Over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing the new Sonos Play, which is the latest speaker from the brand that, for as long as most of us can remember, has been the go-to for multi-room home audio.

I review it fully in this week’s Tech Diary episode on YouTube, but here’s a huge spoiler for you: it’s superb. At £299, it ain’t cheap, but this is Sonos, and they don’t make cheap speakers. What you get in return is beautiful build quality, superb audio performance, and the brilliance of the Sonos ecosystem. Now that they’ve fixed their app.

Oh, did I mention it's portable, as well? Yup - you can remove the Play from its charging base station and take it out into the garden when you fire up the BBQ. And, if you live in the UK, it’ll be fine, because it features IP67 dust and water resistance.

There’s just one problem, and it relates to the home assistance. Although I have hope. Find out what I’m talking about in this week’s Tech Diary!

We all know that AirPods Max are good headphones, it’s just whether they can ever be truly worth the astronomical price tag when there are other cheaper options out there that are just as good (if not better). Well, the AirPods Max 2 are finally here and there has been no price rise. So should you buy them?

I think everyone knows now that the MacBook Neo is a certified stonker of a product from Apple. But that hasn’t stopped numerous people in my comments asking me recurring questions about whether it can handle this or crashes when doing that. So, to put all of that to bed, I’ve reviewed it after a month of continuous use!

I was surprised by last week’s poll results. 30% of you already have iPods and use them which just goes to show how popular that movement already is. On the flip side, a load of you also have no interest in ditching the convenience of streaming and totally fair! But there is a market out there for the iPod in 2026.

👉 Don't Buy the Wrong MacBook! (Neo vs Air vs Pro) - A third video from last week which very clearly lays out who should buy which laptop →

👉 reMarkable Paper Pro Move Review: The Gold Standard - It’s been a while since we’ve covered a reMarkable device but this one is something special! →

🔗 LinkedIn Founder: Double Your Income With AI Before It's Too Late | Reid Hoffman (Silicon Valley Girl) - It really does feel like we’re entering a significant new era, and I’ve been taking note of what people like Reid have been saying. Not all of it is doom and gloom - I promise.

💨 Mat Armstrong Exposes Truth on Bugatti Controversy & Restoring WRECKED Supercars (Cars & Money) - The ‘battle’ between Bugatti and a YouToober named Mat Armstrong is fascinating. It reveals how unprepared some of these long-standing brands are for new media.

🎶 MPC Sample – The $400 Sampling Beast (Accurate Beats) - Still watching videos about this little guy, and I still want one more than I want to retain certain limbs.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. This week, one of the best phone’s I’ve ever used hits the channel!

~ Mark