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(Image credit: Future)

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

CES 2025 is now well underway – and while the grand expo technically starts today (January 7), for those in the media (including the TechRadar team), it's the second day of showcases and announcements. It's been another hectic day of tech news, so we're giving you a round-up of the best bits right here.

As with the first day of CES 2025, the gadgets and gizmos on show below will help to define the year in technology. We've got big news from Samsung, Nvidia and LG, as well as new smartwatches, robot vacuums, AI-powered air fryers, and... parasols with batteries attached (perfect for your next beach day).

CES is a tech showcase, so you won't be able to buy all of these products right away – but they give us a glimpse of what's coming later in 2025, so you can start saving up now.

This isn't the end of the CES 2025 fun either, because we'll have another full round-up of hardware for you to dig into tomorrow...

1. Samsung The Frame Pro TV

• Best feature: The addition of mini-LED tech

The 2025 version is a major upgrade (Image credit: Future)

We've always been intrigued by The Frame TV from Samsung – the television that doubles up as an art showcase – and here at CES 2025 the latest model has been unveiled. The Frame Pro adds mini-LED technology and improved HDR to the mix, and the difference between this and the 2024 model is simply stunning.

There's an extra vibrancy here and some other tweaks (like improved refresh rate) that make The Frame Pro a better TV, and yet it doesn't lose any of its appeal when the Art Mode is active. We'll need to put the model more fully to the test, but it seems Samsung may have finally hit on the right formula this time around.

• Read the full story: I saw Samsung's new The Frame Pro mini-LED TV, and it's whole new work of art

2. Nvidia RTX 5090

• Best feature: Proper 8K gaming support

Here comes Nvidia's new RTX 5090 card (Image credit: Nvidia)

We've been waiting a long time, but the Nvidia RTX 5000 series GPUs are finally official – including the top-of-the-range RTX 5090. Early impressions: these graphics cards will be living up to the hype, and pack in an enormous amount of power, though you're going have to pay top dollar to get hold of them.

The RTX 5090 specifically brings with it 92 billion transistors, next-gen Tensor Cores and Ray Tracing Cores, and more than double the AI processing speed of the RTX 4090 (which was a complete beast). Oh, and there's 32GB of new GDDR7 VRAM too, making this comfortably the most powerful GPU on the planet.

• Read the full story: Nvidia unveils new GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 graphics cards at CES 2025

3. SwitchBot K20+ Pro

• Best feature: An innovative mounting platform

Why do one job when you can do three? (Image credit: SwitchBot)

If you've ever thought the key feature missing from your robot vacuum was the ability to bring you a sandwich while cleaning your floors, take a look at the new SwitchBot K20+ Pro. It comes with a mounting platform for attachments such as fans, security cameras, and trays for bringing your lunch right to you (perhaps).

It's a neat idea, and expands the capabilities of the standard robovac – it makes sense that it could also be taking care of other jobs (such as purifying the indoor air) while keeping everything spick and span. How the device and its accessories are priced will be crucial, and we'll find that out at some point later in 2025.

• Read the full story: This robot vacuum can also bring you a sandwich, and it might be the greatest gadget we've seen yet at CES

4. LG xboom Stage 301

• Best feature: Works on the floor or on a stand

The LG xboom Stage 301 produces some serious sound (Image credit: Future)

Musician will.i.am is back in the tech game, and has partnered up with LG to bring us the xboom series of speakers. The best of the bunch right now is the LG xboom Stage 301, which is designed like a stage speaker – it has a corner cut off at the bottom, so you can angle it upwards, just like the pro musicians do.

What's most important though is the sound, and the 6.5-inch woofer and twin 2.5-inch mid-range drivers do a very impressive job here, based on our testing on the CES 2025 show floor. The speaker works on a stand as well as on the floor, and is designed to be versatile enough to meet a whole range of different needs.

