Table of contents for August 2016 in T3

What the heck is Vnyl? Vnyl is a taste-making musicsubscription service that delivers individually curated vinyl records to your door each month. And now it’s turned its hand to the tech market, designing this gorgeous record player, which boasts some very interesting smarts. My dad has an old turntable. I’ll use that, thanks. Yep, you could, but its retro looks won’t have half the style of this glossy beauty. The Trntbl, at the time of writing compatible only with Sonos speakers, gives you the old-school pleasure of playing physical media – removing the record from its sleeve, placing needle on wax and hearing that warm crackle. But it also detects what you’re listening to and shares that info on social media (brag alert!), inviting your mates to listen to the…

SMASH HITS 01 ZEPP TENNIS SWING ANALYSER Andy Murray is one of the best players in the Murray family. But unless he wants to retire with just the one Wimbledon he’ll need to improve his game. Attaching to his racket, the Zepp Tennis Swing Analyser will send detailed shot – from the power of his hits to the frequency of each shot – to his smartphone. And also tell his mum, presumably. £99, johnlewis.com A LOAD OF BALLS 02 BUTTERFLY AMICUS BASIC TABLE TENNIS ROBOT Facing Djokovic’s serves must feel like being blasted by one of Thor’s farts. Now, we know it’s not quite the same game, but we reckon the Butterfly Amicus Basic Table Tennis Robot will help Andy to prepare for such an onslaught. It can fire from…

There was a famous social experiment done in the 1960s that I expect you’ve heard of. It’s notorious. The Milgram Experiment was named after the doctor behind it, Stanley Milgram. Obvs. In it, a person would be ushered into a room with a big dial marked “electricity”, and told by a man in a white coat that this was an experiment in new teaching methods. In the next room, unseen but audible over a loudspeaker, was the “test subject” – actually a chum of the man in the white coat, but the person sitting behind the big dial didn’t know this. Long story short: most of the dial operators were more than happy to electrocute a stranger to death, because a man in a white coat said it was OK.…

WHAT IS IT, GAGU? It’s a sort of semi-sentient, £225, one-way whiff-whaff overlord. SAY WHAT? The idea is to finesse your tabletennis game by nimbly swatting back the barrage of ping-pong ammo that Trainerbot (GaGu can’t believe that name wasn’t already taken) fires forcefully at you. WAIT, IS THAT IT? No, siree. It’s 2016 and Trainerbot is a thing that exists, which means you can Bluetooth your way into it using its custom app. This lets you set up shots aimed at one of nine zones on the table, pick a difficulty level, and add spin to its shots in order to work on the weak spots of your game. SOCIAL FEATURES? [Sighs] Yes. You can set and share sequences of shots with other users, although these can’t be programmed…

While Microsoft’s eighth-gen console, the Xbox One, had a pretty terrible run-up to release and first 12-18 months, the PS4 rival has been on an upward curve as of late. The introduction of a new (and much-improved) UI last winter, and the addition of backwards compatibility for an ever-growing library of Xbox 360 games, have helped soothe some of the wounds to its mauled PR profile. The new slimmeddown version of the Xbox One, the Xbox One S, looks to carry on that ascendant trajectory with a raft of tweaks and improvements that’ll make it a far more attractive console for early adopters and new users alike. For a start, it’s 40 per cent smaller than the original. Let’s be honest, the Xbox One is an ugly thing with its…

In terms of aesthetics, the MacBook is the laptop that got T3 the least excited, looking mightily similar to the MacBook Air, a machine that’s now eight years old. Don’t get us wrong, the MacBook is still a masterpiece of design – and it’s also the lightest laptop on test, at just 0.92kg – but it doesn’t stand out from the countless other Apple machines you see commuters using on trains (unless you plump for the new Rose Gold colour, as seen in this feature, which joins the existing Silver, Gold and Space Gray versions). One feature that did make us raise our eyebrows (in a good way) was the innovative new keyboard – read more about that in the box on the right. As for connectivity on the MacBook,…

