Sonos one vs Homepod in stereo
101 gadgets
Samsung’s best ever
you can’t live without Win!
A dolby Atmos speaker system
New!
smart coffee makers
Top espresso on-demand
Tested Parrot Anafi
all-in-one PCs
4K HDR drone for cheaper than DJI…
Sleek and slim, desktop power
Mini 3D printer
Hot! Hive View
Smart cams get stylish
Make anything right at home!
Survival gear: Tech that’ll save your life
Contents
Contents
horizon 010
top 10 Upgrade your life with this month’s hottest new tech. We’ve got goodies from Microsoft, Apple and Cambridge Audio, and probably the sexiest ride Aston Martin has produced in recent years
016
style Starting a new job or returning to work after a summer holiday? Throw out your manky old backpack and invest in a new bag to elevate your work style
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auto
030
101 gadgets you can’t live without From mesmerising TV tech to cutting-edge smart home devices, these are the buys that will truly enhance your life, starting now
We head to The Black Forest to test-ride Zero’s powerful, revamped e-motorbike
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020
living
man vs tech
Is your hallway underused? We show you how to turn it into a retro games arcade
Could tech help you survive in the vast wilderness if you have no idea where you are or where you are going? Our writer is about to find out. Hold onto your headlamps, people!
022
travel Prepare to feel (sea)sick with envy as you discover what life’s like on a superyacht
023
fitness & outdoors Get active indoors and out with the best new hiking kit and sweat-wicking gear
024
gadget guru Clinic is in session. This month: electric skateboards, sleep tech that really works, and what the heck is Blockchain?
027
talking tech The EU has fined Google over Android, leading Duncan Bell to ponder, what would it be like if Android never existed?
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072 state of the art
All-in-one PCs are true powerhouses that can transform your productivity. We test three of the best to see which is No 1
Contents
win! a dolby atmos surround sound system Home 060
the setup Get more eyeballs on your home with the capable Hive View, a wireless security camera with looks and brains
063
upgrade Create a bespoke smart shower and bathing experience with the voice- and app-controlled SmarTap
064
desire Give your home a late summer freshen-up with these bright and breezy accessories and furnishings
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home test Love coffee? Love smarter living? We combine the two this month by testing four of the biggest-selling connected coffee machines. Are they all froth and no substance though?
tested 090
094
samsung qe55q9fn Is QLED truly that big of a deal? We pull up a chair in front of Samsung’s new telly and discover first-hand what all the fuss is about
096
smackdown This month’s death match: the Apple HomePod versus the Sonos One. And this sucker’s playing in stereo
097
lg wk7 thinq speaker
098
Need more thing-a-me-bobs? Us too. If you’re in the market for a 3D printer, we might have something for you
100
Our resident experts dish out the answers to your smart home queries
cordless vacuum cleaners What do you mean you use a corded vac? Get yourself over to our roundup of the best cordless vacs pronto
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070
sony xperia ear duo
Build the world’s teeniest remote control using a smart button
This is possibly the weirdest, most innovative gadget we’ve reviewed. That’s all we’re going to say here
living smarter
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Worth £1,099
Ah, DJI. You’ve had a good run, but Parrot has come along with a drone that looks set to blow the Mavic Air out of the sky. Or is it? Find out whether the Anafi really is a DJI-killer
xyz da vinci nano
068
103
parrot anafi
Say hello to LG’s first ever smart speaker. It already has some stiff competition, but we’re keen to hear the WK7’s side of the story
smart home surgery
The Focal Sib Evo 5.1.2 Home Cinema System brings next-gen movie audio to your living room, and you could win one!
best of the best 106
your in-depth buyer’s guide Want to know what the best top-end telly is? Or the best first-time DSLR? Or the best wireless headphones? Our giant buyer’s guide helps you find the world’s best and only the best!
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Horizon
The best new tech heading your way Edited by Claire Davies
Aston martin dbs Superleggera From £225,000, astonmartin.com Aston Martin’s DBS Superleggera, which combines the DBS nameplate the brand first used in 1967 with the iconic badge of Italian coachmaker Touring, is such an insanely attractive and supremely designed Super GT that we couldn’t help but show it off to you. The new flagship ride in Aston Martin’s production line, the DBS Superleggera gets its design cues from classic Aston Martin lines and shifts them into a wide-waisted, aggressive stance. That revised two-door look is backed up with a similarly muscular power plant. The huge 715bhp, 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, set low and as far back as possible, has muscle to spare, but the Superleggera badge isn’t just there for looks – Aston Martin has paid tribute to Touring’s ideals by making this car as lightweight as it is powerful, using a bonded aluminium construction and composite panels to shave off every spare gram. Aerodynamics like the DB11’s curlicue and Aeroblade, and an F1-inspired double diffuser, deliver the highest downforce of any production line Aston Martin. While we’re yet to put pedal to metal, AM quotes an absolute torrent of torque to the rear wheels, putting down a 0-62mph figure of 3.4 seconds, a jump from 50-100mph over the space of 4.2 seconds, while sitting in fourth gear, and the company reckons the DBS Superleggera tops out at a rather silly 211mph.
