The Memorial Day Tech Guide

Memorial Day tech: Ketchup-proof TVs, drone cameras, and perfect meat

GoPro Hero3 beach — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sunbrite TV ($1,500 and up)

For many, enjoying Memorial Day weekend is about getting outside and enjoying what nature has to offer. For others, it’s about getting outside, pretty much ignoring nature all together, and dragging as much technology with them as possible. For those in the latter camp, we submit the Sunbrite Outdoor TV. Sunbrite’s TV’s come in 22, 32, 46, 47, 55 and 65-inch sizes – some are even touchscreens – but they all share one remarkable trait: they can handle just about anything nature (or you) can throw at them. These TVs are capable of displaying, bright, vibrant pictures even in direct sunlight, plus they can handle rain, snow, sleet, salty sea air, dirt, dust, flying balls, raw ground turkey…you name it. Don’t believe it? That’s ok, we were skeptical too. That’s why we threw just about everything we had at one when we got a chance to review Sunbrite’s stuff – you can see the video here.

GoPro Hero3 ($199.99 and up)

The Hero3’s slight, boxy design isn’t built to turn heads, but the 1080p video at 30 frames per second has a film-like quality that leaves eyeballs in awe. The professional quality of the footage has made the camera a staple of people who get filmed for a living – your professional snowboarders and kayakers and mountain bikers and the like – but the shockingly simple menus and user interface, which can be controlled from a smartphone, means the Hero3 isn’t just for professionals. You’re going to do something stupid this Memorial Day weekend; the Hero3 will ensure it’s preserved for posterity.

DJI Phantom Aerial UAV Drone Quadcopter ($680)

That aforementioned stupid thing that you’re going to do this Memorial Day weekend? Don’t just preserve it for posterity – turn it into your own little Hollywood blockbuster with the Phantom Drone Quadcopter. Built with a mount specifically designed for a GoPro, it’s super stable and simple to fly, and has power and range to pull of stunts like this and this. The old “Hold my beer and watch this!” has officially become “Fly my drone and film this!”

iGrill ($80)

Admit it: You are guilty of serving horribly burned burgers and sausages to your barbecue guests and passing it off as a “char” that only experienced pit masters can achieve. Here’s a better idea: The iGrill meat thermometer, which communicates with your smartphone via long-range Bluetooth to alert you when the food has reached a desired temperature. It works as far as 200 feet from the grill, so beer-drinking and hammock-swinging can be accomplished simultaneously alongside guest-feeding.

ZBoard Classic ($650)

The skateboard has undergone all sorts hacks and mods in the past 10 years, most of which are better off forgotten. The ZBoard, however, pairs motion detection with electric motors to make pushing irrelevant. The board can sense when a rider leans forward and accelerates accordingly, while a backward lean initiates braking. It has a top speed of 15 mph and a range of 3-5 miles, while needing only a common wall outlet to recharge. Basically, this is the coolest Segway ever made.

Poler Camera Cooler Bag ($65)

We here at Digital Trends believe that you shouldn’t have to choose between convenience and … well, alcohol (your non-alcoholic drinks are welcome too, of course). That’s where the Camera Cooler Bag from Poler Outdoor Stuff comes in. This Memorial Day, hopefully you’re doing something worthy of a few photos, so you’ll want both some cool beverages and something to house your camera in – this bag is just the ticket. It has multiple pockets and inner dividers to keep your gear safe, but the clincher is the fact that you can insert the removable insulated temperature locking walls to keep your food and drink cold. If you want to carry everything at once, small digital cameras can slide into the exterior side pockets, or you can hook it to the strap.

LifeProof frē iPhone 5 Case ($80)

There are plenty of waterproof cases, but few look this slick. LifeProof’s iPhone 5 case is fully submergible up to six feet for up to an hour. Better still, it protects against dirt, snow, and dropping, all while only adding about 1.5mm to each edge of the phone. So, if you happen to drop your phone onto snow covered concrete and it then falls into the water, you should be in good shape, although you may want to figure out why you’re spending Memorial Day somewhere in the snow. There are much better places to spend the official opening day of Summer.

nPower Peg Kinetic USB charger ($130)

If you count yourself among the unlucky worker bees who aren’t going to be able to fully disconnect this holiday weekend, never fear. The nPower Peg ensures your phone will stay charged even as you’re gallivanting around with your less important friends and pretending not to stress about emails from your boss. We’ve seen this product move from prototype to full production and remain impressed with the tech: it gathers and stores power based on kinetic movement, so you throw it in a backpack, purse, or pocket and as it jiggles around it powers up and is there, ready to save your phone right when its battery goes red. What’s that? Right on it, Boss Man.

(GoPro image courtesy of GoPro Media team members James Kirkham and Nate Lee. Poler Camera Cooler images courtesy of polerstuff.com and the @polerstuff Instagram page.)