More smart glasses have arrived in Australia, with the launch of the Rokid Glasses. Now, before you switch off and think smart glasses are just a gimmick, this could indeed be the gadget that ultimately replaces your smartphone.
Set to compete with the likes of Meta’s smart specs, Rokid’s 49g glasses have dual-eye Micro-LED displays, a 12MP first-person camera, open-ear speakers and four microphones in a slimline, IPX4-rated frame. When worn, you can snap photos and up to 1680p videos, chat with the built-in AI assistant, listen to music, and receive phone notifications without reaching into your pocket.
At the Australian launch, I was able to listen to a gentleman speaking Chinese and read the translation appear on the built-in heads-down display. I could ask the glasses to translate a sign in 89 different languages while connected to the internet and six when offline. It was not, however till I took these glasses home that the real benefits started to show themselves.
What can the Rokid Glasses do?
Imagine having an AI agent attached to your head, always ready to answer your questions or interact with the glasses. You can ask the glasses to navigate and then see a basic map and directions to your destination.
I asked the glasses to tell me what they could see, and they described in detail what they and I could see. But imagine if you were sight-impaired and had your environment described to you. I asked the glasses to tell me the number plate of the car in front of me, and it did. I passed a real estate board of a house that had been sold and asked it what price it sold for, and had the price in seconds. Beyond that, you can ask anything you might ask ChatGPT or Gemini today.
If you wear glasses, you can get clip-on prescription lenses as well as a sunglass attachment. While using the handy clip-on batteries, you do watch the battery level go down, similar to what you saw with the first mobile phones, but they will power and recharge the glasses on the go.
Stay tuned for a full review once I get some more hands-on time. For now, Australians can pre-order the Rokid Glasses for $999 from Rokid’s online store until 8 June, including a free power capsule for adding more charge, and the sunglasses attachment. At launch, on 9 June, the glasses then cost $1,099 at retail.
It’s not often you see brands directly calling out competitors in press releases. Usually, risk aversion is the name of the game, with companies referring to other products in the vaguest possible terms to keep the lawyers at bay. Dell sang from a different hymnbook this week, specifically naming Apple’s MacBook Neo no less than four times in its XPS 13 announcement.
That in itself is remarkable, but not quite as remarkable as what Dell is doing with its flagship laptop. Traditionally, Dell reserved the XPS label for its premium, high-end clamshell PCs, but the most recent model fits a different mould. Powered by Intel’s more cost-effective ‘Wildcat Lake’ processors, the new Dell XPS 13 (specifically the DX13260 model) starts at US$699 (or US$599 for students).
Dell XPS 13 goes head-to-head with the MacBook Neo
Dell described the Neo as “a capable machine” that signals a “real appetite for premium quality at accessible prices”. But Dell then went on to list “standard features that you won’t find on a MacBook Neo”.
It mentioned the XPS 13’s 13.4-inch 2.5K touchscreen, multiple USB-C 3.2 ports, quad speakers, and backlit keyboard. Like the MacBook Neo, the XPS is made using a lightweight aluminium material. However, Dell claims that the starting XPS configuration is lighter, weighing 1kg and measuring 12.7mm in thickness.
Dell hasn’t confirmed the XPS 13’s Australian pricing yet; based on quick currency conversion, expect it to cost around the $1,000 mark here. That lower price point applies to the base model, which includes 8GB of LPDDR5x memory and the Intel Core 5 processor 320. According to Dell’s announcement, it will launch soon.
A more powerful XPS 13, using Intel’s Panther Lake Core Ultra chip, is set to arrive in the coming months. Segmenting one of Dell’s most recognisable laptops into two drastically different tiers is a bold strategy. If all goes well, it could mean higher standards for lower-cost laptops across the board.
Chris attended Computex 2026 in Taipei as a guest of Intel.
Amazon’s budget home security brand, Blink, now has a 2K video doorbell in Australia, with a sharper camera designed to pick up more details. Dubbed the Blink Battery Video Doorbell 2K+, it adds a cheaper alternative to the higher-end video doorbells from Ring, another smart home company owned by Amazon.
At $109 in Australia, the Blink Battery Video Doorbell 2K+ is slightly more expensive than the $89 HD model that launched late last year. Along with the resolution upgrade, the new doorbell has a 140 x 140-degree field of view, a weather-resistant IP65 design, and runs on three AAA batteries.
Like Amazon’s Ring devices, the Blink ecosystem puts most of its features behind a paid subscription. Without one, Blink’s cameras provide notifications to the phone app when they detect motion, and you can quickly check the camera’s live feed.
