Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2015 i T3

Ali Jennings, reviewer This month, Mr Jennings got down and dirty with three of the hottest action cameras out there. Can anything topple the GoPro? Check out his findings on p60 Miss Led, illustrator Miss Led, or Joanna Henly to her friends, illustrates our Hype: People page each issue. This month, we gave her the task of capturing David Cameron. Hmmm p25 Damian Hall, writer Fitness fanatic and outdoors wordsmith Damian loves the festival life, and this month he shares some expert tips on what tech you need to survive the experience p26…

What the who? You may not have heard of Oppo, but the mobile manufacturer is a big deal in its native China, as well as in East Asia, and the arrival of the R7 and R7 Plus signals its intent to push into Western markets. That means you guys, yo! So what are they packing? Both handsets sport a premium, slim metal unibody, punchy octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM, 13MP rear facing camera and 8MP front snapper. The main difference lies in screen size with the R7 coming in at 5 inches, while the R7 Plus phablet packs a supersized 6-inch display. The R7 Plus also has a bigger battery and more internal storage. Can they impress me? There's a fingerprint scanner to keep your secrets secure, plus fancy…

This doesn’t look like a satnav.. That’s because it’s not: the Bandit is TomTom’s effort to make a waterproof, GPS-enabled action camera that’s capable of faff-free editing on the fly. As mountain-bike champion Danny Hart says, “The Bandit is the future of action cams.” Really? What’s so great about it? Lots! The Bandit packs in-camera motion and GPS sensors to automatically ‘tag’ adrenalinefuelled moments from your ride or ski run, based on speed, G-force and acceleration. The camera has a built-in media server and, when used with the Bandit app, you can review and edit footage instantly. How does the Bandit make it easy? With a ‘shake to edit’ function. In editing mode, a simple shake of your smartphone creates a movie from the tagged highlights. You can even add…

NO MORE BALLS-UPS 01 FIFA 2015 OR FOOTBALL MANAGER 2015 Someone needs to buy Dave a copy of the latest FIFA or Football Manager, so he can learn the difference between his two ‘favourite’ teams (Aston Villa and West Ham, of course). Just don’t give him Pro Evo though, else the next time he has to pretend to be into sports, he’ll be claiming to support either West Midlands Village or East London. Various prices, www.amazon.co.uk GETTING SOME STICK 02 SELFIE POD GOLD LIMITED EDITION Dave loves a good selfie – the problem being that this style of photography favours a smaller head. However, with the use of a selfie stick, even the largest of faces can fit in shot. The Selfie Pod Gold Limited Edition turns into a tripod…

A lot of people probably hold the crazy notion that tech writers spend their lives trying to snaffle up free stuff and going on exotic piss-ups. Well, as I was saying to Colin Firth and Will Young at the opera with Audi recently, this idea is laughable. But there are occasional exceptions that prove the rule – and so it was that this month I blagged my way onto the world’s newest and biggest cruise liner, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. And let me tell you, readers, it was epic. The first, best and most surprising thing was that Anthem of the Seas was absolutely groaning with tech. I’d always, in my prejudiced way, assumed that cruise ships were inhabited by champagne-sipping old, rich ladies, listening to pianists singing…

A Thanks for asking, Sammie, and yes, Guru does juice. You see, juicing is rather like love-making: it must be done long and slow, with the finest ingredients in place, pumped straight into a shapely jug. Slow juicers that take a few minutes to masticate (oof!) firm young carrots (mmmf!) using a big, heavy screw (meep!) are better than juicers that use a devilish, spinning blade to annihilate fruit and vegetables. They retain more nutrients this way, supposedly, as the friction of traditional juicers incinerates the vitamins. They’re a doddle to clean, too, as fruit and veg residue isn’t reduced to dust. Yes, they’re more expensive but, as with love-making, you get what you pay for. Guru once put a beetroot into a more energetic juicer and, because he forgot…

A Just like Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, Gadget Guru likes to know what time it is, yo. So on one wrist, he’s rocking a wearable, so that it’s obvious how many steps Guru has taken today. The heart-rate monitor is good for reassuring this gadget Jedi that death isn’t nigh; plus, it tells the time. On the other wrist, Gadget Guru has been wearing a Christopher Ward C5 Malvern Auto Mk I for years. This timepiece matches Guru’s personality in many ways: it’s manly yet not overly chunky; it’s Swiss-engineered for precision, yet cheap as chips; and it has 25 jewels in it and a deployant clasp. Or something. So yeah, that’s how Gadget Guru rolls.…

iPAD AIR 2 Thanks to TouchID tech that uses a fingerprint sensor to unlock your Air 2, you won’t have to worry about others accessing your ‘Pad. A breeze to use, the Air 2 features an iSight camera for high-quality images, plus a front-facing FaceTime HD camera for video calls. From £399, apple.com/uk SAMSUNG TAB S 8.4 Stay connected on the go without feeling weighed down with this lightweight, 16GB tablet. The 8.4-inch Super AMOLED display is crisp and, with the MultiWindow feature, you can split the screen so you can work while you watch an episode of Silicon Valley. £250, samsung.com TESCO HUDL 2 With the family-friendly Hudl 2, your kids can watch cartoons over brekkie before you get busy checking emails. The screen is large, the battery life good…

LYNX SMARTGRILL Powered by a 1.5GHz CPU, and with 64GB storage and Wi-Fi, this grill is voice-activated or smart-devicecontrolled, so you can basically say, “Smartgrill, cook steak” and it will. From £5,516, lynxgrills.com iGRILL2 The secret to great barbecued meat is a good probing, right? The iGrill2 helps you get the right temperature and, via Bluetooth, lets you know when your pork is thoroughly done. £74.99, idevicesinc.com GOBQ GRILL The GoBQ claims to be the world’s first packable grill. It fits neatly in a backpack, can be thrown over your shoulder (it weighs eight pounds) and assembles in about 20 seconds. £87, gobqgrills.com…

