Author: Press Room

You have a lot of choices when it comes to picking a streaming device. Most people go with Roku and call it a day, while many others use the streaming offered by their gaming console or built into their smart TV. But over ten years ago, Nvidia, a company that is now synonymous with AI, made a streaming device that people are still trying to buy today because it was and still is one of the most powerful streaming devices ever released. Related Your Roku just got a permanent ad on the home screen — here’s how to minimize it…

Buying for a Mac fan this Christmas? We’ve picked six accessories for making more of the Mac they already own. Apple’s latest launches have given us a couple of fresh ideas, but there’s plenty to like from other brands too. Here’s what we’d put under the tree (beyond an iPhone, that is). Apple HomePod Mini 2 Apple’s newly announced HomePod Mini 2 has a welcome addition for Mac owners. It can serve as their default speaker, playing audio from films, games, and video calls as well as music. Buy a second and they can use the two as a stereo…

German tech firm Loewe has debuted aura.matic, a fully automatic coffee machine with a very clever trick inside. It boasts two separate stainless-steel conical grinders with separate bean compartments. We’ve seen separate hoppers before on machines such as the De’Longhi Magnifica Duo and we’ve experienced swappable hoppers, too. But this fine setup means you can switch between two types of beans and keep the whole grinding process entirely separate. Of course this would normally be caffeinated and decaffeinated, but it doesn’t have to be. Loewe adds that should you wish, you can even combine the beans together, presumably for a…

Whizzing down a hill with the wind in your hair is what makes the climb worthwhile. But why tire your thighs when you can ascend with electrical assistance? The best electric bikes offer freewheeling fun with less sweaty pedalling. And if you’re looking for a two-wheeled steed to get you from A to B with a boost, this is the list you need. From city whizzers to trail blazers, we’ve tested all of the top battery-powered bicycles – enduring the saddle sores and dodgy lycra so you don’t have to. Whether you want an effortless everyday commute or a wilder…

Netflix was the first streaming service that I subscribed to, and the one that made me realize that we were entering a brave new world of on-demand entertainment, where an entire video rental store could be plucked from the ether. These services began piling up as more “essential” movies, shows, and documentaries came into the fold, and before long, my monthly streaming bill had ballooned to rival most cable packages. After one too many Netflix price hikes and evenings disappointed by the lack of fresh content, I decided enough was enough, and it was time to seek an alternative. To…

If there’s one thing that stops me from using my Fire TV Stick as my primary entertainment device, it’s the shoddy Wi-Fi connectivity. I own a third-generation Fire TV Stick, which, as you would expect, has started to show its age. I did recently breathe new life into my old Fire TV Stick with some simple settings changes. However, those only helped make it “less” clunky to use and navigate. The settings didn’t help with my biggest gripe with the device: network stability. I tried almost everything, from manually configuring the DNS to bringing my entertainment center closer to the…

Convincing petrolheads to embrace electrification is a tough task, but one Richard Jackson hasn’t taken lightly. The chief powertrain engineer joined McLaren in 2014, right at the start of development on what would become the Artura. Hybrid lessons learned from the now-legendary P1 hypercar were brought to the marque’s main series models for the first time: namely keeping the engine as the headline act, while bringing the instant torque shove combustion power can’t deliver on its lonesome. Oh, and don’t forget the convenience factors that make it viable as a daily driver. Meeting emissions rules couldn’t hurt either. I got…

Unbelievably it was nearly a decade ago that air fryers began replacing regular ovens around the world. I for one wouldn’t be without one now, although I was keen to make the transition from a large air fryer to a stacked model to save on some precious worktop space. Going in hard on the space-saving is a new generation of portable air fryers, including the Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1, $180/£160, and Salter Crisp & Go, $99/£90, which have a minimal footprint and are small enough to go in a cupboard. Both models cook in non-toxic glassware, that comes with lids and…

I’ve kept a local music library for years because I like knowing the files are actually mine, even when my internet connection decides to become ornamental. Plenty of great open-source, free music players for Windows make my large library easy to manage, too. Unfortunately, the one feature that kept making streaming apps look annoyingly sophisticated was synchronized lyrics. Spotify can put each lyric line on screen at almost the exact moment the singer reaches it. My folders full of MP3s and FLACs, meanwhile, were still relying on whatever metadata happened to come with them. LRCGET fixed that for me. It…

Apple has finally done it. After years of HomePod speakers and persistent rumours about a screen-toting speaker, the company has launched Apple HomeView, a 7-inch smart display designed to be the centre of your home. It arrives on 13 November for $299/£299 in both tabletop and wall-mounted versions, and it’s taking on Google’s Nest Hub Max and Amazon’s Echo Show – devices that have sat on kitchen counters for years. I spent some time with HomeView at Apple’s Home event in New York, and the short version is that if you’re already baked into the Apple ecosystem, it’s a delightful…