This year’ s Hot 100 is back with a kick! Featuring the spiciest gadgets, the fireie st tec handsome scorching personalities for good measure, your world is about to heat up!
WELCOME TO THE 12TH ANNUAL HOT 100! HOTTEST TECH FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AND THIS YEAR WE’ VE RAISED THE BAR. GET READY FOR THE BIGGEST GADGETS, THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING INNOVATION SAND THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN…
The Hot 100 is our ultimate celebration of everything that’s happened over the last 12 months, and what’s coming soon. Each year it comes around we’re convinced that our compilation of cuttingedge gear, tech innovations and talent can’t possibly get any better, but every year, without fail, we’re proven wrong. And this year is no exception. In fact, 2017’s Hot
100 is probably the most exciting one yet. We’ll let you find out for yourselves, but highlights include: OLED gorgeousness, next- gen gaming, augmented reality everywhere and some really mental smart specs. Read on and let us ignite your world!
100 Casio WSD-F20
Adding Android Wear power and GPS to a rugged, outdoorsy watch that has some of the style of Casio’s much-respected G-Shock is the WSD-F20’s game, and useful features like offline maps and location memory should ensure that you don’t get lost when you’re hiking. £TBC, www.casio.co.uk
99 Epson EH-TW6800
Renowned office-gadget guru Epson has become something of a home-tech hero thanks to its feature-packed projectors. No powder-puff PowerPoint presenter here – the EH-TW6800 can beam 4K in brilliant colour and sharpness, coping admirably with sports and gaming, too. £1,850, www.epson.co.uk
98 Moov HR
Heart-rate monitoring is an important performance measure for everyone from amateur sportspeople to pro athletes, but the debate rages on about how best to get that data – from the wrist, chest or elsewhere. Moov reckons its new HR headband ensures the best accuracy, and handily it’ll keep sweat from your eyes at the same time. $100 (£80), welcome.moov.cc
97 Ara By Kolibree Smart Toothbrush
The first toothbrush to use artificial intelligence, the Ara was developed by parents and dentists to make cleaning the kids’ pearly whites less of a chore – while ensuring that Mum and Dad can check up on the little monsters’ brushing habits from their smartphones. £67, www.kolibree.com
96 End of EU roaming charges
The European Commission has been working since 2007 to reduce and ultimately end the tariffs that telecoms operators imposed on customers each time they crossed a border while using their mobile on holiday. This will finally come to fruition this summer – what has the EU ever done for us, eh?
95 Netatmo Céliane
Netatmo is probably doing more than anyone to make the fully connected smart home a reality, and its latest launch is the Céliane range of smart switches and outlets. With Siri and Alexa compatibility, Céliane will make anything you plug into a socket voice- controlled, while a ‘Leave Home’ master switch will shut down your gaff when you leave. www.netatmo.com
94 Holo toys
Creating your own hologram at home has never been easier thanks to holo toys from the likes of Litiholo and HolograFX. They’re simple to set up and use, and it feels cool to be able to create your own “Help me, Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope” moments on the kitchen table. www.litiholo.com/ holografxgame.com
93 Retro tech
Call it kitsch, call it nostalgia, but retro tech has taken off big time – and this trend is set to continue. Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition and Sega’s Mega Drive have been massive hits, and the ZX Spectrum Vega is a lo-fi hero. But none of that matches the news that Nokia is going to reintroduce the muchloved ‘indestructible’ 3310…
Tesla/Elon Musk
Ambition isn’t in short supply at Tesla, thanks in no small part to charismatic top dog Elon Musk, and us tech fans are really reaping the benefits of the company’s limitless vision. Luxury, autonomy, renewable energy, hyper- speed trains... they’re all on Tesla’s agenda. Plus flying to the Moon, natch.