PIONEER APPRADIO 4 Pioneer’s AppRadio systems have had a mixed reception due to the lack of compatible apps. The inclusion here of Apple CarPlay solves that problem – as long as you own an iPhone. £330, pioneerelectronics.com ALPINE ILX-700 The ILX–007 is a lump of loveliness for Apple addicts (there’s no Bluetooth, so it’s iPhone-only), with a gorgeous seven-inch touchscreen and all the usual CarPlay toys. £490, alpine.co.uk PIONEER AVIC-8000NE X Pioneer’s headline CarPlay receiver creams the opposition in terms of features – for a price. And if you’re an Androidist, you can rejoice because it comes toting Android Auto as well. £725, pioneerelectronics.com…

01 MICROSOFT BAND Powered by Microsoft Health, this band aims to help you live healthier. Use it to get stats on your heart rate, calories burned and sleep cycle. £170, microsoftstore.com 02 JABRA SPORT PULSE EARBUDS The in-ear heart-rate monitor makes these wireless buds ideal for getting in-run feedback on your performance. £200, jabra.co.uk 03 FITBIT ARIA WI-FI SCALE Monitor your BMI, weight and more. Wireless syncing can also transfer Aria data to the Fitbit dashboard. £100, fitbit.com/uk 04 MAGIMIX LE BLENDER Quiet in use, Le Blender is perfect for making protein shakes post-workout, plus fresh soups and healthy puds. £160, magimix.uk.com 05 ASICS NATURAL 33 AmpliFoam technology, developed to work with all 33 joints in the foot, ensures that these trainers offer a natural running experience. £TBC, asics.co.uk…

1 GOPRO FETCH Ever wanted to know what it’s like to see the world through your dog’s eyes? This simple, and harmless, attachment will provide the answer. £48, www.gopro.com 2 STEADICAM CURVE Prefer the versatility of being able to carry your action camera by hand? Attach this simple contraption and you’ll be filming shake-free clips in no time. £59, www.tiffen.com 3 LEE FILTERS THE BUG The Bug consists of interchangeable filters, including neutral density and polariser, that will add impact to your footage. £67, www.leefilters.com 4 K-EDGE GO BIG Machined from aluminium, this mount will hold the Hero4 Black firm and fast to your bike, helping to eliminate wobble when you’re slaloming between the trees. £39, www.madison.co.uk 5 ACTIONCAM360 This hardy housing features a convex mirror that sits directly in…

Are smartwatches just a fad? It’s a question we’ve been hearing a lot lately, but the answer is: no chance. Most people thought exactly the same way about tablets just a few years ago, and we bet they couldn’t imagine life without their iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab now. There’s always a certain amount of apprehension when it comes to new technology, and especially when not a lot is known about it (the publicity surrounding smartwatches has been fairly low-key until recent months). But make no mistake, wearable tech is about to hit its stride. Apple, Pebble, Google and even Microsoft are desperately vying for your watch cash, and this will see billions pumped into making the things and supporting software makers. Give it 12 months and T3 reckons that,…

TYLT ENERGI 6K This two-in-one device plugs into a wall socket to act as a USB charger, but also has a removable 6,000mAh battery, which you can take with you wherever you’re going. £59.99, tylt.com CUSTOM STRAP If you don’t fancy any of the official straps offered by Apple, Pebble et al, you’ll find plenty of other options on eBay (or Etsy if you want to avoid straps made in giant Chinese factories). SPIGEN SCREEN PROTECTOR Want to keep your watch screen scratch-free? Spigen makes temperedglass protection for better optical quality. Prices vary, spigen.co.uk SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 2.0 Bluetooth cans that have active noise cancellation for blocking out gym grunts. The battery lasts for up to 22 hours, too. £380, en-uk.sennheiser.com ELGATO AVEA The Avea is a colourchanging mood light bulb…

SCREEN DREAM Porsche’s cabin of the future. A trio of TFT screens – two of them feeding images relayed from external mirror cameras – give the driver an enormous amount of information D o you remember in the Max Power era when the perceived quality of your in-car tech was calculated by whether or not you could answer “yes” to the question: is there more room for speakers and sub-woofers in your car than passengers? Well, thankfully, those days are gone and we’re looking at a much more intuitive and integrated in-car future than we ever imagined during those laddish nights of car-park cruise culture. The way a car interior looks from a driver’s point of view has remained largely unchanged in the last half a century. There have been…

LG G4 Read our review of this new leather-clad smartphone p94 How we test… 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…

SPECIFICATIONS PRICE £380 URL fujifilm.eu/uk SENSOR 16.5 million pixels, 23.6 x 15.6mm APS-C CMOS LENS MOUNT FujiFilm X LCD DISPLAY Tilting, 3.0-inch, 920K-dot ISO RANGE 200 to 25600 BATTERY LIFE FOR STILL IMAGES Approx 410 frames L ast month, I headed to the London Wellbeing Festival, hoping to pick up some wonder nutrients to add to my morning smoothie, and perhaps buy a sweet pair of yoga pants. With the Fujifilm X-A2 in hand, I barrelled through the doors at the London Olympia to test out the camera’s capabilities. Putting the X-A2 to work, I began photographing a couple on stage who were explaining the link between meditation and song. On advanced filter mode, and taking advantage of the Face Detection facility, the X-A2 picked them out clearly, with the…

If you’re tired of sticking to the well-beaten path and want to discover hidden gems on your travels, (I Know This) Great Little Place is the perfect companion. This newly established digital guide helps you discover (and share your discoveries, if you don’t mind letting other people know) great little places in your vicinity, from unique bars and buzzing clubs to stunning galleries and mind-blowing museums. The app already covers 40 cities around the world, making it an essential tool for finding. and sharing the planet’s most memorable, and best-hidden, spots. The app boasts an intelligent profiling system that gets to know you and what kind of place you’re after, before delivering recommendations, photos, reviews and maps to help you better explore the city you’re in. Although the app is…

