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76 Articles

X SHORE eELECTRIC Be at one with the ocean this summer, without the sound of an engine killing your buzz. The X Shore eElectric is, as you may have guessed, an all-electric boat designed to blend in with its natural environment instead of polluting it with noise and emissions. This Scandinavian-looking day-cruiser was created by Konrad Bergström, founder of Marshall Headphones, who brought in Glenn Karlsson, winner of the Swedish classic boat race Roslagsloppet, to design an energy-saving hull that draws air in under the boat, thereby reducing friction from the water. The eElectric boasts an advanced propulsion system with dual engines and BMW i3 batteries, and delivers a top speed of 25 knots. Charge the batteries fully and you can ride for up to four hours at 10 knots. There’s…

MATT BOLTON Editor While playing with the Lenovo Mirage Solo (p92) and its VR camera, Matt took VR video of the office, then viewed it on the headset. While in the office. As a test, it maybe lacked imagination. CLAIRE DAVIES Associate Editor Arranging our summer tech feature (p34) made Claire determined to enjoy June regardless of the actual weather. Wine on a rooftop terrace in the rain, sunglasses in the office… We salute her. JO GULLIVER Senior Art Editor Supervising our surfing photoshoot (p48) meant Jo just sort of… chilled out by a lagoon for a few days. Art directing is a lot easier when you’ve got a luxury yurt to retreat to. MICHELLE MCLAREN Art Editor Having a collection of excellent artistic tech (p20) awakened the sketcher in Michelle. The ReMarkable E-Ink tablet won her heart. “It’s like paper,…

Editor’s letter

I usually tend to find myself shopping for new tech at two times of the year: a month or so before Christmas (not coincidentally around Black Friday), when I’m looking for new entertainment to get through the Dark Times from then until February. And then also around summer, even though I’m hoping to spend most of my time outside. Instead of big stuff, like a TV upgrade I 100 per cent do not need, it’s more things like a new, bigger battery pack, a 4K HDR drone, a fancier camera: I’m determined that I can make the relatively few nice days we have even better with extra gear. Or at least relive the good times when it’s just grey and muggy again. This kind of thing is what our summer special…

Editor’s letter

SAYS… The tight spec, folding design and good price make the Parrot Anafi a hefty DJI challengerMatt Bolton, Editor 1 PARROT ANAFI ●£649, parrot.com Once upon a time, all you needed to enjoy the great outdoors was yourself and a sense of adventure. You can still get by with those, but now we’re spoiled for choice with gadgets that love the natural landscape as much as we do, and let you explore it it all new ways. The most exhilarating of these is the camera drone. For the longest time, DJI has had the market sewn up, but that could be about to change; Parrot has released its new folding drone, the Anafi, and it’s gunning for the DJI Mavic Air’s crown. Parrot’s 4K HDR flying video camera is built for ‘anytime, anywhere’ use, from…

A SKETCHING STUDIO

SAYS… Get creative anywhere with a mix of paper and digital art tools! Claire Davies,Senior Content Editor 1 INTUOS DRAW If you’re new to digital art, you’ll need a graphics tablet. There are a number of options, but the most affordable are pen tablets. You plug these into a computer and draw on them with a stylus, which functions effectively like a mouse. Wacom is still the big player in this category and its entry-level offering is the Intuos Draw. This compact packages comes with drawing software, plus access to online tutorials, making it ideal for novices. £79.99, wacom.com 2 APPLE iPAD PRO The iPad Pro 12.9-inch is the best tablet for digital art that money can buy. It offers impressive processing power and an brilliant display. Pair it with the Procreate app for professional-standard art.…

A SKETCHING STUDIO

SUITS YOU, SIR!

1 REISS SERBELLONI LIGHT GREY SUIT This fine example of smart, modern tailoring is crafted from breathable Italian wool, so you won’t get all hot and sticky when wearing it. £450, reiss.com 2 FRENCH CONNECTION LIGHT PINK SUIT If you’re a little more daring, pastel suits a perfect head-turner. The light pink and wool-blend also reflects heat to keep you cool. £229, frenchconnection.com 3 PAUL SMITH TAILORED STRETCH-COTTON TWILL SUIT Neutral colours provide a fantastic base for summer tailoring. The stretch-cotton trousers will also help if you go all-in at the buffet. £750, paulsmith.com 4 RIVER ISLAND BROWN HOUNDSTOOTH SUIT Cropped, skinny-fit suits such as this look ace paired with loafers, offering a distinguished yet laid-back look day or night. £125, riverisland.com 5 NEXT PLAIN LINEN BLEND SUIT For maximum breathability and freshness, try a linen suit. The Stone colour of Next’s offering…

SUITS YOU, SIR!

THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW

CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 TRIDENT CHRONOGRAPH 300 Building upon the elegant C60 Trident 300, this handsome chronograph offers water resistance to 300m and a Swiss-made quartz movement. From £495, christopherward.co.uk BAUME ICONIC 41MM Thought watches made with recycled materials were ugly? Think again as you take in the sleek, striking finish of the Iconic 41mm, featuring an aluminium case and PET upcycled strap. £850, baumewatches.com/gb MÜHLE GLASHÜTTE TEUTONIA II TAG With steel casing and a crisp white dial, Mühle’s versatile automatic movement watch is a classic timepiece that can be dressed up or down. £2,180, jurawatches.co.uk…

THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW

THE SUIT Zac Efron’s blueish-grey two-piece is ideal for sunny summer events. For a similar look, try the Moss 1851 Tailored Mid-Blue Linen Suit (£189, moss.co.uk) designed with a notch lapel and double back vent. THE SHIRT You can’t beat a crisp white shirt, especially with a blue suit. For a breathable and highly affordable option that will last, check out the Hugo Boss Slim-fit Business Shirt (£65, hugoboss.com). THE TIE As you can see in Zac’s outfit, a super-skinny tie looks best when you’re wearing narrow lapels. ASOS’ Black Skinny Tie (£6, asos.com) provides the style you need for an impulse-buy price.…

SUMMER HAIR CARE TIPS FOR MEN

Most of us know that sun damage wreaks havoc upon the skin, but did you know that it can also spell disaster for your hair and scalp? Regular doses of blazing sun can cause all sorts of issues for hair: frizziness, split ends, dryness and burnt strands are all par for the course in summer. So looking after your hair and scalp is just as important as protecting your skin, which is why we recently spoke to Jamie Stevens, celebrity hairstylist and three-time winner of the British Men’s Hairdresser of the Year Award, to learn how to nourish the hair and scalp throughout summer. “You probably wouldn’t dream of going out with unprotected skin in the sun and you should see your head and hair as an extension of this,” says…

SUMMER HAIR CARE TIPS FOR MEN

SUMMER ROAD TRIP

Getting away from it all is exciting enough, but imagine the thrill of travelling to your UK holiday destination in a slick convertible, with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. And there’s a way to do that without buying a new convertible: hire one instead! Sixt (sixt.co.uk) offers some tantalising options including the BMW 2 Series Convertible, a stylish four-seater that’s perfect for family getaways. It costs from £271 per day, including loss damage waiver and third-party insurance, and you get the first 200 miles free. To drive something that feels quintessentially British, why not slip behind the wheel of a Morgan Plus 8. With its gorgeous retro looks and the addition of a burly V8 engine, this two-seater makes for a memorable road trip. It costs…

