Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to our New Year fitness issue. As you’d expect, we’ve picked out some incredible tech, apparel and equipment for the coming months. Naturally we’ve covered wintry activities like skiing, but there’s also some top swimming gear (whether you’re braving the wild or in a nice warm pool) as well as the latest in running and walking kit. Elsewhere in the issue we’ve stepped up from our phone cameras with a group test of top mirrorless models to use when you’re out and about, and we’ve also rounded up some portable smart lamps to brighten those January days. We’ve rated the PlayStation Portal handheld – does it do justice to those hazy memories of the PSP, and is it as good as the Switch or the Steam Deck…

Vaonis was founded in 2016 in Montpellier, where I was born, but the idea of a smart telescope came to me a few years before that when I was an optics and aerospace student. My passion for astronomy started after a visit to the Nice Observatory during my teenage years. I fell in love with telescope design and started to buy a few of them, dismantle them and rebuild them to understand how they worked. Every time I invited people to observe the night sky through a telescope, they expressed a desire to capture photos of what they saw. This coincided with the era of GoPro – the rise of accessible and user-friendly tech for capturing experiences. So I embarked on a mission to create a device that was easy…

Sony is no stranger to handheld gaming, but the first thing to say about the PlayStation Portal is that it isn’t a console in its own right. This is not the Vita 2. Essentially just an 8in tablet with two halves of a DualSense controller stuck on either side, the Portal relies on a PS5 and a Wi-Fi connection to wirelessly stream your games. Without those, it’ll be the least useful thing in your house (apart from the cat), as there’s no way to download games for offline play. It can’t natively play video or browse the web either, and in many ways there’s nothing this device can do that the phone in your pocket can’t. On paper, then, it seems like something of a tough sell. And yet, Sony…

Vitruvian Trainer+ A set of weights is one of the simplest and most affordable pieces of gym equipment. But weights are bulky and oh so analogue, which is where the app-connected, algorithm-driven Vitruvian Trainer steps in. This carbon fibre platform uses algorithmic smarts to produce adaptive magnetic resistance, up to a crushing 200kg, when you pull on the cables. The basic kit comes with handles and ankle straps, with loads of add-ons available. The Vitruvian app does the heavy lifting here (not literally), with a great selection of trainer-led classes, as well as specific muscle-targeting exercises. All progress is tracked, and resistance adjusted automatically. The variety is impressive, and the coaches engaging, although propping up your phone to view does detract from the seamless experience – you might prefer to…

NOW ADD THESE Runna This app is a running coach in your pocket, designed to get you through plans for everything from your first 5km to Ultra Marathons with motivation and loads of useful stats. £15.99/m / Android, iOS Mobot Obviously tighten the lid before you start your recovery session, but this dual gadget makes sense: it’s a water bottle and a foam roller, offering hydration and massage in one. £44 / houseoffraser.co.uk Inov-8 Race Elite 3in1 Gloves These fast-drying, high-wicking gloves have a small pocket on the back of each hand housing a light waterproof mitten that can be pulled over when it’s proper brass monkeys. £45 / inov-8.com MORE PAVEMENT PALS ONEODIO OPENROCK PRO After years using earphones with bone-conduction tech, these wonderfully comfy waterproof ‘air-conduction’ true wireless…

Slash ApArtment23 ATV Slash is Austrian freeride legend Gigi Ruf’s vision of what snowboarding should look like. The ATV is his board of choice… and if you’re an experienced rider who loves pushing hard from first lift to last, this directional twin all-mountain fun machine is an absolute blast. Compared to many new boards that feature flat, inverse or rocker side profiles, I found the ATV fairly traditional. This isn’t a bad thing – a simple camber and radial sidecut may not be as forgiving as some, but it offers a reliable ride and predictable turns. This is not a board for noobs, but for those with the experience it has all you could wish for. This season’s version of the ATV has a nice wide fit, which is excellent…