tech-o-Meter
The Superleggera doesn’t skimp on the mod cons. Its entertainment system includes sat-nav, a Wi-Fi hub, DAB and all the device connectivity options you could ever wish for
“We have officially hit peak Aston Martin. This is an absolutely stunning machine.” Matt Bolton, Editor
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Top 10
Totally made up There are no cut-down interior options here: even the base model of DBS Superleggera gets an absolutely delicious inside makeup featuring a set of Aston Martin’s Sports Plus seats and steering wheel, clad in aromatic leather with Alcantra upholstery
Give it the boot Unlike most high-end vehicles, which typically reserve luggage space barely large enough to carry a toolkit, Aston Martin has considered practicality when designing this two-seater, offering enough capacity for a full set of bags in the rear
All eyes on you In addition to a 360-degree parking camera and tyrepressure monitors, the Superleggera is packed with sensors. These monitor your driving style and the conditions of the road and automatically alter the damping for the most comfortable, safe drive
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Horizon
Nine to five
Whether you’re starting a new job or returning to work after the summer holidays, these gorgeous bags will help you start the new season in style
Paul Smith Artist Webbing Backpack
With plenty of compartments, Paul Smith’s backpack marries function with fashion, and holds a decent amount of work gear. £350, matchesfashion.com Burton Rockingham Backpack A low-key backpack that lets the rest of your outfit do the talking, the Rockingham can shuttle your laptop, lunch box and headphones to and from the office. £23.99, burton.co.uk ASOS Design Faux Leather Messenger Bag Stuff your laptop, brolly and headphones into the main compartment, with any valuables stashed in the interior zip pocket. £25, asos.com David Gandy x Aspinal Aerodrome Briefcase
A classic briefcase with a modern edge, crafted from smooth, tan leather and designed with a handy smartphone charger. £495, aspinaloflondon.com Forbes & Lewis Somerset Holdall Do you travel regularly for work? This waterproof holdall makes for a stylish way to house all of your overnight stay essentials. £95, forbesandlewis.com
WHICH WATCH
THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW Marloe Haskell
Hamilton Khaki X-Wind Chrono Limited Edition
A striking mix of classic and contemporary watch design, bolstered by a smooth, polished casing, Marloe has crafted the Haskell with the modern day adventurer in mind.
Celebrating 100 years of timing the skies, this retro chronograph, limited to 1918 pieces, is packed with cuttingedge features, including a drift-angle calculator.
£745, marloewatch company.com
£2,250, hamiltonwatch.com
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Oris Original Pointer Date Available with metal or leather straps, Oris’ handsome 754 mechanical automatic timepiece dazzles with a 40mm stainless steel case and coin-edged bezel inspired by jet engine turbines. From £925, oris.ch
Horizon
Car safety accessories
Breakdown cover is a good idea, but for emergency situations have this canvas box in your boot. The AA Emergency Breakdown Kit contains a tow rope, booster cables, a warning triangle, a foot pump and a torch. £39.99, argos.co.uk
Lifeaxe Emergency Glass Hammer Never take chances with fire. Lifeaxe’s heavy-duty hammer shatters car windows quickly, its fivesteel strike points providing flexibility. A finger guard minimises the chance of cuts and grazes to your hands. £24.95, amazon.co.uk
EASY RIDER
Torque of the devil Think electric motorbikes lack bite? One ride on the full-blooded 2018 Zero S will change your mind, as Paul Douglas finds out...
British Standard Car First Aid Kit Whether it’s a bump, burn or bee sting, you don’t want to be caught in the middle of nowhere with no way to treat it. Be sure to carry this handy first aid kit, packing bandages, plasters, wipes, dressings and even a resuscitation device. £17.40, evaq8.co.uk 18 T3 s ep t e m b er 2 018
There are 12 of us riding along the winding roads of the Black Forest in Germany. We’re each on Zero electric motorbikes, and even though most of them produce more torque than a MotoGP race machine, they’re so quiet that a deer in a nearby field just stands there watching us pass by. That wouldn’t have happened if our group was riding petrol-powered Ducatis. T3’s on a Zero S (from £10,690), a naked street bike and the first model in the Zero range, now updated for 2018, while others are riding Zero DSR Black Forest Editions, a new addition built with touring in mind. Within minutes of us leaving the start point we twist the throttle on the 2018 Zero S and
blast ahead to the next corner. It sounds like we’re riding a Lightcycle from Tron and we can’t help but grin. Zero’s bikes are near-silent, connecting you with your surrounding environment in a way petrol-powered bikes don’t – we could talk easily with our riding companions as they pulled up alongside us. E-motorbikes should prove cost-effective when you take into account the cost of charging the battery versus buying petrol. But, let’s be honest, you’re not on a bike to save cash. You’re riding for the thrill of it, and Zero’s bikes deliver thrills in spades. If you want to experience it for yourself, book a test ride at zeromotorcycles.com/eu
Photo credit: Samuel HeSS/Jan Reiff/Markus Meier for Zero Motorcycles B.V.