• Read the full story: I heard LG's new speakers made with will.i.am, and I kind of love them

5. Anker SOLIX parasol

• Best feature: Shade cover with solar power

"Look... still got Wi-Fi..." (Image credit: Anker)

You know you're at CES when you're looking at recharging stations paired with objects you wouldn't necessarily associate with gadget charging – and that brings us to the Anker SOLIX parasol, which you can wheel out to the beach to make sure you stay very much on the grid while you're soaking in some rays.

Or rather, not soaking in the rays, if you're benefitting from the parasol's cover. The umbrella is waterproof and comes with some clever solar cells on top, so you can use the power of the sun to charge up your phones and tablets. It also pairs rather nicely with other products in the Anker range, including power stations.

• Read the full story: Move over Mary Poppins: this solar umbrella will charge your devices while you chill in the shade

6. Amazfit Active 2

• Best feature: A personal wrist-based AI assistant

The Amazfit Active 2 is available in a number of configurations (Image credit: Amazfit)

It's now been well-established that Amazfit is one of the go-to brands if you're looking for a smartwatch that's both feature-packed and affordable, and the new Amazfit Active 2 series continues that trend. The starting price here is a mere $99.99 (about £80 / AU$160), but you get an awful lot of bang for your buck.

The watch series boasts stainless steel frames, 10 days of battery life, offline maps support, and 160 sports mode options. There are multiple strap and AMOLED display options, and you also get the AI Zepp Flow assistant on board, ready and waiting to help you with fitness insights, watch settings, messaging, and more.

• Read the full story: Amazfit Active 2 is a super-cheap AI fitness watch that responds to voice commands like Alexa

7. Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential

• Best feature: Saving energy at an affordable price

Heat your home in style (Image credit: Ecobee)

Ecobee isn't missing out on the CES 2025 fun, and it has a new Smart Thermostat Essential to show off in Las Vegas. Not only does it learn the heating and cooling speeds for your home and bring with it a full color touchscreen, it's also half the price of the 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat Google unveiled last year.

It'll set you back $129.99 (about £100 / AU$200) when it goes on sale in March. All the standard features are included, such as customizable schedules and remote control, and it'll work with Ecobee's SmartSensors too, if you have them installed. We haven't had chance to test it yet, but the early signs are very promising.

• Read the full story: Ecobee's new smart thermostat could save you money on heating – and it's half the price of the latest Google Nest

8. Dreo ChefMaker 2

• Best feature: AI-powered conversions for oven recipes

The original Dreo ChefMaker (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

We're often a little disappointed by AI tricks that don't really live up to the hype, but we like the idea of the Dreo ChefMaker 2 air fryer: it uses artificial intelligence to convert standard oven recipes taken from websites or cookbooks, into actual programs the machine can use, with revised temperatures and timings.

Now until we try it out, we don't know how well this works – but given how good the original Dreo ChefMaker was, we're hopeful. If you don't want to rely on AI, there are also 100 pre-programmed recipes available to get you started, and the device looks to offer the usual Dreo build quality and cooking prowess.

• Read the full story: This AI air fryer turns your grandma's old recipes into smart cooking programs

9. TCL Playcube

• Best feature: Can be easily angled in any direction

We need more details about this gadget please, TCL (Image credit: TCL)

We've only seen a fleeting mention of the TCL Playcube at CES 2025 so far, but we're very interested in learning more. The portable projector is battery powered so it can go just about anywhere you like, and it features a 'magic cube' design that means you can easily angle the projected image in any direction.

And... that's just about all we know – TCL hasn't offered any information in the way of pricing or a release date. The previous TCL A1 projector was affordably priced and came with Google TV software on board, so we're expecting the same from the Playcube. Stay tuned to TechRadar for future updates on this.

• Read the full story: TCL's doing the twist with Playcube, its new 'magic cube' projector

10. HMD OffGrid

• Best feature: Satellite connectivity for all smartphones

The new HMD OffGrid device (Image credit: HMD)

The HMD OffGrid brings satellite messaging to any smartphone, so you don't need the latest iPhone to keep in touch with people without any Wi-Fi or cellular coverage. It works like a mobile hotspot that can also reach satellites, and it comes with support for connecting to 24/7 search and rescue services too.

