XBOX ONE S vs PS4K

BEST THE
NEW
#1

PHONE
EVER!
Introducing the OnePlus 3
QHalf the price
of an S7 Edge
QBetter than

99
the iPhone
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September 2016
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HOT STUFF TESTS

10 The Hot Four 66 First test OnePlus 3
O Microsoft Xbox One S Flagship performance at a mid-range price
O Lenovo Moto Z 71 Supertest Laptop/tablet hybrids
O Apple iOS 10 Which tablet/keyboard combo is superest?
O Hasselblad X1D 86 Long-term test Lenovo Moto G4 Plus
20 Vital stats Fujifilm X-T2 Moto motors on with this affordable marvel
It’s Fuji’s flagship camera, for 4K’s sake 89 Tested Motorola Verve Ones+
22 Apps p66 Fully wireless buds for tangle-haters
New magic potions to pour into your phone Bargain 90 Group test Robot vacuum cleaners
24 Gigapixel Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 blower We weigh up four automated dust-munchers
An electric Roller for very high rollers 95 Tested Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
26 Start menu The sharpest graphics card in the deck
Crackpot and non-crackpot ideas to back 96 Tested Games
28 Choice Trainers O Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Six of the best geeky sneakers
30 Icon Suzy Snooze
The baby monitor that politely raises its hat
32 Games
There’s something about Zelda…
36 Your month
DC films lighten up with Suicide Squad

p90
So long,
suckers!

4
 WIN!
p37

09.16
P39 P108

FEATURES PROJECTS TOP

OF
10
EVERYTHING
39 Cover feature The Lust List 104 Beta yourself Chromebooks
Look, we’re all here for the same reason: It’s not just a browser in a box – here’s how
we like shiny new tech, and we love getting to get more out of your Google-top Looking to buy
excited about innovative, life-enhancing 106 Playlist Podcasts something but
gadgets. So here’s our rundown of the Funny, quirky and geeky shows to keep you need a bit of
100 best of them – from phones to cars, cackling into your commuter coffee advice? Turn to
via some juicy tomatoes and a beehive 108 Instant upgrades Live sport our Stuff Top Tens:
81 Automation for the people World-class telly-boosters to turn any our expert listings
Is life better when you let tech make all your mid-table hoof-a-thon into a Clasico of all gadgetry,
decisions for you? We gave it a shot… 110 The big question from p113.
98 Media hoard How should I edit my holiday snaps?
Batman Vs Superman and other, less terrible 111 5-minute hacks If nothing else, at least…
films reviewed – plus albums and, new for this O Use an Xbox One Elite pad with your PS4
month, our pick of the best streaming TV O Master Google Now O Get live wallpapers

The Stuff Top Tens

are shoppable on
your phone!
Find out how
on p114.

5
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10
 21 PAGES
OF THE BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH

Drop a brick
No, reader. Your eyes do not
deceive you. The Xbox One S’s
power brick is missing from our
pictures. Not because it’s an
eyesore, but because it’s
been incorporated into
the console itself.
Praise be!

HOT
FOUR
#1
ONE S TO RULE
THEM ALL
(FOR A BIT)?
XBOX ONE S
Biggie vs 2Pac. Geeks vs self-esteem.
PlayStation vs Xbox. Some battles are
born to run and run, especially when it
comes to games consoles. Now, only three
years after the Xbox One was launched,
it’s been treated to a major makeover. As
you can see from our exclusive pics, not
only is this 4K machine 40% smaller than
the original Xbox One but its ‘robot white’
paint job is also infinitely more dapper.
Recalling Daniel Craig’s suave ivory tux
from Spectre, the One S is a plastic box
that you might not want to squirrel away
in a dark corner. Console war? It’s back on.
Turn over for more on the One S, the PS4K
and Project Scorpio – next year’s Xbox.
As hot as… a white-hot hot white thing
£350 / xbox.com

11
 H O T S T U F F

XBOX ONE S 3

GAMES Pin-sharp
action
While the One S doesn’t
support 4K gaming, it does
have another equally significant
trick up its sleeve: HDR. This
gives you greatly improved
contrast so firefights
1 should look pretty
spectacular.
Chips ahoy!
Technically, the Xbox
One S is no more powerful
than the Xbox One. It’s
powered by the same processor,
you see. But Microsoft has
FORZA HORIZON 3 managed to allocate
developers a bit more
Forza takes its open-world racer down
oomph for smooth
under, where it can make more of the off-
HDR gaming.
road challenges that felt a little tacked on to
previous Horizon games. That means more
buggies and trucks to roam the outback in,
plus the addition of wildlife. Strewth. Just
try not to crash into any ’roos, mate.

2
Born grippy
The new Xbox Wireless
Controller is a dead ringer
for its predecessor. Wrap your
fingers around the thing, and
you’ll notice a textured grip has
been added to the pad’s
backside to help negate
the effects of any
SEA OF THIEVES Halo sweats.
Napster gave pirates a bad name, but Sea
Of Thieves makes swashbuckling on the
high seas with a crew made up of your
mates – sorry, hearties – look like a lot of
fun. With multiple roles on each ship that
must be filled before you can set sail, this is
a multiplayer game in the truest sense.

GEARS OF WAR 4
Microsoft’s big hope this Christmas is the
return of Gears Of War, but don’t expect
a festive edition. Gameplay-wise it doesn’t
reinvent the wheel – but there’s a new man-
mountain to control called JD Fenix, and like
his dad Marcus he enjoys nothing more than
massacring nasties and saving the planet.

12
 H O T S T U F F

PS4K
vs XBOX
4 SCORPIO
Break out
your Blu-rays 1 POWER
Never mind gaming – at
£350 the Xbox One S is the Without wanting to get too technical, the Microsoft is already
cheapest 4K Blu-ray player you new PlayStation’s innards are likely to be calling next year’s
can buy, and it’ll stream Ultra HD more ‘tuned up’ than overhauled. Faster Xbox “the most
Netflix. If you made the TV RAM with more powerful processors powerful console
upgrade from Full HD this would allow for more textures and extra ever”, meaning it’ll
summer, this will do visual effects, and for 60fps to become be capable of running
it justice. standard across the board. You know, all Oculus-esque VR
stuff that’ll look nice for PlayStation VR. experiences.

2 LOOKS
Considering the PS4K doesn’t officially All that’s been seen
exist yet, it’s impossible to say what of Project Scorpio
it looks like; but considering the Xbox so far is some circuit
One S is about the same size as the boards – so unless
regular PS4, slimming down isn’t really Microsoft is taking a
something Sony needs to worry too very back-to-basics
much about. Still, you can bet they’ll approach to design,
squeeze it down somehow. this is anyone’s guess.

3 4K
Like the One S, it’s unlikely the PS4K will All that power will
support games in Ultra HD – the power get you the kind of
to push all those extra pixels just isn’t full-on 4K gaming
there. So why are people calling it PS4K? you’d have to spend
It’s likely it will be able to play 4K movies about a grand to get
from a new UHD Blu-ray drive and via on a PC. Hopefully
streaming services, which currently they won’t borrow
only support 4K via TVs’ native apps. that price tag too.
5
Kinect, we 4 GAMES
hardly knew thee
Microsoft’s motion- All PS4 games will work with the new It’s too early for any
controlled Kinect platform console, so there won’t be a whole load developers to talk
for Xbox One has been quietly of new ones that’ll be spat out if you try about games for
dumped. Still fancy a spot of putting them in your ‘old’ PS4 or vice Scorpio but it will be
Kinect Sports Rivals? Don’t versa. With a bunch of stonkers in backward-compatible
panic, you can claim a free the pipeline, including the God Of War with Xbox One titles,
adaptor from reboot and Horizon: Zero Dawn, that’s possibly upscaling
Microsoft. very good news indeed. them too.

5 RELEASE
With the Xbox One S out this month, Project Scorpio (or
Sony can’t afford to hang around too whatever it ends
long with the PS4K. That’s why it up being called) is
would surely make most sense to expected to arrive
announce it before PlayStation VR before Christmas
is released in October, with a bundle 2017. The question
in the shops in time for Christmas. is: do you wait, or pick
But hey, we’re not in charge… up a One S now?

13
 H O T S T U F F

CHOP SEE-Y
Two side-on swishes of
the razorish Moto Z will turn
on the torch – an action so
addictive it’s bound to affect the
battery life. Fortunately, the Z
claims a healthy 40hr stamina
– or more if you add the
22hr Moto Mod
battery.

HOT
FOUR
#2
MODS AND
ROCKERS
Lenovo Moto Z
As tech-heads, we’ve taken up tools
against a sea of objects, including hi-fis,
desktop PCs and cars. Some were
improved, some overheated dramatically
and melted, everyone survived. But
that’s ‘modding’, shortened from
‘modifying’. What Lenovo has done here,
by introducing several magnetic
backpacks for its new Moto Z5 phone
and calling them ‘Moto Mods’, is taken
from the less sexy concept of ‘modular’.
Bah. Marketing jiggery notwithstanding,
the Moto Z (and toughened Moto Z Force)
look the business: slim, metal, 5.5in
Quad HD display and Snapdragon 820
processing. And the attachable, ahem,
‘mods’ instantly add a micro-projector,
JBL speakers or battery pack without
demanding a reboot like the, ahem,
modular LG G5.
As hot as… our ‘modded’ Tamiyas
£tba / motorola.co.uk

PROJECTOR SPEAKER BATTERY PACK

14
 GET UP TO £120
CASHBACK
ON XF LENSES

DOUBLE THE
CASHBACK *
WHEN BOUGHT WITH
SELECTED CAMERAS

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OFFER AVAILABLE BETWEEN 1 JUNE AND 31 AUGUST 2016. FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND A LIST OF QUALIFYING PRODUCTS VISIT WWW.FUJIFILM.EU/UK
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 H O T S T U F F

HOT
FOUR
#3
iOS OPENS UP
WITH A SMILEY
FACE Oh, it’s Watch
Apple iOS 10 you’re waiting for?
September is a dreary month. The summer Also at WWDC, the
holidays are over, the kids are packed back big hand was pointing
off to St Corrective’s and it’s becoming to WatchOS 3.0
evident that the signings your team made
have done toot-all for their prospects. But O Recents
there is one shining light through the murk, You can now scroll
and that is the new season of Strictly Come through a carousel of
Dancing. OK, two shining lights, the second recently used apps, and
being Apple’s annual iPhone release. each of the wee
But actually, hardware schmardware. previews is live.
Smartphone awesomeness is 90%
software, and we already know all about O You’re fit
iOS 10 because it was announced at WWDC Fitness tracking is the
back in June. It’s jam-packed with ace new killer app for most
features, highlights of which are more Watch wearers, so
control over your apps, third-party access there’s a bunch of new
to Siri and some great Apple Maps tricks. activity clocks.
(Lowlight: maximum emoji integration.)
You don’t even need to wait until O Ohnoji!
September shows its stupid face: head Apple design don Jony
to www.stuff.tv now for all the new Ive must be crying in
features and how to download the public his sleep. The emojis
beta of iOS 10 to your iPhone 5 or better. and animations that
As hot as… deleting the Stocks app litter iOS 10 are all
£free / apple.com over here too.

16
 H O T S T U F F

HOT
FOUR
#4
AS GOOD AS
IT LOOKS?
Hasselblad X1D
There’s a moment, probably no more than
one Earth second, in which your growing
anticipation of something is shattered by
the inrush of actual sensory experience.
It’s the pause before you rip the paper
off a present, the heartbeat before the
rollercoaster tips over the edge of the first
drop… it’s the moment just before your
fingers touch Hasselblad’s ‘affordable’
medium-format X1D. For that fraction, all
possible outcomes exist equally – it does
feel as good as it looks, it feels like cheap
junk, all of the in-betweens – but as soon
as you’ve touched it, blammo, the spell is
broken. As it is for us, ’cos we’ve touched it.
But we’re not going to ruin the surprise for
you. Whether or not you want a hefty
50MP camera from a company whose
five-figure megacams rarely leave
a professional’s studio, you’ll have to get
yourself to a photo show to touch one.
As hot as… that last nanometre
£7188 / hasselblad.com

Practise with a
cheaper one first?
No sooner has the X1D
created the notion of a
portable Hasselblad, than
DJI has strapped one of the
Swedish firm’s A5D cameras
to a flimsy, fallible, flying
thing. The combo cost?
A not ‘affordable’ $26,000.

17
H O T S T U F F

VS

Teaches
SUUNTO
SPARTAN ULTRA
The Suunto is not introspective like the Morgenwerk
on the right. It spends all its time learning about you,
and then some of its time teaching other people what
it’s learned. The Spartan – which comes in titanium or
stainless steel builds – tracks your fitness activities
via GPS and accelerometers. It then shares that data
with the renewed Movescount online service, which
adds your runs and cycles to crowd-generated,
sport-specific city heatmaps. Want to run where the
locals run? Now you know. Want to avoid everyone?
Movescount and Suunto will teach you where to hide.
from £510 / suunto.com
Learns
MORGENWERK
SATELLITE PRECISION M3
Unlike the caring, sharing Suunto, the Morgenwerk is all
take, take, take. It takes the super-accurate time signal
from GPS satellites and then it takes the time to study
how that differs from the accuracy of its custom-made,
thermo-compensated quartz movement. And from
that it learns how to correct itself, promising to lose or
gain less than 0.75 seconds per year. This M3 version
has added digital smarts with altimeter, compass and
barometer, though the analogue M1 and M2 aren’t
much more affordable because they have the same
accuracy-processing cleverness.
€2400 / morgenwerk.watch

DROP EVERYTHING
AND DOWNLOAD...
UE Boom £free / iOS, Android
If you’ve got a UE Boom 2 or Megaboom speaker, then you’re very lucky.
Firstly, because they’re very good. Strong sound, stylish lifeproof build and
long battery life. Well done you. But, newly and secondly, an update to the
UE Boom app adds a new feature: it now allows your speaker to become
a conduit for Google Now or Apple Siri. A quick press of the Bluetooth
button on the speaker will make it listen to your voice queries, such as:
“Hey, have you just beaten the Google Home speaker to the UK?”

18
V I T A L S T A T S
FUJI FURNISHES FLAGSHIP
WITH 4K FILMING FUN
Fujifilm X-T2
£1400 (body only), £1650 (w/18-55mm lens) / fujifilm.eu
Video or stills? Shapely
design or rugged build?
Speed or quality? Nope,
the Fujifilm X-T2 wants
you to make no such
compromises…
O4K, hooray!
The successor to 2014’s superb
X-T1, big brother to Stuff’s
favourite compact system cam
the X-T10 and similar in many
ways to the five-star X-Pro2,
the X-T2 comes from a fine
lineage. But if cameras had
feet, video would be the Fuji X
system’s Achilles’ heel. Well, not
any more, because the X-T2
joins the 4K brigade, capturing
20
satin-smooth 3840x2160
footage at up to 30fps. Or, if
4K is too much for you, it’ll do
full HD at up to 60fps.
OFaster, pussycat
Like the X-Pro2, this new camera
gets a sensor bump from 16MP
to a 24MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS.
But it’s also had an injection of
pace. Burst shooting is up to
a maximum of 14fps with an
improved buffer, autofocus is
91-point and faster, and startup
time is down to 0.3 seconds. The
maximum shutter speed is now
a Usain Bolt-freezing 1/8000sec,
and the electronic viewfinder’s
refresh rate has been refreshed:
The X-T2 is well
rubbered up,
making it less
vulnerable to
water and dust.
refreshingly, it now refreshes at
100fps. You’re getting the idea?
The X-T2 is boosted. AUTOFOCUS
OFlippin’ ’eck
AND BURST
Flip screens on cameras are one
of those things that seem like
SHOOTING ARE
gimmicks until you actually use UP, STARTUP
them, at which point they quickly
become essential. The X-T2’s
TIME IS DOWN
is a versatile one, popping out
sideways as well as up or down.
Further ergonomic advances
can be had from the new Vertical
Power Booster Grip, £300
of extra-battery-packing
handiness that can supercharge
certain features as well as
increasing stamina.
 H O T S T U F F

DECIPHER
ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN…

It’s a bleep year #13 APPLE WATCH’S

DATO DUO BREATHE APP
Elissa Loi
When we were little, you could have given us this without any
electronics inside and we would happily have played with it for hours, At this year’s WWDC
inventing scenarios where it was a spaceship dashboard, or a device keynote, Apple announced
that controlled the weather systems of the Earth. Tornado! Unlucky, a smorgasbord of new
Carlisle! Sadly we are not little, but some people are and they deserve features for the Watch,
a more balanced upbringing, brought about by the mental challenges of including an app called
music. The Dato Duo is a synthesizer, with an eight-step sequencer on Breathe that encourages you to… well,
one side and a collection of fun effects on the other. It can be operated breathe. Like most people, I took a deep
by one or two people and you can also plug MIDI devices into it to create gulp of air and loudly scoffed.
new samples. Sound like a blast? Volcano! But while mindfulness, meditation
€330 / dato.mu and/or deep breathing may sound like
hipster hogwash, there are reported
benefits. Here’s Dr Herbert Benson of
Boston’s Mind Body Medicine Institute:
“Taking a moment every day to do some
deep breathing is one way to evoke the
body’s relaxation response, which is the
opposite reaction to stress.”
Readers using There are medical conditions related to
the ‘read out loud’ stress – including depression and high
feature can now blood pressure – that deep breathing
use wireless can help alleviate. Mindfulness fan Steve
headphones Jobs surely would have approved.
Setting up the Breathe app is easy:
rotate the digital crown to choose how

THE HAPTIC FEEDBACK

STARTS FAST AND GETS
SLOWER TO MIMIC YOUR
LUNGS FILLING UP
many minutes you want to spend, then
begin. But the most significant feature
And... we’re done is the haptic feedback, which starts
AMAZON KINDLE (2016) fast and gets slower towards the end
to mimic your lungs filling up to capacity.
Product designers can, in theory, achieve enlightenment. At the point When it ends, that’s your cue to exhale.
a product reaches the absolute zenith of its development and can’t be Following each session, your heart rate
made any more perfect, they blink out of existence and take up their place will be shown. Hardly an exact science,
in a kind of engineers’ Valhalla, all warm pools of Lego and edible Meccano. but it should give you some evidence
Were we enlightenment spotters, we’d be hanging around the Kindle labs. of de-frazzlement.
The upper end of the range is subject to all sorts of mucking about – see Breathe isn’t exactly revolutionary, but
the recent Kindle Oasis with its magnetic battery case – but down at the along with the Watch’s reminder to move
humble end, we can smell nirvana. This latest version is lighter and thinner around every few hours it forms part of
than the previous entry-level model, and it now has Bluetooth. Welcome an undemanding regime of self-focus
tweaks, but surely the end is near for a couple of the Kindle team. that might add up to more than the sum
£60 with ads, £70 without ads / amazon.co.uk of its breaths.

21
 A P P S
This month’s mobile must-downloads
1 2 3
NOT JUST
AN APP

Sphero
SPRK+
US$130 /
iOS, Android

4 5 6

Coders are
prone to violent
outburts, caused
by long hours
of screen time
and caffeine
overload.
That effect is
slightly reduced
when the
programmers
7 8 9 in question are
school age, but
nonetheless
Sphero has
released a new
version of
its SPRK
code-ucational
robot with a
tougher, more
tantrum-
resistant shell.
It also has new
tap-to-pair tech,
1 Roku 2 Google Fit 3 Amazon Kindle for easy
£free / iOS, Android, Windows £free / Android £free / iOS, Android connection
There’s a new Roku app for Are you still not fit? We finished Despite E Ink display upgrades to the SPRK
Windows 10, so now you can getting fit ages ago. Had we not, and powerful Kindle apps, paper Lightning Lab
control your TV apps via your though, we’d be liking Fit’s new is still better for flicking through app for iOS and
laptop or tablet-hybrid thing. Home view that shows all your stats a book. Or is it? Yes, it is. But Kindle’s Android phones
You can also stream photos and – steps, calories, distance, active new Page Flip function brings and tablets.
videos from your own library. time – in one sorrowful glance. a handy overview capability. The app’s had
an update too,
with 150 new
4 Final Fantasy VII 5 FourChords 6 Pktball activities and
£11.99 / iOS O £12.99 / Android £free / iOS, Android £free / iOS, Android a more social
Yikes. You’ll want to be someone Tighten up your strings and A little bit tennis-y, but with a play aspect for
who still has Final Fantasy pyjamas sandpaper your finger pads: the dynamic that’s more air hockey, sharing your
to be interested in the Android port FourChords guitar tutor app has Pktball soon ramps up the code projects
of this mid-’90s classic. Big price, had a huge look-and-feel update, addictiveness with silly power-ups. with friends,
considerable RAM requirements with altered skill levels, a new tuner, You can buy different (wacky) parents or
and alarming bug warnings ahoy! better tutorials and ‘badge’ rewards. characters, but it’s otherwise free. teachers. If
they’ve forgiven
you for all the
7 Safeture 8 Shazam 9 Arachnophobia Free shouting.
£3.99/month / Android, iOS £free / Android, iOS, Windows £4.99 / iOS
Heading to Rio for the Olympics? Two types of people in the world: The cartoony graphics don’t initially
Travel safety outfit Safeture has those who think music-identifying inspire confidence in this allegedly
a special team of worriers who apps are good, and are happy to science-based spider app, but
will be sending live incident updates hear about the new always-listening the user comments tell a different
to its app. The first 10,000 Rio ‘Auto’ mode in Shazam for Android… story. The app’s had an update,
downloaders get free activation. OK, one type of person in the world. because spiders keep evolving.

22
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 The bigger picture in tech

SILENT RUNNING
Unveiled as part of a bevy of cars
marking parent company BMW’s
centenary, the Rolls-Royce Vision
Next 100 concept is a jaw-dropper.
There’s no engine, for a start – the
all-electric drivetrain means there
is nothing under that long bonnet
except your monogrammed
luggage. And there’s no steering
wheel – the iconic statuette
has been digitalised to become
an autonomous pilot and virtual
assistant. But the most startling
aspect of all is that this amazing
styling is only a suggestion: future
Roller owners will be encouraged
to work with the company’s
coachbuilders to design their
own perfect car. Yikes.

24
 H O T S T U F F

NEWS FEED

4K, CONSUMER
Sky’s 4K telly will begin
its campaign against your
eyeballs on Saturday 13
August. As expected there
will be live coverage of 124
Premier League games
and all of 2017’s F1 races,
but there’ll also be an
on-demand 4K library
of recent films, original
dramas and arts shows.

LET’S OFF-ROAD!
(AUTONOMOUSLY)
The biggest barrier to
autonomous driving is
other people, so Land
Rover is developing off-
road self-driving tech.
Its ability to spot terrain,
measure gaps and identify
overhead obstacles will
also be useful for urban
environments, says LR.

NO CUCKOOS
IN THE NEST
Nest’s Cam Indoor and new
weatherproof Cam Outdoor
(pictured) will soon be able
to distinguish people from
other moving objects.
People Alerts uses Google
Machine Learning smarts,
and launches in September
for US subscribers to the
Nest Aware service.

25
 S T A R T M E N U
The latest startups, crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas

GOE-
GONDI
I

Does you dose?

