Gadget Guru December 2012

The holidays are upon us, and that means lots of entertaining and picture taking. The latest techno wonders below will make sure your gatherings are memorable. RYAN THOMAS

 

Pocket Projector

We’ve highlighted a lot of projectors in this column, but rarely do the projectors themselves take the video. The CP45 pocket camcorder from 3M can both shoot your videos and then instantly project them onto the nearest wall or flat surface via a 20 lumens lens. The recorder shoots video at 720p HD and takes photos at 8mp, which is not huge, but certainly manageable, especially when you consider it can play them back at up to 65 inches, which is bigger than most home televisions. It has speakers, plus a port to plug in your own. It offers a slot for a microSD card, which will then allow you up to 20 hours of 720p video. It can connect with a USB to your computer, the iPhone, iPod, smart phone, DVD player, or gaming console. All this and it fits in a jacket pocket. $235. (www.3m.com)

 

One Cool Appliance

If you’re entertaining, or just in the mood for a sleek, high class computerized refrigerator, look no further than the La Cambusa refrigerator by Meneghini, a company that specializes in hand-building fridges that are true works of art. The modern modular design offers both massive fridge and freezer compartments, as well as a coffeemaker, fitted pantry or a double pantry, ice-maker, a microwave oven, and a steam oven and multi-function oven. It can also be fitted with a flat screen TV or computer monitor to order. The exterior surface is treated in three aniline colors (ebony, pomegranate, and colonial), all encased in an ash-dyed aged oak wood. Yes, wood, making it an all-in-one fridge you can put in your living room. Because really, measuring in at eight feet in length, this is not for average kitchens. $41,500. (www.meneghiniarredamenti.com)

Deep Imagery

Here’s one for anyone who plans to vacation in the tropics and de-stress from holiday fare. Take your photos underwater without having to buy an expensive new camera. Just use your iPhone 4 or 4s and encase it in the the Watershot. Essentially a housing that completely seals your phone, the Watershot can be taken down to depths of around 130 feet, plenty deep enough to get some memorable shots of sea life or those mutated sea monkeys you flushed down the drain as a kid. Don’t worry about dropping it either, the Watershot floats and is built to withstand rocks, reefs, salt, and sand. The package deal comes with the housing, the Watershot app for your phone, and a built-in tripod mount that’s also GoPro-compatible. The Watershot retails for $99. (www.watershot.com)