News

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple Pencil 2 complements all of this week’s iPad deals at $90 (Save $39), more from $80
• Official Apple Watch Link Bracelets see rare discounts from $263 at Amazon (Reg. $349+)
• Apple’s prev-gen. AirPods 2 still offer plenty of value with $90 clearance discount (Save $39)

Today, the 2K Games in partnership with the LEGO Group is launching the latest brick-built video game. Hitting the road as something of a spiritual successor to the popular late ’90s game LEGO Racers, LEGO 2K Drive arrives with even more kart customization, co-op and online racing, and tons of courses to traverse when it launches on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X later this spring.

As the LEGO Star Wars 2023 lineup comes into clearer focus, today we can share a first look at the latest addition to the upcoming collection of sets. This year has already seen quite a few early looks at sets that aren’t going to be due out until later this year, like the UCS X-Wing that drops on May 1. And just ahead of Star Wars Day too, the LEGO Group will be debuting a new pack of BrickHeadz to continue the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi with a Battle of Endor Heroes pack.

Today, Amazon is announcing an expansion of its in-house TV family with new sizes and an entirely new lineup. While the popular Fire TV Omni QLED series has been around for a while, Amazon is now expanding that with three new sizes. Plus, there’s a new 2-series launching for those who are after a more budget-focused experience but still want built-in smarts, with pricing starting at $200. Ready to learn more? Head below to find out all the details we have on Amazon’s latest Fire TV models.

Harber of London – a family run brand based in London with penchant for handmade, high-end leather accessories and bags – is ready to introduce its new MacBook sleeve. Joining a collection of backpacks, wallets, briefcases, AirTag cases, and other Mac carriers, the new Zippered Sleeve For MacBook delivers water-resistant, cushioned protection and the fittingly high-end home your precious Apple notebook deserves. Head below for a closer look at the new Harber of London MacBook sleeve. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple Studio Display hits second-best price at $1,350 (Save $249), Pro Display XDR at $500 off
• Apple’s latest Magic Keyboard for 11-inch M2 iPad Pro hits best price of the year at $239
• First discounts of the year go live on Apple’s AirTags from $22.50 each

Update: The pre-order discount on Positive Grid’s Spark GO miniature smart guitar amp, Bluetooth speaker, and interface is now live at $110 (Reg. $150). 

Let’s check out the new Spark GO mini smart guitar amp. Positive Grid – makers of the popular smart Spark guitar amps and Bluetooth speakers – have now officially unveiled the new Spark GO. After taking the original Spark amp down to a more compact size for the Spark Mini, which we went hands-on with about year ago now at launch, Positive Grid is both going even smaller with the new GO variant and cutting the price nearly in half. Head below for a closer look and more details on the new Positive Grid Spark GO mini smart guitar amp. 

As we reported just over a year ago, Nintendo will sadly be shutting down the Wii U and 3DS eShop for good very soon. This will leave a massive collection of games in limbo for folks that don’t scoop them up before Monday – a sad and inevitable eventuality for some digital media. You’d better grab the titles you want soon because the clock is ticking, and there’s no telling if some of these titles will ever be seen again in an official (or legal) manner. 

Today, ECOVACS, a well-known brand in the robot cleaning space, is introducing three new smart vacuums and mops. With the N10+, T9+, and T10 OMNI making their way to retailers now, you’ll find that the latest models from the DEEBOT lineup are perfect for cleaning your house this spring. Pricing starts at $650, and you can learn all about the latest ECOVACS has to offer below.

Today we are taking a closer look at the ECOVACS DEEBOT T10 OMNI Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning system. One of the latest from a brand that has been automating home cleaning responsibilities for years now, the T10 OMNI leverages the most useful technology from the ECOVACS X1 model into a more affordable package to deliver a truly hands-off cleaning experience to your living space for less. And now, with spring cleaning season on the horizon, ECOVACS is offering DEEBOT T10 OMNI alongside its “One-for-All” cleaning setup, auto emptying, hot air mop drying, voice command support, and TrueMapping 2.0 tech with a massive discount and a series of extras thrown in for good measure. Head below for a closer look. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple’s latest 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro is now $200 off at Amazon
• Spring clearance takes up to $699 off cellular 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pros from $1,000
• Save $50 on Apple’s all-new 10.9-inch iPad for only the third time at $399 Amazon low

Anker today is launching its second-ever 15W MagSafe charging stand. After the first one landed earlier in the year, the company is out with a refreshed take on the desktop charging system that ditches the cube design we last saw for another geometric form factor. The new Anker 737 MagGo Charger packs much of the same 3-in-1 design that we’ve come to expect and is now available for purchase with a launch discount attached.

