T3 UK 4K World Cup Special Smart Home Living Plus Amazing Soundbars July 2018 pdf pdf
SONY’S NEXT-GEN OLED TV REVIEWED
WORLD CUP SPECIAL!
2018’s best new 4K HDR TVs ï
Incredible buys from £649 to £12k ï
Enjoy the top matches in Ultra HD! ï
PLUS AMAZING SOUNDBARS SMART FOR EVERY BUDGET HOME LIVING
HOT! Gadgets to upgrade every room!
BLUETOOTH TURNTABLES Vinyl goes wireless
TESTED
OCULUS GO
Why standalone
VR is the future TOP PHONES UNDER £300
NEW
STEP-UP CAMERAS
Ditch the phone
The tech that’s so cutting edge, \RXèUH ULVNLQJ \RXU ĆQJHUV just turning this page
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3UHSDUH WR KDYH \RXU PRYLH QLJKW KRXVH SDUW\ DQG ELJ VFUHHQ JDPLQJ VHVVLRQV HOHYDWHG ZLWK WKH ZRUOGèV ĆUVW YRLFH apps, into a central hub, making control of your home’s entertainment much smarter, faster and easier. A party animal and budding DJ, the (iOS, Android) app-connected Keecker runs an Android TV platform (for access to content across Google Play, Chromecast and Google Assistant) and has a built-in 4.1 audio system, featuring four speakers and a subwoofer. ,WbFDQbVWUHDP FXVWRP SOD\OLVWV IURP 6SRWLI\ DQG *RRJOH 3OD\ 0XVLF SOXV LQWHUQHW UDGLR IURP 7XQH,Q DQG XVHV LWV LQWHJUDWHG GHJUHH DGMXVWDEOH YLGHR SURMHFWRU WR WUDQVIRUP DQ\ EODQN ZDOO RU FHLOLQJ LQWR D ELJ VFUHHQ $QG GRQèW ZRUU\ LWbZRQèW
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K E E C K E R ROBO GUARD Keecker doesn’t just project video – it captures it too. It can act as a security camera, and you can even take control of it remotely, driving it around the house to check whether you closed the back door, or see what the pets are up to
7 T3 N O V E M B E R 2 0 17
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Art Editor Michelle tried the latest UXQQLQJ DQG ĆWQHVV WHFK
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KIMBERLEY BALLARD Production Editor
With a beautiful city break planned, Kimberley could PRVWO\ EH IRXQG çERUURZLQJè our next-level cameras S b&ULHV RI ê%XWbZH QHHG them to make the issue!”
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Meet the team
- 44 (0)1225 687469 MICHELLE MCLAREN
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VISIT T3.COM
We’ve overhauled T3.com – the best site for gadget news and reviews now has a great new look and is fully responsive, enabling you to enjoy it on any device. CONTACT T3
DUNCAN BELL Lifestyle Editor, T3.com
In reviewing the Oculus Go standalone VR headset (p90), Duncan is certain that he has seen the future. It’s just that he saw it from an inch away, and he’d prefer that it had
The creation of our beer guide (p83) and related WHVWLQJ DURXQG WKH RIĆFH enthused Andy. We’re considering his proposal
Meet the team
MATT BOLTON Editor
Matt’s hunt for the best gear to watch the World Cup in
4K (p76) was all-consuming.
He’s sick of football now.
Good thing it’s all over, DQGbWKH DFWXDO WRXUQDPHQW isn’t just about to start.
JO GULLIVER Senior Art Editor
During our big smart home feature (p36) photography, Jo became enthralled by the Samsung fridge’s screen. It’s the same stuff you do on a phone, but it’s just different when it’s on a fridge…
CLAIRE DAVIES Associate Editor
Claire’s week off at the beach during this issue was a relaxing haven away from work. Apart from the bit where she tested and wrote about the best tech to take to the beach with you (p20).
ANDREW WESTBROOK Operations Editor
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£39.99! Turn to p46 to see our print and digital subscription options!
SPENCER HART Product & Style Editor,
T3.com Spencer got way more dressed up for his trip on a private jet (p28) than he ever gets for the team, which is… pretty fair, actually, but still
DbOLWWOH KXUWIXO ROB JONES
Tech & Gaming Editor, T3.com
5RE WULHG RXW WKH ĆUVW RIbDbQHZ EUHHG RI ODSWRS powered by phone chips, this month (p98). This is similar
WRb5RE KLPVHOI ZKR LV powered by cheesy chips.
PAUL DOUGLAS Global Editor-in-Chief,
T3.com Paul loves his vinyl, but there’s only so much retro a man can live with. Wires?!
He’s not Fred Flintstone. Our wireless turntables (p96) bring him right up to date.
