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VOLUME 04 ISSUE 10 MAY 2019
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SHOWSTOPPER Gadgets that showcase the very best that design and technology have to offer LOVINGLY CRAFTED
Jonas Majors crafted the 10 speakers at his workshop on the island of Mörkö, near Stockholm. The process involved forging and cutting repurposed steel to the precise geometric requirements, then welding, polishing and blackening it ready for the audio technology to be installed
TR A NS PA R EN T S OU N D STE E L S PE A K E R If you’re the kind of person who stares at the speaker when you’re listening to your favourite music (to be honest, we never really understood that phenomenon), then you might as well have something special to look at. Conscious that the audio world is being overrun by black boxes that all look the same, Swedish design studio People People decided to reimagine the concept, commissioning Scandinavian blacksmith extraordinaire Jonas Majors to fashion a Bluetooth speaker out of solid, aged steel. Limited to a worldwide run of just 10 unique and individually numbered units, this beautiful block of metal sounds every bit as impressive as it looks, with an active Class D amplifier contributing to a hefty 80-100 watt output, and high-quality digital signal processing providing clarity even when you crank up the volume. As for whether you should mount the 20kg speaker on your wall, People People’s website makes it perfectly clear: “Don’t even think about it.” `TBA, transparentspeaker.com
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 5
Welcome
Editor’s letter This edition of T3 brings you the hottest technology trends and products in the market. Our cover story that gives you a lowdown of things to look out for in the tech space this year, starting from pg 33. Our special feature this month takes an in-depth look at the next-generation breed of phones and yes, it involves a lot of folding and high-resolution May is shaping up to be a busy month for product launches, which includes three new products from Amazon under the Echo range, a new SUV from Hyundai that will hit Indian roads soon, Panasonic’s expansion of the Lumix range and lots more. We also took Huawei’s zoom-friendly P30 Pro for a thorough spin and came back mighty impressed. All details on pg 68. And finally, for gamers, we put MSI’s powerful gaming laptop to the test and check if the latest PlayStation exclusive passes the high bar that Sony has set. With technology under constant evolution, we’ll be sure to keep you on your toes with what’s to come. Until then!
Kunal Gangar, Executive Editor k.gangar@nextgenpublishing.net
Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd. Views expressed by external contributors are their own and not those of the organisations they work for. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return postage. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. T3 India does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.
OUR AWARDS THE DESIGN AWARD
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This award, and others We give this only to Only a five-star review like it, are given for tech that stands out for earn a product our prestigious Platinum stunning aesthetics or a exceptional performance in a key feature clever build Award
Executive Editor Kunal Gangar Consulting Editor Girish Mallya Correspondent Ankush Mahajan Copy Editor Kriselle Fonseca Contributors Anshuman Ghosh, Ashish Bhatia Editor (UK) Matt Bolton Contributors (UK) Duncan Bell, Claire Davies, Nick Odantzis, Alex Cox, Rob Jones Publisher Girish Mallya Head Design & Production Ravi Parmar Senior Designer Prakash Gavnang Photography Mahesh Reddy Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik Product Manager Perseus Master General Manager North and East - Ellora Das Gupta General Manager South - Girish Shet Circulation Manager Circulation North and East - Kapil Kaushik
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6 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Contents
Contents 033
HOT 100
Welcome to our annual celebration RIbWKH JUHDWHVW JDGJHWV SHRSOH DQG LQQRYDWLRQV VKDSLQJ WKH ZRUOG 7KLV \HDUèV OLVW LV VR KRW \RXèOO QHHG WR ZHDU RYHQ JORYHV ZKLOH UHDGLQJ LW
Essentials THE NEXT GENERATION
005 004
SUBSCRIPTIONS
098
LUXURIES
SHOWSTOPPER
It’s the most exciting time for phones in a decade. From folding screens to 5G, here’s what’s coming
8 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Contents BEST OF THE BEST 089 INTRODUCING THE BEST BUYER’S GUIDE KNOWN TO MAN
HORIZON 010
TESTED 068
TOP LAUNCHES
HUAWEI P30 PRO
The month’s best new tech, including Panasonic’s latest Lumix camera, Huawei P30 Lite, Amazon Echo Show and more
Is the zoom and low-light camera performance is as good as Huawei claims WR EH" :H ĆQG RXW
024 STYLE Get a heads-up on the new menswear looks coming your way
026
084 071 ASUS ROG STRIX II SCAR EDITION (GL504GV) We play with Asus’ latest gaming notebook that comes with Nvidia RTX GPU
TRAVEL
072
Want to see the hotel room of the future? Hilton reckons this is it..
SONY WH-XB700
028
Sony brings premium features in the latest entry-level Extra Bass headphone
TALKING TECH
078
Duncan Bell looks at the underground giant that is the vaping industry, and the mixed feelings around it
REALME 3 PRO
030
The
Anu Malik Vol - 2
Realme wants a pie of the sub-15k segment. Will Realme 3 Pro help them to get it?
GADGET GURU
080
Newborn keeping you up at night? Want to record music easily? GaGu has the gear to solve your problems
GAMES
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From p phones to tablets, and camera to cars, our selection of the ver best tells you what to buy
All you need is willpower and a bike to survive in a freaker-ridden world of Days Gone
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE BIG MONEY
004
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 9
Horizon PANASONIC LUMIX S1 AND S1R From ` 1,99,990 (body only), panasonic.com/in/ Panasonic has thrown its hat into the full-frame mirrorless camera ring with the Lumix S1 and S1R. Both come with an LCD panel at the top offering a glimpse at the image settings while the back has a 3.2-inch display with 2.1 million dots which can be tilted at various angles. The EVF is claimed to be one of the largest used with a 5.76 million dot resolution that ensures what you see is what you get. They can support two cards with the slots located towards the right and one of them supports XQD standard. They have a 5 axis in-body stabilisation providing 6 stop shake reduction with an Image Stabiliser (IS) lens or 5.5 when using a non-IS lens. In burst mode, shooting is done at 9fps coming down to 6fps for continuous autofocus. What’s different is the 24MP sensor in S1 with an ISO sensitivity of 51200 and the 47.3MP sensor in the S1R topping at 25600 ISO. T3 Says: With pixel shift technology, the S1 can shoot high resolution shots of 96MP while the other can produce 187MP RAW output making them cater to different segments.
TECH-O-METER
AMAZON LINK & LINK AMP From ` 19,999, amazon.in Amazon has added the Echo Link and Echo Link Amp to their evergrowing Echo range. They were built with the primary function of integrating with existing audio setups and infusing them with Alexa and music streaming capabilities. Echo Link can hook up to audio services like Amazon Prime Music, Hungama, Gaana and TuneIn to play from user sound systems but it must be connected to a receiver or amplifier as a source device to work. A majority of analogue or digital equipment is compatible with the device, and it even includes a 3.5mm jack having an in-built audio amplifier to listen directly to streams. Echo Link Amp goes a step further by adding a dual channel, 60W class D amplifier to enable connecting passive speakers. Both support Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity with a similar volume control knob. T3 Says: The overpricing, lack of microphone, and questionable usefulness cast doubt at the existence of the amps.
TECH-O-METER
10 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Horizon XIAOMI REDMI Y3 From `9,999, mi.com/in The Redmi Y3 takes over from last year’s Y2 with some interesting upgrades. It’s claim to fame is the 32MP selfie camera that enables high-resolution selfies, improved low-light selfies and full HD video recording support. The Redmi Y3 boasts Aura Prism Design that exhibits a prism-like effect at the back. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 632 chip, making it the first Y series phone to feature Kryo cores and comes with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM that ensures smooth performance when you take those high-resolution selfies. Battery has also got a boost with a 4000mAh battery to give up to two days battery backup. T3 Says: The Redmi Y3 comes with a palm shutter mode that allows the user to trigger the 3-second timer with a simple palm gesture.
TECH-O-METER
HYUNDAI VENUE `TBA, hyundai.in Dubbed as India’s first connected SUV, the Hyundai Venue targets the youth with its rich set of features, safety and design. The car comes with Hyundai Blue Link, a tamper-proof device integrating an eSIM and artificial intelligence (AI) that allows the user to lock/ unlock the car remotely, find the car location, auto crash notification, emergency assistance, and more. Venue’s modern design is a combination of looks and durability with safety. Hyundai’s signature design language exhibits the car’s confident looks and created out of 69 % Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) + High Strength Steel (HSS) that gives the car structural stability and rigidity. T3 Says: Hyundai Venue will also feature built-in wireless charging for phones and an air purifier.
TECH-O-METER
12 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Horizon HUAWEI P30 LITE From ` 19,990, consumer.huawei.com/in The P30 lite from Huawei might look similar to the flagship P30 Pro but a closer look shows otherwise. It sports a 6.15-inch FHD+ LCD display with a waterdrop notch, housing a 32MP selfie snapper having f/2.0 aperture. The panel has a gradient glass back design playing host to the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a triple camera setup comprising of a 24MP primary camera, 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth lens. The scene recognition uses AI that can identify 22 scenes while the front can handle 8 along with real time face unlock. The device is powered by a 3340mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. Coming to its software, it runs EMUI 9.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie OS. It is available in two variants of 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB with three colours – midnight black, pearl white and peacock blue. T3 Says: The 2.5D curved glass with 96% NTSC color gamut makes the screen look better than expected.
TECH-O-METER
JABRA MOVE STYLE EDITION `7,299, jabra.in The Style Edition of Jabra Move is an upgraded version of the on-ear wireless headphones’ vanilla variant. It has a battery life of up to 14 hours on a single charge taking 2 hours, 12 days of standby time and the option of wired use via the 3.5mm cable. The hands-free capabilities ensure voice calling through the headset without any issues, and on-board controls make audio playback simple being placed at easy to reach spots. The adjustable lightweight headband and soft earcups help immerse users by supposedly not creating too much pressure for longer music sessions. The three colour variants of titanium black, gold beige and navy are safe bets that don’t go out of the way to shock, yet are distinct enough on their own. While they lack folding hinges, the smaller size shouldn’t pose too much of an issue. T3 Says: Jabra Move has been made keeping daily listening and attending calls in mind, rather than intense workouts.
TECH-O-METER
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 13
Special Feature
Sony’s New
A R T EX SS BA
WH-XB700 Headphones for Music Lovers
ge
30-h our
ar in ch
0m
k1 c i u Q
batt
ery
Sony has recently launched the new WH-XB700 headphones targeted specifically at music listeners in the Sony Extra Bass series range. They have a long battery life of 30hrs, which is significantly higher than the competition. In addition they have included quick charge - something many users are acquainted with smartphones. A 10-minute quick charge allows for nearly 90 minutes of wireless music playback. Sony has added another special feature for your listening pleasure; support for Alexa or Google assistant, to provide a hands-free, voice controlled experience to users. By tapping on the custom button on the left earpad, you can command your assistant to play your favourite tracks. It also functions effortlessly as a call answering device, given the built-in microphone on earpads. Sony has kept the price of these feature rich on-ear headphones competitive at `8,990. The product is available on online and offline channels from April 15, in two colours - black and blue.
14 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
Ok Google
Hey Alexa
Sony Extra Bass speakers S SPECI FICATIONS Driver Unit
30mm
Wearing Style Wearin
On-Ear On Ear / Swivel
Passive Operation
Yes (Wired mode)
Sound Settings
DSEE
Headphones Connect App
CLEAR BASS, BASS Surround (VPT), (VPT) Sound Position Control
BT Version (Codec)
v4 v4.22 (SBC (SBC, AAC AAC, Qualcomm aptXTM audio)
NFC™ One-Touch NFC One Touch Listening
Yes
Batteryy Life
30H
Quick Charge g
10min for 90min
Voice Assistant
Yes (Google g Assistant/Amazon Alexa)
Smartphone App
Yes (Headphones Connect App)
Weight
195g
Accessories
Audio cable, USB Type-C charging cable
y
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Special Feature
A R EXTSS BA
ss le ire
tpro
of
W
Dus
SONY SRS-XB12 Speaker, Your WATERPROOF travel companion In addition to the WH-XB700, Sony also has a waterproof standalone portable speaker - SRS-XB12. This wireless bluetooth speaker is also part of the Sony Extra Bass speaker range, and is both waterproof and dustproof, making it a perfect travel companion. The speakers are IP67 rated and also come with a rubber like coating which makes the compact speaker completely travel proof. The speaker is available in a range of funky colours (5 different options, black, blue, red, gray and green) and comes with extended long battery life of upto 16 hours. In addition, you have the option of connecting two standalone speakers, wirelessly for stereo sound.
Han g an ywh
ere
Wat er
proo f
This speaker is attractively priced at `3,990, and is easily available at both online and offline distribution channels.
SPECIFICATIONS Speaker Type
Full Range
Speaker Impedance
4Ω
Bluetooth® Technology
Version 4.2
Effective Range
10m
Interface(A2DP)
A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
Battery Life
Approx. 16H
Dustproof/Waterproof/Water resistance
IP67
Weight
Approx. 243g
Colours
Black, Blue, Red, Grey, Green
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 15
Horizon VU TV RANGE From ` 14,500, vutvs.com Vu has made quite the name for itself thanks to their strong focus on providing feature-packed televisions at competitive prices. Their latest lineup is no exception, with the spotlight reserved for VOD (Video On Demand) upscaler. This proprietary software developed by the company enhances picture quality for VOD content by combining multiple advanced machine learning algorithms working in tandem with the Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to offer more vibrance and better colours. Vu Pixelight, Vu Ultrasmart, and Vu Premium Android are the three ranges Vu will focus on this year. The first two run on a Linux-based operating system while the Premium Android TV range, as evident, runs on Android Oreo granting access to the Google ecosystem. Features like 4-Hotkeys remote, Dolby, HDR10, licensed premium apps bundled, striking designs, and more make them a very attractive choice. T3 Says: Sizes start from 32-inch going all the way up to 65-inch to accommodate nearly all sorts of rooms.
TECH-O-METER
AMAZON ECHO SHOW `22,999, amazon.in Amazon Echo Show has been around internationally but it’s finally here in India. The second generation model is equipped with a 10-inch HD (1280x800p) screen and Dolby-tuned speakers that can be used for viewing of trailers, news, social media browsing, Amazon Prime Video content, and more. The far-field voice recognition system consisting of eight microphones allows the speaker to listen to voice commands across large distances as well as capture sound when making voice and video calls. The latter uses a 5MP camera embedded in the front, above the display. In addition to normal sound-based responses, Alexa will also give visual information on the screen and various skills can be downloaded to extend its functionality. It can be used in conjunction with other devices in the Amazon ecosystem like Fire TV Stick and Echo speakers. T3 Says: The slimmed down and fabric clad Echo Show comes with dual 2-inch drivers with passive bass radiator.
TECH-O-METER
16 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Horizon SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS `24,990, en-in.sennheiser.com Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, as the name implies, are truly wireless earphones marking the company’s entrance into the segment. The metallic spin rings on the earbuds include touch controls and housed within, the 7mm dynamic drivers handle sound performance. They support aptX and aptX Low Latency codec that should improve sound quality with compatible devices. Mic holes are present on both for clear, handsfree calling. On its own, they hold four hours of charge but the fabric covered case offers an additional eight hours, allowing the buds to be topped up twice. The Smart Control app available for Android and iOS can be used to configure Momentum by accessing settings like transparent hearing, smart pause, equaliser, and more. To fit ergonomically for just about everyone, four different ear tip sizes have been provided. T3 Says: Taking the above into account along with IPX4 rating for water resistance, it somewhat justifies paying a premium over the lesser priced competition.
TECH-O-METER
ZAAP AQUA XTREME `2,499, zaaptech.com Zaap has been consistently flooding the market with various audio products and the Aqua Xtreme is the latest addition to their ever growing lineup. These wireless earphones are IPX7 rated to withstand immersion for 30 minutes in upto 1m of water with Nano-X coating further enhancing its resistance. This makes it suitable for intense workout sessions during the rainy season, as well as leisurely listening along the poolside. The rechargeable 90mAh battery provides approximately 9 hours of playtime and 250 hours of standby on a single charge. Having Bluetooth v4.1, the Qualcomm CSR Bluetooth chipset supports multi device connectivity and aptX Bluetooth codec with CVC 6.0, tackling noise cancellation for voice calls. Two extra pairs of ear cushions are bundled just in case one gets lost or wears down. There are dedicated volume control buttons to adjust the sound level. T3 Says: The one touch multi-function button works to turn power on/off and answer, reject or end calls.
TECH-O-METER
18 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Horizon AVITA MAGUS `21,490, avita.com Avita Magus is the first two-in-one laptop from the Nexstgo sub-brand adding a bit of diversity to their existing laptop range. The 12.2” (1920x1200) FHD touchscreen offers an ultra-wide viewing angle offering good viewability from a number of angles. It is powered by an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, integrated HD graphics 500, 4GB DDR3 RAM and 64GB eMMC storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. Running on Microsoft Windows 10, the company claims the portable can deliver upto 8 hours of battery life. It weighs 1.07kg without the keyboard attachment which adds 0.37kg more leading to a total of 1.41kg making it easy to carry around and not cause fatigue. Coming to connectivity, there is a 3.5mm audio jack, 1x mini HDMI, 1x USB 3.0, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. T3 Says: The four colour variants for the Magus are seashell pink, steel blue, charcoal grey, and pastel violet.
TECH-O-METER
SAMSUNG A80 `TBA, samsung.com/in/ The Galaxy A80 from Samsung literally comes with an interesting twist in the form of a rotating camera system. This consists of a 48MP primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture, 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and a ToF (Time of Flight) 3D camera. Regardless of taking a selfie or landscape shot, the shared setup ensures parity in all snaps. This also helps contribute towards the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display having a unique 20:9 aspect ratio and be a notchless experience with slim bezels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor making its debut paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage that can’t be expanded. Running on One UI, the 3700mAh battery supports 25W Super-Fast Charging and is said to intelligently learn user routines to best optimise power. Samsung mainstays like Pay, Health, Knox and Bixby return while audio is enhanced by Dolby Atmos technology. T3 Says: The jury is still out on the reliability and effect of dust on the rotating camera.
TECH-O-METER
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 19
Horizon
WE CAN BUILD YOU...
A SMART CAT SETUP Whether you have a nervous new kitten or a set-in-his-ways tabby, tech can help you cope with your feline
P
ETKIT COSY PET BED
Pets can find new environments somewhat overwhelming at first, but you can help your new cat feel safe straight away with this smart pet bed for cats and dogs. It responds to the ambient temperature in your home to create the purrfect sleeping environment. It also connects to the PetKit app, so you can adjust the temperature remotely. This is great news if you want to ensure your pet is cosy when you’re away from home.
petkit.com
P
ETKIT FRESH PET BOWL
When you get a new pet, it can be tricky to work out how much food they need each day. This clever, app-connected feeding bowl has built-in weighing scales to help you to work out exactly how much your cat (or dog) needs to eat based on its age, breed and activity levels.
petkit.com
L
ITTER ROBOT
No matter how much you love your new cat, cleaning out its litter tray is never a fun task. Happily, the Litter Robot has a special sifting process that separates waste from clean litter, taking the hassle out of litter tray duties. It’s also selfcleaning, which means as soon as kitty is finished, a cleaning cycle deposits waste into a carbon filter drawer underneath. You’ll receive a notification when it’s time to empty the drawer, so you can spend less time worrying about odour and
22 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
cleaning up, and more time sharing photos of kitty. litter-robot.com
T
RACTIVE GPS COLLAR
It’s nerve-wracking when your new cat gets braver and begins to explore beyond your back garden. Handily, Tractive’s pawsome GPS collar is app-connected, waterproof, lightweight, and offers real-time location tracking, which means it won’t interfere with kitty’s adventures, but it will help give you peace of mind. tractive.com
F
ROLICAT BOLT LASER TOY
This laser toy should provide lots of fun for your feline friend, especially when you’re too busy or weary to play with them. Place it onto a flat surface and it’ll keep your cat entertained with lots of laser patterns to chase for hours on end… or until kitty finds a box to sit in.