SUMMER ROAD TRIP

COLEMAN 28QT XTREME COOLER Pack your picnic treats and drinks into Coleman’s 26-litre cooler, designed with a polyurethane foam insulation lining to keep contents chilled all day. £49.99, coleman.eu/uk AMARA PURE WOOL POLO PICNIC RUG A tartan rug is ideal for impromptu picnic stops. This one has a waterproof backing to protect you from dew, and rolls up to save space in the boot. £100, amara.com 2 PERSON CANVAS PICNIC CARRY ALL All the wares you’ll need for a picnic for two are here, including plates, cutlery, napkins and a corkscrew. Like the rug, it won’t take up much space. £80, fortnumandmason.com…

HOW TO WATER YOUR PLANTS WHEN YOU’RE AWAY

If you’ve got growbags full of tomatoes or other vegetables, Hozelock’s Grow Bag Waterer (£19.99, hozelock.com) has a 15-litre water reservoir that will keep them happy for up to 14 days: it works via four capillary watering spikes that pierce the bag when you load it onto the waterer, then draws water from the reservoir to keep the roots moist. Give plants a really good soak just before you leave to go on holiday, and group patio pots together in a shady spot to reduce evaporation. If you have vegetables or flowers in other pots or containers, repurpose plastic bottles as automatic waterers by simply adding a bottle top watering spike from Quickcrop (£5.95, quickcrop.co.uk), which fit most standard plastic bottles from 250ml to 2L. Stand indoor or greenhouse plants on capillary…

HOW TO WATER YOUR PLANTS WHEN YOU’RE AWAY

ROOM-COOLING GADGETS

DYSON PURE COOL Conventional oscillating fans are loud and inefficient, but not so with the Dyson Pure Cool. It boasts Air Multiplier tech, quietly projecting cool air around a whole room and cleansing it. Ideal for allergy sufferers who always melt in summer. From £399.99, dyson.com DUETTE BLINDS Never mind cooling your home when it gets too balmy, Duette’s range of window blinds cleverly prevents it from warming up in the first place; the unique honeycomb structure creates a barrier to heat in the summer months. £POA, duette.co.uk MEACO COOL MC8000 This portable air conditioner from Meaco is great for sweaty insomniacs in toasty times. Its built-in timer enables you to pre-cool a room up to 25m in size, while the sleep function keeps the fan quiet at night to avoid waking you up. £299.99, meaco.com…

ROOM-COOLING GADGETS

SITGES & BARCA: PERFECT PAIR

If you are the kind of traveller who can never quite decide between an urban city break or a beach sojourn, Sitges in Catalonia, Spain, could be perfect. We recently paid a visit, staying at the ME by Meliá, a beautifully updated grand hotel that boasts all the usual stuff – gym, restaurant, sun-baked balconies with sea views – plus quirky additions such as techno DJs and an in-house oyster bar. A series of bays and a brand new (but artfully distressed) beach bar give a suitably idyllic Club Med feel, and the town of Sitges is languidly lovely, but there’s also a lot of nightlife, reflecting Sitges’ long-standing history as a not-so-secret gay hotspot. Today, the place is full of people of all ages, genders and sexual persuasions. Sitges’ other ace…

SITGES & BARCA: PERFECT PAIR

TRAVEL ADAPTERS AND PLUGS

BEZ WORLDWIDE TRAVEL ADAPTER In addition to a pair of handy USB ports, this versatile, all-in-one adapter also features a worldwide power socket, enabling you to charge your tech no matter which plug they require. The worldly-wise Bez is compatible in 150 countries. £19.99, amazon.co.uk BESTEK 200W TRAVEL ADAPTER Ideal for Brits heading Stateside, the Bestek’s builtin voltage converter switches everything to 230 volts, so it’s always ready to charge your devices. Two AC and four USB outlets are on standby for when battery levels get critical on multiple gadgets. £39.99, amazon.co.uk MU WORLDWIDE TRAVELLER DUO In addition to its award-winning slim-packed design, the compact Traveller Duo can charge two USB devices simultaneously, helping you stay connected on the road. Three interchangeable plug heads make it easy to juice up in over 200 countries, from the US…

TRAVEL ADAPTERS AND PLUGS

DIVE INTO SUMMER

The summer months are the best time to take the plunge with a new water sport, with grin-inducing options for adrenaline junkies to consider. Unsure where to start? The freshwater lake at Action Watersports (actionwatersports.co.uk) in Kent is the ideal spot to experience the furious rush of flyboarding, water skiing, wakeboarding or jet skiing. Prices range from £14.99 to ride shotgun on a jet ski, to £97.50 for a flyboarding experience. Alternatively, how about bagging your powerboat ‘driving license’ at the controls of a 5.35-metre coastal rib on the Thames Estuary (£195, perfect.uk.com)? Avoid sinking the ship and you’ll walk away with a RYA Powerboat Level 2 Coastal Certificate. Motorised surfboards are the latest water sport craze, and Bedfordshire’s Rebel Surf (rebelsurf.com) has a full fleet of boards packing nippy, two-stroke engines…

DIVE INTO SUMMER

LIFE ON THE RUN

Clear your mind this summer by running outdoors. The meditative effects of hitting the pavement or trail are the inspiration behind Saucony’s (saucony.com) latest line of running shoes, the White Noise Collection. It spans the most popular styles in Saucony’s technical range and utilises everun midsole to provide non-stop cushioning, plus Formfit for maximum pressure dispersion. The White Noise Collection includes the award-winning Liberty ISO (£140), designed for longer runs, and the entry-level Jazz 20 (£100).…

LIFE ON THE RUN

TOP TENNIS TECH

SLINGER Don’t have a buddy to hit the court with? Take the portable Slinger instead, which fires out balls to help you enhance performance, stamina and technique. You can control its serve using speed and frequency dials. $399 (£298), slingerbag.com ZEPP TENNIS 2 This swing analyser helps you understand how you move on the court, how that affects your performance, and what tweaks you can make to up your game. Metrics include stroke type, ball speed, ball spin and sweet spot. £99.95, zepp.com WILSON BLADE 98S COUNTERVAIL A lightweight and well-balanced tennis racket to help you play with greater control. The Blade 98S boasts Countervail tech to reduce vibration to the wrist and maximise energy during play. £145.90, tennis-point.co.uk…

TOP TENNIS TECH

YOUR MUSIC AND THE WORLD IN BALANCE

The rise of true wireless headphones has given us the freedom to enjoy our music without cables or bulky headsets. We can listen anywhere, any time, but it’s still important to keep connected to the world around you. Whether you’re catching a train, driving, cycling, in the office around colleagues, or walking down the street. Sony’s innovative new Xperia Ear Duo smart headphones give you a new listening experience, very different from traditional or noise-cancelling cans. They’re made for people who want to listen to their tunes (or podcasts, or anything else) anywhere, but also want to keep that connection without zoning out from the world. Sony’s clever in-ear kit pioneers a technology known as Dual Listening, which means sound from the headphones and outside world are kept in balance. The…

YOUR MUSIC AND THE WORLD IN BALANCE

FEATURES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

DUAL LISTENING The Ear Duo dynamically balances your music (or any audio playing) with the outside world, so that you can stay aware of what’s around when driving or commuting, while listening to your tunes. SMART ASSIST The Ear Duo can read out useful information when you need it, such as listing your appointments as you arrive at work, or reading missed messages aloud in your ear (and you can dictate replies). HEAD GESTURES When your hands are full, you can answer or reject calls with a nod or shake of your head. This works with questions Google Assistant asks you, too – just nod for yes or shake for no.…

