BEACH BUDDIES

Gadgets and water aren't usually great pals, but these are happy to buck the trend: it's the best new tech for seaside and poolside

- 

INSTA360 X4

Glad tidings for those who want to document their splashy exploits: you now have an abundance of waterproof cameras to pick from.

Heck, there's a good chance you can even use your phone for a bit of wet work - which is why the Insta360 X4 has to be more than just a waterproof action cam.

It's a 360° camera that captures everything around it via a pair of ultrawide lenses, auto-stitching the two images together into a single round-the-world shot. Big deal, you might say - Insta360 has been making cams like this for years. But never this powerful.

Frames without frontiers

Demand detail? You can shoot pixel-packed 8K movies of that scenic kayak trip. Need smooth action for your frantic rafting? Switch down to 5.7K and record at 60fps, or 4K at 100fps- all with effective stabilisation.

Your 360° clips can be manually reframed later, or (it being 2024) you can hand the job over to a robot: Insta360's AI editor will pick out the best angles and scenes itself, leaving you free to dry off from your soggy adventures.