Tech Tools

The Logitech Cube, the Boostcase and the Dyson DC34.

The Logitech Cube, the Boostcase and the Dyson DC34.

Logitech Cube€70

Take a look at the Logitech Cube. It is small, slim and interesting to look at. And until you know what it does, it is utterly mystifying.

What is not obvious is that the Cube is a mouse and pointer. The wireless device hooks up to a laptop with a tiny USB transceiver and replaces your regular mouse with something that’s a fraction of the size and just as useful. You can click, double click and scroll with the best of them, then slip it into your pocket and it will barely make a ripple.

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It is rechargeable via USB too.

Boostcase€75

Have an iPhone? Then you have probably already come to realise the benefits of an external battery for those power emergencies. The problem is that many of them turn your sleek iPhone into a brick-like object. The Boostcase is a little more refined. On its own, it is a simple iPhone case, protecting your 4 or 4S with a colourful shell.

But if you start to lose power at a critical moment, you can snap on the battery pack to the bottom of the device and charge up your phone so you can keep that Song Pop winning streak going.

Dyson DC34€169.99

This hand-held vacuum cleaner maybe a little pricier than most but it is certainly worth the investment. Like others of its ilk, it is designed for short periods of use – cleaning up a few crumbs, disposing of some stray pet hair, a quick car tidy. Unlike some other hand-helds, though, it is powerful enough to tackle tougher jobs too.

It has 15 minutes of battery life – or six minutes on its maximum boost mode – but recharges quickly and, best of all, it doesn’t feel quite like a boring cleaning appliance in your hand.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist