Feed aggregator

A long-lost George Méliès depicts exactly the kind of human-robot interaction you don't want to see.

Shocking report claims forced labor used to distribute malware in Cambodian compounds.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system has just been approved in Europe for the first time, but critics have called the decision "deeply troubling" —here's why.

A viral speech from an ex-programmer opposing a new Ohio data center highlights the growing backlash against the real-world environmental and economic costs of powering AI

Revamp Tri-Care Infrared: two-minute review

The Revamp Enigma Tri-Care Infrared Ionic Hair Dryer is a mid-range dryer with an ambitious spec sheet. Alongside three speed and heat settings and a cold shot, it uses constant infrared heat to dry hair from within as well as switchable red (625nm) and blue (440nm) LED modes, designed to stimulate scalp circulation and support hair growth over time. Three magnetic attachments, a curl diffuser, wide concentrator and slim concentrator, are then included in the price.

On high speed and high heat, my medium-length, fine hair went from wet to dry in around four minutes with a surprisingly sleek finish — smooth enough that I stopped having to reach for my straighteners. The lower heat settings feel genuinely gentler too, with the infrared seemingly doing a lot of the work rather than compensating with more surface heat. Hair felt noticeably softer across my testing period.

The light therapy modes are easy to switch between: one button on top of the barrel cycles between off, red and blue, but as with any light therapy device, the real benefits take months of use to show up. It's also worth noting that fitting any of the attachments blocks this light, so getting the full benefit means spending most of your routine nozzle-free.

Where the Tri-Care falls down, though, is in the handling. The weight sits in the barrel rather than the handle and this makes it tiring to hold even in short styling sessions. The heat and speed buttons sit exactly where your fingers naturally rest, which means they're always in reach, but also means you accidentally change settings mid-style.

At £199.99 (about $270 / AU$380), the Tri-Care sits at the upper end of the mid-range of the best hair dryers, but it fills a gap that nothing else currently occupies. If you want a dryer that takes hair health seriously without spending in excess of £300, the Tri-Care makes a strong case, ergonomic frustrations and all.

Revamp Tri-Care Infrared: price & availability

• List price: £199.99 / €149.99
• Availability: UK / EU

Revamp's Tri-Care dryer, or to give it its full, long-winded name, the Revamp Professional Enigma Tri-Care Infrared Ionic Hair Dryer, costs £199.99 in the UK and €149.99 in Europe and is sold at Revamp, Amazon and Boots.

For this price you get the dryer plus three magnetic attachments: a curl diffuser, wide concentrator and slim concentrator.

At £199.99 the Tri-Care sits at the upper end of the mid-range. The mdlondon BLOW is on par, price wise, but it ships with two attachments and lacks the infrared, red and blue light therapy found on the Revamp model. The most direct infrared comparison in the UK is the Nicky Clarke Infrared Pro at £129.99. It uses far-infrared technology to dry hair from within but, again, lacks the red and blue light options and ships with only one nozzle.

To come closer to the range of features and attachments of the Revamp Tri-Care, you're looking at paying £399.99 for premium dryers like the Dreame Miracle Pro. In Dreame's favor, you do get an essence mister to soften you hair, extra attachment and storage case but you're paying twice the price for those privileges.

The included diffuser and nozzles give the Revamp Tri-Care flexibility for both curls and smooth finishes (Image credit: Future)

At the time of writing, the Revamp Tri-Care isn't available in the US so the closest rival if you're in the States, in terms of features and attachments, is the L'Oreal AirLight Pro. At $475 it uses infrared rather than red light therapy, with the focus on faster drying rather than scalp health, but it comes with an app for precise heat and airflow controls. A novel and welcomed extra.

This means, at £199.99, the Tri-Care sits in a gap in the market that nothing else currently fills and while £200 isn't an insignificant amount of money, you are getting great value for your money.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Revamp Tri-Care Infrared: specs

Model:

Revamp Enigma Tri-Care Infrared Ionic Hair Dryer

Wattage:

1,600W

Weight (without cord, approx):

1lb / 460g

Size (H x W x L, approx):

11.5 x 5.5 x 4.1 in / 29.2 x 14 x 10.5 cm

Airflow settings:

3

Temperature settings:

3 + Cold shot

Extra modes:

Infrared (constant), red LED, blue LED

Noise level

72dB average

Attachments:

Curl diffuser, wide concentrator, slim concentrator

Cord length:

9.8ft / 3m

Revamp Tri-Care Infrared review: design

• Matte black finish with wide circular barrel
• Two sliders on the handle for heat and speed
• Button on top switches between red and blue LED modes
• Three magnetic attachments: diffuser, wide concentrator and slim concentrator

The barrel and easy-to-reach, albeit overly sensitive controls (pictured) make the Revamp Tri-Care simple to use. There are three heat settings and three speed settings (Image credit: Future)

The Revamp Tri-Care looks like a cut-price Dyson Supersonic and for the most part, that's exactly what it is.

