Table of contents for December 2024 in T3

1 B&W ZEPPELIN PRO EDITION £699, bowers-wilkins.com B&W’s Zeppelin legacy began life as an iPod dock, back when iPods were a thing, and was resurrected a couple of years ago as perhaps the most iconic one-unit speaker on the market – one which impressed us not only with its imposing looks but also with its sound, which borrowed tech from high end gear and brought it down to a commodity price point. News, then, of this Pro Edition has us all aquiver, and it certainly seems like Bowers and Wilkins hasn’t forgotten to make it amazing. The company has pulled the same tech-duping tricks as before, pulling down the proprietary Titanium Dome tweeters used in its high-end 600-series speakers, for example, and offering the midrange drivers the same Fixed Suspension…

Marathon season is underway, and it’s no surprise that this coincides with the latest wave of super shoe releases. Expect to see these high-performance shoes dominating the podiums at the major marathons soon! Adidas is stepping up its game with the Adizero Adios Pro 4 (£220, adidas.co.uk), the latest in its record-breaking Adizero line. This shoe is designed for speed and performance, building on a legacy of five world records and 73 road race victories. The new forefoot rocker geometry helps improve forward momentum, while the Lightstrike Pro midsole delivers a lighter, softer ride for runners looking to shave seconds off their time. The Lightlock upper is a standout feature, providing a snug and secure fit thanks to its one-way stretch woven mesh, allowing runners to maintain control even at…

1 BLUE DINNER SET Royal blue, warm cream and icy white make a happy threesome. It’s a colour combination that looks effortlessly stylish and is perfect for the Christmas table. Blue is the dominant shade here so let it take the lead with the supporting act of lighter hues. Malmo Charcoal Dinner Set (16-piece £139), Sienna White Speckled Jug (set of 4, £29), Tumblers (set of 4, £29) and Rochelle Wine Glasses (520ml set of 4, £29), procook.co.uk 2 BLUE CHRISTMAS TREE If you’re ready to dive in headfirst with the blue colour scheme then why not really make a statement with a pre-lit Christmas tree in midnight blue? This fake fir comes pre-loaded with 350 LED twinkling lights, so simply switch it on to sparkle. £249.99, wayfair.co.uk 3 TWO-TONE…

MORTIMER AND WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING Mrs Guru has been bingeing the entire back catalogue, and never has a TV show been so soft, funny and artistic. ASTRO BOT Don’t tell Guru Jr, but Dad’s been getting stuck into his Christmas present early. Yes this goes against last issue’s rant about controllers, but the game’s worth it. Superb. WOMAN OF THE HOUR Guru has to watch everything Anna Kendrick is in, so her directorial debut on Netflix was double required. Uncomfortable real-life stranger-than-fiction serial-killer-stuff – not bad.…

1 AMAZON FIRE TV OMNI QLED Crying out for 4K but feel like you don’t have the budget for it? You’re wrong: Amazon’s QLED is bright, bold, it supports all major HDR formats, and it’s affordable enough that it might even make its way into a teenager’s bedroom. It even supports features like VRR and ALLM, meaning it’s a very competent option for gaming. From £380, amazon.co.uk 2 GOOGLE PIXEL 9 PRO We’re not sure why it’s so hard to find cameras that film 8K when phones can do the trick. Or, at least, do a trick. Google’s AIaddled handset includes Video Boost, which does some interpolation magic to upscale your shots to full 8K when you desire it. The results are pure wizardry – and the phone itself isn’t…

Apple’s super compact iPad has remained a fan favourite in the range, its smaller form making it easier to carry, with enough screen real estate to make it preferable to using your phone. In this latest iteration, the seventh generation iPad mini gets the same A17 Pro chip, a big jump in performance over the A15 chip in the previous mini. Crucially, the chip upgrade means the mini is able to run the new Apple Intelligence features that are coming to iPadOS 18, including new writing tools, image creation and a more powerful Siri voice assistant. The new iPad mini comes in a choice of four colours, three storage sizes and both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus Cellular versions. The base model gets double the storage capacity of the previous model,…

An all-titanium body, new smart sensing platform, extended battery life and other updates ensure the Oura Ring 4 remains competitive against strong opposition from the likes of big players like Samsung. But is the Oura Ring 4 the best smart ring for you? Oura has done a great job of improving the Ring 4, removing the epoxy inner layer alongside the bumps that covered the sensors, so it’s smooth as butter on the inside. It comes in more sizes, too: the Gen 3 comes in sizes 6-13, while the Ring 4 can be bought in sizes 4-15. Available in several colourways, the amount you pay depends on the finish you go for. Almost all ring versions have a PVD (physical vapour deposition) finish, apart from the Stealth colourway, which has…

