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Stuff UK|September 2022WELCOMEHello and welcome to this productivity-themed issue of Stuff. We’ve put together a themed lead feature of wonderful gear to get things done, whether you’re a home worker, on-the-road roamer or student about to embark on a new course or school year. As part of it, we’ve also reviewed three bleeding-edge new laptops: Apple’s M2-powered MacBook Air, Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop and the 2022 version of the super-light LG Gram 16. Elsewhere we’ve tested two of the year’s most anticipated new phones – the Google Pixel 6a and light-up Nothing Phone 1 – both hoping to dominate the mid-range as we move into the time of the year when a new iPhone and a next-gen Pixel are imminent. We’ve also compared six fine cordless vacs, including new launches from Dyson…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BIG-TIME SENSOR REALITYA dragonfly’s eye is made up of thousands of tiny individual lenses. Sometimes it feels like smartphone designers are copying the colourful winged insects, such are the numbers of cameras you get on phones these days, but what really matters for image quality is sensor size… which is why Xiaomi has fitted its new 12S Ultra with an absolute whopper. Developed with Sony, this 50.3MP 1in job – yes, a full inch – has an eight-piece aspherical lens, multiple reflection-reducing coatings, and ‘octa-PD’ autofocus. Up front, a 6.73in 3200x1440 AMOLED screen brings LTPO tech for an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, plus there’s an in-display fingerprint sensor. Unsurprisingly Xiaomi has gone all out on performance, with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that promises 10% uplifts to both…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022TOUCH ME WHEN FREELANCINGIf you’re one of those people who now split their working week between the hustle and bustle of the office and a desk at home, you’re going to need a laptop that’s equally comfortable in both – and the 16in 2520x1680 LCD touchscreen on Huawei’s surprisingly portable MateBook 16S makes it pretty much the ideal hybrid working companion.The 3:2 aspect ratio means you can easily fit two documents side by side, which should come in handy for serious multitaskers, while the 1080p webcam locks onto your face and tracks you around the room, so you can get up and indulge in some blue-sky thinking without wandering out of shot.You can choose from two of Intel’s shiniest 12th-gen processors – an i7 or an i9 – and both get 1TB of…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022INNER FITTY BLUESOpen up most phones and you’ll see nothing but a load of boring old silicon, sensors and storage, but the chassis of Nokia’s 5710 XpressAudio hides something much more interesting. Slide down a panel on the back of this old-school candybar and you’ll find a pair of wireless earphones that last 4hrs before they need to be popped back inside to recharge from the phone’s removable 1450mAh battery. That might sound paltry but the 5710 is running S30+ with a 2.4in QVGA screen, so battery life is measured in weeks rather than hours: it’ll do up to 31 days on standby if you don’t use 4G. While there’s only 128MB of built-in storage, you can fill a 32GB microSD card with MP3s and control your tunes using the dedicated music…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BABY, NURA RICH MANThe pioneers of personalised sound have upgraded their true wireless in-ears with a world first… • Sexy CD Nura makes headphones that are tuned for each listener – but no matter who’s wearing them, the new NuraTrue Pro earbuds could be the best-sounding pair yet. These are the first wireless buds anywhere on the planet to support aptX Lossless over Bluetooth, which means CD-quality 16-bit audio without any wires. The bad news? You’ll need a phone that has one of Qualcomm’s latest 8+ Gen 1 processors and is certified for aptX Lossless through Snapdragon Sound, such as the Asus ROG Phone 6 or… well, not much else. More will be here later this year, but for now you’re probably stuck with slightly lower-res audio. • Hey skewed Even without that…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FIRST PLAY STREET FIGHTER 6It’s been 35 years since Street Fighter was first released… and while it wasn’t until the sequel that it truly revolutionised gaming, this series has been the champion ever since. But that status has become debatable in recent years given how strong the competition has got, with Tekken and Mortal Kombat forcing Capcom to steer its fighting game towards more realism. (That’s ‘realism’ with fireballs and Sonic Booms, but whatever.)Well, Street Fighter 6 is the best the series has ever looked, embracing more realistic and detailed graphics than ever thanks to the RE Engine that’s been powering Capcom titles like the newest Resident Evil games and Devil May Cry 5. But it also injects a colourful graffiti effect that makes the impact of certain attacks and counters pop like nothing…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FIRST PLAY STREET FIGHTER 6It’s been 35 years since Street Fighter was first released… and while it wasn’t until the sequel that it truly revolutionised gaming, this series has been the champion ever since. But that status has become debatable in recent years given how strong the competition has got, with Tekken and Mortal Kombat forcing Capcom to steer its fighting game towards more realism. (That’s ‘realism’ with fireballs and Sonic Booms, but whatever.) Well, Street Fighter 6 is the best the series has ever looked, embracing more realistic and detailed graphics than ever thanks to the RE Engine that’s been powering Capcom titles like the newest Resident Evil games and Devil May Cry 5. But it also injects a colourful graffiti effect that makes the impact of certain attacks and counters pop like…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022THE NANOLEAF CO-FOUNDER ON EARLY DAYS, TALKING TO APPLE AND SMARTER HOMESIt’s 10 years since we started Nanoleaf.We were a group of students in Toronto who built a solar-powered car… and it finished races, which means it was a good car. You learn a lot of concepts in school but you never really get the chance to apply it; so after we graduated, we got back together thinking, ‘Hey, we built this amazing solar car but now we’re doing jobs that have nothing to do with sustainability or solar technology or even building products.’ We were bored.Our first product was solar, but we didn’t know how to ship lithium-ion for batteries.So we decided to make a really efficient lightbulb, and we soon realised we’d developed the most energy-efficient lightbulb in the world. Let’s put it on Kickstarter and see how that…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022THE NANOLEAF CO-FOUNDER ON EARLY DAYS, TALKING TO APPLE AND SMARTER HOMESIt’s 10 years since we started Nanoleaf. We were a group of students in Toronto who built a solar-powered car… and it finished races, which means it was a good car. You learn a lot of concepts in school but you never really get the chance to apply it; so after we graduated, we got back together thinking, ‘Hey, we built this amazing solar car but now we’re doing jobs that have nothing to do with sustainability or solar technology or even building products.’ We were bored. Our first product was solar, but we didn’t know how to ship lithium-ion for batteries. So we decided to make a really efficient lightbulb, and we soon realised we’d developed the most energy-efficient lightbulb in the world. Let’s put it on Kickstarter and…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Do ya think I’m 6a?Change is in the air at Google’s smartphone division.The firm took its first steps into flagship territory with the Pixel 6 Pro, and brought with it an all-new design. But that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten what it does best.Enter the Pixel 6a – the latest in a long line of affordable efforts from the big G. As ever, it aims to nail the sweet spot between price and performance, with camera smarts that simply can’t be beaten for the price – only now it has two high-end heroes to borrow from.The 6a is packing the same distinctive looks and same home-grown chipset as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. It also joins them in being first in line for the latest versions of Android, yet somehow manages to stay…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHESThe AI adviserOral-B iO Series 10Automation will one day do away with dentists, leaving robots to wash and floss our fangs. Until then, this clever cleaner’s the next best thing. Putting AI in your mouth, it tracks your brushing action across six zones, using lights atop the magnetic charging dock to show where to focus those micro-vibrations. When you’re not wielding the wand, an integrated clock indicates the best time to brush, while an app points out where you can improve your technique.