Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i T3

If 2020 has made one thing abundantly clear, it’s that our commute has changed forever. Most of us are working closer to home and even those who have a distance to travel are eager to avoid stepping into places like tube carriages. Fortunately, Pinarello has pedalled in to save the day with its first ever urban ebike. The sharp silhouette of its hydroforming alloy frame is perfect for slicing down city streets, while its pannier and mudguards help carry your laptop bag and protect your smart togs from splashed grime on rainy days. Meanwhile, its Fazua evation power system is one of the best in the business: discreetly concealed in the downtube, weighing just 4.6kg and topping out at 250 watts, it provides a natural feeling ride even when zipping…

1 iPHONE 12 From £699 (iPhone 12 mini)/£799 (iPhone 12), apple.com Leave it to Apple to go big. Where Google’s Pixel 5 elicited, if we’re honest, a bit of a shrug, Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 12 – and its attendant mini, Pro and Pro Max variants – caused a stir for all the right reasons. Reasons like the company bringing the ludicrously fast A14 Bionic processor from the iPad Air 4 into a phone form factor, or finally (finally!) giving the iPhone 5G capabilities with, suggests Apple, cover for more 5G bands than any other phone. Reasons like the sevenelement rear camera, and the return of Apple’s MagSafe branding in the iPhone 12’s autoaligning, extra-efficient Qi charging setup The flat-edged design more than hints at the classic metal frame…

Gone are the days when Huel only made earthy-tasting meal-replacement powders. With the new Hot & Savoury range (£49.50 for three bags, uk.huel.com), Huel has created a high-brow version of your average supermarket couscous packets, way more healthy and delicious and packed with protein They come in two flavours (Tomato & Herb and Thai Green Curry) and contain a balance of carbs, protein, fats, fibre and all 26 essential vitamins and minerals. Just mix with hot water and leave to stand for five minutes. Bon appetit!…

People took up all sorts of new hobbies during lockdown, from sewing to stockpiling vast quantities of toilet roll. However, arguably the most popular of all was bread making. Sadly, the boom in home-based baguette wrangling led to some entirely unforeseen consequences. Chief among these was that bread makers all sold out, yeast all sold out and, in many places, even flour all sold out. The good news if you missed out at that time is that all those things are now back on sale. Bread makers are one of those classic gadgets that are not ‘essential’ as such – you can make bread in the oven, in a loaf-shaped tin – but they are very hard to stop using once you start. The extreme convenience of being able to…

Q CHRIS HENSON, GLASGOW What’s the best drone for a hike? A Ho ho ho: drones don’t walk, silly! They fly! Once Guru has served his full life sentence in dad joke jail, he will recommend you something that does automated person-stalking, because presumably you want a device that’s going to film you huffing and puffing your way along a trail for some kind of ill-advised posterity, you narcissist you. You actually have a choice between person-recognition tech or drones that latch on to a GPS signal. There’s a vaster selection in the former bracket, with DJI’s latest Mavic Air 2 (£769) leading the pack. It’ll fly for around 30 minutes, and can transmit video from up to six miles away if you’re just looking to check the trail ahead…

This month something quite significant happened in the world of tech. It wasn’t a big leap forward. In fact, it was a step backwards, as both Google and, to a lesser extent, Apple released brand new, flagship phones that were less expensive and less desirable than their predecessors Admittedly, Apple persisted with the Pro line of iPhones at eyewatering prices, but there was also the iPhone 12 mini. This is a literally scaled down version of the iPhone 12 that costs as little as £699. Google, meanwhile, focused even more explicitly on keeping the price down and doing the basics well with its latest Pixel phone. This phone does not have whizz-bang specs or jaw-dropping features, but it seems highly competent. Now, I don’t want to overstate this as some…

