Author: News Room

Introduction Distraction-free, screenless fitness trackers are having a moment. Whoop kicked things off, then Google gave it a go with the Fitbit Air. Now it’s Garmin’s turn. The Cirqa aims to please both workout newbies and brand loyalists, skipping the need for a subscription while still offering 24/7 health monitoring – something not everyone finds comfortable using the firm’s chunky multi-sport watches. The $200/£180/€200 price of entry being a one-and-done deal instantly gives it an edge over Whoop’s monthly membership fees, while Garmin’s Connect companion app remains one of the most comprehensive out there for serious athletic and endurance training.…

I still remember giving my oldest child (now eight) their first tablet. It was around four years ago, and I chose one from Amazon’s Fire Tablet Kids range because they are fairly indestructible when it comes to toddler tantrums. They also come with a two-year Worry Free guarantee, so if your child breaks it (inevitable), Amazon will replace it for free within that time. If your child smashes an iPad or iPhone, you’ll be on your own, sobbing quietly while wishing you bolted on the Apple Care service. Despite that latter point, I recently decided to move my eight-year-old onto…

Having been around since 2001, the X-Trail has done rather well for Nissan. The SUV has always been a good bet for anyone wanting space and a rugged edge on the build front, so little wonder it’s such a common sight on US car rental lots. The X-Trail e-4ORCE 213 N-Trek you see here is a little more refined, despite its beefed-up rugged stance – especially now it can essentially be driven as if it were a fully electric vehicle. The powertrain is an interesting one: a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine generates power for a small battery, which in turn…

Recently, a man I was rock climbing with told me about how he’d used AI to make a motivational poster for himself, which he’d hung on his bedroom wall: a bear, walking a slackline over a canyon, holding a sign that said, “Do cool shit.” I made what I hoped was a polite noise. What reaction was this man looking for? He probably hoped someone, maybe me, would say it was cool or inspiring. It seemed I was not the first person he’d told about this poster. “You know, it’s funny,” he said to me. “No one ever says anything…

Apple Inc. turned 50 in 2026. Five decades of pushing boundaries and of revolutionising entire industries. Five decades of innovations and ideas that have changed the way we work, communicate, listen to music, exercise, and so much more. In that time, the company started by the two Steves – Jobs and Wosniak – out of a garage in Los Altos, California has risen to a valuation of $4.5 trillion (around £3.3 trillion) as of August 2026. In 1976, when the first Apple I home computers were being assembled, few would have predicted the iPhone, AirPods, Vision Pro, or Apple Watch…

If you’ve got international travel coming up, an adapter is essential for keeping your phone, earbuds, power banks, and other gadgets charged. Anker’s Nano Travel Adapter is one of our picks from our guide to the best gadgets for summer travel because it can charge up to five devices at once, yet it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s also available in black for just $19.99 ($6 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Anker (with code WS7DV2BNB82J) matching its best price to date.The Nano’s four built-in sets of prongs should keep you covered…

Google may be about to deepen its partnership with legendary NBA star Stephen Curry with a special edition band for the forthcoming Pixel Watch 5 smartwatch rumoured to be coming later this week. Leaked marketing mortals uncovered by OnLeaks and published by MyMobiles reveals an exclusive new brand developed in tandem with the Golden State Warriors star and all-time NBA three-point scoring leader. The band, which includes a ‘water repellent’ coating and the branding “Stephen Curry #LockIn”, in a nod to the player’s pre-game mantra, appears to be a more durable alternative to the stock band for the Pixel Watch…

Bluesky has added a new feature that lets you hide reposts from a specific person in your feeds. The tool might be helpful if you want to stop seeing reposts from that one person who clogs up your feed with reposts of things you don’t care about. If you follow me, I may be that person, I’m sorry. I try not to be.You can hide reposts from individual users by going to their profile, clicking the three dots button, and selecting the option to “Hide reposts in feeds.” (X offers a similar toggle.)Bluesky also says that it’s launching a beta…

Apple is reportedly considering an Apple Watch with a round display, among a number of radical new design ideas as it explores shaking up the smartwatch scene. The word comes from the reliable Apple watcher Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who’s sources say a circular display is just one of many options Apple is considering, as well as jumping on the recent trend for screen-free displays – including a wristband or a smart ring. Apple is considering an overhaul to its smartwatch lineup in light of the industry’s transition to screen-free devices and other new form factors, Gurman writes in the latest…

Starting February 1st, 2027, creators who want to monetize their channel through YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) will need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 qualified watch hours over the past year, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. That’s a sizeable jump from YouTube’s current requirement of 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. Creators will also need to maintain 10 million Shorts views over 90 days to earn money from the Shorts Creators Pool, though falling below this…

The planned all-glass 20th anniversary Apple iPhone that was hotly tipped to arrive in 2027 has been cancelled, according to an analyst’s report. According to Jefferies analyst Edision Lee, the radical redesign for the iPhone won’t be happening next year due to struggles with manufacturing the display. The analyst cites a ‘poor production yield’, meaning the company has been unable to produce a high enough percentage of detect-free components. The analyst, who made the prediction based upon supply chain checks, called it (via Barrons) a “a major setback to efforts to bring in higher-priced iPhones amid soaring memory costs.” The…

It’s that time of year: On Wednesday, Google is set to host its annual Made by Google hardware launch event for Pixel gadgets. Google itself has already teased new slab-style and foldable Pixel smartphones, but leaks also indicate that the company could announce updated watches, a new color for familiar earbuds, and perhaps a brand new AirTag-like item tracker.However, unusually, Google’s event is taking place in the evening: It kicks off on Wednesday at 6PM ET / 3PM PT instead of in the early afternoon or mid-morning, like many other tech events. And this time it has a celebrity host…