Microsoft is serving up some FREE Xbox demos for a host of unreleased games starting today. The 2023 Game Developers Conference, or GDC, kicked off in San Francisco today with the show’s usual awards and breadth of exhibitors. But Microsoft has a special treat for folks whether you can make it to the show proper or not in the way of some FREE Xbox demos to enjoy for the week. These are very early looks at unreleased titles, and you don’t need anything but an Xbox console to play them all week long without dropping a nickel. Head below for more details. 

CASETiFY is now launching its latest form-factor of cases for iPhone 14 series smartphones. The new Push-In Case takes on a fun design that lets you attach a series of charms to the back of your handset while still delivering 4-foot drop protection to Apple’s latest.

If you’ve heard of a kettle grill, then it’s likely you know the Kamado Joe namesake. Well, the iconic grill brand has finally entered the digital age with the introduction of the Konnected Joe. Here’s the thing that’s interesting: the Konnected Joe is still a charcoal-powered grill that uses all-new digital features to take your outdoor cooking setup to the next level. Ready to find out all this new grill brings to the table? Keep reading to find out more.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Save on nearly all of Apple’s official iPhone 14 series cases in new spring sale from $31
• Apple’s latest black Magic Trackpad falls to $120 low, Touch ID Keyboard at $173
• Apple’s latest 24-inch M1 iMac lands at Amazon all-time lows from $1,100 (Save $199)

When looking for a new gaming PC, there are pros and cons to buying a prebuilt computer or building your own custom rig. Over the last few months, we’ve looked at building a custom PC in the NZXT H9 case, checked out the NZXT Player: Three, and now we are adding the Maingear MG-1 Shroud Edition to the comparison. All three of these builds are packing near-identical processing power with an Intel 13700K or KF as well as an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the performance and price details.

Last fall, the folks over at Ultimate Ears launched a new generation of its most portable speaker before refreshing it with some new colorways at the beginning of the year. Ahead of spring, we’re taking a hands-on look at a top contender for the year’s best portable Bluetooth speaker. The new WONDERBOOM 3 arrives with all of the usual Ultimate Ears fixing, but also some firsts for the brand like a recycled build.

After being unveiled back at CES, the all new SwitchBot Hub 2.0 is now available for pre-order. This Wi-Fi hub also doubles as a thermo-hygrometer alongside acting as the central gateway for all your SwitchBot smart home products; the biggest upgrade the company has made here is the inclusion of Matter and HomeKit support. Coming in a sleek and stylish white frame, the new SwitchBot Hub 2.0 will fit anywhere in your home while packing in the latest and greatest smart home communication protocol. Expected to begin shipping in April – keep reading below to learn more about this new hub from SwitchBot.

Following the release of its new All-Conditions leather waterproof smartphone and accessories pouch, today we are taking a closer look at the brand new Bellroy passport wallet. Carrying what is essentially your most precious piece of travel-related documentation loose in your hand or a bag pocket can be just fine, but if you’re anything like me, having something that can both protect it from the elements and keep the rest of your small scale travel kit organized is a good thing. And Bellroy is now back with its improved second-edition travel folio to help the cause. More than just your average passport wallet with a couple pockets for your travel document and boarding pass, the new travel folio “keeps travel essentials at hand when you need them and zipped away when you don’t.” Head below for more details on the now available Bellroy passport wallet. 