PERFECT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Beyond its laptop-level specs, the Galaxy S20 Ultra astounds with its photography-focused features, starting with that impressive five-camera setup. Shutterbugs can zoom up to 100x, record 8K videos, take super-sharp selfies and crop to their heart’s desire with that whopping 108MP resolution. This is practically the entire contents of a photographer’s camera bag in one svelte package. From £1,199, samsung.com CRACKING PIECE OF KIT FOR KIDS Nokia 5.3 Kids these days won’t shy away from high-tech gadgets, but they also need them in robust and preferably cheap packages. Enter the Nokia 5.3, whose quad camera, smart AI photo-editing tools, massive screen and AI-assisted adaptive battery are just the ticket for tech-savvy minors. Plus, that durable scratch-resistant back and bargain-basement price will let parents…

Announced at the same time as its more-expensive sibling, the Canon EOS R6 is aimed squarely at the advanced enthusiast. In essence, what we have here is an R5 light, giving you much of the benefits of the more expensive system, but in a more affordable, easier to obtain body. Of course, to get that, there are some sacrifices to be made. The R6 promises a lot with its impressive range of specifications. It mostly delivers. Let’s start with image quality – the camera is capable of producing lovely, warm and well-saturated colours that stay on the right side of accuracy without losing vibrance in most situations. The Canon R6’s full-frame sensor has 20.1 megapixels, which although plenty for most ordinary situations, perhaps feels a little on the ‘low’ side.…

1 DR MARTENS 101 ARCHIVE LEATHER BOOTS A vintage version of the classic Docs, the 101s have air-cushioned soles for all-day comfort, and an anti-slip outsole held in place by the durable Goodyear Welt. £149, drmartens.com 2 COMMON PROJECTS FULLGRAIN LEATHER CHELSEA BOOTS You’ll never tire of wearing these boots. They’re crafted from fullgrain leather, with low-key golden serial numbers at the back. £495, stoy.com 3 TIMBERLAND PREMIUM WATERPROOF BOOTS Laugh in the face of winter with Timberland’s classic waterproof nubuck leather boots, lined with 400g PrimaLoft insulation. £180, timberland.co.uk 4 GRENSON FRED BURNISHEDLEATHER BROGUE BOOTS Super-glossy and comfortable too, Grenson’s new season winter boots are perfect for all-weather date nights. £245, grenson.com 5 MR P SPLIT-TOE SUEDE CHUKKA BOOTS Available in grey and black, these ’50s-style chukkas look ace…

There is no shortage of fitness wearables designed to make you a more efficient athlete: there are insoles that can track pronation and cadence as you run, running watches that track heart rate and respiration, as well as swimming and cycling sensors that track everything else you can think of as you exercise Even in a fairly saturated market like fitness wearables, Abbott’s Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor (from ¤130, supersapiens.com) manages to offer something unique and new. This biosensor was designed for athletes to continuously measure glucose to “better understand the correlation between their glucose levels and their athletic performance”, as Abbot puts it. The Libre Sense is the first personal-use product that allows glucose monitoring for all athletes. Created in collaboration with Supersapiens, this small round biosensor (about…

The Mercedes-Benz EQC (from £65,720, mercedes-benz.co.uk) is the German marque’s first all-electric vehicle. With a modern design, quality interior and dynamic performance, Mercedes claims the EQC symbolises the start of a new mobility era at Daimler, but what really struck us was how calming driving this electric SUV is. The exterior is striking. The extended roofline and low waistline make it appear incredibly sleek, while the standout feature, the large black-panel surface enclosing the headlamps and grille, is bordered at the top by an ultra-modern light beam. Step inside the car and you’re surrounded by a high-quality interior. The driver-oriented cockpit is designed to resemble a high-end hi-fi amplifier, with a ribbed edge instrument panel and high-gloss air vents with keyshaped, rose-gold-coloured louvres. The real highlight of the interior is…

