Going anywhere nice this summer? Whether you're topping up your tan in the sunny Maldives or enjoying the 'lovely' British weather here, I've rounded up the top 5 gadget essentials goodies you'll need to be splashing your cash on to get yourself ready for your summer hols…
1. Waterproof iPod Speakers
If you're lucky enough to get away somewhere hot this summer then no doubt you'll be heading straight for the beach or poolside. As well as soaking in the sun rays, a summer holiday wouldn't be complete if you didn't take a dip in the pool or sea to chill.
As you top up your tan on the Lilo or play a bit of beachside volleyball, the only thing that would add to the perfect holiday would be to listen to your favourite tracks on your iPod. If you're like me, no matter how much you yearn for a bit of Faithless or…ahem S-Club, you wouldn't dare think to let your iPod anywhere near the water in case of a disastrous incident, however if you're clever enough then you may want to bag yourself some waterproof iPod speakers.
To save you the hassle searching for a good set of speakers perfect for those watery conditions, I would recommend the Music Showcase Waterproof iPod Speakers. These cool set of 3W speakers are surrounded by a clear case that is designed to protect your precious iPod whilst you enjoy chilling in the water. It will even play tunes as it floats across the water but keep it in close reach or you could see it floating away into the midst if you're not careful!
To control the speakers as it swims with the iPod inside, it has a rubber membrane which allows you to navigate through your favourite playlists, although you do need to press quite firmly sometimes to get a response. And if you're worried that the Music Membrane's crystal clear robes are going to get damaged then it is made from tough shatterproof polycarbonate rubber material making it unbreakable, scratch and shockproof.
For a little thing this baby certainly has a good set of lungs so you can pump up the volume using the built in volume control at the front of the speakers. Power it with 4 AA batteries and it will bring you and your friends some of your best loved tracks for over 30 hours. There's even a fold-out stand round the back so you can prop it up near the pool or beach whilst other bathers can either enjoy or get annoyed by your fruitful tracks.
Costing about £60 it'll definitely be worth every penny and as it starts to get too cold for T-shirts and its back to those dreary rainy winter days then you can even use it to blast your music inside!
Shop For It: iWorld* and IWoot*
2. Solar Powered Charger
If this summer you've opted to embrace your more adventurous side and decided to take a trip hiking in the wilderness or camping miles away from any civilisation then charging your must have gadgets can be a real pain.
So…you have you week's holiday planned camping in the Lakes only to find that there is no power source nearby to charge your phone or even listen to your favourite tracks on the iPod. Unless you have special powers that can only be found in characters from the X-Men, you will probably have to face facts that you're going to have to live without your wonderful gadgets for a whole week!
Well, don't dismay because let me introduce to you the clever FreeLoader Solar Charger. This smart eco-friendly device soaks up the power of the sun and stores it for up to 3 months. Then when you decide to go on your camping trip, take it with you and it will let you charge your gadgets anytime, any place.
Super sleek and barely bigger than a mobile phone, the lightweight aluminium Freeloader opens to show off two solar panels. Charge it simply by letting it soak up the sun's rays. Its internal battery will then power a mobile phone for up to 44 hours, an iPod for up to 18 hours, a PSP for up to 2.5 hours and a PDA for up to 22 hours. Just remember not to overdo it if you're in Iceland where the sun can be scarce at times! And once it's empty, just power it up again a la the sun and if you're near a computer and can't be bothered to wait for the sun then you can even charge it via a USB port.
The Freeloader comes with various adaptors for all your power-hungry bits and bobs, so you won't need to take clumpy chargers with you on your travels making it the essential travelling companion for anyone who can't live without their electronic gizmo…just make sure you give it plenty of sun!
Shop For It: Amazon* and Kelkoo*
3. Portable Media Player
If you're planning your summer road trips in the car and can't be bear to be parted from your TV then invest in the Archos 704 Portable Media Player. The 704 comes with enough storage to cram thousands music tracks at a very fast bit rate and over 100 quality movies. With an impressive 7 inch screen it is any movie fanatics dream, allowing you to enjoy endless hours of movie fun. Add an optional DVR station and the 704 becomes TV-friendly, turning into a portable PVR and if you manage to grab a WiFi signal along the way then using its Opera Software you can browse the World Wide Web - great for people like me who can't bear part from their internet.