All of this comes at a cost, specifically $199 / £169 upfront with a $14.99 / £14.99 monthly subscription fee – but for some of you outdoor adventurers, that will be well worth it. HMD hasn't confirmed the exact phones this is going to work with, but we should hear more later in the month, when the device goes on sale.

• Read the full story: No iPhone, no problem – this Batman-style location tracker brings satellite messaging to any smartphone

11. Flic Duo

• Best feature: Hugely customizable and versatile

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Sometimes the best gadgets are the simplest gadgets, and the Flic Duo is a case in point from CES 2025: at first glance, it looks like a simple wall switch, but its two buttons can be programmed in all kinds of different ways, and as well as accepting button pushes, you can also control connected devices using swipes.

So, for example, you could change the brightness of smart lights or move a smart blind up and down by moving your finger across one of the buttons. As well as using it on the wall, you can easily pull it off and use it as you wander around your home, making it a versatile and convenient controller for your smart devices.

• Read the full story: This smart-home control button might look like a simple wall switch, but it's way more than that

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• Magnetic Fluid Drivers taken from Technics' high-end niche IEMs
• Improved active ANC and even clearer voice calls too
• £259 / €299 / $299 (tbc)

It's a huge day at CES 2025: Technics has announced a follow-up to its superb EAH-AZ80 earbuds. They're called the EAH-AZ100 and they promise to maintain every impressive perk of their predecessors but to improve the sound quality and the noise cancellation too.

There are three key upgrades here. The first is a proprietary Magnetic Fluid Driver that, according to Technics, delivers "ultra-low distortion, hi-res audio and accurate, rich bass".

The second big improvement is called Voice Focus AI, and as the name suggests it's designed to make your voice sound better in calls. It uses multiple mics and a new intelligent algorithm to remove wind noise and other unwanted audio in real time.

And the third is improved active noise cancellation, with Conversation Mode so you can hear people without taking out your buds. Oh, and the units are also 10% smaller and 16% lighter, as a quick look at the image below shows (AZ80 on the left; new AZ100 on the right). This downsizing has been aided by the fact that the feedback mic you can just see on the teardrop-shaped older bud is now situated on the side of the sound tube, thus allowing Technics to make the AZ100's top plate truly spherical.

Spot the difference…  (Image credit: Future) Technics EAH-AZ100: key specs, pricing and availability

The new driver is a miniaturised version of the one in the company's 2019 wired EAH-TZ700 wired IEMs (much lauded, but only launched in Europe), whose recommended retail price is a hefty $1,200. Don't worry, Technics has miniaturised the price as well as the driver.

Interestingly, the “Magnetic Fluid” in that Magnetic Fluid Driver really is "an oil-type liquid filled with magnetic particles that is injected into the space between the driver magnet and voice coil", but again there's no cause for concern – Technics' Headphone Project Manager, Ryan Yu, assures us there's absolutely no chance of any fluid leakage from the earbuds.

The new driver (which is still 10mm in size) promises tight, rich bass with an aluminum diaphragm taking care of the details. The earbuds support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Audio, and this time there's also Bluetooth LE with Auracast, LDAC, LC3 low-latency and Google Fast Pair. Battery life is 10 hours out of the case and 28 with it; that's with ANC enabled, so a big improvement over their predecessors.

This is no small update when you consider that the EAH-AZ80 burst onto the scene as the only product to feature triple-device multipoint and with Technics' own 'concha-fit' design that wowed us under intense review, quickly taking the top spot in our best earbuds buying guide. Suffice to say, we really liked the EAH-AZ80 earbuds, and on paper at least, the EAH-AZ100 are even better. So it'll be really interesting to see how they compare to their direct competitors, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2024.

