Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to this end-of-the-year issue of Stuff! This one is all about our annual awards. We’ve spent months compiling the list of this year’s hottest tech and have come up with an absolutely cracking array of the best gadgets of 2022. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed by our choices, although we surprised ourselves with our pick for ultimate gadget of the year. It’s a deserved win – and the ‘highly commended’ gear isn’t bad either. Also do check out our brilliant competition on p25, where you could win some superb Bowers & Wilkins audio tech: the fanastic Zeppelin home speaker and PX7 S2 headphones. It really is a top-class bundle, worth over a grand. Naturally we’re not short of a few reviews: we’ve played the latest Pokemon…

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BAR BEAMERS The handlebar headlight Outbound Detour Brilliant rays might reveal the road ahead, but a blinding glare isn’t fair on night-time traffic. Inspired by your car’s headlights, this lamp uses a cut-off pattern to illuminate the asphalt without dazzling drivers – like dipped beams for your bike. Its twin beams fire out 1200 lumens. £153 / outboundlighting.com The tubular torch Exposure Sirius Mk10 Singing in the saddle is one way to warn pedestrians you’re approaching, but your warbling won’t work from afar. Shaped like a mini microphone, this aluminium tube pumps out 900 lumens across a 240° arc. Its pulse pattern is designed to keep you conspicuous at distances of over 1km. £100 / exposure-use.com The rounded radiator Bookman Curve Your bike relies on round bits, so a convex…

THE BASICS Don’t dilly-dally The main point of using your phone and apps for organising things is to save time. So find efficient systems and don’t end up forever faffing with fonts and other frippery. Send digital invites you can track, using your calendar app and/or Facebook. Make to-do lists simple. Favour apps that surface information readily and rapidly. Work with others If you’re organising something on your own, use any apps and services you fancy… but as soon as you’re sharing the load, you need to make sure everyone has immediate access to what matters. You can’t live in Apple’s Reminders if your co-conspirators use Android phones. Look to cross-platform apps such as Todoist (from £free) for lists and delegation of tasks. Mind your money When times are tight,…

£239 / go.stuff.tv/PadAir ■ The imaginatively named Pad Air really doesn’t feel like a budget tablet. The (mostly) aluminium construction, iPad-esque flat sides and rounded corners make a great first impression; and while the 3D ‘Sunset Dune’ strip along the back is plastic, its textured effect is neat. The only giveaways are the weedy-looking rear camera lens and chunky bezels – although these do give you somewhere to rest your thumbs. ■ The 10.36in panel is big and sharp enough for catching up on your latest streaming addiction without needing to squint. There’s no HDR support, and this isn’t the brightest screen around, with only average contrast and colours that are a little on the cool side. A 60Hz refresh rate is not surprising given the price, but you’ll notice…

1 Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max from £1199 / go.stuff.tv/14ProMax This is essentially the same phone as the 14 Pro, but with a bigger screen and a bigger battery. So on paper it’s Apple’s best ever… but while that justifies its promotion to top spot, we should point out that it’s only worth it for people who really need that extra screen space. Do you? Well, it does make photo, video and audio editing (and gaming) easier. Stuff says ★★★★★ Really moves the Pro Max on… though all this quality has a price NOW ADD THIS Belkin BoostCharge Pro This solid MagSafe charging dock lets you top up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. £140 / belkin.com TIPS & TRICKS The Dynamic Island makes it easier to control a call:…

Apple MacBook Air (M2) from £1249 / go.stuff.tv/AirM2 With its super-powered M2 processor, the latest version of Apple’s ‘basic’ laptop leaves the M1 model – an excellent machine in its own right – in the dust. This revamp redefines the Air in a meaningful way, instantly renders the 13in MacBook Pro obsolete, and sets a yardstick by which Apple’s entry-level devices will now be judged. Stuff says ★★★★★ Shame about the price hike, but this is still the Mac to buy for most users ● NOW ADD THIS Belkin 4-Port GaN Charger 108W This brick lets you charge your Mac laptop through its 96W USB-C output… and juice up three other devices at the same time. £80 / belkin.com TIPS & TRICKS If you can afford it, the 512GB option…

Apple iPad Air from £669 / go.stuff.tv/iPadAir This tablet has enough power to rival the flagship iPad Pro – and even quite a few current MacBooks. And though you might need to add a keyboard, a stylus and even a gamepad to make the most of it, the latest Air reinforces the growing sense that an iPad really can be a laptop replacement for doing proper work (or play). Slight storage dilemmas aside, this is a top-notch device, supported by an ecosystem that makes it highly versatile for an increasingly wide range of users. Stuff says ★★★★★ It’s not perfect, but this latest iPad Air is a top-quality package – not least because of that M1 chip 2 Apple iPad Pro (M2) from £899 / go.stuff.tv/ProM2 There’s so much you…

