ISSUE 357 SUPERBSONY TheX95L is a mini-LED master HEROICHEADPHONES You need to hearPhilips’ latest over-ears Level up your workout REVIEWED Why you’ll love 2024’s must-have gadget SAMSUNG GALAXY Gorgeous flat screen•Titanium finish AwesomeAI•Powerful zoom lens TESTED EXPERT’S VERDICT REVIEWED MULTI-ROOM HARMONY Ace speakers to keep every room in tune VISION PRO + GALAXY S24 SPECIAL MASSIVE FITNESS UPGRADES HOT APPLE VISION PRO Jaw-dropping inbound essentialtech GADGET WISHLIST
MARCH 2024 T3 3 Welcome Gadgets that showcase the very best that design and technology have to offer SHOWSTOPPER If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t unlock your house as easily as you can your car or phone, then your frustration is nearly at an end. Philips has announced a new top-of-the-range smart lock as part of its Home Access 6PDUW /RFN OLQHXS DQG LW XVHV \RXU SDOP UDWKHU WKDQ \RXU ĆQJHUWLSV WR XQORFN \RXU KRPH 7KLV ZRUNV E\ UHFRJQLVLQJ the unique pattern of veins each of us carries in our hands, which means you don’t actually have to touch the lock – SUR[LPLW\ VHQVRUV GHWHFW \RXU KDQG DV \RX UHDFK WRZDUGV LW å WKRXJK \RX ZLOO QHHG WR WDNH RII \RXU JORYHV ,W KDV EXLOW in Wi-Fi, and will interface with systems such as Alexa and Google Assistant. And although it hasn’t made it to the UK \HW 86 UHDGHUV ZLOO EH DEOH WR JHW KROG RI RQH LQ WKH ĆUVW KDOI RI WKLV \HDU £TBC, usa.philips.com PHILIPS WI-FI PALM RECOGNITION SMART DEADBOLT
4 T3 MARCH 2024 Meetthe team Meetthe team JOSH RUSSELL Editor RUSSELL LEWIN Production Editor MICHELLE McLAREN Art Editor MATT KOLLAT Active Editor SAM CROSS Staff Writer Get in touch to see what T3 can do for your brand! T3 is currently licensed worldwide, from Australia to Mexico HOW TO LICENSE T3 T3 is available for licensing DQG V\QGLFDWLRQ 7R ĆQG RXW PRUH FRQWDFW XV DW OLFHQVLQJ# IXWXUHQHWFRP RU YLHZ RXU DYDLODEOH FRQWHQW DW IXWXUHFRQWHQWKXEFRP Head of print licensing: Rachel Shaw FRANCE POLAND MEET OUR ADVERTISING TEAM THE GLOBAL MAGAZINE ACCOUNT MANAGER CHARLOTTE BECKETT [email protected] ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SASHA McGREGOR [email protected] MARC CHACKSFIELD Content Director MIKE LOWE Tech Editor MAT GALLAGHER Editor In Chief, T3.com BETHAN GIRDLER-MASLEN Home Editor EMILY PURSEL Social Media Editor LIZZIE WILMOT Staff Writer BRYONY FIRTH-BERNARD Staff Writer VISIT T3.COM 7FRP LV RQH RI WKH 8.èV OHDGLQJ FRQVXPHU OLIHVW\OH VLWHV SUHVHQWLQJ SURGXFWV LQ KHOSIXO EX\LQJ JXLGHV DQG FXUDWHG GHDOV SRVWV ,WèV DOVR UHVSRQVLYH HQDEOLQJ \RX WR HQMR\ LW RQ DQ\ GHYLFH Our subscription offer gets you this great magazine at a bargain cost SUBSCRIBE Save up to 36% SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE! magazinesdirect.com/TTT/C92V SCAN TO GET OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2024 T3 5 Welcome T3’S MISSION Editor’s letter While I’m not naturally the mostfrugal of people,that DOO FKDQJHV LQ WKH ĆUVW VHDVRQ RIWKH \HDU 7KH FRPER RI KLJKHU ELOOV DQG WKH FXPXODWLYH KDQJRYHU RI &RQVXPHUPDV DQG WKH SDUW\ VHDVRQ XVXDOO\ PDNHV P\ EDQN VWDWHPHQWV UXQ UHGGHU WKDQ D:HVWHURV ZHGGLQJ 6R ,WHQG WR IRFXV RQ VSHQGLQJ LPDJLQDWLRQ EXFNV DWWKLV WLPH RI \HDU $OO RIWKLV ZLQGRZ VKRSSLQJ KDV UHVXOWHG LQ VRPH VSHFWDFXODU SUHWHQG SXUFKDVHV .()èV FRPSDFW DQG EHDXWLIXOO\ EDODQFHG /6; ,, /7 VSHDNHUV DUH QRZ PHWDSKRULFDOO\ NHHSLQJ P\ /* 0 ZLUHOHVV 79 FRPSDQ\ RQ P\ PDNHEHOLHYH HQWHUWDLQPHQW FHQWUH %XW QR SURGXFW ZDV DV HDV\ WR VSHQG P\ PDGHXS PRRODK RQ WKLV PRQWK DV $SSOHèV QHZ ffiffi 9LVLRQ 3UR KHDGVHW ,I \RXèUH PRUH LQWHUHVWHG LQ PDNLQJ DFWXDOUDWKHUWKDQ DUWLĆFLDO DFTXLVLWLRQV RXU H[SHUW H\H RQ SDJH ffi ZLOOWHOO \RX HYHU\WKLQJ \RX QHHG WR NQRZ 2IIHULQJ JDPH FKDQJLQJ LPPHUVLYH FRQWHQW .SHUH\H GLVSOD\V DQG LQQRYDWLYH FRQWUROVWKH 9LVLRQ 3UR IHHOV OLNH D VODP GXQN &RQYHUVHO\ LI \RXèUH PRUH RI D IDQ RI 6DPVXQJ å DQG EHLQJ DEOH WR SD\ \RXU PRUWJDJH å FKHFN RXW RXUUHYLHZ RIWKH JDPHFKDQJLQJ *DOD[\ 6 8OWUD RQ SDJH ZLWK LWV JRUJHRXV WLWDQLXP EXLOG DQG WUDLOEOD]LQJ $, IHDWXUHV Josh Russell, Editor [email protected] Tweet me @joshlrussell 2XU PLVVLRQ LV WR EULQJ \RX WKH FOHDUHVW UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV ZH FDQ å DQG WKDW PHDQV D JUHDW GHDO RI KDUG ZRUN KDSSHQV EHIRUH D SURGXFW HYHQ UHDFKHV RXU SDJHV %HFDXVH ZH RQO\ IHDWXUH SURGXFWV WKH T3 WHDP ZRXOG KDSSLO\ XVH RXUVHOYHV ZH HQG XS GLVFDUGLQJ D VLJQLĆFDQW QXPEHU RI RSWLRQV LQ HDFK FDWHJRU\ EHIRUH VHWWOLQJ RQ D ĆQDO VKRUWOLVW WR UHYLHZ :H VHOHFW RQO\ WKH EHVW RI WKH EHVW IRU RXU 7HVWHG VHFWLRQff WKH JHDU ZH NQRZ \RXèOO ZDQW WR VHULRXVO\ FRQVLGHU SXUFKDVLQJ $QG WKDW VKRXOG PHDQ DQ HQG WR \RX KDYLQJ WR XQGHUWDNH KRXUV RI SDLQVWDNLQJ UHVHDUFK DQG SURGXFW FRPSDULVRQV <RX ZRQèW VHH DQ\ GXII SURGXFWV EXW \RX ZLOO FRPH DZD\ ZLWK FODULW\ RQ ZKLFK RQH LV WKH EHVW LQ LWV FDWHJRU\ RU IRU D VSHFLĆF WDVNffl RXU DZDUGV EDGJHV VHH EHORZ HQVXUH WKDW HYHU\WKLQJ T3 UHFRPPHQGV LV FOHDUO\ KLJKOLJKWHG RQ WKH SDJH ,W JRHV ZLWKRXW VD\LQJ WKDW HYHU\ SURGXFW LQ RXU UHYLHZ VHFWLRQ KDV EHHQ WKRURXJKO\ WHVWHG E\ RXU WHDP RI H[SHUWV HQDEOLQJ \RX WR EX\ ZLWK WRWDO FRQĆGHQFH OUR AWARDS 7 ,661 LV SXEOLVKHGPRQWKO\ ZLWK DQ H[WUD LVVXH LQ 6HSWHPEHU E\ )XWXUH 3XEOLVKLQJ4XD\ +RXVH 7KH$PEXU\%DWK%$ 8$ 8. 7KH 86 DQQXDO VXEVFULSWLRQ SULFH LV ffifl$LUIUHLJKW DQGPDLOLQJ LQ WKH 86$E\ DJHQW QDPHG:RUOG &RQWDLQHU,QF FR%%7 flUG 6W -DPDLFD 1< 86$ $SSOLFDWLRQ WR 0DLO DW 3HULRGLFDOV 3RVWDJH 3ULFHV LV 3HQGLQJ DW%URRNO\Q 1< 32670$67(5ffl 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 7:RUOG &RQWDLQHU,QF FR%%7 flUG 6W -DPDLFD 1< 86$ 6XEVFULSWLRQ UHFRUGV DUHPDLQWDLQHG DW )XWXUH 3XEOLVKLQJ FR$LU%XVLQHVV 6XEVFULSWLRQV5RFNZRRG +RXVH 3HUU\PRXQW5RDG +D\ZDUGV +HDWK:HVW 6XVVH[5+ '+ 8. 2QO\ WKH EHVW SURGXFWV å WKRVH WKDW VFRUH ĆYH VWDUV å UHFHLYH RXU 3ODWLQXP $ZDUG 7KLV LV JLYHQ WR ZLQQHUV RI RXU JURXS WHVWV VR \RX FDQ VHH ZKLFK LV WKH EHVW DW D JODQFH
6 T3 MARCH 2024 Contents Contents 053 062 ULTIMATE GADGET WISHLIST All the best bits of shiny new tech that are speeding your way MASSIVE WORKOUT POWERUPS Turn yourself into a prime piece of beef with these treadmills, trackers, bikes and more TAILOR YOUR SOUND FOR EVERY ROOM Every room in your house – as well as your garden – can host a symphony with these beauties around 029 APPLE VISION PRO T3’s expert gives her verdict on Apple’s potentially revolutionary invention THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO… Bean-to-cup coffee machines and why they’re a godsend for caffeine lovers 049 044
8 T3 MARCH 2024 Contents 010 HORIZON TOP 10 Tesla eats the Porsche Maycan’s dust 018 STYLE Bag it up and carry your stuff around in the most stylish way 019 OPINION Jon Bentley throws light on what lightweight motors will mean for EVs 020 FITNESS Ring in the changes with a wearable that EULQJV ĆWQHVV IHDWXUHV WR \RXU ĆQJHU 021 TRAVEL We explore why UNESCO Heritage Sites are a great way to see the world 022 LIVING A new front in smart security is here 024 GADGET GURU Replacing remotes and tech expenses 027 OPINION Why Ambilight Plus is a bright idea 070 SAMSUNG GALAXY S24 ULTRA Will 2024 see an Android phone with a better build and screen than this one? 074 SONY X95L Sony leaps into the future with this TV’s blazing pictures and amazing build 076 PHILIPS FIDELIO L4 Give your ears a treat with the Fidelio L4’s big, warm sound 078 LEICA SOFORT 2 An instant camera for 2024, this is a stylish little snapperthat’s easy to use HORIZON TESTED SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE Get the latest offers 042 079 YOUR IN-DEPTH BUYER’S GUIDE 2XU JLDQW EX\HUèV JXLGH KHOSV \RX ĆQG the world’s best gadgets in over 50 categories, from top tellies to DSLRs to car tech to shavers – all tested by T3’s team of tech experts! BEST OF THE BEST
10 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon FOUR OR TURBO The two versions of the Maycan aren’t far apart – they both feature a 95kWh battery, both sport all-wheeldrive operation with a motor on each wheel, and both have a WLTP certified range of over 365 miles. The best new tech heading your way “Porsche is here setting a new real-world standard for EVs” Josh Russell, Editor TECH-O-METER PORSCHE MAYCAN From £69,800, porsche.com Porsche’s headlong dive into the EV space has been nothing short of stunning thus far. The awesome Taycan has basically knocked Tesla off of its high horse, with equivalent models managing to silence the Stuttgart company’s electric rival and excite drivers in equal measure. Cramming a battery into the established Maycan frame is Porsche’s next trick – and it might well shame the highly popular and really very good Tesla Model Y. It might feel unfair to compare the two so directly, but look at the specs: the two cars are virtually the same length (the two new Maycan models are just over an inch longer), the same wheelbase, the same width and the same ride height. They want the same drivers. And while Porsche has made the base Maycan 4 over 330 kilos heavier than the stock Model Y, it’s also slathered on a high level of luxury. Perhaps most importantly, the Maycan 4 and Maycan Turbo mark the debut of the VW Group’s Premium Platform Electric EV architecture, the same 800-volt drivetrain we’ll be seeing on the Audi Q6 E-Tron and other candidate vehicles in the coming years. That nets it a charging architecture that can jump from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes – or grab an extra 60 miles’ range in four. The EV market is truly hotting up. Competition makes every industry stronger, and we can’t wait to see what Porsche’s rivals fire back with.