AA Emergency Breakdown Kit
101 Gadgets You Can’t Live Without
101 gadgets you can’t live Without Words: Chris Barnes, Becca Caddy, Alex Cox Photography: Neil Godwin
Make room in your home, car and office for these incredible gadgets, each hand-chosen by our team of experts to add even greater levels of joy, smarts and sheer awesomeness to your life
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101 Gadgets You Can’t Live Without
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101 Gadgets You Can’t Live Without
Be entertained
01
BenQ TK800
4K movies never looked so good! For an immersive home-cinema experience, fire up the TK800 and enjoy a 100inch, 4K UHD 8.3 million-pixel picture with super-vivid HDR colour that will look vibrant in strong daylight or ambient evening lighting. This affordable projector is designed for live sports, with custom Football and Sports modes, as well as big-screen gaming and films, and rocks a bold sound that’ll make you feel like you’re in the midst of the action. £1,195, benq.co.uk
If you’ve got a big CD collection but no modern, good-looking sound system to play your discs on, Como Audio’s all-in-one music stunner is has your name on it. The Musica sees to all of your home audio needs, enabling you to stream tracks wirelessly via Bluetooth, stream music directly through Spotify Connect, Tidal and Deezer, and tune into more than 30,000 internet radio stations and DAB. It’s even multi-room when used with other Como Audio units. All that and it’s an elegant-looking piece of kit that caters to tastes both old and new. £649, comoaudio.co.uk
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04
Sonos Beam
This is the soundbar everyone’s losing their mind over, and it’s yours for less than £400. Alexa is also on board, making the wireless Sonos Beam a gadget you really can’t live without in the modern smart home. Sonos’ advanced soundbar has a range of music services built-in and is AirPlay 2 compatible, delivering great audio to small and medium-sized rooms. As it’s part of the Sonos system the Beam can be expanded to support Sonos multi-room or 5.1 surround sound. £399, sonos.com 3 2 T3 s ep t e m b er 2 018
02
Como Audio Musica
Sony AF8
Can’t live without your TV? Then invest in one of the best money can buy… Sony’s successor to the A1E doesn’t leap too far forwards in terms of design, but it’s still one of the most remarkable screens we’ve ever seen. The OLED panel, available in 55- and 65-inch options, is the same as in the epic A1. It paints a jaw-dropping 4K HDR picture with deep blacks and incredible image processing. Sony’s Acoustic Surface tech also turns the screen into a giant speaker. Amazing. From £2,499, sony.co.uk
05
Plantronics RIG 500 Pro
Ignore that fearsome outer skeleton because Plantronics’ headset puts comfort first with ultra-soft ear cups, a supremely padded headband, and reduced engineering that makes it feel light even through long gaming sessions. The RIG 500 Pro for PC also does a few special things between the ears: it’s a stereo headset with 50mm drivers, but by using some digital audio trickery the RIG 500 manages a convincing Dolby Atmos surround effect, bringing more life to games. £79.99, plantronics.com
Be entertained
06 07 08
06
Sony HT-ZF9
This simple soundbar offers a convincing virtual Dolby Atmos soundstage, mimicking seven channels of surround and two height channels, all from a single box, using digital signal processing wizardry. Blimey! Its wireless sub is compact and brutal in its bass delivery. And there’s a stack of smart features, like Google Home compatibility, Bluetooth streaming, multi-room support using the Sony Music Centre app, and Chromecast built-in. £650, sony.co.uk
07
Lenovo Mirage Solo
Fancy trying VR but can’t stomach the price of a high-end setup? Lenovo’s Mirage Solo Headset is PC-, cable- and external sensor-free. Instead it uses Google WorldSense tech that works with two internal tracking cameras and proximity sensors to detect objects and recreate your movements on the 5.5inch display. You have access to 250+ apps on the Daydream OS, enabling you to explore exciting new worlds or, you know, more of this one. £349.99, lenovo.com
08
Xbox One X
The One X is one mighty gaming and media machine. A powerful processor and huge graphics performance enables you to run the latest games at 4K natively, rather than upscaled from a lower resolution. And all in glorious HDR, too. Plus, there’s support for Dolby Atmos, so they sound absolutely convincing. Once you’ve completed all your games, kick back with a 4K Blu-ray or dig into your media on the 1TB internal drive. £449.99, xbox.com s ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 3 3
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S ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 5 7
Home
the setup
Each issue, we show you how to set up a key piece of connected-home tech. This month… Hive View
person detection
Many smart security cameras will detect motion and record it. Hive View uses Person Detection and only records motion created by a person, rather than, say, a cat. It’s worth noting this isn’t quite as clever as face detection tech, which only records motion from unknown faces – you’ll still get notifications, even if it’s you walking past.
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The Setup
monitor your home from afar with hive’s stylish security cam Person detection, a magnetic mount and high-quality video streaming are but a few highlights of this smart cam
membership perks Sign up to Hive’s Video Playback Membership (£4.99 a month) and you’ll get some extra features. The main benefit is the 30-day video history, enabling you to view videos long after they’ve been recorded. If you think the fee is a bit rich, download individual videos to your smartphone or tablet instead. You could then upload these videos to your choice of cloud storage service.
