Apple is expected to debut its new lower-priced MacBooks at a recently confirmed “special experience” in early March.
Various in-person events are being held across New York, London, and Shanghai on 4 March, US time, a departure from Apple’s traditional keynote approach. As previously reported by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to launch a new range of cheaper MacBooks in March, which lines up with the event’s timing.
Gurman also noted that the colours included on Apple’s graphic for the event align with some of the speculated designs for the new MacBooks. Made from aluminium, the entry-level laptops are said to come in various bright colours, including yellow, green, and blue.
Previous reports suggested a sub-US$1,000 price for the MacBooks, but there’s no clarity beyond that at this stage. Overseas, the cheapest MacBook Air retails for US$999. Locally, the MacBook Air starts at $1,699. Based on Apple’s reported affordability approach, the new laptop will be cheap enough to differentiate itself from the Air.
Apple’s cost savings reportedly stem from cheaper internals. Instead of using its M-series system-on-a-chip found throughout recent Macs and iPads, the unannounced laptop will use an iPhone processor. It’s also expected to include a smaller sub-13-inch display, more compact than any other MacBook.
Cornering the student and lower-budget market could be Apple’s way of boosting its computer sales, which form a small part of its overall business. According to the company’s 2025 fiscal year report, Macs made up approximately eight per cent of its revenue, compared to 50 per cent from iPhones.
AI’s huge demand for memory is having ongoing major flow-on effects throughout the consumer tech industry. One of the latest potential victims of the current memory shortage is Sony, which is reportedly looking at delaying the next PlayStation (widely speculated to be the PS6) until 2029.
As investment in AI datacentres continues to grow, so does the requirement for DRAM, placing pressure on other devices that also need memory. As a result, phones, PCs, and gaming consoles are among the gadgets expected to cost more in 2026 or face delays as memory supplies dwindle.
Nintendo is also considering raising the price of the Switch 2 console, which launched in June last year. The current situation brings back memories of the global semiconductor shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made common gadgets hard to come by.
This may come as a surprise to some, but podcasts used to be an audio format first and foremost. But in recent years, video has threatened to kill the podcast star, as the formerly audio-specific medium transitioned to social media and video-based platforms. Apple, seen as one of the pioneers of podcasts, is now bringing video to its podcasting app.
When Apple’s updated Podcasts app drops as part of the upcoming iOS 26.4 update, you’ll be able to choose between listening to and watching podcast episodes that have a video component. Since iOS 17.4, Apple has supported in-app podcast transcriptions, so you can also read shows if you wish.
For podcasters, the video update will support dynamic ad inserts, in addition to an impressions-based payout for shows that rack up views. Apple recommends that creators use the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) video format, which podcasters upload to a supported hosting service that can then be connected to Apple Podcasts feeds.
It signals a big change for Apple, which started its podcasting journey 20 years ago. Audio is still king, however, according to data from Deloitte’s Media & Consumer Insights 2025 report. Australians average two hours and 40 minutes of weekly podcast listening time, compared to 35 minutes of “vodcast” consumption.
For those keen to try out video podcasts through Apple, it’s available to test as part of the iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 developer betas. Everyone else can check it out when the functionality launches in full this autumn.
Not every robot vacuum is suited to every type of home. Some specialise in different types of cleaning, or perform better in one layout but not another. Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is a good example: it’s a capable automatic cleaner, albeit better at maintaining hard floors than dense carpets.
As a cat owner, random tufts of fluff and fur are a daily part of my life. My efforts to keep a pristine floor keep coming undone by the (adorable) menace of a silver tabby we call a family member. Cleaning up my four-legged friend’s fur is sometimes easy, sometimes tricky, depending on where she sheds.
On tiles, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, has no problem gobbling up any fluff in its way. It’s on these hard floors that it gets to flex the latest roller mop technology, maintaining a nice level of cleanliness.
But on carpets with thick fibres that act as a magnet for hair and fur, Roborock’s robot isn’t as impressive. It’s still a good robot vacuum cleaner: you just might have to give it a helping hand along the way.
With quite the mouthful of a name, you might find it tricky to determine where this model sits in the overall range. At its full price of $2,499, the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is one of Roborock’s more premium-level robotic appliances. If the price tag wasn’t a giveaway, the next identifier is its roller mop technology.
