Saeco GranBaristo Avanti

This is the world’s first app-controlled coffee machine. Connected via a Bluetooth connection, users can choose from 18 coffee varieties and over 6,000 drink combinations via easy-to-use sliders within the app, which can also teach how to optimise each cup to suit individual tastes. Set recipes can even be shared on social media.

Price: £TBC see saeco.co.uk for details

Relonch Camera for iPhone

This unique iPhone case transforms the smartphone into a stylish compact digital camera. Slot the phone into the back and, with no setup process, the large aperture lens at the front bypasses the standard camera and shoots pin-sharp, high quality images loaded into the phone’s memory and iCloud. It can also top up the phone’s battery while you shoot.

Price: £306 from relonch.com

NomadKey

Designed as an alternative to carrying a metre-long charging cable, the NomadKey slips onto a keychain and means you’re never without a way to top up. It’s made from tough polycarbonates and elasticated materials for the rigours of pocket life, and available with scratch-resistant ends to suit Micro USB or Apple Lightning connectors.

Price: £18 from hellonomad.com

Swivelcard

Customisable business cards with a built-in USB drive and an optional data connection for analytics and updates even after it’s been handed out. Tear the perforations, fold the card and it slots into a standard USB port, while the Mini versions have a low-tack adhesive to avoid them getting lost. It’s a Kickstarter project at the moment, but due for market shortly.

Price: From $319 (200 cards) see intellipaper.info for details

APPS OF THE MONTH: 

Post-it Plus

A new use for familiar technology, this can capture up to 50 square Post-it Notes onto an iPhone or iPad, digitally recognising each one and allowing them to be grouped or organised. Because it’s all digital, the files can be shared between groups of people, combined with other sessions or shared in common file formats to make life easier.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Instapaper

A quick way to filter information from the internet, Instapaper allows you to save content to your phone, stored so it can be read later even without a data connection, complete with highlighted quotes and points of interest. It’s also cloud-based, so everything you find gets pushed to all of your other devices too.

Price: Free from Google Play and iTunes Store

LinkedIn Pulse

Tailored to your LinkedIn profile, Pulse selects the insight and articles most relevant to your career to keep you in the know. It picks out information from the world’s best-known titles, as well as the site’s list of top business influencers, broken down into a bite-sized format that’s easy to read on the go, and quick to share with others too.

Price: Free from Google Play

LG G Watch R

Launching in Q4, LG’s latest smartwatch is the first on the market to use all of its circular 1.3-inch plastic OLED display. It features a 4GB internal memory, a customisable watch face and can run a growing number of apps, as well as presenting reminders about calls, texts, calendar alerts and local weather.

Price: £TBA see lg.com/uk for details

Knomo Knomad Mini Power

Smart device storage with a difference – the Knomad Mini not only has a microfibre-backed slot for an eight-inch tablet, but its included battery means it'll stay topped up too. Made from high quality leather with brass fittings, it'll also keep your pens, cards, cables and passport safe on the move.

Price: £119 from knomobags.com

Samsung Galaxy Alpha

The latest addition to Samsung’s popular Galaxy family is one of the slimmest yet, with a soft-backed metal frame that’s less than 7mm thick. Yet it still bundles a powerful processor and 12 megapixel camera capable of shooting in four-times the resolution of HD, plus a 4.7-inch bright and clear AMOLED display. Black, white, gold, silver and blue versions are available on most popular networks.

Price: From £33 per month, see samsung.com/uk for details

TomTom Runner Cardio GPS

Unlock a wealth of data about your daily activities with TomTom’s new GPS-enabled tracker. It monitors heart rate to let you know when you’re pushing hard enough, shows how you’re comparing against past performances, and can even be used underwater. Much easier than lugging heavy equipment around.

Price: £219.99 from tomtom.com

Apps of the month: 

NEVO

Through the separate receiver and a wifi connection, NEVO turns your Android or Apple tablet into a remote control for televisions, DVD players and set top boxes. Its infra-red frequencies come from a comprehensive database, ensuring almost universal compatibility and making this an easy solution to an office or living room full of remote controls.