Or dose you don’t?
PILLO
Well, here’s a conundrum. We want
a super-cute, face-recognising
robobuddy that says “Good
morning” and dumps out our
medication for the day. But we
don’t take any medication. So, we
either need to quickly develop a
medical problem that requires
regular dosing – any ideas? – or
we lie to Pillo: we tell it we need two
‘shamazopam’, three times a day…
and fill the dispenser with M&Ms.
Oh, but look at his face! We can’t lie
to Pillo. So, it’s option three: stop
being so self-centred and back Pillo
for a friend or relative who does
need little white science to stay
alive. And we can still be the friend
Pillo messages when they forget
to dose. So, that’s something.
US$600 / pillohealth.com

BACK IT

STACK IT

SACK IT
GOE-
TE -

TE -

TE -
R

R
R
AR K

AR K

AR K
GONDI
ST KIC

ST KIC

ST KIC
I

Teething troubles Handled Messiah Stone cold smart Mightiest mouse

GOHAWK
It’s a droopy tail moment: you
spent half an hour strapping
yourself into your flying squirrel
outfit, just to realise your forgot
to switch your GoPro on. But
no worries, because this GoPro
backpack adds the ability to run
a bite switch, as well as having
an output for an external LED
status light. Now fly, little
Nutkins, fly and bite and shoot!
$100 / poalabs.com
BEATBRINGER
He didn’t bring the beat. Nor did
that guy bring the beat (but he
did bring the sandwiches), and
she brought the beat last week
so is off the hook. Ah, look – he
brought the beat… and how! In
the battery-powered Bluetooth
BeatBringer bag, with its two
woofers, two tweeters and
200W of amp. He can bring
the beat again, that guy.
$550 / beatbringer.com
HYPERCOOL
Here’s an idea more refreshing
than an icicle in the ear. Instead
of lugging a huge cooler full
of ice and cans to the park,
you take a load of cans in their
eminently more packable
room temperature state.
And then you cool them, on
demand, using this 60-second
‘Hypercooler’ that you pre-froze
the night before. Smart thinking.
$80 / hypercool.co
Z MOUSE
We wanted to tell you about
this uber-mouse by shouting
a crazy number at you – the
number of buttons or actions
or something – but once we
started counting, including
its ability to use rotate, tilt and
accelerometer movements as
modifiers, our brain did a big
crash and had to be restarted.
Suffice it to say: many.
$150 / swiftpoint.com

26
 C H O I C E

GEEK SNEAKS
Punctured your Reebok Pumps?
These techy toeboxes are a shoe-in
1 2

1 Salomon S-Lab
Sense 5 Ultra
Lighter than hummingbird tears
and no less fragrant, these are
designed for chaps who run up
mountains in nowt but skimpy
shorts and a vest. For fun.
£145 / salomon.com

2 Vaude Moab AM
Off-road bikers need a slick sole
for grippy pedals but a grippy
sole for pushing up mud-slicked
hills. It’s a dichotomy that Vaude
has smashed, while also nailing
its pledge on recycled materials.
£95 / vaude.com
3 4
3 DZR Mechanic
Stylish up top but stiff and racy
underneath. Does that sound
like a ‘mechanic’ to you? The
name alludes to the cycling
theme of these cleat-packing
disco slippers.
£100 / alwaysriding.co.uk

4 Saucony Ride 9
Behold the slime-green sass
of Saucony’s newest Ride, the
selection of savvy sprinters…
now with full-length ‘Everun’
energy-return sole splodge.
£115 / saucony.co.uk
5
5 UA SpeedForm
Gemini 2 Record
One of these sneaks contains
a Bluetooth smart tracker, for
sending distance, speed and
cadence info to your phone.
Which one? Get hopping.
£130 / underarmour.com

6
6 The North Face
Back-To-Berkeley
MTNSNKR
[ Picture RGB Digital ]

“Back to Berkeley!” we cry. And

then we look up Berkeley on
Google Maps and decide an
urban ramble somewhere in
Berkshire will have to suffice.
£100 / ellis-brigham.com

28
 H O T S T U F F

WTF? ‘Affordable’ audiophilia

Can you hear the indifference?

ASTELL & KERN AK70
There is no need to be ashamed: curiosity brings us all
to the edge of the audio rabbithole. You’re not at all to
blame for upping the settings on your CD ripper app,
just to see if you could hear the difference. That guy
in the pub should never have sold you those Grado
headphones. And now you’re falling, spinning into a
world of 24-bit DSD files and everything kilohertz,
and suddenly you’re looking at this distinctly minty
hi-res music player while your family plan their
intervention. All your pleas about how it’s really
good value for an Astell & Kern, about how it can
network over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it a family
purchase – nobody’s listening.
£500 / astellnkern.com

Sub-stantially more friendly

LOEWE SUBWOOFER 300
Speakers, on the whole, have a forward-facing,
purposeful look about them. (What do we want?
“Sound!” Where do we want it? “Thataways!”) The
subwoofer, though, has a shifty and secretive aspect.
It skulks in the corner, probably doing something other
than what you expect. In the case of this subwoofer, it
totally is. In addition to the 150W amp sending bass to
three 15cm drivers (one active and two passive), the
Subwoofer 300 has two extra 75W amps for running
left and right speakers. If you have a compatible Loewe
TV, even better, as its speakers can serve as a centre
channel. What a community-minded sub this is.
£595 / loewe.tv

FUTURE STUFF
OIL BE DAMNED
Fraser Macdonald looks wistfully into a future of fewer petroleum-based products
As any Key Stage scientist knows, evil sinks
into the Earth, where it compresses into oil.
Later, kind-hearted men dig up the nasty
black substance and become instantly evil,
turning that oil into products that do nothing
of any earthly use, such as plastic, petrol and
orange Lycra. And, for the longest time, the
neoprene foam used in wetsuits.
But if ever there was a bunch of people
with the nature-loving strength of character
to overcome oil’s nefarious thrall, it’s surfers.
Outdoor clothing brand Patagonia has only
been making wetsuits for ten years, but for
eight of them it’s been pouring money into
researching natural alternatives.
And it’s finally done it – or as near as
possible without sacrificing durability and
comfort. For its 2016/2017 range, all of its
wetsuits will be 85% natural rubber, sourced
from a company called Yulex that manages
FSC/Rainforest Alliance certified plantations.
Is it as good as neoprene? Google up Lea
Brassy, a Patagonia-sponsored surfer who
enjoys catching waves in the life-threateningly
cold waters of Norway and Iceland. She’s still
alive. Yulex seems to work.
So how does all of this relate to gadgets?
Well, this might be the thin end of the tech
wedge that brings about a global change in
neoprene, foam and rubber use across all
sorts of product categories. Oil is finite and
yucky, whereas natural latex from trees,
sustainably sourced, could form the basis
for the greener production of everything
from phone cases to car tyres. And, unless
you’re evil, that’s got to be good.

29
 I C O N
SUZY SNOOZE
US$175 / bleepbleeps.com
That thing is on fire.
You know it, bro! Wait. You meant
actual fire, not colloquial fire. No,
the orangey maelstrom in Suzy’s
hat promotes peace and sleep, not
panic and disarray. It’s a child sleep
trainer, one that promises to teach
children auto-shutdown routines.
Should I entrust my kids’ wellbeing
to a large glowing thing?
Why of course! Maker of Internet
of Things devices BleepBleeps has
30
employed Oxford University sleep
boffins to train your little terrors
to sleep when they’re supposed
to. The result utilises “soothing
sunset light” and ambient sounds
from electro bleep-fondler Erol
Alkan. Do not be afraid.
Doesn’t sound too convincing.
Well, we wouldn’t know, not being
allowed to have guardianship over
anything more complicated than
a slightly rambunctious IFTTT
recipe. But there’s more to Suzy.
Come morning, she has a routine
involving a light-show countdown
followed by the raising of her ‘hat’
to let them know it’s time to get up.
There’s a video on the Kickstarter
page showing a child waiting in bed
for this to happen, so it must work.
Another small victory for parents
who can’t be arsed with parenting…
Hey, we’re not Mumsnet – but the
all-powerful forum was consulted
THIS ORANGEY
MAELSTROM
PROMISES TO
TEACH YOUR
CHILDREN BETTER
SLEEP ROUTINES
in the making of Suzy. And she
has one last trick up her glowing
sleeve: app-powered sound
monitoring, so you get some
warning that little Skylake
is up and about. There’s also
Spotify and AirPlay streaming,
room temperature monitoring and
a cry detection mode that aims to
reinvoke sleep without any human
involvement whatsoever! Suffice
to say, sleepy parents have heavily
backed Suzy’s crowdfund.
 G A M E S
FIRST PLAY THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD Wii U
There’s just something about
Zelda games. More so than any
Mario, Donkey Kong or Metroid
adventure, they’ve got the power
to make grown adults go wobbly
at the knees. The green tunic.
The Master Sword. That infernal
Water Temple. You’re getting
misty-eyed at the thought of
it all, right?
Naturally, Nintendo cares
[ Words Rob Leedham ]
nothing for this nostalgia,
judging by Breath Of The Wild.
This gorgeous open-world
affair does away with the
franchise’s classic traipse
from dungeon to dungeon
32
OUT
2017
and replaces it with an enormous
expanse of Hyrule to explore as
you please. After an hour spent
climbing mountains, diving into
vast lakes and wreaking havoc
with Bokoblin encampments,
we’d barely scratched the
surface of what is quite literally
the biggest Zelda yet.
You see, as well as being
a gorgeous cel-shaded affair,
Nintendo’s last major title for the
Wii U (and probable launch game
for its successor NX console)
hands you an amazing amount
of freedom over Link’s destiny.
Now you can pick up weapons,
food and clothing as you go along.
Wanna cook apples on the side of
a volcano? Gor for it. Burn your
foes to death in a wildfire? It’s up
to you, buddy. Catapult Link 100
feet into the air for the sheer hell
of it? We positively insist that you
do. This is a game that dares you
be creative and rewards such
inventiveness with moments
of sheer delight.
Set for release early next
year, Breath Of The Wild
promises to instil new life in
a classic Ninty franchise and
hand the NX its first surefire
system seller. No pressure, then.
 H O T S T U F F

FIRST LOOK

DAYS GONE
PS4

You’ve had enough of zombies,

right? But what about if you had
to deal with hundreds at a time, all
trampling over each other in a vast
swarm to get you? That might be
quite fun. Incredibly stressful, but
heaps of gun-toting fun.
The undead in Days Gone aren’t DUE
technically zombies at all. These are
2017
‘freakers’, infected by some sort of
virus that turns them into flesh-
hungry psychopaths.
You control Deacon St James,
one of few surviving members of
a motorcycle gang from the Pacific
Northwest. Considering the playing
area is absolutely massive, with
a dynamic weather system and
day/night cycle, that bike should
come in handy.
But it’s the game’s open-ended
encounters that should have you
most excited. Each one challenges
you to exploit the environment – by
unleashing a load of logs into their
path, buying you enough time to
reach your bike and ride to safety,
or by running and gunning.
Whichever way you do it, it’s
pretty clear this isn’t just some
low-rent The Last Of Us rip-off.

OTHER UPCOMING GAMES

DEATH STRANDING PREY STEEP

Having parted ways with PlayStation,
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima’s
first game will be, er, a Sony exclusive.
But Death Stranding is an altogether more
mysterious proposition. It’ll star Norman
Reedus and, depending on your feelings
towards Kojima, the trailer will either be
hugely pretentious or massively exciting.
Waking up onboard a spaceship orbiting the
Moon in the year 2032 is normally a good
indicator that something’s not quite right,
but in Prey that’s an understatement. The
ship’s been overrun by extraterrestrials
and they’re not friendly. Looking like a cross
between Adr1ft and Alien Isolation, it’s not
a game to break out a new pair of pants for.
Imagine Skate, send it to the top of
a mountain, make the whole range
accessible via a load of gnarly extreme
sports, invite your friends to join you – and
you’ve got Steep. Challenges are peppered
around the mountain; you can race your
friends or just roam around looking for the
perfect spot to leap off. Awesome, bro.

INCOMING
SEPTEMBER
ORECORE
OPES 2017
OBIOSHOCK: THE COLLECTION
OFIFA 17
OCTOBER
OMAFIA 3
NOVEMBER
OWATCH DOGS 2
OGRAN TURISMO SPORT

33
H O T S T U F F

WTF IS
HAIER DUO?
Some days you just can’t be bothered
to bend down to fill the washer.
Aye, chances are you’d just stay down
there, curled up on the kitchen floor. Like,
we have these amazing washing machines
that sip power and stinge water and yet
still rely on us to measure out the detergent
and fabric softener? As if we’re not going Field of dreams
to just lollop an absent-minded half-gallon
into all the trays and go back to Ratchet &
YAMAHA YXZ1000R SS
Clank. It should be like this: grocery delivery Not living near a Dubai-type desert, nor North America’s
to house; up-end entire detergent bottle endless prairies, us Brits don’t tend to have a racing off-roader much
into machine; machine doses according to larger than a Tamiya Monster Beetle. But were we to inherit a field,
washing weight. Dosey-do. this is what we’d buy. Yamaha’s new YXZ1000R SS is the first
‘side by side’ two-seater to feature a racing-style paddle-shift
Wow, does this thing do that? gearbox, meaning owners can now plough up and down the gears
Nope. Just thinking out loud. Mind like an F1 driver as they hysterically smash through haybales
you, the Haier Duo (haier.com) is at mind-boggling speeds. It has a 998c three-cylinder engine
revolutionary in its own way, kicking with a 10,500rpm redline, locking diff and launch control.
it like an ’80s hair metal band with A farmer’s quad this most certainly is not.
double drums. The top one is 4kg, £tba (due Sept) / yamahamotor.eu
1200rpm, with 12 different wash
programmes; the bottom one is 8kg,
1500rpm, with 18 of its own dances.
“Are you doing a whites or a colours
wash?” Both, sucka! “Can you wash this
on a delicates cycle?” Top drawer! “Are
you washing the kids’ clothes, or ours?”
We don’t have kids, George.

That’s it for the excitement, then?

The double drums?
That is not ‘it’, buster. The Haier Duo
has a 7in TFT touchscreen on which
your dainty fingers can bust out a
dirt-busting ditty. And it has many
trademarked things like ‘Pillow Drum’,
‘Smart Dual Spray’ and, our favourite,
‘Smart Opening’, a function that saves
vital seconds by opening the door for On the button
you at the end of the cycle. No, we’re
not excited by that one either. COMO SOLO & DUETTO
Your laptop is an excellent conduit for audio streaming services
And where do I put this monstrosity? and music playback, but it looks duff in your kitchen. A dedicated audio
It’s not as big as you might think – at device such as the Solo (pictured) or Duetto looks the part, but their
128cm, it’s about 1.5 times the height minimalist frontages can make them fiddly when trying to access
of a normal washer. So yes, you might Spotify or finding one of a trillion internet radio stations. Como might
have to get out your Mickey Mouse have solved the problem, and not just with its corresponding control
safety scissors and cut a worktop. But, app, though that’s an excellent beginning. No, it’s the ability to select
as a bonus, your cat is going to love it the function of those six preset buttons along the top, not just to
as a superior place from which to throw radio stations but to whatever sources you regularly use. Now to ruin
you disdainful glances. Mind you, how those good looks with some sticky labels to remind us which is which.
many kitty-bikkits could have been US$300, $400 / comoaudio.com
bought for £1300?

34
 presents

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out 1 August out 1 August

pre-order now pre-order now

check out our full range of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

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BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Creed © 2015 Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer Pictures Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Mad Max © 2015 Warner Bros. Feature Productions Pty Limited. All rights reserved. Man of Steel and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © 2016 DC Comics. © 2016
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H O T S T U F F

29th
BASTILLE DAY
BLU-RAY
Probably one of those
films you skipped at the
O cinema because of its
BOND PLAYS middling reviews, but it’s
THE ODDS an urban terrorist thriller
1/3: well worth catching up
James Norton
9/2: Tom
on on disc or streaming…
not least so you can 23rd
Hiddleston weigh into the Idris Elba
10/1: #NextBond arguments.
Idris Elba He’s CIA in this, but DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED
500/1: imagine an MI6 PC, PS4, XBOX ONE
Robbie Savage bow-tie. Hmmm… Deus Ex games don’t come around very
often, which doubles the anticipation
but triples the nervousness. The new
‘Breach’ game mode doesn’t sound right
at all, but hopefully we can ignore it and
get right on with hi-tech sneakery.

YOUR MONTH

AUGUST
35 years ago
IBM PC
Model 5150

THEN
Augment your reality
ONEXT ISSUE
Download this:
October Our all-time favourite
gadgets revealed On sale 1/9/16 Apple Swift
Playgrounds NOW
iOS, £free (date tba)

5th

THEN
30 years ago
13th
Metroid
NOW
SUICIDE SQUAD 19th GLASS BUTTER
CINEMA BEACH FESTIVAL
We are genuinely excited ABERSOCH, WALES
about a not-so-serious BARCLAYS A fall while wakeboarding
DC film. Worries? Jared PREMIER LEAGUE forces water into parts
Leto might be trying Now rebranded by Sky of your body you weren’t
too hard to clear Heath to SuperSoccerBall 4K, O even aware of. Just the
Ledger’s high bar as the Play this: as part of its commitment HEADLINERS thing for rehydrating
Joker. And Will Smith Rayman to Ultra HD programming. 19th after a day on the beach
might be too Will Smithy. Adventures Even footy haters should Katy B watching pro wakers,
But, fears aside, excited! iOS, Android watch the Hull v Leicester 20th surfers, skaters and
opener, just to justify Wolf Alice slackliners, and taking
£free that 4K TV and hefty 21st refreshment around the
subscription. Kodaline five music stages.

36
 W I N
OUT IN
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26 AUG

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VALUE
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service on a three-door Yaris. In fact, this probably Fancy heightening your fidelity? Go to
isn’t a good time to bother him about anything. stuff.tv/win and answer this question:
In Mechanic: Resurrection, Jason Statham’s hired
killer thinks he’s put his past behind him… but ARTHUR BISHOP IS AN ASSASSIN,
when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love
of his life (Jessica Alba), he’s forced to travel the
NOT A MECHANIC. BUT WHAT
globe to complete impossible assassinations DO REAL MECHANICS DO?
and do what he does best: make them look like A … Fix motor vehicles HURRY!
accidents. It’s in cinemas 26 August. B … Give hypnotherapy COMPETITION
So, aptly enough, we’re giving away some ‘killer’ to otters CLOSES
hi-fi gear. The Naim Mu-so (£895) is one of our fave C … Use hypnotherapy 8 SEPTEMBER
© 2015 ME2 PRODUCTIONS, INC.

wireless speakers, now with Tidal support and full

multi-room capability, while the Audio-Technica
ATH-MSR7NC headphones (£249) combine silky
audio performance with active noise-cancelling.
One winner scoops both prizes, and a runner-up
gets the headphones. Visit naimaudio.com and
audiotechnicashop.com to find out more.
2016
to train otters to fix
motor vehicles
Terms & conditions 1 Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
2 Entries close 11.59pm, 8 Sept 2016. 3 Prizes are as stated.
4 Prizes are non-transferable. 5 Only one entry per person.
For full Haymarket terms & conditions see www.stuff.tv/legal
Promoter: Haymarket, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP
P5 Wireless.
We’ve taken
away the wires
but kept the
sound quality.

£329.99
from authorised retailers

Buy direct from bowers–wilkins.co.uk/P5W

Two-year warranty
Free delivery
 the
LUST
LIST
10 0
100 of the most exciting must-have gadgets in
the world – just don’t buy them all at once
[ Photography Matt Beedle ]

39
 LUST LIST
100 Critter
and Guitari
Organelle
Like a Raspberry Pi for
budding musicians, the
Organelle lets you load
up your choice of ‘patches’
to turn it into a sampler,
synth or effects processor.
Splendid fun to play with,
even if you’re tone deaf.
US$495 /
critterandguitari.com
97 Amazon
Fire TV 4K
So you’ve just bought a
spangly new 4K TV and
you’re itching to step up
to UHD. Amazon’s Fire TV
box is one of the best ways
to do it. It was a kick-ass
streamer before, but now
it’ll actually use all those
extra pixels. Oh, and it’s
packing Netflix in 4K too.
£80 / amazon.co.uk
40
dell xps 13
You need a thin and light
laptop, you buy a MacBook
Air, right? Hold yer horses:
the XPS 13 might just be
the ultimate ultraportable.
Not just because it’s thin
enough to pop through
a letterbox, and weighs
less than your lunch, but
because of a blindingly
beautiful QHD+ screen.
£880 / dell.com
Netatmo
Welcome
A security camera with
face recognition tech, this
aluminium sentry will tell
you whose heads are in
the house – friend or foe
– and alert you if it detects
the latter. With a wide-
angle view and night vision
smarts, not much gets
past this domestic ’bot.
£200 / netatmo.com
96
95 McIntosh
RS100
Fancy hijacking the Wi-Fi
in style? Connect the
arrestingly retro RS100 and
start flinging your favourites
wirelessly (and losslessly)
to a Play-Fi-enabled unit,
or hook 16 of them up
to a single network for a
house-wide party – with
independent controls.
£1000 / mcintoshlabs.com
98 philips hue
Simple switches are so last century – become a master of
the bulbs with Hue, Philips’ system of smart lights. Wake
up to natural light when you like, set daily colour schedules
and tinker with levels from your smartphone to find the
perfect ambience for your every mood.
from £15 / meethue.com
94 glowforge 93 Apple
Magsafe to
Magsafe 2
The Glowforge is a home Converter
laser cutting machine
that can slice through the
likes of wood, acrylic and New MacBook, old
leather, or engrave glass charger? Pick up one
and ceramics, to let you of these neat converters,
create anything from clad in Apple’s classic
personalised wallets to aluminium, and charge like
MacBook key caps. And nothing’s changed – and
the best bit? It’s only got save yourself the strife of
one button: ‘Print’. buying a new power block.
$2395 / glowforge.com £9 / apple.com
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92
Gibson
Neat Widget
Planning to record a podcast aboard
the Starship Enterprise? This is the
microphone for you. Available in three
colourful, retro-futuristic designs,
the Widget records in 96kHz/24-bit
quality and plays nice with both Macs
and PCs. The only danger is that you
might be too busy cooing over its looks
to have anything to say into it.

£65 / neatmic.com

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90
mass
effect
andromeda
Of all the games released on
the last generation of consoles,
none quite had the emotional
impact of Mass Effect. Developer
Bioware was able to craft a game
that allowed you to create your
own captain, send him or her off
into space, then play out a whole
series where every decision you
made had a tangible impact. So
it’s fair to say we’re quite excited
about Andromeda, which takes
place in a brand new galaxy,
features a new main character
called Ryder, and sees the return
of the Mako buggy from the
first game.

masseffect.com

Samsung UE55KS7000

Fancy a slice of top-end telly? Samsung’s KS7000 is about

as brilliant as they come, squeezing 4K Ultra HD resolution,
eye-popping HDR smarts and all the gear required for a
UHD Premium sticker – meaning it’s very bright, and very
colourful – into a sleek frame that’s just 44mm thick.

£1400 /samsung.com

89 pixlr
Express
Looking for a lightweight
photo editor to handle the
essentials? Pixlr Express
can crop, resize and edit
snaps with neat efficiency,
offering enough effects
to keep even experienced
tweakers Insta-happy.
And the best news? It
won’t cost you a penny.
£free / pixlr.com/express
88 bluesmart
black
Equipped with a location
tracker, a battery pack
to boost your gear as you
roll and a phone-controlled
lock, this PU-clad case
is cleverer than it looks.
It even has digital scales
built in, so you can calculate
the cost of your haul from
your palm.
€600 / bluesmart.com
86
87 fitbit alta
Fitbit is back with the Alta, SoundMagic
a simple wristband that E10C
pitches day-and-night
tracking to the everyman.
It might lack heart data and Bin those bundled buds:
waterproofing, but accurate there’s no excuse for
automatic sleep tracking having bad sound when
and motivating movement you can slap down £40
reminders might just for the excellent E10Cs.
convince the uncertain SoundMagic has made
to kit up. the inline remote on
these in-ears work with
£100 / fitbit.com everything, and they sound
unbelievable for the cash.

£40 / soundmagic.com

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DESTINY
+

THE MARTIAN
÷

STAR WARS:
THE OLD
REPUBLIC
=

MASS EFFECT
ANDROMEDA

85 84
fujifilm
x-pro2

Most gadgets end up

plex
Playing panacea to media
hoard disorder, this app
puts all your digital content
– from films and photos
to music and movies – at
your fingertips wherever
you are. The Media Server
software scans and sorts
stuff before making it
available to share with
any app-equipped device.
£free (IAPs) / plex.tv
compromising somewhere
down the line. Not so the
Fujifilm X-Pro2, which
manages to tick every
box on the most discerning
camera geek’s wish list.
Along with its achingly hip
retro rangefinder style, it
has all manner of clever
features, such as dual
optical and electronic
viewfinders and dual
SD card slots. And, most
importantly, it takes
superb 24MP photos
resplendent with Fuji’s
never-bettered colours
and custom filters.
83 Moon
Live out all your Moon
landing fantasies with this
Kickstarter-funded globe,
the most accurate model
of our cheesy neighbour to
date. it’s a 1:20million-scale
replica complete with the
very same craters and
ridges, rendered in 3D,
that Armstrong and his
crew explored in 1969.
£400 / moonproject.space

£1350 / fujifilm.com

43
82 turntables
The original lossless audio format
has enjoyed a resurrection in recent
years, with more and more vinyl
records being sold. So there’s never
been a better time to buy a turntable.
Here are four of the tastiest…

Pro-Ject VT-E 81 Sony 80 GPinto On 79 Atmo Sfera

Try turning your regular
turntable on its side and
you’ll soon find out that
the records fall off. So it’s
a good job Pro-Ject turned
this concept into a real,
shut-up-and-take-our-
money product. If it sounds
half as good as Pro-Ject’s
other decks, we’ll take two.
PS-HX500
Like an electric penny
farthing or a Wi-Fi quill,
Sony’s PS-HX500 is a fine
example of old meets new.
Plug it into a PC via USB
and convert your vinyl into
hi-res audio files. Then you
just need something else
compatible to play them on.
With a valve preamp and
power source (take your
pick from 100, 250 or 500
Watts) built in, all you need
to do with GPinto’s On
is add a set of speakers.
There’s aptX Bluetooth
onboard too, so you can
feed tunes from your
phone through it.
No platter? No problem!
Atmo’s Kickstarted Sfera
spins your records in mid-
air, with Bluetooth and a
phono preamp built in to
the base. Why no platter?
Because without one
there’s nothing for those
sound-spoiling vibrations
to flow through.

