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Gadget Issue 11 (Digital)

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57 Articles

Rolling back issue 11

Warning: I’m about to drop a ‘c-bomb.’ That’s right, the forbidden word. The one thing a tech writer should never say. Here goes: cheap. Cheap tech is considered an insult, as if it implies low quality or that it’s a knock-off of a more premium brand. But I actually prefer getting a great deal on something affordable than the inevitable guilt that comes from splurging on a lavish luxury. That’s why this month’s issue is packed with 50 impulse buys, made of the best tech that won’t break the bank, including the new Moto G4 and a cutting-edge HDR TV that’s just £300. Plus, we’ve thrown in some top tips to help you save money on more expensive items, including how to get a better phone contract, plug-ins that will…

Rolling back issue 11

MEET THE TEAM...

Dan Hutchinson Editor In Chief One to beam me up! Being able to teleport places would really make the commute much easier. Drew Sleep Production Editor Time travel, obviously. I’ll nip off into the future and grab some new tech to feature for next issue. Andy Downes Senior Art Editor As someone who spends their free time playing first-person shooters, I’d love to try a real-life phaser. Harriet Knight Designer Oculus Rift, PS VR and the rest are great, but for truly immersive virtual reality I’d love to try a holodeck.…

MEET THE TEAM...

THE RUNCIBLE IS THE SMART POCKET WATCH

Built-in connectivity The Runcible is packed with the same connectivity as many a mobile phone: Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth are all built into the circular device Touchscreen display The Runcible’s round touchscreen display measures a modest 2.5 inches in diameter and has a resolution of 640 x 640 pixels (that’s around 256 pixels per inch) Twist to zoom When using the Runcible’s seven-megapixel camera, rather than pinching at the screen to zoom in or out on an image, you twist it like a camera lens Poor specs A Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash are pretty poor specs for a phone, but you can upgrade both its software and physical parts Runcible software The Runcible runs an operating system called BuniOS, which is based on Android…

THE RUNCIBLE IS THE SMART POCKET WATCH

THE POST-SMARTPHONE ERA?

Neptune Suite This is a lot like a smartwatch but it offers lot more too: it’s a mini computer than can then power screens of any size, from phones to tablets and two-in-ones. TBC | getneptune.com Sony Xperia Ear Stick the Xperia Ear in your ear and you need never take out your phone again: messages, appointments, directions and calls will all be streamed to your smart earpiece. TBC | sonymobile.com Amazon Echo Most of you will be familiar with the Echo from Amazon, though it’s still US-only. It does many of the jobs a phone can, but uses voice interactions instead of a screen. £140 | $180 | amazon.com Punkt M01 Just as Runicble promises not to annoy you with alerts, Punkt’s mobile phone wants to simplify our lives…

THE POST-SMARTPHONE ERA?

BASSLET IS A SUBWOOFER THAT SITS ON YOUR WRIST

Sender dongle Plug your headphones into the sender and the sender into your device of choice. The bass sounds are beamed at very low latency to the Basslet Wired for sound The current version of the Basslet only works with wired headphones, so you can use it with any device with a 3.5mm audio jack (sorry Bluetooth fans) Fast charging The device’s makers say it can be charged up in just an hour for six hours’ worth of playback) – you can do this via USB, and the wearable’s magnetic charging Smartwatch-esque design The Basslet looks like a smartwatch without a screen, but there’s a powerful little haptic engine in there. The 24mm strap can be replaced if you wish Full body experience Basslet’s makers say you’ll notice the vibrations…

BASSLET IS A SUBWOOFER THAT SITS ON YOUR WRIST

GEOORBITAL GIVES ANY BIKE AN ELECTRIC BOOST

Broad compatibility The GeoOrbital fits over 95 per cent of bicycles on the market and comes in two sizes: 26 inches and 700c (which covers 28-inch and 29-inch bikes too) Puncture-proof tyre The solid foam tyre around the edge of the GeoOrbital is designed to protect against punctures so you don’t need to worry about getting a flat tyre Regenerative battery The battery can recharge itself whenever you’re rolling or not using it, and takes about three to four hours to charge up when you get back home Top speeds Without pedalling you can hit top speeds of up to 20mph and, of course, that goes up if you’re going to put some effort in yourself If you don’t want to invest in an entire electric bike, what about just…

GEOORBITAL GIVES ANY BIKE AN ELECTRIC BOOST

SPOTMINI: THE ROBOT BUTLER OF YOUR NIGHTMARES

Onboard sensors The SpotMini uses a variety of cameras and sensors, as well as markers installed inside the test facility itself, to find its way around Four legs SpotMini is a digitigrade animal, like a dog or a cat, with knee joints that bend backwards – it means the robot can get around quietly and nimbly Hydraulic arm The arm at the front of the SpotMini, which is an optional appendage, lets it pick up objects and right itself in the case of a fall Delicate touch The claw at the end of the hydraulic arm may not look too dexterous, but it’s capable of handling objects with a certain amount of gentle care Waterproof body While it isn’t explicitly stated, its been hinted that the SpotMini is waterproof, and…