1st HP Spectre 13 Price: £1,299 URL: www.pcworld.co.uk T3 RATES: Just look at it! It’s absolutely sublime – a thoroughbred laptop. For the most part, the spec sheet is exemplary. When you combine that with the brilliant performance, it’s an intoxicating mix that its rivals can’t match. T3 SLATES: We’re disappointed that the Spectre only comes with a Full HD screen when rivals are forging ahead. We also think the battery life could be a little better. T3 SAYS: The Spectre offers the perfect balance between performance, future-proofing, a gorgeous design and a price that isn’t astronomical. 2nd Microsoft Surface Book Price: £2,249 URL: www.microsoft.com/surface T3 RATES: It’s so powerful, making it very flexible. T3 SLATES: The prices of the top models are ridiculous. T3 SAYS: You’ll only really need…

1 RIBBLE AERO 883 Wind-tunnel-tested, the Ribble Aero 883 is designed to make you faster, whatever your level. The Toray carbon frameset offers stiffness for good power transfer, while also being light enough to propel you up those hardy hills. It’s perfect for any race. From £1,300, ribblecycles.co.uk 2 CANYON SPEEDMAX For ultimate cycling performance, look no further. The Speedmax is the pro’s choice of weapon, ideal for triathlons or time trials. Think you’re good enough to handle it? Hear this: the aerodynamics have been optimised for speeds around 31mph. From £4,399, canyon.com 3 SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT DISC RACE Aero makes you faster – fact – but if you need a more rounded race bike you can do lots of miles on, the Tarmac Expert Disc Race is a great…

FLEXSON VINYLPLAY TURNTABLE This networkable deck features an analogue-to-digital converter and a phono stage, so it works with a variety of systems. You can also back up using third-party software. £250, flexson.com AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP5 The J-shaped tone arm on this deck may have a Sixties vibe, but the spec is bang up to date. The cartridge is custom-built by AT for this turntable, providing a focused performance. £330, eu.audio-technica.com TEAC TN-570 With its distinctive S-shaped tone arm, clear acrylic and fauxmarble plinth, this belt-driven TEAC is quite the poser. But it also uses an optical sensor to deliver the precision of a direct-drive deck. One for aficionados. £500, teac-audio.eu…

CLAIRE DAVIES LG G5 I’ve been using Apple smartphones pretty much my entire life, so when I was offered this Android phone, I felt a sense of apprehension. Can this new, modular flagship handset, said to feature a fantastic camera, win me over? ROBERT JONES PANASONIC DMP-UB900 With 4K streaming on the rise, is there any need to go out and buy a 4K Blu-ray player? Over the next two months, I’ll be testing this Panasonic to see if it’s worth the high price. NICK ODANTZIS SNUGS CUSTOM EARPHONES Last month, I had a pair of these clever earbuds sculpted to fit my lugholes. But will a pair of custom ’phones make much difference to the listening experience? Join me as I find out… PAUL DIMERY MIELE SCOUT RX1 In…

Whether you’re a seasoned tech aficionado or this is the first gadget magazine you’ve purchased, The Elite is the best possible place to start your gadget-selection journey. Here we present the best gadgets available right now in 12 key categories, to save you the hard work of doing all the research yourself – in short, if you’re starting from scratch and want the very best there is, The Elite is your new shopping list. The Elite will only be updated when something new emerges that is capable of toppling an existing product from its perch; there may therefore be months when the 12 products featured here don’t change. But this is an exclusive club, and only tech that is capable of achieving a towering standard of excellence gets in. BEST…

