BURO Gadget Guide: 5 Exciting tech releases of May 2024

Welcome back to another installation of the BURO Gadget Guide, where we get you acquainted with some of the most notable gadget drops of the month. In this edition, we are giving you the low down on two groundbreaking Apple products, Nespresso’s most colourful machine yet, and other exciting tech releases of May 2024. 

APPLE IPAD PRO WITH M4 CHIP

Announced on 7 May 2024, the Apple’s latest iPad Pro sets the bar high for the tech releases of May 2024. First off, let’s talk about visuals and display. It comes in two sizes—13 inches and 11 inches—and is available in silver and space black finishes. This iPad is also the thinnest Apple product ever, taking portability to greater heights. 

As for display, the iPad Pro features an Ultra Retina XDR display with tandem OLED panel technology, providing a state-of-the-art visual experience for users. It supports 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content, as well as 1600 nits peak for HDR. The two OLED panels allow for sub-millisecond control over the brilliance, colour, and luminance of every individual pixel, enhancing every detail on screen. 

Such huge developments in the iPad Pro’s features have been made possible with the M4 chip. It delivers lightning fast performance, vibrant displays, and power AI features—all while using just a half of the power compared to the M2. The M4 also boasts an all-new CPU, a next-generation GPU, and the most powerful Neural Engine seen on an Apple device. This means performing AI-backed tasks—including those done locally—is now more seamless than ever before. With power comes great capabilities, such as Reference Mode for those working with colour, Stage Manager for multiple display worksetups, and so much more. 

This iPad Pro also comes with an updated camera system. With four studio-quality mics, users can rely on the iPad Pro for all their video production needs from shooting to editing. The 12-megapixel back camera can capture Smart HDR images and video, boasting incredible detail and colour. True Tone flash also allows for easier and more reliable scanning on the iPad Pro. Along with the release of the iPad Pro, Apple also announced its latest iPad Air, the new Apple Pencil Pro, and a lighter Magic Keyboard, and Smart Folio. 

Price: From RM5,299 (11-inch) | From RM6,799 (13-inch)

Availability: Purchase from Apple’s official website or authorised retailers. 

Find out more about the iPad Pro and iPad Air here. 

APPLE HOMEPOD MINI

The Apple HomePod mini—and the second generation HomePod—have finally made their debuts in Malaysia. Don’t be fooled by its compact size. The HomePod mini is equal parts intelligent as it is powerful, making for a great addition to your smart home. Using Siri intelligence, you can connect your entire abode to the HomePod mini, so everything from light switches to humidity checks can be controlled from this singular device. 

The HomePod mini is designed with an Apple acoustic waveguide so sounds are directed downwards and out by the bottom of the speaker, immersing any room into a 360-degree audio experience. The Apple S5 chip in the HomePod mini also works to ensure your listening experience is finetuned to each song you’re listening to. Not only will it apply tuning models to optimise volume, it will also adjust the dynamic range as well as control the driver and passive radiators as the tunes flow. 

If you’ve got your hands on multiple HomePod minis, you can engage multiroom audio with AirPlay to have control over each individual speaker. This means you can play the same song on multiple speakers, different songs on individual speakers, or use them as an intercom to interact with people in different rooms.  Alternatively, connect your HomePod minis to your Apple TV 4K and set them up as a stereo pair to bring your home theatre to life. 

The HomePod mini also ensures a personalised experience for each person in your home. It is able to recognise up to six voices so each family member has access to personal playlists, reminders, and more. Plus, anyone in the home can simply hold their iPhone close to the HomePod mini to control what’s playing and receive personalised media recommendations. 

For those with colourful and bold homes, the HomePod Mini will fit right in as it comes in three vibrant colours: orange, yellow, and blue. However, those who prefer a more minimalist look can still opt for the space grey or white options.

Price: RM529

Availability: Purchase from Apple’s official website or authorised retailers. 

Learn more about the HomePod mini here. 

NESPRESSO VERTUO POP

Bringing you to the coffee side of the tech releases of May 2024, let us introduce you to the Nespresso Vertuo Pop—yet another colourful addition you can welcome to your home. The most compact machine in its Vertuo line, it is available in six colours: Aqua Mint, Spicy Red, Coconut White, Liquorice Black, Pacific Blue, and Mango Yellow. Combining style and coffee, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop will fit right into any home coffee bar set up.