MARCH 2024 T3 11 Top10 AERODYNAMIC ACE Porsche has paid special attention to streamlining, helping top speed (161mph for the Turbo, and 137mph for the 4) and maximum battery life. The Maycan’s drag coefficient is just 0.25, and active aerodynamics like an adaptive rear spoiler and front air intake cooling flaps help it cut through the atmosphere. IMAGE SOURCE: PORSCHE INSIDE IN Your interior depends on the options you pick, but you should get the full three-screen trim up front, offering a curved digital gauge cluster, an infotainment screen and an additional passenger display. Oh, and one final note to Tesla: Porsche has remembered the importance of physical buttons.
12 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon Top10 TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER PHILIPS A6219 £TBC, philips.co.uk The death of the 3.5mm jack socket was inevitable, sadly. We must deal with it. But we as a society should never have to deal with the ignominy of being left without tunes because we’ve forgotten to charge our wireless headphones. If we can’t plug them in to our devices, the logical alternative is to create headphones that never need charging at all – and Philips has done just that with the solarcharged A6219 GO cans. Utilising the ‘Powerfoyle’ headband, these will top themselves up in perpetuity, supplying enough juice to their battery to power their 40mm drivers for solid 80 hours of darkness should you be trapped in a cave. Excellent – and they’re perfect for sport, with IP55 certification protecting them from sweat and dust and breathable fabric on the ear covers. T3 SAYS: We’re all for infinite listening. CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CXN100 £899, cambridgeaudio.com Never ones to coast, Cambridge Audio’s engineers have basically binned the innards of highly popular CXN V2 streamer and rebuilt it when preparing this impressive update. Packing in the company’s own Gen4 StreamMagic module alongside a ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32 Reference DAC, Cambridge Audio claims this’ll sound appreciably better than its excellent predecessor. Given its compatibility with the latest raft of digital sources, we believe it: this is going to sound as clear and precise as anything could whether it’s playing hi-res MPEG-DASH internet radio, pulling from your favourite streaming services, or teasing those subtle details from MQA tracks. It’s Roon-ready, too, ensuring that massive screen on the front displays every tiny shred of pertinent information around your tracks. T3 SAYS: Stylish streaming sounds sweet. IMAGE SOURCE: PHILIPS IMAGE SOURCE: CAMBRIDGE AUDIO
IMAGE SOURCE: LG TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER WAHOO KICKR RUN £TBC, uk.wahoofitness.com Although cycling fanatic Wahoo’s recent products have been, in small part, disciplineagnostic, the company has always had one foot firmly clipped to the pedals – which is why it’s a surprise to see it drop a treadmill specifically geared to runners. But we have no doubt the company has employed every neuron of its collective fitness expertise here. Indeed, the Kickr Run seems set to change our very image of the treadmill for the better. Its ‘Run Free’ mode is most exciting, employing a combination of high-speed sensors and a fast-reacting motor to automatically react to any change of pace. Run faster, and it moves faster; slow down, and you won’t be thrown backwards into the wall. Lateral tilt on the belt means this can simulate road running, or even level itself if you place it in an uneven surface. T3 SAYS: Iconic design, intriguing features. BON VOYAGE BY LG LABS £TBC, lg.com LG’s compact pod may be a concept, but it’s a picture of the kind of smart future that awaits classy campers. 2023’s Bon Voyage was larger, a full-on home on wheels; for 2024, LG crams just about everything possible into less space, packing out its gorgeous teardrop trailer for some serious glamping. Aside from the inclusion of a surprisingly large bed, the Bon Voyage crams in a full kitchen with induction worktop, end-to-end entertainment options and a water purifier to ensure that you’re not thirsty wherever you happen to park up. This seems like just the sort of thing that the growing digital nomad brigade would lap up, were LG to cook this up into a market-ready product – and we’re sure you could strap a surfboard on top. T3 SAYS: You’re looking at the new T3 Towers – we’re out of here. IMAGE SOURCE: WAHOO 14 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon Top10
16 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon TECH-O-METER TECH-O-METER SONY XR SPATIAL CONTENT CREATION SYSTEM £TBC, sony.net The metaverse is coming, they keep saying, so one had better be ready. Even if the threedimensional future doesn’t pan out in quite the same way as Mark Zuckerberg hopes it might, increased creativity in the 3D space isn’t going anywhere – and Sony’s innovative headset goes further than most VR gear to enable pixel sculptors and model designers to really get to grips with virtual tools. 4K OLED microdisplays ensure superb fidelity. A combination of ring and pointing controllers enable accurate manipulation of polygonal objects. A Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 gives the wearer portable freedom and power in one. And we’re sure, if you must, you could get games running on this thing. But it’s more about building the next generation of interactive content. T3 SAYS: The future is three dimensional. ONEPLUS BUDS 3 £99, oneplus.com It’s little known, but it shouldn’t be, so allow us to put this out there plainly: OnePlus makes some seriously good headphones, so we’re excited for the arrival of the company’s thirdgen Buds. What they lack in original design, they make up for by piling on the high-end specs. Each ear is treated to dual dynamic drivers, for instance, featuring OnePlus’s surprisingly tolerable Basswave enhancement and OnePlus Audio ID 2.0, tech which personalises the sound to the specific resonance of your ear holes. They support Hi-Res Audio and LHDC 5.0, meaning suitable sources can send them ultra-detailed audio – and, of course, there’s heavyweight ANC to deal with the pesky outside world. For the price, that’s a serious feature set – these won’t take over the world, but they’ll make your ears happy. T3 SAYS: Banging bargain buds. IMAGE SOURCE: SONY IMAGE SOURCE: ONEPLUS
MARCH 2024 T3 17 Top10 COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES TECH-O-METER COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES TECH-O-METER those looks will lean, as Super73 is very generously offering the platform in either scrambler or super sport shells. The electric two-wheeled future is coming – we’d keep an eye on the C1X if you want to catch a ride before it’s too late. T3 SAYS: On the road, sure – but we want to take this over the dunes. SUPER73 C1X £TBC, super73.com It’s not hard to spot the motocross DNA present in the C1X; like Super73’s main-line ebikes, this electric motorcycle chucks a dash of retro style in the pot with some angular, almost unsettling design work to create something truly unique. Here you get a floating rear suspension, which should generate a speedy, bump-eating ride, along with regenerative braking and fast charging. You also get a top speed in excess of 75mph, and a range of over 240km if you opt for the extended range version. There’s even an option when it comes to exactly which way EXOBREW CRAFT GEN 3 From $999 (around £790), exobrew.com If you’re looking to brew up beer, cider, kombucha, or (if you’re creative) anything else you can think of that originates from some kind of yeasty mixup, Exobrew’s coppercoloured dream machine can do it. Its barrel is big enough to create 6 litres of boozy goodness at once, with every step of the process – the mash, the boil, the fermentation and even the serving of a delightful pint – happening within the unit itself. That makes it a sight more pretty than your traditional homebrew setup, and we’d wager it’ll be a lot less prone to accidentally creating something akin to paint stripper, too. Exobrew is only just starting up as we write, looking to ship to the US in the summer, so keep an eye out for international expansion if the good folks of the States take a liking to personal pico-brews. T3 SAYS: Ours is a pint. Of what? What’ve you got? JBL LIVE TWS 3 SERIES £180, uk.jbl.com We think we’re supposed to talk about the earbuds here. They’re the meat of the meal, after all. But we’re perfectly confident that JBL has got the fit and the sound of those wireless in-ears just right – whether they’re the bean-shaped Buds, the AirPod-esque Flex, or the more sealed AirPod-Pro-style Beam design, all of which sit in an identical outer case. The point here is not the contents of the case but the case itself. Specifically, it’s the 1.45-inch LED touch screen that wows, offering music control, equalisation options, or the ability to stick a photo of your cat on there for on-the-go amusement. JBL has tried this sort of thing before, of course, but the Tour Pro 2’s screen-equipped case was, to put it mildly, massive; these sport a far more svelte and pocket-friendly design. T3 SAYS: How long before headphone cases rival phones for power? IMAGE SOURCE: SUPER73 IMAGE SOURCE: EXOBREW IMAGE SOURCE: JBL
