Blame the credit crunch or the surprising arrival of LG's Watch Phone, but hiding your gadgets away is the new showing them off.
Need proof? We've assembled 10 brilliant examples here - from stealthy outdoors speakers that brighten up any summer barbecue to mirrors that magically turn into TVs at the press of a button.
Just don't tell anyone, OK?
1. Pot Pourri Basket
£161 • Spycatcher 020 7224 1435
You'll love the smell of pot pourri in the morning, especially when its basket is equipped with a built-in GSM transmitter. It enables you to dial into the device from anywhere in the world and hear conversations within four to five metres of the basket, so it's probably best if you don't install it in the loo. The Pot Pourri basket is compatible with Vodafone and O2 mobile networks in the UK and requires three AA batteries to run.
2. LG LG-GD910
£TBC • LG UK 0844 847 5454
Your best spy/geek fantasies can finally come true! Revealed at CES 2009, this 3G watch phone enables you to both talk in to your wrist like an FBI man and/or pretend that you've just walked off the set of Star Trek. Key features include a 3.63cm touchscreen display, Bluetooth, 7.2Mbps HSDPA compatibility and an MP3 player - all wrapped in a 13.9mm thick shell. The best news is that the LG-GD910 should hit the shops later this year. We can't wait.
3. SpeakerCraft 600 Rox
£275 • CSE Solutions 01423 359054
Nothing puts the rock into rock music like a speaker shaped like an, erm, rock - which is where this gizmo from SpeakerCraft comes in. Available in a choice of finishes from granite to sandstone, it's sure to fit into any garden rockery. True, you can't run a home-based version of Glasto using it, thanks to its lowly 60W power handling, but it's sure to make your summer barbecue go with a bang. And it doesn't even matter if it rains, because the Rox Box is totally weatherproof.
4. Bamboo Boy
£96.89 • Spycatcher 020 7224 1435
This odd green alien was originally a kid-friendly radio, but Spycatcher ripped its guts out and replaced it with something more security conscious. It now sports a video camera which, along with the matching receiver, enables you to see what your pesky offspring are up to. You can even record their sins for posterity on your PVR. The Bamboo Boy has a wireless operating range of up to 100m and works in light levels down to 0.5 lux, which is almost total darkness. Result.
5. OmniMount Lift42
Around £750 • OmniMount 01280 850004
The next time you invite a lady over for 'coffee', be sure to surprise her with this - a motorised lift for your TV that can be placed in a cabinet at the end of your bed. The OmniMount Lift42 can handle TVs between 37-inches and 42-inches and size, becoming fully extended in just 15 seconds. And there's not a lot of things you can say that about, eh Mrs Wormley?
6. MirrorMedia MM32T
£4,182.55• Mirror Media 0870 3866333
It might look like an ordinary mirror, but behind the glass lurks a 32-inch display, plus a Windows XP Pro PC, powered by an 1.3GHz Intel Celeron processor. OK, so you wouldn't want to play World Of Warcraft on it, but it could be just the ticket for checking those last minute emails before you leave the house. Other goodies include 720p HD support, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a wireless keyboard and mouse.
7. Spy Camera Sunglasses
£89.99 • iWoot.com 0844 573 7070
The problem with most cameras is that they're about as stealthy as a Hawaiian shirt on American tourist, which is why these spy sunnies are so cool. Hidden in one arm of the glasses is a 1.3-megapixel still camera that's capable of taking images up to 1280 x 1024 pixels in size: perfect for surreptitious snaps on the beach. Other goodies include 1GB of built-in flash memory, polarised UV400 lenses and a long-lasting 9-hour battery. Indeed, the only thing that could give you away is having to fumble for the remote every time you want to shoot.