Despite its small size, it still packs a punch as it features Nespresso’s signature Centrifusion technology and capsule recognition system. The intelligent Centrifusion technology was introduced along with the Vertuo line that uses centrifugal force to extract the most out of your coffee capsules. 

On the other hand, the capsule recognition system identifies each capsule by its unique barcode. It then uses this information to determine the flow, volume of water, temperature, infusion time, and capsule rotation, so you’re guaranteed the perfect cuppa. The Vertuo Pop can brew four different serving sizes: espresso (40ml), double espresso (80ml), Gran Lungo (150ml), and Mug Size (230ml). Topping off each cuppa is the signature Nespresso crema that will round off your coffee experience of each day. 

Price: RM899

Availability: Purchase on the official Nespresso website or at any Nespresso boutique. 

For more information, visit any Nespresso boutique or the official Nespresso website. 

INSTAX MINI 99

The Instax Mini brings the usual Fujifilm polaroid cameras to the next level. With the Mini 99, you have more control over the overall look of your images and how they turn out. It engages analog to bring you new photo expressions thanks to features such as Colour Effect Control and Vignette Mode. 

Colour Effect Control applies lights of different colours directly onto a film, so each photo is given a unique look. There are six colour effects available: Faded Green, Warm Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta, Sepia, and Light Leak. Meanwhile, Vignette mode reduces exposure on the frame’s edges to draw focus to the subject in the centre in an artistic manner. The Mini 99 also allows for you to choose how bright your photos turn out. To do this, use the side dial to choose between five different levels of brightness. 

For creative nighttime shots, you can engage Bulb mode that is known to capture stunning light streaks and views. Double Exposure Mode also allows you to explore your creativity by superimposing two shots into one print. 

Other key features include: Landscape and Macro mode for subjects in the distance or closer to the camera respectively, Indoor mode for low-light conditions, and Sports mode for quick shots. Additionally, a self-timer allows you to get a group shot without anyone having to miss out on being in the picture. Finally, with the use of the Instax Up! app, you can digitally archive all your polaroids by scanning your prints after they’re done. 

Price: RM928

Availability: Purchase from the Fujifilm online store or at any authorised retailers. 

Find more information on the Instax Mini 99 here. 

NOTHING EAR

The third generation of Nothing’s popular earbuds has been revealed. Dubbed the Nothing Ear, these earbuds are a refinement of the successful Nothing Ear (2) and promise a richer than ever audio experience. Engineered with Nothing’s most advanced driver system to date with a ceramic diaphragm, you can expect crisp highs and defined bass notes. It also has an improved dual chamber design with two additional vents for better airflow. Using the Nothing X app, you can also personalise your listening experience with Q Factor and frequency control. Additionally, you can create separate profiles for different genres of music. 

Along with its great sound, Nothing Ear offers up to 45dB of noise-cancelling powers, which is two times that of Ear (2). Using the new Smart ANC algorithm, the earbuds are able to check for noise leakage and adjust the noise cancellation levels accordingly. It also offers Adaptive ANC to apply one of three noise cancellation levels (high, medium, and low) to account for background distractions. 

The Ear has a battery life that lasts 25 per cent longer than Ear (2), lasting up to 40.5 hours after a full charge with the charging case. This equates to about 8.5 hours of non-stop playback and is all thanks to its compact custom driver, which allows for a larger battery. For quick charging, Nothing Ear also supports up to 2.5W of wireless charging. When using the case, a quick ten minutes of fast charging can get you up to 10 additional hours of listening time. 

As for microphone functions, the earbuds are fitted out with the most advanced Clear Voice Technology with a new talk mic design that reduces obstruction when speaking. Nothing is also riding the AI wave with the Ear, as it has integrated the earbuds and Nothing OS with ChatGPT. Nothing phone users who have the latest Nothing OS and ChatGPT installed on their phones will be able to access the latter simply by speaking to their Nothing earbuds. 

Price: RM659

Availability: Purchase from Crossover Concept Store or find a store here. 

Click here for more information on the Nothing Ear.

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