£tba / oralb.co.ukBUDGET BRUSHESThe value vibratorOrdo Sonic+Skimping on oral hygiene is a fast track to fillings, but healthy teeth needn’t cost hundreds. Good for 40,000 pulses per minute, this £50 job has four modes for a cleaning experience to suit the needs of your gnashers. Soft bristles go…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022The alternatives: 3 more nice-priced phonesSamsung Galaxy A53 from £379 / stuff.tv/A53 What’s the story? The Galaxy A53 is what happens when you take most of what we love about the Galaxy S22 (bold design, killer screen, capable cameras) but slash the price. From a distance, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t a full-on flagship… and Samsung’s new entry-level phone hasn’t had to compromise much either: you’re still getting a beefy battery, a 120Hz AMOLED display and four rear snappers. Is it any good? Look past the pointless macro and depth sensors and there’s still lots to like on the photography front. Image processing does a lot with the 64MP main sensor, putting it up there with Google and Apple in the cut-price camera stakes. It’s a shame the home-grown Exynos CPU is so underwhelming, though,…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHESThe AI adviser Oral-B iO Series 10 Automation will one day do away with dentists, leaving robots to wash and floss our fangs. Until then, this clever cleaner’s the next best thing. Putting AI in your mouth, it tracks your brushing action across six zones, using lights atop the magnetic charging dock to show where to focus those micro-vibrations. When you’re not wielding the wand, an integrated clock indicates the best time to brush, while an app points out where you can improve your technique. £tba / oralb.co.uk BUDGET BRUSHES The value vibrator Ordo Sonic+ Skimping on oral hygiene is a fast track to fillings, but healthy teeth needn’t cost hundreds. Good for 40,000 pulses per minute, this £50 job has four modes for a cleaning experience to suit the…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022HOME WORKERNOW APP THESETHINGSWe have tried very many productivity apps over the years, but Things remains our favourite for freelancing and solo home working. It makes it easy to track projects, personal stuff and calendar events, and perhaps most importantly of all it’s really fast.£8.99 / (iOS)MICROSOFT TO DOMicrosoft’s free app is a wonderful task and time manager, and because it’s cross-platform you can use it across all kinds of devices including PCs and Android phones, as well as on anything with a browser. It’s fast, simple and useful.£free / Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web• NOW ADD THESELUMIE HALOAs the days get shorter again, many home workers may find their work area a little too dark – and over time that can get you down. A light therapy lamp can help…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022DIGITAL NOMADNOW APP THESE TRIPIT If you travel a lot then you’ll love TripIt. This app makes it easy to organise all your travel documents, from airline boarding passes and e-tickets to car hire and hotel reservations. This means all your bits are in one place, and the automation features are brilliant. £free (IAP) / iOS, Android TRANSLATE Apple, Google and Microsoft all make excellent translation apps that are useful for business travel and holidays alike, with easy translation of signs and menus as well as real-time translation of conversations. If you aren’t multilingual, one of these is a must-have £free / iOS, Android • NOW ADD THESE KENSINGTON USB-C SINGLE 4K PORTABLE DOCKING STATION A lot of docks aren’t really designed for portability, or for the power of today’s laptops.…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022CAFE CREATIVE• TESTED MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 2 from £529 / stuff.tv/Go2 Microsoft’s Go series is all about bringing bits of its most expensive laptops to those who haven’t got a grand to spend; and the Laptop Go 2 is good-looking, extremely portable and admirably powerful… as long as you pick the £729 top-spec model. At 15.7mm thick and weighing just 1.13kg, portability is excellent. It’s made of aluminium and plastic, as opposed to the magnesium alloys of other Surface models, but the feel and finish don’t fall far below the high standards of the range. The slightly cut-down QWERTY lacks a backlight, but for most people that’s only likely to be an issue in a power cut. Killer screen Microsoft loves its tall displays, and this 12.4in 3:2 touchscreen is…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ROAD WARRIORAMAZON ECHO AUTO £50 / amazon.co.uk The main goal here is simple: get Alexa into the car so you can use it to summon music and weather, set reminders or get train times. It’s also ideal for capturing those thoughts you have while you’re driving along and adding them to your to-do list. You can even switch on your living-room lights or heating as you arrive home. This slim device can plug into nearly any car – it’s powered via USB – and it runs through your ride’s own speakers. It’s the closest thing we’ve yet had to Knight Rider’s KITT, so lap it up even if it means that Amazon dominates yet another of your spaces. Gimme some ’tooth Echo Auto took a while to get in gear (sorry),…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BIG CHEESENOW TRY THIS NOBBLE NOTIFICATIONS Don’t let social media or other irrelevant apps derail your train of thought or interrupt your flow state. iOS, macOS, Android and Windows all have customisable ‘Do not disturb’ modes that limit the notifications you’ll receive. DO, DEFER OR DELEGATE The famous Getting Things Done system recommends a two-minute rule: when presented with a new task, can you deal with it in two minutes? If so, deal with it; if not, defer it to another day or palm it off on someone else. SPEAK IN SILENCE Often have background sounds that are problematic for video calls? Try Krisp (krisp.ai): it uses clever AI tech to remove background noise and even loud sounds such as dogs barking or phones ringing. • NOW ADD THESE FRISKA PRIMO…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BETA YOURSELF BE A WRITERTHE BASICSStop faffingDon’t waste time styling text when you’ve barely written anything. To get good, you must prioritise thinking and… well, writing. Use a plain text editor and learn Markdown (see markdownguide.org) for basic formatting. Only edit once you’ve at least a completed a rough draft.Set targetsNovels aren’t written in a day. And if you’re just starting out, even a few paragraphs might be a challenge. So set aside a minimum daily target (ideally in terms of time rather than words) to build a routine. Unsure what to write? Pick a random subject and just write as fast as you can. Think of this as exercising your writing muscles.Get physicalPeople genuinely tap out entire novels on a phone with their thumbs. But unless you’re a texting wizard, a physical keyboard…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022NEVER HAD A DREAM CAM TRUE?Halide II This high-end snapper is equally at home on iPhone and iPad, and even brings macro photography to blowers that lack lenses designed for that. Elsewhere, you get first-rate manual controls, focus aids and an excellent ‘instant RAW’ process that lets you quickly develop RAW files with a single tap. You can even sign up for lessons in-app to learn how to become a better photographer. £2.49/m / iOS ProShot Android camera apps tend to be rickety compared to iPhone snappers; this is an exception. Its sleek layout puts controls within easy reach, and programmable modes enable you to customise and save two setups. Timelapse and light-painting options give you creative outlets when you’re bored of standard snaps, but you’ll stick with this one because it’s so solid when…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Caught in the squiggle£114 / stuff.tv/MiniLink2Steady or notPhotos eject from the top and you load film packs at the back, behind a door held in place by a latch that’s just a bit too easy to knock accidentally in a bag. A nice lock would have been a handy addition.Go moreThe Mini Link 2 is just about small enough to slip in a pocket, but not the same one you keep your phone in. The Instax logo on the front doubles as a power button, with a long press also activating Bluetooth pairing.Fuji’s credit-card-sized Instax Mini prints are proper instant film, not the heat-reactive paper you’ll find on rivals like the Kodak Step. They use chemicals to react to light, which means colours have Fuji’s signature blend of punchy hues and softer pastel…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Pellucid dreamsfrom £399 / stuff.tv/Nothing1DAY 01Meet the smartphone equivalent of a freshly-launched pair of Yeezys. Excitement for Nothing’s Phone 1 was so frenzied that the first 100 handsets changed hands for almost ten times their retail value – and that was before the final hardware had even been revealed. Talk about hype…On taking it out of the box for the first time, the flat glass and recycled aluminium frame gives off serious iPhone 13 vibes. It costs a third of Apple’s most expensive handsets, but does a good impression of them from the front and sides – just with a punch-hole selfie camera instead of a notch. It feels pretty premium too, and while its IP53 rating means it’s not as hardy as some pricier flagships, an IP rating of any…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Running shoesAsics Gel-Cumulus 24 What’s the story? Designed for versatility, the Gel-Cumulus 24 isn’t a lightweight speed machine: it’s all about comfort and softness, with extra FF Blast (no, we’ve no idea either) cushioning. Unlike some shoes designed for pure speed, these make your feet feel enveloped in foam. At 286g, they’re available in black and grey colours, but our review sample came in a great-looking orange and blue colourway. Are they any good? Designed for neutral runners, these Asics are excellent all-rounders – although if you need extra support you’ll want to look elsewhere. Certainly after testing numerous lightweight shoes, we found them a welcome return to something a bit more comfortable. They’re ideal if you want to run somewhere but also need to be able to walk around afterwards.