Hshshsh

HUAWEI P20 PRO: A TRI-CAMERA WONDER

ULTIMATE TECH WISHLIST

Hot picks from £50 to over £7k – your next life-changing gadget is right here!

4K

WIN!

A 4K HDR projector worth

£1,199

FOOTIE

HOT!

The World Cup done right with Sony's XF90 TV

EBIKES: WHAT TO BUY & TECH EXPLAINED

VIVE PRO High-res VR will blow your mind

FITBIT FIGHTS BACK PLUS! SMART HOME GARDEN GEAR

TESTED WIRELESS PORTABLE SPEAKERS GADGETS TOb)I; YOUR GOL) GAME

GAMECHANGER The tech that’s so cutting edge, \ou’Ue UisNing \ouU ĆngeUs just turning this page

STARRING ROLE Each product in the Filmmaker Collection can be purchased individually or as part of Moment’s Everything Kit ($999/£711.36), and is designed to work with the Samsung S8 and S9, the Apple iPhone 6, 7, 8 and X, and the Google Pixel 1 and 2

MOM EN T FIL M M A K E R C OL L E C T ION Next-gen movie-making has arrived exclusively for your smartphone. Have you seen Unsane? Director Steven Soderbergh shot the Ćlm on an iPhone Plus teaming it Zith a sZeet piece of mobile Ćlm-making gear from Moment the company thatès introduced a game-changing mobile cinematography system called the Moment )ilmmaker &ollection. With that kind of HollyZood endorsement no Zonder Momentès recent Kickstarter campaign Zas funded in Must minutes. Touted as êthe future of mobile ĆlmmakingÍ Momentès innovative mobile cinematography kit comprises four products for iPhone Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel an anamorphic lens e . a Zireless charging battery phone case e . lens Ćlter adapter e . and gimbal counterZeight . e . . The anamorphic lens is the real star here adding sZeet ćares and the signature Zide-angle cinematic look to phones for the Ćrst time ever. Keeping your shot buttery smooth is the adMustable gimbal counterZeight for use Zith the D-I Osmo =hiyun Smooth4 and Evo Shift.

From $39 (ÂŁ27.64), shopmoment.com

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 3

Meet the team

Meet the team

MEET OUR ADVERTISING TEAM Get in touch to see what T3 can do for your brand!

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR ADAM GILSENAN adam.gilsenan@futurenet.com +44 (0)7432 609945

MATT BOLTON Editor After writing our Ultimate Tech Wishlist feature (p36), Matt tried applying the same three-tier system elsewhere, but it turns out to be more confusing than helpful when applied to bananas.

CLAIRE DAVIES Associate Editor We had four days of nice weather this issue, so Claire was cracking the whip on thebrobo mower from her gardening feature (p83). This damaged the whip more than it did the mower, obviously.

JO GULLIVER Senior Art Editor Jo oversaw our Man vs Tech golĆng photoshoot (p48), in which she discovered that even the most camera shy guys become real posers as soon as they’ve got a sand wedge in-hand.

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR ANDREW TILBURY andrew.tilbury@futurenet.com, +44 (0)1225 687144 ADVERTISING DIRECTOR RICHARD HEMMINGS richard.hemmings@futurenet.com, +44 (0)1225 687615 ACCOUNT DIRECTOR TRACEY HENDLE tracey.hendle@futurenet.com, +44 (0)1225 687469

MICHELLE MCLAREN Art Editor Michelle ran the London Marathon at the end of this issue, so she spent a lot of time checking out the running sensors (p96) and Fitbit Ionic (p97). And questioning her life decisions.

KIMBERLEY BALLARD Production Editor With the new high-res Vive Pro (p92) indistinguishable from real life(ish), Kimberley is Ćnally able to escape to the ethereal gothic fantasy worlds of her dreams. We may have lost her for good.

ANDREW WESTBROOK Operations Editor Since he can’t go to the World Cup in person, Andy is recreating a stadium at home, starting with our projector test (p68). That settles the view, now he just needs 78,000 pals to come round.

THE GLOBAL MAGAZINE T3 is currently licensed worldwide, from Australia to Mexico

INDIA

PAUL DOUGLAS Global Editor-in-Chief, T3.com For the summer, Paul’s been looking into our guide to ebikes (p76) for his commute.

Though he did also say, “Why wouldn’t I just get a Ducati?”

So, swings and roundabouts.

DUNCAN BELL Lifestyle Editor, T3.com Duncan went on a very exciting journey this issue.

And by exciting, we mean terrifying. And by journey, we mean hospital stay. He did get to test out some health tech, though… (p33)

SPENCER HART Product & Style Editor, T3.com We worried that the 92(!) megapixels of camera power in the Huawei P20 Pro (p92) might be too much to handle, but Spencer bravely said, “It’s a phone, stop being so weird.”

ROB JONES Tech & Gaming Editor, T3.com Rob spent most of the last month in Japan but refused our many, many requests to bring back the advanced home service droids we’re certain they have there.

CONTACT T3

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND GET A FREE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER! Our current subscription offer gets you a free Juice Bar portable speaker worth £39.99! Turn to p46 to see our print and digital subscription options!

4 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

General email: inbox@t3.com Subscriptions: contact@ myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

FRANCE

HOW TO LICENSE T3 Interested in publishing a licensed version of T3 in your territory? Please direct enquiries to T3’s Senior Licensing & Syndication Manager, Matt Ellis (matt.ellis@futurenet.com; +44 (0)1225 442244)

VISIT T3.COM We’ve overhauled T3.com – the best site for gadget news and reviews now has a great new look and is fully responsive, enabling you to enjoy it on any device.

Welcome

Editor’s letter Here at T3, we like to celebrate the best of the best when it comes to tech, and that tends to mean products with all the fanciest features and elaborate extras. But the top-tier products can be a big investment, and in some cases you don’t always need to go high-end. You want an amazing TV for the living room, sure, but maybe your bedroom telly doesn’t need to be quite as fancy.

The idea of our Ultimate Tech Wishlist is to give you that buying ćexibility. We choose a range of great gadget upgrades, then reveal the very best buys, no matter whether you want to keep the budget low, are happy to spend on the sweet spot middle ground, or want only the best money can buy. The less expensive products are still excellent tech, they just won’t have quite as many options, and maybe that’s just what you need in the end.

Now that spring is here, we’ve got lots of outdoorsy stuff this issue. I’m especially into the ebike revolution as, for a lot of commuting, especially in cities, they’re the fastest way to travel. Our guide on p76 will help you Ćgure out if one is right for you, but I hope they will be as popular here as they are in Europe. Some people see ebikes as ‘cheating’ or missing the point of a bicycle, but I’m guessing they wouldn’t give up an electric drill for a hand cranked one…

Matt Bolton, Editor matthew.bolton@futurenet.com Tweet me @matthewbbolton

T3’S MISSION Our mission is to bring you the clearest recommendations we can – and that means a great deal of hard work happens before a product even reaches our pages!

Because we only feature products the T3 team would happily use ourselves, we end up discarding a signiĆcant number of options in each category before settling on a Ćnal shortlist to review. In this respect, T3 Select does exactly what it says on the tin, picking only the best of the best to test; the gear we know you’ll want to seriously consider purchasing.

And that should mean an end to you having to undertake hours of painstaking research and product comparisons.

You won’t see any duff products, but you will come away with clarity on which one is the best in its category or for a speciĆc task our awards badges (see below) ensure that everything T3 recommends is clearly highlighted on the page.

It goes without saying that every product in T3 Select has been thoroughly tested by our team of experts, enabling you to buy with total conĆdence.

OUR AWARDS PLATINUM AWARD

THE DESIGN AWARD

BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE

BEST ON TEST

Only the best products – those that score Ćve stars – receive our coveted Platinum Award

This is given to winners of our group tests, so you can see exactly which is the best at a glance

This accolade and others like it show you which gear is best for speciĆc features or tasks

For kit that demonstrates exceptional industrial design and reĆnement, in addition to being great J U N E 2 01 8 T3 5

Contents

Contents

HORIZON 012 TOP 10 Improve your life with the best new techbmoney can buy. Will it be the latest smartphone, an Alexa-enabled home cinema system, or a gaming headset with sound so realistic you’ll swear you’re actually in the game?

020 WE CAN BUILD YOU… A World Cup 2018 setup. Get this lot installed in your living room or den and you’ll have the best seat in the house

022 STYLE Gorgeous watches, summer-ready striped shirts and shorts, and how to Ćnd the best haircut for your face shape

024 AUTO Channel your inner Lewis Hamilton with the most exciting supercar and race day experiences in the UK

025 LIVING

036

ULTIMATE TECH WISHLIST Live smarter, easier and happier with these unmissable tech upgrades for all budgets, from total steal to mega luxury splurge

It’s barbecue season! Well, nearly. Make sure you’re ready to si]]le some sausages with the hottest grilling gadgets in town

048

026 TRAVEL

MAN VS TECH

Want to ćy Ćrst class without paying the premium price tag? Our travel writer shares some insider tips to help you blag abluxury upgrade for free

If you’re anything like our man with the clubs, your golf game needs a boost. Turn the page to Ćnd out if the latest golĆng tech can get you back on track (or should that be the green?)

028 FITNESS & OUTDOORS Burn calories, blast fat and boost your cardio health, all in the privacy of your own home, with a new smart exercise bike

030 GADGET GURU Want to Ćlter what your kids see online?

Ready to better your digital artistry skills?

Wondering why your phone’s battery drains so fast? Guru has the answers

033 TALKING TECH Duncan Bell spent some of the month in hospital. His biggest complaint? Crap Wi-Fi and a lack of tech, of course.

He’sbonly human

6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

068 STATE OF THE ART Bring that FIFA gold home and enjoy the beautiful game on the big-screen with a projector primed for sports viewing

Contents

WIN! AN OPTOMA UHD300X 4K PROJECTOR Get match ready for the FIFA World Cup 2018 with Optoma’s new Ultra HD projector, perfect for bringing the stadium home

103

HOME 056 THE SETUP Give your lawn and garden plants the hydration they need with a smart, time-saving watering system

059 UPGRADE Meet the smart home display that knows more about the world (and your diary) than you do

060 DESIRE Plants aren’t just for the garden, as this month you can plaster them all over your cushions, coasters and linens. Prints of plants, that is

062 HOME TEST Feeling guilty about leaving your pet at home while you’re at work? Keep ’em company, and feed ’em treats, with the latest smart pet cams and feeders

TESTED WORTH £1,399

092 HTC VIVE PRO Next-gen VR has landed, but is it worth the mega price tag HTC wants to charge us? And… is it actually wireless? We strap on the Vive Pro and venture into VR lands unknown

096 SMACKDOWN Learn to run better and faster with two of the world’s Ćnest smart running sensors, which we pit head to head in a dastardly death match

097

BEST OF THE BEST

FITBIT IONIC

105

Another smartwatch from the Ćt tech royalty, but is the Ionic really iconic or just another puffed-up sleep-andsteps tracker? We beast one at the gym to Ćnd out

YOUR IN-DEPTH BUYER’S GUIDE

098

Want to know what the best top-end telly is? Or the best Ćrst-time DSLR? Or the best wireless headhones? Our giant buyer’s guide helps you Ćnd the world’s best tech, and only the best!

HUAWEI P20 PRO Your phone has a dual camera system, huh? Well, Huawei’s new premium handset has three. So there. Does it make one jot of difference, though?

Our review reveals the truth

100 PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS

064 SMART HOME SURGERY Connected home starter kits and machines that do the laundry for you

Head to the beach, the park, the camp site or even into your own backyard, soundtracking your adventures with six of the smallest, most powerful Bluetooth speakers we could stuff inbthe T3 backpack

102

066

APPLE iPAD 9.7

LIVING SMARTER

We get our hands on the new-butnot-really tablet from Apple and Ćnd out whether it’s the mid-range master

Stay cool and cut your electricity bill by linking a window sensor to a fan

8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

SUBSCRIBE AND GET A FREE WIRELESS SPEAKER!

046

Horizon

The best new tech heading your way Edited by Claire Davies

SONY XPERIA XZ2 PREMIUM £TBC, sonymobile.com Smartphone photography is reaching new heights, and Sony has just taken the entire movement stratospheric by jamming tech from its compact system cameras into the Xperia XZ2 Premium. You no longer have to live in fear of cruddy images and video when shooting in low-level lighting – Sony reckons the sensor setup here is so damn good you’ll be capturing things the naked eye can’t see.

The XZ2 Premium’s dual-camera Motion Eye drafts in 19MP colour and 12MP monochrome sensors. If you take snaps in darker situations, ISO 51,200 sensitivity for stills and ISO 12,800 for HDR 4K video will produce eye-popping results. There’s also a Bokeh portrait mode.

In addition to a silky 5.8-inch 4K display, tech borrowed from Sony’s Bravia TVs gives your content the full HDR business. A Dynamic Vibration System translates the action on screen into bespoke tremors, helping you feel what you’re watching or playing, while punchy front-facing S-Force surround-sound speakers are primed to dish out high-res audio.

Sony says it hasn’t yet decided whether to sell it in the UK, so you may need to import it… and probably stump up a fair bit of cash for all this tech. But with such an impressive spec, we think it’ll be worth the effort.

TECH-O-METER

Internal specs include 6GB of performanceboosting RAM and a 3,540mAh battery featuring Smart Stamina tech that monitors usage and ensures you always have juice

“Sony has always led the way in cameras and screens, so this looks absolutely fantastic.”

Matt Bolton, Editor

1 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Top 10

FEEL THE FORCE The XZ2 Premium’s 4K HDR display, Dynamic Vibration System and S-Force surround-sound speakers combine to create an immersive and engaging experience, whether you’re gaming on the go or watching a Hollywood epic

ALTERNATE DIMENSION Sony’s 3D Creator tool is exclusive to the Xperia XZ1 and XZ2 handsets. Scan yourself using front or rear cameras, then 3D print your pic or upload a 3D avatar to your Facebook page

SHOT IN THE DARK Recording a night-time video in 4K HDR or capturing HD Super slow motion footage at 960fps? The XZ2 Premium’s Motion Eye camera system should have the brawn to cover all of your photo needs

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 13

Horizon

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO EDGE NQ £3,500, cambridgeaudio.com Cambridge Audio’s sound boffins wanted to mark the company’s 50-year milestone in style, with a new product line-up that matched the needs of the most demanding audiophiles.

Enter the slick Edge series. Whether you prefer to plug in, stream or cast, the Edge NQ preamp totes an embarrassment of physical and wire-free connections for control over your tunes. On the rear you’ll find digital coaxial, USB and HDMI inputs, or you can stream via Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, Internet Radio or built-in Chromecast. If audio clarity is your bag, the NQ’s circuitry is designed to clean up the signal, revealing greater detail in your favourite albums. Got an extra £2.5k to splash? Buddy the NQ with the new Edge W power amp for added wallop.

T3 SAYS: A small price to pay to hear your music exactly as the artist intended.

TECH-O-METER

DENON HEOS HOMECINEMA HS2 £699, denon.co.uk Ultra-thin TVs may look the business, but audio can be an afterthought, so a capable soundbar is a no-brainer if you want cinematic sound.

Denon has embraced high-res audio playback and Alexa voice control for the new HS2 soundbar/sub package, while an HDMI input and output deliver the big-screen potential of your Ultra HD 4K TV. When you’re done watching Peaky Blinders, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity make it easy to stream and listen to your favourite tunes. The soundbar houses a pair of chunky drivers to manage the midrange while a pair of 20mm dome tweeters tackle the high notes. A mighty subwoofer adds extra meat. Can Denon topple Sonos for connected home cinema supremacy?

T3 SAYS: Denon’s HomeCinema system should put you on a fast track to premium TV audio.

TECH-O-METER

14 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Top 10

AUDEZE MOBIUS $399 (£284), audeze.com Say hello to the world’s first wireless planar magnetic headphones, built for gamers craving next-level sound. Created to supercharge your gaming and movie audio needs (not to mention boosting your music-listening experience), the head-tracking Audeze Mobius aims to deliver immersive 3D cinematic audio, making it more of a sonic event than something you simply cover your ears with. Planar magnetic drivers work to reproduce clear and accurate sound, while head tracking and room emulation technologies constantly monitor your position to create a 3D universe of audio. The Mobius’s memory foam earpad and headband combo, and detachable boom mic, mean hours of supreme comfort in the gaming chair when Red Dead Redemption 2 drops.

T3 SAYS: The Audeze Mobius is massively exciting for music fans and gamers alike.

TECH-O-METER

y©̰Ĝ ̸ƶɔȂ ÃĜȋ ƜƶƜĜƣ ȋ

ƶȋůźÃ© ƜźÝȂƶy T ̓ · ̶ÝĜȂź© T ̓ ƶɔȂ ȂĜƑź©ÃƑĜ ÝƶƜǗ©ƣźƶƣ ľƶȂ Ĝ̶ Ȃ©ƶȂĂźƣ©Ȃ̸ ƜƶƜĜƣ ȋǨ

ƵȊُ¨ųƛěƛƵȁ̺ǧÜƵƛ

Horizon

HUBLOT BIG BANG REFEREE 2018 WORLD CUP RUSSIA $5,200 (£3,698), hublot.com This June, World Cup referees will be wearing Hublot’s Big Bang Referee Android smartwatch.

The Swiss-made wearable communicates with goal-line tech, utilising bespoke software to deliver detailed game stats, notifications about player changes, red and yellow cards, and goals. Why are we banging on about a watch exclusive to World Cup refs? Because Hublot has made 2,018 of them available to the public.

Yes, you too can wrap your wrist in titanium and kevlar, gain detailed insight into each game and pretend you’re reffing. It’s set up with different watch faces that suit every team playing, so whoever you’re backing, the watch is kitted out in their colours.

T3 SAYS: This World Cup timekeeper takes fans one step closer to the on-pitch action.

TECH-O-METER

JBL LINK 500 $399.95 (£284), uk.jbl.com Is this the most powerful Google Assistantenabled speaker? JBL reckons so. While we’re yet to play DJ with its latest voice-activated boombox, we’ve experienced the generous bass of the smaller Link 300, so we have high hopes for this one. And it comes with extra smarts, enabling you to utilise Google Assistant to control your smart home, plan your diary or read you the local weather report. Although the Link 500 isn’t portable, you should have zero problems getting the party going in whatever room you place it in, thanks to a pair of JBL transducers plus integrated Chromecast.

This means you can enjoy music, podcasts and radio direct from the cloud. If you already own Chromecast-equipped speakers, you could tag in JBL’s newbie to create a multiroom setup.

T3 SAYS: JBL’s speaker will keep the party, and your smart home control, rocking for longer.

TECH-O-METER

16 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Top 10

SONY XAV-AX205DB ÂŁ500, sony.co.uk With more cars than ever ďŹ lling up the roads, you can expect to spend even more time sat in trafc. Joyful. Thankfully, in-car entertainment has come a long way since the invention of ‘I Spy’. Case in point, Sony has crammed plenty of boredom-beating features into its new car audio receiver, including a whopping 4x55W output power and Sony’s own Extra Bass tech.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity gathers smartphone notiďŹ cations, messages and apps together on the spacious screen, while voice control should help keep wandering eyes on the road. We’re fans of the boosted audio quality and glut of radio stations ofered

by DAB+, and there’s even a DVD player should you need entertaining when pulling an overnighter at the motorway services.

T3 SAYS: With hours of entertainment available, you might start to enjoy your commute.

TECH-O-METER

yÂŠĚ°Äœ ̸ƜɔȂ ĂƒÄœČ‹ ĆœĆśĆœÄœĆŁ Č‹

ĆśČ‹ĹŻĹşĂƒÂŠ y ȂŠƣȋTÄœĆœĆśČ‚Ě¸ Ĺ’ ĆśĆŁĹ›Ć‘Äœ ƜɔȂ Č‚ÄœĆ‘ĹşÂŠĂƒĆ‘Äœ Ă?ĆśĆœÇ—ÂŠĆŁĹşĆśĆŁ ĞƜȂ ÄœĚś ȂŠƜȂĂźƣŠȂ̸ ĆœĆśĆœÄœĆŁ ȋǨ

ĆľČŠĹŽĹšĂ‚Â¨ĹłĆ›Ä›Ć›ĆľČ ĚşÇ§ĂœĆľĆ›

Horizon Top 10

MCINTOSH MT2 PRECISION TURNTABLE £4,495, mcintoshlabs.com We’re fully behind the flourishing vinyl movement, but too many music fans are splashing cash on limited edition wax yet scrimping on the hardware. Five grand might seem a lot, but considering how long you’ll own your turntable, and how you could easily spend twice that on McIntosh gear, the new belt-driven MT2 is thoroughly reasonable. So, what does that sort of money get you? A whole lot of audio goodness.

The MT2’s moving coil cartridge features an alloy cantilever and an elliptical diamond stylus for first-rate tracking of your records, while inner

and outer platters are damped and isolated to remove unwanted vibration, optimising playback.

With zero setup required, your hardest job will be deciding which record to drop the needle on first.

T3 SAYS: McIntosh’s belt-driven MT2 could be the perfect companion to your growing vinyl collection.

TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

BENQ HOME ENTERTAINMENT TK800 DLP PROJECTOR £1,199, benq.co.uk Sometimes even a 65-inch TV won’t do justice to your favourite shows, films or sporting events, especially when you’re all crowded around it.

The solution? A projector to beam the drama onto your nearest wall.

Whether you’re hosting a viewing party in your lounge or garden, BenQ’s TK800 DLP projector delivers a 100-inch+, 8.3 million pixel, 4K 3840x2160 UHD picture, while projector-optimised HDR and 3,000 lumen brightness buddy up for premium colour and clarity. Imageboosting Football and Sport modes

CANON EOS M50 £649.99, store.canon.co.uk As smartphone manufacturers continue to up their camera game, a standalone camera is becoming an increasingly unnecessary purchase.

However, there are still plenty of folks who know that if you really want to develop your video and photography skills, nothing beats arming yourself with a dedicated shooter. The mirrorless EOS M50 is Canon’s first M-Series camera to shoot 4K video, with five-axis image stabilisation to produce super-smooth footage. The 24.1MP CMOS sensor and bundled EF-N 15-45mm IS STM lens also work in tandem with DIGIC 8 image18 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

processing tech to boost low-light performance and add extra sheen to pictures. Got some award-winning shots in the can? Nice! Transfer them from the camera straight to your phone for instant sharing.

T3 SAYS: Canon’s EOS M50 is ideal for those who crave enhanced functionality and image quality.

TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

will appeal to World Cup fans, too.

Couple that with a CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 sound system, plus high brightness, and your home cinema is in for a significant boost.

T3 SAYS: Enjoy a supersize movie night with BenQ’s entertainment and sports-optimised projector.

TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

Horizon

WE CAN BUILD YOU...

A WORLD CUP TV SETUP Prepare for the FIFA footie fest with our guide to the best TV and living-room gear for the beautiful game

THE READER

THE EXPERT

James Wright Football fan James is gearing up to watch the World Cup and is looking for top tech to deliver the best viewing experience at home. He wouldn’t might a comfy seat, either.

Steve May What T3’s AV expert Steve May knows about football could be written on a pin, but when it comes to display tech and immersive sound systems, he wears golden boots.

1

ICON ORIA BEAN BAG ARMCHAIR

Are you sitting comfortably?

You will be when perched on the Icon Oria Bean Bag armchair. There’s no floundering about here, because this bag has a high back and armrests. It’s made from waterproof fabric, which is handy if you over-excitedly spill a drink, or fancy taking it out into the garden via the built-in carry handle. £85, beanbagbazaar.co.uk

2

Q ACOUSTICS M2 SOUNDBASE

Revel in stadium audio with this powerful soundbase. Just 98mm tall, the M2 sits neatly under most tellies, while a pair of 58x58mm BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers create a wide, detailed soundstage. A downfiring subwoofer adds a throaty roar. The M2’s power output is rated at 80W, so play loud and enjoy the beautiful game as if you were there. £299, qacoustics.co.uk

3

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-AR5BT

Keep it personal with AudioTechnica’s Bluetooth ATH-AR5BT wireless cans. Combining a sleek, lightweight over-ear design with 45mm drivers, they sound as good as they look. Battery life is rated at an impressive 30 hours, and if you run out of juice you can always tether with the 1.2m cable provided. Partner them over Bluetooth with the Sony XF90 TV, or use NFC to stream matches from your prefered smartphone app. £149, eu.audio-technica.com 2 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

4

SKY Q NEXT-GEN TV BOX

Make the most of all the football you watch with the UK’s most sophisticated TV box. Slicker than an otter’s pocket, the Sky Q box can record six channels while you watch a seventh; offers accurate voice search and series linking, and has a generous 2TB hard drive. All of which means it will literally be impossible to miss out on any action from Russia.

Sky Sports & Entertainment package from £18 per month, sky.co.uk

5

SONY 65-INCH KD65XF9005 4K HDR TV

With its full-array backlight and newly developed X-Motion Clarity image processing, this big 4K Bravia is perfectly equipped to deliver smooth fast motion and colour-rich action. The XF90 also has a vibrant sports mode to make those pitches and football jerseys pop, and its upscaling of HD content to 2160p resolution scores. Its HDR performance is impressive too.

Connections include four 4K-ready HDMIs, plus Bluetooth for headphones. £2,299, sony.co.uk

6

LIFX BEAM SMART LIGHTING

A smart lighting system with a difference, these strips can be stuck to any flat surface and are controlled via Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Each kit comprises six beams and a corner, and can be set to the colours of the team you’re supporting that match in the LIFX app. £200, uk.lifx.com

We can build you…

SAYS… “Settle in for the best tournament experience you can get at home!”

Matt Bolton, Editor

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 21

Horizon

THE RIGHT STRIPES Add a key summer trend to your wardrobe with vertical stripes.