£230 / project-audio.com £450 / sony.co.uk €3000 / gpinto.it €895 / audiodeva.com

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77

Jaguar
f-type svr

Supercars aren’t supposed

to be practical – but that
hasn’t stopped Jaguar
designing the F-Type
SVR, a two-seat, 200mph
coupé that you can take
to the shops. Lighter
than the standard model
thanks to a lean design
methodology, it also
Dark Souls Board game happens to be radically
powerful – courtesy of
a re-calibrated 5-litre V8
How best to continue the legacy of an immensely popular engine – while still offering
video game series? By launching a follow-up board game on the kind of comfort Jaguar
Kickstarter, of course! Featuring bosses, characters and a owners expect.
uniquely complex strategy system – all set within the Dark
Souls universe. Now fully funded, it should be out next year. £110,000 / jaguar.co.uk

£tba / steamforged.com

75

76 apple 74 colorware 73 MultiNet

ipad pro
Apple’s latest tablet still
beats all comers, thanks
to superb performance,
a gorgeous display and
support for accessories
– Steve Jobs hated the
concept, but Apple’s stylus
is a dream for arty types.
Oh, and it’ll handle games
too, but don’t tell your
boss that.
from £500 / apple.com
Want absolutely everything
in life to match your
Lumigon T3 favourite pants? It’s time
to try ColorWare’s brand
of iPhone customisation.
Plenty of phones these days have superpowers, from Pick your desired hues and
the Moto X Force’s Hulk-like strength to the LG G5’s patterns – for the buttons,
Iron Man-esque appendages. To that list we can now the logo, you name it – and
add the Lumigon T3 and its ability to see in the dark. send them your handset.
Thanks to its 4MP night-vision camera and dual-IR They’ll paint it up and ship it
flashes, it’ll be like having Daredevil inside your mobile, back; your life will be better.
only without all the fighting.
US$300 / colorware.com
£700 / lumigon.com
ResetPlug
“Have you tried turning
it off and on again?” Plug
your router into MultiNet’s
ResetPlug and it’ll do the
job for you if you ever lose
connection – handy if
you’ve got smarthome
kit that relies on a constant
connection and things fall
over when you’re out.
US$60 / resetplug.com

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72
JUSTIFIED
+

DOGMA
+

THE EVIL
DEAD
=

Preacher

Adeptly adapted from the original comic book series,

Preacher is a beguilingly gory exposition of fantasy
made real – equal parts comedy, thriller and dramatic
horror. A pilot that pitched exploding preachers to the
public set the tone for what is now a widely popular
series, with a second due for release in 2017.

Amazon Prime Instant Video

ue roll 2

There are now more types

71 flow hive
The Flow Hive dramatically
shortens the process of
getting honey from a
beehive, thanks to its
ingenious frame design.
Turn a handle and its cells,
filled with wax and honey,
split and allow the golden
nectar down a tube and
onto your toast. There’s
a real buzz about this one.
70 august
smart lock
Serial key-losers rejoice!
Using your existing locks,
the August Smart Lock
connects to your Android
or iOS smartphone via
Bluetooth, automatically
unlocking as you approach.
You can also create virtual
guest keys and track who
comes in and out.
of Bluetooth speaker on
Earth than species of
beetle (around 400,000),
but the UE Roll 2 stands
out thanks to its colourful
face, waterproofing and
bungee cord. Yes, bungee
cord – so you can attach
it to your belt when you
abseil down a mountain.
£80 / ultimateears.com
68 Schenker
XMG U726
Think you can’t play games
on a laptop? Well, this is
no ordinary laptop. Its Intel
Skylake i7 chip is straight
from a desktop, and
the 17.3in QFHD display
is powered by a zippy
GeForce GTX 980 graphics
card. A 4K-ready beast of
a mobile gaming machine.

US$340 / honeyflow.com $200 / august.com from £1750 / xmg.gg

46
The first 360°
VR Action Cam.
#explorein360

Visit: www.kodakpixpro.com/Europe
 LUST LIST
67 archer
The seventh season of this
ace adult animation has just
gone off air in the US, and
we can’t wait for it to hit
the UK. Netflix looks certain
to bag it for us Brits, but it
could be a few long, hard
months before we’re back
with Archer and the gang
as they open a Hollywood
detective agency.
fxnetworks.com
48
65
66 Naim kodak super8
Mu-so qb
The camera on which so
With a 32-bit signal many directors learned
processor and a carefully their trade holds a special
aligned array of high-end place in the hearts of
drivers, tweeters and cinephiles worldwide. This
woofers, Naim’s mini- resurrection of the Kodak
monolith pumps out some Super8 still uses the same
serious sound. And with 1965 film cartridges, which
Bluetooth, AirPlay and can be sent to Kodak for
Spotify on board, you’ll processing, with a digital
not be short of support. version thrown in.
£600 / naimaudio.com £tba / kodak.com
64
we happy few
A ’60s community kept
docile on hallucinogenics
is the setting for this game.
You play a man who has
realised all is not well. Can
you blend in long enough to
escape, or will the doped-
up masses find you out
and bash your brains in?
£30 /
compulsiongames.com

63
iphone se
When Apple finally made
a couple of big iPhones,
it delighted millions. The
mediocre 5C also upset
a fair few, who wanted
flagship smarts in a smaller
package. The SE rights
that wrong, cramming 6s
tech into an iPhone 5-sized
package – at a relatively
modest price.
£360 / apple.com
LUST LIST
misfit ray
Activity-tracking tech,
sleep-sensing smarts
and handy vibration
alerts – all hidden within 61 Nest 3.0
an intriguingly minimalist
aluminium shell – make
this tubular motivator Who needs a butler to
anything but a misfit… fiddle with the boiler? Stick
whether you wear it on this pretty puck on the wall
your wrist, around your and it will quickly learn just
neck or elsewhere. Its how toasty you like the
coolest trick? Controlling lounge – and when. What’s
the lights – or, if you’re more, nifty features such
that way inclined, snapping as eco-encouragement
selfies – courtesy of a and emergency system
programmable button. shutdowns make it more
Everything’s handled companion than controller.
through the Link app, as
a multicolour LED delivers £200 / nest.com
on-device updates.
£82 / misfit.com
59 Lego
Creator
Lego Technic Porsche 911 VW Beetle
Lego’s for kids, you say? Pah! What child could truly Craft yourself a slice of the
appreciate the intricate beauty of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS ’60s via the 1167 pieces of
faithfully recreated using 2704 pieces of plastic (most this authentic VW Beetle
of them orange)? OK, so the body might be blockier set, complete with azure
than the sweeping aerodynamics of the real thing, but blue paint job. Then push
throw in opening doors and authentic stickers, and it around the rug to the
you’ve got a majestic model that’s not for sticky fingers. sound of Sgt Pepper.
£250 / lego.com £70 / lego.com
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58

Roli
Seaboard Rise 57
When is a keyboard not a
keyboard? Why, when it’s
made of flexible rubber,
titanfall 2 allowing you to bend and
squidge each and every
key, altering the pitch and
They say all’s fair in love and war. So even if you’re piloting a blowing people’s ears. With
robot the size of a house, you can mow down your foes as access to a vast sound
you please. The sequel to EA’s mech-tastic 2014 shooter library and an effects pad,
has a single-player campaign as well as online multiplayer, this is worthy of a Mos
and looks like being 2016’s most destructive shooter. Eisley Cantina band.

titanfall.com from £600 / roli.com

pebble core 55 Philips toyota Mirai 53 philips 52 garmin

Music and exercise go
together like cheese and
baked beans: you can have
one without the other, but
really, what’s the point?
Pebble knows this, so its
new iPod Shuffle-like Core
comes with a SIM card so
you can stream Spotify
without lugging your phone
around with you. Genius.
65PUS8901
Philips has decided to break
the TV mould then launch it
into orbit by attaching nine
– yes, nine – pico projectors
to the rear of its 4K
AmbiLux telly. The result is
an explosion of colour and
shapes. Great for games,
movies and kaleidoscope
YouTube videos.
Forget diesel or unleaded:
the Mirai does away with
an engine altogether… and
emits only water. Hydrogen
from on-board tanks
meets air from outside,
reacting in the fuel cells to
generate the electricity and
get this motorless machine
rolling cleanly. One day we’ll
all drive like this.
fidelio b5
Not to be mistaken for a
shiny door wedge, this
soundbar’s smart surprise
is detachable rear speakers
that deliver surround
sound on demand. The
spatial calibration tech
means astounding audio
wherever you stick the
cable-free friends.
vivoactive hr
This might just be Garmin’s
best wrist gadget yet:
a hi-res touchscreen, a
spread of sports apps
and built-in GPS make
the Vivoactive HR a truly
capable companion for
stat-thirsty sweaters
looking to leave their
smartphone at home.

£tba / pebble.com £4000 / philips.co.uk £66,000 / toyota.co.uk £600 / philips.co.uk £210 / garmin.com

50

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Google project ara 49 Photos 48 gboard

As tech’s most maverick company, Google Google’s Project Ara is set Not only does Google Bored with your plain
makes a lot of ingenious stuff – and that to blow the modular phone Photos give you unlimited old iPhone keyboard?
sense of trailblazing brilliance is the thing competition out of the storage for free – it also Google’s got you sorted.
that tallies its products together. After all, water when it ships out to groups them together Its free Gboard app bakes
those search billions aren’t going to spend developers this autumn. with cheeky animations in search, gifs and, yes,
themselves. Here are four of Google’s A phone you can keep and gives you basic editing emoji so they’re all just
recent products that have made us look, forever? We’re sold. tools to boot. a swipe away.
made us stare, and made us wonder what
they might come up with next… £tba / atap.google.com £free / photos.google.com £free / itunes.apple.com

50

46 luke cage 45 infento LG G5

Haven’t had your fill of the
Marvel Universe? Good
news! Luke Cage is soon to
hit Netflix. Viewers first met
Cage – with his Hulk-like
strength and impenetrable
skin – in the eminently
popular Jessica Jones (also
on Netflix); and if that one’s
anything to go by, he’ll be
well worth a watch.
Want your offspring to be
the next Adrian Newey?
Start them young with
Infento, a modular mobility
kit that apes traditional
ride-on toys with its clever
construction system, so
budding engineers can build
an array of rides that get
bigger as they do. F1 is but
a nut and bolt away.
If modular phones are the
future, LG’s playing the Doc
Brown role: whip the G5’s
bottom off and you can clip
on an audio-enhancing
DAC or battery-boosting
camera grip. Screen, power
and design are all top-
notch too, making it a
modular phone you’ll
really want to own.

netflix.com $300 / infentorides.com £430 / lg.com

52

47 chromecast
audio
Bluetooth speakers be
damned – plug this into
any hi-fi amp or powered
speaker and it’ll turn it into
a device that can handle all
your music streaming.
£30 / google.com
42
sea of thieves
What little child didn’t want
to be a pirate growing up?
Rare’s upcoming open-
world multiplayer pirate
adventure looks set to
make our dreams come
true, with a gloriously
vibrant world packed with
feisty ship-to-ship battles,
explorable islands and the
odd pint of grog.
seaofthieves.com
LUST LIST
aerial nomad
Sitting on a nest egg and not sure
which lightweight dune buggy to blow
it on? Ariel’s newest wagon is an off-
43
road monster of the highest calibre.
Harnessing 235bhp in a composite
polyethylene shell that weighs a paltry
670kg, it’s no wonder Ariel fitted this
rally-bred beast with harnesses. Once
you’ve hit 60mph in 3.4 secs, it’s worth
admiring the Nomad’s aggressive
exoskeleton (besides, there’s little else
in the pared-back cockpit to catch your
eye). Feeling creative? The options list
is longer than the spec sheet, so you
can tightly tune your new toy before
belting around the Tesco car park.
£33,000 / aerialmotor.co.uk
40 3doodler 39 smarter
create fridge cam
Pebble 2 3Doodler has worked Smart fridges are all the
its magic once again, rage, but they’re pricey.
shrinking its handheld British startup Smarter has
The Pebble 2 is thinner and lighter than its 3D printer to the size of a cheaper option (probably
predecessor, but the real reason you’ll want a marker pen. It’s quieter around £80) in its Fridge
one is that it serves up quick-release straps and runs cooler too, while Cam. It takes a photo
for instant accessory matching, along with offering greater control, whenever you open the
a heart-rate sensor that, combined with thanks to adjustable fridge door, so when you’re
the Pebble Health app, will help you train melting speed settings out shopping you can
your way to a better you. and switchable nozzles. check what you need.
£100 / pebble.com £80 / the3doodler.com £tba / smarter.am
41 53
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NO man’s sky
38
Already years in the making before
its recent delay, it’s fair to say that
anticipation for No Man’s Sky is at
fever pitch for launch this month.
First of all, it’s the biggest game ever
made with 18 quintillion planets – an
impossibly large galaxy to explore,
and one that you’d only ever scratch
the surface of even if you played
for years. It also looks absolutely
stunning, has a brilliant soundtrack

37
by 65daysofstatic, and has some neat
online features such as the ability to
name the planets you discover.

no-mans-sky.com

dyson
supersonic

Dyson’s Supersonic is
more than just a load
of hot air. Dyson says
it fights the frizz up to
eight times faster than
the competition, without
the bulk of a professional
hairdryer. A V9 motor in
the handle means no more
trapped tresses, and it’s
quieter than other dryers.

£300 / dyson.co.uk

33

36
coboc
one rome
If cycling to work has you
puffing but bulky electric
bikes leave you cold,
Coboc’s ONE Rome is the
answer. Its battery can
drive the 250W hub motor
for 80km and, although at
14.4kg it’s hardly as svelte
as a racing bike, the whizz
is worth the weight.
£3000 / coboc.co.uk
Panono
Addicted to panoramas?
You will be after trying
Panono, a plastic sphere
studded with 36 lenses.
Once you’ve sent the
files to the cloud via your
smartphone, you’ll have
a self-stitched, 360° shot
in a jiffy. The 16GB onboard
storage can hold up to
600 images.
from €1500 / panono.com
34 johammer j1
This electric motorbike
looks like a pizza cutter for
a reason. Its chassis’s low
centre of gravity means
the J1 can pack in enough
batteries to run for 125
miles on a single charge.
And its regenerative brakes
help it build up extra charge
on the move.
from €22900 /
johammer.com
KIndle oasis
Spending £270 on an
ebook reader may seem
crazy, but when you pick up
the impossibly slim Oasis,
all logic goes kaput. It’s a
gorgeous, decadent object
which, when slathered
in a leather battery case,
offers months of reading
goodness for those who
live for consuming words.
£270 / amazon.co.uk
32 Lenovo
phab 2 pro
Say hello to augmented
reality in your pocket:
Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro is the
first smartphone to pack
Google’s titillating Tango
tech. Fancy measuring
objects with your mobile,
or shooting zombies on
the go? It’s all possible on
the 6.4in QHD display.
US$500 / lenovo.com

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31
geneva
aerosphere
large
The afro hairstyle has played a huge
part in shaping musical history. Would
Sly Stone have been as influential with
a short back and sides? Geneva has
commemorated the do’s influence by
giving an afro trim to the AeroSphere.
Under the barnet are two 1in tweeters,
two 4in woofers and an up-firing
6in subwoofer. Add an AeroSphere
Base and you can even connect four
together for some multiroom action.

£650 / genevalab.com

30
bluesound
pulse mini
Less hairy but no less talented is
Bluesound’s Pulse Mini – part of a
veritable supergroup of products that
trumps Sonos in one important area:
hi-res audio. The whole range supports
MQA files, including this all-in-one
speaker. It’s all controlled from a neat
mobile app, with Bluetooth connectivity
and support for all the major streaming
services. And if you want it to have an
afro, you could always buy it a wig.

£420 / bluesound.com

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29 mr robot 28 resident evil 27 tomatan

Write s0me code, fl1p a
switch, era5e the world’s
debt. Unstable hactivist
Eliot’s scheme dominated
the first season of Mr
Robot, the brilliant US
drama scooped up for the
UK by Amazon. Season 2
sees the FBI on his tail…
and he’s still having visions
of his dead father.
7: Biohazard
Resident Evil 4: Classic.
Resi 5: Fairly enjoyable.
Resi 6: Disaster. Thankfully,
the seventh iteration
returns the series to its
horror roots. It’s also the
first Resi to be played
completely in first person,
which should be terrifying
using PlayStation VR.
It’s all very well wearing a
band that can count your
steps and measure your
heart rate, but if you’re
too weak to make it to
the finish line, what’s
the point? Step forward
Tomatan – a Japanese
robot that rides on your
back and feeds you
tomatoes as you go.

Amazon Prime capcom.co.jp bit.ly/TomatanVideo

26 tangram
smart ropE

Yes, it is a skipping rope,

but this one has 23 LEDs
in its cable. They’ll display
number of jumps, plus
other stats, in the air before
your eyes while you skip.
Then you can send them to
your phone via Bluetooth.
US$90 /
tangramfactory.com
Canon EF-M
28mm f/3.5
Macro IS STM
Like the look of the ring
flash but already own
a Canon EOS M? This
macro lens has one
built in, making it the
perfect way to take your
#eatclean lunch shots
to the next level.
24 impossible
project i-1
If the creators of Instagram travelled BEST FREE
back in time and invented the Polaroid GAMES FOR
camera, it’d probably be a lot like the YOUR CHEAP
Impossible I-1. It uses Polaroid-type PHONE:
film for instant analogue results but SUPER
can be paired with your phone using STICKMAN
Bluetooth, allowing you to mess about GOLF 3
with the shutter speed, flash power CLASH
and aperture (ISO is dictated by the ROYALE
25 film, remember). There’s also a set of SWORDIGO
Hipstamatic-style shooting modes,
such as light painting and double
exposures, plus a scanner function so
you can digitise your analogue wares.
Not forgetting that the built-in ring
flash will do wonders for your selfies.

£295 / canon.co.uk from £230 / impossible-project.com

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 LUST LIST

23
22
Raspberry pi 3

Is there a more versatile

computer than the
Raspberry Pi 3? Whether
you want something cheap
to play retro games on,
a bargain media streamer
or a brain to run your DIY
smarthome, it’s got all the
power and ports you need
– and it’s still only £30.

£30 / raspberrypi.org

21 morgan ev3
Vodafone smart prime 7 It’s not just Tesla making
electric cars that’ll give
you a buzz. While Morgan
Turns out it’s not just OnePlus that can churn out excellent phones is best known for its
for not much money. Vodafone’s best will cost you even less: £75 vintage-styled three-
is all you’ll need to fork out for the Smart Prime 7, but to hold it in wheelers, the EV3’s retro
your hand you’d never know. The 5in 720p screen is a treat, the looks hide a more modern
faux carbon fibre back is a nice touch, the battery will get you from approach to motoring.
breakfast to bedtime, and even though it’s got Vodafone in the This plug-in single-seater
name there’s no irritating custom interface slowing things down emits nothing nastier
– it’s untouched Android (of the Marshmallow variety). Compared than smiles.
to other phones at this price it’s no slouch, and while the camera
won’t win you any Pulitzers it’s good enough for feeding your £tba / morgan-motor.co.uk
Instagram account. TL;DR? It’s a total bargain.
20
amazon echo
It looks like Darth Vader
reincarnated as a tube of
Pringles, and Amazon’s
Echo is rumoured to be
heading to the UK. Alexa
(as it likes to be called)
could soon be making
lists, DJing and controlling
your lights, using nothing
but your voice to take
commands.

£75 / vodafone.co.uk £tba / amazon.co.uk

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 LUST LIST
Hp spectre 13
If the HP Spectre 13 got any thinner it’d be two sheets of
paper taped together with a screen and buttons drawn on.
With a 13in display and Core i7 processor it’s clearly trying
to land one on the latest MacBook, but HP has shaved
almost 3mm off Apple’s own lightweight laptop.
from £1300 / hp.co.uk
17 dyson
360 eye
Many years in the making
but only now starting to
suck the grime from UK
carpets… no dirt is safe
from Dyson’s robot
vacuum. The Eye of its
name is the 360° camera
on top, which it uses to see
where it’s been and what
else needs to be cleaned.
£800 / dyson.co.uk
58
16 Meem
Like putting the bins out,
backing up your phone is
one of those chores that’s
too easy to forget. Meem
means you don’t have
to remember. With up to
32GB storage built in, it
backs everything up every
time you plug your iPhone
in to charge, with the data
stored on the cable itself.
£40 / meemmemory.com
18
ghost recon
wildlands
Having fought to take back
control of the ruined streets of
Manhattan in The Division, virtual
vigilantes are now looking for a
new challenge – and good old
Tom Clancy is on hand to provide
one. Wildlands transports you to
South America as part of a team
of Ghosts – four Special Ops
soldiers who plan to take down
a drug cartel using any means
possible. With the biggest open-
world landscape Ubisoft has ever
made – taking in snow-capped
mountains, dusty deserts and
dense rainforests – you’ll have
various modes of transport at
your disposal, with drones to
scope out Santa Blanca cartel
bases. That gives it a feeling of
Just Cause meets Call Of Duty,
with all the flexibility of the
former, the gunplay of the latter
and the four-player co-op larks
of The Division. Is it any wonder
our trigger fingers are so itchy?
ghost-recon.ubisoft.com
14
15 Westworld
Imagine a mash-up of giroptic
The Matrix, Deadwood
and The Truman Show
and you’ve just pitched Giroptic’s 360° camera
Westworld to HBO. With shoots VR-friendly
trailers full of shootouts, footage, stitching it
sex and weird sci-fi stuff, together in real time
it’s shaping up to fill a so it can be immediately
GoT-shaped hole on our streamed. Unscrew the
Sky boxes. You will be base and you can add an
showing it, right, Sky? Ethernet adaptor, or a
lightbulb attachment that
hbo.com/westworld allows you to screw it into
any compatible light fitting.
€500 / eu.360.tv

13
lenovo
moto z
What LG started with the
modular G5, Lenovo has
picked up with the Moto Z.
This 5.5in Android phone
allows add-ons known as
Moto Mods to piggyback
via magnets, letting you
snap on a speaker, mini
projector or bigger battery,
with more to come.
£tba / lenovo.com
LUST LIST
+ ÷ =
GTA V JUST CAUSE THE DIVISION GHOST RECON
WILDLANDS
nike
hyperadapt
12
The only hoverboards that
have made it from Back
To The Future to real life
are those two-wheeled,
motorised idiot plinths, but
that’s not the case for all of 11 htc vive
the film’s gadgetry. Having
produced an exact replica
(minus the self-lacing) of It requires more DIY than
Marty McFly’s futuristic most gadgets and doesn’t
kicks back in 2011, Nike’s come cheap, but HTC’s
latest Hyperadapt shoes Vive is the one bit of new
have a sensor inside that tech that can turn luddites
tightens the laces when into acolytes in a matter
you put them on. Feeling of minutes. Its awesome
a little snug on your feet? motion-tracking and
There’s a button on either grin-inducing games
side to tighten or loosen show what VR is capable
them. The shoes will go of when done properly.
on sale to Nike+ members
later in the year. £690 / htcvive.com
£tba / nike.com
59
 10
apple macbook
& mac OS sierra
In case it wasn’t already clear that the robot
uprising was looming, Siri’s imminent arrival on
Mac OS X at least shows that they’ll help us sort
through our emails before they enslave us. Sierra
also follows voice commands to search for files,
play music, schedule meetings, launch websites,
check the football scores, adjust settings,
transcribe emails as you dictate them and,
of course, that old favourite: check the weather.
But it’s not all chatty business – Sierra also adds
Google Photos-style picture recognition, and
lets you use your Apple Watch to unlock your
Leica m-d
For many, a camera without a screen is like a
phone without an earpiece. Sure, it can still make
calls, but without being able to hear what’s being
said in response you might not end up with the
spicy meat feast pizza you thought you’d ordered.
So unless you know your way around apertures,
shutter speeds and an ISO dial without resorting
to trial and error, Leica’s latest rangefinder
probably isn’t the camera for you. The idea behind
ditching the screen is to remove distractions and
bring back some of the anticipation and delayed
gratification that came with 35mm photography.
If you’re suitably skilled that will also bring back
the disappointment of finding you’ve shot a load
of gloomy duds… but when it costs nearly £5000,
comes with a full-frame 24MP sensor and only
shoots in DNG, this clearly isn’t a camera aimed
at point ’n’ shoot beginners.
from £4650 / leica-camera.com

9
MacBook. And what a laptop it is: breathtakingly
thin and light, with USB-C for charging and speedy
data transfers, an eyeball-tickling Retina display
and 10-hour battery life. If all robot uprisings are as
helpful as this, we welcome our new AI overlords.

from £1300 / apple.com

RAW POWER
Shooting only in RAW means
you get more control over
things like exposure and
white balance when it comes
to editing your snaps.

