T3 Magazine - June 2015 UK

the redesign issue 100 ALL-new / 4 greAt new sections / no.1 for gAdget Advice 24 hours with the…

Apple wAtch

N e w k i t r at e d!

find out whAt it’s reALLy Like to use

190

must-have tech

upgrades p Lu s h ot k it fo r £ 1 0 0

for improving your Life, home, trAveL, commute, work & more!

the gAdgets you’LL need to survive A zombie ApocALypse

pLus! sAmsung gALAxy s6 & htc one m9 tAke on iphone 6

p r e s e N t s…

GameChanger New tech with the power to dent the universe

N e p t u N e Su Ite Who says smartwatches are the way forward for wearables? T3 thinks crowdfunded Canadian newbie Neptune's Android Lollipop-powered ecosystem is a potential mould breaker. Its brain is the Neptune Hub – a quad-corepowered wrist cuff with 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. This controls a suite comprising the 5-inch Pocket Screen; the tablet-like, 10-inch Tab Screen; a wireless keyboard that can connect to the Tab Screen; earbuds and an HDMI dongle, enabling you to take control of any compatible screen. In short, the Neptune Suite is a seamless computing experience controlled from your wrist. It may just catch on, y'know… Price: From £399 Out: February 2016 URL: www.getneptune.com M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

j u N e 2 0 1 5 T3 5

ISSue 243 / juNe 2015

Meet the team Rob Carney

nick odantzis

duncan bell

The global magazine

EditoR Although he sometimes wakes up in a cold sweat at the thought of his robo-mowers ‘doing a Skynet’, Rob always seems fresh enough to get hands-on with the latest golf gear and audio tech.

REviEWs EditoR Frequently seen juggling the cutting-edge contents of T3’s reviews cupboard, or finding excuses to test the latest motorbike tech, Nick ensures the mag’s reviews help you buy the best.

lifEstylE tECHnoloGy EditoR Duncan has been aggravated by tech for 30 years now, from the early days of making his thumb bleed with knock-off Pac-Man, to dropping expensive phones down the toilet.

T3 is currently licensed in 20 countries worldwide, from Italy to Indonesia. Here are just some of our international editions…

Claire davies

Gareth beavis

Marc Chacksfield

AssistAnt EditoR The newest addition to the T3 team is rapidly proving herself one of the most valuable, although camera tech does have a habit of going missing when our Welsh lass is in the vicinity.

pHonEs And tAblEts EditoR Gareth has spent the past decade tinkering with all the best mobile tech, and still gives more than 15 answers when asked, “Which phone should I get?” We got just one from him on p60.

ContEnt tEAM lEAd A tech journalist for nearly a decade, Marc mostly writes about home entertainment, just so he can get paid to watch films for a living – so much so that he even sits through the rubbish ones.

Matt Hanson

dan Read

Angela nicholson

pHonEs And tAblEts WRitER Matt specialises in everything mobile, but his other main passion is audio. Thankfully, his music taste doesn’t extend to the similarly named boy band from the 90s, Hanson. Maybe.

ContRibutoR Dan has as much in common with Bear Grylls as a comfy chair, which he’d rather sit on than take to the great outdoors. We sent him to the woods to escape a zombie apocalypse regardless (p72).

ContRibutoR Nobody knows their telephoto lenses from their titanium tripods better than the Head of Testing of T3’s sister magazines Digital Camera, N-Photo and PhotoPlus. Read her travel advice on p26.

AustRAliA

CHinA

MExiCo

polAnd

slovEniA

tHAilAnd

How to license t3 If you’re interested in publishing a licensed version of T3 in your territory, we’d like to hear from you. Please direct enquiries to T3’s International Director, Regina erak ([email protected])

Life’s better with t3... Tomorrow’s Technology Today, to give T3 its full name, was launched in 1996 and has been helping readers select the right gadgets to improve their lives for nearly 20 years as a magazine (print and digital) and at T3.com. We’ve been at the heart of every shift in consumer

6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

technology ever since – from DVDs and HD TVs to smartphones and virtual reality – but our mission has remained the same throughout: to help you live a better life through technology, and to filter the latest gadgets to ensure you only ever buy the best of the best.

M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

ISSue 243 / juNe 2015

Editor’s letter Bigger, better and the best for gadgets: welcome to the all-new T3, the mag that makes your life better through technology.

save 60% On a new T3 subscription p58

To say I’m excited to introduce the all-new T3 is an understatement. This is T3 renewed: the next generation of gadget magazine that gives you everything you need for better living in a world where everything connects to everything else. So, what’s new? Well, everything, actually. You have four brilliant new sections: T3 Hype, T3 Agenda, T3 Select and T3 elite. In T3 Hype (p12), we bring you all the hottest new gear. Then there’s T3 Agenda (p37), where we serve up seven new adventures to have with tech every month. T3 Select (p93) gives you expert reviews and recommendations, helping you to buy only the best gadgets and kit. And T3 elite (p117) is simply the ultimate buyer’s guide. elsewhere this issue, I spent 24 hours with the Apple Watch for our main feature. Did it live up to my expectations? Find out on page 46. And we attempt to find out which smartphone is the best choice for you right now (p60). All that’s left to say is enjoy the issue – as you delve through the brilliant new sections, I hope you’ll see why we believe life’s better with T3. And do let me know what you think about our new look by using the contact details below.

Rob Carney, Editor [email protected] @robcarney

Discover more great ways to enjoy T3…

Digital edition The iPad edition of T3 features a raft of fresh content, including video reviews and interactive articles. T3 is also available on Android devices, and your desktop via Zinio.com.

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

Key contributors ian Morris Reviewer

Rami niemi illustrator

Joe Minihane Writer

Spiky-haired, to-the-point and a master of wit, Ian can also turn a mean hand to reviewing anything gadgetrelated; the bigger and more expensive, the better p94

Nineties metal nut Rami turns scintillating concepts into magical works of art, and lives a pseudo-hippy lifestyle on a farm p32

Looking into the future doesn’t always mean death, destruction and Kevin Costner in leather pants, as future-tech-gazer joe finds out this month p88


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 7

issue 243 / june 2015

Contents 046

Features 032

24 hours with the appLe watch

037 Discover what it’s like

to spend a day with Apple’s new wearable in our exhaustive real-world report 060

060

exclusive T3 subscription offer p58

T3’s very own teacher of tech fields your burning questions on everything from drones to connected lightbulbs

t3 aGenda Get inspired with seven unique technology-based adventures you can get stuck into right now

oday’s top t smartphone Apple, HTC and Samsung go head-to-head in the ultimate test as we select your next phone for you

072

man Vs tech

088

cities of the future

032

save 60%

GadGet Guru

Can off-grid gadgets get you through a zombie apocalypse? Our man stakes his life on it, quite literally…

Step into the immediate future as we take a look at the innovations that will transform urban living

088

072

080 the compLete Guide to… muLti-room audio

To subscribe to T3, point your browser at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk, or turn to p58. The next issue of T3 goes on sale 11 june

Your dream home music setup is within reach thanks to our in-depth primer


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 9

issue 243 / june 2015

Contents 012

094

preView

samsunG js9000

LG’s incredible new phone, Nikon’s new system camera and Recon’s new HUD star in our roundup of hot new kit

Find out what we thought of this cutting-edge, curved 55-inch 4K telly

022

reader preView T3’s readers road test the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and share their views

025

peopLe Lewis Hamilton can’t stop winning races, but what’s his ideal suite of tech? We reveal all

026

we can buiLd you… Everything you need to capture stunning photographs on your travels this summer is here

028

098

smackdown Which hybrid laptop will tempt you to discard your iPad and your laptop?

100

six of the best Want to get fit and rock the latest tech on your wrist? Check our fitness tracker roundup

102

our GadGets The T3 team puts their kit through a rigorous long-term testing process

styLe

113

117 introducinG the best buyer’s Guide known to man

From thermostats to tablets and camera to cars, our selection of the very best tells you what to buy Plus! T3’s £100 Hot List

apps

taLkinG tech

Choice selections from the worlds of Android and iOS for smartphones and tablets

The connected home is coming of age – Duncan Bell delivers the verdict so far

114

entertainment Watch to watch at home and in the cinema in the month ahead

108 1 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

p116

Games

The top techie trainers chosen specially for you by T3’s in-house fashion experts

022

One OF TWO ArcAm sOlO sOundbArs

108

We’ll tell you exactly what you should be playing right now

030

Win!

100

Essentials 005 GamechanGer 058 subscriptions 078 t3 awards 111 next issue 116 competition 130 money no object M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

issue 243 / June 15

your guide to the hottest tech, PeoPle and styles right now

this Month… 14 new sony BraVia 15 recon Jet hud 16 Phantom 3 drone 18 nikon 1 J5 csc 20 asus Vivowatch 22 oculus rift 25 lewis hamilton 26 travel photography 28 techy trainers 30 opinion

FRont snAPPER selfie enthusiasts, rejoice! the 8MP, wideangle front camera includes hDR, a light, and the ability to use gestures to take shots

LG G4 £tBc, lg.com/uk

What’s this all about, then? It’s LG’s brand-spanking-new smartphone, following the Quad HD G3. What’s the display like? Any good? It’s Quad HD again, 5.5 inches, and has pure whites and deep blacks. It also uses UV light to form a liquid-crystal alignment layer in the display, so there’s a better contrast ratio. Excellent. Is the camera top-spec? It’s 16MP f/1.8 and has a ‘highly tuned Optical Image Stabiliser’ that apparently produces 80 per cent brighter images. There’s also an Expert mode that enables you to control shutter speed, exposure, white balance and file type. Plus, it’ll shoot Ultra HD video at 60fps. But what about battery life? The phone packs a 3,000mAh battery, reportedly offering 19.5 hours’ talk time (18.7 days’ standby). Is the phone curved? Yes, it is. LG calls it a ‘floating arc’ design that ‘fits perfectly in your hand’.

A magnificent Quad HD screen is paired with an excellent camera nick oDAntzis, REviEws EDitoR

When can I get it? It should be available as you read this. 1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9

10

1 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


Hype lg g4

Vital stats 5.5 inches 30 per cent the size of the g4’s Quad hd iPs Quantum display

the display is 30 per cent tougher than the g3’s

16 million 3,000mah the number of pixels the lg g4 can capture

the large battery should keep you going all day the G4 is a stunning device, and you have the option of adding a premium leather back cover

the camera features laser and closed-loop autofocus, helping you to take better shots

One tO watch! LG G4 sMARtPhonE

notiFicAtion stAtion LG’s UX 4.0 brings a more personal experience, with the os analysing your lifestyle habits and providing notifications based on this

connEctivitY the G4 features 4G/wi-Fi connectivity and 32GB of internal memory, with the ability to increase it to 200GB using a microsD card


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 3

preview

vital stats 360 degrees 3480 x 2160 The TV offers a powerful surround sound experience

SLIMLINE SCREEN The 55-inch model measures just 25.5cm thick, with the 65-incher being 29.2cm. Even the (very expensive) 75-inch model is only 32.2cm

Sony BRAVIA X93C £2,599 (55-inch), sony.co.uk It’s a new BRAVIA! What’s so great about it? Well, it’s one of the first Sonys to run Android TV, Google’s much-hyped home-entertainment (film, TV, music and games) platform.

4K Ultra HD brings TV shows, films and games to life

Four 178 The number of HDMI sockets, boosting your connectivity

The recommended angle for optimum viewing enjoyment

HIGH-RES AUDIO As with many of Sony’s high-end products, the X93C range features high-res audio built in, so the TVs sound as good as they look

OK. What can I watch with that? Loads of stuff. Android TV alone features many apps, including Netflix – and yes, you can stream in 4K on this BRAVIA. But there are also the usual catch-up services built-in, including BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player and Demand 5. What else can I do with it? Using the PlayStation Now service, you can play PlayStation 3 games directly on the TV – there’s no need for a console. But what’s it like as a TV? Very impressive. As well as being 4K, it features Sony’s new X1 image processor, which analyses and upscales your source content to 4K. It can also play HDR content. Nice. How big is it? Will it fit in my living room? The 55-incher (148.4 x 78.0 x 25.5cm) probably will, but the 65- and 75-inch models (170.6 x 91.1 x 29.2cm and 192.9 x 104.1 x 32.2cm respectively) will require a big lounge. When can I get one? It’s on sale now and available in 55- (£2,599), 65- (£3,999) and 75-inch (£7,499) versions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10

1 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


Hype Sony BrAviA X93C / reCon Jet

vital stats 8GB 3D tech The size of the Jet’s flash memory, for storing video and more

Recon Jet

A 3D accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer assure accurate readouts

$699, reconinstruments.com These look like Google Glass! Yes, they do a bit, but the Recon Jet glasses are aimed squarely at runners and cyclists wanting to view data that’s relevant to their activity, and capture what they see in an unobtrusive manner – ie without wearing an action cam in a mount.

16:9 wQvGA 1GHz The resolution of the Jet’s HUD

There’s a dual-core processor on board

CONNECTION SUITE The glasses feature ANT+, bluetooth Smart and Wi-fi connectivity. Pair with your phone for caller ID and SMS notifications

So, what do they do? They’re loaded with software that’s tailored to cyclists and runners. You can see your performance data, such as pace/ distance, duration, ascent/descent and heart rate. You can also get smartphone notifications in your vision. Can you talk to them? They’ve got a built-in speaker and microphone, but you can’t currently speak to them. There will probably be some third-party app support soon.

One tO wAtCh! RECON JET SMART EyEWEAR

So, you can get apps for them? They currently work with Recon’s own Engage app, and will soon connect to apps such as IFTTT, Strava and Apple Health. The open SDK means that developers can write apps for them, so expect many more soon. When can I get them? Right now. Go! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9

10

bATTERy LIfE The battery life is quoted at around four hours, but if you need longer you can swap in another battery en route – they cost $60


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 5

preview

DJI Phantom 3 Professional £1,159, dji.com What’s this, then? It’s a top-of-the-range drone for capturing aerial footage. What can it do? It can shoot stabilised 4K video and take 12-megapixel photos. It also features a Live HD view, which means you can see – via an app – what the drone is filming.

controller options the dedicated phantom controller enables you to strap in your mobile device and take complete control of the drone. it has a 1.2-mile range, enables you to start and stop recording, and will even take stills

Where can I fly it? The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) has rules on where you can and can’t fly drones. Drones with cameras must always be flown at least 50 metres away from a person, vehicle, building or structure. Before you start, visit www.caa.co.uk/uas to read more. How easy is it to fly? DJI tells us that the Phantom 3 is easy – it has a dedicated controller and app, plus an autopilot function. How long will the battery last? You’ll get around 23 minutes of flight time from a single charge. It doesn’t sound like much, but think of all the footage you can capture in that time. The Professional version comes with an upgraded charger for faster refuelling. When can I get it? You can buy it right now. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10

1 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

CAMERA CApAbility the phantom 3 professional features a proprietary camera that can capture 4K video. the less expensive phantom 3 Advanced (£899) has a 1080p camera


preview

Nikon 1 J5 £430, nikon.co.uk So, what’s this? A small SLR? Nope, it’s a new Compact System Camera with retro styling and ultimate portability (it measures 98.3 x 59.7 x 31.5mm). It can take 20.8-megapixel stills and shoot video in 4K.

CheCk This… Today's best cameras revealed p123

IN CONTROL The dedicated PSAM dial gives you full control of the 1 J5, whereas the Command dial makes it easy to navigate the menu system. You can also customise the Function button

Impressive. Tell me more. Well, it’s the first Nikon 1 camera to feature a large, back-illuminated CX-format sensor, designed especially to capture a huge amount of light. It’s got a wide ISO range of 160-12,800, and some excellent noise-reduction features. Can I change the lens? You sure can. The 1 J5 can use any 1 NIKKOR lens and, for even more versatility, you can buy an FT-1 Mount Adapter that lets you use NIKKOR DX- and FX-format F-mount lenses. What other features are there? It has fast continuous shooting – you can shoot at 20fps with continuous autofocus, or up to 60fps with focus fixed at the first frame. There’s also the option to transfer photos to your device or computer using the built-in Wi-Fi or NFC. You can even control the camera remotely from your tablet or smartphone (and see what it sees). Is it available in any other colours? And when is it out? It comes in black, silver/white, silver and black. It’s available from Nikon and all good camera shops right now. 1 2 3 4 5 6

7

TILTING SCREEN The touchscreen can be tilted 180 degrees, making it possible to take self-portraits and shots at angles that were previously hard to get at

8 9 10

1 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


preview

vital stats

ASUS VivoWatch £120, asus.com/uk What’s this, then? It’s a beautiful smartwatch from the makers of ZenWatch, this time aimed at people with an interest in fitness. OK, so what features does it have? There’s lots to get excited about here, including the Sleep Tracking function, which will help you catch betterquality zzzzs, and VivoPulse, which helps you exercise efficiently while offering data on calories burned. The vibrating alarm, activity reminders, heart-rate tracking and vibrating call notifications are also handy.

128 x 128 24-hour The resolution of the display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3

The VivoWatch has a continuous heart-rate monitor

Ten days 4.0 The average battery life when in normal mode

The watch uses Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready tech

face diSplay The high-contrast, highresolution, fast-response 1.28-inch display has 1-bit memory embedded in each pixel. it reads great outdoors, too.

How will it improve my well-being? VivoWatch features a Happiness Index (HI), a score calculated using your sleep and exercise data. It’s scored out of 100, and if you hit 75+ on the HI each day, you’re on track for happiness and vitality! What if I want to see data in detail? VivoWatch syncs easily with your smartphone or PC, so you can dig into your full exercise history, sleep data and more to build up an insightful picture of your wellness. Is the watch stylish, though? ASUS launched its newbie at Milan Design Week so, yeah, it’s stylish. The stainless-steel chassis is polished and sleek, as is the thin steel bezel. That comfortable black fabric strap is fully adjustable for a secure fit. How long will the battery last? A whopping average of ten days if used in normal mode. If you use it in fitness mode with active heart-rate tracking, average battery life is up to 24 hours. When can I get it? VivoWatch is available to buy now. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10

2 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

WaTeR-ReSiSTaNT an ip67 water-resistance rating means that you can submerge the VivoWatch in up to one metre of water for 30 minutes – ace for showering, not for swimming

M or e gr ea t co n te n t a t th e a l l-ne w w w w.t3.co m

phOtOgrAphy WiLL ireLAnd

ReadeR PReview

HandS-on w ItH

OCulus RIft

Virtual Reality is officially the next big thing so t3 asked readers for their views

e're in London’s fashionable Caledonian Road area. The venue is Meltdown, London’s premier gaming establishment and also a pleasingly characterful old pub. T3 has come to show off the Oculus Rift to a panel of our esteemed readers. Oculus was the trigger for the second coming of Virtual Reality, which is arguably the most exciting thing in tech today. Since it emerged in 2012 off the back of a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, Oculus Rift has been through two main iterations (DK1 and DK2) and two interim ones, including the brand new Crescent Bay edition. Oh, and it’s been bought by Facebook in a deal potentially worth $2.3 billion, demonstrating that Oculus founder Palmer Luckey is a man who lives up to his surname. T3 brought two demos. On DK1, the game All Birds Must Die, in which you must shoot birds with your eyes. They're evil birds, apparently. And on the more sophisticated DK2, Fire Eater. The latter was courtesy of INITION, the UK’s number one VR experience provider, and involves you jumping off a nausea-enduringly high platform, through flaming hoops, to certain death. So fun for the whole family, then. But what did T3's readers make of it all?

W

2 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Don't hold your breath for the retail release of Oculus Rift. Once it was "coming in 2015"; the latest word is that we'll be lucky to see it this side of Christmas. Can't wait? Pick up the developer version for $350 at Oculus.com

R eadeR one

Nirave Gondhia Age: 28 OccupAtiOn: Freelance technology reporter and web developer Liked: I don’t get to plunge through burning hoops in my day job, and the ability to feel the thrill of doing a stunt without putting my life at risk was a big plus. disLiked: Speaking as a glasses-wearer, there is clearly an issue with Oculus – it’s just not designed for us speccies. Verdict: There’s something truly thrilling about Oculus Rift; as soon as you use it, you want to keep using it. I can see uses for it from education to gaming and design to construction.

R eadeR two

Marcus Baker Age: 36 OccupAtiOn: IT project manager Liked: I’m actually "3D blind" – I can’t get on with 3D TVs and IMAX – but Oculus Rift worked for me. How realistic was it? Put it this way, the Fire Eater demo caused one tester to faceplant into the desk when "jumping". disLiked: Even if I can’t see them, my brain still knows I have hands, and it knows that if I put them out in front of me then I should be able to see them… Verdict: If Oculus gets those full-body input peripherals, it’ll revolutionise gaming. M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Hype oculus Rift T3 would like to give extra special thanks to Kathy and Campbell at inition.co.uk and Rob and Duncan at meltdown.bar/london

“The 3d works really well and makes you feel like you're right in the middle of the action” ROss MACGIllIVRAy, t3 ReADeR

R eadeR tHR ee

Alex Pang Age: 42 OccupAtiOn: Business analyst Liked: It was great to look around and see 360 degrees of virtual world. This thing can really take first-person shooters to the next level, because your head replaces the mouse for viewing and aiming. disLiked: You need to shift the headset about until you find the – quite small – sweet spot. And if you move about too much, you can lose that sweet spot, which is most irritating. Verdict: Ah, it’s so good. I loved the graphical quality, but really it’s all about the feeling of being in a virtual world.

R eadeR fouR

Ross MacGillivray Age: 38 OccupAtiOn: Student

A unique side-effect of the Oculus Rift, which can only really be witnessed in person, is the face the wearer pulls as he or she turns

Liked: The DK2 in particular is comfy and lightweight. The 3D works really well and makes you feel right in the middle of the action, especially once you have your headphones on. disLiked: I was worried about getting tangled up in the wiring while moving around. Verdict: Loved it! If this is the development kit, I can only imagine how good the retail version will be. It’d be very interesting to play something like GTA V with the Rift.

R eadeR fIve

fabio Vergi Age: 26 OccupAtiOn: Marketer and tech blogger

In addition to being an immersive gaming tool, Oculus is also great for getting together with friends, but be prepared to be taken advantage of

Liked: As a VR newbie, I was really taken aback by the immersive experience. It was so responsive to my head movements, which made exploring the VR environment easy and smooth. disLiked: Why aren’t there headphones built in? Verdict: I can’t wait for Oculus Rift to pick up mainstream momentum! If VR tech like this continues to improve the way it has, I think it could redefine both how we play games and how we consume video content.

R eadeR SIx

Zak Ravat Age: 29 OccupAtiOn: Sales trainer

Oculus isn't all one-way – others can watch the action on a laptop

some people find the headset easier to use with hands apparently


Liked: I was really impressed at how light the DK2 version is. The 3D graphics and sound meant you were really immersed in the 3D environment, and best of all I didn’t feel sick – always a plus! disLiked: Having to have the device tightly fitted to my face in order to focus clearly. Verdict: Although VR movies could be amazing, I wasn’t blown away by this. Do I want to be flapping my head around while playing COD? I’m not quite sure yet… j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 2 3

people

LeWis hamiLtOn

every issue, t3 selects tech for people making the headlines. F1 ace Lewis hamilton’s done a lot of that lately, but what do you give a man who seems to have it all? Words: Rob Temple w h at a cor ker

01 Le Creuset Champagne Opener Driving through the streets for hours in a turbo-powered oven, Lewis’s hands are going to get sweaty, so if he wins he might end up popping a cork right into the Prince of Monaco’s eye. With the Le Creuset champagne opener, he can loosen and capture corks with ease, leaving him free to spray champagne into the faces of unsuspecting passers-by. £20, selfridges.com

01

a ppy days

02 FLOpsy DrOiD On anDrOiD Wear Handily, Lewis has the best car, which means he’ll finish races sooner than most this season. So we think he should swap whatever bling watch he’s sponsored by for an Android Wear one, such as LG’s G Watch R (p125). That way, he can play addictive Flappy Bird clone Flopsy Droid while he waits in the pit lane. We can just see it: “No, Nico, you can’t have a go!” Free, Google Play

illustration miss led

music to his ea r s

02 03 rubbed up

the truth is out ther e

03 DaB raDiO

04 haLFOrDs BaCk 12v

05 suBtext transLatOr

Getting garbled, static-laden messages from the garage probably gets stressful. Being told to “ease up on the tyres” when you’re going down a hot road at 200mph with Vettel up your arse must rankle. So we suggest Lewis rips out the team radio and replaces it with the Pure Highway 300Di, enabling him to enjoy some ABBA (“The winner takes it all!”) while pretending to be the now-on-the-dole Stig. £185, pure.com

You only have to look at the drivers’ heart rates when they line up on the starting grid to know that F1 is a tense sport. With the Halfords Back 12v massage cushion, Lewis could work out all those shoulder knots while he loops the track. He’d be so chilled out, he’d slither up to the podium like a jelly. Well, not that he’d make the podium, as he’d have done the whole race at 9mph while listening to whale sounds. £40, halfords.com

This fictional, but entirely brilliant, gadget would be more for us, the viewers, than Lewis. Worn on his helmet, the translator would tell us what he’s really thinking. So, “Nico and I have chatted about it and we’re relaxed about the situation” would be translated as, “I shouted at him and we had to be pulled apart”, while “I’m not sure what happened out there” would reach us as “I crashed into a wall because of my driving.”

m ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 2 5

we can build you…

CiTy break phoTographer

T3's gadget concierge service recommends ideal solutions for your tech requirements the reader

t h e e x pe rt

iain spencer T3 reader Iain, 38, has booked a romantic break in Rome. He wants to know what camera kit he should pack to do the historic city justice and will shoot during the day and at night.

angela nicholson Head of Testing for T3's sister titles Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, and N-Photo, what Angela doesn't know about camera technology definitely isn't worth knowing.