Tink minimal, because one vertical striped piece at a time is plenty

PAUL SMITH MEN’S WHITE LEATHER IVO TRAINERS Available in black and white with contrasting side panels, these premium Nappa leather trainers have soft and breathable linings to get you through summer. £265, paulsmith.com/uk LOVELESS PINSTRIPE BLAZER A versatile all-rounder, Loveless’ lightweight cotton-blend blazer will love your entire wardrobe, playing nicely with jeans, chinos, shorts, crisp shirts and tees. £373, farfetch.com/uk FINAMORE 1925 GAETA STRIPED LINEN SHIRT

A classic shirt design that falls loosely over the body, keeping you cool yet stylish, and seeing you from office to bar terrace. £210, matchesfashion.com YMC TEARAWAY JEANS

Dig out your favourite white tee and tuck it into YMC’s cropped herringbone twill cotton jeans, pairing them with baseball boots or espadrilles. £170, youmustcreate.com RAG & BONE BEACH SHORT II Made from a naturally breathable blend of cotton and linen, Rag & Bone’s loosely tailored shorts will tick all of your smart-casual needs. £190, mrporter.com

WHICH WATCH

THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW TUDOR 1926 41MM STEEL CASE SILVER DIAL A timeless addition to Tudor’s new 1926 line, this gorgeous piece mixes satin-brushed and polished steel links with an embossed dial, appliquéd numerals and sword-shaped hands. £1,330, tudorwatch.com

2 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

HUMISM GEIST

SWATCH UGO NESPOLO

Reconceiving the watch’s purpose, Geist represents the fluidity of time. It’s influenced by kinetic art, powered by a Japanese Seiko movement and encased in a smooth, brushed surgical steel case.

A limited edition run of 3,535 pieces, the Ugo Nespolo celebrates the Swatch’s 35th birthday and encapsulates the verve of one of the world’s most playful watch makers.

¤214 (£187.14), humism.com

£51, shop.swatch.com/ en_gb

Style

DRESS LIKE

BRAD PITT How to borrow our favourite demi-god and bare-knuckle fighter’s off-duty style THE JACKET Brad’s jacket adds contrast to his fresh tonal trousers and shoes combo. For a similar lightweight look, try a twill or shell jacket such as J Lindberg’s Thom Black Shell Bomber (£205, harveynichols.com).

THE TROUSERS If you’re new to light trousers, begin with G-Star’s Bronson Tapered Chinos (£80, asos.com) in Dune or Carhatt’s WIP Master Pant (£75, carhartt-wip.com/en) in Sandy Desert.

THE BOOTS Brad is known for his love affair with Timberland Chukkas. To channel the same footwear style, step into Timberland’s Adventure 2.0 Cupsole Chukka boots (£120, timberland.co.uk) in Light Beige.

MONEY NO OBJECT Valentino Rockstud Panama Hat

£625, matchesfashion.com

FIND YOUR IDEAL HAIRCUT Claire Davies speaks to a leading men’s stylist to learn about the best haircuts Your clothes aren’t a one-size-fits-all affair, and neither is your hair. According to Denis Robinson, creative director for Ruffians (ruffians.co.uk), an award-winning barbershop and men’s lifestyle destination, knowing your face shape is key to discovering your ideal hairstyle.

“Look at the dimensions of your face to figure out the shape, using your spread hand to give rough measurements,” says Denis.

“If your spread hand measures the same length and width, you have either a square or round face shape. If the length is longer than the width, you’re oval. A narrow forehead with wide cheekbones and a narrow chin is a diamond shape, while a wide forehead and narrow chin is a heart-shaped face.”

For square face shapes, Denis recommends soft tailoring. “Ask your barber for a rounder style, swept away from the face. Avoid fringes and square cuts that make your face look angular. Diamond face shapes work best with styles that have a good balance throughout.

So if you want the sides short, keep the top short too.

Round faces, meanwhile, look best with angular styles.”

Receding hairlines are an issue for many, but growing your hair may make this look worse. “It means there’s more hair to separate in the wind and the scalp shines through,” explains Denis. “Shorter hair is easier to blend, providing more volume for thinning hair.”

As for greys, the only way to truly blend them in is by using a colour that’s slightly lighter than your natural hair colour. “You could also loosen up your hairstyle with a cut that has more texture, helping greys disappear into the hair for a while longer.”

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 2 3

PHOTO: JOSE RICARDO MORACHIS/PEXELS

For the sartorially adventurous, a Panama hat is a great accessory to instantly enhance your personal style, especially during warmer weather. Valentino’s Rockstud luxury torquila straw version is much cooler than traditional panamas, with a navy leather band embellished with gunmetal studs. The moulded crown won’t stand up too high on your head, while the grosgrain browband is slender and subtle.

STYLE NOTES

Horizon

TRAVELLING WITH DOGS

HOWLER & SCRATCH BIG PAWS 1 CAR BOOT PROTECTOR Pooches love to get muddy, which doesn’t bode well for your car… unless you have one of these stain-resistant mats that boast hygiene tech for warding off bacteria.

£44.99, howlerscratch.co.uk

KÄRCHER OC 3 PORTABLE CLEANER Alternatively, you could swill your pet’s dirty little paws before they start jumping around the car. Tis portable jet washer packs a four-litre water tank and runs for 20 minutes off a single charge

£129.99, kaercher.com/uk

DREAM ON

PEDAL TO THE METAL Piloting the car of your dreams is now a thrilling reality, thanks to hot-rod driving experiences. Paul Dimery buckles up…

KURGO CAR BOOSTER SEAT Keep Fido snug and secure during car journeys with this clever cradle. Suitable for dogs up to 14kg, its hanging basket means the passenger airbag won’t go off in the event of an accident. And it’s collapsible for easy storage.

£49.99, amazon.co.uk 24 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Few things in life match the adrenaline rush of climbing into a top-end motor and flooring the accelerator pedal. Sadly most of us can’t afford to buy a supercar, but you can still channel your inner Lewis Hamilton/ Colt Seavers via one of many amazing driving experiences now available in the UK. The holy grail for any auto fan is a race circuit, and you’ll be humming Fleetwood Mac as you pull down your visor at one of Palmer Sport’s horsepower-heavy driving events at Bedford Autodrome (£POA, palmersport.com). Book a full day and you can redline a generous six exciting steeds, from a Formula 3000 sprinter to a Renault Clio Cup race car.

Think electric cars are for wimps? Wait ’til you try Virgin’s Tesla driving experiences (from £215, virginexperiencedays.co.uk/ tesla). Gliding silently from 0-60 in under four seconds, you’ll feel like you’re driving an atomic hoover. And there’s oodles of tech to play with, too.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads,” said Doc Brown in Back to the Future, a statement that’s equally true of the Red Letter Days Off-Road Land or Range Rover Thrill (£99, redletterdays.co.uk).

Saddle up inside a powerhouse motor and negotiate an hour-long course of slippery inclines, daring drops and other perilous obstacles. It’s muddy awesome!

Living

HOW TO GET BBQ READY FOR SUMMER Home tech expert Becca Caddy shows you how to wow your friends and family this summer with the ultimate BBQ setup

Nothing says ‘summer’s here’ quite like the sounds and smells of sausages and burgers sizzling away outdoors. But with lots of BBQs and grills for you to choose from, you need to do your research before buying. Luckily, T3 has made a head-start on that for you.

For a cheap, travel friendly option, try the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal (£79.99, weber.com), ideal for cooking in the garden as well as for taking on camping trips. Weber also has a

To fool your guests into thinking you’re in the Med, opt for the Verycook Plancha Simplicity 2 (£349, verycook. co.uk), a Spanish-style flat-top griddle that can cook anything and everything, including veggies and flatbreads.

Meat-lover? Beef up your BBQ game with a burger press (£8, Sainsbury’s. co.uk) to make homemade patties, or pretend you’re Wolverine with a pair of Meat Shredder Claws (£4.99, Lakeland. co.uk) to make perfect pulled pork.

high-end kettle barbecue called the MasterTouch (£269, weber.com), renowned for its effective cooking whatever the weather is doing.

If your garden tech needs to be stylish as well as hard-working, you’ll love the Fuego Element (£201.20, amazon.co.uk), a high-performance gas grill that has won awards for its looks, which makes sense considering it was dreamed up by former Apple designer Robert Brunner.

ANTI-ALLERGY TECH Relieve your suffering with these allergy-busting must-haves HONEYWELL HPA710WE PREMIUM AIR PURIFIER

DYSON CINETIC BIG BALL ANIMAL BAGLESS UPRIGHT

AMICOR PURE DUVET

Rid your home of 99.97 per cent of allergens with Honeywell’s true HEPA allergen remover and air purifier, built to banish mould, dust, pet fur, smoke and other harmful particles that can aggrevate.

Designed for homes with furry friends, Dyson’s powerful cleaner will keep pet allergies to a minimum by sucking up pet hair. The bagless design also takes the fuss out of cleaning.

Blended with an antifungal fibre, this lightweight duvet stop dust mites in their tracks. It’s also antibacterial, which prevents any harmful nasties from building up and irritating your skin, giving you a fresh and healthy night’s sleep.

£375.99, honeywelluk.com

£269, dyson.co.uk

£80, allergybestbuys.co.uk

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 2 5

Horizon

SOLARPOWERED TRAVEL GADGETS SOLGAARD LIFEPACK Live like a digital nomad with the Solgaard Lifepack, a roomy backpack with three-inone power bank, Bluetooth speakers and a solar charger.

It’s comfortable to wear, sturdy, water resistant, and designed with secret pockets.

It even has a decent travel lock to fend off pickpockets. $269 (£192), solgaard.co

ECEEN SOLAR POWERED FLASHLIGHT Did you forget to pack batteries for your torch?

Camping fail! Tat wouldn’t happen to you if you’re sleeping out with Eceen’s solar flashlight, which can be charged via the built-in solar panel or USB cable. It also has a range of 20 metres, so no more tripping over tent pegs in the dark for you. £29.99, amazon.co.uk

POWER TRAVELLER SPORT 25 SOLAR PACK Stay charged up whether you’re scaling a mountain or are deep in the bush. Power’s Traveller’s Sport 25 Solar Kit combines a sturdy battery pack, replete with built-in torch, and a lightweight Falcon 7 foldable solar panel to soak up juice from the sun. £105, powertraveller.com/en 26 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

VIP FOR FREE

INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF FLYING FIRST CLASS FOR FREE Getting an upgrade is the holy grail of plane travel. Veteran travel writer Simon Horsford has some pro tips for bagging a premium seat So you want to turn left when you get on the plane rather than being stuck at the back? Yeah, us too. Lounging in first class is the perfect way to kick off a holiday, or to make a work trip more pleasurable, but the price of premium travel is often enough to make your eyes water. A one-way upper class seat on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York, for example, costs around £6,000, something only footballers and oligarchs can afford.

However, there are ways of improving your chances of upgrading an economy class ticket. For a start, frequent fliers who use the same airline and pay the full price for their ticket will inevitably be favoured if an upgrade becomes available. Travelling

on your own certainly helps, as there’s less people to upgrade to First Class, while choosing a less popular route is also a good tactic. Avoiding business routes at peak times (Monday mornings and Thursday/ Friday afternoons) will also increase your chances of a free upgrade. You could try selecting a flight to a seaside resort during the school holidays, too, as there’ll be fewer single passengers so more chances for you to bag that premium upgrade for nought.

Alternatively, having a good reason, such as a birthday or anniversary, can work at the check-in desk. Above all, look smart and be extra polite. Free upgrades don’t happen often, but when they do the complimentary champagne tastes all the better.

TRACK IT

LOST AND FOUND Sick of losing your tech when travelling? A new digital lost property service is here to keep tabs on your stuff Paranoid about losing your possessions? Bontag has the solution with its wide selection of arty trackable stickers, tags and labels that can be used on smartphones, suitcases, laptops, wallets and sports equipment. Each Bontag security sticker, label or tag has a unique ID code, along with the message “If found, go to bontag.com. Reward given”. Bontag will then call you (or your chosen contact) to arrange safe return of your lost gear, which you can then track. Bontag also provides the reward for the good samaritan who finds your stuff.

The cost of the self-adhesive labels (from £4.60, bontag.com) includes Lifetime Alerts for each individual item you stick a label or tag to.

Horizon

CAMPING BEDS

COLEMAN DURAREST DOUBLE AIRBED Room for two? You got it with Coleman’s nifty inflatable airbed, designed with 32 air springs to provide a stable yet firm surface to sleep upon, even if one of you tosses and turns throughout the night.

Tis comfy raised bed should make even the most anticamper feel more at home. £75.99, gooutdoors.co.uk

THERM-A-REST ULTRALITE COT Perfect for those who don’t like sleeping on the ground when camping. Tis folding cot has a TermaCapture foam lining to keep you warm when the temperature drops, with multiple feet providing a sturdy base. Comes in a handy carry pack. £200, cotswoldoutdoor.com

KEEP FIT

FEEL THE BURN Want to melt fat and boost your fitness without anyone watching you? Claire Davies checks out the latest indoor exercise machine

VANGO SHANGRI-LA 15 GRANDE Give your back a break by settling down on Vango’s premium, self-inflating mat-come-airbed. Te vertical walls provide a flat, level top designed to provide impressive posture support that could make all the difference between waking up refreshed or feeling bent out of shape. £39.99, gooutdoors.co.uk 2 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Okay, we know that spin class is brilliant for enhancing cardiovascular health, blasting fat and burning calories. But it can also be expensive, overcrowded and, well, incredibly public; some of us don’t like the thought of being eyeballed as we work ourselves into a puddle of sweat. The new Bkool Smart Bike, with automatic resistance control and access to instructor-led classes, sounds ideal for those who prefer cycling away the pounds in the privacy of their own home.

The Smart Bike (£1,249, store.bkool.com) works with the Bkool simulator, through which you can sign up to a range of indoor cycling classes or ride thousands of ‘real life’ routes (via the simulator’s 3D views and videos), participating in group challenges

and velodrome events. Download the Bkool simulator and wirelessly pair the Smart Bike, then drop in on live classes or schedule a specific class to better suit your day.

Bkool has designed the Smart Bike to automatically adjust its 1,500 different levels of pedal resistance to best suit the effort level of your session. For example, making it realistically tough during elevation.

You can also control pedal resistance via the Bkool Remote Control app. A quick fitness test on the Smart Bike results in personalised resistance settings, which are automatically adapted as your fitness increases. You can even track stats onscreen, seeing real-time displays of power, heart rate, cadence, calories and more.

Horizon

GADGET GURU

T3’s artiste en résidence sketches out a more beautiful world for you

TOM GARGANO, CHESTER

Can tech help me make better art?

That would depend on your preferred medium, and what tech you’re trying to use – chipping away at a block of marble with the corner of an iPad won’t get you very far. If you’re a digital artist, it’s important to get as much control as you possibly can.

A pen tablet, such as the Wacom Intuos Pro Medium (£399) hooked up to your computer’s USB port offers a much more granular level of control and adding pressure sensitivity. Better still, an iPad Pro (£619) with an Apple Pencil (£89), because you can draw on the screen without the jarring disconnect between pen and

ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY

A

cursor. Better better still – Wacom’s Cintiq line (the £1,750 Cintiq 27QHD is the best) is the business, and Microsoft’s painfully priced £2,999 Surface Studio, particularly if you’ve picked up the £90 Surface Dial peripheral, is probably the best draw-on-screen experience going.

For more traditional media, GaGu has a few suggestions.

ABOVE Arm yourself with tech and watch yourself transform into a digital Picasso

A pen tablet hooked up to your computer’s USB port offers a much more granular level of control and pressure sensitivity

Moleskine’s Pen+ Ellipse (£175) can translate pen sketches into digital versions which you can work on later. If you want to go the other way, why not consider pointing a projector at your canvas and using it as a guide? Something cheap like the Optoma HD143X (£500), is all you need – then it’s up to you to go town with the pencils and oils.

Speaking of which, there’s been a lot of technological investment in paint hues. Look at Stuart Semple’s extra-bold pigments – the reallyvery-black Black 2.0, made as a snipe against the exclusivity of Vantablack, and PINK, which is, er, pink. But so pink.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: INBOX@T3.COM OR FACEBOOK.COM/T3MAG 3 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Gadget guru

PETER WATSON, SWINDON

How do I control what my kids see online?

GaGu’s policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell your Mum’ doesn’t work for everyone – well, it works for the progressively more twisted mind of young GaGu Jr, but it might not suit you. Luckily there are plenty of things that can be done, at least to a certain extent.

You could go all heavy-handed and force their computer into lockdown mode, giving them a restricted user account. This is reasonably straightforward on both macOS and Windows, but it’s also an almighty pain in the rear end if you’re the one who has to administer the thing.

While you’re putting your offspring in cyber-jail, why not go one further and install draconic web filtering software on each machine? These add a little system overhead, slightly knocking performance, so you could instead add a filter machine between your router and the rest of the network: this is either prohibitively expensive,

A

absurdly complex, or both, so Guru probably wouldn’t bother.

Luckily, the march of funspoiling technology has reached the ever more powerful domain of routers and mesh networks. Installing something like Asus’ cute holedrilled-through-it Blue Cave router (£180) gives you access to an app in which you can administer the router’s own web filter, and adds the ability to put time limits and even speed restrictions on your kids. Little Jimmy downloading a few too many of them memes?

Show him what it was like to use dial-up back in the day.

Fundamentally, though, kids are clever. There’s no real way to stop them – they’ll find loopholes, they’ll shoulder-surf your password, they’ll go to Feral Cousin Hubert’s house.

They’ll get in. Don’t let that stop you from implementing security measures, but make sure that talking to your kids about the internet cesspool is a solution.

ABOVE Remember when it was just TV ads warping kids’ minds? Ah, the good ol’ days…

GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX GaGu just had to take time out of his day and use up precious self-promotion space from the Magic Box to tell you about the GoBone. It’s the world’s first SmartBone.

Isn’t that just fantastic? $180 worth of rubbery electronics that you control with your smartphone to befuddle your hound.

You don’t even have to be there – you can set it to annoy your dog on a schedule. But that doesn’t matter, because the fun will only last until your dog destroys it. Judging by the Amazon comments, this will happen within minutes of the Kickstarted nonsensemachine entering its enthusiastic jaws.

You may have noticed that Ol’ Lovable Uncle Guru is a tad angry this issue. It’s not

you, reader (well, it probably is a bit) but a combination of tech-related hangups. The Man took back GaGu’s long-on-loan and absolutely tremendous Linksys Velop (£500) mesh networking setup, forcing your favourite curmudgeon to either cough up and buy one for himself or put up with internet black spots. He has chosen the latter option, mainly because his trusty Android handset has fallen victim to an obviously completely unrelated accident whereby it is now in two distinct pieces.

But what to get? Guru’s cash allowance is relatively small given the circumstances, so he’s leaning towards China for his next Android – the Honor 9 Lite (£199) is unbelievably cheap and, it seems, reasonable in terms of specs. With the camera muscle of the Huawei P20 Pro (p98) out of financial reach, do we look at the Honor 10 (price unknown as press time)? Perhaps the big-chinned Honor 9, to take advantage of about as much power as GaGu’s likely to get for £280? Who knows.

You’ll know, when Guru makes his mind up.

ANDREA ROTH, TROWBRIDGE

Is it worth buying a VR headset?

GaGu’s honest advice is to try one first. And not just for five minutes. Strap yourself in for half an hour, weave and wobble your head around in that virtual world, and see just how quickly your brain tells your stomach that lunch is entirely optional. Higher-end headsets with better refresh rates and tighter screen doors tend to make the problem less prominent, but it’s there nonetheless.

The other question is just what sort of an investment it’s going to be, and what you’ll get out of it.

You’ll need a hefty computer to run good PC VR setups – is yours up to scratch? Headsets aren’t cheap, especially if you go for the full bells and whistles option of the Vive Pro (p92). The PS VR is much more affordable, but we’re still talking over £500 all-in. And when you’ve got one, what’s the justification?

There are some very cool and cute ‘experiences’ and games out there, but there’s not a lot we’d call essential. At least not yet…

A

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 31

Horizon

NEW MEDIA

NOW PLAYING Guru finds the finest media you need on your various screens

KISS ME FIRST Te creator of cult Channel 4 show Skins returns with Kiss Me First, a probably prescient sci-fi drama about a teen who dives into a virtual world called Azana to escape real-life woes.

LES MANDEVILLE, HOVE

How do I fix my mossy lawn?

Traditionally, Guru would send an underling out on the first dry day of the year to hack his lawn down with a lawnmower, dragging all the moss up with it and necessitating a bag change every six feet. This does tend to anger the grass (and the child) somewhat, though.

Better: use a scarifier, basically a big spinning rake which drags the moss up and leaves the grass (mostly) unmolested. There are lots of good options: there’s the Flymo model on p84, while Bosch’s AVR 1100 (£180) is a combination of a ‘verticutter’ and a lawn rake, so it’ll chop up your moss and collect it.

The petrol-powered Al-Ko Comfort 38P (£350) is for big jobs.

A

STEVEN WILLIAMSON, SWANSEA

ABOVE Well, it’ll drain too quickly for sure this way…

Te battery on my mobile is draining fast!

HELLBLADE: SENUA’S SACRIFICE Te BAFTA-winning and darkly decadent Hellblade has just been released on Xbox. Join a quest to the underworld and soak up the gruesome sights.

CHUCHEL Tis PC adventure puts you in charge of a fuzzy furball on his journey to find a cherry. Playful and unapologetically surreal, it feels like it’s been plucked from the head of Terry Gilliam.

3 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Come on, you can’t keep taking Guru up this road.

Really. You’re not stupid.

You know each one of the answers.

The battery is old. The screen’s too bright. The Wi-Fi’s constantly seeking a network it can’t find.

You’re over-hammering the processor by playing pointless games with no reward other than quieting the voices in your head, which is possibly a valuable reward on its own, Guru must admit. Also, maybe there’s something using data in the background, that sort of thing. Phone batteries are getting bigger, but no giant change is coming soon, so grab a battery case or pack and just keep juicing ’til you can’t no more.

A

You’re over-hammering the processor by playing games with no reward other than quieting voices in your head

DAVE SANDERSON, LONDON

What colour are your lights?

White. They are white.

Bluey-white when Guru is concentrating on answering odd questions like this one, yellowy-white when GaGu is eating one of his three daily lunches, and orangey-white when the Guru clan are settling down for the latest episode of Needlessly Grumpy Detective Solves the Crimes.

Sure, GaGu fiddled about with colours when he first got his Hue kit. The lounge looked like the inside of a ’50s jukebox. But beyond one bulb in Guru’s cinema room which goes red for a bit of pre-showing atmosphere, RGB hasn’t stuck around. Maybe Hue’s new atmospheric tie-ins will bring the colour back into his life.

A

Don’t miss another instalment of the legendary Gadget Guru!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! See p46

Opinion

Duncan Bell is… not healthy Official: the worst thing about nearly dying and then being in hospital is the lack of tech o I’m lying on the floor in my pants, and a paramedic is shoving a needle in my arm while saying to his colleague, “Ooh, that is low. Yeah, that’s not good. Crikey!”

Words to that effect, anyway.

Actually, the only reason I was even wearing my pants was due to my boyfriend thoughtfully putting them on me before the ambulance arrived. Because while dropping dead of a cardiac arrest might be bad, doing so while everyone can see your junk is just unforgiveable.

The nice man and lady in green overalls were shooting me up with atropine, which is an anticholinergic and potent belladonna alkaloid used to improve hemodynamic stability. That’s ’cos my heart had just nearly stopped.

As I was struggling onto their wheeled ill-person-chair-thing (I think that’s what they call it), I did what anyone would do in that situation: used the Slack app on my iPhone to message the office, “Hey guys, having heart attack, start meeting without me :-(”

S

It’s fun to stay at the NHS My phone was the only part of my tech arsenal that I was able to bring with me, but I did get a few new accessories. There was the needle thing in my arm for attaching bags of salt water and drugs to (a canula, if you’re medically minded) and about 500 sticky electrodes running to an ECG. You know how people always complain that taking your heart rate from your wrist with wearables isn’t very reliable? Having tried the ‘proper’ medical version of that, it’s hardly a surprise. It seemed to involve taking electrical readings from 37 key points, across my entire

torso. How is shining a small green light at your wrist ever going to match that for accuracy?

The funny thing was that at the hospital they had to put an entire new set of sticky electrode things on, because the bleepy heart machines in A&E are different to the ones in an ambulance. It’s like going from iPhone to Android.

Later on, the ones on the cardiology ward were different again like, I dunno, Windows Phone.

Thankfully not too much like Windows Phone, as you can tell from the fact that I’m not dead.

Now, I don’t think I’m breaking any news to anyone when I say that being in an NHS hospital is pretty bleak. They bring you food that is literally like school dinners (though

I did what anyone would do and messaged the office, “Hey guys, having heart attack :-(” this might depend on your school), and it’s full of sick people, weirdly.

Because it was the cardio ward, they were frequently very, very fat sick people, despite the food.

Worse than the grub, the Wi-Fi is rubbish, and for some reason I had to pay to watch TV, but only after midday. Maybe the patients riot if they don’t get to see Good Morning Britain and Jeremy Kyle? Of course, with a phone you’re never really alone, so I was fine for a while, but…

I hadn’t had time to grab a charger.

Let me tell you, nothing is more terrifying in a hospital than the fear that you may run out of battery.

Well, okay, maybe a few things are more terrifying, but it’s right up there. At this point in any hospital anecdote it’s customary to thank the amazing staff, and I’m no exception. I owe my life, or at least my sanity, to the nurse who let me borrow her charger overnight.