FEATURES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The real spoonful of cycling sugar is fitstuff tracker Strava; its route-mapping metrics turn every ride into a mission CIARAN WELLS, TROWBRIDGE Q How can I make cycling a habit? A GaGu’s chafed thighs know that the health benefits of cycling are powerful indeed. Taking to two wheels is one of the best ways to improve your cardiovascular fitness while also taking in lungfuls of question-able air, absorbing skin-reddening vitamin D, and swallowing clouds of protein-rich tiny insects. But if you just can’t face another coccyx battering, and the draw of spending thousands on a couple of welded-together pipes and a bit of rubber doesn’t force you to stack up the miles, turn to this favourite method of motivation: turn it into a game, Mary Poppins style. The real spoonful of cycling sugar is fitstuff…

GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX

Oh, Kickstarter, where would we be without your capacity to fund innovators and put products like automated wall-defacing machine Scribit on the market? Dangle this weird pen-toting circle from a pair of nails, feed it a design through an app, and off it goes, slowly daubing whatever you’ve asked for on your mum’s best wallpaper in four exciting colours. It can erase too, although it works best when used on the right surface. Pointless, distracting, a work of sheer folly – and yours for only $449 (about £380). Who could resist? Ahem. GaGu’s own decorating aspirations have been more leaning towards a giant TV to hang from his office wall in a valiant attempt to do even less work than he already does. Weird thing is, it looks like the Chinese…

GADGET GURU’S MAGIC BOX

CLOAK & DAGGER So much more thrilling than your average comic book TV adaptation, Cloak & Dagger sees two teens called Tandy and Tyrone burdened with new superpowers and on the run. FORGOTTON ANNE Inspired by the films of Studio Ghibli, delightful platforming game Forgotton Anne is set in a world where lost objects come alive and band together to rebel against their human overlords. CATWOMAN DC’s favourite feline bags a new monthly series from Joëlle Jones. Selina has just married Bruce Wayne, but there’s no time for a honeymoon with the GCPD and a copycat on her tail.…

Duncan Bell is speechless

Nobody in the history of comedy has ever asked for a shark joke Alexa! Hey Siri! Okay Google. Bixby, I summon thee. A few years ago, if you said those things out loud to inanimate objects, people would have thought you were mad. Today, they will only think that if you say the last one. And yet, I’m not ‘down’ with it, as today’s modern young people say. When Siri and Google Assistant launched, I tried them out. Once, for some reason, I asked an Android Wear watch, “Is Jim Bowen dead?” to ‘test’ it. Impressively, it duly provided evidence that he was not, at the time. Then, Echo and its robo-voice genie Alexa arrived. Yes, my bisexual/swinging relationships with Ms/Mr Siri and Ms/Mr Google* had swiftly faltered – we don’t even exchange…

Duncan Bell is speechless

Holiday in the sun

Enjoy your holiday with top gadgets for the beach and travelling 1. KOBO CLARA HD This budget-friendly ereader has a six-inch HD screen that gives you the best reading experience in any light. It holds 6,000 ebooks, so it should be enough to see you through your holiday. £109.99, uk.kobobooks.com 2. SONY WH-1000XM2 Headphones are essential as you travel, to distract yourself from delays and screaming kids. With best-in-class noise cancellation that adapts for your head shape as well as factors like pressure changes on a plane, plus a lightweight over-ear design, these are comfortable enough for napping anywhere. £299, sony.co.uk 3. FUJIFILM X-T20 CAMERA This well-designed and compact camera with a three-inch touchscreen is ideal for travel and takes cracking photos. Budding photographers can change controls themselves, or select the auto mode. £750, fujifilm.com 4. MOPHIE…

Holiday in the sun

Stay active and feel good

1. NANO BLUETOOTH WATER DISPENSER This futuristic water filter and dispenser has an intuitive touchscreen. Select from hot, room or cool temperatures and move your finger along the volume slider to specify how much water you need. £TBC, qcwatercoolers.com 2. OJEE TALON MK 2 A nifty golf alignment device provides you with ‘live’ stats when attached to the butt of your clubs, so you can see if your spine and club shaft angles are correct. £199.99, ojeegolf.com 3. AMAZON DASH BUTTON Amazon’s dinky Dash Buttons give you a quick and easy way to reorder essentials that you run out of regularly. Buy them for your favourite supplements, like the Vitabiotics range of vitamins, or veggie juices including V8. £4.99, amazon.co.uk 4. ZEPP PLAY SOCCER Attach this sensor to your leg when you play football and it…

Stay active and feel good

Entertain guests indoors and out

Grilling, drinking, jacuzzi-ing… Your party can have it all 1. OILPRESSO OIL PRESS Cold-pressed oils are healthier and better-tasting than most mass-produced oils, which means this press is perfect for salads and antipasti at your BBQ. £299, ukjuicers.com 2. WEBER PULSE 1000 This electric BBQ is ideal for those with balconies or tiny gardens who want an authentic grilling experience. The included Bluetooth probe monitors the temperature of meat and fish, so it’s nearly impossible to mess up. £549, weber.com 3. BOSCH AUTOCOOK Speed up cooking times with this app-connected multi-cooker, designed with 50 preset programmes to handle most of the hard graft and timings for you. £349.99, bosch-home.co.uk 4. BIERSAFE Forget running from garden to the fridge for more cold beer – dig for victory instead! The Biersafe is an underground cooling system for beers and…

Entertain guests indoors and out

Explore the great outdoors

1. LARQ BOTTLE Stay hydrated during your outdoor adventures with this selfcleaning bottle that uses built-in digital water purification to rid your water of biocontaminants. You’ll never have to reach for a stinky plastic bottle again. £TBC, livelarq.com 2. WAYFARER GRILL The perfect camping gift for barbecue lovers, this lightweight, stainless steel grill folds up flat when not in use and can be carried in a bag. It’s ideal for cooking on the go without weighing you down with clunky, hefty kit. $89 (£67), wayfarergrill.com 3. GARMIN DASH CAM 55 If you’re going on a long road trip this summer, make sure you stay safe with a dash cam backing you up. You can control this one with your voice to take a specific photo or video, otherwise it’ll keep taking 1440p footage, ready…

Explore the great outdoors

Get about in style

1. VANMOOF ELECTRIFIED S Welcome to cycling without the stress or sweat. VanMoof’s stunner has a 418Wh battery, which gets you from A to B in no time. Its anti-theft features include an e-lock, tamper detection and location tracking. £2,298, vanmoof.com 2. E-MICRO ONE This may look like a regular scooter, but when you push off the ground, its electric power gives you extra oomph. You can fold it up to take on the bus or into the office, making it perfect for commuting to work. £799.95, micro-scooters.co.uk 3. ICONBIT QUANTUM KIT Make your bike electric in less than 10 minutes with this innovative ebike conversion wheel. The QuantumKit comprises a brushless, 250-watt motor in the hub of a front wheel that replaces your current one, complete with removable 36V battery pack and a…

