Innehållsförteckning för February / March 2018 från T3 Australia

BLUESMART SERIES 2   Used by Usain Bolt and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, this impressive travel case can charge all your devices (including laptops), has an automatic locking system, global location tracking device and weight sensors – no more unexpected charges!   From $750, bluesmart.com SAMSONITE GEOTRAKR SPINNER This ballistic-weave nylon- covered smart case from Samsonite features the brand’s GeoTrakR location device and a rechargeable battery (up to 15 days’ use), and works with a smartphone app so that you can check on the bag’s location if you think it’s  gone  missing. From $279, amazon.com AEROLITE SMART SUITCASE Light and compact, the Aerolite makes for the ideal high-tech cabin carry-on. It has a USB charging port (power pack not included) and a three-digit padlock, while the hard shell adds some…

1 MITI X LARGE This clever accessory enables you to turn four logs into an upright wood burner for cooking on. $90CAD ($91.17), sportesoutdoortools.com 2 GRANSFORS BRUKS SMALL FOREST AXE The finest axe you’ll own. Perfect for many jobs in the bush, from felling small trees to splitting wood. $189, dawnmowers.com.au 3 MORA COMPANION HIGH-VIZ KNIFE At HGC (huntergathercook.com) this is our go-to knife for butchery. Go high-vis with kit outdoors – it’s harder to lose! $24.95, knifeshopaustralia.com.au 4 CAMPFIRE NON-STICK FRYING PAN A perfect size for campfire cook-ups. The handle unbolts for travelling; slip it in your rucksack and go. $29.99, tentworld.com.au…

The Foreo Luna 2 for Men ($249, foreo.com) is a palm-sized facial brush designed to cleanse, tone and prep skin for shaving. It  has textured dual sides: one for cleansing, one for anti-ageing. The brush is small but not slippery when wet, thanks to an easy-grip antibacterial silicone covering. Foreo claims the brush has 450 uses per charge, and while we haven’t been using it that long,  ours is still going strong after a month’s use. There are 12 levels of intensity, depending on individual skin needs. We used the brush morning and night, applying a cleanser to our face then moving the brush in small circles over our skin for one minute as instructed. It was clear from the first use that Foreo’s T-Sonic tech (8,000 pulsations per minute)…

A MORTICIAN’S TALE In this new indie game out on PC, you play a young mortician in charge of a funeral home. If that sounds a bit morbid, think again: this is adorable, quirky and very funny storytelling. FEVER RAY – PLUNGE After eight years away, Fever Ray returns with her new album, Plunge. Featuring the freakishly catchy single To the Moon and Back, Fever Ray proves she’s the electro queen. MY LIFE AS A COURGETTE This French production is the strange, but touching tale of an  orphaned boy called Courgette, all presented in glorious claymation. It well deserved its Oscar nomination.…

01 SET IT UP IN THE APP Get the Nest app on your phone if you don’t already have it, and log into your Nest account (or create one if you need to). Tap the ‘Add New’ button to add a Nest device, then follow the instructions on-screen, which will guide you through adding the product using the QR code on the back, and adding it to your Wi-Fi. 02 CHOOSE A LOCATION As part of the set-up process, you’ll need to specify the Protect’s location – this is what it will call itself if it needs to alert you to something, so pick one that makes sense for where you’ve installed it. You can go from the specific (‘Master Bedroom’) to the wider (‘Upstairs’). You can also type in…

ADD HUE If you’ve not used your Hue lights with Stringify before, just open Stringify, tap Things, the plus icon, then ‘Add a new thing’. Find Hue on the list, then connect by logging in and hitting the button on your Hue Bridge. CREATE A FLOW Tap the plus button again, then ‘Create a new flow’. Use the plus button to add ‘Date & Time’ and Hue, then drag the orange clock icon onto one of the empty circles. Tap it to set it up, and choose an appropriate time. LINK UP Drag the Hue icon into the circle next to the clock and tap it to set up your fade duration and colour. When you’re happy, drag the clock icon onto the Hue icon to link the trigger and…

