Author: Press Room

From in-ears to over-ears, closed-back and open-back and noise-cancelling, there are plenty of wired headphones options out there. They’re ideal if you’d rather have the reliable, charge-free, and tactile experience of a cable-toting pair of cans or buds. While Bluetooth headphones have become the norm, audiophiles and people who’d rather not have to deal with charging another gadget still flock to wired headphones to get their audio fix. With so many different options available, choosing the right ones for you can be tricky. That’s why we’ve rounded up our top pick of the best wired headphones, to help make your…

USB, short for Universal Serial Bus, more than likely powers a number of your home gadgets, smartphones and headphones. But as USB standards have evolved over time, this has often lead to some confusion among users. Currently, the most commonly used USB standards are USB 3.1, USB 3.2, and USB 4.0. Physically, USB connectors now come in three versions: USB-A, USB-B, and USB-C. But what’s the difference between all these USB formats? Let us unpick the finer details for you. Why USB? USB is a widely used interface that has revolutionised how we connect peripherals to our computers and other…

There’s hidden detail in your favourite songs and the best DACs are here to help you hear it. Whether you’re streaming on Spotify or curating your MP3 archive, a DAC is a digital-to-analogue converter that converts digital files to analogue sound waves your ears can hear. Most audio devices have one built-in already, but if you’re a keen-eared listener looking to sonically upgrade the best noise-cancelling headphones, these DACs below have the power to amp up the detail, bass and volume. From pocket-sized solutions to bigger desktop DACs, these plug-in babies are a real treat for the ears. If you’re…

You can learn a lot by listening to your heart, which is where the best heart rate monitors come in. Whether you’re at the gym, out for a run or in for a swim, the pulse sensors below will never miss a beat. While most of the best sports watches can track your beats per minute, a dedicated ticker tracker will almost always do it with greater accuracy. Transmitted to your smartphone in real-time or saved for syncing once you’ve finished, these monitors make it easy to capture reliable heart rate data during your workouts. From lightweight armbands to pro-level…

Plex’s Media Player is great, but you know what I love more? VLC. This lightweight, easy-to-use video player is one of my favorite bits of software, and it’s easy to watch your favorite Plex content while using it. 2 How to Connect Plex to VLC First things first, for this process to work, you need to have Plex Media Server installed on the device you’re streaming content to. Of course, you’ll also need to install VLC. And if you don’t already, make sure your host device—the one that has your content stored—is up and running. If you’re starting from scratch,…

I love the convenience of TV-on-demand services, but it wasn’t long before I realized that my smart TV was collecting and using my data. Unless you take some preventive steps, yours will be too. When I Noticed My Smart TV Was Spying on Me I never really thought about whether my smart TV was collecting data. However, it’s safe to assume that if a device is connected to the internet, it is guilty until proven innocent. After all, data collection and sharing are a form of currency in modern commerce. Steve Heap/Shutterstock I have a top-branded TV with a smart…

The HDMI ports on the back of your TV are such simple things. You plug something in, a picture appears on the screen. And that’s how it should be. The days of being upsold expensive gold-plated cables by pimply youths in poorly fitting suits are behind us. When HDMI rose as the major digital interconnect for AV use, one of the things it offered was simplicity. One cable for HD video and sound, a massive upgrade from component video’s five plugs just for stereo. The resolution was better than SCART. It was more convenient than DVI or VGA, and composite…

Everything is getting more expensive nowadays, from your supermarket shop to mobile and broadband prices, nothing is safe from inflation. Not even your trusty video doorbell subscription. Let’s be honest, the fact that some smart speakers and smart doorbells require a monthly subscription is a crazy concept in itself – imagine trying to explain that to yourself ten years ago. And, it’s not just Ring, from Google and Arlo, most of the models in our best video doorbells guide require a monthly fee to unlock all of the features. If you’ve had enough of monthly fees and price increases, we’ve…

If you have an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 phone in your pocket, you’ve got a bunch of excellent cameras in easy reach. They’re superb for stills, but also take fantastic video footage, and iPhone Action Mode is a big reason why. Action Mode was introduced in the iPhone 14 series, and is meant to prevent your vids from being ruined by shaky hands. The digital image stabilisation tech helps keep those otherwise blurry frames from Saturday night looking clean and crisp – which may not be a good thing, depending on what you got up to. To get smoother…

Want to get more out of your Apple TV? Keen to power up your telly? Here’s our guide to the best Apple TV tips and tricks so you can master your Apple streaming device. Despite Steve Jobs’s original characterisation of the early version as “a hobby”, the Apple TV has continued to evolve, and is now in its third generation. Cheaper boxes exist but Apple’s remains sleek, usable and ideal for people already ensconced in the Apple ecosystem. Anyway, without further ado, let’s dig into our favourite Apple TV tips. Take control On the new Siri Remote, the TV button…