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 LUST LIST

OUTSIDE THE BOX

8
Some of Microsoft’s biggest
new games will be ‘Play
Anywhere’: if you download
them you can play on both
your console and a Win 10 PC.

microsoft
xbox one s
As the saying goes, if at first you
don’t succeed, make it better and
stick an ‘S’ on the end of it. Which
is what Microsoft has done with
its not-quite-as-good-as-a-PS4
games console. Three years after
the Xbox One was unveiled, the
new Xbox One S has been given
a few new strings for its bow.
Even though it’s 40% smaller,
Microsoft has managed to
squeeze in a UHD Blu-ray drive
(although games will still top
out at 1080p), HDR support and
the option of a 2TB hard drive. The
cheapest 4K disc-spinners start
at £400, so the fact that the most
roomy One S will be £350 when it
goes on sale this summer sounds
like a stonking deal for any 4K TV
owners. With the Xbox Scorpio
due next year, some might be
tempted to wait; but with a great
line-up of games heading our
way, nobody would blame you
for tucking a One S under the telly.

£350 / xbox.com

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 LUST LIST
6 STUFF’S
FAVOURITE
BATTLES:
HORSES
ARMOURED
TRAINS
BIPLANES &
samsung ZEPPELINS

gear iconx

7 ‘Wireless’ in-ear headphones are

rarely truly wireless. See that thing
connecting them? That’s a wire. See
Samsung’s Gear IconX buds? Not a
wire in sight – pop one in each ear and
you’re good to go. And they can work
without the help of a phone, using an
integrated heart-rate monitor and
accelerometer to track your fitness
through your lugs. You also get 4GB
of built-in storage to hold up to 1000
music tracks, there’s Bluetooth on
board too, of course, so you can
stream from an Android phone if
you’re off on a lengthy run, plus the
case doubles as a charger. Tunes are
controlled using gestures on a touch-
sensitive panel on the outside, and
there are motivational messages
piped into your ears (for when you’re
exercising, not just to get you through

5
day-to-day life). They also come with
an ambient sound mode that lets in
external noises, so you’ll be able to
hear that thunderous truck coming
before you step into the road.

from £170 / samsung.com

Battlefield 1
“If I could turn back time,” sang
Cher in 1989. “If I could find a way,
sky q I’d take back that volley of bullets
from a Browning machine gun and
you’d stay alive.” But Cher can’t
We’ve watched so much telly we’d like turn back time. Luckily for her,
to think we’re experts. Best series of EA can. And after a few years
The Wire? Season two, obviously. The of moving the Battlefield series
Simpsons? Not worth watching after closer to the present day,
season 13. Ready Steady Cook? Due Battlefield 1 goes back further
a revival (with Ainsley, not Fern). So we than ever. The setting might be
reckon that qualifies us to say what new but the recipe is the same:
the best way to watch TV is – and 64-person multiplayer battles
that’s Sky Q. Before you even get into set across sprawling landscapes
all the multiroom and tablet streaming that take more of a battering than
skills it possesses, or the arsenal of a French cafe after an England
tuners and masses of recording space, game. As usual there’s a fleet
Sky Q’s EPG marks it out as being a of vehicles to ferry you and your
step ahead of the competition, making comrades around but now there’s
everything else feel positively ancient also an extra class: Behemoths.
in comparison. Plus, with 4K coming Nothing can prepare you for the
for the start of the Premier League first time you see a ginormous
season you’ll soon have something blimp looming across the map,
to fill all those extra pixels on your although you’ll soon stop gawping
Ultra HD telly. Until then there’s the when it starts to rain artillery fire
relaunched Sky Cinema channels, down on you. The only thing more
which will offer more detail and better impressive is seeing one brought
colours thanks to a change in the way crashing to earth – as you’re
films are encoded. And with a new underneath it. All that can save
premiere every night, that’s your you in that situation is a time
excuse for staying in sorted. machine. Isn’t that right, Cher?

from £100 +£42/month / sky.com battlefield.com

62
 LUST LIST

4
LG oled55c6v
Nobody’s ever sat down to watch
Game Of Thrones and complained
how fat their telly looks. If you’re
spending more time gazing at the
frame than Tormund’s luscious ginger
beard then you’re watching TV wrong
– when it’s pushed up against the wall,
how thick it is really doesn’t matter.
But that doesn’t stop us hopelessly
lusting after LG’s OLED55C6V. It’s the
organic LED tech that allows this telly
to be so skinny, but fortunately that’s
not all it’s got going for it. OLED also
allows the blacks to be blacker than
a goth’s bedsheets and the colours
to pop like a Smarties tube stuffed
full of bangers. Obviously it’s 4K and
supports HDR, so you can get the
most out of those Amazon and
Netflix subscriptions, or plug in
a new Xbox One S to spin Ultra HD
Blu-rays. It also sounds far more
full-bodied than its lithe physique
would suggest, although obviously
to get the best out of this £3000
telly you’re still better off investing
in a decent soundbar.

£3000 / lg.com

NOW WATCH THIS MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

With its frantic action sequences and
stunning colour palette, we can’t think
of a better film to test out your new telly.

63
 LUST LIST
3 vr (and neo)
Tesla model x
If we’d put any other SUV on this list – a Renault
Kadjar, Dacia Duster or Hyundai Santa Fe, for
example – you’d quite rightly turn this page
quicker than you could say: “Maybe Jeremy
Clarkson wasn’t so bad.” And there’s no hiding
from it – Tesla’s Model X is definitely an SUV
(albeit a very neat and tidy one). But how many
SUVs can accelerate away from Sainsbury’s faster
than an Audi R8? Or have a windscreen so large
it’s like sitting at the front on the top deck of your
very own double-decker bus? How many do you
know that have an autopilot mode that steers
automatically, changes lanes and maintains your
speed for you? And how many SUVs do you know
that have a set of sweet gullwing doors like some
sort of asphalt-munching hypercar? The Model X
might be adept at doing the school run, trips to
Ikea and taking a really massive dog (or lots of
little ones) for a walk, but that doesn’t mean it’s
not the most awesome car on the road.
from £64,900 / tesla.com
64
2
Sony playstation
As fun hats go, not even a fez can beat a virtual
reality headset. But even the most hardened VR
fan would have to admit their favourite pastime
is still niche. PlayStation will soon change that.
Come October, everyone with a PS4 can join the
VR revolution for £350. The PlayStation Camera
will track your movement, while a pair of Move
wands can be used to interact with stuff in VR,
a bit like a budget version of the Vive’s brilliant
motion-sensitive controllers. And that’s before
we’ve even mentioned the games. Resident Evil 7
(see p56) will be even more terrifying; Farpoint
puts a blaster in your hand (literally, with Sony’s
new lightgun-style Aim Controller) to fight a
planet full of acid-spitting aliens; and Batman:
Arkham VR will turn you into the caped crusader
himself. And you know what they say: always be
yourself, unless you can be Batman. STUFF’S
MOST
from £350 / playstation.com WANTED
PSVR GAMES:
FARPOINT
BATMAN VR
BOUND
THUMPER
 FIRST TEST ONEPLUS 3

Third time plucky

OnePlus is gunning for the big boys with a phone that
promises flagship performance at a mid-range price…
so is 3 an even more magic number than we thought?
£330 / stuff.tv/OnePlus3
OnePlus phones are spun out
of viral marketing – without the
social media posts and clickybaity
claims, they’d be nowhere. And as 3
the subject of so much hyperbole,
the OnePlus 3 should be a rubbish,
annoying phone. But it’s not.
This is the best buy in the phone
world right now, and deserves
to be at the top of your list if you
want a great smartphone but
can’t afford those flagship prices.
At under £350, it deserves to
cost Samsung and Apple at least
a few million sales.
OnePlus has confidence now,
and the 3 doesn’t try so hard as
its predecessors to look different.
It has a new look that’s fresh but
familiar. The shell is made from
4
anodised aluminium, looking a lot
like the HTC 10 but perhaps even
more attractive. And if you think
plain metal is boring, you can add
a slim case that will alter the finish
while only adding to the thickness
(and price) a tiny bit.
As ever, though, what really
matters is performance. So what
is it about the OnePlus 3 that’s
got us so excited?

1 Core blimey 2 Storage hunter 3 Panel beater

Like the OnePlus 2, general
performance is great. It’s quick
and there are no silly transition
animations to slow things down.
You’re getting a lot of grunt for
your cash with the Snapdragon
820, a top-end quad-core CPU
with super-powered Kyro cores.
All OnePlus 3s have 64GB of
storage, which is loads (and four
times the amount you get in an
entry-level iPhone 6s). There’s
no microSD slot, but you’re
unlikely to miss it. And 6GB of
RAM is more than most laptops
you’ll find at this price.
This is a 1080p screen rather than
an ultra-high-density QHD one,
but the perceptible difference
isn’t vast and few phones offer
higher resolution at this kind
of price. It uses an OLED panel,
meaning contrast and black levels
are fantastic.

24 hours with the

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66
 FIRST TEST ONEPLUS 3

Tech specs
Screen 5.5in 1920x1080 Optic AMOLED
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core
OS OxygenOS 3.1.2 (based on Android 6.0.1)
Cameras 16MP rear, 8MP front Battery 3000mAh
Storage 64GB non-expandable RAM 6GB
Dimensions 153x75x7.4mm, 158g

5 Ready for its close-up

The OnePlus 3’s 16MP rear camera looks beautiful
on paper, but how does it perform in the real world?

Q Ultra-vivid scene Q Eight days a tweak

Colour ranges from good
to gorgeous in daylight,
and the quality of the
HDR mode blows previous
1 OnePlus phones out of
the water. And as you’d
hope from a 16MP sensor,
detail is excellent.
Dynamic range is great,
but this OnePlus is very
keen on image processing.
Even in very bright
conditions, the images
look pretty ‘tweaked’
right down at pixel level.
It’s rarely ugly, though.

Q Willing and stable Q ISO dearie me

4 Interface, not in yer face
OxygenOS 3.1.2 is one of the
least offensive custom UIs
around – because on the
surface it looks just like normal
Android. You get a vertical apps
menu scroll, normal-looking
homescreens and a totally
familiar settings menu.
. ne
5 Sensory overload
This is one of the best phone
cameras you’ll find at the price,
for a bunch of reasons (see right).
First and foremost, it’s simply
good hardware. It has lots of
megapixels, and a big 1/2.8in
sensor that’s larger than the
ones in some compact cameras.
n
ar c
Optical image stabilisation Unless you do select
ensures fewer blurry night that manual mode, the
pictures, and you can use camera is way too eager
the manual mode to slow to crank up the ISO
the shutter for better sensitivity instead of
low-light shots. I’ve taken slowing the shutter speed.
pin-sharp pics with the Why doesn’t it make more
shutter at 1/4 of a second. use of that OIS?
The tech is as aggressively packed
in as ever with OnePlus, but this
is also the best-looking, most
expensive-feeling phone it has
made yet. If an extra £300 is nothing
to you, there are slightly better screens and

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good as a £600+ mobile but costs
half that… a brilliant bargain
18hrs 20hrs 21hrs 22hrs 24hrs

67
 TEST APPS
App:roved
FOR
ADMIN
ADDICTS
O Human Resource
Machine
From the team behind Little
Inferno comes this strange
puzzler set in a drab, dystopian
world. For each challenge you
use programming concepts
to ‘automate’ a worker drone,
sorting numbers according to
strict sets of rules. Over time,
the rules become increasingly
complex and your little worker
ages, wondering what the point
of it all is. There’s heart and
smarts at the core, even if
the narrative is rather slight.
Stuff says ++++,
£3.99 / iOS
68
FOR
MAC
MANIACS
OBitCam
We’ve heard people saying they
wished their iPhone was more
like a Mac, but they probably
didn’t mean one from 1984.
That’s BitCam’s lot: having your
phone see the world through
the lens of a Mac Plus, in all its
monochrome, lo-fi glory. This
app is authentic right down to
the interface, with old-school
chunky buttons and zooming
windows. But mostly it’s an
entertaining camera app: retro
fun for kids, and a nostalgia
twanger for tech veterans.
Stuff says ++++,
£free / iOS
FOR
PRUDENT
PARENTS
O BBC iPlayer Kids
Standard iPlayer’s great, but
there’s always the risk your kids
will watch something horrible
that will scar them for life (like
EastEnders). iPlayer Kids is
helpfully restricted to CBeebies
and CBBC content, optimised for
tiny paws, and yet it still enables
you to download and watch an
entire series of Danger Mouse
(we checked). It could do with
bookmarking for favourite shows
and Chromecast support on
Android, but otherwise this is
top-notch catch-up for nippers.
Stuff says ++++,
£free / Android, iOS
FOR
ROMAN
RUFFIANS
O Epic FlailTM
Not to be confused with the free
combat game of the same name
(without the TM), this 2D brawler
in fast forward has your gladiator
scooting about, getting all stabby
and occasionally jutting into
the air like a fly, all while trying
very hard to not get impaled.
It’s sort of daft but relentlessly
tough. Beat the first arena and
you’re unsportingly chained to
a post; beyond that, you have
to fend off a minotaur and avoid
being sawn in two by gigantic
spinning blades of death.
Stuff says ++++,
£1.19 / Android, iOS
 TEST APPS

Mini meme

FOOTBALL
OStats Zone
For number wonks, this app
is heaven. You select a match
and then immerse yourself in
graphs and pitch graphics with
arrows drawn all over the place,
examining in fine detail every
CAN’T MISS
attempt on goal, and how key
events unfolded. Many graphs
are animated and can also be
overlaid and compared until
your eyes glaze over.
Stuff says ++++,
£free / Android, iOS
APPS YOU ONew Star Soccer
Football Manager on mobile is
a bit weighty. For quick sessions
NSS is better, marrying basic
management with arcade
sequences as you forge a footie
career. Aggressive IAP and ads
are own goals, but otherwise
From checking the latest scores to this is a mobile treat, lasting way
blasting home a 40-yard screamer, these longer than England’s chances
at any tournament.
are the downloads to help you forget Euro
2016 (or remember it, if you’re Icelandic) Stuff says ++++,
£free (IAPs) / Android, iOS,
Windows Phone

OFIFA 16 OOnefootball OActive Soccer 2 OPixel Cup Soccer 16

Ultimate Team
The big F keeps shaking things
up on mobile, and the current
incarnation is a slightly odd mix
of card collecting and console-
style matches that look almost
like telly highlights (if you squint).
It’s smart and playable, with
decent controls… but would
it have killed EA to add some
quick match options?
Stuff says ++++,
£free (IAPs) / Android, iOS
If you’re away from the telly
but desperate to know how
your team’s doing, Onefootball
will feed a constant stream
of notifications to your phone
or wearable. If you can only take
sneaky peaks at your screen,
there’s a commentary ticker
to enjoy, along with stats, news,
and tweets.
Stuff says +++++
£free (IAPs) / Android, iOS,
Windows Phone
For 1990s kids, Sensible World
Of Soccer will always be king of
footie games; Active Soccer 2
is the closest you’ll get to it on
mobile. Games are frantic and
almost pinball-like at times;
but underlying everything is
a surprisingly rich campaign
mode, incorporating a huge
range of leagues and options.
Stuff says +++++
£3.49 / Android O £2.99 / iOS
O £2.29 / Windows Phone
Also hailing from the land of how
you imagine footie to be in your
head, rather than attempting to
recreate how it looks on the telly,
Pixel Cup Soccer 16 is a breezy,
bonkers arcade effort. Dinky
players scoot about, blazing
screamers from the halfway
line and emitting NES-like
sound effects when heading
the ball. Lovely.
Stuff says ++++,
£2.29 / iOS

69
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

Flash converters
Laptops, your end is nigh – the age of the nimble hybrid is
finally upon us. But which tablet/keyboard combo is the best?

1 Google Pixel C 2 Microsoft 3 Samsung 4 Microsoft 5 Apple

This svelte hybrid Surface Pro 4 Galaxy TabPro S Surface Book iPad Pro 9.7
is a lot cheaper Thanks to several Samsung leaps This gleaming It may seem diddy
than the rest overdue software aboard another £1000+ device next to its 12.9in
and runs on pure tweaks, the bandwagon with raises the Surface brother, but the
Android, just like Surface Pro is a a pretty tasty range to new levels smaller Pro still
a Nexus phone. contender again. gadget of its own. of desirability. packs a punch.

1 4 3

“This won’t hurt much.” “It’ll be alright
on the night.” “Size doesn’t matter
anyway.” Life is full of questionable
platitudes, and so are gadget makers.
Want to hear their latest favourite? “It’s just like
a laptop.” This time around, they might just be onto
something. That’s because a tablet and keyboard
combo gives you pretty much the same device
as a laptop… only it’s twice as lightweight and even
better suited to your late night Netflix shenanigans.
And better still, Microsoft is no longer the only
manufacturer churning out these Frankenstein
machines. In the past year, Google, Apple and
Samsung have all weighed into this burgeoning
bunfight with hybrids of their own.
Faced with a sudden abundance of choice, you’re
probably wondering which tabtop is the one to buy.
That’s why we’ve rounded all the major contenders
up into one handy supertest, so you’ll know
whether to stick with a Surface Pro or spend your
cash on one of its new rivals. These things don’t
come cheap after all.

[ Words Rob Leedham ] 71

 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

This simple Android tabtop

is the Chromebook evolved
Wait. You didn’t think Google
would go about this hybrid
business the same way as
everyone else, did you?
The simplest device on test
here is essentially a supercharged
tablet that you can buy an
optional keyboard for. Rather
than running on Chrome OS for
desktops (the software you’ll find
on a Chromebook), the Pixel C
runs Android 6.0. You know, the
interface every Nexus, Samsung
and LG smartphone uses.
Why? Apps. Whether you want
to catch up on last night’s TV, whizz
through a Google Doc on your
daily commute or live out your
most explosive Goat Simulator
fantasies, this hybrid has a wealth
of potential downloads available
straight out of the box. As you’d
expect, Google’s own offerings
are particularly slick.
This emphasis on ease of
use extends to its design as
well. The combination of a small
(for a hybrid) 10.2in display and
a diddy keyboard means your
fingers naturally type close
to the tablet’s touchscreen,
so using it is refreshingly intuitive.
Fancy sticking with a trackpad
instead? Tough. This keyboard
doesn’t come with one.
Like most Google devices, the
Pixel C is intended to be a vision of
the tech future: one where you’re
untethered from your office desk
and can control a business empire
from the corner table in Caffe
Nero. Because you know what?
That loyalty card won’t stamp
itself to a free latte.

O GOOGLE PIXEL C £400 + £120 KEYBOARD +++++

USE
THIS This hybrid is so thin you can
tuck it inside the dustjacket
of a large hardback book.
Careful with your choice –
no one will believe you’re
actually reading War & Peace.

Google Drive
Why pay for
Microsoft Office
when Google’s own
Docs, Sheets and
Slides apps are so
good? Built with
mobile in mind, these
free downloads sync
all your files via the
cloud in Google
Drive, so you can
work on them using
your phone, PC or
hybrid. The only
problem: no excuse
for missing that
Monday morning
deadline.

Recharging the Pixel C is

easily done via its USB-C
port. One tip, though: since
these cables are in short
supply, it’s worth buying
a spare.

DISPLAY DESIGN KEYBOARD & STYLUS OS

Dots not to like?
If you like pixels (and who
doesn’t?), the Pixel C’s
display has 308 per inch.
That’s more than you’ll get
from either Apple’s iPad
Pro or the Surface Pro 4.
So however you use this
hybrid, you’ll be seeing the
results in pin-sharp detail.
OOOOOOOOO
Flip and click Touchy feely Get app-y
The Pixel C is basically There’s no stylus for the Android isn’t quite as well
Google’s Chromebook Pixel C, but thankfully, equipped for tablet use
Pixel reimagined in its touchscreen is breezily as Apple’s iOS, especially
diminutive form. To put responsive, while the in terms of more creative
this hybrid into laptop keyboard itself is much sketching and video-
mode you pull its tablet better than its titchy editing apps. Still, Google’s
and keyboard apart, flip stature suggests. The OS does a tidy job, and
the tablet over and let the typing area is normal, it has all those apps that
magnets click it into place. with full-sized keys. Windows 10 doesn’t.
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO

72
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

Hallelujah! Software updates

have saved Microsoft’s star
To put it politely, the Surface Pro
4’s launch last year was a bit of a
palaver. Stymied by a bug-laden
edition of Windows 10, we found
the fourth edition of Microsoft’s
most popular hybrid to be only
slightly less prone to crashing
than Dick Dastardly and the cast
of Wacky Races.
The problem? A ‘tablet mode’
that didn’t play nice at all, and
could quickly put paid to a round of
Lara Croft Go on your lunchbreak.
Mercifully, many a software
update has rolled through this
hybrid since November and the
Pro 4 of today is an infinitely
superior machine. That’s because
Microsoft got the hardware right
at the first time of asking.
Having set the template for
what a hybrid looks like, each
new Surface Pro has refined that
design into something supremely
portable and quite the looker.
The Pro 4’s stylus now attaches
magnetically to its tablet, while
a kickstand that can rotate up to
150° means this hybrid no longer
wobbles around on your lap.
And though Windows 10 lacks
the vast app library of Apple’s
App Store or even the Google
Play Store, there’s still enough to
be getting on with. Especially since
you can always stream BBC iPlayer
and Amazon’s Prime Instant Video
through the Edge browser.
It takes a lot of effort to get
a hybrid’s work-play balance just
right, but all this fine tuning shows
in a product you don’t want to
ditch as soon as the office clock
strikes 5pm.

O MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 4 £750 + £110 KEYBOARD ++++,

USE
This hybrid should give THIS
you about eight hours’
worth of battery life, with
recent software tweaks
extending the stamina
in standby mode.

Music Maker
Jam
This is basically
GarageBand for
Windows 10, and
who could sniff at
such a prospect?
OK, so Music Maker
Jam doesn’t have
quite the same
scope as its Apple-
made equivalent,
but the ability to
mash together your
own jazz, house and
dubstep tracks by
tweaking an array of
sliders is a barrelful
of fun.

A lot of hybrids force you

to scroll around on their
touchscreen, but the Pro 4
breaks the mould with a nice
big trackpad for your fingers
to get acquainted with.

DISPLAY DESIGN KEYBOARD & STYLUS OS

Hue and cry
The Pro 4’s display is a
thing of beauty. A 12.3in
affair with 2736x1824
resolution, it screens
your current televisual
obsession in brilliantly
visceral fidelity, with great
contrast between deep
blacks and blood red.
OOOOOOOOOO
Handy but hefty
Thanks to an Intel Core
processor, the Pro 4 can
breeze through emails,
photo editing and
documents. But that
does mean you have to
put up with a relatively
chunky tablet built to
accommodate a fan.
OOOOOOOOOO
The write stuff End of an error
Along with the Pro 4’s Windows 10 is a welcome
sturdy keyboard and step back to stability for
trackpad combo comes Microsoft’s operating
the Surface Pen. This system. In bringing back
works seamlessly with the Start Menu and ironing
Microsoft’s OneNote out the irritating quirks
software, with year-long of its predecessor, it’s
battery life and plenty of given us an OS that’s well
sensitivity smarts. suited to hybrid use.
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO

73
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

Samsung’s Windows hybrid

is gunning for the Surface Pro
Anyone who ever got their
hands on an original Galaxy
Gear smartwatch will know
Samsung used to chase tech
trends like a puppy bounding
after a tennis ball. Mercifully,
it’s first proper stab at a hybrid
has been years in the making,
and boy, does it show.
For starters, it runs on Windows
rather than Android – so you can
squeeze some serious work out
of what is quite an expensive piece
of kit. An Intel Core M3 processor
and 4GB RAM also mean it’s got
plenty of power to hand – not as
much as you’ll get with a Surface
Pro 4, but the trade-off means
you can enjoy improved battery
life while paying slightly less.
Make no mistake, this hybrid
is a genuine contender.
Setting it up is easy enough
as well. Like Google’s Pixel C, the
TabPro S’s keyboard and tablet are
separate entities. With Samsung’s
hybrid, you slot the two together
and you’re ready to go – no faffing
around with Bluetooth settings or
anything like that.
It’s not all plain sailing, though.
There’s only one USB-C port
for charging, which could be quite
limiting if you want to hook up
a mouse or connect any kind of
additional device to the TabPro S…
unless you buy an adaptor for all
your old USB devices.
So while this hybrid doesn’t
earn Samsung full marks, it’s
a damn good first effort. If getting
a job done is your priority for a
tabtop, then the TabPro S is well
worth your attention.

O SAMSUNG GALAXY TABPRO S £850 (INC KEYBOARD) ++++,

USE
THIS
The tablet on its own is 6.3mm
thick, enough to shame most
phones into a diet, and with
the keyboard on it’s still skinny
enough to compete with any
ultra-light laptop.

Cocktail
Flow
Bring some
Mad Men-style
sophistication to
your TabPro S
with this suave
Windows 10 cocktail
app. You can even
search for recipes
based on whatever
ingredients you
have in your desk-
side drinks cabinet.
It’s a surefire way
to raise the tone of
your next one-to-
one assessment
meeting.

The TabPro S’s rear camera

has a 5MP sensor, which
is seriously low-res by
current standards. But you
weren’t actually planning
on using it, were you?

