Stuff UKの August 2017 の目次

Most months I write this letter while huddled away in a Twickenham office corner with rain lashing against the windows. Right now, I’m in sunny LA for the E3 games conference and things are infinitely more cheery. Not only have I witnessed the launch of the Xbox One X, a 4K console that blows Sony’s PS4 Pro out of the water, but I’ve never been to the City of Angels before and there’s a load of stuff I want to see – and I’m not just talking about Forza Motorsport 7. Trouble is, I’ve only brought my iPhone along with me for the trip. It’s a good thing, then, that this month’s cover feature is all about taking great pictures with any camera. You see, the key to a good…

Homes might already be thrumming with the chatter of Alexa, but guess which big hitter has just rapped its iKnuckles on the front door? Yes, Apple’s rocked up late with its own smart speaker. Packing an upgraded Siri that can play your tunes and fact-check your choices, HomePod is looking to usurp both Sonos and Echo. Standing at just under 7in tall, it looks like a mini Mac Pro wearing a jumper. It also sounds darned nice, thanks to seven beam-forming tweeters and real-time sound modelling to help it adjust bass levels according to your room’s shape. It’ll even detect other HomePods, before pairing with your HomeKit gear. As hot as… Jony Ive in a mesh sweater US$349 / stuff.tv/HomePod…

1 NOISE £free / Android Got a Galaxy S8 or Pixel and fancy making some noise? With this suitably named app, swipe and tap grids of brightly coloured notes and drum pads to construct your next chart-troubler. 2 Taskzy £free / Android Automation based on context: with Taskzy, you can set a podcast to fire up when you’re cycling, or a game when you get home. Walking to the station in pouring rain? Set it to play your ‘I wish a had a car’ playlist. 3 Up the Wall £free / Android, iOS An auto-runner with brains and a sadistic streak, Up the Wall has you take on hand-crafted tracks (playing as anything from a rubber duck to a skull in hell), darting left and right to avoid certain death.…

IF YOU CARE ABOUT AUDIO THE SP1000 WILL CARE FOR YOU Oh, a massive mp3 player! Really? Get back to your iPod Classic. Putting mp3s on this thing would be like washing a Ferrari with a 50p sponge. Sure, it can handle everyone’s favourite format (and a lot of it, given the 256GB storage capacity), but what the SP1000 really wants is your acronyms. Think wav, flac, aac and the rest, all enjoyed via the headphone port, optical out or balanced 2.5mm socket. Rumour has it, every time you plug in a pair of £10 headphones an audiophile somewhere screams to the tune of Another Day in Paradise. But it doesn’t look like a Ferrari… Quite right. Instead, it’s styled like something straight out of Tony Stark’s labs (audio division),…

KICK-STARTER iPaddywhack WIFO DRUM KIT Restless hands are the hallmark of a drummer away from their kit. And after a while, whacking wooden spoon handles against the kitchen counter just doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to keep your wrists in the mood. Enter WIFO’s aluminium sticks with conductive tips – fire up the app and you’ll get a responsive, real-time drumming experience on your tablet or smartphone. There’s even a wired kick pedal for foot-stomping accuracy, and a strap for securing your tablet to your lap. New to the art of thumping things? You’ll also be able to learn through the app. from US$39 / wifocorp.com Wrist easy KIDDO Take that thermometer from under your sprog’s tongue: this Kiddo wearable delivers a bevy of data to keep the doctor…

THE ADD-ONS Joby GripTi.ht GorillaPod Stand This Joby tripod holds your phone securely without the need for a traditional screw thread. £20 / joby.com Peli Guardian Protect your pride and joy by wrapping it in two layers of protection. The bulges on the back help to stop it slipping from your grasp. £19 / peli.com Snapseed Snapseed’s simple, intuitive interface makes it the perfect editing app for on-the-go street shooting. £free / iOS, Android THE CAMERA iPHONE 7 PLUS £719 / apple.com S tick a camera in somebody’s face when they’re trying to go about their day and they won’t flash you a smile. Wander along with your phone in your hand, though, and you’ll blend in with all the other fleshy pavement drones who aren’t looking where they’re going. Of…

from £15 / stuff.tv/IkeaSmartLights Knowing me… The motion sensor isn’t weatherproof, so can’t be used to trigger an outdoor porch light, but it’s a handy thing to stick in the hallway. You can set it to turn off automatically after one, five or ten minutes. …knowing Hue The controller puck, which Ikea calls a ‘steering device’, is simpler than the Philips Hue dimmer switch. It doesn’t let you switch between groups of lights or trigger ‘scenes’, but it’s faster than searching for your phone. Ikea’s furniture has already colonised the world, so surely this is the perfect company to bring smart lighting to the masses? Its new Tradfri range, which includes everything from wireless bulbs to illuminating furniture panels, has all the hallmarks of its addictive homeware: affordable prices, clean…