IMAGE SOURCE: PAUL SMITH, MATCHES, JOHN LEWIS, WOLF & BADGER, RADLEY THE ROW SLOUCHY CROSSBODY If you’re looking to make a sophisticated impact, then this Italian-made cotton bag from Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen’s label should be ticking all your boxes. £1,130, matchesfashion.com CANVAS WEEKEND HOLDALL Pack it up, pack it in… if you fancy a weekend getaway, this overnight bag is roomy and stylish with its leather straps and brass details. It comes with a waterproof lining too. £116, wolfandbadger.com LEAF CAMO BAG Camo is an evergreen design so this polyester bag will keep you riding high in the style stakes for many years. Neat, petite and finished with an adjustable webbing strap and clip front fastening. £75, paulsmith.com DEAN STREET ZIP AROUND GRAB Don’t drop the sartorial ball just because you’re heading to the office. Made from grained leather, this dapper bag features lots of pockets plus a padded space for a laptop. £279, radley.co.uk CANVAS CROSSBODY BAG Those with a penchant for utilitarian suave make Carhartt their go-to brand. With its simple design, supreme functionality and superb style, this bag will soon become an everyday stalwart. £50, johnlewis.com 18 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon BAGFORLIFE Often, it’s the accessories that clinch the look. We’ve gotideas to give you bags of style
MARCH 2024 T3 19 Opinion t’s common knowledge that electric cars have a weight problem. On average they’re around 30% heavier than their combustionengined equivalents, a burden that’s mainly down to the batteries. It’s an issue manufacturers are working hard to eliminate through developments like solid state cells, new battery technologies and more efficient packaging. What’s less well-known is that there’s an equally furious battle going on to reduce the weight of the electric motors that turn the batteries’ energy into motion. Every part of the motor is being slimmed down. Rotor and stator laminations made out of steel sheets can be replaced by lighter and cheaper soft magnetic compounds produced by injection moulding. Mild steel motor shafts can be switched to ones made from carbon-reinforced plastic and stainless steel. Motor windings can be lighter and more compact. On the face of it, this doesn’t look like a priority. Electric motors are normally lighter than the equivalent combustion engine – around 50kg as opposed to 200kg for the ones found in a typical small car. But there are still dividends in weight paring. Every little bit saved helps mitigate the weight of the batteries, reducing worries like the extra particulate pollution produced by heavier cars’ tyres and fears that old concrete car parks will collapse under the poundage of bloated EVs. For me though the biggest advantage of lighter and smaller motors is that they will find their way out from the body of the car, into its wheels. In-wheel motors have usually added too much can crab sideways into parking spaces, spin on itself and steer diagonally from one lane to another. As well as the tricks, the individual motors mean the car can control the torque sent to each wheel – this ‘vectoring’ helps the car corner, accelerate and brake more effectively. Wheel mounted motors also free up more space for supercapacitors in the body of the car that can help improve the regenerative brakes’ performance. Chinese company Dongfeng launched production EVs with radial flux in-wheel motors last year. Radial flux motors are the cylindershaped ones normally found in electric cars but disc-shaped axial flux motors are intrinsically lighter and fit more easily into a wheel. YASA motors in Oxford, owned by Mercedes-Benz, has created a 12kg axial motor that generates 250hp, and is engineering an “electric wheel motor and active suspension handling system” for Mercedes’ forthcoming Vision One-Eleven supercar. YASA aims to bring costs down so that Mercedes can use the system for all its cars. We’re used to thinking of electric cars as conventional ones with electric power. But lighter, in-wheel motors have the ability to truly transform car architecture, in useful and exciting ways. Lighter and smaller motors will find their way outfrom the car’s body, into its wheels unsprung weight, affecting ride and handling, and have not developed enough power. But those disadvantages are being overcome. What can be achieved with in-wheel motors was demonstrated at CES this year. The Hyundai Mobion, based on the Ioniq 5, uses the company’s e-Corner system, and has four hub-mounted motors. Freed from the constraints of driveshafts, all four wheels can swivel through 90 degrees. The car I Electric cars don ’t just need lighter batteries Jon Bentley knows that EVs are the heaviest cars on the road, but is hopeful that technological remedies can also help in other ways
WINTER RUNNING TOPS POWER OF O WUNDER-BRA 20 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon Fitness PUT A RING ON IT Amazfit’s new smart ring is for the hardcore athletes Smart rings are having a moment. Not only is it rumoured that established smartwatch brands like Apple and Samsung are working on their own take on the concept, but we’re also seeing more models being announced and launched than ever before, such as last year’s Ultrahuman Ring Air. The latest company to join the smart ring ranks is Amazfit, well-known for its affordable outdoor watches and posture-correcting headphones. The upcoming Amazfit Helio Ring (£TBC, amazfit.com) has a ‘skin-friendly’ titanium alloy external shell, weighs less than 4 grams and has a 2.6mm thickness. What makes the Helio Ring different is that it’s aimed at high-level athletes and offers data like VO2 Max, Training Load and Training Effect via the PeakBeats algorithm. It can also provide ‘Race Achievement’ predictions, as well as ‘AI-powered soundscapes’ via the Zepp Aura rest and wellness subscription service. FINISTERRE EDDY 2.0 The Eddy 2.0 is made from 100% superfine merino wool and is extremely comfortable, as well as fast-wicking and less prone to smelling. Better still, this base layer puts sustainability in first place, making you feel better about your purchase. £80, finisterre.com LULULEMON SENSEKNIT RUNNING LONG SLEEVE The SenseKnit Running Long Sleeve is designed specifically for running and offers a four-way stretch to help you keep toasty during your sessions. This closefitting top will keep your muscles warm and energised all the way though your exercise session. £88, lululemon.co.uk IMAGE SOURCE: AMAZFIT IMAGE SOURCE: ARC’TERYX IMAGE SOURCE: FINISTERRE IMAGE SOURCE: LULULEMON IMAGE SOURCE: GARMIN Garmin launches heart rate monitor designed exclusively for women CLIP ON, CLIP OFF ARC’TERYX CORMAC HEAVYWEIGHT HOODY On days that are cold and icy, when you really don’t want to head out of the house for a run, Arc’teryx’s Cormac Heavyweight Hoody can help you get outside. It uses the Phasic AR II material, which provides stretch and sun protection and is stitched for a smooth finish. £90, arcteryx.com Performance giant Garmin’s latest wearable, the Garmin HRM-Fit (£139.99, garmin.com), is a heart-rate monitor designed for women. Featuring a clip-on design, it attaches to medium- and high-support sports bras to maximise comfort while accurately capturing real-time heart rate and training data. HRM-Fit is also versatile enough to be used during activities like running, indoor and outdoor cycling, strength training, HIIT and more. It can also capture advanced running dynamics data.