DUALIT NEWGEN What’s better than bread? Hot bread! Or, as the pros like to call it ‘toast’. This Dualit classic is a staple of hotel breakfast rooms and every part can be serviced, for a lifetime of toasting. £200, dualit.co.uk MORPHY RICHARDS VERVE If you feel like £200 is a bit much for a toaster, you can’t go wrong with this. The Verve serves up even browning and a ‘high lift’ action, in an affordable yet stylish toaster. £40, morphyrichards.co.uk SUB-ZERO & WOLF 2-SLOT TOASTER But what of those who feel £200 is simply not expensive enough? They can take solace in this beauty. Made with enough metal to melt down and reuse as a battleship, this features extra-wide slots and ‘unique self-centering bread guides’, no less. £299.95, subzero-wolf.co.uk…

1 LIFX Z LED STRIP The Z LED Strip from smart lighting experts Lifx can be fitted just about anywhere and gives you an endless array of colour options through its app. There are actually eight different zones in each two-metre strip, so you can get your living room looking exactly the way you want. As always with Lifx bulbs, they connect straight to your Wi-Fi, no hub required. £79.99, lifx.com 2 PHILIPS HUE IRIS New from Philips Hue is the redesigned Iris, perfect for adding mood to a room (by bouncing light off a wall, for example). The mains-powered lamp gives you an almost limitless combination of brightness and colour settings, and as usual with this range of smart lights, everything can be remote controlled very easily via the…

1 IKEA SOLLERÖN OUTDOOR ARMCHAIRS Ikea makes some solid furniture, and its outdoor Sollerön range is no exception. These armchairs come in either grey or brown, and you can use them on their own or combine them to form a modular sofa. The matted plastic surface will stand up to the weather, and is easy to maintain. From £60, ikea.com 2 JBL XTREME 3 New from portable speaker experts JBL is the Xtreme 3. The Bluetooth speaker enables you to take your tunes just about anywhere, and they’ll sound fantastic too. The speaker is waterproof, so it’ll survive a rain shower, and it can even charge up your other gadgets. The maximum battery life is “around 15 hours”. £280, jbl.com 3 ECOFLOW RIVER 370 This portable power station is useful…

Finally. after months of teasing, Sony revealed a 19 November release date and price for the PlayStation 5 and hopefully you’ve already got your pre-order in. At £459.99 for the full fat version and £359.99 for the disc-free Digital Edition, the new generation is surprisingly affordable. It’s unclear quite how much Microsoft’s competitive pricing reveals the week before Sony’s announcement made a difference but, regardless, the result is a level nextgeneration playing field. Well, other than the Series S but we’ll get onto that in a bit. If you’ve moved your PlayStation library into the binary realm over the past few years then the Digital Edition is an especially enticing prospect at under £400. The only difference is the absence of that 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive. In short, if…

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,…

Picking up a new instrument is never easy. Which is why Roli’s LUMI created such a buzz when it hit Kickstarter last year. Now on sale at last, it makes learning piano light work. First thing you’ll likely notice is what a looker LUMI is. Power it up and a rainbow of lights glissandos its way up the keys. While playing songs and taking lessons each natural note is coded with the colour of the spectrum, lighting up to indicate which should be played when. Aside from this riot of colour, it’s a very streamlined, lightweight device: barring a power button and USB-C port, the only real adornment are plug-and-play connectors on either end allowing you to hook it up to Roli Blocks devices or connect multiple LUMIs together. And…

1 RIVIERA GLOSSY GOLD LEAF PLAT Up your starter game with this decorative plate designed by French floral designer Christian Tortu. To create a stark contrast, sit it on top of a darker hue dinner plate, or for a very decadent finish pair it with gold cutlery. As the plate measures 18cm diameter, it could also be served as a serving dish for canapes or mini desserts. £28, rockettstgeorge.co.uk 2 RYDAL LEAF HURRICANE CANDLE HOLDE Mixing and matching candle holders is a great way to play with different styles of tablescaping, though if you want to keep things elegant and fuss-free, choose one that’s a little more imposing to dominate more of the space. The Rydal Leaf Hurricane Candle Holder stands 45cm tall without a pillar candle on top. £70,…

