The 2026 New York International Auto Show Preview

If you’re in New York City within the next week and a half, you need to consider making a trip to the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). We’ve covered NYIAS pretty regularly here at The Noisecast and it’s really one of my favorite events on the calendar. This year the show brings all the major car brands to the main hall while keeping some cool driving experiences down on the lower level, including the EV track and the Camp Jeep off-road test track.

OWC Gear to Help Boost the New Apple Lineup

Last week was a big one for Apple. The company released a slew of new products, some simple updates, others, like the MacBook Neo, breaking into an entirely new product class. But, if there’s one thing that Apple is notorious for, it’s offering great products with hefty compromises – like that MacBook Neo. As always, Other World Computing (OWC) is ready with a powerful suite of storage, connectivity, and expansion solutions designed to help users unlock every ounce of their new machine’s potential.

Essential OWC Gear for the All-New MacBook Neo

One of the biggest and most glaring compromises in the new MacBook Neo is the lack of ports and anemic storage options. For users of the new MacBook Neo, OWC provides simple and affordable expansion:

OWC USB-C Travel Dock: With five essential ports and up to 100W pass-through power, this is your perfect, one-cable solution for display, charging, and connectivity on the move.
OWC Envoy: An ultra-portable USB-C NVMe SSD offering the perfect blend of performance and reliability for creators and professionals.
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron: The fastest, toughest mini-sized SSD available, featuring a crushproof, dust-proof, and waterproof design for secure, high-speed data transfer anywhere.

Maximizing Performance with Thunderbolt 5 Solutions

While the high-end MacBook Pro line has few compromises for new users, you should be using those high-powered Thunderbolt ports to their fullest potential. For these Mac users, OWC has updated its Thunderbolt-compatible offerings, including its dock, hub, and a bus-powered portable SSD:

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock: An 11-port high-performance hub that expands a single Thunderbolt port with multi-display 8K support, ultra-fast data transfer, and 140W of power delivery.
OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub: Expands a single Thunderbolt 5 connection into three Thunderbolt 5 ports, delivering up to 80 Gb/s bi-directional performance.
OWC Envoy Ultra: A rugged, bus-powered Thunderbolt 5 portable SSD that delivers real-world speeds over 6000MB/s, making it a game-changer for high-resolution video and on-set workflows.

Unlocking the Power of the M4 iPad Air

The latest iPad Air got an M4 processor upgrade, which means you should be able to crank out even more processing power from the venerable iPad option. OWC’s USB-C accessories can help you expand your iPad Air’s storage and expand it’s I/O ports:

OWC Envoy Pro Elektron & OWC Envoy Pro Mini: Fast and ultra-portable SSDs that make it easy to transfer gigabytes of data in seconds.
OWC USB-C Travel Dock: Allows the iPad Air to connect to external displays, charge, and import data while on the go.

As a long-time Apple user, I’ve come to rely on many of OWC’s products for work, play, and everything in between. Whether you’re entering Apple’s walled garden for the first time with the MacBook Neo, or you need the 8K processing power of an M5 Pro/Max chip, or anything in between, OWC has the tools to help you get the most out of your new Mac. For more information on these products, visit www.owc.com.

Ring’s Not Looking for Your Dog

If you tuned into this year’s Benito Bowl (because the NFL still does not like when “unauthorized” outlets use the other name), you probably noticed two trends in advertising: 1. AI slop is now a regular part of spot TV. 2. Ring is cold snitching on you and your family. While I won’t get into too much on point one, it’s pretty self-explanatory in my view. Point two, though, needs some diving into. But if you’re looking for a TL;DR version: Ring isn’t looking for your dog, it’s looking to spy on you and your neighbors.

Why You Need a Silly Camera

As a product journalist, I have access to a wide range of gear for hobbyists, pros, and the general public. Lately, I’m seeing more and more pitches from companies touting “professional” features in cameras that target an audience that will never need them. Many consumer cameras available today allow you to shoot 8K “open-gate” video, offer continuous burst rates of 120 fps, and some even claim to autofocus in near-total darkness. None of these features has made someone a better photographer – you’ll need a silly, simple camera for that.

Rokid’s Style AI Glasses Bring Affordability to XR Glasses

AI Glasses have managed to escape their “glasshole” origins, but high costs and a lack of support for prescription eyewear needs have kept them from really taking off. The new Rokid Style smartglasses with their ultra-lightweight design and open AI ecosystem are achieving something none of their competitors have been able to do to date: making them affordable.

Fujifilm’s X-M5 is an Unapologetic Shift from Photographers to Content Creators

If you’ve been keeping up with photography news and camera releases, you might have noticed that most new cameras are packed with increasingly advanced video features. Increasingly, these video features are targeted at a specific type of video/film creative – the content creator. Fujifilm’s X-M5 is one such camera that does away with the manual control dials of more photo-centric cameras, like the X-T5, and instead leans all the way in on what might make a Content Creator jump for joy. Here’s what I found after using it for a month.

OWC is Unleashing Thunderbolt 5 Power: A Look at the New StudioStack and Helios 5S at Inter BEE 2025

The world of high-end media production is in a constant arms race against bottlenecks. You need more speed, more storage, and more ports—and you needed them yesterday. For creative professionals heading to Inter BEE 2025 in Japan, OWC, a name synonymous with high-performance gear for media pros, has just announced it’s bringing its brand-new Thunderbolt 5 powerhouses to the show. This isn’t just a minor update; it’s a workflow revolution. Let’s take a look at the two new stars of the show.

Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.2 Brings Live Streaming to its Pro-Level Camera App

Blackmagic Design has just leveled up mobile filmmaking with the release of Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.2. This free update introduces powerful, professional-grade live streaming and workflow enhancements that further blur the line between a smartphone and a digital film camera. Whether you’re a content creator, working journalist, or filmmaker on the go, the ability to instantly broadcast professional-quality video directly from an iPhone could potentially change the game.

Meet the New Apple M5 Products. Same as the Old Ones

Maybe I’m giving too much away with the headline, but hear me out. If you’ve been plugged into the latest Apple news, you already know that the Fall 2025 refresh of their product line was hyped only to deliver what we’ve come to expect from the company – a new chip, self-proclaimed efficiency boosts, and no new product designs. Now, I’m not saying that this is all bad. I’m typing this out on a 2024 M3 MacBook Pro, which works just fine, thank you. But if you were hoping for something groundbreaking, you won’t find it here.

Will the Viltrox Spark Z3 Bring a Spark of Creativity to Your Photography?

When it comes to photography gear, we often find ourselves having to compromise between features and price. Flash photography can be incredibly pricey, creating an artificial barrier to entry. While buying used is still one of the best ways to save some serious coin, there are some affordable options thanks to companies like Viltrox. With that said, I’ve been using the Viltrox Z3 TTL for Fujifilm cameras for about a month, and here are some of the takeaways from my time with the lens.

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