91 Netgear Nighthawk X10
To ensure that your connected tech runs at its full potential, you need fast fibre broadband and a superpowered router. Step in the Nighthawk X10, looking like the stealth fighter it was named after, and boasting cutting-edge tech and powerful bi- directional MU- MIMO antennas. Essential. £480, www.netgear.com
87 Enviro-tech
If you breathe better- quality air, you’ll be healthier – simple science. That’s why companies like Ecolife have launched tech that informs you about indoor and outdoor pollination, and provides suggestions on how to counter it. Its Indoor Station, Outdoor Station and Mini Sensor IoT devices are available now – expect more to follow soon. £Varies, ecolife.eu.com
90 Smart clothing
The need to carry a smartphone, or strap on a wearable, when you head out for a run could become a thing of the past – smart clothing like the Komodo AIO Sleeve compression sleeve can provide fitness metrics such as heart-rate, sleep tracking, and it’ll also monitor your skin temperature and more. $116, www. komodotec.com
86 Somfy
French company Somfy’s raison d’être is basically to stop the sun coming into your home (if that’s what you want). But these are no ordinary blinds, shutters and curtains - the firm has embellished its apertures with connected-home tech that adds timed and location-based smarts so that you can control your pad’s glare and warmth. £187, somfyprotect.com
89 Logitech Pop
Logitech owns the home-entertainmentcontroller segment with its Harmony range, and it’s used that UI know-how to do the same for your connected home. Dotting the wireless Pop switches around your home and programming them with recipes will let you turn on combinations of your music, lights, heating and more with one tap. £149.99, www.logitech.com
85 SpaceX Hyperloop
Is this the highspeed transport of the future? Elon Musk believes so – and when the Tesla supremo believes something, it’s usually only matter of time until it becomes reality. The SpaceX Hyperloop is a tube that uses a vacuum powered by solar energy to fire travellers in capsules at high velocity over hundreds of miles. Sounds awesome!
88 GoPro Karma Grip
Remember when the Steadicam revolutionised sports coverage? Well, now you can have that professional tech in your pocket. Combining a 3-axis motorised gimbal stabiliser with a handgrip, the Karma Grip actively balances and steadies your GoPro camera while you’re walking or running; and you can mount it on your bike, board, anything! £289, shop.gopro.com
84 Anything from Smeg
The Italians usually get style right, even in places where utility generally takes precedence over design – like the kitchen. Its fridge is already iconic, but the company’s spread into worktop appliances such as the ECF01 coffee maker (pictured) puts style on an equal footing with power and precision. Smeg ECF01 coffee maker, £250, www.smeguk.com
83 Super Mario Run
Auto-running, plumberbased, mobile-gaming phenomenon Super Mario Run is just about the most joyful thing you can do while holding your phone one-handed. The sideways-scrolling platformer keeps things simple, as befits pocket gaming. And good news, Googlists – the previously iPhone-only Super Mario Run is due to arrive on Android devices in March.
80 HP Envy Curved All-In-One
HP’s showpiece all-in-one desktop workstation is a curvy stunner. Its giant 34-inch, QHD floating glass screen is a real crowd-pleaser, with its clever pop-up camera and mic, while the base contains a Bang & Olufsen-tuned quad speaker soundbar and a wireless charging station for your smartphone. £1,999, store.hp.com
82 Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR
Serious athletes - you need look no further for your next GPS sportswatch. Suunto’s new Spartan Sport Wrist HR features super-accurate optical HR technology courtesy of biometric-data expert Valencell, making this the ultimate training companion whatever activity you take part in. £510, www.suunto.com
79 Smarter FridgeCam/OvenCam
If you have an emotional attachment to your cooker (it’s possible), or if you already like the way your fridge works, you can still make it cleverer with one of Smarter’s connected cameras. Just pop it inside your white goods and it’ll beam info from the interior of your heating/cooling box direct to your smartphone. £TBC, smarter.am
81 Turtle Beach Stream Mic
The Stream Mic is a professional-standard UPnP desktop microphone created for gamers who like to stream directly from their consoles – although it works with PC and Mac, too. Adaptive mic patterns with TruSpeak technology mean you can customise your streaming set-up with multiple recording patterns. £79.99, shop.turtlebeach.com
78 VR films (as opposed to games)
Virtual-reality headsets may not yet be in every home, but they’re certainly here to stay – and not just for gamers, either. It’s still early days for VR films, but if the awesome experience offered by 360-degree games is anything to go by, virtual reality is going to slam a fully immersive fist into the 2D flatscreen viewing experience’s face.