Joby GorillaPod SLR Zoom The GorillaPod is the classic adjustable, portable tripod. This heavy-duty spin can hold up to 3kg, which should be enough for your DSLR and whatever enormous zoom lens you’ve strapped to it. Handy for time-lapse shooting. £39, joby.com Manfrotto 709B It’s absolutely tiny and pretty no-frills, but for those moments where you need a low-level stable surface for any tripod-mountable gear – particularly if you don’t have a flat surface handy – this dinky three-legger will come in useful. £29, amazon.co.uk Velbon EX-Mini For sheer versatility, Velbon’s micro-pod has the boxes ticked. With extendable legs and a tilt/pan head, you can do more complex work than with the other tripods here, though it’s not as surfaceadaptable as the GorillaPod. £19, velbon.co.uk…

Withings Pulse Ox While it might seem best suited to sitting in its wrist strap, the Pulse Ox is just as happy clipped to your belt or in your pocket. Keep it accessible and it’s easier to take advantage of its heart-rate and blood-oxygen measurements. £79.95, withings.com/uk Jawbone UP Move Cheap, cheerful and not especially attractive to look at, Jawbone’s tiny holder-independent Bluetooth-enabled tracking module is just the ticket if you’re only interested in tracking your steps and sleep with the UP app. £49.99, jawbone.com Misfit Speedo Shine If you’re drawn more to the water than the road, the Speedoendorsed Shine – constructed from aluminium and powered by a sixmonth-life watch cell – is perfect. We’d recommend putting it on your wrist when swimming, though. $69.99 (£50), misfit.com…

Rob Carney EDITOR Rob’s long-term loan of a Nissan Leaf came to an end this month. Look out for his write-up on what it’s really like to own an affordable electric car, coming next month. Nick Odantzis DEPUTY EDITOR This month, Nick’s been shouting “Shut up, legs!” No, he hasn’t gone even madder; he’s been pushing his pins to the limit, testing the latest techy bikes for Man Vs Tech. See p74 now! Claire Davies ASSISTANT EDITOR If you’re glamping, camping or holidaying by the pool this summer, Claire has you covered – she’s been hunting the best tech to make your outdoors adventure one to remember. Turn to p83… Paul Dimery PRODUCTION EDITOR Dimmers predicted that England would win the Euros. Was he right? You’ll probably know by now.…

Motorola, huh? What’s it up to these days? Motorola is now owned by Lenovo, but the big M brand is staying (for now), and its latest offering takes the crown of “world’s thinnest smartphone” at an incredibly svelte 5.2mm. People, say hello to the wafer-thin Moto Z. Is that all it’s got going for it? Oh, hell no. The biggest talking point here is Moto Mods – attachments you clip onto the handset for enhanced functionality. At the time of writing, there are three to choose from, with a battery pack and JBL speakers being the relatively straightforward offerings. The third attachment, however, is rather special… Don’t be a tease, T3. Just tell me! Well, it’s only a ruddy projector, ain’t it! Yes, that’s right, a projector. For your phone.…

A flagship phone for £309? Really? Absolutely! OnePlus has made a name for itself by producing smartphones with flagship specs at almost half the price, and the OnePlus 3 is its latest crowning achievement. OK, fine, but can it really compete with the best? Yes. From the premium aluminium unibody and 5.5-inch Full HD display, to the 16MP camera, super-responsive fingerprint scanner and insane power under the hood, the OnePlus 3 has all the hallmarks of a phone with a much higher price tag. Apple, Samsung and co – you’d better watch your backs. Sounds a little too good to be true. What’s the catch? There’s nothing major you need to worry about. Storage is 64GB, but that’s your only choice and there’s no microSD slot for expanding it. The…

This looks like a serious bit of kit.` Typhoon’s automated Follow Me/Watch Me modes keep the camera zeroed in on you, the star of the show That’s because it is. The H, now available through Manfrotto Distribution, is the newest addition to the Typhoon drone range. The features on this stealthy-looking aerial shooter will definitely give competitors a run for their money. Yeah? What makes it so special? For starters, the H’s anti-vibration, gimbal-mounted CGO3+ camera can produce smooth 4K video and stunning 12MP stills of your epic views. The drone also has six props for stability, and retractable landing gear for unobstructed 360-degree footage. Most impressive of all is the front-mounted Ultrasound RealSense Sensor, which means the drone can detect – and avoid – in-flight obstacles. Clever, eh? That…

