The most underpriced present you can buy

During the second Gulf war, simply out of curiosity, I found myself visiting the website of a giant American mercenary organisation. At the top of its home page I was surprised to see the words ‘online shop’. Thinking I could perhaps order an airstrike, or a fleet of Humvees to collect my daughters from school, I clicked on the link. All that was on offer was a range of brightly coloured beach towels displaying the company’s logo — a giant bear’s pawprint next to the word ‘Blackwater’. Needless to say, I bought two: one in orange and one in pink. In all honesty, I don’t think my wife was entirely thrilled with them that Christmas.

So I’d never claim to be one of the world’s great gift-givers. But this year I can safely recommend a gadget which would make a reliably good present, even — perhaps especially — for the Luddites in your life. At around £25-£30, smart speakers are now absurdly cheap for what they can do.

For the most part, technology doesn’t make a very good surprise present, since people who don’t like it don’t want it, and people who do like it prefer to choose what they buy. But a smart speaker is an exception. It may in fact prove most popular with the very kind of elderly or technophobic recipient who would never consider buying one. You will mostly have seen them promoted as a way to do slightly geeky things such as controlling your home lights using voice commands. This makes them look like a product for weird people. In fact they are equally useful for a range of everyday purposes.