SPOTMINI: THE ROBOT BUTLER OF YOUR NIGHTMARES

SPRK+ MAKES SPHERO’S CODING BOT EVEN SMARTER

Sphero has been in the rolling gadget game a long time now, and recently released a BB-8 replica much to the delight of Star Wars fans everywhere. Its latest device is the $130 (£100) SPRK+, a programmable robot that is designed to get kids interested in coding with the aid of an intuitive app for Android, iOS and Amazon devices. With an eye on younger folks, it’s waterproof and scratch resistant, and can be paired with a smartphone with a tap (via Bluetooth, with a 30-metre range). It has an accelerometer and gyroscope to find its way around, plus LED lights for that extra bit of entertainment. Sphero says the rolling robot ball is good for approximately an hour’s use between charges. Almost as exciting as the hardware is the…

SPRK+ MAKES SPHERO’S CODING BOT EVEN SMARTER

01 Nuki We’ve seen a few smart doorbells appear on Kickstarter but this one is specifically for Europe. Your phone acts as your key and Nuki is easy to install over existing locks. £235 | $310 | nuki.io 02 Tovala A versatile smart oven that can cook certain prepackaged meals with a scan of their barcodes. Tell Tovala what you need or let the oven look up the right recipes online. £220 | $290 | tovala.com 03 Blink This handy device has been a phenomenal success on Kickstarter: the simple all-in-one home monitoring system is affordable, simple and battery-powered, so it works everywhere. £75 | $100 | blinkforhome.com 04 Musaic Simple, smart, wireless music streaming around the home – Musaic can play tunes from mobile devices, computers and a variety…

50 TECH IMPULSE BUYS

As your jaw hits the floor and your mouth salivates over the latest pieces of kit that sits tantalisingly in every Gadget magazine, your wallet starts to make a run for it. It knows you can’t resist rooting around for spare pounds in your desire to own cutting-edge tech. But trailblazing tech doesn’t have to be expensive. For every premium device, there is usually a more affordable alternative that may lose a few features here and there but is still exciting and, more to the point, useful in your day-to-day life. Over the next few pages, we’re going to take a look at the kit that manages to astound and amuse despite their lower than expected prices. We’re going to look at alternatives to the leading tablets, consoles, cameras and…

50 TECH IMPULSE BUYS

BECOME A HOT SHOT

“You’ll want to start thinking about accessories for it sooner rather than later” Choose your style The first thing you can do to help you decide on the type of camera you want to own is to think about the type of photographs that you want to take. It might sound obvious, but there’s no point in owning a camera that you never use because it doesn’t do what you need it to do. While it’s true that standalone cameras tend to produce higher-quality images than smartphones, the benefit of the latter is that you’ll always have it on you, which is perfect for those opportunities that suddenly pop up without any warning. If, however, you want to be more considered about your photography, setting out with the specific intention…

BECOME A HOT SHOT

Pimp your phone camera

1 Manfrotto PIXI Tripod This Italian-designed miniature tripod is actually designed for cameras, but you can get an adapter to use it with your phone, too. It folds up nicely to double as a rugged selfie stick or grip for shooting videos. £25 | $25 | manfrotto.com 2 Olloclip 4-in-1 photo lens Expand the possibilities of your iPhone camera, with four lenses to include fish-eye, wide-angle, 10x macro and 15x macro effects. Lenses slide on quickly for maximum ease of use. £60 | $80 | olloclip.com 3 BitPlay Snap Pro Make your phone more like a serious camera. This case features a camera-style grip (which can be removed, if needs be) and can be paired with a series of interchangeable lenses. £100 | $130 | snap.bitplayinc.com 4 Kitvision Lens Set…

Pimp your phone camera

WIN ANY WATER FIGHT

The barbecue is out of the shed. Your sandals are on. The hammock has been dusted down and broken out for another year. Summer is finally here, and there’s only one thing left to do… it’s time for a water fight. Gone are the days of 99p pew-pews from the local off-licence and filling shoddy water balloons until they burst over your shorts. Never again will you faff around, tying knots and attempting to funnel water through the miniscule opening of a 50ml water blaster. We’ll show you the sprayers that you’ve been waiting for your whole life. Whether it’s just banter or all-out war, there’s a water blaster for you. It’s more than just a game; it’s an institution. Summer is not complete without a watery family feud and…

WIN ANY WATER FIGHT

HOVERBOARDS 2.0

Arca Board A genuine hoverboard – that actually floats, no wheels – which is capable of moving in all possible directions. It’s available now and you can even control it with your smartphone. £11,500 | $14,900 arcaspace.com Do you remember hoverboards? Those two-wheeled devices that were all the rage? They went literally from boom to bust: the must-have Christmas present one minute, then they were being pulled from retailers after YouTube videos surfaced showing knock-off models exploding. Well, those mini Segways were just the tip of the iceberg that we call ‘rideables,’ the branch of tech that’s trying to reinvent the wheel and change the way we get around. On the fringes of this field, you’ve got companies like Arca Board and Hendo that are tinkering around with things like…

