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1 TOY ROBOT

UBTech Jimu Astrobot Kit (£190)


You can assemble one of three robots with this Lego-like kit, each fully mobile and
equipped with an infra-red sensor to help it detect and interact with its environment.
Best of all, it can then be programmed using the child-friendly block-programming app,
opening limitless opportunities.
2 CONSOLE
Nintendo Switch (£280)
While it can’t compete with the monstrous processing power or online multiplayer
capacities of its rivals, this modular gaming tablet offers an entirely new approach to
video-gaming, merging the Wii and the DS in a convivial hybrid. As testament to its
success, more and more non-Nintendo games are being released for the device and
video streaming services are coming soon.
3 INTERACTIVE TOUCH-SCREEN PROJECTOR
Sony Xperia Touch (£1,400)
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This impressive appliance is an early iteration of what might well become a common
household gadget: a projector that turns any surface into an interactive touch screen.
This means you can annotate a presentation, play Flappy Bird in huge dimensions, or
beam a recipe on to your chopping board and scroll through it with doughy fingers.
4 CAMERA
Panasonic Lumix GH5 (from £1,700)
This powerful camera has a limitless catalogue of impressive specifications: physical and
digital image stabilisation, extensive weatherproofing and professional-standard 4K
video capacity. Sleek and neat, it’s a mirrorless number that seriously troubles its SLR
competitors, and could easily become the videographer’s weapon of choice.

5 WIRED HEADPHONES
Oppo PM-3 (£349)
If you prefer a reliable set of passive headphones to the flashy Bluetooth or noise-
cancelling alternatives, this lush, brushed-metal, over-ear pair is a luxurious option. The
balanced magnetic drivers are designed to emphasise deep tones, and the phones
themselves are indecently comfortable.

6 SECURITY CAMERA
Nest Cam IQ (from £299)
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For the vigilant and nervy among us, Nest’s IQ indoor and outdoor security cameras
automatically identify human beings and even recognise their faces, alerting you via
your phone. Add to that its infrared night vision, live warning speaker and multi-axis
rotation, and you can turn your home into a cosy Orwellian utopia.

7 BUDGET SMARTPHONE
Motorola Moto G5 (£180)
Motorola G5
A fingerprint scanner, a screen that is sharper than the iPhone 7 and a 13MP camera –
all for the price of a few months of premium smartphone contract. There is no near-field
communication (NFC) for Android Pay but, hey, think of that as another way to save
money.

8 WIRELESS CHARGING
Aukey Charging Stand (from £25)
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This slick pedestal, from Chinese charging giant Aukey, is both more attractive and
more practical than the flat wireless chargers that have preceded it. With three internal
coils and adjustable feet, it makes the idea of wireless charging seem less gimmicky and
more genuinely convenient.

9 CHARGING CABLE
Fuse Chicken Titan cable (from £25)
You know how it is: you’re busy felling a mighty elm with a petrol chainsaw, when your
phone charger slips from your breast pocket and is instantly severed by the blades? With
the Titan cable, double-wrapped in flexible steel, this will never happen again.

10 SMARTWATCH
Apple Watch 3 (from £329)
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The newest Apple Watch has severed the umbilical cord that tied it to the iPhone,
allowing you to leave the house without it and still receive calls on the hoof. It’s also now
connected to Apple Music, so you can demand almost any song you like and the ever-
obedient Siri will oblige.

11 TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject Primary (£189)
As if to prove that the vinyl resurgence needn’t be the preserve of moneyed
thirtysomethings, respectable Austrian firm Pro-Ject have released this deeply satisfying
belt-drive turntable, aimed at people who prefer playing records to fiddling with gear.
The price should make its rivals blush.

12 HOME FITNESS
Wattbike Atom (£1,500)
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Designed to precisely recreate specific cycling conditions, the Wattbike simulates every
aspect of a real custom racing bike (including the price). Using a smartphone or tablet as
its screen, you can climb the Col du Tourmalet without ever leaving your bedroom.

13 SMART SHOES
Under Armour Gemini 3 graphic RE (£130)
No phone or watch required with these running shoes, which have a sensor embedded in
each sole. They also feature a unique “jump test” to help determine how hard your next
run should be.

14 PORTABLE WIRELESS PROJECTOR


Optoma ML330 (from £333)
Leading brand Optoma unveiled their cleverest little projector this summer – a 460g,
LED-powered model with a huge maximum image size of 120ins. It accepts HDMI and
wireless connections, Android screen-mirroring and Bluetooth, as well as having a built-
in speaker, and it’s only 13cm wide.

15 BIKE HELMET
Lumos (£160)
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Forty-eight LEDs adorn this ventilated bike helmet: white at the front, red at the back,
and amber indicators to left and right, controlled by a remote on your handlebar. Not
only can you signal your intentions to drivers, the helmet can also detect when you’re
braking, and its lights react accordingly.

16 NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES
Bowers & Wilkins PX (£329)
Tasteful, curvaceous and comfortingly weighty, these toffee-nosed British headphones
ooze charm with every note. The wireless synchronisation is effortless and
uninterrupted, the noise-cancelling is watertight, and the speakers are sloped to direct
the sound diagonally, rather than at right angles – a novel and effective feature.

17 ROBOT SIDEKICK
Anki Cozmo (£200)
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Cozmo is a tiny forklift truck that behaves with whimsical autonomy, trundling around
the room, singing and interacting with the furniture. It can perform various feats of
engineering involving light-up cubes, and can even recognise your face, staring up at you
with unequivocal devotion.

18 ROBOT VACUUM
Neato Botvac D7 Connected (£799)
If not the Rolls-Royce of robot vacuums then certainly the Lexus, Neato’s Botvac D7 is
released next month and available now for pre-order. Building on its predecessors’
reputation for painstaking thoroughness, the D7 is less plasticky, better for pet hair, and
has a luscious app that allows you to control it remotely, chart its progress and keep its
venturesome spirit in check with no-go areas.

19 GAMING DRIVING WHEEL


LOGITECH G29/G920 (£330)

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The latest edition of Logitech’s driving set-up continues with its grand tradition of
“helical gearing”, which means it has the same smooth transmission you would find in
an actual sports car, only without the hefty insurance premium and public disapproval.

20 CAR
Smart Fortwo Cabrio Electric Drive 2017 (from
£18,560)
The first soft-top electric city car appeared this year, part of the fifth generation of
Smart’s green alternative two-seater. Despite its size and intended urban habitat, it has
a respectable 96-mile range and a top speed of 80mph, and for those show-offs who
want to roll the top down in winter, it comes with heated seats as standard.

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