…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Moderner vac sceneDyson V12 Detect Slim What’s the story? Last year Dyson revealed the V15 Detect, a flagship vac with a difference. For hard floors, the box includes a soft roller head with an integrated laser that shines a light on any dirt sitting on your floor. It sounds like a gimmick, but it actually works – and Dyson has now launched this more compact version. Both cleaners come with a bunch of tools for carpets and upholstery, including a ‘motorbar’ head, a ‘hair screw’ tool (it spins hair into the bin rather than getting tangled up) and a crevice tool. There’s an adapter for getting into hard-to-reach places too. However, there are some distinct changes compared to the V15. This vac has a smaller dirt bin, it’s got a power button…11 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Bud brothers£170 / stuff.tv/FreeBudsPro2 Educating tweeters In-ear detection works well, pausing tracks quickly when you pull out one bud but not when you’re just jiggling them a bit. The eartip fit test, which is supposed to check if the buds have a good seal, is more hit-and-miss. Surely balance time The AI Life app lets you tweak the ANC, apply EQ presets, customise the controls and enable LDAC for hi-res playback on supported devices. It’s also good for swapping devices – the buds can connect to two at once. This is the latest collab between Huawei and French sonic nerds Devialet. Dual drivers, hi-res audio support and adaptive EQ promise audiophile appeal, while adaptive noise-cancellation and dual-device connectivity make them a cheaper rival to the Apple AirPods Pro. These buds’ stems…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022IN-EARS1 Sony WF-1000XM4£199 / stuff.tv/WFXM4A worthy successor to the XM3 buds that sat atop this list for what seemed like decades, Sony’s latest true wireless noise-cancelling in-ears are smaller, smarter and better. With the arguable exceptions of call quality and app slickness, the WF-1000XM4s aren’t quite the best at anything; but they’re so close to being the best at everything that their all-round game is untouchable. No other wireless earbuds are so consistently accomplished across the board.Stuff saysThe finest true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds around – this is the complete package2 Beats Fit Pro£200 / stuff.tv/FitProThese Beats are excellent on many levels. Unless you really love the earhook design of the Powerbeats Pro, they’re definitely the best workout ’phones in the Apple/Beats range and rival any others at the price.Stuff saysGood…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Pellucid dreamsfrom £399 / stuff.tv/Nothing1 DAY 01 Meet the smartphone equivalent of a freshly-launched pair of Yeezys. Excitement for Nothing’s Phone 1 was so frenzied that the first 100 handsets changed hands for almost ten times their retail value – and that was before the final hardware had even been revealed. Talk about hype… On taking it out of the box for the first time, the flat glass and recycled aluminium frame gives off serious iPhone 13 vibes. It costs a third of Apple’s most expensive handsets, but does a good impression of them from the front and sides – just with a punch-hole selfie camera instead of a notch. It feels pretty premium too, and while its IP53 rating means it’s not as hardy as some pricier flagships, an IP…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FITNESS TECH1 Hammerhead Karoo 2£359 / stuff.tv/Karoo2For ages cycling computers have been held back by outdated tech… but Hammerhead’s sharp screen really is a gamechanger, and effectively running a tiny Android phone inside a custom case feels like a no-brainer. The 3.2in display is a delight, helping you spot new trails branching off from routes, all with the nostalgic feel of an early smartphone. Navigating with swipes and taps is intuitive (and works with gloves), and the software is constantly updated with helpful nips and tucks.Stuff saysAt last, a bike computer for the 21st century – Wahoo and Garmin appear to have missed a trick here2 Wattbike Atom£1999 / stuff.tv/WBAtomThis is no beginner bike, but if you’re looking to improve your cycling form at home you’re in for a treat. Pedalling…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022SOUNDBARS1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar£1999 / stuff.tv/AmbeoSoundbarUtterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of this device’s sound is remarkable, and it’s hard to think of any content that wouldn’t benefit from being Ambeo’d. That’s why, as well as being the biggest and the most expensive, it’s the best you can buy.Stuff saysThe Ambeo Soundbar is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still2 Sonos Arc£899 / stuff.tv/SonosArcDon’t expect this soundbar to do everything a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give a real sense of cinematic scale. See also the affordable new Ray model.Stuff…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022TABLETS1 Apple iPad Air (2022)from £569 / stuff.tv/iPadAir2022This tablet has enough power to rival the flagship iPad Pro – and even quite a few current MacBooks. And though you might need to add a keyboard, a stylus and even a gamepad to make the most of it, the 2022 Air reinforces the growing sense that an iPad really can be a laptop replacement for doing proper work (or play). Slight storage dilemmas aside, this is a top-notch device, supported by an ecosystem that makes it highly versatile for an increasingly wide range of users.Stuff saysIt’s not perfect, but this latest iPad Air is a top-quality package – not least because of that M1 chip2 Apple iPad Profrom £749 / stuff.tv/iPadProThe iPad Pro’s display is wonderful and the M1 chip super-powerful,…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022WELCOMEHello and welcome to this productivity-themed issue of Stuff. We’ve put together a themed lead feature of wonderful gear to get things done, whether you’re a home worker, on-the-road roamer or student about to embark on a new course or school year. As part of it, we’ve also reviewed three bleeding-edge new laptops: Apple’s M2-powered MacBook Air, Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop and the 2022 version of the super-light LG Gram 16.Elsewhere we’ve tested two of the year’s most anticipated new phones – the Google Pixel 6a and light-up Nothing Phone 1 – both hoping to dominate the mid-range as we move into the time of the year when a new iPhone and a next-gen Pixel are imminent.We’ve also compared six fine cordless vacs, including new launches from Dyson and Miele,…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022RACE FOR THE THIGHSYou might not be able to fold up a Formula 1 car and take it with you on the train to work, but not everything that comes out of Williams HQ is destined for the race track. Take the 250kWh hub motor that powers Brompton’s new Electric P Line bike, for example.Developed with Williams Advanced Engineering on the same site as the F1 team, it has three different levels of assistance to take the effort out of getting up that hill from the station to the office, with a sensor in the bottom bracket that tells it exactly when to help out and by how much. Combined with a 300Wh lithium-ion battery you’ll get up to 43 miles out of it from a charge, aided by a new four-speed gearing…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022TOUCH ME WHEN FREELANCINGIf you’re one of those people who now split their working week between the hustle and bustle of the office and a desk at home, you’re going to need a laptop that’s equally comfortable in both – and the 16in 2520x1680 LCD touchscreen on Huawei’s surprisingly portable MateBook 16S makes it pretty much the ideal hybrid working companion. The 3:2 aspect ratio means you can easily fit two documents side by side, which should come in handy for serious multitaskers, while the 1080p webcam locks onto your face and tracks you around the room, so you can get up and indulge in some blue-sky thinking without wandering out of shot. You can choose from two of Intel’s shiniest 12th-gen processors – an i7 or an i9 – and both get…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BABY, NURA RICH MANThe pioneers of personalised sound have upgraded their true wireless in-ears with a world first…• Sexy CDNura makes headphones that are tuned for each listener – but no matter who’s wearing them, the new NuraTrue Pro earbuds could be the best-sounding pair yet. These are the first wireless buds anywhere on the planet to support aptX Lossless over Bluetooth, which means CD-quality 16-bit audio without any wires. The bad news? You’ll need a phone that has one of Qualcomm’s latest 8+ Gen 1 processors and is certified for aptX Lossless through Snapdragon Sound, such as the Asus ROG Phone 6 or… well, not much else. More will be here later this year, but for now you’re probably stuck with slightly lower-res audio.