10 Fun Gadgets You Can Use All Summer
Summer is a time to disconnect, but that doesn't mean you have to put all gadgets aside. Here are 10 gizmos to help you beat the heat and have fun.
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For many of us, summer months are prime time to relax, lay out in the sun, and leave our phones and laptops to cool off while we soak up vitamin D.
Technology isn't usually top of mind when it comes to summer shopping lists. How many people want to spend their off hours staring at a screen when they could be enjoying the warm weather outdoors?
Most of the digital tools we use for work aren't built for the outdoors. You'd be squinting to read email on your brand-new two-in-one device under the sun's harsh glare, and one splash from a nearby pool would render it useless anyway.
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That said, not all tech tools are built for productivity. Some of them are only meant to help you have fun. Now that we've reached the unofficial start of the year's best season, it's time to put aside your laptop and business phone and start browsing summer-friendly tech.
Summer gadgets are not designed to distract you from a good time, but rather to help you make the most of one. Whether you're trying to stay cool on a weekday afternoon, to enjoy a casual barbecue over the weekend, or to snap photos of your holiday travels, there's a fun gizmo waiting to help.
Here we take a new angle on the tech shopping list and recommend a few gadgets perfect for summer months. Do you own any of these, or would you pick some up to get the season started? Is there anything you would add to this collection?
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The Waterproofed iPod Shuffle Swim Kit includes the same iPod shuffle you'd normally use, but waterproofed by Waterfi. The 2GB shuffle is waterproofed to 210 feet below the surface. It has 2GB memory to hold songs, podcasts and audiobooks, and a promised 15 hours of battery life. The shuffle comes with waterproof short-cord headphones, also from Waterfi.
The kit retails for $155.
The Juice Pack H2PRO from Mophie provides waterproof protection and an extra battery for your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s. It's a handy case for long days at the beach, by the pool, or anywhere you'll be close to water and far from an electrical outlet to charge your phone.
The case is water resistant for up to 30 minutes in 1.2m of water. A 2,750 mAh battery gives 100% extra battery life for up to 20 additional hours of Internet browsing or 28 additional talk hours.
The Juice Pack costs $130 on its own, but you can add a belt clip for $30 and a dual USB car charger for $20.
What's a beach day without some tunes? The Mighty Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker from Morrison Innovations gives you sound for music, videos, and games. It's small and built for outdoor use. The speaker is waterproof and dustproof, and it floats. There is also a suction cup to stick the speaker to a tablet, table, or even a surfboard.
A rechargeable battery lasts up to six hours on a single charge. In the event you need to jump on a call in the middle of a vacation day, the Mighty Speaker has a built-in microphone you can use to take speakerphone calls.
The Mighty Speaker costs $35.
Beat the heat on scorching summer days with the Cool Mist Umbrella from Hammacher Schlemmer. The 11' umbrella pumps a constant cooling mist from built-in nozzles. A flexible tube runs from each nozzle down the aluminum pole and ends in a universal hose connector. Simply attach a garden hose to get the mist going.
The Cool Mist Umbrella costs $140.
…Or on the beach, in the park, or anywhere the warm weather takes you. Summer is prime time for outdoor activity, and you can measure it with the Spire Mindfulness Activity Tracker.
Spire is a tiny but stylish fitness tracker measuring less than 2 inches in length. It counts steps taken and calories burned and records health data in a compatible iOS app.
As its name suggests, Spire does more than measure steps taken. It also measures breathing to help you unwind and have a calm and focused day -- ideal during a time of year associated with relaxation. When your breathing signifies tension, you'll be notified to stop and take a breath. The app also has guidance for short exercises and mini-meditations for when you need to take a break and recharge.
The Spire tracker costs $150.
The SpinChill Portable Drink Chiller is for everyone who has wanted an ice-cold refreshment on a sweltering day, only to find the cooler is out of chilled drinks. This handy gadget chills canned or bottled beverages in as little as one minute.
How? By spinning them. The SpinChill rapidly spins drinks over ice, which it claims accelerates the heat transfer between warm liquid and cold ice. No worries, though. Because the drinks are rotated smoothly, they won't foam when opened. SpinChill works on canned or bottled beer or soda, as well as bottles of wine. It's water resistant and chills up to 300 cans on 4 AA batteries.
SpinChill costs $25.
The concept of a smart umbrella may sound outrageous at first, but the Kisha smart umbrella sounds like a handy tool to have when summer showers are on the forecast.
Kisha looks like your average black umbrella, but it's constantly connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. If rain is on the radar, the compatible mobile app will ping you with a reminder to pack your umbrella. In the event it strays too far from your pre-programmed "Safe Zone" (house or work), you'll get a distance alert reminding you it was left behind.
The Kisha umbrella starts at $100.
Well, maybe not too deep… About 33 feet, to be exact. That's the depth the Splash Camera Housing for iPhone 6/6s is capable of reaching. The plastic casing is a handy accessory for water enthusiasts, who can pop their phones in for day-long protection and full camera access.
The Splash housing allows for touch screen access above water and access to power and volume controls while submerged, so you can access the shutter for underwater shots. There are two optical quality lens ports for flat and wide-angle lenses. The iPhone is suspended within the case, protecting the phone and display from pressure, impact, and abrasion.
The Splash Camera Housing retails for $130.
Ice packs are great for hot days, but eventually they wear off and leave you sweating. The Ambi, powered by BluTech, is an electronic ice cube designed to provide all-day relief without the mess of regular packs.
Ambi relies on Pelletier Thermo Electric Current (TEC) technology to deliver cold therapy with the press of a button. While it's great to have on-the-go during hot days, it's designed to relieve migraines, headaches, injuries and insect bites as well.
Ambi sells for $50.
As the device you use most often, your smartphone is covered in germs. Some studies have discovered cellphones have more bacteria than toilet seats. The germ count will hit a new level during summer months, when you're spending so much time outdoors and in planes, trains and automobiles.
PhoneSoap is a device to clean your device, and the company claims it is the "safest and most complete way" to do so without using heat, liquid, or chemicals. PhoneSoap contains two UV-C lamps that produce specific wavelengths of light to kill bacteria and viruses. Pop your phone in and wait four minutes for cleaning. You can also charge your phone while it's inside.
PhoneSoap sells for $60.
As the device you use most often, your smartphone is covered in germs. Some studies have discovered cellphones have more bacteria than toilet seats. The germ count will hit a new level during summer months, when you're spending so much time outdoors and in planes, trains and automobiles.
PhoneSoap is a device to clean your device, and the company claims it is the "safest and most complete way" to do so without using heat, liquid, or chemicals. PhoneSoap contains two UV-C lamps that produce specific wavelengths of light to kill bacteria and viruses. Pop your phone in and wait four minutes for cleaning. You can also charge your phone while it's inside.
PhoneSoap sells for $60.
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