Sommaire pour October 2023 de T3

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOLAB 8 Bang & Olufsen’s ten-year-old Beolab 17 floorstanders still hold a special place in our hearts. So imagine how excited we were to discover they’d been reborn as a pair of gorgeous bookshelf speakers. Despite the Beolab 8’s diminutive size – just 189x290x165mm – Bang & Olufsen has managed to cram a 0.63-inch tweeter, 3-inch mid-range, and 5.25-inch woofer into each unit, meaning they should sound smoother than a waxed dolphin. But while they may take inspiration from a classic, the Beolab 8 aren’t lacking in cutting edge features. As well as the now ubiquitous sonic room calibration, they can also use ultra-wideband technology and your smartphone to target their acoustic sweet spot right where you’re sitting. Plus, their beam width control lets you switch between…

Now I know what you’re thinking. If you’re a keen reader, you’ll recall last issue I was grumbling about my shattered iPhone Pro. And then, as if by magic, four short weeks later, Apple announces the upcoming model will be made of super-durable, aerospace–grade titanium. Coincidence? Well yes. It’s obviously a coincidence. Don’t be absurd. Not that Tim Apple and I aren’t bezzies, naturally – it’s just, according to his PA, he’s always popped out for a churro when I call. But Apple is notoriously reluctant to pluck ideas out of the old suggestion box – unless those suggestions are mandated by the European Parliament. But while I might not have been personally responsible, I’m incredibly excited about the new iPhone Pro Max. With its sturdy yet super-light build, 5x…

WITHU WithU offers over 1,000 different workouts across various disciplines, including yoga, meditation, strength and cycling. The music in the app has been originally produced by WithU and synchronises with the audio-led guidance. £7.99 per month, withutraining.com MARVEL MOVE Featuring five storylines spanning weeks of story development and including characters like Thor and Loki, the X-Men, Doctor Strange and more, Marvel Move is the latest offering from Zombies, Run! creator Six to Start. A must-try for Marvel fans! TBC, zrx.app/marvel RUNNA Not exclusively audio-based, but Runna does provide audio feedback as you exercise. Plus, the new Runna Treadmill Integration allows you to connect to a treadmill via Bluetooth, automatically adjusting paces and inclines based on your movements. £15.99 per month, runna.com…

1 BODACIOUS BLOOMS NOIR WALL MURAL Don’t say it with flowers, shout about it. This vivacious wall mural will certainly make a grand statement on a feature wall. The maximalist design was inspired by its creator Avalana’s trips to the RHS Bridgewater gardens and her parents’ home in Scotland. Hand-painted blooms pop in jewel tones against a black and gold backdrop. £75 per sqm, avalanadesign.co.uk 2 CHARLBURY JOY FLORAL ARMCHAIR Elegant and inspired by the aesthetic charm of an English country home, this wingback chair will fast become a family favourite. Scrolled arms and back provide an authentic finish while the vintage-inspired Joy Floral fabric gives it a luxurious appearance. It comes as part of Dunelm’s The Edited Life, a range of products chosen for quality craftsmanship and usefulness. £869,…

Since the smart home first became a viable proposition, getting devices working happily and reliably together has been trickier than it should’ve been: Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon and others all have their own ideas about the protocols that pieces of hardware should use when talking to each other, which leaves you with multiple apps on your phone and a smart home that’s a collection of isolated gadgets operating independently. This is where Matter comes in: it’s been developed as a standard to bring together all the disparate smart home devices on the market today, and get them communicating properly with each other. It should mean that you don’t have to worry about buying a new smart light that doesn’t work with what you already have installed – as long as…

TP-LINK TAPO P110 Nice and compact, a breeze to operate, packed with functionality – there’s a lot to like about the Tapo P110 from TP-Link besides its Matter support. The app lets you manually control the plug, operate it via a schedule or a timer, and apply random timings to make it look like you’re at home when you’re not. £15.89, tp-link.com EVE ENERGY A simple and straightforward, Matter-compatible smart plug that you can use to control plugged-in devices that don’t otherwise work with your smart home: use voice commands or the interface on the app as you prefer. One of the benefits of this particular plug is its small footprint, so you can fit it in just about any space you like. €39.95 (about £34), evehome.com ECOFLOW SMART PLUG…

Bear in mind that we’re only up to Matter 1.0 right now, so there’s plenty more to come. The current standard supports most smart home device types, but not all of them – so if you’re wondering why our selection of gadgets isn’t as comprehensive as it might be, that’s the reason why. Lighting and electrical categories are already catered for, which is why you’ll see smart plugs and smart lights on these pages. Window coverings and shades are included in Matter 1.0 as well, so you’ll be able to find products that can keep the daylight out, or give you some privacy. The Matter 1.0 standard also covers sensors of multiple types, which means you can use Matter-enabled devices to keep tabs on doors and windows opening, or when…