SUBSCRIBE NOW AND GET A FREE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER!
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Welcome Editor’s letter When it comes to smart home gear, one of the things ,bOLNH WR VHH EXW WKDW D ORW RI FRPSDQLHV VHHP WR IRUJHW LVbWKDW WKH JHDU QHHGV WR DFWXDOO\ ORRN QLFH 6RPH OLYLQJ URRP JDGJHWV FDQ JHW DZD\ ZLWK EHLQJ D ELW çWHFK\è å ZHbGRQèW H[SHFW %OX UD\ SOD\HUV WR EH HVSHFLDOO\ DYDQW JDUGH å EXW LI \RXèUH PDNLQJ VRPHWKLQJ WKDWèV VXSSRVHG WR VLW RQ VKHOYHV RU D FRIIHH WDEOH \RX QHHG WR RIIHU more than a functional plastic enclosure.
That’s why I love something like the Mondaine Smart stop2go Clock that’s in our smart home feature, starting on p36. It starts off as a classic clock, using the company’s Swiss railway design that dates back to 1944 and yet still looks ultra-modern. I’d already love to have it in my house… And then you learn that it’s got some added smarts and the deal is sealed. The other way companies can go is to make WKHLU VWXII LQYLVLEOH RU KLGGHQ ZKLFK LV DOVR ĆQH EXW WKHUHèV not really any in-between when it comes to home decor.
Speaking of good-looking stuff in the living room, I’m so excited to have the chance to watch the World Cup in 4K HDR this year (p76). I honestly think football is better the more you feel like you’re really there, and the ambiance RIbDbVXUURXQG VRXQG VWDGLXP DQG FU\VWDO FOHDU LPDJHV LV DbELJbVWHS IRUZDUG IRU VXFK D KLJK SURĆOH WRXUQDPHQW Matt Bolton, Editor
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Contents Contents
HORIZON 012
TOP 10 036
Fill your gadget-loving boots with this
SMART HOME
month’s hottest new tech, including the LIVING slick OnePlus 6, Nest’s nosy new video doorbell, and an utterly bonkers sea
Upgrade every scooter that’s shaped like a shark room in your KRXVHbZLWK WKH
020 latest and greatest
WE CAN BUILD YOU… connected home Heading to the beach this summer? tech, from clever
6WD\bFRRO DQG NHHS \RXU NLW GU\ ZLWK RXU clocks to super haul of portable, beach-proof goodies smart showers
024 STYLE
Tropical print shirts are back, but what you wear with them is key. We show you how to work them into your existing wardrobe with ease
026 AUTO
&DQèW ĆQG \RXU FDU" <RX QHHG D FDU ĆQGHU Want a new car? We’ve got ace new
ZKHHOV IURP $XGL *HQHVLV DQG 0DVHUDWL
027 LIVING
Maximise your living space with a hidden TV, then learn how to boost the acoustic ćRZ RI \RXU URRP 1R" $OULJKW IXVV\ WKHQ overhaul your health instead with
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TRAVEL MAN VS TECH STATE OF THE ART
We recently chartered a private jet and, Can tech help our 048 068 surprisingly, it didn’t drain our life savings writer train for and Take a step up from
(much). Learn how to do the same for complete the London Marathon? It’s time snapping pics on your phone with our
your next group get-away to get sweaty… tricked-out trio of next-level cameras
030 FITNESS & OUTDOORS
Has the World Cup inspired you to better \RXU ĆWQHVV" 6WDUW QRZ ZLWK VSRUWV WHFK that can help you train like a footballer
032
GADGET GURU
burning questions, including, um, ‘Can you recommend a glue gun?’ True story 035
TALKING TECH THE ULTIMATE THE GREAT
Have you ever thought, ‘Hmm, some tech
WORLD CUP BEER GUIDE
brands are more like cults’? Yeah, Duncan EXPERIENCE
076 083 Bell is pondering the same this month
We discover the top Fancy watching the FIFA World Cup brewing tech, ales and lagers for the LQbJORULRXV 8OWUD +'" :H UHYHDO KRZ perfect boozing sesh at home or outdoors
Contents WIN! A PAIR 2)b30&
TWENTY5.23 SPEAKERS Expand your hi-fi setup and hear your music like never before with a pair of PMC’s full-size, hand-built Twenty5.23 speakers
HOME 103
TESTED
056THE SETUP
090
OCULUS GO
Cut down on your energy usage and power your devices on demand with We get up close and personal withWORTH the new D-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug virtual reality’s exciting new wireless
£3,095
headset, but is it as good as we
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059 UPGRADE
If you’ve ever experienced the damage 094
SONY AF8
caused by a burst water pipe at home, you’ll make a beeline for this smart On paper, the AF8 is a 4K OLED water control system dream, replete with impressivefeatures and the promise of a
060 sumptuous picture. Does the reality DESIRE live up to the hype, though? BEST OF THE BEST Add a touch of masculine luxury to your bedroom with Ralph Lauren’s 096
SMACKDOWN
Polo Player summer linens range106 YOUR IN-DEPTH
Bluetooth turntables are just the