We look at smart watches through the eyes of a watchmaker. We start from the outside by defining a beautiful yet functional watch and finish it by hand using fine materials and the craftsmanship required to bring everything together. So basically, we build a watch that you love to wear because it looks like a fine timepiece. That means the watch case serves as a talking point, and not only as a vessel for electronic components. Our first smartwatch was the Summit in 2017. Back in 2014-15 we could have chosen to stay out of smartwatches and have no say as a watchmaker in the smartwatch segment. But we believed we could share our passion for fine watchmaking and define how a watchmaker would build a smartwatch. Most importantly we…

For Versa number 4, Fitbit has brought over some big apps from its new owner Google – with the same goal of getting you to hit your fitness and health targets in a highly motivated fashion. It’s kinder on your bank balance compared to the Pixel Watch, or Fitbit’s own Sense 2 smartwatch, and makes one particularly welcome design change. That’s right: physical buttons are finally back. Well, one is, following Fitbit’s decision not to bother with any for the previous generation. When you’re mainly prodding and swiping at a touchscreen, that might not sound like a big deal, but buttons are handy while you’re working out. Now you can wake up the display, have a chat with a virtual assistant or jump into the exercise menu. The Versa 4…

BUDGET PHONE OF THE YEAR GOOGLE PIXEL 6a The letter ‘a’ can indicate many things, but if you see one on the end of a Google Pixel smartphone you can be pretty certain you’re getting an extremely good phone for a wallet-friendly price. The Pixel 6a continues that tradition and then some, packing the same chic looks and Tensor chipset as the now succeeded but still very capable Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, meaning it crushes nearly all competition in this price bracket. There’s even IP67 waterproofing. While a 12.2MP sensor won’t grab any headlines, Google’s algorithmic might is put to good use to produce some brilliant shots – with nifty editing tools such as the Magic Eraser, which banishes pesky photobombers in a matter of seconds, also on board.…

Mastodon The Mastodon network is distributed, so it can’t be owned by one rich helmet. It’s like lots of little Twitters that talk to each other; onboarding is a touch bumpy (you pick a server then find folks via #introduction, other hashtags or handle searches), but after that you’ll find a chilled vibe and nice features like post edits. Once engrossed, try other clients such as Tusky (Android) and Metatext (iOS). £free / Android, iOS Discord If you always thought Twitter was aimless, Discord provides focus. It’s about joining or creating communities that can have a natter about a game, club or other activity. Yes, it’s chatrooms – forums mashed into chat apps with a fork (see also Reddit). Still, if you’re happy to server-hop or be obsessed with just…

Three bird The SpatialLabs 3D effect can be impressive in games like God of War, with lashings of extra depth deployed smoothly even during frenetic action scenes. It adds loads of perspective and makes the game even more absorbing. True play’s gone But this 3D tech is hampered by serious issues. Moving your head away from a central position ruins the visuals, and games are generally a bit blurry in 3D. The effect can be dialled back with keyboard shortcuts, though. £3700 / go.stuff.tv/300Spatial ■ SpatialLabs tech first emerged on Acer’s creative workstations; here it combines a stereoscopic display, a head-tracking camera and AI to run games in 3D. But beyond the big party trick, this machine also has high-end Intel and Nvidia internals and a bold sense of design.…

ONE GOPRO MEDIA MOD GoPros might seem like action cams through and through, but they support a rich suite of accessories that turn them into vlogging powerhouses – and our favourite is the Media Mod. Slide your camera into it, and the Mod upgrades the audio with a better microphone, brings video out and mic in, and adds an easily accessible charging port. £80 / gopro.com TWO MAXCAM POWER TRIPLE BATTERY CHARGER One of our biggest gripes with GoPros is the need for spare batteries when out on a shoot. If you capture long clips, you’ll want two or three spares to get you through a full day, and charging those spares is a pain – unless you have this charger. It takes up to three batteries, and is refuelled…

Sony WF-1000XM4 £199 / go.stuff.tv/WFXM4 A worthy successor to the XM3 buds that sat atop this list for what seemed like decades, Sony’s latest true wireless noise-cancelling in-ears are smaller, smarter and better. With the arguable exceptions of call quality and app slickness, the WF-1000XM4s aren’t quite the best at anything; but they’re so close to being the best at everything that their all-round game is untouchable. No other wireless earbuds are so consistently accomplished across the board. Stuff says ★★★★★ The finest true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds around – this is the complete package 2 Beats Fit Pro £220/go.stuff.tv/FitPro TheseBeatsareexcellentonmanylevels. Unless you really love the earhook design of the Powerbeats Pro, they’re definitely the best workout ’phones in the Apple/Beats range and rival any others at the price. Stuff says…

