Table of contents for July 2020 in Stuff UK

In, out, shake it all about, drive to Durham, get an eye test. Just when you thought things couldn’t get more complicated, Dominic Cummings made sure they did. The upshot, though, is garden parties and barbecues are on the cusp of returning. This is good news for many reasons, not least sales of this issue (welcome back, newsagents, we missed you). As we’ve made abundantly clear on the cover, you’ll find no fewer than 43 gadgets for the garden in here, whether that’s outdoor ones for making pizza and robo-mowing, or indoor hydroponic harvesters for turning your flat into a scene from Jumanji. If you are planning to venture outside the front gate, our multi-skilled art director Ross doesn’t just do colouring-in – he also rides bikes, so became a…

I know Liverpool are the team of the moment, but are shellsuits really back in fashion? Calm down, calm down. You’re more likely to see this on the streets of east London than Merseyside – but it’s not just a questionable item of clothing. Embedded in the three-layer fabric of Vollebak’s Full Metal Jacket, you’ll find 11km of woven copper that could hold the key to the future of disease-resistant clothing. So this has nothing to do with Kubrick’s Vietnam War classic? No, and strictly speaking it’s not even ‘full metal’, considering it only comprises 65% copper; but the metal’s ability to conduct heat and power is also perfect for killing bacteria and viruses. It’s the middle of summer, I’m not social-distancing in this! Agreed. The jacket is breathable, but…

The Comedian’s Comedian (podcast) If there’s one thing we champion at Stuff, it’s being nerdy about things – and if you’re interested in how people make others emit laughter from the hole in the front of their face, this podcast is about as nerdy as it gets. Host Stuart Goldsmith is a working standup himself, and while he’s not always the most accomplished interviewer (and some of the interviewees don’t always want to give up all their secrets), the curtain is drawn back enough to satisfy even the most ardent comedy geek. There are over 300 episodes to get through, including Seann Walsh, Chris Addison, Alexei Sayle and Josh Widdicombe, so you won’t run out any time soon. Haul and notes MICROSOFT SURFACE HEADPHONES 2 We liked the original Surface…

EVERDURE 4K £1799 / everdurebyheston.co.uk The unlikely lovechild of a Star Wars GNK power droid and a Big Green Egg barbecue (see right), Heston Blumenthal’s latest outdoor oven blends ancient super-insulated charcoal cooking (4000 years old, hence the name) with the latest in connected, idiot-proof banger-cooking… and the results are magnificent. Don’t light my fire First up, this charcoal barbecue lights itself, so there’s no need to reach for the jerrycan when flames are not forthcoming; and ingeniously, there’s a reloading drawer below the cooking grates, so you can add fresh charcoal during cooking without disruption. Auto-ignition requires mains power, which won’t please the traditionalists, but then neither will the digital temperature display, companion app and integrated meat probes. For the rest of us, it means delicious results with the…

FATBOY THIERRY LE SWINGER Fatboy is famous for brilliant ideas with ludicrous names. This is a wireless LED lamp that can be hung from a parasol or branch, or stuck in the ground with its beech stand. It lasts for up to 42hrs between charges. £199 / fatboy.com SMEG BLF01 BLENDER Smeg’s 800-Watt machine can whip up frozen cocktails or even aerate wine before quaffing, if you really want to show off. The removable Bottle To Go is also a great add-on if you’d rather get wavy on a socially distanced park bench. £162 / smeguk.com PHILIPS HUE OUTDOOR Turning Philips’ ace smart lighting inside-out, the Hue range now includes wall-lights and spotlights with integrated LEDs covering millions of colours. Controlled via the Hue app and bridge, this is outdoor…

GARDENA SMART SYSTEM from £110 / gardena.com Visits to the garden centre are often a mercy mission for miracles to cure the greenery you’ve left looking like Wigan’s DW Stadium pitch after a long season of Super League. What you really need is something or someone that constantly takes care of the shrubs so you don’t have to. What you need is the Gardena smart garden system, compatible with Apple HomeKit and IFTTT. Who’s gonna save my soil? Among the family of connected devices in Gardena’s system is a Smart Sensor supplying real-time data about current soil moisture, temperature and light intensity. Pair it with the Smart Water Control attached to your tap and hosepipe, and you’ll enjoy fully automated watering of your garden. Use all that in conjunction with…