SAYS…
“A happy cat makes for a happy home – so get kitted out now”
petsathome.com
S
UREFLAP MICROCHIP CAT FLAP CONNECT
Take the stress out of caring for a new cat with this connected cat flap, which sends notifications to your phone whenever kitty leaves and enters your home, so you always know where it is. Set curfews and remotely lock and unlock the cat flap at any time if the weather is bad and you want to make sure your cat is safe inside. surepetcare.com
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We can build you…
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 23
Style
DRESS LIKE
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD The Hummingbird Project star displays on-point style just in time for spring THE SUIT Skarsgård’s outfit is built around a relaxed, deep green two-piece. To achieve a similar look without the designer price tag, try the Twisted Tailor Green Ellroy Blazer (topman.com) and Trousers. THE ROLLNECK Whether or not a cashmere rollneck like this is in your rotation, copying the look is pretty easy. Allude has one just like it with the Roll-neck Cashmere Sweater (matchesfashion.com). THE SHOES Skarsgård wears a timeless pair of Oxfords that are subtly colour-matched to his roll-neck in an earthy brown. For a similar pair try Loake’s Cornwall, which come in a sharp narrow fitting (loake.co.uk).
MONEY NO OBJECT Dita Grandmaster Six
If you’re ’ looking l ki to make k a style l statement, there h are ffew accessories that will do it like a pair of oversized aviators. The Grandmaster Six from Dita is a stunning combination of chamfered gold and titanium lens rims fastened to a machined acetate front. Whether you choose the yellow or rose gold colourway, each time you wear these will be an occasion. pretavoir.co.uk
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A CLOSE SCRAPE
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT SHAVE Omar Hamwi gets some expert tips on achieving the ultimate smooth shave Facial hair grooming is all too often overlooked as both a routine and style choice, especially when compared with attire. Whether time is a factor or it’s simply a question of technique, it’s surprisingly simple to get a good routine going if you sort out a few basic steps. To find out how an industry expert approaches the perfect shave, T3 chatted with Brian Mulreany, of the Executive Shaving Company (executive-shaving.co.uk), and asked which techniques and products he’d recommend to those of us wanting to lift our grooming game. “First up, wet shaving is better for your skin than using an electric razor,” Mulreany explains. “There are lots of wet razors to choose from but we recommend a safety razor. They load up with thin, double-edge blades that are recyclable.” But when is the ideal time to work a shave into your routine? Mulreany says your skin will be better off when it’s soft, which will also give you a better overall shave. “Shave after showering or having a bath, the warm water and steam will lift your bristles off the skin and soften them, leading to a shave that is closer and more comfortable,” he says. “Always use a sharp blade and lather up with a shaving brush and a decent shaving cream or soap.” Lastly, on the question of technique, some basics will get you a consistently good shave while avoiding skin irritation. Mulreany suggests shaving in the direction your bristles grow and then once again in the opposite direction to get closer to the skin. Applying moisturising aftershave balm at the end to round out your routine is essential if you want your skin to really benefit. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
www.ComputexTaipei.com.tw
Horizon Travel
DO NOT DISTURB
YOUR NEXT HOTEL ROOM Want to know what the hotel room of the future looks like? Spencer Hart flew to Hilton’s HQ in Washington DC to find out The travel industry has always been quick to embrace new technology – just think about boarding passes on your Apple Watch – and it’s showing no sign of slowing down with startups, in addition to more established brands, racing to revolutionise your holiday or business trip. We recently flew to Hilton’s headquarters in Washington DC to see the hotel giant’s vision for the future of hotel rooms. Hilton has a rich history of innovation, being the first hotel chain to feature air conditioning and the first to put TVs in guest rooms, so we’re expecting some clever innovation... A lot of what we saw centred around the Connected Room, Hilton’s new platform for in-room tech. The system enables 26 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
guests to enter their rooms with a Digital Key on their smartphone, and to set preferences, control lighting, climate and entertainment directly from the Hilton Honors app. Instantly, this makes hotel rooms much more intuitive and welcoming, and your stay easier and more enjoyable. Connected Rooms are currently live in four hotels in the US, with hundreds more planned for 2019. In the coming years, Hilton has more personalisation planned, such as digital photo frames that will display your family photos before you even enter the room. Keen to know what the hotel room of the future looks like? This is a great place to start. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Horizon Travel
TREK FX 2 HYBRID The all-new FX 2 Hybrid Bike from Trek Bicycle for all the dope if you are in the market for a city bicycle WORDS GIRISH MALLYA AND ASHISH BHATIA How does one go about deciding which bike is right for us? This is the most common question we get asked from friends around us. For most of us living in cities, especially working professionals, it’s best to start off with a hybrid bike as a ďŹ rst choice. Road bikes look a lot more attractive and they can be pushed to attain the above average high speeds, but given the condition of our city roads that are bumpy besides being weighed down by heavy congestion, it doesn’t make for a very practical option for most Indian cities. So unless you are planning to engage in long highway rides akin to cyclathons, north of 100 kms, it would be apt to invest in a hybrid bike. A hybrid bike is appropriate for for anyone who is just starting off as an amateur, looking at occasionally cycling to work or even a ďŹ tness enthusiast looking at intra-city commute with the added advantage of using it in the multi-user mode (members of family using the same bike). This month we review the Trek FX2 2019 from Trek. The FX2 2019 edition ticks all the standard boxes that one W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
would expect a hybrid bike to. Suited to city riding, like most hybrids, the FX2 is not a stunner. What makes it stand apart though is its ďŹ rm build quality backed by a Shimano gear set, and ably supported by the Bontrager tyres and high-quality parts (handlebar, seat post, saddle, stem, etc). Sans colour options, we tested the white coloured Trek FX2. Available in limited colour options, we would recommend darker colours given the second nature of whites to draw dust towards it. The seat was exible in its adjustment so that it could be ďŹ ne tuned in accordance with the riders height and comfort. Do remember to pick the right frame appropriate for your height using online resources (https://www.icebike. org/bike-frame-size/ ) or consult a Trek dealer for help. The ride quality of the bike is ďŹ rm and that is to be expected given that it does not have any shock absorbers in the front or the rear folks. For city riding bicycles, shock absorbs are not really necessary. Most standard hybrid bikes do not come with shock absorbers, and this makes the bike easier to maintain over the long run.
6SHFLĆFDWLRQV Trek FX 2 2019 Price: `36,299 Frame: $OSKD VLOYHU DOXPLQLXP IUDPH Gears: 6KLPDQR 7RXUQH\ IURQW GHUDLOOHXU D 6KLPDQR $FHUD UHDU GHUDLOOHXU DQG 6KLPDQR () VKLIWHUV Brakes: 7HNWUR 9 EUDNHV Fork/Suspension: +LJK WHQVLOH VWHHO IRUN Wheels: %RQWUDQJHU $7 Tyres: %RQWUDQJHU + [ &
FX2 2019 edition is the successor of the previously launched FX 1. FX 1 had a 7x3 gear conďŹ guration whereas the FX 2 has a 8x3 conďŹ guration giving one a sum total of 24 combinations. This change does not signiďŹ cantly enhance the riding experience though. The FX2 has minor updates on on the hubs and drivetrain in the latest edition, both of which come across as equally good with a marginal price differential. A little over 10% with the FX 1 priced around `32,199 and the FX 2 priced around `36,299. The FX2 (Disc) variant is priced higher at `42,399. Although we found the FX2 braking prowess to be more than adequate for city riding. The FX 2 like the other bikes in the FX series features the DuoTrap S compatibility. It functions such that the integrated Bluetooth/ANT + sensor in the frame offers value-added functionality of logging routes and tracking ďŹ tness levels on a remote device such as a personal computer or mobile phone without the need of an external sensor as is the case with other Trek models. MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 27
Opinion
Duncan Bell is chasing clouds The humble vape could be one of this century’s most significant bits of tech ake a walk down the high street of any small town in the UK and you’ll see the same things. There’ll be charity shops, a pub or two, a branch of Greggs and a vape shop, probably called ‘The Vape Shop’. Go to a bigger town and it’s much the same, but the vape shop will be called something more pretentious, such as ‘Tokyo Mist’. If you don’t vape, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a rather fringe activity but it’s not. I’d liken it to heavy metal – millions of Britons enjoy ‘the metal’ but if you’re not into it, you might assume it’s just a small cult thing, like badminton or the Labour Party. The reason I know this is I have been to a few vaping events this month, both, not coincidentally, organised by massive cigarette brands – British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International. One of them was at the top of London’s Gherkin building and the other featured a performance by Wyclef Jean out of The Fugees. And if that wasn’t evidence enough of how much money there is in the vaping market, the figures bandied about were: this is a 100 billion dollar industry, and little wonder. Vaping’s mix of technology, ‘wellness’, social factors, mega-marketing and massive, fruity clouds of vapour make it a perfect 21st century business.
T
Smoke and mirrors Vaping is actually a range of sub-cultures. It goes from people billowing out massive clouds of scented vapour from steam-punk
vape pipes, to people using stylish, slickly branded, cigarette replacement produc cts from the likes of Philip Morris International and BAT. You could compare the vape market to smartphones. And in fact, I will, now. Philip p Morris’ iQOS is taking an Apple-like approach with swanky shops and a more exclusive, ultra-slick product. BAT’s Vype is a little Samsungesque, being similar to iQOS but more widely promoted and a little less self-consciously ‘premium’. Silicon Valley-backed newcomer Juul is a OnePlus-style ‘disruptor’, and the other brands are largely mid-priced Android phones. In one way, the vape is actually a more significant and benign slab o’ tech than the smartphone. It will save millions of lives over the coming decades. Although the
iQOS is like the Apple of vapes, with swanky shops and an ultraslick product irony is that this will happen while vapes remain widely disliked. Nobody is able to claim that vapes are completely safe, but for sure they are a lot less likely to kill you than cigarettes. As people switch from smoking to vaping, the health benefits will be statistically immense. Millions will live longer. The reason that vapes will still be widely disliked, however, is that
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if people stopped habitually sucking on any nicotinebased product at all, the health benefits would be even greater. Of course, it also rankles that this is being driven by the likes of Philip Morris and BAT. While it is nice that they have decided to stop killing their client base, it’s hard to see their motives as entirely altruistic. They will tell you that vapes are aimed purely at former smokers, as a way to help them quit. However, followed to its logical conclusion that would mean no more customers for either brand, within a generation. Now, call me Mister Cynical if you will, but I don’t think PMI and BAT are then going to go, ‘Woohoo, mission accomplished. We can shut up shop forever now.’ But I guess time will tell. Clearly, even if the risks to health are greatly reduced by vaping, compared to smoking, we are still talking about selling a literally addictive product. Because vapes are a tech product there are also regular upgrades to be bought; newer and shinier vapes, with apps. However, I think you have to be realistic about how people can be helped, and any positive outcome is worth celebrating. That’s why, grudgingly, I welcome the arrival of vape shops in every town, and the late-life conversion of former cigarette brands to the path of (comparative) wellness. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
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Horizon Gadget Guru
GADGET GURU
T3’s resident tech expert is here with more unsurpassable advice
AJIT MANJREKAR
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY
A
The invasion of slightly glossy white plastic is upon us, and it does not match Mrs Guru’s aesthetic sensibilities. As soon as something new is introduced into the living room, there’s a complaint: “That plastic obelisk does not match the coffee table”, or “What does that do and why is it beeping all the time?” This is understandable, but unfortunately not all tech can be stored neatly away. Try tucking your router away, for example, and you’ll kill the Wi-Fi signal. Put an LED-packed gaming PC in a box and you’ll cook it. And
some kit simply can’t be hidden otherwise it won’t work – sensors and cameras need to be in view because that’s kind of the point. Every good router, though, should have a setting to disable the gaudy lights. This is particularly true of mesh setups like Netgear’s Orbi (prices vary) or the D-link Covr. These also give you a bit of breathing room in terms of signal, as you can
ABOVE Where you hide your tech could lead to some great games of ‘hunt the hardware’
Keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block for a more stylish and minimalist approach to smart home gear
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feasibly tuck a module or two away without too much coverage loss. Consider reconfiguring your smart lineup and attaching more traditional devices to smart plugs like Eve’s HomeKitonly Energy or the minuscule Eufy Smart Plug. Try vinyl wraps to blend your kit in with the rest of the room. Or keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block for a stylish, more minimalist approach to smart home gear. GaGu would check its viability with Mrs Guru, but she’s just spotted his new robot butler, so now isn’t the best time. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY
Can I hide my smart home kit?
Gadget Guru
KERON SINGH
How can I make better chips? Chips are, arguably, one of to the rescue with its Actifry Genius A mankind’s greatest culinary XL. This mean frying machine is well inventions. But why don’t home-cooked chips ever taste as good as the ones you buy from the local chippy? GaGu’s secret recipe for transforming limp oven chips into fluffy golden treats is a closely guarded secret. You, on the other hand, have a few options for making tastier chips at home. If you’re not too worried about your washboard abs turning into one barrel-shaped mound, a deep fat fryer is by far the best choice for preparing truly delicious chips. Tefal’s Oleoclean Pro , but you should be able to pick it up for less if you shop around) is GaGu’s current fryer pick. The Oleoclean Pro drains and filters the oil for you, so you can reuse it without fuss. Tefal’s deep fat fryer also comes apart for easier cleaning, and includes an odour filter to prevent your home from filling up with pungent ‘fry’ smells. If you want to adopt a healthier approach, Tefal once again comes
regarded in slimming circles, owing to its ability to produce decent chips with only a minuscule amount of oil. It does this by blowing hot air on a constantly-stirring tray of spud fingers, giving them both an even coating of oil and an even blasting of heat. Bonus: you can also use the Actifry Genius XL to cook other stuff, like chicken nuggets and battered fish. Thanks to its various presets and two ‘one-meal-in-onego’ modes, you can chuck a whole meal in there and walk away. But before you even get to the cooking stage, you’ll want to aim for consistency in preparation. That means cutting potatoes with a KitchenCraft Potato Chipper, which comes with two sets of blades and pushers. Season with salt, pepper, a little garlic and maybe some mustard powder, then eat with ketchup and a big dash of impunity: you have earned a chip, reader, oily or not.
ABOVE Let’s face it, as far as fried vegetables go, proper chips take some beating
GADGET GURU’S MAGIC GIC BOX Whatever will those geniuses at Nanoleaf think of next? They started with the triangular Aurora panels, then stepped up to four sides with the square-shaped Canvas lights, and now they’ve gone and added a whole bunch of extra edges with the hexagonal, er, Hexagon. Due for release later this year, and packing Nanoleaf’s usual touch sensitivity, RGB programmability and pleasing low-profile design, they’re top of GaGu’s shopping list for his office wall. He still prefers the LIFX Tile, mind – which has just added its own touch sensitivity, because apparently LIFX built in an accelerometer from the start but simply never made use of it – but its five-panel limit means it doesn’t have the same esigns. When Guru does sit down in the gadget cupboard to get on with some work, it’s usually against the clock so as to reserve W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
more time for activitie es. There is no better way to mark the passing of time than with the clack off a retro-styled flip clock k, and Karlsson’s quality plasstic-andchrome caseless number b does d the h trick i k off applying time pressure and irritating GaGu enough that he can’t wait to escape his office as quickly as possible. In terms of activities, Guru and his chafed thighs have been sorely tempted to join his excellent wife on the ebike kick. But there’s a problem: the only bike he wants is the one his muscular governatorial hero Arnie rides – that would be the badass Haibike 2018 SDURO FullSeven LT 8.0 but it’s not available in the UK. Will Guru be able to make do with the FullSeven Life 3.0 and its 250W Yamaha PW-SE motor? Only time will tell. Considering Guru’s commute is one big hill both ways it might make sense, as long as the 500Wh battery holds up its end of the bargain.
RAHUL KUMAR
What can I do with an old Chromebook? with ol’ Guru, owner A Bear of the biggest pile of unloved gadgets this side of his local recycling centre, b because he’s about to get a bit hypocritical: do not be so quick to d declare your hardware obsolete. W While older Chromebooks can’t ta ake advantage of the Android la ayer that’s made newer ones so m much more useful, they’re still perfectly good for web browsing, document wrangling, and watching streaming media – and if yours is anything like the Guru family’s trusty (and slightly crusty) Toshiba, it’ll have a battery that lasts seemingly forever. If you’re desperate to soup it up, install Ubuntu Linux. Then, once you’ve worked out how to make your Chromebook’s firewall play nice, install Steam and use it to stream games from your PC to your living room lap. Results won’t be perfect unless you’re hooked up to Ethernet on both ends, but a Chromebook pretending to be a gaming laptop is a great upgrade. MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 31
Horizon Gadget Guru
NEW MEDIA
PRANIT RAJ
NOW PLAYING I’d like to buy a smart Guru finds the finest media you need on your various screens
AMO Bring Me The Horizon’s new album is far more pop than their metal of old, with key singles Medicine and Mother Tongue gracing major radio playlists in the UK and US.
ATTACK ON TITAN Now available on Netflix in the UK is season one of this dark, weird and gorgeously presented slice of anime. Even better, you can choose between dubbing and subtitles. Go for the subs.
ATHLETICO MINCE Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson’s podcast is ostensibly about football, right? Except it’s really not. It’s actually about nonsense, and it’s incredibly funny with it. Don’t miss this.
speaker but I’m paranoid about hackers. Smart speakers do listen, but they don’t A listen to everything. To save power (and perhaps your blushes) they wait for their trigger word, and neither Google Assistant nor Alexa make any record of what’s being said until they have been directly activated. At that point, things get a tad fishier. Delving into your Google or Alexa record, you’ll find an archive of everything that’s been asked of those assistants, often with recordings of the specific audio that triggered those actions. This can be handy if you’re having trouble getting an assistant to comply with your demands, but it’s equally worrying to some, so make sure you have those accounts fully locked down with a strong password and layers of authentication. Every smart speaker worth its salt has an off switch for its microphone, which in theory disables audio interaction. This is far from convenient if you’re going to use a smart assistant regularly, but useful if you’d rather avoid the potential of accidentally triggering a response. If you want a more obvious marker that your speaker’s ears are shut, Pure’s DiscovR can be closed. Just push down the top to disconnect the mic and bury Alexa’s nosy head in the sand.
SOHAIL JABBAR
What’s the best way to record my own music? Presuming you’re working with A headphones, there’s no better tool than an iPad for casual tune-tinkering, and if you have a microphone (the Apogee MiC Plus USB is a versatile number) you’ll be able to pull in all the audio you need. If you’re from the Tascam and Fostex generation, you might like something a little more raw. Well, the iZotope Spire Studio is just that. Small, batterypowered, smothered with LED indicators, and capable of recording eight-track audio either through its built-in condenser mic or through one of a pair of XLR inputs on the back, it’s a super-neat way to get your squawks recorded.
SANJEEV GOTE
How do I stop my toes getting cold on my bike? Just the other day GaGu came across a tip from a winter cyclist on the internet: wrap your tootsies in strong tin foil like a jacket potato, then put your usual cycling shoes on top of that. Sounds unpleasant. Here’s some better advice: to keep your toes warm when cycling in cold weather, buy breathable shoes that repel the chill and wet. Northwave’s Fahrenheit Arctic 2 GTX are Gore-Tex lined and apparently good down to -25°C. Alternatively, Specialized Defroster boots pack 400g Thinsulate, neoprene, and a dial for tightening to keep flaps to a minimum.
