It’s been a long time since the original iPod hit the scene, but if you clamour for the days when MP3 players were all the rage, and when listening to music felt like a genuine hobby and not something that simply happens in the background of another task, then you’re in luck. Recreating those glory days of music playback but with a modern twist, there are tons of portable music players you can buy in 2026, and thanks to our tech experts, we know which ones are best.
Although we’re big proponents of portable music players (we wouldn’t have compiled this very list if we weren’t), there are sure to be some people reading this article wondering why on earth they’d ever invest in a dedicated music device when they can so easily jump into a Spotify or Apple Music stream on their smartphone. It’s a fair point, but it’s missing a ton of nuance.
For starters, the big appeal is that if you want to hear your favourite tracks with as much detail as possible, then a portable music player is the way to go. With one of these devices in tow, and a pair of wired headphones, you’ll spot the difference right away as there’s more depth, greater surround sound and a sense of energy that you just don’t get when listening to audio over a smartphone which is downgraded by the very nature of streaming.
However, unlike the music players of old, there are a lot of modern conveniences that can be found with newer tech. There are some devices which run on Android and, as a result, can give you access to your go-to streaming services, but here you can enjoy them with a notable audio boost. There’s a lot to like, but in order to separate the best from the rest, we put each music player through a series of rigorous tests.
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Our review process includes listening to both high and low quality music files across an array of headphones, establishing a device’s versatility along the way, whilst also checking on battery drainage through everyday use. Only the music players that truly excel in all of these checks are then considered for this list. If you don’t already have a pair of cans to go with a new music player then our guides to the best headphones and the best cheap headphones have you covered.
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SQUIRREL_ANCHOR_LIST
Learn more about how we test music players
We play a lot of music, different genres and at different file resolutions to get an idea of how well portable music players.
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If there are features then we make sure we fiddle with them until we’re satisfied. We gauge on how long their battery life is and whether the player holds up to the manufacturer’s claims. We try them on their various wireless connections to see if they offer a smooth performance, and we’ll delve into their sub-menus and see if they work as they’re meant to.
Of course, it always comes back to the music. Portable music players are tested by reviewers who have a love of music, a knowledge of sound quality, as well as a context of the market. We’ll compare to similarly priced rivals, so when we recommend a particular model, it’s among the best you can buy for the money.
Obviously, we know not everyone has the same taste in music, so we won’t only test with the same perfectly mastered album, but with a variety of genres and file qualities, from MP3 to Hi-Res FLAC. Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Pros
Articulate, expressive and confident sound
Lavishly specified
Significant perceived value and pride of ownership
Cons
Quite chunky by ‘portable’ standards
Wildly expensive
Won’t entice vegans
Pros
Truly outstanding sound quality
Wonderful build and finish
Clever and flexible specification
Cons
Big and heavy
Rather pricey
Dedicated portables and full size front ends can cost less
Pros
Open, expansive soundstage with lots of detail
Premium build quality
Intuitive user interface and operation
Extensive specification
Swappable DAC feature
Cons
Player and DAC modules are expensive
Not exactly portable
Battery life not the longest
Pros
Brings refinement to music library
Compact size
Easy to use
Wide file support
Cons
Wi-Fi performance can be a little slow
Battery life doesn’t feel too extensive
Getting pricey for an entry level product
Pros
Detailed, composed and thoroughly entertaining sound
Specified well beyond what the asking price might suggest
Impressive standard of build and finish
Cons
Can get slightly shouty at biggest volumes
Miserly usable memory
Pros
Hefty aluminium chassis
Bluetooth pairing is easy, and works decently well
The warmth and saturated feel of a cassette has a strange appeal
Cons
Not the most portable of players
No auto-stop function is a shame
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Articulate, expressive and confident sound
Lavishly specified
Significant perceived value and pride of ownership
Quite chunky by ‘portable’ standards
Wildly expensive
Won’t entice vegans
The price of the Astell Kern SP3000T puts the rest of portable players on this list to shame, though it’s (ironically) less expensive than its predecessor. At $3199 / £2999, it is among the most expensive music players we’ve tested.
Like the Astell and FiiO players that feature on this list, the SP3000T is portable in the loosest sense. It’s angular in a similar fashion to other Astell Kern devices but the build quality is outstanding. It’s built from 316L stainless steel, with the front adorned by a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 touchscreen that we found to be bright, crisp, and responsive.
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Battery life is similar to the FiiO M17 at ten hours, though the overall feature set is less comprehensive than the FiiO. There are fewer inputs and outputs, and while the built-in storage is bigger (256GB), the SP3000T can only expand to 1TB with the help of a microSD card.
There is aptX and LDAC Bluetooth support, with sample rates of up to DSD512 and 32-bit/768kHz supported too. There are several DAC filters to play around with, the Crossfeed aims to create a soundstage that’s similar to listening to a pair of loudspeakers in a room.