And as luck would have it, we've got a pair of Technics EAH-AZ100 and we've been testing them for you. Usually at this point, we'd have to tell you to check back for a full review very soon – but as luck would have it, our Technics EAH-AZ100 review has been permitted to go live at the same time as this missive. (Spoiler alert: it's very good news.)

The new Technics EAH-AZ100 have an MSRP of $299 / £259 / €299 (which would make them around AU$519).

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

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Technics EAH-AZ100: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Announced at a press conference at CES2025, the new Technics EAH-AZ100 are the company’s latest and (on paper, at least) and most thorough attempt to make meaningful waves in the stacked markets that are the best earbuds and best noise-cancelling earbuds.

There’s no denying the lengths to which the company has gone. From the extremely thorough specification (covering everything from multipoint connectivity and adaptive noise-cancellation to Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity with LDAC compatibility) to design (smaller, lighter and yet somehow no less premium in look and feel to the model they replace), the Technics EAH-AZ100 are ready to compete. Control options are numerous and well implemented, and the carefully ergonomic design extends as far as providing five different sizes of ear tip.

Of course, if you’re competing at the upper end of the market it’s important to go to these sorts of lengths. The most obvious products the Technics EAH-AZ100 intend to usurp – Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the Pi6 by Bowers & Wilkins, the ubiquitous WF-1000XM5 from Sony – all look good on paper, too. The fight, as always, will be won or lost where sound quality is concerned.

And the sound quality that’s available here is convincing in pretty much every respect – or, at least, it is with ANC switched on. With noise-cancelling engaged, the AZ100 sound robust, insightful and thoroughly musical and sit easily among the best ANC earbuds out there. They can turn their hand to pretty much anything where styles of music are concerned, and are able to extract the most transient details in the most unpromising circumstances. Switch ANC off, through, and the solidly punchy and nicely controlled low frequencies lose a lot of their substance - and the Technics sound fractionally lightweight as a result. There’s a lesson there somewhere…

Technics EAH-AZ100: Price and release date

• Release date: 7 January, 2025
• Price: $299; £259; AU$478 (approx.)

The Technics EAH-AZ100 are on sale from 7 January 2025, having been unveiled at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. They are an update on Technics' much lauded EAH-AZ80, which arrived in 2023. A US price of $299 (the same asking fee as their predecessors) also puts the AZ100 into competition with any number of well-regarded rivals – think Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser and Sony just for starters…

Technics EAH-AZ100: Specs Technics EAH-AZ100: Features

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codec compatibility
• 10mm free-edge dynamic drivers with ‘magnetic fluid’ technology
• Three-device multipoint connectivity

No matter what you think of the way the Technics EAH-AZ100 perform, there’s no arguing with the feature set here. Technics has laid it on with the proverbial trowel.

For instance, the EAH-AZ100 use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, and compatibility with SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs means there’s something for everyone here. Perhaps it might have been nice to see Qualcomm’s aptX range of codec supported, too, but I guess you can’t have everything,

Once the digital audio information has been wirelessly received, it’s delivered to your ears by a pair of 10mm full-range dynamic drivers with free-edge aluminum diaphragms. The gap between the driver magnet and the voice-coil is filled with a viscous liquid charged with magnetic particles – Technics suggests this results in precise low-frequency response and low distortion throughout the frequency range. They quote a frequency response of 20Hz - 40kHz.

You’re able to enjoy this full-range sound for a good while, too. In the most favorable circumstances (using the AAC codec with active noise-cancellation switched off) the earbuds should play for around 12 hours between charges, and even if you go to town (using the hi-res LDAC codec with ANC switched on) you should be good for seven hours or so. The charging case is good for a respectable-but-hardly-startling one-and-a-half further charges, and you can go from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ in around two hours when charging via USB-C. Fifteen minutes on the juice is good for 90 minutes of playback. The EAH-AZ100 are compatible with Qi-certified charging pads, too, and need around three hours to become fully charged this way.

