This autumn, premium gadgets are raining down upon us like acorns from an oak. As November kicked off, it welcomed the arrival of the latest MacBook Pros equipped with M4 and the revamped Mac mini, which quickly became a top choice. Gaming enthusiasts were treated to fresh delights, such as the nostalgic Atari 7800+ and the advanced Asus ROG Phone 9. Additionally, the PlayStation 5 Pro made its entrance at last.

We’ve discovered that both Xbox and PlayStation have handheld devices in the pipeline, although they aren’t anticipated anytime soon. Presently, the nearest equivalent from Sony is the PlayStation Portal’s fresh streaming features. We’ll have to bide our time until 2025, when titles like Obsidian’s Avowed are expected to fill the gap left by 2024’s scarcity of top-notch content. A white Steam Deck barely satisfies our desire for more portable gaming systems.

This month brought us an unexpected array of odd and intriguing technology, well before the customary CES showcase. Among them was the “Lightfoot” electric scooter powered by a large solar panel and pagers featuring emojis only. We noticed unique watch designs, including one in the form of a ring and another intended for rolling dice during your D&D sessions. In our view, Christmas arrived in November this year.

Corsair K65 Keyboard for Mac

Apple is trying to impress upon us that Macs have become suitable for gaming. While it’s debatable (additional compatible games are necessary for viability), Apple now offers its own quasi-official gaming keyboard and mouse. In collaboration with Corsair, Apple has brought the K65 keyboard and the M75 wireless mouse to both its online and physical retail outlets. The Mac variant of the K65 features the Mac layout but lacks automatic pairing options typical of an in-house Magic Keyboard. Naturally, one could opt for a personalized mechanical keyboard for this role, but it’s the closest representation of an official Apple gaming keyboard we’ve ever seen.

See Corsair K65 at Amazon

TCL QM7 2024

With QLED TVs typically pricing above $1,500, there’s an impression that opting for a more economical model might result in missing features. Certainly, the TCL QM7 doesn’t possess as many characteristics as the premium Samsung QLED television, yet it’s exceptionally splendid for its price tag (currently on Amazon for only $500). It provides a pleasing screen along with numerous I/O interfaces. The main drawbacks are its restricted viewing angles and a screen prone to glare, which could be counteracted with strategic furniture positioning. It’s definitely a model to observe moving into 2025 when we’re anticipating a fresh wave of televisions to enter the market.

See TCL QM7 at Amazon

JLab Go Pop

It might be easy to assume that earbuds priced at just $30 cannot go toe-to-toe with those in the $150 to $250 range, and that assumption wouldn’t be incorrect. However, the JLab Go Pop supplies noise cancellation at remarkably low prices and delivers performance that exceeds expectations. While they don’t offer the comfort or durability of pricier alternatives, and the audio isn’t top-tier, the JLab Go Pop earbuds provide an extremely affordable method for zoning out the surrounding environment while enjoying tunes or podcasts.

See JLab Go Pop at Target

Mac mini

Just when you’d stopped thinking about Apple’s compact Mac desktop, the firm introduces one of its best desktops yet. Smaller than its predecessor, the 2024 Mac mini is a tad taller and no longer has USB-A ports. Equipped with an M4 Pro chip, it handles intensive tasks with impressive speed and efficiency. If not for the inconveniently placed power button beneath the 5-by-5 inch casing, it could almost be perfect.

See Mac mini at Amazon

PlayStation 5 Pro

This year, Sony’s $700 PlayStation 5 Pro is the major console release. Though the price is high—and the disc drive costs extra—the PS5 Pro offers incredible graphics capabilities that rival only gaming PCs. A notable leap in performance was observed in titles like God of War: Ragnarök. While it boasts exceptional power quietly, current PlayStation 5 owners needn’t switch over. This console is for those seeking top-tier performance at 4K and 1440p resolution.

See PS 5 Pro at Amazon

MacBook Pro 16 and Pro 14 with M4

The newest MacBook Pro variants remain largely unchanged. While this can frustrate tech critics, it also signifies that the latest Pros, with their most advanced chips so far, retain a robust structure with numerous ports and a visually appealing display. That screen now offers heightened brightness for non-HDR material. Compared in benchmarks, the larger MacBook Pro boasting an M4 Pro surpasses the M3 Max, most notably since every Pro model, including the base MacBook Pro 14, now begins with 16 GB of RAM—a meaningful shift as Apple had long been asserting that 8 GB sufficed. In the AI era, 8 GB is simply insufficient.

