This week we stay with hybrid cars, but this time we look at the Audi A3 etron. First things first, this car looks spectacular! I have never seen such a bright red in my entire life and the big alloy wheels enhance the look even more. It’s certainly a head turner.
The A3 etron comes with a 1.4 litre turbo charged engine outputting 150 bhp, however yet again it sits alongside an electric motor which when combined in ‘Sports Mode’ increases the performance to just of 200 bhp and will get you to 60 is 7.6 seconds. When you are feeling less ‘eager’ to get around town, you can elect for pure electric which is the default mode at start up or 3 forms of hybrid mode, normal, battery save and battery charge.
The battery can be charged from a very cleverly hidden port on the front grill and on electric alone will take you around 30 miles per charge. You aren’t going to want to be taking long journeys on electric alone as the car is designed for hybrid use, it’s probably better to let it decide which forms of power it uses as it will drop to electric in slow traffic and moderate speed.
If you are feeling excitable, then pulling the gear stick backwards enables Sports Mode, the gear information changes from D1,D2,D3 etc on the dashboard to S1,S2,S3 to indicate sports use. Be very careful in this mode at it transforms the car to very high performance. The car is however very good at governing acceleration I I didn’t notice any wheel spin in sport mode, although we did notice some in pure electric (this is possibly down to the higher torque of the electric motor).
A full review of the A3 etron will be coming soon, in the meantime grab a listen to the attached audio from Mondays show.
It’s been a great year reviewing such a wide range of gadgets from smart watches to high end sports cars. It’s been quite a ride, I’ve really enjoyed the whole experience, so thank you to all involved from BBC Radio Suffolk to the PR agencies and companies that have been so generous allowing me to try out all the wonderful tech!
This morning I spoke to Mark Murphy about my favourite gadgets of the year and the Gadget which won the gadget of the Year.
Smart Watches
We have a lot of fun reviewing some smart wear. We reviewed the Samsung Gear 2, Sony Smartwatch 2 and Sony Smartband. My favourite was the Gear 2, purely for James Bond features. However we have been asking to review other watches, but none have been sent out. Let’s hope this improves next year.
Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 – Wearable of the Year 2014
Sony Smartwatch 2
Sony Smartband
Smart Phones and Tablets
We were never short of phones and tablets which is not surprising given the size of the marketplace. HTC, Samsung, LG, Asus, Nokia and Motorola all supplied us with review units. HTC phones exhibited the best built quality and screen sharpness. LG had the best screen of the two Quad HD displays (the other being the Galaxy Note 4). Motorola was the best value for money with it’s Moto G.
Overall, our favourite handset started and remained the Nokia Lumia 1520. A six inch incredibly vibrant screen, superb battery life and exquisite camera. Although very large, it was by far the nicest of the all the handsets we reviewed
We also reviewed three tables, the Samungs Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2, the Nokia Lumia 2520 and the Asus Transformer. The Tab Pro 12.2 was our favourite with massive 12.2 inch screen with better than HD quality, the Nokia 2520 with Windows 8.1RT on board was close behind.
HTC One M8 HTC One Mini 2 Nokia Lumia 1520 – Smart Device of the Year 2014 Sony Xperia Z2 Moto G Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 Nokia Lumia 2520 Tablet Nokia Lumia 630 Asus Zenfone 6 Asus Transformer LG G3 Asus Zenfone 5 Samsung Galaxy S5 Samsung Galaxy Alpha Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Cameras
We reviewed a number of cameras this year, as expected the GoPro models come ahead of most others for their durability and quality of movies and photos. The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 was excellent and was a fully functional Android device to boot. The Sony Actioncam was good, but kept fogging up which spoilt most of it’s footage. The Autographer was…. weird.
GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition – Camera of the Year 2014 Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Sony Actioncam Autographer BT Homecam GoPro Hero Selfie Stick
Electric Bikes
I loved reviewing the electric bikes this year. I started out with the mindset that electric bikes would be a welcome relief from simply reviewing mobile phones for a year, but I ended up extending my ‘E’ vehicle reviews to cars. It was thoroughly interesting and liberating to get out in the Suffolk countryside and off the beaten track to test out these bikes. The Sparta is not really designed for off-road, but was capable and fast used for travelling to work. The Smart Ebike was fabulous and I loved every minute of using it, especially off-road. The Batribike was excellent in every area, I only marked if down for off-road use, but this was a little unfair as it had road tyres.
Sparta Ion/RX+ Smart Ebike – Ebike of the Year 2014 – Joint Winner Batribike Granite Pro – Ebike of the Year 2014 – Joint Winner
Electric Cars
This was an amazing experience from the beginning. The Renault Twizy was small and exciting to drive, but really only designed to replace moped type use. The Renault Zoe was an excellent car, out of all, this was the one car which could truly offer and alternative to fossil fuelled cars both in size and price. The BMW i3 was interesting and very fast. Design wise it hardly resembled an standard BMW but it was high spec and beautiful to drive. The BMW i8 was outstanding to look at and drive. It was like sitting in Red 5 at the end of Star Wars Episode IV, and the most exhilarating drive so far (electric car wise). I didn’t get to test the Tesla Model S this year, but in a week or so, I am looking forward to reviewing it.