The noise-cancelling itself is of a new ‘adaptive’ design that intends to adapt to fit the wearer’s ear and deliver optimal results. Three mics per earbud also look after voice control telephony, and Technics has introduced ‘Voice Focus AI’ in order to provide the best possible call quality. The AI noise-reduction chip analyzes your surroundings in order to filter out unwanted sound, and at the same time assesses the incoming call quality in an effort to make conversations as pain-free as possible.

What else? Well, the AZ100 offer three-point connectivity for the inveterate multi-taskers among us. A suite of Dolby technologies – ‘Atmos’, ‘Audio’ and ‘Head-tracking’ – offers spatial audio, enhanced clarity for voice-based content, and a sound-field that responds to the movement of your head respectively.

• Feature quality score: 5/5

Technics EAH-AZ100: Design

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• 21 x 26 x 25mm (earbud); 36 x 69 x 27mm (charging case)
• 5.9g (earbud); 42g (charging case)
• Five sizes of ear tip

Technics has long had a bee in its bonnet about the fit of true wireless in-ear headphones, and with the EAH-AZ100 it has gone to even greater lengths than before to ensure the earbuds are a secure and comfortable fit for lugholes of all shapes and sizes.

Both the earbuds and the case in which they charge are smaller and lighter than the outgoing EAH-AZ80 model. The concha shape and fit has been reworked, and there are now five sizes of ear tip provided in the package. It seems unlikely in the extreme that you’ll be unable to ensure your AZ100 fit snugly and remain comfortable for hours on end.

Otherwise, it’s high-end Technics earbuds business as usual. The EAH-AZ100 are available in silver or black, and no matter which finish you prefer, you’ll find yourself in possession of well-made, carefully finished and quite tactile earbuds that travel in a smooth, robust charging case with a nice slice of aluminum across the top which bears the company logo.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Controlling the AZ100 can be done in a number ways, each nicely implemented and responsive. Your source player’s native voice assistant is available, of course, and interactions are rapid and reliable. The same can be said for the capacitive touch-surface on each earbud - it’s in the same spot as the brand logo, and is as responsive and reliable as these things ever get. And you can rearrange the meaning of the various ‘touch’ or ‘hold’ commands in the newly reworked ‘Technics Audio’ control app that’s free for iOS and Android. It’s not, perhaps, the most exciting-looking control app around, but it has a huge array of functionality (from adjusting EQ settings to finessing the amount of noise-cancellation you prefer) and proves utterly stable over the long haul.

• Design quality score: 5/5

Technics EAH-AZ100: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• Balanced, detailed and respectably dynamic sound
• Energetic and unified presentation
• Pronounced difference in sound depending on whether ANC is on or off

Asking a premium price for true wireless headphones means there’s really no hiding place when it comes to sound quality – ‘good’ is nothing like good enough. Happily, the Technics EAH-AZ100 are never less than ‘very good indeed’ and are capable of giving the class leaders plenty to worry about.

No matter if they’re dealing with a 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC file of Summon the Fire by The Comet Is Coming via AAC or a 24bit/96kHz copy of Weyes Blood’s Grapevine using LDAC, they’re a balanced and insightful listen, more than capable of bringing order to ear no matter how unruly a recording might think it is. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the AZ100 organize and lay out a recording with such confidence that even the densest tunes are easy to understand.

With ANC on and EQs set to ‘direct’ (which basically means ‘flat’), these Technics are a straightforwardly enjoyable and entirely convincing listen. Low frequency activity is deep, punchy and textured, and controlled with enough authority to make sure rhythms are expressed with assurance. The midrange is open and informative, with a whole stack of detail regarding tone and timbre not only made available but put carefully into context. And there’s proper drive and attack at the top end, but treble sounds have sufficient substance to ensure they never become hard or bitey.

Best of all is the way the AZ100 unify the entirety of the frequency range. They’re completely even-handed, and the sweep from the top end to the bottom is smooth – no area is given undue prominence, no area is underplayed. It’s possible to alter this stance quite radically if you fiddle with the EQ settings, of course, but it’s obvious Technics’ engineers have found a suitable balance – it’s called ‘direct’.

