News & Features

John Deere Introduces JD, an AI Assistant Built to End Farming’s Data Paralysis Problem

Ames, Iowa sits about fifteen miles from Boone, where the Farm Progress Show opens this week, and in the days before the gates opened John Deere brought a group of journalists and content creators to the Agriculture Innovation Lab at Iowa State University to talk about the data collected at their farms and what the future holds for that data. The future, as of this morning, is JD: an artificial intelligence assistant built into John Deere Operations Center that lets a farmer ask a question in plain language and get an answer drawn from their own fields, machines, and records.


The Ohsnap Wallet 2 Is a Wallet Made to Fit Your Life and Style

You probably know Ohsnap as the folks behind the incredibly thin Snap Grip, or, if you like mobile gaming, you may be familiar with their MCON magnetic gaming controllers. When they see the back of a phone, they see opportunity, and their latest way to maximize that real estate is their new modular Wallet 2, launching on Kickstarter today! We’re all familiar with the “usual” MagSafe wallet setup. Some sort of pouch or small snap-on compartment that holds 2-3 cards. And if you’re being really spicy, maybe a money clip. Ohsnap’s take is to tackle the idea that everyone’s needs and…


Plaud One Explorer Addition Puts an AI Assistant in Your Ears, but It Wants to Do More Than Take Notes

Plaud is moving its AI note-taking hardware off the desk and into your ears. The Plaud One Explorer Edition is a $249.99 pair of half-in-ear wireless earbuds with a recording case, built-in 4G LTE, and Plaud’s new Agent software, giving it ambitions well beyond music and phone calls. It can record meetings, calls, conversations, and spoken ideas, then transcribe, summarize, and turn that material into follow-up work. The pitch is simple enough: if much of your work begins with conversation, Plaud wants those conversations to become the starting point for whatever comes next.


IKEA and Xbox Just Made Gaming Furniture Weird, Clever, and Surprisingly Affordable

You’re a gamer. You need hardware. No, I’m not talking about a PC or an Xbox. I mean the real hardware that will keep you going through your gaming sesh. To that end, Xbox and IKEA brought a collab to Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and took me for a little tour. All told, nine different products are coming to IKEA shelves, none of which will have written instructions.


Flowtica Scribe + Folio Puts Handwritten Notes Next to Your Meeting Recordings

Flowtica is extending its smart-pen system beyond recorded meetings with the new Flowtica Scribe + Folio bundle, arriving August 25, 2026. The pairing combines the company’s $159 Scribe recording pen with a $39 refillable notebook whose pages can be photographed, cleaned up, searched, and turned into editable notes or follow-up tasks in the free Flowtica app. It’s aimed at people who still prefer handwriting during meetings but don’t want those notes disappearing into a desk drawer afterward. The idea is simple: keep writing on paper, then give that paper a useful digital afterlife that stays easy to find.


Ninja Crispi DualZone Dual Basket Glass Air Fryer Review: Double the Cooking, without the Coated Baskets

If you have been keeping an eye on countertop kitchen gadgets, Shark|Ninja has been on a run lately. Their latest release, the Ninja Crispi DualZone Countertop Glass Air Fryer, takes the popular dual-zone air fryer concept and swaps out the traditional opaque metal drawers for heavy-duty glass containers. In true Ninja form, the Crispi is full of features and works extremely well.


DJI Osmo Action 6 Goes Big on 8K, Smarter Framing, and a Better Amazon Bundle Deal

The DJI Osmo Action 6 brings several useful changes to the action-camera category, including an adjustable f/2.0 to f/4.0 aperture, a new 1/1.1″ square sensor, 8K/30fps recording, and 50GB of usable built-in storage. This Amazon bundle also includes two extra batteries, a 64GB microSDXC card, and a 58-piece accessory kit, so you won’t have to start hunting for mounts and spare power before you’ve shot a single clip. It’s still a small, rugged camera meant to go places your phone shouldn’t, but DJI is giving it enough flexibility to handle far more than bike rides, ski runs, and snorkeling trips.


