Designer Ray-Ban Metas, An EV to Mock Tesla, and Portable Pizzas—Here's Your Gear News of the Week
Plus: iRobot unveils its new robo vacs, JBL pimps its most beloved speakers, a bright future for TCL TVs, and more. Photography: JBL; RayBan; Longbow; TCL, Getty
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It's not rocket science. A huge part of the reason why Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarers are the best face computer is because a lot of people already do want to wear Ray-Ban Wayfarers. It's a lot easier to persuade people to wear a smart accessory when that accessory looks sharp as hell. Meta has committed to the bit with its latest launch, the Ray-Ban Meta x Coperni collaboration, which just debuted at Paris Fashion Week, no less. Photograph: Ray-Ban; Meta
Coperni is a French fashion brand that's known for semi-techy stunts like spraying a dress onto model Bella Hadid, so collaborating with Meta isn't totally off-brand. The Coperni glasses are limited-edition (naturally). In addition to all the usual Ray-Ban Meta features—live video recording, AI capabilities, pretty great sound quality—the Coperni glasses have limited edition numbering, a Coperni charging case, and gray mirror lenses. Important to remember, though: Buying a $549 pair of fashion AI glasses will not make you look like a modern-day oligarch. You're going to need a chin implant, a car with 37 recall notices, or a bunker in Hawaii to do that. —Adrienne So Watch Out Elon, Former Tesla and Lucid Bods Are Making Their Own Roadster EVs
New EV brands are springing up all the time, but what makes Longbow Motors special is not only the stunning designs of the first two incoming models but that this start-up is founded by former execs from Tesla, BYD, and Lucid. That's quite the pedigree.
The two EVs are the Speedster (above), with no roof or windscreen, which will be followed by a fixed-roof, two-seat coupe called the Roadster. The rear-wheel drive Speedster will be limited to 150 cars, and weigh in at just 895 kg, giving it a 275-mile range, a claimed 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds, and $92,600 price tag. The Roadster will be cheaper at $70,850, but 100 kg heavier, yet still good for 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds, and 280 miles.
Longbow claims it will have a prototype by summer, and final cars to those brave enough to pre-order as early as next year. And in case you were wondering if it's just coincidence one of the EVs is called 'Roadster,' it isn't. Co-founder Daniel Davy, who worked at Tesla during the development of its original Roadster, told Top Gear that the moniker was a jibe at the continually delayed Tesla Roadster MkII.
'A lot of customers have put deposits down for a Roadster that they can't get,' Davy told Top Gear. 'If people want to get back their $250,000 deposit for a 2020 car and put it into a better car they're going to get sooner, they're welcome to do it. Our Roadster's going to be on the ground first.' —Jeremy White Get a Handle on JBL's Pimped Most Popular Speakers
JBL dropped two new speakers in time for the warm weather ahead. This week, the company debuted rejigged versions of the JBL Flip 7 and the JBL Charge 6—two of its most popular models. Both have enhanced sound ("bigger and bolder," according to JBL), its Sound Boost tech that analyzes music in real-time and optimizes the driver accordingly, as well as high-res lossless audio via USB-C. You can also pair it with other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers (although it won't work with older models that use PartyBoost).
Landing April 1, the $150 Flip 7 has interchangeable accessories that make it easier to carry (including a finger loop and carabiner hook), IP68-dust- and water-resistance, and up to 16 hours of battery life. The $200 Charge 6 has a detachable handle strap, an upgraded woofer, 28 hours of battery, and a handy built-in USB-C powerbank, too. Take Gozney's 'Portable' Oven To Your Next Beach Party
OK, so you're on top of a mountain. I know what you're probably thinking: Why can't I fire up a Neapolitan pizza at 950 degrees? British pizza oven maker Gozney has your back, with what they're calling the "world's most portable pizza oven." The Gozney Tread, released Wednesday, is a 30-pound propane-fueled pizza maker with handles on its roof to cart it around, and room inside for a 12-inch pie. Small oven means fast heating, apparently: Its makers promise the Tread can hit just shy of a thousand degrees Fahrenheit within 15 minutes.
