TECH HACKS
ROBOMOW RS635 £2,799, JOHNLEWIS. COM
If an Englishman’s home is his castle, then his lawn is his kingdom. The only thing is, mowing that kingdom can be a real drag. Roll forward the robot lawnmower, above, which does chore so you don’t have to.
NFC RING £29.99, STORE.NFCRING.COM
Smart rings are often just smaller, more-expensive versions of wrist-based fitness trackers – but the NFC Ring is different. You load it with information – such as your bank card details, or a code for a smart lock – and the ring transmits the info via NFC (near-field communication) when held close to a receiver. James Bond would be proud.
POLAROID ONESTEP+ £149.99, POLAROIDORIGINALS. COM
The worst thing about smartphones and digital cameras has been the demise of photo albums. For all those who love collecting precious memories in physical form, fear not. Instant cameras are back and they are even better than they were in their Eighties heyday. Telegraph Recommended found the Onestep+ to be the best of the lot, capturing snaps just like you remember them.
ZUTAL ZUTALABS ROBOT PRIN PRINTER ZUTALABS. CO COM, PRICE TBC
Considering C our computers c are getting g smaller and lighter, l isn’t it about time ti that printers did the same? This crowdfunded crowdfu gadget is a fully powered po printer that fits in the th palm of your hand. Simply place it on a sheet of paper and let it draw out the page you’ve requested.
WICKEDBONE PRE-ORDER FOR £76.16 (PLUS SHIPPING), INDIEGOGO. COM
You can drive this remote control bone from the comfort of your home, using your smartphone – or simply set it to run away on its own without your commands. Exercising the dog just got that bit easier.
ECOQUBE AIR £153, GETECOQUBE. COM
According to a 2010 study, greenery in the workplace brings about a 37 per cent reduction in anxiety, and a 44 per cent decrease in hostility. The only problem, as we all know, is the keeping pla plants alive is hard. ha What y you need is a d desktop g greenhouse, above, a which d does all the w work for you.
MEURAL FRAME £ £599.99, FIREBOX.COM
Digital photo frames have evolved from the plasticky monstrosities of the past. This frame, above, allows you to display anything froma from a huge library of art (or upload your own); and the special screen ensures it looks just like a real print rather than a digital recreation. You can change the picture by waving your hand, or get information about the artist right there in front of you.
IROBOT ROOMBA 960 £750, AMAZON.CO.UK
Never again go through the boredom of vacuum cleaning; a robot can do your job for you instead. During testing, our Recommended team found the Roomba 960 to be the most intelligent and intuitive product on the market, praising its quietness and efficiency.
ANKI COZMO ROBOT £179.99, JOHNLEWIS.COM
Cozmo the cute, programmable robot gradually develops a big personality as you interact nteract with him. Then, by using the accompanying app, you can create your own features and load them into nto his little “mind”. It’s a engaging way of teaching children (and adults) the building blocks of coding – and it’s also good fun for all.