Sunshine Gadgets
Make summer a breeze with these clever warm-weather devices
Biolite camp stove, £129.95
There’s no need to carry heavy gas canisters for this stove which generates its own power using twigs and biomass fuels. The generating unit also comes with a fan and its own battery supply. It heats the stove for outdoors cooking, recharges its own battery, and surplus energy is sent to the USB port on the front of the device to charge phones and cameras.
biolitestove.com
Dyson Cool Fan, £250
Stay cool in all senses of the word with Dyson’s slick, bladeless fan. It’s stylish, powerful and it’s 75 per cent quieter than the previous version, which makes it ideal for putting on your desk while you’re locked in the office during the rare glimpse of sunshine we’re getting.
dyson.co.uk
Trakdot luggage tracker, £79.99
Holidays are all about relaxing, but getting to your destination can be stressful. This neat bit of tech eliminates at least one of the worries associated with air travel – losing your bag. The device is inserted into your luggage and sends you a text or email letting you know your bags have arrived with you.
trakdotluggage.co.uk
Voltaic off-grid solar backpack, £129
Take your power with you on camping trips in this solar powered backpack. Voltaic has designed a solar strip that feeds energy back into your backpack so you can charge your phone and tablet on the move. The solar panel is also detachable so you can use it on other bags.
voltaicsystems.com
Hostess twin bottle wine chiller, £75
When the warm weather kicks in and it’s time to crack out a bottle of rosé wine or champagne, you don’t want to have to wait for it to cool down in the fridge. You can set different temperatures for each one, so you can chill a pinot grigio while warming a rioja.
houseoffraser.co.uk
Lavolta folding laptop cooler, £233.90
This table reduces the operating temperature of your laptop on sweltering days so it doesn’t overheat. Two fans, powered by your laptop’s USB port, allow a steady flow of air to circulate, and the legs are adjustable for comfortable typing.
lavolta.co.uk
Bose portable speaker, £349.95
Bose has a well-deserved reputation for producing quality sound systems and this new addition to the SoundTouch line lets you take that quality on the road. It’s simple to use, with access to your iTunes library and internet radio at the touch of a button. It also syncs with your iPhone via AirPlay, making it perfect for summer afternoons in the park.
bose.co.uk
Mophie Space Pack, £107
Double the battery life of your iPhone with this handy clip-on device. The SpacePack will also add up to 32GB of storage, as well as protecting against falls – great for capturing video at festivals, and avoiding the queue at the charge-point.
mophie.com
Napoleon gourmet grill marine portable barbecue, £539.99
Be the most popular summer party guest with this portable barbecue. It uses small gas cartridges and ignites at the push of a button. The legs fold away, the lid locks up and the grease tray is removable.
corbandirect.co.uk
Panasonic Lumix waterproof camera, £259.00
This tough, rugged waterproof camera is an essential bit of kit if you’re heading out on an adventure-packed holiday. It can take pictures at a distance of up to 13 metres underwater, and can resist 100kgf of pressure.
panasonic.com