THREE WAYS TO LAST LONGER YOURHISTORY MARCH 2024 T3 21 Travel BERGHAUS FREEFLOW 24L Develop a case of the dreaded sweaty back syndrome and you could end up downsizing your hike. Or opt for Berghaus’s new 3D Freeflow 24l backpack – it suspends the pack away from the back without compromising on stability or packing space. £150, berghaus.com NEW BALANCE SC ELITE V4 TRAINERS Nothing cuts short a run or walk quicker than foot pain, but slip on New Balance’s new carbon-plated super shoes and you’ll have the stamina of a Duracell bunny. This is due to quirks like the shoes’ propulsion-enhancing carbon fibre plates. £260, newbalance.co.uk UGREEN NEXODE 100W 20000MAH POWER BANK Keep your gadgets going longer with Ugreen’s power bank, which has two USB-C ports and one USB-A port and allows users to fast charge up to three devices simultaneously. £63.98, amazon.co.uk HELLO HERITAGE The latest batch of UNESCO World Heritage Sites doubles as a great source of inspiration for future travel plans. Here are our favourites Next year marks 80 years since the founding of UNESCO, the organisation responsible for designating World Heritage Sites. In late 2023, UNESCO added 42 new sites spanning five continents, and several of these look set to shine the spotlight on lesser-known regions of popular destinations. Take Koh Ker, the capital of Cambodia’s Khmer Empire between 928 and 944 CE. This newly designated World Heritage Site has one of Southeast Asia’s few seventiered pyramids and it’s an easy day trip from Siem Reap. We recommend staying at the historic Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor (above); founded in 1932, it’s packed with original features, including the restored timber elevator. Other sites to receive World Heritage Site status include the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the pitons of northern Martinique. When Mount Pelée erupted in 1902, St Pierre – then regarded as Martinique’s economic and cultural capital – was obliterated, and 28,000 people died. Now it’s been entirely rebuilt, although the carefully preserved ruins of several buildings provide an eerie insight into the devastation wreaked by the eruption. We recommend a hike through the wildlife-filled forests surrounding St Pierre, or a hike to the summit of Mount Pelée, 1,397 metres above sea level. Another newly accredited World Heritage Site is Anticosti, the largest island in Quebec, Canada. Home to just 200 people, it’s where you’ll find one of the world’s largest collections of fossils – more specifically over 1,440 fossil species dating back almost 450 million years ago. For a walk on the wild side, head to Ethiopia’s newest UNESCO World Heritage site – Bale Mountains National Park, famous for its soaring peaks and endless plateaus. The park has the world’s largest expanse of Afro-Alpine moorland, along with the endangered Ethiopian wolf. Finally, ramp up the feel-good factor with a visit to our favourite entry – Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism. This designation relates to a group of buildings constructed between 1919 and 1939, many built by architects who designed groundbreaking buildings that created local interpretations of modernism, combining elements of art deco, neoclassicism and functionalism. They are seen as representations of Lithuanians’ desire for a brighter future and greater freedom, and the country’s transition from a fortress town of the Russian Empire to a modern European city. IMAGE SOURCE: RAFFLES GRAND HOTEL D_ANGKOR IMAGE SOURCE: UGREEN IMAGE SOURCE: NEW BALANCE IMAGE SOURCE: BERGHAUS
HOME COMFORTS HAIL YALE 22 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon SMARTER SMART SECURITY Yale upgrades its smart security offering and the results are great With smart home devices becoming the norm in most households, more and more people are looking to introduce smart security to their homes. But if you’re new to smart security solutions, even the most basic cameras can look difficult. Now, Yale is offering an entirely new generation of smart products, including the Yale Smart Outdoor Camera (£119.99, yalehome.co.uk). Yale has been known for its security offerings for years, long before smart home companies stepped onto the scene. The latest generation of Yale smart solutions have been packed with smart features, compact designs and built-in AI technology for tighter home security that’s done in a safe and simple way. Easy to set-up on the outside of your house, the Yale Smart Outdoor Camera has been given plenty of monitoring, recording and detection features, so you can always feel confident that your home is being looked after. The camera has a full HD live view, 1080p HD images, two-way audio and enhanced colour night vision for clear and crisp images of your surroundings. The most clever features of the Yale Smart Outdoor Camera is its detection. It has customisable detection zones that pick up movement and immediately alert you when it detects something suspicious. Once the Yale Smart Outdoor Camera has registered motion, its spotlight and alarm sensor will go off loudly to scare and deter intruders from breaking into your home. In addition to making a cacophony of noise and light when motion is detected, the Yale Smart Outdoor Camera will also start recording, so if you experience any break-ins or property damage, you have video footage that can help the authorities find the people responsible. These recordings are available to access in the Yale Home app, which has been given a major upgrade to make it easier to use and manage multiple Yale devices in one place. The Yale Smart Outdoor Camera is part of the new Yale smart ecosystem, alongside the Yale Smart Indoor Camera (£59.99) and the Yale Smart Video Doorbell (£130). Using the Yale Home app, you can view the footage, history and settings of these three devices from anywhere. Rather than creating multiple accounts for each device like you had to before, Yale users can now use the Yale Home app using just one account, so all their smart home products are in one place. In addition to this ease of use, users can also customise detection zones, notifications and scheduling for simpler and safer security. SMEG BLC02WHMUK HIGH PERFORMANCE BLENDER Blend fruit, vegetables, ice and nuts to a pulp with the Smeg High Performance Blender. What makes this powerful blender stand out is its vacuum pump accessory, which extracts air from the blender jug to reduce oxidisation and preserve flavours. This means you get tastier and fresher smoothies! £499.95, smeguk.com PROCOOK AIR FRYER HEALTH GRILL The ProCook Air Fryer Health Grill offers not one, not two but 12 cooking functions in one handy device. Perfect for air frying, roasting, baking, slow cooking and more, this Ninja-alternative is sleek, easy-to-use and affordable. £299, procook.co.uk IMAGE SOURCE: YALE IMAGE SOURCE: PROCOOK IMAGE SOURCE: SMEG IMAGE SOURCE: EZVIZ EZVIZ RE4 PLUS Designed to simplify daily floor maintenance, the EZVIZ RE4 Plus is featurerich and surprisingly affordable for a robot vacuum cleaner-mop hybrid. The robot vac can easily tackle vacuuming, sweeping and mopping tasks, while expertly sucking up pet hair and removing tough stains effectively and hygienically. £299.99, ezviz.com
BIG SOFTIE Let’s enjoy a gentle landing into 2024 and embrace the softestfabric ofthem all: bouclé THE SMALL BIGGIE SOFA While the weather rages, it’s natural to look for cosy comfort at home. Bouclé is one of the softest of upholstery coverings and it is as easy on the eye as it is to the touch. This sofa’s pillowy-like texture makes it the ultimate place to curl up. Slim arms give it a nice contemporary touch. £1,989, snugsofa.com ALMA BOUCLÉ PENDANT Bouclé is a wonderfully adaptable fabric, which works pretty much everywhere in your home. A bouclé lampshade is a subtle way to keep the vibes as hygge as you like. For those not acquainted with this Scandi concept, hygge describes the cosy comfort of home. This pretty shade is ticking all the right boxes. £65, oliverbonas.com LUCILLE DINING CHAIR Why restrain cosy comfort to the living area? This dining chair is covered from head to toe in squidgy soft bouclé so your derriere can enjoy a gentle caress even while you eat your dins. Bouclé is surprisingly hardwearing and washable so you can remove stains and spills with ease. £169, dunelm.com OUATE BOUCLÉ CUSHION The word bouclé is derived from the French for ‘curled’ or ‘ringed’. Bouclé is most often (but not always) made from wool. Yarn is looped using two strands: one tight and one loose and the effect is super soft and silky and surprisingly hard-wearing too. This sheepskin-effect cushion will cosy up any sofa or chair. £14, laredoute.co.uk MARCH 2024 T3 23 Living IMAGE SOURCE: SNUG, OLIVER BONAS, DUNELM, LAREDOUTE
24 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: [email protected] OR FACEBOOK.COM/T3MAG ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHEN KELLY A This would once have been an excuse for Guru to espouse about Logitech’s masterful Harmony range of third-party clickers, but they’ve met their end – possibly because TV remotes are generally pretty solid these days, or perhaps because of the slow deprecation of infra-red. Not that others haven’t stepped up to claim the crown that Harmony left vacant. SofaBaton, for example – GaGu loves the descriptive name – sells its X1 universal remote kit for about £230. It includes a beamer that sits in the middle of the room, allowing it to selectively control all manner of devices, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which offers it control over more than the average remote. If you want something slightly more Harmonyesque, the SofaBaton U2 (£70) looks and acts suspiciously like the Harmony Elite once did. Not that Guru is making any accusations. Industry veteran OneForAll is still loitering in the shadows too, putting out a whole bunch of replacement remotes, universal remotes, and some which can vastly simplify the number of controls – perfect for helping the elderly or, in GaGu’s case, the very drunk to operate even the most technologically extravagant telly. You might also consider something like the Fire TV Cube (£140), which could allow you to do away with your remote entirely if you can somehow master the linguistic effort required to voice control everything through Alexa. Guru would not recommend this – he goes as far as ‘Alexa, TV on’ before getting a headache. Do I have to stick with my TV’s remote? CLEO VINCENT, LONDON You might consider something like the Fire TV Cube, which could allow you to do away with your remote entirely T3’s switched-on tech loon puts his ‘sort stuff’ channel on again ABOVE Guiding human evolution went well until the batteries ran out