While Arms’ mechanics allow for a surprising amount of depth and nuance, the same can’t be said for its roster of spring-loaded fighters. As with Splatoon’s Inklings, the vibrant likes of Spring Man, Master Mummy and Helix are meant to take their own places up among that pantheon of greats. That’s a big ask for any game… and Arms isn’t quite up to the challenge. Just think of the stuff that elevated Overwatch from ‘fun online shooter’ to ‘cultural behemoth’: the whip-smart voice acting, the hilarious emotes and the neat little touches that littered its many maps. Arms doesn’t share the same attention to detail, and this is most obvious in its arenas. Ribbon Girl’s Ribbon Ring is a generic dancefloor, the cars that litter Twintelle’s Cinema Deux don’t explode…

1 HOT BUY Beyerdynamic Byron £45 / beyerdynamic.com These in-ears aren’t like some of Beyerdynamic’s super-accurate studio headphones – they’re for everyday use by everyday folk – but they do come with a shot of the German maker’s special sonic sauce. That means they’re the truest-sounding earphones on this list, with great mid-range detail that outdoes our old favourites the SoundMagic E10s. The Byrons have a sound we defy you not to like, and are the kind of in-ears you can happily wear all day. Stuff says Seriously classy in-ear headphones with the detail to see off the competition SoundMagic E10BT £67 / soundmagicheadphones.com You’ll struggle to find better sound from a pair of wireless buds at this bargain price. They have the classic E10 slight bass boost, paired with…

THE BIG QUESTION HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY GOLF GAME? FOR TRACKING TARGETS SKYCADDIE SW2 £125 / web.skygolf.com Anyone with a pencil can track scores, but it’s difficult to measure your real performance level in golf. You could bring a friend along to offer advice, but they’re only going to distract you while you’re lining up that killer putt. What you need is a wrist-strapper with an expert golfing brain. It’s just an entry-level golf watch, but the SkyCaddie SW2 has enough features to help you chip away at your handicap and save time on the course. GPS tracking means you can measure not only the distance from tee to green, but also how far up the fairway you’ve hit that seagull-scaring drive. And it also pairs with the SkyCaddie…

NETFLIX Trance We often forget where we’ve put our wallets, and so can sympathise with James McAvoy when he forgets where he hid a priceless painting during an attempted robbery in this Danny Boyle thriller. Back of the sofa? Gypsy (S1) Therapists’ ethical standards aren’t very high on television – Hannibal eats his patients for a start. While Naomi Watts doesn’t go as far as serving them up on a plate, she does cross the line in this new psychological thriller. Selma Fancy an Oscar nomination? Simply make a film about a major historical moment – say, Martin Luther King’s fight for equality – and remember to hire a super-talented young star (David Oyelowo) and director (Ava DuVernay). AMAZON VIDEO Westworld Still having withdrawal symptoms from the Westworld TV series?…

Sonos multiroom system from £199 / sonos.com If you want to pretend your favourite band are playing in your living room, there’s no better option than a Sonos wireless speaker. They look great, work with your smartphone and, most importantly, boom out your tunes with dazzling finesse. And best of all? They can all link up so they blare out your music in harmoney throughout your house. There’s a range of options available too, from the compact Play:1 (£199) to the flagship Play:5 (£499) and new TV-friendly Playbase (£699). Stuff says Infinite music in every room without the need for custom installers? Sign us up! Naim Mu-so £995 / naimaudio.com How much for a wireless speaker?! Well, yes, but what a wireless speaker it is. Naim has ploughed all of…

1 HOT BUY The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from £48 / Switch, Wii U Not only is this the best video game available right now, but it’s also probably the best Zelda game ever, which is no small feat. This is the first time Link has had an open world to explore, and it’s full of hidden treasures, delightful puzzles and stunning landscapes. And with engaging combat, a surprisingly emotional story and a quest of epic proportions, this feels like a complete game. You’ll get lost in the hills of Hyrule for hours upon hours – long enough to justify your Switch purchase. Stuff says The Legend of Zelda goes open-world in sublime fashion – Nintendo’s best title for a while Horizon Zero Dawn £42 / PS4…