• Hey skewedEven without that selling point, these buds…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Bo MIT HAS ACTIVE STABILISATION TO SMOOTH OUT BUMPS AND POTHOLESNow that looks like the kind of BO you’d actually want.The designers certainly haven’t had a stinker here, have they? While most electric scooters look like they’d be at home dodging the feral Gen-Zers on your local high street, the Bo M’s aluminium ‘monocurve’ chassis and 360º Light Halo give it a more futuristic vibe – like it should be gliding effortlessly down some spotless space-age boulevard, elegantly weaving between self-driving cars and robot dogs. That means it doesn’t fold up, but it does have a range of up to 31 miles.What kind of speed are we talking?It can do 24mph but that will be limited depending on where you are, although it’s more of a luxury cruiser than a racer…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ROCKET VAN£N/A / ford.co.ukFast Fords are back, then?They never went away. In the case of the SuperVan, it’s been around in one form or another for the last 50 years or so. The latest version is fully electric and, as you’d expect, very fast indeed. It’s based on that iconic workhorse, the Transit… but it’s hard to spot much connection with the conventional ‘white van man’ edition.What’s the performance like?It’s nothing short of astonishing for a van. There are quad motors, which means all four wheels get their chance to grip the tarmac. This is necessary as the Ford Pro Electric SuperVan packs around 1973bhp, which can propel it from 0 to 62 in under 2secs according to unofficial estimates.Wow! The range must be dismal.Probably. This thing really isn’t for plumbers:…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022NEWS FEEDSONY PICKS WESTERN DIGITAL FOR ITS PS5 DRIVESGot a PS5 that’s running short of space? Sony and Western Digital have teamed up for an officially approved SN850 NVMe SSD, which is guaranteed to fit, guaranteed to work out of the box, and should deliver rapid file transfers too. Prices will start at £180 for the 1TB model, with the 2TB version at £290.PICO PI FLIES HIGH WITH SPRY WI-FIRaspberry Pi has updated its barebones Pico computer with the one thing it was missing. The Pi W (£5.90, thepihut.com) still has a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU clocked at 133MHz, but now also comes with an Infineon CYW43439 Wi-Fi chip, so bedroom coders can indulge in some cable-free IoT tinkering.BRISANT’S NEW DOOR KEY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSEKeep losing your keys? Brisant…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022NEWS FEEDSONY PICKS WESTERN DIGITAL FOR ITS PS5 DRIVES Got a PS5 that’s running short of space? Sony and Western Digital have teamed up for an officially approved SN850 NVMe SSD, which is guaranteed to fit, guaranteed to work out of the box, and should deliver rapid file transfers too. Prices will start at £180 for the 1TB model, with the 2TB version at £290. PICO PI FLIES HIGH WITH SPRY WI-FI Raspberry Pi has updated its barebones Pico computer with the one thing it was missing. The Pi W (£5.90, thepihut.com) still has a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU clocked at 133MHz, but now also comes with an Infineon CYW43439 Wi-Fi chip, so bedroom coders can indulge in some cable-free IoT tinkering. BRISANT’S NEW DOOR KEY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022GET 6 ISSUES FOR £12SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFERGet 6 issues for £12……plus a free welcome gift worth £34.99Save 60% off the shop priceHave each issue delivered directly to your door – FREENever miss an issue of the world’s greatest gadget magazineTWO EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE:ONLINE shop.kelsey.co.uk/STU722PCALL US 01959 543747Please quote STU722PHours: Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm (calls charged at your standard network rate)Offer ends 31 October 2022Terms and conditions: UK offer only. You will pay £12 for 6 issues then £19.99 every 6 months. Savings are based on the standard cover price of £4.99. Offer ends 31 October 2022. Your subscription will start with the next available issue, and you will receive 13 issues in a year. The free gift is only available for UK delivery addresses only and is limited to the first 100 subscribers; if we…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022GET 6 ISSUES FOR £12SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER Get 6 issues for £12… …plus a free welcome gift worth £34.99 Save 60% off the shop price Have each issue delivered directly to your door – FREE Never miss an issue of the world’s greatest gadget magazine TWO EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE: ONLINE shop.kelsey.co.uk/STU722P CALL US 01959 543747 Please quote STU722P Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm (calls charged at your standard network rate) Offer ends 31 October 2022 Terms and conditions: UK offer only. You will pay £12 for 6 issues then £19.99 every 6 months. Savings are based on the standard cover price of £4.99. Offer ends 31 October 2022. Your subscription will start with the next available issue, and you will receive 13 issues in a year. The free gift is only available for UK delivery…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FINEST WORK THRONG• TESTEDAPPLE MACBOOK AIR M2from £1249 / stuff.tv/AirM2The wedge is history. Two years after Apple shoved its own-brand M1 chip inside an existing MacBook Air frame, the skinniest laptop in its range has had a complete overhaul both inside and out.The 2022 edition is perfectly flat – and thin at 11.3mm. That’s way less than its predecessor’s 16.1mm maximum and almost half a centimetre thinner than any MacBook Pro. We thought we’d miss the wedge design; we don’t. The keyboard and ginormous trackpad are great for extended word-smashing sessions.Shiny happy peepholeThe reduced and refined screen bezels look smart. Yes, there’s a notch, but it’s less of an issue here than on a phone, and Apple has wisely moved the menu bar up into it.Brightness is up from 400 to 500…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022SMART STUDENTGOOGLE PIXEL 6 PRO£649 / store.google.comWe’re sure it’s possible to thrive at college without a really good phone, but for most students a smartphone is the most important gadget of all. If you’re already all-in on Apple then an iPhone is the obvious choice, but if you aren’t then Androids are usually much better value.Google’s Pixel 6 Pro was already an ace Android, but its summertime price cut took it from £849 to a much more affordable £649. And that makes it the one to buy: a premium phone that no longer demands a premium payout.Cam-brain supernovaThe biggest selling point here is the camera. If you’re looking for something to document your student days or to create content – whether that’s TikToks for fun or 4K movies for creative projects…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022CAFE CREATIVE• TESTEDMICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 2from £529 / stuff.tv/Go2Microsoft’s Go series is all about bringing bits of its most expensive laptops to those who haven’t got a grand to spend; and the Laptop Go 2 is good-looking, extremely portable and admirably powerful… as long as you pick the £729 top-spec model.At 15.7mm thick and weighing just 1.13kg, portability is excellent. It’s made of aluminium and plastic, as opposed to the magnesium alloys of other Surface models, but the feel and finish don’t fall far below the high standards of the range. The slightly cut-down QWERTY lacks a backlight, but for most people that’s only likely to be an issue in a power cut.Killer screenMicrosoft loves its tall displays, and this 12.4in 3:2 touchscreen is arguably more comfortable to work on…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022SMART STUDENTGOOGLE PIXEL 6 PRO £649 / store.google.com We’re sure it’s possible to thrive at college without a really good phone, but for most students a smartphone is the most important gadget of all. If you’re already all-in on Apple then an iPhone is the obvious choice, but if you aren’t then Androids are usually much better value. Google’s Pixel 6 Pro was already an ace Android, but its summertime price cut took it from £849 to a much more affordable £649. And that makes it the one to buy: a premium phone that no longer demands a premium payout. Cam-brain supernova The biggest selling point here is the camera. If you’re looking for something to document your student days or to create content – whether that’s TikToks for fun or…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BIG CHEESENOW TRY THISNOBBLE NOTIFICATIONSDon’t let social media or other irrelevant apps derail your train of thought or interrupt your flow state. iOS, macOS, Android and Windows all have customisable ‘Do not disturb’ modes that limit the notifications you’ll receive.DO, DEFER OR DELEGATEThe famous Getting Things Done system recommends a two-minute rule: when presented with a new task, can you deal with it in two minutes? If so, deal with it; if not, defer it to another day or palm it off on someone else.SPEAK IN SILENCEOften have background sounds that are problematic for video calls? Try Krisp (krisp.ai): it uses clever AI tech to remove background noise and even loud sounds such as dogs barking or phones ringing.