Alex Innes

Your new AI helper can plan dinner, but sharing family details or handing it the heating controls could turn convenience into a nuisance. Check first.

A robin lands while the kettle boils; your phone catches the action. Pick the right feeder, place it sensibly and dodge Wi-Fi grief and pointless subscriptions.

You let AI summarise a report, then trust its verdict. The first saves time; the second may cost you the judgement you meant to keep.

The meeting ends, your pocket recorder produces neat notes, and someone asks where their voice went. Before you press record, check the costs and rules.

That forgotten handset could handle radio, timers and family calls from the worktop. But if its battery is swollen, the kitchen plan ends there.

Your watch nags you to hit 10,000 steps while an unused app renews again. The wrong numbers and quiet charges can undermine a perfectly good routine.

The first cold morning arrives and your heating app demands a login. Before buying, check whether a simple schedule and proper manual controls already do the job.

You can put a camera, speakers and an assistant on your nose. But if the lenses are wrong or the controls awkward, you have bought expensive faff.