GADGETS/APPS/GEAR

STUFF INNOVATORS2014
SUPERHEROES
OFTECH
THE APPLE WATCHISHERE...ANDIT

SABOUTTIME
LUCKEY
Gatekeeper of
the virtual
realm
WHITE
Reinventing
your record
collection
BREAZEAL
Mother of a
million robots
THEVERDICT
iPHONE6
NAKAMOTO
Replacing
money
with code
MUSK
Revolutionising
travel on Earth...
and in space
GREENMACHINES Wegolong-distanceinthreeeco-friendlysupercars G
Meet the visionaries remaking your world
+
5.5in
6 PLUS
www.stu.tv / Nov 2014 / 4.60

















Make time for a test drive | Search: Outlander PHEV
Visit: mitsubishi-cars.co.uk to nd your nearest dealer
THE WORLDS FIRST 4WD PLUG-IN HYBRID SUV
1. Ofcial EU MPG test gure shown as a guide for comparative purposes and may not reect real driving results. 2. 5% BIK compared to average rate of 25%+. 3. 32 mile EV range achieved with full battery charge. 510 miles achieved with combined full battery
and petrol tank. Actual range may vary depending on driving style and road conditions. 4. Low-cost British Gas plug-in vehicle charging package available ask your dealer for more information. Offer ends 31st March 2015. 5. Domestic plug charge: 5 hours, 16
Amp home charge point: 3.5 hours, 80% rapid charge: 30mins. 6. Prices shown include VAT (at 20%), exclude VED and First Registration Fee. Metallic paint extra. Model shown is an Outlander PHEV GX4h at 33,399 including metallic paint. Prices correct at
time of going to print. For more information about the Government Plug-in Car Grant please visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants.
Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: innite, Depleted Battery Charge: 48mpg (5.9), Weighted Average: 148mpg
(1.9), CO
2
Emissions: 44 g/km.
FROM 28,249 - 34,999
Including 5,000 Government Plug-in Car Grant
6
p113
p98
p24
CONS
HOT STUFF TESTS
ON THE
COVER
8
14 The Hot Four
O Apple Watch
O Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus
O Moto Hint
O Samsung Galaxy Note 4,
Galaxy Note Edge
24 Vital stats Fujifilm X30
A powered-up new version of the X20,
with a tilting 3in screen and added Wi-Fi
30 Gigapixel Jaguar XE
Jaguar flies its new model over Tower Bridge
by helicopter, just for the hell of it
34 Choice Globes
New ways to have a planet in your bedroom
38 Games
Drive snarling supercars in Project Cars
42 Apps
How to fuse your face with that of your cat
46 Vital stats Casio Exilim EX-FR10
An action cam with a detachable screen
48 Our month
What we did when no one else was looking
50 Your month
Upcoming films, games, shows and all that
72 First test Motorola Moto 360
As round as a satsuma and so swish
youll show it off to everyone you know
74 Approved Stuff-approved apps for
spicing up your social life, raiding dungeons
and dodging flesh-eating plants
90 Tested Galaxy S5 Mini
A micro version of the bestselling blower
98 Tested Lapierre Overvolt
A mountain bike with an electric secret
100 Tested Games
O Destiny
O BioShock (iOS edition)
113 Group test Budget smartphones
Rather not spend your life savings on a
device youll lose or break within the week?
116 Reviews Sensory snacks
Vampires in a film, super-nerds in a book
p55
World
leaders
p18
6 of the
best?
p14
Watch
this
p100
p80
146
p105 p126
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
W
N
E
W
E
N
T
R
Y
R
I
C
E
P
R
I
C
D
R
O
P
PROJECTS FEATURES
TOP 10
OF
EVERYTHING
9
55 Stuff Innovators 2014
Our pick of the greatest inventors, scientists,
designers and entrepreneurs on Earth
77 Techspedition The Alps in 3D
We head for the hills with the researchers
mapping an entire mountain range with drones
80 Green machines
Stuff gets behind the wheel of three eco-
friendly supercars for a coast-to-coast dash
93 Fashion Winter coats
The cold months are coming, so stop
shivering and put one of these on
105 Design Lighting
As photographers and estate agents say,
light is everything, so lamp up your life
154 Next big thing? Sound-charging phones
Running low? Go to a gig and turn those
sound vibrations into sweet electricity
122 Beta yourself Cooking
You cant be a student forever its time
to go beyond microwaved spag bol
124 Playlist Podcasts
If your eyes are busy doing important things,
give your ears something to do
126 Instant upgrades Fireworks
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
is the night to go OTT without losing the plot
128 Re-awesomise your Chromebook
If youve fallen out of love with your little
laptop, here are five ways to fall back in
129 Gadget doctor
Out with it, then our resident tech
specialist promises not to laugh
130 5-minute hacks If nothing else, at least
Climb Everest from your desk O Make
texting fun again O Give YouTube a facelift
Looking to buy
something but
need a bit of
advice? Turn to
our Stuff Top 10s:
our expert listings
of all gadgetry,
from p131
TVS
Samsung
UE55HU7500
+++++
2014s star TV
p140
WEARABLES
LG G Watch
++++,
LGs Android Wear
wristputer
p150
Sony XBA-4iP
+++++
Get some in-ear
excellence for less
p135
HEADPHONES
WIN!
p53
webOS
SMART TV
MADE
SIMPLE
Its All Possible.
www.lg.com.uk/webOS
This is the future of telly; other manufacturers
had better be watching .

PEFC/16-33-1007
PEFC Certified
This product is
from sustainably
managed forests and
controlled sources
www.pefc.org PEFC/16-33-197
WELCO
Will Dunn, Editor / willd@stuff.tv / @willydunn
Haymarket is certified by BSI to
environmental standard ISO14001
THIS MONTH
IN STUFFS iOS
APP EDITION
www.stuff.tv facebook.com/joinstuff twitter.com/stufftv google.com/+stufftv
11
2014, HaymarketMediaGroupLtd.
ReprographicsbyFreshMediaGroup. Printedby
WyndehamHeron; coverprintedbyStephens&
George. DistributedbyFrontlineLtd, MidgateHouse,
Midgate, Peterborough, PE11TN. TheUSannual
subscriptionpriceis$75.50. Airfreightandmailing
intheUSAbyagentnamedAirBusinessLtd, c/o
WorldnetShippingInc., 156-15, 146thAvenue, 2nd
Floor, Jamaica, NY11434, USA. Periodicalspostage
paidatJamaicaNY11431. Subscriptionrecordsare
maintainedatHaymarketMediaGroup, Teddington
Studios, BroomRoad, TeddingtonTW119BE. Air
BusinessLtdisactingasourmailingagent. All rights
reserved. Thispublicationmaynotbereproducedor
transmittedinanyforminwholeorinpartwithout
thewrittenpermissionofthepublishers. Liability:
whileeverycarehasbeentakeninthepreparation
ofthismagazine, thepublisherscantbeheld
responsiblefortheaccuracyoftheinformation
herein, oranyconsequencearisingfromit. Inthe
caseofall productreviews, judgementshavebeen
madeinthecontextofwarebasedonUKpricesat
thetimeofreview, whicharesubjecttofluctuation
andonlyapplicabletotheUKmarket.
While invisibility and X-ray vision are all very fancy, there
are real, human superpowers all around us. Parents who
know how to muster Zen-like super-patience; friends
who seem to be able to read your mind; people who can
reverse-park without even thinking about it. But perhaps the human
superpower that makes the most difference is the ability to come
up with an original idea. When it comes to changing the world, the
power of invention is up there with being able to shoot laser beams
out of your eyes, and our Innovators (p55) all have it in spades.
Of course, its not just people that can have superpowers: flying,
six-eyed robots (p77) can come in pretty handy too, especially if
youre working on one of the most ambitious scientific expeditions
this century. And you dont have to be David Hasselhoff to know
that cars can be Super, especially if theyre the petrol-sipping green
machines (p80) we drove across the country this month.
You can get in on the act yourself suit up with the power
to resist a chilly breeze (p93), acquire the power to create
deliciousness (p122), and turn yourself into an early cyborg with
the best wearable in the world which has to be the Moto 360
(p72) or the new Apple Watch. Speaking of which
1 the latest gadget news
on your doorstep, before
it hits the shops
2 free Grid Autosport
access via Steam (see p118)
3 exclusive reader offers
4 the power to travel
through time (forwards
only, standard speed)
Call 0844 848 8806 or visit
www.themagazineshop.
com/stuff-nov14
Q Check out behind-the-
scenes pictures from our
eco-supercars test
Q Animated, interactive
pages, videos and more
hi-res pictures
Android fan? Stuff is also
available on Google Play,
Zinio, Exact Editions and
Samsungs Papergarden.
SUBSCRIBE
TO STUFF &
YOULL GET...
Email us stuff@haymarket.com
Call us 020 8267 5036
Teddington Studios, Broom Rd,
Teddington, Middx TW11 9BE, UK
Editorial
Editor Will Dunn
Deputy Editor Tom Wiggins
Production Editor Richard Purvis
Consulting Editor
Fraser Macdonald
Features Editor Mark Wilson
Sub-Editor Emily May
Brand Art Editor Chee-Chiu Lee
Deputy Art Editor Ross Presly
Senior Designer Will Clarke
Reviews Editor Tom Parsons
Reviewer Sophie Charara
Staff Writer Esat Dedezade
Editor, Stuff.tv
Marc McLaren
Deputy Editor, Stuff.tv
Stephen Graves
Editorial Assistant
Max Langridge
Editor-in-Chief Will Findlater
Content Director Hugh Sleight
Publishing Director
Rachael Prasher
Publishing Manager Ollie Stretton
Digital Publisher Sandip Ray
Senior Marketing Executive
Sarona Taylor
Marketing Executive
Natalya Paul
Secretary Sarah Weetch
Contributors
Sam Kieldsen, Jools Whitehorn,
Paddy Smith, Lindsey Baker,
Adam Oxford, Andrew Williams,
Craig Grannell, Andrew Hayward,
Marcus Fairs, Al Horner, Les Dunn
Thanks to
Neil Earp, RGB, James Lipman,
Matt Beedle, Jamie Sneddon,
Alexandre Efimov, Claire Nash
Cover image Rich Kelly

Advertising 020 8267 5190
Agency Sales Executives
LeAnne Foley, Billy Jones,
Matthew Larkin
Classified Sales Executive
Branton Palin
International Business Dev
Manager Amardeep Mangat
Head of Creative Solutions
Chris Bullen
Creative Solutions
Project Managers
Liam Maguire, Hannah Pettifor
Creative Solutions Editor
Edward Craig
Advertising Director Chris Daniels
International Advertising Director
Ian Porter
Business Development Director
Mike Walsh
Production 020 8267 5414
Production Manager
Anthony Davis
Senior Production Controller
Paul Skinner
Newstrade Marketing Manager
Nick Lyon
Licensing Director
David Ryan 020 8267 5024
Licensing Account Manager
Isla Friend 020 8267 5058
Senior Licensing Executive
Giuseppe Messina 020 8267 5502
Syndication Manager
Paloma Gutierrez 020 8267 5396
Subscriptions Hotline
0844 848 8806
World: +44 (0)1795 592 987
Email stuff@servicehelpline.co.uk
Web www.themagazineshop.com
Editorial Director Mark Payton
Creative Director Paul Harpin
Strategy and Planning Director
Bob McDowell
Managing Director David Prasher
Chief Executive Kevin Costello
Volume 18 issue 11
ISSN: 1364-963
On sale 1 October 2014
Audit Bureau of Circulations:
77,340 (Jan-Dec 2013)
Storm Gathering
Ofcial Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption gures mpg (litres/ 100km)
18.5 (15.3). CO
2
emissions: 363g/km
#
.
Model shown New VXR8 GTS 6.2i V8 (585PS) 54,499. Vauxhall does not condone irresponsible driving. #Ofcial EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on
6.2 Litre 585PS Supercharged V8
VXR8 GTS
.co.uk
and CO
2
emissions (g/km). VXR8 GTS: Urban: 12.9 (21.9), Extra-urban: 24.4 (11.6), Combined:
driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors.
14
H O T S T
ITS ABOUT TIME
Apple Watch
As with other major celebrities, new iPhones cant help a few revealing shots
appearing on the internet before announcement day. But while Apples new blowers
(of which youll see more in a minute) had been leaked in some detail, no-one had a
clue what the Apple Watch would look like until this month. And here it is: a sapphire
crystal screen that can sense the difference between a tap and a press, a Digital
Crown spinner that zooms and selects different things on the screen, and a bevvy
of sensors that can tell not just how you are, but who you are. Like the iPhone, it has
three finishes: standard steel, aluminium and gold, all available in two sizes. Is this the
beginning of the Age of Wearables, or the beginning of the Age of People Squinting
Irritatedly at Their Wrists? Well see.
As hot as sauna time
from 215 (due 2015) / apple.com/uk
HOT
FOUR
#1
15
F U F
25 PAGES
OF THE BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH
After years
of waiting, the
iWatch sorry,
the Apple
Watch has
at last materialised.
When the iPhone landed, it
wasnt the first smartphone
by a long chalk: it was just
a much better smartphone.
So is the Apple Watch a
better smartwatch?
After spending some
time with a couple of early
versions in Cupertino, I think
its definitely the one to beat.
Its light and comfortable to
wear, it looks nice, and it
has enough unique design
flourishes to set it apart.
The screen is bright and
crisp, and words and pictures
are readable from all angles.
The dial, or Digital Crown,
is unobtrusive in real life; it
rolls easily, with very little
resistance and no click.
Its a great piece of design,
allowing you to move things
around on screen without
covering them with your
clumsy prodfingers.
The taptic engine, as
Apple calls it, or buzzer, as
were going to call it, is more
important than you might
think. Theres a very
real difference between
controlled haptics and a flat
buzz, especially in a piece
of wearable tech, and the
haptics in the Apple Watch
have that nuanced feel its
heartbeat-sharing delivers
a softly detailed pulse.
Of course, there are a lot
of unknowns here, but as
with the iPhone, the Apple
Watch starts with a hulking
great advantage in the apps
department. Lots of big
brands are already signed
up and making them for
its platform apps to find
your car, control your smart
heating or track and share
your exercise. With so
many people building useful
software for it, its only
going to become more
attractive to the worlds
200 million iPhone owners.
It looks and
feels better
in real life
WILL DUNN
@willydunn
WATCH YOU TALKIN BOUT?
It needs your iPhone
but can relay messages,
control apps and even
watch through your 5, 5c,
5s, 6 or 6 Pluss camera
Sporty or posh?
Click in a sporty strap for
the gym, then swap it for
a posh one to watch
Downton Abbey
Watch doctor
Not only does it watch
you exercise; it also
knows how long youve
spent standing up
Face look
Years of research and
zillions in investment,
all so you can have
a Mickey watch
Buzz me in
Street directions use
haptics to steer you, so
you dont have to watch
the screen while walking
16
There were over ten new wristronics devices launched this past month.
Heres our pick, with three recent decents. Just so you know where were at
ONEW WATCHES
O EXISTING
H S O T F T U F
O Asus
Zenwatch
An attractive
Android Wear
watch with
mildly curved
screen. It
uses standard
22mm lugs,
so you can put
it on whatever
strap you like.
less than
200 /
asus.com/uk
O Acer
Liquid Leap
Its basic in
design and
functionality,
but Acer
is planning
a very low
price for the
call- and text-
notifying,
fitness-
tracking Leap.
60 approx /
acer.co.uk
O Garmin
Vivosmart
Looks like a
fitness band,
but displays
notifications.
It works with
ANT+ heart-
rate sensors
and can even
control a VIRB
action cam.
140/
garmin.com/
uk
O Apple Watch
O Sony
Smart-
watch 3
Not idly
named, the
Smartwatch
has 4GB of
on-board
Walkman, a
life-tracking
app and GPS
plus a proper
microUSB slot.
230 /
sony.co.uk
O LG
G Watch R
Nowt wrong
with the
original, but
this round
version might
be whats
needed to
take peoples
eyes off the
Apple Watch
and Moto 360.
tba /
lg.com/uk
O Samsung
Gear Live
Another four-
star review,
but the best
Android Wear
watch for now.
Otherwise,
wait for the
Apple, Asus
and Sony
Smartwatch 3
reviews
170/
samsung.com
O Samsung
Gear S
Only
Samsungs
own Tizen OS
rather than
Android, but
it has a full
brace of
sensors
and its own
SIM-card 3G
connection.
300/
samsung.com
O Moto
360
The sexiest
smartwatch,
it missed out
on five Stuff
stars due to
its battery.
Will the Apple
Watch pack
a bigger
juice-box?
200 /
motorola.
co.uk
O Pebble
Steel
Five-starred,
the non-
conformists
choice.
Support is still
strong, and its
battery life
beats newer
watches by
a few days.
150/
getpebble.
com
THE LINE-UP
KEY
H S O T F T U F
18
If, like us, you had already sold your iPhone 5 in
anticipation of the post-Keynote value crash
then, like us, youll be pleased that the iPhone 6
looks rather smashing and worth upgrading
to. For the first time, there are two sizes to
choose between: the 5.5in iPhone 6 Plus with
its 1080p resolution and the 4.7in iPhone 6
with 1334x750 pixels. The difference is not
just in the pixel count: iOS 8 will flip between
portrait and landscape on the bigger display.
Were also excited about the 25% faster
A8 processor, the impressive battery life
claims and NFC, which arrives late but brings
with it a swish new contactless payment
system. The 8MP camera might not sound
like a whole hill of megapixels, but its the new
sensor and phase detection autofocus that
matter, and the Plus also gets optical
stabilisation. Lots to watch out for in our full,
in-depth review, in next months issue.
As hot as... a theatre full of sweaty geeks
from 540 (SIM-free) / apple.com/uk
DO YOU THINK
IM SIXY?
Apple iPhone 6,
iPhone 6 Plus
HOT
FOUR
#2
19
H S O T F T U F
The influence
of the iPad Air
is obvious in the
design of the
6 and 6 Plus, and
while theyre unmistakably
Apple phones, theres a sharp
difference between these and
the 5s. Or rather, a blunt one:
where the 5s is an edgy, shiny
block, these have softer rails
and a matte alumi-skin.
The metal body is really,
really nice, and theyre so light
that it actually takes a bit of
getting used to: the 6 Plus felt
like it might not be a real phone,
although a few minutes of
prodding iOS 8 and playing
Monument Valley confirmed
that it is. On the front, the
screens have that classic
Apple superiority in terms of
colour and sharpness that
bright, light, iPad Air look but
the soft rails give a very slight
bulge to the screen edge.
The one detail that stands
out, literally, is the camera: it
protrudes only slightly, not
like the Lumia 1020s magi-
cam but the benefits of this
little bump are immediately
obvious: autofocus is super-
quick, snapping subjects into
the clear almost instantly.
The image stabilisation is also
impressive, from what I could
tell in a busy room.
This is a new direction for
Apple: gone is the dogmatic
adherence to a single size
and a rigid design for iOS.
Everything from the exterior
metal to the keyboards, core
apps and screen rotation
speaks of a more open-
minded approach, offering
people the breadth of choice
theyve been getting from
Android while adhering to
Apples mania for quality
control. Will the 6 tempt me
away from my HTC One M8?
Head to stuff.tv to find out.
These phones
offer a taste of
the new Apple
WILL DUNN
@willydunn
WHATS REALLY NEW?
R.I.P.
We will NFC you now
Apple hasnt seen the point of NFC in the past,
until Apple Pay arrived. Combining NFC with
the fingerprint-reading Touch ID, it turns your
phone into a secure tap-to-pay wallet. The only
problem is that its currently US-only.
8 into 6 does go
The Health app makes the most of the new
M8 motion-sensing chip, and the 6 and 6 Plus
can even tell how many stairs youve climbed,
thanks to a mixture of motion smarts and an
altitude-sensing barometer.
Theyre more orientation-aware
Double-tap the Pluss Home button in Safari
and the URL bar will drop down. Flip it around and
youll get split-screen views and an extended
keyboard. Its clear that Apple has thought hard
about making the jump to a bigger screen.
Yes, we cam
Dont be fooled by the basic 8MP spec: the new
sensors upgraded with focus pixels and phase
detection autofocus. Theres a new 240fps
slow-motion video mode, and the Pluss
snapper even gets optical image stabilisation.
APPLE IPOD
CLASSIC
(2002 2014)
The iPod Classic
peacefully passed
away after a long
struggle with
obsolescence
on 9 September
in Cupertino,
California. Born
to Jony Ive and
Steve Jobs in
2002, the iPod
worked as an
internationally
revered digital
music player, and
was particularly
known for its
clickwheel and
large capacity.
The iPod Classic
is survived by
three children:
Touch (aged 7),
Nano and Shuffle
(both 9).
20
H O
CHECK YOUR
APP-EARANCE
Moto Hint
Voice control may be the screen-free tech
of the future, but its still embarrassing to
hold your phone in front of your face and talk
at it, rather than into it. And if you have to take
your phone out and fire up Google Now/Siri/
Cortana to get the info you want, you might
as well use your hands. Enter the Hint,
a tiny earbud that listens for your custom
cue-phrase (you can change OK Google
to Engage earputer, Hey Samantha
you know, from the film Her or anything
else) and brings the wizardry of voice-
controlled computing to your ear. Its small
enough to be pretty much unnoticeable,
but it could be the next big thing.
As hot as... an earful of Scarlett Johanssen
tba (due 2015) / motorola.com
HOT
FOUR
#3
21
H S O T F T U F
LIVE LIFE ON
THE EDGE
Samsung Galaxy Note 4,
Galaxy Note Edge
Android fans watched the iPhone 6 launch
with bleary eyes, having only just pulled
themselves back together after
celebrating the arrival of both a new 5.7in
Note and a clever-screened 5.6in Note
Edge. Both have 2K screens, though the
Edges extra 160-pixel curved section
gives it a slightly different aspect ratio
on paper. In practice, were you watching
a 2K video on your phone, that curved
edge would likely be used for video
controls just one of many uses, including
notifications and a night clock. Both have
a mighty 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon
805 chip and 3GB of RAM, and both have
a doubly sensitive S Pen and optical image
stabilisation for their 16MP cameras. The
Marmite leather-back design has been
refined, and the phone now has actual
metal edges. Must have been quite a party.
As hot as those chilli-chocolate cocktails
tba (due October) / samsung.com/uk
HOT
FOUR
#4
MORE REASONS TO PARTY
1 Gear VR
The Note 4s processing power and
2K screen make it powerful enough
to slot into this headset and be used as
a standalone VR gamer, like Oculus Rift.
2 Gear Circle
Bluetooth wireless headphones that
vibrate with incoming notifications or calls.
When not in use, the ends clip together to
make one distinctly nerdy necklace.
3 Powerbot VR9000
Just a month after Dyson revealed its
robovac, Samsung has a new model.
CycloneForce tech will keep lawyers busy,
and you can light up an area for it to clean.
1 3 2 1 3
Let the voice of Naim take you
inside the music
Mu-so is our frst wireless music system. Finely tuned by our specialist engineers
in England, its powerful digital brain delivers the most exceptional quality in
sound, commanding 450 watts of power through six custom-designed speakers,
to create an experience of music that has to be heard to be believed.

naimaudio.com
Features: Airplay, Bluetooth

/aptX

, Spotify Connect

, UPnP

(access your stored music),

Internet Radio, USB, Analogue and Digital inputs, Apple iOS and Android App for complete control.
John Lewis | Selected Apple stores | www.apple.com | Specialist Naim retailers A
i
r
P
l
a
y

i
s

a

t
r
a
d
e
m
a
r
k

o
f

A
p
p
l
e

I
n
c
.
Go Deeper
24
V I T A L
S T A T S
FUJI GAINS WEIGHT
ALSO STAMINA,
AWESOMENESS
Fujifilm X30
480 / fujifilm.eu/uk
hidden within is the much larger
NP-95 battery pack, as used on
Fujis X100, which should improve
battery life by a factor of two-ish.
O Say what you cant see.
Theres something missing
from the front of the X30
that, if spotted, will out you
as a camera super-nerd. No? Why,
its the outward end of the optical
viewfinder. The inward end is
present and correct because the
X30 now has a 2.36MP electronic
viewfinder. This should offer a
metric world of improvement over
the welcome, but tiny, optical eye-
spy that was on the X20 and X10.
O Say, what can you never see?
The gubbins! But, actually, theyre
largely the same: a 12MP, 2/3in
X-Trans CMOS II sensor and a
28-112mm, f2.0-2.8 lens that
also acts as the on/off switch.
Theres a new control ring at the
base of the lens and theres also
now a dedicated movie record
button for those 1080p/60fps
masterworks. It gets Wi-Fi, to
bring it up to date with almost
every other compact out there,
and it also gets a new Classic
Chrome film simulation mode to
help you forget that we live in the
kind of future where our photos
can travel invisibly through the air.
Everyones favourite fancy
compact cam, the X20,
gets a slew of new features
that more than justify its
50% model name increase
O Say what you see.
Muscle is heavier than fat,
mutter people as they struggle
to read the scales readout over
their forward-mounted slab of
muscle. But generally theyre
right, and while the X30 has
definitely bulked up since the
X20, its for good reason. It now
has a tilting (rather than fixed)
3in, 920k-dot LCD screen, and
Leica MP
Another new retro
amazo-o-cam option.
Leica promises it
is twice as fast as
the original M Digital,
and has a new subtle
design. Slightly pricier
than the X30, at 5650.
ALTERNATIVELY
Fujifilm claims
the X30s battery
will manage around
470 pictures on
one charge
P3 Bowers & Wilkins have been
established as masters of sound
engineering for almost 50 years.
We are now able to bring that
same expertise to the world of
headphones; the same precision, the
same care, the same extraordinary
range and depth of detail is now
available from an ultra-light, highly
portable set of headphones superbly
CDRHFMDCSNjSHMSNXNTQKHED
Hear the full
spectrum
169.99
from authorised retailers
Available in Black, White. Red and Blue
Buy direct from bowers-wilkins.co.uk/P3
Two-year warranty
Free delivery
H S O T F T U F
26
Panasonic X942
Not curved, but
according to the
PR this new flagship
TV showcases Ultra-
Large technology.
Its 85in. Not sure if
Ultra-Large has been
internationally ratified.
ALTERNATIVELY
Old brand new
TECHNICS PREMIUM CLASS C700
Now, this is exciting. Technics is back. Thats the company known
by most for its iconic SL1200 DJ turntables, but fondly remembered
by others for its hi-fi separates and mini systems back when
graphic equaliser presets for Hall or Stadium were a marvel and
purchase decisions were made on the basis of a crisp cassette
mechanism or smoothly retracting CD tray. Fittingly, theyve
come back at the high end: a stratospherically priced Reference
Class range and this slightly humbler Premium Class still likely
to be in the thousands. But itll be streamy, with hi-res audio, and
best of all, it has little VU meter needles. Sweet.
tba / technics.com/uk
Were on a Dutch bender
PHILIPS 8900
Tell you what: the curved wall weve been
working on is taking ages. And its taking even
more plaster than its taking time. And then
Sony announced last month that less curved
is the new curved and we nearly had a heart
attack. Fortunately, this month Philips has
announced its first curved TV and were all
fired up again. Its got Ambilight, but we dont
need that because weve plastered a bunch
of Philips Hue lights into the curv-o-wall.
Its also got micro-dimming across its 55in
panel and its powered by Android, so you can
hit the Play Store and download some tasties.
But not yet: pass that palette knife, will you?
tba (due winter) / philips.co.uk
Dont get in a stew
TEFAL COOK4ME
This is a one-pot culinary wonder that cooks,
browns, boils and steams, and its pre-loaded with 50
sweet and savoury recipes that contain a maximum
of six ingredients. You just choose your dish, follow the
on-screen instructions regarding the what-and-when
of the ingredients and, within minutes, tuck into a
tasty tagliatelle or perfect paella. If youre a time-rich
metrosexual about town, the idea might horrify you; but if
youre a busy family, this can knock up a tasty dinner for
many and keep dishes warm for up to 90 minutes,
or be delay-started automagically up to 15 hours in
advance so it might be like mechanical manna.
220 / lakeland.co.uk
THE ONE RE-IMAGINING WHATS POSSIBLE
ds 20
1
4
LUMIX GH4, WITH 4K SHOOTING
LUMIX GH4 is the rst camera of its type to shoot true-to-life 4K Ultra HD stills and video.
The most advanced camera in the LUMIX G range, its the one for those who demand absolute
quality behind the lens,* its size freeing your creativity to imagine new possibilities.
Find the LUMIX G for you at panasonic.co.uk/LumixGTheOne
*GH4 available body only or with 14-140mm lens.
H S O T F T U F
29
?
Looks stunning. Ill take ten.
Now dont be sniffy. Sometimes, within
the confines of relatively featureless
black boxes, life-changing functionality
can be found. In this case, the removal
of some of those pesky HDMI cables
that are snaking around your house,
tripping up the maid and chewed by the
dog. Previously available only in Europe
but now wired up British-style, the
WHD200 forms an up-to-20m wireless
link between the end of two HDMI cables.
Twenty metres! At last, I can stream
TV to the Wendy house.
Uh, nope. See, the WHD200 deliberately
uses a different frequency to that used
by your Wi-Fi router and cordless phone,
to reduce interference. This is clever
thinking. However, the higher frequency
makes the signal less capable of travelling
through walls and windows. Less clever.
So the most likely use, as far as we can
see, is for someone who has a dual TV
and projector setup. The transmitter box
has two HDMI 1.4 inputs and one output,
so day-to-day you can watch TV on your
normal box, but wirelessly send the signal
to your roof-mounted megaprojector
for special occasions. Like the University
Challenge quarters.
Talk to me about quality, though,
because I like my Bamber
Gascoigne to be sharp.
Few people are sharper than a Bamber,
and the WHD200 shouldnt let you
down. Dispel any received notions
about wireless streamers, so long
as the range isnt out: this box of
delights will keep up to 1080p60 HD
or 1080p24 3D just as crisply as if
you were running it through big-ass
HDMI cables. The signal can still carry
multichannel audio, too, if youve got
your system wired up that way theres
a maximum system latency of 1ms that
might need a little tweaking if youre of
a golden-eared persuasion.
165 / optoma.co.uk
WTF
IS THE
OPTOMA
WHD200?
Waterproof or hi-res?
SONY NWZ-A15, NWZ-WS613
If youre reading the issue from back to front, youll have noticed that
Sony has launched two new phones this month. If youre reading the
issue from front to back, then watch out theres a spoiler above. But
Sony has been busy elsewhere, too. The WS613 is a pair of standalone
Walkman earpieces with upwards of 4GB on-board. They also work as
a Bluetooth headset, and are waterproof. Then theres the NWZ-A15,
a hi-res Walkman that will play FLAC, AIFF, WAV and Apple Lossless files.
It will also, says Sony, upscale lossy formats such as MP3 to hi-res
audio quality. To which we raise an interested, sceptical, earbrow.
from 170, from 130 / sony.co.uk
Second thoughts
RESSENCE TYPE 1
It will be as of the days of yore, when the sun rotated around the Earth
and none but a blind fool would think otherwise. And then someone
pointed out, really carefully, why it was folly and now we laugh at the
memory. Now we are on the cusp of realising that the hands should
not rotate around the dial; rather the dials should rotate around the
hands. Watches should not be electronic and smart; they should be
smartly mechanical. Should they need recharging, that shouldnt
begin a quest to find the little wireless charging splunkin it should
be done by simply rotating the back of the watch. Are you ready to
be enlightened, people of Earth? (Do you have a few quid?)
13,000 (approx) / ressence.eu
30
The bigger picture in tech
CARPOCALYPSE NOW
Jaguar flew its new XE over
London this month prior to its
glitzy launch, a scene that will
no doubt bring to mind Wagners
Ride Of The Valkyries. Which might
be deliberate German music
for its German foes BMW, Audi
and Mercedes. Or it might be
an embarrassing marketing
oversight. Either way, the car
looks mint. Were we a small
executive, this might well be the
small executive car wed choose.
31
SONOS TAKES
OUT THE BRIDGE
An oft-maligned aspect of
the Sonos wireless audio
system is that either
one of the speakers or
a purpose-made Bridge
needs to be hardwired into
your home network. No
more! A new software
update makes the system
totally wireless.
SELFIE-AWARE
HTCs new mid-range 820
phone is interesting for
two very different reasons.
Firstly, its got a 64-bit
octa-core Snapdragon
815 chipset, so its one of
the first phones to be ready
for the 64-bit Android L
OS. Secondly, it follows the
emerging trend for phones
with powerful front-facing
cameras: a sizzling 8MP
of selfie-taking overkill.
H S O T F T U F
CLIP-ON NOW
SCREWS-ON
Sony has expanded its
range of crazy clip-on
camera lenses for your
smartphone. The 250
QX1 will let you screw on
any E-mount digital SLR
lens, while the slightly
saner QX30 (also 250)
is a 30x-zoom update of
the previous QX10.
H S O T F T U F
32
No more crayon styluses
WACOM BAMBOO STYLUS FINELINE
You know whats great? A stylus. Its like being transported back
to toddlerhood and being blown away that the stick in your hand
can make a line appear. Whenever we get our hands on a device
with a stylus, we cant help but delightedly cry: Daddy draw a fish!
But you know whats not great? Any stylus with the big spudgy
end designed to work on non-digitiser touchscreens, ie: an iPad.
This USB-rechargeable Bluetooth Stylus Fineline from Wacom,
however, has a much finer end, albeit one that works best with
Wacoms own Bamboo Paper app. Daddy draw a dinosaur!
50 / wacom.com
The light shines from within
PENTAX K-S1
Those lights on the grip are an innovative illumination
interface system. Effectively, the lights shine green
when taking photos but turn red when shooting video.
Function? Form? You decide. The camera specs are healthy:
a new CMOS sensor with 20.12 effective megapixels,
ultra-high ISO 51200 sensitivity, and a shutter speed of
1/6000 second. It has a 3in LCD display with an easier-to-use
UI, plus if you use a Flucard For Pentax memory card, you can
control it via an iOS or Android app ideal for mounting the
camera and snagging perfectly considered shots.
550 / pentax.co.uk
Humbly yours
LOGITECH K480 BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD
What a month. Theres smartwatches and iPhones and digital cameras enough for
everyone. But well never lose sight of what is glorious about geekery: it doesnt take a
royal budget to feel a little joy. Look at this Logitech keyboard. It has a long slot in which
you might be able to fit both a phone and tablet and it has a selector switch to hop
between the pairings of either as well as your desktop or laptop. Its not designed to
be that portable, but it will reportedly last for up to two years with just two AAA
batteries. Other, more expensive gadgets might come and go, but this will sit on your
desk, neatly doing its thing. And thats to be celebrated, no?
50 / logitech.com/uk
GoPro App
Wear it. Mount it. Love it.

