Articles by Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

A new Gemini for Home update is rolling out, but users are slamming Google for not fixing ‘missing and broken features’ despite the voice upgrades

By Rowan Davies Published 21 August 26

Gemini for Home is getting some new upgrades, but users are still waiting for Google to fix the real problems.

Amazon just gave users a valuable upgrade — Alexa+ is now free to use on Fire TV devices as well as Hisense and Panasonic models, and you don’t need Prime

By Rowan Davies Published 20 August 26

Amazon just made Alexa+ free to use on Fire TV devices, and you don't need a Prime membership.

Peacock raises prices for the fourth time in four years, just in time for NFL season — but these workarounds are helping users stay one step ahead

By Rowan Davies Published 19 August 26

Peacock has another price hike on the way, marking the fourth one in four years.

Three smartphones showing Playlist Notes in Spotify

Spotify just unveiled a new tool that lets you Bridget Jones-ify your playlists with notes explaining your song choices — and I’m ready to spill

By Rowan Davies Published 18 August 26

Spotify's new Playlist Notes let you add context and background to the songs you love the most.

Apple Fitness+ could be getting Peloton-style live workouts — just as Spotify makes its own big push into fitness

By Rowan Davies Published 17 August 26

Is Apple Fitness+ about to get its own live workouts? This new job listing points to an upcoming upgrade.

A close up of a group of runners shoes next to a smartphone showing Spotify's Fitness hub

‘Fitness is a natural extension of how people already use Spotify today’: That’s what the platform’s Senior Director of Product, Austin Lamon, believes — and he’s not done investing in the fitness hub's development just yet

By Rowan Davies Published 15 August 26

Spotify's Senior Director of Product tells us all about the platform's 'natural extension' into the fitness world.

The Garmin Fenix 8 pro, Pixel 11, and Honor's Robot Phone.

ICYMI: here's the week's 7 biggest tech news stories from the Google Pixel 11 launch to Honor's revolutionary Robot Phone

By Hamish Hector Published 15 August 26

The week's biggest tech news stories from Google, Garmin, Spotify and more for August 15, 2026.

A tent lit-up from the inside, pitched in the woods

Scientists are developing a ‘magnetoelastic’ tent that makes its own electricity like a wind turbine — but don’t expect to be able to take one to Glastonbury next year

By Rowan Davies Published 13 August 26

Researchers are developing a tent for off-grid camps that could generate its own electricity.

apple tv+ streaming service showing various movies and tv shows on a laptop

Apple TV just added a fresh batch of classic movies to its library for free, including my favorite Spielberg tear-jerker — here’s how to find them

By Rowan Davies Published 13 August 26

Apple TV has added a handful of classic movies to its library of original titles, and they're all free to stream.

A Google TV showing the Freeplay interface with a catalog of on-demand movies and shows

Google TV Freeplay is getting a huge free upgrade, and owners of TCL, Hisense, and Sony TVs will be over the moon — you're about to get a huge range of new free streaming options

By Rowan Davies Published 12 August 26

Over 10,000 movies and shows are coming to Google TV Freeplay, and they won’t cost you a penny.

Spotify is introducing AI Persona tags to differentiate real artists from fake ones, vowing to become ‘the most transparent and trustworthy place to listen to music’ — but the tool isn’t targeting the music itself

By Rowan Davies Published 11 August 26

Spotify's new AI Persona tags distinguish AI-generated artists from real humans, and the platform is excluding these artists from your recommendations.

A screenshot of a podcast playback screen in Spotify showing the new Skip Ahead button

Spotify quietly added a button to skip ads in podcasts, except for its own promotional content — and it’s sparked widespread concern for the future of podcasting

By Rowan Davies Last updated 10 August 26

Spotify quietly added a new way for you to skip through ads in podcast episodes, but some fear it's the beginning of the end for creators.

Two smartphones showing the Spotify app, one showing the playlist creation options, and the other showing a Library of saved albums

Spotify helps me keep track of my favorite songs from each year — but this one upgrade would make it so much easier for grouping my favorite albums

By Rowan Davies Published 9 August 26

Spotify still doesn't let you add albums to folders, so I've been using Musicboard to keep track of my favorite releases instead.