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £90 / go.stuff.tv/Echo Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos One for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and considerably cheaper too. Stuff says ★★★★★ An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever NOW ADD THIS Honeywell T6R This Zigbee-enabled thermostat is wireless so you can place it where it’s most convenient. £153 / screwfix.com TIPS & TRICKS The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. Pair a compatible thermostat and the…

£419 / go.stuff.tv/9PP ■ It may look a lot like the basic Suunto 9 Peak, but the new Pro version packs some significant updates – including a new processor, new GPS, a new optical heart-rate sensor and longer battery life. ■ It’s neat, compact and light on the wrist, and the 1.2in 240x240 sapphire crystal touchscreen is nicely responsive thanks to that faster processor. But visibility is just about OK. It’s bright enough in most light, but could be crisper. ■ There are 95 sport modes, with all the usuals covered plus one for triathlon. The suite of training tools and fitness insights is comprehensive, though not a match for Garmin or Polar. You get peak training effect, training load and recovery time recommendations, plus estimates for fitness age and…

What with Bose having invented active noise-cancellation, nobody was much surprised when its first in-ears to bear the QuietComfort name were incredibly good at blocking out the horrors of the outside world. They didn’t sound half bad either. Our only real issue was with the design – the earbuds being too chunky for our liking and the charging case even worse. So we were chuffed when Bose told us it had streamlined the second-gen buds, which are smaller, lighter and simply more wearable than their predecessors. The QC Earbuds II show their sonic strength whichever zone of the frequency range you choose to focus on, and once again the ANC is as close to flawless as you’ll find in a pair of true wireless buds. We’ve encountered slightly better-sounding in-ears…

£690 / go.stuff.tv/Mania Does it resemble a glitzy bowling ball? A gym kettle bell? Maybe a teapot? We’re used to Devialet serving up products that are downright weird, so it’s no real surprise the firm’s first portable speaker is a distinctive one. At 2.3kg the Mania is a dense little thing – definitely on the heavy side for slinging into a backpack and taking any further than ‘down the garden’. It’s reassuringly constructed and finished, mind you. That weight hints at what’s inside too: four full-range drivers lurk beneath the fabric grilles, with two woofers in a push-push arrangement at the sides. It aims to deliver “360° stereo sound”, using four mics to adjust its output relative to where you plonk it down. And thanks to an IPX4 rating, those…

1 HOME EXERCISE KIT Corner £229 + £9.99/m / go.stuff.tv/Corner Winter pain means summer gains, or something, and few activities smash through the calories like boxing. But traditional boxing gyms are intimidating places where people punch each other. Like, really hard. So with Corner trackers you can be the undisputed champion of your living room with a host of workouts that accurately measure speed, power, intensity and number of punches, and offer feedback in real time. Worn on each wrist and synced to an app or the TV, they give access to a wealth of on-demand classes – including our favourite, the brutal Box Hiit – and plenty of strength classes, with some calmer stretching sessions for when you’ve given the cheese plant enough grief. If you want to sweat…

from £149 / go.stuff.tv/Apple4K DAY 01 Unboxing the new Apple TV, it’s clear that a lot has changed for Apple’s television strategy over the last couple of years. The advent of Apple’s TV+ streaming service has finally brought some kudos, but TV+ apps are available for (almost) everything these days – and it’s likely your telly doesn’t require you to spend £149 (or £169 if you want more storage plus Ethernet and Thread support) to get it. Even AirPlay 2, once effectively an Apple TV exclusive, is now integrated with smart TVs at all price points. The new remote is much chunkier than in the early days and that makes it nicer to use – but you can also use an iPhone The Apple TV has always been a great…

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Apple Watch SE (2022) from £259 / go.stuff.tv/WatchSE If you’re talking about value, the SE is the best Apple Watch hands-down. It tracks sleep and all the exercise you need, supports Apple Pay, works great with your iPhone and… what more do most people require? The user experience is broadly identical, and while the screen bezels are a bit larger than on the Series 8 it’s hard to tell them apart without getting right up close. If you want a stainless steel case you’ll have to splash out on a Series 8 – but first ask yourself if it’s really worth the extra. Stuff says ★★★★★ Offers most of the Apple Watch Series 8 experience for a whole lot cash less 2 Garmin Fenix 7 from£600/go.stuff.tv/Fenix7 Ifyourbudgetstretches,theimpressive mix of rugged…

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £1799 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable, and it’s hard to think of any content that wouldn’t benefit from being Maxed out. Stuff says ★★★★★ The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still 2 Sonos Arc £899 / go.stuff.tv/SonosArc Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give a real sense of cinematic scale. See also the much more affordable Ray model. Stuff says ★★★★★ Big-screen sound for your…