My other tech takeaway from my medical emergency was something that occurred to me as I was lying on the bathroom floor thinking, “Hang on, I can’t die here, I’m not even wearing pants!”

As part of my ‘tech lifestyle’, I wear gadgets that check my heart-rate every single day. You might think that the kinds of pricey, next-gen health and fitness wearables we’re talking about here would have given me some inkling of heart stoppage in the near future. Even if not at the time, at least with hindsight when looking back at the data. Right? Nope, not a dicky bird.

You know, I was half expecting an alert saying, ‘Your resting heart rate is down to 7 – that’s a sign of great fitness, keep it up!’ next to an image of a beaming cartoon clown.

Maybe next time…

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 3 3

Ultimate tech wishlist

ULTIMATE TECH WISHLIST We all want the easier, better life that tech can bring, but we each have different budgets. Tat’s why T3 has picked out your next upgrades with options for each that are a total steal, worth the spending extra on, or are a seriously luxe splurge...

Words: Matt Bolton

3 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Ultimate tech wishlist

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 37

Ultimate tech wishlist

4K TVS STEAL

PHILIPS 43PUS6262/05 This 43-inch set is a real crowd-pleaser, packing in not only an Ultra HD screen and HDR, but also Ambilight for creating ambience during movie night. Image quality is excellent for the price, it’s pretty well-featured, and it even looks the part.

Total bargain. £399, philips.co.uk

SPEND

SPLURGE SONY A1E B&O BEOVISION ECLIPSE

Sony’s ćagship 55- or 5-inch OLED TV is a class leader. The image quality is absolutely stunning, and the picture frame-style folding stand makes it look unlike anything else out there. Even better, innovative audio tech turns the entire screen into a powerful speaker.

From £2,479, sony.co.uk

Part TV, part sound system, part grand design piece, the BeoVision Eclipse will elevate your entire viewing experience.

The 55- or 5-inch OLED screen offers jaw-dropping images, while the 450W soundbar is more powerful than most standalone systems.

From £7,495, bang-olufsen.com

4K PROJECTORS STEAL

SPEND

SPLURGE

BENQ TK800

ACER V7850

OPTOMA UHZ65

The most affordable truly 4K projector on the market brings impressive brightness at 3,000 lumens, with vibrant colours to make the most of HDR viewing. It’s even got a halfdecent sound system built in, though we still recommend adding your own speakers. If you have the space it can project up to 100 inches. £1,199, benq.co.uk

Not only will this projector bring impressive detail to your Ultra HD movies and TV, it’ll make your life easier with its real-world friendliness – it’s compact, quiet and easy to work into a setup. 4K HDR viewing is lovely and, if you want to go seriously cinematic, the V7850 projects up to a whopping 300 inches. £1,999, acer.com

Laser projector tech brings swathes of gorgeous colours and stunningly rich black levels to projected movies, but it used to be the playground of the super-rich only. Not anymore! This box is amazing, showing Ćnesse in detail, lush HDR colour, and subtly in dark scenes. The ultimate home cinema experience. £4,999, optoma.co.uk

3 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Ultimate tech wishlist

SMART SPEAKERS

BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS STEAL

SPEND

STEAL

SPLURGE

GOOGLE HOME MINI

SONOS ONE

APPLE HOMEPOD

A complete smart speaker in a teeny package. Google’s decor-friendly fabric styling comes in several colours, and though it’s not much of a music masterpiece it’s perfect for asking Google Assistant for recipe advice in the kitchen, or for local trafĆc updates when you’re getting ready for work. £49, store.google.com

We love the ćexibility this mid-size speaker provides.

Amazon Alexa is built-in for answering your queries, but the One is also part of Sonos’ system, so it’s packing a great set of speakers itself and can be part of a multiroom system, with music played through Alexa or the excellent Sonos app. £199, sonos.com

This is the best speaker we’ve ever heard for its size, thanks to some seriously advanced tech inside. But it also comes equipped with Siri for smart home control and other queries, as well as AirPlay connectivity, so you can play anything to it from an Apple device. (You will need Apple gear to use it.) £319, apple.com/uk

TURNTABLES STEAL

SPEND

WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 11.1 Want a classic hi-Ć experience without breaking the bank? Look no further than the Diamond 11.1. Wharfedale has infused these bookshelf speakers – best positioned close to a rear wall – with advanced features whilst keeping the price down. The result is a robust performance, bringing a glorious midrange and impressive textures. £269.95, wharfedale.co.uk

SPEND

BOWERS & WILKINS 707 S2

MARANTZ TT5005 A perfect entry into vinyl, whether you’re new or digging back in. The compact Marantz TT5005 comes with a cartridge and doesn’t need a separate phono pre-amp. Clumsy types will love how the tone-arm moves itself onto and off the record automatically. The audio quality is nothing to be sniffed at, either. £99, marantz.co.uk

B&W engineering prowess is obvious in these small speakers that pack a big, expansive sound. The Ćnely Ćnished boxes pack a carbon and aluminium tweeter that’s brilliantly detailed, while the bass sounds like it’s from a much bigger speaker. It’s all balanced and composed to perfection, and that quality still holds when things get loud. £799, bowers-wilkins.co.uk

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5

Getting serious about your vinyl? This stylish turntable is built like a battleship, comes with a high-performance cartridge, and has a J-shaped tone-arm to reduce any tracking errors. The AT-LP5 is well-connected, too, with line or phono outputs, plus a USB port for digitising your favourite wax. £329, eu.audio-technica.com

SPLURGE KEF LS50 WIRELESS

SPLURGE VPI PRIME SCOUT Give your records the VIP treatment they deserve. Perching a massive, revolving slab of aluminium on top of a hefty slab of steel-plated MDF, the Prime Scout offers epic stability and acoustic damping, along with a Tećon bearing to keep the sound totally accurate. The results are truly incredible. £2,650, renaissanceaudio.co.uk

The non-wireless LS50s are already among the best speakers on the planet, but this version is smart. KEF’s Uni-4 drivers provide incredible sound and precision (thanks to a design where the tweeter and woofer are mounted at the same point), but, cleverly, built-in ampliĆers and Wi-Fi mean the speakers become a hi-Ć system all on their own. £1,999, uk.kef.com

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 3 9

Ultimate tech wishlist

HYBRID WATCHES

RUNNING TRACKERS

STEAL STEAL NOKIA STEEL Nokia’s movement-tracking watch gets the most important thing right by being a serious looker. The simple tones and minimalist design are super-stylish, and when you throw in steps tracking (reported on the dial) and sleep tracking, plus an eight-month battery life, you get an affordable and reliable addition to your wrist. £119, health.nokia.com

POLAR M200 Light on price and full of helpful features for those getting into running.

You’ve got GPS, heart-rate monitoring, water resistance and activity tracking.

Smart coaching helps you hit your goals. £129, polar.com

SPEND

SPLURGE

SPEND

GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC TOMTOM SPARK 3 CARDIO + MUSIC MONDAINE HELVETICA NO1 REGULAR Mondaine makes beautiful modernist watches, but this smart model adds activity and sleep tracking, as well as notiĆcations, to your fashion timepiece.

Letters are mixed among the numbers – when you get a phone call, the hands spin to ‘T’ before returning to normal.

Two-year battery life is a boon. £650, mondaine.com

Whether you run, swim or cycle, TomTom’s wearable offers GPS tracking, coaching and storage for 500 songs. £189, tomtom.com

Run better and smarter with one of the year’s most-loved GPS running watches, designed with a big battery life and heart-rate tracking. Combine it with the Running Dynamics Pod (£89) to get next-level data, with analysis of stride length and more. £399, garmin.com

ON-EAR WIRELESS HEADPHONES SPLURGE SPEND

STEAL SPLURGE FREDERIQUE CONSTANT HYBRID MANUFACTURE This Ćnely crafted watch is powered by a custom hybrid calibre that incorporates smartwatch functions – activity tracking, sleep tracking, timezone tracking and a coach – into one unit, then adds analytics for the calibre on top so that you can use the app to track its mechanical precision. £1,968, frederiqueconstant.com

4 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

MARLEY POSITIVE VIBRATION 2 WIRELESS These headphones sound much more natural and expressive than you would expect for the price – they don’t use heavy bass to hide poor quality, because they’re pretty damn great. Battery life and comfort are ace, too. £49.99, sony.co.uk

AKG N60NC

B&W PX WIRELESS

Mid-range excellence is yours with these brilliant cans. The audio is really strong, Ćnely balanced and full of detail, and the noise cancellation is excellent.

They stave off the outside just as well as headphones twice the price. Bonus: they’re compact for travel. £137.99, sony.co.uk

About as technologically advanced as headphones get. That amazing Bowers & Wilkins sound is mixed with class-leading adaptive noise cancellation, along with other additions such as sensors that pause the music when you lift a cup, and a giant 22-hour battery life. £329, bowers-wilkins.co.uk

Ultimate tech wishlist

TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES STEAL

URBANISTA TOKYO These comfortable earbuds put your money where it matters: sound quality. They sound as good as sets that cost twice the price, with controlled bass, a precise mid-range and detailed treble. They’re also solid in other areas, including connection reliability, and give you a hit of sweet wireless freedom. £100, uk.urbanista.com

APPLE AIRPODS Although these iconic white earbuds, packaged in a pocket-sized carry case, are made to work best with iOS devices (which they switch between seamlessly), they perform very well as general Bluetooth earphones, creating a sound that’s both full and detailed. The impeccable connection and crystal clear microphone are complimented by an excellent battery life. £159, apple.com/uk

SPEND

SPLURGE B&O E8 B&O’s audio prowess is once again on show, as the E8 are easily the best-sounding true wireless headphones we’ve heard so far. They’re expansive, perfectly balanced to give every single part of the soundscape its moment in the spotlight, and they offer top-tier noise cancellation so that nothing is drowned out by the outside world. If you have the budget, these are hard to beat. £269, beoplay.com

SMART WORKOUT MACHINES STEAL

SPEND SPLURGE

PROFORM ENDURANCE 420 E

NORDICTRACK C990 TREADMILL

Elliptical trainers offer a cardiovascular workout that’s beneĆcial to your entire wellbeing, and this machine uses multiple resistance settings to do just that. Working wirelessly with the iFit tablet app, it displays live metrics, offering insight into your Ćtness. e SURIRUPĆWQHVV FR XN

This sturdy treadmill will keep you exercising for longer, thanks to strategic cushioning that reduces impact on knees and ankles. It works wirelessly with the iFit app, has a maximum 12 per cent incline, and, mercifully, there’s a built-in fan at the front to keep you cool. £1,199, nordictrack.co.uk

TECHNOGYM GROUP CYCLING CONNECT The smart features of this bike bring extra motivation because you can ride, virtually, with a group for extra motivation. You get app connectivity and analytics, and the bike powers itself from your movement. ÂŁ3,550, technogym.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 41

Ultimate tech wishlist

CAMERAS STEAL

SPLURGE

SPEND

OLYMPUS PEN E-PL9

CANON EOS 7D MARK II

NIKON D850

An entry-level mirrorless camera that’s big on style, features and image quality. The Pen E-PL9 is a solid upgrade from a smartphone camera, partly thanks to touch controls on its articulated screen. There’s 4K recording, too. £579, olympus.eu

This 20-megapixel DSLR includes some seriously advanced metering and autofocus tech, along with fast 10fps shooting and excellent ergonomics, ensuring you’re always able to capture the perfect shot. £1,349, canon.co.uk

The 45MP full-frame sensor in this incredible, pro-level camera captures more detail than you ever dreamt possible. And, naturally, the control over your images is just about unparalleled, as is the battery life. £3,499, europe-nikon.com/en-GB

CAMERA DRONES STEAL REVEL CONTROL SPOT 2.0 This dinky drone’s camera records in Full HD, capturing to microSD card, and you even get a 2GB card included in the low price. Though it’s not the most stable to ćy it is good fun, offering seven minutes ćight at a time. £49.99, argos.co.uk

SPEND PARROT BEBOP 2 Full of the fun of ćying, the Bebop 2 gives you around 20 minutes in the air, which is damn good.

Flight is stable, too, with speeds of up to 37mph.

The wide-angle Full HD camera captures supersmooth footage, and you can add a Ćrst-person viewing headset. £399.99, parrot.com

SPLURGE DJI MAVIC AIR The biggest name in pro drone photography makes its high-end tech affordable here. The folding, pocket-sized drone takes 4K video at 100Mbps – that’s broadcast quality! The threeaxis gimbal keeps the camera steady as a rock, and the drone can ćy itself, tracking you, for amazing shots no matter what you’re doing. £769, dji.com

42 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Ultimate tech wishlist

POWER LAPTOPS

DASH CAMS STEAL

STEAL HP OMEN 15 Enjoy solid performance, whether you work or play, in HP’s top value package. With the Omen 15 you get a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and Nvidia’s 1050 Ti graphics chip, which can play just about anything smoothly on the 1080p screen.

From £999, hp.com

MIO MIVUE 688 Light on price but not features, this cam captures your journey in clear 1080p with a 140° viewing angle, has built-in GPS, warns you if you’re drifting in a lane or exceeding the speed limit, and has road camera warnings that are updated over time.

The Mivue records to microSD – you just miss out on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. £84.99, mio.com

SPLURGE

SPEND

SPEND

GARMIN DASH 55 This 1440p cam records your trips at higher than 1080p resolution, so there’s more detail to be pored over if needed. Control it with voice commands and take advantage of its possible collisions and lane drift warnings. If the Dash 55 detects a crash, it automatically saves footage, which you can wirelessly transfer. £119, garmin.com

SPLURGE

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 15 The most ćexible laptop ever? 4uadcore power, strong graphics, and the screen transforms into a 15-inch tablet!

RAZER BLADE PRO 4K A 17-inch 4K display, a top-end Nvidia 1080 graphics chip, 32GB of RAM...

There are no compromises here. You want portable power? You need this. £3,799, razer.com

2-IN-1 LAPTOPS STEAL

SPLURGE

SPEND NEXTBASE 612GW Capture every detail thanks to the 4K recording available with the 12GW an ultra-wide-angle 150° lens helps it to see more, too. Wi-Fi for video transfers and GPS are also on board, along with a generous, three-inch touch panel for slick control. A polarising Ćlter reduces glare, while a Sony sensor ensures seriously good low-light clarity. £199, nextbase.co.uk

ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP Keep it small and light with a 10-inch convertible.

Powered by Chrome OS, this is great as a little web browsing laptop, a kitchen tablet, or anything in between. Ideal for kids or ploughing through emails. £349, asus.com

GOOGLE PIXELBOOK

HP SPECTRE X360

Google’s premium Chromebook brings plenty of speed, fantastic build quality and a gorgeous 12inch 2400x1 00 display. It’s less than half an inch thick, weighs a mere 1.1kg, and is comfortable to use as a tablet or lightweight laptop. £999, store.google.com

There’s no cutting corners with this stellar two-inone. Get your Ćll with a 4K screen, quad-core power and big battery life. USB ports and B&O speakers round out the tech, and it comes with a 13- or 15-inch screen. At 1.2kg it’s commuter friendly.

From £1,249, hp.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 4 3

Ultimate tech wishlist

SMART COFFEE

STEAL SMARTER COFFEE MACHINE Using the app, you can tell this machine how you like the beans ground, how many cups’ worth of coffee to prepare, and to trigger remotely (as well as Alexa integration). In turn, it will tell you when it’s running low on water. £179, smarter.am

SPEND

SPLURGE NESPRESSO EXPERT+MILK

DE’LONGHI PRIMADONNA CLASS 550.55.SB

The capsule gets smart! Use the Nespresso app to make a coffee, to schedule one for later, or to change how it’s made. The Aeroccino feature also whips up a hot or cold milk froth that’s perfect for pro-level lattes. Who needs a coffee shop, eh? £274.99, nespresso.com

Go bean-to-cup at an elite level with the myriad options here, controlling the action from the 3.5-inch screen or via the Coffee Link app use the latter for êinĆniteë customisation of your coffee to your taste. There’s even milk frothing, self-cleaning, quiet grinding and two-cup delivery. £1,099, delonghi.com

MULTI-FUNCTION BLENDERS SPLURGE

STEAL SPEND

SCOTT SIMPLISSIMO CHEF

TEFAL ULTRABLEND+

VITAMIX A3500 ASCENT SERIES

When is a blender more than a blender?

When it can immediately heat up the soup you just smooshed in it, or steam-cook other foods (like Ćsh) you place in it. It’s a time (and washing-up) saver, and a great blender in itself.

There are three blend settings, an ice crushing program and a dedicated sous vide function. £132.50, scott-gear.co.uk

With blades that spin at a Ćnger-bothering 45,000rpm, you get super-smooth results from anything you want this blender to liquidise. A heating element warms the results if you need it to, and it can get water up to 100 degrees, which is handy for boiling vegetables if your hobs are otherwise engaged. £224.99, tefal.co.uk

Smart container detection means you can set and forget your blending in the A3500 – put your food in a container matched to a speciĆc program (say, hot soup) and it will spin its powerful blades for a speciĆc amount of time, using the friction of its blades to heat up the results. It’s massively versatile. £675, vitamix.com

4 4 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Ultimate tech wishlist

SLEEP TECH

ROBOT VACUUMS SPEND

STEAL MISFIT RAY By day, this is an excellent traditional Ćtness tracker. By night, it keeps an eye on how restful your sleep is, sending the results to the MisĆt app. You’ll be able to see trends over time and what factors might be affecting your rest you’ll know you’re getting less rest when it’s hotter, say, or more after you’ve done a gym workout. e PLVĆW FRP

SPEND

STEAL

SPLURGE

VILEDA VR101

DEEBOT OZMO 930

It’s not smart, but it works! The VR101 can run a 0-minute full clean program or a 20-minute small-space sweep has a sensor to avoid falls down stairs and works on all hard ćoor types or short carpets.

It doesn’t have scheduling, but a single push will set it on its cleaning mission. £79.99, vileda.com

Not only is this a smart vacuum cleaner, it pulls double duty too. How? For a start it uses sensors to map your home as it navigates around, and you can then zone your home for speciĆc cleaning plans. But, when it detects it’s on hard ćoors, it actually mops as well as vacuums for a deeper clean. £549, ecovacs.com

NEATO BOTVAC D7 CONNECTED A cleverly designed smart cleaner with a raft of brilliant features, including intelligent mapping of your home so that you can set ‘no-go’ areas, such as that cable mountain next to your desk.

The clever, D-shape design enables it to get into corners better than its peers. ÂŁ749, neatorobotics.com

SECURITY CAMERAS DREAMLIGHT MASK Believe it or not, lights in the face can be the key to good sleep. Worn like a normal sleep mask, the Dreamlight uses orange lights to help your brain get into a sleepy state (including light patterns to aid breathing techniques), and green lights to wake you up gently.

The mask also tracks your sleep quality. $224 (ÂŁ160), dreamlight.tech

LOGITECH CIRCLE 2

STEAL

This ćexible smart cam works indoors and outdoors, with a range of mounts to help it slip in pretty much anywhere, with wireless or wired connections.

180° viewing angles capture more of your property, and night vision keeps tabs on nocturnal activity. Alerts can be customised to suit. £169.99, logitech.com

NEST CAM IQ

SPLURGE

You can’t beat Nest’s top-end camera for smarts. Get closer with a 4K HDR sensor and use Nest’s face recognition tech to discover who’s around. Powerful night vision keeps the party going after dark, and intelligent alerts and Google Assistant ensure 24/7 security and control. £299, nest.com/uk

SPEND

SOMNOX SLEEP ROBOT Meet your kidney-shaped night-time cuddle buddy! This cushion has a breathing rhythm of actual movement, which helps to soothe you and regulate your own breathing, making it easier to drift off. The Somnox also plays gentle audio, from white noise to audiobooks.

It’s breathable and washable, so it stays pleasant to use over time. ₏499 (£438), somnox.nl

NETGEAR ARLO PRO This is the path to security nirvana. The Arlo Pro system uses a hub that many wireless cameras, indoors and out, can connect to, so it scales to your needs.

Simply add more cameras as needed!

Enjoy slick motion detection, night vision and free cloud storage for Ćve cameras. £465.99 (two cams+hub), arlo.com

SPLURGE J U N E 2 01 8 T3 45

Subscribe

SUBSCRIBE to T3 and get a wireless speaker!

Juice Bar Bluetooth Speaker The perfect combination of power and portability

Gift worth

£39.99

YOUR MUSIC, ANYWHERE

PLAY FOR LONGER

SUPER-PORTABLE

Stream your music to the Juice Bar easily over Bluetooth 3.0 EDR, which gives it a generous range of 10 metres!

The huge 1,500mAh battery means your music will last for eight hours of continuous playback from a single charge!

All of this comes in a compact 151x60x50mm package that fits snugly into its handy carry-bag, so you can take it anywhere!

It’s easy to subscribe…

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE! myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/juicesub OR CALL: 0344 848 2852 4 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Subscribe

Other benefits of subscribing to the world’s greatest technology and gadget magazine include…

Six months of T3 delivered direct to your door Brilliant value – save £s on the cover price Never miss an issue of your favourite magazine

Choose your package!

PRINT EDITION

DIGITAL EDITION

PRINT & DIGITAL BUNDLE only

£27 for 6 months

only

£24 for 6 months

only

£12 for 6 months

Six months of T3 in print, plus your Juice Bar Bluetooth speaker

Six months of T3 on your iOS or Android device

Six months of T3 in print and digital, plus your Juice Bar Bluetooth Speaker

Terms and conditions: Please use the full web address to claim your free gift. Gift is available to new UK print subscribers and print+digital subscribers. Please allow up to 60 days for delivery of your gift. In the event of stocks becoming exhausted we reserve the right to replace with items of a similar value. Prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full-priced UK print and digital issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription within 14 days of purchase. Your subscription is for the minimum term speciĆed and will expire at the end of the current term. Payment is nonrefundable after the 14-day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. Your statutory rights are not affected. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change.

For full terms and conditions please visit myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/terms. Offer ends 30 June 2018.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 47

Man vs Tech

MAN TECH

THE MISSION Tech nerd and golf addict Peter Travers has been playing golf on and off for more than 30 years, but with his handicap creeping up he needs to get his golf technique back on course, pronto.

Armed with the latest and greatest breed of golfing gadgets, clothing and accessories, our man with the clubs sets off to see if tech really can help take his game to the next level.

Improve your golf game

TEE-THREE

Swing when you’re winning Can the latest golf tech improve your game faster than if you were playing without it? T3 hits the green to Ćnd out Words: Peter Travers Photography: Olly Curtis

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 49

Man vs Tech

’ve always maintained that golf is the hardest sport in the world. Not like a gruelling 10-hour triathlon physical test, but for a physical and mental battle, when it’s just you and your gear against the elements (such as wildly varying surfaces and wind conditions), golf is the hardest. It can be an incredibly frustrating game when it isn’t going your way, but it’s also one of the most rewarding when you manage to fire a perfect iron shot close to the flag. That’s what makes golf so addictive. But it also gets harder the lower your handicap.

There’s less margin for error, and all it takes is one shot out of bounds to ruin your scorecard.

Of course I still love the game, but my handicap has crept up to 14 over the past few years so I need to stop it from getting higher. With help from T3, I’ve rounded up some of the latest high-tech golf gear to see if it can give my game a much-needed boost.

I

ON THE RANGE Practice makes perfect, so I hit the range with the Ojee Talon Mk 2 golf training device. Ojee says, ‘To swing like a pro, first you need to set up like one’. I feel like you need to be a pro just to understand the Talon Mk 2 – it’s a faff to set up. One how-to video later on YouTube, though, and it all makes sense. With the device plugged into the butt of my 7 iron, the Ojee informs me (in real time) of my spine and club shaft angle at address, and the difference between the two. The Talon Mk 2 calls this the ‘Ojee angle’ and believes this angle should remain the same for each club, regardless of their different lengths.

The Talon Mk 2 ensures my setup is consistent for each club in the bag. I work through all of my clubs and hit more than 100 balls, but practice on the range is hot work. Thankfully I’m wearing an Adidas Adicross No-Show Polo Shirt (£54.95, adidas.co.uk) that does a good job of wicking away any moisture from my body.

I’ve arranged to play a mate for 18 holes this afternoon and have the Smart Scope V2 GPS golf watch to give me very accurate yardages to the greens, making me feel confident that I’m using the right club each time.

Unlike other golf GPS watches that show courses when you arrive on the first tee, you need to download the Smart Scope app to your smartphone or desktop and download/sync courses to the watch. The V2 GPS is 5 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

quite a brick on my wrist, but I can also attach it to my golf bag so that it doesn’t impede swing.

NOT ANY OLD IRON If I’m honest, I’m not good enough, on an average day, to be hitting the current clubs I have. They’re fine when I’m on form and striking it well, and my low-handicapper clubs mean I can control and ‘shape’ the ball from right to left (draw), or left to right (fade), to hit the ball around dogleg fairways or around trees to greens. Due to a general busy lifestyle I don’t play golf every week. Nowadays it’s every month and my form has become sporadic, so I need gear that’s more forgiving every time I play.

My driving can be my weakness, so I’m hoping TaylorMade’s new M3 Driver will get me back on track. It’s TaylorMade’s most technologically advanced driver, featuring a five-layer carbon composite crown and new Y-Track and Hammerhead Slot; the Y-Track has moveable weights, so I can customise the driver to hit the ball higher/lower, and counteract fades/ draws, while the Hammerhead increases the sweet spot to improve strike rates.

