James Bond's next adventure will be written by the author William Boyd, who says he will take 007 back to his roots in the "old-fashioned spying" of the cold war era. The Booker-nominated writer said he wanted to do away with gadgetry, emphasising "story and character" instead.

Boyd told the Today programme he didn't "quite see the point of moving the novel forward in time. What's fascinating about [James Bond author Ian] Fleming and Bond is the time in which it's set." He said "the films in a way rely on cars and gadgets but in a novel, describing some kind of elaborate gadget isn't quite the same as seeing it on screen".

The franchise has featured many such elaborate gadgets over the years from laser-emitting wristwatches and machine guns masquerading as bagpipes. Are there any that you've particularly enjoyed? If you think there's life in Q's contraption workshop yet, perhaps you have an idea for a piece of equipment that Bond really ought to be carrying …

• Follow Comment is free on Twitter @commentisfree