BUYER’S GUIDE062 ticket for tech-minded vinyl lovers, HOME TEST and this month two popular models Want to know what the best top-end WHOO\ LV" 2U WKH EHVW ĆUVW WLPH '6/5"
Smart buttons put connected home slug it out in our head-to-head FRQWURO DW WKH ĆQJHUWLSV RI HYHU\RQH Or the best wireless headhones? Our LQb\RXU KRXVH :H WHVW IRXU RI WKH EHVW JLDQW EX\HUèV JXLGH KHOSV \RX ĆQG WKH
097
GOPRO HERO
world’s best tech, and only WKH EHVWCapture your adrenaline junkie antics
on camera with the new GoPro –
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commands (well, most of the time)
098
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AND GET A FREE
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Qualcomm-powered Windows 10 S
WIRELESS SPEAKER!hybrids gets the T3 grilling
046
100
TOP PHONES UNDER £300
SMART HOME SURGERYto be a top performer? These budget
Our resident experts dish out the beauties will change your mind answers to your smart home queries
102
ANALOGUE SUPER NT
066 LIVING SMARTER
We dig out our old Super Nintendo
Learn how to create your own Alexa games cartridges in the name ofVNLOOV å QR FRGLQJ DELOLW\ UHTXLUHG
putting this retro console to the test
Horizon The best new tech heading your way
Edited by Claire Davies ONEPLUS 6
From £469, oneplus.com/uk
Fast and smooth aren’t qualities you’d necessarily want in a first date (maybe), but they’re definitely attractive in a smartphone. And the polished-looking OnePlus 6 has both in spades, especially super-fast speed. Dressed in a classic monochrome colour palette of Midnight Black, Mirror Black or crisp Silk White, this new flagship phone is the definition of smart and beautiful, coming loaded with a Snapdragon 845 CPU, Adreno 630 GPU and 8GB of RAM.
The OnePlus 6 flaunts a stunning all-glass body, though we can’t help thinking it’ll end up slathered in sticky fingerprints within minutes of use. If you have a soft spot for A minimal bezel bigger phones, this one will take advantage design helps with its 6.28-inch, 19:9 HDR AMOLED screen. make the most An 84 per cent screen-to-body ratio gives of that glorious you plenty of real estate to eyeball, and in our Optic AMOLED time playing with it so far, the HDR AMOLED display, giving panel serves up punchy, defined colours during you a full picture gaming and video bingeing. of whatever
There’s a 16+20MP dual camera array you’re working around the back and a 16MP front camera for on, watching capturing 4K video up to 60fps, all with Sony or playing sensors. A Super Slow Motion mode handles more dramatic shots. Even though there are tiny niggles, such as no wireless charging and water-resistance but no 1P67/68 certification, the hardware line-up is top tier, marking the OnePlus 6 as a hearty contender for 2018’s biggest flagship release so far.
TECH-O-METER OnePlus has gone from bargain brand to big dog. Tis thing is seriously capable Matt Bolton, Editor
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Top 10 J U LY 2 0 1 8 T3 1 3 USER FRIENDLY
The OnePlus 6 runs Android 8.1 Oreo and OxygenOS, OnePlus’s light skin of Android, offering all-new gesture controls to make navigating and using the phone a more fluid experience. You can use gestures to return home, open recent apps and more
THE NEED FOR SPEED
You can choose from five different display modes on the OnePlus 6. We like the sound of Reading Mode, for digesting large chunks of text on a phone screen, and Night Mode for late evening phone usage that won’t mess with your sleep cycle
Snapdragon’s 845 mobile platform works to speed up the performance of the OnePlus 6 by 30 per cent compared to the OnePlus
5T, but lowering energy use. You can download and share images, videos and files at super fast speeds, with a whopping 8GB RAM backing you up
MYRIAD OF MODES
Horizon NEST HELLO
£TBC, nest.com/uk
Could you have imagined five years ago that any of us would put so much thought into buying a doorbell? That’s now a reality, as Nest has muscled in on Ring’s smart doorbell patch with the Google Assistant-friendly Nest Hello. One of the Hello’s big selling points is super- clear HD video with 160-degree view. The 4:3 aspect ratio is also taller than that offered by most other video doorbells, which should create a more robust picture of who’s at the door. There’s automatic night vision, 24/7 streaming (via the Nest app) and video recording (Wi-Fi needed), and HD Talk and Listen to reduce ambient noise. We also like the pre-recorded message function, though you’ll need to take out a Nest Aware subscription to access Nest’s premium face-recognition tech.