From $1,579 apple.com/au The iPhone X is the first of a new breed of iPhones, according to Apple. That’s clear just by looking at it – there’s no Home button, which isn’t just to accommodate the edge-to-edge screen. Getting rid of one of the iPhone’s few unchanged controls since its launch ten years ago is a statement. It seems small, but it has a knock-on effect, and when we first started using the X, we wondered if we were ready for an all-gesture control scheme. The first thing that’s quite surprising when you take the phone out of the box is just how small it is, especially coming to it from reviews of the Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – both superb handsets, but big. Of course, it’s not…

YOUR NEW SQUEEZE Like HTC’s U11, the Pixel 2 has squeezy sides – grip hard to launch Google Assistant. You can customize this to launch any app, though, as well as tweak how hard you have to grip, and change other options, such as squeezing to silence a call. TURN ON NOW PLAYING To auto detect songs and display them on the lock screen, go to Settings > Security & Location > Lock screen preferences > Now Playing. Select ‘Show on lock screen’ and your Pixel 2 will become a music master.…

Welcome to the new-look T3 magazine! We’re thrilled to have you here, and it’s the result of a lot of hard work as we make your favourite tech mag even better. We wanted to create something super-modern, and yet keeps the best of the old T3 , while adding some new pages that I hope you’ll love. We’ve still got staples like State of the Art and Man vs. Tech, but we’ve added more pages about the gadgets we’re really looking forward to, from cutting-edge innovations to broader lifestyle gear and tips. We’ve also expanded our Home section with even more smart tech, including regular reviews and more advanced automation tips. Even the most casual observer will see that the ‘connected world’ spans…

56 years after the E-Type was first introduced, Jaguar has announced that an electric version is in the making. The E-Type Zero is based on the 1968 Series 1.5 Roadster, but open up the bonnet and you’ll find an electric 220kW motor and battery packs. It’s a prototype for now, but if it makes production you’ll be able to slip behind its large wooden steering wheel, sink into its leather seats and reach 100km/h in 5.5 seconds, gunning it with a top speed of 242km/h and roughly a 270km range. A classic reborn.…

In the past, your hotel room key might be attached to something akin to a doorstop and the TV limited to a few channels only. Nowadays hotels are wising up to the demand for the latest technology and our desire to control room features via apps and smartphones. Hub by Premier Inn (hubhotels.co.uk) is the tech-savvy spin-off from the big chain, with a flagship hotel in King’s Cross (there are six others in London and two in Edinburgh). Download the hotel’s app and you can control almost everything in your room with it, from the smart TV and lighting to an interactive map on the wall. The room key also shows housekeeping whether the room is occupied or not, which might spare you a few blushes. Or how about the…

THE NORTH FACE VENTRIX HOODIE $380, thenorthface.com.au This shower-resistant synthetic insulated jacket has laser perforations (Ventrix tech) under each arm to boost breathability. When you move, they allow heat and humidity to travel through. We find the jacket runs a little on the warm side, making it best-suited to active pursuits in cold temperatures. ARC’TERYX PROTON LT HOODY $299, arcteryx.com The Proton LT Hoody is 20g lighter than the Ventrix Hoody and utilises Coreloft Continuous 65 Insulation. That ‘active insulation’ works in tandem with the water-resistant outer shell to enable good airflow from inside and outside the jacket, keeping us warm without feeling sticky. Good for climbing and hiking.…

01 GET UP EARLY …to catch the light. Landscape photographers are always up at an unpleasant hour to catch the dawn mist rising as the golden rays of the sun break through the dim. It’s not just that they are better photographers than the rest of us, just that they made the special effort. 02 TAKE A LOT OF PICTURES It’s a rule-of-thumb that professional photographers swear by. The more shots you take, the more likely you are to capture that decisive ‘wow’ moment. As you’re shooting digitally, there is no added cost to taking more pictures! 03 MAKE USE OF OFF-CAMERA FLASH …or off-camera lighting of any description, including continuous LEDs. This allows you to control the light better than any built-in bulb. Thus harsh, unflattering shadows when taking…