PHONE 1 APPLE iPHONE 15 PRO MAX The ultimate iPhone, the hot new 15 Pro Max does a lot right – its 48MP camera and 5x telephoto lens are truly impressive, its new action button provides a programmable shortcut and its aerospace–grade titanium build offers extra peace of mind. But for all of its many strengths, the Apple flagship doesn’t excel at audio. And this is where it could do with a helping hand. £1,199, apple.com DAC 2 AUDIOQUEST DRAGONFLY RED The DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) and audio stage inside the iPhone – or any phone for that matter – can easily be bettered for sound quality by an external one like this all-time-favourite, the USB-stick-shaped DragonFly. Connect its USB-A endpoint to the Pro Max using Apple’s camera adapter (£35), and…

As winter approaches and the nights draw in, it’s time for any self-respecting film fan to think about building a home cinema or perhaps upgrading their existing setup. If you want the best big screen experience, a projector should really be at the heart of your system, and these days laser-powered beamers are all the rage. Why laser? There are two important reasons why a projector with a laser light source is superior to one that uses a traditional lamp. The first is that lasers are bright. Really bright. This is especially important in rooms where there’s a degree of ambient light. Lasers also achieve this luminance without generating enough heat to fry an egg, thus requiring less noisy cooling, and they power up and down quicker than bulb-based models.…

LIGHT SOURCE There are three types of light source: lamp, LED or laser. Lamps can be bright, but also generate a lot of heat and only have 2,000-3,000 hours of optimal life. An LED is cooler and lasts longer, but struggles with brightness. Laser is the best of all worlds, it’s bright, runs cooler, and is long lasting. 4K These days you need a projector that supports 4K if you want to enjoy all the benefits of streaming services like Netflix, Prime and Disney+, and for those who still collect physical media there’s also Ultra HD Blu-ray. While none of these projectors are technically native 4K, they all use clever tech to produce images indistinguishable from the real thing. HDR While a projector doesn’t have the brightness to deliver the…

1 SMEG PBF01 PERSONAL BLENDER Powerful and portable, this blender comes with two 600ml ‘bottles-to-go’ to make drinking nutritious soups, smoothies and shakes on the move a breeze. And the shock-resistant bottles won’t absorb flavours or odours, either. Simply pop in your ingredients, screw the double blades to the bottle, select a speed and press blend to recharge your energy levels the healthy way. £109.95, smeguk.com 2 SAGE BARISTA TOUCH IMPRESS This impressive bean-to-cup coffee machine might look intimidating, but it boasts step-by-step guidance and real time feedback to deliver delicious barista-style Java with ease. It does all the hard work, ensuring you get the right dose of fresh grounds, precise temperature control, optimal water pressure and silky smooth microfoam. All you need to do is drink up. £1,199, sageappliances.com…

1 AWAY THE EVERYWHERE ZIP BACKPACK Versatile and thoughtfully designed, this water-resistant backpack includes a breathable mesh panel and padded shoulder straps for extra comfort on the go. The sleek design conceals a spacious interior with multiple compartments to keep all your belongings organised, and there’s a separate padded 15-inch laptop pocket with a magnetic locking zip for extra security. £155, awaytravel.com 2 GARMIN VIVOMOVE LUXE More than just a pretty face, this elegant hybrid watch combines the traditional look of an analogue timepiece with essential smart features, including health and fitness tracking, contactless payments and text messages straight to your wrist. It has a domed sapphire crystal lens for durability, while the dual AMOLED colour displays only appear when you need them. £479, garmin.com 3 BEATS STUDIO PRO Now…

Bean to cup machines can come across as quite daunting and difficult to use. Fortunately, the Sage Barista Touch Impress is all about ease and simplicity, while offering users barista-style coffee that’s completely customisable and speedy. After testing out this clever coffee machine, we’re completely obsessed with it – if that makes us coffee snobs, so be it! The Sage Barista Touch Impress is a compact coffee machine that’s a pretty decent size for most kitchens and countertop spaces. While the steaming wand, tamping handle, bean hopper, grinder and water spout are all connected to the device, the other attachments easily slot into place. This includes the water tank, which is easy to remove and reattach once filled with water. To make coffee, the machine has a ThermoJet heating system…

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1 iPHONE 15 / 15 PRO ● From £799 (iPhone 15) / £999 (iPhone 15 Pro), apple.com You’ll forgive us if we forego the usual preamble because there’s a lot of information to get through here. First, the aluminium-framed 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus, which draw down the A16 Bionic chip used in the last-gen’s Pro models. This brings with it better power and battery management, extra neural processing, the remarkably popular dynamic island of the 14 Pro, and the kind of advanced camera tomfoolery any new iPhone model is required to have. That would include, in this case, a 48MP quad pixel sensor in its main camera, which can cook up super-detailed 24MP images as well as chopping out its 12MP central portion for a…

