Stuff UK March 2020

I’ve become obsessed with Fighter Pilot: The Real Top Gun on ITV4. The show follows the misfortunes of the RAF’s 207 Squadron as it attempts to get to grips with the new £9bn F-35 Lightning jets. Except, instead of being scrambled to intercept baddies, the pilots spend most of their time on the Tarmac trying to log in to the plane. It’s a stark reminder that, while the Internet of Things is very much a thing in 2020, so is the Internet of S*** (worth a Twitter follow), and not everything ‘online’ is good. In this issue of Stuff you won’t find any fighter jets requiring a firmware update – just the perfect platforms and essential tech for starting your smart home odyssey. And if you’re still hankering for something faintly…

I FELT ELECTRICITY WITH A CLASSY SWEDISH MODEL Gothenburg ain’t the place to be in February if you want a tan. It is, however, exactly where you should be to learn how Volvo plans to make 50% of its cars electric by 2025 – in a country where running out of range could leave you stranded in one of the world’s harshest landscapes. I got behind the wheel of the pure-leccy XC40, played with a new Android infotainment system, and discovered Volvo has developed a special spooky sound for its electrified cars. More on this soon. James Day, Editor-in-Chief I USED FACEBOOK AS A GLOBAL PUPPY TRACKER Admittedly this isn’t the techiest thing anyone has done this month, but who cares when it gives us an excuse to print a picture of a puppy?…

HOT FOUR #1 WE’VE LOST OUR HEARTS TO A STARSHIP SNOOPER Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Time to meet the first Samsung phone of 2020, so packed with tech it might start seeping out of the SIM tray. The Galaxy S20 Ultra introduces Space Zoom, which lets you focus in 100x closer to your subject. Want to check the moon for the flag Neil Armstrong (supposedly) left there in 1969, or how your neighbour’s begonias are going? Sorted. This is also the first phone to shoot 8K video – and it’s not often we use mobiles that could give your 4K OLED telly a complex. These specs are part of the Ultra’s quad rear camera array – made up of a 108MP primary sensor, 48MP telephoto with 10x “hybrid optical” zoom, 12MP ultra-wide and ToF…

£1999 / samsung.com Describing something as ‘the most interesting wardrobe we’ve ever seen’ doesn’t sound like much. But when Samsung’s AirDresser wants to do our laundry for us… • Killing in the name of As much as we enjoy strolling out of the house smelling of flowery detergent, Samsung’s latest smart home invention is designed to reduce trips to the washing machine. The AirDresser is a wardrobe that uses jets of air to loosen and remove ingrained dust from your favourite garms, while a jet of steam kills bacteria and heat dries everything slowly. • A delicate subject Samsung isn’t saying throw out your washing machine, but fewer washes means less stress on fabrics, prolonging the life of your clothes. Suits, coats, wool, down, leather, denim, babywear, bedding and toys – it’s all good here,…

from £4 / ikea.com Four quid? That’s cheaper than a packet of the famous meatballs! It is indeed, although you might want to add some of those to your basket as well, because Ikea’s new Frekvens range is designed to party – and everybody knows you can’t have a party without some fried lumps of beef and pork, especially if you go full Swede and serve them with potatoes, cream sauce and lingonberry jam. Fortunately, the collection also includes a stoneware serving plate (£15), a melamine laminate tray (£9) and a set of dishes and pots (£25) for condiments, tapas or snacks. There’s even a cajon drum (£25) in case you invite any white people with dreadlocks. Hang on, isn’t this a gadget mag? Oh, so you’re not interested in the waxed cotton ottoman…

We know Apple is building an EV, but what’s this? The beta version of iOS 13.4 has been released, and one of the features they’ve been testing for eventual consumer release is the ability to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to open and lock your car. That could mean doing away with your key-fob or physical key altogether. Which is just as well, because we’ve already lost them. But a dead phone battery means being locked out and stranded? Nope. It’ll even work if you’re out of juice, because NFC chips harness the power of whatever device is reading them – in this case the car. You can adjust the settings for this feature in your Apple Wallet once you’ve paired your phone to unlock, lock and start your NFC-compatible wheels. So if…