BEfrEE OM-D E-M10 04 ManfrOttO travEl tripOD 01OlyMpus systEM caMEra The E-M10 is small, but it’s packed with features and produces superb-quality 16MP images. What’s more, unlike some small compact system cameras, it has a viewfinder built in, so you don’t have to squint at the screen in bright Italian sunlight. Speaking of the screen, it’s a tilting, touch-sensitive job, which is useful for changing settings quickly and shooting from high or low angles. Further good news is that there’s Wi-Fi connectivity built in, so you can quickly transfer images to your phone via the free Olympus Image Share app, then share them with friends. You can even control the camera remotely, and compose images on your phone’s screen. £429 (body only), www.olympus.co.uk

14-42MM 02 OlyMpus f/3.5-5.6 EZ lEns

This lens complements the E-M10 perfectly because it collapses down to a super-small size, which is ideal for travellers, and extends automatically when the camera is powered up. £269, www.olympus.co.uk

40-150MM 03 OlyMpus f/4.0-5.6 lEns

While the 14-42mm lens is a great general-purpose optic that’s ideal for general use when you’re pounding Rome's pavements, this longer Olympus lens will come in handy when you’re photographing more distant subjects. £229, www.olympus.co.uk 2 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The Befree Travel Tripod will help you capture the sun setting over the Tiber or the floodlit Roman Forum because it's not too bulky to lug around. Weighing in at just 1.4kg (including the head) it comes with a handy padded bag. The maximum height of 144cm means it’s not the tallest tripod around, but it will hold your camera steady. £149, www.manfrotto.co.uk

05

pEak DEsign cuff

04

The E-M10 features comfortable grips and is light enough to be carried in your hand, but taking this wrist strap with you is still a good idea because it will offer you some security against pickpockets. The anchor link loops neatly onto the camera’s strap lug, then clicks securely into the adjustable strap. When you put the camera on a tripod, the anchor link can be detached quickly and the cuff transformed into a ‘bracelet’ to keep it out of the way. £17.40, www.peakdesign.com

DElkin DEvicEs 06 64gB Black sD carD

Few memory cards offer the reassurance you get from Delkin Devices’ Black SD Card. Super-fast (Delkin claims it offers ‘unparalleled speeds’) and also tough, it comes with a 48-hour replacement guarantee. The downside is that it can only be bought in a camera store – you won’t find this one available online. £99.99, www.delkin.com M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Hype CiTy break phoTographer

03

CheCk This… The best app for smartphone shooters p40

The Olympus E-M10 may be small, but it produces images of the highest quality angEla nichOlsOn

02

05

01

06


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 2 7

style

summeR kIcks here at t3, we live for the cutting edge, and that includes fashion. and these trainers are as techy as they are trendy

04

R ETRO

Puma aRIL Classic styling in a Puma lightweight trainer that’s equally at home in the gym or on the circuit as it is in a bar. Inspired by the legendary Puma R698, the Aril features a mesh upper with suede trims and a rather cool TPU saddle. uk.puma.com, £60

01

OLD-SKOOL

Vans LXVI authentIc LIte The classic white Vans. The Authentic Lite has been re-engineered to improve fit. But most impressive is the UltraCush outsole and footbed, making the trainer super-light. www.vans.co.uk, £47

02

LOOK AT ME

new BaLance FResh Foam Zante Whether you’re running or partying, the Fresh Foam Zante in lime green is a solid and striking choice. It’s sleek, snug and built for speed – or dancing! www.newbalance.co.uk, £95

05

V ERSATILE

nIke FRee tRaIneR 5.0 Ultra-light and ultra-trendy, the new Nike Free Trainer 5.0 combines flexibility and support through multi-directional flex grooves, while Flywire tech offers greater stability without the weight. www.nike.com, £90

nExT MOnTh suPeR techy sunGLasses on saLe thuRs 11 June

PhotograPhy Neil godwiN

03

SUR FER

cushe Getaway The chilled-out Cushe (it’s pronounced ‘cushy’) Getaway boasts a soft, memory-foam sole and a collapsible back for those who can’t be bothered to put their trainers on properly. www.cushe.com/uk, £45 2 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Read m ore a t w w w.t3.co m

talking tech

OPINION

Duncan Bell is home sick ere’s the tech dream: your home is almost a living thing, learning your personal habits, reacting to you as you move around, making your life as simple, and your energy use as efficient, as possible. You are Man 2.0, in your space-age bachelor pad. Here’s the tech reality, as it stands: you’ve got a load of mundane or gimmicky bits of kit that won’t talk to each other, and you have to reboot your router to turn your lights on, and call a help centre to heat your house. In the past year, I’ve been sent plenty of these ‘connectables’, the new wave of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled home devices. They make everything into a smartphone accessory, regardless of whether it needs to be or not. I’ve tried plug sockets that I can switch on with my phone, four different types of smart bulb; then there was the kettle, the football (oh yes, kids today can no longer just go out and play football, they have to charge it up first), the security camera that doubled up as an air-quality monitor, the sleep sensor and the thermostat. Because I no longer need to move from my couch, I’ve become obese – but as every one of these requires a different app, at least my fingers have become lean and toned from the constant tapping.

H

the same system as your bulb, and you don’t mind yet another thing added to your router, which is already groaning under the weight of competing dongles and Wi-Fi signals. Move past the mundane stuff – bulbs, plug sockets, IP cams that aren’t sure if they’re baby monitors or just a means of creepily watching your family while you’re out – and you soon hit another problem. There are brands that make great homewares – kettles, for instance – and there are brands that know how to get basic Wi-Fi switching sorted out. There’s not a lot of overlap. So at present, if you want to boil your kettle from your bedroom, you have to settle for one that’s slow to heat up and has slightly clunky looks for its premium price. So at the moment, the connected home is the preserve of a small number of enthusiastic hobbyists. You have to be prepared to get down and dirty with

They make everything into a smartphone accessory, whether it needs to be or not

Groaning routers It’s impossible to get a smart home up and running without serious planning. None of these rival devices talk to each other or can be grouped. And really, having to fish your phone out every time you want to, say, turn the lighting down a tad doesn’t feel very futuristic – light switches and dimmers are, as it turns out, a pretty convenient way to control your lights. Who knew? So how about adding a motion sensor to turn your lights on as you approach? Well, yeah, so long as it’s on 3 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

your router, put in the time to set everything up, become acquainted with IFTTT, and feel a genuine buzz of pleasure at knowing your Withings sleep sensor can now tell your Nest thermostat that you’ve woken up. Oh, and ignore the fact that your old thermostat’s timer used to give much the same result, but more reliably and with less requirement for rebooting your network on a semi-regular basis. Two things need to happen for the world of connectables to go

mainstream. First, the number of standards has to reduce. Everyone making this stuff knows that, and they all say, “Yes, we need standardisation. That’s why we’ve set up our own standard, so everyone can join us on our team.” Sorry, chaps, it doesn’t work like that. Ideally, the market needs to be like smartphones, where you have a duopoly, with one rigidly policed system and one slightly looser one. That way, people can feel like they have a choice, but there isn’t confusion and despondency over too much choice. That could be Apple Home Kit and (the Google-owned) Works with Nest. Or it could be Microsoft and Withings. Or it could be two completely new companies. The other, I think more important, thing that needs to change is that your smartphone/app/sensor/whatever control needs to be fittable to anything, without the need for knowledge of circuit boards and soldering irons. That will be the real sea change, when a Bluetooth LE module is as standard on electrical goods as a plug is. Consumers outside of T3 Land still need a lot of convincing that they need everything in their home connected to everything else, all controlled via their mobile device or TV. Connectables right now are like the early days of aviation: there’s plenty of excitement but a lot of the products have a charming primitiveness to them and, my gosh, there’s a lot of crashing.


IllustratIon CIara Phelan

The Internet of Things is nearly a thing of wonder, but it still needs some work…

PResents

This issue

ILLUSTRATION RAmI NIemI

let him take you on an inCReDiBle jouRney of teCh enlightenment

P32 P33 P33 P34 P34 P34

are curved Tvs worth the bother? How can I best automate my home lighting? Where shouldn’t I fly my Quadcopter? Do any gadgets test blood pressure? What’s the ultimate camera phone? Which robo-vac should I buy?

Dean McGarvey, SouTHaMpTon

My front room is square. Tell me straight: are curved TVs worth the bother? Gadget Guru is going to be a politician and say, “Let me put it to you this way: I make no bones about it. It depends. But mainly, no.” Although Gadget Guru – or GaGu, as his close friends call him – can see no visual benefit to curved TVs in terms of what’s on the screen, they do look nice overall, and aesthetics rule his life. The argument that you get a more ‘immersive’ experience because of the way the screen wraps around you seems a bit bogus to GaGu, because the screens just aren’t big enough.

You also, by definition, get a slight warping of the image, like the effects when Johnny Depp is on LSD in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. TV manufacturers have interesting attitudes to the tech. Whereas some are gung-ho about the benefits, GaGu has spoken to representatives of other brands who have said, “We don’t think

above If you want a bit of kink in your life, get a curved Tv. but don’t expect it to be immersive

“you GeT a WarpInG oF THe IMaGe, LIKe THe eFFeCTS WHen joHnny Depp IS on LSD In Fear anD LoaTHInG In LaS veGaS”

curved TVs are an amazing idea, but there is demand there and the customer is always right – especially when he’s handing us £2K for a TV with a kink in it.” GaGu is paraphrasing.

Widescreen monster The benefits of curved screens are more noticeable on PC monitors, because you sit nearer to them – Dell’s 21:9 widescreen monster the UltraSharp 34 is really good – and on the forthcoming IMAX Private Theatre, where the screen curves both from top to bottom and edge to edge. But that’s a projected screen of at least 3m across. Oh, and it costs £1.8million. What Gadget Guru would like to see is tellies curved into a tube that you have to be lowered into on a swivel chair, so you can have The Avengers or the cast of The One Show everywhere around you, like VR without the goggles. But if GaGu is being honest, that’s because he’s drunk.

senD youR questions to: [email protected] or www.facebook.com/T3mag 3 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


youR questions answeReD

jaSon eaveS, LeICeSTer

I want to live the connectedhome dream. How can I best automate my home lighting? With Philips Hue having forged the way, smart LED bulbs are in right now. To my mind, there’s simply never been a better time to shell out £50 on a damn lightbulb! Happy days. There are four options for automation: movement sensors that activate lights as you approach; timer functions that switch them on and off at set times; fine control from your smartphone or tablet; or a high-tech combination of all three.

Mind the dust In GaGu’s opinion, based on painful experience, timers are by far the best option, because movement sensors whack up the already-daunting cost even further, and are prone to being set off by minute specs of dust settling nearby, yet are unable to recognise your presence, even if you happen to be an elephant. All smart-bulb systems worth their salt – GaGu has tried Belkin WeMo,

Philips Hue and a few other, more obscure brands – will have timer functionality in their attendant app. Now, if you want to get truly Jetsons on the ass of your home illumination, you can use IFTTT, Works With Nest and the like to synchronise your lighting with other smart devices. For instance, Withings’ bonkers Aura sleep monitor can now inform Nest when you’ve woken up, so it can turn your heating up ready for you to climb out of the sack and into the shower. Nest can also, in turn, inform your lights that it’s time to rise and shine. If that’s not like being Buck Rogers in the 21st century, Gadget Guru doesn’t know what is. A word of warning, though: there are a few issues with smart lighting, and the main one is that your phone is just not as good a way to turn on bulbs as a light switch is, so you may find yourself having to fall back on that more old-fashioned method from time to time. The truth hurts, Jason.

above engage in a drone battle with a real aeroplane and there’s only going to be one winner

GaDGeT Guru’S MaGIC box Have you ever wanted to stream CDs to

Magnetic Drive Torrent Blender

elsewhere in your home? Panasonic’s 2015 line of

(right) is a salty £549 and can

AllPlay speakers includes the SC-ALL5CD, which can

rustle up juices, soups and

do exactly that. Given that it’s small and portable,

smoothies of silken smoothness at

maybe you might want to just pick it up and take it

the touch of a button, thanks to

with you, rather than buying a second box and

the miracle of ‘Adapti-Blend’. It’s

streaming to it. Who am I to say?

awesome. Joining it shortly will be

Are you an impatient man who likes barbecuing and tech, but doesn’t have many friends? The Lotus MiniGrill (left) is just 240 x 225mm

Tefal’s Cuisine Companion robo-chef. Just chuck in your ingredients and watch in awe as it chops, whips, mixes, blends and kneads

and, thanks to a built-in fan that

them, before baking, steaming and/or searing,

raises the flames like a twisted

stirring all the while. Pricing will be around £800.

firestarter or, indeed, a punkin’

Winning the battle to be King of Gadget Guru’s

instigator, it’s ready to brown your

Magic Box this month, however, is Netgear’s R8000

meat in just four minutes.

Nighthawk router (below). This offers Wi-Fi

You know when you’re in an unfamiliar location and really need a qualified drone pilot? Well, thank the Lord, there’s

connectivity tailored for each individual device, allegedly, so the slower ones don’t slow down the faster ones – that’s a big deal if it works. It was easy

finally a service for you. Air-Vid has a database of over 3,000 pilots in 90 countries, searchable by area. It’s like Airbnb, but for drone pilots! John Lewis has a couple of truly epic kitchen products lined up as exclusives. KitchenAid’s


to set up and seems fast but, more importantly, with its six antennae, it resembles a malevolent, upside-down robot ant. Get in.

MeL FarLey, roCHeSTer

Where should I avoid flying my Phantom Quadcopter? Gadget Guru is in regular contact with the police, helping them with their enquiries (about tech). His friends in the fuzz tell him there’s some concern about drones at present, so GaGu is happy to help them by spelling out to you places it might not be wise to fly a drone, in case you’re an idiot. One: near airports. Anyone who’s been in a plane during a bird strike and had to limp to the nearest airport with a destroyed engine and the smell of burnt seagull permeating the cockpit will be in a cold sweat about what a drone could do if sucked into a turbine. It also won’t do your drone much good. Two: near official buildings. You know MI5’s HQ in London, or the US Embassy? Well, GaGu wouldn’t fly a drone with a camera on it near those. He has it on good authority that the Yanks shoot them down, and there’s always room left in Guantanamo Bay. Ironically, flying near pylons is comparatively safe, as your drone by definition won’t be earthed – but GaGu still wouldn’t exactly recommend it.

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 3 3

youR questions answeReD

neeD To KnoW:

Max parISH, CorK

SeLF-DrIvInG Is there a veHICLeS gadget that

tests blood pressure?

HoW Do veHICLeS aCTuaLLy DrIve THeMSeLveS? In short, much like humans drive them: by receiving stimuli from their senses and processing them with a brain. Anyone who’s been in a taxi will be aware that not a huge amount of brain power is required to drive a car [steady on, GaGu, some of my best friends are cabbies – Ed], so the sensors are key. WHaT KInD oF SenSorS? There’s a plethora of them, from long- and short-range radar to cameras, lasers and GPS. Take Volvo’s system, which works by comparing what it ‘sees’ with its sensors to where its GPS tells it it is, to build a full picture of its position. The AI then needs to be able to distinguish between unexpected elements – braking if a person or moose steps out in front of you, but keeping going if a plastic bag blows into the road. IT’S aS SIMpLe aS THaT? Erm, well, there are also numerous failsafe systems that need to be tested. Driverless cars, at least initially, need to be degrees safer than standard ones, because people get upset about the idea of robots accidentally killing them. To that end, Volvo is installing two braking systems, for instance, and talking about an approach more akin to the aircraft industry than the automotive one. So WHen WILL My Car be abLe To DrIve ITSeLF? Technically, it would already be able to if it were fitted with the necessary sensors. Unfortunately, because people are a bit funny about road safety and the prospect of death by robot, fuddy-duddy health-andsafety bores insist that more testing, normalising and/or legislation is required before we get that far. Can I Have a SIMpLer anSWer? Volvo will be testing its Drive Me system in Gothenburg from 2017. So if you’re one of the 100 lucky punters on that scheme, that’s when your car will drive itself.

3 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Speaking as someone who once tested a smart blood-pressure monitor at its launch party and was advised to seek medical help immediately, Gadget Guru is reluctant to recommend these things, but there are fine offerings out there from Salter – the maestro of all things homely and essential but unglamorous (the MiBody at £60) – as well as Withings, Qardio and iHealth (all at £100). GaGu is assuming you’re talking about blood-pressure monitors that connect to an app on your phone or tablet, given that this is T3 magazine. If you’re after something more olde worlde, there are umpteen options.

KevIn norTon, brISToL

above vacuum cleaners get lonely too

Harry MICHaeL, WIMbLeDon

With so many camera phones to choose from, which would you say is the best?

What robot vacuum cleaner do you use, Guru?

Gadget Guru has historically found Nokia and Sony phones to have the best cameras. However, these days, Apple, Samsung, HTC and the rest all have perfectly decent options. However, one device that crushes all of those is the Panasonic LUMIX CM1. That’s because, rather than being a phone with a camera in it, it’s a camera with an Android phone in it. There’s a proper control ring, a one-inch, 20-megapixel sensor, proper manual and auto modes, and everything. Mind you, it will set you back about 800 quid, and battery death is a constant and looming threat.

This is one of GaGu’s hot-button issues, having spent the past five years trying to find the perfect robo-vac after his cleaner ran away with that bloke from Homebase. iRobot’s range is great at cleaning but has all the grace and carefulness you’d associate with a rampaging Terminator. To date, the others have all proved to be either impressively clever but useless at sucking up stuff, or vice versa. All except the Vorwerk VK100, that is. This is actually a Neato robo-vac, but it’s been re-engineered – ie made better, stronger and suckinger – for the demanding German market. It costs £649, so not exactly peanuts, but GaGu's has now been giving strong vorsprung durch technik for three joyous years, while contenders from other brands have come and gone.

“raTHer THan beInG a pHone WITH a CaMera In IT, THe LuMIx CM1 IS a CaMera WITH an anDroID pHone In IT”


issue 243 / June 15

Seven new adventureS with tech you can Start today!

Go kite surfinG with A GoPro

Put A teslA Model s to the test

wAtch dAredeVil in 4k on netfliX

Perfect Your iPhoneoGrAPhY with enliGht

bAG A Pb with A fitness trAcker

sAVour A sMArt brew

tAke to the skies for A drone bAttle M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 3 7

tech adventures

WALLET BASHER The Tesla Model S will put a serious dent in your wallet, with the cheapest version starting at just under £50k. It’ll cost you around £500 per month on a lease deal

BATTERY BENEATH The Model S has a giant 85kWh battery that forms the entire floor of the car, its weight giving you a low centre of gravity for flatter cornering and better stability

3 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


AgENdA

teslA test driVe

check this… is the bMw c evo electric bike any good? p102

Put a teSla model S to the teSt tempted to try out one of these electro-fuelled luxury cars? now’s the perfect time to take advantage of the tesla experience The notoriously petroldependent United States is fully embracing Tesla’s vision of a battery-powered future, with Elon Musk’s vehicles achieving record sales. And, thanks to a growing network of dealers and chargers, they’re creeping onto the UK’s roads, too. There’s still a certain reluctance and suspicion of electric vehicles in the UK, though. Fortunately, Tesla’s test-drive experience is here to alleviate fears that owning one of these high-tech, £50k automobiles will turn you into a sandalwearing tree hugger or, worse, the trendy CEO of a doomed internet start-up. While the thrill of driving an electric car is pretty much instantaneous, it’s recommended that you test drive one over a period of a few days to see how it fits into your lifestyle. “Take your time,” says Dr Ben Lane of Next Green Car. “We find that it takes at least three days to get what electric vehicles are all about. Request a week’s test drive to really understand if one’s for you.”

START YouR AdvENTuRE TodAY

SuPERCHARgER It can take up to 24 hours to charge a Model S using a uK wall socket, but at one of the 21 superchargers across the country you can get to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Book your test drive online at www.teslamotors.com, or visit one of the company’s seven stores dotted around the country. Once you’re up and running, try out the car’s unique features. The Model S includes a 17-inch touchscreen that provides navigation and even lets you browse the Web, while driving-style options make it handle like a sleek sports car or a comfortable cruiser. Worried about battery life? With Next Green Car’s Zap-Map (zap-map.com), you can find Tesla-compatible chargers and keep your test vehicle topped up. j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 3 9

tech adventures goPro offers action cams ranging from 1080p/30fps (£110) to 4K models costing £410. Here’s legendary kite surfer damien Leroy showing us his goPro gurn

03

02

Perfect your iPhoneography with enlight

Go kite SurfinG with a GoPro Get more from your GoPro – whichever model you own – with this easy-to-learn but hugely impressive watersport Your action cam is just screaming out for some aquatic adventures, and kite surfing is a perfect fit. It’s surfing’s more sophisticated older brother and, as you’ll spend most of your time on the board, you needn’t worry about suffering the British Isles’ freezing waters. It’s also pretty simple to pull off some impressive moves to capture on your GoPro. “The best beginner trick is going for some big air,” says Tristan Cawte, co-owner of The Kitesurf Centre at Camber Sands in East Sussex. “It looks impressive and it’s relatively easy to do.” There’s no shortage of options for mounting your GoPro, too – the kite provides a tailor-made selfie platform. “The best place to mount it is on a head cam or on the lines pointing back to the rider,” says Cawte.

START YouR AdvENTuRE TodAY It’s a good idea to check your weather app before you embark on a kite-surfing adventure. “20 to 30mph winds with big waves but flat water between the sets are perfect,” recommends Cawte. 4 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Unless you fancy dinging your board and breaking some bones, you’ll also need a rather large body of water. The Kitesurf Centre is just an hour’s drive from London, but most seaside resorts offer the sport. If you’re new to the sport, training is essential. The British Kitesports Association (britishkitesports.org) includes details of registered instructors, as well as basic safety and etiquette information.

go…go…goPRo the hero4 black will capture your big air in glorious 4k at 30fps. £410, gopro.com

mount your GoPro on your head for some serious extreme selfies

Quickly edit your iPhone snaps with this awesome all-in-one image app Image editors are ten-a-penny on the App Store, but you’ll often find that you need more than one. Before you know it, you’ve dragged your original image through a host of different filters just to be able to post it on Instagram. enter enlight. “it offers a range of image enhancements that will quickly enable anyone to get their iPhone images looking their best,” explains Alistair Jennings, digital camera magazine’s imaging-lab manager. “those new to iPhoneography should take a look at the vast selection of filters that enable artistic colour and b&w effects to be applied. the Analog Mimesis

it takes mobile photo editing to a whole new level filter is great for a retro effect, perfect for instagram.” Meanwhile, iPhoneographers will dig in-depth features such as curve tweaks, selective colour adjustments, perspective adjustments and smart crops. “the comprehensive set of features and tools enable you to enhance, edit, apply creative effects and upload your images in a well-designed app that takes photo editing on mobile devices to another level,” says Jennings. Read m ore a t w w w.t3.co m

AgENdA

dAredeVil in 4k 4K SuPERHERo You’ll need the right tV to stream netflix in 4k uhd. the new samsung Js9000 range, starting at £2,599 for a 48-inch, is ideal

check this… see our exclusive review of this samsung tV p94

04

watch daredevil in 4k on netfliX Marvel’s four-sensed hero gets a 4k outing – and you need to spec up to watch this gritty, groundbreaking series As a boy, Matt Murdock was blinded by a radioactive substance. At the same time, his other four senses were heightened, equipping him with superhuman powers. After his father is killed by gangsters, he sets out to seek revenge in the form of Daredevil. That’s the premise for Netflix’s new series, now being streamed in stunning UHD to your TV. You’ll need a compatible telly, and there’s no better, or newer, than the Samsung JS9000 series. Available in 48-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch versions, it’s packed full of tech – perfect for seeing Mr Murdock kick a gangster’s ass.

So why bother with Daredevil in UHD? “Netflix’s first Marvel series boasts all the lavish production values you’d expect from the House Of Cards maker, but with punch-ups to rival the very best of action cinema. It’s an explosively violent and dark, character-driven drama,” says Jordan Farley of leading sci-fi mag SFX. “Make the most of Netflix’s 4K streaming capabilities on a top telly for maximum visual wallop as the deep shadows of Hell’s Kitchen pop off the screen.”

START YouR AdvENTuRE TodAY First, you’ll need a Netflix Premium account. This will cost you £8.99


Samsung uE55JS9000 A 55-inch curved suhd beauty with nano-crystal colour. £3,999, samsung.com/uk

per month (which is a bargain in our eyes). Check if your current TV is Netflix UHD-compatible by visiting help.netflix.com. Or just bin your old TV and opt for a brand-new model that supports Netflix’s Ultra HD service. You’ll be able to access Netflix on your smart TV by hitting the Home (or similar) button on your remote and entering your log-in details. A whole world of Ultra HD streaming now awaits.

what better way to see a blind man kick a gangster’s ass? j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 4 1

tech adventures FITNESS FANATIC Fitbit Charge HR this device tracks your steps, heartbeat, calories burned and more. £120, fitbit.com/uk

05

check this… run, forrest, run! six fitness bands on test p100

BaG a PB with a fitneSS tracker Add a dash of excitement to your running routine, and improve your performance at the same time Most people experience a sudden burst of enthusiasm for running when they first strap on a fitness tracker, but a few months down the line this can turn into a miserable plod. Attempting to beat your personal best can reinvigorate even the most run-of-the-mill runs. Signing up for Strava (strava.com) can help give you that competitive edge. The service enables you to challenge your mates and beat your own best times. But what else can you do to get re-motivated with your fitness band? “Take your training outside and off the treadmill,” suggests DW Fitness

06

Savour a smart brew

wake up and smell the coffee with a super-smart wi-fi grinding-and-brewing machine

The uK is in the grip of two revolutions: decent coffee and internetconnected things. Smarter’s Wi-Fi coffee maker (£150, available at firebox.com) combines both trends in one marvellous drinks buddy. the machine will wake you up with your favourite brew, sending an alarm to your smartphone. but the question is, what beans are best for it? 42 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

personal trainer Lee Pickering. “Fresh air will help to boost your motivation, and you can explore new places. Challenge yourself with hills and interval running in order to get the most out of your exercise.” The best way to increase your overall time is to pay attention to your heart rate while you’re doing the deed – and fitness bands such as Fitbit’s Charge HR will give you an immediate readout. “Steadily increase your effort levels until you’re unable to hold a short conversation whilst running,” Pickering says. “This is the point where your body begins to use more glycogen than oxygen. Now try to keep your heart rate at this level.”

ABovE Strava takes the data from your gPS device and enables you to compare times and challenge other ‘athletes’

START YouR AdvENTuRE TodAY To use Strava, you’ll need a GPS-based device, whether it’s your phone or a watch such as the Garmin Forerunner 620 (£330, garmin.com/en-GB). Check out the Nike+ app for Apple Watch. It enables you to track routes, work out calories burned and cheer on friends. Shoes feeling a bit worn-out? Mino (£8, runmino.com) slots under your insole and gives a readout on how much life is left in your shoes via an LED display.

lee bolam, director of extract coffee roasters, recommends Mexican terruno espresso for the morning. “it’s well balanced by a big body and plenty of sweetness,” he says. whether you’re after a caffeine kick or a gentle pick-me-up, the strength can be controlled via smarter’s app, and the machine can brew up to 12 cups at once if you’re feeling particularly jaded. You can even set it to make you a brew as soon as you walk in the door.

wake up to your favourite brew without having to lift a finger

The Smarter Wi-Fi coffee maker won’t charge you extortionate amounts for a cup, or spell your name wrong


AgENdA

duellinG drones INdooR ACTIoN battling drones indoors can be a terrifying experience. Models such as the dJi Phantom have sonar systems, enabling you to let them hover indoors without GPs

check this… the new dJi Phantom 3 drone has arrived! p16

FLYINg SoLo the new 3d robotics solo (3drobotics.com)is one smart drone, enabling you to accurately control camera movements via an innovative smartphone app

SMART CoNTRoLS Most drones can be piloted via your phone, but for extra airborne agility consider getting hold of a dedicated controller, like the Parrot skycontroller for the bebop

07

THE dRoNE To oWN Parrot Bebop easy to fly and capable of capturing 1080p footage and 14MP images. £430, parrot.com/uk

take to the SkieS for a drone Battle toughen up your quadcopter and brace yourself for some truly modern aerial warfare. the drones are taking off… If you’ve just dropped a few hundred quid (or more!) on a flying robot, the chances are you won’t want to smash it into another person’s drone – but there is an entire sub-section of enthusiasts who do just that. Game of Drones founder Marque Cornblatt has become a legend in this flying fight club. His first step was to redesign the airborne combatants. Whilst you could use an off-the-shelf model such as the Parrot Bebop, it could get expensive. Pulling together parts is a much more sensible approach for drone warfare. “We had to reinvent the drone so that it would

thrive in this destructive environment,” Cornblatt says. “After building hundreds of experimental prototypes, we finally had an airframe that was literally bulletproof.” Once you’ve built your battle-ready drone, you can take it to the skies for an airborne battle – and the last man flying is the winner. Cornblatt recommends that you get to know your drone and hardware intimately beforehand. “All your props, batteries and components need to be easy to repair,” he explains.

START YouR AdvENTuRE TodAY Game of Drones is yet to launch in the UK, but you could host your own event.