WEAPON OF CHOICE The M3’s secret weapon is something called Twist Face tech. TaylorMade’s extensive research (its boffins studied data from more than half a million

THE TAYLORMADE M3 IRONS OFFER MORE DISTANCE, FORGIVENESS AND CONTROL This is what makes the TaylorMade M3 irons so attractive. They’re still aimed at the serious golfer, but offer more distance, forgiveness and control. There’s lots of metal and meat in the clubhead and they’re noticeably heavier than my current clubs. The clever RibCOR, Face Slots and Speed Pocket tech combine to get the ball up in the air regardless of how pure your strike may be.

The face is incredibly reactive and the ball nearly explodes into the sky when I hit it in the sweet spot (the centre of the face). I notice the launch angle of my shots is near-perfect, and that more shots are straighter.

TaylorMade’s irons are heavy, but the design gave us instant extra lift in our shots

shots) proved that most mishits were high-toe and and low-heel shots. Twist Face combats this classic mishit and, with clever angles and ball spin, brings the shots back on line. Does it actually work? You bet your ass it does! I’m straighter than ever off the tee and hitting fairways more than the trees in my first outing with the M3. I also drive it over 300 yards downwind on the big par five, which is a satisfying 40 yards past my partner.

Golf’s a game of inches and any movement during your swing can spell disaster. A strong base is key and this starts with solid footing. I’m trying out Under Armour’s Spieth 2 golf shoes,

Improve your golf game

Using the Ojee Talon Mk II to analyse your swing can help get your approach shots under more control

THE KING OF SWING THE SIX BITS OF GEAR THAT WILL SUPER-CHARGE YOUR GOLF GAME SHOT SCOPE V2 This hybrid GPS golf watch will give you incredibly accurate yardages on the course to reduce your scores, with fully automated performance tracking so that you can analyse your shots and stats post round, helping to improve your game further. £225, shotscope.com

TAYLORMADE M3 DRIVER The innovative driver has a Twist Face to reduce side spin, enabling you to hit the ball farther and straighter. A Hammerhead slot creates a larger sweet spot, and the Y-track has customisable weights. £429, taylormadegolf.eu

TAYLORMADE M3 IRONS Aimed at the better player looking for more distance. For the stunning M3 Irons TaylorMade has crammed in key performance technologies such as RibCOR, Face Slots Speed Pocket and a low-CG (centre of gravity) package. £749 (4-PW), taylormadegolf.eu

OAKLEY CROSSRANGE PRIZM Developed especially for golfers, these High Definition Optics use Prizm lens technology to improve contrast for better separation between fairways and greens. Plus, they reduce annoying glare from the sun. £150, uk.oakley.com/en

UNDER ARMOUR SPIETH 2 Unbeatable traction and grip even on damp or muddy fairways thanks to Rotational Resistance spikes, these Gore-Tex golf shoes were built with insight from Jordan Spieth. Clarino microfiber leather brings comfort. £160, americangolf.co.uk

OJEE TALON MK2 An alignment device that gives you live stats so that you can see if your spine and club shaft angles, and ‘Ojee angle’, are correct when attached to the butt of your clubs. One for the range more than on the course. £199, ojeegolf.com

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 51

Man vs Tech

You can adjust weights in the Taylor M3 driver, to customise its balance for your specific style

52 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Improve your golf game

Pete’s spiky shoes give him perfect grip for hurling his putter in fury after this shot stopped an inch short

THANKS TO ALL THIS NEW TECH I CAN ALREADY FEEL MY GAME COMING BACK which have a mixture of ‘spikes’ for extra grip, and don’t slip during my swing. No wonder Jordan Spieth, the number three golfer in the world, is such a solid ball striker. The surer footing gives me extra confidence.

NEW BALLS, PLEASE Golfers use any piece of kit that gives them an advantage, and the Oakley Crossrange Prizm glasses are a prime example. The Prizm’s tech produces a high-contrast view that helps the shorter grass stand out from its surroundings. Even if I do look a bit Joe 90 when wearing them, they’re light and comfortable. The optics also reduce glare when I’m on the greens, so I’m able to see putting lines easier.

I narrowly lose this match but shoot level with my 14 handicap and, thanks to all this new tech I can already feel my game coming back.

Two weeks later and I’m in the middle of a competitive two-ball

match against a strong eighthandicapper. I’m hoping the new TaylorMade TP5x balls – five layers with a tri-fast core and dual spin cover – will shift my game up a gear. My first three drives with the M3 driver and TP5x balls produce a beautiful, penetrating ball flight. Irons shots are straighter and I’m hitting more greens.

This is a great match for me, with back-to-back birdies on the 4th and 5th, and several pars, then down the stretch we duel it out. After the 17th, we’re level and I’m feeling confident that my tech will see me through. After a booming drive and crisp iron shot, I have a 12-foot putt for the win. I’ve shot 78, and a full seven shots below my handicap, and the gear here was a huge part of getting me there.

NEXT MONTH Can fitness tech help you train for and complete a marathon? T3 slips into its running shoes to find out…

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 5 3

OUT NOW!

Discover the next gadget that will change your life, in a technology magazine custom-designed for iPad

GET A FREE TRIAL IN OUR APP Search the iOS App Store for ‘T3’ ALSO ON

HOME Get the complete smart home lifestyle Edited by Claire Davies

56

59

60

62

64

66

THE SETUP Create a customised, automatic watering schedule right from your garden tap with the Hozelock Cloud Controller

UPGRADE Turn your home into a smart haven with a new connected display that knows more about the world than you do

DESIRE Bring the outside in with botanical print accessories and linens, or kick back in the garden with a budget armchair

HOME TEST Keep a watchful eye over your pets while you’re out with the best connected cams and smart feeders

SMART HOME SURGERY Got some smart questions that need smart answers? Our home gadget experts can help

LIVING SMARTER Save money on your electricity bill this summer by turning window sensors into a remote off-switch for your fan J U N E 2 01 8 T3 55

Home

THE SETUP Each issue, we show you how to set up a key piece of connected-home tech. This month…

Hozelock Cloud Controller

ZONAL SYSTEM One Cloud Controller has one output. If you need a system where your lawn sprinklers come on at different times to your veg patch irrigation system, you’ll need two Cloud Controllers, hooked up to different hose systems. One hub can control up to four tap units, so it’s all done through the single app. If you have multiple taps, this is easily done. If not, you can get a splitter with threading for the same result

5 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

BATTERY POWER The Cloud Controller hub, which connects to your router, needs mains power. The tap unit, however, runs off a couple of AA batteries. LEDs on the front indicate an approximate battery level – when you press the button, the LEDs ćash to show you how much power is left

Te Set-up

GET A SLICK AUTOWATERING SYSTEM RIGHT FROM YOUR TAP No big installation needed – time your sprinklers with a hose upgrade Having a lush, pretty garden to chill out in over the summer months is lovely, but that requires a whole load of work. At least, it used to. On p83 we have a shed full of gadgets and tools to take the effort out of tending your garden, but here we’re going in-depth on one great product that can help out pretty much everyone, and with only a couple of months installation time: the Hozelock Cloud Controller.

The Cloud Controller box screws onto your garden tap, then you attach your garden hose to it. This is basically an extra valve that can be opened or closed by instructions from a wireless hub. Connect the hub to your router and, hey presto, your hose can now be turned on/off remotely from an app on your phone.

The point of this is not, as we assumed, to infuriate then soak someone who’s trying to water the garden manually with the hose. You can set a schedule for the Cloud Controller to follow, including what time it should begin watering and for how long. So if you hook your hose upbto a sprinkler head, or whatever other item you use to get your plants watered properly (see the next page for some picks), you can set it and forget it, knowing that your plants will get the hydration they need.

Well, we say forget it, but the app is a little smarter than that... If it’s going to rain for a few days, the app will forewarn you of the change in weather. You can then choose to dial back the amount of watering, with just a few taps of your phone. The same goes for extra hot spells, with the app warning you ahead of time so that you can adjust the watering duration accordingly. You can also pause the watering schedule at any time, in case you’re sitting in the garden, relaxing with an issue of T3, and suddenly remember that the sprinklers are about to give you an unwanted shower.

Ultimately, the Hozelock Cloud Controller is much cheaper to install than a full sprinkler system and can save you a lot of effort trying to keep your lawn healthy and nourished. One notable caveat: while a single Cloud Controller covers multiple areas of a garden with a hose splitter, you won’t get individual control of those areas. You can add zonal control using this system, though (see left). For extra details about the system, visit hozelock.com

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 5 7

Home

HANDY ADD-ONS FOR A CUSTOM WATER SYSTEM Versatile extras from Hozelock’s own range

TAP INTO THE CLOUD Here’s how to set up your Cloud Controller, and make it so that your garden feels the rain from the cloud

ROUND SPRINKLER PRO A simple lawn hose (£20.99) with two spray settings and adjustable rotation. Sit it in the middle of the lawn to water a half or full circle, or place it at the edge to direct it more.

01

02

03

EASY DRIP MICRO KIT

POWER UP, TURN ON

READY TO GO

CREATE A SCHEDULE

This handy drip kitb(£32.99) is built to gently water up to 15 potted plants. Fit them together however you like, and, if needs be, expand them later by adding more

Download the Hozelock app from the App Store. Stick batteries in the tap unit and follow the instructions to plug in the hub, then start pairing.

The app will give you step by step instructions, so follow them thoroughly. When you’re ready, you’ll get the chance to test the tap unit, so stay somewhere dry…

After that, the app will create a sample schedule for you of a 10-minute water at sunrise and sunset. Next, it will show you how to water instantly, then you’ll see the main menu.

Tap the middle to tweak schedules; the drops at the bottom left to water now; the pause to pause; and the plus/ minus to ‘adjust’ a schedule.

In the Schedules view, you can turn any existing schedules on and off with the ćick of a switch. Or tap to create a new schedule – you can choose which days the schedule should trigger on, then choose multiple times to start, each with an individual duration.

Handily, you can copy stuff to other days. Finally, tap Save.

SOAKER HOSE Got big patches that need a slow but steady infusion of water? Run this porous hose (£24.99) between your plants, where it will seep out water gently and evenly.

SAYS… “I’m too impatient for gardening, but the Hozelock Cloud Controller is giving my grass the exact attention it needs without much input from me.

For a five-minute set-up job, it’s made a really big difference.”

MATT BOLTON, EDITOR

5 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

04

05

ADJUST A SCHEDULE

NOTIFICATIONS

TWEAKING SETTINGS

The plus/minus button at the bottom-right of the main menu is where you can make easy tweaks to your schedule depending on the weather. You can choose how much extra (or less) duration to add to each watering session, and for how many days. Tap Adjust to apply.

Tap Adjust again from the main menu to reset the change.

Tap the cog at the top-right to see the Settings, then tap NotiĆcations. There are many options here about the status of the system, but the weather prompts are the most useful.

Each is granular – you can be reminded when there’s been no rain for a few days, or if the heat has stayed above a certain temperature for too long.

Elsewhere in the Settings screens you can do handy things like change the name of your Cloud Controller hub or tap unit (and even add photos for identifying which tap does what, if you have multiples).

You can also add extra tap units here: choose your hub, then look to the bottom for the option and follow the process.

Upgrade

HOME UPGRADE

Seeing is believing Upgrade your smart home in time for summer with a new connected display that knows more about the world than you do With the Lenovo Smart Display, each of your smart commands gives a handy visual response

Smart displays are where smart home tech is heading. Amazon has already released the Echo Show, and Google execs haven’t ruled out the Google Home eventually coming with a built-in display.

Early this summer, we’ll be treated to another smart home display, courtesy ofbLenovo. Available in an eight-inch or 10-inch model, the Lenovo Smart Display utilises Google Assistant to add a slick visual element to the range of AI features we’ve come to love on the Google Home smart speaker.

With the Lenovo Smart Display you can undertake all of the usual smart commands and chores, asking “Okay Google” to give you the local weather

Te Lenovo Smart Display has an analogue switch to shield you from any hackers spying on your home report, trafĆc update, play music or recommend a local restaurant.

Even in its smallest form Lenovo’s active-listening Smart Display has a bigger screen than the Echo Show, offering more visual real estate for your

search results. While we’re not mad about the plastic frame, the bamboo veneer at the back adds a touch of warmth. You can customise the home page display to show one of your own photos instead of stock digital wallpaper.

There’s a speaker to one side of the rectangular display, and the entire device can be oriented vertically or horizontally.

In addition to power and volume buttons there’s an analogue switch for the front 5MP camera, providing peace of mind if you’re worried about connected home hackers potentially spying on you.

The Lenovo Smart Display (from $249.99/£177.37) will begin shipping inbearly summer.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 59

Home

DESIRE Furnish your pad with the ultimate in modern living accessories

02

01

04

6 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

03

05

06

Desire

04

CLASSICAL HEAD PLANTERS

Ideal for arranging both indoors and outdoors, these large signature resin planters will elevate the style of any long-leaf plant. Consider Ćlling them with spider plants, some ornamental grasses or fragrant lavender plants. £128, audenza.com

MAGPIE BOTANICAL CACTUS COASTER SET

05

Botanicals is a big interiors trend for summer, so start small by getting this freshlooking set of coasters. Each coaster features a botanical illustration from 19th century artist Edouard Moubert, created when he was studying cacti and succulents with French botanist Lemaire. £10, beaumonde.co.uk

06 07

VONHAUS FIRE PIT

01

If you’re spending more time outdoors and want to ward off any evening chill, do so with this geometric Ćre pit. Logs and charcoal can be burned within its belly, with a domed mesh guard keeping you safe from rogue sparks. £54.99, domu.co.uk

ADNET MIRROR

02

Inspired by equestrian tack, this Jacques Adnet mirror is available in small, medium and large. It’s encircled in a heavy tan leather ring and Ćxed with a thick hanging strap and robust brass buckles.

From £603, rume.co.uk

KESWICK WATER PITCHER

03

08

Make sure you and your guests are suitably hydrated by serving fresh water from Keswick’s striking enamel jug, Ćnished in a mottled glaze. The pointed-spout pitcher has a generous 2.8 litre capacity, so it’s perfect for large groups. £28, gardentrading.co.uk

GRASSFLOWER LINEN SET

Brighten up your bedroom with Clarissa Hulse’s print duvet set. The exclusive design features ćowers from the Peloponnese mountains, exuding cheery hues of yellow and green. The duvet cover comes with two pillowcases.

From £95, clarissahulse.com

07

ALDSWORTH SHELF LADDER

Storage needn’t be boring when you have a purpose-built wooden ladder to display your wares upon. Position it in the bathroom and stack up ćuffy towels and fancy toiletries, or Ćll it with books and photo frames in your living room. You could even use it as a herbs and spice rack in the kitchen. £165, modishliving.co.uk

08

BACOPIA GARDEN CHAIR

At last, we can Ćnally bust out the garden chairs and lap up some sunshine! The budgetfriendly, armchair-style Bacopia Garden Chair will add a pop of colour to your outside space, and is made with a rust-resistant aluminium frame and wipe-clean polyester webbing seat and back. £45, diy.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 61

Home

STYLISH AND SMART

HOME TEST

The best smart pet feeders

BEST ON TEST

THE DESIGN AWARD

Keep an eye on your furry friend and feed them from afar! Live the pet ownership dream with T3’s pick of the best smart pet feeders

HOW TO GET MORE FROM YOUR PET FEEDERS CHOOSE THE ONE YOU NEED It might sound obvious, but if you want to create an automated feeding routine for your cat or dog with feedback on their eating progress, go for a smart pet feeder – that’s the Petwant. If you just want to show your pet a little extra love, treat them to some special kibble by using a treat cam – that’s the Furbo or Pawbo. Te latter are much smaller and more interactive, but they’re no replacement for your pet’s normal feeding schedule.

GET THE HEIGHT RIGHT Some smart pet feeders are designed to sit on the floor (case in point – the Petwant), but others benefit from being higher up on a surface. Furbo fires its treats out at an angle upwards, but unless your dog (or cat, if they’re particularly cunning) is really small, the treats will land at their feet, so consider placing a feeder such as this one on a small side table for optimum effect.

SECURE IT IN PLACE Got a particularly boisterous pooch? Ten you should take advantage of your smart pet feeder’s ability to screw onto a surface. Te Pawbo has provision for screws (attached to a surface using wall plugs) at the rear, and it also comes with sticky pads underneath to secure it in place. If you don’t, chances are your new gadget will end up crashing along your kitchen floor when feeding time comes.

62 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

FURBO DOG CAMERA £199, furbo.com Smart pet feeders aren’t the sexiest of home devices, butbFurbo’s treat cam bucks the trend with its curved construction and wood-panel feed lid. It’s also got a capable 1080p camera on board, which offers crisp visuals via the smartphone app, day or night. Its USP is a treat-dispensing port, which unlike the Pawbo, shoots out kibble with such vigour that it can cover some serious distance. This didn’t work so well with cat treats – they’re smaller than dog kibble, and cats don’t seem to like objects Ćred at their face – but as this is marketed as a dog cam, then fair game. Within the app you have lots of options, including the ability to record a treat noise upon dispensing and barking alerts (so you know they want a treat). Unlike the others here, Furbo can’t be screwed to a surface, so those with rambunctious pooches look away.

VERDICT T3 SAYS As treat cams go, Furbo is the most capable of them all, but the treat dispenser might not be suitable for all types of pets. It’s pricey, too.

Smart pet feeders

SPACE-FRIENDLY

EASY FEEDING

PAWBO

PETWANT

£149, pawbo.com

£90, robotshop.com

Unlike smart pet feeders, treat cameras aren’t designed for heavy food duties. As such, the Pawbo is great for those whoblike to spoil their pets. Connect Pawbo to your Wi-Fi network, and within the smartphone app there’s loads to keep the most avid pet fans busy. The camera, while not as impressive as the Furbo (it’s only 720p resolution) works well no matter what time of the day it is. A laser pointer built into the fascia is perfect for exercising eager cats, and can be controlled manually on screen, or you can set it to auto and let Pawbo do the hard work for you. When it comes to treat time, you can choose from a multitude of sounds with which to alert your hungry furry friend. The treat dispenser is a mixed bag – it drops, rather than Ćres treats out, which some might like, but the kibble capacity is quite small.

If you’re looking for a substantial way of feeding your pets – and this is a bit of a chunky beast too – Petwant’s feeder is abgreat option. With a large tray that dispenses up to six portions of kibble, you can keep big or small animals happy all day long. With Wi-Fi on board, you can control the Petwant from your smartphone. The app allows you to create feeding schedules throughout the week, and with each new schedule you set up you can select the size of the portion that it issues, as well as whether you want the device to chime a notiĆcation – it’s not the most pet-friendly sound, though, so those with animals of a sensitive disposition might want to avoid this option. The app also tracks feeding habits, giving you a visual overview of when feeding is occurring, and how much is being eaten each time. Oddly, there’s no manual feed option.

VERDICT T3 SAYS Plenty of in-app options to entertain pets with, and a decent camera that enables you to see how your pets are responding to their treats wherever you are.

VERDICT T3 SAYS It’s not terribly feature-rich, and there’s no camera for remote monitoring, but it’s a simple and effective way of keeping your pets full via your phone.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 6 3

Home

SMART HOME SURGERY Your connected-home queries answered by T3’s experts

SOPHIE BROWN, LANCASTER

Q I’m helping my elderly parents choose a smart home

starter kit. Which ones do you recommend? Tey need to be easy to install and straightforward to use.

ALEX COX REPLIES: Thankfully, the vast majority ofbbig-name companies in the smart home starter kit Ćeld have made reducing complexity a high priority. Hive

by British Gas is a favourite platform for many in terms of how simple it is to use.

While setting up the thermostat part of the Hive Active Heating starter kit isn’t the easiest task, your parents could opt tobbuy the starter kit and have it professionally installed (£249, hivehome. com), so that they can enjoy a toasty

A

home right away and whatever the weather outside.

It’s also easy to expand; adding new devices to Hive’s smart hub is done through a straightforward interface, and there’s a vast selection of products, from connected lights and plugs to smart window and door sensors (available to buy in multi-packs) and so much more.

There are even a number of extras that could really help your parents, such as security cameras (£129 for the Hive Camera, or £189 for the sleek new Hive

View) and a water leak sensor (on a £3.99 per month subscription) which can spot unusual rates of ćow and reveal leaks before they get out of control.

If you’re leaning more towards self-installation, setting your parents up with an Echo Plus (£140, amazon.co.uk) as a central hub opens up a world of =igbee-compatible devices, and means they don’t even need to set things up through an app – just say “Alexa, discover discover my devices”. Plus, what’s more space-age than talking to your lights?

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: inbox@t3.com or www.facebook.com/T3mag 6 4 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Smart Home Surgery

OSCAR PHELPS, CANTERBURY

Q I want to super-tech my home

office, possibly including some AR smarts. What do you recommend?

MATT BOLTON REPLIES: Overhauling the home ofĆce is always fun, especially when you have budget to introduce new gadgets.

Taking the AR angle Ćrst, you might be intrigued by the forthcoming Lampix, abtabletop augmented reality platform mixing hardware and software to turn any home ofĆce surface – that’s desks, walls and ćoors – into an interactive surface, making it particularly attractive to designers and other creatives.

The Lampix looks like an LED table lamp, but inside is a high-def projector and camera that uses machine learning and blockchain-based image sourcing to recognise Ćne hand movements and to react to real-world objects. The Lampix Developer Edition Kit ($350/£248.54, lampix.com) is now available for preorder and will ship this November.

A

MARK TOWNSHEND, BRISTOL

Q Are there

smart machines that make this washing and drying business a lot easier?

CLAIRE DAVIES REPLIES: Doing laundry sucks, but at least we have the means to do it at home, rather than having to trek to the nearest launderette. Earlier this year LG announced a new batch of connected laundry machines, bragging that with its app-connected Smart Thin4 washers you’ll be able to “do laundry from the couch.” The show-off.

Depending on your needs, LG has a batch of washers ranging from an 8kg load up to a 12kg capacity, with each promising reduced noise and vibration.

We’re rather taken with LG’s 12KG Washing Machine with TurboWash and Smart Thin4 connectivity (£1,009, currys.co.uk). TurboWash reduces energy and water usage, delivering a faster wash for those days when you’re in a hurry for clean pants, and Thin4 means you can control the washing action via the Smart Thin4 companion app (iOS, Android). If you’ve forgotten to add socks to the mix, pause the wash, open the door (yikes!) and pop your socks in.

Siemens is not one to be left behind here, adding built-in Wi-Fi connectivity to its i4700 WMH4Y890GB Freestanding Washing Machine (£1,029, johnlewis. com) so that you can control the washer via the Siemens Home Connect app (iOS, Android). This 9kg-load-capacity washer also has a pause-and-reload function, and i-DOS tech that adds the right amount of liquid detergent and softener for your load. It also boasts enhanced stain removal to get to work on stubborn stains including grass, tomato and red wine.

A

If you can’t wait that long, try the Sony Xperia Touch (£1,399, sonymobile.com), a portable short-throw projector that’ll transform your ofĆce wall into a giant whiteboard. As a bonus, when you’re done working you can use it for playing old-school games or for reading recipes when cooking.

The obvious addition to any home ofĆce worth its salt is a smart speaker.

These personal assistants shower you with AI features, including keeping your work diary in check, reminding you of impending deadlines, and ordering you a car if you Ćnd you’re running late for abclient meeting. You can take your pick from Google Home (£129, store.google. com), Amazon Echo (£89.99, amazon. co.uk) the new Panasonic SC-GA10 (£229.99, panasonic.com/uk), or Sonos One (£199, sonos.com).

BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI SOUS VIDE COOKERS You’re not the only one who appreciates a warm bath.

Veggies, Ćsh, meat and some steam-loving puddings enjoy the occasional dip, too. Sous vide is a way to cook food that’s placed in a plastic pouch or glass container, then submerged into a water or steam bath. The result?

Perfectly cooked, delectable foods that fall apart in the mouth. Bluetooth sous vide cookers enablebyou to get such tasty results and to control the cooking from your smartphone. The daddy of these devices is the Anova Precision Cooker (from £119, uk.anovaculinary.com), also available in a handy Nano size (£89). There are other sous vide devices available, including the ChefSteps CS10001 Joule Sous Vide ( 199/£141.31, chefsteps.com) and the Nomiku WiFi Immersion Circulator (£177, nomiku.com).

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 6 5

Home Living smarter

HOME LIVING SMARTER

Save money with abwindow sensor Cut your utility bills and stop wasting energy

LINK A WINDOW SENSOR TO A FAN Connect one to the other for an automatic trigger via IFTTT

bybmaking your house smarter Choose a smarter way to stay cool this summer with IFTTT

TRIGGER PICKING Log in to IFTTT and connect your sensor to your account if you’ve not done this before. We’re using the Energenie Mi|Home Door and Window sensor, which includes a trigger action when it’s opened andbanother when it’s closed.

MAKE IT HAPPEN A smart home kit is, well, smart. This type of kit is smart enough that it can often go beyond its intended purpose. Case in point: window sensors. At Ćrst glance they seem like security devices, there to alert you of unwanted ingress, and to prevent you from leaving a window open while you’re away from home. But why stop there? A window sensor is a perfect trigger for more advanced routines, as long as you buy the right type of sensor.

Something like Yale’s Door and Window contact (£21.52), for example, wouldn’t be the best pick in this scenario since it’s tied to the Yale Smart Alarm system; it’s perfect there, but here you are looking for something with IFTTT or Stringify support. Energenie’s Mi|Home Alert Bundle (£110 for the required hub and two sensors) is a better option, as its open and close actions are supported by IFTTT, so you can use them to trigger something else.

When the weather’s warm, you might have a fan going to keep you cool. But if 6 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

you open a window, having the fan on is abwaste of energy. Hook the fan up to a smart socket controlled by the window sensor, and now you can automatically kill the blades when you open the window.

Ready to go one step further? IFTTT’s routines are generally restricted to one

Create a new applet that triggers when the sensor is opened, and have its action to be switching off a smart plug. Then repeat the action, looking for the sensor to be closed, and set it to switch the plug on.