Typically, when you purchase smart home devices sold by Hive you also need to own a Hive hub. This is in order for you to hook your Hive devices up to your home’s Wi-Fi, enabling you to control them from your smartphone. That’s fine if you’re already in bed with the Hive ecosystem, but what if you’re not? Well, in that case you’d probably look elsewhere for something a little more platform agnostic. But Hive’s latest gadget, a smart security camera called the Hive View (£189, hivehome. com), happens to work independently of its hub, making it open to all. Not to be confused with the original Hive Camera that came out over a year ago, the new View has Bluetooth built-in, so you can connect to it directly with your phone and, in turn, share your Wi-Fi credentials so that you can access and control the View camera wherever you may be. You’ll still need to use the Hive app to access the View, which will grant you the ability to watch a live video feed, view recorded videos and much more. Things get really clever when you connect the View to other Hive smart home devices. This enables you to create actions to trigger unique events, such as boosting your home’s heating when the camera detects motion, or turning a light on when it’s dark. At this point you’ll need a Hive hub, but it’s not essential – you can still use the Hive view as a regular camera. If you really want to get the most out of the View, though, you’re better off building a Hive ecosystem. A little sneaky, perhaps, but the View does offer plenty as a standalone offering, making it a worthy smart home security purchase in its own right. For the price you get a greatlooking 1080p HD video feed, accessible 24/7, as well as 24-hour video recording (30-day video history is available for £4.99 a month) and person detection. Because the View has an integrated 2100mAh battery, you can place the camera anywhere without needing to tether it to a power socket. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the View’s knockout looks. Designed by worldrenowned Yves Béhar, the View impresses with dual colourways and a sleek, curved cradle and magnetic mount, with which you can attach or detach the camera as you wish.
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Home
home Test
Smart coffee machines Take the grind out of shopping for a coffee machine. We’ve tested four of the most popular you can buy, and the results are surprising... The at-home barista
Custom coffee to go
Jura S8
Krups Evidence
£1,495, johnlewis.com
£999.99, johnlewis.com
Want to skip that daily trip to Starbucks? Then you may have just found the right machine to help you. Jura’s handsome S8 serves up 15 different preset drinks including barista-quality flat whites – thanks to its milk texturiser, the S8 is particularly great for milky drinks – or two thrillingly good espressos at the same time. It’s slick and dangerously easy to use, with the option for either bean or ground coffee. An LCD touch screen helps you customise your next drink and, while you still have to remove the grounds, the machine cleans itself after each use. Yet, despite its premium price tag, the Jura S8 doesn’t come with the Smart Connect Bluetooth Adaptor (what makes it smart) as standard. The app is temperamental during pairing and only really replaces the touch screen instead of offering any useful scheduling options.
If you’re the one holding up the coffee queue with demands for extra shots and painfully precise levels of milk, this is the bean-to-cup machine for you. While you can change the strength in the Jura S8, the Evidence brings bonus shot options and dark-strength coffees to the fore with the addition of dedicated buttons. It’s also refreshing that Krups has included a stainless steel jug for hooking up to the milk system. Sadly, while the app is the most intuitive of any on test here, we had some problems pairing to Android phones. iOS users can easily choose their water temperature remotely, or see how many grounds are left in the machine, but Android users should prepare to experience some teething issues before they can fully enjoy the Evidence. Visit the Krups website for a list of compatible handsets.
Verdict T3 SAYS The Jura S8 serves the best coffee here and is fun to use, but when it comes to smart integration it lags behind with unreliable functionality.
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Verdict T3 SAYS An excellent bean-to-cup experience with bonus milk jug, the Evidence delivers delicious coffee and is only let down by its Android pairing problems.
Smart coffee machines
tHREE WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SMART COFFEE MACHINE BEAN THERE
GET FROTHING
If pods aren’t good enough for you and you’re looking for a quality bean-to-cup machine, always keep an eye on the roast date of your coffee: between seven and 14 days afterwards is prime grinding time. After that, flavour might start to decline.
Pod one out
platinum award
DESCALE AWAY
Choosing the right coffee is only half the battle. All those lattes and cappuccinos need the perfect milk, too. As a general rule, full-fat milk creates a denser foam while skimmed milk is a golden ticket to bigger bubbles and extra froth.
It’s not nearly as much fun as the caffeine buzz, but keep an eye on limescale if your water is hard. Use filters if they’re provided. The top of your coffee will show you when it’s time for descaling. Use vinegar and water for an easy descaler.
Smart coffee on a budget
best on test
Nespresso Expert with Milk
Smarter Coffee 2nd Generation
£299.99, nespresso.com
£179.99, smarter.am
There’s an unnecessary snobbishness when it comes to Nespresso’s pod-based systems. While it doesn’t quite compare to the flavour profile of a full bean-to-cup experience, the easy-to-drive Expert serves up delicious coffee in a choice of sizes. The new Americano option is a particularly welcome addition to stop you firing back espressos, and Nespresso now has a range of iced coffees for you to indulge in. Easy to use, with a slick slider for the capsule, the Expert comes with an Aeroccino frother for milky coffees. Plus, of all four machines tested, this is the fastest and easiest to pair. Via the app you can brew on demand when sitting on the sofa, or schedule a morning power shot. Happily, the app reminds you to pop in a capsule so that you don’t wake up to a cup of plain hot water.