DISPLAY DESIGN KEYBOARD & STYLUS OS

The Galaxy expands
A 12in OLED screen is this
hybrid’s most dazzling
feature. This is the same
tech used in Samsung’s
top Galaxy phones, but
blown up to laptop size.
So its colours are richer
and more intense than
any other hybrid here.
OOOOOOOOOO
Staying power
Despite its effervescent
display, this Samsung is
an economical hybrid. Its
battery will get you about
11 hours of use, which is
a couple more than the
Surface Pro 4. And while
the casing is so-so, this
tab looks sleek enough.
OOOOOOOOOO
Needle-less to say Work and play
Samsung hasn’t made Windows 10 is well versed
a stylus for its hybrid, in the drudgery of Word,
which is one of its few real Excel and Powerpoint.
shortcomings. Its full-size Want to play some Xbox
keys are easy to use but One on the sly? Download
have less travel than the the Xbox app and you can
ones on the Surface Pro’s stream gameplay from
Touch cover, so they’re not your console at home to
as comfortable. your hybrid in the office.
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO

74
 ng London
Shapi
2016
Exhibition opens 20 May

Download the FREE

London Transport Museum
app for exclusive content
and special offers.
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

Microsoft’s premium hybrid

is a beauty. No, seriously!
The Surface Book is a really
strange product for Microsoft
to make. Why? Well, you won’t
want to buy one just out of
obligation. In fact, this may even
be the best-looking Windows
machine ever made.
All sleek magnesium casing
and resplendent glass, with a
full-sized backlit keyboard to boot,
it’s a seriously desirable bit of kit.
Granted, you’d expect as much
for an asking price of well over
a grand, but the achievement still
stands. Looks alone don’t make
the Surface Book worthy of your
attention either: this thing is more
akin to a laptop than a tablet, and
that means it’s got a whole load
of power to spare.
In addition to an Intel Core
processor, the Surface Book
also packs in a dedicated graphics
card. You still won’t be able to play
anything close to The Division
on it, but that added oomph will
certainly help when it comes to
video and photo editing.
Although this is the largest
device on test here, you won’t
feel bogged down when carrying
the Surface Book around. It’ll
add about 1.5kg in weight to your
rucksack, and that’s still about
500g less heftiness than you’d
get from a MacBook Pro.
If there’s anything holding the
Surface Book back, it’s the cost.
Similarly specced laptops are
available for much less – and if
you’re not fixated on the idea of
owning a Microsoft-made hybrid,
it may be worth plumping for one
of them instead.

O MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK £1300 (INC KEYBOARD) ++++,

USE
THIS
So what games can you play
on the Surface Book? We
managed to get both Call Of
Duty: Modern Warfare and
Counter-Strike running on
‘low’ graphics settings.

Minecraft
Despite having
been bought
by Microsoft
a few years
ago, Minecraft’s
fundamentals
endure. A vast
world is yours
to transform at
will, with as much
imagination as
you can muster.
And with any
luck, the brilliantly
fun new Battle
mode will soon
be arriving on
Windows 10.

Thanks to its more

portly size, if you do plump
for the Surface Book over
the Pro 4 then you’ll get
around three hours of
extra battery life.

DISPLAY DESIGN KEYBOARD & STYLUS OS

You res me up
Once again, this Surface
boasts an absolutely
marvellous screen. At
13.5in in size, the Book’s
is a smidge larger than
the Pro 4’s, but you
still get an equivalent
resolution of 267ppi. It’s
a feast for the peepers.
OOOOOOOOOO
See cheese Just your type Change the game
Handsome as it is, the The Surface Book’s great Windows 10 is strongest
Surface Book does have surprise is how much of in its traditional desktop
one design flaw. The hinge a delight its keyboard is mode, and that plays
connecting its tablet and to use. Its big, chunky keys straight into the Surface
keyboard doesn’t fold flat, have plenty of travel, with Book’s hands. Download
with a clear gap between a full-sized trackpad. Plus, Steam and you can ditch
the two. The result is that you get the same Surface Microsoft’s Store for apps
it strongly resembles a Pen Stylus as with the in favour of the latest PC
wedge of Parmesan. Surface Pro 4. gaming favourites.
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO

76
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

Apple’s artiest iPad yet

also happens to be its best
Apple may not have invented
the tablet, but it helped to ensure
everyone owned one within a few
years of its iPad launching. Trouble
is, convincing your nan to upgrade
to a new Mini has proved a tad
tricky. So here’s the iPad Pro 9.7,
a hybrid for professional sorts that
runs on iOS.
That means the smaller Pro
(a gargantuan 12.9in model is also
available) is imperious when used
as a traditional tablet. No other
device boasts the same breadth
of quality apps, especially when
it comes to design work with
the Apple Pencil (£80). Despite
Steve Jobs’ original opposition to
styluses, the Pencil easily justifies
its existence when you’re swiping
away in an app like SketchBook or
Photoshop Express. Our greasy
fingers alone can’t achieve the
same levels of finesse, and they
do tend to leave the Pro etched
with leftover sandwich.
While both Surfaces are better
picks for workaday toil, this iPad
knows that creativity can strike
at any time. With Apple’s most
powerful A9X processor, well
over 10 hours’ battery life and
a beautiful Retina display, it can
handle pretty much any task you
throw at it, not just the ones your
boss has set a deadline for. Its four
speakers (one on each corner) are
especially well suited for late night
streaming sessions.
In other words, this is pretty
much the ultimate iPad – rather
than a laptop with a clipboard-
style screen – and that suits us
down to the ground.

O APPLE iPAD PRO 9.7 £500 + £130 SMART KEYBOARD +++++

USE
Unless you want to troll the THIS
world, we wouldn’t advise
using this Pro as your sole
camera. That said, this 12MP
snapper is about on par with
the one in the iPhone 6s.

SketchBook
Whether you’re
a clumsy oaf or
a Claude Monet
in the making,
SketchBook does
its best to let your
inner artist flourish.
Crucially, its
pressure-sensitive
smarts translate
your physical
swipes into digital
form in realistic
fidelity. Experienced
artists will also
appreciate the
ability to work
with layers.

Instead of the 4GB of RAM

you get with the iPad Pro
12.9, the 9.7in version only
has 2GB. It’s still got enough
muscle to handle a spot of
video editing, though.

DISPLAY DESIGN KEYBOARD & STYLUS OS

Toned up
The Pro 9.7’s screen is a
replica of the iPad Air 2’s
great Retina display, but
with a key difference: it’s
the first to sport Apple’s
True Tone technology. This
allows the Pro to react to
the ambient light around
it, making it easier to read.
OOOOOOOOOO
Stay beautiful
Aside from a protruding
camera, this Pro is a dead
ringer for the iPad Air 2.
Both devices are just as
gorgeous as each other,
and that’s why we can
forgive Apple for wringing
maximum mileage out of
its product design.
OOOOOOOOOO
Letter blocks System addict
If the Apple Pencil is a Apple didn’t introduce new
designer’s dream, we can’t features to iOS alongside
quite say the same for its Pro tablets, but it didn’t
its keyboard. It’s smaller need to. You might miss
than a laptop’s, with no the lack of a ‘start menu’
trackpad, and the keys at first, but arrange your
have shallow travel. It’s homescreens and you can
OK for writing emails and flit between the best apps
one-page documents. for work and skiving.
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO

77
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

The winner is…

Apple iPad Pro 9.7
If you’re thinking of
buying a hybrid as
a like-for-like laptop
replacement, then
don’t. Like Clark Kent in specs
and natty suit, these devices
promise one thing and excel
at another entirely. That’s
why Apple’s iPad Pro 9.7 is
our pick of the bunch. T
This hybrid knows you TES ER
don’t want to work from
NN
home when your Football WI
Manager Mobile season
is still hanging in the
balance. It’s a sensational
entertainment device, first
and foremost, because your
office PC is already there to
tabulate spreadsheets and
file expenses with.
And if you do want catch
up on your emails, sketch out
your next web page or even
edit a quick YouTube clip?
This Pro is more than up
to the job.

+ Now add these

Apple Silicone Case
Because Apple’s Smart
Keyboard won’t protect
your Pro’s backside. To
avoid a slew of unwanted scuffs and
scratches, it’s the only way to preserve
that pristine aluminium sheen.
£55 / apple.com

Filofax Metropol
Tablet Case
If you intend on using your
Pro mainly for design work
this Filofax Case is a delight, with 360°
rotating mount and pockets for your
Pencil and phone.
£30 / filofax.co.uk

Just Mobile
AluPen Digital
Don’t fancy spending £80
on Apple’s own Pencil? This
chunky, ballpoint-like stylus costs half
the price and looks just as striking. You’ll
need an AAA battery, though.
£40 / just-mobile.eu

78
 S U P E R T E S T L A P T O P / TA B L E T H Y B R I D S

THE SUMMARY OiPad OPixel C OSurface Book OGalaxy TabPro S OSurface Pro 4
WHAT’S NEXT?
Don’t worry about holding
off on your hybrid purchase
until the great Christmas
product rush. According to
what we hear on the great
tech rumour mill, most of
these devices won’t be
DISPLAY DESIGN refreshed until 2017 at
the earliest.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 While both the Surface
Pro 4 and Surface Book
are starting to get longish
in the tooth, current
speculation says neither
will be replaced until spring
2017. That’s when the next
big update to Windows 10 is
set to land, so it makes sense
TECH that Microsoft would want to
RATER back up its refreshed OS with
fancy new hardware.
As for new iPad Pros?
Apple might update its larger
12.9in model with True Tone
screen tech plus 3D Touch
support and a new, more
powerful A10X processor
around September time.
KEYBOARD OS Considering that gargantuan
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 device is hardly lacking for
speed at the moment, any
update to the Pro range will
likely be incremental at best.
follow Rob:
@robleedham
email Rob:
stuff@haymarket.com

Screen Processor OS Storage Battery Dimensions

1st Apple iPad Pro 9.7

A great tablet with the best array of apps for working on the 9.7in LED, 32/128/
Apple A9X 240x170
fly. Designers will fall head over heels for its arty credentials. 1536x2048 iOS 9.3.2 256GB 7306mAh
@ 2.16GHz x6.1mm
£500 / stuff.tv/AppleiPadPro97 (264ppi)

2nd Google Pixel C

A cheaper alternative to the iPad with plenty to recommend 10.2in LCD, Nvidia Tegra Android 6.0.1 32/64GB 242x179
about it… not least a compact form that’s ultra-portable. 2560x1800 9243mAh
X1 @ 1.9GHz x7mm
£400 / stuff.tv/GooglePixelC (308ppi)

3rd Microsoft Surface Book

The most laptop-like hybrid on test here is a tad pricey, but 13.5in LCD, 2387mAh
Intel Core 128/256/ 312x232
its keyboard is brilliant and it will meet any task you lob at it. 3000x2000 Windows 10 (keyboard
i5 or i7 512GB/1TB x22.8mm
£1300 / stuff.tv/MicrosoftSurfaceBook (26ppi) 6800mAh)

4th Samsung TabPro S

A better Surface Pro than the one Microsoft made, but the 12in AMOLED,
2160x1440 Intel Core M3 Windows 10 128GB 290x199
TabPro S could do with more connection ports. 5200mAh
(216ppi) @ 2.2GHz x6.3mm
£850 / stuff.tv/SamsungTabProS

5th Microsoft Surface Pro 4 12.3in LCD, 128/256/

Its software issues have largely been patched up now, but Intel Core Windows 10 292x201
2736x1824 512GB/1TB 5087mAh
compared to the rest of this test it’s still a little off the pace. M3, i5 or i7 x8.5mm
(267ppi)
£750 / stuff.tv/MicrosoftSurfaceBookPro4

79
ANDREW ZALASIN
Photo by: Andrew Zalasin

AUTOMATION
[ Words Mark Wilson ]
f you’re like us, tech already has
Ione hand on your life’s steering
wheel. Whether it’s Dark Sky
nudging you to bring an umbrella, or your
smart thermostat saying “I’ll take it from
here” as you reach for the heating dial,
gadgets have quietly appointed themselves
as our trusty co-pilots.
But what happens when you hand
over full decision-making control to the
robo-helpers? There might not be any
E
UR AT
HEALTH
YO OM
KICK
T
AU
FOR
PEOPLE
Is life better when tech makes all
of your decisions? The Stuff team
spent a week taking the cue from
clever bots and apps to find out...
HAL 9000s for pre-order on Kickstarter
yet, but thanks to location-tracking
apps, machine learning and intelligent
messaging bots, there are now
countless ways to hand over the
tiresome responsibility of making
life’s little decisions.
It’s not just about taking laziness to
new heights either. Our poor fleshy minds
are prone to all sorts of cognitive fails and
knowledge faceplants that tech is only too
NIGHT NIGHT
IN OUT
AUTOMATED LIFE
THE
happy to help with. The question is, does
tech always know best? To find out, the
Stuff team bravely flicked the ‘autopilot’
button on its fitness regimes, social lives
and holiday decisions, and reported back
on the (often mixed) consequences.
So whether you like the sound of a fully
automated night out, or just fancy getting
a bot’s advice on what to watch on Netflix,
it’s time to join our journey with tech’s
best decision-making sidekicks.
LIFE JOB
81
 AUTOMATED LIFE

E
UR AT
YO OM
T
AU
If you think exercise is tough, tr y
making a training and diet plan – now
HEALTH that’s tiring. I’ve spared myself the toil
by getting bots to decide for me...
KICK
Tom Parsons
Deputy Editor, Stuff.tv

1 GET A SMARTER 2 TAKE A NEW

WAKE-UP CALL DIRECTION
It’s not news that Nothing’s guaranteed to
good sleep is vital break your running stride
to your health, Auto-runner like having to stop and
but I’ve found it Pop to check whether you need
tricky to monitor routeloops. to go left or right at the
my shut-eye com, tell it next junction, and that’s
with apps until how far you why I’ve found RunGo’s
recently. Most want to run voice navigation and
have asked me and it’ll make Apple Watch directions
to sleep with my you a GPX so useful for discovering
phone under my route for new routes. Of course,
pillow,… but then RunGo… Google Maps also has
I tried Sleep Cycle voice instructions, but
(£free, iOS and Android). It monitors RunGo adds crowd-
sleep using your iPhone’s microphone, sourced, user-rated run
which you just aim at your slumbering routes wherever you might
self. Its insights have been amazingly be and a brilliantly simple
detailed, and the alarm wakes me on-device route creator. It hasn’t
when my sleep is lightest within a done the running for me, but it’s
half-hour window. taken care of everything else.

3 GET A PERSONAL 4 CHAT TO YOUR 5 LOOK AFTER YOUR

ROBO-DIETICIAN VIRTUAL GYM BUDDY INNER PLANT
Calorie counting’s You know how I know we’ve not met,
useful, but what your friends roll but believe me when
if every meal was their eyes when I say that you don’t
planned for you you talk about drink enough water.
with a calorie goal your diet? Well, No-one does. The
in mind? That’s I’ve saved mine team behind Plant
why I’ve been the tedium by Nanny (£free, iOS and Android)
taking my food chatting to Lark reckons giving you a Tamagotchi-like
cues from Eat (£free, iOS and plant to keep alive will motivate you
This Much (£free, Android) instead. to drink more. Mine was dead in a day,
iOS and Android). Talking to Lark is though I can’t say I really cared.
Tell it what your just like a human
dietary goals are, iMessage chat.
as well as what you do and don’t like, When I type in what I’ve eaten, it
and it generates a day’s worth of meals (generally speaking) understands, Mio Surprise Me
for you. I’ve found the ‘Shuffle’ mode congratulating me on my healthy RunGo plus RouteLoops
handy for replacing suggestions I don’t choices or pointing out that this is the for bikes equals the
like, although you do need to pay for fourth day in a row I’ve had a packet of Surprise Me feature that’s
‘premium’ to get a week’s worth of Haribo Tangfastics for lunch and that built into every Mio Cyclo
meals and an ingredients shopping list. tomorrow a salad might be a good idea. 300 and above. It’s ace.

82

UR AT
YO OM
T
AU
NIGHT
IN
Rob Leedham
Editor
1 GET SOME CULINARY
INSPIRATION
The Guardian’s Sous-
Chef bot for Facebook
Messenger has helped
take some of the fuss
out of my cooking.
Type in the kind
of meal you want and it’ll suggest
recipes. It can be imprecise, but my
roast with chorizo butter was tasty.
2 STOP SCROLLING
THROUGH NETFLIX
If it takes you almost
as long to choose a
movie on Netflix as
it does to watch it, try
the And Chill bot on
Facebook Messenger.
Type in a film you love and it’ll give you
a relevant recommendation. I got Brad
Pitt’s storming Killing Them Softly
from typing in The Nice Guys.
3 DISCOVER MORE
MUSIC WITH SPOTIFY
Spotify’s personalised
Discover Weekly
playlist is still my
favourite to way find
new bands and artists.
That’s why I’m looking
forward to trying Soundcloud’s new
Discover service and Apple Music’s
forthcoming daily Discovery Mix when you ditch your primitive wallet
iOS 10 launches later this year.
AUTOMATED LIFE
E
UR AT
YO OM
T
AU
You only live once,
sleep when you’re
dead, I say. But
NIGHT don’t work your
brain too hard
in the process...
OUT
Esat Dedezade
Deputy Features Editor
1 CHAT TO A ROBOT
RESTAURATEUR
I hit peak indecision when choosing
restaurants. Thankfully Mealou, a
charming Facebook Messenger bot, has
chimed in with some good suggestions
recently. I had to manually send it my
location, but before long I was sat in one
of Richmond’s finest burger joints.
2 GET A SMARTER 3 SPEND THE NIGHT
SOCIAL PLANNER ON AUTOPILOT
For too long, I’ve never had the guts to play roulette
“Cheeky before, but thankfully Bar Roulette
Nando’s” has (£free, iOS) isn’t a gambling app.
been my default Instead, you set a catchment area
go-to answer
to the question
you’re looking to go out in and it orders
you an Uber… except you won’t know
“What shall we where you’re going until the driver
do tonight?”. plonks you outside. It only picks
So one night locations that are highly rated on Yelp,
I downloaded and gives you a fare estimate before
YPlan (£free, you set off. Be warned: it’s best used
iOS and Android). in big cities and isn’t foolproof, as I
After selecting found when it took me to a Mongolian
the kind of things I was interested in, restaurant that used to be a pub in
I was met with plenty of upcoming 2008. But it’s definitely a fun way to
(and on-the-night) things to do stumble across new parts of town.
nearby. A Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
screening starting in an hour? Would’ve
been rude not to – and I never would
have found out about it otherwise.
Leave your wallet at home
Android Pay, like its Apple
counterpart, lets you pay for
everything with a tap of your
NFC-enabled phone, letting
in style. A fitting choice for
true automation embracers.
83
 AUTOMATED LIFE

E
UR AT

UR AT
YO OM

YO OM
T

T
AU

AU
Even the smallest
decision gives my
brain the spinning
wheel of death – but
these tools have
LIFE eased my mind...
JOB
Mark Wilson
Features Editor

1 HIRE A VIRTUAL Tom Wiggins

Deputy Editor
ACCOUNTANT
My money skills are so bad that my wallet
feels like a sieve, but OnTrees (£free, iOS
and Android) has helped me plug the
leaks. It connects to your bank accounts, 1 KEEP YOUR DESKTOP
giving you graphs showing where you’re CLEAN AND TIDY
splurging and sending reminders when
you break a budget. I’ve had a few of those. It only takes a few
days for the desktop
on my MacBook to get
messy, but now Clean
(free, OS X) tidies up
after me every day,
sorting files by date into a folder – so
3 PUT YOUR HOLIDAY 2 POLL YOUR FRIENDS I can enjoy a clear desktop without
ON SHUFFLE MODE ON WHERE TO PARTY actually having to tidy up myself.

It’s time to take your automated Deciding on the

decisions to the next level. right place to go
Skyscanner’s Departure Roulette with big groups
(departureroulette.net) is a holiday of friends can 2 GET A PERFECT P.A.
decider for last-minute city breaks.
Fill in your departure airport, some
be a political
minefield, so I’ve
TO RUN YOUR LIFE
dates and a budget, then press ‘spin tried handing A lot of 24me’s
for flights’. OK, I haven’t actually dared over the reins features (£free, iOS
to book yet, but I’d certainly have been to Microsoft’s and Android) are in
up for that weekend in Tbilisi sinking handy new app separate apps; but
bottles of Kazbegi. Looking for more Tossup (£free, when their powers
tailored tips than that? Kayak’s new iOS and Android). combine they become…
Facebook Messenger bot is definitely Enter your slightly more useful. Full-on automation
worth a try. It understood my broad question, set the options (there’s is minimal, but the alerts to fill holes in
questions such as: “Suggest a hotel a location-based restaurant finder your schedule with overdue tasks are
in New York on 4 July.” for dinner choices), and get your a procrastinator’s dream/nightmare.
crowd to cast their vote. This can
be particularly handy for big groups
like stag trips, where Tossup outshone
our Whatsapp group thanks to a lack
of distracting bants. 3 MAKE MEETINGS
THAT MUCH EASIER
Since we started using
Slack at Stuff HQ I no
longer need to speak
Be a digital Dice Man face-to-face with my
Become tech’s answer to colleagues – it’s great!
The Dice Man by letting Siri And now I can also get
decide your every move. the free Meekan iOS/Android app (or
Either ask her to “roll a Slack bot) to organise meetings with
six-sided dice” to make a them. If only it would attend on my
decision, or start a question behalf as well…
with “Hi Siri 8 ball…”

84
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 TWO WEEKS WITH THE LENOVO MOTO G4 PLUS

That’s how we ’rola

New Lenovo branding, same Motorola brilliance? Andrew Williams spends a fortnight
getting to know the extra-talented ‘Plus’ version of our favourite bargain handset…
from £230 / stuff.tv/MotoG4Plus

The fingerprint
scanner isn’t
available on the
standard G4; it’s
quick and reliable.

it’s doing its best to convince with wet fingers pretty well. It is Climb Racing recently, and even
DAY 01 us all it’s business as usual. Like only a scanner, though – so you this casual title looks bigger,
Since 2013, the Moto G has been the basic G4, the G4 Plus has a still have to use the on-screen better and bolder than it does
a good name to head straight for new 5.5in screen, and the curvy soft keys if you want to press on the Samsung Galaxy S7.
if you’re after a budget phone… style of the previous generations the Home button.
but things have got complicated. has been toned down – it’s The Moto G isn’t just a budget
Now there are three Moto Gs, thinner and flatter – but we range any more, so it’s good that DAY 03
including this, the daddy of the still get the same curves on the Plus’s screen doesn’t seem The G4 Plus has a Snapdragon
bunch – with more features, the metal-effect sides. like the equivalent of a cheapo 617 CPU, a lower-mid-range
more megapixels, and a price The fingerprint scanner is a LCD telly you might pick up at phone brain. It doesn’t have
that edges over £200. new hardware feature that you’ll Tesco. You get a 5.5in 1080p IPS the fastest GPU in the universe,
Lenovo may have bought out only get with the Plus version. It’s LCD with natural colours. but it’s still fast enough to run
Motorola since the Moto G3, but fast and accurate, and even deals Contrast is good, viewing Asphalt 8 very well. Bear in mind
angles are solid, and outdoor there’s no fundamental power
visibility is great for a mid-ranger. upgrade when you buy a G4 Plus
This is a brilliant screen for games and
video: Hill Climb Racing looks bigger, This is a brilliant screen for games
and video. I’ve been digging back
instead of a G4, though.
There are no major complaints
better and bolder than on a Galaxy S7 into the class-A-addictive Hill about day-to-day speed in either

86

01 05
04
02
03
Tech specs
Screen 5.5in
1080p IPS LCD
Processor
Snapdragon 617
octa-core
OS Android 6.0.1
RAM 2/3/4GB
Storage
16/32/64GB
plus microSD
(up to 256GB)
Cameras
16MP/5MP
Battery 3000mAh
Dimensions
153x77x9.8mm,
155g
case. The Plus runs Android 6.0.1
and the Moto changes are very
minor… but pretty useful. There’s
just one extra app, called Moto,
that lets you control custom
gestures and fiddle with the Glance
screen feature. This is a very cool
addition – pick the handset up
and the accelerometer will tell it
to wake up automatically. I’m using
this feature a lot, and I love it.
DAY 04
All this software features across
the Moto G range. The one other
big difference you’re getting with
the Plus, though, is its camera.
The 16MP OmniVision OV16860
is a massive 1/2.4in sensor,
with phase detection and laser
AF assistance.
After a few quick snaps I was
almost ready to say this isn’t a big
upgrade, but in trickier conditions
it’s clearly better than the G4’s
standard Sony sensor. There’s a
lot more fine detail in all conditions,
actually. Tiny text that the G4
might turn into a blur is clear in
the Plus, and colours tend to be
a bit more realistic.
DAY 06
One demo that really shows off
the benefits of the big sensor is
a close-up nature shot. The Plus
LO N G -T E R M T E S T
Donut of Truth™
01 This 5.5in screen is an 04 It’s a Moto G, but it isn’t
absolute corker a budget phone any more…
02 The 16MP camera is 05 … and for some, the extra
a real improvement outlay over the standard G4
03 Bloat-free Android and won’t be worth it
smooth performance
is really good for ‘bokeh’ effects,
with exaggerated contrast between
sharp and blurry areas.
The new camera app is also
a real improvement – it’s much
simpler than the old one, putting
the most important controls at
your fingertips. And the 5MP selfie
cam, while a bit noisy, captures as
much detail as the Galaxy S7.
DAY 11
I’m realising that nothing has been
neglected in the G4 Plus. Even
the single, front-loaded speaker
has been given an upgrade. It sits
above the screen, is pretty loud,
and has more lower-frequency
clout than earlier generations.
DAY 14
The battery has also been bumped
up, but it needed to be with that
bigger screen. It’s a 3000mAh unit,
and you get a super-quick Turbo STUFF SAYS
charger that will refill most of the
cell within half an hour. Fast charging,
Stamina is fine, but only very a better screen
light users are going to get two
days’ use between charges. It
and a good
lasts for 12 hours of video, which camera make
is decent; but if you’re going to use
this phone to dig deep into mobile
this a great
gaming and streaming video every mid-range buy
day, you might want to pack an
external battery.
★★★★★
87
Everywhere you are
Read it, like it, share it

facebook.com/joinstuff
youtube.com/stuffmagazine
twitter.com/stuffTV
Apple News
plus.google.com/+StuffTV
instagram.com/stuffmag

