Table of contents for September 2020 in Stuff UK

With a mind-boggling array of numbers and terminology, cameras can be a tricky area of tech to love. Just ask one of our top Stufflings, Tom Wiggins, who would rather produce a thesis on why he shouldn’t cover them than write a news story on the exciting new Nikon Z5. So we made him anyway, over on p6. It provides a fitting start to our September photographic special, where we really want those of you who’ve never embraced the artform before to give it a go. And if making the jump into proper cameras with swappable lenses feels like a leap too far, we’re also going to tell you how to get the most from your existing smartphone shooter – or upgrade to one that will do your snaps justice…

Most people are enjoying understandably uneventful birthdays this year, but Sega is making a big deal of its 60th anniversary celebrations. Following the recent Game Gear Micro, the company has announced the Astro City Mini, an extremely shrunken-down homage to its iconic Astro City arcade cabinet primed for fighting games. You can play on the tiny screen with the micro-switch joystick and six buttons, or plug it into your TV via the HDMI port round the back. The Astro City Mini will reportedly come pre-loaded with 36 classic titles, including Virtua Fighter, Altered Beast and Golden Axe. Fingers crossed for a launch outside Japan in time for Christmas. £100 (est) / sega.co.uk…

Sounding like a mix between an Italian opera and a Colombian drug lord, La Pavoni’s Esperto is possibly the most ostentatious java machine we’ve ever clapped eyes on. Pulling an oversize handle while a bird of prey in mid-flight watches on is exactly how we want to be seen making a cappuccino – no wonder La Pavoni’s machines have appeared in Bond movies and The Talented Mr Ripley. The 950W Esperto can whip up 16 cups with one water tank filled to capacity, and includes features such as a manometer for calculating boiler pressure (as opposed to judging how macho you look while using it). It’s available now from parent company Smeg’s London store. £1499 / smeguk.com…

Long gone are the days when Apple’s AirPods ruled the airwaves – and now Google wants in, with new Pixel Buds that have apparently been three years in the making. They’ll handle sweaty sessions, survive a downpour, pair rapidly with Pixel and other Android phones, and even play nicely with iOS devices. The buds will play for five hours (with an extra 24 from the charging case), which isn’t much… but you are getting huge 12mm drivers and adaptive sound that tweaks the volume based on your environment. Beamforming mics work with accelerometers to detect jaw movement so they know when you start speaking, and Google Translate is a tap away for over 40 languages. Muy bueno. £179 / store.google.com…

#1 BIGGER MENUS An expanded view makes room for more TV inspiration. It’s goodbye to the static menu bar, which is replaced with a collapsible menu letting you see a third more TV, film, online video, podcast, music and gaming recommendations. #2 SHOW HUBS Every TV series gets a Show Centre. Think of this like a homepage for all available seasons and episodes, covering recordings, broadcast schedules and on-demand links. And a smart button will take you straight to the episode you want. #3 SPORT HUBS Sport fans can find all the latest games, news, documentaries, fixtures, podcasts and league tables in the new Sports Centre. Saying ‘football’ into the voice remote takes you to a landing page covering content from all channels and apps. #4 MORE HDR Disney+ is…

Smartech has now officially launched The Bike Shop at Selfridges’ Oxford Street Store in London, where the Smartech team of expert curators have created a one-of-a kind electric vehicle destination. It’s also the best place to ride Car.o.l, the 40-second fitness phenomenon. Car.o.l is claimed to be the world’s first AI exercise bike, with personalised pedal resistance to get you fitter quicker. According to its makers, science shows that a sudden demand for energy burns large amounts of sugar stores in 10 seconds, which means 40-second bike bursts over an eight-week plan could turbocharge your flab-fighting gains. To celebrate The Bike Shop’s opening, we’re giving away one awesome Car.o.l. And if you’d rather see what other e-innovations are on display – including penny farthings from Richards of England – they’re…