Its barrel-over-handle shape has a black matte finish with silver accents around the front of the barrel, and on the filter that sits at the base of the handle. In a sea of increasingly funky colorways from rivals — Dyson, I'm looking at you with your Apricot Topaz and Jasper Plum models — there's something classy about this muted design. Even if, from a distance at least, the dryer errs on the side of looking cheap.

Once you hold the Tri-Care, its weight and soft plastic give it much more premium feel. As do the heat, speed and Cold shot buttons that sit flush with the handle. There's an extra button on the top of the barrel, used to switch between red and blue LED modes, and the On/Off slider sits on the rear of the handle.

Looking at the Tri-Care face-on and you can then see the central infrared beam sitting in the middle, a ring of alternating red and blue LEDs around it, and the four ionic emitters at the outer edge.

At 1lb / 460g, Revamp's dryer is noticeably heavier than most rivals — the Dreame Miracle Pro, by comparison, is 0.9lbs / 420g – and it's not well balanced. A lot of the weight sits in the barrel, which makes sense when you consider how much tech has been crammed in, but it also makes it uncomfortable to use for long periods. In fact, this heft is noticeable during short styling sessions too and while, size-wise, it's not unwieldy, you will feel the difference in your arms and wrists.

Looking at the Tri-Care face-on (pictured) and you can then see a ring of alternating red and blue LEDs around it, and the four ionic emitters at the outer edge (Image credit: Future)

The three attachments are all magnetic and swap over in seconds. Just align the pin and they click into place.

The slim concentrator is for working through sections precisely, the wide one for faster general drying and the diffuser for curls and volume.

Sadly, it's missing the attachment recognition feature (which knows which nozzle is attached and remembers your previous heat and speed settings) but this is a small complaint. Selecting settings manually each time is hardly a major inconvenience.

A much bigger inconvenience, though, is how easy it is to accidentally switch between settings. The buttons sit exactly where your fingers naturally rest and while this means they're in reach should you want to change them mid-style, they're too sensitive.

The Revamp Tri-Care hair dryer has clearly positioned controls on the handle, including an on/off switch on the rear (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

There wasn't a single styling session throughout my whole Revamp Tri-Care review period where I didn't accidentally change the speed or heat. Similarly, because of the relatively short handle, I wasn't able to shift my hand's position without blocking the filter or without the poorly balanced weight aching my wrists further.

Beyond these largely standard dryer design features, the standout addition for me is the use of infrared and LED modes:

• Infrared
• Red light (625nm)
• Blue light (440nm)

The infrared light runs constantly and is invisible. Its job is to dry the hair from within, rather than just blasting heat at the surface. This results in less exposure to heat and, eventually and with consistent use, healthier hair and scalp.

The red LEDs sit at 625nm and work on the scalp rather than the hair itself. Red light causes blood vessels to widen, which increases blood flow and the delivery of nutrients in this blood to the hair follicle. There's decent clinical evidence behind this. Stanford Medicine, among others, published a report that showed consistent use (over months) can help your hair grow longer and stronger.

The blue LEDs, at 440nm, are less well known about but still validated. A University of Bradford study found that blue light at 453nm can prolong the anagen phase – the active growth stage of the hair cycle — and there's also evidence it reduces scalp inflammation, which is a more common driver of hair loss than many people realize. It should also be noted that one report said the effects are stronger on Asian and caucasian hair and less effective on African hair. Other research suggests the two wavelengths work better together than either does alone.

Fitted with the diffuser (pictured), the Revamp Tri-Care is more unwieldy to use but it defines curls well (Image credit: Future)

Both the blue and red light are visible in use, without being distracting, but as is also the case with the Dreame Miracle Pro, as soon as you use an attachment, large portions of this light are blocked.

