Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i T3

PRO-JECT X1 Many of the items that make it onto our Showstopper page do so because of their striking looks. But this month’s entry is every bit as easy on the ear as it is on the eye. Back in 1991, when CDs were beginning to dominate the audio sphere, Pro-Ject went against the grain by unveiling a high-end turntable called the P1. Now, nearly 30 years on, the Austrian manufacturer has created a direct successor to that now-iconic design, using more modern materials and production methods. Handbuilt on a heavyweight MDF chassis with either a gloss black/white or premium walnut-wood veneer, the X1 boasts a minimalist aesthetic that’s infinitely modish. And its tech spec is equally sophisticated, with a light and stiff 8.6-inch tonearm; a carefully isolated motor that…

Allergies can wreak havoc with our wellbeing, especially by disturbing our sleep. Even though allergy season is right around the corner, there’s no need to panic if you have the right tech on your side. If you’re allergic to tree pollen, you may already notice the telltale signs, and grass pollen allergies will soon be causing sniffling and sleepless nights too. That’s why it’s important to rid your home of allergens, and your bedroom should be your top priority so that you can breathe easier and sleep better. The obvious place to start is with an air purifier. We love Dyson’s range, including the Dyson PureCool (from £399, dyson.co.uk). For something smaller and more budget-friendly, try the Levoit Vista 200 (£86, amazon.co.uk), a compact purifier that removes 99.97% of fine…

1 BREVILLE VKT111 HOTCUP Dial in the size of your mug, adjust the base to match, hit the button, and you get a cup of hot water. Just one, so there’s none of the wastage of boiling a kettle for a single cuppa, and with a 2L tank you won’t have to refill too often. Unless you really like tea. £65, breville.co.uk 2 DRINKWORKS THE DRINKMAKER If your cocktail skills have guests screwing up their faces while saying “no, really, it’s delicious” then Keurig’s Drinkworks offshoot is here to help. Booze-filled concentrate pods allow you to throw out precisely chilled and carbonated glasses of delight. £TBC, drinkworks.com 3 SAGE THE BAMBINO PLUS This doesn’t only look like a cute miniaturised version of a coffee shop machine – it actually is.…

1 KENWOOD COOKING CHEF The Kenwood Chef is a kitchen icon, a labour-saver that’s been helping us mix stuff for more than three generations. The Cooking Chef takes that to the next level, with an induction-heated bowl giving you everything you need from sauces to stir fries and casseroles to curries. Yum yum. £1,100, kenwoodworld.com 2 BRAAVA JET M6 Nobody likes mopping the floor, so iRobot’s detergent-firing swapping companion to the Roomba line is a true joy to have around – particularly because it can work out what’s carpet and what’s not in order to keep the water (and filth) exactly where it should be. £700, irobot.co.uk 3 AIRTHINGS WAVE PLUS Air quality in your home can make a big difference to your mental and physical health – particularly if…

1 MALIBU VAN CHARMING COUPÉ 600 DB The ultimate solution to roughing it outdoors, this palatial home-from-home sleeps two to three people in comfort, as well as providing all mod cons such as a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area. To paraphrase The Smiths, it would be all too easy to pamper life’s complexity in this charming van… from £48,200, malibu-carthago.com 2 COLEMAN 8 MAN BLUE OCTAGON DOME TENT The camping equivalent of the Tardis, the Coleman Octagon sleeps an epic eight people in a yurt-style tent, but can pull double duty as a festival tent with ease. The massive hinged doors and large windows bring the countryside in during the daytime, but zip up to keep things dark and bug-free overnight – a perfect all-rounder. £199.99, coleman.eu 3 VANGO STAGROVE…

1 BIOLITE PORTABLE SMOKELESS WOODBURNING FIREPIT There’s nothing like the smell of woodsmoke and cooking food after a long day outdoors, and the BioLite FirePit has an ingenious trick up its sleeve – no smoke. A rechargeable fan assembly gives you heat and light superfast, and you can even charge devices from the energy generated. £239.99, bioliteenergy.com 2 SNOW PEAK FIREPLACE KIT Truly the Swiss Army knife of portable fireplaces, the stainless steel Snow Peak goes from flat to fire in seconds. It’ll burn either cut logs or charcoal, and will cook with either too, thanks to a series of ingenious inserts and grill trivets. Fire it up and feast anywhere, anytime… £343, snowpeak.co.uk 3 WACACO PIPAMOKA A well-made cup of coffee is an essential start to any good day,…