RayNeo Thinks 1 Pair of Smart Glasses Can’t Do It All, So It Built 3

RayNeo is heading to IFA 2026 with a smart glasses lineup that’s less interested in finding one pair to do everything than in splitting the job three ways. The RayNeo iO Smart Glasses focus on lightweight, glanceable information and translation, while the RayNeo GT and GT Max aim at private big-screen entertainment. A new Pocket TV Pro supplies Google TV and Dolby Vision playback for the GT models. Together, the products cover work, travel, presentations, gaming, and streaming, though each asks you to accept a different balance of weight, visibility, battery life, and price.


SweetNight Coolnest Pro 16-Inch Mattress Review: This Mattress Is Great at Providing a Cool Night’s Sleep!

Good sleep is a thing to treasure. I’ve never gotten a mattress in a box before, but the SweetNight Coolnest Pro 16-Inch Mattress combines layered foam, cooling fabric, and solid support for comfortable sleep without lingering body impressions overnight. The mattress is excellent; it has multiple layers of materials designed to improve comfort and provide a durable, cool mattress. The layered approach prevents the mattress from being too soft or creating body-shaped divots that are hard to get out of, making it and strong option if you’re in the market.


Cricut’s 20th Anniversary Sale Helps Get You Crafting

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to dive into DIY crafting or want to upgrade your current setup, the timing couldn’t be better. Cricut is officially celebrating its 20th anniversary with a massive sale across its lineup of smart cutting machines. Whether you are prepping for the back-to-school rush or getting an early jump on holiday gifting, this milestone Cricut sale makes it an ideal time to pick one up.


The InfiMaker K1 Makes 5-Axis CNC Machining Look Almost Too Easy, and It’s Launching Soon on Kickstarter

On August 11th, 2026, I was invited to a Kickstarter Launch Event in San Francisco for the InfiMaker K1 5-axis CNC, a sleek desktop machine with powerful capabilities for experienced makers and hobbyists alike. I have personally stayed away from things like 3D printers– I’m not creating things to sell on Etsy any time soon. The learning curve seems slightly daunting. I’ve played with laser engravers and copycat CNC routers with varying degrees of frustration. But a 5-axis CNC? No way I’d be able to wrap my head around that. Or could I?


These 2 New Volkswagen Smart eBikes Will Watch Your Back with Radar, Cameras, Smart Glasses, and a Connected Helmet

The Volkswagen Smart eBike is bringing a distinctly automotive approach to bicycle safety, pairing rear-facing radar and a camera with connected lighting, optional Smart Glasses, and a crash-detecting Smart Helmet. Developed and produced by n+ under license from Volkswagen, the new eBikes will make their public debut at IFA Berlin from September 4 through 8, 2026, with test rides available on the Mobility Test Track. The idea is straightforward: give riders more information about traffic approaching from behind without forcing them to look away from the road ahead, while making the rider easier for drivers to see.


The New Satechi ChargeView 240W Desktop Charger Powers Six Devices While Showing Exactly Where Every Watt Goes

Satechi is back with a bigger, more capable version of one of its more interesting charging ideas. The new Satechi ChargeView 240W Desktop Charger builds on the company’s earlier 140W model, but this time the focus is squarely on users who have gone well beyond charging a single laptop and phone at the same time. For anyone running a desk full of gear, the extra headroom should make this new model a much more compelling option.


Segway MAX G3 Plus Adds More Range, Better Brakes, and a $350 Pre-Order Discount

The Segway MAX G3 Plus arrives as a longer-range, better-equipped update to the company’s premium commuter scooter, with pre-orders opening at $1,149.99 through August 24. That’s $350 below its $1,499.99 MSRP, although the discount still leaves this firmly in serious transportation territory rather than impulse-buy range. Its headline upgrades include a 717Wh battery, up to 56 miles of claimed range, 2,200 watts of peak power, dedicated rear turn signals, larger brake rotors, and revised controls. Shipping is expected to begin August 25, giving commuters a few weeks to decide whether more battery is worth more scooter.