Price: Receiver £59 from oneforall.co.uk

Unread

Simple but beautifully designed, Unread pulls in all your favourite news sources via their RSS feeds and presents them clearly in a number of easily-read themes, including darker colours for night time browsing. Cycle between articles with a swipe of the thumb, share on social media or via e-mails and texts, or store articles to your own reading list.

Price: £2.99 from iTunes Store

1Password

Another step towards smartphones becoming a payment method, this not only creates a repository for all of your web passwords, but can store masses of data grouped into home and work sets too. It can be remotely locked if the phone is stolen, and features a built-in web browser which accesses its stored data for sign-ins.

Price: £6.99 from iTunes Store

BT Home Smartphone

Bringing smartphone functionality to your landline, this Android-equipped home phone uses a built-in WiFi connection to access the internet, social media, email and video calling apps and has a 300-metre range from its base unit. Nuisance call blocking and “do not disturb” functions are built in, and there’s a 2GB memory for storing music, video and up to 1,500 contacts.  

Price: £169.99 from bt.com/shop

House of Marley Get Up Stand Up Bluetooth

Containing a pair of powerful 4.5-inch woofers and one-inch tweeters housed within a piece of responsibly-sourced birchwood with a walnut veneer, the House of Marley is claiming room-filling bass and clear mid and high notes from its upmarket audio system. It can stream with or without wires, and charges devices through its built-in USB port.

Price: £299.99 from thehouseofmarley.co.uk

Roku Streaming Stick

Plugged into your television’s HDMI port, this can stream content from over 750 channels in up to 1080p HD resolution. Masses of downloadable apps means news, weather and media sharing functions can be added, while Android and iOS devices can stream content or take control. The included remote control also features a built-in headphone jack, and PC streaming is coming soon.

Price: £49.99 from roku.com/uk

Lavazza A Modo Mio Espressgo

Powered from a 12V cigarette lighter, this portable coffee maker means coffee addicts are freed from pricey service stations and lukewarm flasks. It slots into a cupholder, takes two minutes to brew an authentic Italian espresso, and is supplied with a carry case and 16 coffee capsules.

Price: £129.99 from lavazzamodomio.co.uk

Apps of the month:

Lowdown

Said to be the cure to the three hours wasted, on average, by businesspeople each week due to poor planning and late arrivals, Lowdown takes data from your contacts and calendars to give you a clear picture of the day ahead. It can plan inter-meeting journeys in real time, look up attendees via social media pages and show their recent e-mails for a clearer picture. A 30-day free trial is included.

Price: £1.99 per week, £4.99 per month from iTunes Store

Kabbee

A price aggregator for London taxis, Kabbee now has 400,000 users and works with 10,000 cars from 70 fleets across the capital, allowing users to compare prices, book and even pay for the journey via the app. There’s also an option to select a green journey, choosing from the 10% of available vehicles which are either hybrid or pure electric models.

Price: Free from Blackberry Appworld, Google Play, iTunes Store

POLAR Instant

Chargemaster’s dual-platform app offers access to the entire POLAR charging point network without requiring membership or an RFID card. Users can search for their nearest unit, with data about the connector and live availability shown, monitor energy usage and while most offer a free recharge there’s also the option to top-up using the network’s website.

Price: Free from Google Play and iTunes

EyeFi Mobi

A fast-access SD card with a trick up its sleeve; via a built-in WiFi connection it can instantly transfer images from a digital camera to an iOS or Android device for easy sharing and constant backups. Setup is as simple as pairing the card with a free app, and multiple smartphones and tablets can be connected at once.

Price: £41.99–£71.99 from en.eyefi.com

Bosch Indego

Bosch’s first robotic lawnmower is cleverer than most. After a 15-minute setup, it memorises the lawn and plots the most efficient route around the grass, avoiding obstacles as it goes. The battery lasts 50 minutes, it deposits the finely cut grass pieces as fertiliser and alters its route each time to avoid damaging any parts of the lawn.

