The best TechRadar reads you may have missed

TikTok image
(Image credit: Daniel Constante / Shutterstock / Future)

Last week was a pretty hectic one for the world of entertainment. Admittedly, we spent most of it wading our way through Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but the biggest streamers enjoyed several high-profile new additions which might’ve completely distracted us had we not kept our finger on the pulse of all things tech.

And thank goodness we did, because there were a host of announcements, delays and pre-event teasers which pulled us out of those CGI-fueled alien battles and back to reality.  

Below, you’ll find the best of our web work from the past week, from a detailed rundown of the top sleep tech to our assessment of the TikTok revolution. We’ve even gone ahead and suggested the Xbox Series S is now a real threat to the PS5 – gamers, take note.

There’s also a host of review and opinion content for you to sink your teeth into, but if you’re after something a little easier on the eyes (but maybe not the ears), we’ve parked the latest episode of the TechRadar Noise Cancelling Podcast at the end of this article for your convenient listening pleasure.  

TikTok

(Image credit: Shutterstock / BigTunaOnline)

Inside the TikTok revolution 

If global lockdowns have become synonymous with one thing if not boredom, bingeing and baking, it’s TikTok. As well as harmless fun, though, the platform has also produced some pretty compelling musical success stories in recent months.

Here, we break down how TikTok is changing the rules of the music industry. The future is here – and it’s 15 seconds long.

Read more…

iPhone 11

(Image credit: Future)

Why I'm comfortable being trapped with Apple's iPhone  

It’s no secret that Apple has started to lag behind when it comes to innovative new mobile tech. The likes of Samsung, Oppo and OnePlus have redefined certain smartphone features which make the latest iPhones look, well, not-so-latest.

But one TechRadar writer argues that this doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the company’s appeal. After all, there’s a reason Apple is the most successful business in history...

Read more…

Xbox Series S

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Miguel Lagoa)

Xbox Series S is now a real threat to PS5   

“It may have cost $7.5 billion dollars to make me realize it, but Microsoft’s Xbox Series S suddenly makes sense. Almost to the point where I’d consider it a genuine threat to Sony’s PS5.”

Our Senior Gaming Writer is having second thoughts about the supposed runt of the next-gen litter...

Read more…

Apple Watch Amazon Halo

(Image credit: Future)

Apple Watch on one wrist, Amazon Halo on the other   

The Apple Watch 5 is pretty good. The Amazon Halo is pretty good, too. So why not rock both? Well, if you don’t mind looking like Inspector Gadget, there are big advantages to sporting two wearables that have different approaches to tracking activity.

Here, we break down why dual-wielding wearables isn’t the crazy idea it might initially seem. 

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Marvel movies in order

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 1 recap

Just two weeks after the WandaVision finale wrapped up a bizarre but compelling exploration of grief, Disney Plus returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a very different proposition. In the first of our weekly recaps, we break down what the inaugural episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier got right and wrong.

Naturally, proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Read more…

echo dot with clock

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Why Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri aren’t gimmicks   

Smart speakers with built-in voice assistants have grown hugely popular in the past six years since the Amazon Echo first launched, and it’s now a key way many of us are interacting with our tech.

In the last year alone, sales of smart speakers increased by 61% – which suggests they’re only going to get better.

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GPU shortage

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

What's the point of releasing new graphics cards if nobody can actually buy them?  

When the new AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT dropped on March 18, it crashed websites and promptly flew off the virtual shelves within an hour of being listed. Months are flying by, and the 'great GPU drought' feels endless. 

So why are new GPUs being released when so many gamers can't get their hands on any of the ranges that were released months ago? We take a look at what’s really going on.

Read more…

Asus Zenbook

(Image credit: Asus)

The best video editing apps of 2021     

These days, the best video editing apps cover all kinds of creative needs, whether that's adding pro-level polish or a just quick top-and-tail for social media. With so many on the market, though, it can be difficult to know where to look.

Here, we pick the best options for all mobile platforms, from the free-of-charge to the wallet-damaging.

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The best sleep trackers

(Image credit: Andrey Popov / Shutterstock)

Technology to help you drift off and sleep more deeply   

Imagine a world where technology could actually help you sleep better? For most of us aboard the 9-5 work ship, an extra hour or two could make all the difference to our wellbeing.

March 19 was World Sleep Day, and to mark the occasion we rounded up a selection of the best tech to help you get a better night's sleep – and earn some well-deserved rest.

Read more…

Surface Pro 7+ review and The Snyder Cut: Noise Cancelling podcast episode 56    

The week's biggest tech news, in podcast form! We have you covered with the Noise Cancelling podcast, which is brought to you by TechRadar and our sister sites Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide.

This week's show is presented by Gareth Beavis, Global Editor-in-Chief of TechRadar, and Sherri L. Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Laptop Mag, with guests Samuel Roberts, Entertainment Editor at TechRadar, and Henry T. Casey, Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, who join in (remotely, of course) to talk about the last seven days in tech.

Catch up on all the latest tech gossip, from our thoughts on Zack Snyder's Justice League to our reaction to the Surface Pro 7+. 

Read more…

You can find every episode of Noise Cancelling here too

Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.