Motorola Edge £550 / stuff.tv/MotoEdge What’s the story? The Edge has a silky-smooth 90Hz OLED display that virtually waterfalls off either side, and epitomises a decadent design with no camera bumps in sight. Along with a big battery that lasts longer than most, the 6.7in canvas looks primed for movies and games – and at £550 it shouldn’t blast too big a hole in your financial plans. Is it any good? A high-end-looking phone with an eye-catching display and design, the Edge comes with cracking speakers and even a headphone port for old-schoolers. If you value more screen for less money, look no further; and while the power will hold it back if you’re a gamer, it’s a dream for day-to-day use – and the camera is respectable despite the…

SONY XPERIA 1 II £1099 / stuff.tv/Xperia1ii Gone are the days when each of Sony’s separate divisions would work in isolation. Now the tech team responsible for the superb Alpha cameras is on board to help make this the best phone possible, with quick hardware to put some DSLRs to shame. There’s a trio of 12MP rear snappers: a main 24mm lens, a 70mm telephoto and a wide-angle sensor with phase-detect autofocus. All three get an anti-reflective lens coating from long-time Sony collaborator Zeiss. The main sensor is physically bigger than on the old Xperia 1, with larger pixels (1.8um) that make it 50% more sensitive – great for low-light shooting. Why stick with 12MP when there are 48, 64 and even 108MP phone cameras doing the rounds? It’s all…

FUJIFILM X-T4 £1549 (body only) / stuff.tv/XT4 The Fujifilm X-T4 might be the high-end mirrorless camera of your dreams. Relatively affordable for a flagship, it excels at stills and video thanks to in-body image stabilisation, high-speed shooting and 4K recording at up to 60fps. The 15fps continuous shooting time delivers up to 115 frames in jpg format and up to 35 uncompressed RAW frames, all captured with the mechanical shutter. Switch to the electronic shutter and that climbs to 30fps. And any rapid shooting is backed up by fancy AF antics that feel equally fast and reliable. The in-body image stabilisation helps you nail a photo in situations where unsteady hands might otherwise spoil it, and is a boon for long exposures and low-light work. Battery life goes above and…

GOPRO MAX £460 / stuff.tv/GoProMax GoPro’s Max action cam is an all-seeing set of 360° eyes that grab everything in sight, along with awesome panoramic stills and solid vlogging skills. The Max shoots 5.6K footage in all directions. Colours are rich, and while there’s no HDR mode you won’t miss it – especially because the image stabilisation is sensational. As with all 360° cams, detail is stronger in the centre of each lens and weakest towards the stitch lines. When the light drops, judder creeps in with every footstep, so tread lightly at night. When used as a traditional action cam, the Max can’t stack up to a Hero8 Black, not least because its resolution caps out at 1080p 16:9 or 1440p 4:3. On the plus side, it offers versatility…

SUNDAY LEAGUE The dainty dribbler Adidas Tango Rosario In Scotland most people associate the 1978 World Cup with Archie Gemmill’s goal against the Dutch, but the tournament’s biggest contribution to football history was actually the introduction of the iconic Adidas Tango. This replica will show your opponents you have taste, especially if they’re Scottish. £22 / adidas.co.uk The stitchy spanker Copa Retro 1950s Sure, Kevin De Bruyne can drop a pass onto an earthworm’s head from 60 yards away, but can he do it with a ball that’s got actual leather laces and hand-stitched panels like back in the ’50s? Probably, yes. But you can’t, so its less-than-perfect shape might help you hone your close control. €50 / copafootball.com The gymmy jinker Mitre Ultimatch Indoor If you spend more time…

1 GO BACK TO MONO When our eyes are stimulated by light and colour, it makes us want more – cue hours of mindless scrolling through Insta and TikTok. So here’s how to give your eyes a break. Launch Settings, then Accessibility. Scroll right to the bottom and tap Accessibility Shortcut, then check Colour Filters. Now, with a triple tap of the Touch ID home button, your SE will switch from colour to black and white. 2 TWEAK THE TOGGLES Swipe up from the bottom of the screen for a bunch of mega-handy toggles: Wi-Fi, media controls, brightness and volume – it’s all there in your Control Centre. And you can add loads more, or declutter by taking some out. Launch Settings followed by Control Centre, then select Customise Controls.…