You’ll need a large indoor area such as a squash court, hanging nets to protect spectators, and willing participants. You’ll also need drones. Game of Drones’ bulletproof airframe is the perfect chassis, and the official website (gameofdrones.com) includes recommended components. Get feedback and advice on drone building by checking out the community at DIY Drones (diydrones.com).

you’ll need a large indoor area such as a squash court and netting j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 4 5

Model wears Shirt: Philipp Plein Jacket: Casely-Hayford

46 T 3 JjU T3 uN nEe 22001 5 15

24 hoUrs wiTh ThE…

Apple wAtch

24 hours with the…

Apple wAtch

What’s it really like to spend a day using the Apple Watch? We run it through its paces, but can its much talked-about battery life live up to the 18-hour promise? WORDS ROB CARNEY PHOTOGRAPHY JOBY SESSIONS, NEIL GODWIN

The Apple Watch. The most anticipated gadget of the year, or actually for as long as I can remember. Getting your hands on an Apple Watch is very much like purchasing any other Apple product – well, in terms of the unboxing and initial excitement, that is. And a matter of days before T3 went to press, I was finally able to strap the 38mm Sport version with white strap to my wrist and embark on a day-long test to see if it could live up to the hype. A typical day for me is probably much the same as yours: wake up, have a quick workout (if I can muster up the energy), get the kids ready for school, drive to work and then maybe squeeze in a quick pint with colleagues before heading home to cook and eat before bed. My iPhone 6 Plus is an integral part of my life. It’s never out of my hand – I cannot imagine not having it. Would the Apple Watch fit into my life in the same indispensable way? That’s what I intended to find out…

DElivEry Day: Booting up Pushing in the digital crown to boot up, I expected the watch to be ready in an instant, but it seemed to take an age. It was probably only a minute or so, but it threw me a little. But I guess setting up any device from scratch takes a while. One thing that immediately struck me was the screen. The Apple Watch’s screen is nothing short of stunning: bright, sharp and, well, just lovely. The very first thing I did? Charge it. Even the plug has been designed with portability in mind – it’s folded flat by default, but pull out the main prong and all three snap out ready to use. You then plug in the USB and simply attach the magnetic circular charger to the back of the watch. Apple quotes two-and-a-half hours for a full charge, so that’s what I did. Next, I needed to set up the watch, and this is where the fun started. The first thing the Apple Watch asks you to do is choose a language. This was my first experience of the digital crown and the touchscreen. The 38mm model seems frightfully small, but the screen was immediately responsive. After tapping ‘English j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 47


Apple wAtch

(UK)’, I waited a while, before the watch prompted me to open up the Apple Watch app on my iPhone. Pairing was a typical Apple affair, involving Bluetooth and a beautiful ‘QR code’ that you focus your iPhone’s camera on. The watch paired quickly, asking me to choose a wrist (if you choose right, the digital crown will be at the bottom of the watch), and approve Location Services, Siri and Diagnostics. Next, I was asked to set up a passcode. After this, I chose to unlock my watch with my phone. This basically means that as long as your watch stays on your wrist, it will stay unlocked. When you take it off, you’ll have to use the passcode again. It’s a neat security feature. The final option in set-up is choosing to pre-install all compatible apps from your iPhone onto your watch. I did this and after a few minutes, the watch was ready, laden with apps. By this time it was late, so I set up an alarm for 7.15am the next morning (using the dedicated watch app). The real test would be tomorrow…

Coffee machine KitchenAid Artisan Medallion Silver Espresso Maker £629, kitchenaid.co.uk Model wears

TiME: 7.00Am. BaTTEry lifE: 100% I actually woke at seven, put the Apple Watch on my wrist and headed downstairs for breakfast. 15 minutes later, the silent alarm kicked in, the taptic engine in the watch subtly vibrating on my wrist. I can see the point in this – it’s great when you don’t want the alarm to disturb your family – but I could never sleep wearing a watch. Even my Fitbit feels obtrusive and uncomfortable. My alarm settings will remain the same on my iPhone – and it’s guaranteed my kids will still wake me up before it goes off. Also, come to think of it, won’t I be charging this thing each night? My morning routine on my iPhone involves checking any meetings for the day, checking my Twitter feed and replying to any urgent emails that have come in. A trip to BBC News is also a must over a cup of tea. But before all of this, I wanted to play around with the Apple Watch. How exactly did it work?

The taptic engine in the watch begins to subtly vibrate on my wrist. I can see the point in this 4 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Roll-neck: Cos Glasses: stylist’s own

The digital crown is, while perhaps not as succulent as Jonathan Ive’s hyperbole, a masterpiece in design. After using it for minutes, you feel highly accustomed to it, like you’ve been using this kind of device your whole life. Tapping the digital crown brings the watch to life, showing you the standard face. Tapping it again takes you to the circular interface. As you turn the crown, the interface zooms in and out, the app at the centre opening if you zoom right in. By swiping the touchscreen, you can move the app you want to open

into view, and then either use the crown to open it or use the crown to zoom in a little and touch the app. Touching apps takes a bit of getting used to on such a small screen – especially if you have fingers of the more chubby variety. I think the 42mm would better suit me… Hitting the digital crown again acts as a back button. But I found this a little confusing at first – before realising that tapping the crown once again on the circular interface will take you back to the middle, once again to the watch face.

app store for apple watch THERE ARE ALREADY THOUSANDS OF APPS TO DISCOVER AND DOWNLOAD as you’d expect, from day one there’s a huge amount of apps available for the apple watch. simply open up the apple watch app on your iPhone and browse to featured to get apple’s recommendations, or search if you know what you’re looking for. it’s just like using the regular app store on your iPhone or iPad.



Apple wAtch

say hello to the apple watch The device we’ve all been waiting for is finally here, but what are the main features and what do they do? bodY And FACE the Sport model has an aluminium body and ion-X glass face. the Watch model has a stainless-steel body and a sapphire-glass face. And the Edition model is gold/ rose gold

bAnd And SizinG there are many different strap and watch combinations, enabling you to customise the device to suit you. the watch comes in 38mm and 42mm models, too

HEARt-RAtE SEnSoR the Apple Watch’s heartrate sensor – on the back of the face – uses infrared and visible-light lEds and photodiodes to detect your heart rate during workouts

diGitAl CRoWn As well as acting as a back button, the digital crown enables you to zoom in and out of the home screen and various apps – for instance, zooming to locations in Maps and enlarging photos

tAPtiC EnGinE the taptic engine inside the Apple Watch enables discreet buzzing notifications. it also enables you to send your heartbeat or a rhythm to a friend or loved one

the button below the digital crown takes you to contacts

Control the watch’s interface using the digital crown


the Sport band is simple, lightweight and secure

A built-in mic and speaker enable calling functionality

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 4 9


Apple wAtch how to track your run mEASURE YOUR WORkOUT WITH THE APPLE WATCH

01 worKout App The workout app is pre-installed. hit the digital crown to bring up the home screen, then tap on the workout app. you’re presented with a screen giving you different workout types – for a run, choose outdoor run. once you’ve hit this, you can choose your goals.

02 set Your goAls on the next screen, you can choose a calorie goal. simply hit the + and - buttons to set a number of calories to burn. swipe across to add a time you want to run for in the same way. swipe across again and you can set a distance. after hitting start, you get a countdown.

03 trAcK progress on your run, you can quickly see your progress – simply swipe across the bottom of the screen to see your heart rate, elapsed time, calories, distance and pace. To end your workout, force-press on the screen and choose End. But don’t forget that you need your iPhone with you.

5 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The button below the digital crown takes you to your friends, where you can message or call them. If they have an Apple Watch, you can even send your heartbeat, a tap vibration or a sketch. You can have 12 friends in this mini app – and you set them up using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. I set a few up, including my wife and parents, and made sure their contacts had a nice photo (using the Phone app on my iPhone). But back to my day. Heading towards 7.30am, I checked out my Twitter timeline and browsed through my email. I knew that you can’t reply to emails on the watch, so I flagged a few by pressing harder on the screen, before using my phone to reply. Time for a very quick run around the block – mainly to test both the Activity and Workout apps. Now, I only did a couple of miles, but I immediately liked the simplicity of Activity, which gave me a calorie, step and distance count in a neat interface. It breaks your activity down into three sections: move, exercise and stand. On each screen, by swiping up and

There really is something supercool about opening up your car using your watch down, you can get a text-based readout. The Workout app is equally good, enabling you to choose a type of workout (outdoor walk, run, indoor run and so on) and set a goal (such as time or calories). It really bothers me that I need to take my iPhone with me for accurate readouts – having an iPhone 6 Plus with you out on a run is just not feasible. I had a look over my numbers before getting ready for work. I didn’t quite hit my goals – perhaps next time I’ll just set it as open. The watch came off for a shower: although there are reports it’s waterproof, there was no way I was risking it.

TiME: 8.30Am. BaTTEry lifE: 91% My next task, just before I left the house, was to whizz to the shops to pick up some lunch for my family. It was a warm day; the sun had been beating down on the

BMW i3 for a couple of hours. But using the BMW Remote app I’d already installed on my iPhone, I was able to precondition the car to a nice temperature, before opening the doors with my watch. I also had a glance at the charge state to make sure I had enough juice to get to work. At 71 per cent, the BMW had plenty of miles. This kind of convenience really appeals to me. Sure, I could do these actions on my iPhone, but there’s something super-cool about opening up your car using your watch. I made sure that I added the BMW Remote app to ‘Glances’. Glances are a quick way of getting key info. And you can add any app to the functionality. To use it, you simply swipe up from the main watch face. By swiping left and right, you can view such apps as Maps, Weather, Calendar and Heart Rate, and check the battery life of the watch. Talking of glancing, the watch screen is pretty much off all the time, until you raise your wrist (although this can be turned off). Just lifting your wrist – as you would with any watch – turns the screen on. It hasn’t worked a couple of times for me, though, and I found myself spinning my wrist to get it to switch on. You can also just hit the digital crown. After parking up, I checked The Guardian’s Moments app – a simple app that gives you different content at different times of the day. I got today’s top story and wanted to read more, but I had to take out my phone to do so. One of the most interesting things about the Apple Watch is the different levels of interactivity and customisation. The first time you really experience this is when you want to change the watch face. Unlike Pebble, for instance, where you swipe down to change the face, with the Apple Watch you press harder on the screen (a force press). This gives you a quick buzz and enables you to then swipe left and right to change the watch face. I was impressed by the number and quality of watch faces on offer. To customise them, you simply hit the Customise button below the face and, using the digital crown and touchscreen, you can remove or add details and change colours. I chose the ‘Simple’ face, and you can also opt to remove numbers from the dial – which I did. It’s simply a matter of selecting what you want to change, then tweaking the digital crown to make the adjustments. I was nearly at the office


Apple wAtch

STYLE FITNESS

the Apple Watch is geared for fitness, with the Workout and Activity apps giving you readouts of calories, steps and distance. Water-resistant and extremely light, the Sport model is great for a run. bear in mind, though, for anything involving the accuracy of GPS (such as exact distances), you’ll need your iPhone with you. You can also sync music to the watch and listen wirelessly using bluetooth headphones.

Model wears trainers, running bottoms and top: new balance


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 5 1


Apple wAtch fast payMents with apple pay IT’S NOT IN THE Uk YET BUT IT COULD REVOLUTIONISE THE WAY WE PAY FOR GOODS apple Pay is no doubt one of the apple watch’s most intriguing features. it enables you to quickly pay for items using NfC – so you don’t need to take your wallet out of your pocket. with retailers signing up in droves across the Us, it’s due to hit the UK later this year.

now. At this point, a text message came in from Paul Dimery, production editor – I replied to his question with a simple default reply of ‘OK’ (this can be edited in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone).

TiME: 9.30Am. BaTTEry lifE: 88% By now I was in work and it was time for a quick meeting – so for fear of distraction I slipped my iPhone in my pocket. The Apple Watch proved both a help and a hindrance here. I no longer needed to extract my phone to get notifications. But on the other hand, I found myself looking at my wrist every few minutes as new emails arrived. Of course though, smart watches are all about notifications, and I like the way Apple has handled this. As I got a barrage of emails and the odd text from my wife, the taptic engine gave me a nudge, and when I glanced at the screen the notification took up the whole of it. It was immediately familiar, since I’ve used iPhone notifications. If you hit the digital crown and the notification goes away, you can access it again by swiping up from the watch face. You can quickly set up notification preferences for built-in apps. And in the Notifications settings in the Apple Watch app, you get a list of all the apps on your iPhone that are set up for notifications. So, even though there may not be a Facebook app as I write this, notifications can be pinged to my watch – as long as Mirror iPhone Alerts From… is switched on. One thing I noticed is that my arm was really starting to ache. It’s unfamiliar 5 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

having to hold your wrist up all the time – it’s a bit like when you’re screwing something into the ceiling. It was now time to do a bit of writing and planning, so I turned to my headphones.

TiME: 11.30Am. BaTTEry lifE: 83% I had my phone with me and my headphones plugged in. Hitting the digital crown, I selected the Music app and chose something to listen to. The Music app was very familiar, being able to scroll through albums, songs, artists, playlists and the like. The album art even appears in the list, which is nothing new in the world of smartwatches, but useful nonetheless. But there was another feature of the Music app that intrigued me. I’m a Bluetooth headphone user (see my review of the B&O H8s on page 102), and I can pair these directly to the Apple Watch. Why? Because you can store tunes – or playlists, to be precise – directly on the watch. This is more of an exercise-led feature, making it possible to leave your phone behind when you go out for a run. So why didn’t Apple include GPS so you can get accurate stats as well? Odd. Transferring music to your watch is a simple affair. Hop into the Music app section of the Apple Watch app and choose ‘Synced Playlist’. Tap a playlist and it will transfer via Bluetooth to your watch. Next, force-press the Music app on your watch and choose Source, then Apple Watch. If you haven’t already

paired your Bluetooth headphones, you’ll get a prompt to do it now. This feature is nice for the gym or exercise when you don’t want accurate stat tracking. At this point, something struck me: battery life isn’t as bad as I’d thought. And I’d been using it pretty heavily. It was still in the 80s as far as percentage goes, but I would see how the rest of the day went.

TiME: 1.30pm. BaTTEry lifE: 74% Lunch break. Time for a walk. And time to experiment with the Maps app. I know where pretty much everything is in my home city of Bath but, as an experiment, I popped in a location and wondered if I could navigate there using the turn-byturn directions feature. As with the iPhone, you can quickly see where you are by tapping the location button at the bottom-right of the screen. Rewinding a bit… to search, you simply force-press the screen and hit Search. Here, you can either choose a recent search from your iPhone or, using Siri, dictate an address. I dictated a postcode – and needed to speak slowly (it took a couple of tries to

Smartwatches are all about notifications, and I like the way Apple has handled this with its device

how to pair with your iphone IT’S EASY TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR APPLE WATCH…

01 wAtch App

03 Agree?

open up the apple watch app on your iPhone. Then simply hold your apple watch in front of your iPhone’s camera to pair.

The next step is a few screens asking you to agree to location services, siri and Diagnostics. it’s just a matter of choosing the option you want.

02 new DeVice

04 pAsscoDe

The next step is to set up your watch as a new device. you’re then asked which wrist you’ll be wearing the watch on. This is important, as the display will flip.

set up a passcode and choose whether to unlock the watch with your phone. a few more screens later and your new apple watch will be ready to wear.


Apple wAtch

STYLE mOTORING

A number of auto manufacturers are creating Apple Watch apps to control their cars. With the bMW i3, pictured, and its Remote app, you can precondition the car (making it the right temperature for you before you enter), open and lock the doors, and see how much charge the car has remaining.

bMW i3 From £30,980, bmw.co.uk Model wears Jacket: dSquared, t-shirt: topman Jeans: blK dnM, Shoes: dr Martens


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 5 3

Macbook Air

Apple wAtch

£849, apple.com/uk

iPhone 6 Plus From £619, apple.com/uk

Model wears Jumper: Cos

STYLE

Glasses: stylist’s own

WORk

thanks to its exhaustive notifications, the Apple Watch can prove to be a real time-saver, boosting your productivity through quick glances. the native apps that are most useful are Mail and Calendar, and while you’ll need your phone to perform most actions, you can handily flag emails and check your schedule for the day ahead. there are, of course, a number of third-party apps aimed at making your working life easier. A great example is Clear, which brings the app’s simple interface to the small screen, enabling you to tick off your to-dos. it’s worth pointing out that notifications mirror the settings on your iPhone, meaning you’ll get buzzed from apps such as Gmail even though there’s currently no native Apple Watch app.

get it right). Speaking a specific location works much better. After you’ve selected the correct location from the list that appears, you get opening times, a rating, a phone number (which you can call directly from the watch) and walking or car directions (along with times). After tapping the walking directions, I selected Start. The directions were clear and, at each change of direction or street, the watch gives you a buzz. I’d feel confident that using the watch alone I could get to an unfamiliar location but, of course, you need your phone anyway for GPS. By tapping the pin, you can see where you are on the map – zooming in and out with the digital crown. Although you don’t need to look at your watch all the time (thanks to the haptic nudges), I still found myself looking at it pretty much the entire route. My arm was killing me now.

score. A quick tap of the digital crown, then the app from the home screen, and I was in. I don’t think I could find out the score quicker. And it’s a prime example of what the Apple Watch is great at: quick notifications for information you need. Another app I’ve enjoyed on the iPhone is the game Rules. Thankfully, it translates brilliantly to the small screen (although it was a little slow), and I wasted 20 minutes or so playing. Finally, getting back into work mode, I checked out Clear and my to-do list. From the Apple Watch, you can tap to complete a task. But back to work for now, with Apple Watch constantly giving me nudges when emails arrived. I flicked to Glances from the home screen and turned on Do Not Disturb. Later, a little stressed by the amount I still had to do today, I checked my heart rate using Glances (swiping up

TiME: 3.30pm. BaTTEry lifE: 66%

The watch doesn’t have a camera; instead, it relies on your iPhone and acts as a remote shutter

Mid-afternoon. I thought now would be a good time to discover a few apps I simply hadn’t had time to look at. The first was the ECB cricket app. It was England vs the West Indies and, although I have Sky Go on my iPhone, I just wanted to check the


then left until I got to the Heart Rate app). 86bpm. I was still alive. Time to move on.

TiME: 5.30pm. BaTTEry lifE: 48% After tidying up a few emails, I realised there was one native app I was desperate to try – the camera. The Apple Watch doesn’t actually have a camera; rather it relies on your iPhone’s camera and acts as a remote shutter control. I can’t think of much major use for this – I guess you could prop your camera up on a shelf and use the timer on the watch to take a group shot, though. Handily, you can also focus the camera using the watch by tapping the screen. As soon as you close the camera app on your iPhone, the watch alerts you to this fact. Anyhow, I had a bit more work to do, so the watch got a little less love for an hour or so.

TiME: 7.00pm. BaTTEry lifE: 28% The work day was over. Before heading home, I ventured out to meet a few friends in a bar – it would be interesting to get their opinions on it (they’re not as fascinated by tech as you or I). I arrived before my mates, so I headed to the bar. j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 5 5


Apple wAtch the sMartest alternatives WE SELECT THREE OF THE BEST NON-APPLE OPTIONS

01 peBBle steel The Pebble steel has oodles of kudos. its E-Paper screen may be a little low-fi for some, but it gives you battery life the apple watch can only dream of. it looks almost as swish, too, and there’s a similarly huge number of apps available. £180, getpebble.com

02 lg wAtch r a smartwatch that will appeal to die-hard watch enthusiasts. The P-olED display is one of the best out there, meaning you can show off its array of watch-like backgrounds in super-high quality. Two days’ battery life is double that of apple. £200 LG.com

03 moto 360 it’s hard not to get excited about Motorola’s offering. This thing looks seriously space-age, yet it has a refined, minimalist feel. and though battery life trumps the apple watch, a wireless charger makes regular recharging a cinch. £200, motorola.co.uk

5 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

At that moment, I received a call from my wife; the barman noticed my Apple Watch and I suddenly felt like an Apple Store employee as I (after rejecting the call, and to the chagrin of the waiting punters) had to demo all the features. He was keen to try it on, but I declined before taking a sip of my well-earned orange juice (I was driving, after all). While waiting for my buddies to arrive, I called my wife back. As an experiment, in a quiet area of the bar, I decided to test the Phone app of the watch. You can quickly access the people you most frequently call, adding to these in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. My wife was already in my favourite contacts, so I tapped the button below the digital crown, used the digital crown to rotate to my wife, tapped on the screen and hit the phone button. Now, this was probably the most embarrassing experience of my time with Apple Watch so far. As I held my wrist up to my mouth, my wife’s voice came out of the speaker, me merrily looking rather stupid talking into my watch. In future, I would simply use the watch to see who’s calling before answering on my phone. Although it’s a nice feature to have – and they’ll probably be using it on The Apprentice before long – it’s ridiculous, and not for me. As my friends arrived, they spotted me talking to my wrist. Both had the same greeting, but I can’t repeat it here.

least I can’t recall a pop-up on either my phone or the watch itself. So, from the 38mm Sport watch I got around 15 hours of usage. Admittedly, that was using it a lot more than I would during a normal day but, in my eyes, that’s simply not good enough. If I wasn’t at home, my watch would be reduced to a swanky bracelet. So now seemed to be a good time to go back to the charger. There’s no doubting that even the Sport’s plastic charger (the Watch model comes with a metal inductive one) is very cool, snapping onto the back of the watch with ease. But it bothers me. I don’t want to have to take a charger for my watch everywhere I go. I don’t want to have to buy multiple chargers for it. I guess I could use my Mac to charge the watch, or any USB plug for that matter, but wouldn’t it be nice if the inductive disc was detachable – and perhaps Micro USB compatible – so you could just carry the disc around? But none of this gets past the fact that the Apple Watch’s battery life isn’t very good. I popped it on to charge, focused my attention away from my wrist for an hour or so, then went to bed, dreaming of a time when I could have a smartwatch with this kind of premium feel, stunning apps and beautiful design, but paired with a battery life that goes on for a week.

TiME: 9.00pm. BaTTEry lifE: 15%

Over the past day, I’ve experienced what it’s like to be an Apple Watch user. And I like it. The crazy amount of apps available from day one enables you to – in more ways than ever – interact with your world using a highly crafted, stunning device on your wrist. Sure, there are Android Wear watches out there that have a similar level of functionality, but none of them have impressed me as much.

After a couple of hours chatting, checking Twitter and showing off the watch to my friends, who were generally impressed, I headed home. Battery life was running very low by now – it would be interesting to see how far it could go. I had a few notifications come in, but by now I felt I’d exhausted the features of the Apple Watch for one day. Walking through the front door, I gave the watch to my wife to have a look at. She was impressed with the quality, and the smaller 38mm suited her.

TiME: 10.15pm. BaTTEry lifE: 0% Without warning, the Apple Watch died. Perhaps I should’ve gone into the powermanagement screen in Glances and flicked on Power Reserve – which renders the Apple Watch as a very simple digital watch. But I didn’t get any warning – at

t3 RAtES – Stunning design – Brilliant digital crown – Screen is amazing t3 SlAtES – Battery life


Subscribe to T3

save up to 60% when you subscribe to the all-new T3

choose your package print

Digital

Get every issue of T3, with the latest gadget reviews and inspirational features, plus your exclusive T3 Squared supplement* delivered to your door at a fraction of the cost

Get instant digital access on your iPad, iPhone or Android device. Our fully interactive iPad edition is tailored to your tablet, and includes videos and galleries

only £16.49 save 50%

only £13.99 save 28%

Your subscription will then continue at £16.49 every six months – saving 32% on the shop price

Your subscription will then continue at £13.99 every six months – saving 28% on the shop price

LIFe’s BetteR WItH 5 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


Exclusive offer!

get the complete package print + Digital bunDle

Limited time offer! subscribe now!

——

The ultimate collection! Every new issue in print and on your iPad, iPhone or Android device

——

Receive the exclusive T3 Squared magazine supplement every issue

——

Never miss an issue again, with delivery to your door and your device

——

only £20.99

Make huge savings, and get the best value for money, plus our moneyback guarantee

——

savIng 43% on the shop price savIng 87% on the digital subscription savIng 60% oVerall! Your subscription will then continue at £20.99 every six months – saving 32% on the shop price and giving you an 87% discount on a digital subscription

two easy ways to subscribe… onLIne www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/t3subs caLL 0844 848 2852 (please quote print50, digital15 or bundle60) terms and conditions: prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full-price uK print and digital issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. If you are dissatisfied in any way, you can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription at any time, and we will refund you for all unmailed issues. Prices are correct at point of print and subject to change. For full terms and conditions, please visit: myfavm.ag/magterms. Offer ends 11 june 2015. *For as long as the supplement series runs


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 5 9

State of the art

oodleS of power, great uSability, Stunning deSign... 2015’S top SmartphoneS Square off words: gareth beavis

photography: neil godwin

t’s a tricky business buying a phone these days – you’ve got so Many brands vying for your hard-earned, and they all proMise to be the best at everything. it’s all “pick Me! i’ve got a brilliant caMera!”, “no, look at Me with My ultrasliM chassis!” and “over here! over here! check out My fancy software features!”

I

To the average punter, any of them would do – they’re all pretty good phones, so what does it matter which one they choose? Well, we say different. You have to have the best of the best, the phone that can unequivocally be dubbed the best on show when you’re all getting your latest, greatest purchase out around the pub table or at that boring BBQ. The tricky thing is that – and at the real premium end of the market especially – it’s hard to know which features are useful and which are just snake oil, a desperate headline extra bolted on for the sake of it. Is that super-high-resolution screen really going to make a difference when you’ve never even seen 4K footage? Is the battery a bit rubbish now that the chassis is so slim? And what’s that heart-rate monitor actually for, anyway? To that end, we’ve selected three of the latest and greatest phones, to run through our range of tests. We’ll be looking at everything from design to battery life to camera quality, to help you choose the best one for your pound.

Special thankS to

6 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


Select

SmartphoneS

w hat’S on teSt…

1

apple iphone 6 there were record pre-orders for the 6 when it was released in September. but how has it held up over time? price: from £539 url: apple.com/uk


2

htc one M9 at first glance, the follow-up to the popular one m8 looks very similar. has htc done enough to beat its rivals? price: £580 url: htc.com

3

samsung galaxy s6 talk of a premium redesign for the new galaxy set industry tongues wagging. is this the one to crush the competition? price: from £600 url: samsung.com

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 6 1

State of the art

teSt 01:

apple iphone 6 width: 67mm

design

depth: 6.9mm

we’re craving smart looks and a lightweight yet balanced feel

: ze si

height: 138.1mm

T

y la sp di

here’s no denying it: the very first things that grab your attention when you’re out browsing for a new phone are the look and feel of it. The second you pick the handset up will either see you recoiling in horror at the creaking, plastic mess, or cooing with excitement at the high-quality, premium device that rests quietly in your hand. Samsung is the true phoenix of this particular sub-test, graduating from the disappointing plastic-ugly that was the Galaxy S5 to the resplendent, rounded metal and glass of the S6, a phone that feels lightweight but well-balanced. The bottom of the handset looks rather familiar, though – put it side by side with the iPhone 6 and you’ll see that they’re almost identical. This isn’t a complete reimagining from Samsung, as the front of the handset – with its lozenge home button – takes a lot of cues from the Galaxy S4. But everything feels more impressive; every click feels more Mercedes than Skoda.