I also got to experience 3 AMG ‘normally’ aspirated vehicles. I say normal, there was nothing normal about these vehicles. I experienced the G63 (G Wagon), the S63 and the C63 Edition 507. The C63 was simply mind shattering. When a manufacturer electronically limits to the top speed to 171mph, you know something is afoot.
Renault Twizy
Renault Zoe
BMW i3
BMW i8 – Car of the Year 2014
The Rest
I got to test out other gadgets and gizmos, ranging from domestic gadgets to toys and drones. The drones were fun, but in some cases difficult to control. The Ankidrive was fun and the Samsung Smart TV with Soundbar was very cool indeed. However, by far the best gadget we tried out was the iRobot Roomba 880. This is a fantastic vacuum cleaner and has remained in use at least three times a day since July this year. It does a brilliant job of vacuuming up just about any type of debris on any surface. It was fantastic!!
iRobot Roomba 880 – Winner Samsung Smart TV and Soundbar Ankidrive Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Parrot Jumping Sumo
Overall Gadget of the Year 2014
The Gadget Man – Gadget of the Year 2014 – iRobot Roomba 880
We’ve certainly tried and tested many gadgets this year. Some were disappointments, some were surprising successes. But at the end of the year, you simply have to hand the Gadget of the Year award to a recipient that deserves it for providing above and beyond expectation. With this in mind, we simply have to award the Gadget of the Year Award 2014 to iRobot Roomba 880. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment which has genuinely helped us around the house.
Thank you for stopping by. I am Matt Porter, widely recognised as The Gadget Man. Based in the UK, I have been featured on :-
BBC National Radio :-
BBC Radio Five Live : Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards
BBC Local Radio :-
BBC Radio Suffolk : Mark Murphy, Mark Matthews, Lesley Dolphin, James Hazell, Ronnie Barbour, Rachel Sloane, Etholle George, Graham Barnard, Matt Marvel, Wayne Bavin, and Sarah Lilley
BBC Radio Guernsey : Jenny Kendall-Tobias and Tony Gillham.
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire : Viv Minett
BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester : Tammy Gooding
BBC Radio Kent : Steve Ladner
BBC Look East
ITV Anglia,
East Anglia Daily Times (EADT),
Ipswich Star and
The Comet.
My tech acumen extends over 40 years of coding experience and a profound understanding of Artificial Intelligence, which I often elucidate in my monthly product reviews for local magazines.
Matt Porter – The Gadget Man
Technology Commentator and Reviewer
I am deeply immersed in the tech world, constantly exploring the forefront of gadgets and technology. I am available for remote audio/video engagements, live or pre-recorded TV appearances, and interviews, offering expertise in a diverse range of topics:
AI Diffusion Image and Video Generation: My fascination with AI extends to its capability to generate compelling visuals. I explore how diffusion models are revolutionizing content creation, enabling the synthesis of images and videos that blur the lines between the artificial and the real, thus providing a new canvas for creativity.
Voice Generation and Synthesis: I analyze the nuances of AI-driven voice synthesis, discussing how this technology is creating new opportunities for personalized interactions and revolutionizing fields from customer service to entertainment.
Chatbots and Conversational AI: Chat-GPT and similar technologies represent a leap forward in machine understanding. I offer insights into how conversational AI is enhancing customer experiences, streamlining processes, and even offering companionship.
Ethics and AI: As we integrate AI more deeply into our lives, I engage in critical discussions about the ethical implications, the balance between innovation and privacy, and the measures needed to ensure responsible use of AI technology.
Everyday Innovations: I spotlight gadgets that simplify daily routines, offering insights into devices that enhance everyday life with convenience and efficiency.
Retro Tech: I take a nostalgic look at the golden era of technology, revisiting the iconic 80s home computers and timeless mobile phones.
Electric Vehicles: I navigate the burgeoning world of EVs, discussing their sustainable future and the technical skills necessary for their maintenance.
eBike Insights: I share my personal experiences with eBike technology, from securing support to obtaining firmware updates.
Telecommunications: I discuss the ongoing enhancements in broadband infrastructure and the significant shift from copper networks.
Streaming Service Evolution: I critique the dynamic landscape of streaming services, addressing the challenges of content access for consumers.
For a deeper understanding of these topics and more, I am your informed source, ready to share knowledge and a unique perspective on the evolving world of technology.
Guest Post Information: Please read attentively.
I receive daily requests for guest post submissions. I uphold high content standards, and I approve and publish all posts. Operating this blog demands both time and financial resources, thus it’s crucial that contributing writers understand the necessity to compensate for my time. The typical post-publishing process takes no more than 10 minutes per article. Please ensure you are agreeable to this arrangement before reaching out.
Product Reviews:
I am perpetually looking for fresh technology to review and am keen to discover new products that would captivate my readers and listeners.
If you’re interested in featuring your product, please complete the form below or contact me at +447813874428 or at [email protected].
I have previously reviewed a variety of items including:
Sports Cars
Smart Watches
Smartphones
Tablets
Drones
Baby Monitors
Media Streaming Devices
Robotic Vacuum Cleaners
Smart TVs
Soundbars
Electric Bikes
Electric Cars
Cameras
For reviews, I request that products be sent to me and collected afterwards at your expense (if required). I require a minimum of 2 weeks to conduct a thorough review. Post-review, I will notify you regarding the likelihood of a feature and coordinate the collection of the item.
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