POWER PLUGS If your Protect detects a carbon monoxide build-up, it can tell your Belkin WeMo switches to turn your appliances off, in case they’re the cause. That’s especially handy if your WeMo is connected to an electirc heater, but it could also be useful to turn off your stereo to alert you to a problem. SMART LIGHTING When the Protect detects a smoke emergency, your Philips Hue or LIFX lights will flash red to help warn you, then stay red, which helps cut through the smoke. They’ll do this even when turned off in the middle of the night, so you easily see your escape route. INTERNET CAMERAS If you have a Nest Cam as well as a Protect, your camera will kick into life when smoke is detected,…

GET MORE LIGHT If you’ve got a big space to light up, you’ll want to lay your hands on more lamps to increase the ambience. The more you have, the greater the light output, and – bonus feature – you can individually adjust the lighting to suit each area. JOIN THEM UP Now that you’ve created a flotilla of lights throughout your home, is there anything else you can do? Well, yes. All the lights featured here can be connected to another (of the same type), enabling you  to control them all at once. SAVE SOME JUICE If you leave your light on all day, the battery will drain quicker than T3’s bank account on payday. Most of the lights here can be put to sleep with a simple button…

The maxim about any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic never holds more true than at Disneyland. Disneyland Paris has been combining technology and theatre since 1992 to create amazing experiences for kids (and adults who like a bit of staged spectacle in their lives). Recently, some of the original attractions have been through a “rehabbing”, where new technology and old meet. As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in 2017, Disneyland Paris invited T3 to tour the upgraded rides and the most recent all-new ride, and speak to the Imagineers about what goes into building and developing them. Our guides are Björn Heerwagen and Laurent Cayuela. Cayuela is a Show Writer, part of the team that works on concepts for attractions, shows and entertainment. One of his  key…

CAUDABE LUCID CLEAR CASE Protect your X from a bump without ruining its style with this super-slim clear case that’s made of the same stuff as bulletproof glass. Considering the price of the phone, this has to be a wise investment. $32, caudabe.com MOPHIE WIRELESS CHARGING BASE Apple worked with Mophie on making this pad charge iPhones 50 per cent faster than the Qi standard. But it’ll work with any Qi device at normal power, so it’s an ideal all-rounder. $99.95, apple.com/au BEATS STUDIO3 If you’re enjoying movies on the Dolby Vision screen, get the big sound to match. These sound fantastic, have continuous active noise cancellation to keep out unwanted noises, and use the Apple W1 chip for easy iOS pairing. $449.95, beatsbydre.com…

$3,799 au.kef.com Yes, these are pricey speakers (the original LS50s were $1,800 cheaper), but let’s put it this way - if you buy these Wireless versions, you don’t have to buy an amp or streamer. Nor do you have to find a space in your lounge to house them. That’s because all the necessary hardware is neatly integrated. The result? Two simple boxes offering the sort of sound that makes bigger, more complex systems blush. The added hardware of an amp and heatsink on each speaker has made them a bit bigger than the originals at the back, but otherwise they still look stunning, with their curved front. Playing your favourite tunes is also uncomplicated - using the companion app you stream tunes from Tidal, your local library, or from…

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you have definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve ruthlessly filtered down to the biggest groups, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. Within each of those groups, we’ve got a dozen categories for key tech buys. We’ve picked one product for every category that we think is the best you can get on balance, taking into account price, quality and features, so it’s easy to know what you need in your life. You should also check out T3.com, where you’ll find even more categories, if you’re looking for something that…

MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS SONOS ONE Pound for pound, this is a hell of a lot of speaker for your money, easily filling a room, and expandable through the versatile Sonos speaker range. Built-in Alexa support clinches it for Sonos. $299, sonos.com PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER CAMBRIDGE AUDIO YOYO M These portable speakers are made for wireless stereo sound and come as a pair (though you can use one on its own). They offer punchy audio in an impressively wide sound field, and look great, too. $599, cambridgeaudio.com WIRELESS IN-EAR HEADPHONES FLARES PRO These headphones plug into a mini-DAC you need to clip about your person, but the result is truly amazing sound for the size. It’s audiophile stuff, with beautiful stereo channel separation. $545.35, flareaudio.com WIRED…

