GadgetLiving

This is a vacuum cleaner for your yard. Unlike leaf blowers which can be less than accurate and require you going over the same spot a couple times to get all the leaves, this gadget lust sucks up leaves, dirt, and lawn clippings, and then shreds everything, creating an organic mulch.

The Combination Vacuum/Mulcher is made by Shop Vac, so you know it’s a name you can trust. The Vacuum/Mulcer has a six-amp motor that grabs everything from sawdust and sand to leaves, wood chips, and twigs.

Check price and availability at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“Captured debris is drawn through a nylon cutting blade, shredded, and deposited in the detachable eight-gallon bag. Light and easy to maneuver, with adjustable height. Heavy-duty nylon housing. Plugs into AC. For patios, driveways, and garagesnot for lawns. 36″ H x 19″ W x 39 1/2″ D. (19 lbs.)”

This is not your old school mosquito zapper. This baby actually attracts and destroys those annoying little pests.

The trap mimics human respiration, by combining heat, CO2, and a safe attractant to quietly capture and kill mosquitoes. This trap is also safe to use around pets and children. Perhaps the best thing about this Mosquito Trap is that it can be set on a table, place on the ground, or hung in a tree, making it great for urban as well as rural environments.

Check price and availability at Brookstone.

“* Trap mosquitoes within a 105 ft radius when used with chemical attractant (65 ft without).
* Compact size and propane-free operation make these ideal indoor mosquito traps.
* Built-in hook for easy hanging.
* Includes one bottle of chemical attractant (typical 1-month supply).
* Mosquito zapper dimensions: 7″ W x 8.2″ D x 9.4″ H”

Just set up the self-emptying rain bucket in a spot where it will be filled with rain unobstructed by any objects like trees. When it rains, the bucket transmits the amount of rain to the gauge.

You can set it to display rainfall in the past 24 hours, 1 hour, or last rain period. You can even view a graph of the rainfall you’ve had in the past days, weeks, or months, just by scrolling through the graph.

Check price and availability at Outdoor Decor.

“Rain alarm function notifies you of rain, transmitter self-empties via tipping bucket and measures 1/100th of an inch per tip. It includes a transmitter and a removable base to allow for free standing installation or mounting on a wall. Manual time set in 12 or 24 hour mode and date set. Transmission range is up to 80 feet open air.”

This ultra-lightweight hedger has an onboard collecting container. Which means that once you’re finished trimming the hedges, other than emptying the container, your work is done. No rakes or bending down to pick up branches and leaves. That leaves you more time to relax and enjoy your outdoor space rather than just working it in.

The Garden Groom Mini has a 300W motor and a concealed rotary cutting blade, as well as and included volume bag to collect shredded material.

Check price and availability at First Street.

“The trimmer features a rotary cutting blade, which cuts and shreds the clippings using a scissor-like action, however, because the trimmer has a concealed blade it helps reduce the possibility of cutting the main power cable. It also lessens the risk of personal injury while in use. Once the hedge clippings have been cut and shredded, they are deposited into the onboard container which can hold 5 liters of clippings. If you have a large amount of hedges to trim and shape, you can attach the hose (included) to the groomer, and store waste in the volume collection bag (included). The Garden Groom is capable of cutting all types of hedges including; Privet, Leyland, Yew, Ash, Holly, Beech, Hawthorn and most branches with up to a 3/8″ thickness. Once done, the shredded clippings are ideal to use as mulch or composting.”

The only thing better than a gorgeous water feature in your yard or garden is a water feature in your yard or garden that doesn’t cost you anything in electricity.

The Illumina Floating Solar Fountain runs off a patented Solar Smart battery pack during the night and large RWE amorphous solar panel during the day. Thr fountain shoots water up to 15″ as it cycles through a multiple color long-life LED light.

Check price and availability at Outdoor Decor.

“Add instant elegance to your pond or water feature with the Solar Illumina SunJet 290M w/ Solar Smart Battery Station…Smart Battery Station provides up to 24 hours of operation (no lights) or 15 hours of operation (with lights).”

Spend more time outdoors in the middle of the hottest summer heat by making your patio or deck as comfortable as an air conditioned room.

The fan gently mists the surrounding area reducing the air temperature by as much as 25° F! This 16″ fan oscillates 90° and can cool up to 640′ sq. As an added bonus, flying insects tend to avoid wind and moisture, so the fan also helps reduce the bugs that may typically buzz around you deck or patio.

Check price and availability at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“UV- and rust-resistant; solid-state construction. High-velocity three-speed motor is waterproof and produces 40,000 BTUs of cooling power. Includes four replacement misting nozzles. Plugs into A C; UL listed. Height adjusts up to 56″. 21″ Diam.”

This simple-to-use GPS device offers accurate distance information from anywhere on a golf course. Made by the very trustworthy Garmin, the GolfLogix has an easy-to-read screen that displays the distance to the center of the green, the depth of the green, and major upcoming hazards.

GolfLogix has simple one button operation making it easy to use. And its lightweight and portable yet extremely durable. Take with you to any course anywhere, it will stand up to the continual use.

Check price and availability at Amazon.

“Knowing accurate distances on the course will increase your shot confidence, enhance your golfing experience and actually lower your scores. Manufactured by Garmin, the world leader in GPS technology, GolfLogix is the most precise, durable, and user-friendly golf GPS on the market. Key distances are displayed automatically in big bold numbers on a compact, palm-sized device. The screen advances automatically to all of the targets on the golf course so there are no buttons to push or lasers to point during your round. Just check the distance, choose your club, and enjoy the game of golf. It couldn’t be easier.”

