Author: Press Room
CES has never been a perfect crystal ball. Not every idea basking in the annual Las Vegas spotlight goes mainstream, and plenty of breakthroughs arrive quietly elsewhere. Still, when the same themes keep cropping up across laptops, TVs, smart home tech, and hardware platforms, it’s usually a decent indication of the latest tech trends. We got exactly that at CES 2026 – a collection of ideas that suggest how devices might evolve over the next few years. We’ve rounded up some of the key trends below, for a digestible glance at what the tech world could bring to your door…
Writer’s block isn’t a dramatic creative crisis. Most of the time, it’s quieter and lonelier than that. You either stare at a blank page or a mess of words you can’t see clearly through. Procrastination suddenly feels better. I have tried out a few tricks in Microsoft Word to beat writer’s block. After ChatGPT came along, prompts have been a magic pill. For me, the right prompt isn’t about “generating content” and sacrificing critical thinking. It’s about changing how you think about the task. These seven prompts attack writer’s block from slightly different angles. 1 Clarify the fuzzy ideas in…
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,…