The October 2018 hot list – from Facebook Portal to the PlayStation Mini

Tech juggernauts like Google and Microsoft brought out the big guns this month. And they’re no doubt getting consumers’ Black Friday wish lists started already

The October 2018 hot list – from Facebook Portal to the PlayStation Mini

You’d be surprised how much freshly squeezed tech gets served every month. But we won’t let it pass you by as we list the top five gizmos set to hit the market. Indeed, October is full of treats rather than tricks.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2

Hardware

It’s truly the war of the ancients when we talk about Microsoft vs Apple. And with its latest product, Microsoft seems to be taking a leaf from its competitor’s book to appeal to designers. Indeed, the Surface Studio 2 screams creative professional, with the ability to collapse the desktop PC design into a 28-inch tablet for sketching and touchscreen functions as well as sporting 50% faster processing power to ignite its 38% brighter screen. Moreover, it launches with a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or 1070 graphics card to keep PC gamers happy. Although, at a $3,500 price tag, we expect professionals will be getting their hands on the goods more so than gamers.

AmazonBasics Microwave

Hardware

From electric loos to all-hearing clocks, Amazon can’t stop flexing its wiry fingers into every aspect of home life with its AmazonBasics line. And if an intelligent microwave won’t convince you, nothing will. With the power of Alexa, Amazon’s flagship AI, you can ask the otherwise unsuspecting AmazonBasics Microwave to heat everything from potatoes to coffee, where it calculates the optimal time and starts spinning. And if you’re low on popcorn, it can even automatically send orders via Amazon Dash to replenish stock. While it may seem gimmicky, it’s another subtle way to get the hugely successful Echo Dot into homes – a requirement to utilise Alexa built into the microwave.

Playstation Classic

Hardware

The word retro dominates the games industry right now, with remakes of cult classics like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot coming in from all sides. Now, even consoles are going backwards. Indeed, no doubt in response to Nintendo’s N64 Classic Mini, Sony announced the PlayStation Classic, which boasts a 45% smaller size to the old school 1994 PlayStation and comes loaded with 20 titles. However, it isn’t totally back to its roots, given it offers a HDMI output for modern TVs. The shrunken trend perhaps speaks to 90s gamers who now work full-time jobs and need compact ways to sneak their childhood memories into the office.

Google Pixel 3 and 3XL

Hardware

Apple stoked the battle of the smartphones in September by announcing the iPhone XS and XR. Now, Google has released its gladiators into the arena – the Google Pixel 3 and 3XL. As well as expectedly jumping on the bandwagon of integrating wireless charging, Google’s latest entries exhibit Snapdragon 845 processors – the same as Amazon’s OnePlus 6 and Samsung’s N9 – and an upgraded OLED panel to address complaints against its predecessor. However, expect the same 4GB RAM found in the Pixel 2. Clearly, when it comes to picking a victor in the smartphone ring, there are plenty of contenders out to win the battle.

Facebook Portal and Portal +

Hardware

From switching on your lights to reading you Wikipedia excerpts, household gadgets like Google Home are geared up to do just about anything these days. But Facebook Portal strips out all the versatility you’d expect in home devices and just focuses on video conferencing through Facebook Messenger. But it’s so cutting-edge you may want to keep the first aid kit on standby. Indeed, it boasts Smart Camera and Smart Sound, which track your proximity to the device and adjust panning, zoom and noise accordingly, as well as integrates Amazon’s Alexa AI. Interestingly, it’s a big advert for Facebook Messenger instead of Facebook’s hugely successful WhatsApp subsidiary that reaped 1.5 billion users last year. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angus Shaw
Angus Shaw
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