In recent years, higher-end robot vacuums have moved away from the spinning mop pads in favour of a roller design. The idea behind this design tweak is to exert more downward force and clean up more messes. In reality, most robots — the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow included — still can’t scrub away super crusted-on spills and greasy stains. There’s only so much power the low-profile form factor can apply, after all.
Roller mops are growing in popularity. Image: Chris Button.
Ironically, the $2,999 Roborock Saros 10 — one of the best robot vacuums of 2025 — would be considered the next step up from the Qrevo, yet it uses a mop pad, instead of the newer roller technology. However, the Saros 10 does have slightly more powerful suction power (22,00Pa), and a larger battery.
Spend a bit less on the $1,799 Qrevo C Pro, and you return to the spinning mop pads, and less suction power (18,500Pa). Looking at similarly priced competitors, the previous-gen Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is reasonably close in specs, while the Dreame Aqua10 Roller also has a roller mop, albeit with a higher 30,000Pa claimed suction power.
In terms of cleaning and navigation technology, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow provides a similar set of features compared to other robots in the same price bracket.
Design
This is quite the cute robot cleaner, and it starts with the included docking station. Rather than the tall and boxy shape of most docks, this one is petite and rounded. With a glossy white finish, it looks like a little igloo for the robot to live in, which I find charming.
Compared to some docking stations I’ve installed in the past, the Qrevo 2 Flow’s station is even simpler. Built into the dock is a small ramp, leading to a small alcove the robot neatly nestles into in between cleaning runs. On top is a lid that opens easily, revealing clean and dirty water tanks, plus the dust bag compartment the robot empties its dry waste.
Images: Chris Button.
Roborock gets my approval for the dock’s relatively ergonomic design. Every compartment is easily accessible, and the water tanks have large carry handles to make removal, refilling, and reattaching simple. There are no awkward latches or pressure needed to open the lid; a small recess under the lid means you can open it single-handedly without much force.
As for the robot, it doesn’t depart from classic conventions. Matching the dock’s glossy white finish, it shows up dust and debris that accumulates over time, which serves as a reminder to wipe it over semi-regularly. At least it doesn’t show fingerprints and scuff marks like many darker appliances.
Image: Chris Button.
Two spinning brushes adorn the side, helping the robot direct dry messes into its path. They’re an important part of the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow because of the robot’s circular shape. Robot manufacturers dabbled with some square-shaped appliances in recent years, but it seems that round robots are here to stay. So, the side brushes help clean tight corners, while the mop roller also extends outward to get as close to walls as possible.
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow specifications and price
Vacuum suction power
20,000Pa
Mop type
Self-cleaning adaptive roller mop
Battery capacity
5,200mAh
Size
Robot: 353 x 353 x 119mm
Dock: 450 x 450 x 450mm
Dock features
75°C mop cleaning
55°C air drying
Auto-empty dustbin
From my experience, Roborock’s robot cleaners tend to be the fastest to set up and navigate homes more smartly than most. That view was challenged by the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, which got a bit hungry for small objects the first couple of times I used it.
Near the front door is a water dish for our beloved cat, Billie. The dish sits on a silicon mat, so it doesn’t slip around when it’s drinking time. However, because of its low height, it’s one of the trickiest obstacles for any robot vacuum to detect.
Once again, that proved to be the case. On the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow’s first run, I returned home from a shopping trip to find the mat disturbed and the water dish upturned, water splashed everywhere. I’m pretty used to this by now — I should’ve remembered to move the drinking station off the floor and added a no-go zone via the Roborock app afterwards.
As long as you keep small obstacles out of the way, you shouldn’t have a problem. Image: Chris Button.
Except that the robot ignored much of the no-go zone on the next run, making another watery mess. $2,000 can’t get you a robot that avoids a pet’s water dish, it would seem. My theory is that the dish and mat sit below the robot sensors’ line of sight, so it tries to treat them as a threshold to be climbed over
Billie loves leaving her toys in random places throughout the house. Try as I might to keep them off the floor, feline friends have a way of defying decluttering efforts.