VERITABLE CONNECT Sporting an LED colour spectrum adapted specifically for edible plants, this indoor garden doesn’t just aid quick growth – it’s claimed to develop flavours too. The tank holds three weeks’ worth of water. £259 / veritablegarden.co.uk AVA BYTE The Alexa-enabled Byte can grow five full-sized plants with an automated lighting/watering schedule, and even adds an HD camera for monitoring and creating timelapse videos in case people really do want to know how your garden grows. £349 / avagrows.com PLANTUI NAKED SMART GARDEN 6 This limited-edition ‘naked’ planter is a grower and a shower, giving a clear view of the inner hydroponic workings. Key to quick plant growth are the 18 tuned LED lights, and it has a three-litre water capacity. €299 / plantui.com MINDFUL DESIGN HERB GARDEN With…

Letterpress Boggle meets Othello meets Risk as you and a chum do battle over a grid of letters. Tiles you use turn your colour; those surrounded gain a deeper hue and cannot be flipped by your opponent during their go. The winner is whoever flips the last tile — assuming they then have the highest score. A small board and shifting gains make for intensely engaging play. £free or £4.59 / Android £free or £4.99 / iOS Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes One person sits before their device, aiming to defuse a modular bomb designed by a maniac. Everyone else is armed with the manual: a PDF seemingly designed to be as unhelpful as possible. Cue larks and shouting as the clock ticks down. It’s basically that scene from countless…

FIRST ADD THESE… ONE APPLE MAGIC KEYBOARD Yes, we know – Apple’s new iPad keyboard costs as much as a whole tablet, and it feels like a brick in your bag. But it’s so lovely to use! The trackpad is dinky but responsive and works with the full range of iPadOS gestures, and switching your iPad between tablet and ‘laptop’ modes really is a breeze. from £299 / apple.com TWO APPLE PENCIL You might have ten little styluses at the end of your arms, but for most of us they’re too sausage-like for precision work. With the Apple Pencil, you can be an artist. You’ll need the second-gen one, though, and it’s 30 quid more than its predecessor. Still, the new Pencil’s flat edge means it won’t roll off the…

£240 / stuff.tv/AZ70W Technics has had a bit of a scattergun approach to audio since its 2014 comeback. First we got super-high-end separates, then an all-in-one soundsystem, before the return of its iconic SL DJ decks. None of these were exactly affordable, but that changes with its first pair of noise-cancelling true wireless earphones. Design-wise these buds are a lot like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, only fractionally heavier and £40 cheaper. They have IPX4 water-resistance and the Bluetooth antenna has been integrated into the touch sensors. We’d prefer foam tips, but there are five silicone sizes in the box and we have no trouble getting a nice fit. An ‘acoustic control chamber’ in each bud controls airflow and balances frequencies, while sound emanates from graphene-coated 10mm dynamic drivers. Noise-cancelling…

Samsung Galaxy S20 5G £899 / stuff.tv/S205G The bigger and flashier S20+ and S20 Ultra models are the headline-grabbers, but the ‘basic’ Galaxy S20 feels like the Goldilocks of flagship phones right now: not too big and clever, not too small and basic, just right. It delivers excellent battery life, a phenomenal display, blistering performance and superb photo quality. Until someone else does it better, this is the Android handset to beat. Stuff says All the features you’d want in a flagship smartphone, plus a few more NOW ADD THIS SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive 128GB This USB-C drive will double your S20’s 128GB storage to 256GB for a lot less than you might expect. £23 / westerndigital.com TIPS & TRICKS Slide your thumb in from the edge and back for…

Peloton £1990 + £39/m / stuff.tv/PelotonBike Not just an exercise bike, Peloton is a fitness phenomenon based around a stylish Wi-Fi-connected bike and 22in HD tablet that streams live and on-demand training sessions 24/7. The interface is intuitive and you can view your stats and progress, or browse them later in the app; and there are even video rides through famous places in case you can’t face your instructor. It’s expensive – but if you need some punishment and can’t get to a gym any time soon, this is the way to go. Stuff says A smooth app and hardware make this as good value as any gym membership Wattbike Atom £1599 / stuff.tv/WattbikeAtom Aimed at cyclists looking to enhance their training whatever the weather or lockdown restrictions, the Atom…

