Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i T3

$199 (£162), www.mymotiv.com Wait, is this some techy version of the One Ring? Does it look like something forged in the fires of Mount Doom? No, fanboy, of course it isn’t. It’s a fitness and sleep tracker, not the One Ring to rule them all. Although, according to Motiv this is the only ring you’ll need to take your health and fitness to the next level. Sweet LOTR references, T3. I’m impressed. You’ll be even more impressed when you slip the Motiv Ring onto your finger – lightweight and slender at 8mm, this ring-shaped tracker packs in a beefy amount of tech. We’re talking an optical heart rate sensor, a custom li-ion battery, Bluetooth Smart syncing tech, a three-axis accelerometer and tri-coloured LED indication for charging and data syncing. So…

$716 (£573), getremarkable.com What’s this then, T3 ? It’s a digital journal. A connected sketchpad. An upmarket e-reader. The blank canvas for that novel you’re longing to write. The ReMarkable is a tablet with a paper-esque, glare-free display called Canvas, which combines E Ink Carta tech with ultra-thin, high-friction surface materials to deliver a premium reading, writing and sketching experience. Sounds fancy. So I can draw and scribble all over it? Yes, but not with your jumbo crayons; the ReMarkable pre-order bundle comes with The Marker, a stylus that enables you to quickly put black digi ink on digi paper. The tip has been designed with the optimum amount of friction to replicate a pen-on-paper experience, and you don’t need to set it up via Bluetooth or even charge it.…

the reader Darren Wicks Darren has just landed a new job that involves a 50-minute train commute. He’s looking for some tech treats that’ll keep him entertained and help him to do some work on the move. THE EXPERT Robert Jones T3.com’s Features Editor knows a thing or two about tech. He also spends a good deal of his time on the move, so he’s your man to suggest some commuter-friendly kit. 01 Topo Designs X Chaco Rover Pack You need reliable storage for your tech when you’re on the train or bus, which is why something like the lush Rover Pack should be high on your list. Rocking a classic silhouette, a robust internal sleeve and pockets for laptops, tablets, phones and more, this durable backpack is a commuter’s…

What is it, Guru? It’s an AI robot for your car. One that looks like someone’s hacked a bit off Short Circuit’s Johnny 5. So will it dr ive my car for me? Nothing quite that complex. You’ll need to wait a few years for that sort of thing to hit Kickstarter (after all, Tesla is only just cracking it!). This is, essentially, a car-bound analogue of Amazon’s Echo. Stick it on top of your dashboard and you can go all Michael Knight, shouting at it when you want to roll your tunes, read or reply to your messages, and a whole load more. How much more? Quite a lot. It’s not only analogous to the Echo, y’see. Dashbot has, at the time of writing, just managed to secure actual…

The sad truth is, your beloved dog hates being left on its own at home all day while you’re out at work. Or maybe you’ve struck lucky with a pooch that doesn’t mind some alone time... so long as they’re free to chew the sofa or dig up a house plant. Either way, getting eyes on the situation can help. That’s where the Furbo comes in. Designed by a team of vets and animal trainers, this app-controlled smart dog camera enables you to watch and talk (hello, built-in mic and speaker) to your dog while you’re away from home. Via the Furbo smartphone app (iOS 8+, Android 4.1+) you can view a live stream of your pet’s antics and have a two-way ‘conversation’. Even better, the Furbo has a refillable…

three-sy does it 01 Razer Project Valerie Multi-monitor set-ups are nothing new. However, what is new in 2017 is portable systems rocking them, enabling extra-wide viewing experiences to be taken anywhere. Razer’s CES -unveiled Project Valerie is a good example of this new wave of multi-monitor portables, with the powerful gaming laptop ingeniously squirreling away two auxiliary displays behind its central screen. When the three 4K IGZO displays are all extended and operating together, they deliver a total screen resolution of 11,520 x 2,160. Wowzers. www.razerzone.com Household robots will happen 02 Kuri Smart Robot Whether or not 2017 is the year that robots finally go mainstream we’re still not sure. However, they’re still being developed and put to market in record numbers. The cute Kuri robot, which was designed by…

