GadgetLiving

The New Year is just around the corner which means many of us will be making promises to ourselves to do better in the New Year. One of the most popular resolutions is to lose weight or get in shape in time for the next round of swimsuit wearing weather. If you’re among this group we’ve gathered some fitness related gadgets that can help you achieve your goals for 2009.

Elliptical trainers have been gaining in popularity over the last few years as a fitness machine that gives you a great workout right from your own home.

Now there’s a new generation of elliptical machines that give both your upper and lower body a great workout. Similar to cross country skiing, this machine provides resistance for your arms and legs during your workouts. You can adjust the tension to tailor your resistance to your own body’s needs as well as tracking your heart rate, calories burned and workout length. With our busy lifestyles being able to work both your upper and lower body all at once is a great time saver.

Time spent in the gym or on a home exercise machine isn’t the only workout your body is capable of getting during the day. Walking, climbing stairs or even shoveling snow all goes towards burning calories and working those muscles.

To that end there’s the accelerometer which, unlike traditional pedometers, measures all your movements. Many of your daily tasks don’t necessarily involve moving your legs but should still be included as part of your physical activity. If you really want to keep tabs on your movement levels this gadget will take it all into account. You can store the information and track your progress as well.

With all this new physical activity you’re going to want to see the results of all your hard work. Instead of just relying on a traditional scale to weigh you get a whole-body picture with this body-analyzing scale. With its large digital screen you can easily keep track of your weight, body fat percentages, body water, muscle mass and metabolic rate.

Just knowing your body’s weight doesn’t give you a clear picture of your overall health. Muscle weighs more than fat, water retention affects your weight and speeding up your metabolism helps you shed pounds quicker. By keeping track of all these elements you can create a slimmer, healthier you much more easily.

If reshaping your body is on your list of goals for 2009 make keeping your promise easier by enlisting the help of today’s gadgets. Whether they’re helping you workout or keeping track of your progress a little technology can go a long way to making a healthier you in the New Year.

> No more having to scrounge and search for a flashlight when there’s a power outage. This nightlight instantly transforms into an emergency flashlight when there’s a power failure. The light gives off up to eight hours of illumination.

Check price and availability at Hammcher Schlemmer.

“When electrical power is lost, the unit immediately switches to rechargeable batteries that power three bright white LEDs, so it can be carried as a flashlight to help you easily navigate your way during emergency situations.”

There’s no end to the new computer related gadgets that roll out every year. From new mouse models to funky new laptop styles it’s all we can do to keep up with the whirlwind that is technological upgrades. Here are some of the new releases that we thought were noteworthy.

The Orbita mouse changes the shape of the computer mouse as we know it. Scrolling is achieved by dialing the mouse for both vertical and horizontal scrolling which eliminates the “jerky” scrolling of other mouse models. What really caught our eye is the absence of the right and left click buttons. The large button on top of the mouse serves as the left click button while you activate the right click function by squeezing the mouse. It’ll be interesting to see if this radical new design catches on.

The Apple triBook is a concept laptop that we hope comes to fruition. One of the biggest drawbacks to laptops vs. desktop computers are the standard small screen sizes. As laptops get sleeker those screens get smaller. Finally someone has realized that we actually like to be able to read what’s on our laptop’s screen without the use of high powered magnification. As an added bonus it is reported that should this baby come to life it will be endowed with a “kick-ass” hard drive (yes, that’s a quote).

Another trend we’ve noticed is several radical new redesigns of the traditional wrist watch. One example is this Torus watch designed by a student from Belgium. Depending on the colors displayed it tells you what time of the day it is. Blue and green signify morning, yellow and orange for afternoon and red and purple for evening. I can’t say how accurate this watch would be but it does look cool. The surface also acts as a touch screen to set alarms and such—if you can figure out what time you’re setting it for.

Lastly there’s a new social media gadget that makes connecting with friends on social sites such as Myspace and Facebook as easy as a high five. When you meet up with someone in person instead of exchanging usernames or urls just “high five” each other’s Poken and your information is instantly transferred. Then simply download the info later on and you’re connected online. It can store up to 64 contacts at one time so remember to take this little fellow along to your high school reunion.

While some of these gadgets are a little “out there” it’s always fun to see where technology is taking us in terms of the fantastic new gadgets available.

We all love our gadgets and cool electronics gizmos but no one likes to pay full price. Today we take a look at action sites and how to best utilize them to get great deals on those gadgets we crave.

Do Your Research

Before you buy any gadget, whether in a store or through an auction site, you should always do your homework first. Read reviews on the product to see what other’s who’ve bought that item think of its performance. Amazon.com is a great place to read unbiased reviews on thousands of items.

If you’re buying a gadget with multiple feature options, such as digital cameras or GPS units, decide which features you really need. How many mega pixels do you want? Which GPS unit is best for finding points of interest in foreign cities? By knowing which features are most important to you it makes it easier to choose a brand or model that will give you what you need most.

You’ll also want to research prices. Know what that item would sell for in the big box stores first. Keep in mind that there will be shipping charges involved when purchasing from an auction site so factor that into the bidding price. You don’t want to end up paying more for the item once shipping and insurance is tacked on.

