AMAZON ECHO DOT (4TH GENERATION)

£49.99, amazon.co.uk

While the main line Echo understandably draws the biggest headlines, Amazon has not forgotten the Dot. It’s been given the same spherical refresh as its big brother, and slots into the exact same niche as its third-gen predecessor, though it carves out a little headroom with its more bulbous form. If anything, we see the Dot as a more attractive option for most, as many won’t use the smart hub or Dolby Audio functions of the more expensive Echo. Although this sticks to a single speaker, it’s more than capable of belting out a tune or two. And that

AMAZON FIRE TV STICK LITE

£29.99, amazon.co.uk

Though our fingers are always on the pulse of tech, we were pretty surprised when the Fire TV Stick Lite was announced. Not because there’s not a place for it in the market – it fits right in next to the likes of the Roku Express, and knocks the non-Android TV version of the Chromecast for a loop – but because it’s so close to the already-cheap non- Lite edition. Sure, Amazon has been forced to chop off a couple of the Fire TV Stick’s more missable toes to hit that magic money mark: there are no TV controls on its Fire remote, and its audio capabilities are price point is decent, particularly if you’re not worried about an extra tenner for the clock-containing version. As ever, though, keep an eye out for bargains: as the Ancient Ones decreed, never pay full price for an Echo Dot.

T3 SAYS: It’s not the grown-up Echo but it is a lovely little orb,

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES

ECHELON STRIDE

£TBC, echelonfit.uk

If you’re not lucky enough to have a dedicated space in which to work out, home fitness gear can be a real drain on your square footage. Not so with the Echelon Stride, which marks Echelon’s first foot into the treadmill market after finding great success with its rower and bike thus far. Three simple steps is all it takes to convince the Stride to automatically fold up, at which point it stores vertically with a minimal 25 centimetre depth. When it’s unfurled, you get a whole lot of smart coaching options, with customcreated classes taking you on everything from a brisk walk to a slightly inferior to models further up the line. But its lost digits don’t affect the Fire TV Stick Lite’s balance one bit. For the cash, this is probably the best 1080p streamer you can get, perfect for converting any old TV into a smart one.

T3 SAYS: A smart TV without a smart TV – now that’s smart.

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES full-on boot camp, or you can just opt for one of eight pre-programmed workouts if you’d rather not be barked at by a suspiciously fit instructor. Echelon has been generous with the layout, too, and offered up space for your phone, a tablet and a pair of water bottles.

T3 SAYS:

A home run.

TECH-O-METER

COOLNESS INNOVATION FEATURES