Posts

Bambu Lab R1 laser cutter and engraver review

Image
The R1 isn’t Bambu Lab's first venture into laser engraving; of course, we first saw the small-capacity engraver in the H2D, which enabled, with the cutter and 3D printer, a full range of manufacturing tools in one not-so-small machine. The R1 is something altogether more serious and much closer to machines such as the xTool P2 that I've previously tested. It's also an important machine for Bambu Lab and shows them expanding further into the growing maker space. The R1 is the company's first dedicated product outside 3D printing and is based around a 55W CO2 laser rather than a diode; the H2D utilised diode lasers. Using CO2 rather than diode laser technology lets the machine work with a wider range of materials, most notably clear acrylic and glass, while also providing considerably more cutting power; most diodes currently top out at 40W, although several far more powerful heads...

Sonos Beam Ultra review: one of the best compact Dolby Atmos soundbars around

Image
Sonos Beam Ultra review The Sonos Beam Ultra doesn’t merely feel like an evolution of the pre-existing Beam products. Instead, it feels like something of a middle child between the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the Sonos Arc Ultra. After all, it sits bang in between its sibling models when it comes to channel configuration, boasting a 7.1.2 setup with nine drivers, and while it has up-firing drivers for true Dolby Atmos, it still maintains a fairly compact design. But the Beam Ultra certainly isn’t an awkward middle-child; it’s a highly capable mid-range option that provides striking cinematic sound, while still being able to fit into a smaller setup. But is the Sonos Beam Ultra worth its $699 / £699 / AU$1,099 asking price? Like most of the best soundbars , the Sonos Beam Ultra supports Dolby Atmos (though notably Sonos omits DTS:X), and it handles the format very effectively. When watching a 4K UHD Blu-...

The Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete is a ridiculously clever and exceedingly competent premium hybrid robot vac for the well-heeled

Image
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete review: two-minute review Dreame’s flagship X60 Pro Ultra Complete is one of the most feature-filled, efficient and reliable hybrid robot cleaners this writer has so far reviewed — and I've reviewed many. Its class-leading 42,000Pa of suction power is certainly attention-grabbing, but the cleverness of this autonomous floor bot goes well beyond brute suction force. Like some Roborock models, the X60 Pro Ultra is equipped with a retractable LiDAR turret that allows the unit to scoot under the lowest of furnishings with a floor clearance of just 3.5 inches (9cm). Better still, it can also tackle thresholds up to 3.9 inches (10cm) in height, so doorways and awkward transitions are much less likely to bring its cleaning mission to an abrupt halt. Dreame has also addressed one of the biggest weaknesses of robot cleaners – getting properly into edges and corners. Where...

I wasn’t a fan of Silent Hill f, but Silent Hill: Townfall has made me believe in the horror series again

Image
Traditionally set in North America, the Silent Hill series has been known to stray beyond the continent on occasion, most notably with the recent Silent Hill f , which takes place in sixties Japan. Review info Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, PC Release date: September 24, 2026 With Townfall , we’re headed to nineties Scotland, but that’s not the only change: we also get a new perspective — in more ways than one. Not only is the game in first-person, rather than third-person, but it's developed by a series newcomer, Screen Burn Interactive, formerly known as No Code. This small Scottish outfit doesn’t exactly have a long resume, but it's already proved itself with its two previous outings. 2017’s Stories Untold was an interesting, modern take on the text adventure, while 2019’s Observation , another first-person horror, won the Bafta for Best British Game in 2020. Now the tea...