Geek out: these are the 14 best petrolhead gadgets of 2015

Unlike the Lexus hoverboard, this one is clearly in contact with the ground, although it gives its rider the sensation of flight thanks to a central ‘drive hub’ comprising an electric motor and stabilising gyroscopes.

The hub talks to ground-sensing sonars at each end, and together they work to keep the board level, so the deck itself ‘floats’ above the floor like a finely balanced see-saw. Having said that, the wheel also pivots, so you can carve turns like a surfer.

A word of warning though: by its makers’ admission, it’s not the simplest thing to master. “The riding experience isn’t learned,” they say. “It’s earned…”

It’s currently at the crowdfunding stage and a pledge of around $4k bagsies a board...

$4,000 approx; hoverboard.com

Although its name suggests flight, you’ll only be airborne when you fall off. Which you will be while practising. But it doesn’t take long to grasp, especially if you’ve ever tried a Segway – it’s like a mini one of those, without handlebars. And much more fun.

£599; theairwheel.com

The size of a large laptop, this claims to be the world’s smallest electric vehicle. Essentially it’s a motorised platform capable of carrying an adult human at 6mph for seven miles, and can be stored in a backpack when you’ve finished looking absurd.

£550 approx; cocoamotors.com

Unlike many in-car phone mounts, which sucker to the dash or screen in obtrusive positions, this flexy unipod can go almost anywhere, then bend around obstacles into the perfect position. Magnetic mount attaches to phones, tablets, cameras and more.

£26 approx; bungajungle.com

If you’re still pushing your vacuum around, you’re doing it wrong. This is the latest, greatest robo-slave by iRobot – it senses its way around, sniffs out dirt with acoustic sensors, removes it with strong, brushless extractors, docks and recharges. All by itself.

£599.99; irobot.co.uk

Gone are the days when roofboxes needed planning permission. This one’s super slender, so not only does it look better, it generates less wind noise and has less impact on fuel economy. At 500 litres it also holds a boot’s worth of stuff.

£310; thule.com

It’s a jump-starter that fits in your handbag. But despite its chocolate-bar proportions (just 1.7cm thick), it has enough juice to start almost any engine, even if the battery is completely dead, and can also boost your phone. All you need now is a handbag.

£79.99; cobraelectronics.co.uk

Unless you have an exceptionally tall handyman, cleaning out the gutters is a bothersome, ladder-shuffling task. This rat-like robot will do the dirty work for you, scurrying along the pipes and blasting out leaves with its 500rpm blades and brushes.

£199.99; irobot.co.uk

As any hi-fi geek will tell you, the shape and size of your room has a huge influence on how sound behaves once it leaves the speakers. It’s no different when the speakers are strapped to the side of your head and the ‘room’ is inside your bonce. That’s the science, but what can be done? Quite a lot, as it happens.

Look at these range-topping headphones by AKG. Using two microphones in each cup, on-board software analyses the shape of your ear canal based on frequency response and air-pressure distribution. In other words, it knows how sound moves in your head holes and applies filters and corrections accordingly.

None of this comes cheap, but they’re at the top of their game and come in a shiny gold box.

£1,300; uk.akg.com

The wireless A6 won’t just fill a room, it’ll actually become part of the furniture. The fabric covers come in many tones and turn it into an ornament – one that throws lovely music around your house, especially if you buy several and link ’em up.

£799; beoplay.com

Current Ambilight tech emits a colourful glow around your TV, corresponding to colours on the screen. But AmbiLux extends the whole picture by projecting a ‘halo’ of on-screen images onto the wall behind, creating light and action around the telly.

£TBC; philips.co.uk

“The best loudspeaker isn’t one that gives the most, it’s the one that loses the least”. That’s the B&W mantra, and these updated, redesigned icons live up to it, with their (real) diamond tweeters and aerofoil base cones that together deliver pristine sound.

From £4,500; bowers-wilkins.co.uk

This little black box turns a normal telly into an altogether smarter one, by hooking up to streaming apps such as Netflix, Now TV, iPlayer and others. Newer, pricier rivals are lining up, but none beat the Roku’s suite of apps and user-friendliness.

£69.99; roku.com

The world’s first phone with a 4K screen and 4K video capture. Takes mobile filming and viewing to a whole new level, previously the domain of pro digital cameras and stonkingly expensive televisions. YouTube will never be grainy again.

£629; sonymobile.com