Ruark MR1 Mk2
These stunning, handcrafted desktop speakers offer incredible sound quality that belies their compact size. Built- in Bluetooth with aptX enables you to stream CD- quality sound from compatible devices, while an optional battery pack makes them completely wireless. £329.99, www.ruarkaudio.com
76 Sony VPL-HW45ES
Sony is at the top of its TV and projector game, and nothing proves this more than the VPL-HW45ES. Thankfully, there are no awkward lines on show with this VPL – a crisp image, a pleasing colour palette, a Full HD picture and an almost-backlit-screen-style level of detail put this beamer right at the top of the pile. £2,650, www.sony.co.uk
73 B&W P9 Signature
Bowers & Wilkins’ P9 Signatures offer the kind of sound quality you rarely hear in a pair of headphones. Instead of adding a lengthy features list, the company has focused on creating cans with exceptional detail and clarity across the frequency spectrum, while being sumptuously comfy. £699, www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk
75 Self-driving cars
When T3 reported on self- driving cars a couple of years ago, we were met with healthy skepticism. Even when Tesla committed to autonomous-vehicle tech, it was seen as a leftfield move from a quirky brand. But now everyone has self- driving cars planned – Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Ford… Everyone. Science fiction becomes science fact.
72 Adidas 3D Runner
Adidas is a renowned innovator but, even by its own standards, the company is blazing a trail with its latest running tech. The 3D Runner is a super-advanced shoe based on the legendary UltraBoost. It features an engineered 3D web structure and a 3D-printed heel counter for optimum support, comfort and lightness. £TBC, www.adidas.co.uk
74 Withings Thermo/Steel HR
Withings’ home-health surge continues with the Thermo smart thermometer. It takes your temperature with a swipe of the forehead, and fires the data to your phone. The firm has upped its smartwatch game, too, with the Steel HR adding heart-rate measurement. £90/£144, www.withings.com
71 Wilson X Connected
American football has always been a stats- obsessed sport, and with the Wilson X Connected ball you can ensure that your data is even more accurate – it measures distance, speed, spiral efficiency, and catch/drop, thanks to a secret sensor that connects the ball to the Wilson X app. Hut, hut, hike! From $140 (£110), www.wilson.com
70 Wearables from fashion brands
Fashion brands, having dipped their toe into wearable tech, are set to go full force. TAG Heuer’s Android Wear watch and the Apple Watch Hermès are just the start: Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket with Jacquard technology woven in enables wearers to control smartphone functions such as music playback and maps directly from the jacket.
69 KEF LS50 Wireless
Don’t be fooled by the LS50 speakers’ petite appearance; they pack a surprisingly low-frequency punch, delivering serious bass from their colourful drivers – and the rest of the sonic range ain’t half bad, either. Whether you’re adding them to a home cinema set-up, or looking for top-notch audio, your ears are in for a treat. £1,999, uk.kef.com
Oculus Rift Touch
When The Stone Roses sang “You found what the world is waiting for”, they could’ve easily been referring to Oculus releasing the Touch controllers for its Rift headset. The HTC Vive used to point and laugh, but now it’s cowering in a corner as the Rift gains exactly what it required to provide an enhanced VR experience. $199 (£160), www.oculus.com
KitchenAid Artisan Magnetic Drive
Looking as good as it performs, KitchenAid’s latest super- chopper uses Magnetic Drive technology for powerful mixing and liquidising. Its MagnaLock System stops jug- ejection worries, while automatic shut- off means you can keep an eye on the telly and not ruin your smoothie. £525, www.kitchenaid.co.uk
66 Toyota C-HR
The most exciting car to come from Toyota since the original MR2, and the most zeitgeisty since the first RAV4, the C-HR is a family SUV that looks like something Batman would use to drop off the Batkids. Featuring small, efficient engines (including a hybrid) and a tech-laden interior, the C-HR is even smarter than it looks. From £20,995, www.toyota.co.uk
62 Nvidia Shield
Nvidia’s eagerness to create the ultimate streaming box has culminated in the Shield , which not only streams video in 4K HDR but has the power to handle some top games. The company’s polygon obsession has led to a slightly awkward controller, but Google Assistant/Home integration adds further polish to this unconventional hero. £160, www.nvidia.com
65 Cambridge Audio YoYo
Fabric speakers that look homey and sound special – that’s YoYo, Cambridge Audio’s latest Bluetooth bins. The 100 per cent worsted wool from Marton Mills makes them a tactile delight, whether you go for the S, M or L version; and there’s gesture control to play, pause and skip your tunes. From £150, www.cambridgeaudio.com
61 Steve Horowitz
The former Motorola senior vice president of engineering seemed like a leftfield pick for growing image-messaging app Snapchat, but the launch of Spectacles and Snap Inc’s assertion that it’s a camera company explains all. With Horowitz at the helm of Snapchat’s hardware arm, expect big things in the wearable world to follow in the not-too-distant future.
