2025 has been a very good year for tech. I’ve been lucky enough to test a huge range of it, from the best smartwatches to some of the very best smartphones. Three things stood out this year. Not because they’re the flashiest (well, mostly), but because they genuinely made my year better. A smart ring. A projector. And one seriously sexy Aston Martin.
Let’s start with the smallest…
I’ve become a real convert to smart rings this year. I spent a good chunk of time with the Luna Ring, and it impressed me more than I expected. It’s a full-featured health tracker that gives solid insights, especially when I was knocked out by the flu and pneumonia. The app presents the data clearly, so I actually found it helpful, rather than just a load of numbers.
Battery life on the Luna Ring is strong, with about six days on a single charge before you need to top it up. I’ve since swapped the Luna for the Ultrahuman Ring Air, mainly because it’s a little thinner and lighter, which matters when you’re wearing it all day and night. Time will tell which I prefer long term, but the bigger takeaway is this: smart rings have nailed the balance for me. They’re far less intrusive than a smartwatch, and for my use, the tracking accuracy is plenty good enough.
Currently sitting on my bedside table is my second highlight. The Epson EF-72 Lifestudio Flex projector is one of those products that quietly wins you over. I’ve tested plenty of projectors over the years, mostly affordable, portable ones that are impressive, but never really blow you away. The EF-72 is different. For a start, it’s a proper coffee-table unit that looks good even when it’s off.
Switch it on, and it really shines (literally). Epson rates this projector at around 1000 lumens of brightness with 4K Pro UHD visuals, which is bright enough for living-room viewing even with ambient light. The colours are accurate, HDR10 support brings depth to movies, and the built-in Bose speakers sound unexpectedly good for an integrated unit.
The smart touches, like ambient lighting and Google TV built in, make it feel more polished and complete than most rival products. It’s a thoughtful, well-rounded piece of tech I kept coming back to because it made watching stuff feel special again.
Finally, there’s the Aston Martin.
Borrowing the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was the undisputed highlight of my year. It’s outrageous in the best way. The latest Vanquish revives the brand’s iconic twelve-cylinder soul with a twin-turbo V12 that produces around 835 PS (about 825 hp) and a whopping 1000 Nm of torque, catapulting it to a top speed near 214 mph. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is around 3.3 seconds, which is, quite frankly, too fast.
Taking it to the Goodwood Festival of Speed was surreal. The attention it got was unbelievable, with people hanging out of car windows to photograph it, and phones constantly pointed at it. Driving it was every bit as memorable as you’d hope. Effortless power, drama on demand, and modern tech inside the cabin to match the performance and handling. Handing the keys back was painful.
Liked this? The Seiko 5 Sports x The Pink Panther is so fun, I didn’t want to take it off