Shure MV5-LTG What’s the story? Shure’s compact MV5-LTG is designed for virtually everything but the very highest level of studio-quality voiceover – so those Cillit Bang adverts might have to wait. What it does claim to do is deliver impressive results for its minuscule size, while its USB connection is compatible with phones, tablets and laptops – and both Lightning and USB cables are bundled in the box. Is it any good? The Shure’s spherical design won’t be for everyone, and it does feel a little flimsy. It also takes a while to set up, but the results are worth waiting for. In a home studio setup, this kind of sound quality would be sufficient for podcasters and beginner voiceover artists, and we even managed to find a way to…

Sony WH-1000XM3 £248 / 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 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 sound…

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 Arc £799 / stuff.tv/SonosArc Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give a real sense of scale for an immersively…

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…

Half-Life: Alyx from £35 / Oculus, Vive, Valve Index Announcing Alyx as not only a ‘midquel’ but a VR exclusive got some Half-Life diehards riled up… but in classic Valve fashion, the end result is utterly brilliant. Alyx succeeds because its universe just happens to be a perfect fit for the format. It’s also larger and much more robust than most VR games, at a meaty 12-15 hours. And though it unfolds at a different kind of cadence to past Half-Life games, it feels like a fully fledged solo campaign and a key part of the franchise narrative. Stuff says Valve’s beloved series returns… and offers one of the strongest arguments to date for VR gaming Beat Saber from £23 / Oculus, Vive, PSVR Gleefully swing your twin lightsabers to…

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…

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 TIPS & TRICKS Dip into the display settings to switch from the standard 4:3 aspect ratio to fit your widescreen TV. Switch the language settings to Japanese and you can play vastly different versions…

Wow, IE is 25 years old? It seems like only yesterday it began stinking up the place! Let’s be fair – Microsoft’s browser didn’t always make you want to set fire to the thing and hurl it into a ravine. During its early days, IE was actually something of a pioneer in the Wild West of the internet. Back then, Microsoft dared to innovate, creating and integrating exciting new web technologies, some of which are still in use today. And in a move to please cheapskates, Explorer very quickly normalised the idea of web browsers being free. So how did it turn evil? Well, Bill Gates decided the way forward was to stomp the competition into oblivion. He recognised the power and potential of the internet and fancied controlling it…

Naming a phone after a railway platform was a bold move, but fair play to Google for sticking with it. The Pixel 4a will arrive later this year with a 5.8in edge-to-edge OLED display that’s 4.5% larger than the one on the 3a despite the phone being 5.8% smaller overall. Other numbers to soak up are the 12.2MP rear camera – the same as in the Pixel 4 but with added software smarts – and the ability to shoot 4K at up to 30fps. There’s 128GB of internal storage, 6GB of RAM and USB-C 18W fast charging… but before you go thinking that’s a hell of a package for a 5G phone, think again. It’s 4G only, with a rumoured next-gen version set to follow for £100 more. from £349…

APPLE iPHONE 11 from £729 / stuff.tv/iPhone11 Social distancing can’t last forever. So while you might think the iPhone 11’s lack of a third telephoto lens (like on the 11 Pro) is a bummer, it just means you have to get closer to your subject. What you do get is the same wide-angle 12MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture and 12MP ultra-wide f/2.4 option as the Pro version. It’s wonderful in small spaces – say, capturing unique angles at home or photos of friends at dinner. Standard snaps between the two models are impossible to tell apart despite the price difference, with exposure always well balanced and colours perfectly natural. An upgraded camera app interface allows you to preview what images will look like using either the wide or ultra-wide…

PANASONIC LUMIX G100 £589 / stuff.tv/LumixG100 The once-niche vlogger market has become increasingly important to camera makers. Recent launches like the Sony ZV-1 (left) and Fujifilm X-T200 show a real effort to cram in features that take the effort out of creating great-looking videos, selfie or otherwise. The Panasonic Lumix G100 is also designed with YouTubers in mind. It’s even available with a nifty tripod/handle to keep things steady no matter where your travelling production house sets up shop. Panasonic claims this is the world’s smallest mirrorless camera with a free-angle LCD, and it’s light and compact enough to fit easily into any aspiring vlogger’s ‘daily carry’ despite that 3in front-flipping screen and a 3680k-dot LCD viewfinder. While vloggers will probably invest in an external microphone if they’re serious about…

