Nine gadgets to enhance your leisure time this summer
Summer brings sunshine, longer days and vacation 鈥� which makes it the perfect time to try out new tech gear.
Whether you plan to take a road trip, lounge on the beach or stay home and watch Netflix, we鈥檝e put together a list of items that will ramp up your summer without blowing your budget.
1. Solar-powered weather radio and flashlight: $19.99
Ideal for camping or hiking, the聽聽functions as an LED flashlight, weather radio and smartphone charger. You can charge it聽using solar power, its built-in hand crank or a micro-USB cable.
2. Bluetooth tracker: $24.99
If you鈥檝e got a flight to catch or are rushing off to the beach, you don鈥檛 want to spend a lot of time trying to find your聽keys. Attach the聽聽to belongings you frequently lose 鈥� such as your keys, wallet or phone 鈥� and use the app to locate the item if it goes missing, or request an audible signal from the tracker itself. It can聽even keep tabs on your luggage while you鈥檙e traveling.
3. Wallet iPhone charger: $24.99
Often聽find yourself out and about with a low battery? 罢丑别听聽ensures you鈥檒l always have a charger handy. It features a built-in Lightning cable that鈥檚 able to fully charge an聽iPhone.
4. Wi-Fi camera: $36.97
滨辞苍鈥檚听飞补迟别谤辫谤辞辞蹿听聽lets you document your summer adventures with HD pictures and videos. You can capture action shots by attaching it to your surfboard, bike, helmet or other equipment. And it connects to smartphones, tablets or laptops via聽Wi-Fi, letting you聽easily share images on social media.
5. Waterproof Bluetooth speaker: $49.99
鲍蝉别听迟丑别听聽to聽listen to your favorite summer jams at the beach or by the pool without worrying about ruining your speaker. It鈥檚 designed to float, is waterproof up to 7 feet and has a 10-hour battery life for all-day play.
6. Automatic ice cream maker:聽$55
Beat the heat with something cold and sweet. Make your favorite frozen desserts and drinks with the聽. This machine makes up to 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet in about 20 minutes, and you don鈥檛 have to stir by hand.
7. Portable projector: $78.49
Take advantage of warm nights by聽watching a movie outdoors with the聽. Pair it with your laptop, game console or other device聽to turn your backyard or campsite into your personal movie theater.
8. Electric travel cooler: $80.27
罢丑别听聽plugs into your car鈥檚 cigarette lighter and keeps聽your food and drinks picnic-ready, even on long road trips. It鈥檚 lightweight and comes with an adjustable shoulder strap, making it easy to carry once you鈥檝e reached your destination.
9.聽Automatic grill cleaner: $112.35
Backyard barbecues are fun, but cleaning up charred messes and caked-on grease? Not so much. Rather than rolling up your sleeves, try the聽, which聽acts like a Roomba for your grill.
Lauren Schwahn is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:lschwahn@nerdwallet.com. Twitter:聽.
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