T3 SAYS:
Comes out swinging with lush HD video and your Google Assistant BFF.
TOSHIBA X98 OLED
£TBC, toshiba-tv.com
Toshiba is wading into the ‘premium telly for less’ arena with the X98 OLED, equipped with Amazon Alexa integration, so those of us with an Echo device will be able to control the X98 using voice commands. The X98 OLED is available in 55- and 65-inch sets, and supports HDR10, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR. Onkyo has been drafted in to co-design the TV’s integrated subwoofer and speakers, while Toshiba has been busy with a new OS called Smart Portal, created to make swapping between content and various inputs simpler and faster. No word on pricing, but Toshiba is more of a budget brand than its rivals, so if it can keep the price down and the features rich, the X98 OLED could be a winner.
T3 SAYS:
Alexa integration, a new smart platform and a near full-house of HDR support makes this a tempting package.
TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER
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NATIVE UNION X LA BOITE PR/01 £699, nativeunion.com
In tech, collabs have become the new Rose Gold. The latest comes courtesy of gadget accessory obsessives Native Union and French acoustics specialist La Boite, the results of which are wrapped up in the handsome PR/01, a compact home-dwelling speaker designed to provide you with advanced connectivity and ear-gasmic acoustics. The PR/01 isn’t interested in being a flash in the pan – it’s classically styled and wants to live in your home. The Bluetooth aptX-infused PR/01 is geared up to deliver powerful, high-fidelity sound, and charge Qi-enabled phones from a plate on top. A concealed drawer hides various audio inputs, one USB-C and two USB-B ports.
T3 SAYS: Make room on your console table
for the handsome PR/01, a multi-functional speaker promising rich sound and minimal faff.
PHILIPS MOMENTUM 436M6VBPAB £699, philips.co.uk
You’ll get square eyes sitting so close to the screen – or so T3’s mum used to say. She’ll be pleased, then, to hear that Philips’ new Momentum line of gaming monitors are designed to be placed at a greater distance from you. The 436M6VBPAB is the world’s first display to claim VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. There’s 4K UHD resolution on the 43-inch VA panel, with Quantum Dot elbowing out run-of-the-mill LCD tech. It aims to give you an edge during games with its Low Input Lag mode and SmartResponse tech. We also dig the Ambiglow lighting, creating an external halo around the panel, plus MultiView mode to display two sources simultaneously (Picture-in- Picture and Picture-by-Picture).
T3 SAYS: Game smarter with the world’s first VESA DisplayHDR 1000-certified display.
TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER
1 6 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8 Horizon Top 10
ASTELL & KERN BILLIE JEAN £299, astellnkern.com
Astell & Kern’s vampy new wired earphones not only bear the name of one of pop-rock’s most famous temptresses, but also the fruits of Jerry Harvey Audio’s patented Freqphase waveguide tech, designed to deliver accurate multi-frequency sound. Harvey used to tour with Van Halen as a sound engineer before bringing his knowledge to the masses, and the expertise helps elevate these earbuds. A wide soundstage is served up, thanks to the inclusion of an Acoustic Chamber Sound Bore design. To say these earphones are aimed at those wanting high-quality audio on the move is a dramatic understatement – even the cables are kevlar, copper and silver. We’re expecting nuanced detail and fat-ass bass.
T3 SAYS:
Astell & Kern’s new headphones, as pretty as a beauty queen, are gearing up to rock you hard.
$799.99 (£595.47), lenovo.com
Always-connected laptops get a new addition to the fold in the form of Lenovo’s sprightly Miix 630, a two-in-one with integrated 4G LTE, for what Lenovo promises to be ‘true anytime, anywhere mobility’. You want that. Especially if you regularly work in coffee shops, on the train, or while waiting for your plane – with onboard
4G LTE, you won’t have to rely on finding a Wi-Fi hotspot. Lenovo has also bundled in a detachable, full-sized, backlit keyboard and a digital pen so that you work and play better. Amping your productivity further, meanwhile, is a Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC Platform on Windows 10 S. The Miix 630 is also lightweight, quiet and flexible, so you can stuff it in your
Lenovo’s looking to impress, and keep you ever-connected, with its first Snapdragon 835 Windows tablet.
TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER
LENOVO MIIX 630
T3 SAYS:
INNOVATION FEATURES
YUNEEC HD RACER £159.99, yuneec.com
There are big bucks in drone racing now, with prize purses totalling $1 million in the biggest events. FPV drone racing isn’t for everyone, though, as motion sickness often ensnares newbie pilots. So, how can you give this exciting new sport a go without spending a truck load of cash? Try the new Yuneec HD Racer, an affordable FPV racing drone built for beginners and experts, offering a range of flight modes to suit. It only has a six- minute battery life, but that’s enough to blast around a course a few times. The drone can also shoot 1080p What do you mean you don’t want to climb on the back of a hydrodynamic sea scooter and let it plummet you deep into the ocean? Well, for those with a sense of adventure still intact, the shark-esque Hoverstar AquaJet H2 is set to be one of this summer’s highly unnecessary but totally cool tech toys. In a nutshell, this high- powered scooter can help you dive deeper, swim faster and enjoy high-powered bodyboarding… all while making it look effortless in the process. How? Touch control wings. You can also point the nose of the scooter up or down to ascend or
T3 SAYS:
TECH-O-METER
Yuneec’s budget flyer is perfect for trying your hand at FPV drone racing without angering your bank manager. descend. Hoverstar reckons anyone can learn how to drive the AquaJet H2 in as little as 10 minutes. And if you’re too scared to go solo, this sea scooter has enough power to pull you and three others along with it.
COOLNESS
BOOMBOCS BRX V2.0 CLASSIC
- – you’d have been hard pressed to find us anywhere in the ’80s other than break dancing to the latest beats… ahem. So, we’re all over the arrival of BoomBocs, a range of wireless speakers that look like the retro blaster we’ve always wanted. There are three speakers in the range, starting with the BRX v2.0 Classic, the flagship wireless speaker in the BoomBocs gang. It comes in eight colours, some subtle, some wild (hello, hot orange), and houses a 200-watt digital amplifier. The speaker connects wirelessly or via video at 60fps, with a low-latency FPV feed putting you in the heart of the action (watch a live feed from the built-in camera on your smartphone or via a compatible FPV headset).
T3 SAYS:
$739 (£525.63), hoverstar.com
T3
TECH-O-METER
INNOVATION FEATURES
COOLNESS
Turn it up the beat with this summer’s most badass wireless speaker.
INNOVATION FEATURES
COOLNESS
is the original boombox master
T3 SAYS:
1 8 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8 Horizon Top 10
Jump on the back of this touch-control sea scooter and swim with (and like) the dolphins. aux cable and dishes out up to 20 hours of playback if you pimp it with a rechargeable battery; that kicks the price up to £798, but we reckon it’s worth it just to take this blaster along on all-day hang-outs at the park.
From £699, boombocs.com
TECH-O-METER
HOVERSTAR AQUAJET H2
Heading to the beach this summer? Stay cool and keep your tech dry, with this ocean-faring haul...
1 VIVOBAREFOOT X
The ocean is relaxing anyway, but if you want to chill out with a good book, and don’t want to be limited to just one paperback, invest in a high-quality waterproof ereader. Our pick is the Kindle Oasis, because it’s lightweight, has enough storage (up to 32GB) to house thousands of books, and comes with a cover that pumps in extra juice to keep the device going for weeks, not hours. Best of all, the Kindle Oasis now comes with Audible support to read you the audio versions of your favourite books. And yes, that includes The Beach…
Horizon 2 0 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8
THE READER THE EXPERT
A BEACH- PROOF SETUP WE CAN BUILD YOU...
’s resident beach bum spends perhaps too many weekends by the sea, so she’s got a keen eye for stylish, water-friendly gear to suit our reader’s needs.
Claire Davies T3
Lucky Craig is hitting St Ives next month and wants a waterproof pack to carry his kit, a camera to take in the water, plus gadgets to keep him entertained and hydrated.
£29.99, thefowndry.com Craig Price
Stay hydrated while indulging in water-fight fun. Wait. What? Yep, not only is the Aquabot Water Bottle completely reusable, and therefore a worthy warrior in the fight against ocean plastic, but this 650ml bottle has a secret Super Soaker-style attachment; use it to spritz/spray/ water bomb friends when the sun reaches a frazzling afternoon peak.
From £229.99, amazon.co.uk
4 KINDLE OASIS
FINISTERRE WATERPROOF RUCKSACK
£409.99, nikon.co.uk
16MP stills and capturing Full HD videos of your oceanic fun. Choose Macro mode to capture extreme close-ups of fish and crabs, or 10x Dynamic Fine Zoom to nail arty shots.
Cameras and water don’t usually mix, but thankfully the Coolpix W300 rebels against that. Nikon’s beach-loving snapper can sunbathe with the best of them, feeling equally at home on the sand as in the water. Because it’s waterproof to 30m you can splash through waves and even dip beneath the surface, taking
3 NIKON COOLPIX W300
£89.99, ultimateears.com
Kokomo as much as you’d dare.
