What a year...
Let's be honest, unless
you're a complete twat, 2016 has been a shitter of a year. From
political upheaval and war, to celebrity deaths and the rise of the
Right, 2016 will always be remembered as that year that “was a bit
arse, wannit?” Still, aside from all the unrest across the globe,
we of 'The Pit' have been here testing lots of things and stuff. To
close off the year we take our annual look back at our five favourite
things. Awww.
So in no particular
order...
Xiro Xplorer V Drone
2016 was the year of
the drone, when Amazon began making drone deliveries right there in
the UK, and when the use of personal UAVs literally sky-rocketed. We
reviewed a handful of smaller toy-like quadcopters this year, but our
favourite flying gadget had to be the Xplorer V from Xiro. We took it
to Scarborough beach for a zoom around and loved how easy it was to
fly, the quality of the onboard camera, and also the price – which
is extremely competitive.
Check out our film
here:
Dremel 3D Idea Builder
3D Printer
Personal 3D printers
also took off this year, thanks in no small part to Dremel. We got
out hands on one of their models, the very versatile and affordable
3D Idea Builder. We had a bag of fun making a few bits and bobs, and
we were impressed both by the quality of the objects it could
produce, and how easy it was to make something. We're excited to be
reviewing Dremel's latest printer in early 2017, so stay tuned.
Until then, check out the review here.
LEGO Technic Volvo
EW160E
We usually fondly
remember a LEGO set in these annual Top 5s, and this year it has to
be one from Technic. The Volvo EW160E wasn't the biggest Technic set
we've ever built and reviewed, but it does seem to be one of the best
designed. The model digger uses a pneumatic system to power the
grabbing arm, and it was a fun and challenging build from the start.
And it also looks like what it should be, which is always tricky with
Technic. A great experience, and a fun toy.
Check out the
photo-heavy review here.
Volt Pulse E-bike
Last year we also
included an e-bike in the Top 5, and we're doing it again this year.
However, whereas the GreenEdge CS2 was a rough and ready mountain
bike, the Volt Pulse was a far more refined and crafted vehicle,
built to ferry both commuters and adventurers alike. It was also the
first product that we reviewed in our new YouTube video review style,
complete with drone footage, yo.
Watch it right here:
Olfi 4K Action Cam
Just like the Xplorer V
drone offered a cheaper alternative to the more well-established
brands, so Olfi has gone and kicked GoPro in the face. Their 4K
action cam features video recording at a number of different levels,
including the highly coveted 4K, yet costs about half that of the
bigger boys' cams. As well as reviewing it, we've also used it on
several occasions throughout the year to film 'heads-up' reviews like this, so a great little camera indeed.
Check out our review here.
Those were our
favourites of 2016, but what were yours? Let us know on Twitter,
thanks for paying us a visit in 2016, and have a Happy New Year!