Price: £1,299 from B&Q

Christopher Ward – C900 World Timer

London-based watchmaker Christopher Ward has reinvented the dual time-zone display to be as easy as possible to use. Using Swiss made internals, both the local and global hour hands use a 24-hour scale, and the local time zone is displayed as a three-letter airport code in a window at the 12 o’clock position. There’s a full list on the back for easy reference.

Price: £1,575 from christopherward.co.uk

Parrot Zikmu Solo

Penned by renowned French designer Philippe Starck, this stylish wireless speaker simulates stereo sound from a single unit. There are three flat panel speakers and a subwoofer inside the case, which is available in white or black, and music can be streamed via Bluetooth and WiFi or a line-in cable.

Parrot also has an Android and iOS app to remotely tweak its settings.

Price: £699 at www.parrot.com/uk

APPS OF THE MONTH: 

Everplaces

As sociable as you want it to be, Everplaces is a free memory tool which allows you to tag your favourite haunts or new discoveries on a map. Once there, you can store tips to get the best out of a visit and share them with friends and other users, or you can keep your map personal and use it as your own unique travel guide.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Directr for Business

With video and social media weaving tighter into businesses’ everyday lives, this simple app lets you create and edit short high-definition videos on a storyboard-like interface. Ideal for product demos, tours, interviews or event profiles, the completed project can be uploaded to all the usual social media platforms from the app.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Sunrise Calendar

Not what it sounds like, Sunrise integrates with Google and iTunes calendars and simplifies the iPhone’s Apple-supplied app. Instruct it to add events as you’d say it, such as ‘meeting tomorrow at 9.30am’ and it’ll do the rest, backing up as you use it, providing weather forecasts for your location and synchronising with LinkedIn.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Olloclip

Olloclip is a four-in-one clip-on lens system designed to expand the capabilities of the iPhone’s built-in camera. New shooting modes include a 180° fisheye lens, wide-angle and 10x and 15x macro lens for a focal distance down to 12mm, all made using high clarity glass with aircraft-grade CNC-machined aluminium bezels.

Price: £59.95 from olloclip.com

Morpher bike helmet

The world's first folding bike helmet makes it easier to stay safe without hauling bulky headgear around. Available from April 2014 onwards, it’s already surpassed safety regulations and the range is due to grow to include ski, skate and hockey helmets too.

Price: £48 from morpherhelmet.com

Asus Nexus 7

The second generation of Google and ASUS’s jointly-developed tablet offers the latest mobile technology, including wireless charging capability and what’s claimed to be the sharpest HD display on the market. Scratch-resistant glass and a 10-hour battery life both mean it’s ready for the road, while dual-band WiFi and optional 4G LTE give it the connectivity to match its processing power.

Price: From £199 from asus.com

Pioneer NavGate HUD

A generation ahead of the OEMs, Pioneer has unveiled an augmented reality display compatible with selected smartphone apps. It creates a clear 30-inch navigation display simulated around three metres in front of the driver, streams audio via Bluetooth and shows directions, camera and speed limit warnings and the usual clock and and arrival time as part of the landscape.

Price: £599.99 see pioneer.co.uk for details

APPS OF THE MONTH: 

Fetchnotes

A standout note-taking app which allows you to group tasks via the familiar Twitter inputs for easy access. Simply hashtag notes from the same task, and tag other users via the @ symbol to share them. It’s accessible via iOS, Android and a web app for maximum flexibility and is completely free.

Price: Free from Google Play and iTunes Store

Living Earth

Living Earth could be the most beautiful alarm clock you’ll ever use. Showing live weather, cloud patterns, ice and snow coverage and storm movements on a stunningly rendered 3D earth, it also features a world clock and forecasting information with sunrise and sunset times.

Price: £1.99 from iTunes Store

Genius Scan

Using your smartphone’s camera, Genius Scan allows you to create multi-page PDF documents which can be printed or shared via Dropbox, Evernote or Google Drive and exported to iBooks. Enhancing tools include cropping, straightening and colour-boosting options for clearer scans.

Price: 99p-£1.99 from iTunes, Windows Phone and Google Play

Bosch IXO Gourmet

Not your average powertool, the IXO Gourmet is able to uncork wine bottles and dispense salt and pepper from a spice mill using the included attachments. Of course, it’ll take on the typical DIY tasks too, thanks to a full range of the usual screwdriver, hex and allen-head fitments.