No more candles, tikki torches, patio lanterns, or strands of twinkle lights. In fact no more extension cords either. This patio umbrella will give a soft glow over your patio table for up to eight hours.

The 8′ diameter umbrella has 24 LEDs built into each of the six spreader rods that attach to the ribs. The canopy is made of durable polyester that has been treated with a UV and water-resistant coating. So you’r umbrella will hold up against good and not so good weather.

Check price and availability at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“A sealed weatherproof solar panel at the top of the umbrella recharges a Ni-Mh battery which provides power for the LEDs with an 85% efficiency rate, unlike lesser solar arrays that only operate at 50-55% efficiency, resulting in the longer eight-hour illumination time; manual on/off/auto switch included. The sturdy powder-coated aluminum pole and frame are corrosion-resistant, and an aluminum crank makes opening and closing simple. The LEDs are rated for 100,000 hours of use, and provide an appropriate glow for evening dining and conversation. Fits standard patio umbrella base. 94″ H x 8″ Diam.”

The National Geographic Handheld Birds is the first North American mobile interactive field guide PDA. Now you don’t need your windowsill crowded with bird books. Just your binoculars and your National Geographic Handheld Birds. Perfect for bird watching trips, this light hand held device will transform your birding outings into expertly guided adventures with amazing features only National Geographic can give you.

You’ll be able to use National Geographic Handheld Birds’ eBird checklist to store birds you see and download it to your computer and then upload it to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and participate in their Citizen Science Research Project.

Check price and availability at National Geographic.

“National Geographic Handheld Birds can be purchased as an all in one device that includes a Tungsten E2 Palm Pilot or as separate SD card software that can be used with many Palm OS compatible PDAs. 3 1/4″W x 4 1/2″H x 1/2″D.”

It’s almost warm enough to go out on the patio again! But not quite, and certainly not into the evenings and night. Unless you have a an outdoor heater.

Check price and availability at BedBathStore.

This Portable Outdoor Heater heats a cirlce up to 10′ in diameter. And it made of weather resistant hardware so it doesn’t have to be lugged in and out every night. The heater is CSA certified and stands 14″ W-B x 20.5″ W-D x 39″ H.

What do you get when a GPS and a telescope have ababy? The Celestron Skyscout Planetarium. It uses GPS technology to locate and identify virtually any celestial object.

Just point and click and SkyScout will tell you what it is, and then give you audio and text descriptions of most of the objects up there in space. Its database includes more than 6,000 stars, planets and constellations.

Check price and availability at Brookstone.

Built-in celestial calendar helps you find objects and events every day of the year.SkyScout™ combines GPS technology, which gives the time, date and location of the user; software that calculates the position of the objects for that moment; and 3 axis sensors measuring gravitational and magnetic fields to determine the true orientation of SkyScout™ to the Earth.

Finally a hammock for those of us without large sturdy trees in our yards. Finally a hammock for those of us without yards!

The Hammaka Chair has everything you need to spend the summer in luxury: a pillow, armrests, footrest, drink holder and even a carrying case. It can hang from its tripod or can be suspended from a ceiling joist.

Check price and availability at Brookstone.

“Double-layered UV protected 600-denier polyester fabric. Aluminum tripod with hardwood spreader bars. Supports up to 300 lbs. Easy to move at just 17 lbs. 7 ½’ tall.”

The Torrent Rain Gauge is a self-emptying, electronic rain gauge. Unlike other electronic gauges, there are no cables, and no installation is required. All you have to to is place it on a level surface and wait for it to rain.

Rain falls into the top of the gauge which measures and records it as it exits through the bottom of the gauge.

Check price and availability at Outdoor Decor.

“If an elevated mounting position is desired, the Torrent has a groove molded in the bottom for placement atop a 1″ pipe (not included) allowing the rain gauge to be placed in a flower or vegetable garden. If you wish to mount the Torrent on a fence, a universal mounting bracket is available (sold separately). See item T RG 11021 for details. The Torrent Rain Gauge will record up to 99.999 inches of rain…”

If there is a dog in your neighborhood that makes you nervous while walking, jogging, or cycling, make sure it stays away from you without harming you or the dog.

Check price and availability at Unbeatable Sale

The Ultrasonic Dog Repeller produces a high frequency sound that the human ear can’t detect, but can clearly be heard by dogs and acts as a deterrent to dogs. It has a belt clip and a low battery indicator.

Swedish FireSteel was originally developed for the Swedish Department of Defense. You slowly move a metal blade across the Firesteel, creating nearly 3,000°C (5,500°F) sparks that can easily be thrown onto a small pile of dry grass, leaves, or paper to start a fire.

If you like to go camping and want to start campfires quickly, or even if you just need help lighting the barbecue, this FireSteel will last for approximately 12,000 strikes and works just as well in the rain and snow as it does when it’s a sunny day.

Check price and availability at ThinkGeek.

“Used by a number of armies around the world, Swedish FireSteel’s dependability has already made it a favorite of survival experts, hunters, fishermen and campers. It has also found its way into cabins and backyards as a fool-proof way to light stoves and gas-barbecues. Amazingly enough it also works equally well when wet. We think geeks will appreciate the power of being able to start a fire with such a simple tool.”