Articles by Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.

He has been writing for publications since he started his studies at age 18. Rowan graduated from Cardiff University in 2023 after attaining a Master's in Creative Writing, and earlier a Bachelor's in Media, Journalism, and Culture. He began his journey as a writer at Cardiff University's Quench Magazine contributing to film/ TV, music, and culture sections, later becoming Music Section Editor.

In his free time, Rowan is a freelance writer for Cardiff-based culture magazine Buzz where he reviews music, film, and conducts interviews with featured guests. When he is not writing, you can find him at any given music gig, or endlessly scrolling TikTok immersing in celebrity news and drama.

Articles by: Rowan Davies

Can’t escape the AI slop? Here are 3 handy ways to spot AI-generated music in Spotify, and what you can do to report it

By Rowan Davies published 8 February 26

AI-generated music is plaguing Spotify for some users, but there are things you can do to spot it.

A smartphone with a Spotify audiobook of Heated Rivalry surrounded by physical copies of popular literature

Is Spotify the new Amazon? The platform now lets you buy physical books from the app – and its new Page Match tool lets you sync your audio books with the printed version

By Rowan Davies last updated 5 February 26

Spotify's new audiobook upgrades allow you to purchase physical books from the app and more, and it's now in competition with Amazon.

Two smartphones, one showing the new Spotify Lyrics tab and the other showing lyric translations

Spotify is rolling out 3 exciting new features for Lyrics, including translations, and I can’t wait to finally understand what my favorite Spanish artists have been singing about

By Rowan Davies published 4 February 26

Spotify is finally launching Lyric Translations globally, and it's also giving it a new home in the mobile app.

A smartphone showing different family profiles in the Luffu app

'We’re building something I want for my family and your family': Fitbit co-founders are launching a new family-wide health tracking app, but we have our reservations

By Rowan Davies published 4 February 26

Fitbit co-founders are launching a family-wide health monitoring software, but we have our concerns.

YouTube has annoyed free users once again by cracking down on this popular background playback hack

By Rowan Davies published 3 February 26

Free YouTube users have noticed that background viewing has stopped for third-party mobile browsers, and no one is happy about it.

A split image with Heated Rivalry season one on the left, and a promo image for Lord of the Rings on the right

Heated Rivalry lived up to the hype — here are 9 other movies and shows I wish I’d watched sooner

By Rowan Davies published 31 January 26

Heated Rivalry was just one of the many movies and shows that left a mark on me this month, alongside The Lord of the Rings and a heart-breaking romantic drama.

Belkin is pulling the plug on its Wemo smart home range tomorrow – here’s the full list and what to do

By Rowan Davies published 30 January 26

As of January 31, Belkin is shutting down a large number of Wemo smart home devices, including wiping its app and cloud features.

Deezer just gave Spotify a great opportunity to combat the AI music wave — here's why the platform is making its AI-detection tool available to rivals

By Rowan Davies published 29 January 26

Deezer has been tagging AI-generated content for a year, and now it's encouraging its competitors to do the same.

A photo of BAFTA award statues next to a still of Odessa A'zion in Marty Supreme

BAFTA vs the Oscars – I’m a serial movie-watcher, and there's a clear winner in these nominations lists

By Rowan Davies published 28 January 26

Chase Inifiniti and Odessa A'zion were snubbed at the Oscars, but their BAFTA nominations show which ceremony has better taste.

TikTok is suppressing ‘content critical of President Trump’ in the US, California governor claims – as investigation looks into whether it 'violates' state law

By Rowan Davies published 28 January 26

California Governor Gavin Newsom is launching a review of TikTok's potential violations after more users are reporting anti-Trump censorship.

Hapiko's Stickerbox generator showing an image, with two hands on either side

I’m all for weird tech, and this viral AI sticker maker has just shot to the top of my list of recent obsessions

By Rowan Davies published 28 January 26

Stickerbox by Hapiko has taken social media by storm. Here's how it uses generative AI to make custom stickers.