• NOW ADD THESEFRISKA PRIMO STANDING DESKCombining Swedish style with modern tech, this…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022NEVER HAD A DREAM CAM TRUE?Halide IIThis high-end snapper is equally at home on iPhone and iPad, and even brings macro photography to blowers that lack lenses designed for that. Elsewhere, you get first-rate manual controls, focus aids and an excellent ‘instant RAW’ process that lets you quickly develop RAW files with a single tap. You can even sign up for lessons in-app to learn how to become a better photographer.£2.49/m / iOSProShotAndroid camera apps tend to be rickety compared to iPhone snappers; this is an exception. Its sleek layout puts controls within easy reach, and programmable modes enable you to customise and save two setups. Timelapse and light-painting options give you creative outlets when you’re bored of standard snaps, but you’ll stick with this one because it’s so solid when most of its rivals…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Ballad of PC riser£999 / stuff.tv/InZoneM9Mister space-spanSony has been sure to style the M9 so it matches the PS5. The tripod-style stand looks neat and largely keeps away from where your keyboard and mouse are likely to be, but it needs a lot of desk space for a 27in monitor.Chestnut pairConnectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (with DP Alt mode) and two HDMI 2.1 ports. Both of these can only do 4K at 120Hz; DisplayPort is good for 144Hz. Inputs change automatically when a signal is detected.The M9’s 4K IPS panel offers very good viewing angles and overly saturated out-of-the-box colours. This gives games plenty of punch, with vibrant hues to go with ample brightness, but it’s a pain if you’re also going to use it for work and need accuracy.Full Array Local Dimming…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Running shoesAsics Gel-Cumulus 24What’s the story?Designed for versatility, the Gel-Cumulus 24 isn’t a lightweight speed machine: it’s all about comfort and softness, with extra FF Blast (no, we’ve no idea either) cushioning. Unlike some shoes designed for pure speed, these make your feet feel enveloped in foam. At 286g, they’re available in black and grey colours, but our review sample came in a great-looking orange and blue colourway.Are they any good?Designed for neutral runners, these Asics are excellent all-rounders – although if you need extra support you’ll want to look elsewhere. Certainly after testing numerous lightweight shoes, we found them a welcome return to something a bit more comfortable. They’re ideal if you want to run somewhere but also need to be able to walk around afterwards.Price £130 / stuff.tv/Cumulus24Saucony Guide…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Bud brothers£170 / stuff.tv/FreeBudsPro2Educating tweetersIn-ear detection works well, pausing tracks quickly when you pull out one bud but not when you’re just jiggling them a bit. The eartip fit test, which is supposed to check if the buds have a good seal, is more hit-and-miss.Surely balance timeThe AI Life app lets you tweak the ANC, apply EQ presets, customise the controls and enable LDAC for hi-res playback on supported devices. It’s also good for swapping devices – the buds can connect to two at once.This is the latest collab between Huawei and French sonic nerds Devialet. Dual drivers, hi-res audio support and adaptive EQ promise audiophile appeal, while adaptive noise-cancellation and dual-device connectivity make them a cheaper rival to the Apple AirPods Pro.These buds’ stems have a thicker, squarer shape inspired…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BETA YOURSELF BE A WRITERTHE BASICS Stop faffing Don’t waste time styling text when you’ve barely written anything. To get good, you must prioritise thinking and… well, writing. Use a plain text editor and learn Markdown (see markdownguide.org) for basic formatting. Only edit once you’ve at least a completed a rough draft. Set targets Novels aren’t written in a day. And if you’re just starting out, even a few paragraphs might be a challenge. So set aside a minimum daily target (ideally in terms of time rather than words) to build a routine. Unsure what to write? Pick a random subject and just write as fast as you can. Think of this as exercising your writing muscles. Get physical People genuinely tap out entire novels on a phone with their thumbs. But unless you’re…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Promotion eyes£810 / stuff.tv/360Edition No time to sigh The camera looks like a serious piece of gear, with an all-black finish and faux-carbon-fibre accents. It’s large for a 360° camera, but still just about pocket-sized and light enough to carry around all day. Appier than ever We edited all of our clips and photos using Insta360’s PC desktop software (you can also do it with the mobile app). It was a joy to use, fairly simple to grasp and just all-round better than the Insta360 app of old. The One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition is Insta360’s first all-round camera to come equipped with 1in image sensors – physically much larger than the ones used in previous models. Co-engineered with Leica, it aims to bring premium image quality to the small 360°…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Robot wars (but without beards)The war at the centre of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is fought entirely by artificially engineered soldiers designed to live for only 10 years (unless they kick the bucket on the battlefield first). They spend that entire time fighting, since killing is necessary so their enemies’ life force can be absorbed.This theme weighs heavily on some characters, conscious that they have just months left of their existence. If the last game was guilty of succumbing to anime tropes such as its wildly under-dressed and over-proportioned female characters, this one pivots to the other extreme of giving us a serious case of the sads.But beneath this dystopian cross between The Matrix and The Hunger Games there’s also hope, as our heroes are made up of soldiers from both nations, brought together by…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022As Dusk FallsAs Dusk Falls is the latest game to model itself after the prestige dramas of HBO and Netflix. Set mostly during one long night in an Arizona motel, it’s about how two very different families find their lives entangled with one another, with all the characters’ major choices made by you, the player.Its presentation is radically different from most games of this type, with select frames from live-action performances by real actors turned into painted scenes – a bit like the rotoscoping in Richard Linklater’s film A Scanner Darkly, but not fully animated. It helps you to focus on what’s important: the characters’ nuanced facial expressions and the emotions caught up in them… although it does mean the sound design has to do the heavy lifting during the action sequences,…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022INSTANT UPGRADES HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 PROFIRST ADD THESE… ONE KENSINGTON STUDIOCADDY You won’t need to charge your Huawei Watch very often, but when you do, Kensington’s fine-looking charging station will organise your tech while powering up your phone, watch, tablet and laptop at the same time – thanks to two wireless charging pads as well as USB-A and USB-C ports. £142 / currys.co.uk TWO JBL FLIP 6 Crank up the tunes even if you’ve left your phone at home with a little help from the water-resistant Flip 6: a loud yet portable powerhouse of a Bluetooth speaker that will last 12hrs on a charge. Pair it with your Watch GT 3 Pro and you’re in business. It comes in a range of colours – just make sure you don’t accidentally go for the camo option.