gopro.madison.co.uk
34
1
4
3
6
5
2
[

P
i
c
t
u
r
e

R
G
B

D
i
g
i
t
a
l
]
C H O I C E
All together now! Weve got the who-ole
world on our desks, weve got the...
GLOBES
2 12-inch Venus Globe
Face it you wont be part of
an intergalactic colony and
youll probably never fire a laser
in space. Instead, gaze at this
topological map of Venus and
imagine it all happened before
they wiped your memory.
110 / 365astronomy.com
3 SuckUK Cork Globe
Impress friends with your
well-travelledness by sticking
pins in this corking sphere. As long
as you dont just have 20 bristling
out of Marbella, that is.
100 / suck.uk.com
4 Globee San Francisco
Night Light Globe
Cool kids love San Fran. Cool kids
sit on museum steps reading Jack
Kerouac before heading to their
office that looks like Tom Hanks
apartment in Big.
16 / globee.co.uk
5 Globe On Stand
You hand-wind your vintage Rolex,
you use a fountain pen, and prefer
to take notes in a Moleskine. Vinyl
sounds better than Spotify. You
like globes that look like globes did
when this was all fields.
15 / notonthehighstreet.com
1 MOVA Spinning Globe
We all love a dramatic juxtaposition:
how about a traditional globe that
spins futuristically in thin air? So
much less clichd than all those
Instagram pics of empty Coke cans
littered around the pyramids.
150 / nauticalia.com
6 Maxwells
Lunar Globe
In days of yore, skygazers peered
upon yonder moon without the
aid of satellites, and ye olde lunar
globes had a blank, unmapped
slice where be moon dragons.
420 / globemakers.com
3 NEWWAYS TO
LOOKAT SOUND
Buy a wireless Libratone ZIPP or LOOP
speaker and get an additional FREE
cover fromour newdcor color range:
Apricot Red
Moss Green
Sandstone Yellow
Buy your speaker online or from an
authorised reseller and register
your product at libratone.com
to claim your free cover.*
FREE EXTRA COVER
WITH PURCHASE
* Oer valid until
31st of October 2014
H S O T F T U F
36
It is, and it isnt
NOKIA LUMIA 830
Nokia, which is actually Microsoft, has released its
affordable flagship (its not its actual flagship thats
the 930, which is more powerful). But the 5in-screen
830 still has Zeiss optics and optical image stabilisation,
and is flagshippy enough to get the new Lumia Denim OS
update with a new mega-featured Lumia Camera app.
The 830 is markedly slimmer, at just 8.5mm and 150g,
making it the thinnest and lightest Lumia smartphone
ever made. Nokia also launched the 4.7in 735, calling it the
selfie phone as it has a 5MP wide-angle front camera.
tba / nokia.com
Rub-a-dub-dub, 3000 books in the tub
KOBO AURA H2O
This ebook reader is waterproof: you can submerge it in
up to one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. Basically, you
can dunk this in the bath or take it out in the worst rainstorm
imaginable and it will not care the slightest bit. And the Aura
H2Os imperviousness to water isnt the only string to its
bow. Compared to its predecessor, the Aura HD, its lighter
and thinner and its 6.8in anti-glare touchscreen is sharper.
It comes with 4GB of expandable storage, a battery thatll
last up to two months and a 1GHz processor that Kobo says
will make page-turning swifter.
140 / kobo.com
Which adventure are you?
STARCKBIKE M.A.S.S.
BY MOUSTACHE
French fancifier Philippe Starck has put his pencil to
four bikes with one aim: adventure. But you must have
the correct bike for the terrain in which your adventure
finds itself the name stands for Mud, Asphalt, Sand,
Snow. All of them are electric, thanks to bike peddlers
Moustache, and they all use the slick Bosch Performance
system. The Sand and Snow bikes get fat tyres, while
the Snow (pictured) also has a distinctive furry cover to
protect the battery from the cold. The Mud and Asphalt
bikes come with more conventional tyres but top-line
components. Each bike also gets themed accessories,
including some frankly bonkers helmet designs.
tba / starck.com
G A M E S
38
Roaring its mantra beyond
reality over the noise of snarling
V8 supercars, single-seaters and
even karts, Project Cars wants
to move hardcore motorsport
sims away from PC petrolheads
and bring real-life handling and
physics to all platforms. Yep,
even the Wii U.
In its aim to be on the grid
ahead of Forza and Gran Turismo,
Project Cars scraps the grind
model of having to earn pots of
cash in a Daewoo Matiz before
you get to drive a car you actually
want. This switches the
emphasis away from winning
for cash and puts it back where
it should be: on competitive
spirit. These are lofty targets
for a company whose last race
was Shift 2 (which, while pretty,
somewhat missed its braking
point and ran wide into console
corner). But Slightly Mad Studios
was also involved in the GTR
series, and thats the parent
Project Cars naturally runs to.
The handling is solid and
progressive, and gives you
enough faith to establish routine
braking and turn-in points, and
that combined with breathtaking
depth-of-field is central to
delivering driver trust. Once the
weather model comes into effect,
its hard not to admire the puddles
that form or track droplet trails
on your visor, but its best to keep
one eye on the road handling
degrades in the wet.
With everything from gentle
warm-up laps to 24-hour races,
over 70 car licences and 80
tracks, PC support for 12K
graphics (using three 4K
monitors) plus Oculus Rift
and Sonys Project Morpheus,
Project Cars is vying for pole
on our most-wanted list.
Simon Strang
FIRST PLAY PROJECT CARS PS4, Xbox One, PC, Wii U
DUE
NOV
39
INCOMING
VS
H S O T F T U F
UNTIL DAWN
Originally planned for the PS3, Until Dawn
is a spiritual successor to Segas 1992
Mega CD game Night Trap. You have to
make decisions for a group of eight friends,
stranded in the middle of nowhere with a
murderer on the loose. Can you hold the
controller still enough to prevent giving
away your hiding place to the killer?
DAYZ
Notoriously buggy and even more
notoriously difficult, survival shooter
DayZ was originally a mod for PC game
Arma 2. While its standalone PC version
isnt even out yet, DayZ creator Dean Hall
has announced its coming to PS4 though
theres no release date yet. An Xbox One
version hasnt been ruled out either.
TEARAWAY UNFOLDED
This charming cut n paste puzzle platform
game from the makers of Little Big Planet
was a critical hit on Vita and hopes to pull a
bigger crowd when it makes the jump to its
TV-tethered brother. Its described as an
expanded retelling of the original; expect
your DualShocks touchpad and motion
controls to finally be put to good use.
SLENDER: THE ARRIVAL
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
The Slender Man is well-known on the internet
for being one of the creepiest creations in horror,
but until now hes remained locked up in the relative
safety of PC gaming. Reminiscent of found-footage
films such as The Blair Witch Project, Slender: The
Arrival has arrived on PS3 and Xbox 360 with
a bump (in the night). Exploring his world, torch
in hand, through the LCD screen of a camcorder,
its really just a case of how long you can bear to
play without switching the lights on.
SILENT HILLS
PS4, PC
That picture to the left isnt from Silent Hills. Its from
P.T. (or Playable Teaser), which you can download for
your PS4 right now. It hints at the direction in which
Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear fame) and Pans Labyrinth
director Guillermo Del Toro will take Silent Hills and that
direction is oh-my-god-I-dont-like-it-please-turn-it-
off-ARGHHHHH. Its brain-bending parallel-dimension
premise sucks you into the puzzles to the point where
youre distracted enough to be easily scared. And scare
you it will. More than any game youve ever played.
OCTOBER
O ALIEN ISOLATION
O FORZA HORIZON 2
O THE EVIL WITHIN
NOVEMBER
O FAR CRY 4
O LITTLE BIG PLANET 3
O PES 2015
DECEMBER
O LARA CROFT & THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS
MAKING THE JUMP TO PS4
2-UP ULTIMATE PANTS-BROWNERS
40
Z3 things of Orient are
SONY Z3, Z3 COMPACT,
Z3 TABLET COMPACT
A tablet and two phones walked into a bar. The bartender
said to the tablet: Oi, you cant ring them in here. And
they all had a good laugh and sat around discussing specs
for the rest of the afternoon. Like how all three the Z3
phone, the Z3 Compact and the 8in Z3 Compact Tablet
have the ability to play hi-res audio, including Sonys new
DSEE HX that upscales MP3-quality audio to hi-res. The
two phones got talking about their super-high 12800
ISO cameras, but the tablet told them to shut up and they
moved on to PS4 Remote Play instead,which they all have.
Inevitably though, after a few drinks, the talk turned
to size differences. Doesnt it always.
550, 430, 330 / sony.co.uk
Not affordable, perfect
B&O BEOPLAY S8
Were all on to a winner here, bless us. Within the
gilded staterooms of Messrs Bang and Olufsen, they
whisper about this 2.1-channel audio system as a more
affordable entry to BeoPlay ownership. But once its
laid out resplendent in our lounges, onlookers will only
be amazed at the beauty of the S8 win! at which
we can rabbit on about the work of its Danish designer
Torsten Valeur. If some audiophile should feel beholden
to remark on its lowly status, then we can frown
disapprovingly: In this room? I should think anything
larger than a 250W Class D amplified sub and two 150W
speakers would be a little unbalanced, dont you? (Win.)
1000 / bang-olufsen.com
Three is the magic shape
ALIENWARE AREA-51
Alienware says its Triad chassis optimises cooling as
well as access to ports and the like: you can simply pivot
it forward using the built-in grips, and the sides come off
for more serious tinkering. Like previous Area-51s, it will
be configurable at purchase, and if money is no object
you can have an octo-core Intel i7 Extreme processor,
up to 32GB of RAM, a 1.5kW power supply, the latest
802.11ac Wi-Fi and as many as three full-length,
double-width graphics cards. That means 4K graphics
across up to three monitors a potential resolution of
11,520x2160 pixels. Jeepers.
tba (due December) / alienware.co.uk
Hiding inside the sub are
the two 150W amplifiers
that drive these guys.
That means they can
be made pretty small:
158mm across and
less than 1kg each.
HOT POT
H S O T F T U F
Features and requirements subject to change. Features vary between Xbox 360 and Xbox One version of game (each sold separately). Xbox One games for use
only with Xbox One systems. Games made for Xbox 360 will not work on Xbox One. Xbox LIVE Gold membership (sold separately) required for online multiplayer;
multiplayer between Xbox 360 and Xbox One not supported. On Xbox 360, some cars require download from Xbox LIVE (ISP fees apply) and a hard drive. For
Xbox 360 4GB, Arcade and Core consoles (hard drive sold separately). Demo available for Xbox One only. Download from Xbox LIVE. 12GB required. ISP fees apply.
Visually, Forza Horizon 2 is a thing of beauty
Trusted Reviews
Its hard to not marvel at the glorious graphics
Pocket-lint
Open it up in a truly massive open world.
From day to night, dirt to pavement. Connect
and race with friends in the most realistic
and unreal driving game out there with
more than 200 of the worlds greatest cars.
Get the demo now on Xbox One.
Xbox.com/Forza
A P P S
2
5
4
3
7
6 9
8
42
1 CoPilot
from 20 / Android, iOS, Windows
There are many reasons to like
CoPilots mobile sat-nav, including
its multi-platformness and its
affordability. And now its done
a free update, 9.6.2, that adds a
free map update and time-savvy
ActiveRoutes algorithms.
4 Back To Bed
2.49 / iOS
Remember Monument? What
a pleasant slice of isometric
gravity-defying bimble-gaming
that was. But over too soon, yes?
Enter Back To Bed, in which you
manipulate environments to keep
a sleepwalker safe.
7 Bugmiles
free / iOS
The British online social club for
runners, therunningbug.co.uk, now
has an app for tracking and logging
your efforts. Obviously it faces a lot
of competition, but if youre already
one of its 200,000 members then
its a no-footer.
2 FishBrain
free / Android, iOS
Is it a happy-go-lucky social app to
log your favourite fishing spots and
catches? Or is it a cunning ploy by
animal activists to trick Japan into
posting pictures of illegal whaling
activity? Either way, FishBrain now
has 500,000 users.
5 Tiny Tower Vegas
free / iOS
Previous Tiny Tower games were
pretty good. By pretty good we
mean the time we spent playing
them would show up on a graph of
our life activity. Now theres a new
take, in that youre running a Vegas
den. Get the thumb-splints out.
8 Assassins Creed
Pirates
free / iOS, Android
ACP gets a new episode, entitled
Cold Blood, which is set in the Arctic
Sea. Brrrrr. Sorry, that wasnt us
shivering at the sight of icebergs,
it was the idea of facing a new round
of in-app purchase demands.
3 FaceFusion
from free / iOS
Its creepy enough that this games
marketeers suggest mixing your
face with that of a celebrity. But
not nearly as creepy as mixing your
face with that of your pet, and not
nearly as ROFL-inducing. Tweet
your best efforts to @stuffTV.
6 Gravity Flipper
free / Android
Tap to reverse gravity. Try not to
die. Not only a succinct intro for
a tricksy, monochromatic, Flappy
Bird-generation scroller, but also
a fine concept for a film. Or maybe
a difficult-to-insure replacement
for Laser Tag.
9 Cord
free / iOS
Cord lets you share voice messages
with friends or groups of friends.
We used to call it conversation,
your dad will say. Or, if hes a geek,
hell launch into a diatribe about
the failure of Push-To-Talk phones.
Either way, yawn.
This months mobile must-downloads
2.99 / iOS
In this centenary year, World
War One things have been
popping up all over the place,
but one of the most heart-
warming was Ubisofts Valiant
Hearts and now its available
for iOS, albeit in IAP chapters.
You play different characters
from different aspects of the
war and help them with their
differing struggles.
APP SPOTLIGHT
VALIANT
HEARTS: THE
GREAT WAR
1
Pioneer.electronics
PIONEER FREEME SPEAKERS ARE THE PERFECT
CHOICE FOR PORTABLE SOUND ALL AROUND.
Small and lightweight enough to t in your bag, the
FREEme is the perfect music accessory to take along for
gatherings, as the smart and effective 360 circle sound
design allows listeners to sit wherever they please.
Bringing style to your sound, the LF1 FREEme speakers
come with a rubberised nish and a choice of three
colours; aqua blue, white and black, whilst the LF3
@PioneerUK
speakers come in a genuine leather nish, with a
choice of a Tan or black.
Its not hard to play your favourite tracks out loud, the
FREEme speakers have built in Bluetooth

and work
with simple NFC one touch pairing, for quick and easy
music playback. If thats not enough, the speakers
come with a built in microphone for hands free calling
from the click of a button!
Begin the journey at www.pioneer.co.uk/freeme
Portable Bluetooth Speaker
The Bluetooth word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use
of such mark by Pioneer Corporation is under license.
44
which dropped
15 products this
month. We quite
like these three:
YAMAHA
R-N301
Wed auction off our collection of
BNIB Robosapiens to get ourselves
a couple of steps up the range of
Yamaha A-S high-design hi-fi
separates. This isnt even really an
A-S product, but its got that kind of
Japanese Bauhaus aesthetic and that
N in the name refers to Network, this
being one of Yamahas connected amps.
DLNA, Spotify streaming and dedicated
app control are all on-board, along
with the good old stuff like a phono
stage and buttons that go clunk.
260 /uk.yamaha.com
LSX-170
The trend for pretty lights shows no sign
of passing. Whether its smart lightbulb
sockets or cameras with LEDs built
into the grip, or Kickstarted pseudo-
Ambilight LEDs to stick to the back
of your TV, well take it all. Yamahas
latest Relit products stay blessedly clear
of the garish end of this market, content
to be just a mains-powered desktop
speaker that just happens to have
app-controllable lights on-board.
Bluetooth, natch, and theres a
portable one, the LSX-70.
360 /uk.yamaha.com
TSX-B15D
Remember the opening scene of Back
To The Future as it pans slowly around
a room full of clocks, all set to exactly the
same time? Well, that, but with modern
Bluetooth-streaming, DAB-receiving
alarm clocks. A whole room of them!
Roberts, Revo, Pure, Goodmans, and
this one from Yamaha that looks like its
half-sunk into the tabletop. Its got Apt-X
Bluetooth and an aux-in socket, but the
bad news is that the UK website is only
showing the black and white versions
and not the glorious colours you see here.
120 /uk.yamaha.com
TIME FOR DAB MORE GO THAN GLOW SMART AND SHINY
B E S O T F
45
Get your own back
MOTOROLA MOTO X
The Moto X wont win any spec wars. No world firsts or
gimmicks either. But Motorolas new flagship smartphone
will wiggle its way into your shortlist anyway. How? With
a gorgeous new 5.2in Full HD display, a 13MP camera
with a ring flash and lest we forget even more
customisation than last years X. The front is either
black or white, but you can choose from 25 different
materials for the rear, including real leathers and woods.
You also get ten choices of accent colour and the option
to engrave a name or message on the back. All for a score
over 400 its definitely worth a look.
420 / motorola.com
A smorgasbord of in-car tech
VOLVO XC90
Volvos new XC90 is the figurehead of its refreshed, hi-tech
and still Swedish design direction. Those fancy LEDs and the
simplified front grille, for example, plus the hybrid 60g/km CO2
engine. But lets go inside: the dashboard has a new tablet-like
Sensus infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto with Nuance-powered voice recognition. Theres
a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and, should you
be distracted by it, theres a brace of sensors and radar working
to avoid peds and cyclists as well as other cars. Makes a Range
Rover look like an over-priced tractor, doesnt it?
tba / volvocars.com
Be king of the swingers
SONY SMART TENNIS SENSOR
They say the CIA can reconstruct your conversations
using an office object, turning vibrations into a waveform
of you slagging off your manager. Knowing this makes
a sensor that only tells you that you hit a ball seem
underwhelming. Until you learn it can measure where
on the strings you hit the ball, along with swing and ball
speed. It knows its forehand smash from its backhand
slice, and all the stats can either be saved or viewed in
real time via an Android or iOS app.
US$200 / sony.co.uk
H S O T F T U F
46
V I T A L
S T A T S
Casio Exilim EX-FR10
50,000 (approx 290) / casio.com
ONE, TWO, BUCKLE
MY CAMERAROO
A detachable,
Bluetooth-linked
screen saves your
phones battery life
O Having it all
Ask anyone the world is full
of haves and have-nots. Take the
GoPro HD Hero: surprisingly, its
a have-not, because it has no
built-in screen. Dont be sad, its
also a squillionaire. Now look at
Garmins VIRB, a new(ish) have
with a fancy colour screen. Oooh.
O Best of both worlds
Now lets look at this Casio you
can stop looking at the other two,
theyre not going anywhere. The
EX-FR10 manages to be that
rarest of things, a have and
a have-not. Its 2in 230k-dot
screen, which can sit in line with
the lens or be folded around
the back, can also be removed
and used via Bluetooth as a
waterproof remote control. Itll
hold an image up to five metres
from the lens, but continue to act
as a shutter button 10m away.
O Screen there, done that
But now the waters will be muddied
by someone pointing out that,
while the GoPro have-not got
a screen, it have the ability
to connect to your phone. Quite
right: it is by hook and by crook
both a have and a have-not. To
which we reply: so is the Casio,
thanks to a free Exilim app.
O Specs appeal
But is it actually better, this Casio?
It has a 21mm equivalent focal
length, with an f/2.8 aperture.
A 1/2.3in CMOS sensor records
14MP stills and 1080p video to
microSD cards and Casio says
its battery will last 75 minutes of
action shooting. But action cams
cant be judged on specs alone. Its
only out in the mud and the mire,
the sand and the surf, that they
show their true colours. So well
endeavour to do just that, the
minute the EX-FR10 makes
its way over from Japan.
This aint no two-bit,
me-too action camera.
Oh, wait, it is two-bit.
As in two bits
47
H S O T F T U F
VS
Speaker easy
PURE JONGO X SERIES
The Jongo system isnt shiny and new like Denon HEOS,
but the X marks a refresh. Theres the coolly refreshing
ice-coloured speaker grille on the white speakers, but
more refreshing still are the tweaks theyve been given
by the boffins in Pures R&D department. The setup
process has been simplified, and thanks to Pures Caskeid
technology the whole Jongo system can now intelligently
pick up on what you were last playing and resume it when
youre back in the room. As multiroom systems go, Pure
continues to win the value-for-money gong.
from 100 / pure.com
Level best
DENON HEOS
Heos, the Greek god of wireless multiroom audio, has
sided with Denon to create a set-up thats aimed squarely
at (and slightly pricier than) Sonos. There are three types,
with increasingly sophisticated speaker set-ups but the
same connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet or aux-in, with an
iOS/Android app in control. The 3 stands horizontally
or vertically, the 5 and 7 on their longer edge. Theres
also the HEOS Amp and the Link, with line-level outputs
for your own amp, while the Extend creates a bridge
connection for the further reaches of your mansion.
from 250 / denon.co.uk
The months best concepts, start-ups,
crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas
Some people think like dogs. See, most
people look at a GoPro on a stick and think
about the footage. People who think like dogs
look at a GoPro on a stick and think about the
stick. Thats exactly what the guys (or
possibly dogs) at Polar Pro did, and thats
when they thought about filling the stick with
batteries to make your GoPro (and other
gadgets) last longer. Clever boy.
One for you science-o-philes, this kit contains
all the bits you need to levitate light objects
using soundwaves. An amusing enough
diversion for a wet weekend, but it forms the
basis of a theory that could lead to perpetual
motion, the resultant destruction of the
energy industry and the demise of the human
race as we know it. Maybe.
This dinky little device has two 3.5mm
inputs and one output, so it will let you
crossfade tracks between two devices,
with the resultant noise heading straight
to your hi-fi or PA system. Doesnt have
to be two songs youre mixing, either. You
could have one phone with music on and
another with one of the many DJ effects
apps out there.
START MENU
OPENMIX
35 / myopenmix.com
ULTRASONIC
LEVITATION MACHINE
US$120 / soniclevitation.com
POWERPOLE
US$130 / polarprofilters.com
Funded (Kickstarter) Seeking funding (Kickstarter) Funded (Kickstarter)
Fade to great Thumbing a lift Action stations
Status Status Status
What the past 30 days have brought us by way of geekery
OUR MONTH
48
H S O T F T U F
I RODE A
116MPH
LAWN-
MOWER
and I didnt
do a Hammond.
Honda invited me
to Donington Park
for a go on its
record-breaking
grass-cutter and,
while I may not
quite have earned
a spot in Guinnesss
book, you can read
all about my ride
on stuff.tv
I DIDNT
REALISE THE
TESLA WAS
SO LOUD
The deep guttural
roar of its electric
engine was so
brutal and enticing
that I just had to
pop the hood and
check what was
under it. Turned
out to be quite
a surprise. Watch
the vine here:
bit.ly/stufftesla
I GOT A
LITTLE
SMITTEN
with the detailed
map of Londons
train lines at
carto.metro.free.fr
there were
undoubtedly better
things I could have
been doing than
figuring out how
many platforms of
how many stations
I had been to.
I LISTENED
TO MUSIC
LIKE AN
OLIGARCH
on Vertus 490
new V headphones.
They even smell
exclusive, wrapped
in hand-stitched
lambs leather. And
they sound great,
as you might expect
with the design
assisted by B&O.
Youd swear Cliff
was in the room.
I COOKED UP
A PLAYLIST
quite literally,
with the brilliant
Biolite CampStove.
Its ability to convert
twig-based fire into
electricity meant
it simultaneously
cooked my pasta
and powered my
campfire songs
during a trip to
Snowdonia. Even
the sheep were
impressed.
Tom Wiggins
deputy editor /
lawnmower man
Ross Presly
deputy art editor /
confused greaser
Fraser Macdonald
consulting editor /
station spotter
Mark Wilson
features editor /
caveman 2.0
I SAW A
MOTO 360
EXPLODE
OK, it had already
exploded/been
carefully dismantled
with all its custom
circular parts on
display. I snuck
behind the scenes
at Motorolas new
Chicago HQ to
see the squares
and squircles it
rejected before
striking design
gold with the 360.
Sophia Charara
reviewer /
360 viewer
Stephen Graves
stuff.tv deputy ed /
easy listener
03
30
31
21
20
27
Upcoming cultural highlights: collect all six and win a prize! But without the prize
50

HAYFEST
Hayfield,
Derbyshire
Either the last
hurrah of summer
or the first, more
building-based
festival of winter,
depending on your
circumstances.
Either way, this
civilised riot of
music and beer
(including Andy
Fairweather Low,
above) should be
a laid-back delight.
THE
TELEGRAPH
SKI AND
SNOWBOARD
SHOW
Ignore the fact that
you havent booked
a snowsports
holiday yet and
instead focus on
spending a whole
wodge on the latest
gear. This show at
Earls Court 2 is just
the place to do it.
SUNSET
OVERDRIVE
No need to buy a
Halloween costume,
because youll not
be going anywhere.
As long as you
clicked release day
delivery on your
Sunset Overdrive
order, youll be
melting your brain
with technicolour
third-person
craziness.
THE ABYSS
BEYOND
DREAMS
Peter F Hamilton
O, for the wings
of a dove! sang
someone, striking
fear into doves
everywhere. Here,
though, its more:
O, for 750 pages
of the first book
in a new series
by a British sci-fi
superstar!
MARVELS
AGENTS OF
S.H.I.E.L.D.
SEASON 1
Perhaps you were
never in during the
shows airings, or
maybe your Sky+
box was faulty, or
perhaps you didnt
watch it on 4oD.
Whatever, now you
can buy this on DVD
and Blu-ray and
perhaps get it all
down you before
Season 2 begins.
GODZILLA
Not monstery
enough! Too
monstery!
All the possible
accusations were
flung at acclaimed
British director
Gareth Edwards
Next Big Project.
Now we can watch
it again at home
getting the surround
speakers out and
see if we were just
a bit over-excited.
H S O F T F U F T
W I N
53
WIN A NIKON D5300 SLR KIT & NIKKOR
18-300MM LENS WORTH OVER 1500
Its not so long ago that, having taken the only
ever pictures of an actual living pixie on your
SLR, youd be in a race to the nearest Snappy
Snaps to get the film developed and posted off
in time to meet that weeks Practical Pixie print
deadline. Then everything went digital, and your
only worry was finding the right USB cable to get
the photos onto your PC. And then came Wi-Fi
cameras, letting you upload pictures directly to
your smartphone and if you were an actual
living pixie, the one youd choose to be captured
with is the Nikon D5300 (RRP 680).
Offering built-in Wi-Fi plus GPS, the D5300
is a 24.2MP digital SLR with powerful low-light
performance and vari-angle monitor, and comes
with an 18-55mm VRII lens. Add a top-quality
zoom to the package such as Nikons AF-S
DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR, worth
850 and youve no excuse for not getting
those tiny pixie wings pin-sharp.
HOW TO ENTER
For a chance to win this 1500-plus bundle
of instantly connected SLR swankiness,
just go to stuff.tv/win and answer
the following question:
WHICH OF THESE IS A FEATURE
OF THE NIKON D5300?
A Built-in Wi-Fi
B Built-in tie-dye
C Built-in kitchen cupboards,
including a handy cutlery drawer
Find out more at nikon.co.uk
HURRY!
COMPETITION
CLOSES
12 NOVEMBER
2014
Terms & conditions 1 Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
2 Entries close: 11.59pm on 12 November 2014. 3 Prize is as stated.
4 Prizes are non-transferable. 5 Only one entry per person.
6 For full Haymarket terms and conditions see: www.stuff.tv/legal
Promoter: Haymarket Media Group, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9BE
Ab
N
O
D
E
/

