T3 February 2018

SAMSUNG THE WALL Typical. Just when you think you’re getting a handle on the latest in TV technology, something new comes along and moves the goal posts once more. The gamechanger in question, curious T3 reader, is Samsung’s The Wall: a super screen concept revealed at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The eyeball-grabbing feature, no doubt, is its monstrous 146-inch panel, but honestly, unless you’re planning to star in your own MTV Cribs show, who wants to go that big? The really interesting feature, and one we think could shape the future of TVs, is the implementation of MicroLEDs. Unlike the majority of TV makers that opt to use OLED tech in their high-end sets, Samsung is sticking to its non-organic guns by using regular LED tech, albeit scaled down, making…

Matt Bolton Editor Matt hauled himself out of the Christmas mire to go and try out Renault’s self-driving car of the future (p24), and came back raving about embracing our new artificial intelligence overlords. JO GULLIVER Senior Art editor Jo’s got a new phone, so is upgrading to wireless charging (p96). In quieter moments, you might catch her dropping her phone on the pad and giggling when the charging icon appears. ANDREW WE STBROOK Operations editor Andy’s ready to take the leap into smart lighting, and is looking at Ikea’s new bulbs (p54), since the low cost means he can do his whole house and finally beat the kids’ light-switch laziness. SPENCER HART Product Editor, t3.com Spencer spent most of this issue in Las Vegas, at CES (he claims). He’s been scouting the latest and greatest tech – expect to see…

I’m so excited about this issue of T3, because we get to bring you the results of some seriously exciting invitations we recently received. First, we went to the new French GP Formula 1 circuit to drive an actual F1 car. When you’re watching at home, it’s so easy to idly wonder how hard it really is to keep control of those things. It turns out to be somehow both easier and even more complex than you might think – you can read about our whole experience on p84. We also got an exclusive chance to sit down with Phil Schiller, Apple’s VP of marketing, and a common face at its keynote presentations. I’m not sure he’s going to change anyone’s opinion of Apple products one way or another, but getting to…

1 HP ENVY X2 From £999, hp.com If you’re tired of juggling a laptop, tablet and other tech in order to work effectively on the go, then more robustly when you’re in the office, the always connected HP ENVY x2 could throw you a lifeline. Why? Microsoft’s new aluminium hybrid is being positioned as a complete mobile device that’s so powerful you’ll have no need for an extra tablet. It’s lighter than an iPad Pro and is serving up ample firepower. Everyone’s excited about laptops with Gigabit LTE connectivity, and the Windows 10 S, Snapdragon 835-running ENVY x2 is no exception, promising lightning-fast download speeds and a reliable data connection thanks to an x16 LTE modem. We get annoyed with poor battery life on tech, so we’re impressed with the ENVY x2’s 20…

When you unlock your computer or phone, it gives you access to all of your most sordid and sensitive information. But then it just trusts that you’re still you an hour later, rather than someone else who’s stuffed you in a closet. Enter continuous authentication, which means your device is constantly checking that whoever’s using it is still the owner. The only big example so far is the iPhone X, which scans your face to unlock itself, and scans again before it does anything like autofill your card details into websites. The Apple Watch has a basic version of this: you unlock it, and it stays unlocked only if it detects your heartbeat uninterrupted. There’s an interesting continuous authentication option for the desktop too, aimed at businesses. TypingDNA uses machine learning to…

THE READER Simon Greene Simon wants to know what key camera equipment would be in a kit bag for a photographer who wants to go more pro. He likes shooting animals (outdoors) and portraits. THE EXPERT Ian Evenden Ian started playing with cameras as a teenager and currently fights against a wage-consuming obsession with buying more gear. (Just don’t tell his wife that.) SAYS… Sophisticated image-capturing tech meets practicality Nick Odantzis, Deputy Editor 1 MANFROTTO BEFREE COMPACT ALUMINIUM Good support is essential for really sharp images, and this compact aluminium tripod can be used anywhere, thanks to its collapsed size of just 40cm and weight of 1.4kg. £119, amazon.co.uk 2 NIKON AF-S 70-200MM F/2.8E FL ED VR Lenses like this are the workhorses of pro photographers, but let’s unpack the name. AF-S means a silent autofocus motor. 70-200mm is the zoom range, in…