PRIZES WORTH £2,398 2X PRIZES TO BE WON Looking for an affordable way to get a 100-inch display at home? The Philips Screeneo ultra shortthrow projector – worth £1,199 – is perfect for movie nights and watching big sporting events. Portable and light, it’s ideal for small spaces as well as spacious rooms. The Screeneo delivers a flexible screen size, right up to a 100-inch display when placed just 44cm away from the wall, and LED technology is used to project photos and films in vivid colour onto any smooth wall in your home. The Screeneo has 26-watt integrated speakers and a subwoofer, eliminating the need for a separate soundbar, but there’s ample connection if you’d rather add in your own. Bluetooth is on board for streaming music from a…

Smartphones 01 SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 EDGE www.samsung.com PRICE FROM £760 TESTED T3 243 As well as that gorgeous ‘infinity pool’ build, the Edge packs a brilliant camera and a pin-sharp QHD display. It’s pricey, though. T3 SAYS We love the glass-and-metal body, stunning screen and fantastic camera. 02 APPLE iPHONE 6 www.apple.com/uk PRICE FROM £539 TESTED T3 238 Apple is at the top of its game right now. The iPhone looks better than ever, the battery life is improved and the camera still delivers the best smartphone photos. T3 SAYS The best iPhone ever made – it’ll make you consider giving up your Android. 03 LG G4 www.lg.com PRICE £480 TESTED T3 244 The G4 is a whole lot of features in a fairly compact space. It has a powerful…

Denon AVR-X4100W + Gravity As well as Dolby Atmos, Denon’s receiver can handle 4K video and Dolby DTS-HD Master Audio. You can also stream from a multitude of devices over Bluetooth and AirPlay. Team it with Gravity for an immersive outer-space experience. £700, dgr.eu.denon.com/uk Marantz SR7009 + The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 The minimalist SR7009 features nine Atmos-ready channels, each churning out 200W of power. Pair it with the latest Hunger Games: Katniss’s war cry sounds even better when it’s in a tree above your head. £860, www.marantz.co.uk Onkyo TX-NR747 + American Sniper Onkyo’s flagship receiver boasts the full array of surround channels, is hi-res-audio-compatible and has loads of streaming capabilities. American Sniper will be so realistic, you’ll feel like you’re in the film. £799, www.uk.onkyo.com…

Home audio 01 YAMAHA YSP-2500 uk.yamaha.com PRICE £800 TESTED T3 242 Sixteen 2.8cm drivers deliver an astonishing soundstage, while there are three HDMI 2.0 inputs with 4K passthrough, and outstanding DSP processing options. T3 Says Futuristic sound-reflecting technology offers amazing cinema sound. 02 NOCS NS2 AIR MONITORS V2 www.nocs.se PRICE £299 TESTED T3 236 These offer rock-solid AirPlay streaming and a Spotify connection, plus they can go pretty loud without distorting. T3 SAYS The perfect blend of wireless convenience and great design. 03 NAIM MU -SO www.naimaudio.com PRICE £895 TESTED T3.com A single, minimalist box offering an unforgettable music-streaming experience. Awesome design, brilliant sound and a flexible plethora of inputs. T3 SAYS A stunning object in its own right, and as an audio system it’s brilliant. 04 SONOS PLAY:1 www.sonos.com…

Orzly DuoStand Orzly’s stand not only holds and charges your Apple Watch, it also charges your iPhone. Luckily, the cool aluminium finish will match the rest of your Apple gadgets, meaning you won’t have to live in uncoordinated hell. £20, orzly.com Twelve South HiRise This squat offering will suit higher surfaces in your home. By snapping the magnetic charging plate that comes with the Apple Watch to the stylish black or silver dock, you can keep it full to the brim – and it works with all straps. $35 (£22), twelvesouth.com Griffin WatchStand Mounted loosely on this high stand (either vertically or horizontally), your Apple Watch will look a little precarious, but don’t worry – a magnetic plate is holding it firmly in place, and powering it up while you…

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 BOOMPODS POWERCASE www.boompods.co.uk PRICE £69.99 A protective case for the iPhone 6 that doubles as a charger, the Powercase gives you an extra 150 per cent battery life. Get 25 per cent off the…

Rob Carney EDITOR After his fleeting 24 hours last issue, Rob’s been extensively testing the Apple Watch this month. He’s currently deciding between the Mickey Mouse and Colour watch faces. What a life! Claire Davies ASSISTANT EDITOR Moving on from the madness of T3’s Treasure Hunt in Cardiff, it’s been a sublime month of portable coffee makers, secret-agent training and more lush cameras for Claire. Jamie Hibbard CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: AUTO Petrol-head Jamie is the latest addition to the T3 team. His knowledge of cars is second only to that of The Stig. In fact, we’ve never seen them in the same place at the same time. Nick Odantzis DEPUTY EDITOR With fingers crossed for a delightful summer this year, gadgets-ace Nick is hoping to test the latest BBQs, tents and…

Um, it’s a lamp… Nice one, Sherlock. Actually, this rather minimalist-looking addition to the IKEA Home Smart range is much more than just a desktop light; it features a wireless-charging function so you can boost your Qi-certified smartphone or device while you read, draw or write. Interesting. How does it work? If you have a device that’s compatible with wireless charging, you simply sit it on the plus sign on the lamp’s base and it will work its magic. Got a friend over and want to charge their phone or tablet at the same time? Connect it via a charging cable to the USB port situated at the front of the lamp. What if my device doesn’t support wireless charging? Many smartphones and devices are Qi-certified these days, but don’t…