If the light therapy is the main reason you're buying this, you'll want to spend part of your routine without a nozzle attached.

• Design score: 3 out of 5

Revamp Tri-Care Infrared review: performance

• Dries hair quickly with a smooth, frizz-free finish
• Quieter than most dryers at this price
• Light therapy modes easy to switch between but benefits hard to assess short-term

For all my complaints about the Revamp Tri-Care's design, its a fast and incredibly capable dryer.

The three speed settings and three heat settings give you enough combinations to work with most hair types. High speed and high heat are great for a fast rough dry; medium heat and speed is good for everyday styling; and low heat is ideal for fine or damaged hair. The cold shot is then quick and does a good job of setting a style in place.

On high speed and high heat, my medium-length hair went from wet to dry in around four minutes with a surprisingly smooth finish. So much so, I've stopped reaching for my straighteners after use to knock out the last evidence of frizz.

The concentrator nozzle (pictured) helps the Revamp Tri-Care focus the airflow more precisely for sleek, polished results (Image credit: Future)

On the mid and lower heat settings, drying took longer but felt noticeably gentler, which is where the infrared technology likely earns its place – you're not compensating for the slower dry with more heat, the infrared is seemingly doing a lot of the work from within. My hair was noticeably softer across the board too.

Switching between the red and blue LED modes takes one button press on top of the barrel and is simple enough. As with any light therapy device, it's hard to quantify the true impact because they require consistent use over months to make a difference, and even then the difference is unlikely to be so stark that it's fully noticeable.

The magnetic attachments click on and off quickly and stay secure in use. The curl diffuser works well for enhancing natural curls without disrupting it too much, and the slim concentrator gives enough precision for working through sections. That said, while the attachments don't add a lot of extra weight, they do change how and where you hold the dryer in relation to your head. This highlights the poor balance and bulk of the dryer even more.

Elsewhere, the filter twists off the base of the handle for cleaning, which is easy enough to do weekly.

Noise-wise, the Tri-Care is on the quieter side for a 1600W dryer at this price, with an average of 72 dB. The Dyson Supersonic Nural at the same wattage measures around 79 dB (and has a more shrill, annoying motor noise).

In my tests, the average readings for each of the modes were:

• Cool: 70 dB
• Low speed: 73 dB
• High speed: 77 dB

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

How I tested the Revamp Tri-Care Infrared

I used the Revamp Enigma Tri-Care as my main hair dryer for four weeks, replacing my usual dryer daily on my fine, mid-length hair.

In the first week I worked through each heat and speed combinations, all three attachments, and both LED modes systematically. I then settled into more natural everyday use to get a realistic sense of how it performed over the remaining three weeks.

I timed sessions across the different settings and tracked decibels using the DecibelX app. I also compared the results to other dryers I've tested at similar and higher price points, including the £399 Dreame Miracle Pro.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed March 2026

If you're willing to live with the handling quirks, this dryer's results speak for themselves.

Creative Pebble Pro: Two-minute review

For budget computer speakers, the Creative Pebble Pro punch way above their weight with decent sound and an attractive, petite design. I would even say they belong among the best computer speakers in their price range. You won’t find anything at the Pebble Pro’s price point nearly as good, not to mention most of the alternatives at this price point are other entries in Creative’s Pebble lineup of speakers.

There are some expected compromises, of course, and once you start looking at options above $100 / £100, the competition looks more interesting. The Creative Pebble Pro does come with some features, notably Bluetooth connectivity and RGB lighting, plus they can be powered directly off a computer. But any support for high-res codecs, Dolby or DTS anything, or even EQ controls, are just not here. That said, you would have to look at the best gaming headsets under a hundred bucks to find those kinds of features at the same price point.

While the Creative Pebble Pro isn’t as small as an actual pebble, the speakers are fairly petite, at a little over four and a half inches tall. As the name suggests, they’re spherical, though they have a flat, angled face oriented toward the listener’s ears to compensate for their short stature.

Since they’re so small, there’s only room for one 2.25-inch driver per speaker, so Creative supplements it with a bass port on the back to help fill out the low end. There's also an opaque ring that lines the bottom and lights up when the speakers are turned on.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The right speaker is a little heavier, at the hefty weight of 415 grams (versus 365g for the left) because it’s the one with the power amp inside, as well as controls and ports. The controls consist of a pressable dial, a source button indicated by a Bluetooth symbol, and a button for the RGB lighting. Each control can be used for a variety of functions, so short presses and long presses garner different results. For instance, pressing down on the volume dial mutes the mic input when using the headset port.

