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There are a slew of keyboards and apps that help people learn how to play the piano, but a small company called PopuMusic is showing off an intriguing set of products at CES to make the process easier. PartyKeys and PartyStudio are a 36-key MIDI keyboard and MIDI / Bluetooth speaker that pair together in seamless fashion. The PartyStudio is particularly interesting because it has a built-in library of 128 instrument tones and more than 50 different drum machine patterns. Naturally, it works with the PartyKeys, but any MIDI keyboard can connect to it and use those sounds. The PartyStudio and PartyKeys both use NFC to connect to each other you can just tap and hold the keyboard up to the speaker for pairing. You can connect up to three devices using MIDI over Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE MIDI) as well as a fourth using a wired connection. If you have more than one keyboard, meanwhile, you can connect them together with NFC as well you can pair three keyboards together total, giving you a huge 108-key surface to play.Both the PartyStudio and PartyKeys have an understated but appealing look to them (theyre available in black or white) and feel quite substantial and well-made. PopuMusic has been releasing hardware via Kickstarters campaigns for a few years now, so even though theyre a relatively small and new company they have some experience in this department. The speaker seems to hit a nice balance of portability and power; it has two tweeters and two woofers and weighs in at 3.75 pounds. Its about 13.5 inches wide, 5.2 inches tall and 4 inches deep, so its not a tiny speaker youll just throw in your bag, but it still feels easy to tote around thanks to its attached handle.The other trick that the PartyStudio and PartyKeys have is on the software side. Using a companion app, multiple people can play along with a song. The light-up keyboard can show you what to play, and if you have multiple people playing each keyboard can display complimentary parts. It starts with simple three-key chord voicings, but I also saw a demo that used a familiar Guitar Hero-style interface of different notes flying down the screen, making for a more involved and advanced performance.The PartyKeys are up for order on Kickstarter now for $199, while the PartyStudio costs $349. The company says theyre on track to ship both products in Q1 of 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/partystudio-is-a-wireless-midi-speaker-with-128-built-in-instrument-sounds-015511003.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Weve all fantasied about sprawling on an embroidered chaise lounge while our amanuensis faithfully typed out everything we said. SwitchBot turned up to CES with something that does a similar job, but without the romance of the amanuensis, the typewriter or the chaise lounge. Instead, its launching the AI MindClip, a wearable microphone which records and transcribes every noise to come from your mouth. The company isnt alone, with many others turning up to CES this year offering devices to log your thoughts through the day. But SwitchBot does hope to distinguish itself from the crowd with an AI which can both summarize and extract useful data from your chats. The companys representatives said it will use its initiative and create its own reminders based on what it thinks youll need to remember. Sadly, we couldnt get to see it working in person, and we dont know when itll be available or how much itll cost. But itll probably be a little bit cheaper than a chaise lounge. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/switchbot-turned-up-to-ces-with-an-ai-wearable-that-records-everything-you-say-014959824.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Smart locks have a notable inconvenience: running out of power. Lockin, maker of vein-recognition locks, debuted its newest model on the CES floor. It charges wirelessly via an optical infrared beam with a four-meter range. A small device, connected to a standard outlet inside the house, shoots a beam at the lock, which has a small receptor panel that turns the light into power, sort of like a plug-in sun beaming at a tiny solar array. The tech carries certifications from two independent organizations, and wont harm eyeballs or bodies that get in the way of the beam (though if the beam is interrupted, charging stops). The lock itself is a mortise lock that will likely require a pro to install, as its not just a standard deadbolt replacer. Its not a standard lock in other ways too, with video and speaker capabilites, AI recognition as well as touchscreen features and vein recognition. The tall black rectangle looked sleek (if huge) in person with a pocket-style grip and a rather sizable display on the interior panel. The outer panel has a touchscreen along with two cameras allowing it to act as a doorbell video camera. You can unlock the door via palm, finger vein or 3D facial recognition. Lockin V7 Max smart lockLockinItll feed the video to any of the major smart home eco systems, including those from Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung. But for general setup and advanced AI features, such as recognizing a package delivery and speaking a canned request to the driver, youd use Lockins own app. I cant imagine this high-end do-everything lock will be cheap, and indeed the price is currently undisclosed, but units should start shipping in July or August of this year. Theres a cheaper version of the lock, with the same wireless charging capability but without the video features, thatll sell for $350 and will be available in April. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/lockins-everlasting-vein-recognizing-smart-lock-doorbell-cam-combo-is-peak-ces-013431113.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Back in 2023, Withings launched Body Scan, a super-premium scale with the sort of tech found in a high-end gym or low-end clinic. It had a six-lead ECG, offered segmented body composition and could monitor your nerve health, among other things. Now the company has rocked up at CES 2026 in Las Vegas with a second-generation model that adds in tests for hypertension and cellular health. Withings hopes the new model will give you even more data you can use to fight against chronic illnesses brought on by our decadent modern lifestyle. The first generation Body Scan checked 40 biomarkers, while the new model has 60, and even the press materials need a bulleted list to talk about the new features. Topping the bill is the new Impedance Cardiography (ICG) which monitors your hearts capacity to pump blood to the organs. Second, Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) uses a low level electrical current to check your bodys total water, letting the scale keep an eye on your cellular age, active cell mass and metabolic efficiency. Naturally, all of this data will then be extruded through the companys clinically validated AI model to offer more insights, such as your risk of hypertension and glycemic regulation. Youll also be told, based on your vital statistics, your health trajectory, and given tips on how to improve your healthspan. In short, the company wants to further position this as a clinic in a box, steering you toward healthier choices as and when it can. Theres one major hardware tweak from the first generation, as the retractable handle used for the ECG now contains the scales display. That, Im sure, makes it easier to read if youre squinting naked onto the scale after your morning shower. But Im also concerned that its a single point of failure for the thin cable attaching the handle to the rest of the scale. Withings hopes to get the Body Scan 2 cleared by the FDA in time for its planned launch in the second quarter of 2026. As for the price, expect to pay a pretty penny for the flagship gear, as it will set you back $599.95, 499.95 or 449.95, depending on your territory. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/withings-updated-body-scan-scale-tracks-60-different-biomarkers-010000703.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Shures original MV88 microphone (no, not the + version) was a convenient snap-on option for iPhone users. Since Apple ditched the port for USB-C, the audio accessory became obsolete for newer handsets. At CES 2026, the company debuted a revised version of the mic, swapping the Lightning connection for USB-C, which also adds compatibility for Android users and a host of other devices. The best part is the updated MV88 is available now, and its priced at $159. If you missed the 2015 version, the MV88 is a compact stereo condenser microphone that simply snaps onto a phone, tablet or one of your laptops ports. It provides a packable boost to any built-in mics on your devices, allowing you to capture better audio for voice and video clips. Whats more, its a simple, plug-and-play option that doesnt require additional setup. And if you choose to employ Shures suite of apps, youll get access to things like presets, microphone gain control, a five-band EQ, limiter, compression and a high-pass filter. Plus, the companys apps will give you a microphone level meter to keep tabs on your input. Shure MV88 USB-C Billy Steele for Engadget With Auto Level Mode, the mic automatically adjusts gain in real time so that your clips arent too loud or too quiet. Theres also a Real-Time Denoiser that works to reduce background noise. The MV88 USB-C has four selectable polar patterns stereo, mono cardioid, mono bi-directional and raw mid-side and you can tilt the microphone so that it either points straight up or towards you. Ive been testing the new MV88 for a few days ahead of CES and I can confirm its a substantial boost over anything a devices built-in microphone can offer. Its also a nice alternative to popular lapel mics youve likely seen creators and influencers use. Those need to be held close to the speakers mouth, so they dont pic up ambient sound or multiple speakers well without moving them. The MV88 would the better choice for capturing clips of live music, the great outdoors or other places where you want some level of background noise. Shure MV88 USB-C Billy Steele for Engadget Sound quality has been impressive thus far. After barely tweaking any settings, audio capture is warm, but also crisp and clear. That Real-Time Denoiser completely eliminated a noisy hotel room A/C unit during one of my testing sessions. This means the new MV88 will improve my sound if I need to do any voice or video interviews this week from my room. Im also looking forward to seeing how well it does at some of the evening events and on the CES show floor. To me, the best part about the MV88 is the quick and easy setup. You literally just snap it on your phone, or another device with a USB-C port, and after a few taps youre ready to record. Shure also included a small case for the microphone, so its less likely to get damaged any time you just need to chuck it in your bag. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shure-debuts-a-usb-c-version-of-its-mv88-microphone-at-ces-2026-010000294.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising