THE CUTTING EDGE
Gear 4 U
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The chaps at GEAR4 appreciate that multi-room systems have a reputation
for being difficult to install and complicated to use which is why the company has spent over a year making the Stream range simple to set-up and network together. All Stream speakers come with a simple WPS WiFi setup feature that enables connection to a home router in seconds. Users can also create their own network of speakers without affecting broadband speed thanks to the built in router. The Gear4 Black Stream 3 Wi-Fi Multi-Room Speaker has also added a patented Pair/Share feature to quickly add more speakers to a network. If that still sounds complicated, there is always Bluetooth® and Aux-in!
Retail: www.argos.co.uk
Price: £129.99
Knives Are Out
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Included in the top 1% of knives of the world, your house ain’t a home without the Robert Welch Signature Knife Block Set, which will transform you from a pot-noodle brewing gastro-failure to a Gordon ‘effing’ Ramsey kinda chef in two swishes of a blade. No self-respecting male isn’t bossing it where it matters for their other-halves these days - in the kitchen - and are expected to cook-up Michelin starred delights to romance their chosen partners whilst making it all look effortless. Well, my ol’ mucka Robert Welch can provide you with the effortless, which just leaves you to dish-up the romance.
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Retail: www.robertwelch.com/signature
Price: £280.00
Crystal Amazed
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Once we tell you that this award winning, ultra-premium vodka is actually the creation of legendary American actor Dan Ayckroyd – he of Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers and Trading Places fame – nothing else will compare. Not even when we explain that Crystal Head Vodka is pure and unadulterated at every stage of its creation, using only the highest quality sweet corn and the glacial waters of Newfoundland, Canada. Even the fact that it is quadruple distilled and filtered seven times, three of which are through Herkimer Diamonds pales into insignificance. However, the ultra-cool hand-crafted crystal skull glass bottle comes a very close second.
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Retail: www.amazon.co.uk
Price: £49.99
Head-Case
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Despite the tech being really very new to the mass market, there is already a plethora of different virtual reality headsets to choose from. The Immerse Plus VR Headset is very much what marketers would call a ‘’me-too’’ product, but despite the negative connotations, being late to the party has many benefits – such as having enough time to iron-out flaws experienced by others. At a ridiculously low-price, try this to see what all the fuss is about.
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Retail: www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk
Price: £40.00
Let there be light
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When you live in an age where audio speakers are portable, cordless, lightweight, Bluetooth and (on the whole) decent quality – where do you go from there? The Phillips Nitro NTX400 goes one step further by adding LED lights that pulse along with the beat, offering anyone within a certain radius an impressive light display. Turn the volume up to 11 and give yourself that authentic Pink Floyd experience.
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Retail: www.currys.co.uk
Price: £400.00
Cwtch You Be The One?
It is highly likely that real ale enthusiasts and IPA aficionados alike will have at one time or another sampled the delights that Tiny Rebel have to offer. Either via their local supermarket or, and far more fun in our opinion, by heading down to Urban Taphouse, their Cardiff craft-ale Mecca. But now there’s actually a third and arguably more fun way to taste one of their best-selling beers. Red Ale Cwtch won Champion Beer of Britain in 2015 and now, just in time for Christmas, they’ve released an extract homebrew kit that’s perfect for beginners, so anyone can brew their own – which means there’s always a lovely Cwtch waiting for you at home.
Retail: www.tinyrebel.co.uk
Price: £30.00
Follow the Amazon
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For a comfortable live streaming experience you could do much worse than the FIRE TV with 4K ULTRA HD. It covers all bases with aplomb – from the responsive interface and search results in just seconds, to smooth gaming and ultra-fast streaming, everything about it is fast and fluid. Even the remote control is voice activated. Choose this over more expensive alternatives.
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Retail: www.amazon.co.uk
Price: £79.99