Are you being Verved?
Q The day the music died
Battery life is always going to
be a worry with any wireless
in-ears, and the Motorolas are
no different. Ours lasted about
three hours of listening between
top-ups, which isn’t great.
STUFF SAYS Decent sound, and these buds will let you ditch the cables for good ++++,
Wireless buds
go mainstream…
the sci-fi future
becomes reality
Tom Morgan
TEST MOTOROLA VERVE ONES+
Headphone cables are evil and must
be destroyed. Luckily, th
hese totally
e here to help…
wireless in-ears are
£230 / verve.life
QWe’ve seen a few wireless in-ear
headphones on Kickstarter, but the
Motorola Verve range is the first to
hit the mainstream. This isn’t the
same Motorola behind the phones,
though: Binatone licensed the name
and poached most of Motorola’s
audio department before Lenovo
took over.
QThe Verve Ones+ are completely
wireless, connecting to each other
over Bluetooth as well as to your
phone. Just pop each bud out of
the carry case and stick them in
your ears. Once they’re sat snugly
they’ll automatically pair with each
other, then with your phone. Unlike
the regular Ones (£200), the Ones+
are IP57 sweat-resistant, so you
can safely hit the gym with them.
QWe wore these for a week and
only managed to knock one out
accidentally once – but drop one
on the ground in the wrong place
and it could be a nightmare. Handily,
the companion app has a map that
shows where the buds were last
connected to your phone.
QHeadphones need to sound good
and the Ones+ mostly deliver, with
full bass and a respectably clear
mid-range out of the box. Alas, high
notes just don’t have the crispness
we were hoping for. At least the
app-based EQ settings can give
the treble a much-needed boost.
QMost of the time the Bluetooth
connection works fine, but our left
and right buds would occasionally
lose each other for a second or two.
This is an understandable problem,
because it’s really difficult to send
Q A little bud told me… wireless signals through your skull.
The microUSB port means you
should have a suitable cable
handy when you do run out of
Tech specs
juice. And the buds tell you how Connectivity Bluetooth Water/
many hours of play time you’ve sweat resistance rating IP57
got left when you pop them in. Battery life Up to 12hrs (stated)
How badly do you want to feel like someone out of Minority Report on your morning
commute? If you can put up with a few dropouts every now and then, the Verve
Ones+ will let you live in that fantasy world today. And as they’re the first to properly
hit the mainstream, it’s easy to forgive sound quality that audiophiles will turn their
noses up at. Welcome to the tangle-free future, music fans.
89
 G R O U P T E S T R O B O T VA C U U M C L E A N E R S

ALL-SEEING EYE
The 360 Eye is a tad
taller than most vacs,
but it has no trouble
scooting under beds
and sofas.

90
 G R O U P T E S T R O B O T VA C U U M C L E A N E R S

Robot
chores
Is your home a domestic abyss of dust, dog hair
and gunk? These clever vacs promise to do the
cleaning for you. We tested their bold claims…

Dyson 360 Eye

£800 / stuff.tv/Dyson360Eye

Rob Leedham Editor

What’s the story?
If there’s one thing that using
a robot vac will teach you, it’s
that we’re a long way from
being ruled over by an army
of AI-powered overlords. Don’t
get me wrong, the Dyson 360
Eye is astonishingly smart for a
piece of cleaning apparatus, but
it also has the ability to brutally
chew up your undies. Learning
to love this sucker means
allowing for its limitations,
but love it you will.
A product of almost two
decades of engineering and
development, the 360 Eye is
packed full of innovative tech
that gives it a clear edge over
its Roomba rivals. For starters,
CHARGES its ‘Eye’ is actually a 360°
MAY APPLY camera that maps the
With 30 minutes per space around it to help with
charge, the Dyson will navigation. Combined with a
need more than one series of infrared sensors, the
go to clean the floors idea is that your furniture can
of a whole house. live free from the fear of bumps
and scratches.
Naturally, things don’t
always work out this way.
usually sit too low beneath its ’APPY HOME
sensors for the vac to notice,
while mirror-like aluminium The Dyson Link app
table legs are also a source of is supremely handy
considerable confusion. But when it comes to
when the 360 Eye does collide setting up your 360
with the contents of your living Eye and keeping it
room, it tends to do so slowly. ticking over. Best of
Crucially, its plastic shell has all are its activity maps,
been designed with wiggle which plot out the
room built in so that it actually exact area your vac
moves with any impact to has cleaned and how
lessen its force. long this took.
Any good?
While the 360 Eye won’t be
joining Mensa any time soon,
it’s no dunce either… and it
cleans like a demon. Thanks to
Dyson’s expert cyclone suction
tech, carbon fibre bristles for
whipping up dirt from floors and
a set of actual tank tracks for
scaling tall carpets, this thing is
built to go to war with the most
messy homes – a field I have
no little expertise in.
After a fortnight spent
with the 360 Eye, I’ve grown
extremely fond of this vac.
[ Photography Matt Beedle ]

Doorstops rank number one And my flat has never looked

on this Dyson’s hit list as they more resplendent.

STUFF SAYS Imperfect but still brilliant, the 360 Eye will make
you fall in love with a vacuum cleaner… ’nuff said +++++

91
 G R O U P T E S T R O B O T VA C U U M C L E A N E R S

CLEAR THE AREA

A five-minute room
prep will give you
peace of mind and
stop your vac sucking
up damaging clutter.

I SEE CEILINGS
The Scout has an
upward-looking
camera to make
its meanderings
more accurate.

Neato Botvac Connected Miele Scout RX1

£500 / stuff.tv/NeatoBotvacConnected £500 / stuff.tv/MieleScoutRX1
Peter Brown Senior Video Editor Fraser Macdonald Consulting Editor

What’s the story?
For all its cleaning prowess,
my favourite thing about the
Botvac Connected is just how
well my tortoise took to riding
it. Perched on top of its glossy
plastic shell, he’d never seen
the world fly by at such a speed.
Given his typical ambling pace,
I doubt he’ll ever experience
such a feat again.
In truth, this Neato operates
very similarly to Dyson’s 360
Eye. Instead of having a camera
on its noggin, its special feature
is a brush that does its best to
whip up dust away from any
pesky corners the Neato might
not otherwise reach. And if it
neglects to collect an errant
Lego piece or pile of biscuit
crumbs? No bother – you can
operate this vac manually from
your phone.
Any good?
Cleaning is generally sound. This
thing is capable of finding dirt in
places you’d forgotten existed,
but it still needs rescuing on
an occasional basis – you’ll
want to keep tabs on your
Botvac while it’s doing its work.
With its compact design and
the ability to sweep through
a flat on a single charge, it’s still
a worthy (cheaper) alternative
to the Dyson.
What’s the story?
Miele is the BMW of home
appliances, so you’d hope its
robot vacuum cleaner would
be a similarly dependable slice
of engineering. Alas, just as
the Scout RX1 doesn’t come
with hazard warning lights
or a stereo, it doesn’t perform
as reliably as a fancy German
motor either.
On first impressions I’d
assumed this thing was
actually a rebadged iRobot,
so similar is it in design to a
Roomba. In fairness, it does
have two swirly brushes on
its base to guide dirt into the
roller-brushed maw of its
vacuumy underneaths – the
Roomba and Neato only have
one each.
Any good?
More often than not, these
brushes knock bits of dirt away
from the Scout’s mouth, not
into it. And the vacuum action
just isn’t powerful enough to do
a decent cleaning job.
It’s slightly more effective
on hard floors, so you could use
it just to look after your crumby
kitchen. But, with a hopeless
sense of direction and a heady
thirst for mains power from its
docking station, the RX1 does
little to endear itself to you.

STUFF SAYS Good battery life and features STUFF SAYS Cheap and stylish… but not
raise the Neato above the fray ++++, very good at moving or cleaning +++,,

92
 G R O U P T E S T R O B O T VA C U U M C L E A N E R S
DON’T LOOK DOWN
This Roomba comes
with a built-in ‘cliff
detector’ to help it
avoid any expensive
crash landings.

iRobot Roomba 980 TES

WI T
£800 / stuff.tv/iRobotRoomba980
Marc McLaren Editor, Stuff.tv NN
ER
What’s the story? room as it goes so it knows
The Roomba 980 is smart where any obstacles are.
enough that a spot of cleaning
seems almost beneath it. If Any good?
it offered to cook dinner and It’s not perfect, though. Deep
wash the dishes afterwards, corners are a no-no, and
I’d trust it implicitly. it seemed reluctant to go
Make no mistake, this vac under furniture. Maybe it’s
will do a great job on your claustrophobic. More of
floors – but then at £800, a problem was its refusal THE WINNER DYSON 360 EYE
you’d expect nothing less. to go from a wooden floor
Its talents are evident from onto a rug, with its sensors
the start: setting up is literally seemingly telling it the edge If you’re spending up to £800 likely to be stumped by rugged
a matter of removing it from of the rug was a wall. on a robot vacuum cleaner, carpet terrain or fall foul of a
the box, positioning it on its As robot vacuums go, this you might well expect it to sudden sense of misdirection.
charging dock and pressing Roomba is still excellent. It sweep up every last bit of Learn to live with the thing
Start. Seconds later it’ll be cleans thoroughly, looks great, dirt that’s plaguing your living and the amount of time you
scuttling across the floor like doesn’t make too much noise room floor, all at the push of spend cleaning by hand will
it owns the place, mapping the and is super-simple to use. the start button. be slashed right down.
Only Dyson’s 360 Eye While we’re not quite yet
comes close to delivering such living in a sci-fi home utopia,
a spotless vision of the future. the 360 Eye is a gurn-inducing
STUFF SAYS The Roomba 980 is worth the It cleans more efficiently than glimpse of what that world
price – a reliably excellent performer ++++, any of its rivals and is far less looks like.

93
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 TEST NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080

Play your card right

It costs more than a PS4 and an Xbox
One combined, but is this the 4K booster
that PC gamers have been waiting for?
£620 / geforce.co.uk

QDo you think high-end graphics

cards are for PC gamers who
cherish a perfect frame rate above
their families? You’re right – who
needs love when you can game in
glorious 4K? The Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1080 is no bargain, but it
promises a 30% performance
increase over the old Titan X for
£300 less.

QIn a head-to-head face-off with

the Titan X in the same system,
we enjoyed frame rate increases
of as much as 37% at 1080p in
The Division and 45% at 1440p
in Doom. That means beautifully
smooth scenery pops out from
your monitor.

QAs you’d expect, HD gaming

is a breeze for the GTX 1080; it’s
with 1440p (aka 2.5K) that things
start to get interesting. While the
Titan X struggled to hit 60fps in
1440p games with the settings
maxed out, the 1080 is the first
board to manage this feat across
all of our test games. The Division
Q Bill withers looked almost photoreal in some
This is the best card you can buy of our play tests.
for your leccy bills. It draws much
less power than the Titan X, QSo what about 4K? Well, while
meaning it’s cheaper to run. the GTX 1080 comes tantalisingly
You’ll need to be gaming an awful close to being capable of running
lot to see real savings, though. games in 4K on its own, you still
need to drop the detail down
in recent games to get a truly
smooth performance.

QThere are exceptions, however.

The new Doom reboot maintained
a 64.8fps average in our testing at
4K, and looked astonishing doing it.

Q Delve into 12 Tech specs

This card isn’t only good for Base/boost clock speeds
4K gaming – it also supports 1607/1733MHz Stream
DirectX 12, which lets developers processors 2560 GPU memory
access more advanced graphical 8GB Power connector 8-pin
features as well as CPU-based Power consumption 180W TDP
performance gains.

STUFF SAYS Not 4K perfection, but this is still the best graphics card you can buy ++++,

It’s stunning, but Make no mistake, this is the fastest single graphics card we’ve ever seen, offering
not quite the 4K significant performance gains over the previous Titan X flagship card for a lot less
gaming magic we money. However, it still doesn’t give you true 4K gaming and is a lot more expensive
were dreaming of than previous-generation high-end cards. If you want 4K performance from a single
Guy Cocker card, you might have to wait for the inevitable GTX 1080Ti.

95
 TEST GAMES

PS4, Xbox One, PC / lego.com

Lego Star Wars:

The Force Awakens
The brick-wielding little people turn their attentions to Rey, Finn, BB-8 and the gang as they create
more innocent fun out of saving the galaxy. But is their own Force stuck in a creative slumber?

ego games just don’t give
L a damn. In a market of
Poe-faced shooters and
gritty sci-fi universes, all they ask
is that you have a giggle, smashing
brick things to make more brick
things – and in Star Wars, Lego
may have found its perfect
partner. It’s more of what we’ve
come to expect: run around a
Star Destroyer, shimmy along
a platform, then knock about some
First Order types for fun.
There have, however, been a
few changes to the typical Lego
game structure. This time there’s
cover shooting, which peppers
a lot of the levels in story mode.
These scripted sequences pin you
down behind obstacles until you
blast through whatever’s blocking
your way. Too often, though, this
extra element just feels like a
chore, dragging each sequence
out beyond its welcome. And much
like the platforming, it’s been done
better elsewhere.
Mixing up the puzzle mechanics
is a much more welcome change.
Brick piles used to let you build one
creation at a time, but now you’ve
got several choices. At their most
basic, Lego puzzles have always
been little more than ‘find this to
do this to then do that’. Adding
multiple options will make you
stop and think, even if it’s only
for an extra few seconds.
Other changes are smaller, but
do have a big impact on how you
play. Swapping characters is a lot
smoother with the new option
wheel. Bumbling about as C-3PO
might be fun for a few minutes, but
when the action hots up it’s great
to be able to instantly take control
of Poe or Finn and their blasters.
Some long-standing irks remain,
though. Awkward camera angles
and viewpoints that get obscured
by the scenery happen far too
often, for instance.
Ultimately, the small tweaks
aren’t enough to mix things up for
anyone who’s already played the
old versions to death. Buying your
first Lego game? Get stuck in. The
rest of us might be left wishing for
an update to the magic formula.
Justin Mahboubian-Jones

STUFF SAYS Fun as ever, but not there’s much here beyond what you’ve seen before +++,,
96
 TEST GAMES

Throwing toy bricks

at the blockbusters
The action-packed Star Wars
films are dramatic but jolly
at their core, making them
perfect fodder to embrace the
gentle mockery that always
accompanies Lego’s forays
into the gaming world. The
Force Awakens takes this
sound relationship and rolls
with it, without deviating
from the path laid out by
its predecessors.
You might think you’re
‘too old for Lego games’. And
yes, most of the Star Wars
franchise has always been
partly aimed at kids. But who
cares? Lego games have an
irreverent charm that’ll keep
The new game has …but after Return Of The you coming back.
scenes set before Jedi, which took place Developer TT Games also
The Force Awakens… 30 years previously. picks up on the films’ more
ridiculous moments. The Lego
version of a scene from the
Force Awakens trailer – where
a squad of stormtroopers are
standing in a flickering, dimly
lit dropship – managed to draw
guttural laughter from me. The
Lego scene pans over to a
single trooper… frantically
flipping the light switch up
and down.
It’s a fair point: why are
the lights going on and off
on a futuristic spaceship
that can travel fast enough
to turn the stars into blurs?
Full marks to the developer
on that score at least.

97
 REVIEWS
WATCH
Nerve_cinema
n this new thriller from
I Catfish directors Ariel
Schulman and Henry
Joost, Emma Roberts plays Vee,
a timid teen living on Staten Island
with little more than the internet
for company.
When her brash best friend
Sydney starts doing dares for
cash in a livestreamed online game
called Nerve – a kind of Fight Club
for millennials, or America’s Got
Talent reimagined by Anonymous
– Vee sees her chance to break
out of Sydney’s shadow.
It starts out innocently enough:
eat dog food, flash the crowd during
a high school football game, kiss
a stranger for five seconds. Before
long Vee pairs up with fellow
player Ian (Dave Franco), wearing
expensive clothes she didn’t buy
98
and travelling across Manhattan
from dare to dare by motorbike.
They’re celebrities on the red
carpet of the internet, and their
lives are the premiere.
But Nerve’s dark web of dares
becomes increasingly dangerous
as the rewards get higher – and
the shaky phone footage does
a great job of recreating the palm-
sweating tension of the more
death-defying challenges.
Nerve is adapted from a novel
aimed at young adults, and you can
tell, but it’s no more juvenile than
those superhero films that millions
take so seriously. Ultimately, it’s
only the overly theatrical ending
that might make you log off.
Tom Wiggins
STUFF SAYS ++++,
Knight Of Cups
_Blu-ray, DVD, VOD
Less a film, more a
sequence of beautifully
shot vignettes intercut
with Christian Bale
frolicking mournfully with
beautiful women (I think
we’re meant to feel sorry
for him). Knight Of Cups
is a Terrence Malick movie,
but cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki is
the real star. Watch on
the biggest telly you can.
Tom Wiggins
STUFF SAYS +++,,
Batman Vs
Superman MORE
LIKE THIS
_Blu-ray, DVD, VOD
This superhero showdown
should have been epic.
Batman and Superman,
facing off on screen for
the first time! Instead we
get a brooding borefest,
clocking in at a torturous
two and a half hours. Skip
straight to Henry Cavill
and Ben Affleck kicking
the crap out of each other
for the last 20 minutes.
Tom Morgan
STUFF SAYS ++,,,
 REVIEWS

STREAM LISTEN

Guardians Of The Galaxy Boy King _Wild Beasts

_Netflix
Take the charismatic
charm of Chris Pratt and
mash with the hulking
mass of an extraterrestrial
Dave Bautista. Add a pinch
of Vin Diesel as a deadly
alien tree, then a splash
of Bradley Cooper as a
genetically engineered
killer raccoon called
Rocket. Mix with a vintage
rock soundtrack, and
even it out with Avatar’s
Zoe Saldana playing
a cut-throat assassin.
Congratulations, you’ve
just cooked up one of
the zaniest bands of
superheroes in the history
of the universe, and the
Guardians’ foray onto
the silver screen is as
entertaining and funny
as it is refreshing. A fitting
antidote to the overly
serious huffing and puffing
going on back in Gotham
and Metropolis… with a
sequel due to be released
next spring.
Wild Beasts love a bit of
the lusty stuff. Ever since
their Mercury-nominated
Two Dancers brought them
to popular attention, this
Cumbrian quartet have
been mining outrageous
seams of art-rock
innuendo. Boy King is their
most muscular record yet,
but it’s no less drenched
in sultry falsetto vocals and
convulsive percussion.
What tracks like Get My
Bang and Big Cat lack in
subtlety, they make up for
in hip-shuddering genius.
For all its inventiveness,
this album never shirks
its mission to get your
rocks off. Such is its carnal
majesty, it could restore
even your gran’s libido.
Whether you want a few
new tracks for your ‘sex
jams’ mixtape or just fancy
hearing a band right at
their peak, Boy King is
well worth a spin.
Rob Leedham
STUFF SAYS +++++

Q Daredevil_Netflix
(BUT Bloodier, swearier and sexier than most Marvel offerings,
BETTER) Daredevil now has The Punisher and Elektra getting
involved for season two.

Q The Dark Knight Rises_Amazon Prime

Christopher Nolan’s Batman finale didn’t live up to the hype,
but we did like the nod to the ‘sometimes you just can’t get A Weird Exits
rid of a bomb’ scene from 1966’s Batman: The Movie. _Thee Oh Sees
Ensnaring Thee Oh Sees’
Q Jessica Jones_Netflix force-of-nature live show
and committing it to record
While she’s not strictly a superhero any more, our isn’t easy. While Gelatinous
Jessica still has the unearthly skills to escape the Cube sounds like a fight
clutches of mind-controlling sadist Zebediah Killgrave. with a giant snake and
Ticklish Warrior is like being
attacked by a swarm of
guitar-playing killer bees,
it’s hard to shake the feeling
that you might be better
off with their recent live
album instead.
Tom Wiggins
Give A Glimpse
Of What Yer Not
_Dinosaur Jr
Welcome to the 1990s.
Be A Part, Good To Know
and Tiny still sound like
they would perfectly
suit a teatime slot at
Lollapalooza ’93, and
the rest of Dinosaur’s
11th album has plenty of
melodies that’ll make you
cry while you nod along,
and guitar solos that’ll
make you cry harder.
Will Findlater

STUFF SAYS ++++, STUFF SAYS ++++,

99
 RRP
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 A LEAGUE
OF OUR OWN

TO BUY MATCH TICKETS GO TO

ticketstores.com/FAWSL
MAKE. DO. UPGRADE.

p104 p106 p108 p110

BETA YOURSELF: PLAYLIST: INSTANT THE BIG
CHROMEBOOKS PODCASTS UPGRADES QUESTION:
If you’re only using Make the whole WATCHING HOW SHOULD
yours to browse bus wonder SPORT I EDIT MY
for another laptop, what you’re Buy well for HOLIDAY SNAPS?
stop right now sniggering at the new season Take your pic…

103
 PROJECTS | 09.16
SE OUR A
Y BET
LF -
THE BASICS
QCurl up with a good ’book.
Chromebooks range in price
from £150 to the £1000 Pixel.
They’re all based on the same
‘cloud first’ principle, so the
main differences are in hardware.
Only the Pixel really offers
a MacBook-like build and
typing experience, while
a number of newer models
have touchscreens.
QBounteous batteries.
Chromebooks are relatively
simple devices with low power
consumption – so unlike normal
laptops, even cheaper models
offer great battery life. The
104
These Google-brained laptops are brilliant little machines,
but what can you do with them beyond web browsing?
Justin Mahboubian-Jones shares his favourite tricks…
Toshiba Chromebook 2 (£200,
argos.co.uk) will easily sustain
a day’s work on a single charge.
QDesktop jockey. Chrome
OS is browser-based, but that
doesn’t mean you have to
open apps like Microsoft Word
in a tab. To open them in a
more desktop-like window
(without the omnibar and
bookmarks), just right-click the
app’s icon and select ‘window’.
QReach for the Skype. Don’t
let the lack of a built-in Skype
app or extension put you off
a Chromebook. It’s perfectly
possible to use one to Skype
Aunt Sally in Australia – just head
over to web.skype.com and sign
in as normal.
QWork the remote. Need to
do something more demanding?
Accessing your work computer
with a remote desktop client
is simple. Install the Chrome
Remote Desktop extension
on both your Chromebook and
your target computer and you’ll
be ‘in the office’ in minutes.
OFFLINE EXTRAS
QWatch Game Of Thrones.
Chrome OS is a bare-bones
operating system, but it packs
a built-in media player capable
of playing most video files.
QFinish that rant. You can
carry on editing files in Drive
or Docs even without a data
connection. Click the ‘Settings’
button in the Chrome browser
then go to the ‘Offline’ area to
activate it.
QGet game. The Chrome Web
Store has a bunch of decent free
offline games. We like chemistry
puzzler Little Alchemy and
brain-twister Pathuku.