THE READER Jan Hartley T3 reader Jan inherited a vintage bell tent and, after refurbishing it, wants to kit it out with some luxury tech. Top of her wishlist are slick sounds, decent sleep and coffee. THE EXPERT Claire Davies T3’s Claire has slept in everything from connected safari tents to luxury wigwams. Here, she serves up six outdoor-friendly gadgets to help Jan glamp smarter. 01 RAB ASCENT 700 HYDROPHOBIC DOWN Rab’s truly opulent Ascent 700 is a no-brainer. This baby-soft sleeper is filled with hydrophobic duck down for the warmest, squishiest night’s kip imaginable. The angled foot box and wide mummy shape offer generous room to thrash about, an anti-snag zipper makes getting in and out a breeze, while the silk-touch Pertex Microlight fabric keeps the bag featherweight. £240,…

SEVEN NEW ADVENTURES WITH TECH TOU CAN START TODAY! 01 VIEW THE WORLD’S FIRST VIRTUALREALITY ALBUM Experience a live-music show and exhibition like never before, thanks to a ground-breaking, virtual-realitycentred collaboration between Björk and HTC Björk is undeniably one of music’s most pioneering artists, so it’s little surprise that the Icelandic wonder has teamed up with HTC to devise a dazzling VR-themed live experience. The snazzily named VR Album Exhibition forms part of the Björk Digital Tour, which began in Sydney last month and will move around the world over the next year-and-a-half, docking at various landmark venues including Somerset House in London (dates to be announced). Punters attending the show will have the chance to enter a room set up with multiple HTC Vive headsets, with which they can…

Cat S60 Turn up the (thermal imaging) heat with Cat’s rugged smartphone. Built for explorer types who like pretending they have superhero vision (this puppy sees through smoke), the S60 is waterproof to depths of five metres for up to an hour, capturing high-quality stills and video of your underwater antics. Clumsy people will appreciate its tough design – the S60 handles drops onto concrete from up to 1.8 metres – while the bright HD display is readable even if you’re lazing on a beach. But the thermal camera is the S60’s party piece, being able to display a live thermal image and measure surface temperatures. Need to call from the pool? The S60 has capacitive multi-touch with automatic wet-finger support. £530, catphones.com Kindle Oasis Wherever you holiday this summer,…

OUR MISSION IS TO BRING YOU THE CLEAREST RECOMMENDATIONS WE CAN – AND THAT MEANS A GREAT DEAL OF HARD WORK HAPPENS BEFORE A PRODUCT EVEN REACHES OUR PAGES! Because we only feature products the T3 team would happily use ourselves, we end up discarding a significant number of options in each category before settling on a final shortlist to review. In this respect, T3 Select does exactly what it says on the tin, picking only the best of the best to test; the gear we know you’ll want to seriously consider purchasing. And that should mean an end to you having to undertake hours of painstaking research and product comparisons. You won’t see any duff products featured in our tests, but you will come away with clarity on which…

4K ULTRA HD TVS WITH HDR Panasonic TX-65DX902B FINE-TUNED BY HOLLYWOOD, THIS STUNNING PANEL IS YOUR SHORTCUT TO THE MASTERING SUITE £3,299, WWW.PANASONIC.CO.UK DESIGN This screen is classically handsome. The pedestal feet have cool, star-effect engraving, while the bezel edge is artfully textured. All four HDMI inputs are HDCP 2.2-enabled, good for Sky Q 4K, UHD Blu-ray and your Xbox One S. FEATURES Panasonic’s Firefox OS offers 4K Netflix and Amazon, YouTube and pick ‘n’ mix VOD. There’s also Freeview Play, with full catch-up TV and a Freesat tuner. The real star, though, is the full-array backlight, comprising 512 direct LEDs. PERFORMANCE With Premium UHD and THX 4K certification, the DX902 has all the badges. Its UHD HDR performance is stunning, with realistic peak highlights and vibrant colours; what you…