W
i
r
e
l
e
s
s

/

M
u
l
t
i
-
r
o
o
m

/

S
t
r
e
a
m
i
n
g

/

M
u
s
i
c

P
l
a
y
e
r
P
U
L
S
E
/

W
i
r
e
l
e
s
s

/

M
u
l
t
i
-
r
o
o
m

/

S
t
r
e
a
m
i
n
g

/

M
u
s
i
c

P
l
a
y
e
r
/

3
5
b
i
t

8
4
4

k
H
z

D
A
C
/

A
l
l
-
i
n
-
o
n
e

p
l
a
y
e
r

w
/
s
p
e
a
k
e
r
s
BLUESOUND IS THE SOUND OF LIVING HIFI
BLUESOUND is a 24-bit native, pure-digital streaming music player
ecosystem designed and engineered by audiophiles. Our total dedication
to sonic performance is matched only by our deep love of music.
24/192 NATIVE / ARM CORTEX A8 PROCESSORS / ASYNCHRONOUS USB INPUT / WIFI / IOS & ANDROID APPS
LEARN MORE ABOUT #LIVINGHIFI AT BLUESOUND.COM
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT SEVENOAKS SOUND & VISION STORES
55
INNOVATORS
SUPERHEROES
OF TECH
They range from VR revolutionaries to vinyl pioneers, and theyve
given us everything from hoverbikes to robot servants. Its time to
meet the Stuff Innovators of 2014: our pick of the geniuses who
are going beyond ordinary geekdom to remake the modern world
STUFF INNOVATORS 2014
With a little help
from our friends
Sometimes its
nice to get a fresh
viewpoint, so we
asked our friends
at Dezeen and NME
to give us their
thoughts on our
Innovators. Keep
an eye out for them.
[ Illustrations Rich Kelly ]
LIFE
INNOVATORS
56
Creating helpful
and sociable robots
The day I started my doctorate
at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Breazeal
tells us, was the same day
NASA landed the Sojourner
robot on Mars. I knew we were
sending robots into oceans
and volcanoes and space, but
where were they in the human
environment? In looking for
the answer, she created a field
called social robotics, and its
one she says will bring about
the next big tech revolution.
Computers used to be
very expensive, and only a
few specially trained people
knew how to use them, until
someone asked: What would
it mean to have one of these on
CYNTHIA BREAZEAL MITS PERSONAL ROBOTS GROUP
Here to help
Jibo cant pour
you drinks but you
can get it to remind
you to buy more gin
when you finish
the bottle.
Beady eyes
Jibo also has two
cameras, so make sure
you cover your mouth
if youre plotting to
shut it down, HAL-style.
every desk, in every home?
The robotic answer, says
Breazeal, is Jibo.
Robots are so different to
all the slabs and boxes we use
today. They experience the
world around us, and they
push all kinds of psychological
buttons in us. At MIT, weve
found again and again that
people are more successful
at achieving their goals when
theyre using a robot rather
than a screen.
Jibo, she believes, will
connect you and co-ordinate
you in your family life. Its like
having someone helping you,
rather than having a tool that
you use. Your smartphone is a
camera Jibo is a cameraman.
Its not an individual device, its
a family hub. Its a new kind of
assistant. It doesnt need to be
able to pick things up, or walk
up and down stairs its a
humanised interface for all your
other personal technologies.
Its logical its what happens
beyond screens.
It seems the internet agrees:
at the time of printing, Jibos
Indiegogo campaign had met
its goal 20 times over. Look
out for this little guy (and his
inventor) in December 2015.
57
INNOVATORS
Fadell took one of the most
under-exploited domestic
products the thermostat
and made it exciting (and
himself rich in the process).
He now promises to do the
same with other household
gadgets, leaving designers
kicking themselves for
not thinking of it first.
Entrepreneur Fadell made
his name at Apple, where he
was a key member of the
team that developed the
iPod. He later founded Nest
Labs with the somewhat
unlikely aim of doing for
thermostats and smoke
detectors what the MP3
player did for music. Nests
products are easy to use and
remember your preferences,
turning the heating down
when youre not at home
and learning how long it
takes to reach your preferred
temperature, so it can then
turn it up again when youre
on your way back, thereby
saving money on fuel bills.
Marcus Fairs, DEZEEN
Its one thing to build a new
camera, but Ren and his
team at Lytro are after a
more ambitious prize: a new
kind of photography. Since
the early 19th century, every
photograph has been a flat,
passive print. Lytro pictures
are not meant to be printed
theyre active digital
images that you can refocus
or change the perspective
of while youre viewing
them. The engineering that
has gone into the Illum is
fiendishly complex that
large, versatile 30-250mm
f/2 lens contains thousands
of microlenses that capture
not just light, but which
direction the lights coming
from, allowing the processor
to build an image in a process
called computational
photography (a phrase
that makes you 8% more
of a geek just by saying it).
Its early days for Lytro, but
this could be the most
important camera since
the Box Brownie.
As role models go, Batman
isnt a bad one. As far as we
know, Emily Brooke of Blaze
doesnt dress up in a cape
in the evenings and take
to the streets of London
to fight crime, but she has
mimicked the Dark Knights
bat signal for the Laserlight.
It looks pretty much like any
other bike light albeit one
encased in aluminium
but turn it on and it also
projects a laser onto the
road five metres in front of
your bike, forming a green
bicycle shape instead of
Batmans logo. As 79% of
collisions with cars occur
when a driver turns across
an unseen cyclist, the
Laserlight increases their
visibility. The batterys
smart too. It wont turn on
unless its in the special
bracket, and when its
nearly dead itll switch to
a low-energy mode that
lasts four hours, so youll
never be stranded miles
from home without lights.
Sometimes it feels like
the world could do with
a real-life version of Halos
Master Chief, but for now
the closest were going to
get is Cortana. Named after
and voiced by John-117s
ever-present AI helper
from the multi-million-
selling Xbox games, Cortana
is Windows Phones answer
to Siri or Google Now with
a little extra added on top. As
well as simple web searches
and most standard phone
functions, Cortana can
attach reminders to other
actions, so next time you go
to phone your mum Cortana
will nudge you to politely ask
about the cat. Over time
shell learn more about
you, adding details to
a notebook full of your
vitals that shell use to
offer more targeted help.
With the Xbox One and
Windows 8 (or 9) the
obvious next steps for
Cortana, expect to hear her
voice a lot more in the future.
Banishing tweeting
fridges to smart
home obscurity
Making
photographs
come alive
Protecting
cyclists on the
road after dark
Bringing a touch
of sci-fi to your
daily routine
TONY FADELL
NEST
REN NG
LYTRO ILLUM
EMILY BROOKE
BLAZE LASERLIGHT
CORTANA
WINDOWS PHONE

LIFE CONT.
INNOVATORS
58
Saving the world
one solar panel
at a time
Solving the need
for constant
charging
Teaching
the whole world
how to code
Making 3D printing
affordable enough
for the home
Reinventing the
smartwatch
Aside from blowing ourselves
up or being trampled on by
a planet-sized space puppy,
the biggest threat to Earth is
climate change. Repowering
London wants to get local
communities using
renewable energy sources
so they can limit their impact
on the environment. Either
that or they want to develop
a new kind of solar-powered
weapon to ward off that
intergalactic canine menace.
One or the other.
In a few years time,
your gadgets wont need
to plug into the wall. Theyll
get their energy like they get
their information from
a wireless router. In cafes
and libraries and train
stations, Hatem Zeines
crafty Cota boxes will
feed power through the air
to any gadget within range,
and your battery will never
run out. Well, until you go
camping, but hotels are
much nicer anyway.
If you want to be mega-
rich these days theres no
point in trying to become
a rock star youre better
off learning how to code and
writing something to sell
to Facebook for US$400bn.
Kathryn Parsons Decoded
can help you with the first
bit, running courses to
teach you all you need
to know in a single day. Its
too bad theres no equivalent
course to deal with the
second bit, really.
In an attempt to
actually make 3D printing
mainstream, Steve Schell
and New Matter have
created the Mod-T,
a US$280 Wi-Fi 3D printer.
The Wi-Fis there so you can
access and operate it easily
from a browser or phone,
but the real strength is the
cost. At that price, its within
reach of almost anyone who
fancies messing about with
micro-manufacturing while
they catch up on EastEnders.
On the, er, face of it, making a watch round
doesnt seem that revolutionary. But when
Motorola unveiled its circular Moto 360 it was
distinct in a world of square-faced smartwatches,
all informed by the phones they were designed
to work with, rather than the timekeepers they
were replacing. But Motos first Android Wear
device took the opposite approach. Lead
designer Jim Wicks said: Time has always been
represented by a circle, from the sundial to the
pocket watch, and 85% of watches sold in the
world are round; we didnt want to make
consumers change for this tech. The Moto 360
has proved that smartwatches can be beautiful,
sharing equal amounts of DNA with high-end
timepieces as well as the phone in your pocket.
And its still only generation one
AGAMEMNON OTERO
REPOWERING LONDON
HATEM ZEINE
COTA BY OSSIA
KATHRYN PARSONS
DECODED
STEVE SCHELL
NEW MATTER
JIM WICKS MOTOROLA
Wristy business
There are extra
faces for the 360
on Google Play,
including one that
looks like 007s
watch in GoldenEye
READ THE REVIEW P72
59
INNOVATORS
Printing
your way
to prettiness
Invading your
house with
sensor ninjas
Creating the
chip to end
all chips
Breaking
crowdfunding
records
Supporting student
engineers
Mink is a different, and
possibly more useful,
kind of 3D printer: it prints
makeup. By giving you the
freedom to print any colour
you find on the internet and
cutting out the giant global
brands that make a fortune
selling the same stuff in a
slightly different tube, Mink
could save you money and
make your face look nice.
For non-makeup-wearers,
try the BurritoBot
(seriously, it does exist).
There are a number of
companies vying to pack
your home with sensors,
but Ninja Blocks has the
nattiest gear so far: the
Ninjasphere. This
alien-looking swoop
of tech is the brain for
your smarthome, and
can automate heating and
lighting, save power, keep
an eye on security and
even thank you, sweet
ninja-thing tell you
where your car keys are.
You might not have heard of
The Hossmeister, as we like
to call him, but this British
engineer has had a hand in
most gadgets youve ever
bought. If youve ever used a
smartphone, tablet, console,
DAB or TV (you have),
youve used Imaginations
chips. His latest trick is
Caskeid wireless tech that
can create Sonos-style
multiroom systems from
devices made by different
manufacturers. Neat.
In 2008, when the first
3G iPhone was a newborn,
Eric Migicovsky was already
designing the wearable. By
chopping some bits out of
a Nokia 3300 and soldering
them to an Arduino, he
created a low-power
smartwatch that allowed
him to receive messages
and updates while cycling to
college. Four years later, his
consumer version the
Pebble smashed every
Kickstarter record.
Most of the robots being developed around
the world are not the kind of robots youd want
to share a lounge with. Theyre often a bit big,
and some of them are a bit military. Thankfully,
Britains most inventive billionaire is also a keen
supporter of student and startup engineers,
and he recently announced that Dyson is
funding a new lab at Imperial College where
a more obliging species of robot will be created.
Like Dysons new 360 Eye robo-vac, theyll have
sophisticated robo-vision that will allow them
to accomplish tasks like doing the laundry or
clearing the table without getting in your way.
Of course, a future in which youre waited upon
by electric slaves wont come without the
occasional robot uprising, but as long as
theyve done their chores first, thats fine.
GRACE CHOI
MINK MAKEUP PRINTER
DANIEL FRIEDMAN
NINJA BLOCKS
SIR HOSSEIN YASSAIE
IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES
ERIC MIGICOVSKY
PEBBLE
SIR JAMES DYSON DYSON
Look around you
Dysons 360 Eye
travelled 1080km
during testing on a
rolling road thats
a lot of crumbs
DESIGN
INNOVATORS
60
Inventing a new
way to interact with
technology
Driving our road
networks into
the future
Inventing
the modular
smartphone
Creating a leaf that
could take us all
the way to Mars
Massachusetts Institute
of Technology professor
Hiroshi Ishii is responsible for
Transform a 21st-century
version of one of those
Pin Art toys you saw
in The Gadget Shop in the
90s. The difference is this
one can render the physical
form of something digital,
or recreate the shape of
an item scanned with a
Kinect sensor, so you can
effectively send physical
objects over the internet.
While Marty McFlys future
didnt require roads, ours
will but they wont look like
the potholed spine-rattlers
youre used to driving down.
Daan Roosegaarde has
designed a new road
network with glowing
markings, lanes designated
for electric cars, and paint
that responds to the
weather conditions to warn
drivers if its likely to be icy.
With roads like that, Marty
might just change his mind.
Dave Hakkens has shown
how a good idea combined
with strong networking skills
can make big waves without
any investment. He created
his concept for a modular
mobile phone in 2013. Before
hed even graduated, it had
16 million views on YouTube
and led to collaboration
with Motorolas Project Ara,
which aims to develop an
open-source hardware
platform for smartphones.
Marcus Fairs, DEZEEN
Now were not saying
astronauts will ride the
Silk Leaf into outer space,
but it could hold the key to
long-distance space travel.
Melchiorri has managed to
suspend chloroplasts (the
bits of a leaf that turn the
suns energy into oxygen)
in hardy synthetic foliage
that could survive space
and theoretically provide
breathable air above the
range of standard storage
tanks. To infinity
HIROSHI ISHII
TRANSFORM
DAAN ROOSEGAARDE
SMART HIGHWAY
DAVE HAKKENS
PHONEBLOKS
JULIAN MELCHIORRI
THE SILK LEAF
Putting the luxury into
life-tracking
FRDRIC LINTZ WITHINGS
Many people consider their watch to be an item of
jewellery rather than an extension of their phone.
With its elegantly minimal analogue face, Activit is
the first truly beautiful smartwatch and proves that
advanced tech and hand-tooled leather straps are
not mutually exclusive. The product was designed
by Frdric Lintz of French designers Eliumstudio
for Withings, which makes a range of activity, sleep
and health-monitoring products. Like other trackers,
the watch measures steps, calories, distance and
sleep patterns; but rather than the usual Star Trek
aesthetic, the Swiss-made Activit features a
classic stainless steel face with pared-down hands
and hour markings. A second, smaller analogue dial
discreetly displays progress towards your goal
pretty retro in comparison to gaudier animations.
Marcus Fairs, DEZEEN
Health and tasty
Withings Activit
is proof that
activity trackers
dont have to
make you look like
youre on parole
WATCH, LISTEN, PLAY
INNOVATORS
62
Leading the
VR revolution
When most teenagers lock
themselves away in their
parents garage, theyre
normally guzzling illicit booze
and fags, not working on the
prototype of a device thatll
eventually convince Mark
Zuckerberg to part with
US$2 billion. But Palmer Luckey
wasnt like most teenagers,
experimenting with Tesla coils
and lasers in his spare time.
Now 22, hes founder of Oculus
and inventor of the Rift, making
him almost single-handedly
responsible for the resurgence
of virtual reality.
Since the Rift was unveiled
in 2012 weve seen headsets
from PlayStation, Samsung, LG
PALMER LUCKEY OCULUS
and a whole raft of start-ups,
but Luckey welcomes the
competition: It lets people
know that VR isnt just this
thing that one crazy company
believes in, he told Stuff at
this years E3 gaming show.
Its something that a lot of
companies, even really big
ones, believe in.
That includes Facebook,
Oculus new owner. And while
some of the companys early
backers felt betrayed by this
selling out its only thanks
to the deal that Oculus will be
able to sell the Rift at cost price
when it eventually goes on
general sale. Itll also be smaller
and lighter than the DK2, with
a wider field of view, higher
frame rate and more pixels
crammed into the display.
This is only the beginning.
Luckey sees a future beyond
gaming for virtual reality:
I think that VR has the
capability to replace almost
all the screens we use on a
daily basis. Lets go way into
the future and imagine its built
into something that just looks
like a normal pair of glasses.
Why would you have a phone
instead of that? Why indeed,
Mr Luckey.
On me ead
Alongside the
headset, the DK2
comes with a
separate camera
for positional
head tracking.
Ready, aim, fire!
EVE: Valkyrie allows
you to use Oculus
Rift to aim your
weapons, just like
an Apache gunship
A fresh perspective
The DK2 offers
960x1080 pixels
per eye with
reduced latency
to prevent
VR sickness
63
INNOVATORS
For a man whos had lead
roles in films as big as
The Lord Of The Rings, King
Kong and the recent Planet
Of The Apes reboot, the real
Andy Serkis spends very
little time on screen.
Whenever he appears
its as a computer-
generated primate or
jewellery-obsessed goblin
with a combover. Serkis is
an actor who doesnt just
inhabit other characters but
becomes entirely different
species, and, thanks to his
world-leading motion
capture studio The
Imaginarium, hes pushing it
to places cinema has never
been before. With each
performance, Serkis adds
another level of something
thats been missing from
CGI-heavy films for so long:
humanity. Its got to the
point that hes being tipped
for an Oscar for his portrayal
of chief ape Caesar. Hell also
have a not-yet-named role in
JJ Abrams Star Wars movie.
Londons Imogen Heap
rose to prominence
in 2005 as the sort of
popstress youd hear as the
credits rolled on a TV teen
drama, later scoring an
international smash with
croony torch song What
You Say. Another Dido, the
music press chimed at once,
dismissively. Not so, thanks
to Heaps cutting-edge
development of music ware.
In 2011, she debuted a pair of
gloves that use in-built MIDI
controllers remotely linked
up to keyboards and synths
to allow her to create
soundscapes dictated by
her hand gestures. Its
the sort of thing seen in
experimental electronica
communities Bristol sound
artist Shitmat was known
for taping Nintendo Wii
controllers to his hands for
a similar use before retiring in
2012 but Heap is dragging
this technology thrillingly
into the mainstream.
Al Horner, NME
If you think virtual reality
is just about gaming, stick
your head inside an Oculus
Rift and let Jaunt show you
otherwise. Tom Annau is just
one of three founders of the
cinematic VR company but it
was his trip to Zion National
Park in Utah that inspired
the idea of headset
escapism. Filmed with
special camera arrays that
provide a dome of footage
around your head, Jaunts
more-than-360 movies
arent just for virtual tourism:
movie directors are already
investigating ways to use
VR to put you right inside
their story. Allowing the
viewer to look around inside
a scene means fundamental
changes to the way films are
made, and with people from
Dolby, Sky, IMAX and 20th
Century Fox on the board at
Jaunt it wont be long before
youre picking up a VR
headset at the pictures
to go with your popcorn,
pick n mix and large Coke.
One minute Sean Murrays
Hello Games was the tiny
studio that created cartoon
stuntman Joe Danger; the
next it was showing off
a space exploration game
with an infinitely expanding
collection of procedurally
generated planets (with
dinosaurs). That means
every planet you land on
in No Mans Sky is unique,
experiencing its own Big
Bang that dictates what
everything from the
weather to the wildlife will
be like for people who land
there. Whatever you do on
that planet will affect the
experience of it for other
players, although the
universe is so massive
youre unlikely to ever
encounter another human
explorer. Instead No Mans
Sky is about being a
bona-fide adventurer and
discovering worlds never
seen before. With game
development, Sean Murrays
doing exactly the same.
Breathing
humanity
into CGI
Bringing
technology to
live performance
Taking virtual
reality to the
multiplex
Creating a
game the size
of the universe
ANDY SERKIS
THE IMAGINARIUM
IMOGEN HEAP
THE GLOVES
TOM ANNAU
JAUNT
SEAN MURRAY
HELLO GAMES
[

2
0
t
h

C
e
n
t
u
r
y

F
o
x
-
C
h
e
r
n
i
n

E
n
t
e
r
t
a
i
n
m
e
n
t

2
0
1
4

]
INNOVATORS
WATCH, LISTEN, PLAY CONT.
64
Adding
imagination to
mobile games
Teaching tech
to go along to
a new tune
Leading
the Netflix
revolution
Transforming the
first-person gaming
experience
Making vinyl essential for
music lovers (again)
Mobile games dont need to
be mindless money-makers
with a lifespan shorter than
a suicidal mayfly. Simogos
CV includes Year Walk and
Device 6 two games that
are about as far removed
from Flappy Bird as you get
with the latter in particular
using the movement of your
iThing to tell the story. Expect
similarly smart narrative
tricks from the teams next
game, The Sailors Dream.
The musical keyboard hasnt
changed for centuries, even
though the tech has evolved
spectacularly since the time
of felt-covered hammers
hitting strings. Then Roland
Lamb created a spongy,
pressure-sensitive keyboard
that responds to gestures,
letting you alter pitch and
timbre with your fingers. Its
at the front of a movement
turning once-dumb boxes
into extensions of the body.
Marcus Fairs, DEZEEN
Kevin Spaceys political
drama isnt just approved
by Barack Obama; its been
instrumental in changing the
way we watch TV. The first
A-lister to throw his weight
behind internet-only TV,
Spacey proved with his
House Of Cards remake that
the most exciting new shows
werent necessarily on
primetime TV. With Netflix
also showcasing 4K, it looks
as if Franks success was
just the beginning.
The thing about first-person
shooters is you normally
spend all your time shooting
stuff. But Alien Isolation isnt
like most first-person
shooters. The games
creative lead Alistair Hope,
er, hopes to breathe new
life into the largely stale
genre by shifting the focus
to xenomorph-fuelled
tension, rather than carefree
fragging. The aliens clever,
too. It adapts its strategies
after each encounter
There are probably tribesmen in the Amazon
more au fait with modern tech than Jack White,
who swears by analogue recording techniques,
has performed to a backdrop of 50s tellies and
once decried anything with a computer chip in
it to be a destroyer of emotion and truth.
Presumably he goes on tour in a horse-drawn
cart. Anyways, all this is not to say the former
White Stripe isnt still breaking new ground. This
years Lazaretto became the biggest-selling
vinyl in 20 years thanks to wax savants who
turned the Ultra version of the record into a sort
of grouchy blues Rubiks Cube of discovery. Play
the record at different RPMs and youll unearth
hidden songs. Strip back the LPs centre labels
and youll find further surprises too.
Al Horner, NME
SIMON FLESSER & MAGNUS
GORDON GARDEBCK
SIMOGO
ROLAND LAMB
ROLI
KEVIN SPACEY
HOUSE OF CARDS
ALISTAIR HOPE
THE CREATIVE ASSEMBLY
JACK WHITE LAZARETTO ULTRA LP
White noise
Who says only CDs
can have secret
tracks? JWs Ultra
LP is stuffed with
things to discover
65
ORS INNOVATO
Giving us VR
everywhere
and anywhere
Creating the
YouTube of
new music
Building a
human-sized
joystick
Making
blockbusters
great again
Telling a compelling
story within a game
What people often forget
about virtual reality is that
you need to tether your
chosen headset to a fairly
rip-snorting PC. Ed Masons
GameFace crams everything
into one face-mounted unit,
including a 2.5K display,
Android OS and Tegra K1
graphics processor that
you wouldnt even find in the
latest phones. The dream of
playing VR Bus Driver on the
top deck of the 155 takes
another step towards reality.
Its obvious when you think
about it, but only Alex Ljung
and Eric Wahlforss did
anything about it: a website,
app and social network for
musicians to upload their
tunes to without a shady
record label exec in sight.
Nowadays its used by the
whole industry to give sneak
previews, by young hopefuls
to showcase what they can
do, and by the rest of us to
listen to music for free.
What does the joystick of
the future look like? Well, a
bit like you. As a graduate of
the same school as Palmer
Luckey, Survios founder
James Iliff has created an
as-yet-unfinished wearable
controller that allows you to
navigate a VR game simply
by walking around within
the systems magnetic
field, with specific actions
such as gun-toting and
zombie-hacking dealt with
by Wii-style controllers.
With Michael Bay doing
his best to lobotomise the
blockbuster once and for all,
Gareth Edwards has shown
that action movies dont
need to be idiotic. After
making Monsters on a
shoestring, his Godzilla
reboot was a superbly
pitched rescue mission
of the legendary beasts
reputation, earning him
the opportunity to make
a sequel. Perhaps the new
Star Wars wont be so bad.
If anyone tells you games cant tell proper
stories, sit them down in front of a PS4 and fire
up The Last Of Us Remastered. Naughty Dogs
Neil Druckmann wrote it, and in a world where
the zombie apocalypse has become something
of a clich, his story of two survivors one of
whom may hold the key to a cure is as fresh as
a new bite wound. Its more 28 Days Later than
Resident Evil: Extinction, with the relationship
between Joel and Ellie just as important as the
body count, plus there are secondary narratives
hidden throughout if you take the time to look
for them and piece the bits together. With
Druckmann now turning his pen to next-gen
debut Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End (due 2015),
Naughty Dogs future and that of gaming
in general looks anything but apocalyptic.
ED MASON
GAMEFACE LABS
ALEX LJUNG &
ERIC WAHLFORSS
SOUNDCLOUD
JAMES ILIFF
SURVIOS
GARETH EDWARDS
GODZILLA
NEIL DRUCKMANN NAUGHTY DOG
Gunishment
Joel and Ellies
story was about
way more than just
how many infected
they could kill
HEALTH
INNOVATORS
66
Coming up with
apps that trick you
into exercise
Making earphones
that listen to
you too
Designing the
products everyone
else copies
Improving
mental health
with a game
Creating the cleverest
bicycle ever
It starts as just a game.
Youre out walking with
your headphones in and an
audiobook called The Walk
on, or youre jogging to one
called Zombies, Run! You
cant continue listening to
the story unless you make
a certain number of steps
and the next thing you know
youre accidentally getting
fit just to find out what
happens next. Sneaky,
Six To Start, very sneaky.
We like your style.
Most earphones only require
you to do the listening, not
the other way around. But
Bragis The Dash in-ears
are also able to listen to
your heart while you listen to
tunes from their built-in 4GB
memory or streamed over
Bluetooth, with an app to
collect the info for analysis.
Its a smart combo of
wearable tech that none
of the big boys thought
of and another victory for
the Kickstarter revolution.
The most influential product
designer on the planet got
more influential still when he
took over Apples software
division. iOS 7 finally brought
Apples software into line
with its clinically elegant
hardware; iOS 8 pushes the
design envelope even further
and integrates Healthbook.
With the industrial designer
Marc Newson joining his
design team, we can only
guess what Ive will do next.
Marcus Fairs, DEZEEN
While We Are What We Do
like to be seen as a collective,
the man at the helm is Nick
Stanhope. He heads a team
thats developing an Android
game that works in
conjunction with wearable
health-monitoring tech.
The idea is that it teaches
teenagers to control their
breathing and heart-rate by
rewarding them for staying
calm. Beats stealing cars
and killing pedestrians
(in GTA V), right?
ADRIAN HON
SIX TO START
NIKOLAJ HVIID
THE DASH
JONY IVE
APPLE
NICK STANHOPE
WE ARE WHAT WE DO
ALI ZAHID VANHAWKS
The humble push bike hasnt changed that much
in the past 150 years. Sure, the materials used to
make them have evolved and the gearing and brakes
are more advanced, but the basic shape has barely
changed since the Boneshaker of 1869 Vanhawks
Valour even uses the same template. Beneath the
surface, however, its a completely different beast.
Powered by your smartphone (and your feet),
Vanhawks has given the Valour turn-by-turn
navigation (indicated by lights on the handlebars),
sensors that detect stuff in your blind spot (and alert
you using vibrations) and an accompanying app that
collects Strava-style data on your ride. If it gets
nicked itll even tell other Valours nearby so its
owner can find out its whereabouts (at US$1250,
its eminently nickable). Not bad for 150 years of
progress. Can you make one that hovers next?
Talk of the town
The Valour builds its
own social network
with other bikes to
share real-time info
on road conditions
Rub shoulders with dynamic digital minds, forward-thinking developers, Emmy
award-winners and famous faces at the home of creative brilliance, MediaCityUK.
Position your business at the core of this inspirational heartland at The Orange Tower,
a truly colourful place to work:

Six oors of prestigious ofce space

Large exible oor plates (16,040 sqft each)

Be surrounded by 100s of SMEs developing the future

Stunning views

Bars, restaurants and entertainment

Exceptional transport links and parking

A thriving business community

MediaCityUK, where intelligent technology is created and the future is born.
For more information contact:
Tim Taylor
Leasing Manager
MediaCityUK
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 886 5315
Mobile: +44 (0) 743 683 9969
Email: tim.taylor@mediacityuk.co.uk
Michelle Rothwell
CBRE
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 233 5643
Email: michelle.rothwell@cbre.com
Jonathan Baucher
Cushman & Wakeeld
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 837 3565
Email: jonathan.baucher@eur.cushwake.com
TRAVEL
INNOVATORS
68
Plotting to colonise
the red planet
Elon Musk is about as close
to a real-life Tony Stark as
we have. Hes a Willy Wonka
of tech, concocting plans
(probably from a volcano lair
in the Pacific) before unleashing
them on the public.
But rather than sending
overweight German children
up industrial pipes hes mainly
sending stuff into space. Musk
sold his first product at 12 years
old he got US$500 for a
videogame hed written called
Blastar after teaching himself
to code but it was the sale of
PayPal in 2002 that put him on
Stuffs map. Since then hes
reinvented the electric car,
banishing associations with
ELON MUSK PAYPAL/TESLA/SPACE X
milk floats and the G-Wiz
courtesy of Teslas Roadster
and seven-seater Model S,
and set up SpaceX a private
space exploration company
that aims to one day colonise
Mars. I see us going to Mars
in about 10-11 years, he told
Stuff earlier this year, and
in a really big spaceship, not
a little thing.
Musk compares that
proposed first trip to the red
planet to the English colonising
America and envisions setting
up a city home to millions of
people, with homes, jobs and
(probably) pet Martians. You
know, just in case we
accidentally destroy Earth.
In short, hes a man with
ambitions to match the size
of his fortune.
If he sounds like the twin
brother of a Bond villain, thats
not a million miles from the
truth. Musk recently spent
some of his immense wealth
on the actual submarine
Lotus Esprit used in The
Spy Who Loved Me and
is building his own: Weve
even joked about having
a submarine-plane-car.
Thats a joke we cant wait
to see the punchline for.
Satellite town
So far the Dragon
has only carried
cargo into space,
but SpaceX reckons
itll soon be
taking humans
Final frontier
This is Falcon 9,
the first private
spacecraft to
visit the
International
Space Station
Fully charged
In 2009 a Roadster
travelled 311 miles
on a single charge,
setting a new
world record
69
INNOVATORS
If you want to make
something streamlined
and aerodynamic, the model
to copy isnt a Formula 1 car
or fighter jet its a penguin.
Not when its in upright
waddling mode, but when
arrowing its way through
the ocean. Thats what
exterior design manager
Peter Wouda wouldve been
aiming for when he crafted
the VW XL1 the most
efficient production car in
the world. Everything about
it is designed to cut through
the air like a hot axe through
ice cream, from the
extremely low ride height
and lack of wing mirrors (it
has cameras instead) to the
way it tapers towards a flat
rear end. Combined with its
hybrid of diesel and electric
power, VW has managed to
eke out over 300 miles to
the gallon, and with its tech
already filtering through to
the VW GTE, it could turn
out to be one of the most
significant cars ever made.
Now we have plug sockets
with USB ports in them,
there are only really two
main sci-fi dreams that
remain: flying cars and
hoverboards. Aerofexs
Aero-X fulfils both, with
the added bonus of being
a little like Luke Skywalkers
Landspeeder. On terra
firma its a four-wheeled,
two-person buggy-type
vehicle, but in flight it uses
downward-facing fans to
levitate up to 10 feet off the
ground at up to 45mph.
Designed by aerospace
engineer Mark DeRoche,
it uses a clever steering
system that removes the
need for complex controls
like those found in
helicopters, making it similar
to riding a motorbike. And
while its not ready to ride
away from a showroom just
yet, its not pure fantasy
either. Aerofex has tested
the Aero-X and hopes to
have them on sale by 2017.
Yours for just US$85,000.
Before he became public
enemy number one among
Londons black-cab drivers,
Travis Kalanick launched
Uber in San Francisco
in 2010. Its an app that
allows you to book a cab
and watch it arrive on
a map. In four years its
taken over the world, like
a convenient four-wheeled
virus that runs at very
affordable rates.
And its not just for taxis
now either. Theres Uber
Ice Cream, which allows
you to summon a 99
just like a cab, plus Uber
Chopper: an on-demand
chauffeur-flown helicopter
service from New York City
to the Hamptons at the far
end of Long Island. Uber now
operates in over 200 cities
around the world, and
while not everyone is
happy to see them (those
aforementioned cabbies
for one), its a company
dragging an age-old
industry into the future.
Its almost impossible to get
lost these days. Youve got
one man to thank for that:
Azmat Yusuf. Hes the man
behind Citymapper the
app that gets you around
London, New York, Paris and
other less fashionable cities
across the world. It makes
the most of open, real-time
data to show you various
routes to your destination,
how long each one will take,
how much theyll cost and if
there are any problems that
could cause delays. Creator
Yusuf and his team are
adding cities all the time
you can vote for which one
they should do next on the
Citymapper website and
hes already got one eye
on Rio in time for the
Olympics in 2016. Yusuf
told Stuff that he wanted
to build something that
people would use regularly.
Considering we can barely
get to the end of the road
without using his app, looks
like mission accomplished.
The future
of streamlined
hybrid car design
Making our
sci-fi dreams
come true
Hailing a cab
towards the
future
App-ing to
make getting
lost get lost
PETER WOUDA
VOLKSWAGEN XL1
MARK DEROCHE
AEROFEX
TRAVIS KALANICK
UBER
AZMAT YUSUF
CITYMAPPER
INNOVATORS
MONEY
70
For a long time, the idea of letting a stranger in
to stay at your house would conjure thoughts of a
sofa-surfing hippy, leaving hair in the plughole, lice in
the furniture and a dead badger in your bed. Airbnb
has changed all that. Founded as Airbed & Breakfast
in 2008 by roommates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky
(Nathan Blecharczyk joined shortly afterwards),
it now lets you rent or let an individual bed, whole
room or entire property, often for far less than even
a budget hotel. Including the Lenny Henry-approved
ones. These days it also offers quirkier dorms,
including caravans, treehouses, windmills and even
shipping containers (dont worry, youll wake up
where you went to sleep). Its now available in over
34,000 cities in 190 countries and there are security
measures factored in, so the chances of getting
a badger murderer are slimmer than ever.
Creating an
open-source
car company
Crowdfunding
Hollywood
films
Lining your
digital wallet
with Bitcoins
Calling time on
those infuriating
booking fees
Turning homes into hotels
If a camel is a horse
designed by committee,
Local Motors desert-ready
Rally Fighter is the camel of
the motoring world. Each
part has been designed by a
member of the Local Motors
community, with over
35,000 designs submitted.
The most popular are then
developed and made in
regional micro-factories,
with each buyer chipping
in. One day, all cars could
be made this way.
Youd think the man behind
The Expendables would
have cash thrown at him to
make whatever he wants;
but following the success of
Veronica Mars, Simon West
has opted to crowdfund Salty
via SyndicateRoom.com
meaning anyone who
invests over 1000 will be
eligible for a share of the
profits. Considering Wests
films have made over 600m
at the box office, that might
be a fairly decent bet.
Satoshi Nakamoto could
be one person. It could be
many. He could a woman,
or she could be a man. Or a
cat (but that ones unlikely
given the coding required).
Basically, Nakamoto is the
Keyser Sze of digital
currency. Bitcoin might
be mysterious, unstable
and met with perplexed
expressions if you mention it
to most, but it could become
bigger than the worlds
largest novelty cheque.
Its one of the great
mysteries of our time.
You bag a couple of tickets
for a gig, click to buy them
and out of nowhere theres
an extra 10 mystery tax
been added on top.
A booking fee, they call it.
What is it for and why shouId
I pay for it? Nobody knows.
Ustwos Dice is an iOS and
Android app that gets rid of
them altogether, allowing
you to use the app itself
as the ticket.
JOHN B ROGERS JR
LOCAL MOTORS
SIMON WEST
SALTY
SATOSHI NAKAMOTO
BITCOIN
MILLS AND SINX
DICE
JOE GEBBIA, BRIAN CHESKY
& NATHAN BLECHARCZYK
AIRBNB
3
1
FI RST TEST MOTOROLA MOTO 360
2
72
Six hours with
the 360
Good
Meh
Evil
5mins 27mins 28mins 31mins 32mins 41mins 1.55hrs 2hrs 3hrs
D
is
a
s
t
e
r
! W
a
n
t
e
d
t
o
s
h
o
w
t
h
e
3
6
0

o
f
f
a
n
d
it
c
o
n
k
e
d
o
u
t
a
t
9
p
m
. B
o
o
!
Were not going back to ugly
smartwatches now. Thats
not to say the Moto 360,
the first real Android Wear
icon, is perfect nothing
was going to live up to the
hyping and hoping of the
past six months. But its the
first smartwatch youll really
want to show off rather than
hide under a sleeve.
The 360s head-turning
design just makes gadget
sense. Its a watch so
its round. Its made from
premium materials such as
stainless steel and leather.
Its Gorilla Glass 3 screen
protects it from dust and
scratches. So its a little
pricey at 200. It rests
in a wireless handy dock
to charge. But whats it like
to wear one? And should any
other Android Wear watches
get a look in?
T
e
r
r
o
r
s
p
la
s
h
a
t
t
h
e
s
in
k
, b
u
t
j
o
y
: it
s

