Would you pay for a little peace and quiet?

Oliver Burkeman: ‘What does it say about the world that there’s money to be made in giving people a few minutes to hear themselves think?’

Fitness bands ‘less accurate than smartphones’ in counting steps

Study finds fitness bands incorrectly estimate number of steps by up to 22.7% while phones only get it wrong by, at most, 6.7%

Would you let a stranger wake you up with a phone call?

A new app, Wakie, promises that the ‘mental engagement’ offered by a call from another, random, user is an effective wake-up strategy – but does it work? We tested it for a week

Need a wee and have nowhere to turn? Yes, there’s an app for that

Airpnp claims to have solved the age-old problem of needing to urinate at short notice by connecting users to bathrooms, for a price. But does it actually work?

The quiz of you: what were you like in 2014? Take our tests (no cheating)

Were you productive, mindful, healthy – and did you win the internet?

Ebooks at night won’t help you sleep tight, US study finds

Alison Flood: Harvard researchers say light-emitting ebooks negatively affect our sleep and lead to next-day grogginess

Losing your smartphone: the five stages of grief

Dean Burnett: Given how indispensable smartphones can become to a person’s life, the loss of one is worryingly hard to cope with

Which health websites can you trust?

Ann Robinson: With online health advice ranging from the helpful to the hysterical, where should you turn when illness strikes? Health experts share the websites they recommend

Sense: A gadget to change the way we sleep

James Proud’s sleep monitoring device is a step beyond those on the market, sensing a range of environmental factors to help you get a better night’s sleep

2015 will be the year wearable tech gets under the skin

The next wave of wearables, from smartwatches and ‘smart’ clothes to health trackers