Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i T3 Australia

LET’S GET PHYSICAL The Fitbit Ionic is designed for working out, with three physical (and slightly raised) buttons on the watch enabling you to utilise smart features mid-workout. The Ionic handles smartphone notifications, too SPLASH THE CASH Fitbit’s new fitness smartwatch features Fitbit Pay, with which you can pay for goods straight from the wrist. Fitbit Pay is based on tech devised by Coin, with Visa, Mastercard and American Express all supported Nice watch. What’s the story here? This is the Fitbit Ionic, a GPS fitness smartwatch created especially for breaking a sweat. It has a lightweight body and breathable elastomer strap, a large, full-colour display and three physical buttons – there to make the watch more driver-friendly during a punishing high-impact session. I like to swim. Does the Ionic?…

Universal remotes aren’t particularly new or sexy. Sure, they enable you to use one remote to control your entertainment gear, but Logitech’s Harmony Elite remote takes things a huge step further. Not only does it corral devices like your TV, Blu-ray player, Xbox, and any other electricals you might have in your lounge, it also ties together your smart home gadgets too, enabling you to control them from the very same remote. Included in the box is the Harmony Hub: a device which connects to your Wi-Fi and gives the remote access to your connected gadgets. So, as well as turning on your hi-fi, you can use the remote to light up your home courtesy of your Philips Hue smart lights, or start a favourite playlist via your Sonos system.…

Smartphones are hella distracting during study, especially when loaded with games and social feeds. Consider using apps like OffTime, ClearLock or Forest to limit phone usage for set periods, or a browser extension such as WasteNoTime to block social and news sites on your computer. During study, it also pays to stay  well-fuelled. The Australian Government’s Nutrient Reference Values site recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses (approx 2.1 - 2.6 litres) of water a day to support proper bodily functions – Joseph Joseph’s Dot Hydration Tracking Water Bottle ($21.95) is an affordable way to track water intake. Eating a nutritionally balanced lunch will also power your study sessions. Make this easy with the Prepd Pack (US$69/$89.83), a smart lunchbox that calculates the nutritional content of your food. Save your eyes…

BEST TV THE CONTENDERS Panasonic EZ950 World-beating colour fidelity is the name of the EZ950’s game. In fact, this is one of the best sets for reproducing lush colours and putting in a stellar near-black performance. Panasonic’s EZ950 UHD TV has a wide-ranging smart TV platform, too, meaning you can watch anything while enjoying sumptuous picture quality. LG W7 A serious contender at this year’s T3 Awards, the 4K HDR10 LG W7 comes with a hefty price tag but puts in a hefty performance to compensate. LG’s ‘wallpaper’ TV boasts a semi-flexible 2.75mm- thin screen and produces cinema-quality surround sound thanks to a Dolby Atmos-capable external speaker system. Samsung Q7 Is QLED really a match for OLED? Samsung reckons so, putting its money on the attractive Q7, a 4K Ultra…

SNAP TO IT The rear packs dual-lens 12MP cameras, while the front is 8MP. 4K recording is included, naturally, and you can take 9MP stills from the rear camera at the same time as recording in 4K PENNED IN The S Pen has a fine nib and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, for the phone artists out there, and is well integrated into the operating system. It slides away into the Note 8 when not in use BATTERY CHECK The screen is pretty much the same as the S8’s, including a lush 2960x1440 resolution and HDR video support MAKING MEMORY The Note 8 comes with 64GB of storage, but can take microSD cards up to 256GB, in case you need to add more Okay, look, as much as we want…

APPLE IMAC 27-INCH Over two years old, but that screen is still drool-inducing. Apple uses more modern processing hardware than Microsoft, yet a similarly specced 5K iMac is at least 25 per cent cheaper than a Studio. From $2,699, apple.com/au HP ENVY CURVED 34” ALL-IN-ONE An absolutele monstrous screen with an impressive 3440x1440 resolution, this AiO could also replace your TV. CPU power is impressive, but GPU options are lacking. From $3,699, hp.com.au WACOM CINTIQ 27QHD TOUCH Arguably the benchmark for pen and touch input. What its 27-inch 2560x1440 display lacks in pixel density, it makes up for with ten-bit colour. Just one issue: computer not included. From $3,699, store.wacom.com…