MASTERBUILT GRAVITY SERIES 560 CHARCOAL GRILL & SMOKER The fastest, easiest and most versatile charcoal BBQ is here! It uses computer-controlled heat management to grill, sear and smoke your food with no fuss or stress. £699.99, prosmokebbq.co.uk EUFY CLEAN X9 PRO The new Eufy Clean X9 Pro is an intelligent robot vacuum cleaner packed full of tech features, including LiDAR navigation, smart sensors, a 3D camera and twin mops that raise themselves when carpet is detected. £899.99, eufy.com MOCCAMASTER KBG SELECT Moccamaster is bringing filter coffee back into the mainstream with its KBG Select coffee maker. Its sleek and striking design makes delicious coffee every time that you can completely tailor to your taste and preferences. £229.99, moccamaster.eu…

GOOGLE NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT The original Nest Thermostat was one of the first major smart home devices to appear on the market, showing the value of automating your central heating and efficiently saving energy over time. The latest version is available in a variety of finishes, and after a week of using it, you should find that it’s able to program itself. £189, store.google.com SWITCHBOT BLIND TILT Matter-enabled devices can make your existing kit smarter as well, as is the case with the SwitchBot Blind Tilt. You attach it to your existing louvre blinds, and as if by magic, you can then control them with your phone with exact precision. As a bonus, the device can be charged up with solar power, meaning less time manually charging. £69.99, switch-bot.com EVE…

EVE MOTION This battery-powered wireless motion sensor can be placed just about anywhere, to measure movement from just about anything. Maybe you want the lights to come on whenever someone walks into a room, or maybe you want to know where your pets have been during the day – up to you, and it works just as well outdoors too. €49.95 (about £43), evehome.com AQARA DOOR AND WINDOW SENSOR P2 This sensor means you’ll always know when a door or window is opened – you’ll get an alert straight to your phone via the app. That functionality can come in handy for a wide range of smart home automations, and because this works with Matter, you can hook it up to lots of other hardware too. £29.99, aqara.com EVE DOOR…

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WIRELESS SPEAKER 1 SONOS ERA 100 The all-singing, all-dancing Era 300 may make a statement in your living room. But its smaller, more affordable sibling is an ideal wireless speaker for a bedroom or kitchen, and revealing enough to dig up detail in any lossless streams you throw its way. Buy two and you can use them in stereo or as rear surrounds with Sonos’s best-value soundbar… £250, sonos.com SOUNDBAR 2 SONOS BEAM The best soundbar under £500 also happens to be the best soundbar for lossless streaming at this level – because soundbars can play music too. The second-gen Beam revels in all of the usual Sonos streaming skills, including lossless 24-bit audio from Amazon and Qobuz, while supporting Dolby Atmos for an immersive movie experience. £450, sonos.com WIRELESS…

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Reader: never travel. Guru has been caught by his ear and dragged screaming from his goblin hole this month, forced to endure a week gadding about in France to the delight of his children. It is not the country that is the problem – as regulars will know, GaGu is something of a Francophile – but the mod cons. Forget that Mrs Guru decided that stuffing your author’s gigantic frame into a cabin on the ferry would be fun (it was not) and please overlook the copious baguette consumption that went on. Instead, think about the tech. Guru’s Steam Deck can endure proper games for an hour and a half before collapsing; his mobile network provider offers a maximum of just 5GB roaming data before ramping up the prices. Guru…

NANOLEAF MATTER B22 SMART BULB The B22 Smart Bulb from Nanoleaf isn’t the most feature-packed smart home device, but it works as intended and works well. You can choose from white or an almost limitless number of colours in terms of illumination, the bulb can be controlled through an app on your phone or via voice commands, and there are lots of customisations to explore. £19.99, nanoleaf.me SENGLED WI-FI MULTICOLOR A19 SMART BULB Sengled is a smart lighting brand you can trust and the Wi-Fi Multicolor A19 Smart Bulb just does about everything you would want a smart bulb to do. You can choose from millions of colours and plenty of customisations in the accompanying app, and there’s voice control support too, if you prefer talking to your lightbulbs. £14.99,…

AQARA U100 SMART LOCK The Aqara U100 Smart Lock highlights a problem with Matter-enabled smart locks right now – in that few of them are available in the UK. At the moment, this is US only, but it demonstrates the potential of these sorts of devices, with support for tap-to-unlock from a phone or watch, and a bunch of useful automations for you to take advantage of. $190 (about £149), aqara.com SWITCHBOT LOCK The SwitchBot Lock is tidily designed and straightforward to install, and works with a variety of existing door locks to upgrade them to smart devices. There are seven different ways to unlock the SwitchBot Lock, from using a voice command, to tapping it with a smartwatch, to using a Bluetooth connection from your phone. £129.99, switch-bot.com YALE…

