ALL YOU NEED FOR XMAS!
The Gadget Magazine Christmas 2014 / £4.99
THE BEST
Xmas Gadgets
164 essential CHRISTMAS GIFTs for Gadget lovers
TVs / Wearables / Audio Streamers / Headphones / Cycling Gear / Music / Boys’ Toys Tablets / Kitchen Gifts / Watches / Gaming / Fitness Tech / Outdoor Kit / A n d Mor e!
Contents Christmas 2014 / Issue 237
This issue’s highlights iMac 5K Retina
17
Height of technology
33
Wetroom wonders
98
It’s here! More beautiful pixels than you can shake a high-res Retina stick at
Someone’s built a speaker dock so tall you need a ladder to climb it. Seriously
Who says bathrooms have to be boring? Not us, and look how clean it’s made us
Innovation adoration
Christmas gift guide
Robo vacuum supertest
28
All the tech that made us ooh and ah like babbling babies this year
56
Need some holiday gift ideas for the gearlovers in your life? We’ve got you sorted
117
The cyborg apocalypse is coming – these vacs are the harbingers. Choose well... Christmas 2014 T3 9
Contents Christmas 2014 / Issue 237
Editor’s letter
13
Opinion
Disruptive tech is changing everything
Insight by Michael Baxter
Radar
The best bargains lie closer to home
Most Wanted
17
The new iMac with 5K Retina display. Let the drooling commence 20
TomTom, meet golf. This match made in heaven, and more, in our tech round-up 24
Connect your Apple CarPlay to your dash for a touch of techie bliss on the road Portable players
26
Consoles for the globetrotting gamer Innovation
28
Tech we want to get our grubby mitts on Intelligence report
30
Future fashion from the Make it Wearable contest. Kind of like a cyborg Kate Moss Spend
33
Jean Michel Jarre’s sonic totem is totally bonkers... but it might just be brilliant Icon: Elon Musk
34
The PayPal founder and billionaire innovator who’s on a mission to Mars Stuff
52
Stateside by Chris Smith
36 38
Review: Kindle Voyage
Finally… by Pete Dreyer
Amazon’s latest offering serves up superb design and premium quality – at a price
XMAS GIFT GUIDE
Review: Epson EH-TW6600 projector 113
‘Tis the season to be spoiled
Tech life
88
Top-lip styles for a Movember to remember
Games
43
46
91
46
Stream high-fidelity audio to your devices
Review: Atomic Floyd Superdarts
127
Kick-ass titanium earphones give cosmic quality for the discerning spaceman 127
The guide
Smartphones Tablets Headphones Laptops Gaming Home entertainment Home audio Televisions Cameras Accessories
130 134 136 138 140 142 144 147 148 152
92
Pulse
93
Rule the slopes with this ice-cool tech 97
A toothbrush/fountain combo. Tell the kids, honey, the future’s here! Drive
48
117
The robot cleaners are here. It’s eerily similar to Terminator, except they hunt dirt
Make yourself blizzard-proof with our look at the top heavy-duty winter coats
Home
A towering, timely Great War tribute Apps, websites and e-books
Test: ultimate juicers Upgrade: stay snug this winter
44
Guardians of the Galaxy’s rip-roaring self-parody makes it one hell of a movie Music
90
For when a lemon squeezer just isn’t enough
GTA V blasts its way onto next gen, Kingdom Hearts gets a remix, and more Films
89
Battling droids that will do anything but bring peace and goodwill to all men
Racing meets MMO meets RPG meets awesome in this open-world joy ride
Supertest: robot vacuums
87
This season’s all about the curve, apparently. So here’s our favourite curvy telly tech
Snap the stars in style. Protective mace mask not included
Play
114
You – yes, you! – can get home cinema sound without the hassle. Come on in...
Amazon enters the set-top box war – is it a blaze of glory, or does it get burned? Sorry
Obsession: shoot celebs like a pap
The Essential: The Crew
Round-up: soundbars
Review: Amazon Fire TV
Tech Dad
113
Super easy, wireless and 3D? Great success 56
Stumped for Christmas ideas? Time running out? Literally none of your friends want socks again this year? If so, you need our guide. From shredding bikes and the coolest kitchen gizmos to the best gear for the tech-loving outdoorsman, we round up all the essential gear that’s on our Crimbo lists. Relax, it’s on us – after all, you’ve been good this year
Incoming
Tech happenings we can see on the horizon
112
What should we make of the Apple Watch? 53
Zombie-proof cabins and fighting robots 40
107
Our hands are sweaty with excitement as we go in-depth on the latest Apple tablet
Truth by Duncan Bell
How to...
The Buzz
360 review: iPad Air 2
It’s not just the iPad mini 2 with a couple of extras. Honest
53
Gadget of the Month
Frugal tech we all secretly want
Rated
Review: iPad mini 3
We’re addicted to bad news
Need List
Play that funky music, Siri!
51
100
Meet the low-carbon, tree-hugging, sandalwearing Lambo. We can’t believe it either
On the cover
Moon saker @ sapphires Photographed by neil godwin Hair and Make-up by carol morley retouching by simon windsor
Christmas 2014 T3 1 1