£240 / stuff.tv/Surface2Cans Anyone familiar with the original Microsoft Surface Headphones isn’t going to find anything too startling here, but hear us out. The Surface Headphones 2 are among the more discreet and coherent noise-cancellers around, especially in this new and very welcome black finish. The circular earcups now swivel through a full 180° to help them fold completely flat, and the memory-foam padding keeps them comfortable for hours. Branding is restricted to a minimal logo on each arm. Despite a not-too-taxing 290g weight, the SH2s feel robust and ready to endure careless handling. Of course, Microsoft does provide a hard case, where it stashes a charging lead and a 3.5mm cable for when you run out of power for wireless listening. This is a business-class offering at a ‘premium…

£135 / stuff.tv/PolarUnite Sitting somewhere between a Fitbit-style tracker and a multisport watch, the Unite is aimed at people who want to track their workout endeavours but aren’t ready to invest big bucks for the pleasure. There’s no music storage, no contactless payments, and smart features are limited to notifications. The Unite packs a serious set of fitness skills: there are 100 sport modes and equipment-free daily workout recommendations for cardio, strength and mobility, including drill-by-drill guidance. It also offers deep insights into your recovery and fitness progress. There’s no built-in GPS – the watch piggybacks your phone to track runs and rides, and in our tests it consistently overstated mileage. But you do get a partner app providing training and coaching plans to help you hit your goals. When…

LIGHTROOM As well as being a world-class pocket editing studio, Lightroom is a full-manual camera app for still photography, so you can use it to control ISO, shutter speed etc. £free (IAPs) PROMOVIE RECORDER Apple’s camera app might be a bit basic for some video shooters. ProMovie opens up a world of manual controls, image stabilisation and much more. £free (IAPs) iMOVIE Prefer to stick with Apple’s own apps? Then you’ll be delighted to know that this mighty video editor is free for SE owners. Take advantage of its predefined templates and free backing tracks. £free…

Ever wondered what’s up with the links in Stuff? We’ve got a team of retail pros who scour the web to find you the best gadget deals – visit any stuff.tv link in this issue and you’ll be taken to the best deal for that product. If you make a purchase, we may get a small commission. It’s that simple, and has no impact on how much you pay.…

Data Wing £free / Android, iOS This game starts off as if Asteroids had a baby with a top-down racer: your triangular craft blasts around circuits, gaining speed when its bum scrapes neon track edges. Soon you discover you’re part of an OS ruled by a deranged AI. Story and game quickly expand, as you glimpse the world beyond the screen and battle gravity in cavern-based sections that recall 8-bit classic Thrust. Rarely do mobile titles pack in so many hours of clever, thoughtful narrative. Pretty much never are such games free. Stuff says A mobile game we’d happily recommend if it cost a fiver – for nowt, it’s an absurdly generous bargain Sky: Children of the Light £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS Now available on Android as well as…

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 watchOS 6 added a host of tricks to 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. Those with…

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 TIPS & TRICKS You can control your Move with the touch controls on top, the Sonos app, Google Assistant or Alexa. Auto Trueplay adapts the…

Sky TV from £20 + £25/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…

Amazon Echo Show 8 £90 / stuff.tv/EchoShow8 Stuff says The Alexa home invasion continues apace with this superb smart display TIPS & TRICKS Multiple Echo Shows can act as video walkie-talkies for communicating with lazy housemates. There’s no YouTube or Netflix app support, but you can access both services via the device’s Silk browser. Creating a ‘routine’ lets you trigger multiple smart home devices with a single voice prompt. 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 Amazon Echo Dot with Clock £55 / stuff.tv/EchoDotClock Amazon’s Echo Dot smart home assistant has for a long time been one of the best bargains in tech; now you can get one with a…