1 Netat mo PRESENCE This stylish security cam has the neat ability to differentiate between people, animals and cars, meaning you’ll always know who’s coming and going. It doubles as a rather powerful outside light, and installs into existing wiring with very few problems. £250, netatmo.com 2 Yale Smart HoM E kit For the ultimate in smart security, get yourself this Yale kit, comprising a brain-shattering 104dB alarm (with a key pad), a sensor, PIR cameras, and a smart hub and app to control it all. You can remotely arm and disarm with a simple swipe in the iPhone or Android app. £599, yale.co.uk 3 HIVE SENSORS If someone opens your window or door when you’re not at home, you want to know about it, right? Well, that’s exactly what…

Not just a budget UHD screen, but the cheapest Freeview Play 4K TV yet Th is well-specified UHD set promises HDR tech for less than you might imagine £499, www.finlux.co.uk Design With its wraparound chrome trim and shiny plastic feet, this 48-inch unit tries valiantly to look up-market. Connectivity is posh enough. All four HDMI inputs are 4K HDCP 2.2-ready, so you can upgrade your AV system with impunity. Features Freeview Play is the star attraction here. It mixes regular Freeview with internet delivered on-demand, via a roll-back programme guide, for fuss-free catch-up. There’s also Netflix 4K but (at the time of writing) no Amazon Video. Performance There’s no fancy image processing on board, but UHD sources look reassuringly sharp. T3 tip: for the best 4K quality, make sure the…

RESIDENT EVIL 7 The latest Resi is set on a derelict plantation in ‘murica (yikes!). This won’t be Resi of old, but will feature demented hillbillies and ghosts. It’ll also be VR-ready, so expect to be terrified. PREY Bethesda’s space-themed, dark-action, first-person RPG, Prey (no relation to the canned Prey 2) is set to take the gaming world by storm, pitting you against a space-station filled with aliens. Oh joy. RED DEAD REDEMPT ION 2 Sometime in autumn (hopefully), fans of the Wild West sandbox shooter will get another stab at the genre, with new features like a stunning open world and long-awaited multiplayer action. TEKKEN 7 Fans of the long-running beat-’em-up should salivate at the idea of a console release of the hugely popular Japanese arcade game. It’ll feature…

Sandisk iXpand Flash Drive With an included app that plays any store videos, and a neat curled design which keeps it in place when it’s connected to your iPhone, this is a great way to keep a media library handy without filling your internal storage. From £43.69 (64GB), sandisk.com Apple Lightning to SD card reader Although it’s mainly useful for backing up your device, the Lightning to SD card reader is a cheap way to back up photos and videos, particularly if you already own a high-capacity card. £29, apple.com/uk RAVPower FileHub Plus Why expand your iPhone’s capacity with something directly connected to your phone? The FileHub Plus sits on your Wi-Fi network, accepts Micro SD storage, enables you to back up, and deals with transferring files whenever you’re in…

Pyle Street Blaster Pyle reckons that this cylinder of fun can pump out an impressive 1,000 watts, which is quite a boast! It’s true that it goes very loud, though, and it also includes a huge lithium battery so you can blast the streets for hours. £226, pyleaudio.com ION Flash Cube It’s not as imposing as some, but this one has lights! You can set the LEDs inside to any colour you like, and they’ll pulsate in time with the music. Built-in music controls add flexibility, and you can pair two Cubes wirelessly for stereo output. £99, ionaudio.com Tunes2Go KoolMax This isn’t just a rocking boombox or a capacious drinks cooler – you can also use it to charge your USB devices. There’s even a 12-volt cigarette-lighter adapter on board.…