64 Dyson
Bath-based Dyson is a company that finds its laurels incredibly uncomfortable to rest on, and its innovation is reason enough to warrant a place in this list. The power and efficiency of its Supersonic hairdryer, plus the fact that Dyson seems to have allayed every robot-vacuum fear with its incredible 360 Eye, speak for themselves. www.dyson.co.uk
60 C-Me
C-Me is a selfie drone with one major, gamechanging difference – it’s about the size of a bar of soap. The foldable design slips into a pocket with ease, and when unfurled the drone can fly six and a half feet in the air for up to ten minutes, taking eightmegapixel snaps, selfies or panoramic pics, or recording video in Full HD. Details to be announced
63 Non-wristbased wearables
‘ Wearable’ has become synonymous with ‘wristwear’, but the technology is on the move, and wearables are now disguising themselves as items of jewellery – Misfit’s Shine 2 and Fitbit’s Flex 2 can be worn as pendants, while the Motiv Ring will track your fitness from the comfort of your finger.
59 Pentax KP
The KP has a wealth of top features – 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, weather sealing, Wi- Fi, a tilt- out touchscreen and more. But the standout item surely has to be its 24megapixel APS- C sensor, which is capable of shooting at a mind-boggling ISO 819,200, putting it just shy of night vision. £1,099, www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk
58 Galaxy phones
Samsung’s Galaxy range has recently added the brilliant mid-range A3 and A5, containing tech previously found only on high- end smartphones, like USB- C and AMOLED screens. But Samsung won’t upstage its top- end phone, with the Galaxy S8 thought to debut with giant 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch near bezel-free curved 4K screens.
56 LG Signature Fridge
In the battle for control of your kitchen, LG introduces its latest ground artillery in the form of a premium fridge with serious smarts. No mere glueing a tablet to the door for LG; the Signature has a door that turns transparent when you give it two knocks, and said aperture will auto-open when you approach it laden with food. £TBC, www.lg.com
57 Augmented reality
Great strides have been made in a short space of time in the AR- osphere, and the breakthrough was made when
Pokémon Go became the mobile- gaming smash of 2016 for kids and grown- ups alike – even though few people playing it were aware of what augmented reality actually is. With AR games and apps spreading on mobile-app stores like a virus, this is definitely the real-world UI area to watch.