FAMILY CAR VOLVO XC60 Well-appointed and exquisitely designed, this mid-size hybrid SUV has all the entertainment options you need, the poise to make those long journeys smooth and enjoyable, and is safe as houses. From $62,990, volvocars.com/au CITY ELECTRIC CAR BMW i3 The i3 is a responsive, highly practical electric runabout packed with connectivity options and enough power in its 125kw motor to hit 100km/h in just 7.3 seconds. Perfect for a daily commute. From $63,900, bmw.com.au CAR DISPLAY NAVDY An innovation that takes the concept of the car heads-up display to the next level, with translucent mapping in your eyeline and gesture control so you can answer calls or dismiss alerts with a wave. $799, navdy.com DASH CAM GARMIN DASH CAM 55 Constantly…

ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP HP SPECTRE 13 An incredibly thin, light and beautiful laptop, with a dense, high-end HD panel. Despite being 1cm thick, it doesn’t skimp on the power either, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor. From $2,999, hp.com GAMING LAPTOP RAZER BLADE STEALTH A sumptuous Core i7 processor, a 4K screen, a Razer Chroma-infused keyboard, all in a beautiful ultrabook shell. Add in desktop GPU power via the Thunderbolt 3 Razer Core and you’re in gaming heaven. From $2,399.95, razerzone.com ALL-IN-ONE APPLE iMAC WITH 5K RETINA DISPLAY There’s never been a screen like this. Big enough for every task, detailed, bright, colourful, and it happens to have a Mac stuffed in the back of it as well. From $2,699, apple.com/au GAMING HEADSET STEELSERIES…

T3’s mission is to help you find the best products for every area of your tech lifestyle. From traditional gadget buys like phones and TVs to connected home security and sports sensors, if it can make your life better, we’re here to make sure you get the right one for you. The products we feature are chosen by our expert writers, with years of experience in their key areas. We wouldn’t recommend something we wouldn’t be happy to live with ourselves – the tat is filtered out long before we print a page. This goes for reviews too – you won’t us wasting your time with products you don’t need to know about. More than that, our aim is to make sure you get the most out of the things…

JAMMY Practise guitar whenever and wherever you want with this backpack-friendly digital six-string. The Jammy has a sliding neck that extends out, plus a headphone jack. An app is also being developed to help you learn songs. $449 ($575), playjammy.com UNISTELLAR EVSCOPE Developed in partnership with the SETI Institute, the potentially groundbreaking eVscope will use Enhanced Vision tech to create amplified pictures, helping you see the cosmos in incredible detail. $1,900 ($2,431), unistellaroptics.com…

ENERGIZER VISION HD+ FOCUS 250 LUMENS If you break down at night, you’ll need a way to see what’s happening around you or under your car’s bonnet. The weatherproof, 250-lumen headtorch can help, shining a 80-metre beam on the scene. $48.99, energizer.asia/en-au MATADOR POCKET BLANKET 2.0 Stay warm while waiting for a tow by wrapping up in Matador’s HyperLyte Nylon blanket. When packed, it’s small enough to fit on a keychain, so it will take up little space in the glove box. $39.99, rokolife.com.au ANKER POWERCORE 20100 So, your car’s knackered and your phone’s dying. Lucky you keep a fully-charged power bank in your glove box, eh? This Anker beast offers 20,100mAh of power, which is several charges of an  average smartphone. $89, kogan.com.au…

MT DIFFICULTY ASCENT, CROMWELL, NEW ZEALAND The clue’s in the name. An extreme trail run that’s also part mountain climb with a rope descent, covering half- or full-marathon distances in early winter. mtdifficultyascent.com AUSTRALIAN ALPINE ASCENT, MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO, AUSTRALIA With 25km and 50km runs (and a devilish triathlon) on offer, these races set atop, around and over Australia’s highest mountain will test you on both road and trail. eliteenergy.com.au SCAFELL SKY RACE, LAKE DISTRICT, ENGLAND Skyrunning is a combination of running and scrambling on terrain that’s difficult to run on. This 40km race goes over England’s highest point, Scafell Pike, and is considered a beginner-friendly skyrace. lakesskyultra.uk…

