How to win January 7 inspiring ways to upgrade your life with tech in 2026

Date:
Sun, 28 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Description:
Looking to upgrade your life with tech in 2026? Here's how the TechRadar team are doing it and how you can do the same.

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New year's resolutions are the last thing you need after the holidays so below we've rounded all of our personal 'tech resolutions' instead.

These friendlier commitments don't involve hitting gyms or giving up chocolate. Instead, they're about using gadgets or apps to nudge your life in the right direction, or simply help you survive the brutal month that is January.

So whether you've been looking to discover unsung AI apps, get back into Blu-rays, slash your streaming bills, or ditch the likes of Spotify or Audible, you'll find guides on how to do all of that and more below.

The ideas are below are just for starters, too we'll be updating this page over the next week with more expert musings from the TechRadar team.

So make sure to check back for fresh sparks of inspiration, and let us know
in the comments below how you're planning to give your life a firmware
upgrade in 2026... 1. This year I'm buying Blu-rays again like it's 2016 here's why you should too (Image credit: Getty Images / sakchai
vongsasiripat)

Buying Blu-rays isn't just about nostalgia it's a tactic that increasingly makes sense in a world of 'streamflation' and ever-changing catalogues.

TechRadar freelance writer Carrie Marshall feels so strongly about it, she's made a nine-step manifesto on why you should join her Blu-ray quest in
2026... Read the full story: This year I'm buying Blu-rays again like it's 2016 here's why you should too 2. Im an AI expert here are my top 5 secret tools that could change your life in 2026 (Image credit: ChefGPT / Pine / Aesty)

Yes, ChatGPT and Gemini are great AI tools, but are they really the best ones for everything? And are there unsung alternatives that people are secretly using to run their lives?

TechRadar freelancer writer and AI expert Eric Hal Schwartz has gathered his five favorite lesser-known AI tools that could become significant parts of your arsenal for everything from organizing finances to cooking in 2026... Read the full story: Im an AI expert here are my top 5 secret tools that could change your life in 2026 3. I'm slashing by streaming bills by 56% in 2026 here's my five-step masterplan (Image credit: Future)

Streaming subscription prices have gone through the roof this year so unless you're a long-time Nvidia stock holder, you've probably been feeling the pinch.

Fortunately, there are some tricks to help cut those streaming costs that don't involve simply staring at a blank screen. TechRadar's TV obsessive Carrie Marshall has rounded up those tips here including a handy 'cheat sheet' for building your 'subscription hopping' plan for the year ahead... Read the full story: I'm slashing by streaming bills by 56% in 2026 here's
my five-step masterplan 4. Im ditching true wireless earbuds for these
bargain Chinese IEMs in 2026 here's why (Image credit: Future / Andrew Williams)

If you've been thinking about going off-piste to find your next pair of earphones in 2026, then you should definitely read this.

TechRadar writer Andrew Williams explains how he's recently discovered the bargain world of 'Chinese hi-fi' and how you can buy some
impressive-sounding IEMS for just 45 / $60 / AU$90. Read the full story: Im ditching true wireless earbuds for these bargain Chinese IEMs in 2026 here's why 5. Forget Audible and Amazon I'm switching to these 5 alternatives for audiobooks and e-books in 2026 (Image credit: Getty Images / Future)

Let's be honest, Audible and Amazon are a bit too dominant in the world of books, whether we're talking analogue or digital tomes.

If you've had a nagging feeling that you could be looking elsewhere for your audiobooks and e-books in 2026, then allow published author and TechRadar writer Carrie Marshall to show you where she gets her reading fix for both... Read the full story: Forget Audible and Amazon I'm switching to these 5 alternatives for audiobooks and e-books in 2026 6. I finally fixed my home audio setup using a roomEQ kit here's how you can too (Image credit: Future
/ Andrew Williams)

Been wondering how to get your home audio setup to sing in 2026, without spending a fortune on audiophile remodelling? A 'room correction' kit could
be your answer.

TechRadar writer Andrew Williams explains how he recently used one of these kits to counter the effects of his living room and take his sound quality to the next level. Read the full story: I finally fixed my home audio setup
using a roomEQ kit here's how you can too 7. I've been a Spotify subscriber for over 10 years, but I'm ditching it for Apple Music in 2026 here's why (Image credit: Shutterstock / sdx15)

It can be easy to get complacent with our favorite streaming services and stick with what we know. But is Spotify really still the best place to spend your musical life?

After over a decade with the music giant, TechRadar writer David Nield explains why he's finally jumping ship in 2026 to Apple Music. And no, it wasn't because of his Spotify Wrapped listening age ... Read the full story: I've been a Spotify subscriber for over 10 years, but I'm ditching it for Apple Music in 2026 here's why

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/tech/tech-resolutions-2026


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