Look, it’s got a handle! That makes the Bose SoundDock a worthwhile summer gadget, because warm weather is all about spontaneity. Grab some sunscreen, a hat and of course your portable music system with its handy handle and you’re good to go. The docking station fits the iPhone and almost all iPod models and runs on rechargeable batteries or plugs into a wall. But what walls? It’s all about being outside, on the open road, the beach – anywhere but inside. $449.95, bose.ca
Dust-proof, shockproof and waterproof. That makes this 11th-generation Pentax digital camera supposedly tough enough to withstand the rigours of summertime use and abuse, including drops off cliffs while hiking in Squamish, swimming at Jericho or burying it in sand at Kitsilano Beach. Rubber corners encase the 12.1-megapixel sensor and wide-angle 5X optical zoom. A large 2.7-inch LCD is also designed for rugged, outdoor use, with a 16:9 wide screen that’s easy to view in sunlight and underwater. $339.99, pentaxcanada.ca
Preloaded with thousands of golf course maps, including Canadian ones, this GPS receiver can measure individual shot distances and show the exact yardage to fairways, hazards and greens. Track stats and info such as your putts per round, greens hit in regulation, fairways hit and the average distance you hit every club. Then download software to help analyze your game to figure out how to improve for the next round. It may not put you on the pro circuit, but every little bit helps. $499.99, bestbuy.ca
All those books you wanted to read when life and work slowed down? Get reading. There’s room for 160 books in the Sony Reader and 1,500 books in the Kindle, and because copyright is not an issue for hundreds of classics there are lots to read for free. The best thing about e-books is that in digital space no one can see what you’re reading by looking at the cover, so the trashy summer novel can look as serious as Shakespeare. $299, sonystyle.ca; $259, amazon.ca
You know you want it. The only question is which one: the 16-gigabyte version or the 64-gigabyte with 3G? All right, there’s really another question. How are you going to justify buying what is basically an iPhone without a phone function? Here’s what you do. Slap hamburgers on the barbecue instead of rib-eyes, crack open an ice-cold glass of tap water instead of beer and tell the kids that the corn mazes in Chilliwack are way more fun than Disneyland. Who needs a vacation when you can gaze lovingly at that Apple logo? $549
(16-gigabyte) to $879 (64-gigabyte), apple.ca
