Author: Press Room
While browsing my TV’s settings, I realized its microphone was always listening even when I wasn’t talking to it. That didn’t sit right with me, so I switched it off and didn’t look back. Related The biggest privacy leak in my living room was the TV itself Time to stop trusting your smart TV blindly. Why smart TVs have always-listening mics They have legit uses, in fairness Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfCredit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf Most smart TVs have microphones that are always listening for voice commands. That makes it convenient. You can say what you want and, voilà, the TV…
I love my dog. He enhances my life in so many ways but his hair shedding isn’t one of them, and he doesn’t even do it excessively. To keep on top of this tan coloured fur falling on to my floors, carpets and rugs, I send my robot vac round twice a day when everyone is out (really couldn’t live without a vac plus mop model now) and I usually manually steam my floors and vacuum with a great cordless model once a week too. Carpet and rug washing was reserved for when it looked dirty or there had been…
There was a time when holiday dreams meant scoring an upgrade at the gate or securing an exit-row seat on your 12-hour flight to palm trees and sunshine. Well, forget that. In 2026, the truly loaded aren’t queuing for lounge access; they’re queuing to leave the planet altogether. Space tourism has evolved from a billionaire vanity project into a bookable (if bank-breaking) reality, complete with waiting lists and astronaut training camps. So, how much does it cost to swap your car park view for a view of the entire planet? And what impact does that have on the planet you’re…
“That’s an interesting topic. I’d be happy to discuss it with you.” It’s not the sort of reply I’m used to getting when using in-car voice commands – but it might quickly become the norm for electric cars. The Volvo EX60 was my first on-the-road experience with Google Gemini, the conversational AI assistant that’s just as happy to shoot the breeze as it is to find driving directions or put on your favourite playlist. The EX60 – which you can read our driving impressions of here – heavily integrates the latest version of Google’s Android Automotive OS throughout its infotainment…
The EX60 is a big deal for Volvo. The premium SUV is the obvious electric successor to the petrol-powered XC60, which has done phenomenal numbers for the Swedish manufacturer. It will be built on home soil – an impressive feat given Volvo is now part of the Chinese Geely Group – and the firm even reckons there’ll be enough demand for a Cross Country version later down the line. Initially available in P6 and P10 powertrains, with an even more potent P12 model arriving later in 2026, the EX60 packs strong Scandinavian style vibes, loads of cutting edge tech (which…
The most exciting TV shows usually have actors in exciting jobs: detectives, police officers, firefighters, lawyers, doctors, and more. But this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, a show does something unexpected and features a character in a job that might usually be considered boring, yet somehow makes it thrilling. It’s the type of job you wouldn’t conventionally think is exciting, but somehow, these shows make it as intense and gripping as shows with characters who have jobs with typically higher stakes. Related These 7 current TV shows are so good they deserve a movie version With Rick and Morty officially…
Recording a meeting on your phone is easy. Turning an hour of mind-numbing corporate chat filled with nonsense phrases like “circling back”, “moving the needle” and *shudders* “cadence” into a useful set of notes – complete with decisions, deadlines and jobs for everyone involved – is considerably less appealing. And that’s where AI notetakers come in. Most look like unusually slim voice recorders, wearable pins, or even wireless earbuds, and come with an app where the magic happens – AI can transcribe the conversation, identify speakers, and turn everything into a structured summary. Some AI notetakers can also extract action…
Summary Boox rumored to release four new devices, led by the pocket-friendly Palma Palma 3 reportedly uses E Ink Carta 1300 for deeper blacks, 25% faster refresh and snappier pen input. Other models: Note Air6 C (Android 16), Tab Elite for power users, Note Mini C color e-paper; possible Oct launch. Boox, the popular e-reader alternative to Kindle, is rumored to be releasing four new devices, with the highly anticipated Boox Palma 3 leading the line. Earlier models like the Palma 2 were perfect if you were in the market for a pocket-sized e-reader, thanks to their smartphone-style design. But…
Reading fantasy novels is fun and absorbing, but the genre has its problems. For one thing, some series are so long — e.g. Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Wheel of Time — that reading them can basically become a full-time job, and not everybody has that kind of time. The genre is also plagued by unfinished series. Fans have been waiting years for George R.R. Martin to finish writing The Winds of Winter, for example, or for Patrick Rothfuss to complete The Doors of Stone. When you’re tired of unfinished series and don’t have time to devote to a…
Without waxing nostalgic, there are some fantastic vintage watches out there, from the undiscovered to the iconic, unimpeachably timeless to painfully of their time. And while the modern watch release slate continues ever on, sometimes it’s worth taking a step back from the latest 1000m dive watch to see what older timepieces can offer. In this current climate of endless heritage throwbacks, vintage watches are more in the spotlight than ever before – and if you’ve yet to explore why, then allow me to enlighten you with five reasons vintage watches are better than new. Image credit: Everywatch 1. Unsurpassed…