MARCH 2024 T3 25 Gadget guru A It’d be a bit rich for Guru, writing in T3 of all organs, to encourage you to be a bit less materialistic, but you should at least think beyond the shiny and LED-afflicted. Consider buying a good pair of scissors, a memory foam pillow, a quality wallet. Opting to upgrade something you use often will make every interaction a treat; the pillow, in particular, is something you’ll use for hours on end every single night, and better sleep can’t be sniffed at. If you really want to change your life, invest in yourself. Buy a good bike, great trainers, a little zen garden, or a cat. Whatever might encourage you to take the path that leads to improved physical and mental health. The little things matter, as Guru is constantly telling his wife, and something like a new phone just isn’t going to make the same impact on your serotonin levels that the creation of a smooth-running physiological machine will. You’ll thank yourself in ten years. GADGETGURU’S MAGICBOX A Tech didn’t get expensive, reader. It got really, really, cheap. Ridiculously so. The fact that companies are now raising prices on new gear has to do with a number of factors including inflation, internal compensation for the cost of previous component shortages, and the fact that you are an easily exploited idiot with money to burn. It is your fault and you should feel ashamed. As far as the cheapness goes, allow Guru to use his frequent friend the ZX Spectrum as an example. This was a computer made to be super-affordable, to bring the power of pixels to the tellies of British families that could not afford the luxury of the Acorn Electron or that disgusting US import, the Commodore 64. It was the cheapest thing out there, on purpose, going as far as to utilise the working halves of otherwise broken RAM chips to save a shilling or three. The inadequate 16K version cost the 1982 equivalent of £438 in today’s King’s Sterling – 48K, which you really needed, was a pricier £595. One lazy look at Amazon reveals an entirely reasonable laptop for £200, a semi-decent Chromebook for £150, and what is sure to be an utterly awful laptop – equivalent, in its company, to the venerable Speccy – for £80. Putting the march of technology and the depressing reality of globalisation aside, that’s a big difference, even before GaGu mentions that the Motorola Dynatac 800X – the iconic original brick phone – would cost over £8,200 today. You can pay more for better, and you can pay the luxury tax for big brands, but nobody’s saying you need to. And this was always the case. The C64 cost the equivalent of £1,355. Those that could afford it did, and those that couldn’t consigned their kids to years of playground bullying. Guru understands that iPhone-toting teens do the same to Android owners today – ‘twas ever thus. When did tech get so expensive? GARETH, CARDIFF Whatlifechanging things should I buy? KAYLA BROWN, LEEDS ABOVE For its next trick, the phone did a belly dance Guru’s now ten-year-old daughter is a difficult creature – one who (don’t tell the authorities) can’t stop looking at Instagram. So allow Guru to tell you about three things that are popular with influencers and therefore essential to the very concept of being alive. Biggest thing right now? The Stanley Cup. Not the ice hockey trophy which looks like a big silvery cake, but the insulated drinks vessel – the Quencher 2.0 model, to be exact. There are a number of reasons why it has made its way out of fishing bags and off of construction sites into the iron grip of excited tweens, including (amongst others) the company’s switch to pastel shades, exclusive and over-hyped colour drops, and the fact that it’s very effective at keeping drinks cold. Good luck getting one in the UK, mind: they’re £45 from uk.stanley1913.com and basically cannot be kept in stock. Mini Guru is not allowed to apply heat to her hair – it is a mop thrashed enough by other things – so attests to the power of ‘heatless curls’. It’s a big sausage of soft fabric that you wind around your follicles at night, then you wake up with wedding-ready wibbles going on. Or something. You should get SILKE London’s version (GaGu is told) for £45 from lookfantastic.com. Finally, one Guru really doesn’t understand: Starface Hydro-Stars (get ’em from Superdrug for about £15). Point one, Mini Guru has not yet hit the greasy stage, so she’s just slapping these spot-coverers on the non-blemishes that are not on her face. Point two is that apparently the solution to having an embarrassing zit is to go all-in, plastering your mug with a massive look-at-me hydrating star sticker? Weird. Though GaGu remembers when he was a teen, he covered his emotional scars with bright blue hair, a wallet chain and the worst starter beard you could possibly imagine, so maybe gluing a star to one’s face isn’t so far-fetched.
26 T3 MARCH 2024 Horizon Bitter personal experience tells Guru that certain components ofthe Xbox control stick are made of relatively soft plastic NOW PLAYING A Nobody’s stopping you. Stick your phone in there, give it a little warming treat, why not. Put simply – and GaGu cannot imagine that even you are thick enough to not understand this, reader – if it’s dry, you can fry. Damps cook like a champ. Wets, though? All bets are off. It’s not that it’s impossible to put liquids in there, but sauces can cause splatter, and if this ends up in the heating element, you’re looking at a potential fire hazard. Make sure you use the relevant accessory to avoid this, if your fryer has one. And hey, you do you, but Guru would avoid attempting to cook stuff like pasta and rice, too – they’re best left for the hob. ShouldI get a pooltable? Can I just air fry everything? A Guru’s nocturnal infiltrations suggest you do not have the space in your house for a pool table. Most people don’t. That one-car garage you’re looking to use? You could fit a table in there, but you’ll be forever clonking the cues on the walls and, let’s be honest, the table will be covered in random junk within a couple of weeks and you’ll never play again. Guru’s limited knowledge of sports suggests darts is back in fashion at the moment? It takes up less space and at least with the likes of a Mission Samurai II board (£35) the holes you’re putting in your wall will be pin-sized rather than cue-butt dents. VIC, VIA EMAIL My Xbox controller won’t go allthe way up. Why, Guru? A You’d expect GaGu to use this opportunity to reaffirm his love of WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner, which is about £7.50 for, as is the WD-40 way, enough to last a lifetime. And yeah, that might work, if your stick is suffering from grime-related drift. Guru suspects, however, that it isn’t. Bitter personal experience tells him that certain small components of the Xbox control stick are made of relatively soft plastic – and when they’re worn out, they’re done. Treat yourself to a new controller. Maybe the GameSir G7 SE? It’s wired, but £50 for something with Hall effect sticks is pretty good. JAMES WALSH, GLASGOW Don’t missanother instalmentofthe legendaryGadgetGuru! SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Seep42 MARTIN, VIA EMAIL JAZZ EMU The odd-accented, halfneurotic, half-narcissistic musical creation of comedian Archie Henderson is so funny and funky it hurts. Watch on YouTube for full effect. TRIBUNAL JUSTICE We all know Judge Judy. Well, imagine Judge Judy pulling the strings, and three increasingly angry Judy-analogues tearing strips off litigious American nitwits in her place. Great! THE IRON CLAW The story of the tragic Von Erich wrestling family looked like a clunker in early screenings, but an apparent re-edit has turned it into something that very nearly tickled the Oscars. NEW MEDIA Guru finds the finest media you need on your various devices ABOVE You’ll need a lot of Omega-3 oil to get the balls in those pockets… ©ARCHIE HENDERSON © FREEVEE © A24
MARCH 2024 T3 27 Opinion one are the days of all major TV brands launching their latest sets at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. Instead there’s a staggered launch cycle to see what the future of TV is all about and Philips held back a few weeks before revealing its 2024 range. The Philips OLED 909 and OLED 959 models both use the brightest consumer OLED panel out. That panel is supplied by LG, as the Korean maker is the key producer of such things, but Philips adds its own processing to give its images distinction when it comes to picture quality. But it’s not actually the panel or the brightness or the processing that’s most caught my attention about Philips’ forthcoming OLED TVs. It’s Philips Ambilight – the rear-positioned LED lighting technology that expands an on-screen image beyond the panel and onto surrounding surfaces – that sees a real step-up in the 2024 range for a couple of reasons. At a showcase in Europe last month, I was able to get a teaser preview of the forthcoming OLED 909, which is expected to launch this summer. It brings four-sided Ambilight back to the fore – which is perfect for wall-mounting because it offers all-encompassing lighting surround. While that form of Ambilight is great to see, Philips isn’t stopping there: its flagship of flagships, the OLED 959 model – which is due to arrive much later in the year – is the very first model to feature Philips’ all-new Ambilight Plus. As its name suggests, Ambilight Plus takes things up a notch. It’s much more intelligent thanks to echoing a particular subject. It does this as if moving one Ambilight projection through another layer of illumination, which is so fast-moving that it’s borderline distracting. At this point it’s worth noting that Ambilight Plus, just like the OLED 959 model, is a long way from finished. Philips was presenting early-stage demos and commented that the final product and level of control would likely differ significantly. But as Philips’ standout feature offering compared to other manufacturers’ best TVs of the year, I’m excited to see how that unfolds. The OLED 959 in itself is an impressive-looking product anyway: a monolithic design, stand-mounted with all the cables hidden, it features an integrated Bowers & Wilkins 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundsystem that ought to be ear-shatteringly brilliant (but wasn’t to be heard at this demo). That soundsystem is even more integrated than previous soundbarlike implementations, and paired with Ambilight Plus is going to make for a unique and stellar sound-and-vision proposition. And probably a hyper-expensive one too. But even if it costs the Moon, I’m still excited to see the progress of TV tech in 2024. Ambilight is clearly here to stay – and I love it. Philips commented thatthe final product and level of control would likely differ being ‘higher resolution’ and it ‘can project up to four different halos at different depths’ for a new, more dynamic Ambilight effect. It needs to be seen to be really appreciated though – any images you see might show off the pronounced halo effect, but in-person viewing makes for a very different experience. I love the way it can effectively isolate subject movement onscreen and project that around the TV’s frame onto surfaces as if it’s G Philips ’ Ambilight Plus is looking unmissable Mike Lowe discusses the OLED 959’s monolithic design, Ambilight Plus’ debut, and mega Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem
