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Welcome

‘Consumer insight’ is a terrible way to open

HOT STUFF

ALL THE BIGGEST STORIES FROM PLANET TECH

BLADE FUNNER

Razer Blade 15 (2021)

STREAM

Batman’s butler used to be proper hard and Escape to Victory star Pelé was a footballer in real life – the things you learn from TV! 

FIRST PLAY MONSTER HUNTER RISE

Switch

NAMM 2021

Yes, we know, there wasn’t a NAMM show this year, because of a bug or something. But music tech makers launched loads of saucy new kit anyway…

GRAND MASTER DASH

Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen

Jack Saunders BBC RADIO 1’S NEW MUSIC GURU ON LAUNCHING A MEDIA EMPIRE FROM HIS BEDROOM

I like thinking outside the box. No one

WIN! AN ESSENTIAL STORAGE BUNDLE FROM WD_BLACK

TOTAL PRIZE VALUE £1065 If you’re a hardcore

The choc of the new

Available in five colours including this sweet-looking but Profanisaurus-sounding ‘phantom brown’, Samsung’s new flagship phone is one bold design statement

The alternatives: 3 more big-screen blowers

Like the S21 Ultra, these phones take the flagship experience to the extreme

Baby got stack

Large, loud and lots of fun, Audio Pro’s 300-Watt Drumfire speaker duo is a multiroom lion among the hyenas

What’s not to Leic?

At nearly £4K the SL2-S is not a cheap camera… but since the nights out have tailed off, perhaps it’s the perfect companion to bubble with

Fix up, look sharper

Good news if you’re confident enough to let the world stare at you in UHD: Logitech has brought 4K to the world of webcams

Titch, better halve my money

Not everyone has a huge telly or a huge budget, so these two teeny soundbars aim to help you save space and cash without sacrificing sound

Earholes and villains

True wireless earbuds in the style of anime cyborgs tasked with saving Tok yo from the bad guys? Makes perfect sense to us…

Sci-fi Wi-Fi hi-fi

Looking like something out of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds, Q Acoustics’ first proper bash at wireless speakers appear alien for a reason…

Nice and easy buzz it

Sensate’s vibrating pebble lets people seeking meditation, escapism and a better night’s sleep hide under a rock

People get tready

Having revolutionised the spin-bike world, Peloton now hopes to do the same for the treadmill… so marathon runner Kieran Alger spends January going nowhere fast

Hitman 3

The third and final instalment in the Hitman reboot series gives our chrome-domed killer plenty of new murderous playgrounds to explore… and a story to complete

The Medium

Almost three months after launch, the Xbox Series X gets its first next-gen console exclusive… but is it better than medium-quality?

UPVOTED WELLNESS & RELAXATION

Home doesn’t have to feel like prison (well, unless you’re in prison) – Chris Rowlands finds gadgets to combat lockdown cabin fever

Mini meme

TAKE IT TO  THE NEXT  LEVEL(S)

LET’S PLAY, HOUSE

Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free

SPEAK UP!

The latest smart speakers have all had a style upgrade, while adding new functionality to command your high-tech habitat

OK GOOGLE!

Feather your Nest with these goodies to harness the search giant’s data-crunching genius around the house

ALEXA!

Prime picks for the queen of the Amazon to boss around and make your life easier – from bedroom floor to kitchen hob

HEY SIRI!

If you want an iHome, Apple’s array of smart appliances is big on privacy protection and small in number… but growing fast

& THE REST

Go beyond the ‘big three’ and you’ll discover a whole host of smart tech players ready to meet your needs at any price point

BROADBAND

Any smart home needs decent internet speeds… and your ISP might be able to help you out with an upgrade

WI-FI 6

If you think your bundled broadband router is holding your connected gear back, welcome to the internet’s zippy new age

BOOSTERS

Getting blanked by your broadband in the far reaches of the living room? Might be time for some mesh network nodes…

BETA YOURSELF ZOOM

With people cooped up for months on end, Zoom has become a video chat sensation… Craig Grannell shows how to get the most from conversing with friends and colleagues on a screen

INSTANT UPGRADES

GOOGLE PIXEL 5

Adidas micropacer

Toe infinity and beyond Adidas has brought the

THE LEGENDARY STUFF TOP TENS

SMARTPHONES ARTTIPS & TRICKS Slide your