Smart Home & IoT

Tokyo – September 28, 2026 -- SwitchBot has launched its RGBICWW Light Bars, a two-pack smart lighting set priced at $45.99 (£55.99 / CAD 59.99) that switches between colorful ambient effects and practical white desk lighting.

Twelve color zones let users mix gradients instead of a single flat hue

The pair uses 12 IC chips to create 12 independently controllable zones, six per bar, supporting 16 million colors and 26 preset dynamic effects for gaming, movies, and parties. A built-in microphone drives six music-reactive modes without needing a separate sensor.

Dedicated white LEDs target long work sessions at a desk

Separate cool- and warm-white LEDs adjust color temperature from 2200K to 6500K, with dimming from 1% to 100% brightness. Combined, the two bars output up to 800 lumens of white light, intended to soften the contrast between a bright monitor and a darker room.

New York – September 28, 2026 -- BOOX has opened preorders for the Picco, a 3.97-inch monochrome ePaper eReader priced at $99.99, with shipping expected by November.

Weighing approximately 58 grams and sized roughly like a playing card, the Picco is BOOX's smallest eReader to date. It's built to slip into a pocket or bag for reading during commutes, lines or short breaks, offering an alternative to pulling out a smartphone.

The device introduces BOOX's new Tiles product category

Picco marks the launch of BOOX Tiles, a lineup that extends the company's ePaper ecosystem beyond traditional eReaders and tablets into new everyday form factors.

The 235 PPI screen includes adjustable warm and cool lighting

Users can navigate via touchscreen or physical page-turn buttons, and the display supports four-way rotation to accommodate different reading grips.

Las Vegas – September 25, 2026 -- ULTRALOQ has launched a new smart lock collection that lets homeowners choose between hands-free entry using ultra-wideband sensing or tap-to-unlock digital keys stored in Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet.

The lineup includes three models: Bolt Mission ($299.99 MSRP), Bolt Pro ($269.99 MSRP), and Latch 5 Pro ($249.99 MSRP). The collection is available now through ULTRALOQ's website and Amazon, with sales starting on The Home Depot's site in October.

Bolt Mission uses radar and UWB to detect true arrival, not just nearby phones

Billed as the industry's first UWB-enabled smart lock, Bolt Mission combines Bluetooth Low Energy discovery, UWB ranging, and radar-based presence sensing to distinguish someone approaching the door from someone simply moving inside the home. Users keep their phone in a pocket or bag while the Xthings Home app runs in the background, with no PIN entry or separate hub required.

Hurricane, Utah – September 24, 2026 -- Off-road electronics brand Wolfbox will run a "Blockout Challenge" at the 11th Annual Monster Energy Trail Hero Event, blocking drivers' exterior views entirely and forcing them to navigate an obstacle course using only its FlexPilot camera system. The weeklong event, powered by Greater Zion, takes place Sept. 28 through Oct. 3 in Hurricane, Utah.

Drivers navigate blind using only camera feeds

Qualifying rounds run from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 1 and 2, with 10 teams competing each day on a scored obstacle course. The top eight teams advance to an Oct. 3 final at The Chute, one of Sand Hollow's recognizable rock-crawling obstacles. Members of the public can ride shotgun with a Wolfbox driver during the Oct. 1 and 2 afternoon sessions.

Pomona, Calif. – September 24, 2026 -- Nework is expanding its smart living lineup this October with two new devices: NewFlow, a smart digital calendar, and NewSlate, an inkless writing board, aimed at cutting down household clutter and screen-based distraction.

NewFlow syncs family schedules across Google Calendar, iCloud, and Outlook.

The device centralizes agendas, chores, and meal planning through color-coded profiles for each family member. Users can manage shared grocery lists and adjust schedules remotely through a companion mobile app. When not in planning mode, NewFlow switches to an ambient photo frame display that blends into home decor.

San Mateo, Calif. – September 24, 2026 -- GoPro's new MISSION 1 Series of cinema cameras has picked up 11 awards from 10 tech and outdoor publications, with prices starting at $599.99 for the base MISSION 1 model.

WIRED scores the MISSION 1 PRO a 9 out of 10

WIRED named the MISSION 1 PRO its Best Overall Action Camera for 2026, pointing to the 1-inch sensor, 8K video and slow-motion range. SlashGear gave the MISSION 1 PRO its Best Action Camera nod and handed Best Camera honors to the MISSION 1 PRO ILS on its Hot List 2026.

PCMag awarded the standard MISSION 1 an Editors' Choice rating of 4.5 out of 5, praising image quality, battery life and durability. Tom's Guide and Gizmodo also gave the MISSION 1 PRO Editor's Choice recognition, with Tom's Guide highlighting 8K30 Open Gate and 8K60 capture alongside best-in-class battery and thermal performance.

Melville, N.Y. – September 24, 2026 -- Nikon has unveiled the Z5IIC, a full-frame mirrorless camera priced at $1,399.95 for the body alone, aimed squarely at smartphone photographers ready to upgrade without wrestling with manual settings. The camera ships mid-October 2026, with a $1,699.95 kit bundling the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens, plus additional soft bundles with 26mm f/2.8 and 40mm f/2 pancake lenses through retailers.

Built on the Z5II platform, the Z5IIC drops the viewfinder in favor of a screen-first design, keeping the body compact and users engaged with their surroundings rather than buried behind an eyepiece.

Wilmington, Del. – September 24, 2026 -- Biophysical Therapeutics is now accepting pre-orders for an anti-aging moisturizer priced at $120, with only 500 units available in its first production run at www.IF1.skin.

The Delaware-based biotech company launched the product under a new consumer brand called IF1, named after a protein the company says plays a role in determining lifespan across mammal species.

The moisturizer's formula is based on research into why species age at different rates.

Biophysical Therapeutics says its research found that species with higher levels of IF1 protein tend to live longer -- comparing a mouse's four-year maximum lifespan to a bowhead whale's lifespan of centuries. The company reports that increasing IF1 protein in mice reduced aging as measured by a biomarker for aging.

Berlin – September 23, 2026 -- RingConn's Gen 3 smart ring picked up seven awards at IFA 2026 in Berlin, including the IFA Innovation Award in the Beauty Tech & Well-being category, as the wearable maker showcased the device at multiple booths near the show's north entrance.

The ring collected six additional media distinctions.

New York – September 23, 2026 -- Attack Shark has launched the MEGA B2, a gaming mouse that replaces traditional mechanical switches with TMR-based Magnetic Micro-Switches, letting players set actuation distances as fine as 0.1mm.

Magnetic switches allow adjustable trigger sensitivity

Instead of physical contacts, the MEGA B2 detects button movement through magnetic sensing, a design the company says reduces switch wear over time. The mouse also supports Rapid Trigger technology, letting activation and reset points shift dynamically so players can fire repeated inputs without waiting for a fixed reset distance. Both primary buttons include linear motor haptic feedback, with independently adjustable trigger sensitivity and tactile intensity.