Apple iPad Pro (2020) from £769 / stuff.tv/iPadPro2020 The old iPad Pro was already our favourite tablet by miles, and the latest update only makes it more desirable. As before, it isn’t cheap; but with its huge and super-slick 120Hz Liquid Retina screen, ludicrously speedy internals and double-lens camera (like the one in the iPhone 11), this is one working device to rule them all. Since Apple added cursor support to iPadOS, it’s also the best tablet to replace your laptop – and a glimpse into the near future of computing. Stuff says Apple’s mega-tablet evolves into an outstanding piece of kit and pulls even further ahead of the pack Microsoft Surface Go from £509 / stuff.tv/SurfaceGo Having this slinky Windows tab up your sleeve (not quite literally) is like…

Sphero RVR £260 / stuff.tv/SpheroRVR The RVR pulls off the balance between serious coding and knockabout fun perfectly: it’s a fast, fun all-terrain vehicle that you can throw about without worrying about it breaking; but it also has serious hi-tech chops, being compatible with the best low-cost programming machines around. That means playing with the RVR can be as simple or as complicated as you want: spend hours constructing the most intricate driving routine imaginable, or just gun the motor and tear it up. Stuff says If you’re turned off by the mere mention of the word ‘coding’, the RVR might just convert you Lego Boost Creative Toolbox £150 / stuff.tv/LegoCreativeToolbox Building Lego is already ridiculously good fun, so think what great a time you’ll have when the completed model…

DJI Mavic Mini £369 / stuff.tv/MavicMini The Mavic Mini definitely won’t be for everyone. If you want maximum control over your footage, have no qualms about registering your drone, need 4K capture at 60fps, are OK with spending the best part of a grand and consider object-tracking a must-have, you’ll want to look elsewhere. If, however, you just want to get a fantastic balance of user experience, features, convenience and quality at a stomachable price, the Mavic Mini is the most accessible premium drone we’ve used to date. Stuff says Dinky drones don’t come more feature-packed, and bigger drones than this need to be registered. Win! GoPro Hero8 Black £329 / stuff.tv/Hero8Black GoPro fends off the DJI challenge by giving its latest flagship action cam even better stabilisation skills plus…

Fujifilm X-T3 £899 / stuff.tv/FujifilmXT3 It’s really hard to find anything bad to say about the X-T3 – it’s just consistently great in so many ways. Fuji has looked at virtually every feature on the X-T2 and upgraded it. With substantial tweaks made to the pro-level video options, the high-res EVF, the super-fast autofocus and the burst shooting, what you’re left with is an all-round beast of a camera in a small, beautiful form. As APS-C shooters go, it’s the best there is. Stuff says An incredible stills shooter with video smarts to match NOW ADD THIS Manfrotto 190 Go! Carbon Fibre Tripod You no longer have an excuse for wobbly photos with this carbon-fibre tripod. It weighs just 1.35kg. £239 / wexphotovideo.com TIPS & TRICKS Pre-shot ES mode starts…

Let me guess… this has something to do with charity, right? Yes, and we’re fully aware there’s plenty going around at the moment, but you can never do too much. Plus, For Good Causes is a UK fin-tech company offering you a way to donate to a chosen charity without spending a penny. I’m not walking around my garden 100 times. I don’t even have a garden. It’s OK, we’ve left the old and infirm to take care of that. Instead, you convert points and rewards earned on the loyalty cards doing sod-all in your wallet into a digital donation. So instead of getting 25% off a home waxing kit you’re too scared to use, you might actually do someone a decent turn for a change. I’m very nice, I…

HP Pro C640 Chromebook Enterprise £500 (approx) / hp.com This is pitched as ‘the world’s thinnest 14in business Chromebook’, which sounds like a brand clutching at marketing straws. Really, this is a Chromebook for folks who don’t know when to shut the laptop lid: an ultraportable for workaholics. The slimline device supports the latest 10th-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi 6 to handle the multitude of tasks that city types will throw at it. That aluminium chassis also houses a water-resistant backlit keyboard to counter the inevitable campachoochoo spills, along with a fast-charging battery that’s capable of lasting a respectable 12 hours between Bikram Yoga breaks. You also get a generous mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, 3.5mm audio and a full-size HDMI connection…

