Mighty Cast Nex Band

$149 (£105), thenexband.com

That looks like a bracelet.

Yes, but this isn’t just any (smart) bracelet – it’s a magical bracelet with the power to change the world! OK, not quite, but this life-hacker’s dream wearable began life in a fantasy story created by Mighty Cast, where a group of kids use an enchanted bracelet to change the world.

You’re so making that up!

We’re so not. Although “magical” is a stretch when describing the Nex Band’s capabilities, this wearable does enable you to manage your favourite devices and apps in exciting new ways. Sweatproof and splash-resistant, it has five customisable ‘mods’ (hackable modules) that act as shortcut buttons for various tasks and devices.

So I can program a mod to turn on my Hue lights, or something?

Exactly. In conjunction with the Nex app, you can turn mods into shortcuts for playing music (accessing your Spotify playlist), taking a selfie on your phone, tracking your activity, adjusting your Nest Learning Thermostat and even faking a phone call to get you out of an awkward conversation. You can also assign close friends to each mod so that you know when they’re calling.

What’s with the Tron- style lighting?

That’s how the Nex Band communicates with you. It has 50-plus lighting patterns (displayed by multi-coloured LEDs) that you customise to create unique light patterns for different notifications and activities, such as when you’ve hit your daily steps goal.

Very cool. When can I try it?

The Nex Band is available for pre-order now, with shipping set to begin this September.