Sommaire pour January 2025 de Stuff UK

Hello! This issue is all about New Year tech, whether that’s stuff to get you fit or get your house clean, or the cutting-edge hardware that’ll be in your hands during early 2025. Our cover feature is all about fitness. There’s some for winter sports such as skiing and mountain-biking, but also practical gear you can use for fitness at home, including a review of the Zwift Ride for indoor cycling. We’ve also taken a look at Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Ring wearable in that feature, plus Garmin’s latest Edge 1050 cycle computer. Our group test means you can turn over a new leaf at home: it’s a guide to six of the latest robot vacs, including bleeding-edge launches from Samsung and Shark. Elsewhere we’ve reviewed Apple’s latest Macs in the…

£429/go.stuff.tv/Eleven Bored of Bluetooth earbuds that all look the same? This classy pair definitely stands out from the crowd… Sultans of bling With so many new pairs of true wireless headphones passing through Stuff HQ, it can be hard to get excited about yet another set – but it’s even harder not to sit up and take notice of B&O’s latest effort. Yes, they’re available in boring black like all the rest, but these ‘copper tone’ ones are genuinely eye-catching. Made from aluminium, with a contrasting hardened glass touch surface for controlling your tunes, they’re apparently inspired by fancy jewellery – so expect to see pairs of these cropping up on Antiques Roadshow in about 100 years’ time. Private intenerations Of course, they’re not entirely made of hard stuff like…

£free/Netflix There aren’t many mobile games that have managed the kind of consistent quality you get from the Monument Valley series. The first two games were widely praised for their distinctive design and Escher-style puzzles, so this third instalment has been highly anticipated for some time. It introduces a new protagonist, Noor, but gameplay follows the same formula: guide her through each beautifully designed environment by moving the right bits. There’s an element of exploration, with Noor able to travel between puzzles in a boat, which should make the whole thing feel a little more joined up. It’s only available through Netflix, which is great if you’re already a subscriber and also means you don’t have to put up with any adverts.…

I’ve always been passionate about making stuff. It’s always been my passion, and it’s always been consumer products I’ve worked in. That for me is the most fun because everyone you meet can relate to it – everyone you speak to is a potential customer, with potential frustrations that can be solved through innovation. I started my career at Dyson. Back when Dyson was a much smaller business it was a lot of fun – they gave a lot of freedom to graduates to go out and solve problems and to run teams, so that was a good place to start. It also taught me to challenge the status quo and not accept product limitations based on commercial success. I left SharkNinja, where I was London GM, to found Halo.…

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SHOKZ OPENSWIM PRO Let’s face it, swimming is pretty boring. Why else do you see lots of people at lane-swimming sessions just having a chat after they’ve finished a length? Swimming headphones have been pretty wacky affairs in the past, but one of the first to come out with a pair that truly made sense was Shokz. And this latest version is the IP68-rated OpenSwim Pro. Not only can they keep songs on board courtesy of 32GB of storage, but they also have Bluetooth so music can come from your phone or watch. The only catch: the Bluetooth’s appeal is limited because the wireless connectivity doesn’t work when you’re in the water. So you’re not going to be streaming from your phone while you slice through the lanes. Wired for…

£230/go.stuff.tv/Alpha ■ The Evercade Alpha might look like a toy but it doesn’t feel like one at all. The bartop form factor can be awkward as it’s hard to rest your hands, but that’s unavoidable. Multiplayer is supported via its USB-A slots… though sharing an 8in display with another player isn’t much fun. ■ There are two versions: Street Fighter and Mega Man. I opted for the latter because its six built-in games include Strider, which is superb, and I also enjoyed playing Final Fight and Carrier Air Wing. The emulation was always solid, but it’s a pity you can’t buy the other set of games on a cartridge. Still, there are loads of other carts to choose from now. ■ Some mini bartops have weedy screens and speakers. Not…

NEW Straight outta testing and into our rankings. BARGAIN BUY A proper steal. Worth owning regardless of cashflow. UPDATE Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten entries. HOW WE RATE Always fair and accurate, our reviews are scored from 1 to 5 and might get one of these awards too: For selected products that are rated with four stars but stand out from the pack. A step up in approval, this can only be awarded to five-star products. Our highest accolade is given out just a few times a year in each key category.…