Despite the carefully judged frequency response and naturalistic tonal balance, though, the AZ100 are an energetic and decently dynamic listen when the material you’re listening to demands it. They fairly power through up-tempo stuff like Claro Intelecto’s Peace of Mind and make broad and fine dynamic variations completely obvious. They do this all with absolute authority – the Technics are always in control, and consequently the organization of the soundstage never gets blurred or uncertain.

All the above applies if you have active noise-cancellation switched on, and the ANC itself is pretty effective by the standards of any premium brand that isn’t Bose. Companies both large and small have tried in vain to replicate the almost eerie Bose Blanket of Silence, and all have failed – Technics is simply the latest. But if you accept that the ANC here can be bettered, it’s actually very effective where all but the most near-field, loud and toppy frequency occurrences are concerned.

Switch ANC off, though, and the AZ100 undergo a strange and obvious change in their sonic character. Low frequencies lose a degree of substance, and the overall presentation becomes rather flimsy and lightweight. It may well be fair to suggest that very few people buy a pair of true wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation in order to leave the ANC turned off, but it’s equally fair to point out that any number of alternative designs sound exactly the same no matter if the ANC is operating or not.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Technics EAH-AZ100: Value

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• Look and feel like a premium item
• Balanced, convincing sound (with ANC on)
• Very thoroughly specified

Touching and wearing the Technics EAH-AZ100 is a very pleasant experience. They’re nicely made and finished from tactile materials, and the care the company has taken where ergonomics are concerned means getting a secure and comfortable fit is no problem whatsoever.

Technics has been similarly thorough when it comes to specification, too. If you judge value for money by the spec-sheet yardstick, a) you’re not alone, and b) you’re in business here. The AZ100 are handsomely specified, with triple-device multipoint connectivity to boot. Only the lack of aptX compatibility sounding the mildest of false notes.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Technics EAH-AZ100? Buy them if...

You value comfort
Small, light, very carefully shaped and with a very wide choice of ear tips, the EAH-AZ100 are no kind of burden to wear for hours on end

You enjoy vibrant, informative sound
Keep the ANC switched on and the Technics will reward you with an audio performance that strikes a very nice balance between ‘insight’ and ‘entertainment’

You’re a full-on multi-tasker
Triple-point wireless connectivity means your EAH-AZ100 can connect simultaneously to your laptop, your tablet and your smartphone, and switch seamlessly between them

Don't buy them if...

You’re far from mains power for days at a time
Seven hours (with ANC on) from the earbuds and another 10 hours or so from the charging case ain’t bad – but not if you like to rock around the clock…

Noise-cancellation is the most important thing
To be honest, Technics is far from alone in having ANC that’s not quite as good as that provided by Bose. If noise-cancellation is paramount, buy a pair of QuietComfort Ultra and be done with it

You’re not very dextrous
The earbuds fit snugly into their charging case, and unless you have fingers like cocktail sticks it can be a little tricky getting them out

Technics EAH-AZ100: Also consider

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
If you’re after class-leading noise-cancellation along with very competitive ‘everything else’ you need to check out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds – oh, and they are also available at a new and improved price-point. Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.

Sony WF-1000XM5
They’re surely not long for this world, but that just means that the Sony WF-1000XM5 are now routinely available for less than $230, and that means they are even more difficult to ignore than before. Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review.

How I tested the Technics EAH-AZ100

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• Connected to an iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S
• Various codecs, various file types and various styles of music
• Listened (on and off) for very nearly a month

When connected to my iPhone 14 Pro, I am of course limited to the AAC codec - but this is nevertheless a decent-sounding smartphone and reveals a lot of what makes the EAH-AZ100 tick. The best results, though, naturally come via the FiiO M15S digital audio player – it’s compatible with the LDAC codec, which means higher resolution and an altogether fuller audio experience.

