Hasta La Gadget!

Whenever fall arrives, there is just one particular house chore that you will need to get done – that is, to make sure that the leaves in your yard are all nicely swept away to one side, otherwise it would end up being a major mess, visually as well as physically. I guess that is where the alternative name for ‘autumn’ came in, no, with all of the leaves falling down like nobody’s business. Well, the usual rake might have done the job for a fair number of decades, but how about getting a little help from outside technology? Case in point, the $139.95 Leaf Genie.

This bad boy will sport an interesting all-in-one design, where a single one-switch flick will turn it from being a forceful blower to powerful vacuum and handy mulcher, and despite wearing multiple hats as a single device, it will not bog you down or be dead weight in any way, functioning as a compact, one-handed operation. The Leaf Genie is capable of mulching leaves up to 1/10th of their original size, and the blower works at speeds of up to 210 mph! Alternatively, suck them leaves up with a vacuum that generates 350 cubic feet of airflow per minute.

[ Leaf Genie helps you clear your yard in no time at all copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

We take tunes everywhere these days. Tunes wake us up and we get tunes in the shower, tunes on the bus or in the car, tunes at the desk, and tunes at the gym. Technology enables us to take our favorite music wherever we choose. And that applies to more than music. Include podcasts, streaming radio, live sporting events and other audio too. This of course means we need to become more creative with those places where sound was formerly not found.

Taking a hike in nature used to be a peaceful thing but does not have to be anymore. Likewise, stopping off to have a picnic now does not require silence or a huge boom box. Get a Speaker Blanket, £34.99 at spinninghat.com. Find your favorite grassy spot and unfurl the blanket. The center of one end contains two speakers a pocket for your music device and a 3.5mm headphone jack. After putting in two AA batteries just plug your device in, sit back and enjoy. No need to bring a separate speaker unit. When done, simply fold up the blanket under the vinyl speaker/pocket section. Technically, spinninghat.com is out of stock but they will email you when available. Hopefully in time for your first picnic of the year.
[ Add Tunes to the Picnic copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Whether you are in the midst of Summer or in the depths of Winter enhancing your grilling never hurts. Some continue grilling all year round. Others play it more conservative and just look forward to warmer months. Brookstone offers a couple of tools that empower you to keep on grilling – regardless of the elements. And they now ship internationally.

Don’t let early darkness get the best of your cooking. Light your way and leave your hands available for the true chef-ing duties. The Handle-Mount Grill Light, $39.99, gives you LEDs to help you see your handiwork. Clamp the device onto your grill handle and adjust the direction of the light where you need it. Don’t fret if you forget to bring it in as it automatically shuts off after 6 minutes and can withstand the elements.

For the die hard grill master I recommend protecting yourself from the elements. Don’t let mother nature ruin your food or ability. Invest in a Grillzebo™! The metal roof protects you and your grill. Side tables and a hanging rack give you space for food, spices and tools. Rechargeable, overhead lights give you perspective on the whole space too. Sure, Grillzebo will cost you ($999.95) but the 8’x5’ space will be your grilling haven to make the magic happen.

[ Grill – Come Rain, Shine or Snow copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

True confession time. I am a killer. I kill plants. I try to grow them indoors and outdoors with the same results. Poor little green friends. It may be that they dry out (oops! Forgot the water!). They have come too close to the radiator too. And outdoor stuff seems to suffer a variety of deaths: lack of sun, weeds, neighborhood cat deposits. I really DO enjoy having plants around. But how to keep them alive?

Time to incorporate the smartphone in keeping greenery alive. Parrot – more famous for electronics like their R/C AR Drone – plans on launching Flower Power in 2013. They call it “the most advanced plant sensor” and after researching it I believe them! These two pronged gadgets easily slide into any pot or planter or bed to measure critical plant stats. Via Bluetooth they transmit data to your smartphone’s Flower Power app. Parrot consulted botanists to ensure they measured the right stuff so you will get information on soil moisture, humidity, sun exposure, temperature and fertilizer.  And of course the app can alert you when any of the plant’s “vitals” are out of whack. So for people like me…growing plants becomes easy! You can track up to 6,000 plants, errr sensors with the app. One AAA battery is required per sensor but you will get months of life from it. Parrot has not announced a launch date or time. But in all of the press they received at CES they insisted it will be out this year. Popular Mechanics and Stuff magazine both liked Flower Power so much they gave it a CES award. If they experts like it you, like me, probably will too.

Bugs suck. They truly know how to ruin a nice evening of sitting outside. The vengeful little buggers seem to always find the party. It is inevitable that someone at your BBQ ends up being dinner for the mosquitoes, ants, bees or worse. The itching that follows is unbearable at points. Heck, we even end up itching in our sleep.  And all the itching simply delays healing. So why go straight to the source of irritation and suck it out?

Let ASPIVENIN® be your friend in the ongoing fight with bugs. ASPIVENIN, $23.95 AUD (about $25 USD) consists of a double chamber pump and 4 attachments for different sized bites. Apply the pump with nozzle to the affected area and pull the plunger out. Then push it down completely and give it 1-3 minutes to fully extract all venom. Once released simply wash the wound with antiseptic. ASPIVENIN takes care of the underlying problem and lets you heal without itching. The unit should be used as soon as possible after a bite, but can be used up to a couple hours later. Most common bites or stings it assists with include mosquitoes, sandflies, spiders, bees, wasps, snakes, jellyfish, nettle. And ASPIVENIN is child friendly – simply use half a pump. The gadget comes in an easy to carry case, so take it camping, hiking or anywhere and fight the bug bites!
[ Suck that Bug Bite copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]