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Nothing has a new pair of earbuds for you: the Ear 3. These AirPods-style buds cost $179 and are available now, following the Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) the company released this summer. While they share the stem design aesthetic of Apple’s popular earbuds, the blend of aluminum and plastic sure makes them look unique.
The key feature in the noise-canceling earbuds is called Super Mic. Except it’s not in the earbuds at all—there are two microphones in the charging case. It supposedly cuts background noise, and you can talk into it by pressing the Talk button on the case, like a walkie-talkie. A double-press keeps the mic on continuously. (Keep an eye out for free Nothing earbuds case product placement in influencer videos soon.)
The earbuds still feature a three-mic array, but utilizing the Super Mic in the case should enhance your voice. Naturally, you can also use it to record voice memos, which are saved in the company’s Essential Space app on its phones.
These flagship Ear 3 earbuds also feature improved noise canceling, enhanced audio quality, a stronger signal connection, and longer battery life—5.5 hours with noise canceling enabled and 10 hours with it turned off. We’ll be giving them a spin soon, so stay tuned for our review.
Amazon’s Fall Hardware Event Is Coming
Courtesy of Amazon
It’s that time of year again. Not Halloween season, but fall gadget season. Apple kicked things off earlier this month, Meta unveiled new smart glasses this week, and now Amazon will close the month with its own hardware event. The company sent out press invites this week for an event on September 30 in New York City.
If the design on the invitation is anything to go by, we can expect new Echo speakers, potentially a new color Kindle, and a Fire TV Smart TV. There are a few blue rings that are the hallmarks of an Echo, which may mean we’ll finally get a timeline for when Amazon’s souped-up Alexa+ will exit early access and officially roll out.
The other intriguing addition is the photo of a Kindle with a color screen. Amazon just announced new Colorsoft Kindles earlier in July, and it’s a little too soon to see yet another Colorsoft. It’s most likely a color version of the Kindle Scribe, just in time to compete with ReMarkable’s new Paper Pro Move. We’ll be on the ground on September 30 to relay the details. —Nena Farrell
ExpressVPN Debuts a Free VPN
ExpressVPN recently changed its subscription tiers, and now it has something else cooking: EventVPN. It’s a free VPN service available on Apple devices, including iOS and macOS. What makes it different? There isn’t a paid plan. EventVPN runs exclusively off ads.
Ads and online privacy are basically oil and water, but EventVPN claims it has an ad model that will allow it to stay afloat without compromising user privacy. It’s also operating entirely on RAM-based servers, which means that, even if it wanted to log your data, it would disappear the moment it’s flushed from memory.
It’s an interesting idea, but one that has yet to be proven in the world of VPNs. I’ll be keeping a close eye on EventVPN over the coming months to see if it’s kicking off a new wave of online protection—or if it’s just another scam we’ve seen ad nauseam. —Jacob Roach
Wyze’s Smart Lock Opens With a Wave
Courtesy of Wyze
Budget security camera maker Wyze has never been afraid to expand its portfolio (we’ve seen all sorts, from routers to smartwatches), and its latest release is the Palm Lock. Most of our smart-lock recommendations rely on fingerprint scanners, keypads, and sometimes face recognition, but Wyze’s new lock scans the palm of your hand. The best part is that it’s contactless, so you hold your hand up a few inches from the weather-resistant scanner (IP53), and it scans your unique palm veins to decide whether to open.
The Palm Lock also has a keypad, and there’s an old-school key option just in case Wi-Fi is down or the power runs out. (Wyze says the main battery is good for up to six months, and there’s a two-week backup battery, both rechargeable.) You can also configure and unlock it with the app, and use voice controls with Google or Alexa. It can be set to automatically lock when closed, and there’s a simple latch on the inside. If you have a Wyze doorbell, you can check who’s there and unlock the door directly from the live-view screen.
While it’s undeniably cool to be able to unlock your door with a wave of your hand, Jedi-style, the Wyze Palm Lock only works with single-cylinder locks. You might also have misgivings about trusting your door locking to Wyze, given its previous security camera breaches. We stopped testing and recommending Wyze cameras after the incident that exposed live camera feeds to other customers, but the company has beefed up its security credentials since then. The Wyze Palm Lock costs $130 and is available now. —Simon Hill
This New Smart Dog Collar Costs $599
Courtesy of Halo
Is your dog always breaking out of the fence and wandering around the neighborhood? You might be the target customer for the Halo Collar 5, which has always-on GPS tracking that pings your dog about 20 times per second—about 20 times more frequently than other dog collars on the market, or so Halo Collar claims. The company, cofounded by dog whisperer Cesar Millan, emphasizes positive reinforcement ahead of negative reinforcement to guide your dog back safely within the virtual boundaries.
The collar has 48 hours of battery life, fast charging, three different types of reinforcement—sounds, vibrations, and “static”—and has an app that’s compatible with both Android and iOS. It does require a monthly or annual subscription for cell service, which is also tiered with three levels of service, from different numbers of virtual fences for all your different properties, setup sessions, or discounts on Halo accessories.
The app also includes the Halo Health feature, which offers activity tracking (although if your dog is a frequent escapee, I’m guessing it’s plenty active). Yes, $599 is pricey, but it could save you the effort of installing an underground fence, and it works when you go hiking.
We’re going to test it, and I hope my dog doesn’t get out of it and chew right through it, the way she chewed through her last collar. —Adrienne So
Wacom Has a New Drawing Tablet
Courtesy of Wacom
Two years after the One 13 Touch, Wacom announced a new entry-level drawing tablet this week called the Wacom One 14. The 14-inch screen has a Full HD resolution and connects to a PC, Mac, or Chromebook via a USB-C cable. The included Standard Pen doesn’t have a battery, yet it offers two customizable buttons; you can also snag a third-party stylus if you prefer.
There’s not much else to it. This is a no-frills budget drawing tablet for anyone looking to get a start in digital art. It costs $300 and will be available this fall. For reference, Wacom’s higher-end Cintiq line starts at $700.