I spent the best part of a month (not 24/7, obviously) listening to the Technics earbuds, and in that time listened to a lot of different types of music, of different file standards and resolutions. And it wouldn’t be any kind of hardship to have to do it all again…

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2025

• Asus has unveiled several new laptops at CES 2025
• The Zenbook A14 is claimed to be the "World's lightest Copilot+ PC"
• New Vivobook and ExpertBook machines debuted too

New Nvidia GPUs might be the big computing announcement at CES 2025, but there’s plenty for non-gamer computing enthusiasts to appreciate at the tech show, not least Asus delivering a quintet of productivity-focused Copilot+ laptops.

Kicking things off is the Zenbook A14, which at under 980g Asus claims is the “World’s lightest Copilot+ PC.” And though those weight savings don’t seem to come with noticeable performance downgrades, as it reportedly boasts a 32-hour battery life under Asus’ own video test, a Snapdragon X Series processor, a 14-inch Full-HD OLED display, and up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage (though the specs on the beefier end may increase the overall weight).

Meanwhile, the refreshed dual-screened ASUS Zenbook Duo 2025 boasts twin 14-inch 16:10 3K 120Hz OLED touchscreens, up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, and up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage if you want more screen real estate from a portable 14.6mm thick and 1.35kg package.

The Zenbook A14 is available now in the UK and starts at £999 (US and Australia pricing is to be confirmed), with the new Duo dropping later in February starting at £1,699 (again, US and Australia prices are to be confirmed).

(Image credit: Future)

Asus has also announced new models in its Vivobook range: Snapdragon X processor powered 14-inch and 16-inch laptops (I’m counting them as one announcement given there’s just a size difference between them) each with a HD screen, 19 hour battery life, and 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but they’ll be landing in February.

Last but not least we have the new ExpertBook B5 and B3, which boast some specific business-centric perks that will appeal to professional users. On top of the robust specs, which include Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, these devices have passed 24 military-grade tests for durability, come with a Digital Product Passport to offer more transparent details on their sustainability credentials, and optional smart card readers so they can double as portable point-of-sale systems.

We’ll have to try these new laptops out for ourselves before passing judgement on their performance credentials, but given some solid specs and Asus’ track record we expect they’ll all be impressive machines capable of handling whatever productivity tasks you throw at them.

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Attackers are reportedly using popular VPN applications as a backdoor to inject malware and gain remote control of infected devices.

This is the worrying finding coming from Google's Managed Defense team, which shed light on how malicious actors employ SEO poisoning tactics to spread what's known as Playfulghost malware.

"The malware is bundled with popular applications, like LetsVPN, and distributed through SEO poisoning," wrote the expert. "This involves manipulating search engine results to make the bundled software appear at the top of searches, making it seem like a legitimate download."

Phishing attacks, meaning malicious emails that trick users into clicking on dangerous links to download malware, are another known distribution method.

The dangers of the Playfulghost backdoor

As Google's expert explains in a blog post, Playfulghost is "a backdoor that shares functionality with Gh0st RAT." The latter is a remote administration tool that has been known among the security community since 2008.

Playfulghost, however, has distinct traffic patterns and encryption that differentiate it from the known threat.

Attackers use both phishing and SEO poisoning tactics to trick victims into downloading the malicious software on their devices. In one case, the Google expert explains, the victim was tricked into opening an infected image file to execute Playfulghost from a remote server.

Similarly, SEO poisoning tactics involved using trojanized virtual private network (VPN) apps to download Playfulghost components from a remote server into the victims' devices (see the GIF below).

Playfulghost is a particularly dangerous strain of malware that enables attackers to remotely execute a range of activities once the device is infected. Data mining capabilities include keylogging, screenshot capture, and audio capture. Attackers can also carry on file management activities like opening, deleting, and writing new files, among other things.

You can read all of Playfulghost's technical details in Google's blog post here.

(Image credit: Google)

The Playfulghost malware case is yet another reminder to remain on alert when downloading new software.