Listen to your Spotify playlists and take voice calls, in and out of the sea, with Ultimate Ears’ most popular waterproof Bluetooth speaker. The Wonderboom is your buddy for rocking out while splashing around in the surf, and is so dinky you’ll hardly feel it when stashed in your rucksack. There’s also an amazing ten hours battery life per charge, so you can serenade the entire beach with, er,
2 ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM
£110, finisterre.com
Few brands do ocean-going clothing and accessories with as much style and ethical awareness as Finisterre. Grab its fully waterproof rucksack (designed in collaboration with running brand Vivobarefoot) and bundle in everything you need for an epic day at the beach. The spacious 35-litre capacity is plenty enough for clothing, blankets, sunscreen and even a folding selfie drone. There’s straps ahoy, too, including comfy padded shoulder straps and a chest strap for good weight distribution.
WATER BOTTLE
5 AQUABOT
We can build you… SAYS…
Tis tough tech can stand the sand, and turn any beach trip into a party!
Claire Davies, Associate Editor
Horizon SURF’S UP
Head to sunny climes with a tropical shirt. If bold colours overwhelm you,
ZADIG & VOLTAIRE SHARK HAWAII SHIRT
choose a subtle hue, and pair a tropical shirt with dark chinos or jeans
Quench summer’s thirst for colourful looks by pairing pink chinos with this joyful Hawaiian number, designed with pajama collar and mother of pearl buttons.
£155, farfetch.com/uk
BURTON HULA PRINT SHIRT Break out your tailored dark chinos or jeans and partner them with Burton’s lightweight Hula Print Shirt, just perfect for surviving sticky-hot weather.
£25, burton.co.uk
TOD’S CAMP-COLLAR PRINTED SILK-TWILL SHIRT For a luxe approach to the tropical trend, choose Tod’s silk-twill offering with a relaxed fit that falls softly over the body.
£280, mrporter.com
WADER HAWAIIAN SHIRT
All Saints has a stunning 11-strong Hawaiian shirt collection, including the Wader, a Chrome Grey crane print inspired by vintage kimonos.
£85, allsaints.com
PALM TREE SHIRT Zara’s relaxed fit bowling shirt is a total steal, and the monochrome palm tree print will help gently ease you into the retro tropical shirt trend, if the bolder prints seem a bit much.
£29.99, zara.com/uk
WHICH WATCH
THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECES RIGHT NOW
FOSSIL SEKFORD BELL & ROSS BR
Elevate your suited Get your style wings with
CHRONOGRAPH
From desk to dinner, and booted look with the Nightlum aircraft Fossil’s water-resistant old-school charm, cockpit clock-inspired (5ATM) chronograph courtesy of Sekford’s automatic watch, keeps you well-dressed classically elegant dress designed with matte black and on time. A blue satin watch fashioned with a dial and Superluminova dial provides contrast to handmade tan English (meaning: glowing) the stainless steel casing bridle leather strap and hands and numerals, and supple leather strap. minimalist face. plus a solid hybrid strap.
£159, fossil.com/uk/en £695, sekford.com £2,900, bellross.com 2 4 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8
Like Chris Pratt, we can’t get enough of Tom Ford. The American designer’s masculine take on the classic leather belt adds instant sartorial flair to jeans and tailored trousers. Handmade in Italy, the T-Clasp Belt marries smooth brass hardware and pure leather to help your individual style shine through on a range of looks, from new Nashville to decadent retro.
£590, harrods.com J U LY 2 0 1 8 T3 2 5
Style DRESS LIKE CHRIS PRATT
Te dinosaur wrangler loves sharp suits and printed shirts. Here’s a great look to ‘borrow’ MONEY NO OBJECT
Tom Ford T-Clasp Belt
THE SHIRT Checks are big news for summer and not just for your picnic table. Chris Pratt’s gingham choice has a demure green tone to help it ward off country bumpkin vibes. For a similar look, track down Eton’s Green Gingham Check Shirt (£135, etonshirts.com/uk).
THE TIE Playing with textures is a fun way to upgrade your outfit, something which Chris’s stylist, Annie Psaltiras, has embraced with a knitted tie. Try this with a Knitted Square Cut Silk Tie in Olive Green (£31.99, thetiestore.co.uk).
SMOOTH MOVE
THE SUIT Tom Ford, Ted Baker and Isaia are regulars in Chris’s set of suits. Make an investment with a Tom Ford Three-Piece Wool O’Connor Suit in Brown (£2,520, harrods.com).
Thanks to manscaping, unkempt pits and bits are no longer the norm (sorry, Tom Selleck). In fact, when Philips set about designing its latest grooming product, the OneBlade Face + Body, its research team found that 70 per cent of millennial men groom their bodies, using a variety of tools to shave and sculpt. But before manscaping gadgets were a thing, most of us would swill a face shaver or a Bic around ‘down there’, hoping to buzz off some unruly thatch.