Get about in style

Perfect for summer THE MISSION Surfers around the UK are currently experiencing a summer slump: the sea may be warmer but surf conditions range from flat to unremarkable. Our man is itching to get back on his board and he’s looking to tech to help him progress as a surfer. The big questions: is an artificial wave pool as good as the real thing for boosting technique, and can surfing tech transform our writer into the next Kelly Slater? Time to hang 10… Honestly, UK surfing is no sunny walk in the park. Epic waves are usually bookended by months of howling onshore winds, ice-cold seas or summer flat spells. During times like these, it’s tough for improvers such as myself (I’m more than a beginner, but far from pro) to truly progress.…

SURF SNOWDONIA Europe’s first public inland surf centre opened in North Wales in 2015. Every hour an underwater foil generates up to 36 surfable waves in the 300-metre lagoon. From £35 (per hour), surfsnowdonia.com NIXON MISSION The hefty, 100-metre waterproof Mission is the surfing smartwatch. Powered by Google’s Wear OS, the Mission features dedicated apps to track sessions and monitor surf conditions at your favourite breaks. £339, nixon.com VOLKSWAGEN CALIFORNIA OCEAN The California is a B&B on wheels. There’s room to sleep up to four surfers, plus there’s an integrated fridge, sink and cooker. From £47,760 (£65,453 for the model we tested), volkswagen.co.uk GOPRO FUSION GoPro’s 360-degree action cam enables adventurers to capture immersive, digitally stabilised videos in 5.2k. View footage with a VR headset, or use Overcapture within the GoPro app to generate shareable videos. £649.99, gopro.com PLANTRONICS BACKBEAT FIT From the…

LIFX Tile WALL TILING TIPS Attaching a Tile to your wall couldn’t be easier: each of the squares comes with 3M adhesive on four corners, with the necessary channels for neat cable routing around the edges. Take LIFX’s advice, though, and test your Tile setup before you hook it up to the wall; although you can configure any arrangement you like, you’ll want to make sure your tiles are properly aligned and working first. WHAT’S IN THE BOX? The standard Tile pack (£250) comes with five individual units, all of which chain from a master tile that takes the power input and deals with intercommunication. That single point of management means you won’t need to fiddle about with five lights, although each tile can technically be individually addressed. Five is also the maximum number…

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

HOOK THEM TOGETHER Pull your LIFX Tile set out of the box and wire it together, connecting the power cable to the unit with the green dot. Arrange the set in the same way as you’re intending to have it on your wall and plug it in. The tiles should blink in unison. Now download the LIFX app and fire it up. CONNECT YOUR PHONE Open up the LIFX app and tap the plus button, followed by ‘Connect Light’ to begin the process of adding a new LIFX device. After a short period of grinding and whirring – it can take a while, depending on your specific network conditions – the app should find your new Tile setup. CONFIGURE YOUR NETWORK Individual LIFX devices use Wi-Fi to communicate, though you’ll only need to configure your…

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

Perfect for summer Tado’s smart AC assistant makes your current AC system more affordable and reduces your energy spend Nothing disrupts sleep like hot, sticky nights spent kicking off the duvet. Of course, if your home benefits from air conditioning you don’t have to worry about heat-disturbed sleep and living. But you might be concerned about how much your AC increases your energy bills throughout the hotter months. If that’s the case, check out Tado’s Smart AC Control v2, a Wi-Fi-based air conditioning controller that makes your existing AC system more cost effective and eco-friendly. It works with air conditioners that have a remote control, connecting these AC units to the internet by using the same infrared signals as the AC’s remote. The Tado Smart AC Control v2 is compatible with Amazon Alexa…

01 EMIL RATTAN PENDANT If you haven’t spotted it yet, rattan is in for summer. This blonde bombshell is 46cm tall, so it’ll make a statement when hanging over your breakfast table or reading chair. Use it to infuse part of your space with direct light or enjoy a subtler, cosy glow around the room. £87.50, coxandcox.co.uk 02 CIDER JUG Picture the scene: you, a garden chair and a litre of cold, crisp cider. If that’s your idea of an evening well spent, make room in your kitchen for this enamel jug, crafted from natural French stoneware and designed with an easy-pour rim. £49, conranshop.co.uk 03 UMBRA GIARDINO HERB STAND Cook with fresh herbs this summer, grown in your very own indoor herb garden. The two-tier planter comes with three tags for you to label your herbs,…

Smart motion detectors

DETECTOR OF MANY ELGATO EVE MOTION £44.95, elgato.com Yale works with Yale, Hue with Hue and Hive with Hive (and Hue light), so what about Elgato? Well, the Eve Motion works with HomeKit and can control anything supported by HomeKit, so whether you want to trigger a security cam, lights, smart lock or thermostat, you can. The Eve Motion is pricey, sure, but in-built Bluetooth means there’s no hub to install to get it working, and unlike the others here it has IPX3 water resistance, so in theory it can go outdoors. It’s a chunky thing, but quite attractive, and comes with AA batteries to power it. There’s a hook around the back to attach it to a wall (though no installation parts are provided) or it can be rested on its side.…

Smart motion detectors

THREE WAYS TO USE YOUR SMART MOTION DETECTORS

MAKE A NIGHTLIGHT There’s nothing worse than stumbling to the toilet in the dead of night, blind as a mole. Instead, place a sensor inside your bathroom and set a smart light to turn on at 20 per cent brightness, giving you just enough light to see without blinding you. TURN UP THE HEAT Want to turn up the heat as soon as you step inside on a chilly winter’s evening? Then place a motion sensor near to your front door and combine it with a smart thermostat, setting it to boost the heating to 25 degrees for around 20 minutes. KEEP WATCH A water resistant motion sensor is ideal for bolting onto the outside of your house to trigger, say, an exterior light. If you don’t want to get a sensor wet, you can…

SMART HOME SURGERY

JULIE ANSELL, BIRMINGHAM Q How can smart tech make my home more eco-friendly? CLAIRE DAVIES REPLIES: A Most smart home tech can be controlled remotely, so there’s no excuse to leave anything on, chewing through electricity, if it’s not being used. ‘Dumb’ products can be controlled with the help of smart plugs. Plug them into the Belkin Wemo Insight Switch (£31.99, amazon.co.uk) and turn them on and off via an app, which also enables you to set schedules and view their energy usage. Get a better handle on your heating with the Nest Learning Thermostat (£199.99, amazon.com), which monitors habits and adjusts the heat in your home accordingly. You won’t use up as much energy and your house will be heated the way you like it. For monitoring water, the Waterhawk smart showerhead ($89.99/£68.07,…

SMART HOME SURGERY

Control your smart gear with HomeKit

Group your lights with HomeKit and you can switch off everything There is no one smart light, and no one lighting system. That’s good; competition is what makes tech better. But the incompatibility that comes from having lots of options can pose a big problem when it comes to automation. It makes sense from a business standpoint – if you’re Philips, LIFX, or one of any number of other manufacturers, you want people to be locked into buying more lighting from you, rather than your competitors. But it means that if you’re already baked into Hue, for example, you won’t be able to use your Hue Gateway or your Hue app to group your ceiling lights with, say, the LIFX Tile (see p56) you’ve bought to brighten up your wall. Philips doesn’t…

