Gadgets and Gizmos

Does a weekend of hiking and kayaking followed by campfires and good music sound like your kind of adventure? Do you like being in nature but still enjoy having certain creature comforts? The ECOXBT by Grace Digital is a waterproof, shockproof Bluetooth speaker system that might be perfect for your next outdoor romp.

Biomimicry has again inspired a creative team of scientists. This time it's the Ormia ochracea, a tiny fly with exquisitely acute directional hearing ability, that has become the model for the next generation of hearing aids being modeled by engineers at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

If there is one battle we all engage in every year it is the one with those nasty, pesky biting insects. While bug zappers are kind of fun, they aren't as effective as we'd like them to be and they really can't be used indoors -- and boy, are they noisy! The InaTrap Electronic Insect Killer and Elegant Night Light is the perfect alternative with a soft glow and noiseless trapping.

Still in its infancy, the Internet of Everything, aka IoE (the interface of our things with data, people and process) is already being threatened by hackers. While Cisco has predicted that 25 billion units of things will connect to the Internet by 2015 and will double in five short years, this rapid growth has given pause to reflect on the perceived risks.

KingSing's new tablet might offer acceptable performance, a port payload better than Google's Nexus devices, and a full-fat version of Windows. The best part? It's supposed to be cheap. Really cheap.

Heel pain, particularly sharp and often excruciating, may be due to plantar fasciitis (PL), a condition caused by over-stretching the soft tissue that cushions the bones of the heel and the arch of the foot.  Many runners get PL from pounding on the heels of their feet when they run, but most cases of PL are caused by inactivity, like standing on your feet all day without much movement.  It is most common in middle-aged to older persons who are overweight and/or inactive.

Having clean air to breathe is an issue that affects all of us. As industry expands it becomes a larger and farther-reaching concern -- especially in countries like China where pollution legislation is limited. How can you deal with making sure you have clean air to breathe? Designer Michal Pospeich of Poland's Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts has created the UrbanCONE -- a personal drone that purifies the air around a person.

At this time is year there is nothing quite as lovely as gathering around the campfire, roasting marshmallows on sticks, and making them into S'mores. It makes you dream of getting to have them at home. To make that dream come true -- and easy -- a Microwave S'mores Maker is just the thing. Just as tasty without the burned ones -- and without dropping any in the dirt.

How many times have you been camping only to miss the comfort of your early morning coffee? Of course you could make a fire, boil some water and have your coffee after putting some elbow grease into it. Or you could grab a Solar Kettle/Thermal Flask, fold out the reflectors and have your coffee without breaking a sweat.

There is an iconic image in everyone's mind about someone who can save themselves or the world with just the right manipulation of a hair pin. This is generally done by MacGyver who could get out of just about any bad situation with a few feet of dental floss and a paperclip. Now you can join the likes of the mullet-wearing hero by wearing these awesome hair clips that are Leatherdos Mini Tools Clips.