Speaking of, the ports are situated in two places near the base of the right speaker. The aforementioned headset input and headphone are on the side, while two USB-C ports and an Aux port are on the back next to the non-detachable cable (which I would consider more of an issue if these speakers weren’t so cheap).

You might be wondering why there are two USB-C ports. Even if you’re not, there’s a reason. One of them functions only for power delivery and doesn’t actually transmit audio. When using this port plugged into a power adapter (not included, though you can use any spare one), the Creative Pebble Pro has a power rating of 15 watts RMS. When just powering the speakers via the other USB-C, which does transmit audio, the speaker system has a more limited power rating of 5 watts RMS.

Frankly, I couldn’t hear much of a difference between using the Creative Pebble Pro in the 5 or 15 watt mode, but it’s really not a big difference in power. Because of that, I typically just powered the speakers directly off a computer.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

As far as the sound quality itself, I was impressed considering the price. They didn’t blow me away and they probably won’t blow you away, either, but at seventy bucks, they’re a good and affordable upgrade over laptop speakers.

Having tested these speakers with all sorts of media, I’ve found there to be two takeaways. The first is, of course, that I found them surprisingly decent-sounding with a strong mid-range performance and clear, if slightly dull, high-end. The second is that there’s very little in the way of bass. I almost wish there was a sub-out instead of one of the headphones jacks to bring back some low-end.

You’re not going to feel explosions, whether it’s in films or when playing games due to the limited bass. But, the audio is clear with decent sound imaging, as long as you position the speakers properly. I’m able to easily place where an audio element is in the sound stage, whether it’s a fighter jet flying by or enemy combatants yelling in the distance.

The last thing I’ll mention on the sound front is the fact that the speakers do tend to distort a little bit when turned all the way up on the 15W mode, so these are best used at regular volume levels. If you want really loud speakers for whatever reason, these are not it.

Though I consider the Creative Pebble Pro to be light on features (there are no EQ controls or app), they do at least offer the basics. Bluetooth Connectivity is on hand so that you can either connect your computer wirelessly or switch inputs to stream from your phone. During testing, I had no issues with connectivity or differences in sound quality since the speakers use the newish but not newest Bluetooth 5.3 standard.

The speakers also work with the Smartcomms Kit (requiring an additional download) to automatically mute or unmute your voice as well as introduce background noise cancellation when talking.

Probably the more notable and unique feature here, though, is the inclusion of RGB lighting. Since there’s no app, various presses on the controls are used to turn on and off, as well as cycle through and fine-tune the RGB lighting. The amount of effects and colors are somewhat limited compared to other RGB-enabled devices I’ve tested, but they do offer a nice ambient effect to a computer setup. And, as with everything else with these speakers, the RGB lighting looks good for the price.

Creative Pebble Pro: Specifications

Frequency range:

80–20,000 Hz

Drivers:

2 x 2.25-inch mid-range drivers

Supported Connectivity:

AUX, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.3

Audio Inputs:

AUX, USB-C

Outputs:

Headphone out, mic out

Creative Pebble Pro: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$99
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

While the Creative Pebble Pro is a solid pair of speakers, the one place that they really shine over the competition is in price. In fact, at $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$99, you'll be hard pressed to find a new set of computer speakers for cheaper that aren’t a different model in Creative’s Pebble lineup.

In fact, the only real issue regarding their price is that they don’t come with a power adapter, which goes for an extra $39.99 (about £29.90 / AU$56.51). But before you calculate that into a potential purchase, you really don’t need to buy one for two reasons. First, as mentioned above, these speakers can be powered directly off a computer, though with lower power efficiency. And if you do want them at full power, you can just use any adapter with a USB or USB-C port, such as one of the many you probably have lying around like me from multiple years of smartphone ownership.

Also worth keeping in mind is that the green colorway is only available in the US, while the black and white ones are available everywhere.

Now, the Creative Pebble Pro aren’t the only cheap speakers out there. Edifier has become a recognizable name in the more affordable end of the speaker market and something like the Edifier MR4 are a worthy upgrade. They don’t have RGB lighting, but they sound better. And though their price tag of $129.99 / £109.99 / AU$179.99 (at the time of writing… they look to have gone up in price, possibly due to tariffs) is very good, that’s still double the price of the Creative Pebble Pro.

