Gadget of the week: MechRC, £399

Short of friends but full of pocket? Why not put your name on the preorder list for this mechanical mate available from iwoot.com. While your new buddy won’t be much use for long conversations and walks in the park he has adizzying range of dance moves pre-programmed into his tiny digital mind. You can create more choreography for him by using the accompanying software to plot out Flashdance.