Control your smart gear with HomeKit

GROUP YOUR HOMEKIT KIT

ADD TO HOMEKIT The majority of HomeKit-compatible devices require you to open up the Home app and scan the device’s QR code, whether you’ve set them up in-app or not. Name your devices cleverly when you add them – you’ll thank yourself (and Siri) later. ORGANISE YOUR HOUSE If you’re going to get the most out of your grouped accessories, a visit to the Rooms tab is essential. Using the Rooms tab you can place all of your HomeKit gear in the appropriate room, and also set up zones (upstairs and downstairs, perhaps) consisting of multiple rooms. GROUP THEM UP You now have two options: you can either add each device to a scene, within the Rooms tab, or group multiple accessories into a single logical device – the individual bulbs of a lamp, for…

GROUP YOUR HOMEKIT KIT

GPS sports watches

Perfect for summer WHAT’S ON TEST… 1 Fitbit Ionic Can the king of the activity tracker step up (pun unintended) to make a convincing, premium sports watch? £299, fitbit.com 2 Apple Watch Sport Nike+ The fitness-focused version of the Watch comes with Nike faces and has the Nike+ Run Club app built-in. £429, apple.com 3 Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Can the GPS sports watch market-leader match more lifestyle models for comfort and ease of use? £399, garmin.com Thanks to the combined rise of activity trackers and smartwatches, being a GPS sports watch simply isn’t enough nowadays. A premium sports watch must do everything: count steps, calories and sleep 24/7, relay notifications and be a desirable, brightly coloured vibrating gadget that people want to tap, swipe and constantly tinker with. What’s fascinating about the three GPS sports watches on test is that they’re…

GPS sports watches

SPECS CASE MATERIAL Aluminium RESOLUTION 348x250 TOUCHSCREEN Yes HEART RATE SENSOR Yes GPS Yes (no GLONASS) ACTIVITY TRACKING Yes STORAGE CAPACITY 2.5GB WATER RESISTANT Yes (up to 50m) STATED BATTERY LIFE Four days (10 hours GPS) SCREEN SIZE 29.23x21mm CASE WEIGHT 45g SPECS CASE MATERIAL Aluminium WATCH FACE Ion-X strengthened glass RESOLUTION 312x390 TOUCHSCREEN Yes HEART RATE SENSOR Yes GPS Yes (inc. GLONASS) ACTIVITY TRACKING Yes STORAGE CAPACITY 16GB WATER RESISTANT Yes (up to 50m) STATED BATTERY LIFE Up to 18 hours (five hours GPS) Apple Watch Sport Nike+ CASE WEIGHT 34.9g SPECS CASE MATERIAL Stainless steel WATCH FACE Gorilla Glass 3 RESOLUTION 240x240 TOUCHSCREEN No HEART RATE SENSOR Yes GPS Yes (inc. GLONASS) ACTIVITY TRACKING Yes STORAGE CAPACITY 500 songs WATER RESISTANT Yes (5 ATM) STATED BATTERY LIFE Up to seven days (14 hours…

Naturally, the more a smartwatch can do, the more battery it needs. So it’s probably not surprising that while the Apple Watch’s battery life isn’t bad by smartwatch standards (about three or four days, despite Apple’s conservative estimate), if you’re usually using it as a sports watch there’s no question that you’ll need to charge up daily, which by sports watch standards is not fantastic. Fitbit claims four-plus days of battery, though as ever that’s very dependent on usage. For a running watch that’s not bad. For a smartwatch, it’s great. At seven days with general use and 14 hours in GPS mode (without music) – about four days of use if you’re working out regularly – the Garmin is superior here.…

The Forerunner leaps into a new world where other watches haven’t followed All three devices have heart-rate (HR) monitors, a really useful aid for keeping an eye on your resting and all-day HR; for helping to avoid overtraining, general tiredness or, more positively, to see signs you’re getting fitter. However, wrist-based HR tracking isn’t as accurate as chest-strap HR monitors. In fact, with Garmin’s HRM-Run chest strap wirelessly connected, the Forerunner leaps ahead of every other sports watch: the chest strap is also a motion sensor that tracks cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation – useful technique data for those serious about improving their running. It all syncs to the Forerunner for perusal. The Fitbit’s excellent hook is the beginner-friendly Fitbit Coach, which provides tailored workouts that show you exactly what to…

The Ionic breaks your nights down into deep, light and REM sleep With its extensive pedigree in navigational devices, Garmin should be pretty good at tracking… and it is. The 645 provides benchmark accuracy for GPS tracking of runs and cycles, and crunches a lot of data based on your cardiovascular efforts. It can suggest recovery times, estimate your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load is and much more. For activity tracking – the entry-level stuff Garmin has been behind on previously – it also excels. Usefully, the 645 counts and sets targets for your ‘intensity minutes’ – the amount of time spent doing something more exerting than walking to the shops. And it’s attractive enough that you happily wear it all day, from the office to the (juice)…

THE OVERALL WINNER IS…

GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC £399, garmin.com WE’RE IMPRESSED It’s got the most accurate GPS and HR, with the most advanced running metrics, now with added smartwatch perks (and without needless gimmicks), good battery, good functionality, and it’s light and comfy on the wrist. It seems churlish to want more. WE’D IMPROVE There’s no touchscreen (though that can be a distraction) and music streaming would be the next logical level. The interface is occasionally slow and some will be put off by price. THE FINAL WORD Garmin is still the market leader. And now its flagship Forerunner is a stylish little blighter too. FITBITIONIC £299, fitbit.com WE’RE IMPRESSED The activity tracking and coaching help keep things beginner friendly without dumbing down. WE’D IMPROVE That ugly big square aesthetic, and more accurate and detailed HR info. THE FINAL WORD A really…

THE OVERALL WINNER IS…

SIX WAYS TO TRAIN SMARTER WITH GPS SPORTSWATCHES

01 GOOD FORM Good technique will help avoid injury and make you a more efficient runner. Get to know the Garmin’s running dynamics – or at least start with trying to get a cadence of around 180 on any sports watch that offers it. This means 180 steps per minute, and is the average rate of elite runners. 02 PEAKING TOO SOON The Garmin’s Training Status feature is a monitoring tool that automatically evaluates your recent exercise history and performance indicators to let you know if you’re training productively, peaking or overreaching. Listen to it! Overexerting or training when you’re weak helps no one. 03 SLEEPY TIME The world record-breaking Kenyans seriously value their shut-eye time and so should you, especially after bigger workouts. Use sleep tracking features to check you’re getting enough high-quality kip.…

5 ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS

1 INOV-8 MUDCLAW G-SERIES British brand inov-8 has revolutionised trail shoes (off-road running helps to make your legs and core stronger, and less injury-prone) with its new graphene outsoles. Graphene is amazingly grippy but also highly durable, so these will keep you upright, comfortable, and will last and last. £140, inov-8.com 2 GARMIN RUNNING DYNAMICS POD A tempting alternative for people who find a chest strap uncomfortable. The Running Dynamics Pod clips onto your waistband and measures your running dynamics – all the key data to improve your form syncs to your Garmin watch. Compared to the HRM-Run strap, you’ll just be relying on wrist-based HR tracking instead of chest-based. £59.99, garmin.com 3 OPTOMA NUFORCE BE SPORT4 Get in the zone with the help of Kenny Loggins in your lugs via these excellent wireless sports earphones, boasting…

5 ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS

PRO PHOTOGRAPHY ON YOUR PHONE

Perfect for summer Smartphones have evolved from tools of communication to our one-stop shop for life, and a window into the world of others. Images sit at the heart of phone use, partly because it’s so easy to capture them in this way. But smartphone cameras are no longer basic point-and-shoot compromises; some of the specs can rival the might of DSLRs. Isaac Reynolds, the product manager for Google’s Pixel 2 phone, knows more about smartphone technology, imaging and their use than almost anyone; his job centres around bringing together smartphone technology and software to take image capture to the next level. We recently caught up with Isaac and asked for a few tips and tricks for getting the most out of smartphone cameras, and added some extra tips from our own…

