SALTZMAN: Summer tech for work and play

Great gadgets to amp up your time this season

Published Jul 11, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

You don’t need to break the bank on quality earbuds. The soundcore by Anker P20i are comfortable designed to block out ambient sounds. Photo by Handout /Anker

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Sunglasses? Check. Water bottle? Yep. Popsicles for the kids (er, and kids at heart)? Of course.

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One on hand, summer essentials haven’t changed much over the decades, but it’s hard to ignore some incredible tech that can help supersize your season.

Granted, wireless earbuds costs more than a baseball cap, naturally, but there’s no shortage of great gear to suit varying needs and budget – whether it’s to get work done while on the go, keep your home safe (even when you’re not there), and some tech to amp up your time with friends and family.

A few noteworthy suggestions:

Big sound, small price

You don’t need to break the bank on quality earbuds. For $24.99, soundcore by Anker P20i are comfortable earbuds designed to block out ambient sounds by up to 98% – so there’s little between you and your music, podcasts, audiobooks, or calls.

Available in one of five colours, these small Bluetooth buds wirelessly connect to your phone (or other device, like a tablet, ereader, laptop or smart TV) and enjoy up to 10 hours of music playtime (up to six hours for calls), plus an additional 20 hours provided by the charging case.

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In a rush? A fast-charging feature gives you two hours of listening from a quick 10-minute charge.

Despite its small size (and price) these IPX5-rated weather-resistant earbuds deliver clear and well-balanced audio.

The HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition is a unique, screenless “computer-in-a-keyboard.” Photo by Handout /HP

Wait, that’s a PC?

Calling all on-the-go professionals!

If you find yourself travelling between an office and home-based setup, hotel room and a cottage, don’t look past what may look like an ordinary computer keyboard.

The HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition ($1899.99) is a unique, screenless “computer-in-a-keyboard,” designed for clutter-free workspaces and “hot-desking.”

Simply connect it to a monitor, TV or projector and start typing away.

In fact, it features an internal battery to switch desks without rebooting, connects to dual 4K monitors via a single USB-C cable, includes a Bluetooth mouse, and features premium HP Wolf Security protection.

As the first and only AI keyboard PC in the world and HP’s smallest and lightest PC ever (at about half the weight of a laptop), it packs a ton of performance, thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI processor, 24GB RAM (system memory), and a 50 TOPS NPU for heavy local AI workloads.

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A cut above

Summer is here, and so why not have a robot cut your grass for you? The Worx Landroid Cloud Vision ¼ Acre ($1799.99) is a robotic lawnmower that – unlike many other models – eliminates the tedious task of burying physical boundary wires.

Using advanced Vision AI and cloud-based RTK (“Real-Time Kinematic” satellite navigation), it sees and understands your yard to map and navigate it automatically. It can handle steep slopes, avoid obstacles, and can trim edges to minimize manual grass cutting around fences. It’s electric, therefore super quiet, which means it can even cut late at night (don’t try that with your gas mower).

As with other Worx products, this Landroid ‘bot operates via the company’s PowerShare system, allowing you to hot-swap out the batteries to use with other compatible tools, such as a leaf blower, power washer, cordless drills and nail guns.

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Eyes on the prize

Speaking of your property, the Tapo C675D KIT from TP-Link ($349) is an outdoor security camera system that eliminates blind spots, as its top lens captures an expansive 169-degree view and thus keeping your entire driveway, walkway and perhaps a patio all in frame.

The real magic, however, may be the motorized bottom lens. Thanks to on-device AI, it instantly spots people, vehicles, or pets, auto-tracking them with a 5x optical zoom. In other words, you get both a wide scene and a crisp close-up – all in crisp 4K. There’s even colour night vision to view what’s happening outside your home – even if you’re not there – via the Tapo app.

This Wi-Fi camera kit includes a solar panel, along with a 10,000mAh battery to store excess power for when you need it.

Because it supports local storage, the Tapo C675D KIT does not require a cloud subscription.

Lost and found For $39, or a pack of four for $129, Apple AirTags are perfect for summer because they take the stress out of travel and outdoor adventures.

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Toss one of these coin-sized trackers in your checked luggage or backpack and you can then monitor your belongings on an app, or if lost, track its whereabouts globally through the Apple Find My network. You can even securely share bag locations directly with airlines to expedite returns, giving you total peace of mind.

While you’re at it, drop an AirTag into your purse, hang it to your keychain or attach it to your passport – which you can then easily find if misplaced by making it chime or see its location on a map.

Note: AirTags require an iPhone or iPad, and the means to attach them to something, such as special key rings, are sold separately.

Top dog

On a related note, small devices can also help locate a missing pet – and the tech is getting smarter.

SpotOn Fence Nova Edition ($1299) is a wireless GPS dog fence and tracking system packed into a dog collar, to help keep your canine within a preset boundary – at home, a cottage, or anywhere life takes you, as you can create an invisible fence outline with your fingertip on the app.

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If your furry friend approaches the perimeter, the collar emits an audible warning beep, notifying the dog to turn around, followed by tactile vibration and optional mild static correction if they continue to move closer.

Should your pet breach the wireless fence, the app can be used to locate your pet.

Unveiled at CES 2026, the company’s “Nova Edition” is packed with a dual-band, dual-feed active GPS antenna and receiver, to pull in more satellites and higher-quality signals for far better location accuracy.

Power play

Finally, whether it’s for work or play, anyone on the go this summer should carry a portable power bank to juice up their tech when running low – without needing to find a wall outlet.

But it needn’t weigh you down. At $39.50, the INIU Power Bank is a portable and affordable solution. It’s billed as the world’s smallest 10,000mAh battery (45W), capable of charging up your tech, such as a smartphone, tablet, ereader, action camera, wireless earbuds, smartwatch, and more.

Along with its USB-C and legacy USB-A port, the INIU Power Bank cleverly includes a removable nylon-braided lanyard that doubles as a USB-C cable

It’s available in six colours.

— Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and is the author of the book, Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley).

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