Some of these toys are small plush mice with short strings as tails. I thought the size of the mice would be large enough for the robot to detect and avoid.
I was wrong.
Midway through one of the robot’s first cleaning runs, a notification alerted me that a foreign object got stuck in the vacuum. I found the robot under the kitchen table, but it wasn’t immediately obvious what was wrong. Upon turning it upside down, I saw that it tried to inhale one of Billie’s toys. The toy’s string had been completely devoured, and the body of the mouse was trapped halfway through the robot’s suction port.
Thankfully, it was easy to yank the toy free and set the robot back on its path. Larger cables didn’t present an issue; they remain untouched, and the app correctly identified a power board, knowing to avoid it on future cleans.
The larger cables under my desk showed up in the Roborock app as obstacles. Screenshot: Chris Button.
Early misdemeanours aside, the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow avoids larger obstacles easily. It doesn’t collide with much, slowly coming to a stop and redirecting before bumping into walls and furniture. Just make sure you keep the small stuff off the floor.
Vacuuming and carpet performance
As I’ve mentioned in past robot vacuum reviews, the carpet in my house is notoriously tricky to clean. It has plenty of loop fibres that hair, fluff, and particles can’t help but get stuck in. A lot of vacuums struggle to dislodge particles from the forest that is my home’s carpet.
On tiles, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow has no problem picking up fur, fibres, and fluff. I’ll get to that in more detail in the next section. On carpet, the Qrevo proves itself to be more of a hard floor specialist.
After cleaning the carpets, the floor does look visibly cleaner. The robot picks up little bits of dirt, skin flakes, and other visible particles. It doesn’t quite get rid of cat fur, which sticks out like a sore thumb, trapped within the carpets’ fibres.
From left to right: before vacuuming, after the first vacuuming run, and the follow-up vacuum using the max settings.
As if to help me test out the robot, my cat went on a zoomies run, almost a day after I’d used the Dyson Big Ball to do a deep clean of the carpet. She left tufts of fur in her wake, keen to prove herself as the ultimate lab assistant.
After one cleaning run, the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow picked up some of the fur, but not all. Setting the robot to its maximum suction power and a deep cleaning route — which does a lattice pattern to comprehensively cover more ground — picked up most of the fur, but left some small fibres behind.
You can still spy some signs of my cat’s warpath if you look closely, but the robot did much better compared to the first attempt. But even though the Curv 2 Flow automatically adjusts suction power when it detects carpet, I still needed to manually change the settings to get the best results.
Fortunately, not once did the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow get tangled. A combination of cat fur and my partner’s long hair wasn’t enough to trip it up, so the anti-tangle technology passed the test.
Tiles and mopping performance
On tiles, the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is great. It comprehensively cleans up dirt, dust, cat fur, and even slightly bigger particles like bits of cat litter tracked throughout the house.
A big part of this robot’s vacuuming prowess stems from its dual spinning brushes. Some cheaper models have over-exuberant side brushes that flick fluff and debris out of the robot’s reach. Frustratingly, even when something is right in front of them, there’s a chance the mess will get flung across the room.
With the Qrevo Curv Flow 2, the brushes don’t rotate at full speed all the time. Instead, they intelligently adjust speed as needed. As a result, the brushes gently caress clumps of dust into its gaping maw, readily accepting the dirty snack.
It doesn’t take long for our household to accumulate patches of fur and fluff — our cat sees to that quite prolifically. So, after a few days in between cleans, there’s a clearly observable difference after the robot finishes a run. The tiles look and feel pleasantly clean.
Even the robot’s mop makes a nice difference, mainly as a form of regular maintenance. Despite the stronger roller mop design, it’s not powerful enough to dislodge anything too deeply stuck on the tiles.
To simulate some stickier messes, I spread some margarine and Nutella on the floor, along with a sprinkling of flour. As expected, the robot cleaned up the thinner margarine spread on the first attempt, while devouring the flour in a single pass.
Lighter substances, like flour and margarine stood no chance. Thicker spreads, like Nutella, took multiple attempts.
But the brown stuff is where it came undone. To be clear, every robot vacuum I’ve tested has not been able to clean up thicker spreads, like Vegemite or Nutella, without some assistance. This proved to be the case again with the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, which gently smeared the hazelnut spread instead of cleaning it up.