On paper this solid-looking coffee machine offers an incredible number of features for its sub £200 price point – bean-to-cup! Alexa linking! Geolocation! – but in practice the Smarter Coffee 2nd Generation sadly suffers where it matters most: making genuinely tasty coffee. Okay, so we know ‘taste’ is a subjective term, and that one person’s perfect coffee is another’s cup of swill, but initially we didn’t like Smarter’s brew. Play enough with the grind settings and water quantity and you will eventually get a tasty-enough carafe of filter coffee to sip, but only when brewing coffee in quantities bigger than a single cup. The companion app is also a little fussy while pairing, but once you’ve completed setup everything works as promised. It’s also super easy to configure the grinder to wake you up in the morning.
Verdict T3 SAYS Tasty coffee without any grounds to mop up, good size options and an intelligent design make this the most attractive and affordable coffee machine here.
Verdict T3 SAYS Casual coffee drinkers will rejoice at the copious smarts and low price, but quality and left-over quantity will leave connoisseurs feeling disappointed.
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State of the Art
Combined and refined All-in-one PCs that look great on your desk – and do the business where it counts Words: Alex Cox Photography: Neil Godwin
1
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All-in-one PCs
ll-in-one PCs are a niche form factor, but they’re more useful than they’re given credit for. In terms of function, they definitely lean more towards the all than the one. While not (usually) the sort of thing you’ll want to cart around with you in the same way as you would a laptop, AIOs are perfect if you have limited space but need a big screen. They can be placed on a desk, or in a dorm room or kitchen, and they’re perfectly capable of completing just about any task. AIO specs have, in recent years, rocketed upwards. What might once have used low-power chips now uses proper desktoplevel processors, in a package much thinner than the chunky AIO examples of old. All this, and they’re incredibly simple to set up. Employing just one cable completely removes
A
the complexity of self-built machines – just plug in and power on. Having everything in one compact, cleverly cooled package means less noise and a highly reduced footprint, and usually leads, as it does with the three leading machines on test here, to some pretty special designs, that look great in a home office. Not that AIOs don’t have their downsides. You’ll want a good warranty, because it’s in no way simple to replace a defective part in machines as tightly packed as these. Most AIOs also have limited, if any, capacity for upgrade. You’re investing in a machine that you’re going to be stuck with for some years to come, so it’s important to pick the highest specs possible, and something that you’re going to be happy with into the future – although once it’s left your desk, it’s easy to find a use for an AIO elsewhere.
What’s on test…
1
Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 520 27
2
Apple iMac 4K 21.5-inch
3
Acer Aspire S 24 S24-880
The 27-inch panel makes this huge and imposing, but Lenovo hasn’t forgotten to make it look damn attractive too. £999, lenovo.com
Classic Apple design spun up with a brilliant 21.5-inch 4K screen – sleek, slim and super sharp, with an operating system to match. £1,249, apple.com
3
One of the cleverest AIO designs we’ve ever seen, with a display that’s thin enough to make some laptops wince. £900, acer.com
2 3
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State of the Art test 01:
Design
Lenovo Ideacentre AIO 520 27
All-in-ones have the chance to look great, but are they also easy to use? pple has not strayed far from the norm with the iMac on test here. Externally it’s an almost unnoticeably minor iteration of the same iMac design that’s been sold for a number of years, but that’s not altogether a bad thing. The rounded rear of the case contains the components while tapering to a super-thin edge, giving that typical Apple illusion of thinness from all but the most acute angles. The flush screen glass hides some massive bezels, but looks good while doing it. The iMac’s ports (now including a pair of bonkers-fast Thunderbolt 3/USB-C sockets) are tucked away on the rear right, which isn’t very convenient, but at least you’ve still got a good range of ports, unlike Apple’s laptops these days. The 27-inch version of Lenovo’s AIO 520 hasn’t been on quite the same diet as its competition here – it’s girthier, and far heavier, than each of the other machines. That extra thickness gives rise to some neat features, though, like a side-mounted USB 3 port (which makes up for the fact that the rest of its cable inlets are jammed into a recess on the back) and a cute pop-up webcam along
A
Acer manages an almost impossibly slim panel and a clinically small bezel the top edge. Thickness be damned – from the front, it’s hard to argue that this doesn’t look like a very attractive machine, with a slimmer bottom edge than the iMac and a super-slim bezel around its screen. We’ve saved the best for last, though: by repositioning the computing internals, moving them from behind the screen into a slightly larger base than its opponents, the Acer Aspire S24-880 manages an almost impossibly slim panel, with a clinically small bezel and, despite the inclusion of thicker foot, a great-looking front profile. Not only that, but it’s much more conveniently designed – all but a single USB port and its HDMI connectors can be accessed from the sides of that base. It’s a small thing, but if you work with an AIO for a long time – or put it in a generally inaccessible spot – port placement makes a huge difference. 74 T3 SEPTEMBER 2 018
The IdeaCentre has visibly more heft to it than its competition here, especially with a bigger screen, but is still pretty elegant
Specs Processor Intel Core i7-7700T 2.9GHz Graphics Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB OS Windows 10 Home 64-bit Display 27-inch, 2560x1440 RAM 8GB DDR4 Storage 1TB 7200rpm HDD Ports 1x USB Type-C, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI input, HDMI output, Ethernet, audio combo jack
TEST 01: WInner
Acer Aspire S24-880 A black and gold slimline beauty; while it may not carry the same cred as the iMac, it’s inspired enough that it’ll have people asking questions.
