Happy New Gear

Devialet Gold Phantom

If your New Year resolution is to organise that clutter of music speakers at home or work, Devialet's Gold Phantom is music to your ears. Few wireless speakers can go head to head with full-blown traditional hi-fi systems, but the Gold Phantom does it without effort. Its 4,500 watts easily saturate most rooms with music, while its titanium tweeter reveals the sort of tinkling musical detail other wireless speakers simply can't reproduce. Its rose gold finish that contrasts with the white body makes it look like an art nouveau sculpture too. For such a powerhouse, the Gold Phantom only requires a single power cord. Music streams wirelessly from your computer, phone, tablet or music server. Should you need more Phantom goodness, you can buy another one to create a full stereo system. S$4,490 at Tangs, Audio Note and devialet.com

Samsung Gear S3

For most of us, 2017 will be marked not just by the stroke of midnight, but by a zillion notifications from apps and social networks. Samsung's Gear S3 will have you covered on both counts. IP68 water resistance, a stainless steel case and up to four days of battery life will ensure it survives the New Year festivities. And it's definitely one of the best-looking smartwatches too. The only wrinkle is that it's powered by Samsung's Tizen software, so you can't use it with an iPhone, nor any of Google's Android Wear apps. But Samsung has its own apps, and the Gear S3 works with most current Android phones. Two versions are available - the Gear S3 frontier, which looks more like a diving watch and comes in Dark Grey with two black rubber straps in small and large size; and the minimalist Gear S3 Classic - silver with two black leather straps, also in small and large size. Extra straps in different colours are available only in medium size. S$548 at Samsung Electronics stores, major electronics stores, and Lazada.sg

Asus Transformer 3 Pro

If you have budget or space for only one computer to handle all of 2017's computing needs, let it be the Asus Transformers 3 Pro. The 800g touchscreen tablet is powerful enough to handle most tasks. Two Harmon Kardon-tuned speakers transform the tablet into a music system. It's bundled with a detachable keyboard in four colours, as well as the Asus Pen which lets you sketch ideas, or doodle for fun. Optional accessories include an Asus Universal Dock (S$199) which transforms the tablet into a desktop productivity hound. And the Asus Mini Dock (S$129) lets you set up shop in hotel rooms and cafes while still having the flexibility to grab the tablet and head to the boardroom or beach. S$1,898 at ASUS brand stores and authorised retailers.