55 Audeze iSINE 10/iSINE 20
Sci-fi looks marry with planar magnetic tech to provide audiophiles with sumptuous in- ear sound quality. Both the iSINE10 and the iSINE20 are designed as much for comfort as sonics, and deliver 24-bit digital audio from iPhone/iPad/ iPod via a Lightning connector. £349/£549, www.audeze.com
54 SpeedX Unicorn
SpeedX builds the smartest bikes around, and the Unicorn makes what once seemed mythical real. The integrated power meter is a new addition to the firm’s already-advanced on-board computer, and it doesn’t scrimp on cutting- edge components either, featuring a carbon-fibre frame and a unique Vibration Control System. £TBC, www.speedx.com
53 Linn LP12
Premium-audio expert Linn provides precision analogue sounds from its modular turntable, which can be specced to your own taste. But if you’d rather get a helping hand, the firm has provided three pre-configured LP12s, from the entry-level Majik, through the Akurate, to the top-spec Klimax. Your dream turntable is here. £Varies, www.houseoflinn.com
52 BMW HoloActive Touch
Next-gen in-car interfaces are here, with BMW aiming to add ‘auto-interior pioneer’ to ‘ultimate driving machine’ in its list of attributes. The Touch features a freefloating display that acts as a virtual touchscreen, responding to finger gestures and directing your Beamer’s gadgets. £TBC, www.bmw.com
Snapchat Spectacles
Snapchat is in the wearable business, and its Spectacles suit the company’s ethos down to the ground. Positioned as GoPro nano rather than Google Glass replica, the glasses take ten seconds of video at a time (with LEDs lighting up to inform people you’re recording), and upload to your phone. The case acts as a handy charger. $129.99 (£104), www.spectacles.com
50 Drone racing
If you enjoy a bit of drone flying, the logical next step is to race them. FPV (first-person view) drone-racing events are held in various locations around the world – if you’re new to the sport, you should start out using a cheapo ready-to-fly (RTF) mini-drone. But once you gain more experience, you’ll want to start modifying your drone for speed and agility.
47 AJA Cion
A pro-quality cinema camera that shoots in 4K, the AJA Cion records in ProRes format, which means editing is a doddle. It can also output AJA Raw video at up to 4K DCI at 120fps via quad-link 3G-SDI output, and at up to 30fps over Thunderbolt. The fact that it looks great and has a shoulder pad for comfort is a bonus. £4,750, www.aja.com
49 D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD
The first security camera to come with Apple HomeKit integration, D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD takes 180-degree, high-definition footage and features night vision, two-way audio and an SD-card slot. If it detects movement, it’ll notify you via your iPhone’s lock screen. £200, www.apple.com
46 VR backpacks
VR backpacks are gaming computers that you strap to your back, meaning you can enjoy the full-fat virtual gaming experience without tethering to a powerful workstation. Leading the way are Zotac’s VR Go (which looks like a PC) and MSI’s VR One (which looks like an angry alien robot’s face). From £1,899 (MSI VR One), vr.msi.com
45 Beats Solo 3 Wireless
Beats has underlined its Apple ownership with the Solo 3 Wireless earbuds. Containing the latest W1 chip, which communicates directly with your iPhone, the Solo 3s will prompt your handset for pairing whenever they’re switched on and nearby. The sound quality is decent, too. £250, www. beatsbydre.com
Garmin Fenix 5
Garmin’s all- conquering GPS watch supports all manner of outdoor sports with its on- board altimeter, barometer and 3-axis electronic compass. It’s available in three sizes, three styles and a multitude of colours, meaning you’re certain to find one to complement your gear. And another cool feature is the Face It app, which lets you customise your watch face with any digital photo. From £500, www.garmin.com/en- GB
44 Razer Blade with Kaby Lake and 4K
Super-powered gaming laptops can look chunky and ungainly, but the new 14-inch Razer Blade’s remarkably sleek appearance hides a top-tier Kaby Lake i7 processor and a vivid 4K UHD display to keep even serious gamers happy. There are loads of customisation options available, too, natch. From £1,799, www.razerzone.com
Ferrari J50
Proving once and for all that life isn’t fair, Ferrari’s most objectively beautiful, menacingly purposeful and utterly glorious car in decades is also heartrendingly unattainable. Limited to just ten models, this curvaceous, 488 Spider- based special was built to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari’s presence in Japan, and all have been sold – presumably to rich people.
42 Orbitsound A60
The latest soundbar from British sonic experts Orbitsound is the A60, a compact but perfectly formed Bluetooth speaker system that comes packing the firm’s airSOUND technology to ensure even audio coverage. The soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer and a premium look that belies its mid-price positioning. £329, www.orbitsound.com
39 OLED TVs
For a long time, only LG and Panasonic were using OLED tech in their tellies, with some manufacturers claiming that the organic LED panels were incompatible with HDR, and that HDR, with its brighter, richer colours, was the path to forge. But that’s all changed, with Sony joining Philips and more in finding new ways to allow OLED and HDR to play nicely. Win!