READER ONE Darren Price AGE: 36 OCCUPATION: Web/Graphic designer LIKED: The controller is nicely weighted, and made me feel like I was in charge of something really big. The speed and the agility of the drone is excellent; even at a distance it responds extremely quickly to your inputs. DISLIKED: The battery life was poor – understandable – but would require further investment in a cache of batteries. VERDICT : The Bebop is a great piece of kit, only let down by battery life and the app. It feels good from the moment you fire it up, and even a novice can get it up and into the air. READER TWO Paul Dodd AGE: 37 OCCUPATION: Administration manager LIKED: I already own the Parrot Jumping Sumo and Rolling Spider, but…

THE READER James Knapp James is heading to Lovebox in July. Having bought a Mammut sleeping bag and a Heimplanet tent, he’d like to know which extras will make the latter a home from home. THE EXPERT Damian Hall Outdoors journalist Damian has survived many festivals, including sliding around in the odd mud bath. His next book, Long-Distance Walking In Britain, is out later this year. 01 Soulra FRX4 The FRX4 is the one-man band of gadgets. This handheld, weatherresistant device packs a charger for your USB-compatible smartphone, a super-bright LED flashlight (complete with a handy dimmer), a radio, a weather station (the latest forecasts are broadcast automatically) and an alarm clock – although we’re not sure you’ll want that going off after a night’s raving. £46, soulracorp.com/uk 02 HTC…

After 66 years on the road, the Land Rover Defender goes to the big scrapheap in the sky this December. It’s departing with a bang, with special editions appearing in new James Bond flick Spectre and ferrying the Rugby World Cup trophy around (left). There will also be a replica of the very first Defender, though hopefully with the chassis updated to suit today’s less-sturdy buttocks and spinal columns. Like the idea of Nutribullet but worried that it sends out the wrong image: ie that you wear tracksuits and watch QVC? Well, the forthcoming Kenwood Smoothie Maker 2GoSport (right) is a very similar ‘whizz up a smoothie, then run away with it’ product, but with classier styling. In the market for a VR headset that’s both light and hard to…

A Gadget Guru has had popcorn makers, ice-cream makers and even gadgets that told him when to go to the toilet. But the answer to your question is still easy: it’s a sous vide. These rather futuristic, vac-pack, slow-cook, boil-inthe-bag machines are fantastic for catering, as they can prepare anything protein-y to perfection and then hold it ready to eat for any length of time. But, as a man who once worked as a cook for the SAS (though that’s something we really shouldn’t talk about), GaGu isn’t the kind of guy to wait two hours for a steak. GaGu can griddle one to perfection in about five minutes, thanks. “GADGET GURU IS USING A PATRI OT FUEL ION MOUNT . IT HOLDS YOUR PHONE THR OUGH A COMBO OF…

01 KRUPS B95 BEERTENDER Get an authentic home draughtlager experience with the B95 BeerTender. Working exclusively with the Heineken DraughtKeg (basically, a massive barrel of beer), it uses internal carbonator tech to ensure that your drink remains fresh for up to 30 days. A volume indicator shows how much is left in the keg, a freshness indicator makes sure you aren’t drinking a rotten pint, while temperature controls mean you can get your lager to the point of ultimate freshness. £97, krups.com 02 SAGE SMART TOAST Whether your preference is a smothering of Dairy Lea or a splodge of Nutella, there’s no better way to colour your bread in the morning than by using the Sage Smart Toast. A quick-look feature helps you see how the toast is browning –…

01 VW E-Up! Volkswagen’s first all-electric car is perfect for driving around town, offering emission-free power, neat LED lights and a decent 99 miles from a single charge. £24,795, volkswagen.co.uk 02 BMW i8 This environmentally conscious supercar boasts futuristic looks, a hybrid petrol/electric engine that churns out 134.5mpg, and a top speed of 155mph. Nifty. £104,540, bmw.co.uk 03 TESLA MODEL S Tesla has set the bar for the future of driving: an all-electric range up to 310 miles, incredible performance and oodles of in-car tech. £55,000, teslamotors.com 04 PARROT RNB 6 Not content with dominating the drone market, Parrot has gone and launched a rather spiffing infotainment/navigation system. The RNB6 comes loaded with Android 5.0 and can control your dash-cam, reversing cameras and maps – oh, and it plays music…

Still undecided as to which action camera is the one for you? Then it might well boil down to the features each one offers. The Hero4 Black’s audio-recording capabilities have been improved over previous GoPro models, but you can also acquire an optional 3.5mm input accessory to attach an external mic. This is quite an important asset for us, as there’s nothing more irritating than having to listen to muffled sound while enjoying spectacular high-def footage. Elsewhere, the GoPro features a neat Time Lapse mode that captures a burst of stills at intervals of 0.5 to 60 seconds, which is great for shooting the different stages of a ski jump or skateboard trick. And here at T3, we’re big fans of the GoPro’s Protune software, which has been updated to…

AUTOMATE YOUR HOME With the help of an Insteon hub, you can already control many elements of your home with an Apple Watch – from anywhere in the world. Smart door locks, dimmable lights, thermostats, your garage door, the central heating: with an Insteon as the middle man, thinking of your smartwatch as a homeautomation guru isn’t the future, it’s the present. From $80 (£51), insteon.com TRACK YOUR FITNESS Every smartwatch offers some kind of fitness tracking: a pedometer is the minimum you can expect. However, the more advanced wearables add GPS, altimeters and heart-rate sensors. They’ll pinpoint your walking, running or cycling routes (including your altitude) on a map, and track your performance day to day. This information can then be fed to an accompanying app for closer scrutiny.…