When it comes to listening to music on the SP3000T, the player gives music a consistently natural and lifelike sound. Detail levels are high, control over decay and attack of notes is well-judged, dynamism is well conveyed whether on a small or large scale and integration across the frequency range is superbly well-realised. Its sense of timing is about as good as you can get from a portable player. The price is huge, but in terms of its performance, we found the Astell Kern SP3000T to be a superb portable player.
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Truly outstanding sound quality
Wonderful build and finish
Clever and flexible specification
Big and heavy
Rather pricey
Dedicated portables and full size front ends can cost less
If you’re an audiophile who’s constantly on the go, it makes more sense to have just one device that can serve as your go-to solution for music playback when travelling and when at home. Although such a thing might sound like a pipedream, it is absolutely available in the Astell & Kern PD10.
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This is a high-end portable music player that works just as you’d expect on the move, but when you’re at home you can dock the PD10 in its accompanying cradle and use it as a front end to control playback from compatible speakers. It’s a great solution to have if you’re obsessed with music fidelity no matter where you are.
The PD10 also happens to be one of the most solidly built music players we’ve ever tested. Comprised of a stainless steel chassis, the PD10 is far from lightweight in the hand, clocking in at 435g, but it has that satisfying heft that you expect from a device at this end of the market.
The row of physical buttons on the side are wonderfully tactile and they give you a quicker means of interacting with playback than waking up the six-inch screen. Still, if you do decide to dive in for more granular controls, the bright display works brilliantly, as does Astell & Kern’s Crimson operating system, which feels more refined than ever.
In terms of battery life you’re looking at a solid 15-hours of use between charges, so you’ll have more than enough in the tank to get you through a long day of work and commuting. By default there’s a sizeable 256GB of storage included with the PD10, but if you want to expand that, there’s a Micro SD card slot that can add up to an additional 2TB to the mix. Sure, the whole thing costs a lot more than most music players but for a true all-in-one audiophile experience, there’s nothing quite like it.
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Open, expansive soundstage with lots of detail
Premium build quality
Intuitive user interface and operation
Extensive specification
Swappable DAC feature
Player and DAC modules are expensive
Not exactly portable
Battery life not the longest
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The Astell & Kern A&futura SE180 is one of the South Korean brand’s most advanced players thanks to its DAC switching modules that allows the user to remove the DAC inside and replace with it another.
It’s an innovative idea, though we found the process of swapping DAC modules required some force. That’s an area Astell & Kern could make easier and swifter in future iterations.
The SE180 carries itself well, although like the SP2000T, its 280g isn’t exactly portable (the similarly-sized iPhone 13 is a mere 173g by comparison). It is well-built, less asymmetric in look that Astell’s other players and features wonderfully tactile volume wheel that mimics a dial on a expensive watch. Headphone outputs are catered for by 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5 and 4.4mm balanced, with a USB-C port for charging and microSD expansion that supports cards up to 1TB.
The Quad Core processor offers a snappy and responsive performance, the 5-inch colour screen offers some lovely looking colours, while we liked the Android-esque interface, which is intuitive to use and easy to grasp. File support extends MP3 to DSD256 and resolutions up to 384kHz, though by changing the DAC modules the file support can be extended further. With support for aptX HD and LDAC, the SE180 is covered on the wireless High-Res Audio front.
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All of that Hi-Res support allows the SE180 to set a high marker for sound. We tested the device with several headphones and found it brought a neutral and noise-free sound to whichever pair we used, featuring terrific amounts of clarity and detail. The soundstage is big and spacious, with the SE180’s sense of precision wringing as much out of music as it can. While it’s capable performer with lower-resolution files, this is a player that shines with higher bit-rates and resolutions, making this a portable player for the audiophile.
Brings refinement to music library
Compact size
Easy to use
Wide file support
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Wi-Fi performance can be a little slow
Battery life doesn’t feel too extensive
Getting pricey for an entry level product
The A&ultima SR35 is one of Astell & Kern’s more affordable portable players, though at £799 / $800, it’s more expensive than the SR25 and SR25 MkII, putting dent in those ‘affordable’ credentials.
You get a lot of features and performance packed into the SR35’s compact frame. As usual, it comes with an off-axis screen that does look odd but we adjusted to it in time. The touch screen goes up to 720p resolution but is bright and colourful, while operation is simple enough with buttons on the side for power and playback, as well as the lovely tactile volume wheel. Compared to the cheaper FiiO M11S, the SR35 feels like a premium product.
Its feature set mirrors that of other Astell & Kern players on this list with its wide array of support for audio formats up 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support is accounted for, though we found with the former that it takes a while for the Wi-Fi connection to boot up when the player is powered on.
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Built-in storage is 64GB, but the SR35 supports expandable storage up to 1TB with a microSD card. Battery life is rated at around 20 hours, but in our experience, the player has a habit of chewing through its battery life quicker than expected. There’s also a choice of Normal and High gain settings to match the impedance of the headphone it’s connected to.