I
P
6
7
w
a
t
e
r
p
r
o
o
f
s
o
f
in
e
u
p
t
o
1
m
O
h
, t
h
is
?
T
h
is
is
j
u
s
t
m
y
s
e
x
y
, r
o
u
n
d
,

e
a
r
ly
-
a
d
o
p
t
e
r
s
m
a
r
t
w
a
t
c
h
P
r
e
t
e
n
d
t
h
e
r
e
s
a
n
it
c
h
o
n
m
y
a
r
m
t
o

g
e
t
m
o
r
e
a
t
t
e
n
t
io
n

f
o
r
2
0
m
in
u
t
e
s
M
u
s
t
b
u
y
a
c
lo
t
h
. A
f
e
w
f
in
g
e
r
p
r
in
t

s
m
u
d
g
e
s
a
d
o
r
n
in
g
t
h
e
L
C
D
a
lr
e
a
d
y

B
r
illia
n
t
w
a
t
c
h
f
a
c
e
s

t
h
a
t
c
a
n
b
e

c
u
s
t
o
m
is
e
d
in
M
o
t
o
s
C
o
n
n
e
c
t
a
p
p
M
o
t
o
s
d
u
a
l m
ic
s
p
ic
k
u
p
m
y
v
o
ic
e

r
e
m
in
d
e
r
s
w
it
h
o
u
t
a
s
t
u
t
t
e
r
I
v
e
c
o
m
p
le
t
e
d
m
y
h
e
a
r
t
a
c
t
iv
it
y
f
o
r

t
h
e
d
a
y
. O
h
, m
y
w
h
a
t
?
S
t
ill. S
m
u
g
.
W
e
a
r
s
S
p
o
t
if
y
c
o
n
t
r
o
ls
a
r
e
n
t

p
e
r
f
e
c
t
; u
s
e
W
e
a
r
a
b
le
W
id
g
e
t
s
a
p
p
Its your round
Is this the beginning of the end for bad smartwatch design?
Sophie Charara tries on the long-awaited Motorola Moto 360
200 / motorola.co.uk
1 Design and build
The steel body of the 360 feels
sturdy, with a perfectly smooth
circular edge, very slim bezels
around the screen and a single
power button on the right-hand
side. It is chunky, though: at 11.5mm
deep it does declare its presence.
But at least its light. With the
leather strap it weighs just 49g.
FI RST TEST MOTOROLA MOTO 360
73
4hrs 4.01hrs
Tech specs
Q Its got heart
The heart-rate monitor
works, though wed stick
sports accessories for
dical readings. Both
he red-and-white-hued
reader and the circular
graphic showing weekly
goals look very pretty.
Q Dial up a dial
From an animated ticking
clockface with timezone
dials to a stylish rotating
set of circles, the 360s
faces show off the form
factor superbly. There
are only seven (for now)
but theyre customisable.
Q A strapping lad

Compared to the
rubber-band-like
strap that Samsung
provides, this leather
one feels lovely. This
is the first smartwatch
weve really compared
to a premium wristwatch.
Q Dont be square
Weve seen examples
of apps making full use
of the round screen. But
some apps weve tried
have cut-off text, having
been designed only to be
square. Were sure this
will improve in time.
Were suckers for a pretty face,
and this stylish and supremely
wearable smartwatch doesnt
disappoint. The watchfaces are
classy, Android Wear is as clever
as ever and you wont want to take it off. Just
bear in mind that the battery life might make
you anxious and it does need a performance
boost. @sophiecharara
Motorola has squeezed an impressive amount
of functionality into one small, circular screen
Screen 1.56in, 320x290, 205ppi
OS Android Wear
Processor TI OMAP 3
RAM 512MB
Storage 4GB
Battery 320mAh
Dimensions 46x11.5mm, 49g
STUFF SAYS
++++,
The first wearable youll want
to wear the Moto 360 is just
a few specs short of brilliance

























































4 Performance
Weve had a couple of teething
problems with the 360. While
pairing to our phone went
smoothly, soon after the Bluetooth
connection dropped out. Weve
also noticed a bit of lag with Google
Now cards. Both the LG G Watch
and Gear Live performed better, so
if youve used other Android Wear
watches youll spot the difference.
2 Screen
While colours dont pop off the
1.56in display, they are appealing.
At 205ppi, the resolution might not
match the Samsung Gear Lives,
but it is sharp text looks fairly
crisp, if a bit distorted around the
very edge of the raised, waterproof
Gorilla Glass 3. The feature we love
is auto brightness, a light sensor
that adjusts to the environment.
5 Battery life
A day should be the minimum for
a smartwatch battery. Sadly, the
360 doesnt always reach that.
This battery gets us home from
the office but just about. On the
first day Stuff got our mitts on it,
the 360 conked out at eight and
a half hours. At least Motorola has
made charging pleasant with its
clever wirel ck.
3 Android Wear
This the most comfortable Android
Wear watch yet. When you get
a notification on your phone, the
360 vibrates and a card pops up
on the watch face. The wrist-flick
gesture to turn the screen on
works well enough, and voice
search and commands are just
as excellent as, if not better than,
its Android Wear rivals.
The many faces of the Moto 360
T
wo
to s
med
the re
ess
1hrs 4.02hrs 5.35hrs 5.45hrs
a
G
e
t
t
o
b
u
s
s
t
o
p
, g
e
t
b
u
s
t
im
e
s

w
it
h
o
u
t
a
s
k
in
g
. S
o
r
r
y
, C
it
y
m
a
p
p
e
r
G
la
n
c
in
g
a
t
g
r
o
u
p
W
h
a
t
s
A
p
p
c
h
a
t

c
a
r
d
s
. W
a
it
, w
h
e
r
e
s
m
y
p
h
o
n
e
?
T
h
e
b
a
t
t
e
r
y
lif
e
m
ig
h
t
b
e
a
p
a
in
b
u
t

w
e
r
e
h
o
o
k
e
d
: t
h
e
3
6
0
s
s
t
a
y
in
g
p
u
t
m
g
o
in
g
t
o
le
a
v
e
it
d
o
c
k
e
d
u
n
t
il

I
m
g
t
h
e
v
e
e
e
e
r
y
la
s
t
m
in
u
t
e
t
o
d
a
y

t
h
B
u
t
I
lo
v
e
t
h
e
w
ir
e
le
s
s
c
h
a
r
g
in
g

s
c
r
e
e
n
, lik
e
a
n
o
d
d
b
e
d
s
id
e
a
la
r
m

74
TEST APPS
App:roved
O Hangar
The sort of app that looks
rubbish until you try it, at which
point you realise its even better
than chocolate-covered Netflix.
It simply installs a shortcuts bar
in your notifications screen then
populates it with your favourite
apps based on how often you
use them. You can also pin apps
to it, install another launcher on
the homescreen and view app
usage stats. But, useful as those
extras are, its the notifications
launcher thatll change your life.
Seriously, its that good.
Stuff says +++++
free / Android
O Dojo
Many apps purport to swishen
up your social life, but when you
search for a nice new restaurant
you get a Wimpy next to a
motorway (actually we have
a soft spot for Wimpy, but you
know what we mean). Dojo
offers a nicely curated selection
of pop-ups, exhibitions,
new exercise classes and
other delights. Offering
Time Out expertise and YPlan
immediacy, its a must-have for
Londoners just a shame its
restricted to one city for now.
Stuff says +++++
free / iOS
O The Nightmare
Cooperative
Collaboration and a unified front
are all very well, but theres a
point when these things can go
a teensy bit too far. That point is
probably when youre part of a
cooperative tasked with raiding
dungeons full of things very
much out to kill you, yet still
feel compelled to act as one,
no matter the consequences.
But this is a skilful, sharp,
refined mash-up of puzzling
and rogue-like turn-based
play. Highly recommended.
Stuff says +++++
2.49 / iOS
O They Need
To Be Fed 3
You might think your jobs a bit
rubbish, but its got nothing on
the little critters whose lot is
to leap about the place, darting
between tiny planetoids, trying
not to get killed by all kinds of
hostile things, and scooping
up diamonds along the way. At
levels end, they find a giant plant
with far more teeth than foliage
should own, jump into its maw
and get munched to death. A far
cry from Gardeners World, but
an excellent little platform game.
Stuff says +++++
1.19 / Android; 1.49 / iOS
FOR
ANDROID
TWEAKERS
FOR
FINER
DINERS
FOR
BAD DREAM
PLAYERS
FOR
MEAN
FINGERS
75
TEST APPS
COMIC
READERS
O Marvel Unlimited
Described as the Netflix of
comics, there is a whiff of
bargain bin about Marvel
Unlimited. But cmon: for
$10 per month you get access
to 15,000 digital issues, in
an all-you-can-eat buffet
of spandex and scientific
experiments giving rise to
superpowers in an extremely
unlikely fashion.
Stuff says ++++,
free ($10/month) / iOS, Android
O Comics
Comics by Comixology was
the Amazon of comics, until
Amazon bought it. Now its
just Amazon, with the politics
that brings: the Android
application lost Google Play
payments, and iOS lost its
store entirely. But, oh, the range.
Its hard to stay angry when
there are so many affordable
comics to buy.
Stuff says ++++,
free / iOS, Android
O Chunky
Were long-time Comic Zeal
fans, and that 2.99 app is
still best for iPhone. On iPad,
though, Chunky won us
round with its streamlined
interface, great controls,
smart upscaling and two-up
landscape option. Theres
plentiful cloud support, but
a 1.99 pro upgrade adds
a mini web server too.
Stuff says +++++
from free / iOS
O Sequential
A comic app for the more
discerning reader. The
Sequential collection is
heavily curated and possibly
a bit worthy, but you can
guarantee pretty much
anything you buy will deserve
your time and money. The
reader itself is smooth and
fast, if lacking Chunkys level
of elegance.
Stuff says ++++,
free / iPad
O ComiCat
Yes, weve gasp! gone
for a paid Android app. Thats
because ComiCat is excellent,
automatically scanning your
device to find any lurking comics
and deftly handling whatever
CBRs and PDFs you throw at
it, unlike most Android comic
viewers and we tried many.
(Cheapskates can make do with
Perfect Viewer).
Stuff says +++++
1.99 / Android
O 2000 AD
Edited by a green alien with
a phone dial glued to his head,
and featuring fascist future
cop with a permasnarl Judge
Dredd, 2000 AD is a British
institution. Thirty-seven years
young, the comics digital
venture is sleek and smartly
designed, providing access to
2000 AD itself, the Megazine
and classic thrills.
Stuff says +++++
free / iOS
ZOK! BIF! POW! ZAKAM! And other
stereotypical words you might find
in a comic! If you can tear yourself
away from ink and paper, grab one
of these graphic apps immediately!
Mini meme
678)) 352027 21
he question of what to do if youre
thinning is tough. Throw away all your
clipper attachments and stick with the
Number 2 forever7 Or stick it out a bit longer7
f you switch to LOral Professionnels Serioxyl
range, it will help your hair feel thicker and
denser, and look more full.
There are two shampoo/conditioner/mousse
kits to use, one for natural thinning hair and one
if youve gone for some colour. There are also
two super-serums and an in-salon treatment
if you feel like extending your pampering regime
beyond a twice-weekly shave and a bit of
nice-smelling hand soap every now and then.
Weve put together some extra hints and
tips on keeping your hair looking healthy below
but remember to talk to your hairdresser
to nd out exactly whats best for your hair.
PSURYH WKH DSSHDUDQFH RI WKLQQLQJ KDLU ZLWK /2UDO 3URIHVVLRQQHOV QHZ 6HULR[\O UDQJH
k |kI | ||! kl
Hair is protein, so if you
live exclusively on bread
and beer your hair will
suer. Meat, eggs and
oily sh all help. And so
does drinking plenty of
water. Which you should
be doing anyway
f you must use
a blowdryer, use
something to protect
your hair from direct
heat or itll dry out
and go brittle. Using
the half-heat setting
will help, too.
Washing hair too much
can strip away oils and
makes it look dull.
Same if you wash it in
water thats too hot, or
scrub endlessly with
a towel to dry it.
Be gentle!
f you have greasy hair,
dont use products for
dry hair this will make
things worse. Using
the correct shampoo
and conditioner
repeatedly will bring
continued results.
Hair thats grown
beyond the scalp is
essentially dead,
and cant repair itself.
Eventually it becomes
tatty and torn
snipping o the rough
bits can work wonders.
W I | | | l kl | l 1 | k| I
Always ask your hairdresser whats best for your hair. n the meantime, heres howto keep your tonsorial triumph in top condition
| kI ||| | |I | |I l I | M | kI |1' I | Wk! l I I | l I !kM| | I l I |lI
I
www.lorealprofessionnel.co.uk/serioxyl
77
Flying around Britain in Google
Maps 3D view is one of our
favourite wastes of time. But
next-gen mapping isnt just
being used to destroy afternoon
productivity or provide a birds-eye
view of how your garden looked in
2009. Thanks to a combination of
drones, clever software and some
souped-up Land Rovers, scientists
in the Alps are taking it to new
extremes to help study mountains
and the effects of climate change
in mind-boggling detail. Sam
Kieldsen took a ride with the
team to find out how it works
and what it could mean for our
understanding of the real Earth
TECHSPEDITION
,

w
e

Crew of two
If youre flying in a
particularly hazardous
location its best to have
two remotes: one person
focusing on the UAV and
another concerned
only with the
camera.
Hold steady
The drone has six
carbon fibre propellers,
retractable landing gear
and a GPS-enabled A2
flight controller, which
allow it to remain stable
even in strong
Alpine winds.
78
1
ountains havent always been
seen as playgrounds for snow-
based frolics. Without films, TV
or photos to prepare them, many
European travellers a few hundred
years ago were so overwhelmed
by the sight of the Alps that theyd
request blindfolds as they were led
through the rocky passes.
But my eyes are wide open
as I head into the French Alpine
town of Chamonix, nestled in
a wide, forested valley between
those same imposing mountains.
Because Im about to see a brilliant
new method of surveying these
mountains a technique that
involves some incredible, and
surprisingly accessible, gadgetry.
Drone rangers
I meet with Mark Allan, a PhD
researcher from the University
of Northumbria, who specialises
in the study of glacial valleys, of
which there are dozens in the Alps.
Mark is among the first to analyse
these valleys with this technique,
which means he gets to fly a
camera-equipped drone through
some of Europes most stunning
scenery. As jobs go
Were looking at how the
landscape is changing in response
to a change in the climate, Mark
tells me over lunch in a Chamonix
cafe. Weve been using state-of-
the-art 3D technology to create
models of the landscape and we
use these models to detect which
areas are changing in response to
shifts in glacial patterns.
For the past few months, Mark
and his team of fellow researchers
have been driving all around the
Alps Switzerland, Italy, Austria,
Germany, Slovenia and now
France in a Land Rover Defender
carrying climbing kit, tents,
50,000 worth of GPS gear,
an insanely high-spec PC and
an 8000 unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV). Oh, and a Sony NEX-7
camera the sort you can pick up
in Jessops for a few hundred quid.
Third eye
Using the UAV, or on foot, or in
a helicopter, we take hundreds
of images of glacial valleys and
combine these to create 3D
TECHSPEDITION
the landscape is changing. And
next year hell be showing off his
findings in an exhibition at the
Royal Geographical Society. He
tells me to expect 3D printed
glacier models and 3D video
fly-throughs created using
the teams data.
I ask him if his months of
camping out in the snow and
braving icy glaciers are paying
off. As a life experience its
been unbelievable, he says.
Weve driven through some
of the most impressive mountain
passes in the world and weve
seen some views that are going
to stay with me forever.
And from a scientific point of
view? Weve seen first-hand how
these landscapes are changing:
weve seen landslides, seen
the ice falling, heard the glacier
moving. Its incredible.
older models to which he can
compare his own, but he has
been poring over the archives of
the Royal Geographical Society in
London, which include images of
the same valleys from over 100
years ago. That allowed us to find
out exactly where these glaciers
were at a particular point in the
past. It has been crucial to the
success of the project.
Eventually, Mark will be able
to determine just how quickly
models using a process called
structure-from-motion, says
Mark. The images (as many as
1000 per survey) are fed into a
piece of software called Bundler,
which analyses them all over the
course of a day or so, identifies
the same rock features that occur
in multiple images using colour and
shading, and links them together.
But its not all flying drones and
sitting in front of a PC. Ahead of
each photo survey, Mark and his
team venture out into the glacial
valleys and place square white
cardboard targets on the valley
slopes. I ask him how he does that.
Carefully! he laughs.
The process often involves
climbing gear, as some of the
valleys arent easily accessible.
In terms of adding ground control,
you look for features that you can
physically get to and that dont
move. GPS data is then taken
over each targets location. When
the drone flies overhead, the
targets will appear in the pictures
and can be used to add scale and
location data to the models.
Next-gen Google Earth
That evening, I get a chance to fly
through some of the resulting 3D
models on the teams computer.
Looking like a hi-res version of
Google Earths 3D mode, theyre
so detailed that you can make
out individual boulders not to
mention rock climbers. This level
of detail is essential, as its how
Mark will identify the changes
occurring in the landscape when
he repeats the surveys in the next
two years. But it also points to an
excitingly precise future for Google
Maps: Now, how many seats does
that pub garden have?
Because this technique is so
innovative, Mark doesnt have
Weve seen the landscape
changing weve seen
the ice falling and heard
the glacier moving
79
3
2
Goose-shooing
After geese started
bothering visitors to
Canadas Petrie Island,
officials turns to UAVs
to provide a solution.
Using scare tactics,
drones reduced the
number of feathery
nuisances from about
120 to just 20.
Crop-dusting
UAVs can spray crops
with pesticides far
more quickly than
a tractor and more
cheaply than a plane.
Farmers in Japan have
been using Yamaha
RMX helicopters to
boost their yields
for 20 years.
Web access
Facebook purchased
Ascenta, a company
specialising in solar-
powered UAVs, to build
flying Wi-Fi hotspots
that will bring the
net to parts of the
developing world that
as yet cant like cat
pictures. Lucky them.
Criminal-catching
Seeking an aerial view
of crime scenes, police
in Seattle employed
a hexacopter drone
sporting a thermal
imaging camera as
an alternative to
a full-size chopper
but the programme
was dropped over
public fears.
Drones:
a secret life
This project turns 2D photos into 3D models using a heavy bit of academic
software called Bundler. But how about trying its trickery on a smaller scale?
An extra dimension
Seene
This camera app cant (yet)
capture full 3D models, but it does
let you take 3D photos by plotting
points on your subject and using
parallax to determine where they
are in 3D space. Yes, you can use
it for selfies, if you must.
free (iOS) / seene.co
Structure Sensor
This Kinect for your iPad lets you
scan rooms, people and objects in
three dimensions in a few seconds,
so you can work out if that Eames
chair will squeeze into your lounge.
Or if your dog will make a nice
3D-printed ornament.
$379 (iPad) / structure.io
PVMS2
Used by ILM, Weta and Google
Maps, this slightly more
professional but free application
weaves together 2D photos of
rigid objects (buildings rather than
pedestrians) into a mesh model to
play around with like digital Lego.
free / www.di.ens.fr/pmvs/
1Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover acts as a
UAV launch and landing pad
via a platform on its roof
2 DJI Spreading Wings
S800 Evo
The chief tool for surveying
glacial valleys, worth 8000
3 Terra Nova Ultra
Quasar tents
Because its hard to find a
hotel room halfway up an Alp
80
THE LEAN,
THE MEAN
& THE GREEN
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
Stuffs steeliest pilots whizz from coast to coast to find out
which of the new eco-supercars is the most future-friendly
QTESLA MODEL S P85
QBMW i8
81

le

g
Weston-
super-Mare
Clacke cke kk cket L t L t L t L t Laaan ane Clacket Lane
Services
Whi Whi W i Whi Whitst tst tst tst tstaab ab ab ab
Cheddar Cheddar
Gorge
Til l Tilsheadd d GGa Garage geee
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
QVOLKSWAGEN XL1
[

P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s

J
a
m
e
s

L
i
p
m
a
n

]
The mission
It began as a noble endeavour:
drive three practical electric
cars from coast to coast, and
put everyones range anxiety at
ease. Then we looked at which
cars to take, and we realised
we didnt just want to save
the planet: we wanted to zoom
around it in a fleet of next-gen
dream machines that outpace
their old gas-guzzling forebears
on a whiff of petrol and a gulp
of lightning. So, we rounded up
three different approaches to
the eco supercar BMWs i8
hybrid supercar, Volkswagens
retro-futuristic XL1 hybrid and
Teslas all-electric Model S
for a low-carbon cruise across
Englands middle.
The route
START
Weston-super-Mare,
birthplace of John
Cleese (whose family
name was originally
Cheese) and gateway
to the Bristol Channel.
that put enough sparks
in the Tesla to take it all
the way to Whitstable.
FINISH
Whitstable: oysters
(hmm), fish and chips
(better!) and Englands
largest village green.
STOP 1
Cheddar Gorge,
birthplace of actual
cheese and a number
of goats. The goats
seemed particularly
interested in nibbling
the white paint from
the middle of the road.
STOP 2
Tilshead, on Salisbury
Plain. Londis sandwiches
all round.
STOP 3
Clacket Lane Services,
M25, home to a high-
voltage charging point
82
TOP 5 DRIVING SONGS
FOR THE MODEL S
Q THE PRESIDENTS OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Mach 5
Q ROY ORBISON
I Drove All Night
Q THE JEZABELS
Electric Lover
Q MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
Simple Math
Q SCORPIONS
Too Far
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
THE CHALLENGING ONE
Modest machine
It doesnt have the
out-there looks of the
i8 or XL1 , but thats
part of the charm. And
you still get attention
when charging.
Family-friendly
Unlike the other
bachelor-mobiles,
the Tesla has enough
room for four plus
a whole holidays
worth of luggage.
Extra factor
Full disclosure: our test
car came with enough
extras to take it up
to 100,000, but the
standard P85 has all
the essentials.
Screen-tastic
Not only does
the Tesla have a
touchscreen the size
of two iPads its got
another screen visible
through the wheel.
Too Far
83
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
The i8 and XL1 are cheat cars. Theyll
run forever because they run on
petrol. Admittedly a much smaller
amount of petrol than the average
car, but everyone knows petrols
going to cost 450 per teaspoon
soon. When that happens, batteries
will be the only way to power your
car, and the i8 and XL1 have got
about as much battery power as
a Sony Walkman.
Its a big un
The Teslas different. This thing has
a massive 85kWh battery that it
reckons is good for 312 miles. It may
look less radical than the other two,
but underneath its a technological
marvel, and arguably represents the
true future of motoring.
And boy is it big. Nerve-rackingly
so when your first experience of it
involves the close confines of the
labyrinthine Westfield. The 720p
feed from the parking camera thats
fed to the ginormous screen in the
centre console does come in handy
for reversing, though.
Practical but powerful
When the challenge started I had
300-odd miles in the tank, and by
our first stop in Cheddar I was totally
in love with the Model S. Yes, its
practical (a boot in the boot and
in the bonnet, plus loads of legroom)
and yes, its gizmo-tastic (its all
touchscreen-controlled, from the
panoramic roof to the suspension
height, steering weight and an
absolutely humongous Google
Maps-powered sat-nav), but its
also insanely, giggle-inducingly fast.
Faster than the i8, in fact. And this is
immediate power. No delay for the
car to decide how its going to hook
up two different motors to most
effectively deliver the acceleration,
just all the power you could possibly
require the moment you put your
foot down.
I thought Id miss the noise of an
engine, but theres something just
as exciting about that burst of speed
being accompanied by near-silence
its like the Starship Enterprise
entering warp, and what could be
more awesome than that?
Onwards to the winding roads of
Salisbury Plain, and the Tesla proves
to be pretty darn chuckable for a car
so big and heavy. You cant throw it
into corners quite the same way you
can the lithe little i8, but theres still
more than enough grip to take them
far quicker than you probably should.
And you can fit a Tom Wiggins in the
bonnet something we genuinely
did while photographing our motors.
Quick pit stop
Id avoided using the air-con, but had
otherwise driven the Tesla like the
frustrated racing driver I am so far,
yet the readout was telling me I had
enough juice left to make it the rest
of the way to Whitstable. Just. Before
risking it I did a little research on
zap-map.com, only to discover that
Whitstable doesnt have a single
electric car charger (seriously,
Whitstable, sort it out).
Now I like Whitstable a lot, but
I didnt fancy being stranded there
in a totally dead car, so it was with
some reluctance that I had to insist
the convoy stop at Clacket Lane
Services for a little power-up.
Thankfully this meant I had the
range to complete the journey and
get home again after a 50-minute
break plenty of time for a really
rubbish Costa Coffee experience.
A car for the future
By the end of our challenge I was
still in love with the Model S, but
there was no escaping that Id been
challenged more than the other two.
Sure, for 360 days a year the Teslas
range would be way more than
I needed and I could just charge it
overnight, but I occasionally enjoy
a drive to Devon, Wales or Scotland,
and Im the type to find nothing
other than depression at motorway
services. Thats why I wouldnt buy
a Tesla now. Next year there will be
23 Superchargers in the UK, and
they can pump in 170 miles worth of
charge in 30 minutes. Thats when Id
buy a Tesla. If I could actually afford it.
QPrice 69,000 / teslamotors.com
QDriver Tom Parsons
TESLA MODEL S P85
Power
85kWh battery
Top speed
130mph
0-60mph
4.2 seconds
Weight 2100kg
Claimed
fuel efficiency
Infinite
(but a 312-mile
range per charge)
Last car owned
Honda Civic
Type R
Fuel
Lucozade,
Cornish pasty
Favourite UK road
A939
near Tomintoul
Driving hero
Jean-Luc Picard
Driver specs
Tech specs
STUFF SAYS
Going totally petrol-free is utterly
amazing, even if its not always easy
84
TOP 5 DRIVING
SONGS FOR THE XL1
Q KRAFTWERK
Aerodynamik
Q WU-TANG CLAN
Diesel
Q MY BLOODY VALENTINE
Glider
Q XZIBIT
Paparazzi
Q MODEST MOUSE
Perpetual Motion Machine
Last car owned
Toyota Corolla
GL Executive
Fuel
Beefeater
mixed grill and a
banoffee sundae
Favourite UK road
A272
Driving hero
Inspector
Clouseau
guidance towards Cheddar,
gradually getting used to the
Tarmac-scraping driving position,
slight lack of rear visibility and
increased attention from camera
phones. Even a local bus driver
made his commuter cargo wait
while he took a picture. No doubt
the snaking roads of Cheddar
Gorge were a little tougher on
the unassisted steering of my
XL1 than the other two but
the narrow tyres meant I barely
noticed and I still beat them to
the first checkpoint, giving me
time to pair my phone to the cars
sat-nav and stream my roadtrip
playlist to the cars speakers
while I waited.
Choosing a Tesla or an i8 for this
challenge is like using a fork to
eat a bowl of soup: frustrating and
wasteful. Thats why I parked my
behind into the drivers seat of the
VW XL1 a concept come to life
that Volkswagen claims is the most
fuel-efficient hybrid available. How
could I possibly be beaten?
Cut n shut
The XL1 looks like two cars stuck
together. I like to think the squared-
off rear end makes it look like
Ferraris Breadvan 250 GT but in
all honesty its probably more like
a futuristic hearse, albeit one with
only enough space for a generously
sized dog. It accelerates a bit like one
too (a hearse, not a dead dog) but
with everything about it designed
to reduce drag and extend its range
from the covered rear wheels and
compressed cardboard interior to
the lack of power steering the XL1
is clearly all about efficiency, not
power or luxury. It even eschews
airflow-disrupting wing mirrors for
cameras. Only the i8s head-up
display is more sci-fi than that.
Cheddar Gorge-ous
Dont get me wrong, the XL1 is by
no means a chore to drive. Setting
off from Weston-super-Mare in
all-electric mode, I quietly nipped
through early morning traffic
following the built-in Garmins
QPrice 98,000 / volkswagen.co.uk
QDriver Tom Wiggins
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
Driver specs
VOLKSWAGEN XL1
85
Offset seating
The two seats are offset,
which not only makes it
easier to see at junctions
but also creates enough
space for the batteries.
Its butter-smooth
Because it doesnt need
to worry about downforce,
the XL1 is actually more
aerodynamic than a Formula 1
car (but less than a penguin).
Custom-made
Apart from the badge, which
comes from a Scirocco,
everything is designed and
made to order. Thats partly
why its so expensive.
Adrenaline rush
The XL1 is only about the size
of a Polo, although it feels
a bit like one of those solar-
powered wings with wheels
that break world records.
THE STYLISH ONE
Perpetual motion
After a minor detour into the
Stonehenge visitor centre car
park thanks to out-of-date maps,
I started to get into the swing of
driving this clever little hybrid.
Whenever I hit a proper descent
I lifted off the accelerator and glided
down the hill to let the battery suck
up some additional charge. At one
point it had dropped to about 9% and
without plugging it in I managed to
revive it all the way back to 16.5%.
Is VW on the verge of inventing
a perpetual motion machine?
Thats not to say I drove the
XL1 like it had an unexploded bomb
onboard. I put my foot down to
overtake slow-moving tractors
on the A37 and when I hit the
M3 it never struggled to keep
up with the rat race.
Say cheese
I dont care what Will Dunn says, the
XL1 is by far the most eye-catching
of these cars. I havent had my
picture taken by so many strangers
since Beyonc piggybacked me
through Piccadilly Circus. When we
stopped at Clacket Lane it earned
another admiring glance from me
when five litres of diesel (half a tank)
added 250km to the XL1s range.
Slow and steady...
The sun had already started to
go down when I got to Whitstable,
just a couple of minutes behind
the vastly more powerful i8 and
comfortably ahead of Toms Tesla.
Hares, meet the tortoise. It might
lack some of the luxuries offered
by the other cars but thats the
price you pay for such incredible
efficiency. The XL1 has air-con
and a surprisingly connected
stereo and sat-nav system.
I think I can survive without
touchscreens and voice control
when half a tank of fuel costs
less than two pints of lager.
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
Tech specs
Power
800cc diesel plus
20KW electric
Top speed 99mph
0-60mph
12.5 seconds
Weight 795kg
Claimed
fuel efficiency
313mpg
STUFF SAYS
A glimpse of the future, the XL1 ticks every
box. Now all we need is a four-seater version
86
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
There are plenty of examples of
clever, bespoke technology that
make the i8 a singularly brilliant car,
but the most important thing is this:
it looks like the Batmobile. Driving
it is like walking through a busy
shopping centre with a levitating
clockwork monkey made of gold:
everyone wants to know what
that expensive-looking thing is.
Cars slow down and speed up to
be alongside it, usually with a phone
held to the window.
Goat-botherer
The i8 doesnt just look like the
Batmobile; it also moves like its
just emerged from a cave through
a waterfall. While Cheddar Gorges
population of goats dawdled in front
of every other car on the road, for
the i8 they stepped aside partly
because it looks like it might eat
them, and partly because of the
noise it makes. When you push it out
of its near-silent electric roll, the i8
leaps forward with a cackle-inducing
robot growl that is one of the most
satisfying noises in the world.
Our second stop, a deserted bit
of road somewhere in Somershire
or Borset or something, was a good
50 miles of mini-roundabouts and
country lanes away. After a bit of
mucking about with the sat-nav,
I was guided by easily the best
heads-up display Ive seen in a
car: directions and speed limits
are projected onto the windscreen,
floating steadily in your field of view.
While naturally I observed the rules
of the road, I arrived at our next
rendezvous with time to buy and
consume a chicken sandwich and
a 250ml bottle of chocolate milk
before the next car turned up.
Snarly precision
On the motorway and in Comfort
mode, the i8 drives like a BMW, albeit
an incredibly posh one from the
future. On a snaky little road in Sport,
the dials go red, the engine develops
a more high-pitched snarl and the
handling becomes light and twitchy.
The i8 is ferociously quick, but it
moves with a precision that speaks
of some kind of advanced machine
intelligence. You can also speed into
a corner with conviction. I doubt
you all remember the Mitsubishi
GTO I spent months upgrading
in Gran Turismo 2 as a teenager,
but thats what it reminds me
of: a 4WD with more power than
seems realistic for something
so sure-footed.
Its good to be inside
Next, we put the three cars through
the most exacting motoring
experience in the UK: the M25.
Fortunately, even in the variable-
speed hell of our nations most
boring thoroughfare, the i8 is a
wonderful place to be. The front
two seats are luxurious, divided
by a wide central hump that also
houses iDrives minimal but effective
wheel-button control system. The
back seats are big enough for a
handbag or a medium-sized duck.
My i8 had the Harman/Kardon
speaker upgrade, allowing me to
wallow in a big bath of music while
the motorway did its thing outside.
First place, naturally
It was to be expected that the i8 got
to Whitstable comfortably ahead
of the others, but as I glimpsed the
east coast it had one more surprise
for me: in the gullwing doors theres
a gently glowing strip of blue that
only becomes noticeable when it
gets dark, underlining the fighter-jet
feel of the cockpit. Its just an LED
strip, but it sums up whats brilliant
about this BMW: its a concept car
that has, for once, actually been
built with its mad design flourishes,
spaceship lights, science-fiction
powertrain and carbon-fibre
everything. Its a supercar that uses
as much petrol as a small hatchback
(much less if you drive carefully), but
the best thing about it is its lack of
compromise. Someone had a bold,
exciting idea for how it should look
and what it should do, and BMW
made that idea real. That doesnt
happen often.
QPrice 95,000 / bmw.co.uk
QDriver Will Dunn
Last car owned
Vauxhall Astra 1.4
Fuel
Coffee, beef crisps
Favourite UK road
B3212
Driving hero
Michael Knight
Power
357bhp
Top speed
Limited to 155mph
0-60mph
4.4secs
Weight 1485kg
Claimed
fuel efficiency
134.5mpg
Driver specs
Tech specs
Its the freaking Batmobile. Seriously, what
more do you want?
STUFF SAYS
BMW i8
87
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
TOP 5
DRIVING
SONGS
FOR THE I8
Q DEFTONES
Be Quiet And Drive
Q STEREOLAB
Super Electric
Q KRAFTWERK
Autobahn
Q MOGWAI
Wizard Motor
Q PRINCE
Batdance
Nice view
but we did appreciate
the car being studded
with cameras that
give you a drones-eye
view, making parking
much easier.
Non-crash tech
It has some very
sophisticated collision
avoidance tech we
didnt have the nerve
to test, what with it
not belonging to us
Go electric
While our i8 stayed
in Comfort or Sport,
you can drive it as a
completely electric car
in eDrive mode, giving
a range of 23 miles.
Scooper-car
The i8s bold side-
scoops dont just look
bat-amazing, theyre
also bat-practical: you
could fit a baguette
in there.
THE LIGHTNING-QUICK ONE
88
GROUP TEST ELECTRI C CARS
T
E
S
T
W
I
N
N
E
R
Q VOLKSWAGEN XL1
THE WINNER
Wed be foolish to suggest
that the XL1 offered more
visceral, foot-down driving
excitement than either the
Tesla or the BMW, but this
test was all about making
it across the country in the
most efficient way possible
and considering the
Model S couldnt manage it
without lengthy recharging
and the i8s 40mpg average
is about as eco-friendly as a
heavy smoker coughing in a
kittens face, the VW almost
wins by default.
In terms of space its
pretty much equal to the
BMW, while the Teslas
seven seats mean nothing
if your answer to Are we
nearly there yet? always
has to be: We just have to
stop again to charge it.
For an all-electric car to
be practical for a journey
like this we need more fast
chargers at the roadside
not those that take
eight hours to hit 100%,
but something that brings
charging an electric car
in line with filling a tank
of petrol.
We got an average of
133mpg from the XL1.
Thats some way off the
claimed figure but we spent
most of the journey driving
it like any other car. With a
few new habits we reckon
wed have it comfortably
over 200mpg. Just add
a couple more seats and
this would be the ultimate
green machine.
For behind-
the-scenes
images
download
the Stuff
tablet app
WITH NEW DRIVING
HABITS WE RECKON
WED HAVE THE XL1
WELL OVER 200MPG
WI-FI
* Required: broadband Internet connection, router and active power sockets within one property.
than any Wi-Fi repeater
Wi-Fi in any room*
eception for smartphones
ablets
d N 500 WiFi Starter Kit
Unpac|, p|uq |n, qe ared
nprove \|| recep|on and ranqe
nq|neered |n Cernany
year nanu'acurer varrany