Price: £59.99, see bosch-ixo.com/gb for suppliers

Innergie Pocket Cell Duo

Pocket-sized and lightweight, but with enough energy to recharge two USB devices at once, Innergie’s latest charging device is ideal for those who frequently carry a hard working smartphone and tablet. To make it even more useful, it’s supplied with a three-in-one charging cable, compatible with both Apple connectors and micro and mini USB tips, to suit most devices.

Price: £99.00, see myinnergie.com for suppliers

Netatmo Urban Weather Station

Compatible with iOS and Android devices, this atmosphere monitoring kit contains indoor and outdoor modules which feed data about temperature, humidity, air pressure, noise and CO2 levels back to an app, alerting the user to the healthiest way to get around.

It also contributes to a network of climate change monitors spanning 75 countries, part of Netatmo’s Urban Weather Program.

Price: £139 at www.netatmo.com

Netgear PTV3000

This tiny wireless adaptor allows you to mirror the display on your smartphone, tablet or compatible laptop to a television screen, via a WiFi connection. Connected with a single cable, via HDMI for high definition or A/V for standard definition, it’s great for sharing videos, photos or presentations at home or work, and can be powered from a USB port.

Price: £79.99, see netgear.co.uk for suppliers

APPS OF THE MONTH:

Peekster

Finally linking print and online media seamlessly, Peekster can scan articles from a newspaper or magazine and search for the digital version which can be shared with friends and colleagues on social media, e-mail or text message. Metro, Evening Standard and City AM are compatible now, other titles are due to follow shortly.

Price: £3.99 from iTunes

CityMapper

A detailed navigation app witha difference – it’s multi-modal. CityMapper takes the hassle out of London commutes by planning journeys using a combination of cycling, walking or public transport, including live updates and updates and alerts on weather and potential delays on the buses and trains. New York is also included.

Price: Free from iTunes

Pocket

With an ever-increasing amount of content online, this useful app allows you to “pocket” interesting websites and social media content to your smartphone or tablet and access everything on the move, even if you don’t have an internet connection. Browser bolt-ons mean you can also store pages from your computer, to read later.

Price: Free from iTunes and Google Play

Energie ChargeGenie 200 Power Mountain

Storing enough power to add up to five hours of life to a laptop, up to ten full recharges for a smartphone and the ability to run two devices simultaneously, this paperback book-sized battery booster is an essential companion for frequent travellers. It also includes 15 connector tips to suit devices including cameras and sat navs as well as the usual laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Price: £159.99 from energenie4u.co.uk

Toshiba STOR.E Slim

Toshiba’s smallest and lightest portable hard drive is roughly the same size as a smartphone, yet it offers space to back up 500MB of data, locked and encrypted with a password. Within its slim, brushed aluminium case is capability to handle the latest USB 3.0 high speed data transfer and software to enable frequent, automatic backups.

Price: £49.99 see toshiba.co.uk

iPad Air

Tablets have become big business since Apple launched the first iPad, so the company has pushed hard to raise the bar with its latest version. Featuring a reduced bezel size, the iPad Air has shed 28% of its weight and 24% of its volume, while offering twice the performance of the fourth-generation iPad and retaining a useful ten-hour battery life.

Price: £399 from apple.com/uk

Naim audio dock

High-end home audio manufacturer Naim has launched its most affordable all-in-one unit, capable of playing digital or internet radio, USB inputs or wireless audio in impeccably high quality. It’s also capable of streaming audio to Naim receivers in other rooms via a network, with no echo or delay and the added ease of a single volume control for all connected devices.

Price: £1,150 from namaudio.com

APPS OF THE MONTH:

Pulse

More than a basic newsreader app, Pulse brings all your favourite newspaper, magazine, social networks and blogs together on a single iPad screen, and can store them so they’re available when an internet connection isn’t. It takes an unlimited number of sources and, if you see something you want to share, allows you to upload a link to your own social media profiles.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

FoxFi

Removing the need for a costly rooting or tether plan, FoxFi turns Android phones into a WiFi hotspot, sharing a data connection with the option to transmit data via USB or Bluetooth as a backup. All connections are protected by password and WPA2 security, and the software supports most phones with additional models constantly being added, the developer says.