Should I upgrade? GOOGLE WIFI Ryan Jones Staff Writer For some of us, a lengthy session on the loo is something to look forward to – where else do we get all that uninterrupted Twitter time? But as you perch on the throne and dig out your phone, you might notice something that gives you a nasty shock. No, not the absence of toilet paper, something worse: no Wi-Fi. So while you sit there in silence, doing your business, you’re left to wonder why you splashed all that money on a pricey broadband package when your internet signal can’t even reach the smallest room. But scaring someone in a call centre with your potty mouth will do little to solve this problem. Perhaps Google can help. Meshed up kids Google…

I SNOOZED TO BIRDSONG ON THE ROOF OF A MINI Own a Mini Countryman, enjoy camping and have a spare £2400? In that case, AutoHome’s Roof Tent may give your next trip a boost. Within a couple of minutes of easy setup you’ve got yourself a mobile camper. Being elevated kept the damp ground and its crawling insects far away, while the in-built mattress was just the right squishiness. And there are perks up on the roof, like waking up to lovely sweeping vistas on the wild Atlantic coast. Natalya Paul, Social Media Editor I GAMED HARD WITH MY FELLOW STUFFERS We accepted a challenge from Game to take part in the weekly Overwatch night at its Belong gaming arena in London… and were predictably annihilated by the regulars. Luckily,…

£400 / olympus.co.uk Sharing chips When the thoroughly excellent OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera is in your extended family, it only makes sense to nick its highly capable image processor – which is exactly what Olympus has done with the Tough TG-5. Only, as the name suggests, this isn’t just another all-round snapper – it’s a rugged shooter with pro-level pedigree, packing a 12MP CMOS sensor that’ll capture wild snaps to make Mr Grylls pee with envy. And then drink it. Weather or not That is, provided his pee doesn’t freeze. See, the TG-5 can operate in temperatures down to -10°C. That’s handy for taking lovely postcard snaps of snowflakes, for example – something else this photographic survivalist can handle with aplomb, as its microscope mode combines the efforts of…

DUE 2018 Sick of superheroes? We don’t blame you. They’re mostly a bunch of goody-two-shoes who are just as exciting and controversial as an extremist vegan. And apparently dominating the box office wasn’t enough, as they’re now invading our video games… but since it’s Spider-Man swinging onto the PS4 this time, we’re happy to put our cynicism aside. Ratchet & Clank and Sunset Overdrive developer Insomniac helms the project, introducing its iconic zany gadgets (but this time web-flavoured) and over-the-top action set-pieces. Spider-Man also seems to take inspiration from a previous comic-book turned video game, with combat suspiciously similar to that found in the Batman: Arkham series, but with added tweaks to accommodate for more aerial frays that will get your spider senses tingling. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS Missed the…

#24 ANDROID O Chris Rowlands If you watched Apple’s recent developer conference, you might have picked up on a little shade being thrown: only 7% of Android users have Android 7.0 Nougat installed on their smartphone. But that hasn’t killed Google’s desire to develop a new offering, Android O, which is set to arrive later this year. For now, it’s with those clever folks known as devs, but we do know some of the tweaks and tricks soon to hit your Android phone. We don’t, though, know what the ‘O’ stands for – so we’ll assume it’s Oreo. Or something similar. Battery life is set to get a boost. Android Ontbijtkoek will limit what apps can do when idle in the background to extend your cell well into the evening.…

I think your pen is looking at me. Not you, your hue. See, this little scribbler is fitted with an RGB colour sensor for go-anywhere shade selection. Seen a pretty bourbon brown? Scan it. Ogled a terrific turtle green? Go for it – just don’t reach inside the enclosure. I can ogle colours without the help of a fancy pen, thank you very much. Well, it’s less about the seeing, more about what it does afterwards. Poke the Scribble Pen at your selected object and a ring around the end will light up in a matching shade. If you’re happy with it, fire up the internal ink cartridge and, via a micro pump, it’ll churn out identical ink to match your inspiration. Ooh, so I’ll be able to sign my…

