Gadget Issue 11

Warning: I’m about to drop a ‘c-bomb.’ That’s right, the forbidden word. The one thing a tech writer should never say. Here goes: cheap. Cheap tech is considered an insult, as if it implies low quality or that it’s a knock-off of a more premium brand. But I actually prefer getting a great deal on something affordable than the inevitable guilt that comes from splurging on a lavish luxury. That’s why this month’s issue is packed with 50 impulse buys, made of the best tech that won’t break the bank, including the new Moto G4 and a cutting-edge HDR TV that’s just £300. Plus, we’ve thrown in some top tips to help you save money on more expensive items, including how to get a better phone contract, plug-ins that will…

Dan Hutchinson Editor In Chief One to beam me up! Being able to teleport places would really make the commute much easier. Drew Sleep Production Editor Time travel, obviously. I’ll nip off into the future and grab some new tech to feature for next issue. Andy Downes Senior Art Editor As someone who spends their free time playing first-person shooters, I’d love to try a real-life phaser. Harriet Knight Designer Oculus Rift, PS VR and the rest are great, but for truly immersive virtual reality I’d love to try a holodeck.…

Built-in connectivity The Runcible is packed with the same connectivity as many a mobile phone: Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth are all built into the circular device Touchscreen display The Runcible’s round touchscreen display measures a modest 2.5 inches in diameter and has a resolution of 640 x 640 pixels (that’s around 256 pixels per inch) Twist to zoom When using the Runcible’s seven-megapixel camera, rather than pinching at the screen to zoom in or out on an image, you twist it like a camera lens Poor specs A Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash are pretty poor specs for a phone, but you can upgrade both its software and physical parts Runcible software The Runcible runs an operating system called BuniOS, which is based on Android 5.1, but it’s designed to be much less distracting…

Neptune Suite This is a lot like a smartwatch but it offers lot more too: it’s a mini computer than can then power screens of any size, from phones to tablets and two-in-ones. TBC | getneptune.com Sony Xperia Ear Stick the Xperia Ear in your ear and you need never take out your phone again: messages, appointments, directions and calls will all be streamed to your smart earpiece. TBC | sonymobile.com Amazon Echo Most of you will be familiar with the Echo from Amazon, though it’s still US-only. It does many of the jobs a phone can, but uses voice interactions instead of a screen. £140 | $180 | amazon.com Punkt M01 Just as Runicble promises not to annoy you with alerts, Punkt’s mobile phone wants to simplify our lives by being less smart. No internet access or apps, it…

Sender dongle Plug your headphones into the sender and the sender into your device of choice. The bass sounds are beamed at very low latency to the Basslet Wired for sound The current version of the Basslet only works with wired headphones, so you can use it with any device with a 3.5mm audio jack (sorry Bluetooth fans) Fast charging The device’s makers say it can be charged up in just an hour for six hours’ worth of playback) – you can do this via USB, and the wearable’s magnetic charging Smartwatch-esque design The Basslet looks like a smartwatch without a screen, but there’s a powerful little haptic engine in there. The 24mm strap can be replaced if you wish Full body experience Basslet’s makers say you’ll notice the vibrations only on your wrist to begin with, but the…

Broad compatibility The GeoOrbital fits over 95 per cent of bicycles on the market and comes in two sizes: 26 inches and 700c (which covers 28-inch and 29-inch bikes too) Puncture-proof tyre The solid foam tyre around the edge of the GeoOrbital is designed to protect against punctures so you don’t need to worry about getting a flat tyre Regenerative battery The battery can recharge itself whenever you’re rolling or not using it, and takes about three to four hours to charge up when you get back home Top speeds Without pedalling you can hit top speeds of up to 20mph and, of course, that goes up if you’re going to put some effort in yourself If you don’t want to invest in an entire electric bike, what about just the wheel? The battery-powered GeoOrbital affixes to most…