BIG GREEN EGG Based on an ancient Japanese oven, this charcoal-fired grill has an airtight cooking chamber and sealed firebox, making it easy to light and versatile, with 24 hours of cooking from one load of charcoal. You could even cook eggs in it. from £1045 / biggreenegg.co.uk MORSØ GRILL 71 This cast-iron grill from Denmark, designed in 1971 and in production ever since, is the perfect patio companion for smashing out steaks without the need to sell all your garden furniture to make room for a hulking great BBQ. £249 / morsoe.com BIOLITE FIREPIT CLIMATE NEUTRAL EDITION This app-controlled campfire-style hybrid grill features a 10,400mAh fan that keeps the fire burning at the ideal temperature for up to 24hrs (if you keep adding logs), with minimal smoke. £240 /…

RACHIO THRIVE Rachio is known for its smart sprinklers, but Thrive is a fully connected system for caring for your lawn with nutrients specific to your soil and size of garden. The kit includes a year’s supply and a custom schedule for its Alexa-ready watering systems. £poa / rachio.com GARDENATURE IP BIRD BOX SYSTEM If you’re after the full ‘cam inside the nest’ setup, these cedarwood boxes come with an HD camera for colour streaming even in low light, plus black and white images at night thanks to IR night vision. £156 / gardenature.co.uk GREEN FEATHERS BIRD BOX CAMERA This wireless Full HD cam allows you to watch nesting birds on your phone, tablet or computer. Stream live, share footage, or relive heartwarming regurgitations stored on microSD. from £129 /…

BEOSOUND A1 2ND GEN £200 / bang-olufsen.com Ever since Bang & Olufsen decided to descend into the world of affordable audio with its playful B&O Play sub-brand eight years ago, it’s done portable pretty well… but something always missing was a waterproof speaker. The Beosound A1 2nd Gen changes that, and adds some extra hidden smarts for outdoor adventures – even if, for now, that just means walking to the bottom of the garden. Dane kept a-rollin’ B&O Play no longer exists, but that doesn’t mean the Danes have forgotten how to have fun – in a controlled, sensible manner. That’s because the new A1 lasts longer – up to two days – and is lighter. B&O can also boast a world first on the new A1: it’s the only…

SPORTY SAVIOURS The cellular shell Bontrager XXX WaveCel Road Splash out on this innovative lid and, while it won’t get you up Ventoux any faster, at least your brain will be safe from bumps. Its collapsible cell-like structure delivers superior protection from awkward impacts, without affecting aerodynamics or airflow to your sweaty head. £200 / trekbikes.com The wireless backup POC Ventral Air Spin NFC Winning the leader’s jersey is certainly a reason to celebrate. Too many recovery pints, though, and you might forget the colour of your Lycra – let alone what race you’re on. So an NFC chip in this carapace carries all your key medical info. Handy if you pass out from, er, over-hydration. £220 / pocsports.com The beckon beacon Specialized S-Works Evade w/ANGi It might be nice…

1 GO A LITTLE BIT P.C. Don’t fancy that pricey Magic Keyboard? No matter — any Bluetooth mouse will support iPadOS’s cursor, which morphs and merges with content. A Magic Trackpad 2 is better, mind, since you get whizzy gestural stuff too. Fine-tune the system by opening Settings and delving into Home Screen & Dock > Multitasking > Gestures, General > Trackpad & Mouse > Accessibility > Pointer Control. 2 IMPROVE REALITY Augmented reality hasn’t been the game-changer Apple was hoping for… at least, not yet. Still, the App Store has plenty of apps and games that merge the real and the virtual — and the iPad Pro’s LiDAR scanner improves the AR experience. Surfaces are detected more rapidly, and the Measure app now veers on accurate rather than being…