1 Google Pixel 8a from £499/go.stuff.tv/Pixel8a In recent years, Google’s cheaper ‘a’ models have dominated the mid-range phone market. They’ve delivered outstanding value by including many of the brand’s flagship features (think amazing cameras and slick software) and cutting corners where you’re less likely to notice. And the good news is, that’s still true of the Pixel 8a, which looks and feels almost identical to the full-on Pixel 8 and performs almost as well. It really is astonishing how good the cheaper Google phones are for photography. Stuff says Once again Google proves you don’t need to spend over £500 to get a great phone 2 OnePlus Nord 4 from £479/go.stuff.tv/Nord4 If you don’t want a Pixel 8a with its excellent camera, this is the next best thing. That’s not…

1 Apple Watch SE from £208/go.stuff.tv/AppleWatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch. It tracks sleep and all the exercise you need, supports Apple Pay, works great with your iPhone and… what more do most people require? The user experience is broadly identical, and while the screen bezels are a bit larger than on the Series 10 it’s hard to tell them apart without getting right up close. Note also that your SE will be carbon-neutral if you take it with a Sport Loop (unless you choose one of the fancy multicoloured options). Stuff says Offers most of the full Apple Watch experience for a whole lot less cash 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra £599/go.stuff.tv/GWUltra There are no prizes for guessing what inspired the Galaxy Watch Ultra: this is…

Samsung QE65S95D £2089/go.stuff.tv/SamsungS95D The S95D raises the bar of what’s achievable with an OLED television, delivering brightness and saturation beyond what was previously possible, while the glare-free screen is a revelation. Add the elegant design, immersive sound, capable smart features and extensive gaming skills, and this Samsung becomes almost impossible to resist. Stuff says  Classy looks, ace image quality and great sound: a near-perfect package NOW ADD THIS Samsung HW-Q990D Wireless rear satellites and a 11.1.4-channel setup make for ultra-enveloping spatial sound. £959/amazon.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS • Got a modern-ish Samsung soundbar? Q Symphony tech can add the telly’s speakers into the mix. • Families can set up individual profiles; the Tizen smart TV will offer personalised suggestions NEW 1 Philips 65OLED959 £3999/go.stuff.tv/Philips959 The 65OLED959 introduces a different design to…

1 Apple iPad Pro (M4) from £999/go.stuff.tv/iPadProM4 The latest iPad Pro gets incredible power, using a processor that isn’t even in a Mac yet, while being slimmer than before. The performance gains are quite staggering… and the only question is, why has Apple upgraded the Pro quite so much? It offers a level of capability that most people won’t ever need – so this is really a powerhouse for the 1% who edit or design with the stylus. And for them, the talented Pencil Pro is also a serious upgrade on the standard Pencil. Stuff says This really takes iPad power to the next level, even if iPadOS still needs more multitasking clout 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra from £1299/go.stuff.tv/TabS10Ultra The Tab S10 Ultra raises the bar for Android tablets…

1 Sonos Move 2 £398/go.stuff.tv/SonosMove2 The ‘2’ means our favourite speaker is now even better. Sonos has upgraded the Move in the areas that matter most – sound quality and battery life, the latter of which has more than doubled. Our only criticisms are about the high price and the weight – and the Sonos app, which has been a pain for years now. Line-in is also a little bit of a faff with the extra adapter… but if you’re in the market for this excellent box, you’re probably beyond cables. Stuff says Beefed-up audio and a longer-lasting battery – a winning combo NOW ADD THIS YouTube Music Premium If you’d like a side of optional visuals with your audio, look no further than the ad-free tier of YouTube Music. £10.99/m/music.youtube.com…

1 Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £110/go.stuff.tv/Echo4Gen Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos Era 100 for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and considerably cheaper too. Stuff says An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever NOW ADD THIS Honeywell T6R This Zigbee-enabled thermostat is wireless so you can place it where it’s most convenient. £171/screwfix.com TIPS & TRICKS • The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. • Pair a compatible thermostat and the Echo’s temperature…