THE BASICS ■ Try new things Resident Evil Village on an iPhone is a great technical feat, but it’s horrible to play without a controller – and not ideal with one. For some titles, then, it’s best to stick with a console or PC. So rather than replicating your console experience on a phone, try new games – especially ones designed specifically for touchscreens. ■ Be happy, not IAP-py In-app purchases increasingly infest console and PC gaming, but they’re endemic on mobile. Ideally, find paid games that avoid such nonsense, or those with a one-off purchase to unlock the main game, with remaining IAPs being purely cosmetic. Either that or just say no, kids. ■ Sync it up For a game that involves progression – such as an adventure or…

HOT BUY 1 Garmin Edge 1040 Solar £630 / go.stuff.tv/1040Solar Ideal for multi-day adventures and training camps, the Edge 1040 Solar harnesses the sun’s power for a massive 45hrs of riding time on one charge. It has all the mapping, navigation and training firepower you’ll ever need, including accuracy-boosting dual-band GPS, best-in-class route planning and detailed training insights via Garmin Connect. The screen could be brighter, but we love the custom ride profiles that make it easy to exploit all that performance data. Stuff says A do-it-all beast of a bike computer with unrivalled battery life, reliable GPS and useful training smarts 2 JLab JBuds Air Sport £70 / go.stuff.tv/AirSport The third-gen JBuds Air Sport seriously flex JLab’s value muscle: with a solid earhook fit, custom EQ, an ambient awareness…

HOT BUY 1 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 see also the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus model. 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 big-screen…

from $200/ayaneo.com No prizes for guessing what that’s supposed to remind us of… This ‘I Know What a Macintosh Classic Looks Like’ medal can go back in its box, then. But those who don’t have a brain like a computing hall of fame, or weren’t around when Apple released its famous all-in-one computer in 1990, might not be familiar with the inspiration behind this mini PC. Ayaneo has changed just enough to (hopefully) avoid a strongly worded letter from the legal team in Cupertino, with a rainbow rectangle where the Apple logo should be, but it’s still recognisably a tribute to the Classic – it even has a fake disc drive on the front. Shame it’s not a working one. Got a lot of stuff on 3.5in floppy, have you?…

Lawks a lordy, what is Polestar up to here? The Synergy might be just a wild concept for now, but it is real and was recently showcased at the inaugural Polestar Day. Held inside a cavernous hangar in Los Angeles, this event also saw the Swedish manufacturer preview several new production models: the Polestar 3, Polestar 4 and, yes, Polestar 5. These names will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with its previous launches, the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2. So what lies ahead? Well, considering it’s only made two production cars until now, the increasing range is exciting. And Polestar is really pushing things when it comes to design, with some bold ideas that set it apart from the crowd – not least with the Synergy, the end…

Fancy watching Corrie in the bath without having to risk balancing your iPad on the mixer tap? Treat yourself to the ultimate bathroom luxury with a 24in bathroom TV (RRP £1280) from ProofVision, courtesy of this month’s competition. Combining modern styling with a full range of advanced features, ProofVision’s fully waterproof tellies come with an IP65 rating. Designed to be seamlessly embedded into the bathroom wall for a sleek appearance, the PV24MF-A model we have up for grabs has a 1080p HD display and built-in vibration speakers. Smart TV functionality and Wi-Fi connectivity mean you can access your favourite streaming services and enjoy shows, movies and music. And don’t worry, the included remote can survive an accidental dunking. As well as a heated screen to minimise misting, the PV24MF-A has…

Logitech G Cloud £330/logitechg.com What’s the story? This Android-powered handheld for cloud gaming doesn’t care which console you have – or even if you have a console at all. It’s got Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now apps built in, plus Play Store access for downloading third-party PS5 streaming apps. The internals are on a par with a mid-range smartphone, so there’s enough grunt to run native Android games at a reasonable lick. Is it any good? The sticks and buttons are almost as big as those of a console gamepad, so are a lot comfier to use than the miniaturised ones found on most mobile controllers. The LCD screen can’t match an OLED panel for colour impact or contrast, but is way bigger than the average phone’s. The…