Sony WH-1000XM3 £241 / stuff.tv/SonyWHXM3 Sony’s WH-1000 series was already a top performer, and the WH-1000XM3s make for an even more compelling package. With Bluetooth wireless and great noise-cancellation, they’re the ultimate public transport stress killer… well, aside from a chauffeur or a lottery win that lets you retire. The leather pads make them incredibly easy to wear, not unlike sitting in one of those ultra-comfy leather chairs, and most importantly of all the sound quality is fantastic. Stuff says Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything Bowers & Wilkins PX7 £349 / stuff.tv/PX7 B&W’s second ANC headphones place greater emphasis on comfort and are all the better for it, while the noise-killing is as effective as you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and they…

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar £2199 / stuff.tv/AmbeoSoundbar Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of this device’s sound is remarkable, and it’s hard to think of any content that wouldn’t benefit from being Ambeo’d. That’s why, as well as being the biggest and the most expensive, it’s the best you can buy. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still Sonos Beam £399 / stuff.tv/SonosBeam Sonos’s great-value Alexa-equipped soundbar offers fine audio quality and comes with loads of features. Look out also for the new Sonos Arc, combining the best features of the Playbar…

Sony PlayStation 4 Pro £349 / stuff.tv/PS4Pro Yes, the PS5 is coming… but for now, the PlayStation 4 is the best gaming platform around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. Sure, it can’t match the Xbox One X for sheer power or resolution, but it makes up for that with an impressive line-up of games – including Death Stranding, God of War and Dreams – and VR support. Stuff says The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best catalogue of games on offer Nintendo Switch £280 / stuff.tv/NintendoSwitch Nintendo’s console earned a promotion in…

Razer Opus £200 / razer.com We love it when a leftfield contender threatens to upset the established order. And the Force is strong with this one… The prize of Skywalker The big news with these wireless cans is they’re THX-certified. THX is the high-fidelity cinema AV standard co-founded by George Lucas, the man responsible for creating a mildly successful film franchise about dysfunctional families and their droids. A new scope The original reason for setting up THX in 1983 was to ensure Return of the Jedi sounded mindblowing at the movies even back then. And if you’re wondering where a gaming hardware maker comes in, Razer acquired THX Ltd in 2016 and has been using its spatial audio tech in headsets. The empire strikes black Rather than being bright green…

PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING Switch Leading the 35th anniversary celebrations for Nintendo’s furry-faced mascot is a brand new Paper Mario. Set in a beautiful paper-crafted world, here’s hoping it can return the comical RPG series to its heyday. The new quest will be unfolding very soon when it releases in July. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON PC, XB1, XBX, PS4 Sega’s crime epic begins a new saga with a brand new protagonist and city, while drastically switching from brawler to JRPG turn-based battles. Despite its history as a PlayStation exclusive until only recently, it’s also confirmed as an Xbox Series X launch title. THE MEDIUM PC, XBX As far as next-gen game announcements go, psychological horror The Medium has a strong spooky pedigree: it comes from the makers of Blair…

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ANGLEPOISE ORIGINAL 1227 GIANT OUTDOOR £3300 / anglepoise.com If ever you were going to ‘love lamp’, the Anglepoise Original 1227 stands as good a chance as any of earning your affections. A design icon conceived in 1935, the classic Anglepoise uses pivoting arms with a revolutionary spring, crank and lever mechanism invented by vehicle suspension engineer George Carwardine, so it can be positioned with a light touch but remain in place once released – hence ‘angle’ and ‘poise’. The BFG The 1227 has undergone many special-edition treatments, but if there’s one guaranteed to get Brick Tamland foaming at the mouth it’s the ludicrously oversized Original 1227 Giant. Originally commissioned by the Roald Dahl Museum as a tribute to the author’s favourite writing lamp, it’s triple the standard size and comes…

FLYMO EASILIFE 350 Flymo is owned by Husqvarna these days, which might be why this robot mower for gardens up to 350m² benefits from high-quality guide and boundary wires, and reliable Bluetooth control. Shame it doesn’t hover, though. £700 / flymo.com GARDENA SMART SILENO+ A premium choice for lawns up to 2000m², this stylish option uses the Gardena app for scheduling with compatible irrigation systems. And what are they? Find out on the next page… £1799 / gardena.com STIHL IMOW RMI 422 Stihl’s smallest cutter is for lawns up to 800m² and will mow, charge and adapt its schedule all by itself so it doesn’t get in your way. The mulching blade puts nutrients back into the soil and there are 15 height settings. £999 / stihl.co.uk HONDA MIIMO HRM…