TOMB RAIDER II Not the original but still the best, the second outing for Lara Croft retooled her controls, improved the graphics and set it all in a magical tomb beneath the Great Wall of China. 99p; Google Play, PC, PS One SPELUNKY The Indiana Jones-aping world of indie hit Spelunky is a treasure hunter’s dream as you descend into its relicfilled, procedurally generated caves. £10.99; PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, X360 THIEF II: THE METAL AGE Forget that godawful 2014 remake that nobody wanted – you simply can’t beat the medieval larceny of the stillincredible second game on the PC. £4.99; PC ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG What better way to fill the galley of your 17th-century ship with treasure than by attacking and pillaging others? £15.99; PC, PS3,…

01 THE CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD: ANYWAY YOU LOVE.. Psychedelic tie-dye rock from ex-Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson. Narcissus Soaking Wet eases you in with its harmonica-tinged groove, Ain’t It Hard But Fair plays like a Seventies funk cut, and closer California Hymn rejoices with soulful gospel vocals. 02 BLINK-182: CALIFORNIA Pop-punk’s favourite sons are back with a revised line-up. It’s out with Tom DeLonge and in with Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba as Blink serve up a riotous 16-track album. California peddles super-fast guitars and sing-along choruses, but isn’t afraid to break away from the trio’s trademark sound. 03 JEFF BECK: LOUD HAILER He’s racked up awards for his blistering guitar-playing, but now Jeff Beck’s shrugging off his six-string-nerd persona and flexing his social-commentary muscles. Exploring blues, soul and electronica (yes,…

WHY NOT SPRUCE UP YOUR SMARTPHONE OR TABLET WITH A FRESH, CUSTOM HOME SCREEN? Nova Launcher One of the most tweakable home-screen replacements, Nova Launcher (free) offers a custom grid, infinite scrolling, plus fancy effects and launch animations. Plump for the Prime upgrade (£3.99), though: the home-screen gestures it offers will become indispensable. Action Launcher 3 There’s no need for a deluge of home-screen icons. Not if you embrace Action Launcher 3 (free). Its launch-bar system, which pops up a Windows Start Menu-style launch list for easy access to your most-beloved apps, leaves your home screen clear and clean. Smart Launcher 3 Smart Launcher 3 (free/£2.99) proves that swiping through pages full of icons doesn’t have to be the done thing. It uses a simple iconring interface to intuitively present…

Spotify If you’re a regular Spotify listener, check out your personal ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist, updated every Monday with a selection of tunes Spotify thinks you’ll enjoy. But don’t stop there: the Discover section also recommends whole albums based on your listening habits; and, at a push, you can use Spotify’s less-than-ideal Radio feature to find similar artists to the track you select as a seed. Apple Music Not to be outdone, Apple has its own Discover feature built into its subscription service, and one that doesn’t always make presumptions on your tastes based on your listening habits – handy if you use music to calm your kids, and don’t want the latest opus from The Wiggles showing up. Just tap or hold on the circles in Apple Music’s interface to…

Philips Hue Starter Kit Probably the first name that springs to mind, and rightly so: Philips’ Hue system, now upgraded with brighter RGB LEDs, runs on Wi-Fi and is fully compatible with Apple’s HomeKit. If you’re big on full automation, this is your choice. £149.99, amazon.co.uk LIFX Color 1000 Wi-Fi-connected without the need for a separate hub unit; super-bright at just over 1,000 lumens; a massive range of colour temperature; and compatibility with IFTT and Nest. What’s not to like? The high price, perhaps. £47.99, johnlewis.com MiPow Playbulb Rainbow Simpler than the bulbs above, with straight colour-changing and a single colour temperature, this Bluetooth unit is worth a look both because of its affordability and its super-low 5W energy consumption. Fill your house with them. £31.50, amazon.co.uk…