After three attempts at removing the Nutella, a smidge still remained. I wiped it up with some damp paper towel, applying more pressure than any robot vacuum on the market can.
A point in favour of Roborock was its self-cleaning technology. Despite not cleaning up the Nutella, the robot didn’t spread it throughout the house. After the robot returned to the dock and completed its hot water self-cleaning cycle, I couldn’t spy any visible residue on the roller mop.
Who is the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow for?
Best suited to homes with hard floors or low pile carpets, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow continues robot manufacturers’ forays into roller mop technology. It’s a decent all-rounder but struggles to fully clean pet fur from denser carpets.
The cute, compact, and ergonomic docking station is a highlight, reducing hands-on maintenance. Roborock also shows its edge-cleaning prowess with the Curv 2 Flow; the extendable mop roller and adustable speed side brushes get into tight spots as well as any robotic appliance.
Some patience is required early on, with thin cables and pet toys proving difficult to detect. In a relatively non-cluttered home without thick carpets, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is a nifty hands-free cleaner.
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Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow
Made for hard floor cleaning, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is a decent all-rounder that sometimes needs a bit of help vacuuming carpets.
Features
8.5
Value for money
7
Performance
7.5
Ease of use
8
Design
8.5
Positives
Good hard floor cleaning performance
Anti-tangle technology holds up to cat fur and long hair
Adept at cleaning edges
Negatives
Struggles to vacuum fluff and dust stuck in thick carpet fibres
Sometimes can’t detect small objects like thin cables and pet toys
When you think of good noise cancelling headphones, Sony usually comes to mind. Between its over-ear WH and in-ear WF range, Sony has some of the best shut-out-the-world headphones going around. With the new WF-1000XM6, Sony reckons its wireless earbuds block out even more noise.
Compared to last year’s WF-1000XM5 model, Sony estimates that the XM6 cancels out 25 per cent more sound. The brand specifically calls out the mid-to-high frequencies as the main areas of improvement.
This noise cancelling improvement comes off the back of the WF-1000XM6’s “QN3e” processor, which is dedicated to controlling the earbuds’ microphones responsible for noise cancellation. Plus, the buds now have four microphones, gaining one extra from the XM5.
When Alice Clarke reviewed the WF-1000XM5, she identified comfort as one of its trickier aspects. Four earbud tips come with the XM6, designed to provide a comfortable fit that aids the noise cancellation.
Image: Sony.
Another benefit to comfort comes from a slimmer design. Sony advertises the WF-1000XM6 as having an 11 per cent slimmer body than the XM5. Additionally, it’s designed to better curve with the wearer’s ear, improving the fit quality.
On top of the noise-blocking technology, the Sony WF-1000XM6 also gains some audio quality improvements. It has a redesigned driver, while the updated processor supports 32-bit audio processing, up from the XM5’s 24-bit audio.
Like the XM5, the XM6 lasts up to eight hours of listening time. With the included charging case, the buds last up to 24 hours before you need to plug in.
Available later this month in Australia, the WF-1000XM6 costs $499.95, the same as its predecessor. It comes in two colours: Black and Platinum Silver. Alongside the new in-ear buds, Sony also confirmed that the over-ear WH-1000XM6 headphones will be available in Sand Pink later this month.
With this year’s new TVs nearly in stores, it’s coming up to one of the best times to score a big screen at a big discount. Over the next couple of weeks, LG is clearing out a bunch of 2025 TVs, discounting various models by as much as $1,300 as part of an end-of-life sale.
Retailers have to clear out stock ready for the new models, so keep your eyes peeled for some big discounts in the coming weeks. LG has kicked things off through its online store, including some nice deals on the LG C5 OLED, one of the best TVs in Australia.
When I was shopping for a new TV around this time last year, I considered anywhere between $2,600 and $2,900 a good price for a 65-inch evo OLED model. At the moment, LG’s sale is closing in on that golden window, and you can expect even deeper discounts from retailers.
But it’s not just the high-end TVs on sale: LG also has decent deals across its mid-range QNED81 range, while the affordable NanoCell TVs are even cheaper.