HOVERBOARDS 2.0

THE TV THAT GOES BEYOND ITS SCREEN

Philips Ambilux 4K Razor Slim TV Based on existing Ambilight technology, the new ultra HD Ambilux sees your TV’s picture projected onto the wall behind creating a halo of light and action. £4,000 | $5,260 harrods.com Want to buy a new TV but have absolutely no idea where to start? You’re not alone. Today’s TV market is awash with more models than you could shake a remote controller at, differentiated only by a serial number. It takes something out of the ordinary for us to get excited, and that’s exactly what Philips has been doing with its Ambilight LED projection technology. Unlike 3D TVs, it has the potential to be a real game-changer and makes us question the future of traditional TVs. Philips has now taken this to a whole…

THE TV THAT GOES BEYOND ITS SCREEN

THIS RUGGED PHONE IS AS HARD AS NAILS

DeWalt MD501 A ruggedly-built Android smartphone boasting an IP68 waterproof rating, as well as rustproof and weatherproof exterior, dual-SIM capabilities and Android Lollipop preinstalled. £380 | $545 dewaltphones.com THE WATER TEST DeWalt claims that the MD501 is has an IP68 rating, and we were impressed with it’s abilities to handle water – it operated while submerged, even after we left it drowning for a good 15 minutes or so. The phone isn’t designed for constant underwater use, but it survived without any issues. COME RAIN OR SNOW Thanks to the MD501’s waterproof (and dustproof) design, it can also comfortably handle any weather you care to throw at it. The phone is designed to operate between -20° and 60°, so whether the sun is beating down or you’re in a blizzard,…

THIS RUGGED PHONE IS AS HARD AS NAILS

BUT DOES IT WORK AS A PHONE?

The MD501 offers some great benefits, including dual-SIM slots for business users that don’t want to carry around two phones, and a genuinely impressive camera that takes pretty good shots. It’s not exactly going to challenge the Samsung Galaxys and iPhones we’re used to, but there are lots of small, clever details here. Qi wireless charging, for example, means you can power up the device without compromising on the waterproof nature of the case. It’s a really considered device. This extends to the design, too, which offers excellent grip and a sturdy feel – you really won’t need to worry about throwing it in your bag, into your pocket… or even on the floor. The biggest downside of the MD501 right now is that it is only running Android 5.1…

BUT DOES IT WORK AS A PHONE?

REMIX RETRO WITH HANDHELD GAMING’S RASPBERRY PI

Pocket Chip It’s an all-in-one user-friendly handheld Linux computer, which comes preinstalled with gaming software, a music creation package and a variety of expansion possibilities. £35 | $50 getchip.com There’s a touchscreen You won’t need a mouse, as the Pocket Chip’s screen is a resistive touchscreen that functions as one. It’s a 480 x 272 display, just like Sony’s PSP handheld console It’s hackable Next Thing Co. really wants you to customise the Pocket Chip, to the point that dedicated input/output points have been left exposed at the top of the machine. Plug-and-play Ease of use is key with the Pocket Chip. All the preinstalled software is accessible from a simple launcher, allowing you to start gaming right away Built for games The Pocket Chip’s keyboard has been specifically designed…

REMIX RETRO WITH HANDHELD GAMING’S RASPBERRY PI

CAPTURE YOUR LIFE WITH THE WORLD’S SMALLEST 4K CAMERA

“This little snapper can actually shoot 4K video” Mokacam This small cuboid is the smallest 4K camera in the world, sporting a rotating screen and a magnetic snap-on battery. Its tiny size means you can practically use it for anything. £150 | $200 mokacam.com One button for all You won’t end up fumbling around the device to take a photo or video. The power button also controls the camera sensor itself Rotatable screen Getting a selfie to be on point can be pretty hard on a smartphone, but Mokacam has a 270° rotatable screen to fix that problem Powerful sensor There’s a powerful Sony sensor onboard for topnotch video and stills. For even better quality, Mokacam pushes visuals through a custom imaging processor Packed to the brink What’s cool…

CAPTURE YOUR LIFE WITH THE WORLD’S SMALLEST 4K CAMERA

ANSWER YOUR DOOR FROM ANYWHERE

Ring Video Doorbell Answer your door with your smartphone using the Ring and Ring app combination with livestreaming audio and video. Install on your wall outside or use it pretty much anywhere. £160 | $200 Ring.com Outside use The Ring is housed in ABS plastic and has been approved for general outside installation and as well as heat, rain, sleet or snow conditions Video quality The camera on the front of the Ring is 720p HD, providing wide-angle footage that records to the cloud Two-way audio With noise-cancelling technology built into the microphone and speakers, it makes answering the door with the Ring app a much easier process Night vision Infrared LEDS, heat-signature driven motion detection and night vision makes the Ring a great addition to your home, even at…

ANSWER YOUR DOOR FROM ANYWHERE

DO MORE WITH YOUR DOOR

Wink This makes great use of the Internet Of Things by synchronising established smart home brands like Nest and Philips to monitor and set up your door, lights, security and entertainment using this all-in-one sleek hub. £50 | $70 | Wink.com Kevo It’s not enough to just answer your door, how about letting someone in remotely too? Kevo does all the easy work for you, just send your desired visitor an eKey and they’ll be able to enter your property even if you’re not there to receive them. £150 | $200 | Kwikset.com Wemo Led Lighting Starter Set The night is dark and full of terrors. After detecting motion with the Ring, you can set your indoor lights to switch on remotely in the evenings, ready for your guests to…

