Fujifilm’s X-E5, New Bose Speakers, and Qualcomm’s Smart Glasses Chip—Your Gear News of the Week Leave a comment
Fujifilm introduced a new digicam this week, the X-E5, the newest in its X-E rangefinder-style mirrorless digicam sequence. Consider the X-E as an interchangeable lens model of the X100. The massive information within the X-E5 is Fujifilm’s newest 40-megapixel APS-C sensor and 7-stop in-body picture stabilization (IBIS). That is the primary X-E sequence digicam with IBIS, which Fujifilm says will acquire you about 7 stops of handholding. The brand new sensor additionally means video specs bounce to six.2K at 30 frames per second (with a 1.23 crop) and 4K 30 fps full sensor video.
The X-E5 regains the main focus mode change on the facet of the physique (notably absent from the X-E4), and provides a brand new movie simulation dial. Whereas a lot of Fujifilm’s enthusiast-level cameras have this management, the one on the X-E5 can retailer customized presets with your individual movie recipes. One factor that is still unchanged is the climate sealing, which nonetheless does not exist right here. Additionally disappointing is that the viewfinder stays small, with the identical paltry decision (2.36M dot, 1025 x 768) because the older mannequin.
Courtesy of Fujifilm
The X-E5 might be out there within the US in August for $1,699 for the physique solely and $1,899 for a model with Fujifilm’s new 23mm f/2.8R WR lens, launching alongside the X-E5. To fulfill demand (one thing Fujifilm did not do with the X-E4), the corporate will not be promoting the lens as a standalone till late 2025. You’ll be able to preorder it at Adorama or B&H Photograph now. —Scott Gilbertson
Bose Proclaims New Buds And Audio system
Courtesy of Bose
Bose has a trio of recent merchandise incoming, together with an replace to a few of our favorite earbuds. The QuietComfort Extremely Earbuds (2nd Gen) are getting an entire host of enhancements, together with higher AI algorithms to assist them filter out noise spikes extra successfully and enhance total voice pickup and name high quality. There’s additionally wi-fi charging out of the field now, a brand new wax-guard, and a punchy, limited-edition Deep Plum colourway. They’ll value $299/£299, and may be pre-ordered now.
Becoming a member of the buds are two new audio system, the SoundLink Plus and the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen). No prizes for guessing the massive distinction between them, however the Plus is a brand new mid-range transportable speaker that sits between the SoundLink Flex and the SoundLink Max within the vary, whereas the Micro is an up to date model of the corporate’s smallest Bluetooth speaker.
For the latter, Bose is promising improved sound high quality—significantly within the higher frequencies—USB-C charging, a greater 12-hour battery life and Bose app compatibility. The Plus guarantees a “ready-for-anything” design that “brings the bass,” together with a 20-hour battery, charging USB-C port, and IP67 score. It’ll be out there in Black, Blue Nightfall and summer-ready Citrus Yellow for $269/£249, whereas the Micro will value $129/£119, with colorways coming quickly. —Verity Burns
Qualcomm Demos a New Chip for Good Glasses
At Augmented World Expo (AWE) this week, Qualcomm demoed its new Snapdragon AR1+ chipset designed for good glasses, and its functionality to run a small language mannequin with out the should be tethered to a smartphone or depend on the cloud for processing.
Proper now, most good glasses are designed to remain linked with smartphones, which is able to deal with any processing for AI-related queries, like whenever you ask Meta AI a query through the Meta Ray-Bans (powered by the unique AR1). However that sucks up priceless battery life and may also introduce some delay because the request ping pongs to the telephone and again. By integrating the potential to course of a small language mannequin instantly through the AR1+ chip on good glasses, you may anticipate quicker response, higher battery life, and improved privateness as the whole lot stays on system. That additionally means you do not want your telephone close by to get a response from an AI chatbot.
The AR1+ chipset can be 26 p.c smaller than its predecessor, which Qualcomm thinks will assist make good glasses barely much less cumbersome to put on. Enhancements to energy administration additionally assist make the chip extra environment friendly, and the corporate has added picture processing methods from smartphones to help good glasses with built-in cameras to raised perceive the world round.