There’s a Mediterranean frivolity to flicking a moped through city traffic, with the put-put of the two-stroke as it wheezes up congested hills before conking out beside an espresso bar. BMW, though, doesn’t do Mediteranean frivolity. BMW does all-electric, zeroemissions Tron bikes built to tackle the urban sprawl. Meet the Motorrad Concept Link: a moped prototype packed with tech that the German marque reckons will soon clean up city streets. Styled like Robocop’s pizza delivery scooter, the Link channels form and function in its pursuit of world-saving mobility. There’s an aero benefit to the sculpted panels, including sealed wheel sides, intended to maximise the efficiency of the electric drive unit. And, in case the future doesn’t offer street-side storage lockers, a handy luggage space sits beneath the adjustable seat bench,…

THE CAMERA SAMSUNG GALAXY S8+ 779 / samsun_.com The difference between a food photo that makes you want to lick your phone screen and one that’ll put you off your dinner is usually the colour. A snap that’s full of detail and captures the shifts in hue from one side of the plate to the other can make the most basic dish look mouthwatering. Samsung’s smartphone cameras are famous for filling your snaps with colour, sometimes over-enthusiastically, but that’s not a problem when your subject matter is edible. There are no clever gimmicks here, no dual lenses or extra sensors, just an excellent 12MP f/1.7 camera with optical image stabilisation and super-quick dual-pixel autofocus that’s had some software tweaks to get the very best out of it. Greens come out…

FOR SPUDS IN SPACE • Spaceplan Clickers are barely games, but Spaceplan transcends the genre through being bonkers. Clicking (well, tapping) propels you through a story about space/ time travel, and a surprising amount of tech powered by potatoes. The basics might be familiar, but the off-the-wall humour and gorgeous soundtrack keep you enthralled. And, unlike similar titles, it has a conclusion. Keep it running over a couple of days and breathe in its weirdo spuddy goodness. Stuff says£2.79 / Android ? £2.99 / iOS FOR SCRIPTS IN SCRAWL • Untitled If you reckon you’ve got a good screenplay or three inside you, and what’s really stopping your Hollywood breakthrough is pesky formatting, try Untitled. It aims to magically transform written notes into fully formatted screenplays. The app doesn’t quite…

Lenovo P2 £199 / lenovo.com What’s the story? Better battery life is the holy grail of smartphone creation: it’s much sought after and very rarely found. Unless you pick up a Lenovo P2, that is. Tucked inside this handset’s otherwise unremarkable frame is a whopping great battery that’ll trundle on for well over two days’ usage. A fast charger is bundled with the phone for speedy power-ups. Is it any good? Despite its chunky battery, the all-metal P2 wears its added heft well. At 177g and 8.3mm thick, it’s more portly than your average 5.5in smartphone – but not by much. Better still, you’re getting an AMOLED screen that’s bright and colourful and handles contrast superbly. Not everything about the P2 is quite so impressive, though: its so-so 13MP camera…

Remember the kid at school who was just good at stuff? Sailed through exams, made every sports team and was annoyingly likeable? That kid is the Sony KD-55A1. If you were expecting this 4K OLED debut to come with first-time nerves, think again. 1 Straight edge Sony’s never been one to shy away from bold design, and it’s really gone to town on the wow factor with the A1. There’s no stand here – the screen plonks straight down on top of your TV rack, so all there is facing you is the picture and its barely-there bezel. This does mean it sits on a bit of a lean – about 5° if you’re measuring – but from the front, it’s barely noticeable. 2 Part of the process Sony is…

THE BASICS Grab a Daily Deal. First stop for bargain-hounds should be Amazon’s Daily Deals section. You’ll have to be quick, though, as these offers refresh every 24 hours and might not even stick around for the full day. While Daily Deals are something of a lucky dip of savings, it’s worth checking in on the off chance of finding something special. Check the Warehouse. Warehouse Deals are how Amazon shifts refurbished, factory-damaged, returned and second-hand (aka ‘open-box and pre-owned’) products at low prices. All products are in ‘good condition’ and backed up with Amazon’s satisfaction guarantee, so it’s prime territory for bargain-hunting. Search by discounts. Less of a browser and more of an “I know what I’m after” type? Check out the Amazon Discount Finder tool at moneysavingexpert.com, which…