DO MORE WITH YOUR DOOR

UBUNTU CONVERGENCE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

User interface reshaping When connected to an external display, applications automatically reshape from a mobile UI to a desktop UI. Here we can see the full Firefox experience in action Ubuntu Store While the Ubuntu app store is certainly more sparse than on other more established platforms, you will find applications for download to suit most of your needs, usually for free Powerful apps out of the box Convergence devices include powerful applications from the get-go, such as the Libreoffice Office suite and GIMP, an image editor with near-Photoshop levels of functionality Side stage When in desktop mode, applications open in conventional windows. When in tablet mode, applications can be ‘snapped’ to the left or right side of the screen, which Ubuntu calls ‘Side Stage’ The hackability of Linux Ubuntu,…

UBUNTU CONVERGENCE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

GETTING CONNECTED FOR CONVERGENCE

01 Add a keyboard and mouse To use an Ubuntu device in Convergence mode, you’ll need to attach a keyboard and mouse. The best way to do this is via Bluetooth – we’ve used a Logitech keyboard with an integrated trackpad which works very well. 02 View it on the big screen Next, add a monitor. Connectivity will vary by device, but our BQ M10 tablet has a handy Micro HDMI port for easy, lag-free connectivity. We’d love to see wireless display support in the future, speed permitting. 03 Plug in a microUSB Since you’re going to be tethered to a screen, it’s a good idea to make sure your device is plugged in to power when you are in Convergence mode. Current Convergence-compatible devices all use the microUSB input…

GETTING CONNECTED FOR CONVERGENCE

EVER WANTED BEAN-TO-CUP COFFEE WITH MORE CONTROL?

Gaggia Anima Deluxe A coffee machine that offers a something a little different to its peers. It’s a one-button device that lets you have a little more control into what actually goes into your cup of Joe. £700 | $1,000 gaggia.uk.com Just because you use a machine, you don’t have to settle for less There’s a certain stigma against ‘one-touch’ coffee machines. They’ve become uncool, too automated. They lose the point of coffee, or so the mustachioed men in flannel shirts would tell you. But there’s hope for you – the coffee connoisseur that hasn’t got the space for all those burr grinders and bags of beans in your kitchen. Just because one-button machines aren’t kitsch doesn’t mean they’re not good. Just because you don’t have to squeeze out your…

EVER WANTED BEAN-TO-CUP COFFEE WITH MORE CONTROL?

COFFEE MACHINES COMPARED

Pressure Water capacity Milk frothing Ground coffee Beans Capsules…

COFFEE MACHINES COMPARED

HACK YOUR DNA WITH THIS DIY SPIT KIT

23andMe DNA Test Send away a homemade DNA sample with this home kit to receive an in-depth report that then traces your ancestry and warns you if you’re at risk from any hereditary diseases. £125 | $200 23andme.com Stabilising fluid Once you’ve filled the phial with saliva, you have break the funnel lid to add a solution that will ensure you’re DNA sample isn’t affected by varying temperatures in transit Spit tube This phial stores your DNA sample, aka your saliva. It only requires about two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon), but it can be surprisingly difficult to hawk up enough phlegm Register the barcode To protect your privacy, you’re not to list any personal information on the sample. Instead you register the barcode on the side of the phial online Screw…

HACK YOUR DNA WITH THIS DIY SPIT KIT

DIG DEEPER IN TO DNA

Bento Lab Available to preorder, Bento is a portable DNA laboratory for everyone. However, first-time geneticists might opt for the Starter Kit that includes added instructions and paraphernalia. £700 | $930 23andme.com Analyse the results An illuminated gel unit allows you to sort the DNA by size and take an image that looks a bit like a barcode, so you can interpret the results Extract your DNA Place a pipette of your biological sample (such as your saliva or a lock of your hair) into the centrifuge, which separates its contents by weight by spinning it, so you can extract the DNA Go forth and multiply! The PCR machine is like a DNA photocopier, reproducing the specific gene that you want to look at by heating it over and over…

DIG DEEPER IN TO DNA

Vileda Cleaning Robot A cheap alternative to most, Vileda’s robot vacuum comes with three settings depending on room size and boasts enough power to deal with dust and hair. £150 | $195 vileda.com Miele Scout It can run for two hours and offers advanced navigation around the cleaning area; the Miele Scout is, as the name suggests, thorough, meticulous, adaptable and extremely reliable. £500 | $650 miele.com Neato Botvac Connected The app-powered, laser-guided Neato Botvac has an ‘Eco’ or a ‘Power’ mode, and is unusually D-shaped. It stands out from the pack with its power and large capacity. £770 | $700 neatorobotics.com Roomba 980 The 980 is iRobot’s most advanced and ambitious vacuum cleaner yet. It can map out a room, clean it and return to its charging base; it’s…