PRO PHOTOGRAPHY ON YOUR PHONE

SHOOTING BETTER PHOTOS ON YOUR PHONE

01 TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES Isaac says: “I went to the Grand Canyon a while ago and shot 1,400 pictures in one week, and liked seven of these. When you’re shooting portraits especially, never take just one – take many to ensure you get just the right expression! (The Google Photos app gives you unlimited storage. Use it.)” T3 says: If you’re visiting a once-in-a-lifetime location, make sure you get a variety of shots from different angles. A slight shift in position to the left or right can make a significant difference to the dynamics of your images. One potential problem is that as camera sensors get higher resolution, the pictures take up more space. If your phone can take a microSD card, make sure you add a big one (128GB or…

SHOOTING BETTER PHOTOS ON YOUR PHONE

3 BEST CAMERA PHONES

GOOGLE PIXEL 2 Background blur, incredible low-light performance, built-in image stabilisation and a comprehensive set of video-specific features unite to make the Google Pixel 2 stand out. It also benefits from unlimited online photo storage for its users. From £629, google.com APPLE iPHONE X Apple has gone all-out with the X’s photography smarts. It has dual 12MP cameras: one wide, and a telephoto to give you plenty of creative options. Portrait mode offers advanced 3D lighting options for pro-looking images with minimal fuss. From £999, apple.com HUAWEI P20 PRO Packing in three sensors that all capture photos in different ways, no other phone camera comes close to the finely tuned abilities of the P20 Pro. A partnership with premium camera manufacturer Leica and a fully featured app shows the company’s dedication to quality photography. From £799, huawei.com…

3 BEST CAMERA PHONES

6 BEST PHOTOGRAPHY APPS

DARKR (iOS) Mobile images can look somewhat clinical, especially when they are converted to black and white. The Darkr app enables you to harness traditional black and white film effects, such as grain and contrast, to add further mood and drama to your photos. The app features a range of tools such as Stripes, which enables you to see test strips of your image that show the results of different exposure settings. Darkr also enables you to take photos as if you were using a traditional large format camera, getting you in the right mood. From $0.99 (£0.75), analogueapp.com CAMERA MX (Android) Packed with features that make capturing images easy, Camera MX may not be aimed at the serious photographer but, with innovative features such as the tap-and-hold live capture, you’ll find smartphone photography…

6 BEST PHOTOGRAPHY APPS

ESS ENTIAL PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESS ORIES

01 KINGSTON BOLT DUO 128GB The Bolt DUO is a smart device designed for iPhone that enables you to store your media directly to it rather than your phone’s internal memory. The accompanying app is simple enough to use and features a basic camera app. Alternatively, you can record using your chosen imaging app and transfer the footage. £109, kingstongo.com 02 SANDISK ULTRA 256GB Not all microSD cards are the same, and although your card may have the storage it might not have the right speed. The Ultra is a mid-range card ideal for storing 4K footage in quantity. Not all phones can read cards this big, so you may need to go smaller. £84, sandisk.com 03 MANFROTTO LED LIGHT LUMIMUSE 8 LED A constant light source is handy when taking shots and filming, and the Lumimuse…

ESS ENTIAL PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESS ORIES

SHOOTING BETTER VIDEO ON YOUR PHONE

Some smartphones are packing high-end video features that are good enough for filmmakers – Sundance festival hit Tangerine and Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane were both shot on iPhone. There was, of course, a talented production team also involved in making those movies. However, if there’s just you, a few mates and a hunger for filmmaking, some well-chosen kit and a little know-how will enable you to create your own film. Or even just a stellar home movie. When it comes to gear, there are some essentials: you’ll need a DJI OSMO Mobile 2 to stabilise footage, a Rode VideoMicro to capture audio, Manfrotto’s Lumimuse LED light to illuminate your actors, and the Filmic Pro app (from £11.49) to boost your phone’s filmmaking potential. These are just the basics and all are relatively…

SHOOTING BETTER VIDEO ON YOUR PHONE

ESSENTIAL PHONE VIDEO ACCESSORIES

01 DJI OSMO MOBILE 2 Designed as a grip for your mobile phone, the OSMO Mobile 2 gimbal features fast precision motors that work to stabilise footage and take out any wobbles that might naturally occur. A small joystick, direct control buttons and an app give you all the tools you need for serious mobile filmmaking. £129, dji.com 02 OLLOCLIP FILMER’S KIT One issue with mobile filming is the lack of lens variety. Olloclip is the solution. This specially designed kit includes a Telephoto, Super-wide, Ultra-wide and Fisheye/Macro lens, outfitting you plenty of options and more control over the creative look of your movie. £219, olloclip.com 03 STEADICAM VOLT The Volt is Steadicam’s latest mobile gimbal, built to take smooth video footage to a level even beyond the DJI. Incorporating electronic three-axis stabilisation from drone makers Yuneec,…

ESSENTIAL PHONE VIDEO ACCESSORIES

George Lucas famously said that sound was 50 per cent of the movie-watching experience. With Dolby Atmos, we think it could be a good deal more. Basically 3D for your ears, it’s the biggest thing in home cinema audio since the launch of Dolby Digital 5.1, and has opened up a totally new way for TV and films to deliver sound. A big change in Dolby Atmos is that sounds become ‘object-based’, rather than ‘channel-based’ as in Dolby 5.1. With channel-based tech, the engineers could direct sounds to specific speakers. In an object-based system, audio designers can place individual sonic elements inside a 3D soundfield, with their movement and position reflected by the speaker arrangement. This technology, says Dolby, creates an ‘illusion of an infinite number of speakers’ and it can fully…

DOLBY ATMOS RECEIVERS

01 MARANTZ SR8012 This eleven-channel flagship AVR combines huge power (11x 205W per channel) with a fearsome feature array. It has eight 4K-ready HDMI inputs, three outs, supports Dolby Atmos (7.1.4) and DTS:X, and has reference-class DACs on all channels. £2,699, marantz.co.uk 02 PIONEER VSX-LX503 The LX503 is a versatile, nine-channel Dolby Atmos design (9x 180W per channel), suitable for 7.2.4 speaker configurations. It features seven 4K-ready HDMI inputs and Pioneer Direct Energy amplification to deliver dynamic maximum dynamics. £1,000, pioneer-audiovisual.eu 03 YAMAHA RX-V685 If you want Atmos on a budget, look out for Yamaha’s RX-V685. This seven-channel (7x 90w per channel) Dolby Atmos (5.1.2) receiver has a neat party trick: it can use wireless MusicCast speakers for rear channels. It has five 4K-ready HDMI inputs and is Amazon Alexa compatible. £650, uk.yamaha.com…

DOLBY ATMOS RECEIVERS

OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST DOLBY ATMOS SPEAKER OP TIONS