OVER THE TOP Canadian rockers TWRP make electronic funk so palatable that even Guru’s father-inlaw approves; as we all know, Nigel’s opinion is the one that matters when it comes to music. TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS While GaGu knows all things tech, even he has learned things from host Alec’s YouTube deep dives into niche subjects. He also appreciates the snark. BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC Has this taken Guru back to a childhood of shouting “Sixty nine, dude!” without actually understanding what it meant? No. But this return to the Bill & Ted canon is brilliant fun.…

1 CREATIVE LIVE CAM SYNC 1080P Many laptops and desktops come with a webcam built in, but don’t settle for what you have – the Creative Live Cam Sync 1080p will almost certainly boost the video and audio quality of your calls. The clip-on webcam can point in any direction, and it also comes with an integrated lens cover. £44.99, creative.com 2 VARIDESK PRO PLUS 30 A full standing desk can cost a lot, but the VariDesk series lets you convert your current desk instead – you can split your time between sitting and standing as you feel comfortable. The adjustable contraption is straightforward to set up, and comes with plenty of room for a monitor as well as a mouse and keyboard. £275, vari.com 3 SURFACE PRO 7 Part…

1 CHROMECAST The advantage of plugging a Chromecast into the television in your chill out room is that anyone connected to your Wi-Fi can then beam just about anything to it – photos, music, movies and more. Most Android and iOS apps support the Chromecast standard, so this inexpensive dongle is perfect for adding smarts to any TV with a spare HDMI input. £30, store.google.com 2 BEURER ST100 The Beurer ST100 is a stress releaser that you can make available in your home for anyone to use as needed: it’ll actually teach you a variety of relaxation techniques, with low-frequency vibrations and heat effects to help you realise that maybe the world isn’t such a bad place after all. There’s a companion app to help get you in the right…

Every home is different and so is every multi-room audio setup. But we think there are four main kinds of system, and we’ve identified good options for each one of them here. We’ll start with one of the simplest and most affordable options, which may not deliver audiophile sound quality but is very convenient, very flexible and excellent value for money – especially if you buy everything when Amazon has it on special offer. Next, we’ve put together a good all-rounder that encompasses high quality home cinema as well as streaming. And finally we’ve featured two audiophile friendly systems, one offering exceptional sound and the other absurdly luxe. BUDGET BARGAIN AMAZON ECHO, STUDIO AND DOT Amazon’s Echo range is great value for money and a great choice for anyone on…

1 SAMSUNG QLED Q80T What if you could go big and go home? Samsung’s Q80T range goes all the way up to 85 inches and comes with everything you need to make the most of PS5 and Xbox Series X. With impressive ALLM, variable refresh rate (VRR) and 120Hz support, this colourful QLED screen is ready for as much lagfree Spider-Man as your thumbs will allow. From £999, samsung.com 2 SONY XH90 Unlike the other two TVs here, Sony’s LED XH90 doesn’t come with HDMI 2.1 features out of the box but these will arrive via an update. The first revealed “Ready for PlayStation 5” TV, the XH90 will have support for 120Hz at 4K, dependent on the PS5 title, and BRAVIA Game Mode to fully support low latency gaming.…

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…

The Venn diagram of turntable owners and fans of classic audio equipment is essentially a perfect circle. Which means Bang & Olufsen is likely on to a winner with the Beogram 4000c Recreated Limited Edition, its rejuvenation of its iconic 1970s turntable. For the first example of its Classics initiative, B&O has tracked down 95 pre-owned Beogram 4000s and upgraded them with the latest technology. First off, it’s added a high-performance stylus to the original’s tangential tone arm, bringing 21st century audio quality to the first tone arm of its type. On top of this, the audio brand has inserted an RIAA phono pre-amplifier into the turntable, allowing it to work in perfect harmony with any modern B&O speaker. Finally, the 4000c has been given an aesthetic upgrade: its aluminium…