Archos 2 £40, www.archos.com

What is it? The most affordable 8GB MP3 player in the world — even after a hefty postage charge, it’s less than half the price of the comparable iPod Nano. It boasts more features than the Apple player, too: into similar credit-card dimensions the Archos packs a microphone and a MicroSD card slot. It plays video on the colour 1.8in screen, and can display text files and, saved in the .lrc format, song lyrics while you listen. Your music needs to be in the form of MP3 or WMA files, and getting it onto the player involves inelegant, if practical, drag-and-dropping from a PC or Mac. Available in white, black and novelty purple. There’s also a 16GB version in the works.

Should I buy one? The touch controls may not have the effortless usability of an Apple player’s click wheel and there’s no pretty software to stare at, but in memory terms you do get an unprecedented amount of bang for your buck. Replace the cheap supplied earphones, though.

Candy Bar Cam £134, www.securicorp.com

What is it? A home security camera that, unlike most rival systems, can be monitored over the internet without your having to pay a subscription charge for the privilege. The Candy Bar is easy to set up: attach it to your home network’s router using the supplied ethernet cable, run the software on your PC and it registers itself automatically. After that you can detach the cable and leave it to broadcast 640x480-pixel video, with audio, wirelessly over the internet. Your password-protected video feed can be accessed through a website, and up to 16 cameras can be viewed in a single browser window. Indoor and outdoor night-vision versions are also available. The feed can even be viewed on a 3G mobile phone, or set up so that the motion detector will snap a still image of the cat sneaking in and send it to you by e-mail.

Should I buy one? The initial outlay may be large — especially if you’re running 16 of the things — but the convenience of the browser-based viewer and the lack of charges are big pluses.

Nike LunarGlide+ £80 www.nikestore.com

What is it? A shoe that Nike claims will support the foot of any runner, whatever their gait. Experienced athletes will know the quirks of their running style, such as whether or not their foot pronates — turns inwards — as it strikes the ground. That knowledge dictates the style of shoe they should buy. Nike’s new shoe combines both the all-round cushioning required by a so-called neutral runner with mid-sole support in the form of a tough wedge to stabilise the gait of a pronator. That wedge will come into play only if the foot turns inwards on striking the ground; the neutral runner should not notice it. This combination of styles proves its worth if, in the course of a run, you encounter a variety of surfaces, some of which cause the foot to pronate and some of which don’t, or if your gait changes because of tiredness over the course of a long session.

Should I buy them? If you’re sure your running style never changes, you’re best off with a specialised pair of shoes. But for anyone whose gait can change with circumstances, the LunarGlide+ should be ideal. Available from the end of next month.

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