A
There’s no better tool than an iPad for tune-tinkering, and if you have a mic you’ll be able to pull in all the audio you need
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W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Hot 100
HOT 100
Meet the most exciting technology trends, products and people that are changing the world – the best buys and future gamechangers you need to know Words: Chris Barnes, Matt Bolton, Alex Cox, Claire Davies, Nick Odantzis Photography: Neil Godwin & Phil Barker
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Hot 100
100 WIZELY Wizely is a digital piggybank that allows users to save their money for a future goal. Choose between D VLPSOH ćH[L RU D SUH ERRN saving plan that features unlimited referrals, prebooking of purchases and upto 15% additional earnings on Wizely savings. wizely.in
96 DRONE RACING LEAGUE The Drone Racing League is showing no signs of slowing down, selling out shows and qualifying heats around the world, showcasing the wildest drone piloting skills yet. As if the $1 million prize money isn’t enough, this burgeoning sport is also creating new jobs. thedroneracingleague.com
99 KNOW YOUR SCREEN TIME Smartphones have revolutionised productivity and remote working, but we could all spend less time glued to the horrors of the current news. iOS and Android handsets come with monitoring tools to help. Screen time insights highlight the apps you tap most, enabling you to set time limits on them and to enforce healthy breaks.
98 97 JOBERT ABMA AND MICHIEL PRINS This hacking duo cofounded Hacker One in 2012, after successfully meeting a challenge set by Facebook’s head of VHFXULW\ WR ĆQG YXOQHUDELOLties in its system. Hacker One rewards hackers for XQFRYHULQJ VHFXULW\ ćDZV in major companies, in turn improving security for us. hackerone.com
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MY SKIN TRACK UV LA ROCHE POSAY Finally, this is available to buy. The battery-free My Skin Track UV sensor and companion app track your exposure to UV, pollution, pollen and humidity, feeding back with advice and suggestions to protect your skin from potentially healthWKUHDWHQLQJ IXWXUH conditions. laroche-posay.us
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VUZIX BLADE SMART GLASSES 3URYLQJ $5 JODVVHV ZHUHQèW D ćDVK LQ WKH SDQ the Vuzix Blade deliver all the hands-free wizardry you’d expect – social media alerts, navigation, photography, video recording – via Wave-Guide tech, a quad-core ARM processor and Cobra II DLP display, overlaying everything from directions to cafe menus in front of your eyes. vuzix.com
SONY WENA Upgrade your Rolex with some smarts using this series of straps from Sony. Available in black or silver stainless steel, as well as a rubberised option for sportier wear, WKH\ ĆW DQ\ VWDQGDUG watch, but include activity tracking, contactless SD\PHQW DQG QRWLĆFDtions on the little screen. All the smarts, but with a your choice of watch. sony.co.in
93 SHENMUE III 7KH ĆUVW WZR JDPHV LQ WKLV Sega series blew minds back at the turn of the century, and after an 18-year absence (and an impassioned Kickstarter campaign) we worried this sequel would turn into a lost legend – but it’s coming. Expect immersive worlds, cinematic sequences and epic action when it arrives on PC and PS4 this August. shenmue.link
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92 KEF LSX These speakers are still strong favourites in the T3 listening rooms (AKA the big closet by the fire escape). Kef’s Uni-Q driver system sounds fantastic, and puts out more sound than you’d think these little boxes would be capable of. And with wireless tech and amp all built in, they’re all you need for a truly next-gen hi-fi stereo setup. kef.com
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SPONGE MOUNTAIN Architect Angelo Renna is hoping to breathe new life into the heavily polluted Italian city of Turin. Renna proposes using a 90m-high mound of landscaped, grasstopped soil – left over from a 275-km railway tunnel project – to act like a pair of giant lungs, absorbing the city’s carbon dioxide, and forming a beautiful new landscaped park, too. DQJHORUHQQD FRP
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ROYOLE ROLLABLE KEYBOARD Royole has a thing for bendy gadgets, launching its FlexPai foldable smartphone at the end of 2019. +DUQHVVLQJ WKH VDPH ćH[L tech, the Royole Bluetooth keyboard is ideal for typing on the road: pull it from its FDVH RQWR DQ\ ćDW VXUIDFH connect to your device and type. UR\ROH FRP
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AI CAMERAS TO SAVE WILDLIFE 1RQSURĆW RUJDQLVDWLRQ 5HVROYH LV SURWHFWLQJ the lives of precious African wildlife from hunters and poachers, and they’re using tech to help them. With discreet AI-equipped TrailGuard cameras positioned along routes frequented by poachers, any vehicles, people and animals can EH LGHQWLĆHG LQ UHDO WLPH HQDEOLQJ SDUN UDQJHUV to intervene before it’s too late.
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Using a process called ‘nanospinning’, Futurelight has huge numbers of tiny holes created within a waterproof membrane, boosting breathability. When paired with other fabrics, it should create the ultimate optimised outdoor garments. Products featuring it go on sale soon. WKHQRUWKIDFH FRP
Hilton and Travelodge are among the hotel chains decking out their rooms to act as a smart home from home. Custom lighting, temperature control and keyless smartphone entry are becoming the norm, all though dedicated apps. In New York, the Mandarin Oriental hotel uses info learned from your previous visit to personalise the room upon arrival.
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HEATED RAZOR A hot towel shave at the barbers makes you feel a million bucks, but recreating that smooth, soothing sensation is time-consuming. Or is it? Not with Gillette’s Heated Razor, designed with an internal heating element to enable you to enjoy an easy hot shave at home. LQGLHJRJR FRP
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87 THE NORTH FACE ROOMS FUTURELIGHT
88 GILLETTE LABS
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NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX Ray-tracing, a technology that simulates the physical behaviour of light in real-time to produce incredibly realistic visuals in games, has been a graphical holy grail for a long time, but it was too hard to implement affordably. Not any more: Nvidia’s latest GPUs bring it to the masses, and it’s going to change everything. QYLGLD FRP
DELIVERY ROBOTS Soon, you might see robots like Segway’s obstacleavoiding Loomo (pictured) delivering packages around \RXU RIĆFH (DFK èERW FRPHV equipped with interactive screens, a cloud-based service dispatch system, real-time monitoring and even an elevator function, making late arrivals a thing of the past. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
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82 83 EPIC GAMING PHONES With games like Fortnite arriving on PRELOH GHYLFHV FRXOG ĆQDOO\ EH the year for gaming phones to truly VKLQH 7KH +RQRU 3OD\ FRPHV ZLWK JDPH ERRVWLQJ *38 7XUER WHFK DQG WKH MDZ GURSSLQJ $686 52* ERDVWV YDSRU FKDPEHU FRROLQJ DQG 8OWUDIDVW +] GLVSOD\ ZKLOH WKH 5D]HU 3KRQH SLFWXUHG EHVWV WKDW ZLWK D +] GLVSOD\ +'5 VXSSRUW DQG LQFUHGLEOH 'ROE\ VSHDNHUV
QUELL 2.0 This tiny gadget offers a beacon RI KRSH WR FKURQLF SDLQ VXIIHUHUV :RUQ MXVW EHORZ WKH NQHH 4XHOO HPSOR\V QHXURWHFKQRORJ\ WR activate your natural pain relief UHVSRQVH DQG EORFN SDLQ ,I LW ZRUNV ZHèYH \HW WR WHVW LW 4XHOO UHS resents a massive breakthrough in SDLQ PDQDJHPHQW quellrelief.com
81 IBM Q SYSTEM ONE ,%0 0DS 3URMHFW 2IĆFH DQG 8QL YHUVDO 'HVLJQ 6WXGLR KDYH WHDPHG XS WR GHOLYHU WKH ĆUVW TXDQWXP computer in a tidy sellable package, which could revolutionise security DQG VFLHQWLĆF VWXG\ ,W LQFOXGHV D stainless steel cryostat that holds WKH TXDQWXP FKLS DW r& 7KDWèV colder than space! research.ibm.com
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WITHINGS One of our favourite wellness tech companies is making a proud comeback this year, having splintered from Nokia, who bought the brand two years ago. To celebrate its independence, Withings is launching the Move ECG, a smartwatch that (once it clears the regulators) offers ECG functionality to help detect potentially serious heart conditions. withings.com
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79 AVENGERS:
77 LEGO STAR
ENDGAME
WARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
The culmination of Marvel’s 11 years of movies hit screens last month. Following from the infamous end RI $YHQJHUV ,QĆQLW\ :DU we pick up our remaining KHURHV DV WKH\ ĆJXUH RXW how the hell they’re going WR Ć[ WKLQJV ,WèV VKDSLQJ XS to be the longest and most epic Marvel movie of all, but anything beyond the basic premise is still totally secret.
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SMARTER BABY TECH Using a heated element, the clever Sleepy Bottle (pictured) makes nighttime feeds simpler by maintaining the perfect feeding temperature and enabling you to mix formula in-bottle instantly. Cybex is another brand to watch, with LWV ( 3ULDP HOHFWULF SXVKFKDLU DQG %OXHWRRWK sensor-laden car seat.
To celebrate 20 years of one of the most successful partnerships in toyland, /HJR DQG /XFDVĆOP ZLOO release a suite of enticing sets in 2019. Some small ones have been announced already, but expect some seriously spectacular stuff in the next few months. VKRS OHJR FRP
76 TESTCARD Home diagnosis tech could one day become the norm for identifying health issues. TestCard has a jump start on the trend. A ‘postcard’ with embedded pull-out urine test, it can detect UTIs, pregnancy and glucose levels. Scan the test strip using your phone’s camera within the TestCard app for instant, lab-level results. WHVWFDUG FRP
75 NEUTROGENA 74 73 MASKID EXPERIENCE BEELIFE COCOON 72 MX4D HOT TUBS FOR ALL
The age of 3D printed face masks has arrived, helping you banish dark circles and WLUHG VNLQ 7DNH D VHOĆH XVLQJ Neutrogena’s MaskiD app, select your skin type, treatment area and treatment type, and you’ll receive a 3D-printed mask that PDWFKHV \RXU IDFH $ PRUH penetrating treatment for better results. QHXWURJHQD FRP
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Taking its brand tag line seriously, Inox has LQWURGXFHG LWV ĆUVW VFUHHQ to enjoy movies in 4D. 0; ' DV LWèV VSHFLĆFDOO\ called, allows the user to feel the jolts, motions, wind, water and even scents as it happens in the movie. LQR[PRYLHV FRP
CoCoon, the world’s ĆUVW DSS FRQWUROOHG KLYH is designed to protect its resident bees from destructive Varroa mites. They hate heat, but bees are much hardier against it, so it can warm itself to cook out the nasties. It can also keep cool in the summer for maximum bee comfort. EHHOLIH IU
Sure, it’s nice to visit spa hotels and lounge in their jacuzzi until your skin prunes, but imagine the joy of being able to do that each day in your garden? The new wave of affordable, portable hot tubs now puts this dream within reach of many. There’s even one, the freeze-proof Lay-Z Spa Helsinki (pictured), that can be used year-around, including when it’s snowing.
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71 HOME BATTERIES Solar panels are one piece of the home energy puzzle, but they don’t produce energy when we need it most. Large-capacity batteries such as Tesla’s Powerwall (pictured) and WKH VRQQHQ%DWWHULH (FR collect solar energy during the day and run your house with it at night. Time to save the planet!
67 NREAL LIGHT 7KHVH DUH WKH ĆUVW SDLU RI mixed-reality glasses we’d actually wear in public. They’re (kinda) trendy, weigh a mere 85g and don’t mess about when it comes to performance, with 1080p 60fps laser projection for each eye and a 52-degree ĆHOG RI YLHZ 7KH\èUH powered by a discreet, pocketable Android box. QUHDO DL
70 TITLEIST 718 AP3 IRONS Dubbed ‘The Players Distance Iron’, the AP3 marries the power of the bigger AP1 with the control of the smaller AP2, thanks to its combination of hollow-blade design with L-face inserts and the off-centre performance of a game improvement iron. WLWOHLVW FRP
68 ANOUK 69 SMART INDOOR GARDENS The traditional veg or herb patch is hard work, which is why smart indoor gardens, such as the Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 (pictured), are growing in popularity. And it’s easy to see why: they do the leg work for you, ensuring the whole process – soil nutrition, watering and OLJKWLQJ å LVbLQWHOOLJHQWO\ PDQDJHG IRU \RX
66 PRAGMA INDUSTRIES ALPHA This hydrogen-powered ebike has double the range of a conventional electric bike and takes just seconds to refuel. Its immediate destiny is commercial – think Boris Bike schemes or on large business campuses – where the hydrogen stations can be installed. SUDJPD LQGXVWULHV FRP
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EASY HOME CINEMA Having a movie theatre setup at home doesn’t require specialists any more. Bang & Olufsen’s 7.1 wireless surround system will beam hi-def audio without the cables, Optoma’s UHZ65UST (pictured) pushes a huge 4K laser projection from just inches away (and includes speakers), DQG LQFK SOXV 79V DUH WDNLQJ RII (YHU\RQHèV getting the big-screen experience at home…
WIPPRECHT Fashion designer Anouk FUHDWHV RXWĆWV WKDW KDYH tech built into their very fabric. Her collection is about how our thoughts and our garments can interact, such as this spidery dress that spikes out when your personal space is invaded. She’s worked with Intel, Google, Microsoft and Audi.
64 NEXT-LEVEL VR Oculus’ new headset, the Quest, will offer high-end VR with room tracking all in a single headset, while the Pico G2 4K offers something similar with a 4K screen. There’s also the slightly hilarious Cybershoes, but maybe more practical is the trials of VR headsets on trains and planes to help stem the boredom of travelling. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
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STYLISH SMART HOME TECH The Nest thermostat proved that smart home tech could do amazing things and look good. We’re seeing more great-looking smart tech than ever this year, from the Mui Calm Design Device – a wooden bar with a display that appears when tapped – to the Olfinity Air Purifier (pictured), which looks like an artistic sculpture.
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DEVIALET ,Q D FURZGHG VSDFH 3DULVLDQ DXGLR VSHFLDOLVW 'HYLDOHW KDV carved a niche with its tremen GRXV ZLUHOHVV DOO LQ RQH WKH 3KDQWRP 7KH WHFK LQVLGH ZRUNV in bigger power outputs, or VPDOOHU VL]HV IRU GLIIHUHQW WDVWHV WKH PLQL 3KDQWRP 5HDFWRU LV D WKLQJ RI ZRQGHU 'HYLDOHWèV DLP is to have its fantastic core tech LQ VSHDNHUV RI HYHU\ VL]H DQG ZH FDQèW ZDLW devialet.com
61 THE ANTI STRESS TECHA BRIGADE &RQVWDQW H[SRVXUH WR VWUHVV KDV D QHJDWLYH HIIHFW RQ \RXU ERG\ 7HFK can help you manage it, with apps VXFK DV +HDGVSDFH HQFRXUDJLQJ \RX WR JHW ]HQ E\ EUHDWKLQJ SURSHUO\ DQG ZHDUDEOHV OLNH 7RXFK3RLQW XVLQJ QHXURVFLHQWLĆF WHFK WR FXW VWUHVV E\ XS WR
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STREAMING GAMING 2019 could see game streaming JR ELJ ZKHUH EHHI\ FORXG 3&V run the game, and you control WKH HQG UHVXOW 6RQ\ LV SXVKLQJ LWV 3OD\6WDWLRQ 1RZ VHUYLFH D QHZ ;ER[ PLJKW EH VWUHDPLQJ RQO\ DQG *RRJOHèV 3URMHFW 6WUHDP ZLOO SOD\ JDPHV ULJKW LQ WKH &KURPH EURZVHU
59 SHARP 8K VIDEO CAMERA $ SRFNHW LVK FDPHUD WKDWèV FDSD ble of shooting 8K video will make FLQHPDWRJUDSKHUV RI XV DOO DQG Ć[ WKH ODFN RI FRQWHQW IRU \RXU . 79 6KDUSèV VKRRWHU SHQQHG IRU $SULO ZLOO FDSWXUH . DW ISV ,WèOO FRVW about ` EXW KH\ å WKDWèV less than the TV… sharp.com
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56 SMARTER
INVISIBLE TO VISIBLE Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) tech analyses conditions inside and out of a vehicle and displays useful info accordingly, like giving you better visibility at a busy junction, or encouraging a tired driver to rest. It could even project virtual companions on the inside of a vehicle, like tour guides.
54 OLED LAPTOPS 2/(' WHFK KDV EHHQ LQ 79 panels and smartphones for ages, but laptops have lagged behind. That changes in 2019. This year, laptops such as the HP Spectre x360 15 and Razer Blade JHW WKH 2/(' WUHDWPHQW unlocking superior picture quality – contrast ratio and depth is much boosted – that will make movies and games look glorious. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
PACKAGING LUXURY CONSUMERLEVEL TECH Regular video doorbell? Pah. How about Ring’s (OLWH &URZQ -HZHO FW \HOORZ JROG VDSSKLUH and diamond doorbell for `70 lakhs? Or maybe the ` FU *UDYLW\ ,QGXVWULHV -HW 6XLW WR ć\ OLNH ,URQ 0DQ LVK " (YHQ WKH '\VRQ $LU:UDS 6W\OHU Complete (pictured) comes in a luxurious leather case, like you’re a jet-setting ’60s star.
More products are being made from recycled materials – Patagonia does so for many of its garments, and Apple has started with the aluminium in some of its products. Next? ‘Zero waste’ company Loop wants to solve single-use packaging by delivering your shopping in reusable containers; they pick up the empties and deliver full ones.
53 TINYMOS NANO1 ASTRONOMY CAMERA Long to capture the Milky Way in crisp detail? Then get this wee camera for night sky snapping. Compact it may be, but it’s also capable, with an interchangeable lens system, telescope compatibility and built-in presets that make LW HDV\ WR FDSWXUH VSHFLĆF subjects. JHW WLQ\PRV FRP
55 SOUND BRENNER CORE $YDLODEOH IURP -XO\ WKH Soundbrenner Core is a smartwatch with a musical twist. It places neat tools on your wrist, including a vibrating metronome, dB meter and magnetic guitar tuner, and it’s also a capable smartwatch, RIIHULQJ SKRQH QRWLĆFDWLRQV WKURXJK LWV GXDO 2/(' display. VRXQGEUHQQHU FRP
51 BELL NEXUS
52 SONY A6400 Sony claims its mid-range APS-C mirrorless camera has the world’s fastest autofocus at just 0.02 seconds. That’s quite a boast, but with 425 phase-detection AF points and AI-based smart subject detection, it’s done it. Basically, it means you can have perfectly sharp and clear images even when the kids/ dog/UFO won’t cooperate. VRQ\ FR LQ
The solution to congested URDGV DV &(2 RI KHOLFRSWHU manufacturer Bell put it, is to “solve transportation challenges in the vertical dimension�. And its air taxi concept – a hybridelectric vertical take off and landing vehicle, with the ability to autonomously pilot up to four passengers – could do it, while looking very cool. EHOOćLJKW FRP
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48 OVIE
50
VOLO GO Unlike many gadgets, the humble hairdryer has been tethered for an age. The 9ROR *R Ć[HV WKDW DQG makes it much easier to dance around while hairdrying. Not only is it wirefree, its infrared heating technology uses less power – so less charging time – DQG LV NLQGHU RQ \RXU KDLU YROREHDXW\ FRP
49 APPLE WATCH SERIES 4 /LIH VDYLQJ IHDWXUHV OLNH (&* PRQLWRULQJ DQG IDOO GHWHFWLRQ DV ZHOO DV JUHDW ĆWQHVV WHFK has pushed Apple’s wearable way out ahead of the crowd – who wouldn’t buy the device that might literally save your life? We’re already seeing others following the template laid down here. DSSOH FRP LQ
46 2019 APPLE 45 STAR WARS: MAC PRO
There’s a new Mac Pro coming in 2019, though we haven’t seen it yet. Aimed directly at creative pros, Apple says it will be modular, unlike its barelyupgradeable predecessor. ([SHFW LW WR EH LPSRVVLEO\ fast, too. Neatly, it also looks like a complementary 31.6-inch 6K display will be released to sit alongside WKHbQHZ PDFKLQH
EPISODE IX :LWK -- $EUDPV UHWXUQLQJ IRU WKH ĆQDO LVK HSLVRGH LQ the saga, expect big things this December. Details are thin on the ground, but with the Resistance at its lowest ebb at the end of 7KH /DVW -HGLL, expect a time jump forward, some more old faces, and (obviously) a climactic Rey/Ren duel.
