Netflix is testing a new AI-powered voice search feature that could finally put an end to endlessly scrolling through menus trying to find something to watch.

As shared by The Verge, the feature is currently rolling out to a small number of users in the US. It lets viewers press the Netflix button on their remote and then ask for recommendations using natural language prompts instead of standard genre searches. Rather than typing in “comedy” or “thriller,” users can say things like “I need a good cry” or “help me stay awake” and get tailored viewing suggestions in response.

According to the publication, the feature is surprisingly good at handling more specific or unusual requests. It surfaces recommendations that feel more thoughtful than the usual algorithm-driven rows most users are used to seeing.

What makes this more interesting, though, is where the feature lives. Instead of relying on Google Assistant, Gemini, Alexa or built-in smart TV search systems, Netflix is keeping the experience inside its own app. That means users can search directly through Netflix’s catalogue without bouncing through a TV platform’s broader voice assistant.

It’s a subtle move, but an important one. Streaming platforms and smart TV operating systems have increasingly been competing over who controls discovery, recommendations and search. This is especially apparent as AI becomes a bigger part of the TV experience. By building its own native voice assistant, Netflix keeps users inside its ecosystem rather than handing discovery over to Google TV, Roku or Fire TV.

The feature is still in beta and only available to select users for now. Early testing appears to support Google TV devices, including Chromecast with Google TV and some TCL televisions. However, it reportedly isn’t working on Roku or Amazon Fire TV hardware yet.

Netflix hasn’t said when the feature will expand more broadly, but the direction is pretty clear. Instead of spending 20 minutes scrolling through endless thumbnails before giving up and rewatching The Office, Netflix wants you to simply ask your TV what you’re in the mood for.

Apple’s long-running interest in glasses-free spatial display technology has resurfaced amid supply chain rumours, with a leaker claiming Samsung is developing a holographic panel that component suppliers have informally linked to a future device internally described as a “Spatial iPhone.”

The leaker behind the reports, an X account operating under the name “Schrödinger,” has a partially verified record on Samsung hardware, having accurately predicted the Exynos 2600 chipset of Galaxy S26 Plus, 12GB RAM configuration, and One UI 8.5 software ahead of the handset’s February confirmation, which lends the claims some limited standing.

Samsung’s role in this rumour is grounded in part in published research, with its Advanced Institute of Technology publishing a Nature Communications paper in 2020 detailing a steering-backlight unit that expanded holographic video viewing angles by 30 times compared to conventional displays, directly addressing one of the core engineering barriers to viable handheld holography.

The rumoured display, codenamed MH1 or H1, builds on that research by reportedly combining eye-tracking with diffractive beam-steering, a method that uses microscopic structures embedded in the display layer to bend light toward the viewer’s eyes, generating perceived depth without requiring glasses or any external hardware.

A nano-structured holographic layer integrated into the AMOLED stack would reportedly activate only for specific content rather than running continuously, preserving full 4K resolution for standard tasks and sidestepping the image degradation associated with older lenticular lens-based 3D screens, which sacrificed clarity for the depth effect.

Apple’s interest in this territory is not new, with the company filing patents for glasses-free autostereoscopic display technology as far back as 2008 and receiving a patent for an interactive holographic display device in 2014, though neither effort resulted in a shipping product.

The MH1 project sits in phase one of research and development, with the leaker placing holographic smartphones broadly in a 2030 timeframe rather than signalling any imminent release from either manufacturer.

iFi Audio has introduced the ZEN Air Phono 2, an entry-level phono preamp designed for vinyl listeners who need more flexibility and better accuracy than what most built in solutions deliver. Building on the original ZEN Air Phono, this updated model tightens RIAA equalization for improved sonic precision and adds broader cartridge compatibility, supporting both moving magnet and moving coil designs.

The timing makes sense. Vinyl continues to attract new listeners, but the hardware they are plugging into often lags behind. Most budget integrated amplifiers and A/V receivers offer only a basic MM phono stage, and the performance is usually average at best. MC support is almost nonexistent at this level. At the same time, powered Bluetooth speakers rarely include a phono input at all, and the few that do tend to treat it as an afterthought. Products like the ZEN Air Phono 2 fill that gap, giving turntable owners a straightforward way to get proper gain, accurate RIAA playback, and a cleaner signal path without overspending.

The ZEN Air Phono 2   

Key Features

MM and MC Cartridge Support: Unlike most stereo and AV receivers that include a basic phono input limited to moving magnet cartridges, the ZEN Air Phono 2 supports both moving magnet and moving coil designs, offering broader compatibility for users who may upgrade cartridges over time.

RIAA Equalization: Vinyl records are cut using inverse RIAA equalization, which must be accurately reversed during playback. The ZEN Air Phono 2 applies iFi Audio’s RIAA curve with a stated +/-0.15 dB tolerance, ensuring proper tonal balance and more accurate reproduction of the original recording.

Adjustable Gain: Turntable cartridges are available in moving magnet and moving coil designs, and while both convert the groove information into an electrical signal, their output levels differ significantly. The ZEN Air Phono 2 includes switchable gain settings to properly match each type, with 40 dB for MM and 64 dB for MC, ensuring appropriate signal level and system compatibility.

Rumble: Warped records can introduce low frequency noise, often referred to as rumble, during playback. Many phono stages include a subsonic filter to reduce this, but those filters can also affect low frequency information. As a result, some listeners prefer to avoid them, especially if they are concerned about preserving bass response.

Subsonic Filter Design: Since 2012, iFi Audio has addressed this issue with its own subsonic filter design. By accounting for how records are cut and replayed, the circuit treats vertical and lateral groove information differently, targeting warp-related artifacts while aiming to preserve low frequency content and avoid additional phase issues.