More information:
www.devolo.co.uk/wi-fi
Tel.: +44 (0)1865 784344
Email: sales@devolo.co.uk
TEST SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 MI NI
Tech specs
90
Each year the Android king is joined by a little
sprog, a Happy Meal alternative to the Big Mac.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is this years kid
Q From a quick glance, the S5
Mini looks like an S5 blasted with
a shrink ray. Its 5.1-inch screen
has been minified to a 4.5-inch
one, but the dimpled back, the
slightly questionable ridged
chrome plastic sides and the
light-up soft keys are all identical.
Q One positive change over its
big sister is the waterproofing,
which doesnt need a microUSB
port cover. It also packs in the
two main bonus features of
the full-size S5: the heart-rate
sensor and fingerprint scanner.
Q But while it may be tougher,
the Mini isnt as sharp. The screen
is scaled down to 720p and,
although the Super AMOLED
display looks good, with strong
black levels and punchy colours,
it is not dramatically better than
some of its cheaper rivals.
Q Another thing thats not quite
so hot is general performance.
There are some laggy moments,
such as when its updating an
app. The Exynos 3 Quad 3470
isnt really any more powerful
than the Snapdragon 400 in
last years S4 Mini.
Q While it looks and feels
very similar to its big brother,
there are cutbacks. So its not
bad, just unremarkable. We cant
help but feel that Samsungs
asking for slightly too much
cash for this little Android.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is a pretty good miniature take on the Galaxy S5. Most
importantly, you get the S5s fantastic screen contrast and black levels. But look a
little deeper and there are a few cuts a far less powerful CPU and a far more ordinary
camera being the deepest. It just isnt quite the flagship experience in a compact
chassis that we were hoping for, and I reckon the Samsungs just a bit too expensive.
Not quite
a flagship
experience
Tom Parsons
Dinky dimples
STUFF SAYS The cut-down S5 is a fairly high-quality phone, if a bit pricey
++++,
Long-distance runner
Stamina isnt bad in the S5 Mini.
You can comfortably get a day and
a halfs use without touching any
power-saving modes or being
careful with how much 3G/4G
data you fling around the place.
OS Android KitKat Screen 4.5in,
1280x720 Super AMOLED
RAM 1.5GB Storage 16GB
(microSD expandable)
Cameras 8MP main, 2.1MP front
Connectivity 4G, micro USB 2.0,
Bluetooth 4.0 Battery 2100mAh
Dimensions 131x65x9.1mm, 120g
Contrasting fortunes
Unfortunately the S5 Minis
camera only has half the power
of the S5s fancy 16MP Isocell
snapper. Its fast and image quality
is decent, but its less adept with
bright-light contrasts.
DISCOVER THE NEW ABARTH RANGE ON ABARTHCARS.CO.UK
DIGITAL DISPLAY WITH G-FORCE INDICATOR AS STANDARD
NEW COLOURS AND MORE CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS
THE NEW RANGE STARTS FROM 14,560 OTR
1
2
FASHION
93
1 Finisterre Puffa Jacket
165 /finisterreuk.com
2 Minimum Puffa Jacket
130 / minimum.dk
warm
stuff

[ Words Lindsey Baker Photography Matt Beedle ]
94
FASHION
1
3
4
2
1 Ma.Strum Parka
450 /mastrum.com
2 Burton Frontier Jacket
190 /burton.com
3 Iuter Bomber Jacket
160 / asos.com / iuter.com
4 Patagonia Ms Fitz Roy
Down Jacket
300 /patagonia.com/eu
1
3
2
4
FASHION
95
1 Alpha Industries Wool Camo Coat
220 /alphaindustries.de
2 Element Fur Collar Coat
110 /elementbrand.com
3 Bellfield Rain Coat
60 /bellfieldclothing.com
4 Nobis Barry Parka
725 /nobis.ca
678)) 352027 21
d| ||r|| :.| r.|. |: :| |::r! d||| |C ||C | |:: r+||
|| || /.1|: |r :. .+| |+ || .| :|| || :.| |:.
ant to ll your home with
music7 You could put a
stereo system in each room
but thats expensive and takes up
space. The smart way is to opt for LCs
Smart Hi-Fi Audio wireless multi-room
speakers and stream music from
your devices all controlled via
the free LC MUSC ow Player app.
Not only that, they support high-res
les so, nally, you can free your
high-quality library from your PC.
Theyre versatile, too: you can listen
to the same song at the same time
everywhere, or play dierent tracks in
dierent rooms. Put two together and
theyll work in tandem to make a
stereo set-up. You can even add them
to an LC MUSC ow HS6 soundbar
and create a home-cinema system.
Set-up is simple. |ust tap an
NFC-compatible device against a
MUSC ow speaker to pair them
and, if you want, set them to sync via
Wi-Fi when you get home to continue
playing your favourite songs.
The system also lets you connect to
streaming services including Spotify,
Napster and Tunen, and can even
create playlists based on your mood.
MUSC ow gives you all your music,
wherever and however you want it.
W
M| WlI
I| Ml!l|
l|| d +|| | |+| |:|
|+|| |::r, :| |||| .
:.| |C |:r.||r+ |r
:|| .:||.|1 |: || |e
:.|1|+|. | .:||
|D +.1|:, ||.|::|| +|1 +
.+||| :| ||+r|| |.|.,
+|1 .+| | .:|||:||1 .|+ ||
||C ||:: ||+| + |:|
/|1|:|1, |O +|1 |C.
3(5)(&7 )25
+ *+ '() 32:(5
+
d d d . | O d l O | 1 | l . C O . | |
d||| -d :| |+, || | +|| | |1+| |:| ||
|1|::r :| |||.||. | || :| || ::| |:| |::r
|||||| :.|1, :| .:||.| |:: |:||| +|1 +|| +
||: |.. ||| || |, || .:|| |||).+|||
|:| ||/C +|1 d/1 |||, +|1 || :. +..
+ ::||1 ::||| :| r.|. .|+ ||+r|| |.|..
60$// 6 =( % * 6281'
+
l| | |||1 .:||.| |: :.| |||||| |:.|| +|1 .:||.| |: +|| :.| r+|| |||| /.1|:
+||. | .:r+.|, : ::| | .|.||| :.| |::r, |+ |.||||| d||| |:| +r|
.:||.||.|| +|1 |+|||| || ::| |+|| r| ||::|| |: | :.| r.|. ||::||.
(;3$1' <285 6<67(0
5
TEST LAPI ERRE OVERVOLT
Tech specs
98
An electric mountain bike? Surely thats cheating?
But theres no denying the Lapierre Overvolts
benefits like overtaking angry people on climbs
Q Lapierres full-suspension
electric mountain bike has proper
mountain bike components and
the latest Bosch Performance
electric kit, providing up to 275%
assistance to your pedalling and
60Nm of torque. The four modes
of assistance and the 400Wh
battery pack let you choose
between a range of 30-110 miles,
but only if youre pedalling as well.
Q The Overvolt, especially in
Sport mode, fires up hills so on
tricky, technical climbs you can
sit in the saddle and power-pedal
your way to the top with the
suspension absorbing rocks and
roots and the Bosch serving out
torque to keep you rolling.
Q Even in its lowest, longest-
lasting Eco mode its still giving
you 50% assistance, a less
obvious advantage until you
look behind you and see the
hateful looks your biopowered
mates are giving you
Q Unfortunately, its still
EU-regulated to a 15mph
maximum speed so the motor
assistance will cut out once you
hit that speed and only leg power
will convince it to go quicker at
which point, physics will reveal
how hard it is to pedal a 50lb bike.
Q The market for this isnt huge
but older riders or those with an
injury might find the assistance
lets them rip up the hills rather
than give it all up. Or you might
just be a bit lazy, and thats OK.
All across the British Isles are purpose-built bike centres where bazillions of bikers get
their fix on world-class trails. But in-between are more organic trails where the rights
of way have, in some cases, been fought tooth and nail between walkers, horses, bikers
and landowners. The emergence of electric mountain bikes might raise some hackles,
even if theyre not actually powerful enough to do any damage. Ride light, bike geeks.
Get off the
off-road
Fraser Macdonald
@herebefraser
Watt are you on?
STUFF SAYS For those who need an extra push, the price is nearly justified
++++,
Leave them in the cafe
But later, when the rest of the
group are exhausted, youll get
in another trail before home time.
Then, riding on your own and with
failing energy levels, is when the
bikes assistance makes real sense.
Gears Shimano XT Shadow Plus
10-speed Battery Lithium ion
400Wh Brakes Formula The One
hydraulic disk Range 30-110 miles
claimed Motor Bosch Performance
250W Weight 20.2kg Price 3800
Heavy handling
You may just be overtaken as you
manhandle your Overvolt around
corners. That said, the Bosch
motors placement down at the
bottom bracket does keep the
handling manageable and centred.
Jhe h|-h soundbor
w|rh bu||r-|n subwoo|er
www.Oocousr|cs.co.u|
Jhe M4 Soundbor
ooo |c .c oo c..o
||o, .c, \ oo c..o oo||, o|| .|| c ox|o |cxo o.oo
\.o|o|, ccoc| o||co, |o||o| oo |o|c . o|/ ||o|cc||
\o|| c| .|| |.||. |oc|o| c |o||c| .|| |.oo o|...|o|.c |oo|
/\ |c 'h|gh|y kecommended',
|, 20|4
\|o| |.|." .co oo \..c,
/| 20|4
|co .oo |c.co '8esr 8uy',
|, 20|4
100

S
ince the term MMO was
used in relation to Destiny
theres been anticipation
from some that Bungies latest
would be a Halo-like FPS of World
Of Warcraft size. Thats not what
you get, but you do get a game
thats truly massive by FPS
standards, built for multiplayer
from the ground up, and more
cinematic and thrilling than any
MMO in existence.
The story is proper heavy sci-fi:
omnipotent spherical beings, space
travel and aliens closing on Earths
last remaining city. Its actually
a really rich, deep setting.
Its also epic in the way Halo is
epic: a glorious, swelling score and
gorgeous storytelling cut-scenes.
And theres a sort of narrator: the
Ghost, voiced by Game Of Thrones
Peter Dinklage, is a little robotic
guide linked to your character.
You can also link up with other
Guardians: the entire game is
designed to be played with others.
You can solo most of it if you want
(youll still meet other players on
their own journeys), but the idea
is that you tackle everything as
part of a three-person fireteam,
ideally comprising one of each
character class: Hunter, Warlock
and Titan.
In action it plays very much
like Halo fast, a bit floaty and
bombastic. Every weapon looks,
sounds and feels hugely powerful,
and the class-specific special
attacks are as deadly as they are
spectacular. The main campaign
itself isnt long, but most of the
story missions require that youre
at a certain level, and that means
you need to regularly divert to do
a Strike (a storied side-mission),
some guardian-on-guardian
action in the Crucible or some
wandering and side-missioning
in the free-roam mode. And even
when youve finished the main
story there are Raids: supremely
challenging six-player missions
for the flashiest loot.
Bungie says its going to keep
expanding and updating Destiny.
Maybe one day it really will be
bigger than Warcraft
Tom Parsons
STUFF SAYS Halo meets Diablo meets WOW: one of the very best console shooters +++++
Its the most expensive and most pre-ordered game of all time, but
can Bungies first post-Halo shooter live up to the massive expectations?


TEST GAMES
PS4, PS3, Xbox One,
Xbox 360 /bungie.net
101
TEST GAMES
Creating an avatar to represent
all of your Destiny exploits is
a challenge in itself. You dont
want to make the wrong
choice, especially when it
comes to class.
In theory the Titan is the
meat-headed tank, the Hunter
is the sneaky back-stabby
type and the Warlock is the
space wizard; but in practice
their attributes are all very
similar, and there are no
restrictions in terms of
weapons. Each class gets
its own armour styles, though,
so it really comes down to
deciding which one you think
looks more awesome the
Warlocks long coats, the
Hunters hoods and cloaks or
the Titans Master Chief-like
armour plating.
The other stuff it influences
is the type of double-jump you
get, the sort of grenades you
lob, and which special you get
to use when the yellow gauge
fills up. For the Titan its a
Hulk-smash, for the Warlock
a massive magic grenade; the
Hunter gets a golden gun that
James Bond would envy.
Each class does get a later
sub-class, and you might find
you need to perform a more
specific role in your fireteam
when it comes to tackling the
nails-hard Raids, but for the
majority of the game you can
mix it up however you want.
The new
Guardian guide
Its not all spells and skill
trees theres plenty of
old-skool fragging to do
You choose your missions
from up in orbit before
boarding a ship to begin
I
102
TEST GAMES
STUFF SAYS Its not quite so slick on iOS, but BioShock still shines through ++++,
iOS / 2kgames.com
Remember Pipe
Mania? Hacking
turrets, cameras
and vending
machines in
BioShock is
just like that
The retro
illustrations of
the unlockable
plasmid powers
are as daft as
ever. Cartoon
violence!
still vividly recall playing
the original BioShock on
Xbox 360, exploring the
depths of its underwater fantasy
setting, tensing up at the brash Big
Daddy showdowns, and soaking
in an eerie atmosphere unlike
anything Id ever played before.
Would someone new to the game
have that same kind of experience
on a 4in touchscreen?
The iPhone and iPad version
thankfully keeps the BioShock
experience intact, maintaining
the incredible dystopian city of
Rapture, with its gene-spliced
enemies and terrifying armoured
warriors, terrific art deco design
and ever-intriguing narrative.
Thats the best news of all
BioShock still feels original after
all these years.
The lack of physical inputs on
iOS devices means big changes:
thus, a virtual stick and buttons.
By and large, it does the trick
the attacking buttons match the
overall aesthetic well and are nicely
laid out. But theres a clumsiness
to playing a shooter when all the
inputs you need arent resting
right below a thumb or finger,
and slowed reactions are bound
to get you killed at some point.
Luckily, BioShock supports MFi
controllers, and thats definitely
the way to play.
Even as an early last-gen
release, this was one of the most
visually stunning games ever but
it looks ragged in this incarnation.
The models all have rough edges,
textures are muddled, and lighting
issues abound. The great original
work isnt lost, but its a bit more
difficult to appreciate.
BioShock has been around
for seven years now, so its not
hard to find cheaply for Xbox 360,
PC or PS3. And indeed, every
other version of the game is more
polished and precise than this one.
But still, phones and tablets are
turning more players onto games
than ever before and this is still a
tremendous single-player shooter
experience one thats solidly
enjoyable with touch controls, but
truly great with a gamepad.
Andrew Hayward
BioShock
Can the classic ultra-immersive shooter
survive being squeezed down to iPhone
and iPad without losing its addictive soul?
unitedforwildlife.org
W
H
O
S
E

S
I
D
E

A
R
E

Y
O
U

O
N
?
A
r
o
u
n
d

t
h
e

w
o
r
l
d
,

t
h
e

i
l
l
e
g
a
l

w
i
l
d
l
i
f
e

t
r
a
d
e

i
s

r
e
s
p
o
n
s
i
b
l
e

f
o
r

t
h
e

s
l
a
u
g
h
t
e
r

o
f

t
h
o
u
s
a
n
d
s

o
f

a
n
i
m
a
l
s

e
a
c
h

y
e
a
r
,

p
u
s
h
i
n
g

s
o
m
e


o
f

o
u
r

m
o
s
t

l
o
v
e
d

s
p
e
c
i
e
s

t
o

t
h
e

b
r
i
n
k

o
f

e
x
t
i
n
c
t
i
o
n
.

W
e

a
r
e

n
o
t

a
s
k
i
n
g

f
o
r

y
o
u
r

m
o
n
e
y
.

W
e

a
r
e

a
s
k
i
n
g

y
o
u

t
o

s
i
m
p
l
y

c
h
o
o
s
e

a

s
i
d
e
:

t
h
e

w
o
r
l
d

s

c
r
i
t
i
c
a
l
l
y

e
n
d
a
n
g
e
r
e
d

s
p
e
c
i
e
s
,

o
r

t
h
e

c
r
i
m
i
n
a
l
s

w
h
o

k
i
l
l

t
h
e
m

f
o
r

m
o
n
e
y
.

