Author: Press Room

I was starting my day already behind, but I didn’t need a 5 AM club or some shiny productivity app. One AI-powered tweak to my morning routine gave me back a full hour. Why I Was Starting My Day Already Behind Every morning started the same way: I would wake up, reach for my phone, scroll through messages and headlines, then stare at a growing task list with no idea where to begin. I wasn’t lazy, but I just felt stuck in the monotony. My mind was foggy, my to-do lists on the whiteboard looked overwhelming, and I often wasted…

When setting up a new smart TV, ignoring the clutter of pre-installed apps you didn’t ask for is hard. These apps clutter your screen, eat up storage, and even slow things down, which is why I always remove a few key ones to improve my experience. 7 Manufacturer Smart Home Apps John Awa-abuon/MakeUseOf The first app I delete is the TV brand’s proprietary smart home dashboard, like the TCL Home app or its equivalents. These apps promise centralized control over your TV and other devices, but they’re usually clunky, limited, and unnecessary. If you already use Google Home, Alexa, or…

Not everyone wants – or needs – to splash out on a top-end OLED that costs more than a long weekend in Paris (such as those found in our best 4K TV guide). That’s where the best mid-range TVs come in. These are the sets that balance picture quality, features and price in a way that makes sense for most people. You’re still getting 4K resolution, slick smart features and support for the latest formats like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – just without the eye-watering price tag. And don’t assume “mid-range” means compromise. Some of the best TVs we’ve tested…

YouTube is making waves by bringing some big changes to its app for TVs and gaming consoles. But don’t expect something truly better, just mostly more of the streaming giant’s worst feature. Say Hello to More Shorts and a Variety of Shelves YouTube In April 2025, YouTube mentioned that it was planning a redesigned video player and other improvements. But first spotted by 9to5Google, there’s much more in the works, and some of it isn’t exactly exciting. The app will be adding a number of shelves to give you quick access to videos. YouTube explains more about what to expect:…

It’s 2025, and AI has moved beyond the hype. For many, it’s become a familiar part of everyday life, handling routine tasks with ease. Yet, in the hands of a creative mind, AI has the power to ignite innovation, inspire experimentation, and lead to surprising breakthroughs. The following screenshots were taken from ChatGPT in sequential order, and together form a continuous conversation. 1 Collaborate With AI AI has the capacity to explore options you might overlook. It can delve into concepts outside your realm of experience, ideas shaped by different cultural contexts, or even patterns that aren’t immediately obvious to…

YouTube can be a rabbit hole. Sure, it’s packed with everything, but when you need a straight answer, hunting for the signal in the noise can cost you minutes you don’t have. That’s why I use a Chrome extension to help me decide whether a video is worth watching. Meet TLDR: YouTube Summaries That Actually Work Let’s cut to the chase: TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) is a Chrome extension that turns any web page or YouTube video into a pithy, bullet-style digest. Click the blue-and-white lightning icon, and a concise summary pops up in a sidebar. It doesn’t dump…

If you watch Netflix on your TV or a streaming device, you’re about to get treated to a whole user experience. Netflix is also testing a couple of new innovations for its mobile app. Netflix Unveils a New TV App for the Masses In a press briefing, Netflix unveiled a whole new TV experience designed to make the streaming service simpler and easier to use than ever. The biggest change is more contextual information on each tile, making it easier to make a quick decision over what to watch. And as you navigate around the homepage, Netflix will update its…

What better way to start your day than with a great podcast? If you’ve had trouble picking the new podcast episodes in the past, Spotify’s new “plays” metric might just come in handy. Spotify Plays Shows Just How Popular a Podcast Episode Is Spotify Spotify is working hard to become the platform of choice for podcast listeners and creators. So, it’s no surprise that Spotify’s announcement of its newest feature, launched May 6, 2025, strongly focuses on building that audience: you can now see how many times a podcast has been listened to or watched. The new podcast feature, called…

Spotify offered solitude after I had to quit Apple Music because the app wouldn’t work on Wi-Fi. But after a few months, I remembered why I initially left Spotify—Apple Music pulled me right back in. 1 Dolby Atmos Tracks Spotify has talked about introducing hi-res streaming (Spotify HiFi) for years, but as of May 2025, it’s still not live. I don’t believe rumors about when it will launch anymore, and I also got tired of waiting. When I first went back to Spotify from Apple Music, I realized just how bad the sound quality is in comparison. Apple Music supports…

There are plenty of smart home kit to ramp up your home security, and smart locks are ideal for making sure your gaff’s main entry point is safe. But there are few options that actually look good or would give you the option to match your home’s aesthetic. But Yale’s new Linus Smart Lock L2 is finally one I’d actually consider putting on my own front door. The Linus L2 comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which means no more faffing about with extra bridges or hubs. Just install it, connect via the Yale Home app, and enjoy smugly watching your door auto-unlock…