In an aid to cut back on all those tools, Philips’ new battery-powered OneBlade Face + Body is designed for face and body hair. It looks like a fancy razor, is compact and lightweight, and comes with one blade for facial hair, one for body hair, plus a three-stubble body comb with different length guards (1mm, 3mm, 5mm).
It’s designed to trim, edge and shave any length hair on your face or body, so we put it to work on both. We have three days’ stubble on our face and it buzzes it off. It’s not as smooth and clean as with our proper shaver, but it’s decent. The interchangeable body blade plus 3mm comb trims our pits and groin with no issues. We haven’t suffered a cut or scratch, but the blade clogs up during shaving; nothing a quick tap can’t sort.
We’d love to see a battery indicator on the OneBlade Face + Body – although it states 60 minutes battery per eight-hour charge, you’d be brave to start ’scaping without knowing you had a full pint of juice to see you through. So while we wouldn’t ditch our high-powered face and body hair shaver for this, we’d definitely pack the Philips OneBlade Face + Body for manscaping on holiday or keeping our face presentable on a work trip.
PHILIPS ONEBLADE FACE + BODY An affordable men’s shaver for quick touch-ups and travel use Horizon FIND YOUR CAR ZUS SMART CAR FINDER AND CHARGER
Tis simple gadget acts as both in-car charger
- – supplying juice for up to two devices simultaneously
- – and vehicle finder, enabling you to retrieve the previous location of your wheels by using the companion smartphone app. £29.17, amazon.co.uk
V-AUTO
Tis box of tricks plugs into your car’s OBD port and relays a wealth of info to your phone. A built-in
DREAM MACHINE
accelerometer reveals your driving skills, while GPS
SHOW STOPPERS
shows you the location of your motor, even if Packed with the hottest motors and the latest car tech, this year’s it’s moving at the time.
£85 (£4/m subscription), New York International Auto Show is one heck of a crowd pleaser. vodafone.com
Nick Odantzis reveals the best on show
Each year the Big Apple is host to the most Hyundai’s luxury arm, Genesis, showed legendary car show around, and this year’s off the 2019 G70 luxury four-door sedan, New York International Auto Show has more which takes on the Germans at their own than 1,000 vehicles on display over four game. A new Sport version with a six-speed floors. There’s an eclectic mix of metal, from manual gearbox aims to put the fun back burly muscle cars to electric concepts, and into comfortable daily drivers, though there’s even a few family wagons thrown in. the 365BHP automatic is not exactly dull.
Of course, when we say family wagons, Actually, it kind of is dull compared to
TRACKER RETRIEVE
what we mean is Audi’s brand-new 444BHP the other car Genesis brought to the show: RS5 Sportback (it’s got four seats and a big its Essentia GT concept. Penned for a 2022
Got a nicer-than-average
boot, duh), which is the wilder version of the release, it’s a curious mix of vintage and
runabout on your drive?
regular S5 Sportback, complete with oodles futuristic, with a carbon monocoque chassis,
Ten this Tatcham-
of carbon fibre, an irresponsible amount hybrid electric setup, butterfly doors, and
approved (so it’ll lower
of power and four-wheel drive. a design that looks like it just rolled out of
your insurance premium)
Want more space, and speed? There’s Tony Stark’s garage. It’s said to be powered
tracker will keep tabs on the
Maserati’s take on the mega SUV: the by high-density batteries, with rumours that
whereabouts of your car at
Levante Trofeo. Obviously it’s a huge hunk they may even be solid-state cells, giving it
all times, even if it’s stolen
of metal, but it also has a V8 with 590BHP a Tesla-shaming range and a charge time and stored underground.
- – enough to take your kids to space. of just a few minutes.
£249, trackerdirect.co.uk 2 6 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8
STREAM- LINED SMOOTHIE MAKERS
Te Nutribullet comes with three blade configurations and two travel cups. A 600W motor produces a cyclonic action to tease the goodness out of your fruit and veg. £59.99, argos.co.uk
Sage’s blender is designed to capture small or gritty ingredients that get trapped beneath the blades (seeds, nuts and grains), ensuring velvety smooth results. £219.95, johnlewis.com
Living J U LY 2 0 1 8 T3 2 7 SMEG BFL01
SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE KINETIX CONTROL
A gorgeous retro-style blender, available in seven striking colours, fitted with an 800W motor and paired with a generous 1.5-litre impact-resistant jug. £149.99, smeguk.com
Looking to take acoustics to the next level Artnovion’s new Flow range of acoustic panels (£TBA, artnovion.com). They not only look awesome, in a ‘Bond villain secret lair’ sort of way, but also elevate sound. The Flow panels, made from a selection of woods and in a range of colours, use Helmholtz resonators and foam-weaved acoustic cores to stop reverberation and diffuse uneven sound. Essentially, the Flow panelling will help your speakers sound the way they’re meant to.