In terms of audio performance, the SR35 doesn’t show too heavy a hand in altering the sound of the headphone it’s partnered with. Unlike the SE180 model where you can hear the effect of the different DAC modules, the SR35 takes the audio signal and gives it more polish and refinement while still keeping true to the headphone’s sonic signature. Compared to the FiiO M15S, it’s sharper across the frequency range, offers more insight, and is more dynamically expressive.
It’s the more assertive and exciting listen of the two similarly priced players. While the SR35 isn’t perfect in all areas, in our opinion, it’s the best portable music player you can buy in the £500 to £1000 range.
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Detailed, composed and thoroughly entertaining sound
Specified well beyond what the asking price might suggest
Impressive standard of build and finish
Can get slightly shouty at biggest volumes
Miserly usable memory
If you’re completely new to the world of portable music players and just want to start things out with an inexpensive option that doesn’t require a sizeable investment, then the FiiO JM21 is a great place to start. This music player provides so much of what makes FiiO such a household brand in this market, but at a price that massively undercuts the competition.
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Aside from the tempting £179/$199 price point, the key factor that makes the JM21 so alluring to new buyers is that the device itself is wonderfully compact. At just 13mm thick and weighing only 156G, the JM21 is more pocketable than the average smartphone, so unlike with a lot of premium music players, you won’t be bogged down. The Sky Blue colourway also has an eye-catching quality about it, which is more than we can say for a lot of smartphones right now.
When it comes to the sound quality, even though you’re spending less than what you would elsewhere, the JM21 still brings a respectable soundscape to the table with no less than two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chipsets. This paves the way for playback in resolutions up to 32-bit/384kHz which, in layman’s terms, is a serious uptick on what you can get out of your smartphone.
Still, the experience of using the FiiO JM21 doesn’t feel all that dissimilar to that of a smartphone as it runs on a reworked version of Android 13, with a 4.7-inch touchscreen to boot. With only 3GB RAM onboard, you don’t want to be using it for much more than listening to music, but at least you do have the ability to access your streaming service of choice here.
One thing that is well worth making use of is the available Micro SD card slot. By default, there’s only 32GB storage built into the FiiO JM21 which might be fine for some users who just want a few albums to hand at a time, but for most people you’re better off expanding that memory so you can have a genuine library of music on the go.
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Hefty aluminium chassis
Bluetooth pairing is easy, and works decently well
The warmth and saturated feel of a cassette has a strange appeal
Not the most portable of players
No auto-stop function is a shame
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Being completely honest, we’re still a bit perplexed by the fact that cassette tapes are having a resurgence given that they were never exactly rated as a medium with noteworthy sound quality, but if an appreciation for all things retro has allowed vinyls to become popular once more, then it does seem like fair game. If you’re one such person who loves the idea of dusting off their old cassette tapes or even buying some of the newer ones that have started to appear, then the We Are Rewind WE-001 is made with you in mind.
Before we can talk about any other aspect, the most striking thing about the WE-001 is its design. Not too dissimilar to a product made by Teenage Engineering (the company behind the Playdate), the WE-001 features a striking, uniform aesthetic, with the orange colourway being particularly eye-catching. It also looks very similar to the classic Sony Walkman, and wouldn’t feel out of place in a scene from Guardians of the Galaxy.
If you’re not sold on the orange colourway then there are quite a few alternatives available. Fans of The King will immediately gravitate towards the special edition Elvis option, while anyone after a more subdued palette will appreciate the Keith model which comes in a dark grey. No matter which one you go for, the physical buttons have a wonderful tactility to them that makes them a joy to use, and they feel like a remedy to a world that’s now so dominated by touchscreens.
Still, even though it very much wears its retro inspiration on its sleeve, the WE-001 is meant to provide a more modern alternative to fans of cassettes. With a built-in battery, the device can be topped up with a USB-C cable and, more importantly, you don’t need to carry around a pair of wired headphones as the WE-001 supports Bluetooth. This means that you can wirelessly listen to your cassettes, making the format feel far less cumbersome.
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You can enjoy up to 12-hours of use on a single charge which should get more than most through an average day. With regards to audio quality, your enjoyment will very much depend on how you view cassettes as a whole. In our testing, we were reminded of the warm sound that cassettes can produce, which does have a nice quality to it, but you won’t get the same level of detail that you can with digital music players.
FAQ
Is it worth buying a portable music player?
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Smartphones are compromised in terms of their performance because they’re designed to do multiple things. A portable music player is expressly designed for one thing, so if you love your music and want to hear it in its best quality, it is worth investing in a portable music player.
There was a car created by Carroll Shelby that didn’t have a Ford engine under its hood. In fact, it wasn’t even based on a Ford. We are talking about the Shelby Series 1 Roadster, the only car ever built by Shelby from a clean-sheet design. Instead of a big engine from the Blue Oval providing the motive power for this Shelby, there was an Oldsmobile V8 under the hood generating the necessary horsepower. Overall, it was an underappreciated Shelby car.
