Articles by Rowan Davies, Editorial Associate

The control buttons on the Echo Dot 5th gen smart speaker

The Echo Dot 5th Gen is the best way to take advantage of Alexa+ for cheaper this Prime Day — and UK shoppers can score two for the price of one

By Rowan Davies Published 22 June 26

The Echo Dot 5th Gen is still one of our favorite smart speakers, and an affordable way to get your hands on Alexa+.

A close up of the Apple Watch Series 11 on a wrist with a deals tag overlapping

I'm using an Apple Watch SE 2, but I'm disappointed it won't be getting watchOS 27 — these are the models I'm considering upgrading to this Amazon Prime Day

By Rowan Davies Published 22 June 26

Amazon already has early Prime Day deals on Apple Watches, and these are the ones to go for it if you want a kick out of watchOS 27.

A bird's eye shot of the Philops 3000 Series dual basket air fryer with the drawers open

My single drawer air fryer just isn't cutting it for me anymore — this is the dual basket model that's caught my eye in Amazon's early Prime Day sale, and it's much cheaper than a Ninja model

By Rowan Davies Published 22 June 26

The Philips 3000 Series dual basket air fryer looks just like a Ninja model, and is less than £100.

Two smartphones showing Spotify's Reserved notification and in-app pop-up

Spotify tries to explain how its 'Reserved by Spotify' early ticket access will work — but it still hasn't answered my biggest question

By Rowan Davies Published 18 June 26

Spotify is rolling out its ticket priority tool Reserved, but it raises questions on who the 'bigger fans' really are.

The new Google Home Speaker is launching next week, and you can pre-order your new smart hub right now — but you’ll need Google Home Premium for the full Gemini package

By Rowan Davies Published 17 June 26

Google has announced that its new Google Home Speaker will be go on sale on June 25.

A smartphone showing Spotify's new Track Reactions

Spotify's new Track Reactions update gives you yet more ways to judge your friends' music taste in Collaborative Playlists — but I'd like the emoji list to be even more brutal

By Rowan Davies Published 17 June 26

Spotify's new Track Reactions give you a new way to interact with your friends in Collaborative Playlists.

The Roku homescreen next to a smartphone with the Fox News app

‘Time for a new streaming stick’: Fox is acquiring Roku for $22 billion, and users of the streaming devices are far from happy

By Rowan Davies Published 15 June 26

Fox and Roku have entered a $22 billion agreement, but Roku users fear the damage it could cause.

A close-up of the Miko cassette player by Gadhouse with wired earbuds plugged in

I ditched Spotify and bought a cheap cassette Walkman — one month on I've fallen back in love with music and my tape stash is overtaking my vinyl collection

By Rowan Davies Published 13 June 26

I used a cassette player for the first time, and it's become my favorite way to enjoy the albums I love the most.

23 Comments

The Trump T1 phone, Link in bed, and an iPhone

ICYMI: here's the week's 8 biggest tech news stories from WWDC 2026 to Trump's not-so-made-in-America phone

By Hamish Hector Published 13 June 26

The week's biggest tech news from Nintendo, Apple, Trump Mobile, and more for June 13, 2026.

Two smartphones showing Spotify's New Music Friday Playlist and Olivia Rodrigo's new album

Spotify is giving one of its best playlists a big visual upgrade to give subscribers ‘a closer connection’ to its New Music Friday curators — and I think it could be the update it’s always needed

By Rowan Davies Published 12 June 26

Spotify is rolling out videos to its New Music Friday playlist, spotlighting its editors new music recommendations.

Google says a ‘certain speaker’ will finally go on sale next week, marking its first new smart hub in over six years — and it could just be the reason I abandon my trusted Amazon Echo

By Rowan Davies Published 12 June 26

Google might have just confirmed that the new Google Home Speaker is officially arriving next week.