The Logitech Z407 is also a wonderful option in the more affordable range, with a going rate of $119.99 / £119.99 / AU$249.95. Again, that’s double the Creative Pebble Pro, so Creative wins out on price, but the Z407 does come with a subwoofer and wireless puck for control.

Price: 5 / 5

Creative Pebble Pro: Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

You’ll be hard pressed to find a decent set of new computer speakers for less. Plus, these sound pretty decent.

5 / 5

Design

While there can be a tangle of wires, this system is fairly discreet thanks to its diminutive size.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The sound quality punches above its weight considering the price tag, but it does lack in the low end and is a bit on the dull side.

4 / 5

Average Rating

The very attractive price tag is made even more attractive by the fact that the Creative Pebble Pro are a decent pair of computer speakers.

4 / 5

Creative Pebble Pro: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You’re on a budget
The price tag on the Creative Pebble Pro is only matched by other Creative Pebble speakers. If you’re looking for decent sound under a hundred bucks, these speakers are an attractive option.View Deal

You want RGB lighting
It might be a bit limited, but the addition of the RGB lighting for some ambiance is a nice touch that budget gamers especially will appreciate.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for the best sound possible
The Creative Pebble Pro sound good for the price, but if you’re will to spend a little more (well, at least double), you’ll find plenty of options with more robust sound.View Deal

You want a lot of features
These speakers have Bluetooth, USB-C connectivity, and RGB lighting. But you won’t find EQ controls, optical connectivity, or support for high-res codecs or any kind of spatial audio or surround sound.View Deal

Also consider

Edifier MR4

The powered Edifier MR4 sound great for the price (and have a fairly affordable price tag) and come with a decent amount of inputs, punching well above their weight. Of course, being a budget-friendly model, there are some compromises such as limited bass and too-subtle EQ controls.

Read our full Edifier MR4 reviewView Deal

Logitech Z407

The Logitech Z407 are not as cheap as the Creative Pebble Pro (they cost almost double), but they’re still affordable, especially when considering the fact that they come with a subwoofer and wireless puck. Plus, the sound quality is very good. Considering they’ve been around for a little while, there’s no USB-C on hand. Instead, you’re stuck with micro-USB for a wired digital connection.

Read our full Logitech Z407 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Creative Pebble Pro

• Tested over a week
• Listened to different genres of music, shows and movies, and games
• Tested the RGB lighting and various forms of connectivity

I spent a week testing the Creative Pebble Pro 2.0 Computer Speaker System including using them with all sorts of media, from shows and movies to music and computer games. I played around with the RGB lighting as well as the different inputs.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

• First reviewed March 2026

The Creative Pebble Pro is very, very affordable and it sounds pretty good for the price. Of course, it comes with plenty of compromises due to its low price.

What's old is new again — a screenless Fitbit focused on analysis is a return to what made the brand great.

OpenAI rotated certificates and updated its apps out of an abundance of caution.

'The LG C5 is a superb all-purpose TV that offers excellent performance and value,' and Best Buy has just dropped the 77-inch model to its lowest price yet.

All the ways to watch Man Utd vs Leeds live streams online and from anywhere, as the Red Devils resume their hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Want the latest AI news? Catch up on OpenAI’s $122 billion haul, Microsoft Copilot warnings, Meta’s Muse Spark and more.

Only two more episodes remain of Invincible season 4 — here's when the first of those will be released.

In the order issued Monday, the judge wrote that President Trump had failed to make the argument that the article, which described a letter to Epstein that the newspaper said bore Trump's signature, was published with the intent to be malicious.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

Best Buy has launched its Ultimate Upgrade sale, featuring discounts of up to 50% on TVs, laptops, headphones, and more — and bigger savings when you trade-in.

The new trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a masterclass in fan lip service — but it's reminding me of something else entirely.

Linux developers are permitted to use AI assistance, but individual contributors are still wholly accountable for their work.

Prices for PC hardware continue to skyrocket, and now Lenovo's Legion Go 2 handheld is placed higher up on the list of overpriced devices.

A fun third-person shooter wrapped in a dad-and-daughter narrative make for a familiar, yet engaging game.