Price: Free fromGoogle Play

QuickOffice

A free app which allows you to create and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents via an Android phone or tablet, storing them on the cloud-based Google Drive to access from other computers or portable devices.

It’s also compatible with PDF files, can attach any document to an e-mail for easy sharing, and up to 15GB of free storage space is available with a new account.

Price: Free from Google Play

Garmini Nuvi Inrix
The latest range of nuvi navigation systems comes in three levels to suit all tastes and budgets. All include lane guidance, while the top two direct users as a human navigator might, naming landmarks ahead and Premium-grade units render surrounding buildings in 3D. Garmin has also included free lifetime access to its Digital Traffic service, which gives detailed real-time updates on the roads ahead.

Price: £79.99–£299.99 from garmin.com

FitBit Flex
This discreet, waterproof wrist band tracks steps taken, distance covered and calories burned while you’re awake, uploading them wirelessly to an iPhone and Android app to allow easy monitoring and planning of fitness routines. It also tracks how well you’re sleeping, and features a silent, vibrating alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. Available in two colours with a vivid accessory pack.

Price: £79.99 from fitbit.com

MacPro
Apple’s latest vision of a professional desktop computer arrives later this year, looking radically different to its predecessor. It’s an eighth of the volume of the outgoing MacPro, with the 9.9-inch cylindrical case housing a triangular heat sink which allows its processors to offer 2.5 times the performance while staying cool. Plentiful connectivity and 10 times faster storage means it can handle whatever you demand.

Price: £TBA see apple.com for details

SB60 OrbitSound
The SB60 is claimed to be a solution to the loss of sound quality from ever-thinner televisions. Made from wood to minimise distortion, this single box is home to four speakers and simulates near-surround sound with exceptional clarity even at low volumes. It’s strong enough to support televisions with screens up to 55 inches and connects with a single optical cable.

Price: £299 from johnlewis.com

APPS OF THE MONTH:

Document Scanner Pro

Incredibly useful for note-taking, this low-cost app uses the iPhone’s camera to scan text in high resolution, with the ability to adjust for uneven lighting, shadows and poor contrast. It also features optical character recognition for 32 languages, turning new scans or existing images into text which can be edited, translated and shared online.

Price: 99p from iTunes Store

Photosynth
While most panorama apps allow simple left and right scrolling of the finished image, Photosynth is capable of rendering a spherical view of its surroundings by stitching photos together. Completed panoramas allow you to scroll up and down in 3D, as well as left or right, not only viewable on the app but with the option to upload to Bing Maps, the Photosynth website and social media.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Notability
Designed for easy note taking, Notability allows you to write and draw on your iPad, iPhone and iPad Touch using your fingertips. Most document types can be imported for annotations on the go, and it can make audio recordings linked to each note allowing transcriptions to be checked. Support for iCloud means everything is backed up instantly, and notes can be uploaded to Dropbox and Google Drive.

Price: £1.99 from iTunes Store 

Proximo

Keep track of up to five items – such as bags, keys, and cameras – with Proximo’s Bluetooth-based tracking fobs. Paired in seconds with the free iPhone app, each connected tag can be used to page each other, or the phone, and feature customisable proximity alarms and GPS tracking if they become separated. Two fobs are included in the starter kit, with extras costing from £15 each.

Price: £49.99 from Kensington.com

Google Chromecast

Chromecast is a low-cost, plug-and-play dongle which allows laptops, smartphones and tablets to stream content wirelessly onto a television screen. Plugged into an HDMI port, it’ll show content from Google web apps, such as YouTube and Google Play, and Netflix is the first of what should be many other developers launching compatible apps. 

Price: £23 from play.google.com

Globalgig

Aimed at avoiding excessive roaming charges, Globalgig provides flat rates for mobile data across 36 countries, from as little as 2p per megabyte.

The package is available as a SIM-only deal from £20 per month, or with a mobile WiFi hotspot capable of connecting to five devices securely.