Hohem is a newer brand to the scene when it comes to portable filmmaking accessories, but the company just announced its iSteady M6 smartphone gimbal. Coming in with a competitive price, you’ll find that this gimbal packs a lot of features for what it is. From the included magnetic fill light and AI vision sensor to the 360-degree rotation, metal control knob, and more, the Hohem iSteady M6 looks to be a solid choice for your mobile videography needs. Keep reading to find out why.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Save $99 on Apple’s just-released M2 Mac mini 512GB at new $700 all-time low
• New low makes Apple’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro a better buy at $1,499 (Save $500)
• Apple Magic Trackpad 2 is a must-have for new M2 Mac mini owners at $104 on Amazon

Belkin today is rolling with the spring season change and launching a pair of refreshed colorways for one of its popular iPhone 14 accessories. Belkin Boost↑Charge Wireless Power Bank is already a notable option for MagSafe-enabled devices, and now the accessory now comes in some spring-ready styles thanks to refreshed purple and pink designs. Launching with more affordable prices than the previous offerings, these still deliver MagSafe builds with foldout kickstands.

Today, Solo Stove is announcing a new Pellet Adapter for its Ranger, Bonfire, and Yukon smokeless fire pits. Designed to allow you to use standard wood pellets in your Solo Stove, this adapter is quite simple to use and has the ability to make your outdoor parties more maintenance free. Pricing starts at $40 and goes up, and we’ve spent the past week or so using the Pellet Adapter to give you our thoughts. Keep reading to find out what we think about the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter in our hands-on review.

While we’re starting to see more and more Wi-Fi 6E routers from all the usual brands, some others are looking forward to the next big thing. One such brand is NETGEAR, as it is now unveiling “the first Wi-Fi 7 router,” the Nighthawk RS700. While this new Wi-Fi standard is not officially finalized, NETGEAR is still ready to bring it to your home as soon as possible. Wi-Fi 7 brings 320MHz channel bandwidths which will greatly increase data throughput and allow for theoretical 40Gb/s wireless internet. If you like to be on the bleeding edge of technology, you can pre-order the Nighthawk RS700 today, and it will be shipping in the next few months. Keep reading below the fold to learn more about this router.

After first being revealed back at CES 2023, Anker’s latest work-focused accessory is now finally shipping. The AnkerWork M650 microphone kit includes a pair of wireless mics as well as a Lightning or USB-C receiver that makes it just as notable for recording out and about with iPhone as it is for at-home podcasting from your Mac. Now available for purchase, we break down what to expect below the fold.

Today, Razer is introducing an all-new mouse pad that’s made of…tempered glass? That’s right, the Razer Atlas is the latest hard mat from the iconic gaming brand, this time bringing tempered glass to the mix. This allows for better tracking, thanks to the 2μm texturing on the surface. However, all of this doesn’t come at a low cost, with the Razer Atlas clocking in with a $100 list price. What does it claim to be able to do in order to ask that much? Let’s take a closer look.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Spring savings make Apple Watch SE 2 even more affordable from $219 (Save $30)
• ecobee’s latest HomeKit SmartThermostats see spring discounts from $170 (Reg. $190+)
• Philips Hue refurb sale goes live for today only: Gradient Signe Floor Lamp $79 off, more from $20

New Game Boy Switch Online titles have arrived. After finally introducing the Game Boy and Game Boy Advanced libraries to its Switch Online membership during the last full-on Nintendo Direct event (not the Super Mario Bros. movie event from last week), Nintendo has now already added some new titles to the mix. Earlier this month it brought 2002’s Metroid Fusion to the Game Boy Advanced lineup, and now it’s time for some upgrades to the base Game Boy library, alongside a couple new titles for the Super NES and NES collections. Head below for more details on the new Game Boy Switch Online titles and more. 

After getting a first look earlier in the week, the LEGO Group today is officially revealing its all-new Land Rover Defender Classic 90 set. Hitting the scene next month, the upcoming addition to the LEGO Icons lineup arrives as the latest vehicle to get the brick-built treatment, stacking up just in time for the company’s 75th anniversay.