Set up a Stringify routine that triggers when two windows are open trigger, one action, but you could use Stringify to set up a new routine that triggers only when two windows are open at the same time and there’s a breeze coming through. Stringify compatible window sensors are a little hard to come by, but there is a work-around: if it works with IFTTT, you can use it to trigger a Stringify ćow.

ONE STEP FURTHER To link an IFTTT trigger to a Stringify ćow, connect to your Stringify account as if it were a device. You can use it as an action (just name the ćow you want to run) and even use it as a trigger.

State of the Art

Sports HD projectors Bring FIFA gold home with a big-screen home cinema projector that shines for sports action Words: Steve May Photography: Neil Godwin

1

6 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Sports HD projectors

ig tellies are all well and good, but if you really want to supersize your sports, then a home entertainment projector is the way to go. Recent increases in brightness mean buyers are no longer restricted to peering in pitch-black rooms, and going high-res or even adding cinema-style laser projection is on the right side of affordable.

For this larger-than-life showdown, we’ve assembled a trio of beamers that range from under £600 to a lofty £2,600. All deliver 1080p resolution and require only a clear white wall to strut their stuff (though if you’re feeling flush, you can always spring for a dedicated screen, too). Generally, you can expect to cast a 100-inch image in the average living room if you have a projection distance

B

of 3m or more. When space is limited, an Ultra Short Trow (UST) model (represented here by Epson), will do the same from just a few centimetres.

Given that projectors are fundamentally different from televisions, we think the best viewing experience comes from a combination of brightness and colour vibrancy, which is what we’re looking for in this month’s State of the Art. While all of these projectors boast built-in sound systems, these are little more than functional. We don’t recommend anyone listen to tinny speakers for the duration of the World Cup, so it’s perhaps best to plan for an external sound system too. If you already have a sound soundbar or AV system for your TV, that should do the job nicely.

2

3

WHAT’S ON TEST…

1

Optoma HD39Darbee Special Edition Advanced picture processing enhances colour and sharpens Ćne detail on this high-performing beamer. The beautiful game has rarely looked prettier. £899, optoma.co.uk

2

Epson EH-LS100 This Ultra Short Throw projector can cast a huge image from less than a metre, perfect when space is limited. Its laser tech ensures a really bright, vibrant image despite the close positioning. £2,600, epson.co.uk

3

BenQ W1050 This 1080p shooter has a dedicated Sports mode and won’t break the bank. Its small size and ability to create a 100-inch image from 3m make it easy to accommodate, too.

So is it the smart buy here? £579, benq.co.uk

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 69

State of the Art TEST 01:

OPTOMA HD39DARBEE SPECIAL EDITION

DESIGN From portable to positively huge, thesebprojectors aren’t created equal or technology that aims to claim a prime position in your living room, projectors aren’t always the slickest of kit. Unlike flatscreens and loudspeakers, there’s little opportunity for high design. Utilitarian is perhaps the kindest description.

While it won’t win friends in the design community, the Epson EH-LS100 makes a virtue of its boardroom chic. Weighing 11kg, it requires either a substantial unit to sit on or some clear floor space. You might even consider building it into furniture (if you know a handy chippy). Connections are generous and include three HDMI inputs (one with MHL for a direct smartphone hook-up), as well as a PC VGA in/out, USB (for JPEG and AVI file playback) and composite video. All these inputs are located beneath the unit, which doesn’t encourage casual plug swapping, even if it is tidy.

Beneath the lid, the projector uses a 0.67-inch 3LCD imaging device with a 16:10 (1920x1200 resolution) aspect ratio. Tis means you’ll see a slight grey border top and bottom.

By comparison, the single-chip DLP Optoma HD39Darbee is more transportable.

F

Te BenQ W1050 may be a budget option but it doesn’t look cut-price

The Optoma’s backlit remote control is helpful when the lights go down.

A 12v trigger is provided for home cinema screen integration

SPECS With a matt-white chassis and lens slightly offset to the right, it looks almost swish.

Connections include two v1.4a HDMI inputs (one MHL capable), plus an audio minijack output. Tere’s also a USB-A port able to power a streaming media player dongle.

While the projector is 3D capable, there are no 3D goggles provided in the box.

Te BenQ W1050 may be a budget single-chip DLP option, but it doesn’t look cut-price. Finished in room-friendly white with an offset silver-grey lens and weighing just 2.56kg, it’s arguably the easiest of our trio to live with. Te chassis top has a full set of menu controls, which to be honest are easier to use than the small, awkward remote control that comes with it. Inputs comprise two HDMIs, PC VGA and 3.5mm minijack audio in/outs. Tis projector is 3D compatible, but once again no funny glasses are supplied.

7 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY Single-chip DLP RESOLUTION 1920x1080 BRIGHTNESS 3,500 lumens CONNECTIONS 2x HDMI, audio minijack output DIMENSIONS 314x114x224mm WEIGHT 2.81kg

TEST 01: WINNER

BENQ W1050 While few projectors will woo fashionistas, the BenQ W1050 is well made and small enough to store when you don’t need to get it out for a big match.

Sports HD projectors

EPSON EH-LS100

BENQ W1050

The EH-LS100 offers moderate horizontal and vertical image adjustment.

You can focus this Epson using a lever by the air Ćlter

The BenQ remote is basic, lacking backlit keys. Vertical keystone correction combats trapezoid errors, when you can’t square the image

SPECS

SPECS

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY 3LCD RESOLUTION 1920x1080 MAX BRIGHTNESS 4,000 lumens CONNECTIONS 3x HDMI, PC VGA in/out, composite video, audio output DIMENSIONS 494x188x437mm WEIGHT 11kg

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY Single-chip DLP RESOLUTION 1920x1080 BRIGHTNESS 2,200 lumens CONNECTIONS 2x HDMI, PC VGA in/ out, 3.5mm minijack audio in/outs DIMENSIONS 332x99x214mm WEIGHT 2.56kg

FOR SPORTS, LUMENS ARE EVERYTHING WANT TO WATCH IN DAYLIGHT OR A DARKENED CINEMA? IT’S ALL ABOUT BRIGHTNESS

Projector brightness is measured in lumens. A dedicated home cinema projector will typically offer between 2,000 to 3,000 lumens. In a darkened/ light-controlled room, this is enough to provide a natural viewing experience. For sports and gaming, where some level of ambient light adds to the experience, look for a projector with a light output in excess

of 3,000 lumens. One important consideration that’s often ignored when itbcomes to setting up a projector space inbyour home is the colour of the other walls in your viewing room. If they’re predominantly white, then a projector with a higher brightness output is helpful. Light rećected off them reduces contrast, so you’ll want to compensate.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 71

State of the Art TEST 02:

OPTOMA HD39DARBEE SPECIAL EDITION

EASE OF USE How easy are they to set up, and to get the perfect picture from? hile all projectors benefit when used with a dedicated screen, most manufacturers are canny enough to realise their models will mainly project onto a matt-white wall.

All three models employ similarly unfussy, tabbed menus which offer straightforward image presets. Just line up the image, keeping the projector square to your wall or screen, and you’ll minimise any potential distortion.

Te Ultra Short Trow Epson EH-LS100 has an obvious advantage, as it’s intended to work up against a wall. Tis means you won’t cast shadows when walking around your room. Setup is easy: just position the projector and use the focus lever. From 50cm, you’ll get a sharp 130-inch image. With a little bit of manoeuvring, you may be able to fill an entire wall. Picture modes comprise Dynamic, Bright Cinema, Cinema and Game. For sports, use the generic Cinema setting, or Bright Cinema if ambient light is high.

You need 3m to throw a seriously big image with the Optoma HD39Darbee. In addition to a 1.6x zoom, there’s a generous amount of vertical lens shift and keystone correction, while a test pattern grid helps lock focus.

W

EPSON EH-LS100

BENQ W1050

Te Epson has an obvious advantage, as it’s intended to work up against a wall Te manual zoom and focus ring are easily accessible. Menu navigation can be carried out from the top of the chassis, but the projector also comes with a remote control.

In addition to familiar image adjustments such as brightness, colour, contrast and sharpness, there’s variable gamma and Dynamic Black. Te latter exaggerates contrast, but seemingly adds noise.

Te BenQ W1050 has a 1.2x zoom and is able to cast a 100-inch image from between 2.8m and 3.36m. Manual zoom and focus controls are intuitive to use, while vertical keystone correction is provided to fix any weird trapezoid errors.

Images presets include Bright, Vivid TV, Cinema and Sport. In addition to the top level picture adjustments (Brightness, Contrast, Colour, tint and Sharpness), there’s a good selection of deep tweaks too.

7 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

TEST 02: WINNER

OPTOMA HD39DARBEE With a winning selection of image presets, and a variety of easy-to-use tuning tools, the Optoma HD39 edges ahead of the bulky Epson and budget BenQ.

Sports HD projectors TEST 03:

OPTOMA HD39DARBEE SPECIAL EDITION

PERFORMANCE For that fast-moving football action, which model shines the brightest? hen it comes to luminosity, the EH-LS100, at 4,000 lumens and with a 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio, outplays its rivals emphatically.

Tis is important if you want to watch with social levels of lighting, rather than a full cinema blackout. All this intensity makes the EH-LS100 a tad noisy, though. In Quiet lamp mode, brightness drops to 2,800 lumens.

Tat said, picture quality is gorgeous.

While this laser-light Epson doesn’t quite manage a deep black, colour vibrancy is exceptionally high – just the thing for depicting a verdant green pitch. Images are smooth and pixel-dense; there’s a beguiling photographic quality about its presentation.

Optoma’s DLP HD39Darbee doesn’t have quite as much dynamic contrast as the 3LCD Epson, but there’s still a reasonable black level on display. Optoma quotes a native contrast of 32,000:1, and its sharpness is massively impressive. To prevent edge-ringing, it’s best to keep the Sharpness setting at around 10 on the sliding scale. Image modes comprise Cinema, Vivid, Game, Bright and User.

Like the Epson, the HD39Darbee is bright at 3,500 ANSI lumens, and can be used in a

W

EPSON EH-LS100

BENQ W1050

On the HD39Darbee’s Hi-Def setting, team colours positively zing

TEST 03: WINNER

EPSON EH-LS100 Tanks to a combination of supreme brightness and laser light colour fidelity, Epson’s hulking Ultra Short Trow hero puts in a match-winning performance.

room with moderate lighting. Tis projector is adept at sports, because motion handling is deliciously smooth. Te picture doesn’t suffer artefacts as players run hither and thither.

Te Darbee processor comes into its own with brightly lit matches too – on the Hi-Def setting, team colours positively zing.

Given its budget price tag, it’s perhaps not surprising that the BenQ W1050 doesn’t have sophisticated image interpolation, but motion handling is good. A dedicated Sport mode gives a significant boost to the average picture level, and proves pretty effective. Fine detail is high and black levels are respectable. BenQ claims a contrast ratio of 15,000:1.

Brightness is rated at a 2,200 ANSI lumens, lower than the competition, but not by much considering its super-low price. Still, you might want to keep the curtains drawn for the best image.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 73

State of the Art

VERDICT:

1st

THE OVERALL WINNER IS… OPTOMA HD39DARBEE £899, optoma.co.uk WE’RE IMPRESSED Pin-sharp pictures that are bright enough to be watched in a moderately lit room make this a winner. Motion handling is great, and the Darbee adds an extra level of eye candy.

WE’D IMPROVE Opt for peak brightness and operating noise could be an issue – of course when your mates are screaming, you may well not notice…

THE FINAL WORD Goals win games, and in our three-way shootout, Optoma’s projector most often Ćnds the back of the net. Keen value, a winning picture performance and the bonus of Darbee processing magic, make this a sports projector to shout about.

EPSON EH-LS100

BENQ W1050

£2,500, epson.co.uk

£579, benq.co.uk

2nd

WE’RE IMPRESSED The Ultra Short Throw form factor makes it easy to cast giant images, and brightness is class leading.

WE’D IMPROVE This is a big beast to accommodate, and has a laser-inćated price tag.

THE FINAL WORD With a combination of Ultra Short Throw and long-lasting laser light source, this is a star performer.

3rd

WE’RE IMPRESSED For value, this compact shoots and scores.

Image clarity is high, and that Sports mode is spectacular.

WE’D IMPROVE It’s noisy on full brightness and the supplied remote is awkward to use.

THE FINAL WORD Some caveats, but this budget beaut doesn’t disappoint when it comes to big-screen picture quality.

FIVE WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR HD PROJECTOR 01 MANAGE BRIGHTNESS The Epson EH-LS100 has an additional Light Source Mode with settings for Normal, Quiet, Extended and Custom brightness. In Quiet, brightness drops to 2,800 lumens, which is still comparable to the highest brightness of some rival home cinema models.

02 EMBRACE ECO If you’re watching in a fully dark room, it makes sense to ease back on lamp brightness. The 74 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Lamp output in the Optoma HD39Darbee is adjustable between Normal, Economic and Smart Eco, the latter automatically adjusting output based on content.

03 LIVE LONG ANDbPROSPER The Epson EH-LS100 has been designed for long periods of use, because the brand has effectively taken a 24/7 Pro AVbcommercial chassis and re-purposed it for consumer use. This is good news, because

it means what we’re getting here is signiĆcantly over-engineered for the living room.

04 KEYSTONE ADJUSTMENT If you can’t quite line up the projector for a perfectly straight widescreen image, use the horizontal and vertical keystone adjustment options to square up the geometry and get things looking spot on. Not ceiling mounting? The feet on your projector will be adjustable too, for some extra help.

05 LAMP REPLACEMENT If you don’t buy a projector with a laser light source, you will need to replace the projector lamp after a certain amount of time, because they dim after prolonged use. Lamp life varies between models, but the Optoma HD39Darbee (for example) will run for around 4,000 hours in Bright mode.

Select the Eco setting and this can be extended to 10,000 hours – so how much brightness you need makes a big difference.

Sports HD projectors

5

ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS

1

The projector is the keystone of your big-screen experience, but it’s only one part of creating a world-class sports setup

OPTOMA ALR100 FIXED SCREEN

If you want to use a dedicated projection screen rather than a white wall, Optoma offers the ALR100. This Ćxedframe, 100-inch screen uses an ambientlight-rejecting silver-grey fabric which improves contrast and colour performance inbrooms with high light. The fabric itself attaches to the frame with a multiplicity of tension springs. With a thin 16mm bezel, itblooks like a giant TV screen in action. £999, optoma.co.uk

01

2

DENON HEOS HOMECINEMA HS2 SOUNDBAR

Don’t rely on built-in speakers of your chosen projector get a decent sound system to complement those monster images. This Denon 2.1 system can be partnered with other multiroom Denon speakers (so the Ćnal can be simulcast in the kitchen), and features AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. With dual woofers and a pair of crisp dome tweeters, it’ll easily drown out any projector hum you may experience. £699, denon.co.uk

02

3

BT TV SET TOP BOX

4

PLAYSTATION 4 PRO

To ensure you have access to all the sports you need, get a premium set top box. The compact BT TV telly box, based on the YouView platform, offers a full Ćst of catch-up TV services as well as Freeview and subscription channels, mixing an aerial feed with broadband-delivered content. £contract dependant, tv.bt.com

03

04

05

So what do you do when you’ve watched every game? You Ćll in your spare time playing FIFA 18 on the big screen, of course. Over-sized gaming is an incredibly immersive experience, and all of our projectors are bright enough to dazzle with HD game footage. Once you’ve gone big, youbwon’t be able to game small. £349, sony.co.uk

5

AMAZON FIRE TV STICK

If you’ve got a spare HDMI port and an integrated USB power supply, why not connect a streaming stick? Not only will the latest Amazon Fire TV give you wall-sized playback of free and on-demand services, it also incorporates Alexa voice control. £39, amazon.co.uk J U N E 2 01 8 T3 75

Te complete guide to‌

76 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Road-friendly ebikes

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO…

Road-friendly ebikes Don’t want to sweat it on your next ride? Or maybe you just want to go faster without having to put in the leg work? Either way you need an ebike, and our guide will get you started Words: Nick Odantzis

et’s face it, riding a bicycle is much better when you’ve got a little helping hand in the power department, whether that’s a long downhill or a tailwind. But, of course, this isn’t particularly practical, especially when you live somewhere that is both very hilly and very windy.

Te solution? An ebike, of course.

Ignore what the naysayers might tell you - even if you’re as fit as a fiddle, riding an ebike is one of the best experiences out there.

You get all the advantages of cycling, as you might expect, with the benefit of a little extra leg help when you need it. Tere are also very few downsides, other than the higher price tag (over an equivalent bike) and a bit of a weight gain; a side effect of the battery and motor doing the work for you. Tat said, the tech is constantly improving, and ebikes are getting lighter as time goes on.

Ebikes have also evolved to match their non-powered counterparts.

A few years back, when ebikes were just starting to gain in popularity,

L

you could only choose from a few hybrid-style options (the most popular style for casual riders).

But now you can get cargo ebikes, folding ebikes and even road ebikes, for those with a penchant for skin-tight Lycra club runs on a Sunday morning.

All of which makes right now a great time to invest in an ebike. So, with the popularity of ebikes at an all-time high, and more ebikes than you can shake a stick at available to buy, what should you be looking for when you come to buying one?

WHAT IS AN EBIKE? Tere’s an easy way to tell a regular bike from an ebike. For starters, it should be called an ebike, obviously, though some brands refer to them as a pedelec or an EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle). It will also feature an electric motor, battery, and some kind of control box (usually in the form of an LCD display) that enables you to adjust its power. When you turn the pedal on an ebike, the motor produces additional power (on top of the

power created by your legs), helping to propel the bike forward. Tis power is drawn from the battery.

When the battery is empty you won’t get any further electric assistance until it is charged.

In the UK, the law states that an ebike’s motor must be no more powerful than 250W, that the bike only produces electric assistance while pedalling it, and that its speed is limited to 15.5mph. If you’re looking at importing a bike from another country, it’s worth ensuring that it meets this strict criteria so that it’s legal to use here. If, for example, an ebike is powered by the throttle alone (without pedalling), this is not legal and the bike would need approval. Tat said, some ebikes have a walk-assist mode, allowing you to push the bike along with a small amount of power assistance. Tis is perfectly legal.

If you’re unsure about what to look for when purchasing an ebike, there’s an easy way to check – make sure the ebike you’re buying comes with the official European stamp of approval: EN15194.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 7 7

Te complete guide to…

Te top three…

KITS FOR CONVERTING TO ELECTRIC

Ebike batteries are li-ion and offer different ranges.

The Ampler Curt (pictured), for instance, offers a 70km range per charge

Want to make your normal bike go a bit faster? Here are the best ways to turn your steed into a speed machine 01

GEOORBITAL Its looks are a bit Marmite, but the GeoOrbital can give you e-power in just 60 seconds by swapping your front wheel with the GeoOrbital one. However, with a 500W power rating, it’s not yet legal in the UK. $995, geoo.com

02

OXYDRIVE F-SERIES If you want a more traditional conversion, the OXYdrive F-Series comes with a 468Wh battery that attaches to the frame’s downtube, a 250W front hub motor, and an LCD display enabling you to control its six levels of assistance. All in, it weighs 6.9kg. £699, oxydrive.co.uk

03

SWYTCH Though Swytch is still in the Kickstarter phase, it’s looking promising, with a range up to 50 miles and the ability to convert any bike. Its weight of just 1.5kg for the hub motor and 2.1kg for the battery means you’ll hardly notice it when installed. $349, swytchbike.com 7 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Now that you know what an ebike is, and what kind of ebike you can legally use in the UK, let’s look at the kind of road ebike you need for your particular lifestyle.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR? First of all, consider the type of riding you think you’ll be doing with an ebike. In this guide we’re focusing only on the kind of bike you would ride on the road, whether that’s within a city or out of town, though specific mountain-focused ebikes are available for those looking to satisfy off-road pursuits.

If you’re going to be somewhere hilly, you’ll need a bike with a broad range of gears to choose from. If it’s somewhere flat, fewer gears will suffice, or you can go with a single speed bike, which is also easier to maintain.

If you want a comfortable ride, look for an ebike with an upright riding style. Looking for speed? A lower handlebar position, or drop handlebars (like you get in a road bike) would give you the speed you crave.

Got stuff to carry but don’t want to wear a rucksack? Make sure the ebike comes with pannier mounts; mudguard mounts also mean you can ride your bike all year round (so through any weather) without worry.

Across the page we’ve covered off four of the main types of bike you might consider, from road ebike to cargo ebike.

Te next thing to look at when buying an ebike is the battery. Some batteries are bolted onto the downtube or the rear rack, while others are integrated into the frame.

Tere are some bikes where the battery is hidden inside the frame, so no-one will know it’s in there.

Ebike batteries are lithium-ion and will obviously run out of charge after a time. Te more power assistance you use, the quicker this will occur. Capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh), though you might seem

some batteries rated in Amp hours (Ah).

Te higher the Wh or Ah rating, the greater the capacity and the greater the range of an ebike, but the heavier it’ll be. Some manufacturers, such as Riese & Muller, offer dual batteries for really long rides. If you only have a short ride in mind, or don’t mind charging up the bike often, you might be better off going with a bike that has a smaller capacity, because the bike will be lighter and more manoeuvrable to ride. If you want to go on long rides, it’s worth investing in a bigger battery option, though. Charge times for an ebike battery vary, depending on capacity, but it usually takes a few hours from empty – a battery size that gets you through the day and can be charged overnight is ideal, but on a commute, a work-day of charge should do.

Another point to consider when looking at an ebike is whether the battery is removable. If the battery is externally mounted, you can probably take it off and charge it inside your home or office - great if you’re living in a flat and don’t want to lug your ebike up a flight of stairs. If it’s not – for example, the battery might be located inside the frame – then you have fewer options; if you have a garage with power, then fine.

As we mentioned earlier, the harder you ride the quicker you’ll run out of juice, much like when you watch video or play games all day on your smartphone. To help manage

Te higher the Wh rating, the greater the range, but the heavier the bike

Road-friendly ebikes T3 recommends...

THE BEST EBIKES FOR ROAD JOURNEYS Whatever your cycling purpose, there’s an ebike for you, and here are four of the best

TARMAC ATTACK

BIANCHI IMPULSO E-ROAD If you want to keep up with your pals on a club run, but you’re lacking a little in the leg power department, Bianchi’s electric road racer will give you a boost.

The Impulso E-ROAD looks much like a normal road bike, but with

a 500Wh battery built into the downtube and a mid-mounted Polini E-P3 250W motor, it will shove you up any hill. A 124-mile range (lowest assistance level) is perfect for a big event. £3,999, bianchi.com

CITY CRUISER

AMPLER CURT Built to carve up inner-city roads, the Ampler Curt is perfect for fast urban rides. It’s super light (for an ebike) at 14.1kg, has a singlespeed gear setup, so you can take advantage of the 250W rear hub motor without worrying about

gears, and you can get 43 miles of range from a single charge.

There’s a smart app for tailoring the bike’s power options, and you can customise the bike with extras like a belt drive or 10-speed gears.

From €2,490, amplerbikes.com

Like cycling in general, the ebike scene has seen a huge surge in growth and there are now almost as many different types of ebikes vying for your cash as there are the human-powered variety.

As such, you have a vast range at your disposal, including dedicated road bikes, designed to get you from point A to point B as quickly as possible, cargo bikes built to haul all your stuff around (and the perfect city car replacement), city bikes, and bikes you can easily fold up and take with you on a bus or train journey.

Whatever your need, there are plenty of ebikes out there that can do the job. Here are four of the best for each occasion…

LOAD LUGGER

LARRY VS HARRY STEPS EBULLITT A cargo bike is a smart choice if you want to carry more than a rucksack’s worth of stuff on your travels. With its modular design, Dutch-built Larry vs Harry eBullit STePS enables you to select from a range of carrying options,

including an aluminium box, folding seat (for carrying your kids) and canopy. The Shimano STEPS motor, paired with an 8-speed hub, makes easy work of even the heaviest loads or steepest hills. £4,000, larryvsharry.com

FOLD AND GO

BROMPTON ELECTRIC Brompton’s tiny-wheeled foldup wonder is perfect for mixed commutes where you need to take public transport in between a ride.

Its latest bicycle, the Electric, looks every bit the Brompton you know and love but adds electric power

to the mix via a 250W hub at the front and a removable handlebarmounted 1.5-litre battery bag (with a 20-litre option available).

There are three power settings and range is up to 50 miles.

From £2,595, brompton.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 79

Te complete guide to…

Road-friendly ebikes motors tend to be the most common because they can be installed in any kind of bike, no matter what sort of frame design or gearing setup it has. If you’re looking at this type of configuration it’ll probably be much less expensive to buy, so good news for anyone with smaller budgets.

If the motor is installed at the rear, it makes the gearing setup a little more complicated to implement, which is why you tend to see hub-type gearing systems where the gears are all contained within a hub.

Examples of this include the Shimano Nexus or Alfine. Te plus side of this is that hub gears are smooth and require no maintenance. Te downside? Tey’re pricey,

The Bianchi Impulso E-Road has a 500Wh

battery and mid-mounted Polini E-P3 250W motor tobshove you up any hill

battery range, most ebikes have some form of dashboard control, enabling you to adjust the level of power assistance available (in addition to checking your speed, distance and more). Te lower the level, the more economical it’ll be. Shimano, for example, has three power modes with its STEPS system, while Bosch has five, including an adaptive mode that adjusts the power output automatically to match your level of force.

Some ebikes are now also coming with the ability to pair up with your smartphone and remotely make adjustments to the power delivery, and so that you can check out your various cycling stats.