You 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 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! THE SUPER SIX 01 Nuu Mobile N5L www.nuumobile.com PRICE £99.99 Stuck on Android Lollipop it may be, but this budget smartphone from Nuu has it where it counts: 4G LTE connectivity, a hefty 5.5-inch screen and a…

Rob Carney Editor Rob is very much into the resurgence of vinyl, and he had to have a brilliant set-up, of course. His Rega Planar 3 lets him listen to ‘The Best of The Beatles’ in epic style. Luke O’Neill art editor Luke has been full steam ahead this month, juggling the never-ending holiday deadlines. The only thing getting him through this busy time is the amazing gadgets coming soon (p48) Robert Jones FEATURES EDI TOR, T3.COM This month, Robert reviewed a load of top tech for T3.com, including the impressive LucidSound LS20 Amplified Gaming Headset, as well as writing our massive ‘next big gadgets of 2017’ feature. Nick Odantzis DEPUTY Editor Nick’s only new year’s resolution for 2017 was to actually have no new year’s resolutions at all. But…

£279, metersmusic.com Er, T3, your headphones appear to have swallowed some kind of guitar amp. Yes, if an Ashdown amplifier were to fornicate with a pair of retro cans, this would be the offspring. Why Ashdown? Because it’s the sister company to Meters Music, so there’s some serious engineering pedigree here. Those meters look cool and all, but do they actually do anything? What, you mean besides looking like something The Allman Brothers would’ve rocked in the Seventies? Well, in actual fact, the VU meters sat on each cup do have a practical use. They work in tandem with the volume of the music being played, so the louder the music, the higher the needle goes. Ok, but what’s the benefit to me? Keeping an eye on those meters could…

There’s this sinister idea about tech that’s very popular right now. It’s that tech brands – primarily Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon – know everything about us. They track our every click and like, to build up a profile of our buying habits, political affiliations, social attitudes and sex lives. They know all. Mainly, they use this knowledge to show us other things we might like, and, to put it bluntly, sell us stuff. Uh-huh. Well, if that’s the case, I’d just like to raise a few queries about the targeted advert Facebook showed me this month: the one with two massive wangers on it. Yup, there I was, browsing through my timeline when I was shown a ‘sponsored suggested post’ - or ‘advert’, as I quaintly like to call…

01 Parkray Asp ect 5 Slimline Stove Designed to sit upon a shallow hearth, this real wood-burning stove offers full views of the flames flickering inside. Energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective, it brings warmth and cosiness to any room. From £899, www.ludlowstoves.co.uk 02 Robert Welch Helix Hurricane Lamp Robert Welch’s DNAinspired lamp has three flowing stainless-steel arms that enclose a thermal-resistant glass cylinder. The light cast from the candle inside creates an impression of perpetual movement on the steel. Fancy stuff. £60, www.robertwelch.com 03 Lighthouse Cocktail Shaker This super-shiny replica of the lighthouse shakers made during the Prohibition era in the States (so that the police wouldn’t spot ’em) is crafted from silver-plated brass and overlaid with nickel. Go on, give it a shake. £175, www.hicksandhicks.com 04 Mackenzie-Childs Courtly Check Stockpot…

There’s something fun as well as emotionally supportive about the Fitbit – this, after all, is the device that encourages you to calm down and take a few deep breaths. On top of the standard on-tracker notifications for fitness goals reached, Fitbit emails you weekly stats. We liked getting, “112 lifetime kilometres; you just matched the distance of March Of The Penguins”. And you get a skydiver badge after climbing 1,000 floors. The Fitbit app is excellent, with easy set-up via a walkthrough video. The charger is the most practical and fuss-free, and the battery should last over four days (Fitbit claims five). On the downside, it’s not waterproof, and there’s no battery indicator or GPS. It does a decent job, but it’s outshone by the other two. The Garmin’s…

How we test… Aerial ace DJI’s new drone is a moviemaker’s dream come true p82 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…

