Andrew Liszewski

Instead of eliminating screens altogether, the $199 Freckle is a phone designed for kids’ smaller hands that trades distracting social media for apps that entertain through scavenger hunts, stories, music, walkie-talkie functionality, and a camera that can describe what it sees. It’s available for preorder today with a flat $25-per-month fee for connectivity with shipping expected in December.

The Gen 2 version of Shure’s MV6 USB Gaming Microphone carries forward the original’s Auto Level Mode and Real-Time Denoiser but makes both features adjustable so you can dial in how loud your voice is in the mix and how much background din is heard. For $169, the MV6 Gen 2 also includes a longer 2-meter USB-C cable and introduces a new all-white color option.

The Wi-Fi 8 standard isn’t expected to be finalized until 2028, but that’s not stopping TP-Link from opening preorders for its previously announced Archer 8 Ultra tri-band router. Pricing ranges from around $907 (€799.90) in Germany to around $1,190 (£899.99) in the UK, but preorder discounts are being offered.

The $99.99 Essential Solar Security Camera is a 2K/24fps camera with an integrated 1.2-watt solar panel so you don’t need to run any wires. Just two hours of sunlight per day can charge its capacious 14,790mAh battery that can keep the camera running for up to six months between top-ups. A subscription starting at $9.99 per month isn’t mandatory but adds features like cloud storage and AI-powered smart detection.

A major update for Final Cut Camera is now available that introduces a redesign with customizable overlays and easier access to popular settings like shutter angle, white balance, and the iPhone 18 Pro’s new variable aperture. Apple Creator Studio has also been updated with new template collections and advanced selections for Pixelmator Pro plus trigonometry, statistics, and logic functions for Numbers spreadsheets.

Blaze Entertainment’s handheld remakes of the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum were supposed to launch in October but the company has “made the decision to move the release date from 15th October 2026 to 22nd April 2027” for all versions following production issues where it “identified areas where the product construction was not meeting our high standards.”

Accessory-maker Rolling Square has launched a new sister-brand called Await whose first product is a screen-free 8-megapixel digital camera that emulates the functionality and limitations of film cameras. You shoot on a simulated roll with 24 exposures but you don’t get to see your pics until they’re “processed” on a mobile app that gives you the option to download the results or order physical 4x6 prints.