4.7 es ch in

weight: 129g

Every click of the Galaxy S6 feels more Mercedes than Skoda The iPhone 6 is the least weighty handset here, and that rounded metal back feels stunning. The screen has also been increased to a whopping 4.7 inches (well, it’s whopping by Apple’s standards). The home button is still the only prominent key on show, although the volume keys/silence rocker maintain their quietly usable presence on the side. The iPhone 6 is a joy to use and hold. HTC has always been the leader of the pack when it comes to smartphone design, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down with the One M9. Not that it represents a massive jump forward from 2014’s masterful One M8, but the chassis has certainly been refined – the two-tone, rose gold and silver frame screams ‘luxury watch’; the weight is heftier but balanced; and we love how the rounded back sits neatly in the hand. Even the large BoomSound speakers positioned above and below the five-inch display ooze quality, rather than making the phone look like a confused ghetto-blaster. 6 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

the rounded, ceramic/metal back takes cues from the ipad air

the iphone 6 has the worst screen-to-body ratio in this test

SpecS screen type and size: ipS lcd, 4.7 inches screen resolution: 750 x 1,334 pixels os: ioS 8.3

chipset: apple a8 raM: 1gb MeMory: 16gb, 64gb or 128gb rear caMera: 8mp

plaStic can be fantaStic it’s easy to diss plastic phones, but they have more worth than you realise It’s short-sighted to say that phones made of plastic are always bobbins – don’t forget that Bugatti makes its car roofs out of the stuff. Plastic not only sheds weight,

it also better absorbs dings from those inevitable drops. Plus, it lets that pesky phone signal through much easier. But there’s a simple reason why manufacturers

front caMera: 1.2mp battery size: 1,810mah

are making phones out of metal, and that’s because it feels premium, with a more satisfying weight. What’s more, thanks to the clever boffins in the various engineering departments, the signal in metal phones has never been better, even though the handsets are effectively wearing a tin hat.


Select

SmartphoneS htc one M9

saMsung galaXy s6 width: 70.5mm

depth: 9.6mm

height: 143.4mm

es ch in

es ch in

chipset: qualcomm Snapdragon 810 raM: 3gb MeMory: 32gb (up to 128gb with microSd)

plastic, be gone – it’s all metal and glass for samsung now

it’s unsightly, yes, but the massive bump houses a superb camera

SpecS rear caMera: 20.7mp front caMera: 4 ultrapixel battery size: 2,840mah

phoneS need to bulk up it’s all very well demanding slimmer phones, but what are we sacrificing in return? A decade ago, we scoffed at the idea of a phone under two centimetres thick, laughing mercilessly as various brands tried to prove that a handset could be ‘ultra-slim’, as it was

5.1

5

htc reckons it’s melded the one M7 and M8 to make its new phone

SpecS screen type and size: Super lcd3, 5 inches screen resolution: 1,080 x 1,920 pixels os: android 5.0.2

: ze si

: ze si

weight: 138g

weight: 157g

the striking two-tone rim takes an extra, costly manufacturing step

depth: 6.8mm

y la sp di

BEST FOR DESIGN

y la sp di

height: 144.6mm

width: 69.7mm

seen back then. Now we’re at the point where even 5mm is hefty (Chinese manufacturer Oppo has made a phone that’s just 4.85mm thick yet can still smash open a


screen type and size: Super amoled, 5.1 inches screen resolution: qhd 1,440 x 2,560 pixels os: android 5.0.2

watermelon) – but it’s all coming at a price. Battery life is nowhere near where we want it to be, and that’s because there’s no space for a decent capacity. Put it this way: if the iPhone 6 was as thick as a Nokia 3310, it would last a week. But who wants to carry that brick around with them?

chipset: Samsung exynos 7420 raM: 3gb MeMory: 32gb, 64gb or 128gb

rear caMera: 16mp front caMera: 5mp battery size: 2,550mah

Test 01 winner

htc one m9

The One M9 takes this category easily. It has a rich exterior, and scores points for not aping every other phone on the market. j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 6 3

State of the art

teSt 02:

apple iphone 6

features all we want is a high-quality camera and a long-lasting battery here’s only so much you can do with design when making a smartphone, so how else can you stand out from the rest? Never mind fingerprint sensors or talking companions: give us a camera that creates David Bailey-esque snaps automatically, and a battery that keeps on trucking right through the day, and we’ll be ecstatic. On paper at least, the HTC should take this category with ease, boasting as it does the highest-megapixel camera (20.7MP) and the largest battery on test. Sadly, though, that resolution doesn’t translate to outstanding photos, even though a sensor on the front of the camera means that selfies are better than you get on most phones. As for the battery, it may be large but the phone still can’t last a day, which is frustrating. Apple’s feature set is the same as it’s ever been. The buzzword here is simplicity – doing the basics well with an interface that’s incredibly straightforward. The snaps taken

T

apple’s isight camera comes with focus pixels, which offers better and faster autofocus, a feature called exposure control and better face detection.

100% view

The QHD screen delivers jaw-dropping visuals when showing 4k footage from the rear sensor are still, maddeningly, in 4:3 aspect ratio, but they pack so much quality you’ll forget the camera is only 8MP. The light can wander in happily thanks to that lower MP count, which means you can cram in more of those oh-so-important twilight shots of your food for Instagram. The Apple’s battery life is the same as the HTC’s, but then again Apple’s phone batteries have never been great, so at least we were prepared for it. Saying that, given how the iPhone has the lowest-res screen on test, it should be better. Samsung takes the crown in this particular test, as it combines a simply stunning 16MP camera with a pin-sharp QHD screen that brings everything to life in fantastic detail, from the photos you’ve taken yourself to movies and games – when displaying 4K footage or next-gen games, it’s especially jaw-dropping. As for battery life, it’s the worst of these three handsets, but not by much. And the rest of the Galaxy’s feature package more than makes up for this slip. 6 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

the Macro mode on the iphone 6 is one of its strongest features, while the camera also has an amazing level of depth for an 8Mp sensor.

battery life claiMed battery life: 150 hours (standby) beavis battery life: 19 hours

the iphone 6 doesn’t have great battery life compared to other phones of a similar price, but apple has finally managed to make it last for the best part of a day.

bring the power back frustratingly, none of the phones on test lasted the day with heavy use. what gives? Apple users are no strangers to battery sadness but, with their 2014 handsets, it looked like the Android brigade had finally nailed it – 24 hoursplus being a reachable target.

So why have they suddenly gone backwards? It seems as though Lollipop is taking juice from the Samsung and the HTC, with the latest version

constantly calling for updates. However, the Galaxy S6 also has to contend with a hyper-res QHD screen, which pulls that percentage bar down way too fast.


Select


saMsung galaXy s6 BEST FOR FEATURES

htc’s eye experience software enables you to create split-capture images (combining an image from the main camera with your selfie reaction).

the galaxy s6 features a 5Mp front camera and a 16Mp rear one, as well as a responsive 0.7 seconds launch time.

100% view

100% view

the high-res sensor performs brilliantly in bright conditions, but not so well for darker shots, with constant over-processing to reduce noise.

the colour reproduction on the s6 is phenomenal, even at this really close distance, and low-light performance is far better than expected.

battery life claiMed battery life: 402 hours (standby) beavis battery life: 19 hours

battery life

battery life on the one m9 is definitely the best of the three phones featured, but only the best by an hour or so, and even then it doesn’t make it through the day.

an end to the war? we’re issuing a simple plea right now: stop the megapixel wars, guys! There’s no point jamming in ever-more-sensitive sensors if you’re not able to use them to take brilliant pictures. HTC’s UltraPixel camera of last year was more impressive than

the 20.7MP one we have in the M9 because at least the UltraPixel cam was stellar in low light. Samsung has shown that 16MP can take brilliant snaps, so let’s just


claiMed battery life: not given beavis battery life: 17 hours

set the bar there and call it done, OK? Then you can get back to developing better battery life for your phones.

the galaxy has the worst battery life of the phones in this test, despite not having the smallest battery. the qhd screen is also a powersucker, and lollipop isn’t especially kind either.

Test 02 winner

SamSung galaXy S6 The Galaxy S6 takes the crown by combining a brilliant screen with the best pictures from any flagship smartphone j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 6 5

State of the art

teSt 03:

apple iphone 6

software

BEST FOR SOFTWARE

it’s not all about looks – how your smartphone works is crucial, too

hen you’re investing in a new smartphone, of course you want it to look awesome and do all sorts of amazing things. But more than that, you want it to work incredibly well on a day-to-day basis, never letting you down and continuously backing you up so that life (in the small universe of your phone) is just a little easier to manage and stay connected to. That’s why you’ll see the big brands spending so much money on creating great software, offering clever abilities and gimmicks to tempt you towards buying into their sultry wares. We’ll begin this final leg of the test with the iPhone 6. Of course, Apple’s iOS platform needs no formal introduction. Save for a mad battering of colour in 2013, it’s remained largely the same for years. Naturally, a host of tweaks have improved things over the course of time, with the Control Center at the bottom making it easy to perform key actions without wasting precious time fiddling

W

HTC’s Sense is the most impressive overlay to be found here around. With iOS 8, the notifications area at the top of the screen is now finally useful. Samsung’s TouchWiz is more refined than in previous years, and the multitude of menus have been mercifully cut down (because who has time to search through all of those?). Icons are now smoother and more maturelooking, although it all still maintains a slightly cartoonish air that doesn’t really belong on a premium phone. Thanks to Samsung’s own octa-core processor, which lies at the very heart of this phone, everything flies effortlessly under the finger. HTC’s Sense is the most impressive overlay to be found in this category, creating a cultured, mature interface that offers genuinely useful features such as Blinkfeed, a handy service that provides easy access to quick news snacking for updates on the move. The Theme Creator, which analyses snaps and makes a perfectly customised overlay, is brilliant too. It helps make you feel like the HTC One M9 really belongs to you. 6 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

reachability (double-tap the home button) makes reaching corners easy

app-ocalypSe now? apple is currently top dog for app quality and variety, but android’s catching up It’s long been known that Apple’s had the best apps. And, if you’re a smartphone owner, it’s usually had them first. But in 2014 things began to change: Google’s Play Store finally

offered more apps than the App Store, and the revenue being chucked out to developers is also getting closer to Apple’s sums because Android phones keep selling by the bucketload.

the notification area is now betterstocked with less columns to confuse

However, that doesn’t mean the apps are better on Android – the boost in growth is from developing nations like India, where free apps are more popular. So if you’re looking for a new smartphone with tip-top apps, Apple still holds the crown for the premium experience – but that gap is getting smaller by the day.


Select


blinkfeed offers snackable chunks of news and even suggests places to eat

sense home will tailor the apps shown depending on where you are

upgrade friendly want a phone that’s more future-proof than the rest? there’s only really one choice Your current smartphone might be amazing, but you’ll have it a while - what about in 2017? Will it still be whizzy fast, or a crumbling dinosaur that hasn’t been updated for years? If you’re

saMsung galaXy s6

worried, simply stick with Apple. The brand works to make its new software as backwards compatible as possible, with the four-year-old iPhone 4S still rocking iOS 8. It’s not a great


fewer menus and stripped back icons make touchwiz a lot simpler to use

experience, but you get most of the new toys. Android is a different story entirely. Each brand has to work on each phone separately to bring the new OS to the phone, which can take months and months. So Android Orange might offer holographic video chat, but your Galaxy S6 certainly isn’t guaranteed to get it.

adaptsound tailors the s6’s audio output to your current headphones

Test 03 winner

apple iphone 6

The iPhone 6 promotes simplicity and brings your awesome apps to the fore, rather than messing around with a million menus j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 6 7

State of the art

The overall winner is…

1st Samsung galaxy S6 price: from £600 url: samsung.com t3 rates: the camera deserves a special mention, as it not only takes brilliant snaps when in auto mode, but gives near full control for the more seasoned snap-fan, meaning you can tweak all manner of settings to get the picture you really want. t3 slates: the only issue revolves around the battery

life, and Samsung needs to improve it soon with software updates to make this a phone that’s entirely without flaws. t3 says: it didn’t ace every test, but the impressive design, sharp screen, oodles of power and amazing camera make the galaxy S6 a winner.

2nd apple iphone 6

3rd htc one m9

price: from £539 web: apple.com/uk

price: £580 web: www.htc.com

t3 rates: the app Store still outflanks whichever betterspecced rivals appear. t3 slates: the screen is too low-res compared to the rest. t3 says: the best iphone ever has sumptuous design, a great camera and a better battery.

t3 rates: brilliant design with amazing craftsmanship. t3 slates: the battery and camera could be better. t3 says: 2014’s one m8 offers nearly the same, but for a much lower price.

five ways to Move between Mobiles 01 stealing froM the iphone If you’re going from iPhone to HTC or Samsung, either Sync Manager (HTC) or Smart Switch (Samsung) will extract all the relevant info from your iCloud back-up. This includes heading out to the Google Play store and finding your most-used apps.

02 taking Messages froM whatsapp Something of a WhatsApp fiend? Good news! It’s easy to move your chats if you’re staying on the same platform. Apple will suck them up as part of the backup, and you can save them 6 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

as a file on Android. Take note: it’s tricky to go cross-OS.

03 teXtual relationship If you’re desperate to keep hold of texts on Android, SMSBackupRestore should be your first port of call, enabling you to save all manner of missives. You can even lock them away in the cloud, ready to spring onto your new handset.

beats saving them to computer, connecting your new phone and transferring them over. Plus, you can finally get rid of any shameful snaps you’ve saved.

05 we’ve Made contact

04 picture perfect

Save your contacts through Google. Set up a Gmail account on iPhone, Windows Phone or Android, and head into the settings on your old phone. Make sure your contacts are saved to Google and they’ll spring into your new phone when you log in.

While there are loads of ways to shift your snaps between phones (Google Drive and Dropbox, for example) nothing

now turn over for Some eXpert galaXy s6 buying advice! M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

State of the art

1

sports headphones

Samsung’s S Health app will get you in the mood for exercise, and the JVC HA-ETR40 ear buds (£40, jvc. co.uk) will enable you to listen to your tunes as you do so. No matter how vigorous the workout, they won’t fall

essential

samsung galaxy s6 add-ons

sold on the phone? now make it even more awesome with these must-have accessories

2

wireless charger

The S6 offers two methods of wireless charging, so make use of it with the QiStone+ Wireless Power Bank (£45, fonesalesman.com). Not only does this double as a battery pack, it can also stand in for a piece of rockery if needs be.

3

brilliant speaker

4

caMera tripod

The upgraded S6 speaker is still nowhere near as powerful as the UE Megaboom (£250, ultimateears.com). Waterproof and with 360-degree sound, this is the ideal way to blast your tunes.

5

virtual worlds

The S6 has a brilliant camera, but you’ll still benefit from a tripod. Bag a Joby GripTight Micro Stand (£25, joby. com) team it with Pro Mode on the camera, and start charging a small fortune for wedding photography.

Samsung reckons your phone is a portal into other realms, so it’s made the Gear VR headset (from £169, samsung.com). It’s expensive, but a small price to pay in order to watch films on the (virtual) moon, right?

now download these five aMazing apps

real racing 3

autodesk piXlr

tidal

netfliX

adidas Micoach

Still one of the best driving games in existence, Real Racing 3 pushes the graphical prowess of the Galaxy S6 to the limit for some truly incredible visuals. Free, Google Play

With this fun photo app, you’ll be able to transform the pictures you’ve taken on the S6’s fantastic camera by creating collages and applying awesome special effects. Free, Google Play

Jay-Z’s lossless-musicstreaming service will provide you with the tunes to make the most of the S6’s audio capabilities, complemented by the built-in Adapt Sound. £20 per month, Google Play

A gorgeous screen requires great content. QHD films are coming soon to Netflix but, for the time being, the current crop upscale rather well on the S6’s display. £7 per month, Google Play

No matter what level of fitness you are, MiCoach has a fitness plan that’s tailored especially for you – whether you want to improve your strength, speed or stamina. Free, Google Play

70 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


Dan ReaD weaRs: Patagonia all Free jacket, Columbia silver Ridge convertible pant, Columbia Conspiracy OutDry shoes, Oakley Frogskins sunglasses

7 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The mission The end of the world has come. To survive, our man must find the best gadgets for the job. Some will keep him connected. Others will cook his food or charge his phone. Some might do all three.

The man Dan Read is a writer with soft hands. His experience of the Great Outdoors usually consists of the bits between pubs. So if a clever gadget can save his life, it can probably save anyone’s.

hOw tO suRvive a

The tech Mercedes-Benz G350 CDI mercedes-benz.co.uk Haibike xDuro FullSeven RC haibike.de/en Osprey Atmos AG 65 ospreypacks.com Garmin Monterra garmin.com/en-gb

Can a bag FuLL OF gaDgets save this Man FROM the enD OF the wORLD? theRe’s OnLy One way tO FinD Out… wORDs

Dan ReaD

PhOtOgRaPhy

jOsePh bRanstOn

Thuraya SatSleeve thuraya.com Heimplanet The Wedge heimplanet.com/en BioLite Camp Stove biolitestove.com PowerTrekk 2.0 myfcpower.com Petzl TIKKA RXP petzl.com/en Luci Outdoor mpowerd.com

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 7 3

armageddon, the apocalypse, doomsday… whatever you want to call it, it’s the end of the world – or at least the end of the world as we know it. when it comes, some people will leave on rockets to Mars. Others will retreat to bunkers stocked with tinned soup and Mars bars. Me? i’m heading to the woods with a hefty rucksack full of butcher’s sausages and, more importantly, a bunch of gadgets – all of which will compensate for my lack of survival skills and (hopefully) save my life. if i’ve chosen correctly, i might make it through the night, my life spared from the clutches of violent zombies. they’re out there… off- road EscapE Don’t panic, this is just a drill, but let’s pretend for a moment that the end is nigh. I must escape the ravaged urban jungle for the safety of the countryside, which means I’ll need some suitable transport. Enter the Mercedes G-Class, a virtually bombproof 4x4 capable of outlasting almost anything else on the road (or off it, come to think of it). With its square-jawed styling, no-nonsense diesel engine and tough differentials, it’ll drive right over roadblocks and shrug off attacks from

this is the end of civilisation as we know it. actually, it’s a forest clearing

the walking dead. Inside, perched on soft leather seats with a DVD on the go, you might not even notice that Judgement Day is occurring right outside your window. When the road turns to rubble, it keeps going, and going, down a track and into the woods. But as the forest thickens, it’s harder to squeeze between the trees, so I’ll have to leave it behind. With zombies on my tail – or was that a pigeon flapping in the branches? – I must move fast, which is why I swap four wheels for two. The Haibike (£2,685), like any decent off-road cycle, has a lightweight frame and full suspension front and rear. But it has a trick up its sleeve: it’s a hybrid, with an electric motor geared to the crank.

So when you pedal, it feels like you’re getting a constant push, and I’m ripping along the muddy trail, feeling slightly out of control as the bike soaks up roots and ruts beneath me. The batteries last up to 80 miles before needing a recharge, at which point I could carry on pedalling unassisted, but my glutes are feeble and I’m gaspingly unfit, so I ditch it and continue on foot.

NavigatiNg to safEt y With a reassuring distance between me and whatever’s left of civilisation, I can plot my final destination – a hideout in deepest somewhere-shire. Inevitably, I’ve brought far too many things, which I’ve stuffed inside my roomy, flouro-green Osprey

the teCh that saveD Me It’s the end of the world as we know it but, because of this kit, I feel fine

1

2

3

4

5

6

MeRCeDes-benz g350 CDi 4x4

OsPRey atMOs ag 65 baCkPaCk

POweRtRekk 2.0 POweR PaCk

biOLite CaMP stOve

LuCi OutDOOR sOLaR LaMP

PetzL tikka RxP heaD tORCh

The Merc held all of my kit, including the Haibike. It might not have the most modern tech (although there’s plenty inside, including a DVD player and a thumping Harman Kardon stereo), but it’s a lesson in reliability. From £81,665 mercedes-benz.co.uk

74 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The webbed support system on this rucksack made a 20kg load feel like half as much. By taking the weight off my back and shifting it down through my hips to my legs, it made lugging all that tech around a possibility. £180 ospreyeurope.com

There are plenty of auxiliary power packs that you charge with mains power at home. But in a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic scenario like mine, you’re far more likely to find water than a three-point plug. Very cool. £90 myfcpower.com

There are more compact stoves out there, but you try finding a ready supply of gas when there’s a zombie army on the loose. Burnable biomass is much easier to come by, especially if you’re stranded in the woods. £120 biolitestove.com

The beauty of this solar lamp is in its simplicity. So long as you remember to expose it to daylight, it’ll see you through the night and provide enough illumination to fill a tent. what’s more, it's only a few grams. £18 mpowerd.com

I charged this directly from the PowerTrekk, thinking it might die after a few minutes. I was wrong. Despite having huge power and an auto-adjusting beam, it can give enough light to read by, or light up a swathe of forest. £75 petzl.com


this iMage 01 the haibike easily fitted inside the Merc 02 Osprey backpack: for the man who has everything

01

03 you’ll need a pump for your heimplanet tent 04 My home for the night. it looks better blown up

02

05 this stuffler 8L bag from xsories keeps gear dry 03

04

05

the g-Class is a virtually bombproof 4x4 capable of outlasting almost anything else on the road

thanks to the Powertrekk battery pack, i can still check my lottery numbers

the thuraya satsleeve turned my galaxy s4 into a satellite phone


the g-Class’s built-in sat nav. sadly, it didn't recognise the word ‘safety’

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 7 5

with an 80mile charge on my high-speed haibike i'll stay one step ahead of the walking dead

a display on the haibike indicates speed, charge and distance travelled

Maybe the future will be bright after all

rucksack. It does a good job of disguising the weight, though the load pinches on the hip straps and my legs feel heavy. I have a handheld Garmin GPS, which has all sorts of geocaching apps and a radio receiver, but right now I just need a steer, so any smartphone could do the job. Still, it shows me exactly where I am, which is more than any paper map could do. Of course, in a post-apocalyptic world, radio towers and signal masts will be toppled and burned. But those cheeky zombies can’t knock satellites out of the sky, can they? So I have a back-up – the Thuraya SatSleeve (£516), a cradle that holds a smartphone, pairs via its own Wi-Fi network and turns your Apple or Samsung into a satphone for calls and data. So if I manage to get to my camp in time, I can probably still order myself a pizza. 76 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

try as i might, i cannot find a sainsbury’s anywhere

the bioLite thermoelectric generator runs off twigs, and even charges my phone while i cook dinner

It’s time to blow up my tent. Not with explosives but with my lungs, for I’ve brought a two-person, inflatable shelter called The Wedge (£321). It has a pneumatic exoskeleton that takes the place of traditional poles, meaning it’s easier to construct or take down in a hurry. OK, so a puncture might be hard to fix when all the hardware stores are shut on doomsday, but if that happens I’ll suck some sap from a tree and patch up the hole. Might distract me from my poor, rumbling stomach.

rustliNg up a trEat My tent up, I set about satiating that hunger. Making a fire from sticks was never my strong point, so it’s just as well I’ve packed a BioLite thermoelectric generator that runs off twigs (and even charges my phone while I cook). Soon, my dinner is spitting


should any zombies find me, at least i’ll be eaten alive in a decent tent

NEVER MISS

SuBSCRIBE TODAy! P58

the wedge has a pneumatic exoskeleton that takes the place of traditional poles and sizzling over its naked flame. The undead have a taste for human flesh, but let’s hope they don’t confuse it for a juicy Cumberland. I’m not having some whacked-out zombie stealing my sausage.

fully chargEd I’ve also brought a PowerTrekk hydrogen fuel cell battery pack. It literally runs on water, and if you can’t find any of that, well, producing electricity is the least of your worries. I use it to charge my Petzl head torch, which beams through the murky, swirling drizzle as the night draws in. So I unzip the tent, crawl inside and inflate my blow-up, solar-powered lantern (it stores energy harvested in daylight), which bathes my world in a soft glow. Essential off-grid tech, right there. Trees squeak in the breeze. A rustled leaf.

How might an apocalypse come? If we don’t wipe ourselves out with a nuclear or chemical war, maybe nature will dispatch a meteor to crash into Earth like some gigantic planetary snooker ball, smashing all life into oblivion. Or maybe there’ll be an outbreak of a deadly virus, creating pastyskinned, spewing zombies whose bites spread lethal pathogens in an instant. Whichever way it happens, best of luck out there!

A cracked twig. Is the enemy at my gate, or is it just a badger? It’s hard to tell from in here. Is it harder to kill a zombie or a badger? Will they sneak up when I’m sleeping? Will my lights die? As I lie on the ground, using my backpack as a pillow, these are the things going through my mind. My satphone is charged, so I could probably contact fellow survivors, but I’m still wide-eyed and paranoid, wishing I had a two-tonne shell of metal around me. If this really were the end of the world, I know which piece of kit I’d keep. I parked it on the edge of the woods this morning, but should never have left it behind. next MOnth Can the latest tech help our man train for and conquer a triathlon?

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 7 7

Announcing the

7 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The gadgeT world's mosT prestigious evenT is back and better than ever – here's your chance To voTe for The Tech you can'T live wiThouT! The T3 Awards is the UK’s biggest and most prestigious gadget and tech awards scheme and this year we celebrate our ninth anniversary. The T3 Awards showcases the very best in consumer technology, advocating outstanding examples of innovation and design, and recognising the hard work,

vision and creativity of the tech industry. Best of all, you're involved! So, make sure you visit www.t3.com/awards today to read through the long list and cast your vote for your favourite tech. Everyone who votes will be entered into a competition to win one of five Acer Chromebooks, so get voting and reward the gear you love!

win!

1 of 5 acer chromebooks!

the cAtegories gadget of the Year

camera of the Year

gaming product of the Year

brand of the Year

phone of the Year

the home technoLogY award

tv of the Year

design innovation

the entertainment award

the sound award

Laptop or tabLet of the Year

wearabLe technoLogY of the Year car of the Year

Vote todAy At

www.t3.com/awards j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 7 9

multi-room

audio

wirelessly spread your music to every area of your home. t3 shows you how to do it, and the best gear to buy

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOBY SESSIONS

Words: Matt Hanson and Rob Carney

80 T3 june 2015


hile portable media players and smartphones have enabled us to listen to our music when we’re out and about, the rapid rise of multi-room audio technology is granting us a similar level of freedom in our own homes.

W

Not so long ago, enjoying your favourite tunes meant being confined to the room your hi-fi equipment was installed in. Now, you can distribute your music to speakers in every room of your house, all of which can be controlled by a single remote source. What’s more, advances in wireless technology mean you can achieve such a set-up without having to drill holes or lay cable. Multi-room audio offers several benefits. Imagine waking up in the morning, putting your favourite album or playlist on the music system in your bedroom, and then walking

You can have different songs playing in different rooms, which is ideal for a house party into your bathroom for a shower, while a speaker continues playing the same tunes. You might then go to the kitchen, where another speaker would be playing the same audio. Alternatively, you could have different tracks playing in individual rooms, which would be ideal for a house party where you want, say, a loud area and a chill-out zone. Sure, you could do the latter with separate hi-fi systems, but the ease of control of multi-room – mainly the fact that you can stream digital music without queuing up CDs and the like – makes it an


attractive proposition. Multi-room audio systems can be operated via a smartphone or tablet, enabling you to control playback from anywhere in the house. And because many of us store our music collection digitally, or use streaming services such as Spotify and Tidal, potentially millions of songs can be available throughout the home at the touch of a button.

Start me up There are a few different ways to create your ideal multi-room

june 2015 T3 81

MulTI-ROOM AudIO

Amazing alternatives

TOP WIRElESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS

All-in-one speakers you can link together for multi-room listening

01

T3 recommends...

