What to give the tech head in your life

Buchla 50th Anniversary Edition Music Easel synthesiser, £9,999
It might look like a retro novelty instrument, but the nursery-coloured stylings of the Music Easel synth belie its extraordinary versatility. This special limited edition to mark its 50th anniversary is the ultimate musical geek-out. signalsounds.com

Aarke kettle, £200
I despise my existing kettle with a passion, although it has taught me (if nothing else) never to skimp on such things. Aarke, known primarily for its carbonators, has taken a bold leap into the world of boiling water with this gleaming, quiet, cool-touch model, and I heartily applaud its dishwasher-safe limescale filter. uk.aarke.com

Une Histoire de Mekanïk by Magma, €200
The Magma T-shirt I wore in a recent video I made for HTSI’s Instagram provoked more comment than I was expecting. I can’t pretend we’re all obsessed with French mid-1970s prog-rock, but for those that are, this seven-album box set revisiting their masterwork is a treat. seventhrecords.com

Philips Kokoon earbuds, £249.99
The original Kokoon Nightbuds were a fantastic idea let down by poor build quality (I got through two pairs and ended up having to turn them on using a mini screwdriver). Thankfully, the involvement of Philips has seen those problems evaporate. I genuinely couldn’t sleep without them. kokoon.io

Anker Prime Powerbank, £129.99
Keeping multiple devices fully charged all day generally requires you to tote around an unwieldy battery pack. This new Anker model is hefty but compact, with a screen that details any current charging speeds and the precise amount of juice remaining. anker.com

Quad Revela 2 hi-fi speakers, £3,499
If the quality of a product is directly related to the longevity of the company making it, anything by Quad (founded 1936) will be right up there. The Revela 2 is its first launch for seven years, a beautiful pair of floor-standers with a crisp, crystal-clear high end. quad-hifi.co.uk

Bellroy Via Workpack rucksack, £145
My urge to become supremely organised has grown in recent months, and while I know I’m ultimately fighting a losing battle, this backpack/tote crossover gives tech obsessives like myself the best possible chance of maintaining impeccable order while on the move. bellroy.com

Computer Engineering For Big Babies by Chase Roberts, $33
This is the sequel to the Kickstarter hit Computer Engineering For Babies, which my son (then just a few months old) adored. This book has more lights, more switches, more intrigue, and provides a crash course in “If This Happens, Then That Happens” for the precocious toddler in your life. computerengineeringforbabies.com

Soundbrenner Core 2 smartwatch, $229
There are smartwatches for the cool kids, smartwatches for the health-conscious, smartwatches for Apple devotees, but what about the musicians? The Core 2 comes with a metronome (vibrating rather than ticking), tuner, decibel meter and an app to assist with practising tricky passages. soundbrenner.com

Hozo Design NeoRuler smart ruler, $129
It’s designed for designers and architects, but the slick ingenuity of this digital ruler is not lost on this casual observer. It takes accurate digital measurements, converts them, scales them up and down, assists with accurate drawing and has a caliper add-on for 3D measuring. My wife, a theatre set designer, said “whoah”. hozodesign.com

Wellyweight, £24.99
The Lewises – Hermione (12), Fletcher (8), Hels and Mal – devised a game to play in the pool that involved diving after a small light-up welly boot and bringing it back to the surface within a given timeframe. They loved it. Their friends loved it. So they decided to get it manufactured, and here it is. The definition of a family business. wellyweight.co.uk

Vestaboard noticeboard, £3,095
Why scribble shopping lists on a whiteboard with a marker when you can install a display inspired by the split-flap boards that conveyed critical information to rail travellers in years gone by? This app-driven family messageboard is quite unlike anything I’ve seen. I love it when a crazy idea comes to fruition. uk.vestaboard.com

Google Pixel Fold smartphone, £1,749
Large handsets are too cumbersome, but small handsets are, well, too small. The Pixel Fold offers the best of both worlds, behaving like a phone when it’s shut and a tablet when it’s unfolded. A wealth of neat camera features and two beautiful displays offer concrete proof that foldable devices aren’t just a passing fad. store.google.com

Soundboks Gen 4 speaker, $999
The market leader in absurdly sized Bluetooth speakers, Soundboks has just unveiled this beast, which can pump out music at max volume (126db) for six hours, or at medium volume for around 40. Whether you consider this to be a boon for partygoers or a public nuisance, the tech is impressive. soundboks.com

Jorvik JMT11 mountain trike, £4,299.99
My son (19 months old) recently got his first trike, a push-along Doona Liki, and I aspire to his newly acquired off-roading style. The JMT11’s two full-size batteries, 70-mile range and top speed of 25mph will ensure that I leave him for dust. jorviktricycles.com