The Shelby Series 1 Roadster was Carroll Shelby’s final attempt to create a modern version of the automotive icon that was the Shelby Cobra. Just 249 examples of the Series 1 were produced, all 1999 models, conforming to that year’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The Shelby’s chassis was state-of-the-art, featuring 6061 T4 aluminum elements that were formed and extruded before being welded together and heat treated. Honeycomb aluminum panels formed the floor and rocker panels for extra rigidity, producing a chassis that weighed only 265 pounds. The body that was draped over this chassis was made of fiberglass composite and carbon fiber, keeping the curb weight down to just 2,650 pounds. This was much less than that of the car seen as the Shelby’s main competitor at the time, the Chevrolet Corvette C5.
The Shelby Series 1 Roadster’s suspension used a double wishbone setup connected to cantilevered coil-overs in the center of the vehicle. The brakes were discs all around, with forged aluminum 18-inch Speedline wheels measuring 10 inches wide in the front and 12 inches wide in the rear, mounted with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.
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The Shelby Series 1 Roadster had its share of problems
Kevin Tichenor/Shutterstock
The Shelby Series 1 Roadster experienced a large number of problems during its gestation, primarily due to both production-related issues and roadblocks stemming from corporate politics. Production problems included chassis jigs that permitted warping during cooling, plus delays due to an overworked team at Shelby that pushed production out to 1999. This further led to cost overruns when a new set of safety standards had to then be met. Then there were handling issues, the lack of ABS (which led to braking problems), whining gears from the ZF manual transmission, and repeatedly cracking aluminum castings in the rear suspension. Moreover, the side windows and convertible tops did not fit correctly and some of the transaxles needed replacement, all issues that increased costs further. Also, the car’s carbon fiber body panels turned out to be not properly sealed, requiring body filler that added hundreds of pounds of weight to the Series 1 Roadster.
Political problems were largely the result of the forced 1996 departure of John Rock, the Oldsmobile general manager who had championed GM’s hookup with Shelby to produce the Series 1 Roadster. Once Rock was gone, Oldsmobile would not supply the computer tuning codes for the L47 engine Shelby was using, ultimately reducing the stock engine’s output from 350 horses to 320. Making things worse, GM refused to share any current Corvette parts with the Shelby Series 1 Roadster, so Shelby was unable to use the ‘Vette’s transaxle or any C5 suspension pieces. The price also increased, starting at a sub-$100k target when it was first announced up to $181,824 in 2000.
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How well did the Shelby Series 1 Roadster perform?
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For motive power, the Shelby Series 1 Roadster was supposed to use an Oldsmobile racing engine, but emissions-compliance issues resulted in the car using the civilian version, the 4.0-liter DOHC V8 from the Oldsmobile Aurora, mounted behind the front axle in a front mid-engine position. The engine was mated to a six-speed manual ZF transmission driving the rear wheels. Weight distribution was an ideal 51:49. The engine made 250 horsepower in the Aurora, but the Shelby ended up with 320, while an optional supercharger, which works differently than a turbocharger, would literally boost that to 450 horsepower.
According to the Museum of American Speed, the stock Shelby Series 1 Roadster can do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 12.8 seconds at 112 mph and a top speed of 170 mph. Car and Driver managed, after many difficulties related to the car’s reliability, to get a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds at 112 mph. The publication famously called the Series 1 “a work in progress.”
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The Shelby Series 1 Roadster should have been a modern reincarnation of the Shelby Cobra, with all the performance and charisma of the original version. Instead, it is seen as a project that came up against all of the typical obstacles that befall low-volume vehicle producers. From the eternal struggle to make money on a few hundred cars and corporate infighting with formerly helpful partners to the realities of making a vehicle that conforms to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the Series 1 had the deck stacked against it; regardless, it remains Carrol Shelby’s flawed but striking swansong.
In the power tool game, having your branding down is everything, and DeWalt has remained pretty consistent with its products over the past few decades — when customers see black and yellow in a tool context, their mind automatically goes to DeWalt. With that said, the company isn’t afraid to make minor, yet noticeable tweaks here in there. One of the most recent is a change to one of DeWalt’s many battery types, specifically the 20V XR battery offerings. Looking closely at the labels on the sides of these batteries and at their online descriptions, there is a noticeable change to how these batteries are categorized and advertised.
For example, the 20V Max XR compact battery has only recently taken on this naming. Not long ago, it was known as the 20V Max XR PowerStack compact battery, with the PowerStack branding removed from the online DeWalt listing, and this change is reflected on the battery itself. This change is observed through the 20V Max XR compact battery kit listing on the DeWalt website, which features images of previous designs with the large and small PowerStack logos. On top of this, PowerStack and PowerPack logos have been removed from many other 20V DeWalt batteries.
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All in all, this isn’t too massive of a change, especially for those who aren’t all that picky about their DeWalt batteries so long as they get the job done. The question is, though, does this slight rebrand mean anything for the batteries’ performance level? Thankfully, based on the image changes, DeWalt’s battery system hasn’t changed outside of these missing PowerStack and PowerPack logos.
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Has DeWalt made functional changes to its batteries?