1 GoPro Hero12 Black £287/go.stuff.tv/GoPro12 The Hero13 Black is here, and we’ll be giving you our verdict soon… but the Hero12 remains a fantastic first action camera and a solid upgrade for anyone with a Hero9 or earlier. GoPro brought back the same sensor first introduced on the Hero11 Black but made it even easier to use, adding HDR video, a 1/4in tripod thread and Bluetooth mic recording to the mix. While this isn’t a low-light champ like DJI’s Action 4, its class-leading stabilisation, upgraded audio and pro features make it supremely accessible. Stuff says An iteration rather than a revolution, this is a seriously powerful and intuitive camera 2 DJI Mini 4 Pro from £620/go.stuff.tv/DJIMini4Pro This is definitely the best sub-250g drone we’ve reviewed, and its safety features, auto flight functions…

LET’S GET FREDDY TO RUMBLE Got twin penchants for hi-fi and Fred Perry threads? The fabric on the front of these special-edition Ruark MR1 Bluetooth speakers (£375, ruarkaudio.com) is the same type that’s used to make the famous polo shirts – and naturally they’ve got the laurel wreath logo too. IT’S A NEW CHAPTER FOR AMAZON MUSIC Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers, rejoice (all 12 of you)! For your £9.99 monthly charge you now also get to listen to one of Audible’s audiobooks per month, with over a million to choose from. Spotify already offers a similar deal but limits your listening to 15hrs instead of one title. NOW YOU CAN WATCH GOGGLEBOX IN GOGGLES Ever wanted to watch Hollyoaks in VR? Channel 4 has released an app for Apple’s Vision…

from £599/go.stuff.tv/MacMini Apple’s M4 chip is now doing the rounds of Mac updates a few months after it first appeared in the iPad Pro. The Mac Mini is big news because it’s a completely new design with a new super-small size, just shy of 13cm square (the old model was almost 20cm). And yet, as before, it includes the power supply – there’s no brick attached to the cable. The Mini has been though all sorts of revisions since its introduction 20 years ago, and a look at the connectors Apple has put on the different iterations is a history lesson in connectivity standards over the last two decades. Put it this way, the first one had DVI and FireWire on the back, though these soon became HDMI and Thunderbolt.…

RUNNING NOTHING EAR OPEN Nothing has pumped out several generations of wireless earbuds now, but all have pretty much stuck to the same style. The Ear Opens are out to change that, with an open fit that adds a distinct fitness focus. Rather than going down the ‘clip-on’ route of the Huawei FreeClip and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, these have hook-style rivals like the Shokz OpenFit in their sights. You can instantly tell you’re looking at a Nothing product: the see-through charging case, high-contrast buds and transparent casing are all present and correct. But there are no colour choices this time – white is the only option at launch. An IP54 rating is decent, if not quite class-leading for fitness ’phones like these. They’ll still survive the sweatiest workouts, though,…

MAGIC AI MIRROR Had someone asked me a few months ago if AI could make me work out more, it would have been a hard no from me – I generally use my exercise time as an opportunity to unplug for a while. Ask me now and it’s a yes, thanks to Magic AI’s groundbreaking smart fitness mirror. The sleek-looking Magic AI Mirror offers tailored on-demand training that genuinely mimics having a personal trainer and, if you use weights and a bench with it, a gym. It took me all of three minutes to set the mirror up then program it with my personal stats and goals to create my dashboard. It was quite a shock to see the hologram trainer appear on the mirror – very lifelike and also…

SAMSUNG GALAXY RING Don’t like sleeping with a clunky smartwatch on your wrist or having to charge it every other day – if you’re lucky? A smart ring is the next best thing, and Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is the first from a major name rather than a smaller startup. At 2.6mm thick it gets impressively close to a regular piece of jewellery, yet finds room inside for an accelerometer, skin temperature sensor and heart tracker. These monitor step count and sleep (including blood oxygen levels), continuously record your heart rate and calculate stress levels. Samsung’s Health app then presents it all as easy-to-digest charts and graphs. Get up offa that Ring The Galaxy Ring is especially good at explaining sleep data and suggesting ways to snooze better. Your energy score,…

