Tom Bedford

Tom Bedford

Contributor

Tom Bedford joined TechRadar in early 2019 as a staff writer, and left the team as deputy phones editor in late 2022 to work for entertainment site What To Watch. He continues to contribute on a freelance basis for several sections including phones, audio and fitness, as well as many other websites.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

He grew up in Bristol, UK, and has also lived in Norwich, UK, Salt Lake City, UT, and currently resides in London, UK.

Articles by: Tom Bedford

The YBA Design One on a gray table.
High-end hi-fi company YBA has made what it claims is the world's first "transportable" CD player for SACDs — it's got the audiophiles in the office very excited, but it's not exactly a handheld model to slip in your jacket pocket

By Tom Bedford Published

YBA has made what it claims is the world's first "transportable" CD player for Super Audio CDs, but it's not exactly a handheld model.

The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds next to their case
You've heard of Touch ID and Face ID, but is Ear ID next? Researchers have detailed a new tech would let you use AirPods or similar buds to prove who you are and unlock your gadgets — and it's actually your heartrate that they detect

By Tom Bedford Published

Researchers in China have discovered a way to verify identity via heartbeat, all using earbuds. And it's a tech that's not limited to heart rate buds like the AirPods.

A man wearing the Vollebak Sonic Jacket.
‘You don’t listen to this jacket. You feel it’: someone made a sci-fi jacket that includes 180 built-in speakers, and for way weirder reasons than you’d expect

By Tom Bedford Published

Vollebak's new Sonic Jacket is a marvel of engineering, and you could actually buy one — theoretically…

The Jamo HYG Flow on a wooden table.
The Sonos Move 2 has a new Bluetooth speaker competitor that comes in a cool and practical Scandi design — and it's way cheaper, though it lacks two key features

By Tom Bedford Published

The Jamo HYG range of Bluetooth speakers offer you another Sonos Move alternative, and some smaller and cheaper models.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra on the left, and Galaxy S26 Ultra on the right.
Thinking of upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra? Here's why you should consider an older model instead

By Tom Bedford Published

If you've been thinking of buying the top-end Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you might find another, older device that ticks your box just as much (or even more).

The Campfire Audio Chimera on a black countertop.
These new ultra-audiophile wired earbuds offer nine drivers, are made from carbon fiber, and are all literally unique — but they cost 30x the price of AirPods Pro 3…

By Tom Bedford Published

The Campfire Audio Chimera have the specs list of your dreams, but the price tag of your nightmares.

samsung india office chennai
The ultimate Samsung tech challenge — from Galaxy phones to QD-OLED TVs, prove how well you know its gadgets with our quiz

By Tom Bedford Published

Think you know Samsung's hardware and software? Take this 15-question quiz on its phones, appliances, earbuds and more.

The AKG N9 on a wooden floor.
I hate expensive headphones — but after years of testing, I've finally found a pair I can't live without

By Tom Bedford Published

I've been using these AKG headphones for 12 months now, and they still get daily use.

2 Comments
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro in a sunny outdoor setting.
Xiaomi is teasing clip-style open earbuds, and having tested its previous open buds there's one one small feature that could make them must-buys

By Tom Bedford Published

Xiaomi is teasing its first clip-style earbuds. If the company uses its sound leaking tech from its past open-ears, these could be gems.

View of Microsoft Romania headquarters in City Gate Towers situated in Free Press Square, in Bucharest, Romania.
From MSN to Windows, test your Microsoft knowledge in this 15-question quiz — no Copilot allowed

By Tom Bedford Published

Think you know Microsoft’s hardware and software? Take this 15-question quiz on Windows, Xbox, MSN and more.

Sony WH-1000XM6 with earcups pointed towards the camera
Want a super-clear look at Sony's upcoming super-premium new headphones? These new image leaks appear pretty official — and they look very Sony-meets-Sonos

By Tom Bedford Published

We've been reporting on Sony's The Collexion headphones, and this is the clearest look at them so far.

mazon logo on the facade of one of their corporate office buildings located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco bay area
Own a Kindle or Fire TV? Use Alexa, Prime Video or Amazon Music? Test how well you know Amazon’s tech in this 15-question quiz

By Tom Bedford Published

Love Amazon's gadgets and services? Prove how well you know Alexa, Prime Video, Fire TVs and more by taking our quiz.