You don’t always have to spend big money to get something you’ll love to bits. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favourite products for £100 and under. Some of our chosen gadgets also happen to be the best things you can get in their particular category, others are great–value alternatives to bigger ticket purchases, but all are brilliant products we’d be happy to use ourselves. So next time you get paid and there’s spare cash burning a hole in your trouser pocket, make sure you consult T3’s £100 Hotlist! THE SUPER SIX 01 KINDLE www.amazon.co.uk PRICE £59.99 A Kindle for less than 60 quid? You’d better believe it. Thinner and lighter than the previous iteration, and with a six-inch glare-free touchscreen, it’s a no-brainer. T3 SAYS Cheap…

SAVE CASH! By subscribing to T3 today p60 The PlayStation VR looks to be this year’s killer gadget. And we’ve gone hands-on with it to bring you the T3 verdict… And yes, it could well be a game-changer. As well as previewing the hardware, we bring you a round-up of the most anticipated games for the platform, including a killer Star Wars title and Arkham VR – your chance to see through Batman’s eyes (and perhaps say, “I’m Batman” in a gravelly, menacing voice). On the other side of the console fence, we bring you all the Xbox updates – from the new Xbox One S to Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s next-gen console, due for release next year. It’s a veritable gaming feast and it all begins on p46. Oh, and…

Didn’t Nissan just update the GT-R? It’s had more updates than an iPhone, but Nissan claims the 2017 refresh is the most significant yet. Really? It looks the same to me. The design gets a gentle tickle, much of it to increase downforce, cut drag and boost cooling – think re-designed bumpers, a wider grille, a new bonnet and some cool 20-inch alloys. This GT-R is also faster: the twin-turbo V6 is boosted by 20bhp to 562bhp, revised suspension and a stiffer bodyshell make the handling much sharper, and those improved aerodynamics help it scythe air and stick to tarmac. Wasn’t it already rowdier than a Russian footy fan? Nissan has tackled that, promising smoother gear changes, way less fidgety suspension and a cabin that doesn’t fizz like radio static…

Woah! That’s one chunky-looking watch. True, dat. The Mission is Nixon’s first-ever Android Wear watch and, while it’s no slim Jim on the wrist, its curvaceous body is necessary to house all that sumptuous tech. Yeah? What does it do, then? Everything apart from cook your dinner. Nah, just kidding – The Mission is a water-resistant GPS smartwatch that’s bursting with sensors. It has the capacity for you to download and install apps from the Google Play Store directly onto the watch. And the full-colour digital display can also be adjusted to mirror the faces of Nixon’s most popular watches, including The Sentry and The 51-30. So it’s aimed at sporty types like me? Nixon is positioning this as the best sports/ action watch available right now. The Mission is a…

Guru is on a 3D-printing kick at the moment, in an attempt to complete his collection of bright-yellow, copyrightinfringing RoboCop statuettes – just Dick Jones and Technician #2 to go! So the recently Kickstarted 101Hero, which GaGu managed to bag for a measly $50 (£34), is sure to take a hammering. It’s rickety, sure, but (if it actually materialises – this is Kickstarter after all) it’s a new benchmark in 3Dprinter pricing. How long until it’s cheaper to buy a new printer than it is to buy a filament on its own? Summer’s assault on Guru’s nasal passages is in full swing, and the Hay Fever Relief app (free, iOS) has hit his Home screen – though its advice (go get some antihistamines) and stats (yep, the pollen count is…

Since its announcement, we’ve had our hands on (and heads in) Sony’s VR headset a few times, and each time has been better than the last. Sony has been cracking away over the past two years to improve the user experience as much as possible before release. And its early efforts have resulted in one of the most comfortable VR headsets around, even for those of us who wear glasses. Like other virtual-reality headsets on the market, the PlayStation VR has the arduous task of immersing you in a videogame by producing two images simultaneously. But unlike its rivals that require expensive graphics cards (and, indeed, PCs) to get the job done, the PS VR can do it using only a PS4 and a small black box that sits between…