All-in-one PCs Apple iMac 4K 21.5-inch
The iMac’s design is an enduring classic, but those big bezels mean it’s wider than the Acer, despite having a smaller screen
Acer Aspire S 24 S24-880
The Acer’s chunkier base is a perfectly good trade-off for its slimline screen. Especially since it has a Qi charger on top, for your phone
Specs
Specs
Processor Intel Core i5-700 3GHz Graphics AMD Radeon Pro 555 2GB OS macOS High Sierra Display 21.5-inch, 4096x2304 P3 wide-colour RAM 8GB DDR4 Storage 1TB 5400rpm HDD Ports 4x USB 3, 2x Thunderbolt 3, Ethernet, audio combo jack
Processor Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620 OS Windows 10 Home 64-bit Display 23.8-inch, 1920x1080 RAM 8GB DDR4 Storage 1TB 7200rpm HDD Ports 1x USB Type-C, 1x USB 2.0, 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1, Ethernet, HDMI input, HDMI output, audio combo jack
Watch your back The ergonomics of an all-in-one are rarely particularly good
Something disappointing to note about all three machines on test, and something to be aware of if working with an all-in-one PC – while each has a stand that allows the screen to be tilted, and all of those stands have their own particular charm, none can be raised up and down. If you’re sitting at your desk, we highly advise that you raise these machines up from the surface a little
more than the default, so that your eye level is in line with the top of each screen. For the short-stature Acer, this could mean a good few inches. You can even get one with USB ports built in, solving the issue of hard-to-reach connections on the Lenovo and iMac: Satechi’s F1 Smart Monitor Stand (£34.99, amazon.co.uk) does this well, though isn’t much of a looker.
SEPTEMBER 2 01 8 T3 75
Man vs Tech
man tech
The Mission Being lost can feel overwhelming even for the most seasoned adventurers. If you’re lost on a hike or walk you’ll need a calm head and some navigational nous to prevail. But could tech help you find your way back faster and safer? Michelle McLaren is T3’s art editor and acceptor of intense physical challenges. In the name of tech journalism we dropped her in the remote countryside with zero information and a handful of outdoor gadgets. Can tech help her find her way safely through our challenging route to back again?
The rough guide
Field notes
The
rough guide Can tech help you survive in the uncompromising wilderness, with no idea where you are or where you’re going? Words: Michelle McLaren Photography: Ben Brain
S ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 8 3
Man vs Tech
t’s unbelievably early on a Friday morning and I’m being bundled into a car, given a blindfold to put on and driven… Somewhere. After hours in the car, during which no-one gave away any information, we arrive... Somewhere. The sun is coming up and the first details of my challenge are revealed: can I survive and navigate alone in the wilderness, and return to my starting point safely, with only tech to help me? Well, I won’t actually be alone. I’ve got a buddy photographing this entire expedition, documenting everything using the new Fujifilm X-E3, and who I’ll yell at for help if I end up in a 127 Hours-type situation. But he’s been told not to help me with this task. The team hands me a pair of Salomon X Ultra Trek GTX hiking boots (miraculously in my size), an Arc’Teryx Beta AR Jacket and an Icebreaker Cool-Lite Mira Pullover Hoody. I assume I’m at risk of getting wet, because they then give me a Patagonia Stormfront backpack... And there’s more tech goodies inside. I’m starting to feel apprehensive, so the team finally tell me the final part of the challenge: I need to find my way to the top of the huge mountain in front of me, and back down again, but on a completely different route.
I
RABBIT OUT of A HAT Going through my backpack full of tech, I first pull out a Black Diamond Revolt headlamp. It’s light out, but only just, so I pop it on. The Revolt has multiple LEDs for different levels of illumination. I don’t need the ones LEFT Who needs to queue in a cafe when you can use a Handpresso portable coffee maker instead? RIGHT A headlight can make all the difference on early morning starts, evening descents, or when you’re exploring darker spaces
8 4 T3 S ep t e m b er 2 018
designed for better navigation at night (I hope I’ll be back down by then!) but it’s helping to make things clearer now. Next out of the bag is a Handpresso Auto Capsule portable coffee maker. Whether you consider this to be true survival gear probably depends on your daily need for coffee. I’m pleased to see it, and could do with a coffee right about now. The Handpresso Auto Capsule is very easy to use: just plug it into your car’s 12/24-volt socket, add water and a capsule, then watch it brew a tasty espresso. Like some kind of tech magician, I next pull a DJI Mavic Air out of the
me up Snowdon, and another to come back down again. Simple, right? Surely the easiest way for me to do this is by following some other people up, but the team quickly says that’s against the rules. Also, no one else is foolish enough to be around at such an ungodly hour, so it’s pretty quiet here at the moment. It’s okay, though, because the phone comes loaded with ViewRanger, which gives me access to premium Ordnance Survey mapping. I search for Snowdonia on the phone and, quick enough, a range of routes appear on screen. I decide upon the PGY track going up, and guess I’ll
