Gilobaby smart robot, £24
Feeling anxious about robots taking over the world? For 24 quid, allay your anxieties by barking simple commands at this gory plastic bot and experiencing triumph as it bends to your every command, from: “Go back” to: “Can you dance?”
Wireless earbuds
Aukey EP-B40 Latitude, £26
Modest looking but great sounding earbuds. Sweat resistant for runners, they feature high-quality aptX Bluetooth and a magnetic clasp that turns them into a chic earbud necklace.
Phone
Nokia 216, £29
This daft phone is all about calls and texts; the 2G web connection is only there as a last resort. Useful for digital detoxers, festivals or finding out what predictive texting was.
Over-ear headphones
Soundmagic P22BT, £28
Cheap but rich sounding, these foldable ’phones feature Bluetooth and nice chunky controls.
Bluetooth receiver
TaoTrontics, £13
Enjoy some Spotify on your dusty old 80s hi-fi, with this bargain plug-in which gives your wired car stereo, speakers or headphones a Bluetooth upgrade.
Wireless charger
RAVPower fast charge, £11.99
No-nonsense energy replenishment for Qi-compatible smartphones and devices. Soothing standby and charging LEDs let you know juicing is going well.
Security camera
D-Link DCS-932L/B – wifi smart security camera, £29
An inexpensive way to snoop/monitor your family or office using your smartphone. Motion and sound detection alert you to anything or anybody untoward.
Fitness tracker
Xiaomi Band 3 Bluetooth activity tracker, £27
An economical way to track your massive efforts. Running, swimming, walking, sleeping – this band can track them all for 20 days without a recharge.
Smart lightbulbs
Teckin LED wifi bulbs, £24 for two
Achieve total control of your lighting domain – operate these bulbs via your smartphone or just speak to them via the medium of Alexa or Google Home. The makers claim they will last more than 27 years.
Cooking thermometer
TopElek kitchen cooking thermometer, £6
From baby’s milk to T-bone steaks, ensure your edibles are temperature optimised with this six-inch, stainless steel probe.
Card reader
iZettle, £29
Up your car boot sale game with this PayPal-backed processor of contactless and card payments. Street-food stalls, busking, poker debts… its uses are endless.
Camera
Lomography B&W disposable camera, £15.90
Experience the wonders of pre-digital photography and produce some arty B&W content that will be difficult to upload to Instagram. The back of the camera includes important instructions about “how to wind the film on” and “get it developed”. Whatever that means.
Electronic measure
Aras laser distance meter, £21
Length, area, volume and even complex Pythagorean stuff – this handy gadget can calculate distances and more up to 40m.
Fan
John Lewis foldable fan, £12
For your desk, public transport or any other over-heated situation. Three speeds, very quiet and can be powered from your computer.
Bluetooth speaker
Tribit XSound Go, £25
Whichever tiny measurement you judge it by – 380g, 170mm or £25 – this inexpensive boom tube crams a lot in: crystal-clear sound, water resistance and a battery offering a luxuriant 24 hours of music playback.
Cable
Anker powerLine+ II, £13
Available in all the USB and connector combos you dream of, these cables also come with a lifetime warranty. Various braided colourways are available too.
Mouse
Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600, £24
Bluetooth, track control, aeons of battery life and compatible with most modern Windows, Android and OS X operating systems. Controls cursors, arrows and highlighters with aplomb.
Bluetooth keyboard
RRP £40; available for under £30
Solid, pleasing construction, feels nice under-finger – you can even multi-task up to three devices at once.
Wifi extender
TP-Link RE200 AC750, £23
If the broadband is flagging around your spacious abode, dot one or three of these gizmos for a seamless, no-drop internet experience.
Blender
Breville VBL214 Blend Active ColourMix blender, RRP £40; available for £30
Tired of pouring stuff from your blender into your drinking bottle? Breville have fixed that, juicing, blending and smoothifying stuff directly in the beaker. A breakthrough technology.
[“source=theguardian”]