Isn’t the future wonderful? A new kind of sound technology comes along and it isn’t just available to those with an elaborate home cinema. Almost immediately after becoming widespread, Dolby Atmos is now available in small-size surround systems, full-size soundbars, mini soundbars… and, of course, those big speakers that fit into your elaborate home cinema. With the right speaker, every living room can benefit from the extra 3D effects of Atmos. We’ve picked the best of each kind here, so you can find the right speakers to fit your layout. In the case of the KEF R50s, you’ll also need to add your 5.1 surround system – we’re just bringing the Atmos. LIFESTYLE SPEAKER PACKAGE FOCAL SIB EVO 5.1.2 DOLBY ATMOS A loudspeaker package that won’t take over your living space, this beautifully…

OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST DOLBY ATMOS SPEAKER OP TIONS

DOLBY ATMOS IS JUST THE START. NEXT-GEN AUDIO FORMAT AC-4 WILL OFFER FAR MORE…

So it seems that Dolby Atmos is only the beginning. Dolby has a new next-gen audio format waiting in the wings, which evolves the concept of object-based audio for broadcasters. AC-4 builds on the core idea behind Atmos, but offers an even more versatile toolset. With AC-4, broadcasters can flag specific objects during the encoding phase, which an AC-4 decoder in a TV will understand. For example, dialogue, often criticised for being indistinct, can be raised without affecting any other element in the soundfield. Specific effects, such as birdsong or gunshots, can be tagged. While AC-4 can handle 126 objects, that number would never be transmitted at the same time. Most TV broadcasts are expected to consist of around 12 objects at a time, plus a conventional 5.1 sound mix. With AC-4,…

In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here you’ll find only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective field. As well as our traditional five-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below - so when you spot one of these, you’ll know you’re onto a…

Lenovo Mirage Solo

SPECIFICATIONS Display 5.5-inch IPS LCD Resolution 2560x1440 Refresh rate 75Hz Field of view 110 degrees Operating system Daydream OS Dimensions 204x270x180mm Weight 645g Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Memory 4GB Storage 64GB Connectivity USB-C, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5 £349 lenovo.com As much as VR feels like the future when you try an HTC Vive or PlayStation VR, it’s pretty clear that getting tangled in cables powering the headset from an expensive gaming box would always keep it niche. Phone-based headsets weren’t going to solve the problem, because even slotting your phone in is too much hassle. To take off, VR needs to be easy, convenient, not interfere with the rest of your life, and affordable. That’s where standalone VR headsets come in: all the good stuff, totally wireless and self-contained. Solo mission Like the…

Lenovo Mirage Solo

£399 sonos.com The downside of TVs now being thinner than a Twiglet is that the sound they put out is not all that impressive. To get the most out of TV audio, something extra is required. And yet multi-speaker surround systems are not ideal for those who don’t live in a stately home or converted warehouse. That’s where soundbars come in – and Sonos Beam is a great soundbar. Small, light, loud, white Sonos already makes a soundbar, with the vaguely rude name of Playbar, but Beam is much lighter and smaller than that, and a few hundred pounds cheaper. It’s a short bar that comes in black or white/off-white. It benefits hugely from the addition of an HDMI input, and also adds voice support for Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant and Apple AirPlay…

SPECIFICATIONS Screen 65-inch OLED Audio 40W Dimensions 1144.9x83.1x4.7mm Weight 21kg Connectivity 4x HDMI, 3x USB, headphone out, optical digital audio output, Ethernet Tuners Freeview Play or HD satellite £3,295 lg.com It’s not easy to tell OLED panels apart these days. In a line-up, the chances of sending the wrong screen to the slammer are high. But at least LG attempts to separate its models. The C8, a mid-range offering available in 55-, 65- and 77-inch screen sizes, has a distinctive gunmetal grey livery. Glass stretches edge-to-edge, with barely a rim to keep it in place. The panel sits on LG’s Alpine stand, basically a plasticky trim, counterbalanced at the rear. Connections include four 4K-ready HDMIs (one with ARC), three USBs, a digital optical audio output and Ethernet, to complement Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Tuner options cover…

Best Bluetooth DAB radios

Radio is as relevant as it’s ever been. The DAB network is still expanding, meaning there’s plenty to tune in to. But you might feel as though a straight DAB radio is a bit of a wasted purchase. Something fully featured, with Bluetooth or even internet radio, gives you more options and turns your kitchen or study from a Radio 4 zone to something more varied. All but one of the options on test here can be battery powered and made portable, but bear in mind that you will usually be spending a little extra cash on a nifty lithium-ion upgrade (or on a bumper pack of Duracell batteries, in the case of the Roberts Revival) if you want to take any of these around the house with you. Perfect for summer 01…

Best Bluetooth DAB radios

KEF Space One Wireless

£279 uk.kef.com Considering this is a collaboration between hi-fi maestro KEF and Porsche Design, the credentials of these headphones are impeccable. With Bluetooth aptX for wireless playback and active noise cancellation, and at a similar price, the KEF Space One Wireless are going up against the likes of the class-leading B&W PX and Sony WH-1000XM2. That’s one hell of a space race. Porsche accent With KEF on sound duty, Porsche Design’s deft touch is the black and aluminium build (a black-on-black finish, instead of the silver, for the gothier among us). It’s a looker for sure – visibly higher quality than the plastic competitors, and the leatherette band and memory foam ear cups sit comfortably and firmly. It’s not exactly a reinvention of the form, but it looks great. One slight shame is…

KEF Space One Wireless

ONE OF TWO RUARK R2 MK3 MUSIC STREAMING SYSTEMS!

If you want a tech-packed music system that fits neatly on a countertop or sideboard, the Ruark R2 Mk3 is perfect. The compact, minimalist design not only looks great, but manages to squeeze in a pair of custom 3.5-inch high-fidelity speaker drivers with 20 watts of audio power, filling your room with clean, crisp music. The best part is that you can be totally flexible about what that music is. Want to chill out to the radio? DAB/DAB+/FM tuning is right there. Want a station from further afield? Built-in internet radio streaming gives you a whole world to choose from. Want to play one of the millions of tracks on Spotify? There’s full support for Spotify Connect. And there’s Bluetooth wireless connectivity, meaning you can stream to it from practically anything,…

ONE OF TWO RUARK R2 MK3 MUSIC STREAMING SYSTEMS!

BEST OF THE BEST

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you have definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly filtered down to the biggest groups, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. Within each of those groups, we’ve got a dozen categories for key tech buys. We’ve picked one product for every category that we think is the best you can get on balance, taking into account price, quality and features, so it’s easy to know what you need in your life. You should also check out T3.com, where you’ll find even more categories, if you’re looking for something that isn’t here. From…

BEST OF THE BEST

BEST OF… ENTERTAINMENT

OLED 4K TV SONY AF8 Sony’s next-gen 4K HDR TV looks fantastic thanks to its OLED display and advanced image processing. Because of ingenious tech that uses the screen itself as a speaker, it also sounds superb. From £2,499, sony.co.uk TOP-END 4K TV B&O ECLIPSE Bang & Olufsen’s fantastic TV features a gorgeous OLED panel and a colossal 450 watts of speaker through its integrated soundbar. The Eclipse comes in different finishes to match your room perfectly. From £7,495, bang-olufsen.com VALUE 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER XBOX ONE S Yes, this is primarily a games console, but it’s a damn good UHD Blu-ray player too. Budget 4K players from other brands still cost around the same as this, but you can’t stick a game in them. £199, microsoft.com 4K STREAMER ROKU ULTRA This 4K HDR streaming box packs in a huge range of sources, including Netflix,…