£329, katchspeaker.com They’ve been crafting high-end speakers from their Nørager premises since 1983, and Dali’s latest work of art is the Katch – a Bluetooth speaker that serves up style and stomp in equal measures. It’s surprising how few manufacturers get style right, with most portable Bluetooth speakers resembling either a black brick or a white computer speaker from the Eighties, but Dali smashes it. The Katch comes in three colours – Dark Shadow, Cloud Gray or Green Moss – and, dodgy Zoolanderesque names aside, all three are deliciously swish – they’d all sit neatly alongside a wicker hamper and a bottle of fizz. The Katch is perfectly equipped for such outdoor occasions. Not only can you easily carry this slim unit in one hand (there’s a retractable leather strap…

Get involved We’d love to know about any tech you’ve bought. Tell us about it at inbox@t3.com – and please include a pic of yourself Penclic Mouse B3 revieWed by JOHN SALMON FROM SOUTH DEV ON £80, posturite.co.uk Why I bought it I run a brand-design company and when we moved into our new premises, we decided to upgrade our equipment to fit in with our swanky new surroundings. We’re big on health and wellbeing in the workplace, so Penclic’s Mouse B3 – which is designed to combat repetitive strain injury (RSI) – seemed like a worthwhile addition. What I like about it Its pen-grip design promotes a relaxed way of working – perfect for a creative environment such as ours, and also for alleviating repetitive strain. The mouse’s Bluetooth…

01 Sa morost 3 Meet magical creatures in a magical world in this puzzle game from the makers of the classic Machinarium. £3.99; App Store, Google Play 02 The Inner World TIW is a lovely-looking 2D pointand-click adventure that explores a monastery built in a strange world. £2.29; App Store, Google Play 03 Tales From Deep Space This looks like a platform game but it’s actually a puzzle game, serving up hours of educational fun for your kids. £2.99; App Store 04 Broken Age A beautiful animated puzzle game with an all-star cast, including Elijah Wood, Jack Black and Masasa Moyo. £3.99, App Store, Google Play (£4.79) 05Neve r Alone: Ki edition An atmospheric platform game developed in collaboration with the Iñupiat, an Alaskan native people. £3.99; App Store, Google…

ISSUE 265 / FEBRUARY 17 Stay up to date with the latest gadget news and reviews online at www.t3.com IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THE VERY BEST TECH AVAILABLE TODAY, YOU HAVE DEFINITELY COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. T3 Elite is the best gadget-buying guide you will 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, and the number-one product makes it into The Elite (p104), which is our pick of the 12 best products you can buy today. To make your next purchase as straightforward as…

What is this wizardry, T3? It’s that slight pause between you hitting a button on your game controller and your action registering on screen. Getting a picture up on that enormous panel takes a certain amount of processing time. Depending on the speed of your TV’s internals, the resolution you’re running, and the amount of processing being done to the picture, you could get a fairly significant amount of latency. OK, even at its worst it’ll be barely perceptible – perhaps not even noticeable at all – but if you’re playing fastpaced, twitchy games, it could mean the difference between a headshot and a complete miss. What can I do about it? Your TV most likely includes a ‘Game’ mode that you can manually activate. This is a way of…

Nixon Ultratide 45mm The Neon Yellow version of this surf watch makes a bold statement. It’s a rather smart cookie, too. You’ll get live updates on tides, swell, weather conditions and much more – powered by the surf data experts at Surfline – right on that enormous screen. £240, nixon.com Superdry Urban Cheap it may be, but the neon green of this Superdry analogue watch is impossible to ignore. We’re fond of the Urban’s oversized hands and soft silicone strap, too, and the three-hand Quartz movement is reliable. It’s a no-brainer if you can handle the dazzling colour. £24.99, superdry.com Swatch Popover No lairy wristwear selection could be complete without a Swatch. The Popover’s two-tone yellow and orange split, combined with its super wide, dual colour strap, looks awesome. The…