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It’s not always easy to track when the contents of your fridge are about to sour. Ovie’s Smarterware smart food storage system helps by enabling you to monitor the lifespan of your fridge’s contents using smart food tags. Once attached you can track the shelf life of foods either at a glance on the tag or via your smartphone. RYLH OLIH
47 TOTO FLOTATION TUB The only thing more enticing than a warm bath at the end of the day is the world’sĆUVW ]HUR JUDYLW\ EDWKWXE which simulates the feeling of weightlessness. The tub is shaped to mimic how astronauts sleep in zero gravity space, which helps \RX WR HQWHU D VWDWH RI “deep muscular relaxation�. WRWR FRP
43 ELECTRIC CAR 44
SONY WH-1000XM3 The best noise-cancelling headphones in the ZRUOG LWèV RIĆFLDO EHFDXVH ZH VDLG LW KDYH ćRZQ RII WKH VKHOYHV VLQFH WKHLU ODXQFK VR expect to see a lot more of them on commuters in 2019. They sound fantastic, the noise-stopping is straight-up wizardry, and the way they DGDSW WR GLIIHUHQW HQYLURQPHQWV LV UHDOO\ KDQG\ VRQ\ FR LQ
CHARGING ROLLOUT (OHFWULF FDUV DUH EULOOLDQW but the charging options are still limited. New initiatives, such as ultra-fast charging points at Shell stations, and Volkswagen’s installation of charging points at Tesco stores, plus its concept for operate mobile charging stations that come to you, will make juicing up easier. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
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42 SUNFLOWER LABS BEE This is a twist on the drone WKHPH å UDWKHU WKDQ FDXVLQJ VHFXULW\ VFDUHV WKH 6XQćRZHU /DEV %HH ZLOO KHOS LQYHVWLJDWH them, at least in the comfort of your own home. When the DFFRPSDQ\LQJ 6XQćRZHU lighting pods, placed strategically around your garden, detect movement, the Bee launches from its Thunderbirds-esque hanger DQGbćLHV RYHU WR LQYHVWLJDWH VXQćRZHU ODEV FRP
41 FENDER AMERICAN
40 YEAR OF THE
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)HQGHUèV OHJHQGDU\ 7HOHFDVWHU JHWV D PRGHUQ XSGDWH D UHYROXWLRQDU\ $FRXVWLF (QJLQH WKDW HQDEOHV \RX WR FKDQJH WKH $FRXVWDVRQLFèV SHUVRQDOLW\ DW WKH ćLFN RI a switch, from acoustic or electric, with a choice of 10 different digitally simulated çYRLFHVè WR FKDQJH XS WKH VRXQG `5,50,000 fender.com
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7KH NLWFKHQbLV JHWWLQJ VPDUWHU HYHU\b\HDU DQG EHORQJV WRbWKH VPDUW RYHQ 6KDUSèV QHZ OLWUH 6PDUW 5DQJH EULQJV IXOO Alexa support to your lunch, %RVFKèV +RPH &RQQHFW RYHQV add the same compatibility, and .LWFKHQ$LGèV 6PDUW 2YHQ SLFWXUHG ZRUNV ZLWK ERWK $OH[D DQG *RRJOH $VVLVWDQW
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39 CALVIN KLEIN INFINITE TOO A genuine bargain of a timepiece. Not only is CK’s automatic right on the sweet spot at 42mm, with a subtle and handsome pink gold or stainless steel case design, but it’s packing the ETA 2824-2 movement – the same quality internals that power much pricier watches from the likes of TAG Heuer and Breitling calvinklein.com
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UNDERWATER DRONES Sub-aqua drones are still in their infancy, but there’ll be an explosion of pondexplorers coming soon, all aiming to chart more of the mystery world in the oceans. We’re already fans of RoboSea’s selection of underwater drones, which range from the cute consumer-grade BIKI to WKH HSLF ORRNLQJ SUR 5RboShark. A small one will make beach holidays lots of fun!
37 SMART CAR SAFETY UPGRADES The impressive smarts of the world’s best dash cams (like the Thinkware F800 Pro, pictured) are trickling down, offering lane drift and collision warnings as an easy upgrade for all cars. Add rear parking cams to help you squeeze into spots, and all cars can be a bit safer.
34 33 FURRION ROVA LEICA How about a frosty can from a cooler that brings the beers to you? And then how about seven days of chilling at as low as -8ºC, and 10 days cooling even after the quick-swap battery runs dry? Also: integrated Qi charging, USB ports, a SRZHU RXWOHW DQG DQ optional solar cell. Oh, and cup holders. furrion.com
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One of our favourite camera brands keeps getting better thanks to a never-ending carousel of new snappers and limited editions – we love the SoFort Limoland (pictured), and the handsome Q Globe-Trotter. Leica continues to prove itself as iconic and innovative, and we can’t wait for this year’s cams. leica-camera.com
GAMING APTOPS GO HUGE RALPH LAUREN GLACIER HEATED What if your portable PC powerhouse wasn’t JACKET a laptop, but a desktop that folds up neatly? Asus’ all-in-one gaming machine – the ROG Mothership – is basically this. With superior cooling, you get superpowerful components that you can still take on the move, thanks to a folding screen and keyboard.
32 MEGA-MEGAPIXELS
Using a Polo-branded USB power bank feeding a network of conductive ink traces woven through the inner lining, the appcontrolled Bluetoothconnected Glacier jacket adapts to your environment whatever the conditions. ralphlauren.com
31 NOVUS ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE
The (awesome) open frame might suggest more of a trad ebike than an electric hog, but Novus has crammed in The megapixel wars are back on! Companies a motor capable of 60mph are using big sensors to take pictures in clever and enough battery for ways. The Nokia 9 PureView (pictured) uses 60 PHJDSL[HOV LQ ĆYH 03 FDPHUDV WR FDSWXUH three hours of riding, with smartphone integration times more light than a single sensor, for huge to act in part as a G\QDPLF UDQJH +XDZHLèV 0DWH 3UR XVHV D 40MP camera to capture shots, then uses all that digital key. novusbike.com LQIR WR FUHDWH D VKDUSHU 03 ĆQDO LPDJH
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ROBOTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS Robots are now huggable companions, like Groove X’s Lovot, or healthcare monitors, like Samsung’s friendly vital stat-tracking Bot Care and environmentpurifying Bot Air. The ElliQ from Intuition Robotics (pictured) even helps the elderly connect with family and remember medication using a familiar form.
29 MSI GS75 STEALTH Last year’s GS65 Stealth, a combination of power, svelte design and clever cooling, was one of our favourite gaming laptops of 06, WKLQNV LW FDQ GR EHWWHU WKH FUD]\ IDVW HGLWLRQ RI WKH 6WHDOWK NHHSV WKDW ORZ SURĆOH EXW FUDPV LQ D ODWHVW JHQHUDWLRQ Nvidia RTX card, speccable all the way to an *% 57; msi.com
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7KH ERRNV DUHQèW ĆQLVKHG å and may never be – but GoT reaches its TV conclusion over the course of six extra-long episodes, simulcast on Hotstar and HBO starting in April. The HSLF ĆQDOH PD\ QRW UHDOO\ EH the end, though – HBO is batting around ideas for a number of spinoffs. hotstar.com
the most connected ebike ever made. The Cybic E-Legend has an Alexaintegrated touch screen ZLWK IDU ĆHOG PLF DQG automates everything from turn-by-turn navigation to turning on the lights or playing music. Expect style, muscle and a host of integrated security smarts, as well as electric power. halfords.com
GAME OF THRONES CYBIC E-LEGEND SEASON 8 This summer will welcome
25 PIMAX 8K VR
26 HEADSET APPLE AIRPODS 2 AirPods. By far the most popular (and most-aped) wireless earbuds on the market, has got an upgrade. It now comes with more talk time, voice-activated Siri and support for wireless charging case. The new Apple H1 chip also delivers more stable wireless connection. apple.com
Say goodbye to pixelly VR. PiMax’s 8K, 80Hz headset, funded on Kickstarter and on the market now, promLVHV D GHJUHH ĆHOG RI YLHZ DQG [ SHU eye resolution. It’ll probably be the most detailed VR experience for a long time, as long as you have the JUDSKLFV SRZHU WRbSXPS DOO those pixels. pimaxvr.com
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23 XIAOMI 24
DESIGNER TECH COLLABS High-end design is hitting tech hard. Louis Vuitton’s Horizon Earphones, Sennheiser’s KHDGSKRQHV ZLWK 'LRU +RPPH ĆQLVKHV 1DWLYH Union’s collab with Tom Dixon, and Smeg and Dolce & Gabbana’s appliances, such as the Sicily Is My Love Citrus Juicer (pictured), mark the start of a stunning gadget design revolution.
Xiaomi started off as a budding smartphone company in the Indian market few years ago but is now the number one smartphone brand, surpassing behemoths like Samsung. The company has now set its sight on other categories like TVs as well as smart home products. mi.com/in
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22 FEATURE SPEAKERS High-end audio is moving into a bold new landscape of designs worthy of display at MoMA. Bang & Olufsen kickstarted the trend, reaching sleek new heights this year with the rollto-control circular Beosound Edge speaker (pictured). Sony’s also getting LQ RQ WKH DFW ZLWK LWV /63; 6 *ODVV Sound speaker lamp. We also love the Master & Dynamic MA770 speaker, basically a sculpture made from 16kg of concrete. The wave has started, and WKHUHèV PDQ\ PRUH RIbWKHVH VKRZVWRSpers to come.
21 20 LG HOMEBREW PORSCHE Craft beer has never been more popular, and neither has the KRPHEUHZ VFHQH b/*èV capsule based, appconnected HomeBrew machine not only aims to make the process of brewing up an IPA, Pilsner or Stout easy, but uses a smart temperature and pressure control algorithm to ensure the perfect pint. lg.com W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
TAYCAN Porsche’s all-electric, WKH ĆUVW LQ D UDQJH RI EVs, promises a “typical Porsche driving experience” according to lead engineer Stefan Weckbach. From the prototypes we’ve seen so far, it’s a spectacle, expected to pack in more battery than a Tesla, and to use motors derived from the 919 LMP1 hybrid racer. porsche.com
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19 SMART DISPLAYS Ever since the Echo Show first appeared, smart home assistants with added screens have arrived thick and fast, from the likes of Google, Lenovo and now even KitchenAid, with a cooking-focused option. In 2019, the smart display isn’t just hot, it’s scalding. They’ll get bigger, they’ll get smaller (like the Echo Spot, pictured), they’ll get smarter. Maybe Apple will be next in line.
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18 BOOM SUPERSONIC OVERTURE &DSDEOH RI 0DFK WKLV IDVWHU WKDQ VRXQG VXFFHVVRU WR &RQFRUGHèV OHJDF\ SDFNV LQ VHDWV FDQ JHW IURP /RQGRQ WR 1HZ <RUN LQ KRXUV XVLQJ FRPSDUDEOH IXHO WR D UHJXODU SODQH DQG SURPLVHV a sonic boom 30 times quieter than its famous SUHGHFHVVRU boomsupersonic.com
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17 SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH ACTIVE 7DNLQJ FXHV DQG VHHPLQJO\ D ORW RI WHFK IURP WKH *DOD[\ :DWFK DQG DGGLQJ D Ä&#x2020;UVW RI LWV NLQG KHDOWK IHDWXUH LQ WKH IRUP RI EORRG SUHVVXUH PRQLWRULQJ 6DPVXQJèV VXFFHVVRU WR èV *HDU 6SRUW ORRNV VHW WR EH LWV EHVW ZULVW SLHFH \HW :H ORYH WKH PLQLPDOLVW DQG VOHHN VOLPPHU GHVLJQ Ã¥ LWèOO ORRN JRRG IRU PRUH WKDQ MXVW VSRUW samsung.com
OLED R The most futuristic TV ever PDGH /*èV UROODEOH ZRQGHU Ã¥ ZLWK LWV Ä&#x2021;H[LEOH UHWUDFWLQJ VFUHHQ Ã¥ VDFULÄ&#x2020;FHV QRWKLQJ in picture quality and will PDNH WKH JDGJHW IDQ LQ \RX FKXFNOH ZLWK GHOLJKW HYHU\ time you see it rise from QRZKHUH 7KH SRVVLELOLWLHV IRU YLHZLQJ DW GLIIHUHQW aspect ratios in the future LV UHDOO\ H[FLWLQJ lg.com
TAKES CENTRE STAGE 7KH FRPELQDWLRQ RI ELJ data breaches and better realisation of how much of our information some FRPSDQLHV JHW ZLWKRXW RXU NQRZOHGJH KDV SXVKHG XV WR D WLSSLQJ SRLQW :H need more honesty about ZKDW ZHèUH JLYLQJ XS IRU WKHVH çIUHHè VHUYLFHV RU LWèOO EH VFDQGDO DIWHU VFDQGDO
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MicroLED, in both 6DPVXQJ DQG /*èV ODEV ULJKW QRZ FRXOG EH WKH The P20 Pro was seriously IXWXUH RI 79 ,W GURSV impressive, the Mate 20 WKH RUJDQLFV RI 2/(' Pro was even better, and Huawei has no doubt upped DQG WKH EDFNOLJKWLQJ of QLED in favour of the ante even further with LWV QH[W Ä&#x2021;DJVKLS ,W IHDWXUHV microscopic individual an unparalleled quad camera /('V HQDEOLQJ VXSHU WKLQ array, the muscular Kirin 980 TVs, unbelievable contrast, chip and impressive battery DQG EH]HO IUHH VFUHHQV made of modular panels, life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; basically, expect expandable to any size or DQRWKHU VXSHUE SKRQH DVSHFW UDWLR huawei.com
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GOOGLE NIGHT SIGHT This insane camera feature, showcased on the 3L[HO SLFWXUHG SURGXFHV XVDEOH SKRWRV IURP DPRXQWV RI OLJKW ZKHUH HYHQ WKH KXPDQ H\H FDQ EDUHO\ PDNH DQ\WKLQJ RXW ,WèV PRUH RI D software innovation than a camera one, so you FDQ H[SHFW HYHU\RQH HOVH WR PLPLF LWbLQ å 6DPVXQJèV LV FDOOHG %ULJKW 1LJKW
9LUWXDOO\ HYHU\ XSFRPLQJ TV has support for Apple HomeKit, AirPlay 2 and iTunes Movies for the best selection of 4K movies JRLQJ %XW WKDWèV MXVW WKH VWDUW $SSOHèV VWUHDPLQJ 79 VHUYLFH LV FRPLQJ YHU\ VRRQ backed by billions of dollars of investment in exclusive content, and an intention to offer movies two weeks DIWHU FLQHPD UHOHDVH
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9 NIKE ADAPT BB 10 MCINTOSH MTI100
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8 VIDEO DOORBELLS
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6
NOTCHLESS PHONES The notch was a compromise – all-screen phones are super-cool, but people still want front-facing cameras. Barely a couple of years from their introduction, they’re already on the way out, though: the Honor View 20 and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 have shown us better ways doing this, and the Samsung Galaxy S10 range continues that, even fitting multiple cameras into a small cut-out in the screen’s corner. Will corner cameras or slide-y phones win out as ways to hide the front cam? Or will under-screen cameras arrive quickly enough to make it a moot point? In any case, anything with a notch now already looks out of date.
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SUPER-SMART SOUNDBARS In the last few years, soundbars have become ace alternatives to big surround-sound systems. The arrival of Dolby Atmos along with the processing power for creating virtual 3D sound makes them the living room upgrade most people will pick this year. Bars like the forthcoming Sennheiser AMBEO (pictured) use an array of drivers to bounce audio around the room and make it sound like you’ve got a full 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos 3D system running, all from one place. Even the Sony HT-X8500 can give a virtual surround (and Atmos) experience from just a few drivers in a mini package. Suddenly, cinema-quality sound isn’t a big installation hassle, and that means we all get to enjoy it.
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4 5G
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1 FOLDING PHONES Ever since flexible OLED screens were first shown off as prototypes, there’s been a clamour for folding phones. This year, the potential has finally been realised: the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X are both due this year, and they’re the most exciting thing to happen in mobiles since Steve Jobs pulled the iPhone out of his pocket. As we’ve expected our phones to do more, they’ve had to get bigger, but we don’t want them to be so big they’re hard to handle. With folding phones, we get to start solving these problems in new ways. When you’re texting on the go or looking up directions quickly, you have a small screen ideal for one hand. When you want to look at a photo or dig into a long document, you just flip it open and give yourself the bigger canvas – it means less time lugging a laptop around just in case you need it. Hell, we don’t know why we’re justifying them with all this productivity talk – we just want them because they look amazing! It’s been too long since we had a new piece of tech that felt like it could only exist in our time because it fell through a wormhole from 2050, but that’s exactly what we get from folding phones. That feeling is why we make T3, and it’s why these phones are easily the hottest gadgets of 2019.
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The next generation
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The next generation
TIME TO FOLD The Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X bring in D ZKROH QHZ ZRUOG RI SKRQHV WKDW WUDQVIRUP LQWR WDEOHWV ZLWK D Ä&#x2021;LFN RI WKH ZULVW 7KH IXWXUH LV KHUH DQG LW Ä&#x2021;H[HV fter years of waiting for the ďŹ rst folding phone that looks like a product worth buying, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have two coming out within a few months of each other. Samsung announced its Galaxy Fold smartphone to be released this year, followed swiftly by Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reveal of the Mate X. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really interesting is that these two pioneers of the new kind of device have come at it from very different angle. The Samsung Galaxy Fold has two distinct screens. When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s folded up, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 4.5-inch OLED â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cover Displayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the front, with a resolution of 840x1960, which you can use like a regular phone, though we know a lot of people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have tried one with that small a screen in a while. If you decide you want a bigger canvas, you can just open up the phone to reveal a 7.3-inch OLED folding screen inside, which has a resolution of 1536x2152. This might seem a little low-res compared to high-end ďŹ&#x201A;agship screens in regular phones, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a density of 362 pixels per inch, which is more than high enough to look sharp. When you open it up, whatever you were
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doing moves right onto the other screen, though now you can see more of it, or even can open up more new apps alongside in split-screen. It looks very slick from what Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shown off so far, using its new One UI Android skin, but we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to get our hands on it as yet. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also holding judgment on the design for now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the ďŹ nish of the case looks lovely, but that huge gaps above and below the Cover Display are pretty unsightly, and it looks mighty chunky when closed. Perhaps it will feel just right in the hand.
ALRIGHT MATE Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach for the Mate X has been to use just the one screen, folding around the outside rather than the inside. When closed, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see a 6.6-inch 1148x2480 screen, which puts it pretty close to non-folding high-end phones for use as a regular handset. The rest of the screen wraps around the back of the handset, where it can actually be used for a second (very narrow) display thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handy for showing someone else something that appears on your main screen, or for lining up selďŹ es with the cameras. When you want to fold it out into tablet mode, you
press a little button on the section on the right (a chunkier part of the frame, which houses all of the tech), and can then fold the rear screen round to create a single eight-inch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FullViewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; display, with a resolution of 2480x2200. The Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tablet-size screen has roughly a 4:3 aspect ratio, like most iPads or its own Galaxy Tab S4. The Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screen is practically square (8:7.1), so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also have to see if one feels like it makes better use of the space available. Both phones are promising to be proper ďŹ&#x201A;agships, with the fastest hardware and top-level cameras, though only the Huawei is making a point of offering 5G support.
