Gadgets
20 years on, the impact of the original iPod is plain to see
Apple didn’t invent the portable digital music player but, as with many technologies since, it took an existing clunky idea and polished it for the masses.
- by Adam Turner
Latest
Apple to start selling parts for customers to repair their own iPhones
The program will be rolled out across the globe in 2022 and will initially allow people to fix the display, battery and camera for their iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 before expanding to other devices.
- by Jillian Deutsch
This year, give the gift of boring but useful tech
After long lockdowns, there’s a good chance we all have too much stuff. But there’s always room for gadgets that make life a little bit better.
- by Alice Clarke
How four speakers can rival a dedicated 12-channel home theatre setup
Sony’s wireless HT-A9 setup uses psychoacoustics to create a dome of sound with a dozen “phantom” speakers, with surprisingly convincing results.
- by Krishan Sharma
How to use Apple’s SharePlay to watch, listen and work out with friends
Apple’s latest update brings the ability to share media over FaceTime, with each participant still keeping complete control of their devices.
- by Alice Clarke
A hi-fi streaming box to replace your receiver
To audiophiles it may sound like blasphemy, but streaming music over a network or the internet can now easily be the heart of your system.
- by Tim Biggs
Review
Apple
Apple’s new AirPods are greater, but girthier
The 3rd Gen buds feature much better sound and some new tricks like spatial audio, if they fit comfortably in your ears.
- by Alice Clarke
Google’s connected cameras a smart, slightly spooky way to watch your home
With a few cameras or a doorbell around your home, and Google’s Nest Aware subscription, you can look out all your windows 24/7 from anywhere.
- by Tim Biggs
Google’s AI-powered Pixel 6 translates texts, removes photobombers
The latest Pixel smartphones, which are the first to use Google’s in-house Tensor processor, are all about on-device smarts.
- by Tim Biggs
Apple unveils new powerful MacBooks, less-expensive music subscription
The laptops are powered by a new version of Apple’s in-house M1 chip, continuing the company’s move away from Intel.
- by Tim Biggs
Amazon is America’s silliest inventor. It needs to take more care
Amazon seems to be making any doodad it can dream up and seeing what people do with it. But just because a company can do something, doesn’t mean that it should.
- by Shira Ovide