At the end of the day, a missing logo and some description changes doesn’t make too much of a difference. However, if DeWalt altered how its batteries work, that would be cause for customers to be disgruntled. As mentioned before, they’re still the same shape and size across the board, and for those worried they’ll have to delve into the pros and cons of power tool battery adapters, the manner in which they connect to DeWalt power tools hasn’t changed.
With that said, there is the question of the fate of the PowerStack and PowerPack lines. PowerStack batteries were introduced as a more powerful and efficient series of batteries, notable for their flat pouch cells over standard cylindrical ones. PowerPack batteries offer similar benefits utilizing multi-tab battery cells as opposed to traditional single-tab cells. Nothing has come to light that confirms the demise of these sublines or the technology behind them, so we’ll just have to wait and see if DeWalt sheds any light on the disappearance of these labels down the line.
While the fate of the PowerPack and PowerStack labels remains something of a mystery for the time being, there don’t seem to be many significant battery changes in DeWalt’s lineup. Based on the revised images, the impacted battery models are likely to connect and get the job done as they always have, just with a little less paint and branding on their sides.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
The New Glenn mission, scheduled for Sunday morning, will reuse the same first-stage booster that flew and landed during its second mission last November. That reuse milestone is the focus of the flight, not just the payload. Reusability now sits at the center of launch economics, enabling SpaceX to fly… Read Entire Article Source link
Betteridge’s law applies, but with help and guidance by a human who knows his stuff, [Ready Z80] was able to get a functioning game of Wordle out of the French-named LLM, which is more than we expected. It’s not like the folks at Anthropic spent much time making sure 40-year-old opcodes were well represented in their training data, after all.
For hardware, [Ready Z80] is working with the TEC-1G single-board-computer, which is a retrocomputer inspired by the TEC-1 whose design was published by Australian hobbyist magazine “Talking Electronics” back in the 1980s. Claude actually seemed to know what that was, and that it only had a hex keypad — though when [Ready Z80] was quick to correct it and let the LLM know he’s using a QWERTY keyboard add-on, Claude declared it was confident in its ability to write the code.
As usual for a LLM, Claude was overconfident and tossed out some nonexistent instructions. Though admittedly, it didn’t persist in that after being corrected. It’s notable that [Ready Z80] doesn’t prompt it with “Give me an implementation of Wordle in Z80 assembly for the TEC-1G” but goes through step-by-step, explaining exactly what he wants each section of the code to do. As [Dan Maloney] reported three years ago, it’s a bit like working with a summer intern.
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In the end, they get a working game, but that was never in question. [Ready Z80] reveals over the course of the video he has the chops to have written it himself. Did using Claude make that go faster? Based on studies we’ve seen, it probably felt like it, even if it may have actually slowed him down.
Matrix Recruitment’s Breda Dooley finds that in a competitive space, candidates can’t fall foul to common faux pas.
Looking for a new job can be stressful, as you aim to progress your career and find a role that suits both your lifestyle and your ambitions. With that in mind, it is critical that you put your best foot forward, as even the smallest mistake during the interview and hiring process could be the deciding factor on whether or not that dream job becomes yours.
Candidates are making avoidable errors, finds Breda Dooley, the head of recruitment at Matrix Recruitment Group. With mistakes ranging from generic CVs to costly blunders during virtual interviews, she noted that hiring managers often cite small errors as the reason a candidate missed out on an opportunity in an increasingly competitive job market.
Explaining that candidates should always be prepared, professional and show genuine interest in the role, Dooley highlighted the areas in which mistakes are often made and offered advice as to how applicants can avoid an unnecessary blunder.
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Virtual interview blunders
We are firmly in the post-Covid era, with many of the rules and regulations brought in during the pandemic having long been disregarded. One element that has stuck around, however, is the virtual interview, as many roles exist now in a hybrid or remote capacity.
Yet despite the prevalence of online workplace engagement, Dooley finds that job applicants in 2026 are continuing to make avoidable mistakes: for example, poor camera positioning, a failure to test internet connection prior to the interview and taking the call in an environment with distracting background noise. Body language, too, should be controlled, in much the same way that you would regulate your face and emotions in an in-person setting.
Dooley said, “Virtual interviews require the same level of preparation as face-to-face meetings. Your setup, body language and focus all influence the impression you leave.”
Down the garden path
The manner in which you choose to deliver your answers is also of importance, as too little or too much information could result in a negative interviewing experience for the employer and the loss of an opportunity for the applicant.
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That is to say, you should make a concerted effort not to overly rehearse your answers – generic, overly memorised responses can sound stilted and unnatural. Answers should be pre-prepared to a degree, but not so well crafted that they come across as being scripted or lacking authenticity.
Dooley said, “Interviews should still feel like a conversation. Candidates should focus on sharing genuine examples that show how they approach challenges or delivered results. It’s really important to give real-life examples and scenarios with clear facts; this will stick out in an interview and showcase your skills.”
The opposite is true as well, finds Dooley, as unfocused or excessively detailed answers can show an inability to structure a coherent response to a question.