GOOGLE NEST HUB (2ND-GEN) With a screen attached, the 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub is able to show videos and photos, as well as giving you a way to control your Matter-based smart home. Google Assistant continues to add more features over time, and if you keep this device by your bed, it can also track your sleep patterns for you using the integrated motion sensor. £54.99, store.google.com AMAZON ECHO (4TH-GEN) The Amazon Echo smart speakers need no introduction at this point, giving you a voice command interface for everything from turning on your smart lights, through looking up facts on the web, to checking up on your Amazon orders. This fourth-generation model is also a decent speaker for streaming music, audiobooks and podcasts straight from the web. £109.99, amazon.co.uk SAMSUNG…

SPEAKERS 1 WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 12.3 Diamonds are an audiophile’s best friend. You don’t just get a lot of speaker cabinet for your money with the Diamond 12.3; the 98cm-tall towers are tonally smooth operators, delivering insight through the balance of entertainment and refinement that guarantees a good time. The 12.3 keep Diamond’s impressive legacy alive. £499, wharfedale.co.uk STEREO AMPLIFIER 2 MARANTZ PM6007 You’ll need some power behind those streamer skills, and Marantz shows that you don’t have to sell a kidney to get sophisticated sound quality – or suave hi-fi casework. Connect the Cambridge Audio streamer into one of the Marantz’s analogue or digital inputs, and you’ll be blessed with clean and punchy audio that’s transparent enough to reveal the detail in those lossless streams. £349, marantz.com MUSIC STREAMER 3…

EPSON EH-LS11000W £3,149, epson.co.uk WE’RE IMPRESSED Bright, detailed and accurate images; supports HDR10+ and 4K/120Hz; excellent HDR tone-mapping; long-life laser light source; marvellous value for money. WE’D IMPROVE Black levels could be better; no 3D support. THE LAST WORD The Epson EH-LS11000W is a fantastic 4K projector that’s hard to fault, thanks to its winning combination of price, features and performance. Film fans will get a lot out of the detailed and accurate images and HDR10+ support, while gamers can enjoy super-smooth 4K/120Hz frame rates. JVC LX-NZ30 £3,799, uk.jvc.com WE’RE IMPRESSED Detailed, sharp 4K images; long-life laser light source; excellent HDR tone-mapping; low latency. WE’D IMPROVE Rainbows could be an issue; no HDMI 2.1 inputs; no 3D support. THE LAST WORD A very bright laser-powered DLP projector delivering low latency…

1 LUMIE TASK This stylish desk SAD lamp closely mimics natural daylight using high-end broad-spectrum LEDs to enhance clarity, improve alertness, and help you beat the blues. Designed to minimise eye strain, it’s perfect for computer work, reading and fine-detail tasks (the clue is in the name), and the highly adjustable design means it can double as a ring light to boost your appearance during Zoom calls. £249, lumie.com 2 HIGHERDOSE INFRARED SAUNA BLANKET Slip into this sauna blanket to enjoy a host of mind-body benefits. Far infrared heat and crystal therapy are claimed to drain toxins, increase circulation, boost muscle recovery, promote deep relaxation and elevate your mood while burning calories (great for counteracting the effects of cosy nights in). This latest iteration is hotter than ever, with a…

1 ORAL B iO3 Clinically proven to remove 100% of plaque compared to a manual toothbrush, this electric toothbrush combines micro-vibrating bristles with a dentist-inspired round brush head to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Bonus features include a gum pressure sensor (so you don’t brush too hard or too soft), a brushing timer, three brushing modes and two weeks of battery life on one charge. £160, oralb.co.uk 2 REMINGTON LIMITLESS X9 This rotary shaver includes a 360° PivotBall, individual flexing blades, shave comfort rings and PowerSense tech to ensure a clean, comfortable shave every time. Intuitive shave-learn LEDs even adapt to your shaving routine and monitor battery usage per shave to alert you when there’s just five shaves remaining – although a five-minute quick charge gives a three-minute…

Are you seeking an OLED TV that’s not only among the brightest of 2023 but also comes with the best integrated sound straight out of the box? Then the Panasonic MZ2000 is without rival. You will have to pay handsomely for the pleasure, but this is a TV that’s reassuringly expensive. If you’re familiar with Panasonic and its TV output it’s worth noting this is the crème de la crème in their range. If you’re not familiar, this means that the Panasonic is a pretty special TV. But no one’s perfect and one upgrade we would have liked to have seen is in regards to the HDMI ports. While there are four ports on the rear, they’re vertically aligned, which we find a bit fiddly to use (the USB slots…