Stuff UK July 2020

welcome

In, out, shake it all about, drive to Durham, get an eye test. Just when you thought things couldn’t get more complicated, Dominic Cummings made sure they did. The upshot, though, is garden parties and barbecues are on the cusp of returning. This is good news for many reasons, not least sales of this issue (welcome back, newsagents, we missed you). As we’ve made abundantly clear on the cover, you’ll find no fewer than 43 gadgets for the garden in here, whether that’s outdoor ones for making pizza and robo-mowing, or indoor hydroponic harvesters for turning your flat into a scene from Jumanji. If you are planning to venture outside the front gate, our multi-skilled art director Ross doesn’t just do colouring-in – he also rides bikes, so became a key consultant…

hotstuff

HOT FOUR #1 ARCS AND RE-CREATION Sonos Arc Compromise, eh? In an ideal world we’d all be driving our dream cars, having swan for dinner every night and turning the living room into the most well-equipped cinema this side of the Leicester Square Odeon. But there are things like budgets, vegetables and children to consider, so we make do with what we can. When it comes to home cinema, that usually means a soundbar rather than embedding speakers in the ceiling – or, if you really want to minimise those compromises, a Sonos Arc. As hot as… swan jalfrezi £799 / sonos.com HANDS-ON WITH THE ARC SIMON LUCAS Even though Sonos is characteristically coy about dishing the details – of amplification, driver materials, even driver size – you don’t need to hear the Arc for long to know…

attack of the ’phones

Razer Opus £200 / razer.com We love it when a leftfield contender threatens to upset the established order. And the Force is strong with this one… The prize of Skywalker The big news with these wireless cans is they’re THX-certified. THX is the high-fidelity cinema AV standard co-founded by George Lucas, the man responsible for creating a mildly successful film franchise about dysfunctional families and their droids. A new scope The original reason for setting up THX in 1983 was to ensure Return of the Jedi sounded mindblowing at the movies even back then. And if you’re wondering where a gaming hardware maker comes in, Razer acquired THX Ltd in 2016 and has been using its spatial audio tech in headsets. The empire strikes black Rather than being bright green and covered in flashing LEDs, these ’phones have…

vollebak full metal jacket

I know Liverpool are the team of the moment, but are shellsuits really back in fashion? Calm down, calm down. You’re more likely to see this on the streets of east London than Merseyside – but it’s not just a questionable item of clothing. Embedded in the three-layer fabric of Vollebak’s Full Metal Jacket, you’ll find 11km of woven copper that could hold the key to the future of disease-resistant clothing. So this has nothing to do with Kubrick’s Vietnam War classic? No, and strictly speaking it’s not even ‘full metal’, considering it only comprises 65% copper; but the metal’s ability to conduct heat and power is also perfect for killing bacteria and viruses. It’s the middle of summer, I’m not social-distancing in this! Agreed. The jacket is breathable, but this is no time to…

? wtf is for good causes?

Let me guess… this has something to do with charity, right? Yes, and we’re fully aware there’s plenty going around at the moment, but you can never do too much. Plus, For Good Causes is a UK fin-tech company offering you a way to donate to a chosen charity without spending a penny. I’m not walking around my garden 100 times. I don’t even have a garden. It’s OK, we’ve left the old and infirm to take care of that. Instead, you convert points and rewards earned on the loyalty cards doing sod-all in your wallet into a digital donation. So instead of getting 25% off a home waxing kit you’re too scared to use, you might actually do someone a decent turn for a change. I’m very nice, I always put my coppers…

stream

The Politician Not even a year on from the first season’s release, we’re getting a second helping of this gleefully cynical comedy-drama. With as much backstabbing and intrigue as Game of Thrones (if not quite the same levels of bloodshed), The Politician delights with its depictions of viciously ambitious Californian high-schoolers. S2 / Netflix, 19 June Unsolved Mysteries A modern reboot of the classic ’80s show, this six-part docuseries delves into the unexplained, the bizarre and the plain old baffling: disappearances, deaths and seemingly supernatural events. Journalists, detectives and relatives offer theories and insights, but the hope is that one viewer might hold the key to the truth. Oooh! S1 / Netflix, 1 July Eric Andre: Legalize Everything It’s not often we recommend a stand-up special on these pages, but then it’s not often Eric Andre puts…