Garden Gadgets

Summer’s here for some parts of the world, and that would mean organizing cookouts as well as having a generally fun time with friends and family while the sun still shines. The Asado Grill Instant BBQ Stand ought to make those cookouts a much more fun experience, as it boasts both simplicity and genius in a single contraption - all you need to do is slot your instant barbecue in the top, place the Asado wherever you like, light it up and you’re good to go.

Because of those slender little legs that lift the Asado high up, you can place the BBQ anywhere you like without damaging the surface underneath – on grass, even on a tabletop. It’s based on a design of portable grill that South American gauchos would carry on their horses as they ranched cattle over the wide plains. They’d huddle together over an Asado each night, sizzling a juicy steak fresh from the herd as they went – then pack up and be off the next morning to repeat the process.

Made from chrome, you can pick up the Asado Grill Instant BBQ Stand for £9.95.

Star Wars fans will definitely find the following 3D Star Wars Starfighter Kites something worth purchasing, especially for those who live in the northern hemisphere where summer’s here, which means spending plenty of time outdoors with family and friends to enjoy the nice, warm sun before the chill of autumn and winter sets in.

Each ship is presented in all the kite detail that kites can provide. You can choose from either Luke’s X-Wing, Vader’s Tie Fighter, or Han’s Millennium Falcon (hey, he won it fair and square). Imagine the peaceful, floaty dogfights as Darth chases Luke in the trench of a cloudy-made Death Star, with Han zipping in and taking Darth down. Just like the movies, but a lot more relaxing. We love it, the Alderaanians loved it, and so will you.

Imagine having kite fights with these, where fierce battles are not decided by turbo lasers but the sheer sharpness of crushed glass pasted across the entire length of the kite’s line. The 3D Star Wars Starfighter Kites will retail for $39.99 each.

I usually like birds, that is as long as they’re in the proper environment.  I’m not exactly fond of them when they decide to use my car as target practice though.  There are just those times when birds go from being pretty melodious creatures to being a pain.  Well if you have a situation where the birds are causing trouble on a flat surface of some kind, that’s a little out of reach for you, you could pick up this solar device.  It’s a great alternative if you aren’t ready just yet to whip out a gun and camp out.

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Summer’s here in some parts of the world, making outdoor activities all the more fun instead of being cooped up at home all day long in front of the TV and a video game console. Why not pick up a handful of the Nerf Havok Fire Automatic Blasters and have a field day in your garden or at the local park with your friends and family/

Who doesn’t need a fully automatic dart cannon that can fire up to 3 darts per second? It’s certainly going to make things interesting in the office. The darts are fed into the gun via a battery powered belt feed (just like the Vulcan M61) giving you a barrage of firepower that no other Nerf Gun can match. If you don’t want to spend the rest of the afternoon scouring the office for spent darts then you can take the more conservative approach and switch over to single shot mode for extra precision. Not all of us can pull off the Arnie ‘hold the machine gun with one rippling arm’ technique - that’s okay though because the removable tripod can be fitted to the blaster in an instant giving you the opportunity to defend a fixed position.

You don’t even need to play with the Nerf Havok Fire Automatic Blaster outdoors as it makes for the mischevious indoor toy as well. Grab a few of these for the office and see the mice come out to play whenever the boss isn’t around! The Nerf Havok Fire Automatic Blaster will retail for £49.99 a pop.

Sprinklers are useful tools to have in the garden as they help you water your lawn and other plants without having to do so personally, but the Intelligent Sprinkler Controller goes one up on ordinary models since it is able to tell whether it might rain within the next 12 hours or so, automatically postponing scheduled watering cycles in the process.

An integrated barometer monitors changes in barometric pressure and cancels a scheduled watering when rain is forecasted, ensuring your sprinkler system will not turn on prior to or during a rain shower. The device automatically resumes watering on the next scheduled day (weather permitting). You can input the day of the week, time, and duration of each watering using the five-button control panel and LCD. The device calculates how many gallons of water it saves and displays the amount on the LCD. The sprinkler controller simply connects to a standard spigot and garden hose and does not require a subscription to a weather service.

Powered by a single 9-volt battery, the Intelligent Sprinkler Controller can be yours for $99.95.

Although it would be great to have the robot solar powered mower that takes off and mows your lawn for you, plus the perk of it being eco-friendly.  However, it’s a bit on the expensive side, so it’s not something that most people can afford.  For those on a tighter budget, this battery-powered mower might be the better option.  It has the perk of being quiet due to being an electric mower, but doesn’t have the obnoxious extension cord to deal with.

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Summer’s here, so why not make the necessary preparations in advance for your kid to enjoy their summer in the great outdoors instead of spending their time cooped up at home right smack in front of the video game console? The Children’s Inflatable 2MPH Speedboat should make for a welcome distraction to Mario and Metal Gear Solid, offering your little one that there is more to life than just achieving a high score or pounding baddies to submission via the video game controller.

This is the inflatable speedboat that provides a safe 2 mph speed on calm water, such as pools or small ponds (play the video). The outboard electric motor is controlled by a child sitting in the inflated hull–a handhold with a finger trigger turns the motor on or off immediately; the boat can accommodate two children at once. The motor drives a shrouded propeller with no exposed blades that provides smooth movement over calm water; the motor can be turned 360°, so even backward movement is possible. Requires eight D batteries that provides up to five hours of operation. Deflates for off-season storage. Hull constructed from 3mm thick PVC. Supports up to two children (or 100 lbs.)

This is one $99.95 toy that is worth considering if you want to get your kid to obtain a tan this summer!

What is your kid doing cooped up in the living room with the Xbox 360 throughout the entire summer? Banish that thought by introducing him to the great outdoors known as your backyard, and make the entire experience all the more interesting and interactive with the Patriot Paintball Gun Twin Pack.

Aim, fire, SPLAT! This serious adults-only set of paintball pistols is not for the faint hearted! Complete with safety goggles and two tubes of biodegradable water soluble paintballs so they wash off your clothes, this is quite possibly the most fun we’ve ever had with a couple of pint-sized pistols. Take a few pot shots at the wipe clean target or unleash a multicoloured messy attack on your enemies! The high powered paintball guns are pretty accurate and shoot well over long distances; just pull back the loading lever, push back into position, aim and fire! Your paintball guns require no batteries or CO2 making them very easy to use and lots and lots of fun! All you have to do is make sure your paintball pistols are locked and loaded with paintballs and you’re ready for a quick firing frenzy! Extra paintballs can be bought separately.

Who knows? Instead of playing a paintball simulation on the Xbox 360 itself, your teen might pick up a love for the sport and end up being a professional one day instead. The Patriot Paintball Gun Twin Pack retails for £29.95.