THE BASICS Get started Apple Intelligence started rolling out in October. The features you can access will depend on your device, OS and location; at the very least you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro, any iPhone 16, or a device with an M-series chip. Inevitably, American English got the new toys first, with some additional languages following in December. Use AI mindfully Believe the hype and you’ll imagine AI can write an award-winning novel from a prompt. It can’t. Even a perfect email is a stretch. That’s because AI – yes, even Apple’s – is prone to making and introducing all sorts of errors. So be careful to scrutinise any written output that Apple Intelligence produces if you’re using it for anything important. Edit words Speaking of writing, the magic…

1 Apple iPhone 16 from £799/go.stuff.tv/iPhone16 This year’s iPhone Pro lineup is a mighty fine selection to choose from (see the 16 Pro at No6 on this list), but it’s the standard model that does more to impress. The camera control button and the 2x telephoto zoom are great to have in particular, while the battery life is excellent. The 6.1in OLED screen’s refresh rate is fixed at 60Hz, which is a bit disappointing, but Apple clearly believes most people don’t care about that. Stuff says A pleasing update that’s much more appealing than spending more to go Pro NOW ADD THIS Apple MagSafe Charger The latest version of Apple’s wireless charger lets you fuel up your iPhone at up to 25W. from £39/apple.com TIPS & TRICKS • Flick upwards…

1 Sony WF-1000XM5 £193/go.stuff.tv/WFXM5 The WF-1000XM5 in-ears are significantly smaller than the XM4s, which were already a lot more compact than their predecessors. And yet Sony has still squeezed even larger drivers inside each earbud, along with the firm’s best active noise-cancelling yet. The feature list is as extensive as ever, and they’re priced to compete with Bose’s best. Add in decent battery life and a strong app, and you won’t find anything more well-rounded for less. Stuff says Excellent noise-cancellation, a comfy fit and simply stellar audio NOW ADD THIS Spigen Rugged Armor Case This drop-resistant outer shield comes with a carabiner clip for keeping your buds within reach. £20/amazon.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS • Sony’s eartips are great, as long as you use the right size. Be sure to…

1 Garmin Edge 1040 Solar £580/go.stuff.tv/EdgeSolar Ideal for multi-day adventures and training camps, the Edge 1040 Solar harnesses the sun’s power for a massive 45hrs of riding time on one charge. It has all the mapping, navigation and training firepower you’ll ever need, including accuracy-boosting dual-band GPS, best-in-class route planning and detailed training insights via Garmin Connect. The screen could be brighter, but we love the custom ride profiles that make it easy to exploit all that performance data. Stuff says A do-it-all beast of a bike computer with unrivalled battery life, reliable GPS and useful training smarts 2 JLab JBuds Air Sport £70/go.stuff.tv/JBudsAirSport The third-gen JBuds Air Sport seriously flex JLab’s value muscle: with a solid earhook fit, custom EQ, an ambient awareness mode plus rapid charging and Tile…

1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £2199/go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable – and the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus version is also worth a look. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still NEW 2 Sonos Arc Ultra £999/go.stuff.tv/ArcUltra It’s scarcely believable that such high-quality sound can come from such a diminutive form. The Ultra is about as big as upgrades get, with much more quality on offer than you get from the standard Arc. Stuff says  Incredible for movies, music and…

1 Fujifilm X-T50 £1199/go.stuff.tv/XT50 The X-T50 is a wonderfully compact mirrorless camera with a distinctive top plate covered in control dials – including one dedicated to Fuji’s excellent film simulations. On paper it should deliver identical image quality to the flagship X-T5 – both have the same sensor and image processor after all – and that is absolutely the case: the 40MP sensor captures amazing detail, noise is well maintained as ISO levels creep up, and sharpness is on point across the frame. Stuff says A brilliant camera that puts Fuji’s fine film simulations front and centre NOW ADD THIS Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f2.8-4.8 An essential first lens for any Fuji system newcomer, the 16-50mm is well suited to most scenarios. £699/parkcameras.com TIPS & TRICKS • With film simulations on a…