41 Linksys Velop
The Velop is a mesh Wi- Fi system that delivers fast Wi- Fi speed over a large area. Looking about as cool as a router can look, the Velop is best utilised as a set of three nodes – use one as the main router and dot the other two away from the main unit to extend your coverage. Dead spots, be gone! £405 (pack of three nodes), www.linksys.com
38 Dell XPS 13
Dell has come up with the genius idea of turning one of the best Windows 10 laptops, its XPS 13, into a two-in- one convertible. Utilising the same virtually bezelless InfinityEdge screen as its laptop sister means that the 13-inch display is squeezed into the same footprint as your average 11-inch notebook. And it’s powerful, too. From £1,349, www.dell.com/uk
40 TomTom VIO
Rumours of the sat nav’s demise are greatly exaggerated, as TomTom looks to bring its navigation smarts to more niche product arenas. In the case of the VIO, that means scooters – this clever directionfinder is useable with gloves on, and it has a great design that’ll complement any scooter from retro to modern. £140, www.tomtom.com
37 Blade Runner 2049
The brand-new instalment of Ridley Scott’s cult neo-noir classic is set 30 years after the events of the first film (so that’s 2049, in case you hadn’t guessed). A new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), is on a quest to find Deckard (Harrison Ford) – who’s been missing for three decades – after K uncovers a secret that could plunge society into chaos…
36 Samsung Gear S3
Samsung’s latest smartwatch is bigger and brasher than any of its predecessors, and packs even more useful features. Its 1.3-inch AMOLED screen contains a brilliantly animated always- on display, and the Tizen OS is super-intuitive. The rotating bezel interface is a delight, and superb activity tracking is the icing on the cake. £349, www.samsung.com/uk
34 Caavo
Built on the simple premise that it can streamline all of your streaming boxes, the Caavo ‘reads’ what’s happening on your screen and enables you to watch content from Apple TV, Roku, an Amazon Fire TV stick, a Sky box, etc, without juggling all of your controllers. Some fine-tuning is still required, but this could change everything. £TBC, www.caavo.com
35 LG Minibeam PF1000U Ultra Short Throw Projector
LG has decided that great- quality projectors should be available to everyone, even those with titchy rooms. The Minibeam PF1000U throws a 100- inch screen onto your wall from just 38cm away, and is Full HD with a 150,000:1 contrast ratio. That means you’ll get sharp images, vivid colours and deep blacks – plus it has smart TV built- in. £950, www.lg.com
33 Apple Watch Series 3
We’re expecting big things from the Watch 3 – in particular its wrist band, where it’s said that Apple may bring modular tech such as an extra battery, a camera and even an extra display. But most exciting of all, Apple could untether the Watch from your iPhone via a SIM slot. £TBC, www.apple.com/uk
32 BeeLine
It seems simple but a lot of clever thinking has gone into BeeLine’s bike nav. The handlebarmounted device strips navigation back to the essentials, guiding you in the general direction of your objective like a compass, rather than forcing you down specific roads like a car’s sat nav. And it looks swanky, too. £99, beeline.co
31 Bone conduction
We’ll soon look back on the time we used to put tiny speakers in our ears. By transmitting vibrations near your ear, boneconduction headphones bypass the eardrum – and the benefits are many. They’re sealed, so you can go underwater with them; people with impaired hearing can use them; and you can walk or cycle with your ears open to danger.