2 Comments

Does your Apple TV support tvOS 27? These two models have surprisingly been dropped from upgrade support much earlier than expected

By Rowan Davies Published 11 June 26

tvOS will come with a handful of performance boosts, but Apple is leaving two models out of the update.

Some Spotify users are convinced the platform is creating AI artist profiles and bios, and I think these conspiracy theories are getting out of hand — and there are other music fans who agree

By Rowan Davies Published 10 June 26

Spotify is facing more scrutiny over AI slop, but the accusations are getting out of hand.

The Philips Skylight attached to a home ceiling mimicking a blue sky

Philips just launched a new ceiling light that looks like a skylight, and I think it looks incredible — but its lack of smart features might not justify its hefty price tag

By Rowan Davies Published 10 June 26

Philips is launching an impressive ceiling light that mimics natural daylight, but it doesn't have smart home integration just yet.

An iPad showing a 3D-rendered aerial view of a city in Apple Maps

Apple Maps has a huge iOS 27 upgrade on the way for Flyover that will help you ‘see cities around the world like never before’ — and users think it’s down to Gaussian Splatting, the next big 3D photography craze

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Apple Maps' Flyover view will look even more detailed in iOS 27, and it could give Google a run for its money.

Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers are mysteriously vanishing from the shelves, and I'm convinced the new Google Home Speaker is arriving soon

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Google has wiped the Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers from its online store, meaning its new smart speaker could be imminent.

Apple Music is getting a mini iOS 27 glow-up — but it still lacks the features many subscribers actually want

By Rowan Davies Published 9 June 26

Apple Music's iOS 27 revamp isn't the most striking — and we're still waiting for playback continuity upgrades.

Apple's new, AI-powered Siri is finally here — here are the biggest upgrades coming with Siri AI

By Rowan Davies Published 8 June 26

Apple has unveiled iOS 27, and its long-awaited AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2026 — here's what you need to know.

Spotify wants to have more video content, and it could start streaming live concert footage soon — but my scepticism is telling me that YouTube still has the upper hand

By Rowan Davies Published 8 June 26

Spotify is looking to expand its video content, and now it wants to start broadcasting live concerts.

Google Health is getting a staggering 14 new upgrades after Fitbit users dragged it through the dirt, and it’s just the start of Google’s wider improvement plans — but will it be enough to keep users satisfied?

By Rowan Davies Published 5 June 26

A new Google Health update aims to solve a lot of user issues including food logs and activity accuracy.

3 Comments

Large number of students sustaining a written exam indoors of a huge hall and the Chamelo smart glasses

‘In the worst cases, they could lose all their A-level grades’: Students could resort to using smart glasses and hidden ear pieces to cheat in exams — but it’s not just a threat to UK schools

By Rowan Davies Published 5 June 26

UK government warns that cheating cases in exams are increasing, and it's because of the rise of smart devices.

The FIFA World Cup trophy in a split image next to a Roku TV interface

Roku just got 4 free sports channels including two from FIFA — but World Cup fans should still use these VPNs and apps instead

By Rowan Davies Published 4 June 26

Roku has added four new sports channels for free, just in time for the FIFA World Cup.

Ereaders are only going to get smarter thanks to E Ink’s partnership with MediaTek, and it could be a big improvement to color displays — but AI is unfortunately involved

By Rowan Davies Published 2 June 26

E Ink and MediaTek want to make future ereaders smarter, but that includes having AI-integrated features.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

Fitness trackers are back — hot on the heels of the Google Fitbit Air, Samsung is reportedly launching a new Galaxy Fit

By Rowan Davies Published 2 June 26

The Galaxy Fit 4 fitness tracker could be in development at Samsung, and it could arrive later this year.

Spotify could be giving you more freedom on how your profile looks to your friends, and I think it could be the start of the platform’s much-needed social overhaul — but there are other issues I think need more attention first

By Rowan Davies Published 1 June 26

Spotify could allow you to change your username and add a bio to your profile, but I think there are other social features to improve first.

Rowan Davies

Articles by: Rowan Davies

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