whether OR NOT YOU CONSIDER A HANDPRESSO TO BE SURVIVAL GEAR DEPENDS ON YOUR DAILY NEED FOR COFFEE bag. A drone? Really? When I ask how a selfie drone is supposed to help me climb a mountain, the team says it has features that might be useful to me. climb every mountain At this point I still have no real idea of where I am, but next out of the bag comes a big, heavy-duty looking phone. Now we’re cooking! It turns out that this phone is actually the Land Rover Explore Outdoor, purpose built for adventuring and exploration. I turn on the phone (mercifully, the team has charged it fully) and the GPS tells me that I’m in Snowdonia. So yeah, all I need to do is find a route that will take
figure out what track I’ll use to come back down once I get to that point. I’ve also been given some Binatone walkie talkies, but these are more of a safety gadget for staying in touch with the team in case anything goes wrong during the challenge. drone scout After a quick look at a few tutorials on how to get the DJI Mavic Air up and running, its usefulness dawns on me: I’m some way off from the trail I want to join, and can’t see how I’m going to get over to it, so I send the Mavic up for a reccy. Being able to see (via the drone’s 4K UHD camera) that the path
The rough guide
trek tech Find your way, and stay hydrated and connected, with these gadgets
Dji mavic air
LifeStraw Go
Folds down into a supercompact package, and captures smooth, pro-level 4K HDR footage from its gimbal-mounted camera. The Mavic Air records to on-board storage, or live streams to the DJI app. It flies itself and everything. £769, dji.com
Fill it up from any cleanish natural source and its two-stage filtration means you’ll sip only healthy water through the straw. No power required, and no iodine or similar chemicals that can leave a weird taste or discolouration. £32, lifestraw.com
Handpresso auto capsule Powered from your car’s charger port, pop in some water and a Nespresso capsule and you’ll get a lovely fresh espresso. Perfect for preparing yourself before heading out into the wilderness. £179, handpresso.co.uk
land rover Explore outdoor With a big battery inside, and a hyper-tough case that provides even more battery, this five-inch Android phone comes loaded with OS maps. £599, landroverexplore.co.uk
Binatone Terrain 850 With a range of up to 8km and 968 channels to avoid interference, plus noise cancellation, these walkie talkies help you stay in touch no matter what. Catch the weather report via the built-in FM radio. £47, amazon.co.uk
Black Diamond Revolt Bright as hell (up to 300 lumens) and with different LED settings for different times (a red LED helps with night vision, for example), this headlamp helps you see clearly in all situations. £42, amazon.co.uk S ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 8 5
Tested
Display 5.5-inch IPS LCD Resolution 2560x1440 Refresh rate 75Hz Field of view 110 degrees Operating system Daydream OS Dimensions 204x270x180mm Weight 645g Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Memory 4GB Storage 64GB Connectivity USB-C, microSD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5
£629.99 parrot.com
tech in a similarly portable package. Is this too good to be true?
Lighter than (Mavic) Air
Mad props
Parrot Anafi Parrot’s new launch is the first drone to cause a stir in the DJI teacup, but does it have the right level of polish to take the lead? 9 0 T3 s ep t e m b er 2 01 8
any brands have tried and failed to take on DJI’s rock-steady fleet of premium camera drones. Paris-based Parrot pretty much started the whole consumer drone trend when it launched the popular AR Drone way back in 2010, so it’s no surprise that Parrot is the one to now come closest to knocking DJI out of the sky with the insectoid Anafi. It’s roughly £139 cheaper than its nearest DJI rival, the Mavic Air, yet boasts almost as much ground-breaking
M
At just 320g the Parrot Anafi is now one of the lightest camera-equipped drones on the market, and that’s a major benefit should it ever fall out of the sky, since it’s less likely to sustain major damage... In theory, anyway. Fold the Anafi’s four arms and it collapses down for easy transport. However, its 244mm length when collapsed makes it impossible to pop in a pocket. Just as well, then, that it comes in a slim transport case that snugly fits into a small backpack. Despite looking like a giant mosquito, the Anafi was actually
Parrot Anafi
Power up The entire top-back section of the Anafi’s ‘thorax’ is the battery, so it’s easy to swap out. Topside lights display the current charge level
inspired by the bee. In place of a head, the drone has its three-axis gimbal and camera mounted directly in front of its body. Crucially, this means the propellers will never appear in shot when the drone is moving forwards at high speed. It also means the camera can be pointed 90 degrees upwards for a perspective that currently no other drone can achieve. We’re used to aerial shots, but this can actually shoot you from below. When placed side by side with the DJI Mavic Air, the Anafi looks much more toy-like and, unflatteringly, insect-esque. However, once in the air it takes on the familiar drone form we’ve all come to know.