Kobo Aura H20 The Aura H20 may be chunkier than any Kindle right now, but it’s got a very special trick up its sleeve: waterproofing. Plus its super-soft-finish plastic body feels great, with a rubber rear for added grip and a handsome 6.8in screen. Switching to Kobo from a Kindle? You won’t be able to read your old library. That said, Kobo’s store has an impressive array of titles at reasonable prices and you can load up your downloads from elsewhere – say, library lending services. Aside from the need to shop around for your own books, Kobo’s software is generally slick and offers great tracking of your reading stats. Although the Paperwhite has the edge for sharpness, small text still looks crisp on this Kobo. Amazon Paperwhite The latest…

FIRST GET THESE… ONE SAMSUNG GEAR VR Can’t afford an Oculus Rift? The Gear VR already did a great job of bringing virtual reality to normal folk (those without a light-up keyboard and £1000 PC), and this new version kicks the platform up a notch with the addition of a wireless, motion-sensing controller. Headset-mounted controls were always the old Gear VR’s weak point. £119 / samsung.com TWO TECH21 PURE CLEAR CASE The Galaxy S8 is a drop-dead gorgeous bit of kit, but that puts its owners in a bit of a quandary: should they cover up the phone with a case, or risk gravity having its way with that glass backside? Tech21’s Pure Clear case is here to keep the S8 safe from scratches and 2m drops without masking its…

There are small differences in how the campaigns play out across the two titles in the set, but you still get to experience the variety of modes on offer across both. Starting out simply enough, you have to win a few races before power-ups are introduced. Then you get to have a go at time trials (standard) and speed laps… and then zone mode. This is where the best of WipEout is on offer. In zone mode, acceleration control is taken from you and you just have to steer your way through safely as the laps get more and more frantic. The first time you play this mode is usually early on, when you’re just used to the lowest speed class, so it serves as an early indication of just…

Urbanista Seattle Wireless £89 / urbanista.com Urbanista makes affordable headphones that sell in the kind of high-street shops where you won’t usually find hardcore hi-fi nerds – so it’s a real surprise that the Seattles are some of the best-sounding affordable wireless cans around. They have a far more expansive and involving soundstage than most sub-£100 pairs – they’re full and rich-sounding, with the sort of tasteful bass drive that will please the masses without turning off the chin-stroking crowd. Stuff says Bags of style and fantastic sound quality at the right price – these Urbanistas are an absolute steal Sony MDR-1000X £310 / sony.co.uk These cans are superb on both sound quality and noise-killing efficacy. Factor in the elegant, thoughtful design and you’ve got a serious contender for the…

1 V1 Golf With this app’s databank of videos showing swings from a host of pros including Rory M himself, you can record your own stance and swing then compare with the best. Copying them is the hard part. from £free / Android, iOS 2 Hole19 With over 40,000 courses’ layouts in its database, this app uses your GPS to tell you how far you are from the pin. The digital scorecard also means you don’t need to carry around the archaic paper and pencil. £free / Android, iOS 3 Visulax Golf Sport is all about psychology – that’s what they say when Rooney misses a sitter. This app helps you relax by giving you golf tips in a soothing voice, so you can keep your focus and stop those…

CINEMA PARADISO 1 Pet project If you’re after a full-on home cinema experience you’ll want a projector over a TV – a 100in picture will put any telly to shame. Just bear in mind it’ll be pricey, especially since the lamp will need replacing from time to time. Go for Sony’s VPL-VW550ES and you get a 4K and HDR display. It’ll set you back 10 grand, but you will get to avoid the noisy teens at the cinema. Get this: Sony VPL-VW550ES £9899 / sony.co.uk 2 Screen time Projectors might offer the most cinematic experience, but their need for total darkness is a pain. If you’d rather have the convenience of a normal telly, LG’s 4K Signature OLED ‘Wallpaper’ TV is so thin you can fool yourself into thinking it’s…

HOT BUY DJI Mavic Pro £935 / dji.com Despite the tiny proportions, DJI hasn’t needed to make any sacrifices when creating the Mavic Pro. In fact, it’s got more tech packed inside it than the Phantom 4 – and the foldable arms and compact controller add to its portability. While this is an expensive drone, it will fulfil the needs of most enthusiasts with enough manoeuvrability for racing, enough camera quality to take fantastic photos and videos, and enough simplicity for even the most inexperienced pilots. Stuff says A real marvel of miniaturisation, the Mavic Pro is the ultimate hobbyist drone DJI Phantom 4 £825 / dji.com The autonomous modes make this a fine choice for anyone looking to make their first flight as a drone pilot. That doesn’t mean…