Like most gadgets on the horizon, the Archos 704 is controlled by touchscreen, which allows you to control most of the menus, power and volume in a breeze - just make sure give the screen a good clean as just like any touchscreens it can be prone to those pesky fingerprint marks.
It also has WiFi, so if you're lucky enough to get a signal - just don't expect it on the North Yorks Moors, then web browsing can happen in a whiz, quickly letting you enjoy your favourite web pages so you can keep in touch with the latest goings on wherever you are!
There is no doubt that the 704 WiFi is a strong sturdy piece of kit as it can let you browse the web, email, listen to your favourite tracks and watch your favourite movies at ease and with an impressive battery life you won't need replenish it juices very often. So if you're planning your next roadtrip or decide to go camping then this is perfect entertainment to fill the gaps in your adventure packed holiday!
Shop For It: Kelkoo* and Amazon*
4. Digital Camera
The summer is all about having fun and to capture those unruly candid moments in a flash then look no further and invest in the ultra compact camera 10 megapixel digital camera by Fuji Film posing some technological marvels that let you shoot it, beam it, blog it and roll it with a MPEg-4 movie recording mode. It's comes in five trendy but unusual colours, which include Bright Champagne Pink, Ice Blue Panther, Tropical Green and Diablo Red, making it a refreshing change from the usual boring colours we see from digital cameras.
Weighing a measly 110g it is light enough to travel with and compact enough to fit in your handbag (…or ahem manbag). With a 3x optical zoom lens, 2.5 in LCD screen and 45 MB of internal memory it give you a little bit of extra space when your camera is full to the brim.
If you're looking to capture a perfect portrait then its Face Detection Technology allows you to grab hold of the person's best bits or depending on the situation not so great moments. With Picture Stabilisation Technology you can get faster shutter speeds to reduce image blur caused by camera shake or low-light conditions, ensuring users get the picture they want.
And if you consider yourself a bit of a Spielberg or a Tarantino then using the Successive Movie mode you can create your very own 60 second movie clip, by shooting two or more scenes and then edit them to build a 60s compilation…imagine how much sneaky fun you can have with that!
Two fab new features which are an absolute must for any tech savvy gadget geek is the 'Beam it' and 'Blog it' features. What we mean by that is 'Beam it' refers to FujiFilm's IrSimple compatible device and 'Blog it' is all about the Dual Blog mode that automatically resizes any still image or movie on the camera making it easier to post pictures and videos to blogs, video sharing websites and make your friends jealous back home by emailing them your pictures whilst your enjoying your hols.
With a price tag of about £120 it is perfect for those summers abroad, where you need a light compact camera to capture your favourite summer holiday memories that you can share to your loved ones when you get back!
Shop For It: Amazon* and Kelkoo*
5. Satellite Navigation System
It's time to pull out the red carpet and get your cameras at the ready as we introduce to you the must-have Sat Nav that'll cater for your every needs as you pack your bags and head out this summer, the TomTom GO 930. The Go 930 has it all, brains as well as beauty as under it's flawless exterior and there doesn't lurk an imperfection in sight.
Posing a 4.3", 16:9 format widescreen display, this will definitely look good above your car dash or fit neatly into your pocket whilst on the move.
Under its sleek and stylish exterior, the TomTom Go 930 has been blessed with a great set of brain cells and with voice recognition technology, rather than using the old style pressing of the destination, all you need to do is speak. Simply say 'HOME' and the 930 will alleviate your home sickness by planning your route in a jiffy and taking you to 'home sweet home'.
All of your routes are calculated by set average speeds it actually takes on the roads rather than using the normal speed limits. This may save you time as the TomTom will not send you down a road that's the national speed limit but in actual fact is always jam packed with traffic and the actual speed is 20 mph.
This nifty little TomTom will offer you the ability to make hands free calls, perfect whilst on the GO and a must unless to answer calls or incur a hefty fine. Another clever feature is it's Map Share Technology, which allows users to make corrections to their own maps as well as sharing then with other TomTom users, which lets you enjoy road trips rather than worrying about whether the info is correct.
With maps of UK, Western and Eastern Europe and also the other side of the Atlantic, this is definitely the right Sat Nav for anyone who is planning some action packed adventures abroad. However, if you're looking for something in the UK only or the UK and Europe only then opt for the TomTom 530 and 730.
Shop For It: Find Sat Nav Deals*