Five stylish new gadgets to try, from coffee makers to robotic companions

Whether you are looking for a gift this festive season, or just want to treat yourself to something special, these gadgets are all designed to make life a little bit easier.

The stylish design of Nescafe’s Infinissima coffee machine will make it a welcome addition to your kitchen counter, also allowing you to choose from a variety of cup sizes, from short espressos to extra-large Americanos.

The new Gitamini is a robot companion that will follow you around and carry your things, while the Canon PowerShot PX is designed to capture those special moments in life on a voice command, so you can get on with enjoying the big occasion.

Infinissima

Nescafe has partnered with Italian small appliances manufacturer De’Longhi on a range of coffee machines that produce tasty drinks but also look ultra-stylish.

The sleek and slim design of the Infinissima is inspired by the symbol for eternity, and is created to blend into any modern kitchen.

An intuitive touchscreen allows users to choose from a variety of cup sizes, from short espressos to extra-large Americanos. There’s also an option to customise the temperature of your drink, as well as a cleaning reminder. The Infinissima comes in two minimalist colours – charcoal black or white – and is now available across the Middle East.

$149, www.dolcegusto-me.com

Canon PowerShot PX

Canon is calling its latest AI-powered camera “your own personal photographer”. The PowerShot PX is made to “capture candid moments”, leaving you with one less thing to worry about as those special occasions are unfolding.

The camera will automatically take photographs and record video using a built-in “subject recognition” system that will frame and select the shots, which you can browse later. The device will also listen to voice commands such as: “Hello Pixie, take a picture”.

The PowerShot PX comes with built-in Wi-Fi, which links to your smart device, and images are transferred to an accompanying app where users can pick the photos or videos they want. It’s portable and comes with a USB charging port so you can take it anywhere.

The PowerShot PX can take 11.7 megapixel photos or full HD MP4 videos and comes with a bundled 16GB microSD card. It can also move 340º left to right and 110º up and down, and can be used as a webcam with computers running the Windows 10 operating system.

The Canon PowerShot PX will be available later this year.

Price not yet released, www.canon-me.com

Anaori kakugama

It might look like something straight out of a Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Arrival) movie, but the Anaori kakugama is as real as it gets. Designed by Japanese carbon graphite specialist Anaori, the kakugama promises to infuse centuries-old cooking methods with new technical craftsmanship.

The minimalist cube, carved out of a single block of carbon graphite, is sleek in that typically Japanese way, and can be used for steaming, poaching, simmering, grilling, frying and even cooking rice. Carbon graphite is known for its thermal conductivity, which means food is cooked faster, but gentler, retaining its taste, texture and nutrients. It also means your food remains hot for hours after cooking.

The inner lid of the kakugama is lined with cypress found in Japan, which the company says “imbues your dishes with aromas of a Japanese countryside”. The Anaori kakugama is available in two sizes, 3.4 litres and 5.1 litres.

From $2,460, www.anaori.com

YSL Rouge Sur Mesure Set

Forget those myriad lipsticks filling up your cabinet or bag, and those precious minutes spent deciding which shade is perfect for the day. Yves Saint Laurent has launched an AI-powered device that enables users to create their own shade of liquid lipstick at the touch of a button.

The sleek gadget comes with space for three colour cartridges (shades must be grouped in threes, for example: reds, oranges and pinks) and pairs with an accompanying app. On the app, using augmented reality, the user is shown how the various shades will look on their lips. Once a colour is picked, the device will conjure up the precise shade and dispense it in a perfectly portioned single dose for application.

L’Oreal, which owns YSL Beauty, says the Rouge Sur Mesure Set can create “thousands” of shades just from one set of the three cartridges.

Available soon, $477, www.yslbeauty.com

A year after launching Gita (pictured), a robot that carries your belongings and follows you around, Piaggio Fast Forward has unveiled the Gitamini, a smaller but faster companion.

Just like its older sibling, the Gitamini comes with two large wheels, a trunk for storage and a combination of cameras and radar technology so it can follow its owner. Standing 48 centimetres tall, the 18-inch Gitamini weighs 12.7 kilograms and can carry up to 9kg for up to 34 kilometres on a single charge, making it more agile than the Gita, which can only go for 19.3km.

Based in the US, Piaggio Fast Forward is a subsidiary of the storied Italian company Piaggio, best known as the manufacturer of the Vespa. The company says the Gitamini is the “perfect size for navigating indoors, tight spaces like elevators, narrow hallways and busy shopping aisles”.

Pairing is done with just a tap on the Gitamini, and once it recognises its user it begins following them. An accompanying app can be used to lock and unlock the cargo bin lid (for anyone worried about theft), check battery levels and even stream audio via Bluetooth. When the user is idle for 30 minutes, the device will automatically power down in order to extend battery life.

Gita, in case you’re wondering, is Italian for trip.

The Gitamini is available in two colours, Boardwalk Beige and Spark Citron, $1,850, shop.piaggiofastforward.com

Updated: December 5th 2021, 1:46 PM