CLICK & GROW SMART GARDEN 27 €600 / clickandgrow.com We know full well that not everyone has a garden. In the UK, 83% of people live in urban environments (globally it’s 55%) and London is largely considered the first European megacity. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the risk of depression is 20% higher in urbanites… but incidence of depression is clinically proven to be lower when people have access to greenery. Clearly you’re not going to fit Sherwood Forest in your one-bed flat, but smart garden maker Click & Grow says even indoor plants can improve health, reduce stress, boost air quality and generally make us all a bit more chipper. Hit me baby, one more thyme The Smart Garden 27 is the largest setup of Click &…

JBL PULSE 4 With a load of LED lights installed beneath the speaker’s surface, the Pulse 4 puts the ‘blue’ in Bluetooth by lighting up in sync with your tunes. There’s IPX7 waterproofing, and despite all that illumination it’ll still play for 12hrs. £200 / jbl.com SONOS MOVE A Sonos speaker roaming free, the Move means the multiroom champ is no longer restrained by Wi-Fi or a power socket. Switch to Bluetooth to take it further afield, and the IP56 rating ensures it should cope with a moderately wild and wet summer. £399 / sonos.com BOSE PORTABLE HOME SPEAKER Bose promises improved 360° sound and deeper bass than you’ll find in any competing speaker of the same size. It’s lightweight too, and has a handle to make carrying it into…

Dyson V11 Animal What’s the story? Do you like cable-free liberty but think the whole idea of robot vacuum cleaners is fundamentally stupid? Do you have a hairy animal living in your house? Then you need a cordless stick vac with enough slurping power to pull great clumps of fur out of your carpet fibres – and Dyson’s vibrantly sexy V11 Animal is the obvious choice. Squeezing all the brand’s famed suction skills into a device that’s portable enough to swing around the house like a big copper sword, this is basically the standard V11 without the high-torque head for £50 less… but there’s no need to tell the dog that. Is it any good? Once fully charged, the V11 Animal is let loose on a rug that’s popular with…

PIXELMATOR PHOTO Cheap as chips but eye-poppingly effective, this app uses AI trained on millions of pro photos to fix your snaps. For more control, just dive into the sidebar. £4.99 KORG GADGET 2 GarageBand is great but Gadget goes the extra mile with tons of tweakable synths, samplers and drum machines. Ideal for budding Florian Schneiders. £38.99 LUMAFUSION Desktop-grade video editing on a tablet? Yep. LumaFusion can chew through 4K footage on an iPad Pro, and has all the controls and effects you need for YouTube superstardom. £28.99…

£1699 / stuff.tv/Nano906 LG builds great OLED panels, but its LEDs have had a whiff of afterthought about them. With its 2020 Nano range, though, LG has refocused its attention: on paper, these TVs’ features put them right back in contention. The ‘Nano’ part of this 65in 4K TV’s name refers to LG’s NanoCell tech, which strips out ‘unwanted’ colour frequencies to leave a cleaner, more convincing palette. Picture quality is bolstered by compatibility with HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision… and Dolby Vision IQ, which maximises the Dolby-ness depending on the ambient lighting. Included among the numerous picture options is Filmmaker mode, designed to deliver images as the director intended, while HDMI 2.1, 4K @ 120kHz, a variable refresh rate and a sub-13ms response time are good news for gamers. Give…

Apple Watch Series 5 from £399 / stuff.tv/WatchS5 There’s no great secret to Apple’s continuing smartwatch domination: it’s all down to a seamless relationship between hardware and software, plus impressive health features that other makers still haven’t been able to match. But while the Series 5 isn’t as significant an upgrade as the previous model, it does have one key addition: an always-on display. Also new is a compass, while the watchOS 6 update adds a host of tricks that make the Watch even smarter than it was already. Stuff says This is a minor upgrade on S4, but an always-on display makes the best smartwatch even better Samsung Galaxy Watch from £299 / stuff.tv/GalaxyWatch A sturdy and stylish smartwatch with plenty of power and a truly lovely user interface.…