LG says these deals will run until 25 February, but the reality is that retailers will discount last year’s stock until they’ve made way for the 2026 models. Here’s what’s currently on sale, with more products likely to be included before the sale ends.
More than 60 minutes of back-to-back games saw PlayStation present one of its more impressive State of Play showcases in recent years. Plenty of familiar franchises popped up, along with some nice surprises, including a shadow-dropped God of War game.
Most pleasing was that most of what PlayStation included will be playable this year. Between sequels, brand-new games, and major content updates, there’s a bit to look forward to.
Rather than go over each and every announcement (PlayStation’s blog has that covered), here are eight of the most exciting games that featured during this morning’s State of Play.
God of War Sons of Sparta launches today
Surprise, a new God of War game you can play right now! A collaboration between Santa Monica Studio and Mega Cat Studios, God of War Sons of Sparta goes back to Kratos’ early days, in the form of a 2D action platformer. It’s available now on PS5.
Santa Monica Studio also teased the in-development God of War trilogy remake, but that one is still a while away.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse revives a classic series
One half of what’s called the ‘Metroidvania’ genre, Castlevania hasn’t seen a new entry in a while. That’s about to change with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, which is due out this year on PS5.
Encouragingly, it’s being worked on by Motion Twin — the studio known for the excellent Dead Cells — and Evil Empire, responsible for The Rogue Prince of Persia. That’s some serious modern 2D gaming pedigree right there.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 announced
Given the current climate of remakes and remasters, it’s surprising that Metal Gear Solid 4 hasn’t come to any platform other than its native PS3. With the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, however, it’s coming to PS5 on 27 August this year, along with Peace Walker and Ghost Babel, letting new players don Snake’s famous camo.
Ghost of Yōtei Legends confirmed for March release
Late last year, Ghost of Yotei’s developers couldn’t be drawn to comment on when the game’s anticipated multiplayer mode would arrive. That wait is over now: Legends, an online co-op mode, is coming as a free update on 11 March in Australia.
Yotei‘s new mode lets up to four players fight against waves of enemies or complete missions to take down supernatural versions of the game’s big baddies. Ghost of Tsushima‘s multiplayer mode was well-regarded, so Sucker Punch has form when it comes to online multiplayer.
John Wick puts you in his dapper shoes
If you’ve watched any of the John Wick movies and thought it’d be cool to replicate Keanu Reeves’ ‘gun-fu’ moves, do I have the game for you. There’s no confirmed release date yet, but the newly announced John Wick game includes input from the franchise’s director, Chad Stahelski, plus the films’ distributor, Lionsgate.
A quick look at the reveal trailer tells you everything that you need to know: this is definitely a John Wick game.
Kena: Scars of Kosmora follows up debut hit
Another nice State of Play announcement was Kena: Scars of Kosmora. A sequel to 2021’s Kena: Bridge of Spirits, it’s once again coming from Ember Lab, an animation studio that pivoted to making games. Kena was the team’s first commercial game release, and that it came from an animation studio was of little doubt — it was utterly gorgeous.
Scars of Kosmora sees an older Kena as the protagonist, with the game set to release later this year on PS5 and PC.
Mina the Hollower is only months away
After delaying its October release last year, Yacht Club Games announced that Mina the Hollower will come out this year. The Shovel Knight developer confirmed a “spring 2026” release window, which converts to Australia’s autumn. That’s not far away now.
Based on a Bloomberg report in December, there’s a lot riding on this game. Despite years of success with Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games has exhausted most of its resources, relying on Mina to be a hit.
It’s just as well that the Game Boy-style visuals and gameplay look impressive. You’ll be able to try it for yourself when the PS5 demo drops in the next 24 hours.
Big Walk will launch on PlayStation Plus
It would be remiss of me not to mention some Australian representation during the State of Play presentation. Big Walk, from Untitled Goose Game developers, House House, got a quick mention, teasing its 2026 launch.
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, PlayStation confirmed that Big Walk will be made available as a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game when it launches. We don’t know exactly when that will be, but it means that anyone with a PlayStation Plus subscription will have access to the game at no extra cost.
It’s promising that a game based on co-op multiplayer will be in plenty of hands at launch, giving Big Walk every chance of succeeding.