‘Playing around with your favourite artist’s song is an ultimate expression of fandom’: Spotify is taking another step into participatory music tools with its upcoming AI remix feature — but it signals red flags for industry professionals

By Rowan Davies Published 8 August 26

Spotify's agreement with Merlin brings it one step closer to launching its AI-powered remix tool, but where do industry professionals stand on it?

Do your AirPods slip out while you run or chew? This user found a simple and cheap trick to keep them in place — and you’ll still be able to fit them in your charging case

By Rowan Davies Published 6 August 26

This AirPods owner bought liquid silicone earbud replacement tips, and they've never looked back.

The Syitren RM1 CD player on a coffee table

This transparent CD player puts the inner workings on full display like a work of art — it's the perfect showpiece for physical media fans

By Rowan Davies Published 4 August 26

Syitren's new CD player is equal parts music player and live art display, and it looks like it came straight from an art gallery.

‘The next major music platform should give people something to do with the music’: Spotify’s former Head of Innovation on his plans to launch an interactive music service, and whether AI features will help or hinder streaming

By Rowan Davies Published 2 August 26

Mauhan M. Zonoozy was Head of Innovation at Spotify, and now he's taking on the world of music streaming with his own interactive platforms.

The Spine Music album dispplay next to an image of its founder, Ricardo Amorim

Miss your CD collection? This wall-mounted display for Spotify and Apple Music promises to bring back its ‘feeling of connection’ — but its maker insists he doesn’t want to kill off physical media

By Rowan Davies Published 31 July 26

Spine Music founder Ricardo Amorim is putting his love for albums and CD collecting into a new digital music display.

The Lola digital camera in the palm of a hand

I swapped my iPhone's camera for this Y2K-inspired digicam — and there’s only one point-and-shoot I want in my pocket for capturing memories

By Rowan Davies Published 27 July 26

The Lola camera embraces the nostalgia of '00s digital photography, and it's perfect for taking a break from your smartphone camera app.

Spotify's rumored song ID tool could upstage Apple Music and Shazam in one fell swoop, and solve my biggest song-saving headache

By Rowan Davies Published 24 July 26

Spotify is tipped to launch a built-in song identifier tool to one-up Apple and Shazam.

The Google Home Mini speaker on a coffee table and the Next Hub on a bedside table

Google is rolling out Gemini Live to its first-gen smart home devices, and it’s great news if your Home Mini speaker is still going strong — here’s how you can sign up to early access

By Rowan Davies Published 24 July 26

Older Google smart home devices are getting Gemini Live, but you'll need a Google Home Premium subscription for the full experience.

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Flock cameras spotted hiding inside speed signs from a growing backlash — as Wisconsin officials resort to covering ALPRs with trash bags after company refuses to take them down

By Rowan Davies Published 23 July 26

Flock cameras are still getting heated backlash, and now these ALPR systems are being hidden inside speed signs.

A smartphone showing Spotify's new Music Video Charts Global playlist

Spotify just launched its first ever music video charts, bringing MTV’s classic format into the streaming era — but I think it’ll be a long time before YouTube users make the switch

By Rowan Davies Published 22 July 26

Spotify's new Music Video Charts Global brings back the nostalgia of classic music TV channels, but it still won't beat YouTube.

Lorde performs during day three of Glastonbury festival 2025, and Spotify's About the Song feature on a smartphone

Pop singer Lorde slammed Spotify’s AI ‘About the Song’ feature, claiming it’s full of nothing but false details — and now subscribers are starting to catch on

By Rowan Davies Published 21 July 26

Lorde called out Spotify's About the Song tool, saying its details were incorrect and that it 'limits free interpretation'.

The Philips Hue Sync Screen mounted to a TV

Philips Hue’s rumored TV camera would be a huge shift for the smart lighting giant — but rival brands Govee and Nanoleaf have been doing it for years

By Rowan Davies Published 21 July 26

Philips Hue could launch a new camera gadget for TV backlight syncing at IFA 2026.

Rowan Davies

Articles by: Rowan Davies

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