Sticking to reputable names, like the best VPN applications, on a search engine isn't enough to stay safe. The same goes for App Stores, unfortunately, as copycat malicious applications may slip through the security checks.

I recommend going through reputable sources, like TechRadar, whenever possible and using the on-page links to download new software – whether this is a new VPN, antivirus, or password manager tool. Heading directly to the provider's official website is another way to ensure your download is a legitimate and secure application.

If you notice your device acting oddly, I suggest looking for applications you don't recognize and running a malware removal service if possible. You should also consider a system reboot to eradicate the potential threat.

Hello, my friend. Stay awhile and play these games.

The names of some 425,000 suspected Dutch collaborators went online 80 years after the Holocaust ended, making them accessible to historians and descendants as the country grapples with its past.

(Image credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

• Meta has officially discontinued the sale of its Quest Pro headset
• The company announced it would discontinue the sale last year
• It is now suggesting users buy its Quest 3 headset

The Meta Quest Pro mixed reality headset has officially been discontinued and is no longer available to purchase.

That's according to a recent report from Upload VR, which first spotted a new change to the Quest Pro webpage that now confirms that the "Meta Quest Pro is no longer available". It also suggests users "shop Meta Quest 3 for the ultimate mixed reality experience and premium comfort."

Meta confirmed in September 2024 that it planned to discontinue the Quest Pro, the Quest 2, and the 123GB Quest 3 after announcing its Quest 3S headset, a more affordable model that launched in October last year.

The Quest 2 is also currently unavailable after it was completely sold out in July 2024.

At the time of the announcement, Meta told TechCrunch: "With Quest 3S on the shelf, we’re officially winding down sales of Quest 2 and Pro. We’ll be selling our remaining headsets through the end of the year or until they’re gone, whichever comes first.

"If you’d like a carrying case, the Touch Pro controllers, the Quest 2 Active Pack, or any of the other accessories for Quest 2 and Pro, we plan to continue selling those for a bit longer."

The Meta Quest Pro was released in 2022 for a staggering $1599, the company's most expensive model. Right now, users can purchase the 512GB version of the Meta Quest 3 for $650 or the Quest 3S for $299.99, both of which come bundled with a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow.

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• Levoit Pet Odor & Hair Air Purifier is specifically for pet owners
• It can sense 'key substances' in the air and boost airflow in response
• Motion sensors also enable you to create routines

Levoit just launched an air purifier that's specifically aimed at pet owners, and it's enough to give your dog a complex. The Levoit Pet Odor & Hair Air Purifier is showing at CES 2025, and boasts a number of features I haven't seen elsewhere amongst today's best air purifiers.

(Image credit: Future)

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

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Firstly, it's programmed to quickly detect "key substances" like isovaleric acid, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. In case you aren't well-versed in scientific terms for bodily functions, I've done some Googling and I believe that roughly translates as sweat, pee, and farts. It'll then adjust fan speeds to clear the air in double-quick time, while a carbon filter helps neutralize the odors. Whether it also works for human smells is unconfirmed.

Second, there's a motion detection system that adjusts settings based on what's going on in the household at the time. This seems to work with the brand's 'Smart Scene technology', which uses AI to create routines. For example, it could boost airflow when you head out to walk your dog, then reduce it when you return, so you come back to a fresh-smelling home. The press information also lists 'behavior anticipation' features, although it doesn't go into any more detail on these.

(Image credit: Levoit)

There's a VeSync companion app that visualizes odor levels and trends in your home, and can (satisfyingly) create a countdown for tracking purification tasks. Here, you'll also be able to view air analysis reports, and see how long you have left before you need to replace your filter (here's more on how air purifiers work, and what air purifiers can help with, if it's helpful).

The standard Pet Odor and Hair Air Purifier is due to go on sale on Amazon in Q2 (so sometime between the start of April until the end of June) and will cost $199 (about £160 / AU$320). There will also be a more advanced self-cleaning model available at major retailers, with a list price of $249 (about £200 / AU$400).

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