A
d
d

y
o
u
r

v
o
i
c
e

t
o

t
h
e

c
a
u
s
e

a
n
d

h
e
l
p


p
u
t

t
h
e

k
i
l
l
i
n
g

t
o

a
n

e
n
d
.
105
See your hi-tech home in a new
light with a new light. These are
our favourite ultra-modern lamps
S hi t hh i
GASSLING OOPS
I DROPPED THE BULB
Were not sure what the returns
policy is when you buy this Swedish
lamp, but its unlikely Gassling will
take it back if you claim it looks a bit
broken. Its moment-of-impact design
is deliberately 3D-printed in white
nylon, while a 6W LED takes care
of the actual lighting duties. Also
available from Gasslings website
are a pair of ceiling lamps in similar
style and a range of eco-friendly
boxer shorts. Were not sure about
the returns policy on those either.
400 / gassling.com
DESIGN
[ Photography Pete Gardner ]
106
NORTHERN LIGHTING DIVA
Swedish furniture is so last week.
If you really want to put the in in
interior design, you need to direct
your glance to its nordic neighbour,
Norway. The Scandinavian kingdoms
design council saw fit to bestow its
award for design excellence on the
1.2m-tall Diva floor lamp, no doubt
inspired by its striking feminine
figure. Either that, or the judging
panel were afraid the artful ninja
who carved it would turn his katana
on them in their beds. They have
ninjas in Norway, right?
1755 / northernlighting.no
DESIGN
107
QISDESIGN CORAL
Should your decorative tastes
extend to the maritime, the Coral
lamp is designed to look a bit like,
well, a coral. Its glassy diffusers mimic
the diaphanous polyps of everyones
favourite reef-dwelling intervertebrate,
creating a peaceful luminescence to
accompany your whale-song playlist
while you try to forget about the
hammerhead sharks, decompression
sickness and other innumerable perils
of the deep. For maximum effect, paint
the walls blue and wear neoprene
trousers and a pair of flippers.
280 / lampled.co.uk
DESIGN
108
DESIGN
ANDROMEDA:
TACTICAL LIGHTING
If youre unsure why anyone would
want to design the worlds first
military-inspired tactical tri-rail lamp
that fully utilizes the Picatinny rail
system, the Andromeda might not
be your first choice of light. If, like
the 384 people who backed its
Kickstarter campaign, you think
it would be epic, badass and
awesome to mount a thermal
sight to your bedside light, look
no further. But do contemplate the
irony of fitting night vision to a lamp.
US$560 / sketchydesignstudio.
bigcartel.com
KIRSTY SHAW CIRCULAR
LAYERED TABLE LAMP
This literally-named bit of lightware
throws out colourful arcs in every
direction, even redistributing beams
of sunlight caught by its stack of
brightly-hued acrylic discs. Should
you need further persuasion before
dropping a hundred notes, it can also
double up as a space-age plate rack
or be used as set dressing if you
happen to be a Dr Who director
from the mid-80s. Practicality
forbids these bonus features
being included in the name.
100 / notonthehighstreet.com/
kirstyshaw
DESIGN
109
O Tiffany lamp
approx 1895
Louis Comfort Tiffany
was once thought to
have come up with
these timelessly
ornate stained glass
and lead lamps, but it
later transpired that
Clara Driscoll was the
real creative spark.
O Emeralite
1901
The classic bankers
lamp is the bowler
hat and pinstripe
suit of the lighting
world. Its often
used in TV and film
sets to describe the
administrative nature
of a workplace.
THE LIGHTS THAT NEVER GO OUT: LAMP CLASSICS
O Lava lamp
1963
Invented by Edward
Craven Walker, the
Lava lamp is still in
production (in the
UK) over 50 years
later. For best results
draw the tie-dyed
curtains and light a
patchouli joss stick.
O Anglepoise
1932
Designed by George
Carwardine, the
iconic Anglepoise
was banned by BBC
bosses who felt
people working in
spotlit solitude would
produce smuttier
programming.
AMINIMAL FIELD LAMP
Although the Field Lamp looks at first
glance like its just come back from
a visit to Janet Street-Porters stylist,
theres method in its mad mess of
curvy acrylic tendrils. They represent
the magnetosphere the invisible
magnetic field surrounding the
Earth. Granted, its unlikely the soft
incandescence of the Field Lamp will
protect you from solar winds and
cosmic rays in the same way, but it
does create a pleasant shading effect.
Which is something at least.
US$450 / aminimalstudio.com
110
DESIGN
113
5 OF THE BEST
Forget pixelly screens, sluggish web speeds and Etch-a-Sketch
cameras: you can now get a reliable all-rounder on a titchy budget
Sub-150
smartphones
GROUP TEST BARGAI N BLOWERS
Whats that?
In a sea of cheap Androids, the
Lumia 630 stands out like an
alien: a neon orange buoy keeping
Windows Phone fans safe from
ridicule. Its essentially a bigger
version of 2013s Lumia 520
with the latest 8.1 software.
Sure, Android has more games
and the 630 is far from the
highest-specced device here,
but this Nokia gets a lot right.
The battery life is the best for
the money not by much, but
the 630 will give you an extra hour
or so over the rest. Its the lightest
at 134g, and comes with a decent
(if low-res) screen and excellent
freebies including Nokia Drive.
Any good?
Windows Phone 8.1 is friendlier
than stock KitKat for beginners,
and now it also has useful
Android-style features and
settings. Even the 5MP camera
has its moments its no Lumia
1020 but the outdoor and macro
shots look great and low-light
images arent the grainiest weve
ever encountered. The 630 is
a little slow in use next to the
likes of the Moto G but its easy
to forgive that at this low price.
If you cant live without 4G, try
the similar (but around 50
more expensive) Lumia 635.
Tech 4.5in 854x480 (221ppi)
O 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400, 512MB RAM
O 5MP 720p rear, no front camera
O 1830mAh O 8GB (plus up to
128GB with microSD) O no 4G
O 129.5x66.7x9.2mm O 134g
Nokia Lumia 630 Price 90 / nokia.com
YOUR FIRST
PHONE
BEST FOR...
STUFF SAYS Cheap, cheerful but outclassed by the budget Androids ++++,
114
GROUP TEST BARGAI N BLOWERS
STUFF SAYS This is the best smartphone you can buy under 100 ++++,
Whats that?
Tech-lovers on a sub-100
budget may finally have a solution.
Serving up a tidy, reliable, loveable
Android for the masses, the 4.3in
Moto E is your best bet for under
a ton. Its compact and sturdy build,
slick performance and close-to-
stock Android OS impress, with
only the quality of its 5MP camera,
the miserly 4GB of storage and
the lack of a front cam letting it
down majorly.
Any good?
The 1980mAh battery isnt
swappable and will conk out an
hour before most here, but it still
comfortably lasts a day of light
use, and there are swappable
Motorola Shell covers to keep
the design feel fresh. The screen,
though lower-res than that of
the Moto G 4G opposite, is still
a cracker, with apps, games
and webpages all looking lovely.
Its main flaw is its camera, but
we find that most handsets
under 200 disappoint in this
department. Motorola really
has the monopoly on value
brilliance, so if youre just after
a dirt-cheap device or even
a second handset, you should
look no further.
Tech 4.3in 540x960 (256ppi)
O 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 200, 1GB RAM
O 5MP 480p rear, no front camera
O 1980mAh O 4GB (plus up to
32GB with microSD) O no 4G
O 124.8x64.8x12.3mm O 142g
Whats that?
4G has been out of reach for
anyone on a tight smartphone
budget. Until now. With 4G, a big
battery and quad-core power,
EEs Kestrel is no run-of-the-mill
smartphone. Available for just
100 outright, or 14 a month,
this tweaked and rebranded 4.5in
Huawei handset might tempt you
ahead of the Moto G 4G. But while
the Kestrel ticks one box usually
reserved for phones two or three
times the price, it makes a few
compromises in the name of
low-budget connectivity.
Any good?
For starters, it lacks the lovely HD
screen and smooth performance
of the top Moto. It also has the
most retro design of the bunch,
in terms of both hardware and
its Emotion UI software. Still, the
battery life is brilliant (itll last an
awesome 12 hours of regular
usage), unlike some, plus it has
both an OK front camera as
long as you avoid night-time
shots and a rear flash. Its
light at 145g and seriously slim:
at 7.85mm it makes handsets
like the Moto E and Lumia 630
look and feel very chunky. The
fastest browsing and streaming
this side of 150, then, but not
quite the full package.
Tech 4.5in 540x960 (245ppi)
O 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400, 1GB RAM
O 5MP 720p rear, 1MP front
O 2000mAh O 4GB (plus up
to 32GB with microSD) O 4G
O 131x65.3x 7.85mm O 145g
Moto E Price 90 / motorola.co.uk
EE Kestrel Price 100 / ee.co.uk
4G
FUN
BEST FOR...
YOUR
WALLET
BEST FOR...
STUFF SAYS The cheapest for 4G, but there are better all-rounders ++++,
115
T
E
S
T
W
I
N
N
E
R
GROUP TEST BARGAI N BLOWERS
STUFF SAYS Fine features and camera; only the screen lets it down ++++,
STUFF SAYS Fantastic and futureproof, its budget phone perfection +++++
Whats that?
Until the new 5in Kogan Agora
4G turns up, the Xperia M2 is the
best way to get a big screen on
a budget. Its blocky plastic design,
available in purple, white and black,
is based on the high-end Xperia
Z2. Performance is much better
than previous mid-range Sony
phones and battery life is pretty
good. Plus Sony has thrown in
extras you wont find on other
cheap blowers: small apps,
stamina mode for the battery,
and a pulsing notification light
to last over a day of use.
Any good?
The 8MP camera is the highlight
here. AF can be a little sluggish
but its easy to use, with Sonys
quick Superior Auto mode plus
lots of settings to dig into and
reliably good 1080p video. It
doesnt get close to the top
smartphones for picture quality,
but its the best all-round snapper
tested here. Its just a shame that
4.8in screen isnt very sharp at
229ppi and suffers from poor
viewing angles. If Sony had stuck
a higher-res screen on the M2 and
added support for 4G, this would
have been more of a rival for the
Moto G. As it is, it falls just short.
Tech 4.8in 540x960 (229ppi)
O 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400, 1GB RAM
O 8MP 1080p rear, VGA front
O 2330mAh O 8GB (plus up to
32GB with microSD) O no 4G
O 139.6x71.1x 8.6mm O 148g
Whats that?
The 2013 Moto G is now ludicrously
cheap, but 4G makes this new
model ever better. Its sturdily built
and fits snugly in one hand, while
swappable Shells give you the
option to customise its look on
a daily basis. The 4.5in, HD, 326ppi
screen is the real selling point over
its fuzzier-screened rivals. Next
to most other phones in its class
it looks pin-sharp, with vivid but
natural colours and good contrast.
Any good?
Its not without problems the
5MP camera does still disappoint
sometimes, especially in low light.
Motos also left the 4G with an
almost untouched version of
Android KitKat, adding a few
genuinely useful features
but nothing more. That helps
everything run smoothly and
you can can expect speedy
downloads, streaming and
browsing over 4G. The best
bit? The Moto G still lasts a day
between charges. If you have
specific criteria lets say youre
a n00b who likes the look of
Windows Phone, or taking pics
is your priority then other
budget phones in this test might
make more sense. But for most,
the G will do very nicely indeed.
Tech 4.5in 1280x720 (326ppi) with
Gorilla Glass O 1.2GHz quad-core
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400,
1GB RAM O 5MP 720p rear, 1.3MP
720p front O 2070mAh O 8GB
(plus up to 32GB with microSD)
O 4G O 129.9x65.9x11.6mm
O 143g
Sony Xperia M2 Price 150/ sony.co.uk
Moto G 4G Price 150 / motorola.co.uk
ALL-ROUND
CLASS
BEST FOR...
CAMERA
STILLS
BEST FOR...
116
REVI EWS
ost people dont think
of Northern Ireland as a
former war zone: Youre
not even leaving the country, an
officer tells young Private Gary
Hook (Starred Ups Jack OConnell)
before his regiment is deployed to
Belfast a year before the events
of Bloody Sunday. But when
a routine house search gets out
of hand and Hook finds himself
stranded alone in the wrong part
of the city, hes very much on the
frontline and in a dangerous and
unfamiliar world.
When both friend and foe look
like theyve stepped off the set of
a Bee Gees video, Hook struggles
to fully trust anyone but himself.
When he befriends a young
boy and is unable to tell the
junior streetfighter whether
hes Catholic or Protestant,
Hooks complete ignorance
of the situation is exposed.
Its a dark and claustrophobic
film, shot frequently on handheld
cameras and often lit by nothing
more than streetlights and burning
cars, with the shadows used like
its a horror movie. But as the night
unfolds and we discover theres
more to 71 than just a good guy
lost in a bad part of town, the
tension is ramped up. It soon
becomes clear that a wars
a war, even when its on your
doorstep, and those at the
bottom of the chain of command
always come off worse, no matter
which side youre on.
Tom Wiggins
STUFF SAYS ++++,
M
Vampires have had a rough
ride in recent years, but Jim
Jarmusch isnt interested
in all that teen/sexy
nonsense. His approach,
contemplative yet quirky,
is entirely compatible with
Tom Hiddleston and Tilda
Swintons offbeat turns
as Adam and Eve. Vampires
havent felt so fresh or fun
in decades. This is how you
rescue a genre.
Ced Yuen
STUFF SAYS +++++
Godzillas humans are
mostly run-of-the-mill
action movie tropes,
but the monster, the
sound and the camera
itself have enough
presence to make this
a brilliant film: the eerie
scene in which a group
of soldiers skydive into
the ruined city is a really
exceptional piece of
movie-making.
Will Dunn
STUFF SAYS +++++
From vampires to kittens, your
Stuff-scrutinised rundown of
this months key releases
in film, music and books
Sensory
snacks
71_cinema
Only Lovers
Left Alive_DVD
Godzilla
_DVD, Blu-ray
WATCH
117
REVI EWS
The three things that
keep people interested in
the internet are humour,
kittens in baskets and porn.
Cultural chin-scratcher
Douglas Coupland uses
two of them in this
entertaining yet alarming
analysis of online life, which
asks just what universal
connectedness has done
to the human mind. Triffic,
a bald Canadian moaning
that kids these days have
no attention span but
Kitten Clone sniffs deeper
down than that. Based on
informal interviews with
assorted hyper-nerds
from the Alcatel-Lucent
corporation, and illustrated
with melancholy pictures
of their offices around
the world, this short book
sometimes feels every bit
as chaotic and directionless
as the web itself but its
central thesis is quietly
apocalyptic.
Richard Purvis
STUFF SAYS ++++,
As chief purveyor of LA
hipster-hop and the great
nephew of sax legend John
Coltrane, its no surprise
that Steven Ellison, aka
Flying Lotus, has gradually
let jazz influences creep
into his music. While Youre
Dead! isnt pure hard bop
or fusion, it delves further
into that world than any of
his previous four albums.
Prince would be proud
of how the guitars are
made to wail but vocal
appearances from
Kendrick Lamar, Snoop
Dogg and Ellisons own
Captain Murphy alter ego
ensure things are still
rooted in electronica-
tinged hip-hop, with his
trademark Dilla-inspired
woozy beats never more
than a bebop away.
Arguably FlyLos most
cohesive record to date
and you dont need a
beard or a pipe to dig it.
Tom Wiggins
STUFF SAYS ++++,
Comedian Tim Minchins
graphic novel based on
a dinner-party argument
with a hippy makes the
case for rationality; his
opponent waffles on about
auras and homeopathy.
The writings sharp and
the artwork pops, though
youll whizz through it in
less time than it takes to
listen to the original poem.
Steven Graves
STUFF SAYS +++,,
With David Guetta, Avicii
et al doing their best to
spoil 30 years of dance
music, its nice to have
Dan Snaith fighting back.
Although his fourth album
as Caribou isnt all for
the dancefloor, Silvers
Vangelis-esque synths
give way to some bassier,
more old-skool sounds.
Our Love will be the sound
of your second summer.
Tom Wiggins
STUFF SAYS ++++,
The sci-fi detective genre
has more than its fair
share of classics, from
The Demolished Man to
Dirk Gently. This is good
enough to sit with the best
of them, fitting a pandemic,
a seemingly unsolvable
murder and a pair of cops,
one of whom lives via a
telelpresence robot, into a
weekends fast-paced and
highly engaging reading.
Will Dunn
STUFF SAYS ++++,
This is contemporary
guitar pop with a tinge
of electro-goth menace.
Judged as such, without
mentioning or even
thinking about yknow,
that band he used to be in
Marrs second solo album
is pretty decent. So heres
a 50-year-old showing
the kids how its done; the
only question is whether
it really needs doing.
Richard Purvis
STUFF SAYS +++,,
LISTEN READ
Kitten Clone_Douglas Coupland Youre Dead!_Flying Lotus
Our Love
_Caribou
Lock In
_John Scalzi
Storm
_Tim
Minchin, DC Turner
and Tracy King
Playland
_Johnny Marr
O FREE Grid Autosport game: access via Steam key
O SAVE 28% on the cover price
O Just 19.99 every 6 issues by Direct Debit
O FREE delivery direct to your door
O All the above plus the Stu iPad or iPhone edition
O Just 2.50 extra to include digital access
O SAVE 51% on the cover price
O ACCESS anywhere, everywhere
OPTION 1
19.99
OPTION 2
22.49
FREE GRID AUTOSPORT
ACCESS VIA STEAM
WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO STUFF MAGAZINE
AS
REVIEWED
IN THE
SEPTEMBER
ISSUE OF
STUFF
SUBSCRIPTION
ORDER FORM
Originators ID
No. 850699
Yes! Please start my print subscription to Stuff and send me
my Grid Autosport Steam key (PRINT ONLY)
Yes! Please start my all-access subscription to Stuff and send
me my Grid Autosport Steam key (ALL ACCESS)
Please tick here if this is a new subscription
Or here if it is a renewal
YOUR DETAILS BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE (must be completed)
TITLE.......... NAME.........................................................................................................
SURNAME ........................................................................................................................
ADDRESS...........................................................................................................................
POSTCODE ......................................................................................................................
TELEPHONE ...................................................................................................................
EMAIL .................................................................................................................................
MOBILE ..............................................................................................................................
INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR BANK
OR BUILDING SOCIETY TO PAY
BY DIRECT DEBIT
TO: THE MANAGER
BANK/BUILDING SOCIETY ...................................................................................
ADDRESS .........................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
POSTCODE ......................................................................................................................
Terms and conditions This offer is open to UK residents only. Overseas rates are available
on +44 (0)1795 592987. Please allow 35 days for delivery of your first issue. Should you
wish to cancel your subscription it will be cancelled on expiry of the current term, which
will not be refundable other than in exceptional circumstances. Savings are based on
the standard UK print cover price of 4.60 and digital cover price of 2.99. Offer ends
5 November 2014. An email will be sent to you with your unique Steam key once your
order has been processed. If you require any assistance following the purchase of your
subscription, you can speak to a member of our customer service teamon 01795592987;
calls are charged at local rate.
Haymarket Media Group Ltd uses a best practice layered Privacy Policy to provide
you with details about how we would like to use your personal information. To read
the full privacy policy please visit our website www.haymarket.com/privacy or
call us on 08448 482 800. Please ask if you have any questions as submitting your
personal information indicates your consent, for the time being, that we and our
partners may contact you about products and services that will be of interest to
you via post, phone, email and SMS. You can opt out at ANY time by emailing the
datacontroller@ haymarket.com or by calling 08448 482 800.
SIGNATURE DATE
Instructions to your bank or building society
PleasepayHaymarketMediaGroupDirectDebitsfromtheaccountdetailedinthisinstructionsubjectto
thesafeguardsassuredbytheDirect Debit guarantee. I understandthat thisinstructionmaystaywith
Haymarket MediaGroup and, if so, detailswill bepassedelectronicallytomybank/buildingsociety.
BANK/BUILDING SOCIETY ACCOUNT NUMBER
BRANCH SORT CODE
Reference number (for office use only)
NAME(S) OF ACCOUNT HOLDER(S)
UK readers please send this form (photocopies acceptable) to:
STUFF, FREEPOST RBSU-TALE-BXJT,
PO BOX 326, SITTINGBOURNE, ME9 8FA
QUOTE REF M1114P OR M1114B
www.themagazineshop.com/tstuf-nov
Please have your bank details ready and quote the promotional code
M1114P for print only or M1114B for an all-access subscription.
Offer ends 5 November 2014.
CALLING FROM ABROAD?
Save money on international subscriptions. For information on rates,
call +44 (0)1795 592987 or visit www.themagazineshop.com
OR CALL 08448 488 806
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT
It takes two, baby
Unlike docks and soundbars, the Q Media BT3 from
Q Acoustics delivers real stereo sound separation via
its versatile twin bookshelf speakers.
for true stereo sound.
Stream music via Bluetooth

, plus connect the audio output

from your TV or set-top box* to the BT3s built-in 100W
amplier and enjoy sound quality that comfortably outperforms
typical single box soundbars and docks.
*BT3 is compatible with both Sky and Virgin remote controls.
Available in: Jet Black Juice Red Urban White
www.Qacoustics.co.uk
...the sound these speakers make will knock any similarly
priced soundbars into a cocked hat
Few products are as versatile and easy to use as the Q BT3s
Proper hi- sound and a huge boost to TV, Computer and
streaming sound.
WHAT HI-FI? SOUND AND VISION
Audio is delivered with superb clarity.
AVFORUMS
Superb, full-range sound trumps almost every soundbar on
the market.
TRUSTED REVIEWS
A neat sonic upgrade for a TV doubling up brilliantly for
stereo music
HOME CINEMA CHOICE
121
p122
BETA YOURSELF:
COOKING
Urgent message
from your
oesophagus: No
more fish fingers
p124
PLAYLIST:
PODCASTS
Entertain your
ears while your
eyes are stuck
in the real world
p126
INSTANT
UPGRADES:
FIREWORKS
Make sure theres
an ahhhh! for
every oooh!
p128
RE-AWESOMISE
YOUR
CHROMEBOOK
Get more from
that little slice
of laptoppy love
PROJECTS
MAKE. DO. UPGRADE.
THE BASICS
PROJECTS | 11.14
122
THE SKILLS
BETA
YOURSELF
Q Invest in heavy-based
pans. Cheap, thin-based pans
cook your food unevenly and
their inferno-like hotspots make
it easier to burn food. Quality kit
such as Meyer Circulon Infinite
pans (from 20, lakeland.co.uk)
will last for years and years.
Q Use tongs for control. Half
the frustration in cooking comes
from things sticking or not going
where you want them to (damn
you, sausages!). Tongs are like an
extra, asbestos-coated hand.
Q Reach for the big knife.
Your cooks knife, with its 20cm
blade, isnt just for carving
chickens. Its the fastest tool
for slicing or chopping anything,
from a joint of beef to a clove
of garlic.
Q Cook for enjoyment. Fine
dining is about prissily trimming
off perfectly good bits of meat,
or moulding food in steel rings.
Dont waste time on all that cheffy
stuff concentrate on flavour.
Q Stay sharp. Hone your
blade on a ceramic steel before
every use. Dont let anyone
else do it a blade adjusts
to your sharpening pattern
with biometric precision, and
a different hand might blunt it.
Q Dont Google it! Well, dont
Google indiscriminately. When
youre looking for a particular
recipe, always use a trusted
source. Food magazines such
as delicious (others are available)
test every recipe they publish
and tweak them until theyre
foolproof. There are thousands
of recipes available online for
free, but finding a good one is
like choosing tomatoes: have
a good sniff first.
Q Honing your blades. Hold
the steel upright on a chopping
board then run the blade across
it towards you, fairly lightly, 10
times. Repeat on the other side.
Q Proper chopping. Put a
damp J-cloth under the board
so it cant slide around. Keep the
tip of the knife on the board as
you smoothly move the handle
up and back, then down and
forward, through the food.
Q Cheats mixing. Folding in
with a spoon is tricky use a
balloon whisk, lifting and turning
slowly. The tiny surface area
means you lose very little air.
COOKING
Are you a walking kitchen nightmare? Les Dunn, managing
editor of food magazine delicious, shares a few tricks
that might make even Monica Galetti crack a smile
11.14 | PROJECTS
123
LEVEL
UP WITH...
THE INGREDIENTS GRIDDLE THE
PERFECT STEAK
NOW ADD THESE
Q Veg boxes. Dont worry,
they wont turn you into a hippy.
Veg-forward cookery is big now,
and a weekly consignment of
seasonal British produce (from
10.35/week, riverford.co.uk)
will help you join the revolution.
Q The specialist site. All out of
yuzu powder? souschef.co.uk is
a one-stop shop for hard-to-find
ingredients, ideal when your local
supermarket lets you down.
Q The lifesaving book. The
Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit
lists 99 popular ingredients with
possible flavour matches: bingo,
odds and ends become recipes.
Q Buy a top-quality steak:
225g, British, dry-aged ribeye.
Leave out of the fridge for half
an hour. Get your griddle pan hot.
Q Brush the steak with oil,
season well and place on the
griddle, oiled side down. Cook
for 2 mins, pressing to get the
lines. Oil and season the top,
turn and cook for 2 mins more.
Q Meanwhile, warm a plate
in the microwave for 1 min. Rest
your steak on the plate for 5-10
mins so the muscle cells relax
and the meat becomes more
tender and juicy. Enjoy.
Q KitchenAid Artisan Mixer.
The first time you make pizzas,
youll love all that kneading; the
20th time, youll wish you could
just chuck it all into a machine.
400 / ecookshop.co.uk
Q Lakeland Digital
Thermometer. Many recipes
use precise temperatures;
dont rely on folksy guesswork
methods. 20 / lakeland.co.uk
Q Tefal Jamie Oliver Clipso
Pressure Cooker. The cheaper
cuts of meat have great flavour
but take hours to slow-cook
unless you have one of these.
120 / hartsofstur.com
SORTED FOOD
free / iOS
This lot started mucking
around with cookery
videos to help save their
fellow students from living
on junk food. Refreshingly
unpretentious, theyve
since rocked the food
world with their YouTube
channel; the new app has
700-plus recipes, with
the option of uploading
your own masterpieces.
McGEE ON
FOOD & COOKING
26 / bookdepository.com
With his classic, weighty
1984 tome, Harold McGee
was the first to take
a properly scientific
approach to cooking.
The much-revised
2004 edition is even
better. Read it, and when
naive friends in the pub
regurgitate stale myths
such as Searing the
meat seals in the juices,
youll have hours of fun
debunking them.
THE SCHOOL OF
ARTISAN FOOD
1-day courses from 145 /
schoolofartisanfood.org
Doing it from scratch,
whether its curing meat
or crafting your own
yogurt and cheese, is
what its all about for
the contemporary food
obsessive. This respected
college on a country
estate in Sherwood
Forest can teach you
all the traditional skills.
124
PODCASTS
PLAYLIST
RADIOLAB
Science and
philosophy are the
chief concerns of this
show from New York
public station WNYC,
but its certainly not
dry or exclusive:
compelling stories,
tight editing and the
use of experimental
music keep things
moving swiftly.
For a taster, listen
to the Radiolab
shorts episodes.
radiolab.org
RETRONAUTS
If you want a retro
gaming listening
alternative
to YouTubes Lets
Play videos, this
podcast will look
after your 8- and
16-bit needs. It
verges on the nerdy
at times, and its
lengthy but as
an exploration of
brilliant games from
a bygone era, theres
nothing to beat it.
retronauts.com
GUARDIAN
FOOTBALL WEEKLY
A world away
from the blustery,
loud-mouthed world
of sports-focused
radio, the always
amusing James
Richardson and his
highly knowledgeable
guests oer the
sort of witty,
analysis-based view
of the game thats
seemingly impossible
to nd anywhere else.
theguardian.com
THE MCP
Movie geeks should
set aside a few hours
to catch up with the
Motion/Captured
Podcast, a lengthy
and well-informed
dive into the world
of lm hosted by
screenwriter and
journalist Drew
McWeeny and
his writing partner
Scott Swan. An
insightful, insiders
view of Hollywood.
iTunes
FREAKONOMICS
Te podcast of the
bestselling book,
Freakonomics digs
into the world from
an economists point
of view. Tis means
answering a range
of questions Does
religion make you
happy? Whats the
best exercise? Should
tipping be banned?
in a surprisingly
enthralling way.
freakonomics.com/
radio/
STUFF YOU
SHOULD KNOW
Did you know that
the male pillow
octopus sometimes
breaks o one of his
arms to use as a
sword against bigger
sh? We didnt either,
until we started
listening to a pair of
American bloggers
who like to talk about
absolutely everything
under the sun.
stuyoushouldknow.
com
WELCOME TO
NIGHT VALE
Twin Peaks fan? Tune
into ctional tales of
a small desert town,
told through the
medium of a radio
broadcast. Drily,
darkly humorous,
its news, weather
and bizarre adverts
create a vivid picture
of a place where
weirdness is ordinary.
commonplacebooks.
com/welcome-to-
night-vale
Whether you fancy nipping out for a learn-walk, an edu-stroll
or a bit of runtertainment, weve picked the best shows for
those terrifying times when you dont have access to a screen
11.14 PROJECTS
125
PODKICKER
Apples own Podcasts app is pretty
handy, but if youre an Android user
the podcast-listening app is less
obvious. Podkicker is pretty good as
standard; the 69p Pro version adds
goodies and removes display ads.
from free, play.google.com
SAMSON METEORITE
CONDENSER MICROPHONE
Inspired? You neednt buy a mic to start
recording your own mind-splurge, but
itll vastly improve matters if you do.
Equally, you neednt buy one as pretty
as this one but just look at it!
40, samsontech.com
JABRA ROX WIRELESS
Youre going to be spending gigahours
listening to all this great content, so
youre going to need many ways to
listen like these liberatingly diminutive
Bluetooth earphones, which have five
hours of battery life.
100, jabra.co.uk
You cant podcastulate your
brain with the wrong tools.
Get the following and start
reshaping your ideas-gland
NOW ADD
THESE...
UNDER THE RADAR
If you wondered what
had happened to 90s
TV comedy stalwart
Sean Seans Show
Hughes, wonder
no longer: hes now
hosting this witty,
sharp and laid-back
podcast, in which
we nd him in
conversation with
a guest or guests
from the world
of entertainment
and comedy.
soundcloud.com
SODAJERKER ON
SONGWRITING
Sodajerker are
Scouse songwriting
duo Simon Barber
and Brian OConnor
who, when theyre
not locked in a studio,
make this fascinating
podcast on the art
of songcraft. Most
episodes feature the
pair picking the brains
of a musician such as
Loudon Wainwright III
or Billy Bragg.
sodajerker.com
BLUE JAM
Created by Brass
Eyes Chris Morris
and broadcast on
Radio 1 in the late
90s during the early
hours of the morning,
this mix of surreal
comedy sketches
and ambient
soundscapes
was unlike anything
that had ever been
(or ever would
be) broadcast on
mainstream radio.
archive.org
ALL SONGS
CONSIDERED
From the non-prot
cultural titan NPR,
this weekly oering
in the style of a radio
show is a great way
to keep up to date
with whats going
on in indie music.
Featuring track
premieres, its a
must for any muso
who knows their
Ariel Pink from their
Air Supply.
npr.org
1
5
6
2
3
[

I
l
l
u
s
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

J
a
m
i
e

S
n
e
d
d
o
n

]
126
FIREWORKS NIGHT
6 INSTANT UPGRADES
What better way to christen your new back garden than
with a neighbour-annoying, dog-bothering pyrotechnics
extravaganza? Warning: may emit sparks of sensationalness
11.14 | PROJECTS
[

P
h
o
t
o
s

f
c
k
r
c
o
m
/
n
c
k
w
h
e
e
e
r
o
z

f
c
k
r
c
o
m
/
g
o
t
o
v
a
n

f
c
k
r
c
o
m
/
c
a
o
m
a

y
o
u
t
u
b
e
c
o
m
/
g
o
p
r
o
c
a
m
e
r
a

]
127
TRIPOD
An essential. Decide what
angle you want to capture
and set up your camera
on a tripod to keep it
steady. You can even
use the Weye Feye (see
no.4, left) to see exactly
what your camera sees
and re o shots without
shaking it.
TIME-LAPSE
If you want to record
the whole thing, you
can compress an entire
reworks display
into a 15-second clip.
Many cameras have
a time-lapse mode,
or you can use apps
such as Lapse It (from
free / iOS, Android).
LONG EXPOSURE
If youre using a DSLR,
select manual and focus
on innity. Keep the ISO
at 100, set the aperture
to around f/12 and try
exposures up to 30 secs.
If youre using a compact
camera, select night mode
(no ash) or reworks
mode if it has one.
EXPERIMENT
Feeling ambitious?
Try getting reections,
silhouettes of spectators
or use ash in a group
shot with long exposure
to catch background
reworks. With care, you
could even use a drone to
capture an aerial view.
3 BRAVEN BRV-1
If youre feeling really creative,
you could always set your
reworks display to music. Ready
to provide the soundtrack is the
BRV-1. Its a compact Bluetooth
speaker built to withstand the
testing conditions of a cold,
damp November night thanks
to its IPX5 water-resistant rating
and rugged rubber exterior. Its
twin drivers can manage 3W
each of power and oer a playing
time of up to 12 hours. It also has
a built-in noise-cancelling mic
for hands-free calling although
its probably best not to try that
while the sky is exploding.
130 / braven.eu
1 DUALIT STRAIGHT
SOUP KETTLE
Your guests are on their way, the
emergency water bucket is on
standby, youve set up your
camera (see panel) and the
reworks are ready to launch...
but whats that smell? Uh-oh,
youve boiled the mulled wine
into a foul-tasting soup again.
Tis six-litre soup kettle is the
perfect set-and-forget option.
In stainless steel with a variable
thermostat, it means youll never
end up with horrible boiled wine
again. Also good for those six
litres of soup Sundays.
80 / nisbets.co.uk
6 HUSQVARNA
TECHNICAL GLOVES
You need sturdy gloves that will
keep your ngers safe without
being too bulky for ddling with
fuses. While theyre designed for
use with Husqvarna chainsaws,
these are also light enough to
allow full movement, with a
tough yet supple goat-leather
palm, extra protection for the
index nger and a terry-cloth
panel for wiping away your
excitement-induced sweat. Te
snug Velcro closure makes sure
they stay put, and reective
piping makes them easier to
nd if you drop one in the dark.
39 / husqvarna.com
PYROTECHNIC
PAPPING
4 XSORIES WEYE FEYE
If you want to photograph your
reworks, the best views arent
likely to be from the safest
places. Solution: the Weye Feye
pronounced like Wi-Fi hooks
up to your Nikon or Canon DSLR
(theres an S version coming
soon that works with most
cameras) and provides live view
and remote shooting controls on
your smartphone or tablet via its
own Wi-Fi network. Te built-in
battery gives up to eight hours
of use and it works up to 80m
away, so you can get your
camera up close without putting
yourself in the line of re.
200 / xsories.co.uk
2 LAUNCH KONTROL
PULSE
Why would you stumble around
a muddy garden in the dark
when you could set o your
reworks at the push of a
button? Te Launch Kontrol
Pulse is a simple wired system
that can be used up to 20m
away. Replaceable ignition tips
clip to the rework fuses, and
the pad is connected via a Cat 5
network cable and powered by
a 9V battery. Up to four reworks
can be triggered per board, and
you can chain multiple boards
together for bigger displays.
17 / pyrostation.co.uk
5 FIREWORKS
INTERNATIONAL
TOMAHAWK ROCKETS
Every good display needs a ne
set of rockets to round it o. Tis
bargain pack of ve Fireworks
International Tomahawks is just
the job. With two dazzling eects
Silver Glittering Willow and the
rather cocktail-sounding Green
Crackling Coconut with Pistil
Purple Peony theyre the
perfect showstoppers. Youll
nally be able to shake o
the stigma of that time you
disappointed everyone with a
mouldy box of Roman candles.
20 / pyro.co.uk
128
PROJECTS | 11.14
More than a tablet but not quite a laptop, Chromebooks are dicult
to dene but easy to love. Teres also a lot more to them than
you might realise heres how to make yours truly tremendous
5
Save the
internet
for later
Pocket
Chromebooks
have been improving
their oine prowess
(see below), but there
are still rare moments
when youre lost
without a connection.
Install Pocket and use
the button to save
any webpage you
nd useful, and when
you open the smart
oine app on your
Chromebook itll all
be there.
free /
getpocket.com
3
Give it the joy
of Ubuntu
Crouton
Missing a proper
operating system?
Because Chrome
OS is built on Linux,
Crouton can install
Ubuntu Linux (and
even Android, for
advanced tinkerers)
alongside Chrome
OS. It takes some
ddling (and for
Petes sake back up
rst) and it can be
slow on older ARM
processors, but ies
on Celeron models.
free / github.com/
dnschneid/crouton
2
Beef up
its storage
Transcend 128GB
Superspeed
If youve not got the
guts to open up your
machine and replace
the internal storage,
all is not yet lost.
Tanks to the magic
of superfast USB 3.0
data transfers, an
SSD-based external
drive is almost as
good as an internal
one these days.
And theyre not
too expensive either:
perfect for your
lm collection.
100 / amazon.co.uk
1
Use it to control
other PCs
Chrome Remote
Desktop
Googles Chrome
Remote Desktop,
which lets you take
control of a PC via
the browser (you
can also do this
from an Android
phone), allows you
to outsource tougher
processing tasks
to your desktop,
remotely control
software or use
it as a media server
for your telly.
free / chrome.
google.com
4
Make it a digital
darkroom
Pixlr Editor,
Pixlr Touch Up
Both of these
photo-editing apps
work oine. Pixlr
Touch Up is fairly
basic but Pixlr
Editor is more of
a Photoshop-esque
experience. Youll see
a File menu appear,
giving you menus to
trace, feather, layer,
lter, clone and so
on. Its not going to
kill Adobe in the near
future, but its free.
free / chrome.
google.com
1
2
3
4
GO OFFLINE In the early days of Chromebooks, they needed an internet
connection to do anything, but there are now hundreds of apps including
Gmail, Docs, games and video and photo editors that work oine.
RE-AWESOMISE YOUR CHROMEBOOK
5
WAYS TO...
ALWAYS ON CALL
MAIL OF THE MONTH
G E
C
D
O
A T
T
G
O R D
This letter wins 6 months of unlimited streaming in lossless-quality FLAC from Qobuz, worth 20/month
Q
MOBILE HONE
I like gaming on my Galaxy
Note 3 while Im out and about to
kill time, but I hate touchscreen
controls. Im too much of a casual
gamer to blow cash on a PS Vita,
so Im looking to get a Bluetooth
controller that lasts for long
journeys without feeling small
and tacky. Any suggestions?
Christopher Braithwaite
A
The Moga Pro Power
(65, mogaanywhere.com)
is probably your best bet. Its
around the same size as a
console controller so its not
as portable as its rivals, but its
more comfortable to use with
useful features including a built-in
clip that supports your phone
while you play. Its even got a
large battery that can juice up
your phone while youre out.
Q
DRIVE SAFELY
After two years my
MacBook Pro is getting full up
with videos, music and photos
but I need everything. A portable
hard drive is no good as I actually
use my laptop on my lap quite a
bit and Im scared of losing one.
Do I have to get cloud storage?
Ragu Mitha
A
No, Ragu, far from it. Sounds
like youre crying out for
a Nifty MiniDrive (35, minidrive.
bynifty.com). Its a microSD
adapter that slots snugly into
your MBPs SD card slot so
you neednt trust your extra
gigabytes to a wired accessory.
Pair it with SanDisks 128GB
microSD and your vids, tunes
and snaps will be safer than
files wrapped in real cotton
wool clouds.
Q
COMFORT CANS
Im looking for something
thatll let me listen to my music
and the radio in bed, without
disturbing my other half. In-ear
headphones dig into my lugholes
when on my side, and good luck
getting to sleep with a pair of
on-ears clamped over your head.
Rob Shirland
A
There are a
few speaker-
equipped pillows out
there, but they tend
to be a) mono and
b) audible to anyone
else in the bed. We like
SleepPhones (35,
firebox.com) theyre
a soft headband with
flat speakers that you
can lie on comfortably,
available in wired and Bluetooth
flavours. Youll be drifting off
to Einstrzende Neubauten
in no time.
Q
CALL MY BUFFER
Ive recently started my
own business, which pretty
much means Ive given up on
sleeping ever again. I know social
media is essential to build up
my brand, but I dont have time
to constantly update my profiles.
Is there an Android app I can
use to schedule tweets and
Facebook posts?
Sarah Wheeler
A
There certainly is, Sarah.
Try Buffer, which allows
you to form a queue of updates
to be posted throughout the day,
plus you can access analytics to
see which times of day get
you most eyeballs.
Q
JUST CHILLIN
Im going to Antarctica in
December to spend a month
clubbing seals (not really Im
researching ice cores). I want
a camera that wont die of cold
and will survive being dropped
for less than 300.
Simon Morrissey
A
Youre in luck, Mozza. We
tested three tough cams
last month, with the Nikon
Coolpix AW120 our favourite.
It can survive down to -10C,
handle drops of up to 2m, and
will set you back a mere 250.
It even has a compass so you
can record the locations of all
those core samples
Q
THE YOUNG ONES
I recently dipped my toe into
the murky waters of crowdfunding
and am lucky enough to be getting
one of the first new Pono hi-res
music players that Neil Young
launched on Kickstarter. I cant
just plug in my cheapo earbuds so
the challenge now is to find a pair
of headphones thatll do it justice
in terms of sound reproduction.
Can you help me, Stuff?
John Bramm
A
We reckon a music player
backed by Neil Young
requires suitably vintage-looking
cans to plug into it, Brammers, so
that gives us a couple of obvious
options. The first is a pair of B&W
P7s (330, bowers-wilkins.co.uk)
but, to be honest, wed go for
the ultimate in retro chic: Grados
SR325e (300, gradolabs.com).
No doubt Neil would approve of
the old-skool design, and were
certain hed like how they sound.
Have a Qobuz subscription to
bolster your collection of hi-res
audio. Perhaps theyve got some
Neil Young.
Speak your brains and you could win a 6-month QOBUZ HIFI SUBSCRIPTION worth 120
facebook.com/joinstu O @stuTV
google.com/+stufftv O stuff@haymarket.com
11.14 | PROJECTS
129
130
1
TUNE IN NEXT MONTH TO...
The poor old text message
looks a bit 1997 in the age
of FaceTime. Spruce texts up
with these GIF messaging apps:
1. Download Ultratext (free,
iOS). Type away, pressing the
spacebar every time you want
a new frame in your text GIF.
2. Press the camera icon to
insert a photo, and touch the
colour wheel to change your
font and background colours.
Press return to get a preview.
3. Want to film a Vine-like GIF?
Download Camoji (free, iOS),
gurn into your front-facing
camera and send that for good
measure. Mind double-blown.
Hordes of climbers have
struggled to defeat the big
old Sagarmatha. Luckily, this
simulation lets you do it in your
dressing gown:
1. Go to
everestavalanchetragedy.com
and click on Mount Everest in
3D. Don your warmest cardigan
and hit Start the climb.
2. For the most bone-chilling
experience, put on some
headphones to experience an
icy wind as you climb through
the perilous Khumbu Icefall
(complete with rescue mission
radio) and beyond.
3. Made the summit? Brew
a well-deserved cuppa and
explore your panoramic view,
before heading to the donate
now section to raise money
for the Sherpa Family Fund.
Tired of faffing with the
same old YouTube settings?
Fancy giving it the Ambilight
treatment? Time to wave this
internet wand:
1. Go to chromeactions.com
and add the Magic Actions
extension to your Chrome,
Firefox or Opera browser. All
done? Off we go to YouTube.
2. Whats this underneath
the video window? Its a lovely
new menu bar. Here youll find
shortcuts for auto-repeat and
filters, but for the really good
stuff click on Magic Options.
3. This list of handy tweaks
includes Auto HD, Stop
Autoplay and the rather
useful Ratings Preview, which
puts a rating bar in each videos
thumbnail so you can decide
if its worthy of your click.
O Sharpen your stargazing O Find online services
worth subscribing to O Clue up on arcade machines
3
AWESOMISE
YOUR TEXTS
CONQUER
EVEREST
GIVE YOUTUBE
A FACELIFT
IF NOTHING ELSE, AT LEAST...
5-MINUTE
HACKS
PROJECTS | 11.14
2
Smartphones 132
Tablets 133
Hi-fi streaming 134
Headphones 135
Home cinema 138
Blu-ray / Speaker systems
PVRs
TVs 140
Laptops 142
Best of the rest 143
Home computers
Sat-nav / Camcorders
Games 144
Games machines 145
Compact cameras 146
Digital SLRs 147
Geek accessories 148
Wearable tech 150
Connected home 151

