Editorial

INCOMING TECHLIFE EDITOR REVEALS HIS TOP FIVE GADGETS — AND REALISES HOW LOST HE’D BE WITHOUT THEM.

HELLO AND WELCOME to the latest issue of TechLife! If this is your first time with this magazine, you and I are in the same boat. I’ve stepped on board as the new editor, taking over from the tireless Dan Gardiner, and I’d like to thank him for his incredible six-year tenure. Dan’s still very much a part of the team (he’s penned part of our backup superguide, as well as the odd review in this issue), and I’m happy to say you’ll be reading his words for a long while yet.

It’s an honour to have the editor’s position here at TechLife. Long-time readers will know this magazine for its reviews of the latest pieces of technology, comprehensive how-tos written by experts, and sound advice to fix your seemingly impossible problems. And while the face to the right has changed, this is still the magazine you know and love.

I’ve had a byline in TechLife since issue #37, where I wrote about hi-res audio tech. One of the products from that roundup, the Sound Blaster E5 headphone amp, still lives on my desk, I use it week-to-week to give the music on my Android smartphone a welcome boost, and it rotates in and out of my personal top five bits of kit every month. My Garmin Fenix3 HR, a bombproof sports watch that’s the benchmark for what sports watches can do, is firmly in the top five. I’m fortunate to be able to cycle or run to the TechLife offices, and the Fenix has proved to be a loyal companion in all weather. The metrics it displays have helped me to improve my health and fitness.

The svelte Samsung T3 flash drive (featured on page 72 in this month’s storage superguide) that quickly and easily carts around large work files is also indispensable. Then there’s my Apple Macbook Pro that travels to the other side of the world and back with me also handles my daily commute with aplomb. I’d be lost — figuratively and often literally — without both my Huawei P10+ smartphone, the modern-day pocket knife, and — the simplest and smallest piece of tech here — a Tile Sport bluetooth tracker. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve called on the Tile to locate misplaced house keys (which are usually stuffed in a very safe pocket of my backpack). I’d love to hear what’s in your top five, too, so keep those letters and emails coming. Enjoy the issue!