MAXIMISE LIVING SPACE WITH A HIDDEN TV Enhance acoustic flow while making your home look like an art installation
Getting a clear living area when room space is minimal can be tough, especially if you add in a telly, but one way to do so is with a hidden TV. We’re not talking about invisible sets from the future, but intelligently designed displays that not only blend into your home, but actually work to enhance its sense of style and spaciousness.
Samsung’s The Frame (from £1,199, samsung.com) is, as the name suggests, a TV designed with a picture frame-style bezel. When not in use as a TV, Art Mode transforms The Frame into a work of art of your choosing; the Frame includes access to a free gallery of professionally curated art, comprising 100 pieces across various movements. As a 4K HDR TV, it delivers super-clear picture quality.
If you watch TV in your bedroom, relax and binge-watch from a TV bed (from £899, tvbed.co.uk), where a telly pops up from the foot of the bed. Or, if you have recently bought a new TV, consider framing it with a mirror layer (from £1,399, frameyourtv. co.uk), a custom design to turn your TV into an ornate wall mirror when turned off.
Whether you have a small home or don’t want a TV on show 24/7, Luke Edwards reveals the sets that won’t hog your space ART HOUSE CINEMA SOUND BOOSTING ACOUSTICS
NUTRIBULLET 600 SERIES
Horizon Travel
CABIN-SIZE LUGGAGE
SAMSONITE COSMOLITE
Tis carry-on has an impressive amount of storage space. Its robust ‘Curv’ shell looks attractive and is super lightweight. Four smooth rolling wheels make getting around airports a breeze.
£319, samsonite.co.uk
AWAY THE CARRY-ON
Te stunning Away Carry-On features an integrated charger so that you can play with your phone or tablet without worrying about running out of juice. Te charger is also
GOING UP
ejectable and compliant with all airline policies.
£225, awaytravel.com
LIVING THE HIGH LIFE
Tink the jetset lifestyle is just for the ultra-rich? You might be surprised, as Spencer Hart was on a private jet trip to Scotland…
Private jets are no longer the preserve of the luxury furnishings. After 90 indulgent rock stars and billionaire businessman, as minutes, we’d landed on Islay, ready to T3 found when flying to the Isle of Islay with experience its whisky, stunning scenery Stratajet (stratajet.com), a platform focused and amazing golf course. on making private jet travel more affordable. You’re probably wondering how much London and having breakfast while waiting will never be economy-level cheap, it’s true
THULE CROSSOVER
for the thick fog to clear, we walked out onto – if you’re travelling with seven friends on
CARRY-ON
the tarmac and boarded a Learjet 45. The a similar journey to ours, you’re looking in Tis backpack-meets- pilots greeted us onboard and within 20 the region of £10,000 (£1,250pp). But travelbag is a great piece to minutes we were flying. Our jet was stocked that might mean you can take trips you have at your side. It’s suitable with snacks and chilled bottles of Laurent otherwise couldn’t – there are no direct for a business conference but Perrier, with enough seats for us and up to flights from London to Islay normally, for also rugged enough for more seven friends. It’s a more comfortable flying example. For such high levels of comfort adventurous holidays. experience, thanks to the highly pressurised and luxury (and speed), you might find
£215, thule.com cabin (which doesn’t dry your skin out) and that it’s money well spent.
2 8 T3 J U LY 2 0 1 8
LIGHT GYM BAGS
INOV-8 ALL TERRAIN KITBAG
Adidas’s bag is roomy, and that hanging loop is handy for hoisting the bag onto changing-room pegs.
£94.99, ortlieb.com/en
room for a gym kit and laptop with ventilation channels to minimise sweat build-up.
Ortlieb’s 21-litre offering has
Work hard in the gym, not on the way
In advance of the World Cup, Damian Hall checks out the tech that could turn you into Lionel Messi (well, kinda) ON THE BALL DIVING DOWN
If you’ll be doing HIIT workouts, Moov’s HR Sweat ($99.95/£73.75, moov.cc) worn inside a headband measures heart rate from the side of the head, where skin is thinner and increased blood flow delivers more reliable readings. Moov’s app provides four circuit workouts, with an AI-powered coach barking orders to get you match fit.
). DribbleUp’s smartphone app tracks the ball in real time and analyses thousands of data points, synthesising it into personalised training feedback. Interactive drills include shooting, juggling and ground work, with a virtual trainer grading your performance and giving audio feedback.
You could also spend this summer improving your ball skills using a connected football called the DribbleUp (£69.99, dribbleup.com