Hot Summer: Gadgets That Help You Beat the Heat of Summer
Gadgets to help you keep cool this summer.
July 29, 2010 — -- It's hot and you would give anything to be cooler, so what new gadgets can help you, your family even your pets beat the heat?
Hamilton Beach Half-Pint Ice Cream Maker, Bowl and Spoons
$29.99
Cool foods and liquids bring your core body temperature down. Or at least that's the excuse we have for making homemade ice cream and indulging this summer.
This space-saving ice cream maker lets you customize your flavors even using healthier ingredients and it makes ice cream in 12 minutes.
$79.99
Animals are susceptible to the hot weather, especially large and older dogs. Staying hydrated is a key to summer health for dogs. The Dogit Fountain recirculates and filters water from it's 10 liter well. It also keeps the drinking bowl higher so dogs don't have to bend down to drink.
There are dog fountains that you can affix to plumbing and outside hose spigots, but the Dogit fountain is a more practical solution if you have an inside dog and don't want to hassle with plumbing.
$14.99
A hot car seat while you are driving is the worst. You feel sticky and your clothes cling to your back when you get out of the car. The Climaseat plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car and circulates cool air through 150 "air-ports" within the cushion seat.
It has hooks and pad grips to keep it from slipping and reverses its duties in the winter to serve as a seat warmer.
$299.99
If you are familiar with Dyson Vacuum cleaners you know that they pride themselves on innovation for household items. The Dyson Bladeless fan is a totally new take on the standard oscillating three-blade portable fan. This fan has a ring sitting on a stand, but no blades or cages. The technology that they call an "air multiplier" is primarily safer (great for a child's room) and it doesn't buffer. According to inventor James Dyson, traditional fans chop up the air and it comes to you in waves, think of the way your voice wavers when you talk into a fan. But the Dyson fan provides a constant stream of air with no chop.
More Great Gadgets
Hammacher Schlemmer Infinitely Adjustable Umbrella Sports Chair
$79.95
An infinitely adjustable portable chair is a good thing when you are trying to relax outside and stay out of the sun. The umbrella attached to the chair can be adjusted many ways and at its fullest can provide 8 feet of shade. It has cup holders, zippered pouches, a cushioned backrest, UVA and UVB blocking fabric, and it folds up into a shoulder bag when you are ready to go home.
Costo Keepin' Cool 6 Outdoor Mist System
$19.99
Wet skin makes you feel cool as the water evaporates and takes heat with it. So this cool mist system can seriously drop your core temperature on a scorcher of a day. It is totally portable and can attach to an umbrella, a patio awning, a fence, a boat railing. You attach it to a water source, sit back and imagine a cool fog is enveloping you.
Web Extra: Hot Weather Tech Tips
Having trouble with your touch screen phones or your trackpad on your computer? When you're sweating, the movements are harder to recognize. To keep your fingers dry, try a little baby powder or corn starch on your index finger – just a touch – and it'll work. Just wipe the residue of the touch screen or trackpad off when you're done.
We all put our phones in our pockets, but in this heat, the sweat and moisture in your pocket are really bad for your phones. The solution – put your phone in a silicone case. At the very least, keep the case-side of the phone toward your skin. Another great old-school solution – a Ziploc bag. If you're gardening or going out for a run, slip your phone in the bag to protect it from moisture.
More Hot Weather Tech Tips
Heat and batteries do not work well together. Keep your phones and computers out of direct sunlight when it's hot. Don't leave your laptops running on the couch or a cushion – it can't expel the hot air. You can also use Cool Feet Laptop Airspace Stands to prop up your laptop so it can vent – they cost about $11. Or you can use the Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad. It's $30, has a fan and USB port built in. If you use your computer on your lap, it will keep you cool, too.
Find out more about each of these tech gadgets at Amazon.com.
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