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Huawei Mate X hands-on
HUAWEI MATE X HANDS-ON :H JR RQ D VKRUW EHQGHU ZLWK +XDZHLèV JURXQG EUHDNLQJ SKRQH WR ĆQG RXW ZKHWKHU LWèV ZRUWK DOO WKH K\SH
There’s no mention of it in the Samsung –that seems to reserved for the S10 5G. They need to be pretty swish, though, because both handsets are making the steep price of Apple’s XS Max look positively Poundland: the Galaxy Fold is set to start at $1,980 (about `1,40,000), while the Mate X is pegged at (about `1,80,000). India pricing will be announced closer to launch, but expect to pay something close to those converted figures. Too much for a phone? For most people, sure, but they’ll fly off the shelves anyway – the lure of owning something truly mindblowing can’t be overstated.
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The first thing you notice when you pick up the Mate X is the vertical bar that runs down its side. This bar not only holds the device’s Leicabranded triple camera system, but also houses the power button/ fingerprint scanner and internal hardware, including its 5G modem and Kirin processor. The mix of these powerful internal components translates into a very rapid and slick experience on the device. Apps loaded immediately, there’s no delay at all in animations and, most impressively, multitasking on the phone’s huge screen real estate seemed to have zero effect on its performance. Of course, lots of phones are that slick, so it’s the bendy bit we’re really interested in. Our early impression is that Huawei has won the first-gen folding phone war over Samsung. The design really allows each of its three screen options to be
shown off and used to their full extent. When you compare the 4.5-inch Cover Display on the Galaxy Fold to the 6.6-inch phone-mode screen on the Mate X, the latter feels much more like using a current phone when closed. All three of the screens are crisp and bright – they look brilliant, and it’s a bit magical to open the phone and see a pristine screen as good as anything else out there. However, there’s an irritating iota of sponginess when pressing on the opened display – we’ll have to see how we feel about it when can use one day-to-day. We were impressed with how the Mate X transitions between modes and orientation, both in terms of the how the software and content seamlessly shifts, and in how it feels. The Falcon Wing hinge is, without doubt, one of the most neat pieces of small-scale mechanical engineering we’ve seen recently at T3, and it
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makes bending and contorting the Mate X’s screens a very reassuring experience. One of our biggest fears with this first generation of folding phones was that the necessary hinge and fold would end up betraying the rest of the hardware package, so we’re happy to see that Huawei has made this a non-issue right off the bat. In terms of the actual fold area of the screen (where the screen bends), we could d see no obvious crumpling, warping or discolouration. Huawei says the folding screen and hinge mechanism have been tested up to 100,000 bend transitions and d it’s pretty unlikely anyone would exceed that in a device’s lifetime. When fully unfolded in tablet mode, it measures just 5.4mm thick, feeling really thin and light in the hand. When folded, despite being noticeably thicker than a normal smartphone at 11mm, it did not feel unportable or compromised. The screen locks in place with a clip when in phone mode, keeping it flush to the back of the phone. h When Wh you want to switch i h iinto tab blet mode, you need to press the clip’s button n. Naturally, everything looks best when n displayed on the might of the eight-inch tablet FullView display. Thanks to the adaptability d b l and d versatility l ese days, apps, videos and the operating system move smoothly to an iPad Mini-style experience all of a sudden. We didn’t get a chance to test out the camera system, which Huawei promises will be on-par with the excellent snapper in the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. While we still think it’s 62 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
phone. That’s more juice than the Samsung Galaxy Fold on paper, but with so much variance between the two devices, it’s hard to estimate which will last longer. It’s also hard to guess just how long the Mate X will run for on a single charge – it has a bigger battery than most regular phones, but obviously a much bigger screen to power. It’s good then, that the Mate X will support Huawei’s 55W SuperCharge tech, which it says enables it to be recharged w from empty to 85% capacity in just 30 minutes, so running low won’t be much of an issue as long as there’s a power socket nearby. In comparison with the very hands-off reveal of the Samsung Galaxy Fold – which impressed in its videos, but left a sense of distance between the promised device and it being something we’ll get to play with in reality – going hands-on with the Mate X w was a genuinely enthusing experience, and one that well and truly proves that folding screen technology in our mobile devices is something we should be very, very excited about. That’s partly the potential of the type of device, and partly how intuitive and natural Huawei has made it – it felt like a regular smartphone experience, with a suite of neatly integrated hardware and features that can be called on when needed. pretty bad form to take photos via a tablet, The Mate X feels premium and high-end, that large screen will make a hell of a the multi-screen folding display technology viewfinder for getting your shots perfect is state of the art, and the user experience before you hit the button. seems incredibly slick and well thought In terms of battery, the Mate X packs a hefty 4,500mAh unit, which is technically out. We haven’t been this excited to review split over two cell banks in either side of the a phone fully in a long time.
The Mate X feels emium, and the folding g di h is state of the art
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LG V50 ThinQ 5G
DOUBLE THE FUN 7ZLQ VFUHHQHG SKRQHV GRQèW MXVW KDYH WR EH DERXW IROGLQJð LG’s V50 ThinQ 5G DGGV DQ H[WUD GLVSOD\ LQ D GLIIHUHQW ZD\ LG has fallen into being a phone also-ran these days, usually lacking the extra touch Samsung or Apple gives their premium handsets, while being squeezed on price by the likes of OnePlus and Honor. But this phone, due in the first half of 2019, could pack enough tech to put it back in the races. As you can tell from the name, the V50 ThinQ 5G is 5G-capable, and EE has nabbed it as an exclusive in the UK, as part of its aggressive 5G rollout this year. The other headline feature is an option for a folio-style case for the V50 that includes a second screen, so when you open it up, you see one big interface across two screens, effectively. The phone’s main display is a 6.4-inch 1440x3120 affair, while the extra screen is 6.2 inches at 1080x2160. We’ll have to see whether the difference in resolution is jarring when we can get our hands on them. The extra display weighs 131g, so adds some bulk,
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but not much. We suspect this won’t really come close to replicating the effect of a full folding screen – you wouldn’t want to open a document and try to read it across the divide, for example – but we can still see it being useful for productivity. Having your calendar open on the left and your email on the right, for example, or making a note while checking a website all sounds handy enough. LG also seems keen to show this off as a great way to game, but we’re not sure it’ll beat the real buttons of a Nintendo Switch if you’re grabbing something to play on the go.
THINQ AHEAD Elsewhere, LG has tried to keep itself at the front of the technological game. The Snapdragon 855 processor is the chip of choice for loads of 2019’s flagship phones, and should keep things super-fast with 6GB of RAM. That’s paired with Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem for next-gen internet speeds. The triple camera array on the rear seems
like it’s shaping up nicely – early results look really bright and rich, and if LG can get this right, it could win over a lot of fencesitters. You get a standard lens, 2x telephoto and an ultra-wide-angle here, all with 12MP sensors, plus 4K video recording with HDR. Speaking of HDR, the OLED screen supports HDR playback of Dolby Vision, which means Netflix movies and shows can really look their best. The screen was impressive from what we saw of it – no surprise since LG tends to lead the field here. For speakers, LG’s partnership with British hi-fi company Meridian Audio is still playing dividends, and it promises surround sound powered by DTS:X (as opposed to the Dolby option most handsets seem to go for). A 4,000mAh battery keeps things ticking over, which is pretty damn big – only a few handsets have matched that so far. There’s no word on pricing as yet.
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FOUR OF A K :LWK IRXU QHZ PRGHOV WKHUHèV D Samsung g Galaxy S10 IRU SUHWW\ PXFK HYHU\RQH ZKDWHYHU \RXU QHHGV Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be just about the Galaxy Fold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole pile of Galaxy S10 models coming. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with the regular S10, which has a 6.1-inch OLED screen, with a tall 1440x3040 screen (thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 19:9 aspect ratio), which makes it supersharp. The big design change is that the front camera is now embedded in the screen, like the Honor View 20. Samsung calls this the InďŹ nity-O display, seemingly without a hint of double entendre. It means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got much less of a bezel at the top and bottom of the device than the S9 had, giving it that hot all-screen look. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an in-display ďŹ ngerprint sensor hiding under the front, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ďŹ rst phone to support the new (and likely to be very popular) HDR10+ format â&#x20AC;&#x201C; excitingly, it can even record 4K video in the HDR10+ format from its rear camera setup. Speaking of which, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a three-lens setup here, very similar to the LG V50: one 12MP regular lens, one 12MP 2x telephoto, and one 16MP ultra-wide-angle. Inside, you get Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest-gen Exynos processor, which promises a handy speed bump over last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equivalent, plus a 3,400mAh battery. Then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the S10+, which is pretty much the same, but with a 6.4-inch screen (at the same resolution, so marginally less sharp, but still so pixel-dense thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no real disadvantage). The only differences of note, other than the screen, are that you get a 4,100mAh battery (a nice boost over the base version) and a dual front camera, with one lens for taking the actual shot and another that maps depth data to apply Insta-worthy Portrait mode blur.
E NUMBERS The Samsung Galaxy S10e is where it gets interesting. If you followed Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phones last year, you might be able to guess whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up here: yep, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cheaper version in the same family, with a few cut backs in the screen and camera to meet a lower price. You still get an OLED display (unlike the iPhone XR), but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smaller at 5.8 inches, and has a 1080x2280 resolution â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lower than the other S10 models but still more than high enough to look premium (and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still HDR10+). You get the same processor, and a 3,100mAh battery. You get a dual rear-camera setup instead of triple, which is the 12MP standard lens and 16MP ultra-wide-angle, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just
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the telephoto option that gets dropped d. The screen doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the curved left and right edges, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a very small bezel all the way round, but thiss just puts it on par with other phones, really. The S10e starts from `55,900, and itt looks like a really good deal for that price, although the regular S10 starts at a `66,900, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d still be tempted to trade up for that fairly small price difference. The S10+ starts from `73,90 00. Lastly, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the S10 5G, which is being held back for a June release. Despite not carrying the plus name, this is the beeďŹ est phone of the lot, packing a 6.7-inch display (at the same resolution as the S10 and S10+), the same cameras, the same processorâ&#x20AC;Ś you get the idea. The S10 5G will have a 4,500mAh battery to match its added size, and, as you have probably guessed, it will be the only 5G-ready model.
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Sony Xperia 1
MOVIE MAGIC The Sony Xperia 1 EULQJV FLQHPD VFDOH ZLGHVFUHHQ WR SKRQHV RQ D JRUJHRXV . VFUHHQ T3 3 has been waiting for 21:9 screens to get their time in the sun. This widescreen format is commonly used for cinema, so a few screen makers have dabbled in producing TVs or monitors in that shape, so that when you watch movies you don’t get black bars at the top and bottom. Well, as phone screens have extended to become nearly that level of widescreen, Sony has just skipped ahead, offering a stunning 6.5-inch 21:9 display on the Xperia 1 phone with a resolution of 1644x3840. This means you can watch 4K movies at full resolution, in HDR, on one of the best OLED screens out there (Sony packs in tech from its brilliant TVs). It’s working with Netflix, Amazon and YouTube to make sure movies in this format display perfectly. Dolby Atmos support means it will all sound fantastic too.
This does come with some caveats. For starters, it makes the phone extremely tall when you’re using it in portrait. It means it’s a bit more usable than its 6.5-inch size would suggest, because it’s relatively skinny, but that’s still a lot of phone to grip securely. It also means that regular 16:9 video won’t be in full 4K, but that’s true of any other phone too, so isn’t exactly a big problem. It might be a bit odd with some games, but don’t worry: Sony is working with Epic Games to make sure that Fortnite works perfectly on it. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor (we told you it’d be popular), and there’s a triple camera system on the rear that matches what is apparently now the standard on new phones – you get a regular lens and 2x telephoto (both of which have five-axis optical stabilisation), plus an ultra-wide lens, all at
12 megapixels, with 4K video recording that includes HDR. Sony’s usual music prowess is here too. Hi-res file support iss pretty comprehensive, and it includes the new aptX HD wireless format for better-thaanCD quality streaming. And with Remote Play for your PS4 buillt in too (a feature often forgotten, but one that’s pretty nice if yo our internet is up to it), the Xperia a1 could well be the ultimate entertainment phone for 2019 9. 5G support seems to be lacking here, though it’s hard dly universal yet anyway, and the e 3,330mAh battery is a bit smaller than we would like.
SEEING CLEARLY 7KH ĆYH FDPHUDV RI WKH Nokia PureView 9 FRXOG EH D UHYROXWLRQ You know those huge 40-ish-megapixel senssors used on phones like the Honor View w 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro? Nokia did iit first, back in 2012, with the 808 Pure eView. The PureView 9 is its spiritual successor, but instead of using one giant sensor, it uses five 12MP cameras all snapping together to create absolutely increedible images. Ussing similar tech to the Light L16 16-lens camera, the camera setup includes three e monochrome sensors and two full colou ur, which all combine their light and colou ur information into a final 12MP outpu ut. This makes it capable of some seriou usly cool stuff, the more subtle of which h is that it has a huge dynamic range, so you u should get more detail from both shado ows and highlights than almost anyth hing else. It also a records much more depth data (1,200 0 layers) than other phones, even those with Portrait modes. Why? So that
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you can choose which part of the image should be in focus afterr you’ve shot it. Suddenly, getting the perfect image is a million times easier, because you don’t need to nail it at the time – you can find it afterwards as long as the phone was pointing in the right direction. We haven’t been able to test this properly, but the examples we’ve seen have been stunning. And it’s not a hard process at all – you can make the changes in the Google Photos app, though there will also be support for its raw shots in Lightroom, for more advanced photographers. Elsewhere, the phone looks solid. You get a sharp 1440x2880 OLED screen with HDR support, a Snapdragon 845 processor, a 20MP front camera, and in-display fingerprint scanner. Nokia is still committed to its Android One path, which means you get Android 9 with no annoying extras attached.
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 65
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ASUS ROG STRIX II SCAR 72
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OW In T3, we feature only the ďŹ nest gadgets out there, and we believe that you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our loyal reader â&#x20AC;&#x201C; deserve only the best tech in your life. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ďŹ nd only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experts.
TEST
o We o y oose people with special knowledge for each ch test, so you know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective ďŹ eld. As well as our traditional ďŹ ve-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, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 ĂĽ WKRVH WKDW VFRUH Ä&#x2020;YH PLATINUM stars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; receive our AWARD 3ODWLQXP $ZDUG
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This is given to winners BEST ON of our group tests, so you can see which is TEST the best at a glance
This accolade, and BEST FOR others like it, show you BATTERY which gear is best for LIFE VSHFLÄ&#x2020;F IHDWXUHV
THE DESIGN AWARD
For kit with exceptional industrial design and UHÄ&#x2020;QHPHQW LQ DGGLWLRQ to being a great buy
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 67
Tested
BIGGER PICTURE
PRICE `71,990 URL mi.com/in DIMENSIONS 158x73.4x8.41mm WEIGHT 182g DISPLAY Y 6.47inch Full HD+ (2340x1080) CPU Kirin 980 RAM 8GB INTERNAL STORAGE 256GB CAMERA 03 03 03 7R) UHDU 03 IURQW DUAL SIM <HV OS EMUI EDVHG RQ $QGURLG BATTERY 4200mAh WIRELESS CHARGING SUPPORT <HV
$ ZRUWK\ KLJK HQG Ä&#x2021;DJVKLS SKRQH WORDS KUNAL GANGAR
hen it comes to smartphones in the entry and mid-range segment, a customer is spoilt for choice. However, when you look at the top-most tier, this scenario is completely different. Apple and Samsung have ruled the roost but Huawei has been challenging them with its devices in the last few years. The Mate 20 Pro was our favourite Android device last year that even bagged our coveted Flagship Smartphone of the Year award and now the Chinese company has come up with the P30 Pro that promises better camera performance along with other bells and whistles. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much to differentiate the P30 Pro from the Mate 20 Pro because the phone looks and feels very similar, design-wise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a bad thing though. Mate 20 Pro was a good-looking phone and Huawei has reďŹ ned the P30 Pro to make it even better. A large OLED display dominates the front, which is a result of some interesting design and tech decisions. The wide notch has now been replaced with a dewdrop notch; the ďŹ ngerprint scanner resides under the screen but the most interesting part is the integration of Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acoustic Display Technology that creates an electromagnetic sound levitation to project sound from the vibrations in the display to the ear, instead of a traditional top-front speaker. In simple words, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no front speaker to listen to when on a call but the audio is generated from the back of the display. The back boasts a nine-layer nano-optical colour ďŹ nish that gives the phone a unique look. In India, Huawei is selling the phone in two colour variants - Breathing Crystal and Aurora and while both look amazing in their own way, we would appreciate if Huawei brings in other colour options, even the subtle black. The tapered edges make the phone easier to hold but the one-handed operation is impossible because of its tall design.
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68 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today MAY 2019
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Huawei P30 Pro
You can, however, activate one-hand operation in the software that reduces the size of the active screen for a better reach. Having glass at the back makes the phone prone to fingerprint smudges but is not slippery due to a special coating. In terms of ports and physical keys, the SIM slot, USB Type-C charging and speaker are at the bottom; power and volume buttons on the right; and an IR blaster at the top. Long story short, P30 Pro is a looker and adding to its aesthetics and overall durability is the IP68 certification that ensures the phone is safe against the perils of dust and water. Huawei has increased the screen size of the P30 Pro, which now measures at 6.47-inch but supports a Full HD+ (2340x1080) resolution that is lower than the competition and the Mate 20 Pro. The OLED screen supports DCI-P3 wide colour gamut and allows to adjust the colour temperature or screen modes to suit the user. The in-screen fingerprint scanner works flawlessly but needs the finger to be pressed slightly for the phone to detect and unlock. Apart from Samsung and Apple, Huawei is the only company to design and use their own mobile platform for its devices. The P30 Pro uses its own Kirin 980 processor, which was also found on the Mate 20 Pro. The 7nm chip is reliable and offers performance and stability you expect from a high-end W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
flagship phone. Combine that with 8GB of RAM, everything you throw at the phone runs butter smooth. Also helping the overall performance is Extendable Read-Only File System (EROFS) that helps the read and write speed of the data on the internal storage. The P30 Pro runs EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9, which is Huawei’s way to distinguish their devices from the competition. While the user interface is fast and smooth to use, the current interface looks cluttered with some inconsistencies here and there. For instance, if you’ve received multiple notifications from a single app (say, Gmail or WhatsApp), it will intelligently club all notifications but won’t open the app when you single tap on it. It needs two taps - one to expand all the notifications and another to open the email or a message. It’s not a deal breaker but we feel there’s a lot of scope for Huawei to improve and make EMUI feel less bloated. That said, EMUI adds some cool features. If you use it alongside a Huawei laptop, Huawei Share OneHop allows instantaneous file transfer. The phone can also be used as a desktop or just plain mirror via MiraCast. Let’s talk about the highlight of the phone - the camera. The device is fitted with Leica four (yes, four!) camera sensors at the back - a 40MP f/1.6, 20MP f/2.2, 8MP f/.3.4 and ToF MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 69
Tested Huawei P30 Pro c compromising on the details. Pictures at 10X are hybrid ones whereas the 50X is purely digital. h Expectedly, the photos are not as sharp but Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s E AI sharpens the pictures that make them usable. P30 A Pro at 50X now makes it possible to even shoot the P moon when handheld, which was previously m unheard of, from a smartphone. u The phone handles portrait shots well and is packed with various camera modes like the super p macro mode, document mode, etc. The front-facing m camera can click selďŹ es at 32MP resolution. c On the video side, the phone can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps or Full HD to up to 60 fps. The combination a of AIS and OIS ensures a smooth and stable video. o Battery-wise, the Huawei P30 Pro is one of the best phones weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve used this year. It comes with a b 4200mAh battery that lasts almost two days with 4 moderate use of web surďŹ ng, social media, music, m games and camera. And when you eventually run g out of battery, the 40W TĂ&#x153;V Rheinland-certiďŹ ed o SuperCharge charger will top up 70 per cent of the S battery in just 30 minutes and a full charge in b around an hour. Wireless reverse charging a technology introduced ďŹ rst on the Mate 20 Pro also ďŹ nds a place in the P30 Pro that allows to wirelessly ďŹ charge phones that support Qi wireless charging. c While this feature is handy, it should only W be used in emergencies as it charges the other device b sslowly. All said and done, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting to see how far Huawei has come in the last few years. P30 Pro is yet H another heavyweight and offers everything one a looks for in a ďŹ&#x201A;agship phone.