DISLOCK Dislock bypasses an Android phone’s lock screen when it’s paired with your Pebble watch. Out of range? It goes back to using normal security. It may sound simple but it’ll change your life. Free, Pebble TINDER Have a few minutes to wait until your bus arrives? Give your ego a workout with a bit of wrist Tinder. It works just like the phone app, enabling you to reject potential suitors or give them a virtual wink. Free, Android Wear CITYMAPPER Take public transport in London? Then you need this. With Android Wear, it’ll notify you when Tube lines go down, while with the Apple Watch you can plan journeys and see when your bus is due. Free, Apple Watch/Android Wear…

Ford’s Jim Buczkowski is the Director of Electrical and Electronics Systems, Research and Advanced Engineering. Basically, he knows a lot of stuff… WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN TEN YEARS’ TIME? Voice recognition started as a great way to reduce driver distraction, and we’ve researched that a lot. Situational awareness, which means having your eyes up, looking around, is most important for safety. Heads-Up Display can do that, because the display is up closer into the field of view, so you don’t need to look down. HOW WI LL THE DASHBOARD LOOK TO THE DRIVER? We want driver-oriented controls, but you’ll probably still have an instrument cluster – it’ll just have a different priority of data on it versus the HUD, so they will work together. WHAT CAN YOU SEE GOING…

HIGH -DEF VIDEO With UHD video capture, you can record and then send 4K-quality video straight from the G4 to your HDMI-enabled TV for big-screen viewing MANUAL CONTROL The G4’s rear camera has full manual control and RAW support, so you can finally think about ditching the DSLR while still getting cracking shots EXTRA MEMORY Pack a lifetime of music and videos into the G4 with a memory card the size of a thumbnail – microSD support ahoy! LEATHER BACK The decision to use cow hide is bold, but it’s stretched so thinly that it doesn’t really provide the premium feel LG is going for T he G4 is the phone that LG should’ve made last year when it brought us the slightly mundane G3 instead. This year, things are…

ON TEST THIS MONTH THE GADGETS WE’RE LIVING AND BREATHING NICK ODANTZIS, BMW C EVOLUTION The C Evo has turned my head away from petrol-powered bikes, but this month I want to look at its charging capacity and range – how far can I travel with it? CLAIRE DAVIES, FUJIFILM X-A2 There are lots of preset modes to play with on the X-A2, and I’m keen to see how it performs at a busy indoor festival, as well as on a sunny nature walk. MARC CHACKSFIELD , NEXUS PLAYER Getting to know the Nexus Player has been fun, but I’m concerned there aren’t enough gaming options to keep me happy. I’m lifting the lid this month to find out... DUNCAN BELL , THE ORACLE COFFEE MACHINE I’m still bleeding money…

HOTLINE MIAMI 2: WRONG NUMBER The ultra-violent and maddeningly addictive Hotline Miami is back with new characters, weapons and play styles. Prices vary, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Mac NOT A HERO Created by London-based studio Roll7, this game lets you shoot, slide, dive and take cover as you fight your way through the criminal underworld. £9.99; PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita AXIOM VERGE Side-scrolling platformer where you explore an alien world, using your wits (not to mention your ability to blow monsters to pieces) to make it out alive. Prices vary; PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Mac CHROMA SQUAD This RPG enables you to play as Power Rangers-inspired fighters battling their way through robots made of cardboard. Prices vary; PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, Xbox…

01 CALORIE COUNTER Calorie Counter provides a simple solution for keeping track of every meal, to help you lose weight. Free; App Store, Google Play 02 ZOMBIES, RUN! This app turns your runs into exciting interactive stories where you must run to avoid the zombie hordes. Free; App Store, Google Play 03 ENDOMONDO Like a personal trainer in your pocket, Endomondo provides audio feedback, as well as detailed training logs. Free; App Store, Google Play 04 RUNTASTIC Runtastic will monitor your run, cheering you as you go. There’s an integrated music player, too. Free; App Store, Google Play 05 RUNTASTIC SIX-PACK ABS This excellent app can help you get the body you crave, with virtual trainers and expert workout programs. Free; App Store, Google Play 06 SWORKIT Provides cardio, stretching…

01 MUSE : DRONES Muse are back with a return to their earlier, stripped-back sound. Co-produced by the Devon band and Mutt Lange, Drones explores themes of war, loss of empathy, indoctrination and oppression. Cheery stuff, then. We love the power and pomp of Dead Inside, the pounding rhythm of Psycho and the fragile lyrics of Mercy. 02 GIORGIO MORODER: DEJA VU The smooth-talking Italian disco king made a comeback with Daft Punk in 2013, and now he’s looking to dominate the 2015 dance scene. Featuring collaborations with Sia, Kylie Minogue and Suzanne Vega, among others, Deja Vu is a disco-ball-shaped slab of sparkling synths and enchanting soundscapes. 03 NEIL YOUNG: THE MONSANTO YEARS Rock stars have a grand history of adding their two pennies’ worth to socio-political issues, and…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THE VERY BEST TECH AVAILABLE TODAY, YOU’VE DEFINITELY COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. 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, and the number-one product makes it into The Elite (p118), which is our pick of the 12 best products you can buy today. To make your next purchase as straightforward as possible, we’ve also included useful buying advice, and highlighted the hottest gear you can get for £100 and under.…

How often will you use your mobile? If you love chatting away for hours on end, make sure you get a contract with plenty of included talk time, and if you love browsing the internet, make sure you get a decent data allowance. Don’t waste money on minutes or data you won’t use, but don’t underestimate your usage either, or you might get a shocker of a bill. 4G or not 4G? If you enjoy browsing the Web, chatting on Facebook or streaming from Spotify, consider a contract that comes with 4G (also known as LTE) data. This is super-fast mobile data that can rival home broadband for speed. Some contracts offer as little as 250MB per month, while others grant a whopping 20GB. For most people, 1GB should be…