The first Echo speaker, originally released a decade ago, was about the size of a Pringles tube. If it had grown at the same rate as the Show, you’d now be able to buy an Amazon smart speaker that looked more like a barrel of crude oil than something you’d eat crisps out of (although a 42-gallon cask of Pringles does sound good). With a Full HD screen that’s 21in from corner to corner, this Echo Show is three times bigger than the 7in model first launched in 2017. You’ll need a fairly roomy kitchen to accommodate it, but those extra inches mean it finally makes sense as a way to watch Carmy slave over a hot stove in The Bear while you’re slaving over a hot stove in your…

£3200/go.stuff.tv/Brutalist Er, that’s not transparent. Why do you always have to take things so literally? Transparent is a Swedish firm that made its name with – you guessed it – speakers that you could see through, but there’s only so much you can do with that idea before everything starts to look a little samey… hence the switch to another eye-catching aesthetic. Inspired by the brutalist architecture of the ’50s and ’60s, this mains-powered wireless speaker, which weighs a relatively hefty 12kg and stands just under 60cm tall, is guaranteed to elicit inquisitive comments from anyone who claps eyes on it. It looks like part of the plumbing. And therein lies the beauty of brutalism. Some people love its boldly inorganic shapes; others think it makes everything look cold and…

£300,000 approx/lamborghini.com NEWS DASHBOARD Yep, that’s a Lambo alright. Pretty, eh? This is the Temerario, due in late 2025 – and while it was announced a while back, we’ve now seen it in the flesh (well, the metal) and if anything it’s even more luscious than we thought. And, like the recently launched Revuelto, the Temerario has a High-Performance Electrified Vehicle (HPEV) hybrid powertrain, with performance to match the classic looks. Plenty of horses, then? This might be a hybrid but we’re still talking about a 4L twin-turbo. The bonus is a trio of electric motors, two on the front axle and one at the back between the V8 engine and the eight-speed gearbox. The grand total: 907bhp. Presumably it’s going to be fast? A big benefit is four-wheel drive,…

from £1299/go.stuff.tv/iMac ■ The current iMac design has been gently bobbing along since its introduction in 2021, when Apple moved it across to its own M1 chip. It skipped over the M2, getting a refresh in 2023 for the M3 and another one now with the M4. But there’s no M4 Pro option, which is probably due to the thin form factor. ■ The iMac has been stuck with a 24in one-size-fits-all approach since 2021 when the 27in version bit the dust. It’s an interesting position considering the number of people buying larger displays, but clearly Apple has some stats somewhere to justify it. Perhaps if people want to work with a gigantic display then they’re likely to hook it up to something else. ■ New this time is a…

CARV 2 Last winter I used Carv, a system to track and improve skiing skills. The hardware used an insole that fitted in your ski boot. It worked well, but you had to install the pressure-sensitive insole under the boot’s lining – fine for pros and regular skiers with fitted boots, but a challenge for those of us who might go away to a ski resort once a year… and maybe hire their kit. So the company looked at its data and realised that, with a few algorithm tweaks, it could replicate most of it using motion sensing. That meant Carv 2 could come in a completely different format: the robust Bluetooth sensors now clip to the outside of your boots. Although they work with an app for data collection,…

COTIC ROCKET The first e-bike from Cotic is by its very nature divisive. For a start it’s steel – which is uncommon for any e-bike, let alone a full-fat electric mountain bike – and then there’s the external battery, which again is not often seen on modern e-MTBs. But there’s beauty in the different… One of the brilliant things about Cotic as a brand, and not just the Rocket, is that customisation is part and parcel of the buying process. The frame and motor are set in stone but pretty much everything else is customisable – wheels, groupset, battery, and of course the colour. Compared to its rivals, well, the Rocket stands out. While it’s not the lightest e-bike in the world, nor the most powerful, it’s a steady middle…