TOP
TEN
For full reviews of every product in the
top 10s, visit stuff.tv/reviews
O
P
r
i
c
e
s
q
u
o
t
e
d
a
r
e
f
o
r
h
a
n
d
s
e
t
o
n
l
y
u
n
l
e
s
s
o
t
h
e
r
w
i
s
e
s
t
a
t
e
d
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR SMARTPHONE BUYINGGUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/SMARTPHONES
Motorola Moto G
Googlessprinkledsomemagical Nexusdust over itslatest Motorolablower: theMotoG
costs a mere 130yet has a distinctlynon-budget 4.5in 720p screen and quad-core
processor. Paltrystorage and poor camera count against it but then again: 130!
Apple iPhone 5s
Acurious blend of tried and tested 4in screen, design, huge cost with newand
excitingfeatures like a 64-bit processor, fingerprint-sensinghome button and iOS7.
What it adds up tois an easypurchase for most but here, at last, comes iPhone 6
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Witha4.3in, 720pscreen, Snapdragon-poweredperformance, solid, waterproof body
anda20.7MPcamera, theZ1 Compact is thefirst small superphonethat delivers with
noifs or buts. If youresmall of handbut demandingof phone, its theAndroidfor you.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Big, bold and stuffed with tech, the GalaxyS5is a bona fide superphone that will
delight Samsungfans, although it has some verystiff competition. It has a faster
processor, aslightlybigger screenandamoresolid(if not quitestylish) feel thantheS4.
Sony Xperia Z2
Classy, clever and with talent in spades, the water-resistant Z2oozes quality. It flies
inuseandiscapableof takingbrilliant photosandplayingvideosat 4Kcinephilequality.
If the design had just been a bit more practical, it would have been unstoppable.
OnePlus One
Believethehype. Toget oneof thebest smartphonesontheplanet, youdont need
500or 40amonthanymore. Youjust needaninvite. Intermsof design, performance,
screenandbatterylifeyousimplycant get better thanthisfor anywherenear 300.
LGG3
While we hoped the G3would continue the great work started bythe G2, we
werent expectingit tobe quite somuch of a leap forward. Upgrades range from
little touches such as the sleeker back buttons tomajor changes such as the
bigger, better 2Kscreen and laser-assisted camera. The onlythingthat isnt
better is the batterylife, but consideringall that LGhas crammed intothe G3,
the fact that it still lasts 15hrs is tobe applauded.
STUFF SAYS
LGsurprises us again.
Theres barely a single thing
wrong with the G3and so,
so much thats right with it
435+++++
435
+++++
335
+++++
230
+++++
420
+++++
470
+++++
from130
+++++ 10
9
8
7
5
4
3
2
132 SMARTPHONES
BESTFOR
DAINTYHANDS
H
O
T
H
O
B
U
Y
LGG2
Its5.2inscreenisrazor-sharp, itsSnapdragon800processor handlesdemandingtasks
witheaseandits13MPcameratakesamazingphotos. Goodenoughandcheap
enoughtokeepitstop-four placedespitethearrival of theG3.
BESTFOR
VALUE FOR
MONEY
280
+++++
Google Nexus 5
This is a bargain onlytopped bythe OnePlus One. The Nexus delivers top-end spec
at a mid-range price and has a 4.95in screen, faster processor and a 8MPsnapper.
But its biggest improvement is its chocolatey-smooth Android KitKat 4.4OS.
from280
+++++
PLUG INTO STUFFS
SOCIAL NETWORK
facebook.com/joinstuff
6
HTC One M8
Only just toppled by the new LG, HTCs flagship phone has enough power to take it to
the top of the AnTuTu benchmarks. Its a beaut to look at and to use, and its even got
a whole load of Lytro-style post-snap refocus features for photographic fun.
470
+++++
BEST FOR
RAW POWER
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR TABLET BUYING GUIDE, VISIT WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/TABLETS
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014)
The new 10.1 is fit to bursting with clever tricks, comes with the note-tastic S Pen and
has a stunning 2560x1600 screen. But while we can forgive it its tacky looks, minor
performance glitches deny it that fifth star; we hope firmware updates will fix them.
Asus Transformer Pad
Transformers have always been more about laptop replacement than tableteering,
and this one is the laptoppiest yet. A 2560x1600 screen, two-day battery life (with
keyboard dock) and quad-core Tegra processor all work Android up into a frenzy.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7
The Fire HDX presents a sanitised version of Android cloaked in a user-friendly Amazon
skin. Theres even a Mayday button for instant video help. A great build, fast processor
and stunning screen round off a package thatll appeal to families and less techy types.
Google Nexus 7
The Nexus has moved further ahead of the Android pack by virtue of getting an
update to OS 4.4 KitKat. Its now smoother, faster and more battery-friendly than
ever, while its 323 pixel-per-inch 1080p screen and quad-core power still impress.
Apple iPad Mini With Retina Display
Apples baby tab has been in for a nip and a tuck and emerged with a youthful-looking
2048x1536 screen. The flawless build quality, creativity-friendly 7.9in form and oodles
of apps remain; only a few colour inaccuracies keep it behind the Air.
Apple iPad Air
The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the addition of the
Air moniker implies, the iPads been slimmed down on the outside and beefed
up on the inside, while retaining all the other goodies that made previous
versions great. So it now rocks the 64-bit A7 chip and M7 motion coprocessor
that debuted with the iPhone 5s, while keeping the gorgeous screen, quality
build and abundance of tablet-optimised apps that first won our hearts.
STUFF SAYS
Now thinner, lighter and
more powerful than ever,
the iPad Air is a beautiful
sliver of gadget heaven
from 320 +++++
from 155
+++++
400
++++,
from 250
+++++
from 200
+++++
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
At last, Microsoft has delivered on the promise of the tablet-cum-laptop hybrid.
It proves theres space in the world for a design thats more productive than an
iPad or Galaxy Note, but easier to hump around than a traditional laptop.
BEST FOR
WORKING
ANYWHERE
from 640
+++++
300
+++++
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Asus Transformer Book T100
This 10.1in tab-and-dock combo has enough grunt to run full Win 8.1 thanks to Intels
new Baytrail CPU. The 1366x768 screen is a good un, with crisp text, great contrast
and colours that pop, while dual-band Wi-Fi and a day-long battery are also welcome.
from 270
+++++
BEST FOR
VALUE AND
PERFORMANCE
BEST FOR
TECHNO-
PHOBES
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Samsung has blessed the Galaxy Tab with one of the best tablet screens weve ever
laid eyes on, plus an impressive camera and some incredible stamina but there are
performance niggles and Apples tablet app selection is still far superior.
350
+++++
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Superb screen, unique features really, theres very little thats missing here. For us
the iPad Mini beats the smaller Samsung by a whisker for its design, performance
and wider selection of optimised apps, but against other Android tabs its a winner.
280
+++++
BEST FOR
MAGAZINES
AND MOVIES
TABLETS 133
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR HI-FI BUYING GUIDE, JUMP OVER TO WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/HI-FI
Sony NWZ-ZX1
The latest Walkman is a premium high-res audio player, and its the best-sounding
portable device weve ever heard: youll notice parts of songs you never knew were
there. Were not so keen on the high price and lack of expandable storage, though.
Sony SRS-BTM8
Forget that this Sony looks uncomfortably like a handbag because its actually one of the
biggest bargains in hi-fi right now. Pop in four AA batteries (old-school, right?) and it will
power a party in the park. Its got fancy NFC too, but the best thing is that it sounds ace.
Audio Pro Addon T10
Available in orange, white or black, the Addon T10 is a Bluetooth speaker that also has
analogue inputs and a USB socket for charging your MP3 player. Sound-wise its
punchy and deep, with just a little too much bass. It sounds best in orange, obviously.
Bowers & Wilkins Z2
The baby of B&Ws AirPlay range is a little belter, and it adds a proper Lightning dock
to Apples wireless tech. Itll easily fill a small to medium-sized room with chunky bass,
punchy beats and lovely, clear vocals. Youll buy it for the look, but love it for the sound.
Q Acoustics BT3
These ultra-versatile Bluetooth speakers have an optical input for waking up the
audio of your flatscreen TV. The styling is simple and so is the sound brilliantly
so, with perfect hi-fi balance and an impressive focus to the stereo image.
Libratone Zipp
A fuzzy, cylindrical, colourful AirPlay dock that will deliver detailed, punchy 360-degree
sound anywhere at all, thanks to a built-in battery that gives it four hours of outdoor life.
Direct Wi-Fi skills free you from cables, routers and everything but the boogie.
Denon CEOL Piccolo
This diminutive standard-bearer for next-gen micro hi-fi has Spotify and a control app,
and itll stream your own tunes, right up to 24-bit. The docks 30-pin, but who cares
when youve also got AirPlay? Add Q Acoustics 2020i speakers for awesome sound.
Naim UnitiQute 2
Awarded Best Music System 800-1500 by our friends at What Hi-Fi? Sound And
Vision, this punchy little system delivers superb performance. With streaming smarts,
DAB+ and internet radio its highly capable. Just dont feed it low-quality music.
Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6
Our favourite music streamer is only kept from the top spot by the brilliant flexibility
of the full Sonos system; as a single player, wed go for this every time. Team it with the
Azur 651A amp (350), feed it high-resolution 24-bit tunes and youll never look back.
Sonos multiroom system
Who needs to drill holes and re-plaster walls to get a multiroom music system? Not
you. With the addition of the cracking little Play:1 (170) Sonos has made it easier
than ever to start spreading your tunes around. Then maybe hook up a Connect to
your existing hi-fi and router, and add speakers to a Connect:Amp in another room,
or a SUB for a bass boost. Youll run out of rooms before you run out of options. For
a further upgrade, the Arcam rSeries SonLink DAC works a treat with the Connect.
BEST FOR
SOUND
QUALITY
BEST FOR
VERSATILITY
AND VALUE
STUFF SAYS
Innite music in every
room without the need
for custom installers?
Sign us up now, please
from 340 +++++
1195
+++++
300
+++++
350
+++++
750
+++++
175
+++++
60
+++++
180
+++++
320
+++++
510
++++, 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
BEST FOR
AL FRESCO
PARTIES
BEST FOR
BARGAINOUS
BLUETOOTH
134 HI-FI & MUSIC STREAMING
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
/ Bowers & W||k|ns have been estab||shed as masters of sound
eng|neer|ng for a|most 50 years. We are now ab|e to br|ng that
same expert|se to the wor|d of headphones; the same preo|s|on,
the same oare, the same extraord|nary range and depth of deta|| |s
now ava||ab|e from an u|tra ||ght, h|gh|y portab|e set of headphones
superb|y des|gned to ft |nto your ||fe.
Hear the fu|| speotrum
SoundMagic P30
We love SoundMagics E10s, and our toe went into tap-spasms from the get-go with
these on-ear P30s. Delivering a really easy-going yet dynamic sound, they arent
perfect, especially in the treble, but theyll do great work on low-res Spotify tracks.
70
+++++
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR HEADPHONE BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/HEADPHONES
Sol Republic Master Tracks
Really tough things are usually really ugly, which is why the lovely styling of the
virtually indestructible Master Tracks headphones is so refreshing. Loud, punchy,
fast and controlled, the sound is just as attractive as the design. Worth every penny.
Sennheiser Momentum
Classily styled, cushion-comfortable and smooth-sounding, the Momentums are
the perfect over-ears for the dapper man about town. Theres also an on-ear version
smaller and cheaper at 130, available in pink, blue, green and, um, ivory/brown.
Sony XBA-4iP
These chunky in-ears have four drivers pumping exceptionally punchy, detailed
sound into your gloriously spoilt lugholes, but despite the fairly hefty design theyre
surprisingly comfortable too. They were 400 at launch, so 160 is a fantastic deal.
Philips Fidelio M1BT
Theres a comprehensive set of controls, while the dark blue-grey design is nicely
understated no Bose-esque sticky-out Bluetooth modules here. Cut the cords
with style and substance: these are the best Bluetooth headphones around.
PSB M4U2
Yes, the M4U2s have got great noise-cancelling, but thats only half the story. Using
the built-in amp produces a sound thats almost unbelievably punchy, clean and
exciting. They might be a bit heavy, but that audio quality really is worth the weight.
Final Audio Design Adagio III
Calling a pair of headphones Adagio seems a bit pretentious, but these decidedly
affordable in-ears from a Japanese company that usually occupies the most bonkers
reaches of high-end earn it with brilliantly detailed and endlessly attacking sound.
SoundMagic E10
Yes, we also gave the very similar SoundMagic ES20s in-ears five stars. And they
thoroughly deserve it. But we chose to keep these here because the more expensive
E10s still represent a killer smiles-per-pence, sound-per-pound ratio.
Bowers & Wilkins P3
Superb sound and a solid and achingly stylish design make these the best portable
on-ears around. The fact that two cables come in the box one with a mic and
remote for iPhones, one without only sweetens the already candyfloss-like deal.
AKG K451
Theyve actually been around a little while now, but what put the K451 on-ears
back on to our radar was an official price drop from 130 to 80, and a real-world
price of just 55 or less. For that money theyre unbeatable awesomely agile
and punchy sound wrapped up in a subtly stylish and foldable design. Add both
standard and three-button control cables for maximising compatibility and
theres practically no excuse for not getting brilliant sound from your phone.
BEST FOR
IN-EAR
EXCELLENCE
BEST FOR
SHUTTING OUT
THE WORLD
STUFF SAYS
Fantastic sound and great
portability at an almost
unbeatable price: the
perfect PMP upgrade
55 +++++
25
+++++
160
+++++
170
+++++
60
+++++
260
+++++
160
+++++
300
+++++
100
+++++
10
9
8
7
5
4
3
2
BEST FOR
ON-EAR
EXCELLENCE
BEST FOR
GREAT SOUND
WITH NO WIRES
6
HEADPHONES 135
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
Humax DTR-T1010 YouView
Deliveringfree-to-air TVwith the convenience of Skyor TiVo, the Humaxlets you
browsethelast weekscatch-upTVdirect fromtheEPGor recordyour ownonitsHDD.
TheiOS/Androidappsremoterecordishandy, anditsall without acostlysubscription.
Yamaha YSP-3300
This is the onlysoundbar that creates proper surround sound. It fills the room, with
individual effects flyingin convincinglyfromthe sides. You can feed in all your sources
via HDMI and it sends video(including4Kand 3D) toyour TVvia a single cable.
Marantz UD7007
Priceylike an Aston Martin is priceyand about as satisfyingtoown, this Marantz
will playanydiscyoulike, streamsmusicat hi-def resolutionsandcanwithstandan
earthquake. If you really, reallytake movies and music seriously, this is your player.
Virgin TiVo
Hardware-wise, the taste-learningTiVois a Sky+HD-beater, but it loses out on
content. Mind you, subscribers tothe XL package nowhave free access toall the
BTSport channels: Premier League kickyball, MotoGPand more, in lovelyHD.
Sonos Playbar
AcharacteristicallySonostakeonthesoundbar, thePlaybar hooksuptoyour TVviaits
singleoptical input andfillsyour roomwithabig, detailedsound. Andaswithall Sonos
kit, it canstreamyour ownmusicfiles, Spotifyandmorewirelesslyaroundthehouse.
Panasonic DMP-BDT260
If your budget wont stretch tothe Sonyabove, this ultra-affordable Panasonic will
see you through in superb style. It lacks a displayon the front, but the performance
is impossible tofault. Its got the core smart stuff too, includingNetflix.
Sky+HD
The newSkyboxes come with built-in Wi-Fi, tomake it easier toaccess on-demand
programming, and you can opt for a 2TBdrive. Which, with more than 65channels of
HD, might well be worth the outlay. On the move, theSkyGoappissupremelyslick.
Sony BDV-N590
The biggest bargain in home cinema, the Blu-ray-packingN590has a massive spec
but a microprice. Picture and sound are excellent, Sonys smart services are immense
and its stylish curves and touch-sensitive controls add a dash of premiumquality.
Sony BDP-S6200
The newkingof Blu-rayplayers is the perfect balance of price, performance and
features. It even looks prettyif you like that sort of thing. On top of the usual smart
services (Netflix, iPlayer etc) you get Sonys own brilliant VideoUnlimited.
BESTFOR
ALL-YOU-CAN-
STREAMMUSIC
BESTFOR
EXCELLENCE
ONABUDGET
fromfree
+ 24/month
+++++
600
+++++
90
+++++
fromfree
+ 21.50/month
+++++
450
+++++
150
+++++
from180
(500GB)
+++++
1000
+++++
475
+++++
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
BESTFOR
ALL-ROUND
AWESOMENESS
BESTFOR
ALL-IN-ONE
VALUE
BESTFOR
DELIVERING
EVERYTHING
BESTFOR
SUBSCRIPTION-
FREE TV
PVRs, ETC
SPEAKER SYSTEMS
BLU-RAY PLAYERS
138 TOP THREES HOME CINEMA
FOR OUR COMPLETE HOME CINEMATOP 10LISTS, POINT YOUR CLICKER AT WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
PV
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
SMART
LUXURY
27 STORES NATIONWIDE WWW.SSAV.COM
NAIM MU-SO
WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM
Through its advanced connectivity, mu so will unleash your digital music, wherever its
stored. And its so easy to set up and use that youll nd yourself listening to and enjoying your
favourite artists more than ever before.
Combining Naims expertise in streaming, amplication and loudspeaker technology. Mu so
is the stage your music deserves, bringing you closer to the songs that inspire your life.
895
SAMSUNG
HU8500 SERIES CURVED 4K UHD TV
Introducing a breakthrough in TV viewing that will change the way you watch TV
forever the Samsung HU8500 Curved UHD. Wider viewing angles, pure and
accurate colour reproduction and a sense of depth never experienced before are
only possible on a curved Samsung screen, specically shaped for UHD viewing at
its very best.
Prices from 2699
BLUESOUND
BLUESOUND IS A 24-BIT NATIVE, PURE DIGITAL
WIRELESS STREAMING MUSIC SYSTEM
NAD D 7050
NETWORK AMPLIFIER / DAC
The D 7050 from NAD with Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect is one simple
package. If you have a computer or smartphone running iTunes and a home Wi-Fi
network, just add the D 7050 and your favourite loudspeakers. You will now have a
state of the art audio system in a stylish and compact package that ts anywhere
in your home.
799
Smart luxury is a selection of products that offer just
WKDWOLWWOHELWH[WUDDZOHVVSHUIRUPDQFHHOHJDQWGHVLJQ
G\QDPLFWHFKQRORJ\RUDFRPELQDWLRQRIWKHPDOO
ADVERT VALID UNTIL 17/10/2014. E&OE
SOME BRANDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES.
78 65 55 FREE 5 YEAR WARRANTY
Even 16-bit CDs have only about half
of the audio spectrum that the master
recording holds and thats a whole lot
more than MP3s have left in them. With
more than a decade of compressed audio
piping through earbud headphones and
cheap dock players, the time has come.
The portable players we all love have
created a new way of listening to music,
but there hasnt really been much there
to hear. Until now. Enter true 24-bit HD
digital audio.
A sound experience like no other.
Because its engineered like no other.
NEW
BEST FOR
AFFORDABLE
BRILLIANCE
BEST FOR
MAKING TV
FUN AGAIN
BEST FOR
TELLY ON
A BUDGET
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR TV BUYING GUIDE, NAVIGATE TO WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/TVS
Sony KDL-55W955
Sonys wedge design gives greater internal volume, which makes the speakers
sound better. The excellent colours, motion and sound quality are all great, but it lacks
a wow factor and doesnt have the deepest blacks. There are discounts though.
Sony KD-55X8505B
If you want to jump on the 4K bandwagon with Sony you could go for the wedge-shaped
X9, which is great, but wed suggest that this slimmer, less intrusive entry-level option
is an even better buy. Its still got all the smart stuff and great performance.
Samsung UE40H6400
Samsungs on an amazing roll with its 2014 TVs, and if youre looking for a lounge-
friendly Full HD set, this 40incher is the place to start. Its not as cheap as some other
tellies this size, but for smarts and picture performance its very hard to beat.
Panasonic TX-42AS500B
Its not the prettiest, its not the smartest, and with just two HDMI inputs its not the
most connected TV about, but theres a really simple, intuitive OS pulling the strings
here and a performance thats very strong given the price and 42in size.
Samsung UE46F7000
The F7000 might just be the sweetest spot in Samsungs current range the same
spectacular performance as the F8000 series but without the show-off design.
Great picture quality and slick online functionality in one box.
Sony KDL-50W829B
4K a bit too new-fangled (or pricey) for you? How about a 50in edge-lit LED LCD with
all of Sonys smart features for well under a grand? Its not even like picture qualitys
been sacrificed this is an absolute corker of a telly in every way.
Samsung UE55HU7500
Finally, a 4K TV that can be recommended without hesitation. Not only does it
play the limited amount of 4K material on Netflix with eye-moistening beauty,
its actually just as good as a full HD TV when playing 1080p stuff, and that
wasnt the case with last years models. Chuck in all of Samsungs usual smart
TV whizzbang, remove the silly motion-sensing controls and knock the price to
something that wouldnt make a city banker blush, and youve got 2014s star TV.
STUFF SAYS
Embrace the 4K future while
still getting the best of your
current Blu-rays and TV: its
the proverbial win-win
1840 +++++
550
+++++
450
++++,
830
+++++
1550
+++++
1800
++++,
1880
++++,
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
LG 55UB950V
LGs 4K flagship looks gorgeous with Netflixs 4K content, but the real story here is the
Web OS interface, which finally gives a boot up the bottom of TV UIs. This is by far the
most pleasant, colourful, multi-task-friendly and downright fun TV theres ever been.
1300
++++,
Sony KDL 40W605B
If youre looking for a TV thats super-slim, this isnt it. But if youre looking for one
thats the right size for any room, has all the on-demand services you could hope
for and produces brill pictures from any source, you wont find better for the cash.
430
+++++
700
+++++
Samsung UE48H6400
Since when was 48in a screen size for tellies? Well it turns out to be a great size to
deliver really immersive movies and games without utterly dominating the average
lounge. Its smart, stylish and great value for that much screen real estate.
140 TVs
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
N
E
W
N
E
W
Peter Molyneux
Founder,
Lionhead Studios
Kevin Harrington
Entrepreneur and Investor,
Shark Tank
Jason Bradbury
Presenter,
The Gadget Show UK & US
Gerard Grech
CEO,
Tech City UK
Sir Nigel Shadbolt
Co-Founder & Chairman,
ODI - Open Data Institute
BOOK
NOW
FREE!
Key media partner
Droid World
Developer World
Tech World
Enterprise World
Gaming World
Free developer workshops
Cloud World
Platinum sponsors Gold sponsors
Workshop sponsors
BEST FOR
LITERAL
FLEXIBILITY
142 LAPTOPS
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR LAPTOPS BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/LAPTOPS-NETBOOKS
Acer Aspire Switch 10
A Windows laptop and 10.1-inch tablet for just 300? This seriously flexible bundle
is Asus best hybrid yet. Only a bit heavier than a MacBook Air, the square-edged
ergonomics and battery life are issues, but as a whole package it makes a lot of sense.
Asus Zenbook UX302
Asus has done a wonderful job of creating an ultra-slim laptop thats as far removed
from Apples influence as possible, while maintaining a stylish and unique aesthetic.
The 13.3in display is razor-sharp and colourful this is our favourite Ultrabook.
Acer C720 Chromebook
Bargain Chromebooks are everywhere right now, but the C720 stands out even so.
Its well made, well specced (for a Chromebook) and, crucially, has proper ports: HDMI,
USB3.0 and SD are all here. The HP at No.7 is prettier, but the Acers the one wed buy.
Alienware 17
A brute of a machine in every way, the Alienware 17 weighs as much as four MacBook
Airs and probably frags harder than 10 of them. Core i7 Haswell processor at 3.4GHz,
Nvidia GeForce graphics, up to 32GB of RAM Our trigger fingers already itching.
HP Chromebook 11
HPs done a fine job with the 11 (ignoring the faulty power supply recall): its small,
light and everything a neo-netbook should be. However, the Chromebook 14 has since
launched on the HP store and is worth a look if you want a larger screen.
Acer Aspire S7
The Aspire S7 is almost the perfect Ultrabook it matches the MacBook Air for weight,
beats it for slimness by 6mm, and has a gorgeous 1920x1080 touch-friendly screen.
Only its battery, which lasted a mere 5hrs on test, prevents it getting that fifth star.
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display 13in (2014)
Choosing between Air and Pro is getting harder. Both now run on Haswell chips, but
the Pro is faster, with a 2014 processor boost. Theres a 4K-capable Thunderbolt 2
port, and then that Retina screen, one of the most gorgeous youll see. Tough call.
Apple MacBook Air 13in (2014)
The 2014 MacBook Air update means, once again, our favourite old laptop is now
our favourite new laptop. Nothings changed on the outside, and under the skin
theres just a slight processor boost from 1.3GHz to 1.4GHz, but combined with
a price cut of 100 on each model were still happy with that. The very top model,
which comes with a 256GB SSD, is now just under a grand, too. Head to stuff.tv
for our full reviews of both 13in and 11in versions.
BEST FOR
EVERYTHING
BAR THE PRICE
BEST FOR
VALUE AND
PORTABILITY
BEST FOR
SERIOUS
GAMERS
STUFF SAYS
Its not a major upgrade, but
Apple has improved the Airs
already awesome spec and
lopped 100 of the price
from 660 +++++
180
++++,
190
++++,
from
1000
+++++
950
++++,
from
1500
+++++
1340
++++,
300
++++, 9
8
7
10
6
5
4
3
2
Sony HDR-SR8E
1200
Stuff said Why insult your new
telly with anything less than
full HD? It has jaw-dropping
output, the colour is superb
and the touchscreen menus
are excellent. 1200 is going
to make a bit of a dent, but
the Sony delivers so get
over it and buy.
+++++
Aliph Jawbone
80
Stuff said The only third-party
Bluetooth headset worthy of
selling alongside the iPhone,
the Jawbone is a work of art.
Noise Shield automatically
ups the volume when things
get noisy, and once you attach
the correct loop and earpiece
it fits perfectly.
+++++
Creative Zen Stone 1GB
28
Stuff said Creatives Shuffle
does one thing Apples doesnt:
it gives you change from 30.
That said, it doesnt like Macs
and more surprisingly it
sounds a bit spiky. We dont
expect B&O-bashing sound
for the price, but this borders
on a family black sheep.
+++,,
Philips DCM230
230
Stuff said Philips product
designers deserve a medal
for the look of the DCM230,
and an honourable mention
for squeezing in a CD player,
FM radio and USB music slot.
The sound guys have come
up with something inoffensive
but in no way special.
++++,
THIS
MONTH
IN...
2007
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15D
Lenovos latest contortioning computer is hefty, which is handy in that you get a full
keyboard and 15in screen, but a bit of an issue in terms of portability and it means the
1366x768 resolution looks a little soft. It stands up nicely for movie-watching, though.
445
+++,,
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
At last, Microsoft has delivered on the promise of the tablet-cum-laptop hybrid.
It proves theres space in the world for a design thats more productive than an
iPad or Galaxy Note, but easier to hump around than a traditional laptop.
BEST FOR
WORKING
ANYWHERE
from 750
(with Type Cover)
+++++
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
N
E
W
U
P
D
A
T
E
CAMCORDERS
SAT-NAV
HOME COMPUTERS
BEST FOR
ALL-ROUND
BRILLIANCE
BEST FOR
TOP-QUALITY
HOME MOVIES
BEST FOR
ADRENALINE
JUNKIES
GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition
You may well wonder why the flagship Black Edition of the Hero3+ isnt in this slot, but
for our money the extras dont quite justify the extra expense. We reckon the Silver
Edition is the current, umm, hero of the range, and a killer cam for your killer stunts.
Garmin nvi 3598LMT-D
Still pricier than the TomTom, the flagship Garmin has a similarly crisp (if only 5in)
800x480 screen, with clever photo-realistic junctions and 3D terrain. The DAB
traffic works fine, but the extra cable is a faff too far for us.
Alienware X51 (2014)
The X51 hasnt changed a huge amount, but the wee size matched with powerful
components make it perfectly suited to HD gaming. Steam Machines are going to
liven this market up but right now its the best balance of power and form in PC land.
Canon XA10
Canons ultra-compact XA10 handles fine detail superbly due to its f/1.8 lens and 2.37MP
chip. It might not look hefty enough to play with the big boys, but twin XLR inputs on
its detachable handle give would-be filmmakers professional prowess out of the box.
Google Maps Navigation
Apples Maps app remains pretty, but flawed. With Google Nav now back in the iTunes
Store, there really is one solid choice for both iOS and Android users and this is it. Street
View, accurate public transport info, cycle maps and decent traffic warnings. Bingo.
Sapphire Edge VS8
This mini-PC may look like the Terminators lunchbox, but it houses AMDs 1.6GHz A8
APU and dedicated HD7600G graphics with 4GB of RAM. A capable little fellow, the VS8
even does a decent job with the latest gaming titles (with the detail dialled back a little).
Sony PJ530
When quality footage matters, youll be glad you splashed out on the superb PJ530.
We havent tested a better camcorder at this price it captures excellent footage in
all sorts of environments, with a colossal zoom and built-in projector into the bargain.
TomTom GO 6000
The four-figure model name marks this an Always Connected device with a SIM card
for live traffic updates, while the 6 in the name refers to its crisp 6in, 800x480 screen.
Its rather good, if huge. Smartphone-connected versions (600, 500, 400) are cheaper.
Apple iMac
The iMac is thinner and more powerful than ever: Core i5 or i7 and at least 8GB RAM
running the none-more-elegant OS X Mavericks. A 2013 update brought Intels
Haswell CPU, a hybrid storage option, speedy 802.11ac Wi-Fi and a price increase.
BEST FOR
SERIOUS
SHOOTERS
BEST FOR
BUDGET
TRAVELLERS
BEST FOR
COMPACT
POWER
1450
+++++
free
+++++
from 340
+++++
465
+++++
250
+++++
from 900
+++++
190
+++++
260
+++++
from 800
+++++
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS IN EACH CATEGORY AND OUR BUYING GUIDES, VISIT WWW.STUFF.TV/TOP-10S
BEST FOR
TOTAL TRAFFIC
KNOWLEDGE
TOP THREES BEST OF THE REST 143
www.stuff.tv/digital-magazine
available on PC, Mac, iPad and Android
Every gadget, every review, every page,
TABLET
APP OUT
NOW!
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
BESTFOR
STUDENT
HOUSES
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR GAME-BUYINGGUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/APPS-GAMES/GAMES
Wolfenstein: The NewOrder PC/PS3/PS4/Xbox One/Xbox 360
Howdoyou solve a problemlike Nazi world domination? With guns. Lots of guns.
Evenso, thisremakemight not beexactlywhat youreexpecting: aswell ascarnageand
geneticallyengineeredsoldiers, theresasombremessageonthepointlessnessof war.
Tomb Raider PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Yes, its afranchisereboot, but thewell-pacedmixtureof puzzles, actionsequences,
gunfights and stealth make the latest Lara Croft adventure an immersive, cinematic
experience. Possiblythe best fun weve ever had pretendingtobe a 21-year-old girl.
The Last Of Us PS3/PS4
Nowremasteredfor PS4, this is thebest zombie-apocalypsegameever. It looks
magnificent andplaysevenbetter, withamovingstoryandfrightsaplenty. Itstough
but thenareal-lifezombieapocalypsewouldbe. Thinkof this as essential prep.
Grand Theft Auto 5 PS3/Xbox 360
Youprobablythinkyoualreadyknoweverythingthereistoknowabout GTA5.
After all, if youvebeenaliveanywhereintheworldfor thepast year youll haveread
all about lifeinLosSantos. Soyoull alreadyknowthat it shinesasatirical torchonthe
21st centuryreligionof celebrity. Andthat everythingfromsocial mediatoself-help
gurusgetsakicking. Andthat itsbetter-lookingthanever. But reallyyouonlyneed
toknowonethingabout it: itsthemost funyoull haveonaconsolethismonth.
STUFF SAYS
The gargantuan gameworld
of Los Santos is the most
entertaining place to hang
out since Vice City
+++++
+++++
++++,
++++,
+++++
++++,
++++,
+++++
++++,
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
144 GAMES
BESTFOR
STORY
Dark Souls II PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Youmight never playatougher gamethanthis old-school action-RPGsequel, which
drops youintothemystical landof Drangleic andlets youfigurethings out for yourself.
Mostlybybeingkilledbut that just makesit all themorerewardingwhenyouget it right.
++++,
PLUG INTO STUFFS
SOCIAL NETWORK
google.com/+stufftv
FIFA 14 PS4/Xbox One
The next-gen edition of FIFA 14 is, perhaps unsurprisingly, better than the PS3/Xbox
360 version, thus its recent leap a couple of places up the table. Players and crowd are
more realistically presented, and there are improvements in gameplay and flow.
Titanfall Xbox One
The biggest Xbox One game launch so far, this FPS robot-fighting sim came with high
expectations and just about lives up to them. Its a brilliant smash-fest, in a world
where it rains massive Titan robots to board and attack. The storyline is weak, though.
Mario Kart 8 Wii U
Building upon lesser recent entries while adding flashy new twists and delightful
physics-defying courses, Mario Kart 8 is a rare Wii U highlight. Although single-player
still lacks punch, multiplayer is endlessly entertaining: its glossy and fluid throughout.
Watch_Dogs PC/PS3/PS4/Xbox One/Xbox 360
This one promised big and while it doesnt quite match the level of expectation, its
recreation of Chicago is impressive, the cat-and-mouse multiplayer livens things up
and the gunplay, hacking and driving provide good, solid fun with lots to do and see.
South Park: The Stick Of Truth PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Written by show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone themselves, this is the definitive
South Park game, complete with its famously merciless humour and cutout animation.
And its backed by strong RPG mechanics to boot.
BEST FOR
A HARDCORE
CHALLENGE
BEST FOR
RPG WITH
ADDED LOL
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
PC Specialist Nvidia GTX Titan Battlebox
This powerhouse delivers mind-blowing 4K gaming, bringing eye-searing detail to
Arkham Origins in our test. But twin Nvidia GTX Titan graphics cards and liquid cooling
dont come cheap, and neither will the 4K monitor youll need to go with it.
3900
++++,
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE CONSOLES FEATURED HERE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/GAMES-MACHINES
Nvidia Shield
Like an Xbox controller with a 5in screen stuck to it, this Android console is (just about)
portable enough to play on the bus. As well as having access to hundreds of games
via Google Play, the Shield can stream full PC titles from your PC pretty damn cool.
Sony PlayStation Vita Slim
The Slim (aka PCH-2000) is comfier to hold than the original Vita, it lasts longer, it no
longer relies on proprietary cables and the screen is an improvement but Sony could
have gone so much further, not least by adding more than 1GB of internal storage.
Alienware X51 (2014)
The X51 hasnt changed a huge amount, but the wee size matched with powerful
components make it perfectly suited to HD gaming. Steam Machines are going to
liven this market up but right now its the best balance of power and form in PC land.
Microsoft Xbox 360
Yes, its been succeeded by the One, but the years have been kind to the 360. With an
amazing catalogue of recent games that use its full potential, brilliant media streaming
skills and a low, low price its impossible not to recommend it to cash-strapped gamers.
Nintendo Wii U
While it hasnt had the same impact as the original Wii, dont underestimate the Wii Us fun
factor. Nintendos bottomless bag of superb game franchises rolls on with the excitement
of the 2014s Mario Kart 8 release (with its anti-gravity karts and submarine racing).
Nintendo 3DS XL
The bigger version of Nintendos latest handheld serves up a larger 3D sweet spot and
slightly more premium finish than its smaller sibling. Theres still only one thumb-stick,
but its a tried and tested design thats served Nintendo titles very well over the years.
Sony PlayStation 3
The PS3 has been around a while, but, like the Xbox 360, that just means it has plenty
of great games. Online gaming via PlayStation Network is still brilliant and still free
(its 40/yr for PS4), and its worth buying for its Blu-ray and media streaming alone.
Microsoft Xbox One
This is very different to the Xbox One of 2013. Most significantly, the unpopular Kinect
feature is now out of the deal, allowing Microsoft to drop the price and releasing enough
extra power for developers to make their games look and play better.
Sony PlayStation 4
Sonys next-gen console may not quite be the finished article, but its already the
best games machine on the planet. With whisper-quiet operation and a sleek form,
itll slot neatly into your lounge setup, but more importantly it offers bags of power,
with full 1080p on all titles and not a whiff of lag. The controllers vastly improved,
too, while remote streaming to PS Vita is a nice bonus. All that and its still cheaper
than the Xbox One. When proper media streaming arrives, itll be unstoppable.
BEST FOR
BUDGET
GAMING
BEST FOR
FLUSH 4K
FETISHISTS
BEST FOR
PORTABLE
PLAYTIME
STUFF SAYS
Slick, powerful and packed
with stand-out features,
the PS4 delivers on the
next-gen console promise
340 +++++
from 600
+++++
240
++++,
350
+++++
from 170
+++++
135
++++,
from 150
+++++
170
++++,
185
++++, 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
GAMES MACHINES 145
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
U
P
D
A
T
E
Canon PowerShot G1 X MkII
This powerful snapper is back, with a tilting touchscreen and a wider wide-angle lens
but no viewfinder. The zoom and video are still fairly underwhelming but in terms of
sheer image quality there arent many non-system cameras around that can beat it.
470
++++,
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR CAMERA BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/COMPACT-CAMERAS
Nikon Coolpix S6700
Your phone can probably match it for wide-angle photos in good conditions, but if you
want to go equipped with a bit more creative control without loading yourself down
with kit, the S6700 will be a useful addition to your gadget arsenal.
Nikon Coolpix AW120
The ultimate rugged camera: almost indestructible, and fit for temperatures as low
as -10C, it will even survive a rinse cycle in your dishwasher. The AW120 also takes
lovely pictures and impressive video in both good lighting and dimmer conditions.
Fujifilm FinePix X100S
Fujifilms souped up its fixed-lens retro shooter, with faster focusing and a big APS-C
sensor. Its not all new, though, keeping the 35mm-equivalent f/2 lens and hybrid
viewfinder from the X100. A less retro version with black finish is now available too.
Sony DSC-RX100
The 20MP RX100 is just what were looking for in an advanced compact: pocketable
with a huge 1in sensor that serves up great images. After something a bit different?
Sonys crazy lens-without-a-body, the QX100, has much of the same tech.
Canon PowerShot S120
Replacing the S110, the S120 is a compact camera for DSLR users on their days off. Its
12.1MP stills, low-light prowess and useful long-exposure modes are welcome, while
its slightly laggy lens-ring control and hit-and-miss Wi-Fi features take the shine off.
Canon PowerShot G16
The G16 packs a lot into its sturdy body: optical viewfinder, loads of manual controls
and an f1.8-2.8, 28-140mm (equivalent) zoom lens. Upgrades over the G15 include
Wi-Fi and faster burst shooting of up to 12fps, while image quality is as good as ever.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200
If you want a superzoom cam, the Lumix FZ200 wipes the floor with its rival snoopy
snappers. A small and solid build is coupled with a 24x optical zoom, an excellent auto
mode and spot-on exposure abilities. The downside is the video, which is a mixed bag.
Fujifilm X20
The X20 isnt all retro looks and no trousers. It excels in Advanced Auto mode and has
manual controls and RAW shooting for creative days. The optical viewfinder, though
small, is linked to the 4x zoom and frames well. All this, and it looks cool.
Sony DSC-HX60
Last years HX50 was our previous pick for the best compact camera around,
and 2014s HX60 isnt a huge departure from its predecessor in terms of
build quality, ease of use, specifications and performance all of which are
excellent. And thankfully the superb 30x zoom lens remains. What it does
add is NFC (for quick pairing with a tablet or phone) and a newer Bionz X
processor, making it a slightly nippier performer.
BEST FOR
DSLR PICS IN
A SMALL BODY
BEST FOR
AT-A-DISTANCE
SHOOTING
STUFF SAYS
Sturdy, simple to use and
ofering a huge zoom range
for its size, this is a hugely
capable all-rounder
250 +++++
690
+++++
250
++++,
330
+++++
300
+++++
270
+++++
300
+++++
310
+++++
120
+++,, 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
146 COMPACT CAMERAS
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
BEST FOR
EXTREME
EXPLOITS
Humax DTR-T2000
200 / humaxdigital.com/uk
Other boxes here offer more
unique content, but YouViews
service is lovely, with a clean
and intuitive interface. Find
the show you missed and the
relevant catch-up player will
open the search function
unites all available services,
which is really convenient.
+++++
BT YouView+
175 (free on contract) /
bt.com/youview
The BT branding adds its own
content to the core YouView
experience, depending on your
package: with BT Broadband
you get both the BT Sport and
BT Player apps. The box is as
responsive as the standard
one, but the remote is better.
+++++
TalkTalk YouView+
free on contract /
talktalk.co.uk
This is another plasticky box,
but with more subtle lights than
the BT version. Theres more
stuff to watch here than on
the other boxes, even without
paying for extras, and if youre
already on TalkTalk broadband
its a no-brainer to upgrade.
+++++
Humax HB-1000S
100 / humaxdigital.com/uk
Like YouView, the Freetime
EPG lets you roll back seven
days and is integrated with the
main catch-up services. This
box only records one channel
at a time, but you get YouTube,
picture quality is excellent and
we like having the freedom to
add a hard drive of our choice.
++++,
IN CASE
YOU
MISSED...
ON-DEMAND
PVRs
N
E
W
BEST FOR
SHOOTING
LIKE THE PROS
BEST FOR
HI-RES VIDEO
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS AND OUR DIGITAL SLR BUYING GUIDE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/DIGITAL-SLRS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
The 16MP Panasonic is a versatile beast that, while not being much of a looker, has
added tricks such as a tilting EVF and a handy touchscreen LCD. Its great for smooth
hi-def video recording and, with the bijou 20mm f/1.7 lens, is a great travel companion.
Sony A7R
We love this camera. Its lightweight but tough and delivers results that outstrip pretty
much any other compact system camera on the market. It has a huge full-frame 36.4MP
sensor and noise-suppression. Your wallet might weep, but your photo album will sing.
Nikon D600
Pro power has never come at such a reasonable price. A full-frame 24.3MP sensor
combines with accurate 39-point autofocus for stunning results. Dual SD card slots,
built-in flash and 5.5fps shooting speed complete a seriously powerful proposition.
Pentax K-3
With a 24MP APS-C sensor, advanced autofocus system, snappy burst shooting and
clever anti-aliasing simulator, the K-3 is a stills snapper par excellence. A weatherproof
body and in-camera stabilisation are welcome too, but its not quite so hot with video.
Fujifilm X-T1
Theres lots to love about this snapper, from its clever viewfinder and lightning-speed
focus to the weatherproof body. One for the analogue lovers, it has actual buttons and
dials with no touchscreen. The lack of in-cam image stabilisation is our only complaint.
Sony A6000
Sonys new system camera may be tiny but it packs a big photographic punch. There
may be no optical image stabilisation but the incredible speed and accuracy of the
A6000s autofocus is a real highlight, as is its large, clear electronic viewfinder.
Canon EOS 700D
Look, its a new Canon at No2. No, wait, its the old one. Actually, its kind of both. The
700D is a minor upgrade over the 650D, keeping its 18MP sensor, flip-out touchscreen
and autofocus during video and adding little beyond a new kit lens. Still great, though.
Olympus OM-D E-M1
Olympus new flagship is armed with the same excellent 16.3MP sensor as its
predecessor the E-M5, but now has an improved autofocus system, a startlingly
good electronic viewfinder and masses of direct controls. And look out for the
E-M10: pretty much an E-M5 minus the weatherproofing and with only 3-axis
stabilisation, but with an improved EVF, better metering, enhanced Wi-Fi and
built-in flash in a smaller, cheaper body.
BEST FOR
ALL-ROUND
VALUE
STUFF SAYS
Take the E-M5s amazing
speed and quality, then add
pro controls and you get
the best system cam so far
780 +++++
(body only)
470
(body only)