(Time-of-Flight). Having all these sensors help improve picture quality? In one word, yes! Pictures captured by the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main sensor boast excellent dynamic range, colours, contrast and packs in a lot of detail. This is because the 40MP sensor saves it as a 10MP photo that gives the photo a high-level of detail. However, if resolution is a priority, the phone also allows to save it at full 40MP resolution. P30 Pro also steps up its low-light game as the sensor now adopts RYYB instead of a traditional RGGB Bayer ďŹ lter. This helps to capture up to 40 per cent more light and expectedly, the result is amazing low-light pictures, even beating Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pixel 3 devices with Night Sight enabled. Another highlight of the phone is zoom support. The P30 Pro can shoot pictures at 5X, 10X and 50X zoom levels, out of which only the 5X is optical zoom. This means 5X brings you closest to the subject without
70 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today MAY 2019
VERDICT WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IMPRESSED 'HVLJQ 3HUIRUPDQFH &DPHUD WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMPROVE EMUI THE LAST WORD 7KH 3 3UR LV DQ H[FHOOHQW SHUIRUPHU ZLWK DHVWKHWLFDOO\ SOHDVLQJ ORRNV JUHDW FDPHUD DQG EDWWHU\ OLIH
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Tested
STRIX TRICKS
Asus is slowly getting closer to the winning g formula WORDS ANKUSH MAHAJAN he Asus ROG Strix SCAR II is one of the first devices with Nvidia’s new RTX to reach our testbed so we were quite eager to check it out. We were not surprised to see the RGB mania permeate the entirety of the SCAR II. From the illuminated logo on the lid to the pulsating colour bar on the front edge and finally the zoned keyboard, all of it was lit by a rainbow of cycling colours. The design meshes two contrasting styles together and mostly succeeds in making it work. The brushed aluminium finish looks very good but the camouflage pattern in certain areas looks like dust. The 2.4kg weight makes it easy to carry around in a backpack and the length is comparatively lesser owing to the slim bezels on the sides of the display. This has relegated the webcam to the thick bottom chin something that streamers should keep in mind. The 15.6-inch FHD display has a silky smooth refresh rate of 144Hz and snappy 3ms response time but it’s mentioned as “IPS-level”. This translates to being neither IPS nor TN but the colour reproduction is better than the latter if a tad muted as it is anti-glare. Moving to the HyperStrike Pro keyboard, the layout is ergonomic with the chiclet keys having 1.8mm travel distance enabling quick typing if a bit mushy. The transparent WASD keycaps and the separate keys for volume above the function row were welcome. The port selection was impressive and didn’t leave us worrying about making space by unplugging connected peripherals. The battery life is average giving around 2 hours when gaming and approximately 6 hours with general usage. Do note that it downclocks so gaming is best done plugged in to enjoy the full package. The performance was over 60FPS for the latest games like Battlefield V, Resident Evil II: Remake and Devil May Cry V with ultra settings (AA left at 2x) but would tank when RTX exclusive features like DLSS and Raytracing were enabled where available. Metro Exodus in particular become nearly unplayable. Sometimes the framerate would tank as the laptop would aggressively throttle which was fixed by a restart but was annoying to see it crop up. Even on full load, the laptop was pretty cool but the fan noise was unbearable muffling the speakers. They aren’t loud as it is and we’d advise using headphones. The Asus software is comprehensive and allows for a wide variety of things like fan mode, lighting etc. to be tweaked.
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PRICE From `1,64,990 URL asus.com/in DIMENSIONS 36.1x26.2x2.61cm WEIGHT 2.4kg PROCESSOR Intel Core i7-8750H RAM 16GB 2666MHz SDRAM GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 STORAGE M.2 NVMe PCIE 256GB SSD+ 1 TB 5400rpm SSHD (Firecuda HDD) OS Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit) DISPLAY Y 15.6-inch Nonglare Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel RESOLUTION 1920x1080 PORTS 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-C), 2x USB3.1 Gen1, 1x USB3.1 Gen2, 1x mDP 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x RJ-45 Jack, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Y 802.11ac 2x2 Wave 2 WLAN, Bluetooth v5.0 WEBCAM Yes
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Ports, RGB usage, anti-glare panel WE’D IMPROVE Loud fans on load, low speaker volume, random throttling THE LAST WORD 6WUL[ ,, LV GHĆQLWHO\ D VWHS IRUZDUG LQ the right direction but Asus needs to iron out the wrinkles.
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 71
Tested
FEEL THE BASS
Sony’s new pair of cans deliver the bass and a lot more
PRICE `8,990 URL sony.co.in WEIGHT 196g TYPE Dynamic DRIVER 30mm FREQUENCY RESPONSE 5Hz-22,000Hz WEARING STYLE On Ear VOLUME CONTROL Tact Switch NFC Yes BATTERY LIFE Max. 30 hours BLUETOOTH v4.2 SUPPORTED AUDIO FORMATS SBC, AAC, aptX
WORDS KUNAL GANGAR
f there’s one thing that Sony has proved, its their ability to deliver quality audio experience. The improved WH-X1000 series is a clear example. The company now aims to bring a similar experience to its sub-10k segment with the new XB700. There are no second guesses about XB700’s design inspiration. The 195g on-ear headphones boast a matte finish design inspired by its expensive 1000XM sibling. The XB700’s finish isn’t as polished as you’d find on the 1000XMs, but they look good. The headphones have a swivelling design with an adjustable headband, soft cushioned ear pads and physical controls. Ergonomicswise, we found the headphones to be comfortable but may require adjustment for a proper fit. The XB700 features NFC for easier pairing with other NFC-enabled devices or can be connected going through the regular Bluetooth pairing flow on devices without NFC. The XB700 is part of its Extra Bass family, which understandably, focuses on bass but the overall audio quality is good. The XB700 handles bass well to give you the thumping effect without taking over other frequencies. However, if that’s too much to handle, Sony also gives an option to customise the bass level via the Headphone Connect app. There’s a trade-off though – one needs to change the codec to SBC from the improved aptX. The exact reason is unknown but moving to SBC gives the app more options to adjust the audio quality, besides bass. The app enables/disables DSEE function to upscale the lossy formats, adjust sound position control or tweak the audio to emulate being played in a concert hall, arena, etc. There’s built-in mic, but the mic performance is underwhelming. For voice assistant users, the XB700 supports Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. When it comes to battery life, the XB700 goes up to 30 hours on a single charge and even if you run out, the bundled 3.5mm aux cable ensures you get a similar experience or use the charger to quickly charge the headphones for 10 minutes to give up to 90 minutes of playback.
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VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Bass, Battery life WE’D IMPROVE Allow customisation with codec other than SBC THE LAST WORD XB700 is not targeted at audiophiles but users who prefer bass and the headphone delivers on that front along with other nifty additions like improved design, humongous battery life and quick charge support.
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Tested d
Pioneer-ing the vinyl ! WORDS ANSHUMAN GHOSH
re turntables still around? Well yes, they are back, doing their service in a limited circle of ardent vinyl fans. With a mix of old and latest handy features, fully automatic turntables arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anymore a chore to operate! This Pioneer PL-990 was up on our test rig, its ergonomics instilling in us the conďŹ dence, that assembling a turntable and bringing it to life is simply a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play. You just need to place the platter and stretch up the belt to the drive, and its ready! Pioneer still stands tall among utility and professional turntable manufacturers and users, known for its ruggedness and durability, its seen generations of turntables, come and go! The PL-990 is an entry level player, though lightweight, it somewhat carries the old Pioneer DNA of robust build quality and ďŹ nish, at ďŹ rst glance. The features scream â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fully automaticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, built-in phono equalizer and a moving magnet cartridge system, ďŹ t with a diamond stylus. It is a belt driven unit and does not allow DJing or the like. Royal in black, the looks still
A
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PRICE `21 `21,900 900 URL amazon.in i MOTOR TYPE DC servo motor DRIVE SYSTEM Belt drive system SPEED OF ROTATION 2 speeds: 33-1/3, 45 rpm WOW AND FLUTTER No more than 50 dB (DIN-B) PLATTER Diameter 11.6 inches TONEARM Dynamic balance straight pipe arm CARTRIDGE TYPE MM type REPLACEMENT STYLUS PZP1004 STYLUS TYPE Diamond OUTPUT VOLTAGE (with equaliser DPSOLÄ&#x2020;HU P9 STYLUS PRESSURE 3.5 g Âą 1 g POWER REQUIREMENTS $& 9 +] POWER CONSUMPTION 2W EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS 13.5 x 16.5 x 3.9 inches NET WEIGHT OE NJ
have a retro touch of the 70s, with simple, long, operating buttons on the front panel. In fact, it can gel well with nearly any decor of your house. The player can be connected directly to an auxiliary input of an ampliďŹ er or built in ampliďŹ er speaker. Suggest good quality cable extensions to be used, if the power ampliďŹ er unit is placed at a distance from it. There is surprisingly no updation done to include a USB output option in the PL-990. You cannot connect this unit to a dedicated Phono input of an ampliďŹ er, if available,its plain hard-wired! The audio cord comes attached to the unit, another gripe! Essential in a fully automatic, the dedicated toggle button lets you switch between 33RPM and 45RPM records, making life all the more simpler. A pitch control feature often comes handy when listening to a wide variety of music, its on board here too. The feet of the turntable are wide and look planted, suggesting a dampening material that might have been used to reduce vibrations and skips while playing. Pioneer has provided a signature black tinted hinged dust cover on top, that allows for easy storage and MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today 73
Tested
protection, while the supplied cables suggest normal auxiliary connectivity ectivity to an amp amp. The tone arm is placed and quietly gets back to its place after finishing playing a record. The cartridge used here is of stock quality, quite like the AT3600 and cannot be upgraded to a higher pedigree. This may disappoint some, but lets remind ourselves that this is an entry level conical stylus for decent sound quality. Speed control is decent and comes with a built-in strobe, for effective fine tuning of speed. The tone arm doesn’t rise high, so changing the cartridge could be a challenge. Set with the vinyl placed on the aluminum platter, you just need to press ‘play’, relax, the rest is automatic! The pre-amp of the turntable pairs up easily with any amplifier speaker setup, sounding well bodied and dynamic. We had a dedicated stereo setup for review, and the amp had the input ports of Phono, Aux and Coaxial, thus to test, our long connection now had two extra transfer points. Male to female to aux! All since the hard wired RCA cable on the player is short. Since this is what we had to adapt to, it was complete to work well. Another feature we would’ve liked to see is an adjustable anti-skating feature which comes in handy on some of the old vinyls we have. We spun up various genres of music from classic rock, funk, old jazz to big band albums, including a special session of some 60s special vinyl pressings (The Rolling Stones, The Blackbirds and Beatles), original mono records and bootlegs available only on LP. This player did not dissapoint us on any genre, whatsoever! It sounded tight and solid all through, yet with the warmth of a record. The bass arangements in a Dave Brubeck Quartet LP, the thumps in a Cerrone Supernature LP, all sound detailed, exciting and engaging with authoritative vocals and lows. Even Ravindra sangeet tracks sounded mellow and soulful, much to the liking of our friends who joined in for a quick listening session. Not for the super audiophiles, we just wanted to play some of our great old records. We haven’t had any issues 74 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
with it and really enjoyed all of the grea at LPs of our youth This low mass type of tonearm has youth. h the ability to produce high resonance frequency without reinforcements by frequencies from warps and eccentricities. Then again, straight arms do offer high mechanical strength and elevated precision, not surprising with its ability! Its low-mass helps enhance tracks and is highly sensitive to the vinyl. Then comes the advantage of low occurrence of mistracking, and precise delivery of sound. Thus, when searching for turntables do include some other desirable features on your check list like: low harmonic distortion, minimal to no tracking error, better channel separation and an overall reduction in distortion. Important features of this PL-990 help provide a clearer, more natural sound without any muddiness. If you’re one just starting to get into vinyl records or have been a fan for decades, this ‘pocketfriendly’ Pioneer turntable just doesn’t compromise on exciting sound quality, and conveys the smooth sounds, you’ve just been searching for!
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Ease of assembly and setup; lightweight; useful on-board features; a player suited for nearly all genres of music WE’D IMPROVE Include a USB output; have longer 5&$ FDEOHV GHWDFKHG IURP WKH SOD\HU DQWL VNDWLQJ feature maybe; provision for upgrading cartridge THE LAST WORD Excellent value for money. Exciting, versatile and engaging sound quality, especially for vinyl beginners!
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Tested
BUDGET PERFORMER
Redmi 7 promises good performance at an affordable price tag
PRICE `7,999 (2GB), `8,999 (3GB) URL mi.com/in DIMENSIONS 158.73x75.58x8.47mm WEIGHT 180g DISPLAY Y 6.26-inch HD+ (1520x720) CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 RAM 2GB/3GB INTERNAL STORAGE 32GB CAMERA 12MP+2MP (rear), 8MP (front) DUAL SIM Yes EXPANDABLE STORAGE Yes OS MIUI 10 BATTERY 4000mAh
WORDS KUNAL GANGAR f 2018 was all about metal body and metallic finishes for Xiaomi, 2019 seems to be the one with a gradient. The Redmi Note 7 series was one of the first ones to adopt a gradient finish and now we’re seeing the design concept being trickled down to its affordable device Redmi 7. Admittedly, there’s no glass to shine off the gradient but the new finish on a plastic back looks refreshing. The Redmi 7 comes in three colours - Eclipse Black, Comet Blue and Lunar Red but our personal favourite Lunar Red blends the duality of black and red nicely. The phone and its components are coated with P2i technology that helps the phone to protect against water splashes. It’s the era of notches, which is why Redmi 7 also adopts the modern compact version of notch called Dot Notch. It helps to achieve a screen-to-body ratio of 86.83 per cent. The 6.26-inch HD+ (1520x720) 19:9 display has a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and allows detailed colour temperature adjustment. Protecting the display is Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. Handling the performance on the Redmi 7 is the Kryo 250-powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 and 3GB RAM (or 2GB), which in our experience with the MIUI 10 based on Android 9 was very well optimised and fluid. Yes, MIUI shows from ads in some of its apps and pre-installed bloatware but that can be taken care off. Xiaomi phones are known for their impressive battery life and Redmi 7 is no different. The phone is fitted with a 4000mAh battery that lasts almost a workday with heavy usage or more than a day if used moderately. The phone does not support the fast charging tech but comes with a 10W charger. The Redmi 7 features a 12MP+2MP AI cameras at the back and 8MP on the front. The phone takes some decent quality pictures in daylight and indoors with good colour saturation and dynamic range but the camera struggles in low-light scenarios. It’s clear the Redmi 7 camera won’t win any awards but give it the right lighting and the camera shines or at least gives you usable photos. Portraits are handled by the 8MP front-facing camera equipped with AI Beautify 4.0 and AI Portrait Mode. The phone takes good selfies with the AI helping to fine-tune the image. There’s screen flash and palm shutter to aid during selfies. The Redmi 7 starts from Rs. 7,999 and delivers a good bang for the buck in terms of overall performance and battery life. However, it’s the 3GB variant that sits a Rs. 1,000 closer to the Redmi Note 7. If you’re willing to stretch the budget, Redmi Note 7 is a much better product in terms of looks, camera and performance.
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VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Performance WE’D IMPROVE MIUI, Camera THE LAST WORD If you’re on a tight budget, Redmi 7 is a solid upgrade from last year’s Redmi 6 with good design and performance
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 75
Tested
ALPHA NOT OMEGA
Samsung is starting to get in sync with the Indian smartphone market WORDS $1.86+ 0$+$-$1
amsung has made aggressive moves to regain lost market share in the mid-range and the Galaxy A50 is a direct result of that. We got the Blue variant in 4GB RAM+64GB combination looking very snazzy with its glow from the outset. It has a polycarbonate back that refracts thanks to the reďŹ&#x201A;ective coating showing a dazzling array of colours. This also makes the surface a print magnet which could be mitigated by the use of the bundled silicone case. Equally eye catching is the 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display that is vivid and natural making similarly priced competition look tame in comparison. The brightness was enough for the screen to be readable even in direct sunlight outside. For night time, the blue-light ďŹ lter is preferable causing less strain to the eyes. Bezels on the sides are thin but the bottom chin is thicker than expected. Coming to security, the on-screen ďŹ ngerprint sensor isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t faster than its capacitive counterpart but does unlock most of the time. The InďŹ nity-U notch on top of the display houses a 25MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture that captures great selďŹ es without causing background overexposure. Even with beauty mode turned off it was evident that facial sharpening was active. The triple camera setup on the rear consists of a 25MP (f/1.7) primary lens, an 8MP (f/2.2) wide-angle lens with 123 degree FoV and a 5MP (f/2.2) depth sensor. The main camera is highly capable of taking clear shots in bright environments preserving detail and looking rich but a few instances saw overexposure spoiling the shot. Night time is where the problems arise as low light photography is mediocre overall with poor reproduction regardless of the lens or clicked subject. The ultra-wide lens opens up avenues for shots from a different perspective that is useful for capturing things like cityscapes or a large group of people without changing your orientation too much. It was a hit or miss when taking live focus snaps as the depth level wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always be up to the mark and some photos would seem artiďŹ cial taking effort to get right. Daily performance didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave us wanting as apps for messaging, social media, browsers would open lag-free save for the infrequent white screen when multitasking. The battery is able to last an entire day with moderate usage. Demanding gamers should look elsewhere as intense shootouts in PUBG saw many frame drops with lowered settings. The loudspeaker wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too loud but clear and the earpiece didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give problems when attending to calls. The intuitive One UI is much welcome and something we hope to see in all future Samsung devices.
S
76 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today MAY 2019
PRICE `19,990 (4GB RAM+64GB), `22,990 (6GB RAM+64GB) URL samsung.com/in DIMENSIONS 158.5x74.7x7.7mm WEIGHT 166g DISPLAY Y 6.4-inch FHD+ ,QÄ&#x2020;QLW\ 8 6XSHU $02/(' PROCESSOR ([\QRV RAM 4GB/6GB STORAGE *% ([SDQGDEOH XSWR *% K 2Q VFUHHQ via dedicated microSD) BIOMETRIC LOCK Ä&#x2020;QJHUSULQW )DFH 8QORFN OS Android 9.0 Pie ZLWK 2QH 8, CAMERA 7ULSOH UHDU 03 03 03 )URQW 03 USB PORT Type-C BATTERY Y 4000mAh FAST CHARGE Yes, 15W
VERDICT WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IMPRESSED 'LVSOD\ 'HVLJQ WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMPROVE *DPLQJ /RZ OLJKW SKRWRJUDSK\ THE LAST WORD Samsung is on the right track with WKH $ ZKLFK PDNHV D FRPSHOOLQJ FDVH WR EH VWURQJO\ considered under 20k
W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Tested
GO WIDE
A widescreen monitor for multimedia consumption iewSonic has been producing monitors for decades and while it may not have the market or the mind share like its competitors, the company has a decent portfolio in the Indian market and VX3276-2K-mhd is their latest offering. Inspired by modern architectures, the VX3276-2K-mhd has a clean and elegant design that focuses on the most important thing - the display. The front is all screen surrounded by super thin frameless bezels for a distraction-free viewing experience, complemented with a chrome-finished triangle stand that gives the monitor a premium and a unique look. The ultra-slim monitor houses all the OSD keys at the back along with I/O ports like two HDMI, DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, earphone and power port. The monitor is compatible with VESA mounts. The VX3276-2K-mhd features a 32-inch SuperClear IPS panel with WQHD resolution (2560x1440) support. The monitor has a maximum brightness of 250cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 1200:1 and a 178-degree viewing angle. It delivers decent performance when it comes to colours as the VX3276-2K-mhd uses a 10-bit panel to produce over a billion colours. However, there’s no HDR support for a monitor that’s pitched as an entertainment monitor. Nevertheless, there’s a headphone jack and integrated two 2W speakers for your listening pleasure. The extensive OSD menu allows to tweak monitor settings or select from optimised settings between game, movie, web, text or mono for the monitor to auto-adjust the gamma curve, colour temperature, contrast and brightness. The VX3276-2K-mhd also features flicker-free technology and a blue light filter to reduce eye fatigue when viewing the screen for extended periods. The lack of HDR can be a deciding factor but if that’s not the case, the Rs. 39,000 VX3276-2K-mhd fulfils most of the checkboxes for an entertainment monitor.
