Yango Group has announced the launch of its flagship smart speaker, Yasmina Max. Equipped with the human-like AI assistant Yasmina, this speaker delivers exceptional sound quality along with an interactive LED screen. Yasmina Max allows you to fully appreciate music, featuring a three-way sound system and five distinct drivers for bass, midrange, and treble, along with a passive radiator, all powered by 65 watts of impressive audio performance. Yasmina Max’s high-quality microphones make it easy to interact with it, even in a noisy room.

Users can transform their entire home into an interconnected audio space by placing Yasmina Max alongside other Yasmina smart speakers, such as Yasmina Mini and Yasmina Midi, in every room. With Multiroom Mode, you can enjoy seamless, synchronised music playback throughout your living spaces. To activate the multiroom mode, simply link the speakers to one account, connect them to the same Wi-Fi network, and say, “Yasmina, play music everywhere.”

Yasmina Max has an LED screen that adjusts its brightness based on the room’s lighting. When the speaker is turned off, the screen displays the time, and when music is playing, it shows a dynamic visual representation of the audio. It also uses the screen to supplement answers with animations. For example, the AI assistant can show the weather forecast or express an emotion when you ask, “Yasmina, how are you?”

Powered by a cutting-edge GPT model, YangoGPT, Yasmina is more than just a smart assistant. It engages in human-like conversations in both Khaleeji Arabic and English. The assistant simplifies daily tasks by providing help with decision-making, generating new ideas, and clarifying complex concepts. Simply ask, “Yasmina, how many grams of beans do I need for 2 cups of Arabic coffee?” or “Yasmina, how can I plan a surprise party for my best friend?”

“Apart from its superior technological characteristics, Yasmina Max offers a sophisticated design. Available in three colours — green, beige, and black — it is crafted to complement any interior, making it the perfect addition to any GCC home,” said Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager at Yasmina, Yango Middle East. To fully enjoy everything Yasmina Max has to offer, including music streaming and recommendations, users need to activate a subscription to Yango Play.

Yango Play is an AI-powered entertainment super app that offers an extensive library of movies, series, TV channels, mini-games, music, and more. With an active subscription, Yasmina suggests songs, plays music that suits the user’s mood and recognises family members, adapting its recommendations to match each person’s preferences. Yasmina Max is now available for purchase through various outlets across the UAE, with an exclusive one-month partnership with the retail outlet Virgin Megastore. Customers can also find Yasmina Max online on Noon, and, for the first time, Amazon. The smart speaker is currently priced at AED 1199.

Huawei is set to host a highly anticipated launch event in Dubai this December, where the company will unveil several innovative products that promise to redefine the tech landscape. The event marks a pivotal moment for the brand, unveiling groundbreaking products like the HUAWEI Mate X6, HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4, and HUAWEI nova 13 Series. The new products will set new benchmarks for design, functionality, and user experience in the mobile and audio markets.

As Huawei continues solidifying its position as a leader in the tech industry, this launch will underscore the company’s expanding influence in international markets. Huawei’s latest flagship foldable, the HUAWEI Mate X6, will be unveiled during the Dubai launch. The phone is expected to redefine the future of foldable smartphone technology. It is among the company’s most advanced foldables to date. The Mate X6 is expected to take mobile photography to new heights, building on Huawei’s legacy of pioneering smartphone cameras of the Mate Series.

Besides the Mate X6, Huawei will unveil its next-generation audio products, including the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4. These earbuds will be the first to feature HUAWEI SOUND, offering an immersive audio experience. They will also include AI-driven noise reduction technology, designed to isolate the wearer’s voice during calls while eliminating environmental noise. This feature significantly enhances call quality, particularly in noisy environments.

Consumers can also look forward to the launch of the HUAWEI nova 13 series, a new midrange smartphone that brings a unique interweaving design and an array of exciting features. The nova 13 series offers significant upgrades over its predecessors, including enhanced camera capabilities, a performance boost, and more. The new HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 will also deliver a paper-like experience, perfect for light office productivity, efficient learning, and everyday tasks.

The Dubai event, scheduled for the 12th of December, will mark the global unveiling of Huawei’s several innovative products. The MEA market is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions for technology, and Huawei is committed to strengthening its regional presence. By continuing to introduce groundbreaking products, Huawei is positioning itself to shape the future of mobile technology while reinforcing its role as a global tech powerhouse.

Sony has delighted gamers with a nostalgic surprise to celebrate PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. In addition to retro hardware that quickly sold out, Sony has released a software update that adds classic boot screens and themes for each generation of PlayStation console. Upon launching the update, users will be prompted to select their favourite generation, with options ranging from the PS1 to the PS4.

This update changes the PS5 dashboard’s menu colours and sounds to match the chosen console’s user interface. Additionally, players can explore other themes through the new “PlayStation 30th Anniversary” item in the settings menu.

However, these themes are available only for a limited time. Sony has not specified when they will be removed, but the decision to make them temporary has raised some eyebrows. While creating a perception of scarcity or avoiding clutter in the settings menu might be strategic, it could be seen as a missed opportunity to let users permanently enjoy the nostalgic themes.

This isn’t the first time Sony has indulged in retro charm. A decade ago, during PlayStation’s 20th anniversary, a free theme transformed the PS4, PS3, and Vita to reflect the PS1’s look and startup sound. As Sony celebrates three decades of gaming excellence, fans are once again treated to a trip down memory lane.