Price: Hotspot from £50 with £21/month plan, SIM-only from £20/month from uk.globalgig.com

MYO Gesture Control Armband

Most movement detection software relies on a camera, but American technology company MYO’s armband monitors the electrical activity in users’ arm muscles instead, transmitting them wirelessly via Bluetooth for hands-free control of computer programmes. It’s netted over two million views on YouTube and 25,000 pre-orders for the first batch, which ships at the end of the year.

Price: £97 from thalmic.com

Deutsche Telekom V-Tron Driver Behaviour System

Real-time safety alert systems are becoming more common on new cars, and this kit allows the familiar road sign recognition, lane departure and collision warnings to be retro-fitted to any vehicle, as well as logging driver behaviour.

Price: £858 from marketplace.m2m.telekom.com

Prestigio dual SIM phone

Dual SIM smartphones allow a single handset to take care of both work and personal calls. Presigio’s stylish new 4.5 MultiPhone features an eight megapixel camera and damage resistant screen, but unusually comes backed by a two-year warranty as a sign of its durability.

Price: £179, visit prestigio.com for details

IronKey Workspace W500

More than just a memory stick, the W500 lets you take your Windows 8 Enterprise workspace on the road. It contains a full and encrypted operating system which can be booted on any computer with a USB port, housed in a case capable of protecting it from whatever your workplace can throw at it. Available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities.

Price: From £115, for stockists contact [email protected]

Shirt Shuttle

A useful solution for regular travellers or gym-goers, this waterproof and impact-resistant plastic case stops freshly ironed shirts succumbing to travel and storage-related creases. Inside, a textured folding board and collar stiffener hold everything in place, while an integrated hanger means it can even be hung up when you arrive. It's also light enough for hand luggage.

Price: £29.99 from menkind.co.uk

APPS OF THE MONTH:

Skobbler

The more affordable navigation apps usually require you to download maps as you go, easily racking up roaming costs and open to pausing mid-route when coverage runs low. Skobbler allows you to buy the app once and download a country to your phone for free, while other maps can be accessed online or are offered for low-cost download as cities, continents or countries.

Price: £1 from Google Play and iTunes Store

Inseries Calculator

A comprehensive scientific calculator on your phone, designed to make common calculations a lot more intuitive to enter. For example, tap in “100+20%” to get the total with VAT included, or “100-30%” to find out a price with a discount, and the memory will store all of your previous calculations allowing you to easy bring old results back to the top. 

Price: 69p from iTunes Store

Sooner

The ultimate to-do list app, Sooner automatically works out a daily schedule of tasks, projects and ideas based on how important you tell it they are. It’ll then synchronise them with your calendar, allowing you to set deadlines, reminders and recurring events to plan ahead more effectively. Great if you find there are never enough hours in the day.

Price: £1.99 from iTunes Store

Scholl U-Pop

Offering quick relief from neck ache at home, work or on the move, the U-Pop is a supportive cushion with a few extra talents up its sleeve. Powered from either a USB slot or mains adaptor, it features a built-in massager to help muscles relax and a heater mechanism to soothe aches and pains. The U-Pop is available in blue or green, with an adjustable strap for the best possible fit. 

Price: £29.99 from argos.co.uk

Pioneer XW-BTS3-K/W Speaker

Easily paired with any Bluetooth device, this two-speaker unit allows music to be streamed wirelessly from anywhere within range, with highly detailed output and powerful bass performance. This range-topping version features wooden casing for superior sound, and an integrated iPod and iPhone dock to keep batteries topped up while playing.

Price: £99.99 from pioneer.eu/uk

Kensington Key Folio

Tablet computers have become a vital business tool, and the KeyFolio makes them even easier to use. This white-stitched leather case not only protects your tablet from scratches, but it features a built in keyboard with rubberised, spill-proof keys and an adjustable stand to hold the screen at a suitable viewing angle. It also includes its own built-in battery to power the Bluetooth connection without draining your tablet’s own battery. Fitments are available for most common tablets, including the iPad.