This popular free YouTube function could be locked into its paid Premium plan — and I won't be happy if I have to sign up for another subscription service

By Rowan Davies published 27 January 26

A new YouTube experiment shows that its free-to-use playback-speed tool could be locked into the YouTube Premium plan.

Neil Young performing at Glastonbury festival in 2025

Neil Young takes swipe at Trump and gives his entire music catalog to Greenland for free — and says his ‘music will never be available on Amazon, as long as it is owned by Bezos’

By Rowan Davies published 27 January 26

Neil Young is standing in solidarity with Greenland by offering his music to residents for free, and he also had some things to say about Bezos.

Alex Honnold high in the air as he climbs the Taipei 101 skyscraper

Skyscraper Live proves that Netflix is still figuring out its live events – here’s why viewers couldn’t get past its 'insufferable' commentary

By Rowan Davies published 26 January 26

Viewers who tuned into Netflix's Skyscraper Live were baffled by the show's unnecessary commentary and over-produced façade.

YouTube Music just got a big queue upgrade that users have wanted for years – and now Apple Music fans are demanding the same

By Rowan Davies published 26 January 26

YouTube Music users can now pick up where they left off across Android and iOS devices, but Apple Music has yet to do the same.

Do you still need a TV licence? What the BBC’s new free YouTube shows could mean for your £175 bill

By Rowan Davies published 25 January 26

The BBC and YouTube partnership has left a lot of burning questions unanswered, but we've got them for you.

ICYMI header image with Sony Buds, Spotify Playlists, and Polar Loop band.

ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from LG's massive OLED TV news to glorious Whoop clones

By Hamish Hector published 24 January 26

Here's the top news stories from Sony, LG, Spotify and more for January 24, 2026.

Two smartphones showing the AI artist Sienna Rose. One phone shows a TikTok video of hers, and the other shows her Spotify artist page

‘We think it’s vitally important to be transparent with listeners and fair to artists’: Deezer says viral ‘singer’ Sienna Rose, with millions of Spotify streams, is an AI fake

By Rowan Davies published 23 January 26

'Singer' Sienna Rose is riding the Spotify charts, but her entire act is an AI-generated façade.

Wide screen television displaying youtube tv streaming service interface in a contemporary living room setting

YouTube TV is solving an issue that subscribers have been complaining about for years – this is how it’s lifting its ‘all or nothing’ subscription plans

By Rowan Davies published 22 January 26

YouTube TV is scrapping its Basic Plan for over 10 new specialized subscription tiers, as well as a big upgrade for multiview streaming.

Two smartphones showing Spotify's Prompted Playlists feature

I’ve been trying out Spotify’s new Prompted Playlist tool, and it could be a smash hit if the platform tweaks these minor issues

By Rowan Davies published 22 January 26

Spotify just launched Prompted Playlists in the US and Canada, and it's a clever new playlist-making tool, but it could do with some TLC.

Netflix says a big mobile app redesign is coming – and subscribers are bracing themselves for another UI nightmare

By Rowan Davies published 21 January 26

There's a new Netflix update coming to mobile, and it's bringing a new vertical feed to your account.

‘Maybe you’re developing a case of selective hearing’: Alexa+ gets sassy with user after they accuse it of making up false commands

By Rowan Davies published 21 January 26

Users are reporting that Alexa+ could be making up false requests, and it's giving them a sassy attitude in return.

An impressive Spotify audiobook upgrade could be on the way, and as a non-reader, I’m dying to give it a go

By Rowan Davies published 20 January 26

Do you switch between physical and digital books a lot? This new Spotify audiobook feature could be a lifesaver

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in the studio recording an episode of the Joe Rogan podcast

‘I can’t stand what it writes’: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon share their views on using AI to write movies, but admit it could become a new editing tool

By Rowan Davies published 19 January 26

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are not sold on AI writing movies, but that doesn't mean they don't think it won't become a common editing tool like CGI.

New year, new upgrades – here are 5 improvements I want Spotify to make in 2026

By Rowan Davies published 17 January 26

2025 was great, but 2026 could be even better. These are the upgrades I need to see from Spotify this year.

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