FUTURE STUFF
HANDSFREE
AUTO DRIVE
THE CADILLAC CT6’S
HEADTRACKING
CAMERA IS WATCHING
TO SEE IF I NOD OFFH O T S TFUF
Lomo’s latest instant camera is top of the glass
LOMO’INSTANT AUTOMAT
GLASS MAGELLANInstant cameras are good fun (see p88), but one of the accepted results
of their usage is lo-fi image quality, as a result of polycarbonate lenses.
Insta-snappers generally don’t mind, because art. The word ‘Glass’ here
represents Lomo’s decision to up the ante, upgrading this version of its
Automat to a multi-coated glass lens. Further improvements include a
wide 21mm-equivalent focal length and a reasonably low-light-friendly
f/4.5 aperture. For £169 you also get a macro lens in the box, plus one
of Lomo’s Splitzer attachments that allows multiple-exposure
wizardry. Or, in our hands, more likely a hot mess of a wasted print.
£169 / shop.lomography.com
Unexpected speaker in the Baggen area
URBAN EARS BAGGEN
Ever felt like your Bluetooth speakers were just too plain? Meet the
Baggen: a colourful cube of audio wizardry that’ll play nice with a host
of wireless streaming services. Wrapped in fine fabric that won’t affect
the audio performance, stick it on your shelf and you’ll be able to fling
tunes at it from Spotify Connect, AirPlay or Chromecast, alongside
Bluetooth and traditional auxiliary inputs. Scoop up more than one and
they’ll do multiroom, with the smaller Stamen sibling a perfect box for
the bedroom. They’re a stylish alternative to the likes of Sonos, which
look rather dull in comparison. At £399 for the bigger Baggen, you’re
paying for the style – but boy, what pretty style it is.
£399 / urbanears.comThe Close-Up
Lens attachment
helps you keep your
intimate portrait
shots sharp.Fraser Macdonald is done holdin
onto the wheel – either this ship
steers itself, or he’s ettin offFancy motors offer to
do the driving for you on
long motorway sections,
but only if you keep
your hands on the wheel.
Holding onto the steering wheel but
barely paying attention to the road?
I think you’ll find that’s what many folk
are doing already, and in far cheaper
cars. Until the regulations for fully
autonomous cars are sorted out in,
say, two to three centuries, what I want
is semi-autonomous cars that let you
properly chillax. Which means taking
your hands off the wheel.
Enter Cadillac. Its CT6 car will soon
be available with a feature called Super
Cruise. No hands required, but a head-
tracking camera is watching to see if I nod
off. If I snooze through the warning beeps,
the car will switch on the hazards, bring
itself to a halt and phone for help.
Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, has
detailed its new Drive Pilot system forthe 2018 S-Class. Its semi-autonomous
systems can read speed signs, slow
down for bends and roundabouts
and talk to other passing Mercs about
upcoming hazards.
Towards the end of the journey, the
S-Class can manage itself in stop-start
city traffic, even if the stop lasts up to 30
seconds. On arrival, you can flop out of
your leathery limo and watch it jam itself
into a tiny space using a remote-parking
smartphone app, so you don’t have to
squeeze out of the door in a particularly
tight space.
It’s all starting to sound properly lazy
and I’m looking forward to it. A bit.