NOW ADD THESE Polar Recovery Tub Get your own bargain plunge pool and enjoy the recovery-boosting, mind-stimulating benefits of ice-cold water. This inflatable one is suitable for people up to 6ft 7in. £80 / polar-recovery.com Hoka Ironman Ora Recovery Slides These recovery slides are made from eco-friendly injection-moulded sugarcane EVA, with a plush outsole to help you forget what you’ve just been through. £50 / hoka.com BetterYou Boost Vitamin B12 Oral Spray Vitamin B12 helps brain functions, energy release and the formation of healthy red blood cells. Each bottle of this spray holds 48 daily doses. £12.45 / betteryou.com MORE HOME HELPERS CARDIOSTRONG AQUASTREAM Rowing machines work 85% of your body’s muscles, and water rowers offer the most realistic ‘on water’ feeling without the risk of harassment by ducks. Most…

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) I’ve been wearing this Garmin for four months. It’s a huge, but hugely impressive, all-action premium smartwatch. There’s barely a sport or activity it can’t track, the heart-rate and GPS tracking is accurate, and there’s a dizzying amount of health and training data available. Is it a good-looking watch? I think so, albeit in a very ‘rugged’ way. My 51mm option is large, and may struggle to fit under some shirt cuffs, so try the other sizes (42mm and 47mm) before you buy. The AMOLED screen is gorgeous and properly customisable, if arguably not as handsome or intuitive to use as the one on the Apple Watch Ultra, and the combination of touchscreen and buttons is welcome, especially with gloves. There’s a barrage of new…

● A Good Snowman Monsters get a bad rep, mostly because of their tendency to go GRAARHHH and eat people. Not this one – it just wants to build snowmen. The snag: all the snow sits inside claustrophobic gardens surrounded by hedges. To make the snowmen, you must carefully plot out the routes required to roll perfect balls of icy goodness. Snowy Sokoban, then, but with buckets of wintry charm. £4.99 / Android ● £5.99 / iOS ● Grand Mountain Adventure Given its title, you might expect a climbing game here – in fact, the only ‘climbing’ is on ski lifts. Mostly, you zoom down slopes… but this is no simple slalom. Each mountain invites you to explore and complete challenges to win more lift passes. Just be aware when you…

Wiz Mobile Portable Light What’s the story? This is a simple indoor wireless lamp with a rechargeable battery and a nice soft handle for carrying around your home. Control it using your phone or voice assistant, or via the touch panel. The headline feature here is its flexibility with colours: it can throw out endless combinations of soft light and colourful gradients. Impressively, it claims 50,000 switch cycles and should last 25 years (!) if you use it for 2.7hrs per day. Is it any good? This isn’t a living-room lamp like the other two, but that doesn’t make it any less useful around the house. The handle is, well, handy, and the robust master switch on the bottom is easy to find in the dark. The only downside with…

£430 / go.stuff.tv/AcePro ■ The Ace Pro has a touch-based interface: you tap on-screen icons to bring up various menus and tool-tips, and swipe to access recorded content and settings. It’s fairly intuitive – but there are also gesture and voice controls, or you can use the app. ■ 4K video is sharp with a good balance of colours, but it doesn’t blow its competitors out of the water. Low-light footage is much softer, and you may notice strange artefacts caused by movement; still, it’s a good effort – the best I’ve seen from a standard action camera to date. ■ The FlowState stabilisation is more than sufficient. With three ‘strengths’, plus a Horizon Lock mode that works to 45° during regular video capture and 360° in FreeFrame mode, it…

