Stuff UK April 2021

welcome

There is absolutely no way to avoid the fact that most of the stuff in Stuff is made from, well, stuff. And some of that stuff is in some way detrimental to the planet. What can we say? Humans are bad. Steps can be taken now. We must stop throwing everything away if we’re going to keep Earth on the straight and narrow, and so a circular economy with reusable, recyclable and renewable products seems the only plausible way forward – welcome to our latest eco-tech special. The idea is to give you a greater idea of where your stuff comes from, what your stuff is made from, how long your stuff will last, and what to do with your stuff when you’re finished with it. We’ve even picked out the best…

fold on, i’m comin’

Seeing a foldable phone in the wild remains about as commonplace as being shouted at by a duck, but that isn’t putting off companies making them. If anything, it appears to be making them even more enthusiastic about the concept. Enter Huawei’s Mate X2, the Chinese giant’s second-gen foldable handset. This phone has two distinct shapes, flitting between folded (showcasing its ‘normal’ 6.45in OLED outer screen) and unfolded (where the 8in inner screen comes to the fore). While the screen sizes might not seem too far apart, the aspect ratios – 21:9 for the outer, 8:7.1 for the inner – make them wildly different prospects. Huawei claims to have spent five years perfecting the hinge mechanism so it folds with barely any perceptible gap, while the rear camera setup includes a…

bud and thunder

At this point it’s becoming easier to point out companies that haven’t introduced a pair of true wireless earbuds. In fact, where are yours, reader? And after impressing us with a series of Bluetooth speakers and headphones, Marshall is now getting in on the act too. As its debut cord-free buds, the Mode IIs have to be good, and Marshall promises the custom-tuned 6mm drivers will deliver big bass, natural mids and crisp treble. There are lots of ticks on the checklist, including touch controls, IPX4 water-resistance, Bluetooth 5.1 and voice assistant support. But as is usually the way with Marshall gear, the standout feature is design. Looking a bit like they were forged from a classic Marshall amp with their rubberised finish and ‘M’ logo, they’re among the best-looking buds we’ve…

sight for soar eyes

It’s been a few years since DJI sent an entirely new category of drone soaring into the wild blue heavens, but the DJI FPV seems to be just that: it’s the first flyer to combine the company’s aerial camera knowhow with a true, race-worthy first-person flight experience. Strap on the included headset to put your peepers in the pilot’s seat as the FPV slices through the skies at up to 87mph (0-62mph in just two seconds), powered by the third generation of DJI’s OcuSync low-latency transmission tech, which has a range of up to 10km. As well as beaming a live feed to your eyes, the camera also records stabilised 4K video at up to 60fps or 120fps slo-mo clips at 1080p, all on a six-axis gimbal to keep your footage…

microsoft fright stimulator

We’re surprised Microsoft didn’t launch its latest gaming headset alongside the new Xboxes at the end of last year; but if it does indeed turn out to be ‘the future of gaming’, it’ll be worth the short wait. Designed to be used with those new consoles and the latest Windows PCs, as well as mobile devices presumably running the Game Pass app, the Xbox Wireless Headset promises low latency, lossless audio and great sound. There’s support for various spatial sound standards, which should help you hear those oncoming enemy footsteps, while dual beamforming microphones and voice-isolation tuning should result in perfectly audible swearing when you get shot in the back. Design-wise it’s unmistakably an Xbox headset, black and green with big earcups that Microsoft says are ultra-soft and evenly distribute pressure over…

diamond vlogs

£590 (body only) / canon.co.uk Whether your preferred form of expression is TikTok, Twitch, Instagram or YouTube, Canon’s latest mirrorless camera is here to be your creative partner. • I wanna be your vlog Canon hasn’t always been the most enthusiastic of camera makers when it comes to boarding bandwagons. The company dragged its feet for years before releasing a decent mirrorless model, losing ground to Sony and Panasonic in the process. Thankfully, that timid approach appears to have gone out of the window, because the new Canon EOS M50 Mark II is a 24.1MP APS-C mirrorless camera chasing after the trendiest demographic of all: aspiring content creators. It’s so eager to please that it’ll even record vertical videos, all the better to toss straight into your TikTok account. • Who let the vlogs…