…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022SMARTWATCHES1 Apple Watch Series 7from £369 / stuff.tv/WatchS7If you’ve got an Apple Watch Series 3 or even earlier, upgrading to this one will be like walking into a lighting shop from a dark and foggy winter evening: the display is bigger and clearer, and there are new input options too. As a wearable it can’t be beaten simply because it does so much, especially if you’re into fitness; just bear in mind that it’s probably not worth upgrading from a Series 5 or 6 – and of course, its usefulness remains totally dependent on you having an iPhone.Stuff saysThe mighty Apple Watch cements its place at the top of the wearable tree2 Garmin Fenix 7from £600 / stuff.tv/Fenix7If your budget stretches, the impressive mix of rugged durability, serious battery endurance,…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022StrayWith so many games set in a distant dystopian future, have you ever considered what happens to all the cats? Stray puts you in the paws of a ginger tabby in an isolated walled city that’s been permanently cut off from natural light. It’s also entirely free from humans, making it the perfect place to scamper along neon signs, leap up to high ledges and sneak through half-open windows. While you can only jump on specific parts of the environment where contextual prompts are visible, that means you can keep the button pressed to smoothly traverse multiple surfaces. With the camera positioned at cat level and the protagonist’s animations ultra-realistic, there’s a playful sense of mischief to Stray that puts it on a par with the naughty waterfowl of Untitled…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE NOW AND GET FREE DELIVERY*ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/STUISS CALL NOW ON 01959 543747** & QUOTE STUISS Terms and conditions apply. Order by 18 Aug; you should receive your copy around 1 Sept. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change. *Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses. **Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022CONSOLES1 Sony PlayStation 5£450 / stuff.tv/PS5The PS5 is not a modest upgrade. Its hulking design means it’ll make a bad first impression on some, but spend time playing it and it’ll soon win you over – and then some. This is essentially a high-spec gaming PC for the living room: stupendously powerful, with greatly reduced loading times compared to the PS4. Most last-gen titles will run fine, many with a boost, and the line-up of new games is strong; we just hope developers make use of that fascinating DualSense pad and its haptic feedback trickery.Stuff saysHuge power, clever hardware and a guarantee of great games to come make the PS5 hard to resist2 Nintendo Switch OLED£310 / stuff.tv/SwitchOLEDWhile it’s identical to the standard Switch in terms of raw power, the…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022IN-EARS1 Sony WF-1000XM4 £199 / stuff.tv/WFXM4 A worthy successor to the XM3 buds that sat atop this list for what seemed like decades, Sony’s latest true wireless noise-cancelling in-ears are smaller, smarter and better. With the arguable exceptions of call quality and app slickness, the WF-1000XM4s aren’t quite the best at anything; but they’re so close to being the best at everything that their all-round game is untouchable. No other wireless earbuds are so consistently accomplished across the board. Stuff says The finest true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds around – this is the complete package 2 Beats Fit Pro £200 / stuff.tv/FitPro These Beats are excellent on many levels. Unless you really love the earhook design of the Powerbeats Pro, they’re definitely the best workout ’phones in the Apple/Beats range and…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022BIG-TIME SENSOR REALITYA dragonfly’s eye is made up of thousands of tiny individual lenses. Sometimes it feels like smartphone designers are copying the colourful winged insects, such are the numbers of cameras you get on phones these days, but what really matters for image quality is sensor size… which is why Xiaomi has fitted its new 12S Ultra with an absolute whopper.Developed with Sony, this 50.3MP 1in job – yes, a full inch – has an eight-piece aspherical lens, multiple reflection-reducing coatings, and ‘octa-PD’ autofocus.Up front, a 6.73in 3200x1440 AMOLED screen brings LTPO tech for an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, plus there’s an in-display fingerprint sensor.Unsurprisingly Xiaomi has gone all out on performance, with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that promises 10% uplifts to both CPU and GPU…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022RACE FOR THE THIGHSYou might not be able to fold up a Formula 1 car and take it with you on the train to work, but not everything that comes out of Williams HQ is destined for the race track. Take the 250kWh hub motor that powers Brompton’s new Electric P Line bike, for example. Developed with Williams Advanced Engineering on the same site as the F1 team, it has three different levels of assistance to take the effort out of getting up that hill from the station to the office, with a sensor in the bottom bracket that tells it exactly when to help out and by how much. Combined with a 300Wh lithium-ion battery you’ll get up to 43 miles out of it from a charge, aided by a new four-speed…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022INNER FITTY BLUESOpen up most phones and you’ll see nothing but a load of boring old silicon, sensors and storage, but the chassis of Nokia’s 5710 XpressAudio hides something much more interesting.Slide down a panel on the back of this old-school candybar and you’ll find a pair of wireless earphones that last 4hrs before they need to be popped back inside to recharge from the phone’s removable 1450mAh battery. That might sound paltry but the 5710 is running S30+ with a 2.4in QVGA screen, so battery life is measured in weeks rather than hours: it’ll do up to 31 days on standby if you don’t use 4G.While there’s only 128MB of built-in storage, you can fill a 32GB microSD card with MP3s and control your tunes using the dedicated music buttons that…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022STREAMThe SandmanThere have been several failed efforts to adapt Neil Gaiman’s beloved DC Comics series for the screen, but Netflix’s millions have finally made it happen. Bottling the appeal of this dark tale of metaphysics, gods and dreams is a huge challenge – but with Gaiman on board as an executive producer, it could be fantastic(al).S1 / Netflix, 5 AugThe Cuphead Show!Who’d have thought such a notoriously difficult game would make such an easy-to-watch TV series? Netflix’s adaptation replicates Cuphead’s gorgeous retro visuals while keeping things fast and funny as it follows the adventures of the vessel-topped brothers. Expect at least two more seasons after this one.S2 / Netflix, 19 AugA League Of Their OwnThis Amazon series is inspired by the 1992 Madge vehicle – not, thank Christ, the 2010…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022STREAMThe Sandman There have been several failed efforts to adapt Neil Gaiman’s beloved DC Comics series for the screen, but Netflix’s millions have finally made it happen. Bottling the appeal of this dark tale of metaphysics, gods and dreams is a huge challenge – but with Gaiman on board as an executive producer, it could be fantastic(al). S1 / Netflix, 5 Aug The Cuphead Show! Who’d have thought such a notoriously difficult game would make such an easy-to-watch TV series? Netflix’s adaptation replicates Cuphead’s gorgeous retro visuals while keeping things fast and funny as it follows the adventures of the vessel-topped brothers. Expect at least two more seasons after this one. S2 / Netflix, 19 Aug A League Of Their Own This Amazon series is inspired by the 1992 Madge…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Bo MIT HAS ACTIVE STABILISATION TO SMOOTH OUT BUMPS AND POTHOLES Now that looks like the kind of BO you’d actually want. The designers certainly haven’t had a stinker here, have they? While most electric scooters look like they’d be at home dodging the feral Gen-Zers on your local high street, the Bo M’s aluminium ‘monocurve’ chassis and 360º Light Halo give it a more futuristic vibe – like it should be gliding effortlessly down some spotless space-age boulevard, elegantly weaving between self-driving cars and robot dogs. That means it doesn’t fold up, but it does have a range of up to 31 miles. What kind of speed are we talking? It can do 24mph but that will be limited depending on where you are, although it’s more of a luxury…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ROCKET VAN£N/A / ford.co.uk Fast Fords are back, then? They never went away. In the case of the SuperVan, it’s been around in one form or another for the last 50 years or so. The latest version is fully electric and, as you’d expect, very fast indeed. It’s based on that iconic workhorse, the Transit… but it’s hard to spot much connection with the conventional ‘white van man’ edition. What’s the performance like? It’s nothing short of astonishing for a van. There are quad motors, which means all four wheels get their chance to grip the tarmac. This is necessary as the Ford Pro Electric SuperVan packs around 1973bhp, which can propel it from 0 to 62 in under 2secs according to unofficial estimates. Wow! The range must be dismal. Probably.