“OK GOOGLE”
QSpeak up. Chromebooks
support voice commands
thanks to the same ‘Ok Google’
prompt found on Android
phones. You can enable them
in Settings under ‘Search’.
QOpen sesame. You can also
use voice commands to open
installed apps and extensions.
This works for Drive, Files,
Gmail, or any others you see
in the ‘all apps’ section.
QDictate the day. Hands
aching for a rest? Install a
speech-to-text app like the
excellent VoiceNote II (£free,
chrome.google.com).
MEDIA MOGUL
Q Top of the crops. Unless
you’re a real pro, Chromebooks
are perfectly capable photo
editors. For basic tweaks like
cropping, just click the edit wand
in Chrome OS’s image editor.
Q Next level. Need something
a bit more refined? Pixlr (£free,
chrome.google.com) is the one.
It packs much of Photoshop’s
functionality into a web app.
Q Straight to video. These
machines might lack the power
needed for serious video editing,
but WeVideo (from £free,
chrome.google.com) lets you
add voiceovers, transitions etc.
09.16 | PROJECTS
TAKE A SHORTCUT
Q Know it all. Press ‘Ctrl +
Alt + ?’ and you’ll get a virtual
keyboard showing all of Chrome
OS’s most useful shortcuts.
Q Lay it out. Chromebooks
are big on gesture controls.
Pressing three fingers on the
touchpad and drawing them
towards you will pull all windows
into multi-tasking view.
Q Change of address.
The omnibar is handy for
quick searches, but it doesn’t
auto-complete web addresses.
To instantly turn a website
name into a full URL, just press
‘Ctrl + Enter’.
LEVEL
UP WITH...
ANDROID APPS
play.google.com
Google has just begun
rolling out Play Store
app compatibility for
Chromebooks. This
is exciting news, bringing
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and Android functions
to the platform. Apps
can be controlled via
keyboard, mouse and
touch. No touchscreen?
You’ll need something
like the Airbar…
AIRBAR
from US$70 / air.bar
As Chromebooks enter
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it makes sense for them
to embrace touchscreens
too. Models such as the
new HP Chromebook 11
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optional touch-friendly
displays. But you can add
similar powers to your
machine with the Airbar,
which uses a laser placed
in front of the display.
POCKET
£free / chrome.google.com
Few of us have the luxury
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articles on a Chromebook
is one of its main joys.
That’s where Pocket
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lets you save interesting
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automatically downloads
them for you to read
later on the train, bus
or nuclear submarine.
105
PROJECTS | 09.16

These comedy gems, quirky features and shameless

geek-outs will liven up the drizzliest commute… and
all but one of them are free to download from iTunes

The 2000 AD
Thrill-Cast
Home of grim-faced
lawman Judge Dredd,
2000 AD has been
flinging oddball British
sci-fi our way since
the late 1970s. The
Thrill-Cast is packed
full of insight, chatting
with some of the
industry’s biggest
names in a restlessly
lo-fi manner. Fans
will also welcome the
chance to win some
comic-related bling.

The Adam Analog(ue) My Dad Wrote Shut Up And FiveThirtyEight The Mysterious
Buxton Podcast A lot of tech podcasts A Porno Sit Down Elections Secrets Of
There are two types examine the subject What would you do If you think a podcast Will the land of the Uncle Bertie’s
of people in the world: like surgeons, poking if your dad suddenly about board games free soon be ruled Botanarium
those who know and into specs and self-published an sounds like just the by a man whose love Jermaine ‘Flight
love Adam Buxton, release dates, but erotic novel, despite thing to send you of casual xenophobia Of The Conchords’
and those who lead this one takes a step being a terrible writer off to sleep on a long is rivalled only by his Clement might be
sad, unfulfilled lives. back by discussing with an evidently flight, this will change fondness for fake tan? the name that draws
Adam has finally how gadgets fit into limited understanding your mind. Its three This podcast will tell your attention to
launched his own everyday life. The two of female anatomy? mega-informed you. It’s about the this surreal seafaring
podcast, in which he hosts live on either The answer probably hosts discuss the polls rather than the story, but it’s the
meets and chats with side of the Atlantic isn’t read it to the design of tabletop US election media awesome sound
a diverse bunch of (hence the dual world, but that’s games with such circus, and is run by design that justifies
guests. But the best spelling), which helps what Jamie Morton enthusiasm that you Nate Silver – a stat the US$4.99/month
bits are the intros and unearth differences does in this 13-part can’t help but go and boffin who called the Howl.fm subscription
outros, recorded while in how the US and UK series, aided by two pre-order their latest results in all 50 states (see right). Sorry, this
out walking his dog. use their tech. bewildered friends. recommendations. correctly last time. one’s not on iTunes.

106
 09.16 | PROJECTS

FINDING POD
3 WAYS TO
DISCOVER
MORE SHOWS

SAMPLER
This podcast goes all
meta on the subject,
discussing hand-picked
extracts from interesting
new shows and talking
to their makers. They
sometimes also play
listeners’ favourite
funny moments.
£free / iTunes

LAUGHABLE
Find yourself mainly
listening to comedy
’casts? This new app
is focused on just that,
letting you search by
comedian to see which
episodes they’ve been
in and then queue them
up to create a playlist.
£free / iOS

Song Exploder Alice Isn’t Dead No Such Thing Final Games

Each 15-minute A woman drives a As A Fish Taking its cue from
episode of Song truck across the USA Looking for some trivia Desert Island Discs,
Exploder takes a in search of a wife she bombs to fill your next this puts big shots
tune, breaks it down previously thought awkward silence? This from the gaming
to its constituent dead. On the way she weekly show from QI’s industry in a similarly
parts and asks the encounters a deadly research team is here uninhabited (but
artist responsible to man/creature who to arm you up. The four somehow electrically
tell the story behind seems intent on hosts take it in turns to powered) place and HOWL
it. You’re likely to stopping her and reveal a new favourite asks them to explain Its app might lack handy
end up picking and apparently has the fact, which is prodded which eight games features like the sleep
choosing the ones police on his side. This and probed until it they’d choose to timer we’ve grown used
to in Casts, but Howl
that feature bands dark tale is narrated flowers into something take and why. Liam
stands out with its
you’re into, but the from the woman’s ‘quite interesting’. Edwards, formerly commitment to high
insight is frequently point of view via Subjects include ferret of Rockstar Games, production values and
fascinating. A music her CB radio, adding copulation, postbox hosts from the floor original shows.
nerd’s dream. to the eeriness. design and warships. of his Japanese flat. $4.99/month / howl.fm

107
PROJECTS | 09.16

Bring football stadiums and velodromes

into your lounge with this world-class team
of performance-enhancing telly boosters

4
6

[ Words Simon Lucas Illustration Jamie Sneddon ]

108

1 DALI KUBIK ONE
The Kubik One has the classic
‘good touch for a big man’. By
soundbar standards it’s a bit of
a biffer, but that doesn’t matter
for three reasons. Firstly, these
things never are very stylish.
Secondly, it’s available in nine
different finishes, so you should
have no trouble matching it to
your favourite team. Thirdly,
and most importantly, the
sound it produces has no trouble
capturing the size and fervour of
a packed stadium, yet is detailed
enough to pick out the yelp as
a cheating striker hurls himself
theatrically to the turf.
£800 / dali-speakers.com
4 WHIRLPOOL VESSI
BEER FERMENTER
The Vessi is a craft beer factory
in a box. From steeping the
barley with water to boiling the
hops to create wort and mixing
in the yeast, the Beer Fermenter
is a fully hands-on experience.
It also lets you finesse things
like secondary fermentation
and regulating alcohol content.
Just make sure you have your
gathering planned in advance
– like a Rory McIlroy putt,
fermenting can’t be rushed,
although the Vessi does claim
a tidy seven-day turnaround
for a light blonde ale.
US$1900 / whirlpoolcorp.com
2 BOSE
QUIETCOMFORT 35
When you make the best
noise-cancelling headphones
around, as Bose did with
the QuietComfort 25s, the
temptation must be to leave
well alone. But Bose is nothing
if not intrepid – and so, to
its winning formula of epic
comfort, sound and build quality
plus matchless noise-cancelling,
it’s added wireless Bluetooth
functionality. Throw in excellent
battery life, and the QC35s
will be the only headphones
you ever need to shut out that
room of rival supporters.
£290 / bose.co.uk
5 SONY VPL-VW300ES
If you want truly world-class
performance, it’s going to cost
you. But just as Lewis Hamilton
doesn’t come cheap, if you fork
out for the VPL-VW300ES
then, like the chisel-bearded
racing genius, you’re getting
the best there is at what
it does. And what it does
is crystal-clear, pin-sharp
4K images that, given the right
source material, aren’t so much
like a projected image as the
view through a clean window.
If you want to supersize your
viewing experience, the 300ES
is worth every penny.
£4500 / sony.co.uk
09.16 | PROJECTS
SUBS’ BENCH:
ON A BUDGET
BT ULTRA HD
First out of the blocks
with 4K broadcasting,
BT gets the basics right.
There’s a decent choice
of live 4K sport, with
3 SKY Q SILVER rugby and MotoGP
Forget the gloopy multiroom
backing up Champions
League and Premier
experience shown in the League football. And
adverts – the main reason the view is better than
to get Sky Q is for sport. With the ref’s: from the beads
the standard Sky Q box (from of sweat on a midfield
£44/month) unable to receive terrier to the logos on
4K broadcasts and Sky planning fans’ replica shirts.
from £16/month /
to flick on the Ultra HD switch
bt.com/ultrahd
for the new Premier League
season, Sky Q Silver is the
bundle to shell out for. For the
non-sporty members of your
household, this also means
4K movies and entertainment,
plus the ability to record four
other shows while you watch
the game. BENQ W3000
£56/month / sky.com/skyq It’s might not be 4K, but
this is everything you
could expect from a
projector at this price
and then some. It’s a
beautifully made Full HD
projector that serves up
a 100in image from less
than three metres –
and the BenQ keeps
a tighter grip on that
picture than Cristiano
Ronaldo does on his
image rights. In terms of
image inches per pound,
it’s unbeatable.
£1200 / benq.co.uk
6 CONCENTRÉ
DE VIE SOFA
A comfortable sofa’s all well
Q ACOUSTICS MEDIA 4
and good, but it’s just a sofa. An
It’s not a soundbar, it’s
emergency bed at a push. What a sound-trapezoid. Not
you want in furniture is flexibility. a snappy description, we
You want modular. So what you know, but the M4’s odd
want is Campeggi’s Concentré shape allows for a hefty
de Vie by Matali Crasset. Yes, subwoofer to work in
it’s a sofa – but thanks to its tandem with a pair of
uber-technical configuration 6.5-balanced mode
radiators and deliver
it’s also a couple of guest chairs.
a bigger, more potent
Or footstools, armrests or, yes, noise than any other
a single bed… all while closely soundbar at this price.
resembling Stanley Kubrick’s You’ll get a big match
dream of the distant future. Just atmosphere even at the
don’t let anyone holding a drink third-place bout in the
go anywhere near it. Greco-Roman wrestling.
£2740 / apresfurniture.co.uk £300 / qacoustics.co.uk
109
 PROJECTS | 09.16
How should I edit my holiday snaps?
TWEAK LIKE A PRO
GOOGLE NIK COLLECTION
£free / google.com/nikcollection
Previously a pricey offering
from Google, the Nik Collection
is now available gratis. It’s a set
of seven desktop apps that
offer simple-to-use, pro-level
photo tweaking options.
Each has a particular area of
expertise. Dfine and Sharpener
Pro are great for reducing noise
and enhancing detail. If you want
to change the overall look of
your photos, Color Efex Pro and
Viveza let you tweak colour and
tonality, or add filters to specific
areas. For a more vintage look,
there’s Analog Efex Pro and
Silver Efex Pro. HDR Efex Pro,
meanwhile, lets you merge
several images to create a single
HDR (high dynamic range) shot.
All of these handy tools can be
FIX YOUR
SMARTPHONE SNAPS
VSCO
£free / iOS, Android
Most smartphone camera apps
have a handful of rudimentary
editing functions to help you fix
those not-quite-perfect snaps,
but few are as elegant as the
Visual Supply Company’s free
app. Among its editing features
are a straightening tool (adieu,
wonky horizons!) and a crop tool
that lets you cut off unwanted
sections or improve the balance
of your composition.
VSCO also offers sliders that
shift both vertical and horizontal
perspective – essential for
[ Words Sam Kieldsen ]
making photos of buildings look
‘head on’, like they were taken
from an elevated position. The
app keeps a copy of the original,
so all editing is reversible.
110
used as plug-ins for other
editing packages, or run as
standalone apps.
You can combine several
plug-ins for each image you
edit – Google recommends
using Dfine to reduce noise, then
Viveza, then Color Efex Pro, then
Silver Efex Pro (if converting to
B&W), and then perfecting with
Sharpener Pro to finish off.
DO THIS…
CROP OUT THE BAD
Camera phone lenses tend to
be wide, so sometimes there’s
too much going on in photos,
distracting from the main
subject. Tap VSCO’s crop tool
and you can trim off the fat,
focusing the viewer’s eye on
what’s important.
GOOGLE
PHOTOS
TRICKS
1 / Get free storage
Google Photos is
our favourite way
to back up photos
from proper cameras
as well as phones.
Sign up, then just
drag and drop from
your desktop.
2 / Restore old snaps
Changed your mind
about a photo you
deleted? The Google
DO THIS… Photos bin holds
MAKE A PUNCHY B&W SHOT images for 60 days.
Just select ‘Bin’ and
Pick a photo with a wide range of pick the snaps you
lighting in close proximity. Open want to restore.
it in Silver Efex Pro and try the
presets in the left-hand column
to find a good base, then use the
right-hand column’s sliders and
boxes to tweak until the image
really bursts with contrast.
3 / Make a montage
As you upload your
pictures, Google
Photos groups them
to create animations,
collages, movies
and stories. You’ll
find them in the
Assistant tab.
KILL THE NOISE 4 / Find any photo
The search options
NOISELESS in Photos are
£45 / macphun.com astonishing. Tap on
the magnifying glass
Most cameras have a noise icon and type. You
reduction function, but it’s often want cats, beaches,
better to turn that off and use
a third-party program – and
smiles? It’ll find ’em
quicker than you can.
Noiseless is among the best. Its
algorithms tweak the appearance
of pixels in a way that retains
detail while minimising graininess.
You can tweak each image facebook.com/joinstuff
separately, which means you google.com/+stufftv
won’t overdo it and end up with twitter.com/stuffTV
photos looking more like paintings. stuff@haymarket.com

1 ...USE AN XBOX
ONE ELITE PAD
WITH YOUR PS4
Microsoft’s metal-paddled Elite
is the best console controller
ever made. Here’s how to use
it to level up your Destiny ranking
on your PS4:
Gather the ingredients. Aside
from the £110 Elite controller,
you’ll need a CronusMAX Plus
(£45, controllermax.co.uk), a
4-port USB 2.0 hub (£6, amazon.
co.uk, and a PS4 controller to
authenticate the Xbox One Elite.
Grab the software. Download
the Cronus Pro software (£free,
cronusmax.com). Ensure it has
the latest firmware and is set
up to accept the Xbox One Elite
controller. For details go to the
setup video at bit.ly/cronuspro
Game On. Now install the PS4
Gamepack (from the same
website), and plug your Elite pad
and PS4 into port one and port
four of the hub respectively. You
are now ready to destroy the
fabric of the universe by using
an Xbox controller on a PS4.
2 ...MASTER
GOOGLE NOW
Baked into your Android phone
is a voice assistant that’s rather
coy about advertising its talents.
Here’s how to build a fruitful
friendship with Google Now:
Read the encyclopaedia. Go to
ok-google.io for a Macedonian
developer’s directory of
commands, split by category.
Track down a text. Google Now
can drill down through your
emails and texts. For example,
ask it to “Show me text
messages about pizza” and it’ll
not only find your friend’s order
but even read it out to you.
2 Rest your fingers. If you have
countless apps, Google Now can
save you from scrolling through
pages of confusing icons. “Open
Instagram” will get the job done
in a flash. You can also ask it to
play a particular song or album
in your library.
TUNE IN NEXT MONTH TO...
O Redecorate your home, geek style O Discover the handiest
Chrome extensions O Get more out of the Steam platform
09.16 | PROJECTS
3 ...GET LIVE
DESKTOP
WALLPAPERS
Here’s how to liven up your
desktop background with a
smartphone-like live wallpaper:
On a Mac. There are some solid
Apple-approved apps to choose
from. Live Desktop (£0.79) sits
in your menu bar, has a handful
of free looping backgrounds
and isn’t too hard on your CPU.
If you’d prefer weather updates
or a virtual fishbowl, check out
Living Weather HD (£2.49) and
Desktop Aquarium (from £free).
On a Windows PC. Windows 10
doesn’t natively support gifs
as wallpapers, but there are
programs that can add that
functionality for you. We used
BioniX Wallpaper Changer
(£free, bionixwallpaper.com).
Once it’s downloaded, head
to Tools > Wallpaper Animator
and point the software at your
chosen gif.
111
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114
115
Hi-fi 116
Headphones 118
Home cinema 120
Streaming devices & speaker systems
TVs 121
Laptops 122
Geek accessories
& games consoles 123
Wearables
& smarthome 124
Cameras 125
For full reviews of every product in the
Top Tens, visit stuff.tv/reviews
 114 SMARTPHONES
T OnePlus 3 STUFF SAYS
HO

1
‘Business as usual’ has never been so good. Once again, OnePlus has swanned A big, brilliant bargain of a
Y
BU phone that looks and feels
in with a £300-ish phone that offers a true alternative to some costing more
like £600. The tech is as aggressively packed in as ever, but this is also the as good as a handset costing
W best-looking, most expensive-feeling OnePlus phone to date. If an extra £300
NE is nothing to you, there are slightly better screens and cameras available. But last
twice as much
time we checked, most of our readers like a good deal. This is an unbeatable one. £330 +++++

Samsung Galaxy S7
2 Welcome to the age of ‘sensible Samsung’, a smartphone maker of dependable
excellence. The Galaxy S7 looks a lot like the old S6 but has been improved all round,
not least with a better camera. This sets a high bar for all of Samsung’s competitors.
from £550
+++++

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge BEST FOR

3 Compared to the brilliant S7, the S7 Edge has a bigger 5.5in display, a higher-capacity
battery and, of course, that curved touchscreen with its swipeable row of widgets. If
you can afford it, then paying £70 more seems reasonable for a better-looking phone.
from £630
+++++
CUTTING-EDGE
GADGETEERS

HTC 10
4 This handset barely puts a foot wrong, but it’s a marketer’s worst nightmare. What’s it
good at? Everything. What’s special about it? Battery life. Stamina may be the least sexy
of features, but knowing the 10 will survive an impromptu pub trip feels pretty good.
£570
+++++

Apple iPhone 6s
5 “Everything’s changed” is pushing it, but within the 6s’s familiar body lies a surprising
amount of innovation. You’ll really notice the A9 processor’s added speed, the 12MP
camera’s scope and quality, and of course, the time-saving delight that is 3D Touch.
from £540
+++++

LG G5
6 The scale of the LG G5’s ambition is breathtaking. It’s a unique modular smartphone,
allowing you to swap out its parts for improved ones, such as a bigger battery, camera
controls or Bang & Olufsen audio tech. It’s a big, ballsy move that we hope pays off.
£530
+++++

Google Nexus 6P
7 The 6P gets the Nexus series back on the rails. Camera? Design? Performance?
Software? All get a serious thumbs-up. Standouts include the finger scanner and
from £450
+++++

O Prices quoted are handset-only unless otherwise stated

the front camera, which are among the very best available at any price.

Lenovo Moto G4
8 Motorola (now owned by Lenovo) once again ups the ante and shows every other big
phone maker what can be done for less than £200. With a slimmer design, metal-effect
sides and a bigger screen than the old Moto G, this is the new no.1 budget phone.
from £160
+++++
BEST FOR
BUDGET
BUYERS

Vodafone Smart Prime 7

9
BEST FOR
The Smart Prime 7 is a lesson in quite how cheap phones can get before they seem from £75 SUPER
cobbled together out of bits found in bargain bins. On specs alone it easily holds its +++++ VALUE
own against rivals that cost twice the price – a solid gold bargain.

Apple iPhone SE
10 The cheapest iPhone ever made packs pretty much all the power of the iPhone 6s into
the 4in aluminium shell of the iPhone 5s. Its compact, no-compromise concept should
tempt plenty of newbies into Apple’s world. The SE is the best small phone you can buy.
from £360
+++++

FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR SMARTPHONE BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/SMARTPHONES

Download the Shop Stuff app

Looking for the
best deal on the
OnePlus 3? You
can now find it, 1. Download and 2. Open the app, 3. Scroll through
and even buy install the free hold your phone the products and
Shop Stuff app, 10cm over the pick your options,
it, by scanning available on iOS page and wait for then hit ‘buy’ or
this page… and Android. the swirly vortex. save it for later.
 TABLETS 115
T STUFF SAYS
HO Apple iPad Pro 9.7

1
Incredible power, superb
Y
BU
The iPad Pro 9.7 takes everything we loved about Apple’s original 12.9in Pro tablet, features and near-flawless
makes it a lot more portable, and even adds in a few extras of its own. The True
Tone display, which changes automatically based on ambient conditions, is a
design: the iPad Pro 9.7
marvel, while the 12MP shooter is frankly overkill for those brave enough to is pure tablet perfection
use it out and about. It’s expensive, but perfection usually comes at a price. from £500 +++++

Apple iPad Mini 4

2 This is the mini tab we’ve been waiting for. It’s 1.4mm thinner and 32g lighter, just the from £320 BEST FOR
FUN ON
right size for a great portable entertainment hub, and subtle display tweaks will do +++++ THE GO
justice to games and graphic novels alike. Plus it will easily last three days on a charge.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

3 This is the best of the small-screen Android tablets, bringing you all the fab features of
its bigger brother but in a smaller, even lighter form design. The 8in model is great for
reading mags, playing games and watching films, while being easier to hold in one hand.
£300
+++++

Google Pixel C
4 The Pixel C is a superb tabtop. This 10in tablet with keyboard (£120) and 2K display is
excellent for working on the go, and it’ll handle demanding games easily. The Android
OS is a major advantage – the choice of apps is years ahead of Chrome OS.
from £400
+++++

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

5 Slimmer and faster, with a brilliant screen and serious stamina, the Galaxy Tab S2
sees Samsung back in the running for the Android throne. The Xperia Z4 almost pips
it with its bundled keyboard, but the S2’s a versatile, big-screen tab first and foremost.
£350
+++++

Apple iPad Mini 2 BEST FOR

6 Yes, it’s not as good as the new Mini 4… but believe it or not, Apple’s iPad Mini 2 is the
best cheap-ish tablet on the market. At this price, it’s frankly bargain-tastic. That’s
why the ‘old’ model stays in our Top 10 – it’s still a mini tablet of real quality.
from £220
+++++
SMALL
BUDGETS

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S

7 If you want to get some serious work done without feeling like you’re doing it on a toy,
the TabPro S is a better option than even the iPad Pro 9.7. It’s basically a full-on PC
slimmed right down to skinny tablet dimensions.
£850
++++,

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 BEST FOR

8 Apple’s tablet colossus, the supercharged iPad Pro, is for serious creatives with deep
pockets: the perfect digital coffee-table book that just about doubles as a laptop. To
make best use of all that screen, remember to also buy a Smart Keyboard and Pencil.
from £680
++++,
ARTISTIC
TYPES

Asus ZenPad S 8.0

9 A top affordable tablet with a dazzling display – getting 2048x1536 pixels at this price
is a big win. It’s also dead slim and light, at 7.9mm and 316g; and with 8.5hrs of video
between charges, the Zen Pad feels like a tablet you can take everywhere.
£150
++++,

Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0

10 This is a solid stylus-ready tablet, though it might have a tricky time given how well
priced some alternatives are these days (iPads start even cheaper than this). It’s not
a standard-setter, but it does have great battery life, solid design and a funky stylus.
from £250
++++,

FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR TABLET BUYING GUIDE, VISIT WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/TABLETS

PLUG INTO STUFF’S

SOCIAL NETWORK
facebook.com/joinstuff
 116 HI-FI & MUSIC STREAMING
T Sonos multiroom system STUFF SAYS
HO

1
If you want to pretend your favourite band are playing in your living room, there’s Infinite music in every
Y
BU room without the need
no better option than a Sonos wireless speaker. They always look great, work
effortlessy with your smartphone and, most importantly, boom out your tunes for custom installers?
with dazzling finesse – from the compact Play:1 (£170) to the flagship Play:5
(£430), a speaker that was redesigned from the ground up this year to sound
Sign us up now, please
better and be even more of a breeze to use. from £170 +++++

Naim Mu-so BEST FOR

2 How much for a wireless speaker?! Well yes, but what a wireless speaker it is. Naim
has ploughed all of its high-end hi-fi experience into delivering a beautifully made,
great-sounding device with AirPlay, Spotify Connect and aptX Bluetooth all on board.
£895
+++++
ONE-BOX
WI-FI HI-FI

KEF Muo
3 The KEF Muo sounds as good as it looks, which is very nice indeed. It may be the size of
a beer can, but it creates a room-filling sound, brilliantly balanced and packed with vim
and vigour. The Muo has the audio solidity of the B&W T7, but with even greater detail.
£300
+++++
BEST FOR
PORTABILITY

Naim Mu-so Qb
4 This can-do cube complements its big brother’s more refined character with a confident
presentation that pays no attention to its physical size. And its features list makes it more
flexible than Madonna’s yoga teacher. A stunning addition to the Mu-so family.
£595
+++++

