TECH‘ N GEAR
TRUE NORTH When you’ re going hiking, trail running or simply out into nature make sure you attach this small aluminium compass keyring to your rucksack or bag, or have it attached to your keys. That way, you never have to worry about getting lost. And it won’ t get in the way as it’ s only 4cm in diameter. R95 from S & G Distributors.
POOL PARTY Whether you’ re spending the summer taking on the waves at the beach, fishing in a dam or river or simply turning up the tunes at a pool party, this waterproof speaker should be your trusty companion. R299.99 from Typo.
BRAAI TIME There’ s a time at every braai when things are heating up and then suddenly it’ s dark. Either the sun sets or the crowd of guys around the fire just gets too thick. To prevent those dreaded burnt chops, whip out the Tonglite. With its LED mounted onto stainless steel tongs, it’ ll shine on the food as you flip, plus you’ ll still have a free hand for a drink. It’ s also dishwasher safe( just remove the torch). R299 from The Gadget Shop.
UNDER MY UMBRELLA The Oombrella is a connected umbrella that sends alerts to your smartphone if rain is on the way. In fact, it’ s a portable weather station that collects data on temperature, pressure, humidity and light, and shares it with local Oombrella users. It’ ll notify you if you’ re about to leave it behind somewhere and, apart from a smartphone, you can connect a Go Pro or other camera to the top end of the umbrella stick. It just reached its crowdfunding goal and starts shipping soon: www. wezzoo. com / oombrella.
DRONING ABOUT If you’ re in the drone market and won’ t settle for anything short of excellence, the DJI Phantom 4 Drone( which comes with an extra battery) boasts a 28-minute maximum flight time, a control range of 5km and reaches speeds of up to 72km / h. The Smart Return Home function allows it to avoid obstacles as it returns home and it also tracks moving objects automatically with its ActiveTrack capabilities. The 4K camera has improved optics and records 120 fps in 1080p mode for super slow motion video. R27 999 from The Gadget Shop.
8 Travel Update | issue 9