YOuR dREAM SET-uP

Here at T3, it’s Sonos all the way for us… Why do we recommend Sonos? It’s simple, really – it’s all down to the ease of set-up, stylish good looks, support for all the major streaming services, and excellent sound quality. Sure, kitting out your entire house with Sonos

gear isn’t going to be cheap, but you know you’ll have a future-proof system that you can expand upon. Also, if you want to hook up your current hi-fi, you can do so by using the excellent Sonos Connect. sonos.com

harman Kardon omni 10 It’s wireless, elegant and offers great sound quality. Additional speakers can be added with ease and an iOS and Android app enables you to set up the speakers as separate zones so you can have different music in different rooms, or synchronise music playback throughout your house with ‘Party Mode’. Get the Omni 20 model if you have particularly large rooms. £160, harmankardon.com

02 01 02 bose soundtouch 20 Incredibly simple to set up. You can change the settings either with the free SoundTouch app, or via touch controls on the speaker. The SoundTouch 20 can stream music from a local source via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or connect to online services such as Pandora. Adding additional SoundTouch speakers is easy and, as you’d expect, sound quality is excellent. £340, bose.co.uk

03

lg music flow h3 The LG Music Flow H3 is a wireless speaker that can connect directly to mobile devices via Bluetooth, or to your Wi-Fi network for multi-room audio. Playback is controlled via your PC, smartphone or tablet, along with the LG Music Flow Player app – and each H3 speaker (or its big brother, the H5) can play different music or the same tunes throughout your home. £149, lg.com/uk 82 T3 june 2015

set-up. By far the easiest is to buy an all-inone system that can be expanded as and when you need to. The likes of Sonos’s PLAY range and Denon’s HEOS are excellent examples, enabling you to start with, say, a couple of speakers and then buy more when your budget allows, adding to your set-up. Both use proprietary wireless tech to connect to one another (meaning you can’t mix and match brands). For example, you may buy a Sonos PLAY:5 (£349) for your main listening system in your lounge, a PLAY:3 (£259) for the bedroom, and a couple of PLAY:1 speakers (£169 each) for dotting around the house. You can also set up PLAY speakers as stereo pairs. Everything is controlled via a smartphone app over your Wi-Fi network, and you can play either different music or the same tunes in different rooms. There’s very little set-up, and you can move the speakers around at will. You don’t need a central hub – the speakers work independently and pair together when you add new ones. All you need to do is configure them – in Sonos’s case, via the Sonos Controller app. If you already have a hi-fi system in one room (probably your lounge) and want to

hook it up so it can stream its content to Sonos speakers in your house, this can be done, albeit with wires. Pick up the Sonos CONNECT (£279), plug in your existing equipment using twin RCA cables (the red and white ones), and you’ll be able to stream audio from that source to any Sonos speaker. If you’re doing this to enable you to listen to your CD collection, another, more convenient, option is to rip all of your tunes to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. This is a hard drive that’s connected to your Wi-Fi network to deliver your tunes to your speakers (either one

There’s very little set-up and you can move the speakers around at will


MulTI-ROOM AudIO

01

02

03

04

05

sonos play:5

sonos play:1

sonos play:3

sonos sub

sonos playbar

The biggest speaker in the Sonos range, meant for your main listening room (we imagine this will be your lounge or living area). The PLAY:5 can be hooked up to your portable audio devices using the 3.5mm input. £349

A compact, attractive speaker that’s perfect for the kitchen or on the shelf in the bathroom. Additionally, the PLAY: 1 can be used with the PLAYBAR for an excellent surround-sound home-theatre set-up. £169

The speaker in the middle. The PLAY:3 is probably the best option for the bedroom or a smaller lounge. It can be placed horizontally or vertically and, like all the Play speakers, set up in stereo pairs. £259

If you’re looking for a bass boost, the Sonos SUB connects wirelessly to your system with a press of a button. You can place it anywhere (even lying flat under the sofa). It works with any single speaker or pair. £599

The PLAYBAR is an excellent way to boost your TV’s sound – plus it’ll enable you to stream from services such as Spotify. It connects to your TV via TOS link, and hooks into the rest of your Sonos set-up easily. £599

05

03

speaker at a time or multiple units). To rip your CDs, you can either use iTunes (before copying them over to your NAS drive), or use a dedicated CD ripper such as the ZoneRipper Mini (£879, www.zoneripper.co.uk). With the latter, you only have to insert the CD and it’ll rip it automatically – it also acts as a NAS, with two 500GB hard drives offering plenty of storage. Setting up a NAS to work with your Sonos system is simple – just go into the Sonos Desktop Controller app (Mac or PC) and point the system at your networked drive. You can also – on the PLAY:5 model – plug in any audio source with a 3.5mm jack (audio player, iPod, smartphone and so on).

04

Buying a complete Sonos system isn’t exactly cheap – if you want to fill your whole house with sound, you’re looking at over £1,000 brand-new; a little less if you’re just after, say, lounge, kitchen and bedroom. But, while this approach offers probably the most versatility, there are cheaper options.

Unwired for sound Technologies such as Apple’s AirPlay and good old-fashioned Bluetooth also offer multiroom capabilities, albeit with compromises. For instance, using iOS you can only stream to a single AirPlay speaker at a time. You may say, “How is that multi-room?” Well, strictly

WHAT ABOuT HIGH-RES AudIO? 24 bit/192kHz, or high-res audio to its friends, is a major consideration nowadays when buying audio equipment. unfortunately, neither Sonos nor denon supports 24/192 files, so if your hard drive is chock-full with 24-bit music,

you’d best look elsewhere. Sony’s SRS-X99 multi-room wireless speaker (£599) is high-res audio compatible, but you’ll struggle to find a cheaper set-up that will deliver your music ‘as the artist intended’.


speaking it’s not, but using your phone you can quickly switch between AirPlay speakers, so you can continue listening to the same tunes as you move around your house. If you opt for iTunes on a desktop or laptop, or even the excellent Porthole app (www.getporthole. com), you’ll be able to pipe your iTunes library, or any audio using the Porthole app, to multiple AirPlay speakers. But, unlike the Sonos or Denon solutions, you won’t be able to play different tracks in different rooms. A Bluetooth-based approach is even more limiting, as you can only stream from your smartphone or tablet to one Bluetooth speaker at a time, but you could dot Bluetooth speakers around your house and simply connect to each one when you’re in that particular room. It’s not a true multi-room set-up, but it is a way of getting tunes into your head without the inconvenience of cables and wires – and at a relatively low cost. If your budget is bigger (read: huge), you can get some truly kick-ass audio equipment around your house. If no wires at all is your preference, you should check out the Naim mu-so. This all-in-one system has killer looks june 2015 T3 8 3

MulTI-ROOM AudIO

The best…

STREAMING BOXES Take your music into the digital age with a network streamer

01

bluesound node If you already own an epic sound system, the idea of having to upgrade your set-up to future-proof it is a bit of a nightmare. Thank heavens, then, for Bluesound and its Node box. This box of tricks adds wireless streaming abilities to your hi-fi, giving you services like Spotify or Tidal, as well as access to files on your network of devices. It even supports hi-res audio. £399, bluesound.com

02 the bose soundtouch 20 is a wireless speaker that can be hooked up to other soundtouch products

and sound to match. At £895 for each speaker, it’s going to get expensive, and you may not have the room for one of these in all of your rooms – they aren’t small. Also, you’ll need to fork out another £3,700 or so for a Naim SuperUniti or similar for true multi-room capability – because you’ll need a central streamer to be able to send different music to different mu-sos at once (you can control the set-up of this in Naim’s smartphone app). That said, you can stream to many mu-so systems at the same time using AirPlay in iTunes.

It’s a kind of Majik If you’re wanting a multi-room set-up with the reliability and quality of wired speakers, the Linn Majik DSM music streamer is worth a look. Simply hook it up to speakers (and sometimes an amp), and you can stream tunes from either your computer, an attached hard drive or your smartphone. Add another streamer in another room – or a compatible box – along with speakers, and you can link them together to create a multi-room system. The Majik DSM is serious equipment for those serious about audio, and a system comprising a few DSM boxes and huge floor-standing speakers is going to run into five figures. It’s a true beard-strokingly audiophile set-up that’s certainly not for the faint-hearted or moth-walleted.

Many systems have Spotify built in – just access it from the companion app OK, let’s move away from the hardware for a moment and look at what you’ll be playing on your multi-room system. Many have Spotify built in for straightforward streaming – just access it from the system’s companion app. And Tidal – the CD-quality (16 bit/44kHz) streaming service owned by Jay-Z and his celeb mates – is now on Sonos PLAY systems, meaning you can get betterquality tunes pumped around your house. Most of these internet services have subscription fees: for example, the ad-less Premium version of Spotify will set you back £10 per month, while Tidal costs £10 per month for lossy sound, and £20 for the high-quality Hi-Fi version. Spotify can also be used on your phone – which you could plug into a PLAY:5’s 3.5mm jack – but, while


cambridge audio cXn Streaming boxes are the ultimate tool for music freedom, and Cambridge Audio’s CXN is a shining example of this multi-faceted ideal. It boasts every ability imaginable, including AirPlay, aptX Bluetooth, and network access to a NAS box or your computer’s drive. It’ll play hi-res audio files, and even upscale lower-res tunes for maximum clarity. £895, cambridgeaudio.com

03

linn maJiK dsm Super-high-end audio fans, rejoice: the Linn Majik DSM makes everything - audio-wise - better. Its built-in DAC augments sound for existing lounge gadgets, and it also upgrades the entire music-listening experience, thanks to streaming support, with access to services like Tidal and network-attached devices. Naturally, at this level, you also get hi-res playback. £2,965, linn.co.uk june 2015 T3 8 5

MulTI-ROOM AudIO

The best…

WAYS TO STREAM

Connect instantly to your gadgets with these top streaming services

01 spotify connect

02

If you have a Premium account, this gives you direct audio streaming from app to speakers, laptop or TV, and you can even take calls or watch videos without interrupting playback. www.spotify.com

an expandable system to rival sonos, the denon heos currently has no support for tidal

google cast

03

In addition to streaming music to supported devices, Cast goes a step further and enables you to stream visual content to your TV, such as video via Netflix, or even your entire Web browser on Chrome. www.google.com/cast

apple airplay Like Google Cast, AirPlay allows lovers of Apple devices like MacBook or iPad to stream video and images - as well as lossless audio - to compatible gadgets via a tap of the AirPlay button. www.apple.com/airplay

this option is free, you can only use it in Shuffle Play mode (ie you can’t just pick a track and play it). There’s also a host of internet radio services built into multi-room systems, and these are usually free (TuneIn Radio being one of the most popular). Put it this way, there’s no shortage of online content when you buy any wireless multi-room system.

Strike up the bandwidth If you’re streaming audio over your Wi-Fi network, your router will need to be up to the task – streaming can put a lot of pressure on your network. Unfortunately, many of the free modem routers you get when you sign up for broadband won’t cut it. Investing in a new router from the likes of Netgear or Belkin that comes with external antennae and the latest wireless technology – 802.11ac – will give you faster network speeds as well as a far larger range. Routers that have QoS (Quality of Service) features are worth considering,

because this enables the router to give priority to music and video when streaming. And if your wireless network won’t reach all your rooms, invest in a Wi-Fi repeater, which will boost your network in weak areas (although each Sonos speaker acts as a repeater). Similarly, a powerline adapter kit will bring Wi-Fi to previous black spots in your house. With good-quality Wi-Fi throughout your house, you can now install the multi-room audio in the rooms you want, tweaking the placement and volume as you see fit. Most wireless speakers have easy set-up procedures via apps that enable you to quickly add them to your network without the inconvenience of having to type in passwords. Setting up a multi-room audio system is that simple. Matt Hanson works for TechRadar and is always on the lookout for new tech that will make his music sound better. Rob Carney is the editor of T3

HOW TO… CONNECT BluETOOTH SPEAKERS TO YOuR PHONE OR TABlET

THEM 01MAKE vISIBlE

To connect Bluetooth speakers to your phone or tablet, you’ll first need to make sure they can see each other. Usually, on the speaker, you hold a Bluetooth button for a few seconds until a light flashes or a sound plays. 86 T3 june 2015

fOR 02 SEARCH dEvICES

In iOS and Android, you need to make sure Bluetooth is turned on, and then in the settings, tap on the name of your speaker to pair it with your smartphone or tablet. You should now be set up to stream music from your device.

03 lIMITATIONS

You can only stream music to one Bluetooth speaker at once – so you can’t just pair a number of speakers with your phone or tablet and expect them all to play what you’re listening to. But you can have them conected and switch between them at will.

04 SWITCH IT

In iOS, you can quickly switch the output source of the music you’re listening to by swiping up to access Control Centre and tapping on the name of the speaker you currently have connected. Then just choose a new one from the list that appears.


Self–driving cars, driverless trains and 3D-printed houses were once the stuff of science fiction, but they're starting to become reality in our cities, transforming the way we live Words: Joe Minihane

8 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

T

oday’s cities are developing at a never-before-seen rate. In 1900, just three per cent of the global population lived in urban centres. By 2008, that number had reached 50 per cent. According to the United Nations, five billion people will live in cities by 2030, representing around 75 per cent of the global population. How cities develop, and how technology helps that happen, is one of the biggest issues facing the planet right now. “My belief is that our culture is moving away from materialism towards experientialism, and the world’s leading cities are where this trend is going to happen first,” says James Wallman, futurist and author of the book Stuffocation. “In the future, one of the ways that cities will compete is by being better, more exciting, experiential playgrounds.” M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Big Read

Future cities pedal power How London's skyline might look if Norman Foster's proposed 'SkyCycle' bikeways come to fruition

Wallman believes that cities offering greater social status through culture will be the ones that develop fastest and ultimately come out on top in the global race. But, he says, it’s not just the cultural experiences that will help them stand out from the rest of the pack. As we start to derive social status from health – so–called amortality, a concept explored by author Catherine Mayer in her book of the same name, and driven by the inexorable rise of wearable and fitness tech – our cities are going to have to adapt accordingly.

bike revoluTion That means a greater emphasis on cycling and walking, says Wallman. Paris is already leading the charge here. In April this year, it revealed plans to spend €150million on cycling M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

infrastructure in order to become the leading biking city in the world by 2020. Cycle routes will be doubled in length to 870 miles, with the aim of trebling journeys by bike from five to 15 per cent. Not only will that improve the health of Parisians, it should go some way to combatting the French capital’s growing problem with pollution. Fewer cars means less CO2, which means cleaner air for everyone. London is not far behind. Foster and Partners’ new 250 City Road apartment development in EC1 has just shy of 1,500 bike-parking spots – one and a half per apartment. There’s even a bike-repair workshop. Norman Foster’s designs for futuristic ‘SkyCycle’ bikeways running above the capital’s train lines caused a stir when they were revealed last year. Meanwhile, work is currently under way on new north-toj u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 8 9

Big Read

Future cities 01

01 Norman Foster's 250 City Road development is bike-friendly, offering almost 1,500 parking spaces for cycles 02 With no steering wheel, Google's self-driving cars take humans out of the equation completely 03 Driverless Tube trains will be in service in London by the mid 2020s 04 Mercedes' four-seater F 015 is a vision of driverless luxury 02

04

seoul the Future city that’s already here Says Colin Marshall, Notebook On Cities And Culture podcaster, “If you look at the West in general’s ideal of a future city, I’d say that Seoul captures it through the sheer speed of its development. In just 40 or 50 years after the Korean War, the city went from nothing to

9 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

“If we can bring in technology that is always paying attention, that can see what is going on around it, that never gets distracted, this is a huge opportunity to save lives and make the world a better place,” says Chris Urmson, the lead on Google’s self–driving project, speaking in a video detailing the Big G’s approach to its vehicle.

ForbiDDen CArS The potential to change how we drive in cities – and the impact on air quality, seeing as these cars are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels – is huge. “I think that once there are a few on the road, it will accelerate quickly,” says Dr Ian Pearson, of future-technology, marketing and strategy consultant Futurizon. “We’ll see the beginnings of replacing public transport with self-driving cars.” This, says Pearson, could be especially true in newly built towns and cities, many of which are likely to appear in the UK as the demand for housing continues to soar. “You could put inductive loops in new road surfaces so that you can automatically power a vehicle, and you could charge consumers by having RFID [radio-frequency identification] chips or location sensors in the bottom of the cars.”

everything. This goes especially for its infrastructure: first, look at the amenities of the subway — its extensiveness, its frequency, its climate control, its mobile and internet connectivity, the robust economy operating in its stations, the fact that it has toilets — then look at how quickly they’ve built it. “South Korea, unlike the US and England, never lost its focus on creating a future city. In fact, one could argue that the country has

almost concentrated too much of its money, energy and population on rebuilding Seoul. But it still serves as an example of what Western cities could be if their redevelopment continues apace. “Seoul’s built environment exhibits so much change. If you consider constant change to be one of the necessary conditions of cityhood — and I do — then Seoul achieves it many times over with its very nature.” www.colinmarshall.org


I M AG E S : R E X F E AT U R E S

south and east-to-west cycle superhighways, segregated from traffic to provide a safer experience for cyclists. It all plays into a greener vision of the future city. “Cities will be much cleaner places to live in the next few decades,” says Wallman. Cycling is obviously set to play a big role in this – but then, so is the ultimate symbol of futuristic transport, the self–driving car. More than any other product, the self–driving car is the apotheosis of future-city tech. Every auto maker wants a part of the action. The Mercedes F 015 is perhaps the ultimate expression of what we can expect from a luxury automated car. Ford’s driver-assist cars are also pointing a way towards a safer driving experience. But it is undoubtedly Google’s self– driving cars that have most captured the public’s imagination. Automation is the name of the game when it comes to self– driving cars. According to Google, around 1.2 million people are killed on the roads each year. More than 90 per cent of those deaths are down to human error. That is the key reason why Google’s strange-looking prototype cars do not have steering wheels and are powered by computers rather than people. Unlike driver-assist technology, the objective here is to take human control out of the equation completely.

Big Read

Future cities 03

right here, right now the Futuristic tech that’s already driving our cities selF–driving cars

3D PrINTErS

Google’s driverless motors are already on the streets of San Francisco. Autoparts maker Delphi’s model recently drove from the city to New York. While there was a human in the car in case of emergency, 99 per cent of the trip was completed in automated mode.

Chinese construction firm WinSun last year announced that it had 3D-printed ten houses in just 24 hours. In January of this year, it constructed a five-storey apartment block in the city of Suzhou. The reduction in waste and labour costs is set to herald a building revolution, and could, in theory, reduce house prices.

driverless trains Transport for London last year showcased its new Tube trains, which will be able to run without a driver. The carriages are set to come into service by the mid 2020s.

cityMapper The mapping app for iOS and Android works out when you’ve changed cities, serves up live bus times, hooks into taxi services and suggests more efficient routes.

It all means that owning a car in a future city will not only be unnecessary, but also forbidden. “In cities, you will not be allowed to drive a car,” says James Wallman. “Driverless cars will lead the way; there’ll be far fewer accidents and far less pollution.” With such vehicles being on the road at all times, it would open up new space for development. “You wouldn’t have to search for parking; you’d just leave it and it would go off and help someone else to get where they’re going,” says Urmson. “Imagine cities where parking garages aren’t there, where that land has been turned into homes or turned into parks.”

MoDulAr HoMeS How we build these homes – the materials we use and the energy we consume – is another area that’s set to undergo major change over the next ten to 20 years. Space is already at a premium. But with consumer goods shrinking, cultural materials such as books and music now digitally accessible, and the potential for new transport systems to open up areas for development, the space we need to live will shrink exponentially, says Wallman. “Our homes will be much clearer visually; you won’t need as much stuff,” he says. Architecturally speaking, we are already moving towards smarter ways to build our homes, utilising more space in order to accommodate more people. So–called modular homes, where bathrooms and kitchens are built off-site and plugged into a mainframe, are becoming increasingly popular. But it is 3D printing that is one of the most exciting areas in house-building right now. In 2014, Chinese 3D-printing construction firm WinSun revealed that it had printed ten houses in just 24 hours. In January of this year, it showed off a five-storey apartment block in the eastern city of Suzhou. It made the parts in its factory before assembling them on-site, giving a vision of how buildings could be constructed in future

apple watch The direction tools on Apple’s new smartwatch, with haptic feedback for left and right turns, could help to bring an end to us staring dumbly down at our smartphones and crossing roads without looking. Smarter implementation of mapping tech, breaking away from screens, is likely to play an important role in future cities.

cities. According to WinSun, it could mean building times come down by up to 70 per cent, with a 60 per cent drop in waste. It’s not just smart, it’s environmentally friendly too. “If you can print locally, it solves problems,” says Pearson. “Today, 3D printing is expensive. It has a long way to go before it changes the world, but it does have a lot of potential. There are a lot of real benefits.” Pearson says that developments in carbon and graphene are also likely to change the way we build offices and houses in future cities. “Carbon is one of the very big coming technologies,” he says. “In 15 to 20 years, we’ll be using a lot of carbon instead of steel. At the moment, graphene is strong but very expensive. However, the costs of that are plummeting and it may well become a major building material.” The direct result is that, instead of using thick concrete and steel, thinner, sturdier, carbon–based materials could be used, utilising space more efficiently. But, says Pearson, there’s one other key factor in future buildings – augmented reality. He and Wallman both believe that Google Glass, alongside other products, will play a major role in how we see and interact with buildings. “When you look at buildings, you won’t see that building, you’ll see an AR overlay,” says Pearson. “That means you can make a dirt-cheap building and still make it look elaborate.” It also means there’s potential to make the same building or product look different to different people. You can almost hear brands salivating at the prospect of serving up tailored content via smart specs, without having to splash out on old– style billboard advertising. Ultimately, the city of tomorrow is being created as we speak. It’s not the stuff of science-fiction, but grounded in the relentless development of modern technologies, ones that we’re seeing and reading about every day. The future is a lot closer than you think.

You will not be allowed to drive a car in cities. Driverless cars will lead the way


j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 9 1

issuE 243/ JunE 15

ExpErT rEviEws and rEcOmmEndaTiOns TO HElp yOu buy wiTH cOnfidEncE

rEviEwEd in dEpTH THis mOnTH... 094 samsung Js9000 tv 098 hybrid laptops 100 fitness trackers 102 Our gadgets 106 your gadgets 108 games 113 apps 114 entertainment

55-inCH sAmsung 4k TV full review inside p94

How we test… Our missiOn is tO bring yOu the clearest recOmmendatiOns we can – and that means a great deal Of hard wOrk happens befOre a prOduct even reaches Our pages! EdiTEd by nick Odantzis

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

And that should mean an end to you having to undertake hours of painstaking research and product comparisons. You won’t see any duff products featured in our tests, but you will come away with clarity on which one is the best in its category or for a specific task – our awards badges below ensure that everything T3 recommends is clearly highlighted on the page. It goes without saying that every product inT3 Select has been thoroughly tested by our team of experts, enabling you to buy with total confidence.

The scores explained forget it

below average Good for the price

very good all round an exceptional, best-in-class product

Our five awards

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

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

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


For kit that demonstrates exceptional industrial design and refinement, in addition to being great

Awarded to products that are energy-efficient or help to protect the natural environment

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 9 3

Review

Curved classic WE PUT SaMSUNg’S CUrvEd 55-iNCH 4K BEaUTY THrOUgH iTS PaCES, aNd MarvEL aT THE LUXUriOUS COLOUr, SOUNd aNd dESigN traight out of the box, the 55-inch JS9000 is highly impressive. It’s light enough for a single human to lift without help, and stylish enough to reassure you that the three grand you just dropped was money well spent. You’ll be pleased to hear that setting it up doesn’t take long. First you screw the stand together, then you attach the TV, and that’s it. There are only two connections on the TV itself: one is for power and the other is a weird proprietary thing that connects to a circuitry device called the One Connect Box. Having an external box is necessary because the TV is thin and curved, and adding sockets would spoil that somewhat. We’ve seen these external boxes before, so this one comes as no great surprise, but you will need to find a home for it. The cable isn’t very long,

S

9 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

so you can’t position it far away from the TV either. There are four HDMI sockets, a trio of USBs – including a USB 3.0 port – and dedicated inputs for cable, satellite and aerial feeds. We tested the TV with a satellite feed, and this is where Samsung sets itself apart from LG. The JS9000 does a much better job of tuning in the Freesat channels, and places them in roughly the right order. It did make some mistakes along the way, but LG’s WebOS platform makes a right mess of the whole thing.

