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Google Nest smart speakers are the gadgets you’ll want to show off, but your guests don’t want to hear a news report or the weather. Here are some funny things to ask Google Assistant for an entertaining response, and if you don’t have a Google speaker you can also ask on your phone, tablet or watch. We’ve listed the responses given to us by Google Assistant at the time of writing, though for many of these questions there is more than one answer given....

The latest in Samsung’s ongoing line of ‘Fan Edition’ phones, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE , was unveiled at the end of September and is on sale now in many markets, including the UK and US. It offers the lowest launch retail price of any member of the Galaxy S24 series , while still offering the latest Galaxy AI feature set, a capable camera system and a full seven years of updates....

At Computex 2023 in its native Taiwan, Acer has launched an updated version of its Swift Edge 16. It’s not a huge change compared to last year, but there are some significant upgrades. Unlike with smartphones, barely anyone is upgrading their laptop every year or two. These devices need to still be capable years into future, something the company has recognised. The first thing you’ll probably notice are the new CPUs....

Alien: Earth at a glance: Season 2 has been confirmed by FX Noah Hawley returns as showrunner Some cast members won’t return for the second series Although Alien: Earth is one of FX’s flagship series, the production’s future was uncertain for quite some time. However, fans of the show can breathe a sigh of relief: the Xenomorph will be hunting on Earth for at least one more season. In 1979, along with Ellen Ripley and the other passengers of the Nostromo, viewers set off into deep space to meet the deadly Xenomorph....

Dell has announced a host of updated and refreshed laptops at CES 2022, but the compact new Alienware X14 stands out as that rare new thing: an entirely new laptop model. Alienware launched the X series back in June 2021, with the Alienware X15 and X17 designed to serve as uncompromising gaming machines, dressed in the brand’s signature aesthetic and complete with patented Cryo-Tech cooling technology. Now that same approach has been taken with the range’s most compact entry to date....

Amazfit is continuing to add to its GTS 2 and GTR 2 wearables line with the GTS 2e and GTR 2e, which were both unveiled today at CES 2021. Both are slightly more affordable devices than the main watches, complete with new colour options for the straps and bigger battery lives. In the UK, the Amazfit GTS 2e will retail for £119, with pricing for the Amazfit GTR 2e still to be confirmed....

What is Alexa+? At a basic level, it promises to be more conversational than classic Alexa, understanding and employing more natural language, with context-sensitive responses and a distinct personality. It’s also smarter than old Alexa, with more personalised results, and has the ability to get better the more you use it. For example, when you ask it to plan a family meal at home or a restaurant, it will “remember that you love pizza, your daughter is vegetarian, and your partner is gluten-free” and make its recommendations accordingly....

Google is said to be working on a considerable overhaul to its UI for Android 16 , and we suspect that not everyone’s going to like it. As we reported last week, Google is planning to introduce a major update to its design language with Android 16, called Material 3 Expressive. While initial Android 16 betas have looked much like Android 15, major changes could be set to arrive further along the line....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Android Oreo is, obviously, the best version of the OS to date. On the Pixel, it’s a clean minimalist dream to zip about on. The thoughtful changes to notifications stand out above the plethora of behind the scenes tweaks that you’ll benefit from but never notice. Oreo’s biggest test will be over the coming months as it lands on devices by HTC, Samsung, LG and beyond....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The AOC G2460VQ6 is a great budget gaming monitor, which is mainly aimed at those with AMD cards. We were also impressed by the image quality at this price, and its styling setd it apart from other budget monitors. Best Prices Today: AOC G2460VQ6 AOC G2460VQ6 review: Build quality and Design The G2460VQ6 is limited by its stand: you can only tilt it forwards by 5 degrees and backwards by 20 degrees....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Superb display Fresh design Excellent performance Fantastic cameras Great battery life Cons Design might divide Expensive Heavy Our Verdict The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max’s dual-texture design might not be to everyone’s taste and this is a large and heavy phone, while the aluminium doesn’t feel as durable as last year’s titanium frame. There’s also its price. But that’s pretty much all I can complain about....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Cheaper than before True Tone display Touch ID Cons Keyboard issues remain Performance gains negligible Limited ports Our Verdict Considering the MacBook Air for 2019 arrived with few upgrades and is now preceded by the 2020 model, which is both cheaper and better, you’d be mad to buy this old model. Best Prices Today: Apple MacBook Air (2019) There are updates, and then there are updates; and the new MacBook Air for 2019 is more iPhone XS than Mac Pro 2019 ....

After more than 18 months, Apple has finally released a new iPad Pro. It’s the longest the company has ever gone between generations, but it might well have been worth the wait. There are still two sizes, with the existing 11-inch model joined by a slightly larger 13-inch variant, though both benefit from the eye-catching performance upgrade. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s new generation of premium tablets – including how to buy one....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Lightweight and compact Great OLED display Lots of ports, including fast USB4 Good overall performance Cons Mediocre battery life Noisy fans Our Verdict The Zenbook 15 OLED is a well-built, attractive laptop with decent performance, an excellent display and good connectivity. It’s also reasonably priced, but you’ll have to contend with underwhelming battery life. Best Prices Today: Asus Zenbook 15 OLED (2023) The Asus Zenbook 15 OLED (UM3504) is a powerful laptop that’s great for basic office and photo work, watching content, and even a spot of light gaming....

Back at E3 2017 , Atari released a 20-second YouTube teaser video that hinted at the existence of a new Atari console, dubbed the Ataribox. Not much was heard about the console for months until early 2018 when Atari announced the official name for its upcoming console: the Atari VCS, a throwback to the original name of the Atari 2600 back in the 70s. Here, we round up all the latest news about the Atari VCS, from the release date to the design of the console and what it’ll offer....

Crowdfunding is a great option when starting out your small business. It can help you to cover several finances and also cover any upcoming costs along the way. Starting a business is not always easy, so securing guaranteed from different investors is a smart way to get the support that you need without being tied to bank loans. Crowdfunding has been a popular option for many entrepreneurs over the years, and the nature of this route means that the most unique ideas are likely to rise to the top fast....

With Disney Plus now available in the UK, you may be curating your watch list – and it’s highly like that The Simpsons is on there. But with over 600 episodes to choose from, you’ll literally be spoilt for choice on which episodes to watch first. Fortunately, we’ve cherry-picked some of the best out of the line-up that will leave you quoting them for years to come. Looking for other things to watch on Disney Plus ?...

Sending and receiving large files: it’s something we all need to do from time to time. But using email poses problems because of the limits on the size of files that can be sent or received. To make files smaller without losing important data or quality means using compression software to create ‘zipped’ files. If you’re willing to pay, then you can buy WinZip or WinRAR . While there are advantage of paying around £30 / $30 for these tools, you can most of their features for nothing....

A Mobile Wi-Fi router, or MiFi for short, is a portable gadget that lets you share an internet connection to other devices from a SIM card with a mobile data plan. You might wonder why you need one at all when you could use your phone’s portable hotspot (or tethering) feature to create a Wi-Fi network for other devices to connect, but if you’re travelling in another country you might prefer to keep your usual SIM in your phone and pop a local SIM card into a mobile Wi-Fi router to share its data with all your Wi-Fi devices, including a laptop, tablet and even a Fire Stick you might take with you....

As we start a new year there’s plenty to look forward to. So many great movies are scheduled for 2020, as are games, TV shows, and hopefully an end to the political madness that has enveloped the end of the last decade. Of course, as the name of our site suggests, we’ve a rather keen interest in technology, and here is our selection of the devices we’re most looking forward to in the next twelve months....