At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Light & manoeuvrable Anti-twist design Stands upright on its own Cons Can’t grab all carpet fluff Doesn’t always turn on even when charged Our Verdict An attractive and easy to use vacuum cleaner, the Hoover HF9 unfortunately can’t deal with ingrained fluff in carpet and has a flaw where it doesn’t always turn on even when charged. Best Prices Today: Hoover HF9 cordless vacuum cleaner When a brand is so big it becomes the common noun for the products it makes, you know it’s a big deal....

Binging on Netflix had become a national pastime long before Covid confined us to our homes for large chunks of 2020. And for most people, at least in the UK, there’s no cap on broadband usage. I’m willing to bet that most people have no clue how much data they use each month on their home broadband. But it’s a different story for mobile data which isn’t unlimited unless you’re paying a considerable amount each month....

For most young people, buying a smartphone is about a lot more than the device itself. Hardware and software are both important, but it’s the brand and what it represents that Gen Z really connects with. And Poco is a company which understands that more than most. This has enabled it to quickly establish itself as a go-to brand for tech enthusiasts and young people alike. Its “Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t” philosophy resonates with people around the world, with Poco now active in 98 global markets....

Is there anything more frustrating than trying to charge your phone, only to find it stubbornly refusing to juice up? We rely heavily on our phones for communication, productivity and entertainment. When they won’t charge, it can feel like a major inconvenience. Even if you use one of the best battery life phones , there are several common reasons why it might not be charging and thankfully, many simple solutions to fix the issue....

Thanks to the quality and convenience of smartphone cameras most photos taken these days will spend their lives existing primarily in digital formats. Of course it wasn’t always this way, and there’s a good chance that somewhere in your house is a dusty shoebox filled with photographs from several years ago. Well, drag them out, put on the kettle and set aside a little time, because Google’s PhotoScan app makes it easy to capture those paper memories and add them to your modern collection....

At one time or another, you’ll find that you need to make a copy of your screen contents as an image file that can be inserted into a document or shared via email. If you’re having difficulty using some new software , a so-called screenshot provides the best means of communicating the problem with customer support or if you’re asking for a friend’s assistance. Maybe you need to incorporate screen images in coursework or a company report....

If you’re considering picking up Microsoft’s new high-powered Xbox One X , it’s likely that you already own an Xbox One or One S which you’re upgrading from. If so, one of your first priorities will be transferring your settings, saves, and games from one console to the next. Luckily, Microsoft says it’s made it dead easy to transfer your files to a new Xbox One X via the latest Xbox software update ....

If you have a Google account of any sort, such as Gmail, an Android phone or tablet , and so on, you can access Google Calendar. This web-based calendar can be accessed from practically any computer or mobile device with an internet connection, and you can sync your Google Calendar with your iPhone and many other calendar apps. However, you can go way beyond merely typing in the details of an appointment....

Connectivity is always a big factor when it comes to choosing a laptop or PC. Most devices now come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as standard, although many also support 4G (or even 5G) connections, especially if they’re more portable. The focus is usually on keeping the computer in question connected to the internet, but what if you want to use it to get other devices online? That’s exactly what Windows 11’s Mobile hotspot feature does, turning the device into its own router of sorts....

The feature films nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards have officially been unveiled. Ten movies are up for the accolade, with many of them also nominated across various other categories. From action-packed fantasy films to dark tragicomedies, there is a big range of movies in the running for the biggest award at the ceremony. Ultimately, the Academy will decide the winner – but if you want to form your own opinions on which film should reign victorious, then we’ve rounded up how you can stream all the Best Picture nominees....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Gorgeous design Superlative cameras Excellent screen Cons No native Google support Awkward AppGallery No 5G Our Verdict Beautiful design and very good cameras make the Huawei Mate 50 Pro one of the most frustrating smartphones of 2022 thanks to a lack of 5G and official Google app and services support. Best Prices Today: Huawei Mate 50 Pro Reviewing a Huawei phone these days (let alone using one full time) is an exercise in acute frustration....

Huawei has announced the MateBook 13s and 14s, a pair of new Windows laptops that finally fix the company’s long-standing under-the-display webcam placement. Recent Huawei laptops – including the MateBook 16, itself only given a global launch today – have all featured a webcam hidden inside a fake key on the keyboard – ideal for privacy and keeping the display’s bezel slim, but not so optimal during a global pandemic that’s seen many of us dive headfirst into Zoom calls six hours a day....

At a Glance Our Verdict There are some subtle differences like the Rose Gold option, “Hey Siri” and the camera bump but if you’re going to spend £150 on the new iPad Pro instead of the iPad Air 2 it’s got to be because you will make use of the better screen, extra processing power, more storage and the way it’s setup for productivity. And that’s with the additional cost of the Smart Keyboard and/or Apple Pencil....

At a Glance Our Verdict The iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 are two very different smartphones with iOS and Android remaining the big difference. Other than this there’s the price, design, storage and additional features to Consider. Best Prices Today: iPhone 6 iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Price UK The iPhone 6 is now on sale starting at £539 for the 16GB model. It then costs £619 for the 64GB and £699 for the 128GB....

It’s a heart-stopping moment when your computer has a hard disk crash. In an instant all those photos, videos, music, files, unfinished novels, and pretty much everything else can disappear in an instant. So how can you protect yourself from this worst case scenario? We’ve put together a guide to the signs you can watch out for, and the steps you can take: here’s how check if your hard drive is dying....

Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen has been warmly received by viewers. In both the US and the UK, the series reached number one in Netflix’s charts. The Gentlemen is a sequel to Ritchie’s film of the same name. The story of a thriving marijuana empire starred Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant and Colin Farrell, among others. Although they didn’t return for the Netflix series, there was plenty more to enjoy, including clever criminals, sarcastic humour and surprising plot twists....

Twitter has been around for 12 years now, even if that is hard to believe. Like all social media networks – or at least the big names including Facebook , Snapchat and Instagram – Twitter has a minimum age requirement for creating an account. So if your child is under 13 then, technically, they shouldn’t cheat the system and enter a false birth date in order to get an account. But there are no checks beyond asking for your date of birth....

With the new school year upon us, most parents will be frantically searching for the various uniform items, stationary products and digital devices that their children and young adults will need for their academic pursuits. But one extremely important area that can be overlooked is how to ensure the online safety of the students in day-to-day life. It’s not that parents don’t care, quite the opposite, rather that it can be hard to know what threats exist and how to guard against them....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros High peak speeds Plenty of wired network ports Easy to use app Cons Few extra features Tough management Our Verdict Despite the name change, this is the same familiar Velop mesh we’ve seen before. The Atlas 6 Pro is fast, easy to use and stylish. Range is acceptable, but there are systems that cover larger areas better. However, it is very affordable and if you don’t need to spread out the nodes too far, it’s an excellent buy, especially the two-unit package, which is very affordable....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Linksys WRT1900AC is undoubtedly a well-Constructed unit with distinctive style and strong build quality. It’s wireless performance can only be described as disappointing though, given the statement made by its four-strong aerial array and a class-leading high price of £250. It’s possible that future refinement of the firmware could improve its prospects but as it stands it is markedly over-priced and under-performing....