This week we’re hosting our very own Smart Home Week to highlight the latest and greatest technologies in smart home technology and give you tips on how to use your gadgets more effectively.
We also saw the arrival of some brilliant new Bluetooth speakers, a Surface Pro that finally gives the iPad Pro a run for its money, and several event date announcements, from Prime Day to the Pixel 9 launch event.
In case you missed it, here are the seven biggest tech news stories of the past seven days.
7. We organized Smart Home Week 2024
We’ve launched our new Smart Home Week for 2024, giving you all the best tips and tricks for setting up and getting the most out of your smart home. This includes guides on how to set up and use Alexa sound detection, and our thoughts on new products like this Bird Buddy smart bird feeder.
We also asked experts for insight into how secure smart home security cameras really are, and challenged both Google and Apple to get started on new hardware before Amazon gets even further ahead in the race to dominate the smart home market.
6. We reviewed the Surface Pro 11 – and named it the best Surface ever
Thanks to “fast performance, great battery life, improved compatibility, and new AI-powered apps that will only get better with time,” we’ve already called the new Microsoft Surface Pro 11 the best Surface ever.
Starting at $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99, this tablet isn’t just any tablet; it’s a bona fide Windows 11 OS-powered machine with a 10-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD from $1,499.99 / £1,549 / AU$2,699.
This is the first real competition the iPad Pro has ever had, and as we say in our review, “Apple should absolutely be worried.”
5. Dates for Prime Day 2024 revealed
After accidentally leaking the dates for Prime Day 2024, Amazon has officially confirmed that Amazon Prime Day will take place from July 16-17 in the US and UK.
As part of the sale, Prime members can expect thousands of deals from a wide range of popular tech brands, including Sony, Samsung, Ninja, GHD, Fitbit, Oral-B, Bose and Shark, to name a few.
If you’re not already a Prime member (and haven’t subscribed to Prime before), you can sign up for a free 30-day trial below. That way, you’ll be able to take advantage of some early deals, and be ready for the full sale when it goes live in a few weeks.
4. Google and Samsung set dates for their next phone launch events
Both Google and Samsung have announced the dates of their next tech events, with Galaxy Unpacked moving forward to July 10, 2024, starting at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST.
We’re expecting the arrival of the new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, a successor to the Galaxy Watch 6 (maybe even a Galaxy Watch Ultra) and the long-awaited Galaxy Ring.
Google’s announcement is a bit more surprising, since instead of October, the Pixel phone launch event is now scheduled for Tuesday, August 13. We know this is also a Pixel phone event (rather than for other hardware) since a promo clip gives us a look at the Pixel 9 Pro and is called “AI… meets IX” – IX being nine in Roman numerals.
3. Ultimate Ears and Beats gave us bombastic new speakers
As we enter the warmer summer months (at least here in the UK, where this writer lives), that means one thing: outdoor parties. Whether on the beach, by the pool, in the garden or in a park, there is nothing better than enjoying the sun and a BBQ outside. And if you want to entertain everyone with music, there are two new contenders on the scene.
The new Beats Pill has landed, and while it looks similar to the last generation model, its makers are promising big things. It’s apparently louder, boasts IP67 dust and water resistance, has Bluetooth 5.3, supports USB-C for both audio pass-through and charging, and costs just $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$249.95.
Then there’s Ultimate Ears’ new Everboom. This 360 speaker can get seriously loud and still deliver solid sonic performance with only minor distortion at its max volume of 89 decibels. At more moderate volumes (which is what you’ll be listening to anyway), it sounds fantastic. What’s more, it’s IP67 dust- and water-resistant, and it floats, making it perfect for any gathering where it might take a dip.
2. Leaks showed us an awesome Superman movie character
Is it a bird? Is it an airplane? No! It’s a few new big updates on James Gunn’s Superman movie. The upcoming DC film is currently filming on the streets of Cleveland, Ohio – and, as many of us expected, some major leaks have surfaced as filming for the DCU Chapter One movie continues apace.
And when we say big, we mean big. Not just a new Superman movie leak reveals a new look at the Man of Steel’s costume, but it gave us our very first look at one of his fellow heroes in Mr. Terrific. A few days later, the same character met Clark Ken’s most loyal friend in a Superman movie video leaks too. Let’s hope some surprises are being saved for the Kryptonian’s return to the big screen.
1. The UploadVR Summer Showcase 2024 was good for VR gaming
Meta may not have held a Quest Gaming Showcase this year, but the 2024 UplaodVR Summer Showcase gave us a look at the games and apps coming to the best VR headsets in the coming months.
The hour-long event had a lot to offer, but some of the highlights for us included Lovesick – a punk-themed VR escape room; Pencil! – an art teacher and mixed reality tool; and Cold VR – a reverse Superhot where time speeds up when you slow down.