The quanTum leap Not only is the JS9000 Ultra HDready, it includes tech that Samsung calls ‘SUHD’. This uses nanoparticles, sometimes called quantum dots, to produce an image characterised by deep, rich colour and dark blacks. These nanoparticles glow with a specific colour, and that colour is

aBOvE it’s all about the tech, but it also looks stunning

defined by the size of the dots. The process? Samsung takes a sheet covered with these dots and places it between the blue LED backlight of the TV and the LCD panel. This creates a pure white backlight that gives you much more brightness and purity than white LEDs are capable of. It’s an exciting advance in LCD TV technology because it brings them closer to replicating what makes OLEDs so amazing – those massively bright colours that seem to explode from the screen, coupled with luxurious inky blacks. Samsung says that the curve also helps with contrast. That may be true, but it seemed pretty subtle to us. The curved screen neither adds nor subtracts much from the whole experience of this TV, although it does make it look incredibly snazzy. The lack of great UHD content to watch is a pain, but Samsung claims

SPECiFiCaTiONS PriCE £3,099 UrL www.samsung.com/uk rESOLUTiON 3840 x 2160 SCrEEN LCD with quantum dots SizE 55-inch (also comes in 48-inch and 65-inch) SMarT Tv PLaTFOrM Tizen CONNECTiviTY wi-Fi, four USB, four HDMi TUNErS Aerial, satellite, cable M or e gr ea t co n te n t a t th e a l l-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Select SAMSUNg JS9000

a MUST FOr FiLM FaNS

SUHD technology is one of the most exciting advances in LCD TVs ever

The JS9000 is more than just a 4K Tv; it also supports high dynamic range for vivid detail in movies

NiCK OdaNTziS

dOTTY aBOUT QUaNTUM dOTS A layer of impossiblesounding dots glow red and green to produce amazing colour and deep blacks

rEar OF THE YEar Just two cables connect this Tv to power and the supplied One Connect Box, so its pristine rear surface is unencumbered by clutter

M or e gr ea t co n te n t a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

LaST HUrraH FOr LCd? OLeD is supposed to be the next big Tv tech, so it’s possible that quantum pixels are LCD’s last advance before retirement

PHONiNg iT iN The JS9000 uses Samsung’s Tizen phone operating system for smart Tv apps. Netflix and catch-up Tv services such as iPlayer are included

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 9 5

Upscaling makes ‘normal’ 1080p look amazing

it’s a regular LCd panel, but rivals more expensive OLEd screen technology

The JS900 is packed with future-proof technology

The WebOS interface is a bit sluggish You’ll probably never use some of the controls featured on the back of the Tv

that the TV can do a good job of upscaling both standard and high-def video to UHD. Our testing showed some interesting results in this area. With standard definition, the picture looked the usual soft mess we’re used to on HD screens. It seemed about the same as a 1080p screen, though, so the UHD panel isn’t making things worse. Samsung says it does a lot of signal detection to maximise the picture quality of upscaled material, but no amount of processing can fix a low-quality input. Most disappointing, perhaps, were channels such as BBC HD on Freesat. The problem here is that, once again, broadcast TV signals are nowhere near as good as they should be. For example, there was a lot of noise in the picture from compression. We don’t really think TV broadcast in

SUHd means better colour, as well as higher resolution – great for watching action movies

HD should have visible artifacts like this. The Samsung can correct for much of this, but that has a knock-on effect on the picture sharpness. Give the TV a decent source, such as Blu-ray or Sky HD’s sports channels, though, and you’ll get some amazing results. What we like about LCDs is the sharpness – especially in 4K. Using Samsung’s quantum dots, the TV also gives black levels a much-needed boost, as well as taking colour to whole new levels. It’s worth pointing out that extra colour is no good if it’s applied in an unrealistic fashion. Fortunately, Samsung has managed to strike a good balance. a minimal remote with thumb control is included

InTenSely vIvId This TV is best suited to being given great material to start with. We don’t have a problem with that, because at

this price it’s very much aimed at enthusiasts who care greatly about picture quality. While the quantum nanoparticles ensure that the TV can produce an intensely vivid picture, that’s only part of the story. The other part is the signal it receives. For quite some time, broadcasters have been recording HD on cameras that capture a lot more colour than our TVs could show. Thanks to the quantum nanoparticles, though, we can now display this extra colour information and boost the overall picture quality. We also need to talk about HDR, which Netflix and Amazon have both announced that they’ll be supporting. It will also be part of the official UHD broadcast specification, and the new Ultra HD Blu-ray format. HDR allows for detail to appear in bright areas as well as dark ones. This is important

The alternatives PaNaSONiC TX-55Cr730 The TX-55CR73O is somewhat cheaper than the Samsung JS9000 and, powered by rival smart TV platform Firefox OS, offers many of the same features. On the downside, there’s no HDR or quantum pixels. £1,999, panasonic.com/uk 9 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Lg 55Eg960v LG has upgraded last year’s stunning 1080p TV with this 4K model. It has black levels that will blow everything else away, as well as a great smart-TV system. It’s not cheap, though, and the technology is still new and somewhat untested. £3,799, lg.com/uk

SaMSUNg UE65JS9500T At a whopping £6,000, this TV needs to be good – and it certainly is. It swaps edge LED lighting for direct, which means much better control over light and contrast. Plus, it’s ten inches bigger than our review TV. £6,000, samsung.com

M or e gr ea t co n te n t a t th e a l l-ne w w w w.t3.co m

Select SAMSUNg JS9000

High-def video is where the Samsung JS9000 really shines NiCK OdaNTziS

CUrvE BaLL Though some may debate that a curved screen doesn’t actually make a Tv more immersive, Samsung claims that it improves the contrast ability

in producing images that have a lot more on screen at any one time than was thought possible before. Samsung’s new TVs run on its Tizen operating system. Tizen was developed mainly for phones as an alternative to Google’s Android. Using it here is similar to LG’s use of WebOS, which was also a phone OS and used on palm devices. It’s actually a pretty good system. Even so, there are times when it feels a bit sluggish. There are a lot of button presses needed to get to certain settings, and sometimes the TV can feel a tad slow. There are lots of apps, though, and that’s a real selling point. As with a phone, apps are the cornerstone of this TV. Catch-up TV services including All 4 and BBC iPlayer sit happily alongside Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. There are also games, Skype (transforming your TV into a 55-inch phone), and you can Tweet and use Facebook, too. Samsung has hit a home run with its apps, so much so that its ecosystem almost sells the TV on its own.

mInd-blowIng qualITy To be fair, this TV is amazing right now. What isn’t so brilliant is the real lack of 4K video content to play on it. There are a few places you can get Ultra HD video – think Netflix, Amazon and even YouTube – but these are all highly

compressed online sources, and, with the best will in the world, streaming is a poor relation to downloads and disc-based video. The good news is that the new UHD Blu-ray format will arrive towards the end of this year. This will give you pristine quality from an upgraded Blu-ray disc with 100GB of storage space. You’ll get all of the extra features this TV supports, like HDR video and wider colour reproduction. All of this together will represent the most significant change to TV in a long time. It might even be more significant than the introduction of HD. As it stands now, the JS9000 is capable of mind-blowing quality. Watching the opening sequence of House Of Cards on Netflix is one clear example of just how breathtaking Ultra HD can really be. Even better for those with a satellite dish, tune in the Astra UHD test channel and be prepared to see why Ultra HD is such a big deal. If you watch a lot of standard-def Freeview channels, the JS9000 will be wasted on you. Even some HD material from Freesat lacks the punch you’d want. We should say that this isn’t Samsung’s fault – it’s simply that some broadcasters are on a quest to reduce their transmission quality in order to save space and money. High-def video is where the Samsung JS9000 really shines. Feed it

M or e gr ea t co n te n t a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

The Mad Max Trilogy is available to buy on Blu-ray right now – Mad Max: Fury road, the remake of the original, will be in cinemas from 15 May

don’t panic: a “normal” remote control is supplied, too

a 1080p Blu-ray and watch as the UHD panel extracts every last fragment of detail and hurls it towards your eyes. When given Ultra HD material, the TV becomes even more impressive. Look at Netflix or Amazon streaming video and you’ll be amazed by what’s possible. When the Ultra HD Blu-ray format arrives, we’ll see this TV explode with so much detail, you’ll think you’re looking out of a window. We looked at both of these services and Amazon’s 4K looked a touch crisper, but it’s hard to judge as the same titles aren’t on both services. The promise of high-dynamicrange video is also amazing; the big problem here is that there’s even less of this than there is UHD footage. Ultimately, its potential is perhaps greater than the increased resolution.

T3 raTES Clear sound, amazing design, capable of lush pictures T3 SLaTES The settings have to be tweaked to get the best picture, and standard def looks horrible T3 SaYS when Ultra HD shows and movies are more common, this Tv will knock your socks off. even now, it’s an amazing Tv for HD

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 97

smackdown

hybrid laptops

asus transformer microsoft book t300 chi Vs surface pro 3 asus shakes up the hybrid market with its super-thin, two-in-one machine

it’s no newbie, but this tablet-cumlaptop is still the one to beat

From £799, asus.com

From £579, microsoFt.com

design

design

The Transformer is made of aluminium, anodised with a sparkling finish and chamfered edges. It looks and feels like a traditional laptop. When folded, it’s super-thin, and it’s also light – though it fattens up when you attach the keyboard.

Wrapped in a silver-coloured magnesium shell, it feels premium. It’s thin and light, while upper vents dissipate heat. The Windows home button is on the left side of the glass bezel, so it appears on the bottom of the slate when held upright.

Features

Features

The hi-res version comes with an impressive 2,560 x 1,440-pixel display, which will bring your movies and games to life. You only get a paltry 128GB of SSD storage, though, and its slim profile equates to micro-sized ports.

Its 12-inch, 2160 x 1440-pixel screen is sharp and displays more content due to its 3:2 aspect ratio. There are five USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet and more. It also has an accurate pen for on-screen writing and drawing.

perFormance

perFormance

Thanks to Intel’s impressive Core M processor, this hybrid will handle most tasks, whether editing images or streaming 4K video. Eight hours of battery life is claimed, though T3’s rigorous testing found the true figure to be half that.

The Core i5 version offers Ultrabook power – ideal for movie streaming and light gaming. It gets a bit hot and rowdy when pushed to its limits, though. It’s claimed that battery life is nine hours, but T3 found it capable of just under four, in mixed use.

usability

usability

It comes with a real keyboard that’s connectable via Bluetooth. This enables you to use the screen in a variety of circumstances where you wouldn’t be able to if the keyboard was attached. There’s no stand, though, which is inconvenient. rates The Transformer feels destined for entertainment, thanks to its sublime, wide display. It also feels at home doing work tasks sLates Low storage and disappointing battery life

9 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

The optional £120 Type Cover keyboard is pricey but offers a lovely feedback, and a wider glass trackpad that clicks. A double hinge and strong magnet mean it’s stable to type on, and the kickstand can be adjusted for any situation.

2nd

1st

rates Doubles as a tablet, thanks to the brilliant Type Cover keyboard. Has an excellent screen and a variety of powerful processors sLates Battery life could be improved


02

suPer six

on

e

fo

r

fa

sh io ni as st

fitness trackers Count steps, burn more Calories at work and sleep better, with fitness traCkers that make getting healthy fun Words: Damian Hall itness tech isn’t just for people who go running. Less-sweaty folk can greatly improve their health, and have a hoot doing it, with a fitness tracker. They range from soupedup pedometers (step counters) to smartwatches that rival GPS sports watches for features and performance. Trackers log every step taken, every calorie burnt, your sleep patterns and much more, while accompanying apps sync via Bluetooth and motivate you – setting daily goals and reminding you to go to bed before midnight. Their feelgood statistics are surprisingly addictive, and you’ll find yourself doing more tea runs to rack up your step count. Colleagues will think you’re brill. You get fitter. It’s win-win.

F

03

on

e

fo

r

mo ne

ve sa yrs

01 on e

fo

r

01 one for tech heads

te

Ch

he

ad

s

02 one for fashionistas

03 one for Money-savers

Microsoft band

Withings activité PoP JaWbone uP Move £119.95, withings.com/uk

£39.99, jawbone.com

The ‘M Band’ is what you might call a ‘Marmite’ gadget. Aesthetically and ergonomically, it won’t suit all, but it has some top tech. The cross-platform band boasts ten sensors that track all the usual data, plus UV and stress levels, while a customisable colour touchscreen displays phone notifications. As well as heart-rate monitoring and GPS, there are 125 workouts. An accompanying app creates a map of your run, with different colours showing speeds, while Windows Phone 8.1 users also get to befriend voice assistant Cortana.

The water-resistant Withings Activité Pop is the activity tracker for those who don’t want their hipster mates to know they use one. Consciously chic, it comes in three colours and is disguised as a straight watch that’s stylish enough for the boardroom, while a dial subtly tracks your activity, vibrating when you reach your goal. The accompanying Health Mate app awards ‘badges’ for your ‘awesome day’ and sends notifications encouraging you to go to bed. The Activité Pop is compatible with other fitness apps and the battery lasts for eight months.

Jawbone Up Move is far more than a pedometer. There are three modes: Awake, Stopwatch and Sleep – though you have to manually switch between them – and it even tells the time. The accompanying app is full of friendly health advice and encouraging titbits, recommending you walk during phone calls and, quaintly, squeeze lemon into your water to improve digestion. The Jawbone Up Move shows daily steps and sleep patterns, sets individual goals via Smart Coach, and links with other apps such as Strava. Even better, the battery lasts six months.

£169.99, microsoft.com/microsoft-band/en-gb

1 0 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


fo

r

iCk y sl

Select

ers

fitness trackers

se 06 on e fo r p b C h a

05

on

e

fo

rs

r s port s nu ts

04 one for city slickers

05 one for sPorts nuts

06 one for Pb chasers

fitbit charge hr

basis Peak

garMin vivoactive

The water-resistant Fitbit Charge HR looks like a bracelet from The Matrix – it’s a tracker you definitely want to put on your wrist. A press of a discreet button gives reams of info, including distance travelled, stairs climbed and continuous heart rate – a big attraction at this price point. It also displays call and text notifications forwarded from your phone, so you needn’t interrupt your run. The accompanying app is big on congratulatory messages, which never hurts, and the battery lasts an impressive four to five days per charge.

This is a smart sports watch with some top tech. In addition to continuous heart-rate information and smartphone notifications, an intuitive touchscreen can be flicked for data including live step counting and calorie burning – both current activity and daily total. The Peak’s sleep data is the best around, stating whether you’ve been in deep, light or REM sleep. But its USP is the Habits reward scheme on the accompanying app, which invites you to choose certain ‘habits’ that will improve your health; you can also make these easier or harder.

With Garmin’s pedigree, you’d expect big things and the clever Vivoactive smartwatch certainly doesn’t disappoint. A GPS (which lasts for up to ten hours) means that pace and distance are accurately recorded, but you’re also given lap times, elevation, cadence and stride length. Comments can even be added to your workouts in the app. There are modes for swimming, cycling and golf, a weather forecaster, a music player and even an app that helps you find your phone. You’ll need a chest strap to fire up the heart-rate monitor.

£119.99, fitbit.com/uk

£169.99, mybasis.com


£199.99, garmin.com/en-gb

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 0 1

illustration luke o’neill

04

e on

Ci t

THE T3 TEam TakE ON LONG-TErm TESTS OF THE LaTEST GEar… on test premium Design this month The B&O Play H8s ooze the gaDgets We’re living anD breathing rob carney, b&o play h8 If you’re going to invest £400 in a pair of headphones, you want something that’s going to do a decent job for you. The H8s look amazing – will they have a performance to match?

quality, with a premium leather headband and soft lambskin earpads. The gold earcups finish the headphones beautifully

nick oDantZis, bmW c evolution Electric auto tech feels ‘in’ right now and, as a keen motorcyclist, I’m intrigued to see if BMW’s new charged-up bike will be better than the petrol options.

claire Davies, fujifilm x-a2 With its cool, retro looks and reasonable price, the X-A2 seems like a great choice for budding photographers wishing to dip their toes – but we shall see…

marc chacksfielD, nexus player The Nexus Player is one of the latest smart TV gadgets out there. I’m looking forward to seeing if it makes a significant difference to my viewing experience.

Duncan bell, the oracle coffee machine Fed up of spending a small fortune on a cup of below-average coffee each morning, I can’t wait to see if this will turn out to be a more attractive proposition.

your gaDgets

Every issue, we also hear about how you’ve been getting on with your tech. This month, a Kindle Paperwhite, a smart juicer and a Panasonic TV.

1 0 2 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

month 1 of 2

B&0 Play H8 rob carney b&o’s Wireless noise-cancelling cans look ace anD Deliver Where it matters most SPECiFiCaTiONS price £399 url beoplay.com Dimensions 180x190x40mm Weight 255g speakers Dynamic 40mm connections 3.5mm mini jack, Bluetooth aptX available colours argilla Bright and Grey Hazel

ve always been a Bang & Olufsen fan – it probably stems from my granddad’s huge wooden CRT (which lasted years, I might add). And even though B&O Play is the Danish company’s attempt to get to a younger audience, I couldn’t resist the H8s. The premise is simple: B&O premium styling with the convenience of Bluetooth aptX connectivity. Like many luxury products (these are £399), unboxing them was a joy.

I

Presented with glorious gold and beige leather when I lifted the lid, it was one of those wow moments, rather like the first time I unboxed the original iPhone or the iPad. Under the foam surroundings holding the headphones, there was a lovely soft pouch, a Micro USB lead for charging and a disappointingly lowquality 3.5mm lead for listening when the power is completely drained (I also noticed it had no in-line mic on it, which seemed odd). My overall first impression was a set of cans that I couldn’t wait to listen to – and would no doubt cherish over time.

The build quality is fantastic

Great sound combines with supreme comfort

FIRsT LIsTen Charging was a simple affair. You just plug in the Micro USB and wait until the small light turns green. There’s also a very simple switch on the right cup

You can accidentally call people!

m or e g r ea t co n te n t a t th e a l l-n e w w w w.t3.co m

Select

LONG-TErm TESTS the bmW c evo is not a moped. repeat, it is not a moped

the touch controls on the h8s are sensitive and easy to use

b&o h8: guaranteed to make you stare into the middle distance

“performing a circular motion on the right cup With your finger turns the volume up or DoWn” that enables you to turn the headphones on and off, along with pairing with your device. Pairing with my iPhone 6 Plus was easy, and I was up and running within minutes. The sound on the H8s is absolutely superb – no doubt about it. They’re a little bassier than the wired H6s, but lows are clear and the treble refined. I know I need to wear them in a bit, and that’s where next month’s review comes in. One other standout feature: the touch controls on the right cup. A circle motion with your finger turns the volume up or

down, a swipe across advances tracks, and an up or down movement activates or deactivates noise cancelling. I tried answering a call as well, by tapping the outside of the cup – that worked fine. One feature that’s not documented anywhere is the fact that by double-tapping the controls, you automatically call the last number you dialled. I’ve accidentally called my wife on a number of occasions. That said, so far the H8s are my go-to cans. They’re light and comfy, and they sound great. I hope my love for them lasts…

Lovely design and great sound make the B&O Play H8s a great set of cans – even if they are very expensive. rob carney, eDitor

you pair the headphones using the small switch on the right earcup

next month wiLL THE B&O H8s CONTiNuE TO BE mY HEaDPHONES OF CHOiCE? m or e gr ea t co n te n t a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

month 1 of 3

BMW C Evolution Electric Scooter nick oDantZis bmW brings its renoWneD electric tech to a fantastic-looking scooter SPECiFiCaTiONS price £13,500 Weight 265kG (fully fuelled) poWer 48BHP charging time around four hours stanDarD features aBS

irst things first – and let me be absolutely clear about this – this is not a moped. While the name ‘scooter’ (the category that BMW puts its futuristic-looking C evolution in) might conjure up images of yobby kids on ear-splitting, oil-burning machines, this couldn’t be further from the truth with this two-wheeler. While admittedly, it can be ridden on an A1 licence, the BMW C Evo is aimed at those who want the convenience of a scooter with the power of a bigger bike. When I started up the machine for the first time, it was an unusual event – you see, there’s no engine ‘start’ as such. And unlike a conventional combustion engine, the Evo is virtually silent – there’s something quite odd about it. The bike’s trump card is that it’s all so easy. There are no gears to fiddle with, and I’ll never have to visit a fuel stop again. Though most motorists sharing the road with me were blissfully unaware of anything beyond their steering wheel, a surprising number of people seemed to acknowledge the C Evo – probably helped by its TIE fighter-esque whoosh. It’s only been a short while, but I already feel like I’m leading some sort of motoring revolution. Next month, I’ll be having a go at a longer journey than my usual 24-mile round commute, so we’ll see how the battery stacks up.

F

The C Evo is a musthave auto gadget, and I’m hoping it lives up to my expectations as a biker, too. nick oDantZis, revieWs eDitor j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 0 3

Our GaDGETS

the x-a2 goes for a retro look – but that means no viewfinder

the rotating lcD makes selfie sticks a thing of the past

month 1 of 3

Fujifilm X-A2 claire Davies fujifilm’s beginner-frienDly mirrorless camera Does vintage in the best Way SPECiFiCaTiONS price £380 url fujifilm.eu/uk sensor 16.5 million pixels, 23.6x15.6mm aPS-C CmOS lens mount FujiFilm X lcD Display Tilting, 3.0-inch, 920k-dot iso range 200 to 25600 battery life for still images approx 410 frames

ummer’s here and I’m stoked to have landed a camera that’s lightweight enough to not feel like I’m carrying a medicine ball, but with a high enough spec to shoot quality stills and video on my outdoor adventures. In recent years, I’ve developed into an iPhone snapper junkie, so I wanted a meatier camera that was still simple and intuitive to use. Aside from supposed ease of use, a cool retro look and features like Wi-Fi and advanced colour reproduction, it’s the rotating LCD monitor and selfie mode that have got

s

1 0 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

me excited – no more of those awful selfie sticks! There are three finish options available for the X-A2 – the other two are white and brown, but I’ve opted for the classic black faux leather, which reminds me of the old Canon Canonet 28 my mum used to take embarrassing pics of my brothers and I on when we were nippers. The textured faux leather contrasts rather nicely with the sleek silver body, lens and controls, and I feel fancy walking around holding it... But it’s not so posh-looking that I’m prime bait for a mugging. In the box is the camera body, a lens (XC 16-50mm), a lens hood, a Li-on battery, a charger and a PDF manual on disc (this can also be viewed on Fujifilm’s website). There’s also a strap, which is quite fiddly to attach but pretty secure once threaded in place. There’s no bag supplied, so I’ll definitely need to hunt one down soon because the camera picks up dust easily and I can

“the camera’s textureD faux leather contrasts rather nicely With the sleek silver boDy” imagine it’ll scratch without much persuasion.

BORDeRLIne VIOLenT With the lens attached, the camera is still relatively lightweight (around 350g) but noticeably heavier and larger than a standard compact camera. There’s a built-in, manual pop-up flash, with a fast action that’s borderline violent. Fujifilm calls this Super Intelligent Flash, due to its ability to automatically calculate the correct amount of flash needed for what I’m shooting. Sounds impressive,

and I’m keen to try it out in some low-light situations. If I want more light, next door to the built-in flash is a hot shoe for adding my own TTL flash. It’s described as a ‘camera you will grow into’, and my initial start-up of the X-A2 reveals a labyrinth of menus, plus setting and mode options, so I need to have a look at those soon. That said, I was soon underway papping my cat in Portrait mode – my Facebook feed is now full of soft-focus kitty pics. My task for now is to delve further into the preset modes to see what’s what.

A great-looking retro camera with a plethora of features. I’m looking forward to mastering its controls. claire Davies, assistant eDitor

next month i’LL BE TESTiNG THE X-a2 THOrOuGHLY iN HiGH aND LOw LiGHT. m or e g r ea t co n te n t a t th e a l l-n e w w w w.t3.co m

Select

LONG-TErm TESTS out of its box. The circular black slab design is sleek and unique, and there was minimal fuss in installation. Just two wires stood in the way of me and my media – a power cable and a not-supplied HDMI lead. Once these were attached, the player slowly came to life – the minute start-up time did grate, as did typing in my Google address and Wi-Fi password on the accompanying remote.

month 1 of 2

Nexus Player marc chacksfielD can the big g make a meDia player that i actually Want to use? SPECiFiCaTiONS price £79 url google.com/ nexus/player Dimensions 120x120x20mm storage 8GB emmC Weight 235g os android TV processor 1.8GHz quad-core, intel atom Processor accessories remote, Gamepad [sold separately]

he nexus Player’s presence in shops means it already has one up on its predecessor, the nexus Q – but with the world awash with media players, does it offer up a reason to exist? The answer is both yes and no. I did take an instant shine to the Nexus Player when I took it

T

at £1,495 it isn’t cheap, but it does have an amazing steam wand

month 1 of 2

The Oracle Duncan bell in a Quest for perfect coffee, it seems appropriate to consult the oracle SPECiFiCaTiONS price £1,495 url sageoracle. co.uk Dimensions 45.3x37.3x 40.9cm features Grind size dial; one-touch long black; automatic milk frother; automatic tamper; over pressure valve

riting about tech is a bit like sex. You develop more exotic tastes as you get older, and endless fumbles with phones and laptops become dull. To be honest, I can’t think of any mid-life tech dalliance better than coffee machines.

W

m or e gr ea t co n te n t a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

trailer, and it mocked me with videos on Qatar and Texas. I finally gave in and muttered, “Bond, James Bond” – that’s when the trailer appeared. Flipping over to music was great. I’ve already uploaded my music to Google Play, so it was ace to be awarded with my collection on the big screen. Unfortunately, Google Play Games wiped all of this goodwill, but I’ll wait until next month to tell that sorry tale.

BOnD AMBITIOn Once my details were in, I could actually enjoy Android TV. It’s a great user interface – tiles for Google Play Music, Movies and Games are easily accessible, and are portals to your content. Well, they are if you’ve taken the time to add all of your tunes to Google Play Music and bought movies through Google. When I tried browsing YouTube using the voice-search function on the remote, the device failed miserably. It turns out Google doesn’t understand me saying ‘Spectre’. I was all ready to watch the James Bond

I’ve tried cafetieres, pod machines, classic espresso machines, cheap-shit espresso machines, pour-over filters and even those ridiculous Japanese things that look like they’re for making crystal meth. As a coffee lover but not a singlefarm, pour-over, artisan purist, I must say this is the best coffee machine I’ve tried. It’s a joy to use and it makes great drinks. Of course, it should be good: it has a portentous name, a massive price and it comes in a huge box. If you’re not a journalist, a man in a white coat will come and set it up for you. But after all that, you simply feed coffee beans into the Oracle’s hopper and, without fail, something delicious will come out the other end. Most other bean-to-cups are aimed at undiscerning idiots with money to burn, who require only convenience and don’t mind coffee that tastes like mud, topped with ‘frothy’ milk that’s dribbled out of a plastic tube. This £1,495

The Nexus Player is pretty much a dormant device if you haven’t sold your soul to Google. marc chacksfielD, content team leaD

monster, however, is for discerning idiots with money to burn, who require convenience and great coffee. The only downside to the Oracle I can identify after a month is the sheer expense. Not just of the machine, but in terms of the coffee I’ve been endlessly splashing out on since acquiring this damn thing. Next month, I’ll be looking at the machine’s features in detail.

If you have the means, this is the bean-to-cup coffee machine you need to get. Even at £1,495. Duncan bell, lifestyle anD technology eDitor j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 0 5

Get involved the technology that’s changed your life… for better or worse

we’d love to know about any tech you’ve bought. tell us about it at [email protected] – and please include a pic of yourself

JR Ultra 8000 Whole Slow reviewed by aNN SolaS from liverPool £300, juicyretreats.com

Kindle Paperwhite

Panasonic Viera TX-L37E5B

reviewed by Charlie Shaw from Cardiff

reviewed by marC kidray from birmiNGham

£109, a m azon.co.uk

Why I bought it I’m a keen reader of horror and fantasy novels, and my bag used to be stuffed with such tomes. After developing a back injury while playing rugby in 2011, carrying around books was no longer an option, so I bought a Kindle. After a few glorious years together, it was nicked from me a few months back, so I went out and bought a Kindle Paperwhite.

What I like about it

£700, panasonic.com/uk

Why I bought it There’s been plenty of talk recently about how cold-pressed juices are really good for you. I did some research and read that masticating juicers are meant to be the best for extracting nutrients from whatever you put in. I was fortunate enough to receive a windfall earlier this year, so I splashed out on the best masticating juicer I could find.

Why I bought it My wife and I had always enjoyed watching 3D films at the cinema - in particular Avatar, which was an incredible experience at the time. But after my wife gave birth to our son, going for nights out was proving hard. I felt that buying a 3D TV might somehow capture some of that cinematic experience.

What I like about it I’m a bit of a sucker for gimmicks, and when the assistant in the Panasonic shop showed me the feature where you could ‘flick’ photos and videos from your smartphone to the TV (using the Panasonic app), I was sold! The colours are beautifully rich when watching anything in Blu-ray, while the smart-TV interface is simple to navigate.

It’s lightweight and packs more features than my original Kindle. The home page is easy to navigate, with six book titles displayed per page. I love the highlight function – it’s a good way to pick out cool quotes – and the built-in front light means I can read without strain. The Paperwhite lasts for weeks on a single charge and, thanks to the whiter screen and darker text, reads like an actual book.

What I like about it

What I don’t like about it


It can be a bit glitchy when I search on its internet browser, leading to ghost images appearing on my screen. I’d also love to see my book covers in colour not black and white.

It was fairly expensive. Also, if I’m being picky, the spout could be a bit wider and the central bowl can be a pain to scrub, depending on what fruits/veggies I’ve just juiced.

My wife insisted that I didn’t buy anything bigger than 37 inches, and I feel that the 3D isn’t immersive enough at that size. The TV seems remarkably quiet – you need to turn it up to full volume to enjoy movies – and the picture in standard definition is disappointing.

The Paperwhite is a light e-reader with enough storage for me and a handy built-in browser

It’s a powerful juicer and quiet too. It extracts a high yield of nutrients with very little faff!

The colours are nice, but it’s too small to offer truly immersive 3D and is frustratingly quiet

Charlie Shaw, Cardiff

aNN SolaS, liverPool

marC kidray, birmiNGham

1 0 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Fruits and veggies don’t stand a chance. The pulp comes out dry, so I know the juicer is squeezing every last drop of goodness from them. Assembly is faff-free, and it’s quite quick to clean. It’s fast when juicing – I’ve made everything from frozen-fruit sorbets to smoothies – and also fairly quiet, which is good for when my husband is still asleep.


GAMES

ga me of the mon th!

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China a Must-play for creed fans, this stealth gaMe is packing action, adventure and a cool revenge plot £7.99, XBOX ONE, PS4, PC hat have you become, Ezio? While this could be a question validly posed to the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise, it can actually be answered when it comes to 2.5D side-scroller China. The game ties into the Assassin’s Creed: Embers animated short film – but whereas in that, Ezio mentored concubine-turned-assassin Shao Jun, in this he’s relegated to the role of trainer. No need to get your blades in a twist, though, because this slice of stabbing through the Far East is far more enjoyable than you would initially think. A completely new adventure, the game takes place in 16th-century China (something reflected by the artwork, which we’ll come to later). Squashing the Creed concept into a two-dimensional stealth-athon complete with awareness cones,

W

1 0 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Ubisoft collaborator Climax Studios has deftly handled its source material. Free-running? Check. Sync points? You bet. Eagle Vision? On it. Blending? Eventually. It turns out that flattening the franchise actually forces you to play far more to the strengths of the Brotherhood than ever before.