DOES THE MOTOR MATTER? Battery aside, the other major piece of the puzzle is the motor. On ebikes, there are

three different types of motor arrangement: front-hub mounted, rear-hub mounted and mid-mounted in the cranks. Which type of arrangement you go for is usually dictated by the kind of price tag you’re willing to pay.

Generally speaking, mid-mounted motors, championed by big industry brands such as Bosch, Shimano and Yamaha, are found in more premium ebikes. Tis is because they’re more complicated to produce, and because the frame’s design needs to be built around them, so it’ll end up costing more.

Te advantage of choosing a mid-mounted motor is you get a better weight distribution, since the heavy motor is located low down on the bike and in the centre of the frame.

At the cheaper end of the spectrum sits hub-mounted motors that can be placed either in the front or rear wheel. Front hub

Which type of motor you go for is usually dictated by the price you pay and a motor and gears all in the back wheel means you have a rear-heavy ride.

All that said, it doesn’t make much of a noticeable difference which type of motor arrangement you go for. We’ve tried nearly all of the various configurations ourselves and, small nuances aside, we certainly didn’t feel that there’s a significant change in the way they ride.

And remember, no matter which kind of ebike you end up with, the most important thing is that you enjoy riding it. So make sure you go out there and get a good test ride in before you buy.

S-PEDELEC – THE ULTIMATE SPEED MACHINE Want to go really fast? Tis type of ebike tops out at 28mph!

According to the current UK law on ebikes, you are limited to 15.5mph with electric assistance. Any more than that and you’ll have to pedal with your own power. The trouble is, unless you’re going up a hill, exceeding that speed limit is pretty easy to do (provided you’re relatively Ćt), so you end up spending much of your time wishing for more power higher up in the speed range.

While you could, in theory, de-restrict a normal ebike if you were that type of person – not that we would ever recommend doing so, of course – to give you a much higher top speed with motor assistance, there’s actually a better way to do it, which also happens to 8 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

be perfectly legal, if somewhat more drawn-out to achieve.

An S-pedelec is basically an enhanced version of a standard pedelec, hence the ‘S’, which stands for ‘Speed’. It’s limited to 28mph, enabling you to cover greater distances with ease or to complete your commute in a much faster time. Sounds like the perfect bike, especially for commuting, right? On one hand, yes. But you can’t just go out, buy an S-pedelec and start riding it, as there’s a rather lengthy procedure to get it on the road…

Because of the higher electrically assisted speed, an S-pedelec is technically classiĆed as

a moped, so it needs to be registered (with a number plate) and insured, and after three years it will need an MOT. You’ll also need a driving license. If you got your license before 2001, you’re good to go, but if not you’ll need to do a CBT test (and retake it every two years). Or get a full bike license.

Then there’s actually riding an S-pedelec.

Because it’s technically a moped, you can only take it on roads, which means it’s illegal to ride on cycle paths and the like. Bummer.

At some point, the legislation might change to make it possible to ride S-pedelecs without all the red tape. And once it does, the appeal of ebikes is sure to increase.

Discover another of our great bookazines From science and history to technology and crafts, there are dozens of Future bookazines to suit all tastes

Give your garden a smart makeover

GROUND FORCE GIVE YOUR GARDEN A SMART MAKEOVER Spend less time working on the garden and more time enjoying it with these smart and powerful tools – as well as the tech you need for next-level outdoor relaxation

Words: Claire Davies

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 8 3

Ground force

CUTTING, TRIMMING AND WEEDING Turn your backyard jungle into a relaxing green space just in time for summer with our favourite garden power tools for shaping unruly hedges, blasting weeds and mowing lawns So, you’ve broken a sweat with all that drilling and building, and now you’re ready to talk scatter cushions. Here’s the lowdow

Bosch EasyCut 12

Batavia 3-in-1 Weeder

Tackle unruly hedges and wayward trees with Bosch’s ‘cute’ mini chainsaw.

It delivers precise cuts and enables simple single-handed sawing whenever the mood takes you. Fancy upcycling that bit of branch you just removed?

Thanks to its revolving chain and NanoBlade tech, you can use the EasyCut 12 to perform freehand cuts without having to clamp pieces of the branch in place Ćrst. The chainsaw is low-vibration too, so it shouldn’t cause long-term aggravation to your wrist. e ERVFK JDUGHQ FRP JE HQ

Weeds are unsightly, tenacious and, if left unchecked, can quickly overrun a garden. It’s time to get heavy-handed with them, and by that we mean scorching stubborn weeds with a 600-degree blast of hot air, then watching them curl up and wither to mere crisps. Batavia’s multi-tasking garden and home tool uses no chemicals or gas, making it environmentally sound for use outdoors, and also doubles as a hot air gun and even a BBQ lighter. £48, mowermagic.co.uk

Stihl HSA 56 Hedge Cutter Burly bushes blocking your perfect garden view? Cut them down to size with Stihl’s ambitious hedge cutter. Cordless and relatively lightweight in design, the HSA 56 gives you a much greater reach over hedges and bushes, including fancy-shaped hedges that require a little extra Ćnesse in the cutting department. The HSA 56 is also designed to be lowvibration, so you should, in theory, be able to use it for the full 40-minute run time (if needed) without experiencing any discomfort. Stihl also sells bigger battery packs that could boost your hedge-cutting time to 120 minutes. £199, stihl.co.uk

Flymo Lawnrake 3400

Worx WG169E Cordless Grass Trimmer A grass trimmer, also known as a strimmer, will reach the really Ćddly parts of your garden (that are otherwise inaccessible to your mower) and keep the edges looking neat.

The Worx cordless trimmer does away with wires, leaving you free to roam your garden, trimming back stray blades or tenacious weeds. You won’t have to bend or overextend either, as the tilting, telescopic shaft adjusts easily to cover the distance for you. There’s also a ćower guard to spare delicate blooms and ornaments from getting a buzz cut. £99.99, worx.com 8 4 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Thatch is essential for a healthy lawn, but too much can damage your garden, encouraging moss, spores and disease to bed in. Garden experts recommend scarifying your lawn once or twice a year to remove excess thatch, giving your grass room to breathe. Flymo’s electric lawnrake uses a cylinder rake to remove thatch, and comes with a removable compacting collection box a Unique Vision window enables you to see how much has been collected and when it’s time to empty the box. e ć\PR FRP XN

Greenworks 40V Cordless Lawn Mower With a continuous run time of up to 60 minutes, Greenworks’ li-ion batterypowered mower is the lawn lackey you’ve been longing for. With a 40cm cutting path and Ćve-position height adjustment (from 20mm to 70mm), it’s perfect for staying on top of mediumsized gardens and offers the muscle of a petrol-powered mower without the smog. Dump grass cuttings into the included mulching kit to begin making your own compost. £249.99, greenworkstools.eu

Give your garden a smart makeover

HOW TO MOW LIKE A PRO Quick tips for getting the most of out of your lawn and your mower Regardless of whether you view mowing the lawn as a chore or a relaxing way to kickstart a Sunday, you’ll want to get the most out of your time spent working that patch of green. Gardening experts recommend you start mowing mid to late morning, when any dew has dried off. Alternating your mowing route is also important, as lawns mowed in

the same direction every time may develop weird stripes and irregular growth.

Experts also recommend not removing more than one-third of the grass blade at a time, with grass around 2.5-3 inches tall being said to encourage a deeper root system. You can recycle grass cuttings too, using them to make your own compost that

keeps your soil rich in nutrients and your garden plants nourished.

As for your mower, keep an eye on its blades, as dull blades will tear grass rather than slicing it cleanly. If your mower is app connected, check there for maintenance tips or read the owner’s manual. Boring, sure, but it’ll help your mower work harder for longer.

Bosch Indego 400 Connect Put your feet up and let Bosch’s greenĆngered bot mow that grass for you. The Indego 400 Connect syncs with the Bosch Smart Gardening app, through which you can create custom mowing schedules and follow the bot’s progress. There won’t be any missed patches either, thanks to parallel blades delivering an even cut.

The 400 Connect will also start mowing different points of the lawn each time, reducing the risk of over-mowing, and use its built-in mulching system to redistribute grass clippings and nourish your lawn. £850, bosch-garden.com

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 8 5

Ground force So, you’ve broken a sweat with all that drilling and building, and now you’re ready to talk scatter cushions. Here’s the lowdown on how to decorate your newly upgraded home

Kärcher K7 Full Control Plus Home Pressure Washer Blast grime from your patio furniture, decking and stonework, not to mention the garage door and your car or bike.

The most powerful model in KŒrcher’s line of home pressure washers boasts a three-in-one multi-jet lance that can be adjusted depending upon what level of grime you’re trying to blast away and what detergent (Stone and Facade wash included) you’re using in the K7.

A 10m pressure hose delivers plenty ofbextra reach. e NDHUFKHU FRP XN

Hozelock Cloud Controller During summer your plants may need watering twice a day, but who has time for that? Get Hozelock’s smart watering solution on the case and use that time to actually enjoy your garden instead. Attach it to your garden tap, and using the Hozelock app you can create custom schedules for the Cloud Controller, setting the start time, frequency and duration. If it rains, pause the device remotely. We’ve got abwhole guide to getting started with the Cloud Controller on p56. £107.99, hozelock.com

Sherpa Power Barrow Garden tools exist to make gardening easier, and that applies to the humble wheelbarrow too. Thanks to Sherpa, no longer do you have to push, heave and tip out backbreaking loads in the garden, as the self-propelled Power Barrow does the donkey work for you. All you need to do is shovel, and the 170-litre Power Barrow will merrily wheel it along for you, tipping it out at your command. A rechargeable electric motor is hidden in the large front wheel, with the variable speed throttle and disc brake controls sitting on the handles. ÂŁ799, sherpatools.co.uk

PLANTING, TIDYING AND WATERING So you now have a clearer idea of what space is available for new plants, features and furniture.

Here’s the tech you need for getting your garden shipshape and bursting with colour

Pedigree Stainless Steel Transplanting Trowel Mercia Combi Shed and Greenhouse Shocked by the cost of organic salad veggies? Grow your own instead. The Mercia Combi, combining a shiplap 8x4 Pent shed plus a tongue and groove 8x4 lean greenhouse, is a convenient space to house garden tools and grow tomatoes, peppers, beans and exotic fruit. Keep the space secure by locking it with a Bluetooth security device, such as the MasterLock Smart Padlock (ÂŁ59.99, safe.co.uk), a tough, weather-resistant lock providing keyless entry via your smartphone, or manually via the built-in directional keypad. ÂŁ1,335, merciagardenproducts.co.uk 8 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

While we love smart gardening gear, sometimes you can’t beat a classic.

The trowel is perhaps one of the most important tools in a gardener’s arsenal, useful for planting in the ground or in containers. This Pedigree trowel is made by Bulldog, a purveyor of topnotch garden tools, so it’s built to last many a season and year. On the surface you’ll Ćnd a graduated measurement gauge, there to help you decide how deep a plant or bulb should sit in soil. £10.80, pedigreegarden.co.uk

Parrot Flower Power With its soil-dwelling wireless sensor, Parrot has stepped in to save garden (and indoor) plants from an untimely death. Stick the sensor in the pot with your plant where it can measure the soil moisture, fertiliser level, ambient temperature and sunlight reaching the plant. The Flower Power will ping you, via the Parrot app, real-time alerts of your plant’s needs, so you’ll always know when to water it. With over 6,000 plants on the app’s database, your clematis will be in safe hands. £49.99, amazon.co.uk

Give your garden a smart makeover

GROW YOUR OWN: TIPS AND TOOLS FOR BEGINNERS Make your garden an edible feast by growing your own fruit, veggies and herbs There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own. To begin, think about what you’d like to grow and where you can grow it.

There are numerous apps to help you decide, including the Vegetable Gardening Guide (Free, iOS, Android).

If you have a large garden, turn part of it into an allotment patch. Limited on space?

Choose fruits, veggies and herbs that can be grown in containers or on a tressel.

Strawberries, tomatoes and radishes thrive in pots, while ground-dwellers such as garlic, basil and blueberries have a hearty growth that nourishes soil, beneĆting your entire plot. Using a smart weather station like the Netatmo Weather (£139, netatmo.com) can

help you gauge whether incoming frost or rain is enough to warrant covering up less hardy plants with individual protectors.

Finally, enlist some help from gadgets capable of automatically delivering your plants’ nutritional needs. We like Hozelock’s micro irrigation Watering Kit (from £54.99) for watering multiple plants simultaneously.

EGO Power+ Blower This leaf blower looks so damn cool, you just know Elon Musk probably has one in his garage. If your garden is home to a tree or two, spare yourself any hard graft by enlisting EGO’s powerful garden tool to blast debris and leaves into a neat pile, ready for dumping into your compost bin. The Power Blower runs on a beefy 56-volt lithium-ion battery, delivering 40 per cent extra power and all the clout of a petrol blower without the noise and fumes. £219.99, egopowerplus.co.uk

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 87

Ground force

RELAXING AND ENTERTAINING Transform your newly redecorated garden into a haven of tranquility, or a hive of entertainment, with these outdoors-friendly gadgets for helping you unwind, eat and make fire!

So, you’ve broken a sweat with all that drilling and building, and now you’re ready to talk scatter

Lay-Z-Spa Paris Airjet

Amazon Kindle Oasis

Hard day in the ofĆce? Grab a chilled glass of >insert favourite beverage here@ and plonk yourself in your very own inćatable jacuzzi, letting the stress of the day melt away as 87 airjets work their massaging magic all over.

Set the mood with the Paris Airjet’s multi-coloured LED lighting system, programmable via remote control, and enjoy the 40-degree (rapid heat) temperature all to yourself or share the spa fun with lucky friends and family (there’s room here for up to six people). e OD\ ] VSD FR XN

You’ve got your garden into shape, weeding, mowing and replanting, so now is the time to kick back and enjoy your new greenery, book in hand. The Kindle Oasis is waterproof, making it the ideal companion for taking in your new spa jacuzzi, and has enough room to accommodate thousands of books.

Don’t feel like using your eyes? Then download up to 160 audiobooks to your Kindle, via a new Audible service, and let the Oasis read to you while you stop and admire the begonias. £229.99, amazon.co.uk

Philips Hue Lily Show off the key design features of your garden with coloured lighting courtesy of the new Philips Hue outdoors range of connected garden and backyard lights. Our favourite of the new class is the Philips Hue Lily, a spotlight that can be used to bathe your ćower beds, plants or other signature garden features in one of 16 million colours, all selectable from the Philips Hue app. Want to light up your garden path? Try the Hue Calla lights instead. ₏299.99 (£258.81), meethue.com 8 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Ellister Morocco Rattan Sun Bed Small garden owners, look away now. The rest of you, put your feet up on this stylish sun bed and catch some rays.

If the sun gets too intense for you, throw some shade on the situation by extending the bed’s built-in UV canopy. Once you’re done frying yourself, split apart the Morocco Rattan Sun Bed to transform it into a multiple seating arrangement for your garden party guests. Should the inevitable rain start, the sponge insert cushions should dry out pretty quickly. e JUHHQĆQJHUV FRP

Q Acoustics Rock Speaker

Uuni 3 Pizza Oven

Soundtrack your garden living with an all-weather speaker designed to blend into your patio or rockery feature.

Whether you’re listening to birdsong or Bon Jovi, the Rock Speaker is designed to deliver a full, clear sound outdoors. Q Acoustics has made the speaker cabinet from rugged glass and reinforced polymer, attaching a weatherproof cable so that you can position the Rock Speaker at ground level without worry of it getting damaged throughout the seasons. £249, qacoustics.co.uk

Fill your new and improved garden with the scent of wood-Ćred pizza and watch your neighbours line up for a slice. The Uuni 3 is a small wood pellet-burning pizza oven for use outdoors, and comes with a Cordierite stone baking board and pizza peel, upon which you can prep your pizzas.

The oven reaches 500 degrees within 10 minutes, so your guests won’t have to wait long to eat. Got a fussy eater on your hands? Tempt them with ćatbreads or wood-Ćred Ćsh and veg. £199, johnlewis.com

Give your garden a smart makeover

HOW TO CREATE AN OUTDOOR CINEMA IN YOUR GARDEN Enjoy movies under the stars action with these four key products WOWOTO H9 VIDEO PROJECTOR

AMAZON FIRE TV WITH ALEXA VOICE REMOTE

An outdoor cinema setup begins with a projector, and Wowoto’s H9 with built-in Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi Ćts the bill, bringing 3,500 lumens for strong outdoors visibility. £499.99, amazon.co.uk

You’ll need a media source, and Amazon’s streaming stick boasts fast Wi-Fi and Alexa voice search. It’s powered

by USB, so no extra mains connection required. £39.99, amazon.co.uk

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO For enhanced outdoors sound, tag in the Yoyo portable stereo Bluetooth speakers, connecting them wirelessly to the Wowoto H9 projector, and putting one on each side of the screen for a full, wide sound. £300, cambridgeaudio.com

CELEXON INFLATABLE OUTDOOR SCREEN INF200 Yes, you could use a white sheet, pinning it against a wall, but you’ll need a screen for the best results. This inćatable 122-inch screen is durable, easy to put up, and can be packed away small. £299, projectorshop24.co.uk

Landmann Ball of Fire Pit Nothing says outdoor summer living quite like a Ćre pit, and the minimalist design of this Landmann creation is a classic. The Ball of Fire Pit should last you many years, too, as its made from hardy, powder-coated pressed steel. Your family and friends will love gathering around it, enjoying unobstructed 360° views of the ćames crackling within. Throw more wood on the Ćre via the large pivoting door with safety handle, or open the mesh spark screen to toast marshmallows and other treats well into the night. e KD\HVJDUGHQZRUOG FR XN

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 8 9

“HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS...!”

EXCLUSIVE TO TOTAL FILM

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM COLLECTOR’S EDITION

STOMPING YOUR WAY ON 4 MAY

TESTED Expert reviews and recommendations to help you buy with conĆdence

Edited by Claire Davies

92

96

97

98

100

102

HTC VIVE PRO

STRYD VS LUMO RUN

FITBIT IONIC

HUAWEI P20 PRO

PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS

APPLE iPAD 9.7

HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists.

In here you’ll find only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts.

We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective field.

As well as our traditional five-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below - so when you spot one of these, you’ll know you’re onto a good thing.

THE SCORES EXPLAINED Forget it Below average Good for the price Very good all round An exceptional, best-in-class product

OUR AWARDS Only the best products – those that score Ćve PLATINUM stars – receive our AWARD Platinum Award

This is given to winners BEST ON of our group tests, so TEST you can see which is the best at a glance

BEST FOR BATTERY LIFE

This accolade, and others like it, show you which gear is best for speciĆc features

THE DESIGN AWARD

For kit with exceptional industrial design and reĆnement, in addition to being a great buy

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 91

Tested

Screen Dual AMOLED 3.5-inch Resolution 2880x1600 (1440x1600 per eye) Refresh rate 90Hz Field of view 110° Sensors SteamVR Tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, proximity, IPD sensor Connections USB-C 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2, Bluetooth

REALITY UPGRADE

HTC Vive Pro Next-gen VR brings perfectly clear vision and a more comfortable headset, so now you can truly lose yourself in another world

£1,048 (complete set) vive.com he HTC Vive has always been the leading virtual reality experience when it comes to room-scale immersion. Although rival headsets such as the Oculus Rift have since expanded to help you physically move around to navigate in a VR, and the PlayStation VR does it to a point, no other headset has quite been able to replicate what the Vive offers.

T

Tech me on While still in the lead, HTC is now surpassing even itself by launching

9 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

the Vive Pro, an upgraded headset with higher-resolution displays and a more ergonomic design.

On the tech side there are two big changes. First is an increase in pixels, climbing to 2880x1600 (1440x1600 per eye) and representing a 78 per cent increase from the original Vive.

Second is high-res audio headphones built into the headset.

It’s clear from the way HTC has positioned the Vive Pro that it’s intended for those who are already very familiar with virtual reality headsets. But after you’ve forked out the staggering £799 price you might be surprised as to what you actually get in the box: just the headset, the link box, a DisplayPort and USB cables for connecting the Vive Pro to

HTC Vive Pro

STRAP IN The HTC Vive Pro distributes its weight more evenly across your head, feeling lighter than other VR headsets thanks to a lack of pressure points

your PC, a power adapter and the mounting pad for strapping down that link box. And that’s it.

To actually use the Vive Pro, HTC is expecting you to already own the pair of controllers and the two base stations required for tracking all of your movements. Tere’s currently no simple bundle that gets you all of the necessary kit in one box, though HTC is doing a deal when you buy the Vive Pro that offers two Vive 1.0 controllers and two 1.0 base stations for £249. Te total amount (£1,048) is a rather large investment. Hell, even shelling out £799 for the headset is a lot to ask, especially if you have previously spent a bundle of cash on accessories.

Room with a view Te good news is that the Vive Pro will work perfectly with your existing Vive kit, so it’s a matter of swapping out the headsets and link boxes to use in your VR space. On that note, we had no problems getting it running.

If you’re new to the VR game you need to prepare for what a faff it is getting everything set up properly.

You have to download the drivers from the HTC Vive website, run the setup software and get everything plugged in. Ten you must position the sensor units up high enough by balancing them on bookcases, tripods or screwing them into your walls; map the space that you want to use to play Vive Pro games; then finally run through the tutorial. Tat’s before you factor in whether you’ll need to clear extra space in your room to properly play. Tere’s a standing-only option if you have a small space, but for the true Vive experience – one that makes it worth the big outlay – you’ll need a space at least 2x1.5m/6.5x5 feet.

For a lot of UK homes, keeping that much room clear on a regular basis isn’t easy. And it doesn’t help that, despite running the room setup several times over the course of testing, the software kept shifting our play space to the right, putting us in constant proximity to breakable things and a brimming fish tank.

Te tracking isn’t always perfect, occasionally losing sight of one or both controllers mid-game. In fact,

The Vive Pro design is improved when it comes to comfort, but it’s still not the most beautiful bit of tech you’ll everbown

it’s a little immersion-breaking when you’re trying to take on a swarm of aliens in Doom VFR. Regardless of the complexity of the setup, there’s nothing more rewarding in games than the virtual experience the Vive Pro has to offer when it’s in full swing. Te difference between the first Vive and the Pro is staggering.

Eye candy Te biggest upgrade is the improved sharpness. Te twin OLED screens don’t just deliver a higher-resolution experience overall (the original Vive’s resolution was 2160x1200 total), it also means that pixel density is increased by 37 per cent.

Te upshot is that having many more pixels in the same space means you can’t see the individual dots any more. Te ‘screen door effect’, as it’s known, was prevalent on the first Vive, the Oculus Rift and especially the PlayStation VR, which is lower resolution than the other two. Seeing the pixels that make up the screen heavily detracts from the immersion you get from the games you’re playing J U N E 2 01 8 T3 9 3

Tested

TAKE CONTROL Movement of the Vive controllers is tracked by the room sensors, just like the headset, so your hands arebtracked in 3D

or the experiences you’re having in VR. But that’s all gone with the Vive Pro and it seriously changes the overall VR experience for the better, making it easier for you to forget that, in reality, you’re still standing in your living room looking like an utter plonker, rather than, you know, actually being out there, surviving the wastelands in Fallout 4 VR. Tat improvement in resolution and pixel density also makes text a lot easier to read and understand quickly.

Tere’s a distinct sharpness increase, which adds to the sense of immersion you get with in-game interfaces and

Wrist straps aren’t cool, but hunting for a dropped controller with a visor on your face isn’t ideal either

any other times when you need to understand something on-screen.

Te display refresh rate is 90Hz, the same as the original Vive. It’s high enough to trick the eyes and avoid feeling artificial, though the 120Hz PlayStation VR is still the king.

Lightening the load Aside from the resolution boost, HTC has spent a lot of time refining the ergonomics. Technically, the Vive Pro is heavier than the original headset, and compared to the PSVR or Oculus Rift it feels like a deadweight. But, when you get it on your head, you

quickly realise that the weight is better balanced and distributed, applying less pressure to your face.

Tanks to a new rear headrest and a tightening mechanism on the back that’s not dissimilar to the PSVR, the Vive Pro sits far more comfortably than the original Vive did.

Te area that comes into direct contact with your nose has also been tweaked, reducing the amount of light that gets in; before this tweak, that pesky light would have reminded you that you’re still in the world you tried to leave behind. Te original Vive headset didn’t come with

ESSENTIAL VIVE PRO GAMES

ELITE DANGEROUS

THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM VR

L.A. NOIRE: THE VR CASE FILES

Ever wanted to pilot your own spaceship?

Here’s your chance! This is a sandbox space exploration game, so you make your own story.

Flying through space in the cockpit of your hard-earned ship is a real VR high. £19.99, elitedangerous.com

Get in touch with your inner Aragorn and immerse yourself in a giant fantasy adventure.

The lush world is perfect to get lost in with the high-res Vive Pro, and the sense of scale Ćghting a dragon in VR is incredible. £39.99, elderscrolls.bethesda.net

Become a hard-boiled 1940s detective in Los Angeles, solving cases built for exploration in VR. You’ll pore over crime scenes in depth for clues, and study the facial tics of suspects to work out whether they’re lying or not. £24.99, rockstargames.com

94 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

HTC Vive Pro

PRO SOUND The Vive Pro’s headphones are highres audio compatible for high clarity sound, in luscious 3D, to avoid the experience sounding too ćat

headphones either, instead requiring you to plug in any you had to hand.

Te new integrated headphones reduces the wires hanging around your body as you play, and makes the most of the spacial audio provided by the Vive Pro. Everything sounds beefy and detailed, and with a good 3D effect, contributing to a higher sense of immersion.

