gadgets Archives - Page 13 of 14

Jul 06

29 Best Gadgets for Men 2022: Great Gifts for All the Tech-Minded People in Your Life

Buying thoughtful, interesting, and useful tech gadgets for men, women, and kids on your holiday shopping list used to be pretty simple: acquire Sharper Image catalog, flip to a random page, done. It’s a lot more complicated now. For one, um, catalogs? But more importantly, pretty much everyone these days is into tech and regularly interacts with extremely advanced gadgetry on a day-to-day basis. The most popular headphones in the world are true wireless. Politicians stream their video game sessions on Twitch. most parents know how to use Bluetooth speakers. The phrase “tech-savvy” has pretty much lost all meaning, so how can you get something for the tech-inclined people in your life that feels considered? Well, to get you thinking about it, we’ve gathered up a list of our favorite gadgets for men, women, and everyone else on your list. This lineup includes plenty of entries from our 2021 and 2022 Home Awards, a high-quality charger for small tech accessories, and a fun laptop cleaner (yes, it turns out a laptop cleaner can be fun). Just make sure to stealthily check that your giftee doesn’t already own whatever you decide to get for them.

All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Jul 03

These gadgets could make or break your next road trip

Tools for the road that can improve the driving and riding experience every mile along the way. (Dreamtime/TNS)

ATLANTA — Crumbs, odors, discomfort — they can all ruin a good road trip with the family. For children, sitting in a vehicle for hours on end can be daunting. For parents who are unprepared, a road trip can be derailed by gas station stops for last-minute supplies. Ensure your road trip doesn’t bring the family fun on your vacation to a screeching halt by gearing up before the big drive.

Here are a number of different items that can improve the driving and riding experience every mile along the way.

Voice activate your space

Music and movies are road trip staples, but they can be dangerous. Taking your hand — and your attention — off the wheel can lead to tragedy on the road.

Keep your family safe, and your record clean, by using Apple’s Car Play or Android’s Auto systems to make your vehicle’s entertainment center voice activated.

1. Plug your phone into your vehicle’s dashboard.

2. Activate the Car Play or Auto feature from your phone.

3. If your vehicle features a voice to speech button, press it. Otherwise, say “Hey, Siri” for iPhones or “Ok, Google” for Androids to enable voice activation.

Radar detector

To increase the safety of your drive even further, consider purchasing a radar detector. A high quality radar detector comes equipped with a GPS to ensure that you can find your destination in areas with spotty phone service. The detector will also keep you notified of what’s ahead — traffic lights, speed limit changes, traffic — ensuring that your road trip is as efficient and safe as it is fun.

Tablets

For children, long road trips can be daunting. It can be difficult to stay in one place for hours on end without some distraction. Keep your kids entertained by purchasing a tablet and installing a collection of child-friendly games.

Gel seat cushions

Sitting in one place for hours can become uncomfortable, especially for people who suffer from back pain. Take the stress off of your body and your mind off of the discomfort by bringing along a quality gel seat cushion that better supports your spine.

Using a gel seat cushion will help ensure that you are not only comfortable for the ride to your vacation spot, but that you are also ready and capable of moving around freely and enjoying yourself when you reach your destination.

Car diagnostic scanner

Many miles from home, the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a broken-down car. So, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape before the rubber meets the road.

Taking your vehicle to a local mechanic’s shop can be costly and time consuming, but there is another way. A car diagnostic scanner, which can be purchased online or at many auto parts retailers, will allow you to check your car’s engine, ABS, airbags and other features in real

Jun 23

Best running gear: top gadgets to keep you motivated | Gadgets

Running is a great way to keep fit this summer and needs a little more than some trainers and a pavement or a park. But even the most enthusiastic of us need some way to keep motivated for regular exercise when the couch, TV or sun lounger looks inviting.

These gadgets can help: from music on the go to the social power of Strava, they make pounding the streets a little more interesting.

Music

A woman running with a phone in an armband and earphones. — Strapping your phone to your bicep in an armband helps keep it secure and out of the way when you run. Photograph: Cultura Creative (RF)/Alamy

Music or podcasts can help you eat up the miles with a bit of entertainment, but holding your phone while you run is not a comfortable way to do things.

Armband phone pockets are one solution. Strapped to your bicep with Velcro and a clear pouch, they let you work your phone and listen to music. They cost about £6-10 and come in various sizes. Or you can use an old MP3 player such as an iPod Shuffle if you still have one around.

Better yet, switch to a wearable music player with a running or smartwatch. Most good smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and others, can store music offline for playback straight to a set of Bluetooth headphones.

The Spotify app showing a running playlist on an Apple Watch. — Spotify and other music apps on smartwatches such as the Apple Watch can play music straight to a set of Bluetooth earphones without your phone. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

If you don’t already have a smartwatch and want something for running, there are many different options. One of my favorites is the Garmin 245 Music, which offers excellent tracking, can store hours of music offline from Spotify, Deezer or others, and can be picked up for about £200.

While you can run with almost any headphones, including AirPods or large over-ear sets, there are models that are better designed for running. I recommend Bluetooth sets that don’t block out the world, allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings.