FIRST PLAY Mario has got up to some weird old shenanigans in his 30-year existence. He’s been a doctor, Olympic athlete and graffiti removal expert – but those dalliances will never rival the madness of Super Mario Odyssey. In this new adventure Mario can assume the form of a fire hydrant, a flagpole or even a dinosaur by flinging his hat at them. An open-world platformer that’s every bit as ambitious as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it tasks you with traversing various worlds, each with its own unique art style and challenges. And rather than sticking to the usual formula, Nintendo has done its utmost to break conventions. The weakest Marios of the past have been content to rely on a cocktail of nostalgia and formula. Odyssey sees such…

1 Therm-a-Rest Uno Chair There’s nothing worse than being too tired to pogo. This lightweight nylon pew will give your limbs a rest, or you can transform it into a plinth for your pints. £85 / thermarest.com 2 BioLite CampStove 2 This campfire burns any biomass you have lying around (think twigs and pine cones), stoking the blaze with four internal fans, and an updated LED displays the heat level for better toast control. £135 / bioliteenergy.com 3 Glow Tape Festival camping fields can get dark, because of night time. But if you have some sticky Glow Tape, you can mark out your tent with an easy-to-spot pattern and/or mild swearwords. £7.99 / firebox.com 4 Patagonia Cloud Ridge Rain Jacket Rain is such a festival staple it should appear on…

21st NEXT ISSUE September 100 greatest gadgets On sale 03/08/17 DUNKIRK Fresh off the back of his solo album, Harry Styles has turned his hand to windswept soldiering, alongside Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh in Dunkirk. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it tells the story of WWII’s greatest evacuation, by air, land and sea, and promises to be suitably cinematic. NOW Build the Le?o Ideas NASA Saturn V THEN 48 years a?o Apollo 11 Moon landin_ 9th 20th 11th 14th THEN 15 years a?o Nokia 8910 launched NOW Get the Nokia 3310 reboot RED BULL SOAPBOX RACE Enjoy watching grown adults hurtle down a hill in funny clothes? Good news: Goodwood Festival of Speed is back in early July. For more refined racing, head to London’s Ally Pally for home-made soapbox…

PACKING LIGHT Antler Titus Cabin The one-port juicer USB ports are almost ubiquitous on long-haul flights nowadays – but pulling out your tech just to juice it from the back of the seat isn’t always convenient. Enter Antler’s latest wheely case: a hard-shelled cabin bag with a 45-litre capacity that packs a USB port for easy iPad charging. £129 / antler.co.uk Trunkster Carry-on The zip zappe Zipped suitcase tops are a flawed concept, especially when you’re trying to re-pack in a cramped cabin. Pick up a Trunkster and you’ll enjoy all the convenience of a roller shutter, which slides open flush with the case’s front for easy access. . ere’s location-tracking built in too. US$295 / trunkster.co Samsonite Paradiver Light The featherweight duffle When you’re packing a summer’s worth of…

Being the most exciting thing to happen to TV before the Crystal Maze revival was announced, LG’s OLEDs come with quite a pedigree. This E7 sits in the middle of the line-up and has the same panel and pictureprocessing features as LG’s other tellies. 1 Perfect skinny While this 65in E7 isn’t quite as thin as the 2.57mm Wallpaper OLED, it still cuts an amazingly slimline figure. The screen is surrounded by a thin black frame and the whole thing floats on a glass edge. Impressively, it’s also attached to a built-in Dolby Atmos-capable soundbar that should save you having to spend extra on superior audio for your telly. 2 All things bright and beautiful From 4K HDR to standard def, the E7 is a trusty purveyor of top-notch TV.…

Chris Rowlands, Acting News Editor CASIO PRO TREK WSD-F20 I’ve got a phone that tells the time, so if I’m going to wear a watch it needs to offer more than just a pair of hands. Casio’s monstrous WSD-F20 is a goliath of rugged, waterproof smarts that serves up a 1.32in helping of Android Wear 2.0, all wrapped in a neon shell that’ll make you visible from the top of Scafell Pike. Built-in GPS means I can leave my wimpy phone at home, so it’s a good job it does also tell the time. £450 / stuff.tv/WSDF20 INSTANT EXPERT Sound like you know watch’re talking about Movement The inner workings of a watch, usually either mechanical or quartz (powered by a battery). This is what makes it tick. Literally. Crown…