NEW ROOMBA’S SMART SUCKER

Clean button Use the app to control the vacuum remotely, or alternately, simply hit the Clean button located at the top of the Roomba Docking station The Roomba can run on two hours of charge and will return back to its dock when it’s running low on battery Camera The Roomba maps out the entire room using the camera sensor on the top of the machine, which it also uses to avoid obstacles, such as furniture Blades In terms of actual cleaning, this is iRobot’s best Roomba yet; these blades pick up more dirt than ever before and don’t spill any dust on your carpet Though they still seem like a necessity of the future and a novelty of the present, Roombas have been around for over a decade. That…

NEW ROOMBA’S SMART SUCKER

BUDGET VAC-BOT IS FALL-PROOF

Sensors Thanks to the built-in sensors on the top of the robot, the vacuum is completely safe to use around stairs, and won’t end up falling down Bin compartment The bin on the machine is located at the front of vacuum, so care is needed when emptying it as not to spill dust everywhere Small, medium and large The Vileda Cleaning Robot has three different buttons for small, medium or large rooms, depending on how big the surface area you need cleaning is Blades The Vileda Cleaning Robot makes light work of dust and grime, thanks to the blades underneath the vacuum A fraction of the Roomba 980’s price, the Vileda Cleaning Roomba looks and even sounds like a cut in price; it’s unbelievably noisy. Don’t let that distract you…

BUDGET VAC-BOT IS FALL-PROOF

IT’S HIP TO BE A SQUARE

“It cleans in parallel lines and the sensors are flawless” Shape The ‘D’ shape of the Botvac might look a little odd, but it makes for perfect coverage when it comes to tricky corners Brushes The vacuum brushes are shaped much more like a traditional vacuum cleaner, which is unusual for a robot vacuum but effective nonetheless Wifi-controlled The Neato Botvac can be activated via an app, meaning that you can clean your house without even having to be in the vicinity Laser Smart Mapping This tech, built into the Neato Botvac, is what navigates it not only stops it from bumping into your furniture, but stops it from covering ground it’s already covered What might look like a strange design for a cleaning bot, the Botvac Connected makes perfect…

IT’S HIP TO BE A SQUARE

SCOUT FINDS ITS WAY WITH LASERS

Triple cleaning The three levels of bristles mean that all kinds of dirt particles can be picked up by the Scout for an even better clean Smart navigation The Miele Scout has seven infrared lasers built into the machine to help guide its way. It cleans in parallel lines and is extremely efficient Advanced corner cleaning The Miele Scout has advanced corner cleaning, and employs rotating side brushes to pull the dust to the vacuum The Scout vacuum prides itself on its thoroughness. It boasts ‘triple cleaning’ to suck up both big and small particles of dirt, and it has seven infrared lasers to help guide it across a room. Extremely proficient at cleaning as it is though, it can’t handle long hair nearly as competently as the Botvac, which…

SCOUT FINDS ITS WAY WITH LASERS

I SPY WITH MY 360 EYE

Not content to just reinvent the air purifier and the hairdryer this year, Dyson is also having a crack at the robotic vacuum. The Dyson 360 Eye actually launched in Japan last year, but it’s being given a wide release this summer. As the name suggests, the headline feature for the 360 Eye is that it’s fitted with a panoramic lens so that it can see an entire room at once and work out the best way to navigate around, which sounds much better than the classic Roomba method of building a map by bumping into every single thing in your house. What excites us most about the Dyson 360 is that the company built the robot on its existing cyclone technology. The bot’s Radial Root Cyclone spins at 78,000rpm,…

I SPY WITH MY 360 EYE

DON'T LIFT A FINGER

BLITZ THE TOILET Loogun A modern and much more hygenic alternative to the tired old toilet brush, the aptly-named Loogun is a battery-powered water blaster that negates chemicals and splashes. £35 | $50 loogun.com Main button Control the Loogun by operating the main button of the device; the water tank at the bottom of the device is refillable and uses only clean water Spray The spray is powerful, but it won’t work when the Loogun is tipped upright. This is great for young children who may play with it, but also prevents any general accidents Sleek shape The shape of the Loogun means that you can reach anywhere in your toilet. The power behind the blasts also makes for no splashing when you’re operating it underwater No matter what technology…

DON'T LIFT A FINGER

NEVER FORGET YOUR UMBRELLA AGAIN Bluetooth trackers that help you find your keys when you lose them are nothing new, but The O also reminds you before you need them. For example, it will remind you of an umbrella if it is going to rain later, or a charger if your phone battery level is low. The O £60 | $80 | owithme.com AUTO GUITAR TUNER WILL TURN HEADS The Roadie Tuner wants to make tuning your guitar a lot faster. Attach it to your tuning pegs, pair it with an app, strum a string and watch as it whirrs them into correct position. It’ll even tell you when old strings need replacing. Roadie Tuner £85 | $100 | roadietuner.com MAKE ENCRYPTED CALLS WITH THE FLICK OF A SWITCH How…