THE COAT Idris Elba couldn’t care less about traditional red carpet style. We love his olive trench worn over a black Burberry polo. For a similar look try the Michael Kors Cotton-blend Trench Coat ($600, michaelkors.com). THE TROUSERS Idris allows extra length at the bottom of his chino-style pants to sit over those knock-out sneakers. Do the same with a pair of longer-length Selected Homme Slim Fit Chinos in Decadent ($89, asos.com). THE SHOES Christian Louboutin’s sneaker-boot hybrids lend Idris’s outfit a tougher edge. Step out in similar style with Louboutin’s Louis Calf shoes ($1,195, christianlouboutin.com).…

Drool is pooling in the corner of Guru’s mouth for the HOPii Micro Brewery, a high-tech fermentation device which promises to brew up the finest craft beers right on your kitchen counter. It’s a bit steep at US$600 retail (about $760) and GaGu has had to internalise his rage at both the HOPii’s awkwardly capitalised name and its insistence on using special ingredient pods to tie you into its ecosystem, but still. Craft beer at home. (See p58 for an alternative.) Some aeons back, GaGu was asked about whether the Nintendo Switch was any good, and responded that his true assessment would probably depend on the eventual release of Super Mario Odyssey. Well the mustachioed one has arrived, and the results are in: the Switch is nigh-essential. Savvy developers are…

1 MANFROTTO BEFREE ADVANCED An Italian-made premium travel tripod for owners of mirrorless cameras and DSLRs with a choice of two set-up options: go for either twist-lock legs or lever lock. A flexible ball head features three independent controls for more precise adjustments. $299, manfrotto.com 2 LOWEPRO STREETLINE BP 250 BACKPACK A contemporary charcoal-coloured pack for those photographers who don’t want to advertise the fact they’re carrying a camera body and assortment of lenses. It’ll also stash a 13” laptop with room to spare for a tablet, and the outside pockets are perfect for passports, umbrellas and bottles. $269, lowepro.com 3 ONA ROMA Of course, you may already have a bag that you know and love, and would prefer to adapt it to suit your new…

XBOX ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER Undoubtedly the most luxurious and customisable pad ever made. Add the included stems to your thumbsticks or swap the d-pad for a rounded disc, and snap paddles on the rear to make use of your middle digits. $199, xbox.com/en-AU ASTRO A50 WIRELESS 7.1 GREEN GAMING HEADSET Make the most of the X’s advanced surround capabilities with a seriously good 3D audio headset. It’s wireless too, using a low-latency custom system for instant response. $489, astrogaming.com SEAGATE GAME DRIVE HUB The 1TB of storage in the Xbox One X won’t last long once when packed with 4K games. This 8TB USB 3.0 drive is designed for holding your Xbox games, and acts as a USB hub. Seagate also makes 2TB and 4TB Xbox…

PICO PRO Whip up a batch of tasty craft beer from one of the world’s finest microbreweries with little more than the touch of a button. The Pico Pro packs cutting-edge tech into a slick machine – and makes a cracking pint, too. $799, picobrew.com SUPERFAST THERMAPEN 4 THERMOMETER With full readings in just three seconds, this is the don of digital thermometers. The display rotates with your hand position, and it turns on a backlight when it’s dark. $99, thermoworks.com COPPERHEAD IMMERSION WORT CHILLER This 7.6m chiller conducts heat fast, cleans easily and is a thousand times better than trying to cool down your wort by plunging it into a kitchen sink full of ice. Trust us. $85, beerhawk.co.uk 30L FASTFERMENT CONICAL FERMENTER This all-in-one conical fermenter creates an…

HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here you’ll find only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective field. As well as our traditional five-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below - so when you spot one of these,…