Back in the early days of mass gadgetry, around the mid-2000s, I used to joke about how onerous it would be if our toasters and kettles became like our computers; devices that needed frequent updates to be downloaded and installed, and that’d swiftly become obsolete when they couldn’t run the latest operating system. Now, it’s become a reality. Everything seems potentially smart these days, and in need of software support, not only to avoid bugs and deliver the latest features, but to keep it safe when connected to the internet. The smart home has been called the next frontier for fraud and cybercrime and security updates have become a top priority when using everything from security cameras and baby monitors to smart speakers and tumble dryers. But how long should…

MAAP has unveiled the latest additions to its Alt_Road collection (from £18, maap.cc). Key updates include the Alt_Road Cargo Bib 2.0, featuring a new ergonomic off-road chamois for better shock absorption, and the Alt_Road Jersey 3.0, which now uses lighter Merino wool for moisture management. There’s also the Alt_Road Insulated Jacket and Vest, offering lightweight warmth with Teijin Octa insulation. These innovations continue to push the boundaries of performance and comfort.…

Q JOHN KITE, SPEKE Can you make my internet faster? A Guru cannot hop into your wires and hurry your packets along. Your broadband goes as fast as your broadband goes. Option one, then, is to consider switching providers to find a broadband that goes a bit faster. Hopping between different broadband companies on the same crusty copper wires won’t make a huge difference, but jumping to a fibre provider might. It’s a bigger commitment than Guru’s mandatory Thursday gunpoint karaoke, and you probably shouldn’t put too much faith into online speed numbers, but it’s a possibility. More likely, though, the problem exists somewhere between the street and your home. GaGu has frequently placed silly things on his network, and things he’s later realised were not the panacea he believed…

I’ve been using Apple’s Vision Pro headset for a couple of months now and it still impresses me every time I put it on (p56). Just last week I watched Submerged, Apple’s first scripted short film in an immersive video and it was incredible. It opens up possibilities for future creations and goes one beyond what IMAX can offer. Right now, watching movies is still my favourite use for VR/AR headsets. The games on the Meta Quest 3 are fun but being able to watch a film on a giant screen anywhere you like is a genuine reason to buy. I wore the Vision Pro on a flight to LA, and watched a few films using it. It was so much better than watching the in-built video screens, and completely…

1 GOZNEY HEDLEY & BENNETT ARC XL Our favourite pizza oven gets a redesign. Not one that affects its ability to fire up a pizza in a couple of minutes with an amazing arc of rolling gas-powered flame, of course, but Hedley & Bennett’s coppery tones do make for a unique look. If this is too pricey, check out the collab accessories – perfect for the outdoor cook in your life. £750, gozney.com 2 VITESY SHELFY Got a friend with a bin overflowing with rotten food? Get them this on the 25th. The Shelfy sits inside your fridge, filters the air without using ozone, and can keep food fresh for 12 extra days. Through its app it’ll also monitor the number of times you’ve opened the fridge door, perfect for…

1 IFIXIT PRO TECH TOOLKIT Sometimes being tech-obsessed means getting one’s hands dirty, and overcoming whatever weird fasteners manufacturers have used to attempt to prevent you from doing so. iFixit’s ultimate kit includes every bit you could possibly need to disassemble your troubled kit, and a bunch of other handy take-it-apart tools besides. A must-have. £65, ifixit.com 2 XBOX ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER SERIES 2 A controller is a controller, usually, but Microsoft’s high-end joypad has the air of something special about it. Highly customisable, with a premium finish which doesn’t forget about being comfortable in the hands, this is the kind of thing we’d love to unwrap on Christmas morning. The extra edge it offers in games is just gravy. £120, xbox.com 3 TREZOR SAFE 5 One for the crypto…

The last year or so has seen an exponential increase in robot vac manufacturers bringing a slew of new products to market and, as a result, there’s never been such a bewildering assortment of machines to choose from. Whether you’re after a simple no-frills bot, a higher-end model capable of collecting pet hair before heading back to its cleaning station to have its bin automatically emptied, or a hybrid model that does everything from vac’ing to mopping to a full self-cleaning regime, we’ve found four stand-out models you should know about. BEST PREMIUM HYBRID VAC EUFY OMNI S1 PRO This high-end hybrid model is an excellent performer on hard floors and it comes with one of the most unique mopping systems, too. Instead of using a static mop or twin…

BREAKFAST TIME Browse the web or check emails hands-free while eating your brekkie. WORKING FROM HOME Make FaceTime calls with your Persona appearing for others to see you. DINNER PREP Following a recipe or video instruction is easy – watch out for that sharp knife! WATCHING A FILM Forget the TV (and the cinema): get the ultimate movie experience at home.…

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. In 54 different categories, we’ve chosen the top four products, so you can choose one that’s just the right mix of features and budget for what you need. These rankings come from real testing by our team of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher than that. Look for the links above each category that take you to…

I might be the worst person in the world to buy for at this time of the year. For one, I already own almost everything – working on T3 certainly helps out here – and two, I have a certain taste for the premium, aka it’s gonna cost you. The main issue here is that if I want something, I have to ask for it. Christmas spirit, begone. So if I want to find the latest PS5 Pro (reviewed on p68) hiding under the tree without thinking I had a part to play in it, a little help is needed – and this is where T3’s ultimate Christmas tech wishlist (p29) comes into play. Just casually place the latest issue on the coffee table at the correct page (iPad users,…