+++++
1250
(body only)

+++++
800
(body only)

+++++
360
(body only)

+++++
470
(body only)
+++++
960
(body only)
+++++
790
(body only)
+++++
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Canon EOS 70D
The 70D is Canons best camera in years. Its the first proper DSLR to nail autofocus in
videos and Live View, offers a multitude of manual controls and can take stunning pics in
almost any situation. Amateurs whove outgrown the entry level should look no further.
675
(body only)
+++++
Panasonic Lumix GH4
Its 4K recording might grab the headlines, but the GH4 is more than that its
Panasonics finest all-round camera yet. Build quality is superb, autofocus is fast
and accurate, image quality is great and video is even better.
1280
(body only)
+++++
SLRs, ETC 147
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
Check out
our great
subscriptions
offer on p118.
Terms and conditions apply, see p119 for details.
SUBSCRIBE
TO STUFF
F
R
E
E

STEAM
KEY
FOR GRID
AUTOSPORT

smart eB
s
a
v
e
*Terms and conditions apply. Finance is subject to status. smart - A Daimler Brand.
MRP 2,500 | Now 1,80
eposit
nts at
month
entative
APR*
0
1150de
33 paymen
5500per
0% represe
smart of Stockton-on-Tees
Concorde Way, Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 3RB www.sytnersmart.co.uk
Contact Louise Smith
at smart of Teesside on 01642 660757
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE GEAR ABOVE, BROWSE YOUR WAY TO WWW.STUFF.TV/REVIEWS
Sennheiser X 320
These gaming cans with a noise-cancelling mic, bass boost and controls for in-game
and voice channels are aimed at Xbox 360 users. Not of the Xbox persuasion?
Look out for the U 320s, which will play nicely with your PS3, PC and Mac.
3Doodler
Essentially a 3D printer nozzle in a pen. Sticks of plastic are fed through like a glue gun
and extruded at 200C into thin air, where it immediately cools and solidifies, letting
you draw 3D structures. Amazing, and weve only burnt ourselves once. Maybe twice.
Korg Volca Beats
This Roland TR-808-aping drum machine uses analogue and digital beats to amazing
effect given the bargain price, offering a studios worth of wizardry in a tablet-sized
package. If this doesnt get the nations youth making amazing music, nothing will.
DJI Phantom 2 Vision
Want to recreate those Apocalypse Now sequences at your local lido? This quadcopter
offers great filming potential thanks to its 14MP/1080p HD camera and videolink,
built-in GPS and ability to beam images to your smartphone from 300m away.
Leap Motion
Huge Kickstarter funding and promises of Minority Report-style PC input have come
to this: a silent, KitKat-sized block of tech. It is very accurate, and the taster games
are a blast, but itll need more consistency between apps to become truly useful.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Theres a new Paperwhite out on the streets of the world, and its brighter,
whiter, faster and no more expensive. Contrast is improved, making your text
blacker and the background less grey, while a claimed 25% faster processor
goes largely unnoticed because it was always the fastest of the e-readers.
A handy new Page Flip feature lets you keep your current page while flicking
through the chapter in a pop-up window: finish the chapter, or go to sleep now?
BEST FOR
HIGH-FLYING
FILMERSHAR
STUFF SAYS
The best screen, the best
ebook store and new
book-challenging features:
Kindles still on top
110 +++++
700
++++,
100
+++++
70
++++,
25
+++++
120
+++++
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Smart ebike
This electric bike may be heavy and expensive, but its futuristic design, 250W motor
and range of up to 62 miles make it ideal for the daily commute. And dont get hung up
over the price anyway petrol and car insurance for a year would cost you way more.
Up! Plus 2
Not since the early days of video encoding has a Stuff test caused such emotional
rollercoastering. The Up! is the least frustrating and least commercial of the 3D
printers weve tried, and the updated Plus 2 has a helpful auto-levelling build platform.
1800
+++++
1250
++++,
BEST FOR
POWERED-UP
PEDALLING
BEST FOR
EARLY
ADOPTERS
Tesla Model S
The Tesla isnt just a better electric car its a groundbreaker that history could hoist
into the automotive hall of fame alongside the original Mini or even the Ford Model T.
The range is good, the speed is breathtaking and the styling is sensational.
from
50,000
+++++
148 GEEK ACCESSORIES
H
O
T
H
O
T
B
U
Y
Moga Ace Power
This click-on controller adds two analogue sticks, a D-pad and all the usual buttons
to an iPhone 5/5c/5s or 5th-gen iPod Touch. Its not brilliantly built and only works
with selected games, but dedicated iOS gamers will swiftly get their moneys worth.
75
++++,
Available
from
Wellman Skin
Technology keeps
my skin refreshed,
energised and
protected.
A
D
W
E
L
S
K
I
N
M
C
O
N
P

2
7
-
0
5
-
1
4
E
face wash facial scrub under eye
serum
anti-ageing
moisturiser
James
Anderson
Englands No. 1
wicket taker of all time*
& wellman.co.uk
Available from larger Boots stores, subject to availability. *Englands all time highest international
wicket-taker, 343 test wickets correct at 23 May 2014. Source: www.jamesanderson613.com.
I NNOVATI ON
IN SKINCARE
from
Wellman Skin Technology
NEWdynamic perfomance
for male skin
Formulated by Vitabiotics
scientific experts using
Advanced Research
in Male Skincare ( )
Concentrated nutrient and
botanical skin complexes
Energise and
rejuvenate your skin
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE KIT ON THIS PAGE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/WEARABLE-TECH
Samsung Gear Fit
Durable, comfortableandonly55g, theGear Fit looks great but is ultimatelyabit
disappointing. It hasunreliableheart-ratetrackingandanunresponsivecurvedOLED
screenthatsawkwardtoread, especiallyonarun. Fit byname, but not bynature.
Samsung Gear 2 Neo
Its the budget plastic version of Samsungs Gear 2, but does 99%of what the
more expensive device can do, although it does not have a camera. Onlycompatible
withcertainphones, it is theGear wedbemost likelytobuy, but its far fromessential.
LGGWatch
Smart, subtle and more comfortable towear than the SamsungGear Live above, the
LGgetsalot moreright thanit doeswrong. Itsvoicecommandsareuseful andit comes
with a chargingcradlebut it doesnt showoff Android Wears full potential.
Jawbone UP24
Nowwith Bluetooth for hassle-free syncing, the stylish UP24is worth the extra
25over the Jawbone Up. The app introduces newchallenges and tracks your sleep
patterns. It will alsogentlynudge you, if youre lazingaround, toget back on the move.
Martian Notifier
TheNotifier doesonejobverywell alertsandyouwont beashamedtowear onein
public. It doesnt shakeoff smartwatches dorkyimagebut doesblendaregular-looking
watchdesignwithsmartphonesmartsinanaffordable, comfortable, reliablepackage.
Garmin Forerunner 620
Garmins wealth of experience in wrist-mounted GPSshines through, offeringup a
cacophonyof stats, includingvertical oscillation (howmuch you jiggle while running)
thankstothesmart heart-ratebelt. Couldbecheaper andmoreuser-friendly, though.
Samsung Gear Live
Could it be fourth time luckyfor Android Wear? Awaterproof 1.63in Super AMOLED
screen, arestingheart monitor andagrowingselectionof apps sayyes. Overall, the
Samsungjust pips the LGGWatch. Its pitiful one-daybatterylife lets it down, though.
Fitbit Flex
The Flexdelivers all of Fitbits activity-trackingsmarts but in a formfactor thats less
fiddlythanitsbelt-clipcounterparts. ItspackedwithBluetooth, NFC, vibratamotor and
a display. America alreadyhas the newForce band, with a proper display. Here soon.
Pebble Steel
Unveiled at CES2014, the Steel keeps the straightforward looks, crisp display
andfive-daybatterylifethat helpedthestandardPebblewinour hearts. But it
holds more RAM, apps and customisable faces this time, and swaps the plastic
for either a Steel silver or matte black stylish suit, makingit look and feel more
like an actual watch. The Steel goes beyond the gimmicks and intothe world of
real-world wearable tech. Pop it on your wristwear wish-list.
BESTFOR
TRACKING
YOURLIFE
BESTFOR
TRIATHLETES
INTRAINING
STUFF SAYS
The best smartwatch money
can buyand the original
plastic Pebble is still
available for 50 less
150+++++
160
++++,
100
++++,
from70
+++++
170
++++,
195
++++,
105
+++++
from285
++++,
115
+++,, 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
TomTomMulti-Sport Cardio
Thenewversionof theTomTomMulti-Sport addsanimpressivelyaccurateheart-rate
sensor toanalreadystrongformula, allowingfor morefocusedandpersonal training.
Itll trackruns, cyclesandswims, andthecompanionappisalsomuchimproved.
245
++++,
150 WEARABLES
H
O
T
H
O
B
U
Y
N
E
W
N
E
W
PLUG INTO STUFFS
SOCIAL NETWORK
youtube.com/stuff
BEST FOR
BACKUP AND
STREAMING
Belkin WeMo
It started as an unassuming Wi-Fi-enabled socket that let you set lights or other
mains-powered items on a schedule via an app. Now the range includes a motion
sensor and a baby monitor (left), while a Hue-style lightbulb was announced at CES.
from 35
++++,
Roku Streaming Stick
Streaming Stick tells you all you need to know, really: this is a stick, and it streams. It
streams plenty, too Netflix, iPlayer, Spotify, Sky Now and Sky Go to name a few. And
unlike Chromecast, its also a dab hand with your own video and music files. Lovely stuff.
50
+++++
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10S/CONNECTED-HOME
Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor
Why have real plants when you can 3D-print space-age fake plastic trees? Because if
you have real plants you can use this Wi-Fi-connected thingternet device to monitor
their vitals and relay their photosynthetic desires back via an iOS app. Thats why.
Ninja Blocks
This little box is a hackers dream. With everything from temp/humidity sensors
to remotely switched power points, it has boundless potential for giving your home
21st century smarts. Its open-source and has a devoted developer community.
Synology DS214SE
Within this entry-level hardware beats the best NAS (network attached storage)
software yet. Not gorgeous to look at, but at least its small and easy to hide away.
If youre new to the NAS party, the DS214se is the cheapest way to get onboard.
Netatmo
With an indoor and an outdoor module, the Netatmo monitors the conditions all around
you, checking temp, humidity, air pressure, CO
2
levels and noise. Use the info to fine-tune
your sleeping conditions, or just tap into the global community of Netatmo users.
Google Chromecast
This USB memory-stick-sized cord-cutter is compatible with Netflix, YouTube,
Google Play movies and BBC iPlayer: a cheap, simple way of getting web-sourced
movies and shows onto your living-room TV.
Devolo dLAN 500 Wi-Fi
Not that sexy, perhaps, but the Devolo system is faultless in its execution. Putting
the Internet in your Internet of things, it pipes broadband from your router, through
your mains wiring and into the farthest reaches of your home, no messin bout.
Sonos Play:1
You dont need to be planning a multi-room system to buy the Play:1, as its a stellar
speaker in its own right, streaming from Spotify et al at the command of your phone
or tablet. But team it up with another Sonos and youll be multi-rooming in minutes.
Philips Hue
It might seem like a gimmick, but having Wi-Fi-enabled, colour-changing
lightbulbs isnt just good for impressing mates and spooking guests at seance
parties. These smart LED bulbs come into their own when paired with recipes
on ifttt.com set them to change colour with the weather or when its time to
run to the train. They also tie in neatly with Philips own Ambilight TVs, casting
the colours from the screen across your entire room. A great thingternet starter.
STUFF SAYS
The humble lightbulb is
reborn as a net-connected,
colour-changing, mood-
sensing smart device
from 45 +++++
US$200
++++,
140
++++,
170
+++++
from 45
+++++
from 80
++++,
120
+++++
30
++++, 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
BEST FOR
HOMES WITH
THICK WALLS
BEST FOR
THINGTERNET
FOR BEGINNERS
CONNECTED HOME 151
H
O
T
HH
O
T
B
U
Y
All the latest
gadget reviews
To advertise call Israr Ahmed 0208 267 5669 Highly Classified
Boiling & chilled
llered woler ol lhe

ol woler ol home.
Tronslorm your lop woler wilh lhe beoulilully designed
BlBO home woler dispenser. Simply connecls lo your woler
supply lor llered chilled & boiling woler, inslonlly.
uri, griol-losling wllirid wolir
lnslonl lio & collii
Endliss supply, no riwlling
o mori woiling lor wolir lo boil or chill
I0 colour oplions lo suil your kilchin or olwci
0ois owoy wilh lhi killli,
liller jug ond bollled woler!
BlBO Clossic is 393.
I/2 prici inslollolion ollirI, usuolly 72,
only 36 whin you quoli codi STU02.
Exclusivily ovoilobli ol
www.bibowater.co.uk or coll 0800 678 5969
IClossic modil only
As featured in
the Independents
10 best kettles
list
To advertise call Israr Ahmed 0208 267 5669 Highly Classified
Gear
.com
S
DONT MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 5 NOV
[
W
o
r
d
s
F
r
a
s
e
r
M
a
c
d
o
n
a
ld

I
l
l
u
s
t
r
a
t
i
o
n
A
le
x
a
n
d
r
e
E
f
im
o
v
]
ound has made that phone really big.
Is it big, though, or is it just really near?
Wait, dont think about that youll
do yourself a mental mischief. To
the story: back in the mists of time, some
bright spark posited that piezoelectric surfaces
could be laid all over the city so that pedders
a-strolling and truckers a-rolling would generate
electricity through nothing but going about their
business. Well, here we are in the mistless now
and we can clearly see that these energy-source
strips are very much not all over the city. Fear
not, though: a new, smaller idea dawns
Small ideas are never better than big ideas.
No doubt theyll be pleased to hear that down
at the Queen Mary University of London, where
teams of people are working hard to make
nanogenerators. These will be built into the
casing of your phone and are activated by
the vibration caused by ambient noise such
as music or mass conversation. Theyll turn
that vibration into electricity and charge your
phone slowly, because of the low current
produced, but inexorably and sustainably. And
without you having to do anything except hang
out in the noisy, fun places of the planet.
Could be perfect for the chronic 10-per-center.
Ah, yes, the person on the train whos saying
I cant talk for long because my phones about
to die despite it being only 9am. And all of your
anger at their apparent irresponsibility is just
displaced from your own in-bed-at-10pm self-
loathing. And theyre still waffling away, despite
their ailing battery, about Dinah dropping her
wrap in a clubs cubicle. And theyll waffle forever,
once nanogenerators come to pass though itll
probably be some time before the QMU lot can
bring component size and power generation to
a consumer-friendly balance.
sou-charged phos
NEXT BIG THING?
C11 TITANIUM EXTREME 1000 LIMITED EDITION CHRONOMETER
Swiss made / Limited to 1000 pieces worldwide / Water resistant to 1000 metres
(3280 ft) / Satin-brushed titanium case / Internal countdown bezel / Helium
release valve / High density rubber dive strap with titanium clasp and embossed
CW logo / 4.3mm sapphire crystal / High impact Superluminova indexes
and hands / Self-winding, COSC certied Sellita SW200-1 chronometer
Cool under pressure
w
w
w
.
c
h
a
n
e
l
.
c
o
m
THE NEWEAU DE PARFUMBY CHANEL