Which Auction Sites to Visit

There are many online auction sites on the Internet but we’ll be featuring the top three. When choosing a well known auction site you’re more likely to be protected via security features and buyer protection programs than you would be with lesser known sites.

eBay.com: This is the king-daddy of them all. It’s no secret that millions of people flock to eBay to bid on all kinds of gadgets and electronics. When bidding on items it’s best to first check out the feedback left by other buyers on that particular seller. Powersellers and those with online eBay stores are a good place to start as they usually have hundreds if not thousands of past buyers. This is their online business so they’re more likely to offer better customer service than individuals.

Ubid.com: Ubid offers new or factory refurbished items. These items can be sold either by companies or individuals. The advantage of this site is there are often multiples of the same item so you may have a better chance at winning if you’re bid is competitive.

Amazon.com: Yes, they have an auction site. Like eBay this is a person to person auction site. Often when searching Amazon for an item you’ll see the site list that they have “x” many used items. These are items being sold by individuals. Again, buyer beware, so check out the seller before purchasing this way.

So if you’re looking for some great deals on gadgets after the holiday season it’s worth it to check out these online auction sites and see what kind of savings are waiting for you.

What self-respecting gadget-loving household would want to be without one of these? A snowball launcher is what everyone needs to get that extra bit of edge in the next snowball battle.

Seriously, you could totally annihilate the enemy with one of these. A great gift idea, I think. Wish I had one when I was younger and more likely to get into snowball fights. Although, if I had one, it wouldn’t be so hard to convince me to use it … And come on! It’s powered by elastomers, not batteries. Perfect.

Check price and availability at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“This toy blaster makes and launches softball-sized snowballs up to 50′, allowing rapid, long-range assaults during neighborhood snowball confrontations. Simply place snow in the forming chamber and close the lid; it packs three perfectly spherical snowballs. To blast your mark, place one snowball in the muzzle, aim the launcher, and pull back the slingshot mechanism. Because the blaster is powered by elastomers instead of batteries, it provides uninterrupted, fast-action play.”

Seriously, if you have someone on your list this year who’s impossible to buy for …

(and if money is no object, of course)

this photo booth is probably exactly what he or she has always wanted but just never thought to buy.

You think?

I’m just trying to picture where you would put one of these things.

Check price and availability at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“Identical to the classic units found in amusement parks, arcades, and boardwalks, this is the photo booth that can take and print a four-frame strip of pictures in 16 seconds. Unlike prior models that used chemical processes to develop pictures, this one uses a thermal printer exclusively designed by Polaroid, producing 2″ H x 2″ W 72-dpi monochrome images.”

Got an outdoorsy type on your Christmas gift list? Get them a gift that will make their time spent outside much more enjoyable. These gadgets meant for the great outdoors are sure to please those who love their time outside.

Snowboarding is a great winter sport. So is snowmobiling. When the two are combined you have an outdoor gadget that’s sure to get the adrenaline pumping.

This gas powered snowboard looks like a regular snowboard on steroids. With steering capabilities similar to a snowmobile you can glide through the powder at an impressive 18 mph. The handlebars are adjustable for a comfy grip and its precision steering means you can make graceful and slalom-like turns. This sporty gadget is perfect out at the cabin during winter or small enough to be transported to where the great hills are.

Just because you like the great outdoors doesn’t mean you like to share your space with certain insects. Get rid of unwanted pests in your camper, motor home or around your deck without getting to close thanks to this handy bug vacuum. You can stand up to two feet away and still suck that little bugger away to be disposed of later. This makes a great gift for those who go camping or have gazebos where little critters like to set up home.

No matter how much a person loves the great outdoors no one likes to spend that time cleaning the gutters. This gutter cleaning robot makes short work of this tiresome home maintenance task. Use the long handle, which doubles as a remote control, to easily set the robot into your home’s gutter. Detach the handle and set it to start cleaning. A powerful auger cleans out even the toughest debris quickly and easily. When you’re ready to move the robot simple reattach the handle to the top and move the robot to the next gutter.

So if you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas for those who spend time outside give these outdoor gadgets a try. Whether you’re making home maintenance easier or giving them a thrilling downhill ride these outdoor gadgets are sure to please when found under the Christmas tree.

What gadget lover can resist this PowerChef electric grill? Do you see all the buttons on the thing? It’s enough to make a non-grilling gadget lover into a bona fide outdoor cook year-round.

Yes, I can see a certain person I know standing out in the snow operating this baby, that’s for sure. There’s something about a really gadgety grill that is very appealing.

Check price and availability at Barbecue Grills and More.

“The PowerChef electric grill sears and cooks food fast and easy with mouth-watering results. Use the manual mode or let PowerChef’s automated program tell you exactly when it’s time to flip and when to serve. PowerChef also eliminates the worries and hassles of gas grills: no hot spots, empty tanks, broken ignitors or flare-ups. PowerChef takes the guesswork out of grilling and lets you cook like a pro.”