12 Cool New Gadgets to Keep on Your Radar

The Google Home Speaker is the company’s next-gen $100 smart home speaker. Google redesigned it both inside and out so that it looks very similar to Apple’s HomePod mini, thanks to its rounded design and 3D knit fabric covering, and improved its 360-degree sound. Most notably, the speaker is integrated with Gemini for Home and a new service (Google Home Premium) that’s powered by Google’s Gemini AI. This means that, in a nutshell, the smart assistant should be way more conversational (and smart) than Apple’s Siri. The speaker will come in four different colors (Jade, Berry, Porcelain, and Haze), but you’ll have to wait to buy — it won’t be available until “spring 2026.”

Google has introduced updated versions of its Nest Indoor and Outdoor smart home cameras. Both have the same design as their predecessors, but are now available in new color options. The big upgrade is that each supports a higher resolution picture (now 2K HDR) with a wider field of view. They also have a new cropping feature that zooms in on whatever prompted the alert (be it a person or a pet). Additionally, these cameras come with twice as much storage for free video clips — the 10-second motion-activated clips can be viewed for up to 6 hours after they were recorded, instead of three.

Google’s third-generation video doorbell looks much like its 2022-released predecessor, but the new model has an upgraded lens and sensor, allowing it to record 2K HDR video for the first time and have a wider field of view. It also has a convenient new zooming feature where, if there’s a motion-activated alert, the camera will zoom in on the subject (person or animal) that triggered the alert. It costs $180, just like before, and is available now.

Amazon announced two new smart speakers at its big hardware event this year: the Echo Studio and the Echo Dot Max. The Echo Studio, which has been Amazon’s biggest and beefiest speaker for several years, has been completely redesigned with a new look and new drivers; it’s also roughly 40 percent smaller than its predecessor. The Echo Dot Max shares a similar new design, featuring a 3D knit fabric and a front-facing light ring with on-device controls, but it is roughly half the size of the new Echo Studio.

Jony Ive, founder of LoveFrom (and Apple’s famed product designer for over two decades), has teamed up with Gen Terao, the founder of Balmuda, the iconic Japanese design and manufacturing company, to create this Sailing Lantern. Inspired by classic maritime design, the Sailing Lantern is crafted from precision-ground, polished glass and stainless steel, featuring mirror and electroplated finishes. It packs dual LEDs, a rechargeable battery, and a single dial that controls both brightness and color temperature. According to the brands, this portable lantern is meant to create a light that “feels like an ancient flame captured in modern form — both romantic and enduring.”

Fosi Audio is fast becoming one of the most prominent names in budget hi-fi — and the IM4 is the brand’s first pair of in-ear monitors. The earbuds have an open-back design and feature 10mm beryllium-coated diaphragm drivers. According to the brand, they’re designed to bring a “spacious, natural sound and all-day comfort to the portable hi-fi category.” And at $100, they’re an accessible entry point for aspiring audiophiles.