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II All your favourite characters return yet againto shoot the snot out of each other. Get excited for the rather ace space combat $99.95; PC, PS4, Xbox One CALL OF DUTY: WWII Cue D-Day landings, exploding trees of an artillery bombardment, and French village shootouts. The action is direct, the spectacle impactful $99.95; PC, PS4, Xbox One DESTINY 2 Space wizards return in this online-only multiplayer sci-fi blaster. Pretty, meaty feedback, but the real hook is the loot system that encourages one more play $99.95; PC, PS4, Xbox One LAWBREAKERS Ballistic, gravity-defying action that will also test your understanding of geometry and physics. Probably the most original shooter going $44.95; PC, PS4…

Free(with IAP), Google Play / Apple Store If you have seven minutes to spare, you can change your body and your fitness levels using nothing more than a chair, a wall, and the willpower to work out once a day for seven months. That’s the premise behind Seven, an app which turns exercises into a game. You start your fitness journey with three lives. Miss a workout, and you’ll lose one; miss three workouts in a month, and you’ll need to start from the beginning. Each workout is clearly described and illustrated, with audible and vibrational prompts which help you switch between periods of exercise and rest. With achievements to earn and plenty of ways to monitor your progress, it’s very easy to get sucked into the Seven plan –…

THE SUPER SIX Smartphones 01 SAMSUNG GALAXY S8/S8 EDGE  samsung.com/au PRICE From $1,148.99 The S8 is a leap forward for phones. It looks amazing, runs like a dream, and is packed with fantastic features. T3 SAYS A stunning design, powerful, gorgeous screen… Samsung nailed it. 02 SONY XPERIA XZ PREMIUM  sonymobile.com/au PRICE $899 An amazing 4K HDR screen, brilliant camera with 960FPS slo-mo recording, and speedy processor make this one advanced phone. T3 SAYS Want the coolest and latest tech in your phone? Sony’s got you covered. 03 APPLE iPHONE 7/7 PLUS  apple.com/au PRICE From $1,079 Water resistance, great haptic feedback and an amazing camera set-up are brilliant features on Apple’s stunning new releases. T3 SAYS If you can get past the lack of a headphone socket, you have a…

What is it? It’s Google’s attempt to pull in cable-cutters with a subscription-based TV service, streaming more than 40 big-name networks to US customers who’ve dumped their cable packages, or just those looking for more convenience from their telly-watching. So this is cable by another name, yeah? Basically, yes. YouTube TV omits much of the chaff of traditional cable packages, opting to partner with major networks such as USA Network, ABC, Fox, ESPN and NBC to  bring quality programming to viewers. It streams directly to an app on smart TVs and other kinds of device. Each account allows for six concurrent users, so a single US$35 monthly subscription should cover a whole house. What else does it do? It will include a Cloud DVR for recording programmes for later viewing,…

THE SUPER SIX Home audio 01 EDIFIER LUNA ECLIPSE  edifier.com PRICE $295.95 Slim, with a cool curvy design and vibrant piano finishes, these wireless bookshelf speakers are a stone-cold bargain – they sound richer and more precise than much more expensive competition. T3 SAYS Cool design, impeccable audio. 02 B&O BEOLIT 17  beostore.com.au PRICE $749 The Danes have done it again with this smart-looking, awesome-sounding portable speaker. Made of aluminium and leather, it feels worth its hefty price tag, and definitely sounds it, too. T3 SAYS Luscious 360-degree sound. 03 DEVIALET GOLD PHANTOM  en.devialet.com PRICE $4,690 With spectacular sound and stunning looks, the Gold Phantom is a technical marvel, but you’ll need two to make the most of the experience – a snip at $4,690 each. T3 SAYS A thing of…

GripGrab Roadster With an engineered gel palm – dubbed ‘Doctorgel’ – that’s only 2mm thick at points, GripGrab’s gloves cushion your hands from vibration while the lightweight mesh rear is translucent enough that your hands will tan. € 44.95 ($68.14), gripgrab.com Mavic Ksyrium Pro Designed to keep your hands awake on those long rides, thanks to a good amount of 6mm foam in the palm that doesn’t sacrifice feel. They’re incredibly well ventilated on the top, too, so you have no excuse not to keep up. $69.99, mavic.com Giro Monaco II Now these are posh. Soft white sheeps-leather palms; gel padding courtesy of Giro’s own Technogel to absorb impacts and distribute pressure; breathable mesh fabric. If we wore them they’d be…

