Geek News

When it launched last year, Samsung's first DeX dock was the latest in a long line of attempts to blur the line between phones and traditional PCs. And you know what? It worked surprisingly well, even though the value for most people wasn't particularly clear. That didn't stop Samsung from trying again, though: the company unveiled a new version of it's DeX hardware alongside the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and it's much different from the dock we got last year. In its closed form, the original DeX dock sort of resembled an extra-chunky hockey puck, and the sliding mechanism that allowed a phone to fit was quite clever. That's gone. Instead, this year's DeX Pad looks like a shrunken Sega Genesis that the phone is meant to rest on top of. It seems like a step backward in design until you realize that Samsung wanted the phone's touchscreen as close as possible to the surface it's resting on so you can use it as a trackpad. This isn't the first tim...

DJI hasn't just been working on smartphone stabilizers ahead of CES — it also built its first single-handed stabilizer for SLRs and mirrorless cameras. As with the refined Osmo Mobile, the new DJI Ronin-S is all about keeping things simple in the field, and it's set to launch in the second quarter of this year. While the original Ronin system required users to build potentially complex rigs to mount cameras on, the Ronin-S is essentially an Osmo Mobile built to accommodate bigger cameras and lenses. Exactly how much weight the Ronin-S can handle is still a mystery, though — the company says its high-torque motors can work with "the most popular camera and lens combinations" and specifically cites compatibility with Canon's 5D line, Panasonic's GH-series mirrorless shooters and Sony Alpha systems. While you probably shouldn't throw a massive telephoto lens onto a Ronin-S, DJI's stabilization system should work fine with more standard zooms. We hav...

DJI's Osmo Mobile set the standard for shooting stabilized smartphone videos, and now the time is right for a follow-up. The company officially revealed the new DJI Osmo Mobile 2, a redesigned sequel meant to make mobile videography more accessible to the masses. And the best part? It'll only set you back $129. The new Osmo uses the same three-axis gimbal for stabilization that the originals did, but DJI gave the rest of the body a substantial redesign. In a bid to keep costs down — and make the whole package less pricey — the new Osmo is made of "high-strength modified nylon" instead of metal. We've only spent a few moments with a non-final Osmo Mobile 2, but we're cautiously optimistic about the change: it feels more than sturdy enough, especially considering it's slated to sell for much less than the original. Also new is a 1/4-inch mount on the bottom of the Osmo for sticking it onto a tripod for more complex or prolonged shoots. What else? Well, a...