GADGET W Exciting ne I w te S ch we H can’t wa L it to g I et o S ur han T ds on Words: David Nield MARCH 2024 T3 29 Ultimate gadget wishlist ULTIMATE
30 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist ACER SWIFT GO 16 The Acer Swift Go 16 offers upgrades to Acer’s existing laptop lineup in all the right areas, with Intel Core Ultra processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and a stunning-looking 16-inch OLED screen option that goes up to a 3.2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Despite its relatively large dimensions, it comes in at a weight of just 1.6 kilograms as well. £TBC, acer.com XGIMI 4K HORIZON MAX We’ve previously been impressed by the projectors put out by Xgimi, and the long-throw Horizon Max looks set to continue that trend, with IMAX Enhanced FHUWLĆFDWLRQ WR LWV QDPH DQG D 'XDO /LJKW 2.0 laser system for full and rich visuals. We’re serious fans of the design of this device too, which manages to effortlessly combine both modern and retro vibes. £TBC, xgimi.com SHARP HT-SB700 2.0.2 A great soundbar choice if you’re looking for something compact and affordable, the Sharp HT-SB700 2.0.2 comes with support for Dolby Atmos and 3D surround sound. If you’ve got a little bit extra to spend, you can pair it with two wireless rear surround speakers and a subwoofer for an even more immersive sound. £189, sharpconsumer.uk ACER PREDATOR Z57 Manufacturers are showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to supersized curved gaming monitors, as the Acer Predator Z57 shows. It boasts 57 inches of Mini LED goodness, corner to corner, with a 7680 x 2160 pixel resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,304 local dimming zones that should make for fabulous viewing. £TBC, acer.com SAMSUNG MUSIC FRAME The original Samsung Frame was a TV that could double up as a digital artwork display when it wasn’t on television duties, and now the same idea has been applied to a speaker. It’s one of the most stylish speakers we’ve set eyes on – and you can choose from several different custom prints or photos to adorn the front of the Music Frame. £TBC, samsung.com HP OMEN TRANSCEND 14 The 14-inch HP Omen Transcend is a gaming laptop that gets both performance levels and design aesthetics just right – not something you can say about every gaming laptop. It combines a slim form factor, a 120Hz OLED screen, up to 11.5 hours of battery life, Intel Core Ultra chips and GPU power up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. £TBC, hp.com
HP SPECTRE X360 2-IN-1 HP has a strong track record when it comes to laptops that can fold right over, and the 2024 edition of the Spectre x360 looks to be continuing that: both the 14-inch and 16-inch models look great, come with Intel’s new Intel Core Ultra processors inside, and are (of course) optimised for AI tasks. There’s also an impressive 9-megapixel webcam on board. £TBC, hp.com Ultimate gadget wishlist MARCH 2024 T3 31
32 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist GARMIN LILY 2 The original Garmin Lily smartwatch broke away from the usual chunkier look of Garmin wearables, and the Lily 2 continues the trend. If you want all the essential health and wellness tracking features in a device that’s elegant and available in FRORXUV EH\RQG WKH VWDQGDUG EODFN DQG white, then get this somewhere near the WRS RI \RXU VKRUWOLVW From £249.99, garmin.com MSI THE CLAW The Steam Deck made us believe in the idea of PC-quality gaming on a handheld, and now The Claw from MSI is here to attempt to push the concept even further. It boasts a brand new Intel Core Ultra processor on the inside, together with powerful integrated Arc graphics, and it could well be the handheld to beat when it launches during 2024. £TBC, msi.com DELL XPS 16 LAPTOP With a new 16-inch screen size and some added AI smarts (an ongoing theme for 2024), this looks like a laptop that’s ready to carry on the tradition of high-end Dell XPS laptops. With a 4K OLED display, an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, graphics that go up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 and simply gorgeous looks, this laptop is one to beat. £TBC, dell.com SAMSUNG OLED ODYSSEY G6 We’ve previously loved Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors, and the 27-inch G6 model LV WKH MRLQWĆUVW ZLWK WKH *fl WR DUULYH ZLWK D ćDW VFUHHQ ,W DOVR XSV WKH PD[ UHIUHVK UDWH to an astounding 360Hz – together with the 0.03ms response time, you shouldn’t be missing a single pixel of the action. £TBC, samsung.com XREAL AIR 2 ULTRA The launch of the Apple Vision Pro in 2024 means that augmented reality is cool again – well, sort of – and the Xreal Air 2 Ultra is the latest in smart eyewear. It’s capable of projecting a display that’s of a much higher quality than expected, considering how compact these specs are, but we’re still waiting on some genuinely useful apps. £699, xreal.com TCL NXTPAPER 14 PRO The TCL NXTPaper 14 Pro has everything you could want from a high-end Android tablet – a large, high-res display and a decent processor – but what really makes it stand out is the next-gen version of TCL’s matte, paper-like display. It really has to be seen to be fully appreciated, but it’s like looking at the pages of a super-sharp, super-bright comic book. £TBC, tcl.com
MARCH 2024 T3 33 Ultimate gadget wishlist ASUS ROG PHONE 8 If you’re in the market for a gaming phone in 2024, it looks very much like the Asus ROG Phone 8 is going to be one of the leading choices – and as the ‘8’ shows you, Asus has lots of prior experience here. You get a superb 6.78-inch screen, the latest Qualcomm processor under the hood, high-end cameras, and (of course) customisable lighting. From £949.99, asus.com
34 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist NANOLEAF SMART MULTICOLOUR OUTDOOR LIGHTS 7KHVH DUH 1DQROHDIèV ĆUVW RXWGRRU VPDUW lights, which means you can control the illumination and colour of outdoor as well as indoor areas. The lights can even change in time to music, and they’re compatible with the up and coming Matter standard too. £TBC, nanoleaf.me SENNHEISER MOMENTUM SPORT The latest wireless earbuds from the experts at Sennheiser have a lot to offer: they come with heart rate and body temperature sensors, adaptive noise cancelling and IP55 sweat and water resistance, as well as the top-notch audio that Sennheiser is known for. Interested? You’ll be able to pick up these excellent earbuds sometime later in 2024. £TBC, sennheiser.com VICTROLA STREAM SAPPHIRE Aside from being gorgeous, the Stream Sapphire comes with a number of brilliant capabilities on top of playing your LPs – as we’ve come to expect from Victrola. You can stream music across a number wireless audio protocols, and it’ll work with everything from Windows laptops to Sonos speakers. £TBC, victrola.com HONDA SALOON EV We’re very taken with the Saloon EV concept car that Honda showed off at CES 2024, and this looks like something that could’ve rolled straight off the set of Blade Runner. As it’s still at the concept stage, we don’t have too much information about it, but there’s on-board AI (of course). £TBC, honda.co.uk RAZER ESTHER It’s hard to fault the quality of Razer’s products or its ideas, and the Esther is another intriguing bit of kit from the FRPSDQ\ 7KLV LV WKH ZRUOGèV ĆUVW JDPLQJ cushion with built-in haptics, which means your chair will buzz and shake in response to what’s happening on screen – like the haptic feedback on console controllers, only even more immersive. £TBC, razer.com LENOVO THINKBOOK PLUS GEN 5 HYBRID This is one of the more ‘out there’ products we’ve seen at the start of 2024: it’s a 2-in-1, ostensibly, though the screen detaches from the keyboard, and they’re both running separate operating systems. That means you can snap off the display and use it as an Android tablet, and plug it back into the keyboard to get a Windows 11 laptop. £TBC, lenovo.com
MARCH 2024 T3 35 Ultimate gadget wishlist MARCH 2024 T3 35 RABBIT R1 The Rabbit r1 is a little bit like a phone, but instead of a grid of apps, you have an on-board AI assistant. The idea is that the assistant can do everything for you – from ordering products online to queueing up your favourite music – so you get a more intuitive, natural experience (and don’t waste hours of your day scrolling through social media feeds). £TBC, rabbit.tech
36 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist LG SIGNATURE OLED T It looks very much as though TVs are going transparent in 2024, and from what we’ve seen, this could be much more than just a gimmick. As the 77-inch LG Signature OLED T shows, having a TV where the backing can slide out of view opens up a whole host of potential new uses to FDWFK WKH H\H å DQG LW HYHQ OHWV \RX WXUQ \RXU VHW LQWR D GLJLWDO ĆVK WDQN £TBC, lg.com
MARCH 2024 T3 37 Ultimate gadget wishlist PANASONIC Z95A Panasonic isn’t leaving all of the OLED fun to Sony, LG, and Samsung, and its latest Z95A television is notable for several reasons: its super-bright display, its specially engineered upscaling, its impressive integrated audio, and the Fire TV software that’s included out of the box. The price will be high, when it’s announced, but it just might be worth it too. £TBC, panasonic.com
38 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist SAMSUNG S95D We know that Samsung’s QD-OLED TVs are top-tier when it comes to the visuals they can produce, and this year’s S95D model ups the quality even further with bespoke antiglare technology, produced through a combination of its coating and its glass texture. It also makes the impressive claim of being the brightest QD-OLED Samsung TV to date. £TBC, samsung.com
MARCH 2024 T3 39 Ultimate gadget wishlist LG SIGNATURE OLED M4 Besides transparent TVs, LG is also pushing wireless TVs too: the Signature OLED M4 comes with a separate connection box that takes all of your HDMI cables and then beams WKH VLJQDOV ZLUHOHVVO\ WR WKH 79 PHDQLQJ \RXèYH JRW PXFK PRUH ćH[LELOLW\ ZKHQ FKRRVLQJ where to put it. Of course, it also offers a brilliant, OLED-quality picture at the same time. £TBC, lg.com
4 0 T3 MARCH 2024 Ultimate gadget wishlist C SEED N1 After a television set that really stands out? One that guests are bound to be talking about for days? If you are, and you have the money to spend, consider the C Seed N1: offering a screen size of up to 165 inches, it folds down into a modern sculpture-style box when you’re not using it, which is apparently “blurring the line between technology and art”. £TBC, cseed.com
MARCH 2024 T3 41 Ultimate gadget wishlist ROKU PRO SERIES TVs Roku is moving on up through the price brackets with its latest television sets, giving you another range of choices when it comes to high-end OLEDs. Besides the premium-level 4K picture quality, WKH RWKHU PDLQ EHQHĆW RI WKHVH 79V DUH WKDW \RX JHW 5RNX VRIWZDUH built right in, giving you easy and intuitive access to all of your favourite streaming apps. £TBC, roku.com
42 T3 MARCH 2024 Subscribe TO SUBSCRIBE GO TO magazinesdirect.com/TTT/C92V Or call: 0330 333 1113. Quote code: C92V Save up to 36% every six months! £20.99 6 month offer Print (saving 35%) £16.49 6 month offer Digital (saving 36%)
MARCH 2024 T3 43 Subscribe Terms and conditions: Offer closes 14 March 2024. Offer open to new UK subscribers only. 3OHDVH DOORZ XS WR VL[ ZHHNV IRU GHOLYHU\ RI \RXU ĆUVW VXEVFULSWLRQ LVVXH XS WR HLJKW ZHHNV RYHUVHDV 7KH IXOO VXEVFULSWLRQ UDWH LQFOXGHV SRVWDJH DQG SDFNDJLQJ If the magazine ordered changes frequency per annum, we will honour the number of issues paid for, not the term of the subscription. For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For enquiries please telephone: +44(0)330 333 1113 (open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-7pm, and Saturday, 10am-3pm UK time, or email: [email protected]. Calls to 0330 numbers will be charged at no more than a national landline call, and may be included in your phone provider’s call bundle. Benefits of subscribing to the world’s greatest technology and gadget magazine include... Every issue of T3 delivered direct to your door Save up to 36% with each issue T3 is packed with the latest gadgets, from TVs to drones, smart home tech to phones Choose your offer! Keep your subscription rolling and receive 13 issues in print over the course of the year! PRINT EDITION Keep your subscription rolling and receive 13 issues in digital over the course of the year! DIGITAL EDITION £20.99 every 6 months £16.49 every 6 months
4 4 T3 MARCH 2024 The complete guide to…
MARCH 2024 T3 45 Coffeemachines n the current economic climate, many of us are looking to save some money, so your daily takeaway coffee is becoming increasingly hard to justify. While a full coffee station set-up is a real investment, bean-to-cup coffee machines can offer significant long-term savings while still allowing you to get a top-quality, barista-level caffeine fix to power you through the day. WHY ARE BEAN-TO-CUP COFFEE MACHINES BETTER? Compared to other coffee making methods, bean-to-cup coffee machines can come across as too technical, overly complicated and time-consuming. But while they might have additional parts and accessories compared to the simple kettle, bean-to-cup coffee machines are easier to set-up, maintain and use than you might think. But first, let’s look at the many different coffee makers you can buy today, and why (in T3’s opinion), bean-to-cup coffee machines reign supreme. Starting off with the most basic method, there’s the kettle, which – you guessed it – heats water before you pour it into a mug containing instant coffee. Next, there’s the cafetiere or French press, a heat-proof jug that brews coffee by adding hot water directly to the coffee grounds before plunging the strainer to separate the grounds. Other methods include pour over and drip coffee makers. The former uses a cone that holds a coffee filter and grounds, and sits over a mug before hot water is poured over the grounds, whereas the latter includes a similar process but on a larger scale. Drip coffee makers feature a reservoir you fill with water, which is heated up and passes through ground coffee in a filter. Then this drips down into a pot sitting on a hot plate, making multiple cups at a time, which is why you tend to see these used a lot in offices. But the most common coffee makers you’ll find include pod coffee machines, espresso machines and bean-to-cup coffee machines. Arguably the most simple coffee method out there, pod coffee machines use coffee capsules to make a variety of coffees. All you have to do is fill the machine’s tank with water, pop a pod inside and press a button or flick a lever to the side to select hot water. Pod coffee machines are incredibly popular, as many big coffee brands like Nespresso, Starbucks and Costa Coffee make and sell their own pods. Most machines are relatively inexpensive, although having to regularly buy pods can stack up, as can your capsule waste. Espresso machines do what they say on the tin: they make delicious espresso. However, this type of brewing method can be slightly more technical and expensive than your pod maker. For example, there are manual, automatic and semiautomatic espresso machine options available, so you can be incredibly involved in your coffee making process or you can let the machine do it for you. Making strong and concentrated espresso from preground beans is what this method does best, although most machines I Words: Beth Girdler-Maslen Photography: Neil Godwin While they might cost an arm and a leg, a bean-to-cup coffee machine is a huge step in the right direction if you’ve been on the hunt forthat elusive perfect cup of coffee THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO…
The top three… 01 02 03 The complete guide to… 46 T3 MARCH 2024 will come with a built-in milk frother if you want to turn your espresso into a latte. Finally, bean-to-cup coffee machines are gadgets that have an espresso maker, bean grinder and milk frother in one handy device. This method of coffee making uses its built-in hopper and grinder to grind whole beans that fall into a portafilter. The coffee is tamped before pressurised hot water runs through it to make coffee. Milk frothers are also integrated into this type of machine so you can make an array of espresso or milky coffee drinks. Like espresso machines, you can find manual, automatic and semiautomatic bean-to-cup coffee machines, so you can be as involved or non-involved as you want. Bean-to-cup coffee machines aren’t cheap and you’ll commonly see them being used in coffee shops, proving their quality and expertise. But while the initial price might come as a shock, the maintenance and upkeep is relatively laid-back, particularly when you compare them to machines that require regular pod and filter purchases. FINDING THE PERFECT BEAN-TOCUP COFFEE MACHINE So you’ve decided a bean-to-cup coffee machine is the gadget for you. But which one should you choose? As you’ll see to the right, T3’s personal favourite is the Sage Barista Touch Impress. This model is the perfect example of a semi-automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine, where users get to customise their drink but the machine takes care of the more complex coffee making for you. A newer launch from 2023, the Touch Impress has a clever touchscreen display that gives users barista-worthy advice on how to make the perfect latte, cappuccino, espresso and more. To use this innovative bean-tocup coffee machine, you simply touch your drink of choice and the machine will explain the type of bean grind you need, which can be adjusted by turning the grind controller on the side. Once you’ve decided your grind level, the beans will be ground into the portafilter, which is then manually tamped before being attached to the water outlet. The Touch Impress is the perfect example of what most bean-to-cup coffee machines will look and act like today. With a focus on putting the power in your hands, you get to personalise your entire coffee experience while the machine does the hard work. Depending on the brand and model you choose, most bean-to-cup coffee machines will have various coffee options on offer, including cappuccinos, lattes, espresso, Americano, cafe crema, milk only and water only. As bean-to-cup coffee machines can be quite an investment, being able to use it to make tea and froth milk gives you more reasons to throw away your kettle. In terms of customising your drink, most bean-to-cup coffee machines can adjust the bean grind, volume of ground coffee with the different portafilter sizes, temperature of the water and strength of the espresso. With machines like the Siemens EQ900, which is more of a professional bean-to-cup coffee machine, there are extra settings like brewing speed and coffee-to-milk ratio, as BEAN-TO-CUP ACCESSORIES TO BUY Want to be a true barista? Then take your coffee to the next level with these musthave accessories EMBER MUG 2 Ever gone to take a sip of coffee only to ĆQG WKDW LWèV JRQH VWRQH FROG" 1HYHU ZRUU\ DERXW WKDW DJDLQ ZLWK WKH (PEHU 0XJ Simply connect the mug to its app, choose WKH WHPSHUDWXUH \RX ZDQW \RXU FRIIHH WR EH DQG WKH PXJ ZLOO WDNH FDUH RI LW IRU \RX £149.95, ember.com PACT COFFEE BEANS 1RZ WKDW \RXèYH JRW D EHDQWRFXS FRIIHH machine, you need the beans to go in it, of course! Pact Coffee has plenty of light, medium and dark roasts options to choose from, including fruity fragrances, nutty QRWHV DQG FKRFRODWH\ WDVWHV £9.95, pactcoffee.com DUALIT HANDHELD MILK FROTHER Having a separate milk frother for your machine gives you more control over the heat and froth of your milk, so you can make WKH SHUIHFW FDSSXFFLQR DQG ODWWH HYHU\ WLPH £69.99, dualit.com You’ll commonly see bean-to-cup machines being used incoffee shops
