FEATURE: The Great Outdoors

Far Trek.

There's a whole lot of world out there, and being stuck beyond a keyboard for the majority of our lives, we decided to get out there and see some of it. But, being the namby-pamby inside boys that we are, we needed some proper hi-tech kit before facing the wilds. And so we gathered together a selection of outdoor wear to keep us safe, warm and looking out usual cool selves, while out braving the worst nature has to offer.

And so, to outdoor types and tech-packed clothing junkies alike, may we present some fine apparel from Helly Hansen and Cotswold Outdoors.

Enjoy.

NEWS: LEGO to release 16 new Simpsons minifigures

Eeeeeexcellent.

Following on from their recent release of the huge Simpson's house set, LEGO have announced that they will be bringing out an entire Simpsons-themed minifigure range. This means that collectors (and, we suppose, kids) will be able to get their mits on the 16 most popular characters from the TV show that is now, unbelievably, pushing 30.

REVIEW: Be-Ez LE Bag Pro

It's (all) in the bag.

Hot on the heels of our Be-Ez LE Littoral iPad Folio review we were keen to see more from the French accessory-concerned designers. And boy did they not disappoint. We were sent what Be-Ez refer to as "the most advanced backpack", and, after testing the LE Bag Pro, we find it hard to disagree with them. Of course, as with all the carry-alls we like to take a look at, the LE Bag Pro has very much been built with the gadget fan in mind. We strapped it on and ventured out into the big wide world.

REVIEW: Rubik's Void & Race

Evolution of the cube.

When Erno Rubik created the first ever Rubik's Cube in 1974 could he ever have guessed that it would go onto be the most popular toy of all time? The humble Cube has come a bit over the years, being redesigned, rebuilt, and also - as we're about to see - reformatted.

Ever keen to put our flabby hands to anything but work, we took a look at two links in the chain of the Rubik's Empire, and discovered that there is more than one way to quickly move coloured tiles around. Happily, we tore open the Rubik's Void and the Rubik's Race.

VIDEO REVIEW: LEGO Star Wars General Grievous' Wheel Bike

Roll with it

For the first of our 2014 LEGO Star Wars video reviews, we take a look at a wheely good set: General Grievous' Wheel Bike (#75040). The bricks have been built, our filthy desk has been cleared, and we dusted off the camera to give you an exclusive close-up look at one of LEGO's latest. Grab your lightsaber and press play.

COMPETITION: Win Pig Goes Pop!

This little piggy...

In the first our give-away of goodies from game maker DrumondPark, we're offering one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of Pig Goes Pop. But before we get to that, we tore open the box, made sure Mr Piggy himself was hungry, and got playing.

REVIEW: Be-Ez LE Littoral iPad Folio

Getting literal

An iPad is essentially a very expensive slab of glass, and the thing about glass is that it's quite fragile. And so, if you own and use an iPad you'd be mad not to wrap it in some projection while out and about. But with so many styles and forms of cases and covers out there, what do you choose? We recommend something with a touch of je ne sais quoi?

The LE Littoral iPad Folio from Be-Ez features some cool French design, nice protective features and a classic look to make your tablet stand out from the crowd. We flipped open the case, slotted in our much-abused iPad, and ventured out into the cruel, harsh world.

VIDEO: Hubsan SpyHawk FPV Test Flight

Up, up and away...

This isn't the actual review of Hubsan's radio-controlled plane with on-board camera (that will follow) but we just wanted to share some of the footage from our test flight.

So hold onto your hats and prepare for some really inept flying.

REVIEW: Nerf Mega Magnus

Magnus, son of Centurion

It's that time again. We sit at our slightly dented and cracked computer to painfully tap at a keyboard that is now missing several lttrs. That is because we've been testing another new Nerf blaster and, as ever, have really gone out of our way to shoot each other with it as often as possible during the course of the review. And so, with welts and bruises in places only our doctors know about, we present the Nerf Mega Magnus.

REVIEW: Niceday Berlin Executive Chair

Ich bin ein Berliner

We can’t speak for you but right now we’re sitting down. As you can imagine writing for a review website involves quite a bit of sitting down (when we’re not shooting each other with Nerf guns or hunting around for lost LEGO pieces). This means that bottom comfort is very important and we’ve searched the net to find something to place our rumps upon that is supportive, comfy and stylish. And we found it.

REVIEW: Starbucks Versimo 600 Coffee Machine

 Five Star Starbucks

As our Christmas Coffee Special might have alluded to, we're massive fans of the hot black wakey-wakey juice here at The Test Pit. In fact we get through so many cups of coffee that our walking to and from the local coffee shop has actually worn a track on the street outside our house, sided by coffee plants that grew from spilt beans.

NEWS: LEGO to release 3000+ piece Star Wars Sandcrawler set

These ARE the droids you're looking for.

We've been a bit heavy on the old Star Wars LEGO news recently, but this is one we just couldn't ignore. To celebrate 15 years of creating Star Wars sets (which probably saved the entire company and skyrocketed it to being the second biggest toy maker in the world) LEGO have announced that they are to release a new version of the Jawa Sandcrawler,  this time with almost 3300 pieces.

NEWS: Win your dream LEGO Star Wars bedroom!

Return of the Bed-i

In news released today it seems that LEGO, in conjunction with Bright Bricks and Titan Publishing, are offering one lucky child the chance to have their dream LEGO Star Wars bedroom made real. Launched officially through today's issue of Titan's Star Wars Comic, kids are being invited to design an intergalactic bedroom for themselves, made entirely from LEGO. This is to celebrate the fact that this year sees the 15th anniversary of the first LEGO Star Wars set.

Has it really been 15 years?

REVIEW: Gigaset E630A Home Phone

For those EXTREME calls.

Rugged, waterproof and armoured mobile phones are the rage these days, as are cases that offer similar protection. But it's all well and good keeping your mobile safe when you're out and about... but what about your home phone? If you're anything like us, your landline phone will be daily exposed to spillages, knocks and – because we don't have that many friends – dust from under use.

Thankfully German phone maker Gigaset (whose touch screen phone, the SL910A, we reviewed here) are here to help. Their latest handset for the home, the E630A, is shock, dust and splash resistant, while retaining some useful features and good looks. We plugged it in, dialled our mums, and got chatting.

REVIEW: Misfit Shine Activity Tracker

Anything but a miss.

How are your New Year resolutions going? If yours was to get fit and get in shape, did you manage further than 2^nd January? If you are struggling to meet your exercise goals then don't listen to those motivational speakers or fitness gurus – just look to your wrist.

The Shine Activity Tracker from Misfit Wearables is a teeny tiny device that is packed with intelligence. By wearing it during a multitude of activities (including sleep) you can track your fitness progress, set yourself goals and work to beat them. And, you know, look really cool while you're at it.