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Beelink ME Pro Creator Edition NAS review

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Beelink ME Pro Creator Edition: 30-second review This review covers the four-bay ‘Creator NAS’ as Beelink calls it, which is available in two SKUs and uses the Intel Core i5-13500H mobile processor. But Beelink has five ‘Home NAS’ options below that one, using the Intel J5005, N95, N150 and Core 304 processors. And another two higher-end options with AMD Ryzen AI 350 and AI 470 class processors. The four-bay enclosure is a compact all-metal unibody, measuring 165 x 121 x 185mm and weighing 2.4kg without drives. Beelink says it is 50 per cent smaller in volume than a conventional design, and compared to anything by Synology or QNAP, it’s certainly much smaller. Inside, an internal blower on the motherboard module pulls cool air in and pushes it out to keep everything cool, and the milled aluminium construction also helps radiate heat. Silicone mounts sit either side of each drive and between the c...
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Boulies EP600 office chair review: So good it almost dethrones our top mid-range desk chair

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I’ve always found Boulies to be a well-priced option in the office chair arena, and having tested several of them, the EP600 is easily the most comfortable. Of course, that’s expected. This chair is packed with a range of adjustments for getting comfort levels just right - and I especially like the inclusion of the adaptive lumbar support and 6D armrests. Yes, some of the adjustability mechanisms are a little fiddly, but it’s pretty much set-and-forget once you’ve got them in place. Now, the EP600 isn’t for absolutely everyone - I think if it were fifty or a hundred bucks cheaper, it’d easily topple the FlexiSpot C7 as the top mid-range pick in my guide to the best office chairs . Although it is first and foremost a home office desk chair, I used it for several gaming sessions and found it a good pick for work and play. As it stands, you’ll need to be at your desk a lot to truly justify the outl...
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Lavazza MilkEasy Plus review: affordable frothing made easy

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Lavazza MilkEasy Plus review As my millennial colleagues often say: "you don’t wanna see me before my morning coffee". And there's truth to that: having a cappuccino on first waking has become something of a ritual for me; it's more effective than an alarm clock for getting me up and doing anything useful, at least. And since getting my hands on the Lavazza MilkEasy Plus, making a quick drink every day has never been so easy. As the name suggests, the Lavazza MilkEasy Plus is an incredibly simple to use, and it’s ideal for anyone who wants to whip up a cold or hot caffeinated beverage at home. It comes with four settings: hot milk, foamed milk, hot cappuccino, and cold cappuccino. I’ve tried all of these out over a month-long period of testing, using both dairy and plant-based milks. Should you get one for yourself? Here’s my verdict. Straight off the bat, something I love about...
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CRKD Nitro Deck 2 review: a great but heavy Switch 2 handheld controller

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CRKD Nitro Deck 2: One-minute review The CRKD Nitro Deck 2 is primarily billed as a Nintendo Switch 2 controller for handheld use, but it offers a lot more besides. It's CRKD’s follow-up to the Nitro Deck and Nitro Deck+, two previous accessories aimed at the original Nintendo Switch. The CRKD Nitro Deck 2 has a functional design focused more on ergonomics than style, although some of the colorways add some panache; the Pal Grey variant I reviewed, for instance, harked back to retro Nintendo controllers, thanks to its colorful face buttons and darker grey accents. The Nitro Deck 2 fits to the Switch and Switch 2 by clamping on the sides of the unit, rather than actually connecting to the Joy-Con 2 slots. A small button on the back clicks and twists to tightly grip your console, and tight it is; even when I held it upside down, my console didn’t move an inch. You can then connect to your con...
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GMKTec NucBox EVO-X1 Pro mini PC review

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GMKTec NucBox EVO-X1 Pro: 30-second review Unless you specifically want an Intel-powered NUC, AMD-powered machines typically offer more power and features for less money. A classic example is the GMKtec EVO-X1 Pro AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 AI Mini PC, which uses the latest Zen 5 architecture and Gorgon Point silicon to deliver plenty of processing power for a wide range of applications. Alongside its strong performance, it also supports ample memory, at least 16TB of storage, and an excellent port selection. This NUC offers USB4 and OCuLink ports, dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, and triple (HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C) screen outputs. GMKtec has a habit of refreshing a good idea before anyone finishes praising the last version, and the EVO X1 Pro is a prime example. It keeps the compact box that arrived with the original EVO X1 in late 2024. Inside, it swaps in AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 470. It also moves to Wi...
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