1 Fitbit Versa 2 While Fitbit’s entrance into the fitness smartwatch market lagged a little behind its rivals Garmin and Apple, with the Versa series it has carved out its niche at the more affordable end of the market. Offering improved battery life, Alexa-integration and even Oxygen-level tracking, the Versa 2 has become the one to watch for the cash-conscious. But does it offer good value compared to more full-featured competitors? £169.99, fitbit.com SPECS DISPLAY 300 x 300 AMOLED BATTERY LIFE 5+ days CASE Aluminium DIMENSIONS 25.07x25.07x12.7mm WEIGHT 40g 2 Garmin Forerunner 945 When it comes to fitness tech, Garmin usually races ahead of the pack. And so it’s reasonable to expect its flagship running watch, the Forerunner 945, to leave rivals eating its dust. Certainly, with its great battery…

£599 vizio.com If you’ve already got a great 4K TV, the next big living room upgrade is audio, and Dolby Atmos is at the forefront of this. Dolby Atmos soundbars bounce sound off the ceiling, and create great 3D surround effects, but they tend to cost in the region of a grand. Not this one. The Vizio SB36512-F6 is an excellent Dolby Atmos soundbar that delivers a genuinely immersive soundstage from a compact and well-engineered package, consisting of a soundbar with upfiring speakers, a subwoofer and two rear satellite speakers. The looks might be boring, but the sound is anything but, with an entertaining delivery that creates an engaging three-dimensional experience. Whether it’s a TV show, movie or music, this multi-channel combo is sure to please. The height effects are…

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. In 54 different categories, we’ve chosen the top four products, so you can choose one that’s just the right mix of features and budget for what you need. These rankings come from real testing by our team of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher than that. Look for the links above each category that take you to…

1 HUAWEI P40 £699, huawei.com Some have questioned Huawei’s logic in launching a bunch of new flagship handsets slap-bang in the middle of a global pandemic. The flip side of this argument, of course, is that during a lockdown, people are going to want something that can ably cater for their movie-watching, game-playing and home-working needs. The P40 – the standard model in a range of three devices – is undoubtedly an able phone. The aforementioned movies and games will dazzle on its 6.1-inch, 2340 x 1080 display. And though the 90Hz refresh rate isn’t quite up there with the best handsets in this class, it’s more than decent (and also a step up from the phone’s predecessor, the P30). The P40 features a sophisticated four-camera set-up: round the back…

Life-enhancing holidays are no longer about simply chilling at a five-star beach resort or hi-tech spa – a growing number of travellers are realising that the most adventurous holidays are often the most rewarding ones for mind and body. So here are some fantastic adventures to plan for when you’re next able to get away. Travel is a great leveller, and in some cases it can also be a good way to give back. Why not head down under by signing up for one of Australian Wildlife Journey’s conservation action trips? (£varies, australianwildlifejourneys.com/tours) You could work on South Australia’s wonderfully rugged Kangaroo Island, planting trees and carrying out wildlife surveys. Another adventure that comes with a big dose of ‘feel-good’ is a visit to AndBeyond’s Phinda Private Game Reserve (andbeyond.com)…

As difficult as this year has been so far, there should be better times hopefully in the not too distant future – and with them the opportunity to go camping. If you’re looking to upgrade your family or group camping tent for later this year, there’s a bumper crop to choose from. Camping royalty Outwell is leading the way with its flexible yet robust Airville 6SA (£1,624, outwell.com), an inflatable six-sleeper designed with two bedrooms and a wing lounge side pod for breakout living space. Meanwhile, Wild Country is releasing the air-poled Wild Country Zonda 6EP (£1,199, terra-nova.co.uk). It has an extended porch and a raft of mod cons, including electrical hookups for various camping gadgets (think lanterns and coolers). Coleman has just unveiled its brilliant new Octagon (£199, coleman.eu),…