What’s interesting, though, is that despite the fact that the HTC Vive Pro website shows a man leaping about all over the place, this is still a tethered experience. HTC is releasing a Vive Wireless Adapter later this year, but it’ll be an additional cost for Vive Pro owners. Even if you hold off buying the Vive Pro until the Wireless Adapter is released, it’s unlikely to be thrown in for free.

It’s a seriously exciting and potentially game-changing solution if it works as well as HTC promises, but it’s yet another costly upgrade.

Powering up When it comes to a PC, you’ll need to power a full Pro experience. HTC recommends using a rig packing at least 4GB of RAM, an Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 processor or better, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX

1060/AMD Radeon RX 480 or better.

You can buy a suitable setup from about £650, though we’d recommend looking at around the £900 mark for something that will last a while.

Tat said, we tried the Vive Pro running off a Nvidia GeForce 980 Ti graphics card and it was fine, so you don’t necessarily need to go with the latest-generation graphics if you’ve already got a solid PC. With all of this in mind, the Vive Pro is an odd one for us to recommend at this stage. It’s clear that it’s the best immersive virtual experience you can buy; the clarity and detail is such a contrast to the original headset that it feels less like a Vive 1.5 upgrade rather than a visual overhaul, particularly for the big-budget VR release. But the timing and pricing feels off. If HTC sold all of the accessories and the Wireless Adapter in one box it could justify the premium price.

Pre-orders in the UK sold out rapidly, so there’s clearly a demand for better-quality VR. For us, though, such a premium price should also include the Vive Wireless Adapter.

Te HTC Vive Pro might offer the best VR experience on the market, but having to buy all the extras to be able to use it properly makes it a very

The dots around the headset are LEDs, tracked by sensors and providing you with accurate in-game movement

expensive proposition if you are coming to VR from scratch. Trow in the space and setup requirements and it’s best to consider this an investment in the best VR experience. If you’re happy to make that investment, we can recommend the Vive Pro. For an easier setup and lower cost, the PlayStation VR is still the best option.

For a room-scale experience at a lower cost, the original Vive bundle is a good buy at half the price (£499).

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED The most immersive VR to date thanks to the amazing screen; excellent array of games; comfortable ergonomic headset.

WE’D IMPROVE Really expensive; PC needs are still pretty high; no tidy one-box solution.

THE LAST WORD The Vive Pro is undoubtedly the best quality VR you can experience, but it’s still really expensive and difĆcult to set up.

How do the other VR headsets stack up?

Find out at bit.ly/t3vrheadsets

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 9 5

Tested

RUNNING SENSORS

STRYD $199 (£142.09), stryd.com

£89, lumobodytech.com

DESIGN Te power pod is a super-lightweight (7g), apricot sized, waterproof carbon-fibre pod you attach to your muddy shoelaces. It looks sci-fi, especially the wireless charger pad. Although it’s waterresistant, it may not like lots of time in water.

DESIGN Te light (25g), plum-sized (50x28.5mm) lozenge slots into a soft silicone holder and clips to the belt of your shorts or running tights. It’s unobtrusive on the run, and easy to attach and to remove. A simple, unfussy, pleasingly minimalist design.

FEATURES Te pod measures form power, leg spring stiffness, ground time, vertical oscillation, cadence, pace, distance and your stress score. It then crunches that into one score for greater insight into running efficiency. Built-in training programmes included.

FEATURES Technique is often overlooked, but it can be key to injury avoidance and improvement. Te Lumo is a running coach that analyses your running form and gives instant feedback. It monitors cadence, braking, bounce, pelvic rotation and pelvic drop.

USABILITY Te Stryd is so light you don’t notice it as it collects data, before it syncs, post-run, to the Stryd app on your phone. It’s compatible with Apple Watch and some Garmin, Suunto and Polar models, plus TrainingPeaks and Zwift, but not Strava.

USABILITY Te device is imperceptible, audio coaching helpful and analysing post-run data is fun. Lumo suggests areas of technique you need to work on, along with advice. Post-run it delivers excellent video drills to correct those aspects of your form most in need.

PERFORMANCE Up to a month’s battery life with wireless charging is excellent. One unit of measurement to cover so many aspects of running form and performance does seem a bit reductive. Plus, it’s only measuring one leg. Also, wind can influence data.

PERFORMANCE It really makes you conscious of your form. To us it suggested trying to run as if through puddles to help improve our shonky cadence. It even teams up with Spotify to make playlists based on a BPM target. Battery lasts nearly a week.

VERDICT

2nd

LUMO RUN

WE’RE IMPRESSED The Stryd’s aesthetics, software and subtleness are on point.

WE’D IMPROVE Compatibility and audio coaching.

Plus, you really need two of these devices.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED How can a device that looks so simple be so clever? Lumo Run is a game-changer!

WE’D IMPROVE Real-time coaching without bringing the smartphone along would be ace.

'LVFRYHU PRUH ĆWQHVV WHFK WR KHOS \RX UXQ VPDUWHU ELW O\ W UXQQLQJWHFK

96 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

1st

Fitbit Ionic

FIT FOR PURPOSE

Fitbit Ionic Fitbit brings its Ćtness ćair to the smartwatch game, with a hybrid that does far more than just tracking steps and sleep… £239 fitbit.com verybody knows Fitbit for its fitness trackers, but now it’s moving up to fitness-tracking smartwatches too.

With the Fitbit Ionic it’s produced a hybrid device that does the smartwatch essentials (ie, telling the time and sending notifications), makes it fun to track steps and sleep, then adds extra in-depth fitness tracking.

It’s not really like an Apple Watch; it’s more akin to Garmin’s hardcore Forerunner 645 Music.

E

Hero or zero?

Te Ionic wants to be iconic, design-wise, and it’s certainly, er, distinctive. Te square face means you have to be quite careful in choosing from the plethora of colour/strap combinations.

Go for muted tones and it looks quite striking; the more garish combos are a bit too striking.

Made from aluminium, it’s lighter than many rivals and the plastic and leather bands are comfortable and secure, yet simple to swap out.

You can wear the Ionic all day, though it comes into its own during runs and workouts. Te three buttons are raised so you can still find

them when you’re sweaty, and the touchscreen is easily legible even in strong sunlight.

Basic fitness features, as ever with Fitbit, are best in class. You can track steps, stairs climbed, calories burned and take on challenges direct from Fitbit, or ‘step-offs’ against friends. Sleep tracking is the most in-depth you’ll find and seems very accurate.

Te Ionic is also a fine running and gym watch, with unusually good wrist heart-rate tracking during intense activity. Te GPS can be slow to lock on, but we’ve seen worse. Te Ionic also handily auto-detects and tracks runs.

Oh, and unlike previous Fitbits you can finally leave the screen permanently on when working out, rather than having to repeatedly ‘raise to wake’, like you’re practicing cocktail shaking.

As a smartwatch, the Fitbit Ionic handles notifications well. You can also play music from the watch via Bluetooth, and NFC payments are supported, albeit only from a very small number of UK banks so far. Where the Ionic scores over Android watches is on battery life, with about four to five days per full charge.

Te Ionic has flaws, sure. Te on-wrist video coaching is half-baked, and in a certain light the watch is kind of ugly. However, it’s also the most sophisticated Fitbit ever, capable of far more than just counting steps and hours of sleep.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Fitbit’s app is excellent; good cardio tracking; strong battery life.

WE’D IMPROVE Only the most basic/essential smartwatch features; video coach isn’t much cop; not the sexiest smartwatch.

THE LAST WORD Fitbit’s Ionic is a powerful Ćtness tracker ideal for those who Ćnd Garmins too complex, but it’s no Apple Watch.

Discover the best running watches: bit.ly/runwatch

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 9 7

Tested

OS Android 8.1 Oreo Screen 6.1-inch 1080x2244 Processor Kirin 970 RAM 6GB Storage 128GB Camera 40MP wide-angle, 8MP telephoto, 20MP B&W, 24MP front Battery 4,000mAh Dimensions 155x73.9x7.8mm Weight 180g

PLATINUM AWARD

TRIPLE THREAT

Huawei P20 Pro Huawei’s latest has a smart design with an iPhone-style notch, but is three cameras the magic number?

£799 huawei.com/uk aving shunned its budget image, Huawei is carving out a solid reputation for offering Apple-like hardware with Android software at a premium price. Of course, that price has to be justified with features, and the P20 Pro has quite the showpiece: a triple-sensor Leica camera system.

Oh, and its beautiful gradient colour finishes that shift in the light.

H

Familiar face In the rest of the design, there’s no getting around there being a whiff of an iPhone X to the look, though you get a big 6.1-inch screen (with notch) here. Tat sounds huge, but Huawei has really nailed the ergonomics, so we found it comfortable to use. Te glass back is smooth and solid, while 9 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

the metal edges are pleasingly chamfered and tactile. It’s definitely premium – we find it much more pleasant to hold than the Samsung Galaxy S9 – and it feels more durable.

Unlike the iPhone, there’s still a fingerprint sensor and home button on the front. It’s a welcome extra, since the face unlocking works well but isn’t as secure as Apple’s Face ID. On the back you’ll find that camera setup, which combines two colour cameras (wide-angle and telephoto) with one monochrome sensor. You get 10MP, even though the sensors are higher-res than that – Huawei combines multiple pixels into one for an extra-sharp image. It’s very smart, and similar to what Nokia did with its legendary PureView camera.

Te actual sensor of the wideangle camera is huge as well (double the size of the iPhone or Galaxy S9’s), and when combined with the tonal pixels of the monochrome sensor and ‘Artificial Intelligence Stabilisation’,

Huawei P20 Pro

you get a camera that’s shockingly good in low light, capable of pulling out noise-free details we’re unable to see with the naked eye.

Huawei has created a super-fast autofocus system too, and it even has predictive focus to keep any moving objects pin sharp. It also uses AI for better results in each photo: it instantly recognises what you’re shooting and adjusts the image processing accordingly. For example, it will know when you’re taking a picture of a flower and boost the saturation. If you’re taking a portrait it will automatically smooth the skin and blur the background.

We rate the Google Pixel 2 as the best phone camera on the market, and the difference between it and this one is down to taste. Te Pixel 2 is more like a point-and-shoot camera, while the P20 Pro is more like a DSLR, where you need to play with the settings and modes to get the most out of it. It definitely bests the iPhone X and Galaxy S9, though.

Everything the P20 Pro camera is doing is quick as hell, powered by an octa-core processor and its special AI chip. In fact, anything we did on the

phone, from opening apps to watching videos, is super responsive.

Te Huawei P20 Pro runs Android Oreo 8.1 with Huawei’s EMUI 8.1 skin on top. Te skin is improved greatly over previous versions, but still not quite as attractive as stock Android.

Premium phones with a Ćngerprint sensor on the front are rare these days, but the P20 Pro keeps the ćag ćying

Popularity contest Te OLED display is excellent, striking a good balance between natural and oversaturated. It is lower resolution than the Galaxy S9, but you’ll only notice the lack of pixels when side-by-side. Te display is sharp, bright and pleasing to look at.

Te battery is a massive 4,000mAh unit, leading to huge longevity. We often find ourselves ending a day with 50 per cent remaining and we are not light users. In fact, we’re not sure how Huawei managed this trick in a phone that measures just 7.8mm thick.

Te P20 Pro is outstanding in other more boring and often overlooked areas such as speaker quality and wireless performance. Te phone also manages to get 4G signal where others usually fail to do so. For example, blackspots in the more rural areas around the luxury T3 estates.

ESSENTIAL PROTECTION EASYACC SOFT ANTI-SLIP CASE

HUAWEI SMART VIEW FLIP CASE

No, this isn’t the sturdiest case in the world, but if you want something to add enough protection for a light drop, and that still lets you see the full glory of the P20 Pro’s design, this is perfect. £5.99, amazon.co.uk

This ofĆcial Huawei case gives you front and back protection, with a clever translucent portion of the front cover that shows the time and any notiĆcations even when it’s closed. £19.99, mobilefun.co.uk

Te Huawei P20 Pro is a very impressive smartphone. It’s powerful, fast, refined, stylish and, perhaps most importantly of all, desirable. Te biggest criticism that can be drawn against it is that the handset looks like an iPhone X, and people may dismiss it instantly as a knock-off because of that. We’d love to see Huawei carve more of its own look in the overall design, but the gorgeous pink and blue gradient finishes already give it a luxe identity of its own.

So don’t dismiss the Huawei P20 Pro purely as an iPhone X also-ran.

Tis is as good an Android phone as the best out there right now, a truly incredible camera, and an object of desire on its own merit.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Premium look and feel; amazing triple camera system; improved Android software; great battery life.

WE’D IMPROVE Design admittedly a bit samey; interface still needs some work.

THE LAST WORD This a truly attractive handset that sets the cat among the black glass pigeons, with its top specs, phenomenal camera, quality build and very smart AI features.

Meet more of the best Android phones: bit.ly/t3bestandroid

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 9 9

Tested

Have beats, will travel With summer just around the corner, T3 takes the plunge with six of the best uber-portable, travel-friendly Bluetooth speakers Words: Chris Barnes

BEST FOR SOUND

ONE FOR OUTDOOR EXPLORERS

ONE FOR AUDIO PURISTS

ONE FOR TRAVELLING IN STYLE

BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO

B&O BEOPLAY P2

DENON ENVAYA POCKET

£99.95, bose.co.uk

£149, bang-olufsen.com

£89, denon.co.uk

The SoundLink Micro’s silicone rubber skin won’t win any design awards, but this tough cookie should survive plenty of drops and dunks before the music stops for good. Audio is bass heavy, but overall the sound is powerful considering the speaker’s petite (100x100mm) dimensions.

The six-hour battery life isn’t bad for such a dinky speaker, but you’ll be charging the SoundLink Micro more regularly than the other speakers on test here. That travelfriendly rubber strap is handy for attaching to handlebars, a parasol, a hiking pack...

The P2 is the priciest speaker here, but that extra cash bags you sound quality unmatched in the small speaker Ćeld, plus up to 10 hours battery life and some sweet style – everything from the lightweight aluminium body to the leather strap screams premium. An internal polymer layer delivers extra protection for outdoor adventures, though it’s unlikely to survive a prolonged dip in the pool. Aside from the discrete power button there are no physical controls. Instead, touch gestures launch Siri and give you full command over your audio.

Denon’s IP67-rated waterproof speaker is reassuringly sturdy and offers up to 10 hours playback. Connecting your device to the Envaya Pocket takes mere seconds and the controls, including a dedicated button for answering calls and talking to Siri, are simple to use. We were expecting better audio from the full-range drivers, passive radiator and 2x 6.5W digital amp – the sound is clear but lacks low-end punch. We also experienced distortion when blasting rockier tracks. Still, it’s easy on the eye and Ćts neatly in the hand and in backpacks.

10 0 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

Portable Bluetooth speakers

et’s face it, there are still far too many portable Bluetooth speakers that look like cheap plastic oblongs with gutless audio. Tese budget blasters might be acceptable for the garden shed, but if you like to

L

take your music further afield you need a rugged speaker that can perform on the go, unphased by a day at the beach or an all-night campfire shindig.

Te travel-friendly speakers we selected for this test needed to tick a few boxes before being

considered. Namely, are they built to survive in the outdoors?

Are they small and light enough for carry-on luggage, a rucksack or beach bag? And, critically, does the sound do justice to our cool summer jams? Time to press play to see which one tops the chart…

ONE FOR MARATHON LISTENING

ONE FOR POOLSIDE PARTYING

ONE FOR MODEST BUDGETS

BRAVEN READY SOLO

ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM

JBL CLIP 2

$99.99 (£71), braven.com

£89.99, ultimateears.com

£49.99, uk.jbl.com

Braven’s burly budget portable offers the best battery life on test, doling out a generous 12 hours per charge. Inside, an extended range driver and all-direction subwoofer produce impactful lows and clear mids and highs. A shock- and debrisproof housing and IP68 waterprooĆng should be enough to handle little accidents.

A noise-cancelling speakerphone means you can still take care of business on the go. The Ready Solo is also the only speaker here with a USB port to keep your device juiced, ensuring the music never stops.

The Wonderboom might not be the most stylish speaker here, but the playful colour options and size-defying 360-degree sound make it the perfect party centrepiece.

It works particularly well with the lush production of modern pop and rock, but adds weight to everything from classical to folk. The Wonderboom is waterproof and even ćoats, so you can listen by the pool or in the bath without fear of drowning your tech. Additional features, including 10-hour battery, 100 feet range and the ability to pair two speakers, are the icing on the cake.

The Clip 2 is a good option for lovers of the great outdoors. A combination of fabric and rubber ensures durability and waterprooĆng, while the built-in carabiner is ideal for hanging the speaker inside a tent or dangling it from a backpack. At this price the audio suffers – it won’t Ćll a room with hip-shaking bass, but for personal use there’s no arguing with the clarity – though the speaker’s eight-hour battery life is impressive. Bluetooth pairing is a breeze, or there’s a built-in 3.5mm cable (assuming your device has a headphone socket).

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 101

Tested

PENCIL PUSHER

Apple iPad 9.7 Apple takes its no-frills tablet and adds… one frill.

But with its wide range of apps and build quality, it’s still the mid-price master £319 apple.com ast year, Apple introduced its cheapest non-Mini iPad ever, the £339 iPad 5th-gen. It came with no bells or whistles, but also few flaws.

It was a fast, slick, well-built machine for a great price that makes for an ideal entertainment tablet to have lying around the house. A year later, it’s still more than good enough for that job, yet Apple has given us a new version.

L

More is less So what improvements has it made? Well, barely any, actually. Te new iPad now supports Apple Pencil – the company’s own (very impressive) stylus – and has a faster Apple A10 processor.

Te price has also come down to a tidy £319 (for the 32GB Wi-Fi model).

If you bought last year’s model this one isn’t worth splashing out for, but if you’re upgrading or getting your first iPad, it’s a juicy proposition.

Maybe the single most important part of a tablet is its screen, and though the iPad 9.7’s 2048x1536 display is far from cutting edge, it’s really good. It’s the biggest area of difference 10 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

from the iPad Pros, despite the addition of Pencil support (which is responsive and precise, though at £89 is not a cheap add-on). You don’t get the Pros’ wide-colour display, HDR support, and 120Hz refresh rate, but given that this is about half the price of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro it feels like a fair trade-off. Te only feature of the iPad Pros we’re disappointed not to see here is TrueTone, which conviniently matches the colour temperature of the screen to the ambient light in the room – it’s made to save eyes and offer more comfortable reading, which seems like a good thing to have in a kid-focused tablet.

Performance and responsiveness everywhere else is great. For web browsing, working in documents, gaming, and playing with GarageBand and iMovie, it’s more than fast enough and handles split-screen multitasking well (though the size of screen means it’s not quite a productivity powerhouse). Battery life is great too, as with light use you’ll usually beat Apple’s 10-hour guideline. Also, it barely loses any power in standby, so you’ll rarely find it dead when you want to fire up Netflix.

Actually, movies are one of its weaker points.

Why? Te screen is nice, but the speaker is weedy. Even the cheap Kindle tablets have stereo. Te camera is average, but works well enough for a few snaps here and there.

VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Great battery life; good screen; nicely powerful; solid value.

WE’D IMPROVE Weak speakers; no TrueTone screen; camera isn’t very strong.

THE LAST WORD This is the VW Golf of tablets: reliable and high-quality without breaking the bank. This is our pick for the best mid-range tablet on the market.

Find the latest and greatest iPad deals: bit.ly/t3ipaddeals

Competition

WIN! A SUPER-SLICK OPTOMA UHD300X 4K PROJECTOR WORTH £1,399 Get match ready for the FIFA World Cup with Optoma’s new Ultra HD projector that’s perfect for bringing the stadium home

WORTH

£1,399

In time for the World Cup kick-off on 14 June, Optoma has launched a new 4K Ultra HD projector, the UHD300X, and we are giving you the chance to win one.

With this pin-sharp beauty you’ll get a better view of the offsides than the linesmen; watching the footie on such a 4K projector is like bringing the stadium home.

Optoma’s UHD300X 4K UHD projector features a newly developed 4K precision lens for crystal-clear detail, bringing to life sport and films on the big screen.

This compact projector with built-in stereo speakers is easy to fit in a room and portable enough to move easily. More importantly, at 2,200 lumens it produces bright imagery that’s always visible.

Thanks to low-latency response times you can become the star striker playing FIFA 18 on the Xbox One X or PlayStation

4 Pro, in between watching the real matches, and all in supersized glorious Ultra HD. Its a plug and play affair with this easy-to-set-up projector, with two HDMI inputs making it a cinch to switch between the TV broadcast of the game and your console to play the game. The UHD300X also has USB power available to stream content via an HDMI stick such as Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV with 4K. With a full 8.3 million on-screen pixels – four times that of Full HD 1080p – the UHD300X is 4K UHD ready, and supports HDR standards for more depth to your images, guaranteeing a razor sharp picture.

Now, in partnership with Optoma, we’re giving one of these picture perfect projectors. Visit optoma.co.uk for more details about thebUHD300X, and answer the question opposite to enter.

To enter, simply answer the following question:

WHICH COUNTRY IS HOSTING THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP? Canada Luxembourg Russia Enter today at: bit.ly/t3optoma

The competition closes 7 June 2018. By taking part, youbagree to be bound by the competition rules: futureplc.com/competition-rules.

Entries must be received by midnight on 7 June 2018 (UK time).

Open to UK residents aged 18 years and over. There will be one winner, entitled to one Optoma UHD300X unit.

The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative.

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 10 3

COMINGNEXTISSUE Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA EDITORIAL +44 (0)1225 442244 SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER SERVICES +44(0)844 848 2852

36,991 PRINT 18,092 DIGITAL 18,899 Jan–Dec 2017 A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

T3 IS… EDITOR MATT BOLTON matthew.bolton@futurenet.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR CLAIRE DAVIES claire.davies@futurenet.com ART EDITOR MICHELLE MCLAREN michelle.mclaren@futurenet.com OPERATIONS EDITOR ANDREW WESTBROOK andrew.westbrook@futurenet.com

ISSUE 283 ON SALE FRIDAY 8 JUNE

PRODUCTION EDITOR KIMBERLEY BALLARD kimberley.ballard@futurenet.com

SENIOR ART EDITOR JO GULLIVER jo.gulliver@futurenet.com EDITORIAL & ART CONTRIBUTORS Phil Barker, Chris Barnes, Duncan Bell, Becca Caddy, Alex Cox, Olly Curtis, Paul Dimery, Neil Godwin, Damian Hall, Spencer Hart, Simon Horsford, Robert Jones, Stephen Kelly, Sam Loveridge, Carrie Marshall, Steve May, Cliff Newman, Nick Odantzis, Gary Stuckey, Pete Travers, StevebWright ADVERTISING Media packs are available on request COMMERCIAL SALES DIRECTOR CLARE DOVE clare.dove@futurenet.com ACCOUNT DIRECTOR ANDREW TILBURY andrew.tilbury@futurenet.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY RICHARD HEMMINGS richard.hemmings@futurenet.com HEAD OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS CLARE JONIK clare.jonik@futurenet.com GROUP HEAD, AGENCY TRACEY HENDLE tracey.hendle@futurenet.com INTERNATIONAL T3 is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities INTERNATIONAL LICENSING DIRECTOR MATT ELLIS matt.ellis@futurenet.com PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES Email enquiries t3@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk UK orderline & enquiries 0844 848 2852 Overseas order line and enquiries +44 (0) 344 848 2852 Online orders & enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk CIRCULATION HEAD OF NEWSTRADE TIM MATHERS PRODUCTION HEAD OF PRODUCTION UK & US MARK CONSTANCE PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGER CLARE SCOTT ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER JOANNE CROSBY DIGITAL EDITIONS CONTROLLER JASON HUDSON PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR NOLA COKELY MANAGEMENT MANAGING DIRECTOR AARON ASADI COMMERCIAL FINANCE DIRECTOR DAN JOTCHAM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PAUL NEWMAN HEAD OF ART & DESIGN RODNEY DIVE PRINTED IN THE UK BY William Gibbons on behalf of Future.

DISTRIBUTED IN THE U.K BY Marketforce (UK), 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9060 ISSN 1364-2641 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certiĆed forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certiĆcation and accreditation All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered ofĆce: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not afĆliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford Chief Ćnancial ofĆcer Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

THE COMPLETE SMART HOME Amazing tech to elevate every room, from smart bedside assistants to remote control ovens and app-connected showers

The best cameras to step up from your phone How to watch the World Cup in 4K Can tech help you run a marathon?

Become even more of a beer expert * ALL CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

GLOBAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PAUL DOUGLAS paul.douglas@futurenet.com

BEST OF THE BEST The world’s best tech, all in one place Edited by Matthew Bolton

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you have deĆnitely come to the right place.

Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly Ćltered down to the biggest groups, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time.

Within each of those groups, we’ve got a dozen categories for key tech buys. We’ve picked one product for every category that we think is the best you can get on balance, taking into account price, quality and features, so it’s easy to know what you need in your life.

You should also check out T3.com, where you’ll Ćnd even more categories, if you’re looking for something that isn’t here.

From big-budget buys to the little (but essential) accessories, we’ve got you covered.

INSIDE 106

ENTERTAINMENT

107

AUDIO

108

LIFESTYLE

109

AUTO

110

SMART HOME

111

LIVING

112

COMPUTING

113

TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

J U N E 2 01 8 T3 10 5

Best of the best BEST OF…

ENTERTAINMENT However serious you are about your TV, movies and gaming setups, we’ve got the perfect buys for a tricked-out living room VALUE 4K TV

OLED 4K TV SONY A1E SERIES Incredible 4K HDR is only a tiny part of this awesome package. The panel (55- or 65-inch) and bezel are super-slim, it offers lightning response times, and great sound comes from a screen that’s also a speaker.