But to store video recordings, you either need a subscription, which starts at $4.95 per month, or Blink’s Sync Module 2, an optional $59 add-on that supports USB storage.
In addition to the Video Doorbell 2K+, Blink also launched the Solaris 2K+ in Australia. It’s a small solar panel system that attaches to the Blink Outdoor 2K+ security camera, keeping it powered uninterrupted. According to Blink, as long as the Solaris 2K+ gets 45 minutes of direct sunlight each day, it’ll keep the camera running 24/7.
By itself, the Solaris 2K+ costs $59 in Australia. Alternatively, it’s also available bundled with the Outdoor 2K+ camera for $169. Blink’s new devices are available now locally via Amazon.
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Everyone’s gearing up for the FIFA World Cup, which is now only days away. Being the biggest sports event in the world this year, there’s a lot of buzz around, with new sports apps available to track the action, and SBS streaming all the action here in Australia.
If you do want to stream the World Cup and follow the Socceroos (or any other team: I won’t judge), you’ll want to make sure your internet and home network are up to scratch. You’ll never be forgiven if the stream cuts out mid penalty shootout, after all.
While connecting your TV or streaming device via an Ethernet cable will yield the best results, it’s not always a practical solution for many households. Wi-Fi is more convenient in most cases, but it’s not always a set-and-forget option.
Miles Sheridan, TP-Link Australia’s Head of Technology, explained that positioning a Wi-Fi router out in the open will help keep the soccer streaming smooth.
“Wi-Fi Routers hidden in cabinets, tucked behind the TV, or sitting on the floor in a corner are obscured and the Wi-Fi connection is degraded as a result,” Sheridan said. “Move yours into a central spot, up off the ground, and clear of solid walls, away from other electronics (especially the microwave). You’ll be surprised how much difference a metre or two makes.”
Prepping your Wi-Fi for the World Cup
Fortunately, setting up a Wi-Fi network these days is much easier than in years gone by. Much of the process is automated, leaving a lot of the complexities behind. Still, it’s good to know some of the technicalities so that you can get an even better quality streaming experience.
Knowing which network band each device uses is a good place to start. Most routers have a 2.4GHz band and a 5GHz band. 2.4GHz is supported by most devices; it reaches the furthest, and is suitable for low-bandwidth devices, like smart home gear that doesn’t need to download much data. 5GHz supports higher speeds, making it better for streaming high-quality videos and downloading large files.
Some modern devices, like Wi-Fi 7-compatible hardware, also have access to the even faster 6GHz network band. However, most TVs and streaming devices don’t support that level of connectivity just yet.
This is worth knowing, because if you’re watching a stream, and the performance doesn’t match your expectations, checking the network band is a handy first step. Most routers and devices should assign network bands automatically, but you can always use a router’s app to assign a device to only use the 5GHz band, for example, if you want to get faster speeds.
If you can’t place a primary router near the TV, then a mesh Wi-Fi network is the next best thing. With the home router connected to either a modem or an NBN connection box (many routers also double as a modem), you can cover patchy coverage spots around the house by placing additional compatible mesh routers. These units help strengthen the existing Wi-Fi network, improving the connection between storeys or from one end of the house to the other.
Check your internet speeds beforehand
With more Australians on faster internet plans after last year’s major NBN speed upgrade, having enough bandwidth generally isn’t an issue. That being said, it’s worth noting that while 25Mbps download speeds are technically enough for 4K-quality streams, it’s handy to have a buffer.
“In reality over Wi-Fi you probably need 25-75 per cent more throughput than this for a single stream,” Sheridan said. “But if two or three people are streaming different matches in different rooms, those numbers add up quickly.”
He also recommended running a speed test — which you can easily do via your internet provider or Ookla’s browser-based Speedtest — before kickoff, when people are using the internet, so you know if your plan is up to scratch.
These are just a handful of things you can try to get your Wi-Fi ready for the World Cup. Most of us probably can’t make the trip to support the Socceroos in person, so the next best thing is to cheer from home with a crystal-clear stream.
A couple of years ago, Intel wasn’t the silicon superpower it once was. Giving up dominance to the likes of AMD, Apple, and even Qualcomm in recent years, the major computing company made big changes, laying off thousands of workers and changing its CEO. Under the stewardship of Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s fortunes appear to have changed.
While Tan’s keynote at Computex 2026 didn’t reveal much in the way of new announcements, it served as a highlight reel of what the company has done recently. Its Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 chips have made huge performance gains, perhaps the most this decade, to power a new range of graphically powerful premium laptops.