30 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
Apple’s innovative function-key replacement is a genuinely useful way of boosting efficiency, with context-specific controls and shortcuts appearing as you work, create or play on your favourite applications. Think of it more as a smart keyboard than a tiny touchscreen. From £1,749, www.apple.com/uk
29 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled
The Desert Sled is pure off-road bike porn. Its reinforced frame, fully adjustable suspension with 200mm travel, and rugged Pirelli Scorpion tyres mean it’ll laugh off any surface, while the 803cc L-twin engine will have you hopping between sand dunes in an instant. £9,395, scramblerducati.com
Philips 901F
OLED tech is incompatible with HDR, they said. But Philips begs to differ, and has launched the stunning 901F on an unsuspecting public. Super-thin, as you’d expect an OLED TV to be, the Ambilight- enhanced 55- inch screen uses impressive processing to deliver bright colours, deep blacks and stunning overall performance. £2,400, www.philips.co.uk
Loewe Klang 5
These striking, clothcovered speakers are multipurpose floor- standers, but come alive when paired wirelessly with a Loewe TV. The telly will detect and set up your Klangs automatically, and lossless audio is then transmitted with no noticeable sound delay. Get two pairs and the subwoofer, and with your Loewe TV’s built- in soundbar, you’ll have the ultimate 5.1 surround system. £ 3,490 (pair), www.loewe.tv/int/klang
26 Concept cars: Rinspeed Oasis/ Faraday FF91
Crazy concept cars are back on trend, as the boundaries of traditional automobile design are stretched by emerging tech. The self-driving, solar-powered gardenon-wheels the Rinspeed Oasis features VR and AR tech on the windscreen, while Faraday’s FF91 is an opulent electric barge with hypercar acceleration.
22 Planet Earth 2 in 4K HDR
The industry standard for premium television tech now, 4K screens and HDR are essential for T3- ists. For most of us with normal-sized rooms and sub-100-inch screens, UHD is of less importance than HDR – but when you’re watching the BBC’s stunning new
Planet Earth 2 series in gorgeous, vivid 4K HDR, you won’t care.
25 B&O Beoplay M5
Bang & Olufsen’s multi-room speaker is surprisingly tame in the design department (for B&O), but to us it looks fabulous. Just as importantly, it sounds incredible, with good stereo separation, filling any room with a deep, bass-rich sound that seems impossible from such a compact unit. £530, www.beoplay.com
21 The year for VR
If you think 2016 was VR’s big year, wait until you see what 2017 has in store. This year, the brilliant HTC Vive goes wireless, VR backpacks roll out, the Oculus Rift gets handsets, and – after its prototypemade-real Cardboard experiment – Google gets serious with the Pixel-powered Daydream. £69 (Daydream), vr.google.com
24 Dash cams
How many times has something happened in your car that you wish you’d been able to record on film? Dash cams have made that possible, and whether you’re in an accident, witnessing a bunch of crazed lunatics go toe-to-toe or doing laps on a track day, they’re a boon. In fact, they’re so useful that Citroën has now built one into its latest supermini, the C3.
20 iPhone 7s
Unless Apple decides to meddle with the naming convention of the biggest brand in smartphones (it won’t), expect an iPhone 7s to appear later this year. It’s likely to be an evolutionary body upgrade, but could also feature an OLED screen like the Apple Watch, an improved camera, wireless charging and iOS 11. £TBC, www.apple.com/uk
19 Leica M 23 Lenovo P2
Lenovo’s original target for its entry into the budgetsmartphone arena was more than two days’ battery life, and incredibly it manages that – even though it features many of the goodies you’d expect in a mid-price handset. Its metaland- glass body even gives it a premium look, as does its snazzy 5.5-inch Full HD display. £200, shop.lenovo.com
Leica’s rangefinder design is unique among digital cameras, and that helps to make the Leica M such a delight to use. The feel of it in your hands, and the movement of the controls, are comforting and inspiring, while its new sensor and processor provide ultimate image performance. It’s pricey but it’s well worth it. £ 3,249, uk.leica- camera.
18 Honeywell Lyric T6R
The latest to join the smart-thermostat game, the Lyric T6R follows the lead of the Nest and Hive by looking stunning, tracking and adjusting your home temperature to suit your preferences, and containing all the smarts needed to link it to IoT hubs like Google Home and Amazon Echo. £200, www. honeywelluk.com
Tech to improve how you eat and sleep has seen a huge uplift in innovation in recent times, with everything from your smartphone to your kitchen scales taking an interest in your lifestyle, and helping you to improve it. It figures that the more smart tech you wear, carry and sleep with, the more accurate your analysis will be.