See MacBook Pro 16 at Amazon

See MacBook Pro 14 at Amazon

Roborock Qrevo Curv

Standing out as a robovac in 2024 isn’t easy, yet the Roborock Qrevo Curv draws attention with its capability to navigate over minor obstacles. It seamlessly elevates its rear to clear small books or mats without getting tangled in errant cables or fringes. Alongside strong suction power, it carries multiple other useful features expected from a robovac.

See roborock Vacuum at Amazon

Timestop D-20

The Timestop D-20, a simple yet classic digital watch, comes with a unique feature: a random number generator meant for TTRPG enthusiasts, like those who play Dungeons & Dragons. Users can cycle through various die types via its mechanical buttons, from D4s up to D100s, even rolling multiple dice simultaneously for tasks like computing damage from a fireball spell. At $160, the cost is high, but the forthcoming non-metal versions should bring the price closer to $100.La longevidad de tres años de la pila y la carátula sencilla del reloj lo hacen especialmente atractivo para el grupo de la vieja escuela que no puede recordar llevar los dados a cada maldita sesión.

Razer Freyja

El Razer Freyja es uno de los avances más fascinantes en háptica de videojuegos desde que alguien conectó por primera vez un motor háptico a un chaleco. Sin embargo, es un producto problemático que obliga a mantenerlo enchufado con un cable corto y conectarlo usando dos capas distintas de software Razer. Aunque la experiencia Sensa HD específica para juegos no ofrece esa sensación de impacto en todo el cuerpo que podrías desear, la conversión de audio a háptica es particularmente atractiva. Si estás conduciendo una motocicleta en el juego, sentirás cada bache y cambio de marcha como si realmente estuvieras sobre la moto. Aunque todavía no es perfecto, lo que existe representa un paso emocionante hacia una experiencia de juego inmersiva.

Ver Razer Freyja en Amazon

Asus ROG Phone 9

El más reciente ROG Phone de Asus no cuenta con las exageradas luces LED traseras del ROG Phone 9 Pro que permiten jugar juegos de arcade simples en su parte trasera, aunque no decepciona en rendimiento. Equipado con el chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite con overclocking, el Asus ROG Phone 9 ofrece un rendimiento sobresaliente en diversas pruebas de rendimiento y videojuegos. La mayor desventaja está en su salida de audio, que no está a la altura de otros teléfonos de $1,000. No es el mejor dispositivo para muchos, pero para quienes exigen el máximo rendimiento en su móvil, podría ser la opción más adecuada.

Atari 7800+

La reinterpretación nostálgica del Atari 7800+ no supone una revolución en emulación, pero presenta un diseño tan sólido que cumple su propósito eficazmente. Permite a los jugadores utilizar antiguos cartuchos de juegos de Atari 2600 y 7800 y disfrutarlos en una pantalla moderna. Se instala en cuestión de segundos, brindando la opción de jugar en pantalla completa o en el clásico formato de aspecto 4:3. Atari ha relanzado varios de sus viejos títulos, como Fatal Run, junto con otros juegos de la comunidad homebrew de Atari. El modelo 7800+ ilustra cómo otros fabricantes de videojuegos históricos pueden manejar su catálogo anterior.

Ver Atari 7800+ en Amazon

Casio CRW-001-1JR

Mientras el mundo tecnológico sigue obsesionado con los anillos inteligentes, hemos estado más fascinados por lo que podría ser el anillo más simple disponible. El modelo CRW-001-1JR de Casio es un reloj digital clásico con la forma de un anillo. Parece un reloj completo con una ‘correa de muñeca,’ aunque al colocarlo en tu dedo anular casi exige el gastado chiste de Zoolander: “¿qué es esto, un reloj para hormigas?” A pesar de su encanto, solo está disponible en Japón (por 19,800 yenes japoneses, o $128). Quizás con suficiente clamor comunitario, Casio podría pensar en lanzar este anillo en los Estados Unidos.

Anker Nebula Capsule

Nos acercamos a la era dorada de los proyectores de pequeño tamaño, y hasta ahora el Anker Nebula Capsule es uno de los más destacados. Tiene aproximadamente la forma y tamaño de una lata de refresco, y pesa un poco más. Integra Google TV para funcionar como un dispositivo de transmisión en miniatura que puedes llevar a cualquier lugar. Proyecta a una resolución de 1280 por 720, lo cual podría parecer limitado para su precio de $400, pero gastarías cientos de dólares más por algo con mejor resolución. El Anker Nebula logra un buen equilibrio entre forma y funcionalidad.

Ver Anker Nebula Capsule en Nebula

Ver Anker Nebula Capsule en Amazon