Shokz OpenRun Pro

Bone conduction headphones send sound waves through your skull instead of your ear drum, making the music sound like it is coming from inside your head while maintaining your awareness of the outside world. Shokz makes some of the best, with lightweight, comfortable designs, long battery life and easy-to-reach onboard controls for playback and volume. They are the only headphones approved by England Athletics for races, too.

The latest £160 OpenRun Pro last up to 10 hours between charges, can Bluetooth pair to two devices at once, weigh only 29g and are IP55 water-resistant so you can safely sweat all over them. They sound good, with more bass than previous models, but bone conduction technology can’t match regular earbuds for low notes. The older £130 OpenRun are similar,

Jun 23

Marvel Just Brought Back One of Iron Man’s Weirdest Gadgets

Over the past few years, Tony Stark has turned from a lesser-known superhero in Marvel’s arsenal to a bona fide cultural phenomenon, with the iron Avenger’s storylines being brought to life on the page and on the big screen. Along the way, the Iron Man armor has had some unique and incredibly specific upgrades, ranging from the deadly to the hilarious. The most recent issue of Iron Manwhich has provided a sort of back-to-basics take on Tony’s whole status quo, proved to have the latter in spades, bringing back one of the silliest elements he’s ever added to his costume. Spoiler for Iron Man #20 from Christopher Cantwell, Angel Unzueta, Frank D’Armata, and Joe Caramagna below! Only look if you want to know!

While the issue opened with Tony leaving rehab and proposing marriage to Patsy Walker / Hellcat, the events then turned to him attending an unveiling of the newest piece of Stark technology — a supercomputer that could hypothetically win a game of chess versus an incredibly smart gorilla. When the gorilla tried (and failed) to procure a job offer from Tony on the spot, they got angry and began fighting them through the city. Tony put on his Iron Man suit for protection, and at one point activated a set of skates on the boots that would allow him to escape faster. Tony then remarked that he should use them more.

Iron Man’s skates originate all the way back to a mention in the character’s second-ever appearance in Tales of Suspense #40, before being shown across comics in the 1960s and beyond. While they since have faded away as Tony’s armor has gotten a bit more practical, the essence of their origin definitely shines in Iron Man #20, but with a modern flair, as the story is even titled “Skate or Die.”

“#20 and issue #21 are kind of one-shot stories that harken back to the old heyday of one-and-done issue stories that I love, but there is scaffolding being laid in the background for a larger story,” Cantwell explained in a recent interview with Marvel.com. “The whole arc is called “Source Control,” and it’s grittier…more noir in feel. Very Denny O’Neil inspired. It’s also a more intimate story character-wise, focusing primarily on Tony and Rhodes, with just a few other folks. More tight-knit, and rooted in classic Iron Man themes of technology and weaponry. But there are still plenty of Bronze Age references that I can’t get enough of.”

Iron Man #20 is now available wherever comics are sold.

Jun 19

Amazon Prime Day 2022: Best deals on travel gear, gadgets and more

Amazon Prime Day 2022 is almost here, which means you’ll soon be able to score deals on travel gear and other items on Amazon.

Amazon Prime Day 2022 is almost here, which means you’ll soon be able to score deals on travel gear and other items on Amazon. For this year’s event, Amazon is touting its “lowest prices ever,” with exclusive member deals already rolling out.

You’ll likely spot discounts at other stores such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Backcountry, too, all of which have offered their own version of Amazon Prime Day in the past (in some cases continuing their sales post-Prime Day).

Read on to learn about the biggest shopping event of summer.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is an annual two-day event when Amazon and its sellers offer deep discounts on items like home appliances, tech, toys and more. Like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s meant to stimulate spending and reward consumers (or in this case, Amazon Prime members).

Do you need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of Prime Day deals?

Yes, the online shopping event is exclusive to Amazon Prime members. If you’re not a member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial (if you haven’t been an Amazon Prime member in the last 12 months) to take advantage of the deals. Unless you cancel within 30 days, your membership will automatically be renewed for $14.99 a month (or $139 a year). Prime membership perks that are useful for travel and at home include:

— Free one- and two-day shipping

— Two-hour grocery delivery service

— Access to streaming services, such as Prime Video and Amazon Music

— Prime Gaming with free games and a Twitch channel subscription

— Kid-friendly books, educational apps and more via Amazon Kids+

— Amazon Photos for unlimited (vacation) photo storage and 5GB of video storage

When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?

Amazon Prime Day 2022 will take place on July 12 and 13, 2022, though deals have already begun to roll out. On June 21, the retailer will release pre-Prime Day offers on select Amazon devices, with up to 55% off the Kindle Paperwhite, the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (2019 edition) and more.

Below are the best Amazon Prime Day deals available (so far) on items that are useful for travel. We will continue to update the list as new offers are announced.

The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals on Luggage

TravelPro Platinum Elite

Named the best soft-sided carry-on bag for 2022, the 21-inch TravelPro Platinum Elite is going for up to 32% off on Amazon in this pre-Prime Day deal. This expandable carry-on spinner features a USB port and power bank pocket (power bank sold separately) for staying connected on the go; accessory pockets including a removable wet bag for toiletries; and a built-in garment suite to keep clothing wrinkle-free. This carry-on bag also meets most airline carry-on luggage size restrictions, and according to previous purchasers, fits perfectly