“Don’t ramble. Clear and concise answers that focus on relevant examples tend to leave a stronger impression on interview panels.”
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Finish strong
First impressions can last – however, it is possible that a recruiter will ignore a poor start if you pick yourself up and finish strong. A failure to connect with the place offering the job, or asking anything about the work at hand, though, can certainly leave the employer feeling as though you wouldn’t be a good fit.
In asking additional questions once the conversation has come to a natural halt, you can show that you are genuinely curious about the organisation, that you want to engage further and that you understand the importance of communicating queries or concerns.
“Candidates should use the opportunity to learn more about the role, the team and the company culture. The fundamentals haven’t changed – preparation, clarity and professionalism remain the factors that set strong candidates apart,” said Dooley.
In addition to showcasing your suitability for the role, asking questions also enables the applicant to fully assess whether or not the working environment is one in which they would be happy to work. Just make sure that the questions are in line with your current status as an applicant, and don’t unintentionally cross a professional boundary.
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So there you have it – the common mistakes many job applicants in 2026 are still making. Make sure you aren’t among them.
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Fully electric vehicles are becoming more and more prevalent, but some people still prefer hybrids over EVs. Hybrids combine the best aspects of both full-electric motors and gasoline-fueled engines, and as such, they offer decent power output, reduced emissions, and impressive fuel efficiency. They’re also generally quieter, and they remove the charging hassle and fear of running out of power that comes with a full EV.
Hybrids depend on a battery pack to power the electric motor. These batteries often come with generous warranties, with major automotive brands like Ford and BMW offering eight-year warranties. However, even though there are measures you can take to ensure your hybrid’s battery lasts as long as it’s supposed to, it will still degrade and fail over time. When this happens, you’ll probably experience some of the most common problems that affect lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries, like overheating and reduced battery capacity.
Given that most hybrid battery repairs or replacements can cost thousands of dollars, understanding these problems is vital for current owners and potential buyers alike. As an owner, it can help you detect and troubleshoot small issues that might worsen into something serious, and if you’re a buyer, you’ll be able to decide if the hybrid car is worth investing in. With that said, here’s a look at common problems you’ll find with hybrid batteries and how you can avoid them.
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Your battery drains too fast
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One thing to keep in mind about all types of batteries is that they are susceptible to battery drain, especially as they age. Your high-voltage hybrid battery pack is no different. In an ideal scenario, a hybrid battery should last about eight to ten years, and you should not experience persistent battery drain during this period. However, if your pack is relatively new, and you notice telltale signs of a dying battery, such as a noticeable drop in your average MPG or reduced performance, that’s cause for concern. Your aging battery cells are probably losing efficiency, and it’s best that you visit a pro for inspection and repair.
Apart from age, there are many reasons why your car’s battery is draining so fast. Factors such as exposure to extreme temperatures and frequent deep discharges can all lead to premature battery drain. The battery will also start to lose capacity if you leave your vehicle untouched for months or engage in bad driving habits, say, pushing the engine too hard for too long. To avoid putting your hybrid battery at risk of premature draining, experts recommend parking your car in a shaded area. You’ll also want to drive your car regularly — not short drives, as they can also shorten the lifespan of both the 12-volt and high-voltage batteries. Don’t forget to commit to proactive maintenance as it’s key to a long hybrid life.
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Your battery overheats
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Another common and dangerous problem you may encounter with hybrid batteries is overheating. It’s quite normal for batteries to generate a little heat when in use due to chemical reactions. When it starts to heat up excessively, however, you’ll want to take caution; an overheating hybrid battery can present some serious issues. It can reduce your battery’s lifespan by increasing wear and damaging battery cells and also impact your car’s performance and fuel efficiency.
Overheating is one of the warning signs that your hybrid battery needs to be replaced. You can always tell your battery is dangerously overheated if it’s hot to the touch or if a battery warning light pops up on the dashboard. There are several reasons why your hybrid battery will overheat. Think of being exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods, pushing your car too hard to gain speed instantaneously, and faulty electronic connections.
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You can keep all these from happening by avoiding common mistakes that ruin car batteries. Mechanics also warn against depleting or deep-discharging your high-voltage battery pack. It’s also wise that you practice proper maintenance. Blocked air intakes, dirty filters, and faulty fans are known culprits for overheating hybrid batteries. Aside from this, be on the lookout for software updates that could entail battery management improvements.
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Dead cells or faulty battery modules
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A hybrid battery is not just one big battery. It’s a pack composed of multiple individual modules with low-voltage battery cells, organized to deliver a given voltage level required for efficient operation. Considering that they’re connected to work together, if one module fails, either due to manufacturing defects or physical damage, the whole system will be affected, too.
When this happens, you’ll probably miss everything that makes your hybrid SUV or truck worth driving — think of tremendous fuel savings and impressive driving range. In addition to a decline in fuel efficiency and performance, error codes may appear on your dashboard, your car may feel sluggish during acceleration, and strange noises may appear. To avoid this, keep up with routine battery checks, avoid deep discharges, and minimize how you use your hybrid battery.
