Tech Tools

Making toast can often be a guessing game. One day, a certain setting gives the perfect slice of toast; the next, a slightly different bread slice gets incinerated. But a new toaster is aiming to change that, sensing the change in the hue of the bread so you can get a perfectly toasted slice each time. And because it works on a percentage difference in hue – it uses image sensors to gauge your required level – it will work equally well for different types of bread, from regular white sliced pan to multigrain. It's only a concept product at the moment.

madeby.basheertome.com/hue

These customised speakers are brilliant. Take one vintage case, some speaker parts and transform a simple case into a portable speaker that you can use anywhere with your digital music player or mobile phone. In fact, anything with a headphone output will work. The battery lasts for more than 12 hours on a single charge, and given its origins, is easy to transport. You can even customize your own, starting with your choice of case and then add in the options you want – Bluetooth is now a possibility, as is a battery meter – though the more you add, the more it costs.

Theboomcase.com

Canon’s latest crop of compact digital cameras includes the Powershot SX280, a versatile point and shoot device that includes a powerful zoom, Canon’s latest Digic image processing technology and wifi. The 20x zoom means you get up close to your subject, with a 25mm lens allowing you to get most of your subject in the frame easily. It shoots full HD video at 60 frames per second, and with the built-in wifi, you can share images instantly to your smartphone or tablet, or online photo sharing platform. The real star of the show though it Canon’s Digic 6 processor, which allows you to capture in low light conditions, with low noise and more detail than ever before.

Canon.com

If you are a PC gamer, a good mouse is an essential piece of kit. Logitech’s new G700s is a rechargeable wireless mouse aimed at gamers, which claims to be up to eight times faster than a standard USB mouse. It has 13 programmable buttons. It also charges while you play should your gaming session continue for a little longer than necessary. All you need is a micro USB cable. Logitech has also thought of a few essentials, like a hydrophobic coating for the mouse so your palm doesn’t stick to it, and a special grip on the side of the mouse.

Logitech.com