V
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PRICE `39,000 URL viewsonic.com/in DIMENSIONS 712.89x503.87x230mm (with stand) WEIGHT 6.2kg (with stand) DISPLAY SIZE 32-inch PANEL TYPE IPS Type, a-si TFT Active Matrix LCD DISPLAY RESOLUTION WQHD (2560x1440) ASPECT RATIO 16:9 BRIGHTNESS 250 cd/m2 CONTRAST RATIO 1200:1 VIEWING ANGLE 178-degree COLOUR GAMUT 75% of NTSC
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Design WE’D IMPROVE No HDR support THE LAST WORD The VX3276-2K-mhd is a decent performer if you’re not looking for HDR support
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 77
Tested
REAL DEAL
,WèV VLJQLÄ&#x2020;FDQW LPSURYHPHQW RYHU ODVW \HDUèV 5HDOPH 3UR
PRICE `13,999 (4GB+64GB), ` *% *%
URL UHDOPH FRP DIMENSIONS [ [ PP WEIGHT J DISPLAY Y LQFK )XOO +' [ CPU 4XDOFRPP 6QDSGUDJRQ $,( RAM 4GB/6GB INTERNAL STORAGE *% *% CAMERA 03 03 UHDU 03 IURQW DUAL SIM <HV EXPANDABLE STORAGE <HV OS &RORU26 BATTERY Y P$K
WORDS .81$/ *$1*$5 ealme has made a name for themselves. While competing in the most ďŹ erce price bracket, the company launched some devices that grabbed consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. Now, they have added the Realme 3 Pro to its portfolio that looks like a signiďŹ cant step up from the Realme 2 Pro. But does it have enough to attract consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention from the reigning champion - the Redmi Note 7 Pro? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ nd out. Realme 3 Pro is a good looking phone. Sure, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no glass at the back but Realme 3 Pro comes with a 3D Speedway design that is inspired from the Le Mans track. The realme 3 Pro has 82 S-shaped curves on the phone back with a gradient ďŹ nish, giving the phone a distinct look. Realme 3 Pro is comfortable to hold with its curvy edges and blends well with the front. Realme has adopted a dewdrop notch design for its 6.3-inch display on the front, resulting in an impressive 90.8 per cent screen-to-body ratio. The display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 supports Full HD+ resolution (2340x1080) with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The display quality is good with decent viewing angles. In terms of colour adjustment, Realme keeps it minimal to the extent of enabling or disabling the night shield that makes the colour temperature warmer or black and white or a simple slider that goes from cold to warmer. Powered by Qualcommâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snapdragon 710 processor, Realm 3 Pro is one of the ďŹ rst devices to sport a 700-series processor in this price range. The chip is based on 10nm process and comes with a better performing Adreno 616 GPU. Combine this with 4GB or 6GB of RAM, Realme 3 Pro delivers solid performance, even while playing graphic-intensive games like PUBG or Asphalt. The 4045mAh ensures more than a day of battery life and supports 20W VOOC fast charging that charges the phone to up to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes. On the software side, the Realme 3 Pro runs ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9.0 and while there are few customisations, the overall interface is clean. Moreover, the phone is certiďŹ ed to play HD videos from popular streaming apps. There are two cameras at the back - a 16MP f/1.7 sensor and 5MP f2.4. Interestingly, the main sensor is the same as the one used in OnePlus 6T and when it comes to quality, the device doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint. The Realme 3 Pro takes some really good pictures with a good balance of colour and contrast. There are other modes like Nightscape, Chromaboost, Ultra HD and Portrait. The selďŹ es go up to 25MP with AI BeautiďŹ cation support and 4K video recording at 30 fps.
R
78 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today MAY 2019
VERDICT WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IMPRESSED 3HUIRUPDQFH &DPHUD WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D IMPROVE %XLOG TXDOLW\ THE LAST WORD 5HDOPH 3UR ZLOO EH D JDPHFKDQJHU IRU 5HDOPH ZLWK LWV LPSURYHG SHUIRUPDQFH FDPHUD DQG EDWWHU\
W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Tested
PRICE `2,49,990 URL in.msi.com DIMENSIONS 397x268.5x27.5mm WEIGHT 2.66kg DISPLAY 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080), 144Hz, 3ms, IPS-Level CPU 8th Gen. Intel Core i78750H RAM Up to 32GB DDR4 GPU Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, 8GB GDDR6 STORAGE 512GB NVMe SSD R + 1TB HDD OS Windows 10 I/O Ports 1x Type-C, 3x Type-A USB3.1, 1x RJ45, 1x (4K @ 60Hz) HDMI, 1x Mini-DisplayPort, LAN, SD card reader WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Y Killer ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth v5 BATTERY 6-cell 65Whr
THE BEAST
A power-packed laptop that will make gamers happy WORDS KUNAL GANGAR
ver the years, MSI has built a powerful gaming lineup and earlier this year, the company refreshed its gaming laptop lineup with GeForce RTX GPUs. We look at the refreshed GE75 Raider 8SG and this is what we think. The notebook screams gaming from every angle. Clad in black and red, the GE75 Raider 8SG features a 3D dragon spine design that extends across the cover and connects to the rear exhaust vents to give that aggressive look. Interestingly, MSI has also designed the oft-ignored bottom base design to give the notebook a futuristic feel. When it comes to connectivity, the 2.66kg notebook packs in all the necessary ports at the side, including illuminated USB ports, USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort, HDMI, headphone jack, mic-in, Ethernet and SD card reader slot. The GE75 Raider 8SG comes with a 17.3-inch display supporting Full HD (1920x1080) resolution. While we would have preferred a panel option with a higher resolution, the Full HD IPS-level panel on the GE75 Raider 8SG is sharp with good colours, contrast and a refresh rate of 144Hz that helps reduce motion blur while gaming. Under the hood, the GE75 Raider 8SG is equipped with Intel’s Core i7-8750H CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB of SSD with 1TB HDD, Nvidia’s top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 2080 GPU and the notebook handles process-intensive tasks and latest graphicsdemanding games with ease, including the ones that support Ray Tracing and DLSS. The laptop is loud when it’s being operated to its full potential but helps to keep the temperature in check with 31 whirlwind blade fans and enhanced cooling system with eight
O
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heat pipes. Audio performance is immersive, thanks to the inclusion of two 3W speakers and woofers and support for Hi-Res audio via the built-in DAC. Battery-wise, the GE75 Raider 8SG has a 65-Whr battery that gives about 4 hours of run time while working with office applications and web surfing and just over an hour during gaming. Adding to its gaming cred is the Per-Key RGB backlight keyboard by SteelSeries. The key feedback is excellent with a key travel of 1.9mm and can be customised to suit the game’s genre. There’s Killer ac Wi-Fi that supports Killer DoubleShot Pro that helps to protect and prioritise network traffic, and Dragon Center that shows off the hardware and allows the user to optimise it for improved gaming performance. The notebook also allows playing select mobile games on the laptop via MSI App Player.
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Performance WE’D IMPROVE Higher-resolution display options THE LAST WORD The GE75 Raider 8SG brings a host of powerful hardware, including the latest Nvidia GPU for a great gaming performance
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 79
Game Days Gone
Days Gone Surviving a freaked out world `3,999; PS4 t’s easy to see why many think Days Gone is inspired from Sony’s successful IP - The Last of Us (TLoU). Just like TLoU, the Days Gone also features zombies (aka freakers) in a post-apocalyptic setting but the thing that sets Days Gone apart is its open-world survival nature. Days Gone tells the story of Deacon St. John who has survived a mysterious global pandemic and lives in a new world as a bounty hunter, in the wilderness outside civilian encampments with his buddy Boozer. That is not how Deacon intended to live after the epidemic but the first cutscene shows why Deacon chooses to stay with the injured Boozer instead of his wife, Sarah. The initial cutscene is abrupt and very busy but starts making sense as the story progresses. Days Gone is set in Oregon and Bend Studios has nailed the
I
atmosphere and visuals you’d expect from the world which is a big hot mess. On one side, you see the nature with beautiful landscapes, changing weather but on the other side, you see abandoned houses and cars, some of which are taken over by freakers and their freaker nests. Speaking of freakers, they behave like zombies but freakers tend to sleep, eat and even drink water. This is evident during the game. You’ll see freakers around a water source trying to drink water when they’re thirsty or hibernate during the day in their caves or nests and bay for your blood when you wake them up by burning their nest. Freakers are accompanied by Newts who are kid zombies and move fast, Screamers who call out other freakers. However, the most exhilarating experience is when you come across a horde. Hordes vary in numbers and there are about 40 hordes in the game that needs to be
80 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2019
dealt with. We experienced and discovered a few hordes during our play and it’s one of those moments when Days Gone’s gameplay shines. You need to strategise before drawing their attention or face an imminent death. When Deacon is not fighting the half dead, there’s infected animals like bears or wolves to get rid of or human camps like Marauders or Rippers. Melee combat is satisfying with lots of weapons scattered around the world and also allows to modify existing ones to make them more durable and lethal. Melee weapons degrade over use but can be restored by using scrap parts. Combat with ranged weapons like guns, crossbows, however, is decent as well. Survival is one of the key elements in Days Gone, scavenging for scrap, ammo and parts becomes second nature. Luckily, scavenging is plentiful with an extensive crafting menu that helps to create health kits, melee weapons, makeshift weapon silencer, throwables and more Another integral part to the game is Deacon’s bike. It’s the only way Deacon can traverse through the huge map and needs to be taken care of. One has to keep an eye on the fuel and the damage gauge as it’s easy to run out of fuel or damage the bike if you W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Days Gone
VG248QE Gaming Monitor
Clear Out the Chaos Uncompromised ® NVIDIA 3D Vision™ immersion True-to-Life Gaming with Vivid Visuals
ride rashly. Good thing is there are fuel stations marked on the map or gas cans in random places where the bike can be refueled. Days Gone does come with its fair share of criticism. The storytelling could have been better along with the cutscenes. Some cutscenes felt rushed through just to advance the story. Mission We faced some technical issues as well. For instance, dialogue audio went off and the only way to restore it was to reload the saved game. Another instance was during a mission trying to sneak around the bushes and suddenly a horde is literally air dropped to blow Deacon’s cover and kill him instantly. Hopefully, these issues will be resolved eventually. W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
That said, Days Gone may not be the polished exclusive that we have come to expect from Sony, it gives a new dimension to the whole zombie and post-apocalyptic genre. It has around 28-30 hours of play time and with freaker hordes and bike traversal, the game is a lot of fun to play.
ASUS-Exclusive GamePlus for Accuracy in Action Extensive Connectivity with Ergonomic Design IGN Fan Favourite Best Gaming Monitor Manufacturer - 2017
VERDICT WE’RE IMPRESSED Freaker hordes WE’D IMPROVE Story, random bugs THE LAST WORD Not the best PlayStation exclusive but not that bad either to be written off
For Sales Enquries : vincent_liu@asus.com For feedback, email reachus@asus.com info_india@asus.com
Scan Me
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 81
MAGAZINE READERSHIP
THE POWER OF
MAGAZINES! 1. No need to switch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. 2. Not dependent on electricity or batteries. 3. A purchase of a magazine costing `100 to `150 indicates a commitment, a positive desire to read it from cover to cover.
UP 75%
- IRS 2017* and researched articles, magazine content has far more credibility than any other source. Magazines are more engaging. 8. Special interest magazines are read by avid enthusiasts; they are opinion makers who create a ripple effect by influencing others.
4. Production values of magazines are about the best you can get in print. Higher 9. Most magazines offer their content quality images, reproduced with full colour and to the reader in a medium of their choice, gloss, allow a clearer picture of the product or whether paper or digital. representation of the service. 10. Magazines can be shared Consequently, 5. The shelf life of most magazines is a month more persons can read a single magazine. and not just a few minutes in the morning. 11. Globally, 7.3% of the total 6. Magazines are read when you are at leisure. advertising spend is spent on magazines. Therefore, a lot more is ingested and imbibed. In India, the magazine revolution started only With magazines, therefore, advertising works and after 2005 and the share is 2%. makes an impression. 12. Targeting with precision and 7. For special interests, magazines are without wastage is a key strength the best source. With competent writers of magazines.
Magazine Advertising actually works! *INDIAN READERSHIP SURVEY (IRS) 2017 : BETWEEN 2014 AND 2017, MAGAZINES SAW A 75% INCREASE WITH 38 MILLION NEW READERS.
Apps
Spotify
6 A PP S F O R …
PERSONAL FINANCE
THE SWEDISH AUDIO STREAMING SERVICE ENTERS INDIA
MONEYTAP Starting from Rs. 3,000, users can borrow from any approved limit with interest charged only on the borrowed amount getting replenished when the EMIs are repaid. Free ; Google Play, App Store
KISSHT Free (Premium from `119 monthly); Google Play, App Store After a long wait, the official release of Spotify in India happened just a few months back. For the first time in any country at launch, Spotify is offering a free service where users can play a song as many times as they want.The only caveat is they are supported by in-app text and sound advertisements. Unlike YouTube Music there is background play which is a huge plus. Paying for Premium unlocks access to high quality 320Kbps bit rate audio files that can be streamed as well as downloaded for offline playback. Tracks from playlists can also be skipped and Spotify Connect allows control of the app across numerous devices so users can
change what is being played on them. Students can avail a special discount upon uploading their ID. There are more than 100 playlists made for Indian languages with local playlists curated and regularly updated by in-house editors. Indiestan, Punjabi 101, Namaste Love, Rap 91 and Bollywood Butter are only a small sampling of these. The much lauded Discover weekly is available but will take time to learn user likes/dislikes before providing recommendations. As the company is still finalising some licensing deals, certain songs here and there aren’t present but the collection is promised to reach upto par with the global version soon enough.
Wizely REACH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS Free; Google Play, App Store For those who find it difficult to save and reach monetary targets, Wizely is here to guide them. Currently there are 3 main types of plans namely Money Saving, Flexi Saving and PRE-BOOK Saving. This is a simple savings platform and goal setting app in one featuring unlimited referral benefits, pre-booking of purchases, upto 15% additional earnings on Wizely savings and the option to W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
Kissht allows users to buy electronic gadgets like mobiles, laptops, cameras on EMI without credit card via instant finance at No cost EMI. Free; Google Play, App Store
CRED For users with an Experian score above 750, CRED offers rewards every time a credit card bill payment is done through it. Free; Google Play, App Store
LENDINGKART INSTANT BUSINESS LOANS Lendingkart provides instant loans upto 5 lakh to business across the country. They are collateral free and 100% online making it convenient to apply from anywhere. Free; Google Play
withdraw at any time. Keep in mind that adding money through debit cards is disabled and wallets aren’t allowed as per RBI regulations.
YAARI Available in 9 languages, Yaari enables hassle-free loan approvals without the need of uploading documents or visiting a bank branch. Free ; Google Play, App Store
PAYSENSE PaySense requires users to complete their KYC with documents to be uploaded at first. After approval, access is provided to loans at affordable interest rates. Free; Google Play
MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 83
ISSUE 46 6/ MAY 2019
Retro
T3 3 India as a magazine/ezine rightly focuses on products that are new and under development. This, of course, does not suggest or imply that everything old is bad and outdated. The pace at which technology moves, demands that we cover all product developments for our readers. In few cases, this means going back to the
84 T3 Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technology Today MAY 2019
past. Look at the worldwide revival of turntables. Only 15 years ago, the turntable was consigned to the dustbin. Today, pressing plants are hard pressed to meet the demand. The area where retro is most in demand is music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both Western and Indian, and T3 3 India seeks to address this gap. We hope you enjoy this section.
85
Classic s Artist stes - Western n
86
Classssic A rtistes - Indian
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Garth Brooks
GARTH BROOKS Words: H. S. Billimoria This month we feature an American singer cum songwriter who has achieved remarkable success by fusing rock n roll with country music. The artist is Garth Brooks, born in Oklahama, USA in 1962. Garth Brooks released his first album in 1989 . It was appropriately called ‘Garth Brooks’. The album was an instant success selling over 10 million copies. Garth never looked back. The second album, ‘No Fences’ followed in 1990 and was an even bigger success. ‘ Ropin’ in the Wind’ , his third album soon followed and again was a huge hit. Although several other albums followed, the first three are considered to be his best. Garth Brooks has won the Grammy Award twice and has sold over 148 million albums in the US, putting him ahead of even Elvis Presley. Even today, his live performances are a sellout. Garth Brooks has not enjoyed the same level of popularity outside the US. His music, however, is different and unique and richly deserves a listen.