From £2,800, sony.co.uk

TOP-END 4K TV

HISENSE N6800 This is some serious 4K quality for the price, with vibrant colours and HDR support, excellent detail, and a wealth of smart features. The design is sharp, and it comes in 50-, 55-, 65- or 75-inch sizes.

From £549, hisense.co.uk

4K HDR PROJECTOR OPTOMA UHZ65 This projector brings cinema-like laser 4K projector to the home for an affordable price, meaning giant-screen Ultra HD detail with the richness of HDR. It’s unbeatable for home movie magic. £4,999, optoma.co.uk

B&O ECLIPSE Bang & Olufsen’s fantastic TV features a gorgeous OLED panel and a colossal 450 watts of speaker through its integrated soundbar. The Eclipse comes in different Ćnishes to match your room perfectly.

From £7,495, bang-olufsen.com

VALUE 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER

TOP-END 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER

XBOX ONE S Yes, this is primarily a games console, but it’s a damn good UHD Blu-ray player too. Why pay more for something that just plays discs when you could be getting your game on with the money left over? £199, microsoft.com

4K STREAMER

OPPO UDP-203 If you’re a home cinema enthusiast and want the best picture quality possible, this is the player you need. 4K playback is impeccable, and Dolby Vision HDR support means amazing depth. £649, oppodigital.com

UNIVERSAL REMOTE LOGITECH HARMONY ELITE A dual-purpose remote, as at home in your hands as it is sat in the corner of your living room, controlling everything from your TV to your lighting. You can even control it from a phone app! £279, logitech.com

ROKU ULTRA This 4K HDR streaming box packs in a huge range of sources, including Netćix, Amazon, Google Play, iPlayer and more.

It’s fast, easy to set up, and the remote includes voice search functionality. £69, amazon.co.uk

TV SOUNDBAR

AV RECEIVER Q ACOUSTICS M3 This brilliant soundbar offers balanced drivers, room-Ćlling sound and an integrated subwoofer. Massive audio in a small, attractive bar, ideal for adding cinematic sound, with no messing around. £299, qacoustics.co.uk

PORTABLE GAMES CONSOLE NINTENDO SWITCH Not the most powerful current-gen console, but with Nintendo’s legendary games line-up and the ćexibility to play in stacks of different control conĆgurations, it’s the best portable machine you can buy. £279, nintendo.com 10 6 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

MARANTZ NR1608 Small enough for any setup but packing in features, this receiver offers 7.2-channel surround, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D audio, eight 4K 60Hz HDMI ports, Wi-Fi music playback and smart 4K upscaling. £595, marantz.co.uk

4K GAMES CONSOLE XBOX ONE X The most powerful console ever is a true technical marvel, capable of astonishing graphics in native 4K and HDR, and Dolby Atmos 3D sound. It even includes highquality 4K Blu-ray playback. £449, xbox.com/en-gb

Best of the best BEST OF…

AUDIO From wireless convenience to audiophile heaven, this is the gear you need to make the most of your favourite music MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS

WI-FI SPEAKER NAIM MU-SO It’s expensive, but there just isn’t a better sounding or looking wireless speaker for the price. The sound is monumentally excellent, and it supports a solid range ofbstreaming options. £1,199, naimaudio.com

SONOS ONE Pound for pound, this is a hell of a lot of speaker for your money, easily Ćlling a room, and expandable through the versatile Sonos speaker range. Built-in Alexa support clinches it for Sonos. £199, sonos.com

PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

WIRELESS OVER-EAR HEADPHONES

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO M These portable speakers are made for wireless stereo sound and come as a pair (though you can use one on its own). They offer punchy audio in an impressively wide sound Ćeld, and look great, too. £249, cambridgeaudio.com

WIRELESS IN-EAR HEADPHONES

BOWERS & WILKINS PX These stylish headphones are also technical marvels, boasting adjustable noise cancellation via an app. They pause automatically when you take them off, last ages, and sound absolutely fantastic. £329, bowers-wilkins.co.uk

WIRED OVER-EAR HEADPHONES

FLARES PRO These headphones plug into a mini-DAC you need to clip about your person, but the result is truly amazing sound for the size. It’s audiophile stuff, with beautiful stereo channel separation. e ćDUHDXGLR FRP

WIRED IN-EAR HEADPHONES

BOWERS & WILKINS P9 SIGNATURE These are open-backed headphones, so they let sound in and out, but the quality is astounding, especially through a serious headphone DAC/amp setup – and they’re wonderful with compressed music too. £699, bowers-wilkins.co.uk

PORTABLE HIGH-RES PLAYER

KEF M100 This blend of KEF’s traditional audiophile instincts with comfortable contemporary styling is a fantastic product, great value, and the best in-ear headphones, pound forbpound, that you can get. £89, uk.kef.com

HI-FI STREAMER

ASTELL & KERN KANN A substantial audio device at nearly 300g, but one that does incredible things. It’s a DAC in its own right, it’s an astonishing hi-res player, and its massive battery will keep you rocking for days on end. £899, astellnkern.com

BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 220 These are great value, yet offer up 13cm Kevlar mid/bass drivers, deep-dish tweeters and outstandingly punchy sound.

Place them next to a wall for the strongest output from the rear-set bass port. £99 (pair), wharfedale.co.uk

NAIM UNITI ATOM An immensely stylish streamer with a great screen, that’s compatible with a host of music streaming services. It’ll play anything on your network and via Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth aptX. £1,999, naimaudio.com

HI-FI STEREO AMP CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AZUR 851A Nine easily selected inputs and Cambridge Audio’s own patented Class XD ampliĆer design combine to make this a truly unique and special amp, one that can stand up to any musical test. £1,400, cambridgeaudio.com

TURNTABLE AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5 Pouring 60 years of turntable expertise into one device, Audio-Technica’s AT-LP5 will give you vinyl pleasure for years, thanks to its glorious audio quality, tanklike build and USB-output future-prooĆng. £329, eu.audio-technica.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 107

Best of the best BEST OF‌

LIFESTYLE Kit yourself out with the ultimate in personal technology. This is the stuff you use every day, so make sure you get it spot on with our picks ANDROID PHONE

PREMIUM PHONE

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 Samsung’s super-slick smartphone is the most reĆned Android experience to date.

An excellent camera, gorgeous InĆnity Display screen and some smart exclusive features make for a truly fantastic phone.

From ÂŁ739, samsung.com

MID-RANGE PHONE

APPLE iPHONE X Somehow earning its colossal price tag, this is a masterpiece of design and engineering. The screen is the best out there, the camera is fantastic, and it feels like a device from the near future. ÂŁ999, apple.com/uk

VALUE PHONE MOTOROLA MOTO G5 There’s a lot on offer here that you wouldn’t expect under £200, from its part-aluminium case to its 1080p display to its integrated Ćngerprint scanner. A quality phone which runs Android 7, too.

From ÂŁ170, motorola.co.uk

HONOR VIEW 10 It’s at the upper end of mid-range, but this is one hell of a phone for the money.

You get a beautiful 18:9 display, premium design, powerful processor, AI smarts, and excellent battery life. ÂŁ449, hihonor.com

SMARTWATCH

HYBRID WATCH APPLE WATCH SERIES 3 Nothing in the smartwatch market does more than the Apple Watch, and this third generation can do it all without a tethered phone – perfect for keeping your life in order whatever you happen to be doing.

From ÂŁ329, apple.com/uk

ANALOGUE WATCH

MISFIT PHASE Smartwatch functionality without the screen – all the alerts, connectivity and activity tracking you desire, packed into a stunning and completely inconspicuous analogue watch with a six-month battery. )URP e PLVĆW FRP

FITNESS TRACKER

MONDAINE STOP2GO Mondaine’s classic design features a second hand that takes 58 seconds to go around, then pauses for two, mimicking the Swiss railway station clocks it’s based on. Abclassy and timeless piece. £479, mondaine.com

BLUETOOTH TRACKER TILE SLIM A tiny keyring-sized square that helps your phone keep tabs on your wallet and vice versa, with a selection of ringtones, a year’s battery life, and the endurance to last a lifetime sitting in your back pocket. £30, thetileapp.com

ELECTRIC RAZOR PHILIPS SERIES 9000 S9211/26 This razor is incredibly comfortable to use, almost feeling like it’s just wishing thebstubble away as it goes over your face – but the hair deĆnitely goes, even when you’re dealing with a few days of growth. £210, philips.co.uk 10 8 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

FITBIT CHARGE 2 It’s not the most feature-packed tracker on the market, but it wins out for comfort and amazing app support that can make it part of a complete Ćtness program as itbtracks sleep, steps, distance and more. e ĆWELW FRP

EREADER KINDLE OASIS Ultra-thin, lighter than a ćimsy paperback, and weighted to be held in one hand, the Oasis takes digital reading to the next level. Clip on the leather charging cover and you’re set for months of books. £269, amazon.co.uk

ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SONIC Whiten and polish with the vibrations from this versatile brush, which whips your toothpaste into a bubbly frenzy to get between your teeth more effectively. ÂŁ149, philips.co.uk

Best of the best BEST OF…

AUTO Get the best driving experience possible. No matter whether you tend to go for two wheels or four, these are the top vehicles and accessories around FAMILY CAR

FUN CAR VOLVO XC60 Well-appointed and exquisitely designed, this mid-size hybrid SUV has all the entertainment options you need, the poise to make those long journeys smooth and enjoyable, and is safe as houses.

From £35,655, volvocars.com/uk

CITY ELECTRIC CAR

JAGUAR F-TYPE In coupé or convertible form, the latest F-Type rules the road. Fine lines, amazing agility and a two-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine that kicks hard without costing the earth. You’ll be grinning behind the wheel.

From £48,830, jaguar.co.uk

LONG-RANGE ELECTRIC CAR TESLA MODEL S 100D Safe, super-smart and speedy, Tesla’s all-electric saloon has everything you’d expect and more. It’s a true technological marvel, with a range of over 350 miles, so even long journeys are no problem.

From £93,388, tesla.com

BMW i3 The i3 is a responsive, highly practical electric runabout packed with connectivity options and enough power in its 170bhp motor to hit 62mph in just 7.3 seconds.

Perfect for a daily commute.

From £30,250, bmw.co.uk

SMART CONNECTOR

SAT-NAV

LOGITECH ZEROTOUCH Transform your Android phone into an Alexa-powered voice assistant for your car. This car holder connects to your phone over Bluetooth to provide voice and gesture control when driving. £49, logitech.com

DASH CAM

TOMTOM GO 6200 Sat-nav brought bang up to date, with pinperfect mapping joined by on-board Wi-Fi, a data SIM to keep you up to date with the trafĆc, and full hands-free facilities for your phone, including narrated alerts. £229, tomtom.com

IN-CAR CHARGING STK HUB Five ports in two parts – a pair plugged into the 12V socket, and three in the back via an extension module – means everyone in the car can share the Hub’s 10.8A of charging power at one time. £25, stklife.com

GARMIN DASH CAM 55 Constantly watching the road, the Dash Cam 55 does more than record footage and save it in case of an incident. Driverawareness warnings will tell you if you’re too close or veering out of your lane. £149, garmin.com

ELECTRIC BIKE

ELECTRIC FOLDING BIKE TERN VEKTRON Collapsible into a luggage-sized package via a super-robust hinged frame, and adjustable in seconds to Ćt riders up to 6ft 5in, this Bosch-driven bike feels more like a full-size cycle than you’d think. £2,980, ternbicycles.com

GTECH EBIKE SPORTS You still need to pedal, but Gtech’s battery assist makes a huge difference in acceleration and torque, meaning you’ll handle hills with ease and leave other road users standing at the lights. £995, gtech.co.uk

SMART HELMET

BIKE-NAV LIVALL 2017 SMART HELMET A connected helmet with turn signals, speakers for safe Bluetooth calling, ridetracking facilities to keep you pushing harder, and an SOS alert which detects impacts and shares your location. £90, livall.com

BEELINE BIKE COMPASS More of a traditional navigation device than a modern one, the backlit E-Ink display of the Beeline constantly points to your destination and tells you how far precisely you have left to ride. £99, beeline.co J U N E 2 01 8 T3 10 9

Best of the best BEST OF…

SMART HOME Upgrade your house with the best tech for monitoring security, saving energy and controlling everything from one place VOICE ASSISTANT

SMART LIGHTING SYSTEM PHILIPS HUE Philips is the big name in smart lighting, thanks to a ćexible, expandable system.

Great app control, clever lighting options and integrations with other smart home devices make it the brightest of the bunch.

From £50 (starter kit), philips.co.uk

AMAZON ECHO Alexa is everywhere these days, but nowhere is Amazon’s AI more at home than in its Echo. It couples an awesome array microphone with pleasing design for the perfect assistant experience. £90, amazon.co.uk

SMART DOORBELL

SMART SECURITY

RING VIDEO DOORBELL 2 Part motion-detecting security camera, part ring-anywhere doorbell, the Video Doorbell 2 alerts you via your smartphone when you have a visitor – and you can two-way talk even if you’re not home. £179, ring.com

LIFESTYLE WI-FI CAMERA

Y-CAM PROTECT Y-Cam’s smart networked alarm supports up to 32 sensors and alerts your phone if it detects motion, or doors or windows are breached – and the built-in battery and phone SIM means it works in a blackout. £149, y-cam.com

SMART SECURITY CAMERA

LOGITECH CIRCLE 2 WIRED No smart home cam is as fun to use as this – instead of CCTV, it’s more like a Fitbit of home monitoring. It provides a sped-up ‘brief’ of the day, two-way communication, has a 180° camera and Alexa control. £149, logitech.com

DOOR & WINDOW SENSORS

NETGEAR ARLO PRO With a battery lasting months inside each camera, the Arlo system does away with the painful process of wiring your security cameras, and you get seven-day cloud storage of motion-detected recordings. £470 (two cameras), netgear.co.uk

SMART LOCK YALE CONEXIS L1 Unlock your front door with a key fob, a phone tag or using Yale’s cool Bluetooth Twist and Go tech – just turn your phone 90 degrees and you’re in. PA24-certiĆed for security, and tamper-proof, too. £230, yale.co.uk

HIVE WINDOW OR DOOR SENSOR Super-simple to install, reasonably priced, and highly inconspicuous once they’re up, Hive’s sensors are a great addition to an existing Hive set-up and there’s even one in the Hive starter pack. £29 each, hivehome.com

SMART PLUG

WEATHER STATION NETATMO WEATHER STATION Netatmo’s outdoor sensor pulls in metrics about temperature, humidity and more, but it’s the indoor sensor, which keeps tabs on the air quality and CO2 levels in your home, completes the package. £120, netatmo.com/en-GB

BELKIN WEMO INSIGHT This isn’t just a way to switch your devices on and off (though it does do that); the WeMo also keeps close tabs on your energy usage, so you can see just how much that tumble dryer is costing you. £29, belkin.com/uk

THERMOSTAT

SMART HUB NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT This is a crowded market, but Nest’s quality app, clever preference-learning tech and automatic energy-saving options push it to the top for us. Plus the 3rd-gen Nest looks amazing on the wall. £200, nest.com

110 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

AMAZON ECHO PLUS The Echo Plus isn’t just Alexa – its built-in hub can discover and control tech from Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Hive and others directly, so you don’t need a hub for every different home tech brand. £139, amazon.co.uk

Best of the best BEST OF…

LIVING The home and garden technology that makes life easier, from cooking and cleaning to lifestyle luxuries COFFEE MAKER

KETTLE GAGGIA NAVIGLIO Everything you need to create a delicious bean-to-cup brew at an entry-level price.

Gaggia’s pedigree is all poured into this quality espresso maker, and proves you don’t need to spend a penny more. £399, gaggia.uk.com

COOKER

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL SMART KETTLE The perfect cup of tea requires careful temperature control. The Sage kettle offers Ćve options, and can keep itself nicely warm for 20 minutes. £89, sageappliances.co.uk

MICROWAVE SAMSUNG MS28J5215AS The most attractive metal box your kitchen counter has ever seen – it almost looks like a Galaxy S8 – with a host of settings, such as a deodorisation blast for purging the scent of last night’s meal. £139, samsung.com/uk

RANGEMASTER ELISE 110 Want the versatility of gas hobs and the reliability of an electric oven? This dual-fuel range is the ultimate in kitchen convenience, with six solid burners, two ovens and a grill with glide-out action. £2,379, rangemaster.co.uk

DEHUMIDIFIER

PURIFIER MEACO 25L ULTRA LOW ENERGY DEHUMIDIFIER This small unit can drag 25 litres of water out of the air in a day, perfect for drying clothes indoors without the risk of mould or condensation ruining your windows. £299, meaco.com

WASHING MACHINE AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R This fantastic cleaner introduces a salt dispenser to clothes washing, softening the water for better results. It also runs quietly and is rated A+++ energy efĆcient.

All for a very reasonable price, too. £929, aeg.co.uk

ROBOT VACUUM

PHILIPS AC3256 AIR PURIFIER Philips’ device doesn’t just do a great job of cleaning the air in your room, it lets you know the current quality at a glance with its glowing coloured ring. If it turns red, it’s time to clear out for a while… £339, philips.com

DISHWASHER AEG COMFORTLIFT FSS62800P ComfortLift means just that. Pull out the bottom rack and it rises up to meet you, meaning you won’t need to bend to Ćll this A++ rated washer. It even opens the door at the end of the cycle to let off steam. £989, aeg.co.uk

MANUAL VACUUM NEATO BOTVAC CONNECTED D5 This rapidly clears hard ćoors and carpets, its D shape helping it get into corners well.

It sends your phone a map of where it’s managed to clean, and can be triggered from the app, through Alexa, or manually. £399, amazon.co.uk

ROBOT LAWNMOWER ROBOMOW RS635 Not a blade of grass out of place, particularly once the Robomow activates its edge mode. With 56cm cutting width and up to 100 minutes’ work time on a charge, it’ll cover even the largest lawns.

From £2,199, robomow.com

DYSON BIG BALL What Dyson has got spot on here is the weight of the Big Ball cylinder and how it navigates and balances – righting itself, even. Suction is exemplary, and there’s a variant for pet hair, if you need it. £370, dyson.co.uk

PRESSURE WASHER KÄRCHER K7 By using multiple pressure layers and an adjustable spray lance, K¦rcher’s premium water blaster cleans efĆciently and quickly, with enough options available to scrub just about any surface or vehicle. £569, kaercher.com J U N E 2 01 8 T3 111

Best of the best BEST OF…

COMPUTING From gaming paradise to mobile workhorses to tablets with laptop power, these computer and accessory picks will increase your productivity ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP

PRO LAPTOP

HP SPECTRE 13 4K An incredibly thin, light and beautiful laptop, with a dense, high-end 4K panel.

Despite being 1cm thick, it doesn’t skimp on the power either, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor.

From £1,599, hp.com

GAMING LAPTOP

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 15 This super-ćexible laptop brings huge Intel quad-core power and Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics to a thin frame, but also the ability to detach the screen and use it as a generously sized 15-inch tablet. £2,349, microsoft.com

GAMING PC ALIENWARE AREA 51 THREADRIPPER Enjoy a colossal performance with up to a 16-core overclocked CPU and Dual AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics (top-end model) in this unusual casing, which holds parts at 45° angles for better airćow.

From £2,149, dell.com

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS GX501 This is an amazing piece of engineering.

Despite being incredibly thin and light (2.2kg), it packs insanely powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, a quad-core processor, and a 120Hz 1080p display. £2,799, asus.com

ALL-IN-ONE

4K MONITOR APPLE iMAC WITH 5K RETINA DISPLAY There’s never been a screen like this.

Big enough for every task, detailed, bright, colourful, and it happens to have a Mac stuffed in the back of it as well.

From £1,749, apple.com/uk

GAMING HEADSET

SAMSUNG U28E590D Everyone’s getting in on the 4K game, but Samsung’s 28-inch panel is yet to be bested. A 1ms response time means it’s perfect for even twitchy games, and 60Hz 4K action is just a DisplayPort away. £300, samsung.com/uk

MECHANICAL KEYBOARD COUGAR 700K Made for serious gaming with every possible mod con – from the FPS wrist rest to repeat rates adjustable on the ćy – with your choice of Cherry MX switches to get the exact experience you’re after. £125, cougargaming.com

STEELSERIES ARCTIS PRO WIRELESS This brilliant PC and PS4 headset supports dual wireless streaming over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz simultaneously, lossless audio, has swappable batteries, and is super lightweight and comfortable. £139, steelseries.dk

GAMING MOUSE

PREMIUM TABLET APPLE iPAD PRO The iPad Pro is more than a tablet. It’s a creative toolkit, a processing powerhouse, and an essential addition to any mobile workćow, whether you opt for the 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch model.

From £619, apple.com/uk

RAZER DEATHADDER ELITE Razer’s Chroma-lit mouse is ultraergonomic for even the most awkward hands, and its Omron switches (good for 50 million clicks, apparently) are only bested by the 16,000 CPI optical sensor. £69, razerzone.com/gb-en

MID-RANGE TABLET APPLE iPAD 9.7 Apple’s cheaper iPad has a super-fast A10 processor, a vibrant 9.7-inch 2048x1536 display, and a wealth of tablet-speciĆc apps and games that run great. It also supports the excellent Apple Pencil stylus.

From £319, apple.com/uk 11 2 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

VALUE TABLET AMAZON FIRE HD 8 While it’s a budget device, don’t expect budget performance. The Fire HD 8 offers up everything you need for a smooth experience, and enough muscle to deal with anything you can throw at it.

From £80, amazon.co.uk

Best of the best BEST OF…

TRAVEL & OUTDOORS Whether you’re off for a holiday or just hitting the running trail, get the most from your trips with these amazing tech buys ENTRY-LEVEL DSLR

FULL-FRAME DSLR

CANON EOS 800D Make no mistake: the EOS 800D’s tech, trickled down from higher models in the line, is remarkable. It offers up 45-point autofocus, a touch-sensitive screen and awesome image quality. £659, canon.com

MIRRORLESS CAMERA

NIKON D850 This 45.7-megapixel camera takes full advantage of its big full-frame sensor to produce truly astounding images. On top of that, it’s packed with great features, and is easy to handle. Pretty much perfect. £3,499, nikon.com

COMPACT CAMERA SONY RX100 V Speed runs in the Sony family, and if you’re pointing and shooting, you want your pocket camera to perform. The RX100 V really does, with 4K video, 0.05 second autofocus and a Bionz X processor. £739, sony.co.uk

PANASONIC LUMIX G9 A super-fast focus makes it easy to grab the moment in beautiful detail on this camera’s 20-megapixel sensor. Add in 4K video, a viewĆnder and a top-mounted LCD for settings, and you’ve got a winner. £1,499, panasonic.com

ACTION CAMERA GOPRO HERO6 BLACK The most advanced action camera on the planet can shoot stunning 4K video at 60fps, with advanced stabilisation making footage super-smooth and realistic. It’s also waterproof to 10m without a case. £399, gopro.com

RUNNING WATCH GARMIN FORERUNNER 630 You get exhaustive running metrics from this fantastic watch when connected to a heart-rate wrist-strap, as well as fast, accurate GPS location. The build and battery life are also impressive. £309.99, garmin.com

BATTERY PACK

CAMERA DRONE DJI MAVIC AIR Enjoy pro-level aerial photos and video, regardless of your skill level. A three-axis gimbal keeps the Mavic Air’s 4K camera stable, with a range of auto ćight and tracking modes delivering brilliant results. £769, dji.com

WATERPROOF PORTABLE SPEAKER UE WONDERBOOM As at home on the beach or ćoating in the pool than it would be in your kitchen, the UE Wonderboom generates a 360-degree sound from its tiny IPX7-rated shell. Up to ten hours of battery life is great, too. £79, ultimateears.com

CHARGING CABLE ANKER POWERCORE 20000 Being away from a power socket doesn’t mean you’re away from power. Anker’s battery pack can charge an iPhone 7 seven times, determine the best way to charge your devices, and weighs only 350g. £29, anker.com/uk

BACK-UP PHONE

STK BINARY 3 There’s no universal charging port on modern gadgets, but there is a universal cable – this has adapters for compatibility with micro-USB, USB-C and Lightning, with brilliant braiding so it won’t fray. £30, stklife.com

UNIVERSAL CHARGER NOKIA 3310 The 3310 will win no awards for its tech, that’s true. But for a bargain price like this, with a battery that goes on and on, it’s the perfect second phone to chuck in a bag when you’re hitting the great outdoors. £49, nokia.com

MU WORLDWIDE TRAVELLER DUO Two ports for a pair of devices that can charge at once, a range of foldable plug pin connectors for different countries, and the thinnest design we’ve seen for abUSB wall charger. £34, themu.co.uk J U N E 2 01 8 T3 113

VICES Guilty pleasures to seriously spoil yourself

PATRÓN EN L A LIQU E SER IE 2 Some tequilas are made to be pounded, wedge of lime inbsalty hand. Some are perfect bedfellows for cocktails.

Precious few are so damn exclusive you’re content to simply sniff their honeyed fumes and admire their warm golden hues before Ćnally taking a nectarous sip. The Serie 2 is one of the precious few, an exceptional blend of the rarest Patrµn tequilas, aged for eight years in a combination of American oak, French oak and sherry barrels to produce heavenly notes of sweet honey, fruit and light agave.

Presented in a crystal decanter handmade by Lalique, and handcrafted at the Hacienda Patrµn distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, Patrµn’s exclusive, 40 per cent alcohol Serie 2 delivers a long-lasting Ćnish and is best enjoyed neat, served in a tequila ćute or snifter. $7,500 (£5,251.80) patrontequila.com

NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE FRIDAY 8 JUNE The ultimate smart home buys, from connected clocks to self-heating toilets…

114 T3 J U N E 2 01 8

9000

9001