So why should the Lion City be on your radar? To start with, this is where we’ll see some of the most exciting upcoming new hotel openings, including the Raffles Sentosa Singapore, which will open by the end of 2024. In the meantime, we recommend staying at the Pan Pacific Orchard – in October this greenery-covered hotel bagged the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s prestigious Best Tall Building Worldwide award due to its sustainability and innovative design. (panpacific.com) Singapore is famous for its street food – its hawker culture was added to Unesco’s intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2020 – but as foodies, we’re especially excited about the recent reopening of the Grand Hyatt Singapore following a massive renovation. Its culinary highlight is StraitsKitchen – a…

Thanks to the rise in smart home technology, many households have a smart security camera set up inside or outside their home. Offering better security and protection than older, traditional surveillance systems, smart security cameras make it easier to check in on what’s happening around your property – something that the eufyCam S3 Pro (£499, eufy.com/uk) has invested in greatly with its new snapshot feature. Powered by AI, the eufyCam S3 Pro has a 4K camera that’s equipped with MaxColor Vision technology, that allows the camera to clearly see and record footage in all types of conditions and environments. While it has a built-in spotlight, the camera’s MaxColor Vision offers day-like image clarity in dark and ultra-low light conditions, so you can still see clearly without any extra illumination. But…

Uncle Guru hasn’t been sleeping well, reader. There are reasons for this, primarily the worries so graciously gifted to him by his lovely family, secondarily his appalling attitude towards bedtime, and tertiarily bad vibes, man. In an effort to at least correct the last one, he’s added stuff to his bedroom. His favourite is the Sega Toys Homestar Flux (£175), a Japanese import that seems to be readily available on the King’s shores. It’s the finest star projector GaGu’s ever seen, not that he’s seen many. It does what it’s supposed to do, at least, broadcasting a really rather nice night sky onto his ceiling. Neat features include its ability to accept import-gouged discs (a stinging £23 each) so you can change the image, and the soft soothing whirring sound…

1 RUARK R610 Well appointed, as is everything Ruark produces, the R610’s throwback attitude makes a lot of sense in today’s hi-fi world. It’s an amp, a streamer, a host to your turntable or TV, and ready for Ruark’s forthcoming USB CD player too. Just add speakers to the set-up – and why not make them the delightful matching Sabre-R bookshelf set (£700 a pair)? £1,200, ruarkaudio.com 2 MEZE AUDIO ALBA We’ve fallen in love with Meze’s almost playful approach to high-end headphones in recent years, so the growing Romanian company’s debut IEMs had us excited. Featuring a build which encourages thick bass while giving every other frequency the room it needs to breathe, they’re the perfect gift for the budding audiophile looking to try out pro-level in-ears. £159, mezeaudio.eu…

1 TWINKLY NET LIGHTS There’s an obvious Christmas spin on Twinkly’s programmable net lights, given that they look amazing when draped over a festive bush in your front garden. But why stop at yuletide applications? Bring them indoors to fancy up a kid’s bedroom or create a unique custom backdrop for those never-ending Zoom calls. They’ll bring delight all year. £100, twinkly.com 2 BOND TOUCH 4 If you can’t be with the one you love, make sure they know you care. A pair of Bond Touch bracelets (or, alternatively, the company’s nifty pendants) will allow you to communicate with touch whenever you feel the need – and the accompanying app lets you explain exactly what that touch meant. Frivolous, maybe, but fun for long-distance relationships. £67, bond-touch.com 3 ONEWHEEL PINT…

TCL makes some of the best value TVs, period. But cheaper seldom equates to better. Is the TCL C805 Mini-LED TV, with Quantum Dot technology, the exception to the rule? The 55-inch model, on test, sells for around £649. However, it’s available in quite a few other screen sizes too, from 50 to a whopping 98 inches for just £2,500… for nearly 100 inches! Being a Mini-LED TV means the C805 uses a colossal number of tiny LEDs to backlight its panel (of the VA LCD type). These LEDs are divided into almost 400 individual zones – for more precise, better-targeted backlighting and good contrast performance. What’s more, the C805 features Quantum Dot technology in an effort to provide brighter, more lifelike colours. It’s also compatible with every high dynamic…

The Cambridge Audio Evo One is a premium, luxury all-in-one product – the wooden top a significant nod to that aspiration. At £1,299, it sits right at the top end of the available wireless speakers on the market. Relatively speaking, though, the Evo One is a bit of a bargain, as this all-in-one contains 14 drivers and 700W of onboard amplification (50W per driver) to fill even large-size rooms with delightful audio. That also makes it the first product of its kind from Cambridge Audio. Other types of this product are fairly few and far between. The Naim Mu-so from almost a decade ago (and later on, the Mu-so 2) represents the closest comparison. The Cambridge Audio, however, has an altogether less industrial chic and more humanistic touch to its…