1 MANUTTI FLEX CORNER GARDEN SOFA If you’re ready to invest in stylish garden furniture that will last years and never look dated, this is the collection to go for. The weatherproof Flex garden set is modular, so you can choose just how many pieces you want to add in. We’re smitten with the two-seater and three-seater sofa connected by a teak and aluminium table (pictured). From £4,950, gomodern.co.uk 2 CONCRETE PLANTER SET Adding planters to your garden table is a key trend for SS20, but these concrete beauties are sturdy enough to sit on the floor too. Style them on or next to your table, or your outdoor sofa, and fill them with tall and fragrant plants such as lavender, honeysuckle and rosemary to enhance your wellbeing. £49, norfolklivingcompany.com…

THE OTHER LATIF WNYC’s Radiolab presents a brilliant years-long deep dive into presenter Latif Nasser’s namesake, a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay. A clever and thought-provoking podcast. THE SLOW RUSH Tame Impala’s new album takes them still further away from their roots and into an almost disco vapourwave swirl – not that Guru’s pink-and-cyan brain is complaining in any way. CROCODILE DUNDEE Paul Hogan’s finest hour: a stupid film that doesn’t stand up to the standard of today’s movies but one which, if you’re flicking through Netflix anyway, you should watch.…

1 CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1 Cambridge Audio’s true wireless bullet buds do exactly what they need to: offer spellbinding sound and comfortable styling in an ultracompact package, for a price that, at least next to strong competition from bigger names like Apple and Sony, seems very attractive indeed. A winner. £129, cambridgeaudio.com 2 RUARK MR1 MK2 What Ruark does with speakers is nothing short of witchcraft. This is a compact set, perfect for a bookshelf or a desk, but piping music through the MR1 Mk2 reveals it’s so much more: you get loud, rich, clear audio with real depth. Honestly, why go any bigger? £330, ruarkaudio.com 3 AIRPODS PRO Apple’s best AirPods yet by a long chalk, and (thanks to their pressure equalisation, IPX4 rating and transparency-equipped ANC) the perfect…

1 PANASONIC GZ2000 OLED 4K TV Few would argue the GZ2000’s position at the top of the TV tree – others might be thinner or have flashier interfaces, but few are as colour-accurate or as quick to respond as this one. This is reference monitor quality in a consumer TV, with all the HDR support and Atmos you can eat. From £2,999, panasonic.co.uk 2 FIRE TV STICK 4K Now that Amazon and Google have made up and are playing nice, the YouTube-capable Fire TV Stick 4K has cemented itself as the premier plug-and-play media streamer. It’s app-rich, handles 4K like it’s nothing, and is fully compatible with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. £50, amazon.co.uk 3 BENQ HT3550 Massively contrasty and highly detailed, with a powerful 4K HDR engine backing it up,…

1 MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR GHOST SHADOW HOODY A hoody with a difference, the Ghost Shadow is not only ultralight, but made mainly from recycled plastic. The insulation, face fabric and liner as well as the snaps, zipper, cord and toggle are all pre-loved plastic, adding a sense of inner smugness to the warmth from the jacket. £200, mountainhardwear.com 2 ADIDAS TERREX FREE HIKER PARLEY When you need some extra bounce in your step, try the Free Hikers. A Boost sole provides massive energy return, while a snug, sock like fit wraps around your foot, and prevents blisters into the bargain. The latest version, the Parley, is fabricated from ocean-waste plastic for extra eco-awareness points. £169.99, adidas.co.uk 3 FIVE TEN TENNIE APPROACH SHOES The famous Five Ten Tennie shoes ride once more,…