A bit of a badass The ESAVOX has been styled to represent the business end of a Lamborghini, with slash tail pipes, upward-firing intake ports and beautifully-curved pipes that wrap around the rear of the carbon Twill 245 3k monoque chassis. POWERFUL SOUNDS Like any good Lambo, this system is LOUD . Two side cabinets, housing a 6.5-inch and 8-inch speaker, stand either side, like a pair of doormen escorting the centrally-mounted 1-inch tweeters and 15-inch sub. TOTAL CONTROL Keeping all that volume in check are two stereo valve amps, one of which is devoted to feeding that bass-hungry monster of a sub, complimented by dual 24-bit DS Ps. ANY WAY YOU LIKE IT This system wouldn’t be T3-worthy if it was merely equipped with an AUX connection for your…

Of course, technology is always evolving – and we’re always at the forefront of it to share how it can make your life better. But I truly believe that 2017 will be one of the best years for gadgets yet. I mean, take a look at what we’ve seen at this year’s CES show (which happened last month in Las Vegas). The range of tech and gadgets was outstanding – from super-slim Ultra HD TVs to futuristic e-cars to the new robots that promise to automate your home. It’s a hugely exciting time, and we share with you our picks of the best gadgets for 2017 on p48. Speaking of controlling your home, this month in our new T3 Home section (p37), we focus on a very smart security cam.…

£224, www.vmall.eu/uk That’s a lot of phone for little cash. Am I missing something? Don’t let the budget price tag fool you – the Honor 6X is an Android powerhouse offering a raft of features to rival the big boys. We mean, just look at that stunning 5.5-inch curved glass HD screen and smooth metal styling, the rear fingerprint scanner and vertical dual lens camera. Dual lens? What’s the point of that? On the rear you’ll find one 12MP lens, plus an additional 2MP autofocus camera with a wide aperture range, enabling you to capture more depth in your photos and tweak the focus after the picture has been taken. There’s also an 8MP shooter on the front for endless selfie sessions or crystal clear Skype calls. I’m a mobile…

NEW SYST EM Download the app for your smartphone or tablet, open it up and sign in. To do this, you’ll have to create an account first. Once you’ve verified your email address, head to Blink and tap the Blink logo at the top of the screen. Then tap ‘Add A System’ and give your new system a name (for example, T3 Home). ADD MODULE Before you can start hooking up any cameras, you’ll need to install the Blink Sync Module – this will create a secure Wi-Fi network for them all to connect to. So tap the Sync Module in the lower left-hand corner of the app. Enter the serial number – you can find this on the back of the sync module. CONNECT TO WI-FI When the lights…

THE EXPERTS There’s nothing these lot don’t know about smart homes ROB CARNEY Editor of T3 and an expert on all things smart home, Rob is particularly interested in connected lighting, and gets all excited when his Hue lights flash when his doorbell rings NICK ODAN TZIS Paranoia has taken hold of deputy editor Nick, and therefore he’s become a smart home-security expert. He has no fewer than 11 connected cameras dotted around his house. CLAIRE DAVIES Sleep expert Claire knows all about wellbeing tech and keeping yourself healthy around the house. She also knows more than is healthy about kitchen gadgets! DUNCAN BE LL Lifestyle editor Duncan is a connectedhome – and multi-roomaudio – expert, and can advise on everything from setting up your Sonos to getting Amazon Echo…

There’s a risk that as the race for fitness-tracking features reaches Olympic levels, the devices become too cumbersome to be comfortable. Likewise, if they’re to be worn 24/7 for maximum tracking data, are they subtle enough for those who don’t want to shout about their calorie counting? The water-resistant Samsung Gear Fit2’s Super AMOLED screen is simply amazing for a tracker. It’s bright, colourful and intuitive, and can be customised with several watchface options. It’s also curved, which adds to its sleekness and viewability outdoors. The strap is soft, malleable and purr-invokingly comfy against the skin, and comes in small and large sizes. The unit is the lightest on test (by 1g), and you soon forget you’re wearing it. The Fit2 has two buttons, but the perfectly responsive touchscreen gets…

