Fantastic summer gadgets to keep you cool, turn up the fun

By Phil Hornshaw

The temperatures are rising and schools are wrapping up another year. Yep, summer is just about here, and that means vacations, barbecues and just hanging out in the warmth of the sun.

Of course, it also means sweating a lot, swatting mosquitoes and sipping on beverages that get warm in a hurry, but luckily there are some handy gadgets that can make summer a little more fun and the heat a little more bearable.

Outdoor entertainment

For your outdoor food-based activities, keeping things cool is key. There are plenty of beverage- and food-cooling solutions out there, though, like floating coolers for the pool and even personal coolers for cans and bottles.

Also handy for making your outdoor events a little less annoying are mosquito repellant devices. Mosquito traps can help keep a whole area clear of the frustrating little bugs, and there are also personal repellent devices that can be clipped to your belt.

For your outdoor gadget needs, a good place to start your search is at The Sharper Image, which offers coolers, mosquito repellants and other handy items for your barbecues (including actual barbecues). You can snag 8 percent Cash Back at The Sharper Image, and Brookstone also carries a number of alternative devices in the same vein, where you can grab 5 percent Cash Back.

Fun in the sun (or underwater)

If you’re hanging at the pool for a day, you might want to invest in cool items like underwater earphones. Check out Amazon for gadgets like the SwiMP3, a waterproof MP3 player you can take swimming with you, and waterproof skins for tablets to make e-reading a little safer. And while you’re hanging out in the sun, you can keep your other devices charged with the help of a solar charger – check Thinkgeek to find one, as well as other useful stuff.