SOMETHING FOR THE PROS BEST OF THE BEST ALL ABOUT THOSE BEANS MAKE THE PERFECT ESPRESSO T3 recommends... MARCH 2024 T3 47 Coffeemachines THE BEST BEAN-TO-CUP COFFEE MACHINES Our top bean-to-cup picks worthy of a place in your kitchen As more and more brands develop their own coffee makers and smart home tech takes over the kitchen, including your caffeine fix, the market can look a little confusing… which is why T3 is here to guide you to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines you can get your hands on today. Regardless of how impressive or technical your appliance is from the outside, what matters is on the inside: does it make good coffee? Our top bean-to-cup picks are perfect for beginner coffee makers and professional baristas alike, as they all put the flavour and quality of your drink at the forefront of their design. SMEG ESPRESSO COFFEE MACHINE EGF03 The Smeg EGF03 stands out in your kitchen by its looks alone, thanks to Smeg’s classic curvy retro GHVLJQ DQG EROG FRORXUV %XW LWV HVSUHVVR LV ZKDW PDNHV WKLV EHDQ WRFXS PDFKLQH VR LPSUHVVLYH ,WV FRQWUROV DUH VLPSOH ZLWK EXWWRQV IRU JULQGLQJ DQG EUHZLQJ VLQJOH or double shots of espresso at a WLPH ,WV WHPSHUDWXUH DQG LQIXVLRQ VHWWLQJV FDQ EH H[SHULPHQWHG ZLWK for the deepest, richest and boldest HVSUHVVR HYHU\ WLPH £849.95, smeguk.com $ WUXO\ PDJQLĆFHQW EHDQWRFXS FRIIHH PDFKLQH WKH 6DJH %DULVWD Touch Impress has thought carefully about every part of the coffee making process to deliver WKH EHVW FXS RI MRH HYHU\ WLPH For a drink personal to you, this coffee machine can be customised in every aspect, including different PLON W\SHV JULQG VSHFLĆFDWLRQV FRIIHH VWUHQJWK DQG PRUH ,W HDVLO\ tackles all your favourite drinks and RIIHUV UHDOWLPH UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV £1,199.95, sageappliances.com For professional baristas and FRIIHH DĆFLRQDGRV WKH 6LHPHQV (4ffi KDV WZR GLIIHUHQW PRGHV to choose from: comfortMode and EDULVWD0RGH :KLOH WKH IRUPHU takes care of everything for you, WKH ODWWHU SXWV WKH SRZHU LQ \RXU KDQGV DQG LV JHDUHG WRZDUGV H[SHUWV ZKR ZDQW WR FXVWRPLVH every aspect of their drink, including strength, temperature, YROXPH DQG FRIIHHWRPLON UDWLR £1,799, siemens-home.bshgroup.com/uk/ The De’Longhi Rivelia is all about WKH EHDQV :LWK LWV LQWHUFKDQJHDEOH bean hoppers, users can quickly FKDQJH EHWZHHQ EHDQ YDULHWLHV ćDYRXUV DQG VWUHQJWKV VR HDFK person in your household has their RZQ KRSSHU WR SOD\ ZLWK 7KH %HDQ $GDSW WHFKQRORJ\ ĆQGV WKH SHUIHFW extraction for your drink by asking questions regarding the type and URDVW RI WKH EHDQ $V LW OHDUQV \RXU preferences, it gives you more WDLORUHG UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV £749, delonghi.com SAGE BARISTA TOUCH IMPRESS SIEMENS EQ900 DE’LONGHI RIVELIA
having pre-set programmes for dairy, soya, almond and oat milk. Alternative milks require different levels of heat as they can burn and split more easily than dairy milk, so the machine will register this and determine the right temperature and air injection to get the most out of the milk. Once you buy one, the main recurring purchase will be beans and milk. There are many accessories available to go with your bean-to-cup coffee machine to elevate its performance but, if you ask us, you don’t necessarily need them unless you want to become a professional barista. Most machines will come with a water tank and water filter, a portafilter and 3-5 basket sizes for different volumes of coffee, and a tamper Once you buy one, the mainrecurring purchase will be beans and milk 5 TIPS FOR MAKING BETTER COFFEE Key things to remember when making the perfect brew BUY QUALITY BEANS If you don’t have high quality beans, you ZRQèW JHW WKH EHVW WDVWLQJ FRIIHH ,Q WHUPV RI roast types, light roasts offer a sharp acidity, YLEUDQW ćDYRXU DQG DUH OLJKWHU LQ FRORXU 0HGLXP URDVWV KDYH D PRUH URXQGHG ćDYRXU DQG FDQ EH TXLWH VZHHW IUXLW\ DQG VPRRWK 'DUNHU URDVWV KDYH D GHHS VPRN\ ćDYRXU DQG FRQWDLQ OHVV FDIIHLQH &KHFN WKH IUHVKQHVV RI the beans by the roasting date: for the best SRVVLEOH ćDYRXUV EUHZ \RXU EHDQV IURP VHYHQ WR GD\V DIWHU WKH URDVW GDWH GRIND TO PERFECTION Customise your grind to get the most out of \RXU EHDQV <RX FDQ XVXDOO\ FKRRVH EHWZHHQ D FRDUVH JULQG D PHGLXP JULQG DQG D ĆQH JULQG 'HSHQGLQJ RQ KRZ \RX OLNH \RXU FRIIHH SOD\ DURXQG ZLWK WKH JULQG VHWWLQJV WR ĆQG \RXU SHUIHFW VZHHW VSRW TAMP IT REAL GOOD Tamping your coffee before it comes into FRQWDFW ZLWK ZDWHU LV HVVHQWLDO 7DPSLQJ UHPRYHV DLU SRFNHWV DQG JDSV IURP EHWZHHQ WKH FRIIHH JULQGV VR \RXU FRIIHH LV ćDW DQG HYHQ :KHQ ZDWHU ćRZV WKURXJK WKH WDPSHG FRIIHH LW JLYHV D EDODQFHG DQG EROGHU ćDYRXU DON’T BURN THE MILK! It’s incredibly easy to burn the milk, especially LI \RXèUH XVLQJ \RXU PDFKLQHèV VWHDP ZDQG ,I \RX GR HQG XS ZLWK EXUQW PLON QRW RQO\ GRHV it make your coffee hotter than the surface of WKH VXQ EXW LW ZRQèW WDVWH SDUWLFXODUO\ JRRG 7R DYRLG WKLV VWDUW ZLWK FROG PLON LQ D FOHDQ MXJ DQG SODFH WKH ZDQG LQ WKH FHQWUH RI LW Create foam in the beginning of the heating SURFHVV E\ PRYLQJ WKH ZDQG WR WKH WRS RI WKH PLON 2QFH \RXèYH JRW IRDP ORZHU WKH ZDQG DQG KHDW WKH PLON XS WR D PD[LPXP RI GHJUHHV $OZD\V NHHS WKH PLON PRYLQJ WR HYHQO\ KHDW LW DQG DYRLG LW VHSDUDWLQJ FIND YOUR TASTE ,WèV LPSRUWDQW WR ĆQG \RXU RZQ XQLTXH WDVWHV DQG SUHIHUHQFHV 7U\ H[SHULPHQWLQJ ZLWK \RXU FRIIHH ZLWK GLIIHUHQW DPRXQWV RI VKRWV WKH RFFDVLRQDO ćDYRXUHG V\UXS WKH DPRXQW RI milk you add, different bean varieties and JULQG VHWWLQJV <RX PLJKW VXUSULVH \RXUVHOI well as extensive coffee options from around the world, when you download the machines’ accompanying app. Speaking of apps, many bean-to-cup machines have been given the smart home treatment as smart technology and AI finds its way into our kitchens. By downloading and using the machine’s app, users can find additional settings, customisation options and other coffee and hot beverages to add to the machine’s interface. As more people are adopting a vegan or plant-based lifestyle, newer bean-to-cup coffee machines have addressed this by offering a variety of milk settings. Most machines allow you to personalise the milk temperature and froth, with newer models if the machine doesn’t have one integrated into its mechanics. Now, you’re probably thinking with all these accessories that a bean-to-cup coffee machine is tedious to clean. While the overall maintenance is slightly more time-consuming than a kettle or cafetiere, it’s not too difficult to give a bean-to-cup coffee machine a thorough cleaning. The main things you’ll need to consider cleaning include the portafilter, drip tray and milk frother. The portafilter and drip tray can be easily removed and transferred to the sink for a quick or in-depth scrub, while the milk frother needs slightly more work to ensure it doesn’t get blocked. Wiping it down after each use reduces build-up on the inside and outside, and most machines will provide a cleaning brush with your purchase to clean the inside. Simple, really. A bean-to-cup coffee machine is definitely an investment but if you take your coffee seriously, it’s a no-brainer purchase. For those who drink multiple cups a day, take time to perfect their lattes or want to try their hand at barista-style coffee creations, a bean-to-cup coffee machine is the one to choose. 48 T3 MARCH 2024 The complete guide to…
MARCH 2024 T3 49 Apple VisionPro APPLE VISION PRO Words: Britta Smith Apple’s Vision Pro far exceeded Britta Smith’s expectations, but will it be worth that exorbitant price tag? EXPERT VERDICT There are several elements of the Vision Pro that stand out, but nothing will quite prepare you for the brilliance of the all-encompassing micro-OLED display that transports you to an entirely different world – or worlds, as is perhaps a fairer assessment. In my ten years as a technology journalist, nothing has rendered me speechless quite like this device did in my 30-minute experience with it. There are two individual lenses within the Vision Pro, behind which the 3D display system offers up 23 million pixels – more than the equivalent of a 4K TV in each eye – and the detail presented is nothing short of phenomenal. The familiar apps are mere centimetres from your face and there wasn’t so much as a pixel out of place, with sharp and crisp lines making up the rounded icons we’ve come to know and love from Apple’s interface. The apps are only the beginning, however, with the true scale of what Vision Pro is capable of presented to me in an interactive spatial experience with a dinosaur. In what is almost impossible to describe, the detail of the dinosaur’s scaled skin a matter of what felt like millimetres from my eyes is as vivid in my mind today as it was when I first experienced it. With each groove, ridge and slight variation in colour all creating such a magnificently realistic picture, I had to remind myself several times over in those brief minutes with the tyrannosaurus that dinosaurs had in fact not returned from extinction to consume me. DISPLAY
If the incredible detail in the displays don’t do enough to impress, the quality of the materials used in Vision Pro will certainly play their part in convincing you this headset is worth the cash. There is absolutely no denying how expensive Vision Pro is, but every element of its build oozes luxury. Yes, it could certainly be said the design is remarkably like a pair of exceptionally premium ski goggles, but everything from the aluminium alloy casing with its rounded edges, Digital Crown and capture button, to the soft-to-touch material Light Seal, delivers the kind of quality you would expect in designer goods twice the price. The Light Seal – setup individually per user with an iPhone in a similar process to setting up Face ID – secures comfortably around your nose and eyes to ensure not a single ray of light from the real world beams through. Audio straps attach from the Light Seal to the ribbed material Head Band that holds the device in place and is adjusted with the Fit Dial on the right of the headset. There’s also an optional additional strap that goes across the top of your head to take some of the 450g weight, but in 30 minutes of continuous wearing, I didn’t find it remotely uncomfortable or heavy. I may say different after watching a three-hour film, but the charging lead for the smooth aluminium battery pack was the only element of the build I found slightly irritating, and even that was actually grounding at times. 50 T3 MARCH 2024 Apple VisionPro BUILD & COMFORT