Google Chromecast Audio

5 The original Chromecast was a very bright idea: a device to stream TV directly from the
internet. Chromecast Audio has arrived to do the same to your hi-fi. It’s smart and highly
affordable, and makes a huge variety of apps such as Spotify and Deezer more fun to use.
£30
+++++

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless

6 ‘Wireless speakers’ and ‘quality’ don’t always go hand in hand. But this is a desirable
product through and through – and in terms of sound and design, not a penny is left
unaccounted for. It’s the ultimate wireless speaker for the streaming-savvy audiophile.
£500
+++++

Bowers & Wilkins T7

7 The T7 is B&W’s first attempt at a portable Bluetooth speaker, and its good looks and
real hi-fi sound combine to make it a real winner. It’s solid and easy to use, and has an
attractive honeycomb structure that helps reduce cabinet vibrations.
£300
+++++

Monitor Audio Airstream S200

8 It may look a bit like a floppy skyscraper, but the Monitor Audio’s Bluetooth-plus-AirPlay
speaker makes a lot of sense, mostly because it takes up very little shelf/desk/table
space but makes loads of lovely noise. It’s a bit of a steal at this price.
£200
+++++
BEST FOR
PICNIC PARTIES

Cambridge Audio Go
9 There are loads of very cheap Bluetooth speakers out there, but we reckon it’s worth
spending that little bit more to get something that’s really good – and that’s the Go.
It sounds awesome, it’s really nicely built and its battery lasts a massive 18 hours.
£100
+++++

Bluesound multiroom system

10 Fancy a bit of Sonos-style multiroom but with better-than-CD-quality sound thrown
in? You want Bluesound. There are all-in-one speakers, adapters for your existing hi-fi,
and a Vault that rips and stores all your CDs. All can handle high-resolution audio.
from £270
+++++

FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR HI-FI BUYING GUIDE, JUMP OVER TO STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/HI-FI

Download the Shop Stuff app

Looking for the
best deal on some
Sonos speakers?
You can now 1. Download and 2. Open the app, 3. Scroll through
find it, and buy install the free hold your phone the products and
Shop Stuff app, 10cm over the pick your options,
them, by scanning available on iOS page and wait for then hit ‘buy’ or
this page… and Android. the swirly vortex. save it for later.
 118 HEADPHONES
T SoundMagic E10C STUFF SAYS
HO

1
SoundMagic has been pumping out quality in-ears for years, but this latest If you’re still listening
Y
BU to a pair of freebie buds,
revision is the best yet. You get fantastic sound for the money, a quality cable
and plenty of ear tips – and unlike the E10Ss, you don’t need to tell these buds stop it – and buy a pair
W whether you’re plugging into an iPhone or an Android. There’s still nothing out
NE there that can topple SoundMagic as the king of cheap headphones, but the
of these right now
E10Cs prove that it is still possible to improve without hammering up the price. £40 +++++

AKG K451
2 These bargain on-ears offer awesomely agile and punchy sound in a subtly stylish
and foldable design. Add standard and three-button control cables for maximising
compatibility, and there’s no excuse for not getting brilliant sound from your phone.
£45
+++++

AKG Y50BT BEST FOR

3 Proof that good wireless sound doesn’t have to cost the earth: with none of the
horrid hiss, whine, crack and pop that’s often a glitch of Bluetooth headphones,
these serve up truckloads of detail, with a full charge promising 20 hours of juice.
£125
+++++
GREAT SOUND
WITH NO WIRES

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless

4 The brand’s first foray into wireless brings luxury for your ears inside and out: these
are the Aston Martin DB10s of wire-free cans. If you like your sound authoritative,
dynamic and subtle (and who doesn’t?), you’ll feel right at home with these P5s.
£330
+++++

Bose QC35 BEST FOR

5 The QuietComfort range has long offered a sterling mix of comfort and noise-cancelling,
but with the new 35s you can add freedom-enhancing Bluetooth. These QCs are high
on clarity and spaciousness, making them perfect for your next long-haul journey.
£290
+++++
SHUTTING OUT
THE WORLD

Soul Electronics Flex

6 These simple in-ears are brilliant for workouts, as they stay put thanks to the
comfortable and unobtrusive ear-hooks. Sound quality is excellent, with crisp
treble notes, clean vocals and even a decent amount of bass for the money.
£45
+++++

Sennheiser Momentum 2.0

7 The original Sennheiser Momentums were an almost perfect pair of on-ears, and
we’re pleasantly surprised that the sequel is even more thrilling. They’re pricey, but
dapper looks soften the blow, as does the lively, hugely transparent sound.
£220
+++++

JBL Everest 100

8 The size of a pear drop, JBL’s wireless buds are all about fuss-free fit. Their eight-hour
battery life will help get you through the daily grind and their sound is one you could
easily listen to for that long… if you don’t mind your music on the meaty side.
£80
++++,

Fidue A65
9 Chinese brand Fidue has a style-conscious audience in mind for these all-metal,
well-balanced earbuds. For a fun yet detailed pair of headphones with a full-bodied
sound and snappy dress sense, the A65s are well worth considering.
£50
++++,

Jabra Sport Pulse

10 A tech-packed but easy to use pair of wireless buds with good enough sound. The big
draw here is connection to the Jabra Sport app, delivering heart-rate monitoring and
pretty much any other stat you might want. There’s also an inline remote and mic.
£120
++++,

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 120 HOME CINEMA
T Amazon Fire TV 4K STUFF SAYS
HO

1
Amazon’s latest Fire TV is faster and more powerful than last year’s model, but Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon
Y
BU video and Android games
more importantly, it supports ultra-detailed 4K video: TV and movies in four
times the resolution of Full HD. Of course, you’ll need a 4K set to enjoy all those in one 4K-capable box
extra pixels, but if you’re thinking of making the upgrade soon, this streamer is
a tele-futurist’s delight. With the added attractions of neat voice controls and £80
great gaming functionality, it’s the most complete streaming box you can buy. +++++

Sky Q from £100

2 A Sky subscription is already an expensive option, but Sky Q works flawlessly and
could change the way you watch TV – especially when 4K arrives. Undoubtedly the
best TV experience you can get, but only early adopters need to dive in right now.
+£44/month
+++++
BEST FOR
TELLY ADDICTS

Q Acoustics Media 4 BEST FOR

3 Sure, it doesn’t look like much. And yet, this soundbar has won awards two years in a
row from our friends at What Hi-Fi? The Media 4 combines subtle detail with precise
surround effects to be the best-sounding and best-value soundbar you can buy.
£300
+++++
TRUE-TO-LIFE
SOUND

Roku 2
4 Roku’s new mid-range offering is the most compelling yet. It’s essentially identical to
the Roku 3, just without the smart remote. With a customisable feed, Netflix, Now TV,
Google Play, YouTube and all the UK catch-up services, it’s unbiased, slick and simple.
£70
+++++

Canton DM55
5 This soundbase is a bit like dark chocolate: it may look plain and unassuming, but it’s
packed with a rich and full-bodied character. If you want that extra oomph to your films
without breaking the bank or sacrificing too much space, the DM55 is worth a look.
£330
+++++

Google Chromecast BEST FOR

6 The new Chromecast lets you search multiple streaming services from one app, offers
better Wi-Fi and lets you use your phone to control Android games. For the seriously
impatient, its smart preloading also plays Netflix episodes almost instantaneously.
£30
+++++
BUDGET
STREAMING

Dali Kubik One

7 Dali knows a thing or two about making great-looking, great-sounding loudspeakers,
and the Kubik One is a riveting listen. It can handle high-res files and offers a gorgeous
high-end sound. If you’ve got the cash, this is a talented system worth investing in.
£800
+++++

Geneva Model Cinema

8 The impeccably built Model Cinema looks rather lovely (for a soundbase), and being
a fairly slim box, it has no business sounding this huge and cinematic. It does so with
authority and insight – it’s like you’re sitting in your own personal theatre.
£500
+++++

Philips Fidelio B5
9 This Philips isn’t just a soundbar. It’s a shape-shifting 4.1 system with detachable ends
that can double up as surround or multiroom speakers. Clever, eh? Detail levels are sky
high, while the rumbling bass charges along with accuracy and power.
£550
+++++

Apple TV (2015)
10 Cupertino still hasn’t given us a real telly, but this powerful streaming device brims with
potential. Its Siri Remote could be a game-changer and it works well as a platform for
third-party apps and games; but for now it’s more pricey and less open than its rivals.
from £130
++++,

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 TVs 121
T LG OLED55C6V STUFF SAYS
HO

1
This is a truly stunning television. LG’s OLED panel can go blacker than most TVs Packed full of tech with
Y
BU jaw-dropping performance,
and will dazzle your senses with its brightness; it offers sharply etched detail,
excellent viewing angles and solid HD upscaling. It also boasts support for both this is the TV your overdraft
HDR standards: HDR10 and Dolby Vision. This means you’ll be able to watch
compatible content from Amazon, Netflix and UHD Blu-rays regardless of
was made for
which format wins out in the future. £3000 +++++

Samsung UE55KS7000
2 This set sprinkles a little extra stardust on top of its 4K and HDR brilliance in the form
of ‘Quantum Dot’ technology, which claims to offer over a billion colours to point your
peepers at. The result is an impressively refined performance.
£1400
+++++

Samsung UE48J6300 BEST FOR

3 A 48in screen seems to be the ideal size for most living rooms, and a prominent curve
makes this Samsung eye-catching in every respect. The performance is stunning and
the colours have the right balance of vividness and subtlety. This is a smart TV bargain.
£450
+++++
VIEWING
VALUE

Sony 55XD9305 BEST FOR

4 Sony’s stunning newcomer ticks all the boxes for a thoroughly modern TV: beautiful
looks, 4K, HDR and much, much more. Above all, this is as stonking a picture as you’re
going to get this side of three grand, and in a svelte frame as well.
£1880
+++++
THE WOW
FACTOR

LG OLED65G6V
NE
W
5 This is a stunning specimen of technology and design, with one of the best pictures
we’ve ever seen. Its OLED panel yields absolute blacks with precision lighting and no
halo effects whatsoever. The only downside is the equally astonishing price.
£6000
+++++

Samsung UE55KS9000
W
NE
6 Samsung has kept up the pace following the success of last year’s sets, and delivered
a superb TV at a competitive price for its level. You get an absolutely stunning picture
and performance for the money, proving there’s plenty of life in LCD yet.
£2000
+++++

LG 55EG960V
7 We knew that OLED and 4K together in one TV would be rather special. This 55in LG
combines the unbelievable contrast of OLED with the super-sharp images of 4K to
create a picture that’s almost as real and enticing as looking out of the window.
£1800
+++++

Panasonic TX-40DX600B
W
NE
8 Not everyone has room for a large TV, and this 40-incher is ideal for those with limited
space. Add 4K and you have a truly appealing proposition – there are other 4K sets
available at this money, but none can match the Panasonic’s wonderfully crisp picture.
£500
++++,

Panasonic TX-65DX750
9 If you want a big 4K telly that won’t decimate your savings, this 65in Panasonic is a
tempting option. It does fall short of the supercharged levels of peak brightness and
colour bit depth that you’ll find higher up this list, though.
£1700
++++,

Philips 65PUS8901
10 A seriously expensive 4K beast with HDR compatibility, this Philips has the AmbiLux
twist – creating a more immersive experience with nine projectors that extend the
screen image onto the wall behind. Distracting? You’ll quickly fall head over heels for it.
£4000
+++,,

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LG OLED55C6V?
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 122 LAPTOPS
T Apple MacBook Pro 13in STUFF SAYS
HO

1
Apple didn’t change too many parts of the MacBook Pro for the 2015 update. It hasn’t radically changed,
Y
BU but the Pro’s performance
There’s a new trackpad and the latest generation of Intel CPUs, which deliver
better stamina as well as a chunk more power. This is an incremental upgrade, and trackpad are top of its
but given how good the Pro already was, that’s more than enough to keep it
right at the top of our laptop honours list. If you need power as well as stamina
class. If it ain’t broke…
and portability, this is one of the best laptops money can buy. from £1000 +++++

Dell XPS 13
2 The original XPS 13 was already a great lightweight laptop, but now Dell has given it from £950 BEST FOR
PRACTICAL
a Windows 10 refresh. If the last one was the thinking person’s ultrabook, this is that +++++ PORTABILITY
and a whole lot more. With improved battery life and performance, it’s hard to beat.

Schenker XMG U726

3 The U726 has the guts to run the most demanding games at full HD or 4K resolution
with all settings maxed out, and the screen and speakers to make them look and sound
blinding. If you want a proper games machine to stash away easily, this is perfect.
from £1750
+++++

Asus ZenBook UX305

4 Asus knows what it’s doing. It knows that the Apple MacBook Air laptops are treading
water and the ZenBook UX305 is pretty much everything the 2015 Air should have
been, with its fetching aluminium design and as good a display as any £1000 laptop.
from £600
+++++

Toshiba Chromebook 2 BEST FOR

5 Toshiba has created the most desirable Chromebook to date with some well-judged
upgrades. Smaller, lighter and great value, the screen’s resolution now has pin-sharp
HD and the Skullcandy speakers are distortion-free. It lasted eight hours on test.
£200
+++++
VALUE FOR
MONEY

Apple MacBook from

6 Prettiness in pink aside, this is much like last year’s 12in MacBook. The 2016 version
is skinny and fab to work on, with a lovely screen… but unless you’d lap up the extra
hour’s battery life, there’s no real need to upgrade from last year’s model.
£1050
+++++
Aorus X3 Plus v5 from
7 A great gaming laptop, minus the usual bulk. It can’t quite match the Schenker XMG
U726, but then it’s more affordable and a lot easier to live with. It has a fantastic
high-res screen, and all the power you’ll need for future blockbusting games.
£1700
+++++
Asus X555LA
8 Fancy high performance for a low, low price? Of course you do! This bargain beast
manages to cram in a speedy Core i5 processor and up to 8GB of RAM. With a crisp
keyboard and responsive trackpad, it’s a challenge not to be impressed with this Asus.
from £430
++++,

Apple MacBook Air 13in

9 Apple is scraping by with pretty much the same Air design as before. You get a new
processor, new connectors and slightly improved battery life, but still no Retina screen.
However, if a portable road warrior is what you’re after, this is a great choice.
from £850
++++,

Microsoft Surface Book from

10 Microsoft’s finally made a laptop, and shorn of its initial bugs, the Surface Book is a
lustrous Windows machine with premium appeal. With an innovative hinged design,
plenty of oomph and a tablet option, this sleek hybrid gets a lot right.
£1300
++++,

FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR LAPTOPS BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/LAPTOPS-NETBOOKS


  










    
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 TOP FIVES GEEK ACCESSORIES & CONSOLES 123

T
HO Raspberry Pi 3 B

BU
Y 1 It just keeps getting tastier by the year – 50% faster, 100% more Wi-Fi, same price. No
other circuit board computer touches what the Pi offers as a package: the amazing value
hardware, the mountains of online support and the sheer wealth of projects you can try.
£30
+++++
BEST FOR
DIY PROJECTS

DJI Phantom 4
2 The Phantom 4 is not so much an upgrade as an evolutionary leap. The world of drones £1230 BEST FOR
RULING
can be an intimidating one, but what DJI has done here is to create a quadcopter that +++++ THE SKIES
anyone really can fly – and do it safely. Expect to see a lot more of these in the sky soon.

Amazon Kindle Oasis

3 If you’re looking to get an e-reader to take on holiday, the Kindle Paperwhite will do just
fine – it has a great screen and backlighting, and costs less than half the price of this
one. But buying an Oasis is the decadent option, and it never hurts to show your class.
£270
+++++

Yuneec Typhoon H
W
NE
4 The Typhoon H is a fantastic hexacopter that’s easy to fly, has a lengthy flight time,
takes great footage and photos, and folds up to a (reasonably) portable size. It’s only
hamstrung by the two-hour battery charging time, which is trounced by rivals from DJI.
£1100
++++,

DJI Osmo
5 You can’t fly a drone through a narrow hallway, but you can walk down one wielding an
Osmo – and the footage will be silky smooth. This stabilised camera is in a category of
its own, and to get similar functionality from a DSLR you’d end up spending far more.
£490
+++++

T
HO Sony PlayStation 4

BU
Y 1 The best and most popular games machine on the planet. The PS4 has whisper-quiet
operation, a sleek form and bags of power, with full 1080p on all titles and not a whiff
of lag. And if 500GB of storage is too little for you, a 1TB model is now available.
from £270
+++++

Microsoft Xbox One

2 This is very different to the Xbox One of 2013. Most significantly, the unpopular Kinect
feature is now out of the deal, allowing Microsoft to drop the price and releasing enough
extra power for developers to make their games look and play better.
from £240
+++++

HTC Vive
3 HTC Vive is our VR headset of choice because of one key feature: frickin’ laser beams. £690 BEST FOR
FUTURE
This allows you to roam free instead of being confined to a chair. Combined with two ++++, GAZING
motion controllers, it’s a completely new way to experience games.

Oculus Rift
4 The wait is finally over, virtual reality has arrived, and Oculus got there first. The Rift is
seriously impressive, a window into untold flights of escapism – you’re going to want
one. It really needs the Touch controllers, though.
£500
++++,

Nintendo Wii U
5 While it hasn’t had the same impact as the original Wii, don’t underestimate the U’s
fun factor. Nintendo’s bottomless bag of superb game franchises rolls on with the
excitement of Mario Kart 8, with its anti-gravity karts and submarine racing.
£240
++++,

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124 TOP FIVES WEARABLES & SMARTHOME

Apple Watch BEST FOR

Apple’s Watch is by no means the first smartwatch, but it is the most desirable. from £260 TECH YOU
It’s more luxurious (and yes, more expensive) than its rivals, its software is better +++++ WANT TO WEAR
thought out, and there are loads of interesting new apps.

Jawbone UP3
With its latest band, Jawbone has delivered meaningful fitness data in a stylish from £70
package. The splashproof UP3 is unobtrusive, lasts over five days and does well not +++++
to overwhelm you with stats; instead it provides useful information at relevant times.

Pebble Time Steel

It’s very similar to the Pebble Time, but the extra Gorilla Glass 3 on the front makes it from £170 BEST FOR
a bit less damage-prone and the bonus battery life means it’ll last for a solid week of ++++, BATTERY LIFE
proper use. These tweaks ensure that the Time Steel is the best Pebble you can buy.

Fitbit Blaze
A sports-first fitness watch with a subtle dash of smarts, the Blaze is a joy to use – from £160
with a brill battery to boot. Sure, off-device GPS isn’t ideal, but accurate heart-rate ++++,
tracking, multi-sports modes and a lovely interface make it a great workout buddy.

LG G Watch Urbane
While the original G Watch R didn’t exactly set our hearts aflutter, the handsome £175
Urbane is currently the best Android Wear smartwatch we’ve tried. It boasts a slick, ++++,
superior screen that’ll last you nearly two whole days on a single charge.

Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) £250 (with

The latest Nest adds the ability to control your hot water (if you have a separate
tank), as well as a slightly nicer dial with a bigger screen that, helpfully, shows you a installation)
clock when you walk past. It’s not the most dramatic update, but it didn’t need to be. +++++
Netatmo Welcome
Netatmo’s smartcam now has added face recognition capability, which works reliably £160 BEST FOR
HOME
well once it knows a face, and all the usual motion and noise detection is controllable. +++++ SECURITY
We also like the way individual profiles can be adjusted. Slick and hugely informative.

Hive Active Heating 2 £250 (with

Simple enough for anyone to use and powerful enough to be useful, Hive is now far
smarter, with features such as geolocation and holiday mode to help you save cash.
installation)
For a family-friendly introduction to the connected home, this will take some beating. +++++
Honeywell Evohome £205
Set schedules to control the precise temperature of each individual room of your + £55/radiator
family home, using either the tablet-like central controller or the free Total Connect + installation
Comfort app. It’s a big old investment, but you’ll soon pity anyone living without it. +++++
Samsung SmartThings
While this is some of the best, simplest smarthome kit we’ve used, the starter pack from £200
isn’t quite as well thought out as we were hoping. It’s really just a demonstrator kit for ++++,
people who want to try this sort of tech without doing any rewiring.

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Apple Watch?
You can now 1. Download and 2. Open the app, 3. Scroll through
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Shop Stuff app, 10cm over the pick your options,
it – by scanning available on iOS page and wait for then hit ‘buy’ or
this page… and Android. the swirly vortex. save it for later.
 TOP FIVES CAMERAS 125

Fujifilm X-T10 £450 BEST FOR

For rich landscapes, detailed macro shots, stunningly sharp portraits and everyday (body only) ALL-ROUND
photos, the X-T10 beats most other choices at any price. It also handles beautifully VALUE
and can be paired with some of the most consistently superb lenses you’ll ever find. +++++
Sony A7R II £2600
Yes, it’s expensive, but the A7R II combines impeccable build quality with a class-leading (body only)
full-frame sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, huge ISO range, super-fast autofocus, an
excellent viewfinder and 4K video recording. Simply the finest Sony camera ever made. +++++
Canon EOS 5DS £2700
A fantastic piece of kit that any pixel-peeping SLR fan will get heaps of enjoyment out (body only)
of. The astounding 50MP sensor puts an incredible amount of pictorial detail at your
fingertips, and the 5DS is very much pitched as Canon’s ultimate stills camera. +++++
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II £750
The second coming of the E-M5 smashes it on both design and performance fronts. (body only)
Images are gorgeous, and using the camera is a customiser’s dream. It’s small and
portable enough for travelling, but also chunky enough to feel satisfying in the hand. +++++
Nikon D5 £5200
The D5 replaces 2012’s D4 as Nikon’s flagship DSLR for photographic professionals. (body only)
While it looks pretty similar to its predecessor, its insides are packed with innovation
– including 4K video recording, albeit for only three minutes at a time. +++++

Sony DSC-RX100 IV BEST FOR

Yes, it’s pricey for a compact, but the high frame rate, fast burst mode and 4K video £760 POCKETABLE
recording aren’t to be sniffed at. The RX100 IV is a premium point-and-shoot that +++++ POWER
offers all the versatility, flexibility and all-round performance you could ever need.

Panasonic Lumix LX100

This is one the most capable premium compacts on the market – and the LX100’s £500
4K capabilities give it a crucial edge over its rivals. HD video capture and superb stills +++++
performance make the Panasonic a star performer when it comes to the basics too.

Nikon Coolpix S7000

If small and light is the way you need to go, you can jam the affordable S7000 in your £150
jeans and you won’t even notice it’s there. Yet it still packs a 20x optical zoom and +++++
back-illuminated 16MP sensor, as well as 4-axis stabilisation and Wi-Fi.

Sony RX10 III

The RX10 II was a fantastic camera, and the III edition does nothing but improve on it. It’s £1250
one of the best all-rounders we’ve seen, and if you’re looking for a high-performance +++++
camera without the hassle of interchangeable lenses, this should be the one.

Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

The FZ1000 is incredibly versatile – a fixed-lens camera capable of shooting fantastic £590
stills and video in almost any situation. Yes, it’s almost the same as the Leica V-Lux, +++++
but at about £300 cheaper it deserves an extra star. A brilliant bridge camera.

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Highly Classified To advertise call Jessica Sarfas 0208 267 5521
 NEXT BIG THING?
These psychedelic
dominoes are in
fact carefully
aligned pillars of
titanium dioxide
Metalenses
s this the new Festival Vision
I Simulator 3000?
While this does looks like something
you’d see after drinking a mushroom
milkshake at TranceFest 2016, it is in fact a very
close-up look at millions of precisely arranged
titanium dioxide pillars, resting on a layer of
transparent quartz that’s thinner than a human
hair. Obviously this explains nothing on its own,
so allow us to dazzle you with the application of
the science. What you’re looking at here is going
to replace the lenses in your camera, phone and
microscope, and it’s very clever indeed.
DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 1 SEPT
Titanium poxy what?
Right. So let’s start off with the regular lenses
you’re already using. They’re curved pieces
of glass that focus light onto a point, producing
a sharp image. If you wear glasses, you’ll know
exactly what we’re on about – light bends
through the lens, which focuses it on your
retina, and boom: perfect vision. Instead of
curved glass, these ‘metalenses’ work by using
the different patterns of those titanium dioxide
pillars to focus the different colours of light into
a single point. You get a sharp, focused image,
without a single piece of glass involved.
This trippy X
shows where
the light, and
therefore the image,
is being focused
Neat. Super-neat. But… why?
Because size matters. This fancy setup is far,
far smaller than a traditional glass lens. A tiny,
paper-thin disc no bigger than a piece of glitter
confetti means you can wave goodbye to
unsightly smartphone camera bulges for
good. The quality of the final image is also
[ Words Esat Dedezade ]
claimed to be better than you can get from
traditional lenses, and the tech can be churned
out easily at existing processor factories. It’ll
be a while before these things start appearing
in our cameras and phones, but hey, we do like
giving you something to look forward to.
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R available in a range of fitments from 15” to 18”
M
A rim diameters with V, W and Y speed ratings.
N
C For further information on the Avon Tyres range,
E visit www.avon-tyres.co.uk
TY
R
E