Laptops 01 DELL XPS 13 www.dell.com PRICE £1,060 TESTED N/A Brilliantly designed and outperforms its competition under the hood. Infinity Display gives you the expanse of a 13.3-inch screen on an 11.9-inch laptop. T3 SAYS Fantastic performance and build. It will serve you well for years to come. 02 MACBOOK PRO 13-INCH WITH RETINA DISPLAY www.apple.com/uk PRICE £749 TESTED T3 227 Lightweight, with improved performance and battery life – it will delight road warriors and coffee-shop loungers alike. T3 SAYS A reliable, powerful and practical MacBook, this is Apple’s best laptop. 03 ASUS ZENBOOK UX305 www.asus.com PRICE £650 TESTED N/A Thin, light and attractive, with excellent build quality, the Zenbook UX305 offers a great balance of components, a perfect 1080p screen and an alluring price tag. T3 SAYS One of…

HD Tracks Offering an excellent range of high-quality music, HD Tracks gives you a choice of studioquality, uncompressed AIFF or WAV formats, or lossless ALAC and FLAC. It’s not cheap, though. www.hdtracks.com Qobuz This French site enables listeners to stream and download CD-quality music. You can also listen to excellent podcasts. www.qobuz.com 7Digital Once the purchase store for those listening to tracks on Spotify, 7Digital now houses over 32 millon downloadable tracks in a variety of qualities. Unlike HD Tracks, which gives you every format imaginable, 7Digital sticks to the most popular FLAC format, in 16-bit and 24-bit flavours for the pickiest of hi-res enthusiasts, as well as 320kbps for everyone else. www.7digital.com Tidal At twice the price of Spotify’s monthly subscription, you’d need a pretty good reason to plump…

Connected home 01 NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT www.nest.com PRICE £180 TESTED T3 242 A stylish and sleek design that integrates with other smart gadgets around the home. Easy to use and learns your heating habits. T3 SAYS Nest is a great first step in creating a smarter home. 02 HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER 330X www.husqvarna.com PRICE £2,575 TESTED T3 242 Looks incredible. Great, even cut. Packed full of teeth. Excellent for large gardens. Operates very quietly indeed. T3 SAYS Expensive but perfect for people with bigger lawns. 03 iROBOT ROOMBA 880 www.irobot.co.uk PRICE £599 TESTED T3 237 Impressive pet-hair performance and efficient carpet cleaning – you’ll be astonished by just how much it picks up. It’s simple to program, too. T3 SAYS You won’t find a better robotvacuum performance. 04 NETGEAR R7000 NIGHTHAWK…

DESIGN DONS The connected lifestyle is a revolution infiltrating homes, but home is about the heart as well as the head, and tech companies are thinking smarter about how gadgets are placed in a living environment. Sony’s projector offers incredible tech without being overt, and the same design ethos is taking place further down the line. Ikea’s Home Smart range of furniture (p16) boasts smartphone wirelesscharging technology without being style-unconscious. CAMOUFLAGE CUES Unlike a regular design-damaging projector, the Sony 4K USTP sits just a few inches away from a given wall, blending into its environment HIDDEN STRENGTHS When not used, the projection bit is hidden, giving the illusion of a functional side table, though guests shouldn’t rest their Martinis on it MODULAR MODS Optional speakers either side discreetly extend without…

Save 60% on a new T3 subscription p58 So, here I am, peering at you over my glasses for another month. In case you missed me doing a similar thing last month, welcome to the new-look T3, the magazine that makes your life better – frankly brilliant, in fact – through technology. Yes, really. Look at my face. You trust me, right? Good. Let’s move on. This month, we’ve gone all out to select the best gadgets for everything. Alright, not quite everything – there are no gadgets for teleportation or invisibility – but certainly for every aspect of your life. From watching TV to grilling steaks, there’s a top bit of kit that will make it more fun or enable you to do it better. Flick to p46. Oh,…

So, is this a laptop or a tablet? It’s a laptop when you need to boost your productivity, and a tablet when you need something ultra-travelfriendly. It’s lightweight, easy to use and big on performance – ideal for creating spreadsheets one minute, then watching cartoons with your kids the next. So, it’s light enough to cart around? You won’t need to do any ‘carting’. Crafted from durable magnesium alloy and encased in a ceramic finish, it’s a shade lighter than its predecessor, the Surface 2. What’s the display like? Crisp and bright. The 10.8-inch display supports responsive ten-point multi-touch, though picking out toolbars is easier with the Surface Pen (sold separately). Meanwhile, the IPS panel provides excellent viewing angles if you’re crowding around the screen to watch a movie with…

01 RETRO STYLE OUR LEGACY FAITH If you like the retro look, these shades from über-cool Scandinavian label Our Legacy may be just the ticket. Anti-scratch coated, they feature lenses by German optic pioneer Carl Zeiss. £160, www.ourlegacy.se 02 OLD BUT NEW RAY-BAN ORIGINAL WAYFARER COSMO An even more modern take on a true modern classic. These Wayfarers, handmade in Italy, boast the same frame as the iconic originals, but are finished with mysterious iridescent green lenses. £145, www.ray-ban.com/uk 03 GALLIC FLAIR THIERRY LASRY ZOMBY On your heeeeaaaaad, on your heeeeaaaaad, Zomby, Zomby. That’s well and truly where these fantastic frames from French designer Thierry Lasry should sit. They’re sturdy, stylish and so on-trend it hurts our minds. £325, www.thierrylasry.com 04 THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT OAKLEY POLARI ZED MADMAN These futuristic-looking…

A Gadget Guru has to be honest: he knows as much about cameras as he does about camels (they’re even-toed ungulates, is as much as he’s ever picked up), but Techradar’s Rod Lawton knows everything about photography. In fact, this is a man so experienced in the photographic arts that he actually took his first images using one of those big, explosive flash things they have in Westerns. So if he can’t help you with this, no one can... Rod’s initial response was worryingly cagey: “Money usually brings less automation.” But under heavy duress – and trust GaGu, you don’t wanna know the details – he eventually coughed up the knowledge. So, if it’s a compact camera you’re after, try the Panasonic Lumix TZ70. Panasonic’s snappers are user-friendly – even…