If you notice any of these signs, experts recommend you visit your garage for diagnostic scans immediately. Left unchecked, the issue can spread to other cells, leading to total battery failure, which, as we mentioned, is quite expensive to replace. Also, if you’re a DIY enthusiast, you might be tempted to swap faulty modules with new ones. Before you go ahead with your plan, you’ll want to think twice. If done incorrectly, it may result in repeated battery failures and, worse still, a short circuit that could lead to a “thermal event.”
There is a currently ongoing debate in the neuropsychology world about how we relate to the tools that we use. The theory of “tool embodiment” says that when we use some tools frequently enough, our brain recognizes them similarly to how it recognizes our own hands, for instance. There is evidence and counter-evidence from experiments with prosthetics, trash-grabber arms, and rubber dummy arms, just to name a few. It’s fair to say the jury is still out.
All I know is that today my trackball broke, and using a normal gaming mouse to edit the podcast was torture. It would be an exaggeration to say that I felt like I’d lost a hand, but I have so much motor memory apparently built up in my use of the trackball that switching over to another tool to undertake the exact same series of hundreds of small audio edits – mostly compensating for the audio delay across continents, but also silencing coughs and background noises – took an extra hour.
Anyone who has switched from one keyboard to another, or heck even from emacs to vim, knows what I experienced. My body just knows how to flick my wrist to make the cursor on the screen move over to the beginning of that “umm”. It’s not like I don’t conceptually know how to use a mouse either, and it does exactly the same job. But the mouse wasn’t my tool for this application. And saying that out loud makes it almost sound like I’m bordering on embodying my trackball.
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I probably should have taken the trackball apart and replaced the bad tact switch on the left-click – that would have taken maybe twenty minutes – but I completely underestimated how integral the tool had become to the work. Anyway, as I write this, tomorrow is Saturday and I’ll have time to fix it. But today, I learned something pretty neat about myself in the process, even if I don’t think my single datapoint is going to rock the academic psych world.
Now that we’re past March, Prime Video has plenty of new, must-see movies for us to stream this April. One of the platform’s biggest new originals is Chris Hemsworth’s thrilling action movie, Crime 101.
The Prime Video vault is also loaded with hit films from the past year, including Sinners, Novocaine, and The Naked Gun. Explore this guide for some of our top Prime Video recommendations.
One of the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video right now is also one that most people slept on in theaters. Crime 101 bombed at the box office despite having the cast, the script, and the direction to be a genuine crowd-pleaser.
Chris Hemsworth plays Mike Davis, a methodical jewel thief whose precision heists along LA’s 101 Freeway have left the LAPD baffled. Mark Ruffalo is the detective slowly connecting the dots, and Halle Berry is an insurance broker drawn into the orbit of both men. Directed by Bart Layton and based on Don Winslow’s novella, this is a twisty thriller that earns every comparison to Heat.
From producer David Leitch (John Wick, The Fall Guy), Pretty Lethal revolves around five ballerinas who get stranded in the forest when their bus crashes on the way to a dance competition. They find shelter in a nearby inn run by Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), a veteran ballet dancer.
However, when Devora springs a sinister trap on them, this young ballet team must draw on all their training to escape and survive this dance of death.
For those waiting for more Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Prime Video may have the solution for you. Produced by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Doomsday), The Bluff follows former pirate Ercell Bodden (Chopra Jonas), whose perfect life is thrown into chaos when the vengeful Captain Connor (Urban) appears at her doorstep.
Though she tried to bury her past as the dreaded “Bloody Mary,” Ercell is forced to fight once again to protect her family from Connor and his crew.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle), The Wrecking Crew follows estranged half-brothers Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) when they reunite in Hawaii following their father’s murder in a supposed hit-and-run. Jonny and James then set off to find the truth, uncovering heavy secrets about each other and their father’s killer along the way.
Despite the odds and their opposing personalities, Jonny and James come together to rampage against their enemies, triggering an all-out war with the Yakuza. All this makes The Wrecking Crew an explosive, hysterical adventure that fans of Lethal Weapon should enjoy.
Set in the 1930s, director Ryan Coogler’s Sinnersfollows gangster brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) as they return home to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to open a juke joint. For their opening night, they have their preacher-boy cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), sing the blues for their guests, harnessing magic that lets him conjure spirits from the past and future.
Unfortunately, Sammie’s music also attracts the ancient vampire Remmick (Jack O’Connell), who just happened to end up in town after fleeing from a group of Choctaw hunters. Remmick crashes the party, turning the guests into undead bloodsuckers, culminating in an epic, brutal showdown between humans and vampires.
Action star Liam Neeson is the new Frank Drebin at Police Squad. The Naked Gun follows Lt. Drebin Jr. as he investigates the death of a man linked to sinister tech mogul Richard Cane (Danny Huston). Teaming up with the deceased’s sister, crime novelist Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), Drebin tries to uncover the truth behind this strange death.
