Author: Press Room

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…

When Lego first showed me Smart Play in action at CES 2026, my immediate reaction was pretty simple: this feels magical. Not techy. Not attention-grabbing. Just… fun in the way Lego usually is when it’s at its best. That magic has been a long time coming. According to Tom Donaldson, SVP at Lego’s Creative Play Lab, the idea of Smart Play dates back around eight years. The first concept emerged then, but turning that idea into something kids could actually play with took far longer. “The really hard technical development probably started about six years ago,” he explains. “Then, a…

When Lego first showed me Smart Play in action at CES 2026, my immediate reaction was pretty simple: this feels magical. Not techy. Not attention-grabbing. Just… fun in the way Lego usually is when it’s at its best. That magic has been a long time coming. According to Tom Donaldson, SVP at Lego’s Creative Play Lab, the idea of Smart Play dates back around eight years. The first concept emerged then, but turning that idea into something kids could actually play with took far longer. “The really hard technical development probably started about six years ago,” he explains. “Then, a…

CES 2026 promised the latest and greatest tech, and boy, did it deliver. up in Las Vegas, and what a show it’s been. From stunning TVs to swanky laptops, smart scales, contorting screens, and more, this year’s innovations will leave plenty to look forward to as the year progresses. Our dedicated – and jetlagged – team has been everywhere – from the cavernous main halls to secretive demo rooms – seeking out the very best products from the show. With that in mind, said, let’s dive into the tech that’s set to define this year. These are our CES Awards…

Audio gear tends to be expensive, and the words “cheap” and “audiophile” often don’t go hand in hand. Premium wireless earbuds typically go for around $250, with flagship over-ears retailing for double that figure. However, that’s only scratching the surface, because sub-$1,000 headphones, earbuds, studio monitors, and in-ear monitors are cheap in terms of audiophile-grade hardware. These standout audio products from renowned brands are now being challenged by budget Chinese startups. As with any type of cheap audio gear, it’s important to keep expectations reasonable. These earbuds and in-ear monitors (IEMs) from Chinese brands have become colloquially known as “Chi-Fi”…

I didn’t expect to be grinning like an eight-year-old in the middle of CES at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. But there I was, on a noisy CES show floor, crouched over a Lego Star Wars X-wing, making engine noises under my breath. Not for show. The bricks were doing it back. This was my first proper hands-on with Lego Smart Play, and more specifically, the new Lego Smart Brick. Lego says this is one of the biggest evolutions in its system since the minifigure. That’s a bold claim. After playing with it for a good while, I can see…

The trick is to think of ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner instead of an idea vending machine. You think, and let ChatGPT handle the volume and structure of ideas. Over time, I am experimenting with a small set of prompts that expand clarity and range for my ideas. I can’t claim to have developed them, as there are umpteen examples all around, especially on Reddit. It’s up to us to test this compilation on our individual projects. The goal is to turn fuzzy thoughts into testable ideas before we get down to the practical stuff. For this article, I am…

It’s quite a little baffling that in 2026, Windows still doesn’t come with a proper, system-wide equalizer. While you might stumble across some bare-bones sliders hiding in apps like Realtek Audio Console, those are hit-or-miss, wildly dependent on your hardware, and may even vanish after major updates. So many people have no other option but to live with it. Weak bass. Ear-fatiguing treble. Mids that sound like they’re trapped in a cardboard box. Not because they want to, but because they don’t realize there’s a better option. That’s where Equalizer APO, paired with the Peace GUI, comes in. It’s free,…

One reason for Apple’s meteoric success (of which there are plenty) is how tightly it controls its iPhone, iPad and Mac laptop hardware and software. This unparalleled tight integration means products like the iPhone and MacBook Pro work especially well together, and ensures all customers get the same experience. And yet things do happen, which is why the company offers extended warranties under its AppleCare+ service. Whether or not you should get the insurance-like extended warranty package depends on the product. For example, if you buy a new iPhone every 12 months, paying extra for AppleCare+ may not be worth…

Earlier this year, I tried the Roborock Saros Z70 – it’s the robot vacuum with a mechanical arm capable of lifting socks, cables, and other small objects like something out of Robot Gladiators. The vision was sound, but it wasn’t perfect. The arm didn’t always work, and cleaning power seemed to take a back seat. Roborock has seemingly changed direction, showing off a robot vacuum with legs. Read more: I reviewed the Roborock robot vac with an arm – it would be brilliant, if only it cleaned better At CES 2026, I got to see Roborock’s Saros Rover. It’s a…