The technology revolution has transformed our lives. Nowadays, we work while we commute, watch Breaking Bad on our phones, and smartphones have turned us all into photographers. But while improved technology has made life simpler – it hasn’t made deciding what sort of gadgets to invest in an easy decision.
With a bewildering array of options available, the science behind these products can sometimes blind consumers as to when it’s worth spending big, or whether to go for a bargain.
One very canny shopper is Ella Williamson, a gadget guru, writer and TV presenter who specialises in technology, and tries out pretty much every new gadget going. “In general terms, when it comes to technology you get what you pay for. But this applies not only in terms of quality but also functionality. When you are choosing a product, you need to think carefully about what you want, and what precisely you will be using it for. Invest in the features that are important to you,” she says.
Williamson cites tablets as a good example of this. “Tablets have really rocked everybody’s world, but if you want a family tablet that the kids are mostly going to use for playing games, then you don’t really need anything more sophisticated than the Tesco hudl, (£119).
“But if you’re going to be using it more, or streaming it with other devices, than iPads (from £249) are great.”
Williamson takes a similar view when it comes to home entertainment. “Really it’s all about matching content to the material. If you are seriously into films or gaming, then it’s worth spending on an ultra-HD telly, so you can stream your Netflix on to it, and reap that benefit.
“And gaming consoles are just brilliant. They have come on so much from the stereotype of a teenage boy sitting in the dark playing an aggressive war game by himself. Something like the Xbox One is amazing – you can watch Orange is the New Black on Blu-ray, use Kinect for control-less gaming, surf the Internet or exercise. Xbox costs about £349.99, and I think its well worth investing in for its multi-functionality.”
But there are some areas where Williamson does think it’s worth making a saving. “With HDMI, it is the tech at the end of the cable that does the hard data transfer work, for instance if you want to plug your iPhone into your telly. But I don’t think you need to spend a lot – I would recommend the John Lewis High Speed HDMI Cable, (3D Compatible, 2m). It’s £24.95. You could easily spend £100 on cables, but I just don’t think you need to.”
But when it comes to protecting your gadgets – Williamson thinks it wise to fork out. “There is a debate about paid-for versus free anti-virus software. Personally, I think it is worth paying for. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 has been very highly reviewed – the great thing is it is all streamlined, so you get anti spam, anti virus, firewall and anti-spyware – combined in what they call a suite. Now of course you could get that all for free separately, but it would be so much more of a hassle. At around £14 for single use, going up to £49.99 for multi-users, I think it is well worth it.
But most of all, Williamson reminds us that technology should be fun as well as useful. “There are some great things coming out. The 3Doodler 3D-printing pen is a fabulous introduction to 3D printing, which has a huge buzz about it. And I love MiP, the gesture-controlled robot you can guide around with your hand. You can make him dance, and if you have two you can even make them fight. He’s battery powered, and I would always recommend using a good quality battery like Duracell, so you’re not always having to replenish your supply. You can have hours of fun with it – and it’s a real talking point. And at £99.99, he’s a great example of how robotics have come down in price – making them accessible to ordinary consumers.”
If you buy one thing
Now smartphones come with high resolution cameras as standard, taking pictures has never been easier, but if you want to make sure you do them justice when showing them to family and friends, invest in a battery-powered PocketCinema DLP V150W Pico Projector with Wi-Fi (from £275). Williamson says: “These are great because you can do your own show of wedding photos, or holiday pics. Rather than huddling round a laptop or smartphone you can project stills or films on to a wall.
They are highly portable as well, so they’re also invaluable in the workplace.” The projector can also stream videos, web pages, or documents so sharing the fun is even easier.
