Sony Walkman NWZ-WS613

Sony's waterproof and lightweight MP3 player

Dedicated MP3 players are now something of a rarity, as these days most of us tend to use our smartphones for music on the go. Sony has therefore gone out on a limb with its latest Walkman, the 4GB NWZ-WS613, which is aimed at runners, walkers and swimmers.

Sony has miniaturised its MP3 player to such an extent that it’s entirely self-contained inside earphones. It weighs just 40g and is waterproof. Tiny buttons on the left earphone control volume and Bluetooth, while power and playback controls are on the right. We’d prefer these buttons if they were a different shape, making it easier to distinguish them by touch alone, but we soon got the hang of them. Built-in Bluetooth means you can use the NWZ-WS613 as wireless earphones for your phone or tablet. A small Bluetooth remote control, which is designed to fit around your fingers like a ring, is included for joggers, but it’s not waterproof.

3D Systems Cube 3

A printer that can create actual, three-dimensional objects

3D printing is one of the most intriguing technologies to emerge in years. The Cube 3 works in a similar way to inkjet printers, but creates actual physical objects you can use rather than a printed page. It uses plastic rather than ink, and this is heated to the point of melting and then forced out through the print nozzles, creating a fine, sticky thread. Motors move the nozzles back and forth over a flat surface. The nozzles are raised slightly after each pass so that the next layer of thread is stacked upon the previous one. Once this process has finished, and the layers of thread have cooled, you have your 3D object.

HP Envy x213

HP's answer to Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 falls flat

Intel’s new Broadwell processors are supposed to herald a new era of lighter, more flexible Windows 8.1 laptop-tablet hybrids, but HP has opted for a highly derivative design for its first Broadwell-equipped computer. The Envy x213’s design resembles that of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, but not only has HP failed to learn from Microsoft’s mistakes, it’s managed to make plenty of new ones.

The x213 weighs 1.3kg, but attach the included screen cover (which doubles as a keyboard) and the weight balloons to 1.8kg. Throw in the charger and this bulks up further to 2kg. This isn’t overly hefty for a laptop, but it’s heavy for a tablet. This weight, along with its thickset design, makes the x213 uncomfortable to use as a tablet. Thanks to the Intel Core M 5Y10 fan-less processor, there are at least no cooling vents pumping out hot air over your hands and it’s whisper quiet.

Synology DiskStation DS415play

A versatile NAS for large storage needs

Synology’s network attached storage (NAS) devices are generally more expensive than the competition, but we’ve been impressed with their previous models - they’re easy to use and come with a wide range of useful features. The DS415play is particularly pricey (at just under £400 without hard drives), but it can accommodate up to four drives and its new features really set it apart.

Fitting your hard drives is very straightforward. The four drive trays are easily accessed by removing the front panel. You don’t need any tools for this unless you’re inserting laptop hard drives or SSDs, which are physically smaller than desktop hard drives. We installed four 3TB Western Digital Red drives in a matter of minutes. With two or more drives installed, you have the option of using RAID if you want. We used RAID 5, which means that should one drive stop working, all your data is still safely stored on the other.

Serif WebPlus X8

Make your own website with this sophisticated software for beginners

As a way of building attractive websites without having to learn how to code, Serif WebPlus has always been one of our favourite programs. Recent versions have added features aimed at small businesses, such as the ability to add various types of contact forms and a booking system to your website, alongside more fundamental improvements like 64bit support and cleaner, faster-loading HTML code. The latest version, WebPlus X8, builds upon this sound foundation.

Epson Expression Premium XP-620

A flexible MFP that can even print on discs

Epson’s Expression Premium XP-620 is an inkjet multifunction printer (MFP) designed for general use in the home. As its name promises, it’s got reasonably high-spec features, including wireless networking, a colour screen and automatic duplex (double-sided) printing. There are two paper trays - one handles sizes up to A4, while the other handles photo paper up to 5x7in. You can load both trays and the printer wall choose the appropriate one for the job. Tucked away underneath is a tray for loading printable CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

Asus MeMO Pad 7 (ME572C)

The cheap Android tablet that's better than the Tesco Hudl 2

Asus isn’t a household name, which is a shame because the Taiwanese company makes some great products, such as top-notch Chromebooks and Windows laptops. It also made the discontinued Nexus 7 Android mini tablet, which does now at least have a spiritual successor in the shape of the MeMO Pad 7.

Like the Nexus 7, the MeMO Pad 7 (not to be confused with previous models with similar names) is a 7in Android tablet with a 1920x1200-pixel screen. Unlike the Nexus it’s not guaranteed to get the latest versions of Android, although it does come with the second most recent version (4.4 KitKat) installed. There are rumours the 5.0 Lollipop upgrade will come in May, but this is no cause for alarm because KitKat is a good operating system.

Sony Xperia Z3

The big waterproof rival to Samsung's Galaxy S5

While Samsung dominates the Android phones market, there are alternatives worth considering. We’ve always been big fans of Sony’s previous Xperia phones, and the Z3 is the latest incarnation.

Previous Xperias have suffered from screens that lacked the radiance of rival phones. That’s no longer the case here - the Z3’s 5.2in screen is bright with impressive colour accuracy and contrast, wide viewing angles, and - thanks to the 1080p resolution - sharp text. Like its smaller-scale counterpart, the Z3 Compact, the Z3 uses a slightly modified version of Android 4.4 KitKat, with an upgrade to 5.0 Lollipop promised in the near future.

Chillblast Fusion Rhino

A fast and colourful Windows 7 PC

The Chillblast Fusion Rhino is an updated version of the Fusion Mammoth, one of our favourite PCs of 2013. Although the Mammoth wasn’t cheap and was sold without a keyboard, mouse or monitor, it was nonetheless a great PC (we gave it five stars) thanks to its power, compact size and quiet operation. The Rhino retains all of these great qualities.

The Rhino’s dimensions are more compact than most tower PCs, so it saves space whether on your desk or under it. It would be a shame to hide it away though because it’s available in a variety of eye-catching colours (red, white, orange, black, green and blue). It’s an attractive look, particularly the red and blue (see main image) versions. The Rhino has plastic moulded handles in case you ever need to relocate it, but it’s a heavy beast and over longer distances the handles will start to dig into your hands, so you don’t want to be moving it far.