Um. I have this growing and mind-numbingly terrifying belief that very very soon we’re going to be surrounded by a vast ocean of chatty, peppy, personality charged devices which will be programmed to drive us all totally bonkers by behaving like a marketing man’s C3PO love child. How else to explain this ghastly Nobby thing? �25.00.

‘Nobby not only speaks the time. He also engages you in surreal interactive conversations. First get his attention by calling his name. Then ask him preset questions such as ‘how are you feeling?’, ‘how do I look?’ and ‘are you hungry?’ to which he gives a variety of distinctly cheeky answers. He sings songs on request (his choice not yours), helps you make decisions and talks you through the process of setting the alarm.’