The mission To ride three high-end racing bicycles on some well-known local Strava segments to see if spending big money can make you go faster. The man Dep ed and keen pedal-pusher Nick gets excited about anything cyclingtech-related, obsessively trying to best his Strava segments on every ride. The tech Specialized Tarmac Expert Disc Race £4,000, specialized.com Ribble Aero 883 From £1,300, ribblecycles.co.uk Canyon Speedmax CF SLX 9.0 LTD £7,499, canyon.com Lazer Z1 helmet with LifeBEAM £275, lazersport.co.uk Lazer Wasp Air helmet £250, lazersport.co.uk Garmin Fenix 3 £380, garmin.com Quad Lock Bike Kit £49.95, quadlockcase.co.uk Madison RoadRace Light jersey £89.99, madison.cc Rapha Classic bib shorts £160, rapha.cc Giro Empire ACC reflective shoes £207, giro.com SUPER SHIFTER Shimano’s electronic shifting does away with pushing or pulling cables. Instead, wires tell the…

Penclic Mini Keyboard K2 REVIEWED BY GLENN EASLEY FROM LONDON £30, POSTURITE.CO.UK Why I bought it I’ve suffered from RSI (repetitive strain injury) for quite some time, and read somewhere that this keyboard helps to relieve the symptoms. I run my own business, so I’m constantly typing invoices, presentations and the like. Having a keyboard that would enable me to do this without stopping every five minutes would be a real bonus. What I like about it When you see how compact this thing is, it makes you wonder how we ever lived with those big, bulky keyboards of old. It’s very slim and light, which makes it easy to carry around with you on the bus or train. It’s wireless, connecting to your laptop via a USB dongle and…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THE VERY BEST TECH AVAILABLE TODAY, YOU HAVE DEFINITELY COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. T3 Elite is the best gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly filtered all the categories that count, to bring you rock-solid recommendations. We’ve selected a Super Six of elite gear for each of the categories listed below. If something’s not included, we don’t rate it – it’s that simple. Each Super Six is ranked in order, and the number-one product makes it into The Elite (p120), which is our pick of the 12 best products you can buy today. To make your next purchase as straightforward as possible, we’ve also included useful buying advice, and highlighted the hottest gear you can get for £100 and under. Stay…

Go on, then. What’s a quantum dot? A really, really small particle, between two and ten nanometres in diameter, which emits a specific wavelength of light depending on its size. The smaller end of the scale glows blue when stimulated, ramping up all the way through the visible spectrum to red at the larger end (although “large” is a bit of a misnomer when dealing with sizes in the range of 50 atoms). No, really, what is it? A quantum dot – discovered way back in 1981 – is condensed matter, a semi-conducting crystallite with a size smaller than twice its exciton bohr radius, which squeezes its excitons resulting in quantum confinement. OK, we admit we’re not entirely sure what that means, but we do know that it has awesome…

PROTECTION RACKET The Solarin is geared for protection, from the toughas-nails hardware to the integrated enterprise-level anti-attack software and encrypted mode. But that end-to-end encryption means nothing if your recipient doesn’t have a Solarin – you’d better have seriously spicy secrets to justify a rollout that costly. It stings more when you can add free encrypted messaging and calling to any Android or iOS device using apps. LOCKDOWN The security shield on the back isn’t just a way to frame the camera and fingerprint sensor; flick its switch to activate shielded mode, which adds military-grade encryption to calls and messages SPEED FREAK Carrier-aggregated 4G is on board for extra mobile-data speed, and there’s a mildly ridiculous pair of Wi-Fi radios: one running 802.11ac, the other 802.11ad LOUD AND CLEAR Make…