Nikon Z8 What’s the story? This is a natural successor to the D850 and an exciting upgrade for Nikon fans. It’s the tenth Z-mount camera, and the seventh with a full-frame sensor, featuring all the power of the flagship Z9 in a smaller, cheaper body. It’s at least 400g and £1000 less than its big sibling, but still sizeable if you travel a lot. The Z8 is almost hard to recommend for one genre as it excels for all. You get a stacked 45.7MP sensor and RAW file capture at up to 20fps, which increases to 120fps at 11MP resolution. Nikon has removed the mechanical shutter entirely, making it utterly silent and discreet in all situations. Videographers can record 8K at 30fps for over an hour, which is enough for…

from £1399 / go.stuff.tv/iMacM3 DAY 01 Apple’s MacBooks might only be available in dull ‘computery’ hues like black and silver, but 2023’s sleek new desktop marries the colour explosion from the original iMacs of the late 1990s with a modern skinny frame. Apple has sent me a blue unit that’s not so much tropical azure as ‘sea on a cloudy day’ on the chin, with a more vibrant shade around the back. It’s also available in green, pink and silver (for boring people), plus yellow, orange and purple if you splash out on one of the 10-core GPU models… which is what I’ve got sitting in front of me. It’s worth seeing them in front of you before you part with your cash; but whichever one you opt for, they…

ON SALE 19 JAN DON’T MISS OUT! Pay the normal shop price and get the next issue delivered direct to your door ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK OR CALL NOW ON 01959 543747 Terms and conditions apply. UK delivery costs £2.75. Order by 8 Jan; you should receive your copy around 19 Jan. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change. *Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…

HOT BUY 1 Sony WH-1000XM5 £315 / go.stuff.tv/WHXM5 Nobody was able to displace Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones from the top of this list for two years… yet the latest model manages to be even better. Key to the XM5s’ overall quality is the new carbon-fibre composite 30mm drivers: they bring even greater clarity than the previous generation, and the sound reproduction is beautifully precise. The simple fact is that these are the best noise-cancellers around by almost every measure. You really won’t regret buying them. Stuff says Sony keeps its grip on the top spot with an unrivalled combo of great sound, ANC and comfort 2 Sennheiser Momentum 4 £279 / go.stuff.tv/SM4 These are headphones that sound naturalistic, engaged and entirely musical, making every recording sound like an event. And they’ll…

Now yer talking. This one had a proper keyboard, unlike your newfangled phones. Yes – and that was a big deal at the time. The BlackBerry 850 was tiny, yet had all the keys you needed to rapidly smash out messages – even if you did sometimes wish you could file your fingers down to points. Still, that was better than mashing numbers on a Nokia until it revealed the right letter, or braving its terrifying autocorrect system. In fact, the 850 even excelled there: you could quickly craft custom entries, for example to expand ‘mon’ to ‘Monday’. Just as well. Business sorts don’t have time to waste on typing extra letters, you know. Which is probably why they gravitated to what was, in reality, a souped-up pager. It was…

£299/wiimhome.com WiiM’s new streaming amplifier might look like a knock-off Mac Mini, but it has big potential ● You WiiM again Amplifiers with built-in streaming skills will often set you back the best part of a grand (or more), which is just one of the things that makes WiiM’s new offering very enticing indeed. For just £299, this compact box needs nothing more than a pair of passive speakers and it’s good to go – perfect if you have hi-fi separates that are feeling old-fashioned but there’s nothing wrong with your speakers. With its diddy dimensions – the WiiM Amp is a bit taller but has almost exactly the same footprint as an Apple Mac Mini – it’ll also significantly reduce how much space your setup hogs. ● The WiiMer…

WE’VE GOT AN ETA FOR GTA, AND IT’S A LONG WAY AWAY Grand Theft Auto VI has finally been announced – but you’re going to be waiting a long time to actually play it. Set in Vice City and the wider Leonida area – Rockstar’s fictional versions of Miami and Florida – it’s not due to be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S until 2025. GOVEE STRIPS OFF FOR BETTER BACKLIGHT ACTION Want to add Ambilight-esque skills to your non-Philips television? Govee’s new TV Backlight 3 Lite (£90) has stick-on LED strips long enough for 55in-65in tellies, and a camera with improved fisheye correction that’ll happily balance on top of even the thinnest set. IKEA COMES TO ITS SENSORS WITH THREE NEW BARGAINS Ikea has added three new sensors…