Price: £79.99-£99.99 from kensington.com

Brother PocketJet Printer

Brother’s range of lightweight, portable A4 printers is designed to fit into briefcases or car gloveboxes. All feature USB, Bluetooth and infrared connectivity, plus compatibility with Windows Mobile or Android Devices, with ink and toner-free thermal printing technology to minimise mess and maintenance. A choice of home and in-car power sources is included, as well as a rechargeable battery pack.

Price: £406-538 from brother.co.uk

APPS OF THE MONTH:

GoogleDrive

This cloud-based system allows you to back up, share, edit and view all of your documents and photos from any device, anywhere. Items can be stored on the phone for editing offline, and because it’s all kept remotely there’s no chance of losing that vital document if your phone or laptop suffers a mishap. Google includes a generous 5GB of storage with a new account, which is plenty to get started.

Price: Free (with 5GB storage) from Google Play or iTunes store

AA Roadwatch Pro

TomTom’s incredibly accurate live traffic information is now available through a new app from the AA. The system combines data from multiple sources to give the most up-to-date overview of delays and roadworks en route, and can be set up to send a text message to the driver warning of problems ahead, allowing them to plan around it. With nine of Europe’s most congested cities in the UK, it could save hours sat in jams.

Price: Free from iTunes store, annual subscription £1.99

Microlise SmartPOD

Transport management, telematics and ePOD specialist Microlise has launched their electronic proof of delivery system as an application for Android smartphones. Designed to remove the additional costs of hand-held devices, it offers pay-as-you-go pricing for usage with detailed reporting of each job and an itemised bill at the end of the month.

Price: Free from Google Play

ThumbsUp Dual Power Bank

With two USB ports and enough capacity to fully charge a smartphone three times, as well as keeping an iPad charged on the move, this portable charging unit is perfect for moments when a standard battery won’t last long enough. Its LCD screen shows remaining charge, and three USB cables are included in the box, including one for Apple products.

Price: £39.99 from menkind.co.uk

Kensington SoundWave

GPS-based apps, such as navigation and driver monitoring tools, can quickly drain an iPhone battery. Kensington’s new windscreen- mounted cradle includes a charging cable and compact USB charger, and features a built-in speaker which amplifies voice directions, calls and alerts from whichever app you’re using through the speakerphone.

Price: £34.99 from Kensington.com

Blue Microphones Tiki

Claimed to be the first USB microphone capable of behaving like the human ear, the Tiki is able to focus on the required sounds and block out the rest. Keyboard tapping, whirring computer fans and other background noises are reduced, ideal for conference calls or recording interviews in CD quality, and it mutes itself automatically when not in use.

Price: £59.99 from Apple Store

HipKey

Designed to make it easier to keep track of your belongings, HipKey attaches to your keys or bag and is paired with a phone or tablet via Bluetooth. Leave either the fob or the device it’s paired with behind, and once you walk outside a pre-set proximity area it’ll sound an alarm.

HipKey also features built-in motion sensors to let you know if your bag is being moved, and can trigger an alarm to help you find your phone too.

Price: £69.95 from hippih.com

APPS OF THE MONTH:

Garmin StreetPilot

Understanding that navigation goes beyond driving, Garmin’s new app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch doesn’t stop navigating when you’re parked.

Its Urban Guidance mode includes public transport routes, while Google Street View lets you view your destination before you set off. Lane assistant, 3D buildings, driving style monitoring and Cloud synchronisation across all devices mean it’s just as capable inside the car too.

Price: £44.99 from iTunes Store

Delivery Status Touch

Keep track of packages from a growing list of delivery companies, including Amazon, City Link, DHL and Royal Mail, all from within one app. Simply enter tracking details and the app will show delivery times and the package’s location on a map. Companies not supported can also be tracked, though in less detail, and the app synchronises with a desktop widget for live updates.

Price: £2.99 from iTunes Store

Partly Cloudy

A clever and unique way to plan around the unpredictable British climate, Partly Cloudy uses a rotary clockstyle infographic to show temperature, wind and precipitation at a glance for any point of the week ahead. Favourite multiple locations within the app for easy planning and click to access detailed information as required.

Price: 69p from iTunes Store