1 SNOWPEAK CAMPFIELD FUTON When is a futon not a futon? When it’s a Campfield Futon, which also functions as a set of shelves, two chairs with a coffee table and a bed – not bad for a single camping device. The only real drawback is that it can’t be all these things at once… £798, snowpeak.co.uk 2 RINSEKIT POD Few would argue that a hot shower after a long day in the outdoors isn’t one of life’s greatest luxuries, and one of the hardest things to find out in the wilderness. The RinseKit POD links up with a heater element to give you a glorious four-minute hot shower from the on-board tank, whether post-surf, back at camp or just to rinse equipment off. This mobile power shower is a…

HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here you’ll find only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective field. As well as our traditional five-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below – so when you spot one of these,…

£99 nextbase.com Dash cams vary widely in design, price and functionality, with some offering 4K video or an entire suite of driver assistance features. Others are much simpler but perhaps lack the crisp video quality you need to record video detailed enough to be used as evidence after an accident. Thankfully, there is a halfway house, a sweet spot in the dash cam range. The Nextbase 322GW slots neatly into this segment. First up, the most important aspect of any dash cam – video quality. Here, it shines brightly, thanks to 1080p Full HD video resolution at 60 frames per second. This means you get enough pixels to produce a clear image, and a fast enough frame rate to make video smooth. Much like the rest of Nextbase’s GW range…

1 PAUL SMITH CAMP COLLAR WOVEN SHIRT Easy-breezy late spring style. Paul Smith’s soft-touch, tropical bowling shirt comes in two shades of blue plus a mono palette, and has a boxy fit for loose layering. £215, paulsmith.com/uk 2 YELLOW VOILE PRINTED SHIRT Ideal for fun summer parties. To avoid blinding your pals, only wear it with light, one-colour tailored chinos or linen shorts. £135, mrporter.com 3 FLAGSTUFF WOVEN BOWLING SHIRT A ’90s spin on bowling shirts. The retro camp collar is here, along with an eye-catching ‘Japanese gods of thunder and wind’ print. £335, nuji.com 4 NORSE PROJECTS CARSTEN COTTON SHIRT The Carsten is a versatile shirt to take you from work to date night. It’s breathable too, so you won’t build up a sweat while wearing it. £130, norseprojects.com 5…

From channelling your inner Magnum PI to satiating a midlife crisis, there are numerous reasons why you might want to splurge on a sports car. And there are some jaw-dropping new rides just waiting for you to tear up the tarmac in 2020 (speed limits permitting, of course). As you’d expect from a company that makes F1 cars, the McLaren 570S Spider (from £166,620, mclaren.com) emits the kind of menacing growl that turns heads on the street. And this muscular marvel’s bite is as good as its bark, with a 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 lump yanking it from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, and on to a top speed north of 200mph (reduced to a mere 195mph if the roof’s down). Of course, in this day and age, having a sports car…

FIREPOD PIZZA OVEN If you love pizza, invest in this outdoor oven specially designed to make perfect pizza pies. It runs on propane gas and can be ready to cook in ten minutes, and its portable design means you can move it easily and even take it camping. £399, thefirepod.com NAPOLEON PRO CART CHARCOAL GRILL Become an outdoor cooking pro this summer with our favourite charcoal grill from Napoleon that roasts, smokes and grills. With this outdoor cooker you can control heat and airflow, and the Pro Cart has an adjustable cooking grid and stainless steel heat diffuser. £459, napoleon.com/en/uk CHAR-BROIL DIGITAL SMOKER If your family enjoys the rich flavour of smoked food, this digital smoker will upgrade your smoking game for good. That’s because the Digital Smoker alerts you…

Q FRANK NORTH, HUMBERSIDE Why doesn’t my printer work? A Little known fact: GaGu spent two miserable years doling out user-level technical support on behalf of a company that made labels for pre-packed sandwiches. Obviously his life has spiralled wildly downhill since then, but it has left him with just the teensiest bit of knowledge of printer maladies. Let’s run through what he learned on the job. Is it plugged in? Yes, it needs to be plugged in. And switched on. At the wall, yes. Is it connected to your computer? The computer. Not the screen, the box bit underneath it. Look, we’ll send an engineer; this is beyond Guru’s upsetting pay grade. Got an inkjet? When was the last time you used it? Whether by nature or (cynically) by…