Komoot £free (IAPs) / iOS, Android Whether trail running, multi-day hiking, cycling or just escaping the city for a day away from Pret, Komoot’s aim is to replace countless forums, maps, books and the clumsy syncing of GPS co-ordinates with a one-stop shop for adventurers. Topographical information, route length, elevation and predicted time to complete, integrations with Garmin devices and pro recommendations are just a few of the features. Once your route is planned, the app turns your phone into a GPS device with voice navigation. So much for the great unknown, then. It’s free to use; regional offline maps then cost from £3.99, or you can unlock global info for £29.99.…

from £4199 / canon.co.uk Fast, not furious The full-frame EOS R5 is capable of shooting 8K footage at up to 30fps, 4K at up 120fps, and up to 20 stills per second aided by its electronic shutter. There’s then the small matter of a 45MP sensor that Canon claims could be its best ever, a Digic X processor that allows for ludicrously fast autofocus, and 5-axis in-body image stabilisation. Even the electronic viewfinder is a stonker, with 5.76million dots – more than any other Canon camera. We counted them all with an abacus. Faster pussycat If you’re shooting in 8K, the EOS R5 has something called Dual Pixel CMOS AF II for stunningly intelligent autofocus, with an advanced animal mode that’s able to recognise the difference between dogs, cats and…

Quickart £free (IAPs) / iOS It feels like there are more photo filter apps than Beyonce has Instagram followers, but when the makers of Facetune add one to the pile it’s got to be worth a look. And while Facetune is all about sprucing up your selfies, Quickart’s got more creative pants on. Choose one of its filters, pick a snap from your camera roll and watch it work its magic. You can fine-tune each one to get exactly the effect you’re after, and then save it, send it, or upload it to your Beyonce-rivalling social channels. Of the 35 filters, 15 are free, but the pricing to unlock the rest feels a bit over the top, starting at £5.99 a month. For more photo filter apps, check out Mini…

HUAWEI P40 PRO+ £1300 / stuff.tv/P40ProPlus Here’s a Huawei of a dilemma for you. Blocked from Google’s services and pushed out of a starring role in the UK’s 5G show, the Chinese company has just launched the best 5G camera phone in the world and the first with a 10x optical zoom equivalent lens… but it costs £1300. The P40 Pro+ sports the same main 50MP camera as the ‘basic’ Pro, complete with its 1/1.28in 50MP RYYB sensor – huge for a smartphone. There’s also a 40MP ultra-wide lens and a time-of-flight depth-sensor, and not one but two telephoto cameras. The first features a 3x equivalent zoom, but the second goes all the way to a 10x equivalent, trumping the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. The main camera delivers the best…

NIKON Z50 £849 (body only) / stuff.tv/NikonZ50 The Z50 is Nikon’s first attempt at an APS-C sensor snapper, with the aim of offering a small and lightweight system camera for beginners. This mini mirrorless shooter promises impressive image quality for a sub-£1000 price. Nikon has achieved this by cherry-picking features from some of its higher-end models and shoehorning them into a svelte shell. That means the relatively tiny body gets the large 55mm Z mount and is joined by an Expeed 6 chip, which facilitates 4K video and a native ISO (light sensitivity) range of 100 to 51,200. The all-plastic body weighs just 450g with the battery and card, while the dinky size makes it great to use one-handed. It fits into a bag with a pancake lens, but you’ll…

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 £769 / stuff.tv/MavicAir2 With pro-grade video, crisp photos and a non-intimidating flying experience, it’s difficult to get your head around how DJI’s engineers have crammed so many features into the Mavic Air 2. It still fits in the palm of a large-ish hand, but DJI has built on the basic platform of an easy-flying beginner drone and thrown in a heap of professional extras. So now anyone who fancies a bash at aerial photography no longer has to put up with mediocre content. A new controller, new motors, improved battery life and loads of advanced flying tech, obstacle avoidance systems and built-in video modes ensure there’s a lot to keep you busy; but it’s simply packaged so as not to overwhelm those new to the game.…