The future is now, at least as far as the technology in TV’s best-loved space adventure series is concerned. When Star Trek was first broadcast in 1966, at lot of its technology was necessarily speculative. The Original Series first aired in a world without widescreen televisions, personal computers, mobile devices or the internet. Like the best science fiction, though, Star Trek was ahead of the game in portraying technologies analogous to these and other gadgets that, in many cases, were years away from becoming an everyday reality. Technological progress proceeds apace, however, especially when it’s inspired by visionaries such as Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry, who insisted on scientific credibility in his creation whenever it was practical. After 50 years of Star Trek on TV and film we live in a…

3 ILLOGICAL STAR TREK STAPLES

TELEPORTATION “Teleportation permits travel that’s instantaneous and violates the speed limit set down by Albert Einstein, who said – from his theory of relativity – that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light,” says Gemma Lavender, Editor of All About Space. “Additionally, quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that was invented during the 20th century to explain the processes that occur at atomic level, makes teleportation impossible – for one, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, coined by German physicist Werner Karl Heisenberg, states that there’s no way of knowing the position of an object and its momentum at the same time. This essentially means that it’s not possible to obtain a perfect scan of an object to be teleported since it’s not feasible get the precise location of every atom…

3 ILLOGICAL STAR TREK STAPLES

KHAAN... YOU CALL ME BACK?

Since the original series of Star Trek aired we’ve assimilated several of its repeated lines of dialogue into our pop culture Yet, none connects the series with our modern mobile communications quite like “Kirk to Enterprise.” The odds are that you’ve raised someone’s eyebrow when you’ve jokingly spoken these iconic words into your phone. If you’re a devoted Star Trek fan, though, you need pretend no longer. The Wand Company has produced a Bluetooth-enabled replica of an Original Series communicator that is authentic down to its flip-up antenna plate and control panel with classic moiré pattern and coloured jewels. Once you’ve paired it with a mobile phone, you can respond to incoming calls as if you were receiving a transmission from an orbiting starship. It’s also equipped for making calls…

KHAAN... YOU CALL ME BACK?

RISE OF THE CHATBOTS

“Chatbots are still something which should greatly excite you” You may have heard of Tay and you may even have interacted with her online. But chances are the first time you discovered her existence was when she hit the headlines back in March for all of the wrong reasons. Tay, for those who don’t know, was a chatbot – a application created to simulate conversation. Made by Microsoft as part of an experiment in AI, her remit was to mimic the language of a teenage girl and show that she could learn from the folk she conversed with. She did both of these extremely well but unfortunately that proved to be her downfall. Within 16 hours of being unleashed onto Twitter, she suffered an untimely death as Microsoft pulled the…

RISE OF THE CHATBOTS

CHATBOTS – THE GLOSSARY

Chatbots may speak your language but there’s still a spot of jargon to cut through if you want to get to grips with the tech behind it. Here are some of the more specific terms that you may like to consider as talking points: CHATBOT also referred to as chatterbot, this word is used to describe a computer program that created with the specific goal of simulating a conversation – be it in text or ‘vocally’. They can be powered by a rule-based system and, in some cases, incorporate artificial intelligence. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE the idea computers will be able to think like us and so communicate in a natural language while learning and retaining knowledge that can be used in future problem solving. The holy grail is a Turing Test…

HOW DO CHATBOTS WORK?

Chatbots are considered to have weak artificial intelligence, which means they are not seeking to become as clever as you. At least not yet. Most of them are rule-based systems with solid Natural Language Processing (NLP) skills. They can figure what you’re trying to say and respond appropriately. As you can imagine, chatbots are not easy to create from scratch. To work effectively, they use a technique called Case Base Reasoning which looks at ways of solving a current problem by studying how it was tackled in the past. By picking up on key words and phrases and pattern matching them, they can seek to provide the required answers while figuring the best things to ask next. At the very least they can look to reorientate the conversation. Combining that…

HOW DO CHATBOTS WORK?

HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE TALKING TO A CHATBOT

ARE YOU INITIATING EVERY REPLY? Chatbots tend not to kickstart a conversation and instead let you lead the conversation, replying only when they receive a message. They won’t generally fill any silence. HOW GOOD IS ITS MEMORY? Test the chatbot by asking a question based on some information you’ve already supplied in the conversation with them. Or try asking the chatbot the same question later and see if the response is the same. IS IT UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT AFFAIRS? One chatbot knew the date of EU referendum and asked how we would vote. But what’s happening in Syria? “Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as we can see”. IS IT RESPONDING WITH NONSEQUITURS? If you’re being particularly probing and asking what a chatbot thinks of Game Of…

HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE TALKING TO A CHATBOT

FIVE BOTS YOU’LL WANT TO CHAT WITH

PONCHO Cloudy skies and temperatures of 13°C didn’t exactly tally with Poncho optimistically declaring that the ice cream truck was calling, but the chatty nature of this Messenger beta bot is endearing and worth paying a visit to. tryponcho.com SKYSCANNER Do you fancy jetting off somewhere nice on holiday? This fast messenger bot asks a series of simple questions which can be answered via text or tapping icons before displaying a list of modifiable search results. skyscanner.net DO NOT PAY One of the best chatbots we’ve tried, this AI lawyer has overturned 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York in last 21 months. It asks questions to assess if an appeal is possible, then guides you through the process. donotpay.co.uk H&M Produced for the Kik bot shop, clothes retailer…