Sonos Move £399 / stuff.tv/SonosMove The Sonos range of wireless speakers had been crying out for a battery-powered portable model for ages – and finally our favourite multiroom audio specialist caved in. Luckily, the Move was worth the wait. Its adaptability and sound quality mean it’s fine value for money, and a no-brainer for anyone who’s already a fan of the brand. Not only is this the speaker Sonos should have launched years ago – it’s one of the best products of its type and price that we’ve heard. Stuff says Sonos finally gets up to speed with the portable speaker craze, and in style NOW ADD THIS Primephonic Bringing sexy Bach, this is streaming for classical music. Niche, yes, but its not-on-Spotify film and game scores offer a great…

Sky TV from £20 + £29/month / stuff.tv/SkyTV Already home to the biggest selection of 4K content, from blockbuster films and original dramas to top-flight sport, Sky has adopted a can’t-beat-’em-join-’em approach to streaming by incorporating the likes of Spotify, Netflix and Disney+ in its user-friendly interface. It’s also restructured its packages to make them more affordable and include rivals like BT Sport. The box has 2TB of storage, while multiroom and mobile options round off the most comprehensive content system money can buy. Stuff says Sky has come out fighting to move with the times and its selection of shows is unrivalled Amazon Fire TV Cube £110 / stuff.tv/FireTVCube The Fire TV interface is easy to use and all the big catch-up services are available via this tidy box…

Oculus Quest from £399 / stuff.tv/OculusQuest The Quest offers all manner of fully interactive, roamable virtual worlds that you can throw in your backpack without a single wire. Yes, the battery life is average, but the inside-out tracking and total absence of any cables make this the best all-round VR headset to date – and it ships with the Oculus Touch motion controllers included. All of Oculus’s headset production has been badly hit by the pandemic, but here’s hoping the Quest is back in stock by the time you read this… Stuff says If you’ve been waiting to board the VR bandwagon, the Quest might be the best reason yet to go for it Valve Index £919 / stuff.tv/ValveIndex While not revolutionary, the Index carries enough subtle upgrades to put…

Amazon Echo Show 8 £80 / stuff.tv/EchoShow8 This could be the right smart display for a lot of people. It’s big enough for comfortable video chatting, and to have drivers that can fill rooms with music. Its display may not look as refined as some, and the sound won’t worry Sonos, but it is good enough in every area to justify its price. We just wish Amazon could find a way to iron out the politics that mean we don’t get YouTube and Netflix app compatibility. Stuff says The Alexa home invasion continues apace with this superb smart display NOW ADD THIS Neato Botvac Connected D7 Say “Alexa, do the vacuuming” and Neato’s latest robo-vac will clean up all your dead skin cells. £799 / neatorobotics.com TIPS & TRICKS Multiple…

Sony DSC-RX100 V £799 / stuff.tv/RX100V It’s been around for a long time now, but this talented little Sony remains the top dog in our compacts list – and we’re keeping this model above the RX100 VI (see below) and even newer RX100 VII simply because of the price difference. It remains one of the finest point-and-shoots we’ve ever seen, with a flexibility that few pocket cameras can muster. While it’s still not exactly cheap, this is the compact camera to buy for fantastic-looking snaps. Stuff says A fair bit cheaper than its newer siblings, yet this is close to premium point-and-shoot perfection Panasonic Lumix TZ200 £569 / stuff.tv/TZ200 This Panasonic compact is a significant upgrade from the TZ100, offering extra reach with the zoom lens, better colour reproduction, and…

Sega Mega Drive Mini £70 / stuff.tv/MegaDriveMini There’ll always be rows and online feuds over whether Nintendo’s or Sega’s games are better, but the Mega Drive Mini wins the miniature retro console war in terms of the faithful recreation of both hardware and software – especially as there are 42 games included. It’s taken a long time to get here, but as the saying goes, to be this good takes ages – and the Sega is the must-buy console of the moment. Stuff says Sega’s back – and this really is the ultimate mini gaming machine NOW ADD THIS Retro-Bit Official 6-Button Controller A must for fans of fighting games, this six-button USB pad is also compatible with PCs, Macs and even the Switch. £26 / amazon.co.uk TIPS & TRICKS…