And there has been a good number of game changers, evolutions and revolutions that have kept us talking and arguing over what deserves the highest accolades. Components have shrunk, are cheaper than ever and are being implemented in better and creative ways, making our world even more connected. What you’d consider to be the traditional foundations of the smart home are rapidly being expanded with more interesting gadgets and tech, and our awards hopefully showcase that. We’ve also interviewed a legend of the music world and tech pioneer who gave us his thoughts on where technology can lead us – without spoiling the surprise you can read more from page 40. With the future in mind, check out our feature on tech to make you smarter (p35) that’s packed with…

SMART HOME HUB Built-in Bluetooth 4.2 tech enables you to listen to your favourite music, audiobooks and more from a range of smart devices. One-touch NFC pairing makes connecting easy. You can also turn the Sony LF-S50G into a smart home hub, controlling your smart lights, heating and other compatible connected home gear SMALL YET SHAPELY Sony’s LF-S50G leans on 2017’s popular cylindrical speaker shape (see also: HomePod). It’s relatively small, with a 110mm diameter, but also reasonably heavy at 750g. Underneath its mesh exterior shines an LED clock display Let me guess... It’s another smart speaker, right? We know there’s a few around right now, but the LF-S50G is worth your time. You see, Sony’s new voice-controlled smart speaker features built-in Google Assistant and is designed to create 360°…

ACCESS ACTIVITIES In the Harmony mobile app, select the menu option in the top corner. From here select Harmony Setup > Add/Edit Devices & Activities and finally tap on Activities. By default there aren’t any activities saved in this area, so now you can add some. ADD ACTIVITIY The Harmony app will suggest activities based on the kind of devices you’ve already added. If you’ve added a TV, you can select the Watch TV activity in the list. Alternatively, tap the Add your own activity option and you can create a new one suitable for you. CHOOSE DEVICES After you select an Activity, choose the devices to associate with it.  Then, for each device, choose the input to use when they switch on. Once finished you can use an Activity…

GREAT ACCESS GOOGLE DRIVE Boost productivity with Google’s free storage space. Work on Docs  and Sheets on the move, and access G Drive-saved coursework from any device. Free, App Store, Google Play GOOD TIMING CLEAR FOCUS Work smarter, not harder, with this Pomodoro method time-management app. It’ll divide your study  sessions into 25-minute blocks, each followed by a five-minute break. Free, App Store, Google Play ONE FOR LATER POCKET Don’t get distracted by cat videos when you should really be  studying. Store articles, videos and more in Pocket’s smartphone ‘folder’ for reading later. Free, App Store, Google Play…

“The whole analogue/digital thing… I don’t really give a shit.  Analogue isn’t ‘better’, nor  is digital; it’s just different. All that matters is the sound that you make” Gary Numan brought synths and dark lyrics about tech to the late ’70s charts, to a mixture of wild excitement and, it must be said, a fair bit of hostility. He’s since sold millions of records, and influenced everything from the hip-hop scene to Nine Inch Nails to, erm, the Sugababes. T3: How did people react to you using synths and singing about technology, back in the late ’70s? GN: Very different to now. I remember when the stuff first came out the resistance to it was… striking. People were really hostile, y’know? I think people actually saw it as a dangerous…

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8+ With a similarly large 6.2-inch screen, at the same high resolution, and with a great camera, and snappy processor, if you like the Note’s size but don’t care about the pen, save $250 and get this. From $1,149, samsung.com/au LG V30+ LG’s new flagship packs a hefy 6-inch screen in a light 158g body that has a super-slim bezel, with dual cameras, fast Snapdragon 835 processor, and audiophile-grade sound capabilities for music lovers. $1,199, lg.com/au APPLE IPHONE X Cupertino’s epic new supersized handset rivals the Note 8 perfectly, with its almost-bezel-free 5.8-inch display. It’s got a similar dual-camera setup, and Face ID for hands-free logging in. From $1,579, apple.com…

Kindle Oasis IT’S THE WORLD’S MOST OPULENT EREADER, BUT IS THE OASIS ALL SHOW, NO SUBSTANCE? $389, AMAZON.COM.AU DESIGN The Kindle Oasis has a tapered handgrip for comfortable one-handed reading. The page-turning function is excellent, which is good because that smaller 6-inch 300ppi Paperwhite display with E Ink Carta doesn’t hold much text. FEATURES Amazon has introduced a dual-charging feature: the device holds power, as does the cover. There’s no blue light reduction, which could be an issue for night reading, but there are many useful learning tools aimed at boosting your word prowess. PERFORMANCE Featuring a 1GHz CPU plus 4GB of storage, the Oasis puts in a speedy performance, offering space for thousands of ebooks. It also has the more responsive touchscreen. The battery, when used with the charging…

01 EUCLIDEA Solve problems using Euclidean geometry, creating exact angles, bisections and perfect circles. It’s not really like schoolwork though. Free, App Store, Google Play 02 DOTS & CO Dots & Co adds a smattering of charming adventure and a stack of magical companions into the well-honed dot-joining puzzle formula. Free, App Store, Google Play 03 MINI METRO Link up stations and create transport lines to cart passengers around a virtual city. Keep everybody happy, and you’ll unlock tunnels, bridges and more. £4.99, App Store, Google Play 04 HOOK Retract the hooks without letting any of the lines touch. It isn’t a long game, or overly challenging, but it’s perfect for getting away from the world. 99p, App Store, Google Play 05 BRAIN IT ON! A collection of physics-based puzzles…

Native Union Dock+ While there’s a marble version available for $180, this aluminium and silicon dock – suitable for any device with a lightning port thanks to its multi-height connector and removable back plate – is plenty cool without the premium materials. Clean, simple and super-stylish. $89.95, nativeunion.com.au Aeroskull HD+ From Jarre Technologies – founded by French electronic music pioneer Jean Michelle Jarre – this imposing and slightly ridiculous charging skull hides a pair of 30 watt speakers behind its sunglasses and a 50 watt subwoofer in its rear. It’s certainly a statement piece – even more so in the chrome version. $1,000, musiclife.paris Belkin Powerhouse Ensure your Apple Watch never lets you down by charging it and your phone at the same time on this…

THE SUPER SIX Laptops 01 MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK WITH PERFORMANCE BASE  microsoftstore.com PRICE From $3,799 This 13.5-inch notebook is powerful for its size, has killer battery life, and a super screen that’s also a tablet. It’s fantastic. T3 SAYS Awesomely powerful and flexible. 02 DELL XPS 13  dell.com PRICE From $1,999 The XPS 13 is brilliantly designed and outperforms its rivals under the hood. The infinity display gives you the expanse of a 13.3-inch screen on an 11.9-inch laptop. T3 SAYS With its fantastic performance and build, it’ll serve you well for years to come. 03 APPLE MACBOOK PRO  apple.com/au PRICE From $2,699 Supremely powerful with loads of innovation, including USB-C and that brilliant Touch Bar... But come on Apple, give us back that glowing Apple logo! T3 SAYS The…

Anker SoundCore This 6W Bluetooth 4.0 speaker bar integrates a spiral bass port for extra depth in a tiny amount of space, and crams in some serious battery life, too – Anker claims it’ll run for a full day on a single charge. For the price, you won’t find much better. $99, anker.com Bose Soundlink Mini Imbued with Bose’s signature bassy sound quality and built to withstand the elements, the tiny, water-resistant Soundlink is the perfect companion for the beach, to take poolside, or just to bring outside in the glorious Australian summer. $249, bose.com.au Loewe Speaker 2go Impeccably designed, as you would expect from Loewe, with a USB port that lets it double as a portable charger, this 40W speaker pair…

CONNECT UP Before you get started, grab your phone and install the Harmony app, then choose ‘Setup new hub’. Now connect the hub to your mains power and wait for about 30 seconds. Once this time is up, the red LED at the front should be blinking. If not, press the reset button on the back to get it working. PAIR THE HUB Provided Bluetooth is turned on and your phone is connected to your Wi-Fi network, the Harmony app should automatically locate the Harmony hub and pair it with your phone. Once it does so, enter your Wi-Fi network password to connect the hub to it. Now log in to an existing Logitech account or create a new one. SET UP THE REMOTE Once you’ve logged in, Harmony will…