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MAY 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 85
ANU MALIK
E H T
F O T S BE
K I L A M U AN
Words: H. S. Billimoria
We covered Anu Malik’s best songs with T Series in an earlier issue and the tunes were indeed amongst Anu’s best. This month we look at Anu’s work released under the Venus label. Unfortunately, a number of the successful songs are not entirely original. They are nevertheless tuneful and melodious. 86 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today MAY 2018
2 L VO
We start with the movie that perhaps made Shahrukh Khan, Anu Malik and Venus. The movie was ‘Baazigar’ (1993). A colossal hit at the box office, Baazigar won Filmfare awards for both Shahrukh Khan and Anu Malik. We have selected three tracks. The first one is the title song rendered by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu. An ace romantic number, the song was a surefire hit. The second number, Ýe kali kali ankhen’ rendered by Kumar Sanu was perhaps an even bigger hit and was lavishly picturised. Sadly, the tune is inspired from two sources. The beginning is a straight lift from the track, ‘Because of you’ from the Cover Girls’ album, Show me (1988). Even the dance video is similar. The second part of the song, viz the mukhda is a straight lift from
Dean Martin’s ‘The Man Who Plays the Mandelino’. The saving grace is that the Dean Martin number was earlier copied in the film ‘Chhabili’ (1960 ). The number was ‘ Lehron pe lehar’ rendered by Hemant Kumar and set to music by Snehal Bhatkar. The third song is a melodious solo sung and picturised on Vinod Rathod. It goes ‘Chhupana bhi nahin aata’. J P Dutta’s ‘Border’, released in 1997 was a big hit. Anu Malik hit the bull’s eye with ‘Sandese aate hai’. Sonu Nigam and Roop Kumar Rathod have sung the number. ‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’ was another hit for Venus. Starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, the movie also had some hit numbers by Anu Malik. The best number is easily ‘Churake Dil Mera’ rendered by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik and picturised on Akshay W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
ANU MALIK
Kumar and Shilpa Shetty. The title song rendered by Udit Narayan and Abhijeet was also a hit. We’ve always wondered about Aamir Khan’s ear for music. His ‘Mann’ had five out of six songs copied. Similarly, ‘Akele Hum Akele Tum’ (1995) had at least three ‘inspired’ numbers. The film starring Aamir with Manisha Koirala was a disappointing performer at the box office. We have selected two songs, both inspired but tuneful. The first is ‘Dil mera churaya kyon’ rendered by Anu Malik and Kumar Sanu. The track is inspired from ‘The Last Christmas’ by Wham. The second number, ‘Raja ko rani se pyar’ is a lift from The Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’. Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik have rendered this number. Alka Yagnik had claimed that her number, ‘Hai mera dil’ from ‘Josh’
W W W.T 3 I N D I A . CO M
(2000) was one of her best numbers. Little did she know that the track had been lifted from two western numbers, ‘Sealed with A Kiss’ by Bryan Hyland and ‘Djobi Djoba’from The Gypsy Kings. For a Shahrukh Khan – Aishwarya Rai starrer, Josh was a let down. Anu Malik had two very ‘massy’ songs in ‘Judwaa’ (1997) which became extremely popular. The first one, rendered by Anu himself was ‘Tan Tanatan Tantan Tara’ and the second, rendered by Anu Malik & Poonima was ‘ Unchi hai building’. Of course, the presence of Salman Khan in both the songs added to their appeal. Both the songs have been used again in ‘Judwaa 2’. ‘Mela’ (2000) was initially launched with Rajesh Roshan as the music director and two songs were also recorded. However, the director, Dharmesh Darshan could not see eye to eye with Roshan and Anu walked in. ‘Mela’ fared poorly at the box office in spite of having Aamir Khan in the lead. Anu’s title song was good
but not so overwhelming that half the playback singers in the industry had to be called to record it. ‘Baadshah’ (1999) starring Shahrukh Khan with Twinkle Khanna was a mediocre success. Two songs from this film make it to the CD. ‘Woh ladki jo sabse’ rendered by Abhijeet was the first. ‘Dil kyon dhak dhak karta hai’ by Abhijeet and Alka Yagnik is the second. Amitabh Bachchan starrer, ‘Sooryavansham’ (2000) was noted for the Kumar Sanu number, ‘Dil mera tu’. There was little else to remember from the movie. ‘Jeete Hain Shaan Se’ was a Mithun Chakraborty pot boiler released in 1988. The film is remembered only for its song , ‘Julie Julie’ robustly sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and Anu Malik. ‘Miss 420’ (1998) was a Baba Sehgal film. Baba Sehgal has joined Anu Malik to sing ‘Aaja meri gaadi mein baith ja ‘ which became very popular. T3 India
MAY 2018 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 87
BEST OF THE BEST The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best tech, all in one place
INSIDE
,I \RXèUH ORRNLQJ IRU WKH YHU\ EHVW WHFK DYDLODEOH WRGD\ \RXèYH GHÄ&#x2020;QLWHO\ FRPH WR WKH right place. %HVW RI WKH %HVW LV WKH PRVW XVHIXO JDGJHW EX\LQJ JXLGH \RX ZLOO HYHU HQFRXQWHU To create it, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring \RX URFN VROLG UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV IRU \RXU KRPH OLIH GDLO\ FRPPXWH DQG WKH WHFK \RX XVH DOO WKH WLPH In 21 different categories, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen the top three products, so you can choose RQH WKDWèV MXVW WKH ULJKW PL[ RI IHDWXUHV DQG EXGJHW IRU ZKDW \RX QHHG 7KHVH UDQNLQJV FRPH IURP UHDO WHVWLQJ E\ RXU WHDP RI H[SHUWV WKH\èUH WKH SURGXFWV ZHèG FKRRVH IRU RXUVHOYHV DQG ZH FDQèW UHFRPPHQG DQ\ KLJKHU WKDQ WKDW
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Best of the best
SMARTPHONES APPLE IPHONE XS From `99,999, apple.com/in The phenomenal speed, hyperpremium build quality, fantastic camera and gorgeous HDR screen with Dolby Vision support make this the world’s most desirable phone.
HUAWEI P30 PRO `71,990, huawei.com One of the best Android phones in the market right now, the P30 Pro comes with a new processor, quadcamera setup with zoom support a super fast charge support that tops up the battery in just around an hour.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S10 From `55,900, samsung.com/in The Galaxy S10 series comes in three different variants, depending on your preference but offers top-notch performance with an excellent camera, stunning display, fullday battery life and a head-turner design.
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MID RANGE SMARTPHONES ONEPLUS 6T
VALUE SMARTPHONES POCO F1
From `37,999, oneplus.in The ‘T’ variant of the OnePlus 6 brings LQ VFUHHQ ĆQJHUSULQW sensor along with a fast Snapdragon 845 CPU, up to 10GB of RAM, high-resolution dual cameras, Optic AMOLED display and super fast Dash charging tech.
SAMSUNG GALAXY A9 From `33,990, samsung.com/in Touted as the world’s ĆUVW SKRQH ZLWK D quad-camera at the back, the Galaxy A9 offers decent midrange performance with a Snapdragon processor, up to 6GB RAM, Super AMOLED display and host of other features.
HONOR VIEW20 From `37,999, hihonor.in Phone’s claim to fame is the 48MP sensor and an allview display that brings the new hole-punch camera implementation. The phone packs Huawei’s 7nm CPU, 8GB of RAM and a full day battery life.
From Rs. 19,999, poco.net/in If you’re looking for an all-round performer, Poco F1 has practical design and brings in topnotch hardware with Snapdragon 845 chip, up to 8GB of RAM and 4000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.
XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 7 PRO From 13,999, mi.com/in Xiaomi’s latest Redmi Note packs a lot of features. It boasts a new glass design and is powered by the latest Snapdragon 675 chip along with up to 6GB RAM, and a whopping 48MP sensor and 4K video recording support.
ASUS ZENFONE MAX PRO M2 From Rs. 9,999, asus.com/in The Zenfone Max Pro series is due for an upgrade this year but this is still a decent buy. It comes with a large 6.26-inch display, premium 3D design, Snapdragon 600 CPU, dual cameras and a 5000mAh battery.
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PREMIUM TVS
SMARTWATCHES APPLE WATCH SERIES 4 From `40,900, apple.com/in
SONY A8F
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH From `24,900, samsung.com/in The best smartwat t tch for Android u users brings a circular c screen with great rotating b bezel, and slick Tizen software thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eassy to use. It looks goo od too, and the battery life of up tto six i d days is ace.
HUAWEI WATCH GT From `15,990, consumer.huawei.com/in A simple and elegant looking smartwatch that features a ceramic bezel design, stainless steel shell and DLC coating. It boasts an AMOLED display, real-time heart rate tracking and up to 2 weeks of battery life.
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XIAOMI MI LED TV 4X PRO
From `3,29,900, sony.co.in Marrying a perfect OLED 4K screen with Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picture processing prowess makes for a jawdropping HDR TV at 55 or 65 inches. Motion handling and upscaling of content are both brilliant.
This truly straddles the line between tech and fash hion; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the best-looking smartwa atch, but its plethora a of health DQG Ä&#x2020;WQH HVV IHDWXUHV plus stro ong app options, make it the most use useful.
VALUE TVS
LG OLED55C8PTA From `2,24,990
Rs. 39,999, mi.com/in The TV has gone pro with the all-new Android OS giving users the goodness of Android interface and PatchWall. The 4.9mm thin TV comes with a 55-inch 4K HDR display and Dolby Audio.
SAMSUNG NU6100 UHD TV From Rs. 41,990, samsung.com/in
LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OLED technology produces beautiful 4K HDR images, and makes HD videos look ace too. LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s webOS smart platform is one of the better systems around, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for gaming.
SAMSUNG Q8C From `2,05,600, samsung.com/in Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QLED LCD tech is not only able to stand up to the quality of OLED, but even surpasses it in areas such as brightness. It means you get the full effect of HDR even in brighter rooms.
Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer to the intense competition. It comes in three different size options and brings UHD playback, Live Cast support, screen mirroring and support for video streaming apps.
VU PIXELIGHT ULTRA HD LED SMART TV From Rs. 30,999, vutvs.com Vuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pixelight range brings 4K playback at an affordable price. It comes with its own version of Smart OS but supports access to widely watched video services like 1HWÄ&#x2021;L[ <RX7XEH DQG even Prime Video.
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STREAMERS CHROMECAST
GAMES CONSOLES MICROSOFT XBOX ONE X
`3,499, store.google.com/in
`44,990, microsoft.com
The Chromecast is a receiver for phones and laptops and depends on them for control and content – but it’s simple, versatile and compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.
AMAZON FIRE TV STICK 4K `5,999, amazon.in
With 4K, Dolby Atmos, Ultra HD Blu-ray and a fairly FRPSDFW SURĆOH this is the best Xbox ever. It’s even more powerful than the PS4 Pro and also a great home entertainment hub.
SONY PS4 PRO
APPLE TV 4K
It’s still overkill if you don’t have a 4K TV, but with 2160p HDR gaming, the PS4 Pro delivers incredible visuals and is smoother and faster than its non-Pro siblings.
MICROSOFT XBOX ONE S
`15,900, apple.com/in iTunes has the biggest source of 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos movies, and lots of other services have apps KHUH WRR <RX FDQ also easily stream to it from Macs and L26 GHYLFHV
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RHA TRUECONNECT `14,999, headphonezone.in Even more comfy, though perhaps slightly less secure, than the Jabras, these also offer best-in-class audio. Aside from a slightly odd carry case, these are textbook true wireless buds.
APPLE AIRPODS `12,900, apple.com/in
`38,710, sony.co.in 4K HDR for under `6,000 isn’t to be sniffed at. It’s best suited to Prime subscribers and Google apps are absent, but it’s a very capable and affordable streamer IRUb79 DQG PRYLHV
TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES
`29,990, microsoft.com The S is smaller, whiter and much cheaper than its big brother, and while you don’t get its sibling’s super-powered specs you still get Ultra HD %OX UD\ $ ĆQH KRPH entertainment hub.
Apple’s wireless ’phones may not sound as good as some of the newer rivals, but they still beat them all for battery life, ease of use and often comfort. They work best with iOS, of course.
SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS `9,990, samsung.com/in Samsung’s latest truly wireless earbuds have been tuned by AKG to deliver improved audio, adaptive dual mic tech helps keep the background noise at bay and up to 6 hours of playback and wireless charging support.
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Best of the best
LAPTOPS MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 `1,37,999, microsoft.com Available in 13- or 15-inch sizes, with a 3:2 screen that gives you more height than other laptops, and plenty of power, this is a light and fast machine that’s DOVR UHDOO\ ćH[LEOH Perfect.
DELL XPS 13
ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS S From `2,39,990, asus.com/in The ROG Zephyrus S offers serious gaming performance in an ultra-slim form factor. The 16.15mm notebook features a 15.6-inch display, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, and a 144Hz display.
MSI GS65 STEALTH THIN 8RF
`84,390, dell.co.in
From `3,25,999, msi.com The Dell XPS 13 is thinner and more powerful than ever. Up to 1TB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, and powerful Intel Core i7 processors help make it a high quality all-rounder.
HP SPECTRE X360 From Rs. 1,29,990, hpshopping.in The Spectre x360 packs in the looks and performance. It features a gem cut, all-aluminium design and brings in Intel’s Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, audio from Bang & Olufsen and more.
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GAMING LAPTOPS
This gaming laptop manages to pack an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM into a very portable package. Its Full HD, wide-view 144Hz panel is top rate, too.
ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR II From `1,64,990, asus.com/in Built for FPS gamers, the 15.6-inch ROG Strix Scar II has a refresh rate of 144Hz with 3ms response time. It has the latest GeForce RTX 2070 GPU, 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and more.
TABLETS APPLE IPAD PRO 12.9 From `89,900, apple.com/in The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 is unbelievably powerful and slick, with an excellent screen, thin and compact design, great battery life and support for the new Apple Pencil. Pricey, but worth it.
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4 `57,900, samsung.com/in 7KH ĆQHVW $QGURLG tablet, this delivers D V\VWHP ZLWK a sharp OLED screen, S Pen stylus, excellent audio credentials, powerful internals, and a neat laptopaping DeX mode.
MICROSOFT SURFACE GO From `37,999, microsoft.com While Windows 10 in tablet mode remains a ‘mixed’ experience, its versatility is impressive and the ergonomics of Microsoft’s new tablet computer are VHFRQG WRbQRQH
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Best of the best
DSLR CAMERAS NIKON D850
MIRRORLESS CAMERAS NIKON Z 7
`2,34,950, nikon.co.in
CANON EOS 7D MARK II `1,14,995, in.canon
SONY RX100 VI
`2,30,450, nikon.co.in
With a highresolution 45.4 megapixel sensor, 4K video capture, a 153-point AF system, and a sturdy body, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never be disappointed with what the D850 can create for you.
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The ultimate in pocket-sized image quality. A large one-inch sensor is joined by an ace 24-200mm lens, retractable YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU WLOWLQJ touchscreen and absolutely glorious picture quality.
FUJIFILM X100F
SONY A9
Trading up from an entry-level camera? The 7D Mark II is the camera of your dreams. A superb all-rounder with a 20.2-megapixel sensor and a host of features to suit DbYDULHW\ RI QHHGV
`1,36,950, nikon.co.in This solidly built camera is the SHUIHFW FKRLFH IRU those who like to shoot a little bit of everything, thanks to a brilliant autofocus system and glorious image quality from its 20MP sensor.
`96,990, sony.co.in
With a full-frame 45.7 megapixel sensor, a superb 493-point AF system, a 3.2-inch touch-sensitive screen and a VWXQQLQJ YLHZÄ&#x2020;QGHU the Z 7 is simply a fabulous camera.
`2,90,490, sony.co.in
NIKON D500
COMPACT CAMERAS
The A9 is expensive but earns every penny by packing an incredible 24.3MP full-frame sensor capable of 20fps shooting with tracking autofocus the whole way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a technical marvel.
` IXMLÄ&#x2020;OP LQ 7KH )XMLÄ&#x2020;OP ; ) is as beautiful as it is capable. If the UHWUR ORRN Ä&#x2021;RDWV your boat, then the X100F is a thing to behold. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact, but packs a large APS-C sensor and a lovely 35mm f/2.0 lens.
CANON G7X MARK II
CANON EOS R
`40,395, canon.co.in
`1,74,995, in.canon The EOS R is a classic Canon, but adds a couple of new twists, such as the customisable touch-sensitive multi-function bar. The image quality LV RQ SDU ZLWK WKH 'b0DUN ,9 '6/5
Canonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compact cameras are a great alternative to your DSLR when travelling light. This is the sweet spot in the range, with a great balance between small size and a range of features.
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ACTION CAMERAS GOPRO HERO7 BLACK
DRONES PARROT ANAFI approx. `57,000, parrot.com
`35,000, gopro.com
JI MAVIC AIR Packing a one-inch sensor, with a Zeiss lens bolstering the image quality further, in and out of the water. Other ace features include super-slow video and 15MP stills capture.
GOPRO HERO7 WHITE
The wallet-friendly Hero7 White borrows premium features from the Hero7 Black. Ideal for part-time adrenaline junkies needing a simple HD camera that shoots <RX7XEH UHDG\ footage.
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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no GPS and the capacitive â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buttonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a bit pants but this is otherwise a textbook tracker. Sleep, steps, swims, and serious cardio workouts are all handled with aplomb.
`1,999, mi.com/in The Mavic Air is a super-portable 4K camera drone. Video quality from the camera mounted on a three-axis gimbal is excellent, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so simple to control that beginners grasp it fast.
DJI MAVIC 2 PRO `1,20,000, dji.com
`19,000, gopro.com
` Ä&#x2020;WELW FRP
XIAOMI MI BAND 3
`57,000, dji.com
`50,490, sony.co.in
FITBIT CHARGE 3
At just 320g, one of the lightest camera-equipped drones you can buy. Flight time is great, and the drone is near-silent in the air, which is appreciated. The camera and zoom are amazing.
The waterproof Hero7 Black makes capturing pro-looking shots easier, thanks to HyperSmooth electronic stabilisation. 4K image quality is excellent, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slick 60fps recording.
SONY RX0
FITNESS TRACKER
Still trying to get a feel of what a Ä&#x2020;WQHVV EDQG GRHV" Mi Band 3 is the answer with its simple design that tracks daily steps, sleep and even QRWLÄ&#x2020;HV WKH XVHU RI an incoming call or a message.
GARMIN VIVOSPORT `16,990, garmin.co.in
While this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer the same size to power ratio as the Air, its 4K video and stills capture are sensational, thanks to an on-board Hasselblad camera and fantastic stabilisation.
Garminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rival to the Charge 2 boasts GPS for a similar price, but it also has a dodgy interface and some pointless extra features. The core functionality is good, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterproof.
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Best of the best
RUNNING WATCH
SMART SPEAKERS
GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC
AMAZON ECHO PLUS
`39,990, garmin.co.in
`14,999, amazon.in Thanks to its integrated Zigbeecompliant smart home hub, the Plus is a great smart home starter. Never pay the RRP, though: Amazon discounts Echos HYHU\ WLPH LW KDV D sale.
This does everything: GPS for running and cycling, heart rate tracking, VO2 Max, intensity monitoring and even acting as an MP3 player. Expect four days of use between charges.
GARMIN FORERUNNER 935
BOSE HOME SPEAKER 500
`44,990, garmin.co.in
` ERVH FR LQ
Add Garminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extra sensors to this and you get incredible detail for how you run, swim, bike and more, as well as your VO2 Max, lactate thresholdâ&#x20AC;Ś itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the very, very serious.
From `2,900, meethue.com Hue dominates the smart lighting sector for good reason: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a superb system with the widest range of bulbs and a simple, useful app. Rivals may be cheaper but they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compete with Hueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s variety.
TP-LINK LB130
This Bose speakers offer the widest soundstage available in a smart speaker with a wall-to-wall stereo sound. It supports Amazon Alexa, which means you can ask questions to Alexa or control the device via voice.
GOOGLE HOME
`24,990, garmin.co.in
`9,999, store.google.com
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PHILIPS HUE
`1,999, tp-link.in
GARMIN FORERUNNER 235
7KH RIÄ&#x2020;FLDO SULFH LV similar but thanks to discounting this is often much cheaper than the 645. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no heart-rate or music but you do get GPS, reliable tracking and ace running metrics.
SMART BULBS
Google Home is a nice addition if you use Google Assistant. It gives access to the Google ecosystem with personalised schedule, news, and even control smart home gadgets.
Known for its routers but TP-Link offers decent smart bulb solutions and LB130 is their latest solution that does not require a hub to operate, It can be controlled over Wi-Fi and supports multi-colour, circadian mode, voice control.
MI LED SMART BULB `1,299, mi.com/in The Mi LED Smart Bulb is the newest entrant in the smart bulb segment that works with both Alexa and Google Assistant without the need of a bridge and offers a colour space of up to 16 million colours.
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LUXURIES xclusive gifts to serioussly spoil yourself
LIMITED EDIT ION JIMM Y PAGE T E L E C A ST E R SET When Jeff Beck gave Jimmy Page an undecorated 1959 Fender Telecaster as a gift in the late ’60s, the Led Zeppelin axeman decided WR KDYH VRPH IXQ ZLWK LW å ĆUVW GHFRUDWLQJ LW with mirrors and later replacing those with his own intricate ‘dragon’ paintings. Now, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Zep’s debut album, those iconic designs have been recreated for two limited-edition guitars. Painstakingly handcrafted in Fender’s Custom Shop in California, each axe is daubed with Page’s handwritten signature, with the ‘dragon’ guitars also featuring doodles drawn by the man himself. Sadly, you’d probably need to be a member of Led Zep to afford one of the 50 limited edition sets, but don’t fret – Fender is planning to launch production-line equivalents before the year is out. approx. `41,55,000, for a set of two, fender.com
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