Do you remember that happy time, oh so long ago, when Dyson was known for making stylish and groundbreaking homewares, rather than stylish and groundbreaking ventilators? I do, and just before the world went loopy and the police started arresting people for shopping for non-essential Easter eggs, I was fortunate enough to go to the Dyson headquarters in Malmesbury. Who could turn that down? Apart from anything else, ‘Malmesbury’ is very pleasing to say out loud, especially in a Roger Moore voice. Mmm…almesbury. At the time, I was allowed out of the house, and Dyson had a new product to show off: the Corrale hair straightener. The Corrale is an attempt by the Great British Brand to do nothing less than reinvent the hair straightener. It does this by using…

1 NEO 2T SMART The Neo 2 Smart has been in our buying guide for an age, but this updated version of the bike add-on ups the power, drops the noise, and even offers true ride feel, simulating the experience of pedalling over cobbles or gravel as you train in your lounge. Pretty unique – but certainly not cheap. £1,200, tacx.com 2 BOWFLEX MAX TRAINER M8 Not really a stepper, not really a cross trainer, but hovering at a midpoint that apparently provides maximum muscle actuation, the Max Trainer M8 is the ultimate cardio machine in half the space of a treadmill. It will absolutely, positively, kick you in the rear. £2,699, bowflex.com 3 BOWFLEX 2-24 KG SELECTTECH DUMBBELLS The equipment required for some serious clanging and banging doesn’t have…

1 NINTENDO SWITCH ANIMAL CROSSING EDITION The Switch Lite is amazing for travel, but the full-fat Switch still tops our list if you’re doing your gaming at home – and Nintendo has done something wonderful with the cute-as-a-button Animal Crossing special edition, which includes the quietly upgraded battery of the second Switch release. £320, nintendo.co.uk 2 VALVE INDEX Obtaining one isn’t the easiest thing in the world – when they go up on sale on Steam, they tend to sell out in seconds – but there’s good reason for that. This the ultimate top-end home VR experience, and (fittingly) it comes with a free copy of Half-Life Alyx too. £919, steampowered.com 3 AMAZON FIRE HD 10 KIDS EDITION Low-end technology has finally caught up with high-end ambition, as Amazon’s kid-friendly…

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A top-quality running watch will be a real step up if you have only used fitness trackers before. Unlike fitness trackers, running watches have a range of advanced features such as built-in GPS, more accurate wrist-based optical heart rate sensors and plenty of available sport modes. They also provide detailed running metrics in real time, like pace and cadence, that can help you better your running technique on the fly. Running watches have long been suitable, to varying degrees, for tracking your prowess in the gym; the reason they’re now often known as fitness watches is that brands explicitly design them for multiple sports and activities – not just gym but hiking, cycling, paddle boarding and a host of other fitness-friendly activities. As well as all this, high-end models can…

From £1,199 samsung.com The Q950TS is Samsung’s latest attempt to sell you something you didn’t know you wanted. 8K is still struggling to find its place in the world – the idea of 33 million pixels of detail (compared to the suddenly minuscule 8 million pixels of 4K) certainly sounds tempting, but there isn’t a stack of 8K content available to watch, and it won’t suddenly appear. But Samsung sees a world that isn’t so reliant on content being the exact right format for your screen – it’s aiming to make its 8K TVs the best 4K TVs you can buy. AI upscaling technology is intended to make Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and anything else you watch look appreciably better – more detailed, and more lifelike – than even…

£549 (2 Camera Kit) arlo.com/uk For some time, Arlo has been the pinnacle of smart security camera tech for the home. It comes down to how easy it makes it to place cameras indoors or outdoors, totally wirelessly, with easy control and management from a single app. They’re expensive, but worth it. Everything we’ve said above is still very true, and this newest version of the Arlo setup improves even further, adding more detailed HDR video, colour night vision, a built-in siren, improved two-way talk thanks to noise cancellation, and better wireless range and battery life. Many of these features are seen in the Arlo Ultra, which is the 4K version of this (the Pro 3 is QHD), which is even more expensive. Really, though, the resolution of these cameras…