Hypocam Let’s start off with something tasteful. Pretty much any photo editor can turn your snaps black and white, thereby instantly making them at least 50% more arty; but Hypocam adds a slew of settings to fiddle with, an inspirational news/images feed, and the means to mimic some of those superb shots by grabbing new filters and applying them to your own miniature masterpieces. £free (IAPs) / Android, iOS Snapseed Google’s freebie image editor is the biggest bargain on mobile. If you’re not using it, you should be – and if you are, venture beyond the usual adjustments and cropping tools: delve into Grunge, Drama and Grainy Film, and get experimental with your pics to the point where they beg for mercy. Neatly, the effects you apply are non-destructive, and…

The raiser’s edge We loved the tactile control dials around the edge of each earcup on the first Surface Headphones. They’re back here… and as agreeable as ever. The left dial governs ANC, while the right is responsible for volume. Live wired Around the edge of the right cup there’s a rash of physical controls, including a pleasingly up-to-date USB-C input for charging, a ‘power/pairing’ button, a Swift Pair control for, well, swift pairing, and a 3.5mm analogue socket. Hell’s quells Each cup has a touch area for play/pause, skipping tracks and summoning your voice assistant (even Siri). They’re also blessed with extremely responsive accelerometers ready to pause your music the instant you take them off. EQ shook me It’s also possible to interact with these cans using Microsoft’s Surface…

FIRST ADD THESE… ONE APPLE 18W USB-C POWER ADAPTER Pick up an 18W iPad/iPhone charger to get your battery up to around 50% in half the time it would take the 5W charger you get with the phone – a must-have when you don’t have time to wait. You can go with this Apple option to be guaranteed optimal charge speeds, but third-party chargers should work too. £29 / apple.com TWO BELKIN BOOST UP 10W QI PAD The iPhone SE powers up cord-free thanks to handy Qi wireless charging tech inside. But to enjoy an untethered life, you’ll need a wireless charging pad that’s up to the task. Belkin’s 10W job is a good-looking puck with a rubberised ring to keep your SE from slipping while powering it up. £20…

Philips ST702 What’s the story? Aside from the UV lights in the case tasked with killing any bacteria trying to set up home on the speaker mesh, the ST702s are fairly pared-down on features. They’re IPX5-rated against water and sweat, but there’s no app for fiddling with the EQ and no proximity sensors, so they’ll just carry on playing if you take one out. They use old-fashioned microUSB and there’s no wireless charging either. Perhaps as a result, battery life is pretty good, with four LEDs on the case to show how much juice is left inside. Are they any good? Without a bacteriologist on hand we can’t say how many nasties are being killed by the UV blasts, but when it comes to sound quality the ST702s do deliver.…

£50 / stuff.tv/EchoAuto It won’t flip open your car doors to disable an assailant or calculate the trajectory required to leap the Thames Barrier, but Amazon’s Echo Auto will add KITT-like AI to your car in the form of Alexa voice smarts. It’s aimed at motorists unable to access Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The device connects to your car stereo so you’ll hear your AI buddy through the speakers. Connecting to your mobile by Bluetooth and hitchhiking on its data, the Echo Auto can cue up calls, weather notifications, navigation, streaming services and radio stations, plus find restaurants and much more. The obvious advantage is that you can keep your eyes on the road rather than fiddling with your phone while driving. The Echo Auto has just two buttons…

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 TIPS & TRICKS Slide your thumb in from the edge and back for one-handed mode, which adjusts the screen layout. Screen recording is great for capturing Instagram live sessions. You’ll find it in system settings. Single-take mode uses all the lenses to snap…

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, the Atom is an accessible…

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 Apple iPad from £349 / stuff.tv/iPad2019 If all you want a tablet for is consuming media and typing up the…

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…

Fujifilm X-T3 £1079 / 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. It’s the best APS-C shooter there is… at least until the X-T4 takes its place in this list. Stuff says An incredible stills shooter with video smarts to match TIPS & TRICKS Pre-shot ES mode starts taking photos and adding them to the buffer as soon as you half-press. Sports Finder mode’s display enables you to…