$1,079 store.google.com/product/pixel_2 It seems Google is really starting to define its vision for the perfect Android phone: pragmatic, quirky design, with killer software. Let’s start with the design, which has its good and bad parts. With a five-inch screen, it’s a great size, and easy to use one-handed. The phone overall has a clear visual identity now, with a larger glass panel on the rear that stretches around the edges of the device, and chamfered bezels. Oddly, it feels like it’s made from plastic, though it does feel as solid as a rock. Compared to the almost ceramic-like iPhone 8’s glass back, it feels kind of cheap despite being premium. That said, it’s the most grippy flagship phone out there, which we like. We also need to talk about those…

$599.95 shop.gopro.com GoPro’s had some ups and downs recently, but that hasn’t stopped it pushing the boundaries of what its action cameras can do. Its latest, the HERO6 Black, comes with a raft of new tech to make your adventures look better than ever. With a new processor inside, dubbed GP1, it  can record video at frame rates previously thought impossible in such a small form factor. It also boasts waterproofing down to 10 metres without a case – first seen in the HERO5 Black – and it’s tough too, with a rubberised finished that screams ‘go break me if you can’. In  testing we dropped it onto concrete from 10 feet, minus a case, and we lost that challenge. There’s new Wi-Fi support for the 5GHz band too, which…

OLED 4K TV SONY A1 SERIES Incredible 4K HDR is only a tiny part of this awesome package. The panel (55- or 65-inch) and bezel are super-slim, it offers lightning response times, and great sound comes from a screen that’s also a speaker. From $4,999, sony.com.au TOP-END 4K TV LG SIGNATURE W7 This is the most amazing-looking 4K HDR TV we’ve ever seen at just 2.57mm thick (it attaches to the wall using magnets!), and the image quality is simply fantastic too. A shape of what’s to come. $13,499 lg.com VALUE 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER XBOX ONE S Yes, this is primarily a games console, but it’s a damn good UHD Blu-ray player too. Why pay more for something that just plays discs when you could be…

ANDROID PHONE SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 Tremendously fast, with an Infinity Display that almost completely eliminates bezels, cameras that work in any light, and iris-scanning security. Samsung’s flagship is as much an experience as it is a phone. From $999, samsung.com MID-RANGE PHONE HUAWEI NOVA 2i Coming in at half the price of a flagship phone, this is truly a hidden gem. It looks great, with minimal bezels, and its cost completely belies its specs – especially its excellent dual cameras, front and rear. $499, huawei.com SMARTWATCH APPLE WATCH SERIES 3 Nothing in the smartwatch market does more than the Apple Watch, and this third generation can do it all without a tethered phone – perfect for keeping your life in order whatever you happen to be…

VOICE ASSISTANT GOOGLE HOME Google’s home assistant is being woven into more and more devices, but the original Home tower is still one of the best to get. An attractive design and pleasing sound make it a modern must-have. $79, store.google.com SMART DOORBELL RING VIDEO DOORBELL 2 Part motion-detecting security camera, part ring-anywhere doorbell, the Video Doorbell 2 alerts you via your smartphone when you have a visitor – and you can two-way talk even if you’re not home. $329, ring.com LIFESTYLE WI-FI CAMERA NEST CAM This indoor cam streams sharp HD video to your phone or computer, and can alert you when it senses motion or sound, so you can tune in – with an 8x zoom and 130-degree view, you won’t miss a thing.…

ENTRY-LEVEL DSLR CANON EOS 800D Make no mistake: the EOS 800D’s tech, trickled down from higher models in the line, is remarkable. It offers up 45-point autofocus, a touch-sensitive screen and awesome image quality. $1,199, canon.com MIRRORLESS CAMERA SONY A9 Cleverly engineered to put every component right behind the 24.2MP sensor for speed, the A9 can shoot at a ridiculous 20fps, take 4K video, and has 693-point focus with a full-frame sensor. $6,999, sony.com.au ACTION CAMERA GOPRO HERO6 BLACK The most advanced action camera on the planet can shoot stunning 4K video at 60fps, with advanced stabilisation making footage super-smooth and realistic. It’s also waterproof to 10m without a case. $599.95, gopro.com RUNNING WATCH GARMIN FORERUNNER 935 The Forerunner 935 measures every aspect of…