FIVE BOTS YOU’LL WANT TO CHAT WITH

5 DIGITAL ASSITANTS INVADING YOUR HOME

GOOGLE HOME Google Home is the search engine giant’s answer to Echo, integrating accurate far-field voice recognition that can pick up your voice even if you’re across the room. As well as searching, you can manage everyday tasks from booking flights to adding appointments. TBC | home.google.com AMAZON ECHO Packed with apps, Amazon Echo is like having a PA sitting on your sideboard. Packed with seven microphones, it not only lets you ask Alexa questions, it performs many tasks, such as playing music, too. £140 | $180 | amazon.com LG SMART THINQ If you fancy chatting to your cooker and fridge, LG has you covered with Home Chat. The service works within the Line app, letting you talk to your appliances as if they are a good friend and even…

5 DIGITAL ASSITANTS INVADING YOUR HOME

SHOULD YOU ? cut the cord?

“Are these wireless power tools actually powerful enough?” There’s nothing worse than getting a cord caught round your feet when you’ve got a whirring trimmer in your hand or getting a cord jammed under your mower as you trim the lawn. Cordless garden tools offer some obvious advantages over corded counterparts, then. Not only are they safer, they also give you so much more maneuverable. You’re free to roam around your garden without trailing a lead, no longer constricted to your nearest AC socket, and finally able to hack away at the hard to reach primrose bush. But are these wireless power tools actually powerful enough? Lithium-ion batteries have supercharged cordless tools in recent years, but do they have the same umph as mains power? Will they go the distance…

SHOULD YOU ? cut the cord?

MOWING WITHOUT RESTRICTION

Bosch Rotak 43 LI Ergoflex What we love most about the Bosch Rotak is its onboard airflow technology. In use, this enables the mower to suck up small amounts of debris, instead of the blades being ruined as they try and cut through them. It’s further enhanced with the Powerdrive LI motor system, which ensures a reliable cut even in the most difficult of lawn conditions. And, for larger lawns, the 50-litre grassbox reduces interruptions and can help you get the job done in one go. £470 | $610| bosch-garden.com Greenworks Tools 2500067 Although we do like the interchangeable battery system on this mower, it’s the built-in mulching bag that helps it stand out from the crowd. Grass cuttings and dry leaves are sucked into the mulching bag, which are…

MOWING WITHOUT RESTRICTION

CORDLESS GREENFINGERED GADGETS

Mountfield MC-48LI Cordless Chainsaw When a saw won’t get the job done, turning to a chainsaw is your next option. While wireless chainsaws are commonplace, their petrol motors often increase the weight of them tenfold. The onboard Digi Torq Brushless motor included on the MC-48LI keeps additional weight to a minimum while not impacting on its cutting power. Its 40cm bar and chain is capable of cutting through 150 logs in one charge, with the automatic chain lubrication a handy extra to keep your chainsaw well maintained during use. £160 | $210 | mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk Gtech HT05-Plus Cordless Extendable Hedge Trimmer One of the best things about having a wireless trimmer, such as the GTech HT05-Plus, is that it enables you to reach those places often constrained by wires and tend…

CORDLESS GREENFINGERED GADGETS

8 RULES FOR THE PERFECT HOME CINEMA

Most people take little time setting up a new projector and instead simply place it in a location that feels right and which produces an adequate image. There is nothing wrong with this method, but we would like to point out that your experience can be enhanced greatly by following a few simple tips that cost very little to take advantage of. Projectors are no longer just for the rich who have huge rooms to project a massive display. They can now be bought at reasonable costs and the end results, with our help, may be more surprising than you ever expected. We will show you how to place your projector to gain the best possible image, what type of stand to use and also highlight how to tweak your…

8 RULES FOR THE PERFECT HOME CINEMA

SET UP YOUR OWN SMART HOME FIREWALL

“It can protect any device as long as it’s connected to the network” Bitdefender Box This handy cuboid is a cunning piece of hardware that's designed to protect all your devices in your home – including any precious networked smart home ones, too. £75 | $100 bitdefender.com Simple design Visually, the Box looks very much like the Apple TV (Bitdefender modelled it on the Apple device, apparently), and is 3.5 inches square. It also weighs just 3.25 ounces Not so hardcore The Box comes with a single core 400MHz processor, 16MB of Flash memory and 64MB of RAM. It’s not the most powerful device you’ll ever own, but its got enough juice for the job Follow the light The side of the Box is cleverly cut away so that the…

SET UP YOUR OWN SMART HOME FIREWALL

COOK THE PERFECT PULLED PORK ROLL

Gastro fads come and ago, but pulled pork shows no signs off going out fashion. The stringy, tender and delicious strands of slow-cooked shoulder that seem to be the perfect bedfellow for a soft brioche bun and a spicy barbecue sauce. Traditionally, authentic pulled pork is a US barbecue dish that’s cooked for hours over a charcoal pit until the meat is literally falling apart and then ready to be pulled apart or shredded. Unfortunately, outside of Texas, most of us don’t have the luxury of a charcoal pit in our backyards. But that shouldn’t stop you making your own pulled pork as there’s a very straightforward way to create it in your own homes. Although many will (try to) argue that making pulled pork is a science that requires…