Today we are taking a hands-on look at SANDMARC’s latest leather Apple Watch band. After releasing what are easily some of my favorite leather iPhone cases over the past couple years, alongside a slew of particularly well-made iPhoneography gear, the brand set its sights on Apple Watch accessories at the tail end of last year to particularly successful effect. Its stainless steel and titanium Apple Watch bracelets look like something from a high-end house of horology, not to mention being some of the more popular options among 9to5Toys readers in 2022, and we wanted to see if its leather Apple Watch bands could keep up. So head below for the latest Tested with 9to5Toys for our hands-on impressions of SANDMARC’s leather Apple Watch band.

Continuing to refresh its lineup of portable power stations, Jackery is now launching its most capable release yet. The new Explorer 3000 Pro arrives as its most capable model so far, centered around a 3,024Wh battery with enough juice to keep the family going for 48 hours at a time. Launching later this month, you can lock in pre-order discounts at up to $400 off.

Today, Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order are announcing one final bout of Cities: Skylines DLC updates before it looks to retire the game at the end of the year. Before the game is sunset, you’ll get a lot of community content packs to add a few last-minute features to the iconic city builder before Cities: Skylines II hits the market. Ready to see what all will be coming to the game starting March 22? Let’s take a closer look below.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple’s latest 16-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pros now up to $275 off at new all-time lows
• Save $450 on Apple’s elevated M1 MacBook Air 1TB at low of $1,199, base config hits $800
• Samsung Galaxy S22/+ 256GB smartphones are now a better value from $701 (Reg. $850+)

Update: The new Land Rover Defender set has officially been revealed. Go check it out in our full launch coverage.

Each year, the LEGO Group looks to launch a new brick-built vehicle into its garage. Today, we can offer a first look at the new addition for 2023, which will be seeing the iconic Land Rover Defender Classic get the LEGO treatment with nearly 2,000 bricks.

Today Garmin is unveiling some of its latest outdoor navigation devices with the GPSMAP 67 Series and the eTrex SE. These rugged GPS handheld devices are a great companion for those who often go hiking in remote locations with spotty cellular service and pack in many upgrades ranging from improved battery life to better GNSS support. The entry-level eTrex SE is just the latest iteration in the brand’s “longest-running line of durable, easy-to-use handhelds,” while the all-new GPSMAP 67 Series includes two new handhelds built for tough adventures. All of these new GPS handhelds are available for purchase today from Garmin and are ready to join your next hike. Keep reading below the fold to learn more.

Today, CASETiFY officially launched its latest collection of Star Wars iPhone 14 cases, this time putting everyone’s favorite bounty hunter in the spotlight. The new lineup of gear from The Mandalorian includes more than just phone cases for Apple’s latest, and carries over to a whole host of other accessories. Though CASETiFY’s bread and butter really is the covers, and we’re taking a hands-on look at some of the all-new releases including the shiny Beskar Ingot case.

Today, Edifier is introducing an all-new tabletop Bluetooth speaker with the QD35. Featuring “Lumia Art” effects, you’ll find that this speaker leverages a retro translucent design. It’s an all-in-one music system that’s both hi-res audio and hi-res audio wireless certified with USB-A and aux jacks on the rear panel, which supports both these high-resolution audio signals. So, if you’re ready to dip your toes into a hi-res audio system with ’90s callbacks, then the Edifier QD35 is a solid option. Want to learn more? Keep reading to discover all we know about this speaker.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Rare discount delivers new all-time low on official Apple Watch 45mm Milanese Loop band at $81
• Apple’s latest black Mac accessories see rare discounts: Magic Trackpad $120, more from $89
• Apple’s original MagSafe Leather Wallet comes in four styles with discount to $27 (Reg. $59)

The Model O Wireless from Glorious was one of my favorite mice when we reviewed it in December 2020. Today, Glorious is launching the next-generation Model O 2 wired and wireless. As with many products these days, the new model means new updates and a higher starting price as well. Are the updates worth the $100 price tag? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.

Just after being shown off in last week’s episode of The Mandalorian, the LEGO Group today is officially revealing another new kit from the series. The horrifying Spider Tank skulking around the mines of Mandalore just made its debut into Star Wars canon, and is now being immortalized as a new set launching later this summer. Now available for pre-order, we break down what to expect from LEGO set number 75361.