| Cult of Mac

Drop’s affordable new desktop speakers claim audiophile sound

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Drop's new desktop speakers are designed to sound great from just 2 or 3 feet away.
Drop's new desktop speakers are designed to sound great from just 2 or 3 feet away.
Photo: Drop

Drop, known for mechanical keyboards as well as headphones and other audiophile gear, unveiled its first set of desktop speakers Wednesday at CES 2023. The small Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors promise big, clear sound in a small footprint for just $129.

If you noticed that’s not an audiophile price tag, you’re right. So if you want more sound than your computer provides, you can preorder the new monitors on January 31.

Trio of new Kensington docks pack in the ports

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Kensington SD5780T Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Docking Station
Add very high-speed ports to your Mac with Kensington's latest Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Photo: Kensington

Kensington used CES 2023 to take the wraps off a Thunderbolt 4 docking station that adds eleven ports to Mac or PC.

The accessory-maker also announced at the trade show a smaller, portable USB4 hub with six ports, plus a portable USB-C hub with six ports and a built-in wireless charger.

Withings’ new toilet-based scanner tells you about your pee on iPhone

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Flushing cleans the device, by the way.
Flushing cleans the device, by the way.
Photo: Withings

Calling it the “first hands-free connected home urine lab,” Withings raised the lid Wednesday on U-Scan at CES 2023.

You stick the device — which, frankly, looks a bit like a urinal cake — in the toilet. Then you get urine-scan results for many health factors via Withings’ app on your iPhone.

You can control JBL’s new ANC earbuds with their touchscreen case

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If you bring the charging case with you, you can control the buds without having to use the app on your smartphone.
If you bring the charging case with you, you can control the buds without having to use the app on your smartphone.
Photo: JBL

JBL revealed several new wireless earbud models Wednesday, including the new flagship Tour Pro 2 with a touchscreen for additional control via the “smart case.”

“The world’s first smart charging case,” as the company called it, features a 1.45-inch LED touchscreen that lets you control music, noise cancellation, calls and notifications. That gets you out of turning to an app on your smartphone — as long as you keep the case at hand.

New BenQ display offers powerful blue-light protection

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BenQ will showcase a new display it calls the market leader for blue-light protection.
BenQ will showcase a new display it calls the market leader for blue-light protection.
Photo: BenQ

BenQ and Eyesafe said Tuesday they’ll showcase a new display with “the world’s most advanced blue light technology” at CES 2023.

The companies said the new BenQ Eyesafe DTX monitor features a Radiance Protection Factor (RPF) of 70, the highest protection against blue light on the market. And it doesn’t compromise display performance.