COOL FOR KITTS

Mio Knight Rider sat nav Price tbc www.mio.com

We’re still waiting for parachutes and grappling hooks to be built into the average car, but at least one technology showcased in Knight Rider’s Kitt is about to become reality: actor William Daniels will soon be telling you to take the second right. If your name is one of the 300 programmed into Mio’s Knight Rider sat nav, the man behind the voice of Kitt will ask you where you want to go as LEDs pulsate in synch. It’s based on Mio’s 300 series, so you get a 4.3in screen, speed camera data and European maps.

TRAVELLER’S FRIEND

Live Luggage PA £700 www.liveluggage.com08458 696 171

The world’s first power-assisted suitcase promises to make your baggage feel 85% lighter. An angled handle redistributes weight over a pair of wheels powered by electric motors. To save power, the motors kick in only when tilt switches sense you’re struggling uphill or over rough ground, and will recharge the battery on a downward slope. Don’t worry about your togs speeding off without you: a sensor in the handle kills the motors should you let go. The 12V NiMH battery pack charges up overnight (international adaptors are provided), and should last for two-and-a-half hours. The technology accounts for less than a third of the 24lb total weight of the hard-shell design, and it can carry up to 70lb of baggage. Designed in Britain, too.

SMART SPEAKERS

Klipsch RoomGroove £199 per unit www.klipsch.com

These iPod speakers can be combined to form a wireless, multi-room music system. Each unit contains a retractable, recharging iPod dock, plus an auxiliary input to connect to a hi-fi or other make of MP3 player. Dot additional RoomGrooves around the house and they’ll wirelessly connect, streaming music to any or all units within 75ft. Sound quality should be good – Klipsch won our last iPod dock group test.

gear@sunday-times.co.uk

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