1st Samsung Gear Fit2 Price: £149 URL: samsung.com T3 rates: The price, colour touchscreen and general gorgeousness. It has plenty of substance to go with the style: it can do things that both other trackers and much pricier sportswatches can’t. T3 sl ates: Battery life could be improved, and the lack of iOS compatibility is a black mark against it. That said, the tracker holds so much info anyway, some people may feel they don’t need an accompanying app. T3 says: The sweet spot where design, features and performance collide to make beautiful podium fireworks. A true smart activity tracker. 2nd Garmin Vivosmart HR + Price: £169 URL: garmin.com t3 Rates: The amount of data is superb; great features. t3 Slates: The design is basic; the modes for non-runners are…

Gaming headsets have evolved massively over the last 15 years, thanks in part to the birth of Xbox live and the rise of online play. With modern games now featuring blockbuster-style sound effects, Dolby surround sound and positional audio, not having a decent pair will make all the difference between virtual life and death. You’ll want to replace those sub-standard bundled headsets from Microsoft and Sony with a dedicated set of cans, so here we present multi-platform options for those who do their gaming across all systems. If you’re in the market for a new pair, make sure you stick one of these on your bonce for total gaming gratification. 01 ONE FOR A COMFYFIT HyperX Cloud Revolver £99.99, hyperxgaming.com Although they’re a bit big, the HyperX Cloud Revolver cans…

THIS NEW APP FOR TURNING YOUR PHOTO S INTO ART MIGHT JUST STEAL THE THUNDER FROM OUR CURRENT FAVO URITE , PRISMA Apps like Prisma have demonstrated the potential for turning your photos into works of art. They’re fun and simple to use – and you don’t need an artistic bone in your body. Just take a photo, apply a preset filter, then watch as it becomes a work of art. And by “work of art”, we really mean “looks like a painting”. So you’re still going to have to take a decent photo if you want good results. Prisma was good, but it had flaws – it took ages to render your artwork, and sometimes it timed out because it had to contact the Prisma servers. Matissa (see…

Chronos 1.4C Tearing through its Kickstarter goal after impressing a host of YouTube nerds, this remarkable camera maxes out at 24,000fps and can pull off 1,500fps at 720p. It’s not the sexiest object, and it’s not cheap, but it’s crazily powerful. $2,500 (£2,019), www.krontech.ca Casio Exilim EX-ZR1700SR This top notch Casio camera with a pop-up selfie screen and 1,000fps shooting mode will serve you well at any event. OK so it can only pull off that mode at a tiny 224x64 resolution, but it also does proper 60fps 1080p recording. £260, www.casio.co.uk Sony Cybershot DS C-RX10 II This may be a bit of a step up in price from the Casio, but it’s a step up in performance too, offering 1,000fps at 1080p and 24fps 4K shooting. It’s also one…

Polybius Named after the urban legend arcade game that supposedly sent players insane, this frenetic tunnel-racer is an incredibly trippy creation. It probably won’t drive you mad, but Polybius is definitely a VR experience not to be missed. £TBC, www.minotaurproject.co.uk Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes In KTANE one poor soul, strapped into the PSVR headset, must defuse a bomb. Everyone else, equipped with tricky manuals, has to explain how to do it. Tense and hilarious in equal measure. £10.99, www.keeptalkinggame.com Rez Infinite The Dreamcast’s best railshooter returns with added bells and whistles. In Rez Infinite there’s ace 1080p visuals, flawless head tracking, full 7.1 surround-sound support and much more to enjoy. Blasting baddies to the beat has never been so immersive. £24.99, www.enhancegames.com…