BALLAD OF EASY GLIDERS: HOW TO CHOOSE • The big improvement in the latest robot vacs is the ability to self-clean. Look for self-emptying models that can wash and dry their own mop pads. • Pay attention to the size of water tanks – the latest robot vacs with a mopping feature will have a pair for clean and dirty water. Obviously, the bigger the tanks, the less frequently you have to fill and empty. • Pet owners will want to look for a vac with strong suction and brushes designed to cope with all the hair. Most come with pet (and child) locks. • All robot vacs now offer the ability to automate cleaning routines, which is great for minimising your involvement, but you still need to pay attention…

from £1100/go.stuff.tv/ROG9Pro DAY 01 Aside from a couple of subtle mecha-inspired decals, the ROG Phone 9 Pro seems to avoid most of the worst gamer phone stereotypes, with flat sides to the metal frame that make it easy to grip securely… but then I turn it on, and the 648 (count ’em!) red and white AniMe Vision LEDs on the back wink into life. These display animations relate to the remaining battery life and current time, and will even let you play some built-in games that pay homage to classics such as Breakout and Snake. Fortunately you can turn them off and you’d never know they were there. At 227g it weighs exactly the same as the titanium-framed iPhone 16 Pro Max, giving it a reassuring heft that some similar-sized…

DON’T MISS OUT! Pay the normal shop price* and get the next issue delivered direct to your door ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK OR CALL NOW ON 01959 543747 *Terms and conditions apply. UK delivery costs £2.75. Order by 3 Jan; you should receive your copy around 17 Jan. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change. Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…

1 Honor Magic V3 £1694/go.stuff.tv/MagicV3 The Magic V3 is the first foldable we’ve used that’s like having a normal phone in your pocket – and that feels like a big deal. It’s almost unbelievably thin and seems superbly made. There are still some areas that could be improved, most obviously the limited multitasking powers; but along with its superb main camera and all-day battery life (further enhanced by wireless charging), the V3’s real achievement is that it makes carrying a foldable phone feel normal. Stuff says A major step up from the previous model, the Magic V3 will change how you think about foldable phones 2 OnePlus Open £1299/go.stuff.tv/Open The Open’scamera system is the best of any folding phone, taking impressive photos in all conditions. Neither of the two screens…

1 Sony WH-1000XM5 £260/go.stuff.tv/WHXM5 Nobody was able to knock the WH-1000XM4s off the top of this list for two years… yet Sony’s latest model manages to be even better. The new carbon-fibre composite 30mm drivers are key: they bring even greater clarity than the previous generation, and the sound reproduction is beautifully precise. The simple fact is that these are the best noise-cancellers around by almost every measure. You really won’t regret buying them. Stuff says Sony ties up top spot with an unrivalled combo of great sound, ANC and comfort NOW ADD THIS Anker Nano Power Bank This pocket-friendly USB-C clip-on has enough capacity for three charges, so the music never has to end. £30/anker.com TIPS & TRICKS • Adaptive Sound Control auto-adjusts the ANC to suit your location…

1 Apple MacBook Air 13in (M3) from £1099/go.stuff.tv/MBAirM3 With its super-powered M3 processor, the latest version of Apple’s ‘basic’ laptop breaks new performance ground for a thin-and-light. It once again puts Windows machines to shame when it comes to battery life, and SSD speeds have taken a welcome step up from the M2 model. There’s also a 15in version with the same innards if you need extra screen space. Stuff says  The best everyday ultraportable is also the Mac most Apple fans should buy NOW ADD THIS Belkin 4-Port GaN Charger 108W This brick lets you charge your Mac laptop through its 96W USB-C output… while juicing up three other devices. £80/argos.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS • Don’t want to pay for peak performance? The M2 Air is still available, and…

You know, that Mac doesn’t look particularly ‘mini’ to me… To be fair, it was 2005. A typical cheapo desktop PC back then was a nondescript tower hewn from plastic. But the Mac Mini was affordable without abandoning Apple’s eye for design. For years, potential switchers had griped that Apple should offer a cheaper, stripped-down Mac; Apple wanted to leave them with no excuses. So it gave them this sleek, small computer with an aluminium case and loads of industry-standard ports… but also one excuse, in that the Mac Mini was ‘BYODKM’. I can do random letters too! Was the Mac Mini also ‘JFCWITN’? No, because ‘BYODKM’ did actually stand for something: Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard and Mouse. Apple reckoned folks who’d got their first taste of the company…