Review: 3 Must-Have Gadgets for Summer

It’s summer, the perfect season to spoil yourself and your loved ones with cool new techie must-haves. Don’t know where to start? I’ve rounded up my top 3 tech picks for the summer season. Each of these gadgets will make ideal gifts for a loved one or yourself this summer. Whether you’re after something simple to make your everyday life a little easier or something high-tech to help you get the most out of the summer holidays, there’s something on this list for you.

Xiaomi JIMMY JF41 360-degree Oscillation Smart Fan

If you think all fans are created equal, think again. This smart fan from Xiaomi will no doubt put the bog-standard standing fan you’re currently using to shame. Not only is it extremely powerful, yet oh-so-quiet, but it has all sorts of nifty features to boot.

A brushless digital motor, with high-precision bearing, reduces noise by 30% ensuring the Xiaomi JIMMY JF41 fan can cool down a room in no time at all while still being super quiet. Furthermore, streamline wing-shaped fan blades also help to greatly reduce the vibration and wind resistance, making it as quiet as possible. Working noise of the fan in ‘sleeping mode’ is only 30dBA so it won’t disturb your slumber.

The fan creates air circulation throughout the room by providing up to 15 meters distance and 360-degree wide-area oscillation with 30, 60, and 360 degrees oscillation options to choose from. Plus, with the 360 oscillating head feature, you can set the pedestal fan to blow the air up towards the ceiling.

The Xiaomi JIMMY JF41 offers multiple speeds and modes, including ‘natural wind’ mode and ‘constant wind’ mode, each mode has 3 grades, enabling you to select the most suitable wind mode for your need. It has a timer option which allows you to set a timer for the fan to automatically turn off after a period of use (1-7 hours)

This standing fan is also extremely lightweight, making it easy to move to different rooms, wherever it is needed. It’s quiet enough to use while you’re watching TV or sleeping, making it the ideal summer gadget for your home.

The Xiaomi Jimmy JF41 Smart Fan is available online through Takealot at R1,999.

LG XBOOM Go PL Bluetooth Speaker

If you’re serious about music, then you’ll want to invest in a good-quality speaker with excellent sound, like the LG XBOOM Go PL series. Bring the beats this summer with LG’s latest XBOOM Go PL series of Bluetooth speakers. The new line-up of portable speakers are lightweight, water-resistant, and compact with excellent battery life.

The LG speaker series includes the PL7, PL5, and PL2 speakers, each with a long list of features you’re sure to love. Developed in collaboration with Meridian Audio, LG says the speakers produce rich, premium sound with less distortion, even when the volume is turned right up. The end caps on the PL7 and PL5 function as passive bass radiators, vibrating with the music so you can literally feel the beat.

In addition to great battery life, the XBOOM Go is also pool-party proof. The speaker is rated IPX5 water-resistant, so it can handle being sprayed with water, keeping it safe from splashes, spilled drinks, and other water hazards associated with summer.

The LG XBOOM Go PL speakers are available online from Takealot.

Sony ZV-1 camera

Designed for content creation, the Sony The ZV-1 camera offers all the features you could want as a content creator on the move.

Featuring a selfie-friendly vari-angle LCD screen, easy body grip for one-handed control, and a recording lamp, this vlogging camera is a must-have for anyone who creates content for a living or as a hobby. A directional 3-capsule mic with wind screen picks up your voice clearly with less wind noise; while the Bokeh switch and Product Showcase Setting make videos look more interesting with less effort.

The great thing about this camera is that there is no experience necessary to capture great-looking videos. With the ZV-1 you can easily capture amazing videos of you and your world, without any tricky setup. Quick modes, like Soft Skin Effect mode, make subjects and skin colours look vibrant, natural and healthy while the large 1.0-type CMOS sensor and wide-aperture lens deliver images with professional background bokeh, as well as clear detail even in challenging low-light conditions.

Plus, publishing your content has never been easier. With the ZV-1 you can instantly transfer movies to your smartphone using the free Imaging EdgeTM Mobile app for iOS and Android7. The app lets you simply transfer, edit and upload images shot on the ZV-1 instantly to social media platforms, from wherever you are.

Playing with this little camera has been a pleasure of note and makes shooting professional-looking video an absolute breeze. It’s lightweight and fits into your hand easily, without feeling bulky or clumsy. If you know a content creator you want to spoil this summer, you can’t go wrong with gifting this gem.

The Sony ZV-1 camera is available online from Takealot at R14,499.