BEST OF… ENTERTAINMENT

BEST OF… AUDIO

MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS SONOS ONE Pound for pound, this is a hell of a lot of speaker for your money, easily filling a room, and expandable through the versatile Sonos speaker range. Built-in Alexa support clinches it for Sonos. £199, sonos.com PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO M These portable speakers are made for wireless stereo sound and come as a pair (though you can use one on its own). They offer punchy audio in an impressively wide sound field, and look great, too. £249, cambridgeaudio.com WIRELESS IN-EAR HEADPHONES FLARES PRO These headphones plug into a mini-DAC you need to clip about your person, but the result is truly amazing sound for the size. It’s audiophile stuff, with beautiful stereo channel separation. £349, flareaudio.com WIRED IN-EAR HEADPHONES KEF M100 This blend of KEF’s traditional audiophile instincts with comfortable contemporary styling is a fantastic product, great…

BEST OF… LIFESTYLE

ANDROID PHONE SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 Samsung’s super-slick smartphone is the most refined Android experience to date. An excellent camera, gorgeous Infinity Display screen and some smart exclusive features make for a truly fantastic phone. From £739, samsung.com MID-RANGE PHONE HONOR VIEW 10 The Honor View 10, essentially, is the very well-reviewed Huawei Mate 10 Pro, which costs almost twice as much. For this amazing price you get a high-end display, fast processor and great camera. £419, hihonor.com/uk SMARTWATCH APPLE WATCH SERIES 3 Nothing in the smartwatch market does more than the Apple Watch, and this third generation can do it all without a tethered phone – perfect for keeping your life in order whatever you happen to be doing. From £329, apple.com/uk ANALOGUE WATCH MONDAINE STOP2GO Mondaine’s classic design features a second hand that takes 58 seconds to go around, then pauses for two,…

BEST OF… LIFESTYLE

BEST OF… AUTO

FAMILY CAR VOLVO XC60 Well-appointed and exquisitely designed, this mid-size hybrid SUV has all the entertainment options you need, the poise to make those long journeys smooth and enjoyable, and is safe as houses. From £35,655, volvocars.com/uk CITY ELECTRIC CAR BMW i3 The i3 is a responsive, highly practical electric runabout packed with connectivity options and enough power in its 170bhp motor to hit 62mph in just 7.3 seconds. Perfect for a daily commute. From £30,250, bmw.co.uk SMART CONNECTOR LOGITECH ZEROTOUCH Transform your Android phone into an Alexa-powered voice assistant for your car. This car holder connects to your phone over Bluetooth to provide voice and gesture control when driving. £49, logitech.com DASH CAM GARMIN DASH CAM 55 Constantly watching the road, the Dash Cam 55 does more than record footage and save it in case of an incident. Driver-awareness warnings will tell you…

BEST OF… SMART HOME

VOICE ASSISTANT AMAZON ECHO Alexa is everywhere these days, but nowhere is Amazon’s AI more at home than in its Echo. It couples an awesome array microphone with pleasing design for the perfect assistant experience. £90, amazon.co.uk SMART DOORBELL RING VIDEO DOORBELL 2 Part motion-detecting security camera, part ring-anywhere doorbell, the Video Doorbell 2 alerts you via your smartphone when you have a visitor – and you can two-way talk even if you’re not home. £179, ring.com LIFESTYLE WI-FI CAMERA LOGITECH CIRCLE 2 WIRED No smart home cam is as fun to use as this – instead of CCTV, it’s more like a Fitbit of home monitoring. It provides a sped-up ‘brief’ of the day, two-way communication, has a 180° camera and Alexa control. £149, logitech.com DOOR & WINDOW SENSORS HIVE WINDOW OR DOOR SENSOR Super-simple to install, reasonably priced, and highly inconspicuous once…

BEST OF… SMART HOME

BEST OF… LIVING

COFFEE MAKER SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE ORACLE TOUCH A sleek machine bringing barista-level coffee making to your home, with the hard part handled automatically. You can also go manual and the results are just as tasty. £1,999, sageappliances.co.uk COOKER RANGEMASTER ELISE 110 Want the versatility of gas hobs and the reliability of an electric oven? This dual-fuel range is the ultimate in kitchen convenience, with six solid burners, two ovens and a grill with glide-out action. £2,379, rangemaster.co.uk DEHUMIDIFIER MEACO 25L ULTRA LOW ENERG This small unit can drag 25 litres of water out of the air in a day, perfect for drying clothes indoors without the risk of mould or condensation ruining your windows. £299, meaco.com WASHING MACHINE AEG 9000 SERIES L9FEC966R This fantastic cleaner introduces a salt dispenser to clothes washing, softening the water for better results. It also runs quietly…

BEST OF… LIVING

BEST OF… COMPUTING

ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP HP SPECTRE 13 4K An incredibly thin, light and beautiful laptop, with a dense, high-end 4K panel. Despite being 1cm thick, it doesn’t skimp on the power either, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor. From £1,599, hp.com GAMING LAPTOP ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS GX501 This is an amazing piece of engineering. Despite being incredibly thin and light (2.2kg), it packs insanely powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, a quad-core processor, and a 120Hz 1080p display. £2,799, asus.com ALL-IN-ONE APPLE iMAC WITH 5K RETINA DISPLAY There’s never been a screen like this. Big enough for every task, detailed, bright, colourful, and it happens to have a Mac stuffed in the back of it as well. From £1,749, apple.com/uk GAMING HEADSET STEELSERIES ARCTIS PRO WIRELESS This brilliant PC and PS4 headset supports dual wireless streaming over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz simultaneously, lossless audio, has swappable…

BEST OF… COMPUTING

BEST OF… TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

ENTRY-LEVEL DSLR CANON EOS 800D Make no mistake: the EOS 800D’s tech, trickled down from higher models in the line, is remarkable. It offers up 45-point autofocus, a touch-sensitive screen and awesome image quality. £659, canon.com MIRRORLESS CAMERA PANASONIC LUMIX G9 A super-fast focus makes it easy to grab the moment in beautiful detail on this camera’s 20-megapixel sensor. Add in 4K video, a viewfinder and a top-mounted LCD for settings, and you’ve got a winner. £1,499, panasonic.com ACTION CAMERA GOPRO HERO 6 BLACK The most advanced action camera on the planet can shoot stunning 4K video at 60fps, with advanced stabilisation making footage super-smooth and realistic. It’s also waterproof to 10m without a case. £399, gopro.com RUNNING WATCH GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC Garmin is the king of sports watches. Fast GPS and oodles of useful data (especially with a connected Garmin chest strap),…

BEST OF… TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

CELESTRON AMBASSADOR 80MM TELESCOPE

Not all vices are vices in the traditional sense of the word. Sometimes it just means indulging in a hobby you really love, like looking deep into the star-studded night sky with this handsome telescope. More of a working showpiece than serious scientific instrument, the Celestron Ambassador looks resplendent with a rotating cradle Altazimuth Mount and adjustable beech-wood tripod, replete with a gold-tone brass case fitted with a refracting lens offering up to 189x zoom magnification. Position the Ambassador on your balcony, or in any room where you enjoy a good view of nature or the heavens, to partake in terrestrial observation or amateur astronomy. Once you get the Ambassador home, pour your favourite tipple, tilt the telescope skyward and enjoy clearer views of nearby rolling hills, glittering skylines or…

CELESTRON AMBASSADOR 80MM TELESCOPE

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