Cruise control Being able to charge your drone’s battery via USB-C should be considered a major plus, given that we now all have access to portable powerbanks. However, in this instance it’s completely spoiled by the woefully long charging times. With the right USB Power Delivery adapter it’s not too bad at 105 minutes, but use
something akin to a phone charger and you’re looking at three hours. On the plus side, the battery provides up to 25 minutes of flying time, which is five minutes more than the Mavic Air. That’s doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a 25 per cent boost in flight time; it could get you that killer shot you were aiming for. Spare batteries cost £89.99. The hand controller is built like a brick outhouse and feels a lot heavier than the drone itself. It’s too bulky for a pocket, and looks pretty sparse on the button front. Aside from the ‘take off’ and obligatory ‘return to home’ buttons, the controller comes with two index finger buttons on the rear: one for taking images and video, and the other for resetting the gimbal and optics. Plus, there’s two rocker arms for gimbal tilt and camera zoom. The phone cradle will accommodate anything up to an iPhone Plus. Any consumer drone worth its salt must integrate seamlessly with an Android or iOS, and the Anafi does it superbly. The new Parrot FreeFlight 6 app is well designed and really easy
The Anafi has a suite of creative camera modes, including the Hollywood favourite Hello Dolly. Hitchcock would love it
to follow. Granted it doesn’t allow for as many camera, flight and gimbal tweaks as the DJI Go 4 app, but it’s suitable for first-time users. The HD image quality streaming from drone to phone is impressive, though we did experience a few visual glitches and some pretty poor lag from time to time (not replicated in footage recorded to microSD card, of course).
Up in the air Okay, that’s enough of that. You want to know what it’s like to fly, right? Flight performance is very good, though it’s still not as confidenceinspiring as the Mavic Air. For a start, the Anafi doesn’t have any obstacle avoidance. Therefore it loses quite a few points to the clever Mavic Air – obstacle avoidance is something you will almost certainly miss if you’re using the Anafi’s autonomous modes in crowded areas. Once airborne the Anafi is easy to control and very stable, even in a stiff breeze. Both the Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity are solid, and the drone boasts an excellent 2.4-mile range s ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 91
Competition
win! A Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker system! Focal’s Sib Evo 5.1.2 Home Cinema System brings next-gen movie audio to your living room in a compact package that fits in any space
Worth
£1,099
Apart from a 4K HDR TV, the biggest upgrade you can make to your living room right now is adding Dolby Atmos audio. At its simplest level, Atmos creates more immersive surround sound than ever before, because the audio exists in a true 3D space. And that includes height for the first time – a proper Atmos setup includes sound that comes from above you, as well as around you. There’s nothing like it for feeling like you’re right inside a movie. Getting cinema-quality audio doesn’t have to mean converting a whole room, though. Focal’s Sib Evo 5.1.2 system brings the full quality of Dolby Atmos in a set of compact speakers that work in any living room. The set consists of a centre channel, left and right rear speakers, and left and right front speakers. These include not just forward-firing speakers, but also speakers that point upwards, reflecting the height channels of the Atmos audio off the ceiling before they
reach you. This provides that signature effect of the sound coming from above. And there’s a meaty Cub Evo subwoofer, for giving action movies some serious oomph. Just add an Atmos-capable AV receiver of your choice to power them! Most importantly, they sound absolutely fantastic, earning T3’s five-star Platinum Award in our review. The system is flexible, too – because each speaker is small, Focal offers a range of mounts and stands, so you can position them perfectly in any room. And you can add more speakers from the range in the future, including with extra Atmos channels. There’s nothing else like them on the market, providing an authentic Atmos experience in such a tight package, and we’ve got a set to give away to one lucky reader! You can enter using the information on the right. To find out more about the Focal Sib Evo, visit focal.com
To enter, simply answer the following question:
The Sib Evo 5.1.2 set comes with a subwoofer and how many satellite speakers? 3 5 8 Enter today at: bit.ly/focalcomp
The competition closes 3 September 2018. By taking part, you agree to be bound by the competition rules: futureplc.com/competition-rules. Entries must be received by midnight on 3 September 2018 (UK time). Open to UK residents aged 18 years and over. There will be one winner, entitled to one Focal Sib Evo set. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative.
s ep t e m b er 2 01 8 T3 10 3
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 OLED 4K TV
Value 4K TV Sony AF8 Sony’s next-gen 4K HDR TV looks fantastic thanks to its OLED display and advanced image processing. Because of ingenious tech that uses the screen itself as a speaker, it also sounds superb. From £2,499, sony.co.uk
Top-end 4K TV
HiSense U7A This is a superior mid-range TV that over-delivers for the modest asking price. A smart design and excellent 4K image clarity are its best features, but the Vidaa U smart platform is also easy to live with. From £649, hisense.co.uk
4K HDR projector 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 finishes to match your room perfectly. From £7,495, bang-olufsen.com
Value 4K Blu-ray player
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
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. Budget 4K players from other brands still cost around the same as this, but you can’t stick a game in them. £199, microsoft.com
4K streamer
PANASONIC DMP-UB900 The 4K and HDR pictures from this unit are out of this world, packing incredible colour depth and detail in Ultra HD (and making everything else look fantastic, too) to elevate your home cinema experience. £399, panasonic.com
Universal remote Roku Ultra This 4K HDR streaming box packs in a huge range of sources, including Netflix, 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 Sonos Beam Not only is this a superb-sounding TV speaker, with an excellent mode for enhancing dialogue, it’s multi-room ready with Sonos’ other products, supports Apple AirPlay, and has Alexa built-in. £399, sonos.com
Portable games console Nintendo Switch Not the most powerful current-gen console, but with Nintendo’s legendary games line-up and the flexibility to play in stacks of different control configurations, it’s the best portable machine you can buy. £279, nintendo.com 10 6 T3 S ep t e m b er 2 018
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
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
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