The best James Bond-inspired gadgets to buy

CELEBRATE the release of Spectre with these spytastic gadgets even Bond would love to have
Power Pen, available from firebox.com. Picture: PAPower Pen, available from firebox.com. Picture: PA
Power Pen, available from firebox.com. Picture: PA

IHat MP3 Headphone Hat, £9.95, from www.prezzybox.com

As autumn turns to winter, you will be tempted to reach for your hat. But if you listen to music as you stroll around, it can be a tough decision - stretch your hat over your headphones or go without your precious tunes? That’s where this beanie hat comes in handy. To passersby you’re just wearing a hat to keep the cold at bay, but actually, on the inside, there are tiny speakers which sit next to your ears so you can listen to your music without ruining your head-topper. Wires run at the back of the hat, so you can plug them into you phone/MP3 player discreetly. One word of caution, the hat is pretty big, so if you’ve got a small noggin it might not be for you.

ThumbsUp! Clock Camera Recorder, £44.99, from www.maplin.co.uk

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It’s not unusual to find a clock sitting on a mantelpiece, and this one won’t look out of place. However, while it tick-tocks away, it also has another hidden function. Motion activated, it has a tiny camera which takes both stills and film footage of what’s going on in front of it. If the motion stops, so will the camera (it will go into standby) so your SD card doesn’t get full. Once you’re ready to look at the footage, use the USB lead supplied to connect it to your PC or Mac. The clock comes with a 4 GB SD card, but you’ll want to invest in a larger one.

Ekocycle Ada + Nik Camera-Enabled Biker Jacket, £800, from www.Harrods.com

OK, unless you are as sharp a dresser as Mr Bond you won’t be keen to splash out £800 on a jacket but boy, does this take the tagline ‘wearable tech’ seriously. A beautiful biker jacket (available small, medium, large) which is also eco-friendly, it’s made of leather and the less traditional material, plastic bottles. Where the tech comes in is on the little square situated on the breast pocket. Charge it up, turn it on and it will take a photo every 30 seconds. Despite the small size it will store up to 8,000 photos which you can sync to your smartphone using the accompanying app. A real 007-style gizmo.

Duck Thermometer Toy, £6, from www.my1styears.com

You might not think a rubber ducky is particularly Bond-like - or even a gadget - but this one is! On its belly you’ll find a blue circle that will protect your little one from a bath time burn. Pop the duck into the bath for a minute, take a look at it and if on the circle it says ‘HOT’ in white letters you’ll know you need to add some cold water or let it cool down until the word disappears and it’s safe to pop your bundle of joy in the tub. They’ll like the duck and you’ll like the reassurance of the thermometer.

Power Pen, £24.99, from www.firebox.com

A pen with hidden capabilities must be the best known of all secret agent gadgets, and this one will appeal to modern-day spies. It does of course work as a regular ballpoint pen and for the tablet carriers amongst us, there’s a stylus too. However, its real gadgetry is hidden in the middle. Unscrew the pen and you’ll find a 700mAh battery at the ready to charge up your phone - it has lightning and micro USB ends for all types of smartphones. When you’ve used up its power, just connect it via USB to your computer and load it up ready for its next mission. A lovely pocket-sized charger which will definitely impress.

Plantronics Back Beat Sense Stereo Headphones, £122.87, from www.amazon.co.uk

These wireless headphones look good and come with crystal-clear sound. That’s just the beginning, you can connect them to two devices at the same time (via Bluetooth). Ideal if you’re watching something on your tablet, but want to receive calls on your phone at the same time. Next, do you hate it when you’re in the middle of listening to something, only to be interrupted? Well, the headphones feel your pain. When you lower them from your ears, they will pause the audio so you don’t use up battery life unnecessarily, or miss out on your favourite tunes. However, where these headphones really have their Bond moment is on the OpenMic function. No longer will you miss out on vital conversations while tuned into your music. They can pick up on noise around you and play it through the speakers so you’ll be able to listen in without other people knowing.