The Shanling EC Play with some wired earbuds.
This retro-inspired portable CD player looks super-sleek, has audiophile credentials including a headphones amp for spicier cans, lasts 12 hours, and offers Bluetooth, 3.5mm, 4.4mm and Coax output too

By Tom Bedford Published

The Shanling EC Play offers a retro design and a range of connectivity tools, to make it useful for on-the-go listening as well as in your home hi-fi setup

The Sivga M260 on a wooden table.
Ever wish for earbuds with the disc-style fit of Apple's original iPod buds, but with hi-fi-quality sound and a USB-C cable? Then I've got great news for you — but don't expect them to come in all-white

By Tom Bedford Published

The Sivga M260 look like Apple's iPod earbuds, but with a big driver, premium build and multiple connection options.

The Jamo Concert Legacy 11 staddling a cupboard of vinyl records.
'A Lego brick that plays music': A great Scandi loudspeaker brand returns with 7 new products, including a shallower option designed for narrow bookshelves

By Tom Bedford Published

Danish audio brand Jamo has unveiled two new families of products, including some pretty small, thin options.

The Garmin JL Audio CS Centerpiece with a Primacy S3 speaker on either side.
Garmin has just launched super-elite hi-fi gear, through its sub-brand that's best-known for its maritime sound systems — and the stereo speakers are priced (perhaps appropriately) like a pair of Bowers & Wilkins' Nautilus

By Tom Bedford Published

Garmin has unveiled some hi-fi speakers through its JL Audio brand, including a streamer, loudspeakers and floor speakers.

Person holding up the Sony WH-1000XM6
Is Sony teasing its ultra-premium AirPods Max 2 rival? It looks a lot like it, as F1 star gets spotted wearing the super-chic cans, two weeks before tipped launch — and Sony itself is drawing attention to the suspiciously high-quality photos

By Tom Bedford Published

Sony's WH-1000XX The ColleXion has been spotted adorning the ears of Damson Idris, in what appears to me to be an early tease of the super-premium cans

The AudioVector R 5 Arrete next to a chair and a plant.
This beautiful hand-made floor-standing speaker ain't cheap, but I can't take my eyes off it and I haven't even heard it yet

By Tom Bedford Published

The R 5 Arreté from Audiovector looks incredible, and should sound it too, even though it's far from cheap.

The Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 on a grassy backdrop.
I took a great cheap Bluetooth speaker to the rainiest place possible, and it survived 7 busy days of abuse without a complaint — I'd definitely recommend it as a reliable music companion for your adventures

By Tom Bedford Published

I took the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 on a rainy trip, and its features and design ensured it was just as useful outdoors as on the dining table

A split image with the OnePlus 15 on the left and Realme GT Neo 2's logo on the right.
OnePlus is reportedly merging with Realme and 'evaluating' its future — but I'm convinced that this is fantastic news for Android fans

By Tom Bedford Published

It's all doom and gloom in the Android world, with reports of OnePlus' imminent demise swirling — but looking forward, this could actually be a great development.

A graphic showing the Verified by Spotify badge.
'Verified By Spotify' is the music streamer's new way to help you avoid AI artists, but it doesn't go as far as I'd like — especially with Deezer, Qobuz and Apple Music making major anti-AI steps

By Tom Bedford Published

The Verified By Spotify badge lets you find out if an artist is real on the streaming giant, but you still can't filter out AI slop in playlists

The CoolGeek TS-01 turntable, with its platter glowing green, thanks to RGB lighting
I can’t believe I’ve found another RGB gadget for my home, but this flashy turntable is funky, affordable, automatic, and comes with some really neat touches

By Tom Bedford Published

The CoolGeek TS-01 is a new Kickstarter automatic turntable with glowing lights and an affordable price

The Topping DX9 Discrete in a silver finish, on a white surface with a pink background
'The best of both worlds': This innovative DAC and headphone amp uses a unique processing system that basically converts your Hi-Res Audio to DSD on the fly, to give you ultra-low-distortion music — and it's packed with wired and wireless connectivity

By Tom Bedford Published

The Topping DX9 Discrete DAC uses Hi-Res tech magic to give you the best of both worlds

The Pro-Jet Stream Box E next to a speaker.
Pro-Ject just launched a tiny box to turn any passive speakers wireless that attaches to the binding posts, and brings them into the Sonos-rivaling WiiM ecosystem — and there's a streamer box for hi-fi amps too… but Apple users should probably pass

By Tom Bedford Published

Pro-Jet’s two new wireless dongles further push WiiM as a huge Sonos rival for hi-fi fans

An even closer shot of the Sonos Era 100 SL, showing the Sonos logo on the front and the play/pause and skip buttons on top.
Still frustrated with the Sonos app? People have been making alternatives using AI to solve long-standing annoyances — and some are pretty damn cool

By Tom Bedford Published

Since the Sonos app remains divisive, some owners of Sonos speakers have used AI to vibe code their own alternatives.

2 Comments

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