly handsome chrome and black finish, then Meze Audio’s new $6000 headphones are worthy of your attention. Called the ARTA, the new flagship model sits at the very top of Meze’s range and is being pitched as the company’s most ambitious pair of headphones yet. Developed over several years in collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics, it combines a rather striking sculptural design with a new planar magnetic driver that Meze says delivers its most immersive listening experience yet. At the heart of the ARTA is the new Rinaro MZ5 HΩ…

This is not an Oura Ring 5 review. That’s coming later, once I’ve had enough time to really test the new durability and battery life claims, plus the new software updates that start rolling out today. In the meantime, I did want to provide an answer to a burning question that I’ve seen asked in many Oura Ring comment sections across the internet.Yes, it is smaller and lighter than the Oura Ring 4. And for impatient folks considering upgrades, I come bearing photographic size comparisons to the Oura Ring 4 — regular and ceramic versions — plus the Oura Ring…

If you’re after a new amplifier and have a few grand lying around to help support the cause, then Cambridge Audio’s new Evo 300 would like to say hello. The British company’s most powerful streaming amplifier to date, it slots above the existing Evo 150 SE, and is designed to deliver serious high-end performance without requiring separate amplifiers, streamers, DACs, and a shelf full of other Hi-Fi gubbins. As for specs, the Evo 300 delivers 300W per channel courtesy of Hypex NCOREx Class D amplification arranged in a dual-mono layout. Cambridge Audio says that the design improves stereo separation, control,…

Aura’s digital photo frames will continue to automatically sync with your Google Photos albums, after API changes threatened to remove the feature. Aura is now rolling out a full migration to Google’s new Ambient API, allowing your Aura frame slideshows to be automatically updated with new photos, instead of requiring owners to manually add them via the Google Photos app.“With our updated Google Photos integration, you can add photos directly from the Google Photos app or sync an entire Google Photos album to keep Aura frames updated automatically,” Aura said in its announcement. “Photos are sent directly to your Aura…

Apple’s latest iOS 26.5 update for your iPhone (and the closely-related iPadOS 26.5) are a relatively small update. That’s because Apple’s developer conference is around the corner and the company is already prepping hard for the September/October launch of its latest software for all current Apple devices. As usual, the new software can be downloaded by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Over the last few days Apple has also released a small incremental version, known as 26.5.1 – this is a very minor tweak to 26.5 tha”t fixes an iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and…

I love open-back headphones for their glorious, spacious sound and detail, but they’re not usually the first choice for listeners who crave powerful bass. But Audeze reckons its latest studio headphones can change that. The Californian audio specialist has unveiled the MM-520 –a new professional-grade open-back model developed with 18-time Grammy-winning mix engineer Manny Marroquin. It builds on the foundation of the previous MM-500 while introducing Audeze’s new SLAM technology – Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator. How’s that for an acronym? According to Audeze, SLAM optimises airflow and pressure inside the earcups to improve low-frequency impact and spatial imaging, while preserving…