Setting up study camp on the kitchen table is fine, but can you concentrate with the kids running around, or if your roommate’s blasting out Megadeth? No, you need a quiet, dedicated space. It can be a table and  chair in the spare room, a home office or that bench desk in  your dorm room. Ensure you have a study lamp, enough space for your tablet or laptop, plus a monitor and keyboard if you want a bigger working area. If you’re taking your study space and tech with you, get a good backpack – there’s heaps on p72!…

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! 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…

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE Wide viewing angles and brightness uniformity are essential for a screen with so much tilt. We measured a 13 per cent brightness variation across the screen, but that’s rarely noticeable in real world use COOL RUNNINGS Notebook hardware may not be sexy, but the CPU and GPU’s low power draw keeps temps down. Steer clear of benchmarking software and fan noise is unobtrusive TAKE NOTE Bored of typing or tapping? Break out the Surface Pen and Windows 10’s handwriting recognition works amazingly well, though few will find it an indispensable feature POWER PLAY The Surface Dial, keyboard and mouse are all powered by regular AAA batteries. Thankfully, Microsoft didn’t opt for sealed-in rechargeable cells that could lose capacity over time DIALED IN You don’t need a Surface…

Free, Google Play Tout yourself as an amateur meteorologist? Tired of craning your neck to look at the sky? FlowX has you covered. It offers up access to a host of weather data from the next seven days in the form of an interactive, flowing weather map. Swipe your finger over the map, and you’ll nudge time forward or back, so you can see the projected progression of weather systems over your location. FlowX lets you get granular with your data – you can view a map showing a luridly coloured precipitation prediction, or mix it with things like cloud cover, wind speed, temperature, pressure and even, for the surfers among us, wave height. Graphs display these changes over time, giving you an at-a-glance look at the week to come,…

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 listed below. If something’s not included, we don’t rate it – it’s that simple. Each Super Six is ranked in order, so it’ll be easier for you to make an educated purchase. And to ensure your next shopping trip is as straightforward as possible, we’ve also included useful buying advice, so you’ll get exactly what you’re paying for the next time you open your wallet. Stay up to date with the latest gadget news and reviews online at techradar.com/au…

THE SUPER SIX TVs 01 HISENSE M7000  hisense.com.au PRICE FROM $1,098 Looking for a next-gen TV but don’t want to pay more than $1,500? Then step this way - the M7000 boasts a beautiful 4K HDR picture and comes with the essential 4K streaming app, Netflix. T3 SAYS A super screen on the cheap. 02 SAMSUNG UA65KS9000W  samsung.com/au PRICE $4,999 This flatscreen version of Samsung’s highest end SUHD television with its unique quantum dot technology provides LG’s OLED panels some stiff competition, especially when you factor in the price. T3 SAYS Those dots make a big difference. 03 SONY KD65X9300D  sony.com/au PRICE $4,999 Android TV is back with a vengance and the Sony’s latest addition to its Bravia Range includes a new set of High Dynamic Range TVs that perform…

GPD Win Ostensibly a gaming device – though its Cherry Trail Atom processor is mainly suited to streaming from Steam rather than running games directly – this 5.5” clamshell is nonetheless a laptop, with a tiny keyboard and mouse-emulating analogue stick. $452, gpd.hk GPD Pocket GPD again, this time with something that’s much more like a laptop. A workable 1920x1200 pixel 7” screen, a keyboard that’s just big enough to type on, and a MacBook-esque magnesium alloy shell that weighs only 480g. $665, gpd.hk Asus Transformer Mini Not the absolute smallest device, but arguably the most practical, and definitely small enough. The Transformer Mini is part tablet, part laptop, with a full HD 10.1” screen, a detachable keyboard cover and up to…

THE SUPER SIX Smartwatches 01 APPLE WATCH SERIES 2  apple.com/au PRICE From $529 Apple’s wearable now packs GPS, water resistance for swim tracking, and even more styles – not to mention the ace watchOS 3, which keeps everything ticking over. T3 SAYS Apple has nailed it this time – the Series 2 is the best smartwatch around. 02 APPLE WATCH  apple.com/au PRICE From $399 Recently superseded by the superior second generation watch, Apple’s original smartwatch still has a lot to offer, and it’s $130 cheaper than the newer version. T3 SAYS Loads of apps, acres of style - this is the smart way of joining the Watch club. 03 SAMSUNG GEAR S3  samsung.com/au PRICE $598.99 The gorgeous Super AMOLED screen returns, and with its clean aesthetics and rotating bezel the…