…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022WIN 1 OF 3 PIVO TRACKING POD BUNDLES WORTH UP TO £400!Everyone’s creating videos these days, and Pivo’s Pod devices are here to help you make shake-free footage that follows you around to keep you nicely in shot – something you’d usually expect from more expensive gear. So whether you’re making exercise videos, marketing your home or just off travelling, there’s a Pivo for you.Every Pivo Pod is compatible with a standard tripod mount and works with iOS or Android, and the good news is we’ve got three of them to be won in this month’s competition – each bundled with a pack of useful accessories.Our main winner will be among the first in the world to get their hands on the highly anticipated Pivo Pod Max, as part of an all-inclusive Plus Pack worth over £400. Second prize is the…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022WIN 1 OF 3 PIVO TRACKING POD BUNDLES WORTH UP TO £400!Everyone’s creating videos these days, and Pivo’s Pod devices are here to help you make shake-free footage that follows you around to keep you nicely in shot – something you’d usually expect from more expensive gear. So whether you’re making exercise videos, marketing your home or just off travelling, there’s a Pivo for you. Every Pivo Pod is compatible with a standard tripod mount and works with iOS or Android, and the good news is we’ve got three of them to be won in this month’s competition – each bundled with a pack of useful accessories. Our main winner will be among the first in the world to get their hands on the highly anticipated Pivo Pod Max, as part of an all-inclusive Plus Pack worth over £400. Second prize…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022The alternatives: 3 more nice-priced phonesSamsung Galaxy A53from £379 / stuff.tv/A53What’s the story?The Galaxy A53 is what happens when you take most of what we love about the Galaxy S22 (bold design, killer screen, capable cameras) but slash the price. From a distance, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t a full-on flagship… and Samsung’s new entry-level phone hasn’t had to compromise much either: you’re still getting a beefy battery, a 120Hz AMOLED display and four rear snappers.Is it any good?Look past the pointless macro and depth sensors and there’s still lots to like on the photography front. Image processing does a lot with the 64MP main sensor, putting it up there with Google and Apple in the cut-price camera stakes. It’s a shame the home-grown Exynos CPU is so underwhelming, though, as it saps the phone…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Do ya think I’m 6a?Change is in the air at Google’s smartphone division. The firm took its first steps into flagship territory with the Pixel 6 Pro, and brought with it an all-new design. But that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten what it does best. Enter the Pixel 6a – the latest in a long line of affordable efforts from the big G. As ever, it aims to nail the sweet spot between price and performance, with camera smarts that simply can’t be beaten for the price – only now it has two high-end heroes to borrow from. The 6a is packing the same distinctive looks and same home-grown chipset as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. It also joins them in being first in line for the latest versions of Android, yet somehow…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022DIGITAL NOMADNOW APP THESETRIPITIf you travel a lot then you’ll love TripIt. This app makes it easy to organise all your travel documents, from airline boarding passes and e-tickets to car hire and hotel reservations. This means all your bits are in one place, and the automation features are brilliant.£free (IAP) / iOS, AndroidTRANSLATEApple, Google and Microsoft all make excellent translation apps that are useful for business travel and holidays alike, with easy translation of signs and menus as well as real-time translation of conversations. If you aren’t multilingual, one of these is a must-have£free / iOS, Android• NOW ADD THESEKENSINGTON USB-C SINGLE 4K PORTABLE DOCKING STATIONA lot of docks aren’t really designed for portability, or for the power of today’s laptops. This one enables you to drive a 4K display,…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FINEST WORK THRONG• TESTED APPLE MACBOOK AIR M2 from £1249 / stuff.tv/AirM2 The wedge is history. Two years after Apple shoved its own-brand M1 chip inside an existing MacBook Air frame, the skinniest laptop in its range has had a complete overhaul both inside and out. The 2022 edition is perfectly flat – and thin at 11.3mm. That’s way less than its predecessor’s 16.1mm maximum and almost half a centimetre thinner than any MacBook Pro. We thought we’d miss the wedge design; we don’t. The keyboard and ginormous trackpad are great for extended word-smashing sessions. Shiny happy peephole The reduced and refined screen bezels look smart. Yes, there’s a notch, but it’s less of an issue here than on a phone, and Apple has wisely moved the menu bar up into it.…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ROAD WARRIORAMAZON ECHO AUTO£50 / amazon.co.ukThe main goal here is simple: get Alexa into the car so you can use it to summon music and weather, set reminders or get train times. It’s also ideal for capturing those thoughts you have while you’re driving along and adding them to your to-do list. You can even switch on your living-room lights or heating as you arrive home.This slim device can plug into nearly any car – it’s powered via USB – and it runs through your ride’s own speakers. It’s the closest thing we’ve yet had to Knight Rider’s KITT, so lap it up even if it means that Amazon dominates yet another of your spaces.Gimme some ’toothEcho Auto took a while to get in gear (sorry), appearing in the US first…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FREQUENT FLYERTESTEDLG GRAM 16 (2022)from £1349 / stuff.tv/Gram16Alaptop with a 16in screen should be something of a beast but LG’s Gram range has always focused on weight… or the lack of it. While LG hasn’t quite managed to get it down to the single gram that the name suggests, it still weighs in at a full kilo less than the 2021 version of Apple’s 16in MacBook Pro with M1 Max, which tips the scales to a fiendish 2.2kg.That’s quite incredible when you consider the power on offer here. It’s made from the same magnesium alloy that’s used to build planes so it’s tough too, and may even take off if you throw it hard enough – although that will almost certainly void your warranty.Like a squarePerhaps inevitably the Gram 16 doesn’t…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022HOME WORKERNOW APP THESE THINGS We have tried very many productivity apps over the years, but Things remains our favourite for freelancing and solo home working. It makes it easy to track projects, personal stuff and calendar events, and perhaps most importantly of all it’s really fast. £8.99 / (iOS) MICROSOFT TO DO Microsoft’s free app is a wonderful task and time manager, and because it’s cross-platform you can use it across all kinds of devices including PCs and Android phones, as well as on anything with a browser. It’s fast, simple and useful. £free / Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web • NOW ADD THESE LUMIE HALO As the days get shorter again, many home workers may find their work area a little too dark – and over time that can…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022FREQUENT FLYERTESTED LG GRAM 16 (2022) from £1349 / stuff.tv/Gram16 Alaptop with a 16in screen should be something of a beast but LG’s Gram range has always focused on weight… or the lack of it. While LG hasn’t quite managed to get it down to the single gram that the name suggests, it still weighs in at a full kilo less than the 2021 version of Apple’s 16in MacBook Pro with M1 Max, which tips the scales to a fiendish 2.2kg. That’s quite incredible when you consider the power on offer here. It’s made from the same magnesium alloy that’s used to build planes so it’s tough too, and may even take off if you throw it hard enough – although that will almost certainly void your warranty. Like a square…3 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Promotion eyes£810 / stuff.tv/360EditionNo time to sighThe camera looks like a serious piece of gear, with an all-black finish and faux-carbon-fibre accents. It’s large for a 360° camera, but still just about pocket-sized and light enough to carry around all day.Appier than everWe edited all of our clips and photos using Insta360’s PC desktop software (you can also do it with the mobile app). It was a joy to use, fairly simple to grasp and just all-round better than the Insta360 app of old.The One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition is Insta360’s