The TrustedAir TruFlow Smart HEPA Air Purifier Monitors Indoor Air and Adjusts Itself

Indoor air quality is easy to ignore until wildfire smoke rolls in, allergy season arrives, or the dog decides the sofa is a permanent shedding station. The TrustedAir TruFlow Smart HEPA Air Purifier is designed for those everyday problems, combining three-stage filtration with automatic air-quality monitoring and app-based controls. It’s intended for bedrooms, offices, living rooms, and other larger spaces where dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke particles, odors, and airborne mold spores can linger. Normally priced at $249, the purifier is being promoted for $199 with free shipping. Its smart features are meant to make filtration easier to manage.


Cuisinart Kitchen Deals Serve Up to 28% Off Air Fryers, Cookware, Coffee Makers, and More

From August 2 through September 13, a fresh batch of Cuisinart kitchen deals is trimming up to 28% off a mix of countertop appliances, cookware, and everyday kitchen gear. The timing lands neatly between back-to-school shopping, late-summer kitchen resets, and Labor Day hosting, but the more useful takeaway is that several of these discounts bring familiar Cuisinart staples below $100. The sale covers everything from an 11-qt dual-basket air fryer and a frozen-drink maker to skillets, a toaster, and a thermal coffee maker, with promo prices starting at $29.95 and topping out at $279.95 during the promotion.


DJI Osmo Pocket 4P First Look: The Tiny Camera That Made This Writer Want to Create

I am not a capital “C” creator by any stretch of the imagination. I have a fledgling YouTube channel, but for the most part, I make my living with my keyboard. But I was invited to get a hands-on preview of the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4P, and I have to say — I might be changing my mind. The device is tiny and very simple to use. It comes with everything you need to be a creator, except the mind to know what to shoot — that’s still your responsibility. But for everything else, there’s the Osmo Pocket 4P….


The WaterField 48-Hour Travel System Packs Work and a Wardrobe Into One Modular Carry

The $729 WaterField 48-Hour Travel System is built for the awkward middle ground between an overnight bag and a meeting-ready briefcase. Designed for short business trips, long commutes, and workdays that spill into dinner or the gym, the five-piece set combines a personal-item-sized Carryall, a removable Slim Brief, two packing cubes, and a suspension shoulder strap. The idea is sensible: keep clothing and technology together while traveling, then separate the office portion when it’s time to look less like someone who just sprinted through Terminal B with two days of belongings and one charger too many.


Rapoo VT2 MAX Gaming Mouse Review: Ultralight Speed, Pinpoint Accuracy, and Battery Life for Days

If you’re an elder millennial gamer like me, you’ve gone through dozens of gaming mice over the past two decades or so. Remember when adding custom weight amounts to “tune” your gaming mouse was a thing? The latest trend among pros and consumers is in the opposite direction with ultralight mice in order to give you lightning-fast control in quick-paced games. I tested the Rapoo VT2 MAX Gaming Mouse for a few weeks to find out, and it did not disappoint! What’s in the Box The Rapoo VT2 MAX Gaming Mouse comes in a sleek box with an “8K Faraday-shield…


REDMAGIC Astra 2 Gaming Tablet Turns Up the Power with Liquid Cooling and a 2K OLED Display

REDMAGIC has finally announced full details and specifications for its upcoming Astra 2 Gaming Tablet, and it looks like a stunner. The Astra 2 features Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor paired with REDMAGIC’s custom RedCore R4 gaming chip, which is designed to improve responsiveness, allocate system resources more efficiently, and maintain steadier frame rates during extended gaming sessions. Buyers will be able to choose between configurations with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.


Samsung Unpacked 2026 Goes Big on Foldables, AI, and Smarter Galaxy Watches

Samsung launched a gaggle of new devices at its summer Unpacked event in London today. There was a lot of “new” at the event, including some new branding, some new features, and even a new form factor. All told, six new devices are coming in just two weeks at a variety of price points. Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and the Galaxy Watch 9 in two sizes — 44mm and 40mm. Here are the highlights from the event.