AT HOME, I CAN ONLY TAKE CALLS IF I PRESS MY FACE TO THE WIN DOW. AND IT ’S GIVING ME A RASH . HOW CAN I BOOST MY PHONE SIGNAL? Vodafone does something called Signal Booster, which plucks your 3G calls from the air via magic and electronics, and transfers them to your broadband pipe. The downside is that a minimum upload and download speed of 1Mbps is required, which is above what many people get. But anyway… I’M NOT ON VODAFONE, MATE. In which case, your best bet is Wi-Fi calling, available on EE and set to roll out on Vodafone and Three “soon”. In practical terms, this is the same as the above but requires no box to be strapped to your router. It’ll be the next…

A GaGu’s approach changes all the time. Sometimes, he uses a proper suction kit; sometimes, it’s more a case of leaving the phone on the dash. And very occasionally, Guru might nail a phone to the steering wheel if your favourite gadget master’s day is going badly. At present, however, Gadget Guru is using a Patriot FUEL iON mount. This has the usual Dalek sucker on the back, but it holds your phone through a combination of strong neodymium magnets and a special case for your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy device. The magnets mean it also charges your device via induction, “as fast as directly plugging into the wall”, and will spin between portrait and landscape modes with a flick of your mitt. But hang on a minute – what’s…

01 BROKK 60 This remote-controlled demolition robot may be the smallest of its kind (the base unit measures 34.3 x 23.2 inches), but it’s said to be 7-8 times more effective than handheld tools. It can be used to demolish walls, has a vertical reach of over ten feet and can even climb stairs. POA, brokk.com/uk 02 STANLEY SLP1 TORPEDO LASER LEVEL Crap picture-hanging, be gone! The SLP1 Torpedo Laser Level projects a straight laser up to 50 feet, while a beam-spreader lens creates a 90-degree angle. A nifty gadget for hanging super-straight pictures. £60, stanleytools.co.uk 03 DEWALT INSPECTION CAMERA Keen to know what that stench is coming from your chimney? Now you can find out with this flexible, waterproof device that ventures into your home’s darkest corners and relays…

01 PARROT JUMPING SUMO With a swipe of your finger on your smartphone or tablet, you can make this two-wheeler turn 90 and 180 degrees, and even leap horizontally up to 80cm. And, of course, you can see exactly what it’s seeing – it’s perfect for chasing cats. £140, parrot.com 02 REVELL WI-FI QUADCOPTER X-SPY If you want to go airborne without breaking the bank, this is a decent choice. It’s controlled using a somewhat chunky joystick, but offers the ability to slot in your smartphone to give you a firstperson view of your aerobatics. £99, revell.de 03 HUBSAN X4 MINI Your little miracle will love this aerial drone – plus it’s cheap as chips, so you don’t need to worry about it smashing into a million pieces. A six-axis…

01 ORAL-B PRO BLACK 6500 SMARTSERIES With a range of deep-cleaning motions and brush modes, the 6500 offers a superb tooth scrub. Packing Bluetooth tech, it can be used with the Oral-B app to monitor your brushing habits, while the Wireless SmartGuide syncs with your brush to give you real-time feedback on your efforts. £249, oralb.co.uk 02 PHILIPS BEARDTRIMMER SERIES 7000 AND 9000 The suction on the Series 7000 will ensure less spillage in the bathroom sink, and there’s a turbo-boost button for extra power. Going for that Ming the Merciless look? Grab the Series 9000, a laser-guided trimmer for sculpting sharp beard lines. £60, philips.co.uk 03 LUNA FOR MEN The Luna facial-cleansing brush may cost a packet, but it promises to transform your chops into a wonderland of baby-soft…

Let’s be honest, if you’re bombing down a forest track on your mountain bike, you won’t care too much about what your action camera looks like, so we’d argue that the brightly coloured bodywork on the HX-A500 we tested is not that big a draw. Of course, the Panasonic’s most distinctive selling point is that two-piece design, which is meant to add versatility (you can, for instance, mount the main unit on your handlebars while wearing the separate camera at face level, to film exactly what you’re seeing). For us, though, this adds an unnecessary level of complication to what’s meant to be a fun hobby. To its credit, Panasonic’s camera has a 1.5-inch screen that enables you to clearly see what you’re filming (albeit in low resolution), while those…

1 TESLA MOD EL S 85 The Model S puts to bed the idea that electric cars are for nerdy, bearded blokes called Rupert. There are four models; the rear-wheel-drive one I used goes from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 140mph. Tesla claims it’ll drive 310 miles on a single charge. From £59,000, teslamotors.com/en_GB 2 GOCYCLE G2 The G2 electric bike may cost the same as a decent second-hand hatchback, but it’s a damn sight healthier (when you pedal it) and a lot more fun. Available in three colours, it’ll fully charge in 5.5 hours, after which you can cycle up to 40 miles and at speeds of up to 15.5mph. Nifty. £2,799, gocycle.com 3 AIRBOARD 1.0 The closest thing we have to Marty McFly’s…

01 PAIRING UP Step one is to make sure that Bluetooth is switched on in your smartphone. No matter what mobile you have, this will be in Settings. You then need to pair your phone and watch. This should be part of the prompt when you first turn on the watch. 02 GET THE APP To get the most from your smartwatch, your phone should have the relevant app installed. If you have Android Wear or an Apple Watch, the one you need is obvious as it nabs the name of the platform. If not, search for your watch’s name in your apps store. 03 FACE TIME It’s now time to customise, if you want to. The first thing you might want to fiddle with is the watch face, as…

