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October 24, 2026 — No Comments

Siri AI on HomePod: Why Your Old Speakers Miss Out

Smart homeSiri AI
Last updated: 16 October 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
The new Siri is coming to HomePod mini 2. Not to the HomePods I already own.

Siri AI on HomePod stops at the new HomePod mini 2. Apple confirmed on 14 October 2026 that the original HomePod mini will not get it, and the first HomePod is not on the list either. I own two first-generation HomePods and three original minis, so every speaker in my home is on the wrong side of that line.

I have pre-ordered an Apple HomeView to see how much the new Siri changes things. It will replace one of my three minis, the one in the kitchen. That was always the plan, to be honest. It has just been a long wait.

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Published by Stiv in Apple, Consumer Tech, Technology lover
Tags: apple, apple home, Apple HomeView, Apple Intelligence, Apple TV 4K, Apple UK, HomePod, HomePod Mini, ios 27, Siri, Siri AI, smart home, smart home UK
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October 22, 2026 — No Comments

Best Smart Lighting UK: What I Use at Home, and What I’d Skip

The best smart lighting UK picks from my own home: Hue bulbs, a lightstrip, switches and sensors, with prices and running costs.

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Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Smart Home, Technology lover
Tags: aqara, buying guide, energy saving, Eve, home automation, hue bridge, matter, philips hue, smart bulbs, smart home, smart lighting, smart plugs, Tapo, thread
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October 13, 2026 — No Comments

Apple Welcome Home Event: What It Means for Your UK Smart Home

Apple Welcome Home event, UK view: HomeView, Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 prices, release dates and the new LG cameras.

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Published by Stiv in Apple, Consumer Tech, Smart Home, Tech News, Technology lover
Tags: apple, Apple event, apple home, Apple Home Collection, Apple HomeView, Apple TV 4K, Apple UK, Apple Welcome Home event, HomePod, HomePod Mini, matter, Siri AI, smart home, smart home UK
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October 13, 2026 — No Comments

iPhone Duo Pre-Order UK: Price, Timing and Whether to Bother

The iPhone Duo pre-order opens at 1pm UK time on 16 October. Every UK price, the case and folio, trade-in values, the eSIM catch and who should skip it.

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Published by Stiv in Apple, Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Tech News, Technology lover
Tags: apple, Apple Trade In, Apple UK, Back Market, eSIM, foldable iPhone, foldable phone, iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, iPhone Duo pre-order, iPhone Duo price, refurbished iPhone
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October 10, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Siri AI Review: Living With Apple’s New Siri

My Siri AI review after three weeks of daily use on an iPhone 18 Pro and a Mac: what works, the daily connection errors and why it scores 3/5 Cool.

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Published by Stiv in AI, Apple, Consumer Tech, Reviews, Technology lover
Tags: AI assistant, apple, Apple Intelligence, Apple UK, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, ios 27, iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, review, Siri, Siri AI, Siri AI review
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September 28, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

iPhone 18 Pro Review: Camera, Battery and Siri AI

My iPhone 18 Pro review: a real variable aperture, new cooling and more battery for £100 more, and why Siri AI scores lowest. Cool Factor 4/5.

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Published by Stiv in Apple, Consumer Tech, Reviews, Technology lover
Tags: apple, Apple Intelligence, Apple UK, Back Market, ios 27, iPhone, iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone review, refurbished iPhone, Siri, Siri AI
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September 24, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Philips OneBlade Review UK: 4/5 After Five Years

Five years with the same Philips OneBlade. One handle, a new blade every four months, and blades that work out at £1.65 a month. Here is what wore out, which blade I stopped buying, and the one design flaw that will eventually kill it. #philipsoneblade #grooming #shaving #ukreviews #coolcuration

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Published by Stiv in Consumer Tech, Reviews, Self-care Champion, Technology lover
Tags: beard trimmer, gifts for men, men’s grooming, oneblade, Philips, review, shaving, Tech reviews, trimmer
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September 23, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Smart Home Starter Kit UK 2026: Apple, Google or Alexa

Three ways into a smart home and one box you replace if you change your mind. Apple, Google and Alexa priced side by side, plus the Matter kit that works with all three.

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Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Smart Home, Technology lover
Tags: alexa, apple home, Apple Home Collection, Apple HomeView, aqara, blink, briiv, echo dot, echo show, eero, Eve, google home, home automation, HomePod Mini, levoit, matter, nest hub, netatmo, nuki, philips hue, ring, smart home, smart locks, smart plugs, smart speakers, smoke alarms, Tapo, thread, x-sense
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September 22, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Refurbished AirPods UK 2026: Where to Buy and What It Saves

Refurbished AirPods UK prices at Back Market, Amazon Renewed and Apple, set against the cheapest new price at Argos, AO and Currys.

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Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Money saving, Technology lover
Tags: airpods, airpods 5, AirPods Max 2, AirPods Pro 3, Amazon Renewed, apple, Back Market, buy refurbished uk, cashback, CeX, earbuds UK, gift card cashback, refurbished airpods, refurbished outlet, refurbished tech, refurbished tech uk, uk deals
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September 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Semi-Solid-State Power Banks: What Belkin’s BoostSolid Changes

Belkin's first semi-solid-state power banks are on sale. A gel layer beside the liquid electrolyte, 80% capacity after 1,000 cycles, 8.8mm thick. I read the press release, the product pages and the Amazon listings, and they disagree on seven numbers.

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Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Consumer Tech, Tech News, Technology lover
Tags: battery technology, belkin, boostsolid, ifa 2026, phone accessories, power banks, qi2, semi-solid-state, ultracharge pro, usb-c
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