BeloW set in 16thcentury china, the settings at each level look majestic

infuriatingly underpowered – even if she can dodge bullets. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China is eye-stabbingly beautiful. Flags are wavering brushstrokes, tiny painted birds flutter past and the background alone will have you constantly reaching for the Share button. Jun’s revenge quest of moving Ubi concept art is also coated in O Positive. The endless red stuff literally leads the way as you follow the endless smears of painterly gore up walls and across skylines. Yet, while later levels are cleverly designed with environmental puzzles and a real sense of depth as the camera swivels around buildings – zooming as you hurtle in and out of the screen as needed – early levels are oddly flat and slightly confusing.

briNg oN ThE rED STuFF Stealth is key in this game. Not only are you rewarded for staying hidden, but enemy combat is a frustrating death-fest until you learn some new tricks. Shao Jun rolls slickly between hiding spots, makes the most of a limited amount of firecrackers to stun on-duty guards, and clings magnificently to the ceiling with her rope dart. Jun handles impressively as you clamber out of enemy sight, but be silly enough to get yourself caught and she’s somewhat M ore grea t content a t the a ll-ne w w w w.t3.co m

PL aY t h I S!

Best neW gaMes Get your fill of gods, beasties and baseball

Broken age: the coMplete adventure

aBove exciting gameplay and gorgeous art make this game stand out

A beautiful-looking game about a girl and a boy leading parallel lives, who must break free from family constraints and duties in order to fulfil their own destinies. £18.99, PS4

far left Walls pose no obstacle when you’re out for bloody revenge left explore ever-riskier environments the deeper in you go

There’s stealthy fun to be had if you’re willing to be patient in the shadows Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China unfortunately stumbles to the halfway point before we get a chance to properly find our feet.

a FrESh ExpEriENcE The stumble at this point is largely thanks to the constant barrage of new tricks needed to explore ever-riskier environments. Floors begin creaking underfoot, caged birds pipe up and start tweeting when disturbed – ‘@shaojun, you’re #busted’ – and some guards are armed with lamps to see directly into the shadows. All of it stings rather badly… until you learn to smugly slide-kill and train for the enjoyably precise combat that becomes more and

if you love playing stealth games, you’ll find plenty to please you here


more satisfying than that of the main Assassin’s Creed games. Some of the most interesting moves, such as the teleporting Helix Dash, are only revealed in the last hour of a four or five-hour run, making the New Game Plus mode a far better offering than the original playthrough. Still, there’s an awful lot of love for the series, and satisfyingly stealthy fun to be had if you’re willing to be patient in the shadows. Assassin’s Creed has become a massive franchise, steeped in lore and weaving, complex plot threads. If Chronicles: China is an attempt at creating a fresh experience in the AC arsenal, it’s succeeded.

t3 rates No mere spin-off, this is a great addition to the series t3 slates The constant barrage of new tricks and ever-riskier environments to explore is tiring t3 says After a shaky start, it’s an enjoyably stealthy affair, but only Creed aficionados will care deeply for the story

titan souls This much-loved action adventure is going down a storm. Titan Souls is about gods, monsters and one solitary hero on the quest for truth and the source of all things. £10.99, PC, Mac, PS4

oddWorld: neW ‘n’ tasty In this stunning remake of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, now with enhanced audio and gameplay, you can explore ancient ruins, fight carnivorous beasties and foil evil plans. What more could you possibly want? £14.99, Xbox One

MlB 15: the shoW Featuring updated player rosters and new running and sliding animations to enhance your gaming experience, The Show is a must-play for newcomers and baseball pros. £47.95, PS4 j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 0 9

GAMES

left a dragon! We finally come face to face with one of the most intimidating creatures in got, while the whole world in this episode seems more true to Westeros

Game Of Thrones Episode 3: The Shadow In The Darkness the forresters’ struggle to survive gets intense £VARIES, PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, APP STORE icking up the story of house Forrester, a clan of Stark bannermen fighting to protect themselves from encroaching enemies after the fall of Winterfell, things have started to get very interesting in this version of the dramatic Game Of Thrones world. In every series of the TV show adaptation, there’s the inevitable build-up. You know, that gradual inching of characters into position so that they’re poised for action. Telltale’s game adaptation largely follows this same structure, with a slow beginning, but now we’ve reached the halfway point it feels like the pawns are finally in place for the big events to unfurl. For starters, there’s a dragon in Episode 3: The Shadow In The Darkness. It’s an exciting moment that the heel-dragging false start of Episode 1: Iron From Ice wouldn’t have led you to expect. Also, it’s exhilarating to finally face one of GoT’s scariest creatures... excluding Cersei Lannister, of course. More than its predecessors, The Shadow In The Darkness feels more grounded in the Westeros of the TV show. Here you’re on the peripheries

p

1 1 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

of Margaery and Joffrey’s ill-fated wedding. There’s also something delicious about the anticipation of knowing what’s about to happen, even if you won’t see it on screen.

marchiNg iNTo baTTlE Unlike in past Telltale outings, your decisions don’t feel like they carry heavy weight. In The Walking Dead (another Telltale title), for example, characters lived and died as a result of your choices – ones you felt a genuine investment in. In The Shadow In The Darkness, the march towards a full-on scuffle for Ironrath feels inevitable, whether you play warmonger or diplomat. It’s true that in all Telltale games the general

as usual, the oil-painting aesthetic might divide opinion

War is finally heating up in this latest episode of got

plot is mapped out ahead of you, but here it feels particularly transparent. Still, the plot does feel like it’s coming to life. We’re engaged with Rodrik and co holding the fort at Ironrath, Asher swashbuckling in Essos, Mira in the snakes’ nest of King’s Landing, and Gared freezing his unmentionables off at the Wall. The Shadow In The Darkness does an impressive job of integrating the best parts of the previous episodes, showing how vulnerable the main characters are while still giving players inspiring moments of power to push on and complete their story. This game version of GoT isn’t as compelling as the books or the TV show, but Episode 3: The Shadow In The Darkness does enough to keep players intrigued about what may happen in future episodes.

t3 rates The dragon! The plot in this episode also feels more dynamic than in previous episodes t3 slates The oil-painting syle is a bit jarring at first, and the beginning is a slow build t3 says GoT fans who have the patience to play the long game will love this latest chapter


future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1uA Editorial +44(0)1225 442244 subscriptions & customEr sErvicEs +44(0)844 848 28524

42,934

print 25,143 digital 17,791

Jan–Dec 2014 A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

T3 is… Editor rob carnEy [email protected] nEws and rEviEws Editor nick odantzis [email protected] production Editor paul dimEry [email protected] assistant Editor clairE daviEs [email protected] sEnior art Editor matthEw kEndall [email protected] art Editor lukE o’nEill [email protected] Editorial contributors Gareth Beavis, Duncan Bell, Marc Chacksfield, Damian Hall, Matt Hanson, Joe Minihane, Ian Morris, Angela Nicholson, Dan Read, Henry Winchester, Miss LED, Rami Niemi, Ciara Phelan, Romain Trystram, Joseph Branston, Olly Curtis, Neil Godwin, Will Ireland, Jobi Sessions, Brian Hook, Gary Stuckey, Simon Windsor, Ami Penfold, Dean Hau, Chloe Watson (cover model), Will Glass from Models One (Apple Watch feature model) without whom… Katherine Bebbington-Taylor, Helen Clarke, Tom Dennis, Stephen Kelly, Lucy Kennedy, Joan McGarian, Sophie Spicer, Marcus Teague advErtising AGENCy GROuP HEAD Jonny hill [email protected] ADvERTISING DIRECTOR richard hEmmings [email protected] PRINT AGENCy ACCOuNT DIRECTOR mariE longstaff [email protected] CLIENT ACCOuNT DIRECTOR kEvin stoddart [email protected] circulation HEAD Of CONSuMER PLANNING & RETAIL OPERATIONS zack sullivan production and distribution PRODuCTION CO-ORDINATOR nola cokEly PRODuCTION MANAGER mark constancE licEnsing INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR rEgina Erak [email protected] managEmEnt CONTENT & MARKETING DIRECTOR nial fErguson HEAD Of CONTENT & MARKETING, TECHNOLOGy nick mErritt GROuP EDITOR-IN-CHIEf paul nEwman GROuP ART DIRECTOR stEvE gotobEd SENIOR ART EDITOR simon middlEwEEk MARKETING MANAGER richard stEphEns subscriptions & back issuEs uK order line and enquiries: 0844 848 2852 Overseas order line and enquiries: +44 (0)1604 251045 Online enquiries: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email: [email protected] Printed in the uK by William Gibbons on behalf of future. Distributed in the uK by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT. Tel: 020 7429 4000 future is an award-winning international media group and leading digital business. We reach more than 49 million international consumers a month, and create world-class content and advertising for passionate consumers online, on tablet and smartphone, and in print. future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: fuTR). www.futureplc.com

Chief Executive Zillah Byng-Maddick Non-Executive Chairman Peter Allen Chief Financial Officer Richard Haley Tel +44 (0)20 7042 4000 (London) Tel +44 (0)1225 442244 (Bath)

Coming next issue

The besT gadgeTs for issue 244 on sale ThUrsdaY 11 jUne

e v e r y t h i n g Whether you’re at work, rest or play – discover the tech innovations that will transform your entire life

YoUr free magazine

All contents copyright © 2015 future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher.

If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither future nor its employees, agents or sub-contractors shall be liable for loss or damage. We are committed to using only magazine paper that is derived from well-managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the fSC (forest Stewardship Council).

explores the ConneCted home also sTarring… the new macBook in-ear headphones Vr headsets 4K curved tVs J u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 1 1

* All contents subject to chAnge

future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1uA. All information contained in this publication is for information only, and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. you are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them.

APPS S e v e n h o t a PP S f o r …

holidays & travel Whether you’re after cheap flights or need a hand with your packing, these apps have you covered

01

skyscanner cheap flights

Search flights from hundreds of airlines to bag unbeatable deals. Hotel deals and car hire are also featured. Free, App Store & Google Play

02

Weatherpro seven-day reports

Offering forecasts, including wind speed, humidity and cloud coverage, for over two million locations. £2.49/£1.99, App Store & Google Play

03

packpoint packing list

Creates a custom packing list based on where you’re holidaying, how long you’re going for and what you’ll be doing. Free, App Store & Google Play

04

onavo extend MoBile data saver

By compressing the data you download, this app helps you avoid roaming charges while travelling abroad. Free, App Store & Google Play

05

entrain jetlag Buster

Plug in your sleep-habits data and the time zone you’re heading to, and Entrain adjusts your sleep schedule to help reduce jetlag. Free, App Store

06

foodspotting good food guide

Hitting a new destination but unsure of the food? Search by dish with this visual guide to know what’s good, where. Free, App Store & Google Play

07

photosynth panoraMic photos

Relying on your iPhone to capture some epic scenery? PhotoSynth creates stunning panoramic shots with ease. Free, App Store

a PP of the mon th!

Kitchen Stories a fully featured cooking app – it’s all you’ll need for the kitchen Free, App Store & Google Play Kitchen Stories is a one-stop shop for everything related to the kitchen. The popular app contains a variety of recipes, all of which give you illustrated step-bystep instructions. For those brought up on a diet of Ready-Steady-Cook, many of the recipes come with video tutorials, showing you exactly how to serve up a dish. The great thing about each recipe is that, instead of manually

aBove pick up loads of new culinary skills with this cooking-based app

Backup MeMory saMsung’s neW app sends notifications to help those With MeMory loss Watching a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s is heartbreaking, and day-to-day life can be a struggle not only for the patient but also for those around them. Now, Samsung has launched an app that can help jog the memories of sufferers. Called Backup Memory, the app uses Bluetooth to detect when a patient’s family member is near. Family members running the same app can be detected by the patient’s smartphone. A notification pops up on screen to tell the sufferer

writing down the ingredients each time, you simply tap on the ‘Add to shopping list’ button and everything is flowed into your Shopping tab, so all you need to do is take your tablet or smartphone to the supermarket and tick off items as you go. Kitchen Stories also gives you recommendations on how you should stock your kitchen, so that when you come to preparing meals, you’ve got all the basics to hand, such as pasta, spices, flour and other culinary essentials. When you want to get more creative, the How To… section of the app shows you how to do simple things like cutting up a cauliflower, and advanced tricks like how to make homemade aioli. And if you’re feeling like stepping into the shoes of Jamie or Nigella, you can even create your own recipes within the app, as well as browse those made by others.

who that person is, as well as displaying a showreel of photos depicting key events in their relationship. A non-medical form of therapy that exposes the patient to his or her past, the app was developed by Samsung Electronics Tunisia (SETN) with the help of the Tunisian Alzheimer’s Association. Azer Jaafoura, who worked on developing the app, says, “While Alzheimer’s may be incurable, recent studies have shown that mental stimulation in the form of regular reminders of past events could potentially slow down the progression of the disease.” The team are working to upgrade the app with an improved user interface. They also hope to add a feature that uses the GPS in a smartphone to track patients that get lost when outside. Backup Memory, available in English and French, is out now. Free, Google Play j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 1 3

ENTERTAINMENT L I S t e n t o t h I S!

Best neW Music From mod-tinged rock to poppy electronica and riotous indie, it’s a big month for music fans

01

paul Weller: saturns pattern

m ov I e o f t h e m on t h!

The Theory Of Everything the stephen haWking story: Beautifully told, though arguaBly light on science £10 DVD, £13 BLU-RAY, CERT 12 adapted from a memoir written by Stephen hawking’s first wife Jane, The Theory Of Everything weaves masterfully through the touchpaper years of the world’s most celebrated physicist. A story as much about love as a lesson in staying true to one’s self, the film begins with bow-tied science grad Stephen (Eddie Redmayne) meeting opinionated

aBove eddie redmayne nails stephen hawking’s sense of adventure

literature student Jane (Felicity Jones) at Cambridge. Stephen is all about his research into relativity and black holes. Jane is all about obscure medieval poetry. Pretty soon, they’re all about each other. We follow Hawking as he attacks his research with equal parts inspiration and frustration, working out the complex mathematical equations that will one day make him famous. We also see him get married, start a family, get divorced and find love again, all while motor neurone disease claims his body. Redmayne is precise in his portrayal of Hawking, depicting the agony that comes with such a brutal disease while somehow hanging on to Hawking’s sense of humour. A skilful story about a man with an extraordinary mind, this isn’t a tech film per se, but the majesty of Hawking’s brilliant scientific brain will wow you just the same.

a LBU m of the mon th!

Blur ThE MAGIC WhIP Blur’s first full-length studio album since 2003 has been titillating die-hard Blur-ites and jaded music journos alike. There are no obvious hits on here, but it’s a mature offering from a bunch of exBritpop kings now mostly approaching their fifties. With the music recorded at Avon Studios in Hong Kong in 2013, and the lyrics added later by Damon Albarn, the album may have been pieced 1 1 4 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

together from different sessions but you can’t tell. Weighty themes of love and friendship share bunk room with commentary on mass consumerism. Opener Lonesome Street features a sprightly riff from Graham Coxon, coupled with Strawberry Fields Forever-style flirtations courtesy of Albarn’s love of world music. Terracotta Heart is sublime and a little fragile, Albarn’s warmer tones adding a melancholy that’s impossible to pull away from. Ghost Ship is as close to reggae as things get, while Ice Cream Man infuses the album with a neat scoop of electronica. All in all, The Magic Whip is the sound of the band putting their differences behind them. And if albums like this are the result, we’re highly excited to hear more from Blur 3.0.

The Modfather reckons his new album is one of the best things he’s ever done, and with hulking slabs of Stooges-esque rock mixed with meaty riffs Royal Blood would die for, there’s little room to argue. We’ve given it a spin and can confirm that the former Jam man is sounding better than ever.

02

Brandon floWers: the desired effect The first solo outing in five years for The Killers’ frontman, The Desired Effect sees him collaborating with producer du jour Ariel Rechtshaid (Haim). Expect keys, power rock and a fistful of rousing anthems. There’s no Mr Brightside, but this is nevertheless a cool soundtrack to the summer.

03

faith no More: sol invictus

Hailed by some as the US metallers’ second coming, Sol Invictus is a real legacy record, at once raw and punishing. Tracks like Separation Anxiety and Superhero are so massive-sounding, you’ll piss yourself with excitement. Blast it out while you’re pumping iron or doing insane HIT circuits.

04

the vaccines: english graffiti

Platinum-selling rockers The Vaccines have been busy nailing their flag to the indie mast for years. Now they’re back with their biggest and hottest album yet, English Graffiti. Cue groove-laden, hypnotic and (at times) frenetic songs about love, sex, summer and, most curiously, the Second World War.

WIN aN aRcaM Solo BaR Grasp the chance to upgrade your home entertainment system by winning one of two awesome arcam soundbars

Today's televisions are a high-tech world away from the boxes previous generations enjoyed, but while the sound quality of the built-in speakers might be acceptable to some, it certainly won't satisfy anyone who shares T3's expectations of what a proper home entertainment system should look and sound like. Sound bars make this problem go away, and arcam's Solo Bar – worth £800 – is definitely one of the best – in

fact, T3 gave it a full five stars last issue and awarded it 'Best for Music' (Soundbars Rated, T3 242). You can connect the Solo Bar to a set-top box or games console, and also stream music to it from a phone or tablet. There's a fully integrated HDMI switcher, with four inputs all boasting 4K passthrough, and aptX Bluetooth. perhaps most critically of all, it sounds incredible! Read more about the Solo Bar at www.arcam.co.uk

To enter, simply answer the following fiendishly difficult question: Which other 'Solo' piloted a SpaceShip poWered by cutting-edge tech in the Star WarS franchiSe? a NapoleoN Solo b HaN Solo c Hope Solo enter today at www.t3.com/competitions

1 1 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

prizeS Worth £1600

Competition closes 18 june 2015. By taking part, you agree to be bound by the competition rules: www.futureplc. com/competition-rules. entries must be received by midnight on 18 june 2015 (uK time). Open to uK residents aged 18 and over. There will be two winners entitled to one Arcam Solo Bar each. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative.


p123 p120

issue 243 / june 15

p125

Only the best Of the best – lOvingly curated by Our team Of tech experts if you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve definitely come to the right place.

edited by nick odantzis

T3 Elite is the best gadget-buying guide you’ll ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly filtered all the categories that count, to bring you rock-solid recommendations. We’ve selected a Super Six of elite gear for each of the categories

inside p126 Stay up to date with the latest gadget news and reviews online at www.t3.com

118 120 120 121 121 123 123

the elite smartphones tablets tvs tv streamers laptops cameras

listed below. If something’s not included, we don’t rate it – it’s that simple. Each Super Six is ranked in order, and the number-one product makes it into The Elite (p118), which is our pick of the 12 best products you can buy today. To make your next purchase as straightforward as possible, we’ve also included useful buying advice, and highlighted the hottest gear you can get for £100 and under.

124 124 125 125 126 126 127

home audio headphones smartwatches fitness trackers connected home automotive £100 hotlist j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 1 7

the elite

01

03

02

04

Introducing The Elite…

Welcome to t3’s outfitting service, home of the 12 best gadgets in the World today hether you’re a seasoned tech aficionado or this is the first gadget magazine you’ve purchased, The Elite is the best place to start your gadget-selection journey. Here we present the best gadgets available right now in 12 key categories, to save you the hard work of doing all the research yourself – in short, if you’re starting from scratch and

W

want the very best there is, The Elite is your new shopping list. The Elite will only be updated when something new emerges that is capable of toppling an existing product from its perch – there may therefore be months when the 12 products featured here don’t change. But this is an exclusive club, and only tech that is capable of achieving a towering standard of excellence gets in.

b E s t s m a rt ph on E

01

samsung galaxy s6 edge

www.samsung.com PRICE FROM £760 TEsTEd N/A The S5 was an also-ran last year, but the improved S6 is now the best phone money can buy – and the Edge is its cooler cousin. T3 sAys A stylish glass-and-metal design, a stunning screen and a great camera.

b E s t h om E aU D I o

02

yamaha ysP-2500

uk.yamaha.com PRICE £800 TEsTEd T3 242 As good as it gets for upgrading your TV’s audio, Yamaha’s soundbar will give your movies the oomph and clarity they deserve without terrorising your lounge style. T3 sAys Futuristic sound-reflecting tech offers amazing cinema sound.

b E s t ta b l E t

03

iPad air 2

www.apple.com/uk PRICE FROM £399 TEsTEd T3 237 As with any Apple product, you pay a premium, but for your extra pennies you get the best tablet money can buy – you definitely won’t be disappointed. T3 sAys sleek, solid and a spectacular display – the Air 2 is a pleasure to use.

b E s t h E a D ph on E s

04

oPPo Pm-1

www.oppodigital.co.uk PRICE £999 TEsTEd T3 239 A huge wedge of cash is needed, but Oppo’s headphones are well worth the premium entry fee in order to acquire musical nirvana for your ears. Simply sumptuous. T3 sAys The build, immense sound quality and comfort justify the price tag.

To read more detailed reviews of these gadgets and lots more amazing tech, visit our website at www.t3.com

1 1 8 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5

Elite

Today’s besT gadgeTs

09 10 11 12

07 05

08

06 bEst tV

05

samsung ue55Js9000

www.samsung.com PRICE £3,099 TEsTEd T3 243 Samsung’s new-for-2015 model has a super-smart interface, incredible visuals and superb design. It’s proper future-proof. T3 sAys This 55-inch is amazing in Ultra Hd, but also brilliant for regular Hd.

b E s t s m a rt wat C h

06

Pebble steel

www.getpebble.com PRICE £180 TEsTEd T3 240 As sweet-looking as smartwatches get, with the connected features to back those looks up – and what’s more, it’ll cost you half the price of an Apple Watch. T3 sAys Low on techy extras, but bags of charm and great ease of use.

bEst tV strEamEr

07

roKu 3

www.roku.com PRICE £99 TEsTEd T3 240 It seems that nobody can hold a candle to the original streaming box – the third incarnation is powerful, feature-packed and has loads of available content. T3 sAys The Roku 3 is the best choice for freedom of entertainment.

b E s t F I t n E s s t r aC k E r

08

basis PeaK

www.mybasis.com PRICE £169.99 TEsTEd T3 243 Sporty but smart, the Basis Peak is the perfect fitness tracker without making you look like you’ve just stepped out of the gym. It has great functionality, too. T3 sAys straddles the line between watch and fitness tracker beautifully.

bEst laptop

09

dell xPs 13

www.dell.com PRICE £1,060 TEsTEd N/A The best laptop around, and there’s not an Apple logo in sight – PC giant Dell proves that it can do more than churn out desktop computers with this feature-packed laptop. T3 sAys Fantastic performance and build. It will serve you well for years to come.

b E s t C on n E C t E D h om E

10

nest learning thermostat

www.nest.com PRICE £180 TEsTEd T3 242 A smarter way to handle your knobs, Nest is an essential upgrade for any home, making your heating easier to manage than ever. T3 sAys Nest is a great first step in creating a smarter home.

bEst CamEr a

11

sony a77 ii

www.sony.co.uk PRICE £749 TEsTEd N/A An SLR is the ideal camera for those who want to get more from their photos, and Sony’s A77 II is a great way to get on the ‘promateur’ bandwagon. T3 sAys Ideal for shooting a range of subjects in a variety of conditions.

b E s t aU t om o t I V E

12

tesla model s

www.teslamotors.com PRICE £54,880 TEsTEd T3 240 Soon, every home will have an electric car in the drive, but if you’re bandwagon-jumping right now and want a touch of opulence with your ride, the Model S is a must. T3 sAys Attractive and speedy, the Model s is the best electric car you can buy.

To read more detailed reviews of these gadgets and lots more amazing tech, visit our website at www.t3.com

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 1 9

SMARTPHONES / TABLETS

How to:

buy a new smartpHone planning to get a new Handset? Here’s wHat you need to consider…

t h e s u pe r s i x

Smartphones

Tablets

01

samsung galaxy s6 edge

01

ipad air 2

02

apple ipHone 6

02

samsung tab s 8.4

03

Htc one m9

03

tesco Hudl 2

04

lg g flex 2

04

google nexus 9

05

google nexus 6

05

sony xperia z3 tablet compact

06

sony xperia z3 compact

06

amazon kindle fire Hdx 8.9

How big is too big? There’s no clear-cut answer here, so you’re best off going into a shop and trying phones in your hand. For most people, the preferred size tends to be between 4.7-5.1 inches, but if you’ve got bigger palms (and pockets), 5.5 inches is achievable. Got smaller mitts? Then look at 4-4.5 inches.

Which operating system is the best? There are three key players here: Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Phone. iOS offers iTunes integration, of course, making it easy to transfer your music. Android will offer you the greatest range of handsets, covering everything from top-ofthe-range flagships all the way down to budget blowers. Windows Phones will give you a different look and feel to the main players, and the interface is very simple for first-time users – although get ready for a dearth of apps.

Do I need to buy a microSD card, too? If you want a smattering of apps, a movie or two and a bumper photo library, 16GB of internal storage will be OK. Any phone with less than that should really pack a microSD slot for peace of mind. If you love HD movies, lust after hundreds of apps or fancy shooting 4K video, a phone with a microSD slot is a must (unless it’s packing over 32GB of internal space).

Is there anything else to bear in mind? Don’t be dazzled by gimmicks; whether it’s a fingerprint scanner, a heart monitor, a 2K screen or an Ultrapixel camera, decide what you really need before choosing a handset. There’s no point paying extra for a phone that checks your pulse if the only time you use it is to show off to mates down the pub.

1 2 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


www.samsung.com PRICE FROM £760 TESTED N/a As well as that gorgeous ‘infinity pool’ build, the Edge packs a brilliant camera and a pin-sharp QHD display. It’s pricey, though. T3 SayS a stylish glass-and-metal design, a stunning screen and a great camera.

www.apple.com/uk PRICE FROM £619 TESTED T3 238 Apple is at the top of its game right now. The iPhone looks better than ever, the battery life is improved and the camera still delivers the best phone photos. T3 SayS The best iPhone ever made – it’ll make you consider giving up your android.

www.htc.com PRICE £580 TESTED T3 242 The One M9 is like the One M8 but even better, with fantastic design and intelligent customisation. Improved battery life and speed would make this a killer handset. T3 SayS HTC has merely polished last year’s model. a great phone but not the very best.

www.lg.com/uk PRICE £480 TESTED T3 238 The G Flex 2 represents something of a bargain in today’s terms: it’s powerful, features a sharp display and boasts a flexible chassis that’s super-durable. T3 SayS a decent price, and its bendy chassis means it should last longer.

www.google.co.uk/nexus PRICE £499 TESTED T3 238 The best Nexus model ever – if you don’t mind a phablet, that is. It’s got a bright, clear (and massive) screen, with brilliant Qi+ turbocharging. T3 SayS a massive beast, but one that justifies the ‘best Nexus ever’ tag.

www.sonymobile.com PRICE FROM £429 TESTED N/a It’s less powerful and has a lower-res screen than its bigger brother, but you still get high-end specs, a decent 4.7-inch display, Remote Play and a 20.7MP camera. T3 SayS Great ergonomics and price.

www.apple.com/uk PRICE FROM £399 TESTED T3 237 The Air 2 is the fastest, best-looking and most feature-packed iPad yet. Starting at £399, it’s expensive since you’ll want more storage, but it’s worth every penny. T3 SayS Sleek, solid and a spectacular display – the air 2 is a pleasure to use.

www.samsung.com PRICE £250 TESTED T3 241 Razor-thin at 6.6mm and super-light at 298g, the Tab S 8.4 also features an 8.4inch Super AMOLED display, 16GB of memory, oodles of features and lots of power. T3 SayS Ultra-portable and full of the best tech you can imagine.

www.tesco.com PRICE £99 TESTED T3 241 With its large, sharp screen, good battery life, decent processor and even stronger speakers, the Tesco Hudl 2 is an amazing tech bargain. T3 SayS Tesco gives you a lot of tablet for your money.

www.google.co.uk/nexus PRICE FROM £299 TESTED T3 241 An Android tablet without the manufacturer bloat, the Nexus 9 performs well and comes with some really premium touches. One of those, a 4:3-aspect screen, gives you more headroom on websites. T3 SayS The Nexus 9 is a top all-rounder.

www.sonymobile.com PRICE FROM £299 TESTED T3 241 This is a seriously light and skinny tablet, and it’s also waterproof. Sony’s custom Android software is a class act, too. T3 SayS a slickly styled tablet that’s perfect for using in the bath!

www.amazon.co.uk PRICE FROM £329 TESTED T3 241 Powerful, with a sharp, 8.9-inch screen, a slim chassis and great stereo speakers. Amazon’s Fire OS is slightly clunky, though. T3 SayS The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is a bit restrictive but otherwise a class act.