Mini showcased its Augmented Vision HUD goggles concept recently, and although they look ridiculous – think of the cover art for Will Smith superhero Hancock – the idea behind them is strong. As well as having an array of Heads-Up Display functionality, they’ve got the ability to see through parts of the vehicle so that blind spots are no longer a factor. For example, A-pillars and doors are effectively removed, giving the driver a much better idea of their surroundings. Other functions on offer include contact-analogue navigation and points of interest, enhancing reality by displaying the navigation arrows as if they were painted on the road in front of the car. Just like in a console game when you have the driverassist turned on, your route would be lit up…

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 The Galaxy S6 brings more power, a speedier camera, a more colourful and sharper screen, and an overall better design to the mix. Some Samsung fans will miss the removable battery and expandable storage. From £599, samsung.com/uk iPHONE 6 Apple’s best iPhone yet has the G4 totally licked in terms of design, but it’s light years behind LG’s handset when it comes to screen sharpness and the camera spec. Apple’s ace up the sleeve is still the excellent app ecosystem, though. From £539, apple.com/uk HTC ONE M9 HTC has designed a phone that would make a jeweller weep, but beneath the veneer the M9 isn’t a big step up. The camera is mediocre and the screen is ‘only’ 1080p, though the Sense interface is still one of…

£70, BRAUN.COM/UK Why I bought it Two words: the wife. Apparently, my wiry ginger beard is about as attractive in bed as a naked Benny Hill. Problem is, while I may look like an extra from Vikings, my skin is very sensitive – show it a Bic and it breaks out in a mass of bloody cuts. I don’t want to miss out on the good stuff with my wife, but I don’t want to suffer the agony of a clean shave either. The cruZer6 Face offered me a halfway house. What I like about it It doesn’t shred my face, which is a big one for me. I can use it wet or dry, and either way it gets my beard under control without flaying me alive. The cruZer6…

Free, App Store Music is a wonderful way of expressing our emotions, and the innovative Musations app makes it easy and fun. Whether you’re feeling sad or elated, you can tell the world: scour over 50 million songs for an appropriate song clip or lyric, then share it via social media. To truly capture the moment, you can even pair your chosen snippet with a picture from Instagram. Musations is a great app for aspiring musicians, too, as it enables you to record your own songs and share them with your friends and fans (if you have any). Bored at work? Challenging your friends to a lip-sync battle can be a lot of fun, though you might look a bit odd as you gurn into your smartphones. Finally, if you…

It’s 2015 and it would appear that The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins’ balls still haven’t dropped. Straddling the line between guilty pleasure and accomplished twin-guitar band, his new album evokes Queen, Foo Fighters and Judas Priest. On a par musically with their debut album, Permission To Land, The Last Of Our Kind opens with the utterly bonkers Barbarian and Open Fire, a song that sounds like Van Halen necking with Kenny Loggins. The title track wouldn’t be out of place on a Top Gun 2 soundtrack, so much so that T3 had to be held back from busting out the mirrored shades when listening to it. But it’s the snaking Southern riff on Roaring Waters that has us feeling all hot under the collar. A touch Aerosmith, a touch Mötley…

TVs 01 SAMSUNG UE55JS9000 www.samsung.com PRICE £3,099 TESTED T3 243 This beautifully designed TV is capable of an amazing picture and clear sound. It needs its settings tweaked to get the best picture, though, and standard def looks horrid. T3 SAYS This 55-inch is amazing in Ultra HD, but also brilliant in regular HD. 02 PANASONIC TX-50AX802 www.panasonic.com/uk PRICE £1,299 TESTED T3 236 Great looks, as well as superb picture quality and motion handling. Upscaling isn’t as spectacular as other budget 4K TVs. T3 SAYS If you want a 50-inch TV that has the wow factor – both in terms of looks and picture quality – this is a great choice. 03 SONY BRAVIA KDL50W829 www.sony.co.uk PRICE £579 TESTED T3 228 This 50-inch boasts superb HD image quality, fabulous motion…

01 Take control of the focus point If you learn how to set AF point yourself rather than letting the camera do it, you’ll be in control of what’s sharp and what’s not. 02 Don’t put your subject in the middle We tend to prefer nonsymmetrical images, so position your subject one third of the way in from the side of the frame. You’ll then be on the way to improving your composition. 03 Shoot portraits in the shade Bright, sunny conditions create deep, unattractive shadows and bright highlights on your subject’s face – so turn their back to the sun or find some shade and use your flash to brighten things up. 04 Understand aperture Use a wide aperture like f/4 to limit the size of the sharp zone…

Smartwatches 01 APPLE WATCH www.apple.com/uk PRICE FROM £299 TESTED T3 242 Apple’s wearable is packed with features and offers a wide range of customisation options to give you some individuality. The only real downside is the limited battery life. T3 SAYS This is the one that will properly kickstart the smartwatch revolution. 02 PEBBLE STEEL www.getpebble.com PRICE £180 TESTED T3 240 The always-on, monochrome e-ink screen might not be for everyone, but it works great, and you get up to seven days’ battery. There are loads of apps, too. T3 SAYS The Steel is low on extras but has bags of charm and great ease of use. 03 LG G WATCHR www.lg.com/uk PRICE £200 TESTED T3 240 All the style and feel of a normal watch, but with all the…

Keyfree Connected Smart Lock Yale has come up with its own smart lock, with a keycode entry panel. The real boon of this is that it can be easily added onto most PVCu and composite front doors with a Yale multipoint lock. £495.60 (fitted), www.yale.co.uk Sesame Mating to any latch, the Sesame is easy to fit and use. Via an app on your phone, it’ll detect your proximity - just tap the screen to gain entry. You can also add a secret door knock so that you don’t have to take your phone out. $99 (£64), www.candyhouse.co August Smart Lock Designed by Yves Behar, the August Smart Lock looks great and is able to make a single-latch deadbolt keyless, with phoneactivated entry. You can give temporary access to people, and…