ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY

Selina Denman presents five gadgets worth investing in, from a rugged tablet to a handheld espresso machine

PICOPRESSO

Hong Kong’s Wacaco is committed to putting the power of commercial espresso machines in the palm of your hand. Its portable devices can accompany you while you are travelling, hiking or camping, or can provide barista-level coffee in the comfort of your home or office. Picopresso, the brand’s latest and most compact creation, features a naked portafilter, so creamy espresso will flow directly from the 52-millimetre stainless steel filter basket during the brewing process. $132.50, www.wacaco.com

BEOSOUND THEATRE

Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound Theatre is being pitched as the world’s most powerful and immersive soundbar, promising the experience of several gadgets in one. It comes with 12 speaker drivers, including two custom-made long stroke woofers and 800 watts of amplification power, providing sound pressure of up to 112dB. Three-dimensional sound is combined with a sleek, sailboatinspired design that is available in a wood or fabric finish. A modular format means it can be updated as technology evolves.

$6,890, www.bang-olufsen.com

LEICA D-LUX 7

Street photography, streetwear and street art are brought together in this limited-edition camera from Leica. The Leica D-Lux 7 A Bathing Ape x Stash model features a black-finish variant, sold by Leica, as well as a silver version available exclusively from A Bathing Ape. The special edition features the streetwear label’s signature ABC Camp look and Ape Head insignia, and is also marked with the distinctive tag of American graffiti artist Stash. The camera offers the same technical specifications as the serially produced D-Lux 7 model, including a large Micro Four Thirds sensor and a fast zoom lens with optical image stabilisation.

$1,970, www.leica-camera.com

GALAXY TAB ACTIVE4 PRO

Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro offers military-grade toughness, but is also light and portable, making it an ideal companion for today’s nomadic workforce. Its slimline frame is only 10.2mm thick and weighs 674 grams. Scratch and damage-resistant, the device can withstand extreme altitudes, temperatures, vibrations and humidity. At the same time, it houses the best of Samsung’s software, with an octa-core advanced processor guaranteeing faster speeds.

$695, www.samsung.com

JBL TOUR PRO 2 TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS

JBL’s newly unveiled Tour Pro 2 True Wireless Earbuds come with the world’s first smart charging case. The 1.45-inch LED touch display can be used to manage your music, customise your earbuds and receive calls, messages and social media notifications. The earbuds themselves offer true adaptive noise cancelling, with customisable ANC and ambient sound, as well as 10mm dynamic drives and a customisable sound experience throgh JBL’s Personi-fi 2.0. The oval tube design comes with several ear tip sizes for the ultimate comfort and performance.

$246, launching in January