To read more detailed reviews of these gadgets and lots more, visit www.t3.com

Elite

TVs / sTreamers t h E s u pE r s i x

t h E s u pE r s i x

TVs

TV streamers

01

01

rOku 3

02

nOW TV bOx

02

03

04

05

06

SamSung ue55jS9000 www.samsung.com PRICE £3,099 TEsTEd T3 243 Capable of a stunning picture, with amazing design and clear sound. It needs its settings tweaked to get the best picture, though, and standard def looks horrid. T3 says This 55-inch is amazing in Ultra Hd, but also brilliant in regular Hd.

panaSOnic Tx-50ax802 www.panasonic.com/uk PRICE £1,299 TEsTEd T3 236 Great looks, as well as superb picture quality and motion handling. Upscaling isn’t as spectacular as other budget 4K TVs. T3 says If you want a 50-inch TV that has the wow factor – both in terms of looks and picture quality – this is a great choice.

SOny braVia kdl50W829 www.sony.co.uk PRICE £579 TEsTEd T3 228 This 50-inch boasts superb HD image quality, fabulous motion handling and a top discovery engine for online content, but there are limited catch-up channels. T3 says Polished 1080p pictures and smarter features, all for a reasonable price.

SamSung 55hu8500 www.samsung.com PRICE £1,899 TEsTEd T3 236 Brilliant picture quality, and a pleasingly presented Smart TV hub with a gazillion apps. The screen also integrates well with other multi-media devices. T3 says This 55-inch offers great picture quality and excellent smart features.

lg 55ec930V www.lg.com/uk PRICE £1,999 TEsTEd T3 240 This 55-inch offers amazing picture quality, a host of brilliant smart features and dazzling looks. However, there’s no 4K and it’s quite expensive compared to others. T3 says Looking for smart features and eye-popping images? This won’t disappoint.

lg 55ub950V www.lg.com/uk PRICE £999 TEsTEd T3 236 Classy design and a webOS user interface that’s slick and very easy to get the hang of. Contrast performance is disappointing, though, and there’s some lag. T3 says a great 55-inch TV that’s slightly hobbled by poor contrast and input lag.

03

04

05

06

www.roku.com PRICE £99 TEsTEd T3 240 Between the high amount of content available, a responsive interface and a remote with a built-in audio jack for private listening, there’s no better player. T3 says The Roku 3 is the best choice for freedom of entertainment.

www.nowtv.com PRICE £20 TEsTEd N/a If you want Sky but can’t get a dish, this is a great option, enabling you to choose the TV subscription you want. Or you can watch terrestrial catch-up channels for free. T3 says For those who want to add a little smart to their TV, this is a cheap option.

gOOgle chrOmecaST www.google.co.uk/chrome PRICE £30 TEsTEd T3 240 All the functionality of other boxes, at a third of the price and half the size. Android users can even mirror their screen via the built-in Cast functionality. T3 says The Chromecast is cheap but offers almost as much as the big boys.

T3 SelecTS:

TOday’S TOp TV cOnTenT WhaT TO WaTch ThiS mOnTh On Our TOp TVS

Better Call saul If you’ve not had a chance to watch the Breaking Bad spin-off prequel yet, you’re missing out. The series charts the development of Saul Goodman from ‘slipping Jimmy’ to shyster lawyer. Compelling stuff, and it’s available in 4K, too! www.netflix.com

VeOlO 4k www.acryan.com PRICE £200 TEsTEd T3 240 The ultimate home-cinema experience, the Veolo is one of few streamers that support media streaming in 4K Ultra HD. It also offers an attractive, easy-to-use interface and access to loads of great on-demand apps. T3 says Pricey but worth it for 4K goodness.

apple TV

star Wars: The digital Movie Collection The epic saga makes its way to the land of digital high def, via Amazon Instant Video. Blot any Jar Jar Binks references out of your mind, sit back and enjoy (nearly) every film instantly from your sofa. £59 (bundle), www.amazon.co.uk

www.apple.com/uk PRICE £79 TEsTEd T3 240 The Apple TV works flawlessly with Apple’s own-brand tech, meaning you’ll be able to peruse selected online content natively, and mirror any other content using AirPlay. T3 says a good option for integrating perfectly with other apple devices.

amazOn fire TV www.amazon.co.uk PRICE £79 TEsTEd T3 240 The Fire TV is snappy, fun and ideal if you get content from Amazon Instant Video – though it does support other third-party services like Netflix and iPlayer. T3 says Biased towards amazon, but there’s lots to like about the Fire TV.


Monaco Grand Prix sky sports F1 Hd Using your Now TV box, you can enjoy the 2015 Monaco GP as it happens, culminating in race day on 24 May, all in crystal-clear HD. A day pass costs £6.99, or a weekly option is available for a bit extra. www.skysports.com

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 2 1

Elite

LAPTOPS / CAMERAS t h E s u pE r s i x


Laptops

Cameras

01

01

02

03

04

05

06

Dell xps 13 www.dell.com PRICE £1,060 TEsTEd N/A Brilliantly designed and outperforms its competition under the hood. Infinity Display gives you the expanse of a 13.3-inch screen on an 11.9-inch laptop. T3 sAys Fantastic performance and build. It will serve you well for years to come.

macbook pro 13-inch with retina Display www.apple.com/uk PRICE £749 TEsTEd T3 227 Lightweight, with improved performance and battery life – it will delight road warriors and coffee-shop loungers alike. T3 sAys A reliable, powerful and practical MacBook, this is Apple’s best laptop.

asus zenbook ux305 www.asus.com PRICE £650 TEsTEd N/A Thin, light and attractive, with excellent build quality, the Zenbook UX305 offers a great balance of components, a perfect 1080p screen and an alluring price tag. T3 sAys One of the best and most affordable Ultrabooks available.

asus zenbook nx500 www.asus.com PRICE £1,699 TEsTEd T3 239 A stunning design, diminutive size, impressive power and a bright, vibrant screen. The price is a turn-off, though, and battery life is disappointing. T3 sAys Asus has done a fantastic job of combining power and beauty.

microsoft surface pro 3 www.microsoft.com/surface-pro-3 PRICE £640 TEsTEd T3 243 More powerful and versatile than an iPad Air and a MacBook Air 13-inch combined, though battery life could be better. T3 sAys A great example of why you should get a hybrid over a conventional laptop.

asus transformer book t300 chi www.asus.com PRICE £800 TEsTEd T3 243 A bright 16:9 display makes this hybrid perfect for watching movies, and it’s highly productive thanks to the ace keyboard. T3 sAys A thin and light design, and a highres display that’ll steal your breath away.

02

03

04

sony a77 ii www.sony.co.uk PRICE £749 TEsTEd N/A Image quality is excellent, even at highsensitivity settings, while autofocus is fast and accurate. It can even cope with very low light levels. T3 sAys Ideal for shooting a range of subjects in a variety of conditions.

panasonic lumix Dmc-gm5 www.panasonic.com/uk PRICE £569 TEsTEd N/A With a great range of features packed into a stylish body, this system camera is a treat to use and produces high-quality images. T3 sAys The ultimate carry-everywhere camera that’s easy to use.

olympus om-D e-m5 www.olympus.co.uk PRICE £899 TEsTEd T3 242 A very capable camera that offers extensive and versatile control. High quality feel. Produces impressive, super-high-res photos with great image stabilisation. T3 sAys A very powerful, versatile, small and light system camera.

nikon D5500 www.nikon.com PRICE £589 TEsTEd N/A The D5500 offers SLR beginners a lot of creative control, the touch-screen display is a useful addition and the sensor captures high levels of detail. T3 sAys Ideal as your first dsLR, or as an upgrade from an older model.

05

leica D-lux (typ 109)

06

canon 7D mark ii

t3 selects:

lenses you will love

fabulous photos are just a twist away

sony dT 16–50mm F2.8 ssM Buying a Sony A77 II? Go for the 16-50mm f/2.8 kit-lens bundle, because if you buy this lens on its own you’ll pay a premium. The 16-50mm f/2.8 is a cut above the average kit lens, with a wider wide-angle setting and a constant maximum aperture so you can shoot at f/2.8 even at full zoom. £480, www.sony.co.uk

Tamron sP 70-200mm F/2.8 dI VC Usd Heavier and pricier than regular consumer lenses, the f/2.8 constant maximum aperture makes it much better in low light. Fits Canon, Nikon and Sony SLRs and popular with professionals, especially when shooting close-up sports, fashion and weddings. £1,000, www.tamron.eu/uk

www.leica-camera.com PRICE £779 TEsTEd N/A A Four Thirds sensor produces superior images and gives greater control over depth field, the body has a high-quality feel, plus there’s an easy-to-use menu. T3 sAys A great alternative to an sLR.

www.canon.com PRICE £1,499 TEsTEd N/A This SLR’s impressive feature set includes a great autofocus system. A maximum continuous shooting rate of 10fps works well for snapping sport and wildlife. T3 sAys The 7d Mark II is Canon’s best APs-C-format sLR to date.


sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX dC HsM Once you have a telephoto zoom for your SLR, your next lens should be a super-wide-angle zoom for shooting interiors, architecture and packed city streets. Sigma’s lens has a constant maximum aperture that doesn’t shrink as you zoom, so it’s good in low light. £400, www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 2 3

home audio / headphones

How to:

buy a media server store aNd stream all of your media witH our expert advice


home audio

headphones

01

01

What do you need it for? The first thing you need to ascertain is what you want to use your NAS or media server for. Is it for saving important documents, backing up photos or keeping all your media in one place?

02

Is there enough storage? Once you’ve clarified what it is you want to store, make sure the device comes with enough storage space to hold everything. You can get devices with terabytes of storage – ideal for holding highdef movies and Spotify-shaming music collections – but they’re not cheap. That kind of space is overkill if you just want to hold the odd media file. Some NAS drives and media servers enable you to install your own hard drives, giving you a bit more flexibility.

What will you stream? If your device is going to sit in the centre of your home and stream media to several devices, you’ll need something that can handle the task. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a popular streaming tech that makes it easy to send videos and music to a wide range of devices, so make sure your media server or NAS device has this. iTunes Server is another handy feature to look out for; it lets you store your music on the server and share your iTunes library throughout your home.

03

04

05

Going out and about NAS and media servers are great for streaming music throughout your house, but many also enable you to access your data when you’re away from home. Imagine your very own music-streaming service with no subscriptions – just your entire collection beamed directly to your smartphone. Keep an eye out for devices that let you easily connect over the internet – it’s a real game changer.

1 24 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


06

yamaHa ysp-2500 uk.yamaha.com PRICE £800 TEsTEd T3 242 Sixteen 2.8cm drivers deliver an astonishing soundstage, while there are three HDMI 2.0 inputs with 4K passthrough, and outstanding DSP processing options. T3 says Futuristic sound-reflecting technology offers amazing cinema sound.

Nocs Ns2 air moNitors v2 www.nocs.se PRICE £299 TEsTEd T3 236 Rock-solid AirPlay streaming, a Spotify connection and, considering their size, they can go pretty loud without distorting. T3 says The perfect blend of wireless convenience and great design.

Naim mu-so www.naimaudio.com PRICE £895 TEsTEd T3.com A single, minimalist box offering an unforgettable music-streaming experience. Awesome design, brilliant sound and a flexible plethora of inputs. T3 says a stunning object in its own right, and as an audio system it’s brilliant.

soNos play:1 www.sonos.com PRICE £169 TEsTEd N/a Excellent sound, reasonably affordable and fits snugly almost anywhere. Sonos Play:1 gets an improved app and support for even more services. T3 says a superb-quality, affordable way to get some sonos home-streaming love.

oNkyo tx-Nr838 www.uk.onkyo.com PRICE £1,000 TEsTEd T3 242 Give your home-cinema sound a lift with brilliant, seven-channel Atmos sound. The TX-NR838 offers comprehensive connectivity and wide format compatibility. T3 says atmos sound with the perfect balance of quality, value and functionality.

bose souNdliNk color www.bose.com PRICE £109 TEsTEd N/a The Soundlink Color boasts a fun, curvy design, with impressive sound and awesome battery life. It won’t break the bank, either. T3 says a curvy and perfectly portable Bluetooth speaker.

02

03

04

05

06

oppo pm-1 www.oppodigital.co.uk PRICE £999 TEsTEd T3 239 Planar magnetic drivers give a rich sound, especially when paired to a headphone amp, though low impedance enables them to be driven by mobile devices. T3 says The build, immense sound quality and comfort justify the price tag.

sHure srH1540 www.shure.co.uk PRICE £399 TEsTEd T3 239 With a flat audio signature, their sound is clean and lush, doing justice to any source. Bass isn’t lacking, it’s just crisp and subtle. They’re also extremely comfy. T3 says These stylish headphones will please even the pickiest audiophile.

seNNHeiser momeNtum wireless 2.0 en-uk.sennheiser.com PRICE £290 TEsTEd T3.com NFC, active noise cancellation, a premium finish and new, foldable hinges add to the fantastic package, but sound is the winner. T3 says The best headphones from sennheiser are now even better.

beyerdyNamic idx 160 ie europe.beyerdynamic.com PRICE £78 TEsTEd N/a Comfortable, with solid sound performance and a slick, practical design, all at an affordable price. T3 says With fine qualities aplenty, these cans are a smart buy for music lovers.

rHa t10i www.rha-audio.com PRICE £150 TEsTEd N/a The RHA T10I noise-isolating headphones offer amazing sound, tuneable audio and stunning build quality that focuses on looks as well as comfort. T3 says The T10Is are premium earphones with incredible sound and style.

soNy xba-H1 www.sony.co.uk PRICE £70 TEsTEd N/a Boasting strong performance and slick design, Sony’s XBA-H1s will satisfy on multiple fronts. That is, if you can look past the lack of inline controls. T3 says In-ear headphones with bags of style and bravado.


Elite

SmartwatcheS / FitneSS trackerS t h E s u pE r s i x


t3 selects:

Smartwatches

Fitness trackers team up

01

01

02

03

04

05

06

pebble steel www.getpebble.com PRICE £180 TEsTEd T3 240 The always-on, monochrome E-paper screen might not be for everyone, but it works great, and you get up to seven days’ battery. Loads of apps and easy to use, too. T3 says Low on techy extras, but bags of charm and great ease of use.

lg g watch r www.lg.com/uk PRICE £200 TEsTEd T3 240 All the style and feel of a normal watch, but with all the features of Android Wear. It has a P-OLED screen, which is bright and sharp, and you get two days of battery life. T3 says The best android Wear smartwatch available so far.

moto 360 www.motorola.co.uk PRICE £200 TEsTEd T3 240 Motorola has totally nailed the smartwatch looks with the 360 – it’s both futuristic and stylish, and will impress. There’s a funky wireless charger, too. T3 says Not quite perfect in this game, but the 360 is certainly a thing of beauty.

samsung gear s www.samsung.com PRICE £329 TEsTEd T3 240 The Gear S is a giant of a smartwatch. It’s got a gorgeous Super AMOLED screen and loads of features. Runs on Tizen OS instead of Android Wear. T3 says Big, bold and impressive – but the Gear s is also expensive.

sony smartwatch 3 www.sony.co.uk PRICE £180 TEsTEd T3 240 Beats its closest competitors thanks to a built-in GPS, for accurate activity tracking. It won’t win any fans for its looks, but performance and battery life are good. T3 says a great wearable for fitness, though it’s not for fashionistas.

asus zenwatch www.asus.com PRICE £200 TEsTEd N/a A stylish, well-built Android Wear watch that is keenly priced. Solid, but it doesn’t have any standout features among some heavy competition. T3 says a very good android Wear offering, both in looks and price.

02

03

04

05

06

basis peak www.mybasis.com PRICE £169.99 TEsTEd T3 243 A smart sportswatch with some top tech. The app’s sleep data is the best around, though the Peak’s USP is its cool ‘habits’ reward scheme. T3 says straddles the line between watch and fitness tracker beautifully.

your tech optimise your fitness with these pairings

garmin vivoactive www.garmin.com/en-gb PRICE £199.99 TEsTEd T3 243 The Vivoactive has accurate GPS tracking for recording pace, distance and even length stride, though you’ll need to buy a chest strap for heart-rate monitoring. T3 says Just about as good as it gets, as far as training tech is concerned.

garmin forerunner 920xt www.garmin.com/en-gb PRICE £390 TEsTEd N/a A powerful watch designed for those who are serious about their swimming, cycling and pavement pounding. T3 says a serious bit of wearable kit for the multi-talented athlete.

Garmin Forerunner 920XT + sony Xperia Z3 Compact The Forerunner 920XT is a serious watch for serious athletes, and you can get more functionality by pairing it with your smartphone. The ideal companion is the Sony Z3 Compact (p120). It’s sweat-proof and small enough to carry.

withings activitÉ pop www.withings.com/uk PRICE £119.95 TEsTEd T3 243 Perfect for the daily grind, with a subtle dial and vibrations for activity tracking. Huge battery life and a great choice of colours. T3 says The perfect activity-tracker companion for the fitness hipster.

fitbit charge hr

Fitbit Charge HR + Fitbit aria So you’ve got your Charge HR fitness- and sleep-tracking watch. The Fitbit Aria smart scale (£99) will help you get a lot more from it – it will monitor your weight, body fat and BMI, and upload all the data over Wi-Fi so that you can take a look at it on your Fitbit account.

www.fitbit.com/uk PRICE £119.99 TEsTEd T3 243 Futuristic-looking yet discreet, the Charge HR gives you lots of info for your travels and even comes with continuous heart-rate recording. Features a long battery life. T3 says In-depth fitness and sleep tracking, without shouting about it.

timex ironman run x20 gps www.timex.co.uk PRICE £80 TEsTEd N/a Gives you GPS tracking for speed, distance, calories burned and pace. Great for keeping an eye on your fitness. T3 says It lacks the frills, but this is a cheap and effective sports watch.

to read more detailed reviews of these gadgets and lots more, visit www.t3.com

LG G Watch R + Wear Buddy A good way of keeping tabs on your smartwatch-smartphone relationship is to download the Wear Buddy app, available from Google Play. It tells you if you left the house without connecting your phone, and enables you to find it via your watch if you’ve lost it.

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 2 5

ConneCted home / Automotive

t3 selects:

toys for grown-ups

never mind the kids, you’ll love these!


Connected home

Automotive

01

nest learning thermostat

01

tesla model s

02

husqvarna automower 330x

02

audi a3 sportback e-tron

03

irobot roomba 880

03

smart for two

04

netgear r7000 nighthawk smart wi-fi router

04

ford focus st

05

kia soul ev

06

lexus nx 300h f sport

Parrot Bebop Drone This 1080p-camera-equipped drone has a range of up to 2km, meaning you can spy over your entire neighbourhood if you so wish. An optional SkyController attaches to your iPad and gives you Top Gun-style controls. £720, www.parrot.com

Meccano Meccanoids This pair of personal robots look like the product of a mix-up at the Terminator and Wall-E factories. Once assembled, they initiate conversations, tell jokes, copy what you do and walk around looking for mulleted women to kill. Maybe. From £265, www.meccano.com/uk

Sphero Ollie This chunky, brightly coloured ’bot zips about at speeds of up to 14mph. On your smartphone or tablet, you use one thumb to drive, and the other to pull off spins, hops and other tricks. Your kids will love it, if you give them a chance. £79.99, www.gosphero.com

1 2 6 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


www.nest.com PRICE £180 TESTED T3 242 A stylish and sleek design that integrates with other smart gadgets around the home. Easy to use and learns your heating habits. T3 SayS Nest is a great first step in creating a smarter home.

www.husqvarna.com PRICE £2,575 TESTED T3 242 Looks incredible. Great, even cut. Packed full of teeth. Excellent for large gardens. Operates very quietly indeed. T3 SayS Expensive but perfect for people with bigger lawns.

www.irobot.co.uk PRICE £599 TESTED T3 237 Impressive pet-hair performance and efficient carpet cleaning – you’ll be astonished by just how much it picks up. It’s simple to program, too. T3 SayS you won’t find a better robotvacuum performance.

www.netgear.co.uk PRICE £140 TESTED N/a Sleek and stealthy design, brilliant performance, dual USB ports and comprehensive parental controls. T3 SayS Slick-looking, great performer.

05

smarter kettle

06

belkin wemo led lighting and insight switch

www.smarter.am PRICE £150 TESTED T3 241 Freshly ground beans and a nice cuppa waiting for you each morning, with an alarm to wake you up when it’s ready and all controlled via your smartphone. T3 SayS The easiest way to enjoy a decent cup of coffee in the morning.

www.belkin.co.uk PRICE £80 (bulb set), £50 (InSight Switch) TESTED T3.com Clean white light activated via an Android or iOS app, plus info on your energy use/costs. T3 SayS Smarter LED bulbs for work spaces.

www.teslamotors.com PRICE £54,880 TESTED T3 240 A quick, slick and desirable glimpse into the future of electric vehicles. The true test is Tesla’s promise to build a full network of superchargers across the UK and Europe. T3 SayS attractive and speedy, the Model S is the best electric car you can buy.

www.audi.co.uk PRICE From £34,990 TESTED T3 243 Promises the battery-electric emissions purity of an EV, combined with the long-range, insta-fuelling ease of use of a petrol or diesel car. T3 SayS Modern tech motoring at its best.

uk.smart.com PRICE £11,325 TESTED T3 238 Tiny – but roomier than before – with a spunky, turbocharged motor. An app-plussmartphone-cradle combo turns iPhone or Android into super in-car multimedia rigs. T3 SayS The little car is back, with oodles of in-car gadgetry and a roomier interior.

www.ford.co.uk PRICE £22,195 TESTED T3 242 Features include an enhanced transitional stability system and a blind-spot warning feature. It goes from 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 154mph. T3 SayS The ST packs in more tech than the apple Watch, and is somewhat faster!

www.kia.co.uk PRICE £29,995, or £24,995 (with EV grant) TESTED T3 239 The best all-electric range in its class, the Soul EV has bags of room inside, along with OLED instruments and a charger that tops batteries up to 80 per cent in 33 minutes. T3 SayS Runs further than the rest.

www.lexus.co.uk PRICE £36,995 TESTED T3 239 With its petrol-electric powertrain, the F Sport is serene around town and easy on fuel. Features include wireless in-car phone charging and a multimedia trackpad. T3 SayS a clever alternative to the default diesel option.


Elite

what to buy this month

£100

01

Hotlist treat yourself to soMetHinG new witH our round-up of tHe best kit for £100 and under

02

ou don’t always have to spend big money to get something you’ll love to bits. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favourite products for £100 and under. Some of our chosen gadgets also happen to be the best things you can get in

Y

their particular category, others are great-value alternatives to bigger ticket purchases, but all are brilliant products we’d be happy to use ourselves. So next time you get paid and there’s spare cash burning a hole in your trouser pocket, make sure you consult T3’s £100 Hotlist!

t h E S U PE R S I X

03

04

01

04

braun cruzer6 face

GooGle cHroMecast

www.braun.com/uk PRICE £70 A wet-dry shaver, beard trimmer and goatee tamer, with loads of attachments. Can handle long growth with ease, and create clean, precise sideburn lines. t3 says a sleek shaver with a twistable trimmer for effortless styling.

www.google.co.uk/chrome PRICE £30 A staggeringly cheap route to a smarter TV, Chromecast gives you access to a plethora of online TV and can be remote-controlled via your Android phone. t3 says this tiny media-streaming device ensures you’ll always have lots to watch.

02

05

pebble watcH

revell wi-fi quadcopter x-spy

www.getpebble.com PRICE £99 Can’t afford the Pebble Steel? For a lot less money, there’s the Pebble Watch. It’s stylish and virtually identical, with eight hours’ battery and a wealth of apps. t3 says Funky, bursting with features and compatible with a shedload of apps.

05

Read m ore a t w w w.t3.co m/elite

06

www.revell.de PRICE £99 This palm-sized drone is utterly affordable, enabling you to hook up your smartphone to get a first-person view of your flight. t3 says super-cool spying with a camera that streams live video to your smartphone.

03

06

kindle fire Hd7

jbl Horizon

www.amazon.co.uk PRICE £79 There’s simply no cheaper way to get a great tablet. The Fire HD7’s seven-inch, Full HD display is perfect for watching movies on the go, and it’s easy to use. t3 says the stunning HD display makes it a must for movie and photography fans.

uk.jbl.com PRICE £80 JBL’s take on the wake-up routine is this funky-looking thing, which boasts Bluetooth music streaming, customisable alarms and mood-enhancing lighting. t3 says Offers ambient LED lighting and customisable alarms for a perfect rise.

j u n e 2 0 1 5 T3 1 2 7

HigH flyer

swiss savvY

The perfeCT aCCessorY for ThaT reCenTLY aCQuired piLoT’s LiCenCe, The BreiTLing B55 ConneCted smarTwaTCh is jusT The TiCkeT To keep You CompanY when You Take To The skies…

CoCkpiT Companion an evolution of Breitling’s Cockpit B50, the B55 is an analog/digital hybrid with an electronic tachometer, a countdown/countup system, and the ability to record flight times in addition to take-off and landing data

admire iT… Crafted from super-light and supertough titanium, and sporting a black carbon coating, the 46mm B55 Connected is a metallurgist’s dream and tough enough to take on a B55 bomber

as smartwatches get smarter, luxury brands are searching for a response. famed for its aviationcentric timepieces, swiss marque Breitling has perhaps sensibly opted not to try and take the likes of apple and Lg on at their own game. it is instead putting the smartphone into the service of the B55 Connected, making it easy to adjust settings and access advanced features that would otherwise require wrestling with fiddly buttons and crowns.

piLoT preCision a CosC-certified chronometer, the B55 utilises Breitling’s in-house superQuartz movement for accuracy ten times greater than a standard quartz watch

ConneCT iT… Built-in Bluetooth Le (low energy) enables the B55 to connect to your smartphone via an included app, giving additional features such as extra time zones, a night mode and reminders. You can also transfer flight data

hands-free hero Two ultra-legible LCd screens are activated by rotating your wrist 35 degrees towards you – ideal for keeping hands firmly on the controls in-flight

own iT… The B55 Connected’s price hadn’t been announced at the time of writing, but T3 wouldn’t expect change from £5k. more details are at www.breitling.com

next issue on sale thursday 11 June discover the amazing tech innovations that make every aspect of life better

1 3 0 T3 j u n e 2 0 1 5


9000

T3 Magazine - June 2015 UK

Recommend Documents