When Apple launched the $899 MacBook Neo earlier in the year, Windows-based computer brands scrambled to offer something at a similar level of quality at a comparable price. Intel’s answer was its Core Series 3 chips, also known by its ‘Wildcat Lake’ codename. Designed to provide all-day battery life and more power at a lower price point, the general vibe among PC manufacturers was that people would no longer tolerate ‘cheap’ equalling ‘nasty.
According to Tan, since launching the Wildcat Lake system on a chip (SoC) in April, more than 70 different laptop designs have already adopted the technology. This includes Dell’s dramatically cheaper XPS 13 laptop, aggressively chasing a US$699 price point.
Then, there’s also Intel’s big gaming push. With the new Intel Arc G3 handheld gaming SoCs, it hopes to topple what has largely been AMD’s domain thus far.
Of course, AI was a big focus for Intel at Computex 2026
Predictably, much of Intel’s Computex keynote focused on AI, data centres, and the partnerships it’s working on to achieve its AI vision. Much of this is driven by the new Xeon 6+ processors, CPU-heavy chips made for servers to handle agentic AI workloads.
While data centres aren’t that sexy for everyday consumers, Intel went to great lengths to explain how they impact everyday life. They power mobile phone networks, banking servers, and anything associated with digital life.
In the shadows of Nvidia’s RTX Spark announcement, Tan didn’t see it as a threat. Rather, he saw it as an opportunity to lift the standards of PCs for everyone. At a press Q&A session, he also affirmed that he’s not concerned with quarter-by-quarter performance, setting sights on a long-term vision to see Intel reinstated as an engineering company known for its silicon.
Chris attended Computex 2026 in Taipei as a guest of Intel.
It’s apt that Ubisoft refers to the Rayman Legends remake as ‘Retold’. Like any retelling of a story, details change, and emphasis differs based on who’s doing the telling. Some plotlines change entirely, while the technology of the chosen medium can drastically change the tone. Rayman Legends Retold drastically reimagines the look and feel of a fantastic platformer, which has my head spinning faster than its lead protagonist’s ears.
Of all the Rayman games to remake, I wouldn’t have expected Legends to rate a mention. Its charmingly expressive 2D hand-drawn animation style hasn’t aged a day, and the platforming is incredibly tight. Yet that’s what Ubisoft has gone for with Rayman Legends Retold, giving the platformer a 3D makeover.
Giving 2D Rayman the 3D treatment
To be clear, Retold still largely takes place on a 2D plane, it’s just that Rayman, his buddies, and all the environments are now rendered in 3D. It provides more capacity for ‘2.5D’ sections — where the characters move in a 3D-like space without adding a fully 360-degree scope of movement — like the recent Donkey Kong Country games used to great impact. Fully voice-acted cinematic cutscenes punctuate the moments between levels, including Billy West as Murphy, that freak of a flying frog with the Cheshire Cat-like grin.
Rather than a collection of disparate levels, Rayman Legends Retold attempts to add narrative cohesion to its frolicking throughout lush locales. There’s a broader overworld map, adding a sense of geography to the Glade of Dreams that the series hasn’t been known for. Nor have many other platformers, for that matter. A thin veneer of plot justification never got in the way of Mario’s adventures consistently wowing audiences.
Rayman actually talks in full sentences now. Image: Ubisoft.
With this higher-fidelity presentation, Rayman Legends Retold looks pretty. However, it loses the distinct visual identity of the original game. Beautifully realistic lighting effects and strikingly detailed character models catch the eye (although I’m not sure anyone needed to see such detail applied to Rayman’s teeth), but the cartoony vibe of the original Legends made it stand out.
Now, Legends Retold adopts a similar ‘cinematic’ aesthetic to several other great platformers, including the Ori series or Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. It looks undeniably great, but what sets it apart?
Helicopter platforming
In a several-hour hands-on session before the game’s announcement, I played through the first couple of realms, which included some of the newly added content. It took me a while to adjust to Rayman’s new look. While eye-catching, I still caught myself mentally overlaying the old 2D style on top, trying to spot the differences.
Rayman’s movement, however, took the longest adjustment period. The limbless hero felt quite heavy and slow, quite the departure from what my mind expected to play out on screen. Holding down the right trigger to sprint added a bit more speed, but Rayman still moved with a noticeable heft I wasn’t expecting.
Image: Ubisoft.