The WIRED Gear Team recommends Gozney's high-priced Dome for professional pizza chefs out to do a pop-up, but for more casual chefs we wondered whether even Gozney's smaller 45-pound Roccbox was overkill. Well, this Tread is as casual as it gets. The ad campaign shows pizza on a beach, pizza in a rugged Utah stonescape, and pizza in an untrammeled field of snow. But it's also probably fine for less exotic tailgating and/or camping. The new Tread rings in at $499, and comes with a 5-year warranty. The cool 'Venture Stand' costs an extra $250, though, and a travel bag to cart the oven around easier costs a hundred more. —Matthew Korfhage TCL's New Mini-LED TVs Are Blazing Bright
Following the QM6K that landed just weeks after CES in January, the QM7K is the second in TCL's new 'Precise Dimming Series' which includes updates like improved color accuracy and blooming control thanks to the brand's new Halo Control System, as well as a reduced optical lens size for clear screen uniformity. Those improvements added up to some of the most balanced and engaging picture performance you can get for the money in the QM6K (8/10, WIRED Recommends), with the only notable drawback being less punch for HDR content than some rivals due to lower peak brightness.
That shouldn't be a problem for the step-up QM7K, which claims a blazing 2,600 nits peak brightness in the 55- and 65-inch models, and up to 3,000 nits in the 75- and 85-inch models. That's a fair jump over last year's QM7, and with the swath of other improvements to the TV's house-made panel, I'm excited to see what this midrange model can do in person soon.
Pricing starts at $1,300 for the 55-inch size, rising to $2,500 for the 85-inch version, but that's likely to drop over time. While not yet available, the QM7K will also come in mondo-sized 98-inch and 115-inch XXL versions priced at $4,000 and $20,000, respectively. —Ryan Waniata iRobot Has New Roomba Robos—Don't Worry, They're Armless
Yes, iRobot has had a rough couple of years. The company had dominated the market for so long that the brand name 'Roomba' was synonymous with the words 'robot vacuum.' But the company was rocked by a scandal involving leaked images from the homes of testers, and Amazon terminated its pending acquisition. More recently, iRobot has lagged behind its competitors, who are flaunting gizmos including arms that can pick up socks, carry air purifiers around, or even climb stairs.
So it's with some curiosity that we see that iRobot (and its new CEO, Gary Cohen) has unveiled a new line of robot vacuums and 2-in-1 vacuums. (You no longer have to buy a whole separate Braava mop and chain it to your Roomba!) The lineup will be available for pre-order on March 18 across North American and the European markets, and will feature several new Roomba series, including a more power-lifting suction; a dust compacting series; and new combination robot vacuum and scrubbing, which brings the Roomba more in line with its other high-end competitors.
OK, so there's no multi-function robotic arms in sight, but they will have new materials and finishes to look more organic with home decor. Despite lagging performance, Roombas have always been one of the best-looking robot vacuums, and we're excited to test. —Adrienne So Android Adds Auracast as a Bluetooth Boon for Buds and Hearing Aids
Google has just announced that Android will support Auracast, enabling broadcast audio streaming to supported hearing aids and earbuds. Auracast is the latest and greatest update for Bluetooth. This new feature enables folks with hearing aids to stream audio directly in public settings such as concerts, classrooms, and airports.
Venues can set up live streams that multiple people can join easily from their phones to get perfect audio. This could be a real game changer in noisy environments. While it's primarily an accessibility feature, folks can use it in other places, like gyms, to get audio from a nearby TV.
To use Auracast, you must pair LE Audio-compatible hearing aids from companies such as GN Hearing and Starkey with Samsung Galaxy devices with One UI 7 and Android 15 or Pixel 9 devices running the Android 16 beta, then tune into Auracast broadcasts from compatible TV streamers or public venues. You can select audio streams on your phone, much as you would a Wi-Fi network, but you can also potentially scan a QR code to join an audio stream, though this is initially only available on Pixel 9 devices.
Alongside this news, Google announced the third beta release of Android 16, which means developers can push their Android 16 apps to the Play Store. The release also includes Auracast support and text contrast improvements for folks with low vision. — Simon Hill
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