HIVE A network of 360 independent book, Blu-ray and record sellers, Hive is well stocked with the latest releases and passes back a percentage of every purchase to local indie bookshops. Naturally, it also makes a point of its British tax-paying status. EBAY If it’s bargains you’re after, then the world’s biggest auction site has them in skiploads. Among the hundreds of second-hand tea cosies there are plenty of new products to be found at decent prices. Argos even runs its click & collect programme in partnership with ebay. FARMDROP If you want to order food online the ethical way then show two fingers to Amazon Fresh and use Farmdrop instead. Its goods are harvested to order and delivered to your home within a day by electric vans. There is…

£129 / stuff.tv/SamsungDeX The DeX Station is an accessory for your Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ that will turn it into a fully fledged desktop PC. Hook up a mouse, keyboard and screen, with your phone becoming the brains of the setup, and you get a familiar way to work that won’t end in severe finger cramp. The Station itself is pretty basic: a puck-shaped dock with a slide-out lid that reveals a USB-C adaptor. Around the back there’s a USB-C charging port, HDMI output, Ethernet and two USB ports for hooking up a keyboard and mouse. Plug everything in, fire up your monitor and plop the phone down – that’s all there is to it. The phone switches into DeX mode, disabling its own screen and waking up your…

CAMERA FV-5 The stock camera app is fine, but with adjustments for shutter speed, exposure, ISO, focus and more, Camera FV-5 is like cramming a DSLR into your pocket. £2.49 SWIFTKEY KEYBOARD Along with great predictive typing, this awesome keyboard lets you swipe your fingers across the keys with unerring accuracy. £free POCKET CASTS Into podcasts and need a decent player? This is the best around. It offers smart suggestions, and makes it easy to sync and manage your favourites. £2.49…

Garmin Vivoactive HR £177 / garmin.com Garmin has a frankly bewildering array of fitness trackers and outdoorsy GPS watches, but the Vivoactive HR is the one you really want. It’s packed to the gills with long-lasting, easy-touse and rewarding fitness cleverness. That means it contains the daily step and sleep tracking that you can get in other bands costing under a ton, but also the optical heart-rate monitor, touchscreen display and smartphone notifications that you’d normally pay more for. Stuff says Not super-stylish, perhaps, but crammed with sensors, sports and stamina Moov Now £50 / moov.cc Since it’s cheaper than the Fitbit Flex 2 and basically does the same stuff, the Moov Now is more worthy of a top-five slot. Thanks to its guided workouts with voice coaching, it also…

Sky Q from £20 + £22/month / sky.com Sky Q works flawlessly and could change the way you watch TV – especially now 4K’s arrived. With Sky Movies’ huge range of films and Sky Sports’ frequent doses of football and F1 now all in stunning Ultra HD, there’s something for everyone to treat their eyes with. And 2TB of storage means you can record 350 hours’ worth of entertainment, so you’re unlikely to be sweating over which show needs deleting. Factor in its multiroom skills, and Sky Q is undoubtedly the best TV experience you can get. Stuff says You’ll have to cough up for a subscription, but this is the best box for watching both live and recorded shows Q Acoustics Media 4 £259 / qacoustics.co.uk This soundbar has…

HOT BUY PlayStation 4 Pro £340 / playstation.com As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. If you’ve already splashed out for a 4K HDR screen and you enjoy video games at all, it’s well worth the upgrade. The missing 4K Blu-ray drive means it isn’t a perfect entertainment system, but streaming converts won’t care. Stuff says The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best gaming experience possible Xbox One S from £198 / xbox.com Microsoft dumps Kinect, the £400+ asking price and the fugly…

HOT BUY Sony DSC-RX100 V £999 / sony.co.uk We wouldn’t recommend buying this update if you already own the Mark IV model, but a few improvements have ensured that Sony remains the top dog in our compact camera list. The RX100 V is one of the best point-and-shoots we’ve ever seen, with a flexibility that few pocket cameras can muster. While you do have to pay a hefty sum for that versatility and all-round performance, we reckon it’s the camera to buy if you want fantastic-looking snaps from your holidays. Stuff says A small improvement over the RX100 IV, but Sony’s getting closer to premium point-and-shoot perfection Panasonic Lumix TZ100 £528 / panasonic.com This stylish Panasonic is one of the best premium superzoom cameras around, succeeding in delivering superb image…

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