COOK THE PERFECT PULLED PORK ROLL

GRILLING GADGETS

Bear Paws Described as the perfect tools to pull apart pork, it’s very hard to disagree when you take a look at the lethal-looking pair that’s guaranteed to tear apart any piece of cooked meat in seconds. £5 | $10 | bearpawproducts.com Weber Original Kettle barbecue If you’re going to finish off your meat in a barbecue to really go for that smoky flavour, then they don’t come much better than a Weber – and make sure you go for the charcoal model and not the gas one. £170 | $100 | weberbbq.com Morphy Richards Slow Cooker If you happen to have a slow cooker lying around then they’re a great way to cook the meat, as you can put it on a low temperature and leave it all day…

GRILLING GADGETS

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

The first thing to know about making your own pulled pork is that the cut of meat you choose is very important. The meat shouldn’t be too lean, so you want to pick a piece that’s rich in intramuscular fat – in other words, you can see plenty of lines of fat running through the meat. This fat will break down as you cook the meat slowly, making the pork tender. There’s only really one cut of pork that’s suitable for the job, and that’s the so-called ‘pork butt’ or ‘Boston butt’. If you’re mouth just dropped open in sheer horror, rest assured the name has nothing to do with rear end of a pig. It’s actually an American term for the shoulder section of the animal, based on the…

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

DON’T NAIL THROUGH LIVE WIRES

“Common sense obviously plays a part with tracing hidden wires” It’s a weekend, there’s nothing on TV and it’s chucking it down outside. This unholy trinity combines to lead you to only one conclusion: it’s time to finally do those DIY jobs you’ve been putting off for weeks (months or years – delete as applicable). Whether it’s a picture that needs hanging, a mirror that’s desperate to go up on the wall or a TV bracket in the kids’ room, there are a few things you need to check first before you can get stuck in. Common sense obviously plays a part with tracing hidden wires and pipes. If you have a radiator on the wall then it’s safe to assume there’s a water pipe leading to and from it.…

DON’T NAIL THROUGH LIVE WIRES

ESSENTIAL SCANNERS

Stanley FatMax Stud Sensor If you want to hang something heavy on an internal wall then you’ll need to locate the wall’s studs to hang the bracket on. Although they’re made of wood, the nails holding the plasterboard aren’t, so you can locate them with a stud finder – like this one from Stanley. £30 | $30 | stanleytools.co.uk Bosch PMD 7 Digital Detector If you’d prefer an all-in-one tool, though, then this one from Bosch more than does the job as it detects wood, studs, metal objects or live wiring. The PMD 7 detects up to seven centimetres below the surface, for something more powerful, try the Bosch PMD 10. £30 | $40 | bosch-professional.com LAP Voltage Detector Pen Once you have found the electrical wires in your walls,…

ESSENTIAL SCANNERS

STAND UP ON A SURFBOARD

“There’s nothing less cool than wiping out in the shallow white water” There’s nothing cooler than picking the perfect wave and hitting it just at the right point to stand up and confidently ride it to all the way to the shore. On the other hand, there’s nothing less cool than wiping out in the shallow white water while kids around you are zipping about on body boards. The solution? Well, it’s simple: learn to surf like a pro, and it’ll be no time at all before you’re popping up on the board and cooler than a particularly chilly cucumber. Just follow our handy guide… 01 Natural or goofy? Before you even think about stepping on to a surfboard it’s important to distinguish whether you have a natural stance (where…

STAND UP ON A SURFBOARD

SUPERCHARGE YOUR SURF

Trace Tracker This clever little device attaches to the front of your surfboard and records your sessions – telling you the number of waves you rode, your average speed, distance surfed and even the best angle for your turns. It’s essential for any surfer that wants to perfect their game. £150 | $200 | traceup.com GoPro Hero Session If you’re serious about surfing then you really need a GoPro camera – and the Hero Session is the best value one yet. You can attach it to either yourself or the board, and if you get a Trace Tracker too, then you can link the two devices together to record your complete session. £160 | $200 | shop.gopro.com Nixon Ultratide Its maker claims that the Ultratide is the world’s first real-time…

SUPERCHARGE YOUR SURF

Whatever happened to… Atari 2600

8-bit gaming Like the Fairchild Channel F which launched the previous year, the Atari 2600 was an 8-bit console. It had a MOS Technology 6507 CPU running at 1.19MHz, with just 128 bytes of RAM It used cartridges The games were sold on cartridge, nine of which were available at launch. Pac-Man was the biggest seller, shifting seven million copies Atari’s iconic joystick Two CX-10 joysticks with a four-directional stick and a single button were bundled with the first consoles, along with a set of paddle controllers Basic graphics The console was hooked up to a TV and graphics were generated in real time. Games had access to a 128-colour palette on NTSC systems and 104 on PAL Lots of models Atari produced various different models and made minor revisions…

Whatever happened to… Atari 2600

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