first all-round camera to come equipped with 1in image sensors – physically much larger than the ones used in previous models. Co-engineered with Leica, it aims to bring premium image quality to the small 360° camera market… and is priced…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Moderner vac sceneDyson V12 Detect SlimWhat’s the story?Last year Dyson revealed the V15 Detect, a flagship vac with a difference. For hard floors, the box includes a soft roller head with an integrated laser that shines a light on any dirt sitting on your floor. It sounds like a gimmick, but it actually works – and Dyson has now launched this more compact version.Both cleaners come with a bunch of tools for carpets and upholstery, including a ‘motorbar’ head, a ‘hair screw’ tool (it spins hair into the bin rather than getting tangled up) and a crevice tool. There’s an adapter for getting into hard-to-reach places too.However, there are some distinct changes compared to the V15. This vac has a smaller dirt bin, it’s got a power button rather than a trigger,…12 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Ballad of PC riser£999 / stuff.tv/InZoneM9 Mister space-span Sony has been sure to style the M9 so it matches the PS5. The tripod-style stand looks neat and largely keeps away from where your keyboard and mouse are likely to be, but it needs a lot of desk space for a 27in monitor. Chestnut pair Connectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (with DP Alt mode) and two HDMI 2.1 ports. Both of these can only do 4K at 120Hz; DisplayPort is good for 144Hz. Inputs change automatically when a signal is detected. The M9’s 4K IPS panel offers very good viewing angles and overly saturated out-of-the-box colours. This gives games plenty of punch, with vibrant hues to go with ample brightness, but it’s a pain if you’re also going to use it for work and…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022INSTANT UPGRADES HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 PROFIRST ADD THESE…ONE KENSINGTON STUDIOCADDYYou won’t need to charge your Huawei Watch very often, but when you do, Kensington’s fine-looking charging station will organise your tech while powering up your phone, watch, tablet and laptop at the same time – thanks to two wireless charging pads as well as USB-A and USB-C ports.£142 / currys.co.ukTWO JBL FLIP 6Crank up the tunes even if you’ve left your phone at home with a little help from the water-resistant Flip 6: a loud yet portable powerhouse of a Bluetooth speaker that will last 12hrs on a charge. Pair it with your Watch GT 3 Pro and you’re in business. It comes in a range of colours – just make sure you don’t accidentally go for the camo option.£129 / uk.jbl.comTHREE HUAWEI FREEBUDS PRO…4 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Xenoblade Chronicles 3Plunged into a world where two nations are locked in an endless cycle of war, you don’t have to have played the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games in order to understand the anime-influenced charms of this one. What you do need is the time to get through a story that’s the series’ most mature and ambitious yet.Scale is the hallmark of any Xenoblade game, from the story’s length – that can easily run you close to 100hrs – to its beautifully vast environments. Even if the biomes you visit aren’t actually open-world in design, they nonetheless carry the illusion of stretching out beyond your wildest imagination.Adding to that is your core party of six characters, considerably more than a typical party-based RPG. There’s also a new feature where pairs of characters…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022StrayWith so many games set in a distant dystopian future, have you ever considered what happens to all the cats?Stray puts you in the paws of a ginger tabby in an isolated walled city that’s been permanently cut off from natural light. It’s also entirely free from humans, making it the perfect place to scamper along neon signs, leap up to high ledges and sneak through half-open windows.While you can only jump on specific parts of the environment where contextual prompts are visible, that means you can keep the button pressed to smoothly traverse multiple surfaces. With the camera positioned at cat level and the protagonist’s animations ultra-realistic, there’s a playful sense of mischief to Stray that puts it on a par with the naughty waterfowl of Untitled Goose Game.While…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE NOW AND GET FREE DELIVERY*ORDER ONLINE AT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/STUISS CALL NOW ON 01959 543747** & QUOTE STUISSTerms and conditions apply. Order by 18 Aug; you should receive your copy around 1 Sept. Front cover is for illustration purposes only and is subject to change.*Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses.**Lines are open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate.…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Caught in the squiggle£114 / stuff.tv/MiniLink2 Steady or not Photos eject from the top and you load film packs at the back, behind a door held in place by a latch that’s just a bit too easy to knock accidentally in a bag. A nice lock would have been a handy addition. Go more The Mini Link 2 is just about small enough to slip in a pocket, but not the same one you keep your phone in. The Instax logo on the front doubles as a power button, with a long press also activating Bluetooth pairing. Fuji’s credit-card-sized Instax Mini prints are proper instant film, not the heat-reactive paper you’ll find on rivals like the Kodak Step. They use chemicals to react to light, which means colours have Fuji’s signature blend of…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Xenoblade Chronicles 3Plunged into a world where two nations are locked in an endless cycle of war, you don’t have to have played the previous Xenoblade Chronicles games in order to understand the anime-influenced charms of this one. What you do need is the time to get through a story that’s the series’ most mature and ambitious yet. Scale is the hallmark of any Xenoblade game, from the story’s length – that can easily run you close to 100hrs – to its beautifully vast environments. Even if the biomes you visit aren’t actually open-world in design, they nonetheless carry the illusion of stretching out beyond your wildest imagination. Adding to that is your core party of six characters, considerably more than a typical party-based RPG. There’s also a new feature where pairs…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022Robot wars (but without beards)The war at the centre of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is fought entirely by artificially engineered soldiers designed to live for only 10 years (unless they kick the bucket on the battlefield first). They spend that entire time fighting, since killing is necessary so their enemies’ life force can be absorbed. This theme weighs heavily on some characters, conscious that they have just months left of their existence. If the last game was guilty of succumbing to anime tropes such as its wildly under-dressed and over-proportioned female characters, this one pivots to the other extreme of giving us a serious case of the sads. But beneath this dystopian cross between The Matrix and The Hunger Games there’s also hope, as our heroes are made up of soldiers from both nations, brought…1 min
Stuff UK|September 2022As Dusk FallsAs Dusk Falls is the latest game to model itself after the prestige dramas of HBO and Netflix. Set mostly during one long night in an Arizona motel, it’s about how two very different families find their lives entangled with one another, with all the characters’ major choices made by you, the player. Its presentation is radically different from most games of this type, with select frames from live-action performances by real actors turned into painted scenes – a bit like the rotoscoping in Richard Linklater’s film A Scanner Darkly, but not fully animated. It helps you to focus on what’s important: the characters’ nuanced facial expressions and the emotions caught up in them… although it does mean the sound design has to do the heavy lifting during the action…2 min
Stuff UK|September 2022STREAMERS1 Sky TVfrom £26/m + setup / stuff.tv/SkyTVAlready home to the biggest selection of 4K content, from blockbuster films and original dramas to top-flight sport, Sky has adopted a can’t-beat-’em-join-’em approach to streaming by incorporating the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and BT Sport in its user-friendly interface. It’s also restructured its packages to make them more affordable, while multiroom and mobile options round off the most comprehensive content system money can buy.Stuff saysSky has come out fighting to move with the times and its selection of shows is unrivalled2 Amazon Fire TV Cube£110 / stuff.tv/FireTVCubeThe Fire TV interface is easy to use and all the big catch-up services are available via this tidy box – and best of all, Alexa voice control works brilliantly. You’ll never have…1 min
