H O T S TFUF
High is the new behind, apparently
ONKYO TXNR474
Turn on your cranial cooling fans, readers, for this is going to require
some processing. Onkyo’s TX-NR474 home cinema amplifier is
capable of a new speaker configuration that might suit lots of poky
British lounges. Namely, 3.1.2. So normal left, right and centre speakers
and a subwoofer, but with the addition of two additional speakers
mounted up high or on the ceiling above the TV. It’ll only work with
Dolby Atmos-enabled soundtracks, but it’ll give you groovy ambient
effects without having the cabley mess of rear speakers. Niche
appeal? Yes. Nerdy as all hell? You betcha.
£400 / uk.onkyo.com
Gripping movies
SAMSUNG GEAR 360 2017
It’s got an eye on you... two, in fact. Samsung’s upgraded Gear 360
action cam is smaller and slimmer than last year’s stubby original, even
though it ditches the tiny tripod grip for something with a bit more
substance. That should make it easier to hold while you’re shooting
epic 360° videos. The twin 180° cameras have been beefed up with
native 4K video capture, and you’ll finally be able to livestream straight
to Facebook or YouTube. That’s via your smartphone – Samsung’s
new S8 being the one that’s bouncing up and down in the background,
desperate to be included in your purchase.
£tba / samsung.com
I always lose pens, so I buy cheap ones.
Well, what kind of modern existence is
that? A decent pen is a key part of your
image – there’s no point striding into the
boardroom with the fancy suit and the
pointy shoes only to scupper the sealing
of the deal by proffering a scratty plastic
pen for the signatures.Aren’t deals done digitally these days?
To be honest, we’ve never done a deal. It
could be done with blood for all we know
about proper business. But we do know
that well-known pen maker Cross has
done a deal with geek-known tracker
maker TrackR to make the £215 Cross
Peerless TrackR pen. And, as the name
implies, you can track this pen.How? Does it leave a scent?
Well, a digital scent. The pen is paired with
your phone via Bluetooth so that, as long
as it’s within 30 metres or so, either one
can find the other. You can use the phone
app to make the pen beep, or press the
little button on the pen to make the phone
ring – even if it’s in silent mode.What if I leave the pen on the bus?
That’s when things get really geeky, as all
of TrackR’s four million app users can be
made silent hunters of your pen. Should
they pass within range of it – probably
without even knowing they’re being thus
employed – you’ll get a ping.Is that likely to work?
Not terribly likely, as the world is a very
big place... but it’s a bit of nerdy fun to
overcome the feelings of loss for you pen.
In fact, just having a ‘find my thing’ button
to press is probably quite cathartic.Couldn’t I give someone this pen, then
use the app to track them?
Ooh. With that kind of thinking, you should
be a pointy-shoed business type.WTF IS
THE CROSS
PEERLESS
TRACKR?