Though Drebin inherits his father’s brand of buffoonery, he discovers Cane’s plot to wipe out humanity using a literal plot device. While Police Squad’s future is at risk because of Drebin’s slip-up, he must step up to save the world from destruction and honor his father’s legacy.
Novocaine follows mild-mannered bank executive Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), who was born with a disorder that makes him unable to feel pain. After meeting Sherry (Amber Midthunder), the girl of his dreams, things finally seem to be looking up for Nathan as she helps him break out of his shell.
However, things turn bad when a group of robbers attacks his bank and takes Sherry hostage. Compelled to save Sherry, Nathan pursues the robbers, using his insensitivity to pain to fight his way through the streets of San Diego to reach his true love.
Outer Banks’ Madelyn Cline and Riverdale’s KJ Apa play two young lovers on a European excursion in The Map That Leads to You. While on a train with her two best friends, Heather (Cline) meets the handsome Jack (Apa). The two hit it off and embark on a journey to visit a list of places Jack’s grandfather wrote about in a journal.
As their time together comes to an end, Heather and Jack must decide whether their connection can survive while they are separated halfway across the world.
Among the top movies streaming on Prime, American Fiction stands apart as one of the sharpest and most surprisingly moving films in recent years. Jeffrey Wright plays Monk, a Black novelist whose serious literary work earns critical respect but zero sales. In a moment of frustration and grief, he writes a deliberately absurd, over-the-top parody of what publishers think Black stories should sound like, and the book becomes a runaway bestseller.
Cord Jefferson’s feature debut is both a biting social satire and a genuinely tender family drama running underneath it. Wright and Sterling K. Brown both earned Oscar nominations for their work here, and Jefferson was awarded the Best Adapted Screenplay for this movie.
Long after its defeat by Ellen Ripley, the Alien franchise’s first Xenomorph is found and experimented on by the crew of the Romulus space station. Eventually, a group of teenagers from a nearby colony searches through Romulus, ruined and infested with Xenomorphs, while on their journey to a new planet.
In true Alien fashion, Romulus sees one of the teens implanted with a baby Xenomorph, and the adult creature starts picking off members of the group. This makes for a good old-fashioned space slasher filled with thrilling action and unforgettable horror.
The Menu is easily one of the most rewatchable films in the entire Prime Video library. Ralph Fiennes plays Chef Slowik, a culinary genius who invites a selected group of wealthy guests to his exclusive island restaurant for a multi-course tasting menu. What unfolds is a darkly comic horror thriller that takes increasingly sharp aim at wealth, pretension, and the performance of taste.
Anya Taylor-Joy is the one guest who refuses to play along, and the tension between her and Fiennes is the beating heart of the film. It is wickedly funny, visually stunning, and has one of the most satisfying endings in recent memory.
Written and directed by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, this adult comedy tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), who wished for his stuffed bear (MacFarlane) to come to life as a child. Though Jon and Ted became best pals, they grew up to be childish adults who spend their days doing drugs and watching Flash Gordon together.
Jon tries to mature and hold a job for his girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). However, Ted keeps pulling him back into their usual shenanigans, which threatens to tear these “thunder buddies” apart for good.
Long before Stranger Things came out, director J.J. Abrams gave us this blockbuster homage to ’80s horror and sci-fi. Set in the year 1979, Super 8 follows small-town teenager Joe (Joel Courtney) and his friends as they try to make a short zombie movie.
While filming one of their scenes, a pickup truck drives into a speeding train carrying some otherworldly creature. Pretty soon, people, pets, and machines all over town disappear. As the U.S. military hunts for this deadly entity, Joel and his friends must team up to uncover the truth and save their town.
When New York needed its finest, the city got the other guys instead. This hilarious cop comedy shows hot-headed Detective Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) reluctantly teaming up with mild-mannered Detective Gamble (Will Ferrell) out in the field.
While investigating a minor crime, the duo discovers a much larger criminal conspiracy. Seeing an opportunity to prove themselves as police officers, they try to set aside their differences and solve the case. But with these two guys, that’s easier said than done.
This iconic comedy film shows the members of Monty Python recreating the legend of King Arthur in the Middle Ages. The story follows Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his Knights of the Round Table, who are tasked by God to search for the Holy Grail.
Riding on their invisible horses with their clacking coconuts, Arthur and his warriors encounter such fearsome and bizarre foes as the French Taunter (John Cleese), the Knights Who Say “Ni,” and the killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. The film also features some hysterical moments, such as Arthur’s duel with the Black Knight, his encounter with two anarcho-syndicalist peasants, and the catchy musical number at Camelot.
Directed by John Sturges (1960’s The Magnificent Seven), The Great Escape follows a group of Allied POWs as they try to break out of a Nazi prison camp during World War II. American Captain Hilts (Steve McQueen) repeatedly tries and fails to escape captivity, getting locked up alone in the “cooler” as a result.
Meanwhile, his Allied inmates band together to dig their way out through a series of tunnels beneath the prison. Even though they make it out of the camp, escape does not mean freedom, as they must race to evade capture by the Nazis once more in one of the most iconic war films ever.
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