Beeper Mini Android/£1.99/m Android users have long been made to feel like second-class citizens by Apple’s refusal to let them join the iMessage party, marking them out to iPhone owners with those telltale green text bubbles. But now their cellular shame could be over. The geeks at Beeper have dissected iMessage to figure out how it works and then reproduced everything in their own app. That means Android owners can send blue-bubble messages, join group chats and all the rest – and the iOS user at the other end will have no idea they’re talking to a grotty little Android oik. By the time you read this Apple might’ve shut the whole thing down, but the devs say they’re confident their app doesn’t break any laws. The plan is to…

Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 Despite spending a healthy (enough) amount of time in gyms, I’d never really considered the need for a dedicated gym training shoe. But after spending some time with the TriBase Reign 5, I can appreciate the benefit of the added support – especially if you’re into lifting heavy weights. These shoes feel quite stiff to begin with, but they loosen up after a few good sessions. The rubber outsole is extremely grippy, and wraps around the outside for added durability. Some of the rubber is designed to grip during rope climbs, but I wasn’t able to test this (which was, in all honesty, a blessed relief). That lattice-style WARP upper holds the feet really securely during squats, lifts, jumps and so on, and is very…

NOW ADD THESE C-Skins Wired 5mm Gloves Keeping your extremities warm will enable a more comfortable and enjoyable swim in cold water. These neoprene gloves will keep you warm and agile thanks to their ace craftsmanship. £55 / c-skins.com Orca Hydro Booties These booties provide maximum insulation for feet while swimming. The thermal lining provides warmth and prevents chafing, while the separated toes help them stay in place. £39 / orca.com Adidas Terrex Rain.Rdy Expedition Duffel Bag Large Stash your swim kit and lots more besides in this 100L duffel. Built with polyester ripstop for durability outdoors, it’s water-repellent. £160 / adidas.co.uk MORE AQUATIC ASSISTANCE VOITED OUTDOOR CHANGING ROBE & DRYCOAT Drycoats are amazing for outdoor swimmers: use one to get changed privately and to warm up afterwards. This oversized…

■ Cam up and see me With no viewfinder, taking photos can be a bit hit-and-miss. There’s a detachable ring in the box that can be used for basic framing (and as a handle), but you’ll have to compensate for the fact that it sits higher than the lens’s eyeline. ■ Take it as it cams The shutter button is at the back, with a tiny flash and a speaker grille flanking the lens at the front and a power button up top. There’s no selfie mirror… but it would have been so tiny you can see why Fuji didn’t bother. from £90 / go.stuff.tv/Pal ■ With no film to load or settings to tweak, or even a viewfinder to frame your shots, the Instax Pal is little more than…

HOT BUY 1 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max from £1199 / go.stuff.tv/15ProMax This is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. The camera revisions are great, USB-C was long overdue but is fantastic now it’s here, and the action button is genuinely useful. It’s probably only worth upgrading from last year’s equivalent if you’re desperate for the USB-C port, but there’s no denying this Max lives up to its name. Stuff says Just a solidly sensible advance, but the new camera smarts are an absolute joy ● NOW ADD THIS Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 This solid MagSafe charging dock lets you top up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. £100 / belkin.com ● TIPS & TRICKS ● Select Optimised Battery Charging to limit top-ups to 80%, keeping your battery in prime…

HOT BUY 1 Apple Watch SE from £219 / go.stuff.tv/WatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch, even without the £40 price-drop prompted by the arrival of the Series 9. 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 9 it’s hard to tell them apart without getting right up close. Note also that your SE will now be carbon-neutral if you take it with a Sport Loop. Stuff says Offers most of the full Apple Watch experience for a whole lot less cash 2 Garmin Fenix 7 from £399 / go.stuff.tv/Fenix7 If your budget…

HOT BUY 1 Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £110 / 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. £170 / screwfix.com ● TIPS & TRICKS ● The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. ● Pair…