Playing an early build of Legends Retold, it was tough to discern how much of Rayman’s more considered movement was deliberate versus a byproduct of its in-development status. Activating the helicopter ears (how they don’t get tangled is a question that keeps me up at night) took a moment longer than expected, making it trickier to judge distances between platforms and when to jump for those pesky flying Lums.
I’m still a big fan of Legends’ secret-laden levels that haven’t diminished one iota. Between wall jumps, bopping gangly-looking foes with a big ol’ wind-up punch, and obstacles aplenty to avoid, Rayman’s platforming tricks still hold up. As all good platformers should, optional challenges reward your skill with additional rewards. Although I’d say the real reward is the inherent satisfaction of beating a tough section.
Ride the dragon (literally)
New to Retold are dragon ride levels, of which I tried a couple. Acting as a transition between realms, these on-rail sections play a bit more with the 3D space, seeing you shoot fireballs at enemies and obstacles blocking your way, everything whizzing past you all the while. It’s pretty tough to fail dragon levels; every time you get hit, one of the Teensies holding on for dear life plummets to their doom. So, the challenge lies in getting through the level unscathed.
Image: Ubisoft.
Most importantly, there’s a dedicated fart button. Does it have any functional purpose? Not at all. Pressing the button makes your dragon toot, along with a cloud of flatulence trailing behind. With two players riding dragons at the same time, gas clouds spreading around the screen, it quickly gets hilariously hectic, especially when your dragon bounces another’s directly into an obstacle. It’s this sort of whimsy and silliness that draws me into Rayman games in the first place, so I’m glad Legends Retold holds onto the series’ childlike sense of joy.
There’s also a bit more exploration between levels, breadcrumbing a few extra Lums here and there to unlock additional challenge levels. It’s not too in-depth, mind you, but just enough to make the world feel a bit more lived in.
What do I think of Rayman Legends Retold so far?
What Ubisoft ultimately showed was very much a work-in-progress. On top of the slightly off movement physics, there were missing audio cues, and some animations that didn’t trigger as intended. Pretty standard stuff for a game nearly six months out from release.
Still, I’m waiting for Rayman Legends Retold to unequivocally justify its existence. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced project makes perfect sense; it drastically refreshes the visuals of a game that tried to look as realistic as possible with the technology available at the time. Conversely, the original Rayman Legends looks timeless, with a style that looks as good today as it did over a decade ago.
With some fine-tuning, perhaps Retold will become the launchpad for future Rayman games it hopes to be. We’ll find out soon when it launches on all major platforms on 1 October.
Chris Button attended a hands-on session in Sydney as a guest of Ubisoft.
Lego wasn’t messing around when it said it had big plans for its new Smart Brick ecosystem that the toy company debuted at CES this year. Star Wars was the first major franchise to get the electronic Lego treatment, replete with fun sound effects and interactions between compatible Lego sets. Now, it’s Pokémon’s turn, with 12 Lego Smart Play sets on the way this August.
Naturally, Pikachu gets another look in. This time, the electric mouse gets more interactive using Lego’s Smart Brick technology. Pikachu responds to being fed a sandwich that comes with the set, while the Charizard in another set reacts to being tickled. Not by setting you on fire, as Ash’s Charizard in the anime often did.
Many of the new Pokémon sets look downright adorable. Squirtle, Mew, and Bidoof look just like their cute in-game depictions. Others look a bit goofy, like the wide-eyed Jigglypuff, and the black-eyed Funko Pop-like design of Pikachu’s house.
Jigglypuff auditions for the role in the next Face/Off movie. Image: Lego.
Lego Pokémon Smart Play price and release date
The pricing isn’t too bad, with the cheapest set, the Jigglypuff concert, costing $24.99 in Australia. At the upper end, the most expensive set comes in at just under $200 for the Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle. It’s a far cry from the $999 Lego Pokémon set from earlier this year. Granted, that was aimed at adult builders, but the price still melted plenty of minds.
Starting with the two all-in-one sets, which include everything needed for the core Lego Smart Play experience (like a Smart Brick, charger, and Smart Tags), here are the local prices:
Training House with Pikachu (72164): $129.99
Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167): $199.99
And here are the Lego Pokémon Smart Play Compatible sets, which are described as “including at least one or more Lego Smart Tags, but not a Smart Brick”:
Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof (72155): $34.99
Trainer’s Buggy Adventure with Squirtle (72156): $54.99
Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157): $34.99
Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Battle (72158): $59.99
Jigglypuff Concert (72159): $24.99
Drone Search for Mythical Mew (72161): $99.99
Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt (72162): $109.99
Mewtwo’s Lab Break (72163): $119.99
Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle (72165): $139.99
Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown (72166): $159.99