Noise: The noise floor of many built in phono stages can be audible even in modest systems, often sitting high enough to mask low level detail in the recording. The result is reduced resolution and a less accurate presentation of the music.

The ZEN Air Phono 2 provides a super-silent noise floor with an EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) of -151dBV. This results in the ZEN Air Phono pushing noise far below the music itself, revealing greater details and subtlety in your favourite records. It achieves this through an innovative high-current power supply design, carefully isolated from the amplification stage. ​

Channel Symmetry:  The Zen Air Phono 2’s circuitry supports symmetrical channel layout. The ZEN Air Phono 2 offers similar benefits to balanced circuitry, such as lower crosstalk and improved channel separation. This type of circuitry design is very rare in phono stages at this price point – and iFi reinforces this design with premium components, including custom OV series operational amplifiers.

Specifications Compared

The Bottom Line 

The ZEN Air Phono 2 lands exactly where it needs to at $129. Its biggest advantage is straightforward: very few phono preamps at this price offer both MM and MC support with usable gain, tighter RIAA accuracy, and a thoughtful approach to noise and rumble. That alone makes it more flexible than most built in phono stages and a lot of entry level outboard options.

What it doesn’t offer is just as clear. There’s no provision for adjustable cartridge loading, no balanced connections, and only a single set of inputs. Users who need precise control over impedance or more granular gain options for high output or very low output MC cartridges will find the adjustment flexibility limited.

Who is it for? Anyone running a turntable into a system with a weak or nonexistent phono stage, especially those using powered speakers or budget amplifiers. It also makes sense for listeners planning to step into moving coil cartridges without replacing their entire front end. If your goal is better accuracy, lower noise, and broader compatibility without overspending, this gets you there without unnecessary complexity.

Pricing & Availability

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With sunny weather on the way, we’ve been keeping our eyes out for deals on some of the best Bluetooth speakers — and this might just be the best of them all. You can now get the highly-rated Sonos Roam 2 at Amazon for £134 (was £179).

The Sonos Roam 2 is a sleek portable speaker with a built-in battery, which means you can either put it in a room and leave it or take it with you into the garden, to the beach, or even to a friend’s house. Just connect it to your phone, choose a track, and the Roam 2 will take care of the rest.

The £134 sale price is £5 cheaper than we saw during Black Friday and an incredible £45 off its retail price. If you want a bargain price for a premium Bluetooth speaker, this is it.

“The Sonos Roam 2 delivers rich and clear sound reproduction that shows off every element of a track, and it’s very intuitive to use the speaker over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.” That’s the verdict we reached in our Sonos Roam 2 review, where we gave it a near-perfect 4.5 out of five stars.

More specifically, we love the speaker’s ability to produce decent audio across the frequency range, which makes it an ideal choice for listening to a broad array of genres and artists. So, no matter what you’re into, the Roam 2 will not disappoint.

From a design perspective, the speaker not only looks fantastic but also boasts an IP67 resistance rating, which means it’s ready for a trip to the beach or a tumble in a park. And at just 0.95 lbs, you can sling it in a bag without feeling weighed down. All in, the Roam delivers in every area that it matters.

The fact that this is a record-low price makes now the perfect time to snag the Roam 2. If you’d like to see what else is out there before buying, then have a look at our best Bluetooth speakers guide and our audio deals page.

Sony’s Xperia phones have rarely looked boring, but they’ve often felt too reserved for their own good. The latest Xperia 1 VIII leak changes that, with official-looking images showing Sony’s next premium phone in shades that actually want attention.

In a crowded high-end Android market, the first impression now has to work harder. Sony’s next phone still needs the usual flagship strengths, but a sharper visual identity gives it a better chance of standing out.

The leaked images, shared by Sumaho Digest, reportedly show the Xperia 1 VIII in Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red, and Native Gold.

There’s still a problem, as the same leak points to a possible price bump and a camera change that could irritate longtime Xperia fans, especially if Sony moves away from continuous optical zoom.

Is this Sony loosening up

The new leak is interesting because the hardware design doesn’t seem dramatically different. It still looks like a Sony phone, with the tall, squared-off shape that has defined the Xperia line for years.

The shift is mostly attitude. Graphite Black is safe, Iolite Silver keeps things clean, and Native Gold adds warmth. But Garnet Red gives the lineup its clearest personality.

Sony has spent years leaning on camera credibility, creator features, and enthusiast appeal. A more expressive palette suggests it knows the phone also has to compete visually.

Will the camera lose its edge

The possible downside is the zoom system. The leak suggests Sony may drop the continuous optical zoom used on recent Xperia flagships and move to fixed telephoto steps instead.

That would be a real change because zoom flexibility has been one of Xperia’s clearest enthusiast hooks. Even people who never bought one could understand why the feature mattered.

Fixed zoom points wouldn’t automatically make the camera worse. Plenty of excellent phones use that setup. But if the Xperia 1 VIII also costs more, Sony will need a stronger case for why its camera still feels special.

Can Sony justify the bump

The Xperia 1 VIII is rumored to launch in Hong Kong on May 20, with the leak also pointing to higher prices than the Xperia 1 VII. That makes the new styling feel exciting and risky at the same time.

A more stylish Xperia is easy to like. A pricier Xperia with a less unusual zoom setup is harder to defend, unless Sony can show meaningful gains in image processing, battery life, performance, or display quality.

For now, the leaked colors are doing useful work. They make the Xperia 1 VIII feel less predictable. The next test is whether the finished phone backs up the swagger.