Just in time for summer, we’ve collected some of our favorite seasonal gadgets and brought them to our favorite morning news show, CBS Mornings. Whenever I’m asked to pick a tech product to recommend to a TV audience, I try to cover all the bases – expensive and budget items, authentic and fun products.
You can watch the full story above. If you’re into any of the gadgets, here’s a little more detail on each one below: I thought the Ninja Creami ice cream maker was going to be a hit, but the host (and everyone backstage) said it’s lit up I was amazed by his tools for grilling. My point: You can’t go wrong if you point your flashlight at something.
Amazon
Everyone should carry a spare power bank, especially when traveling in the summer. There are thousands to choose from, and frankly, most of them are fine. I happen to love this ambitious model with its solar panel, wireless phone charging, flashlight, and most importantly its built-in USB-C, Lightning, and Micro-USB cables.
Receiving price alerts for Oimye Solar Charger Power Bank
Ninja
I tried an old fashioned ice cream maker. There is a large metal bowl that must be pre-frozen and then cleaned. This is a rather lengthy process. Ninja Creami turns that concept upside down. If you mix the ingredients in a small pint-sized plastic container and freeze overnight (Creami comes with 3 pint containers, about $10 extra), then the machine makes a very good ice cream. Mix the cream. in 90 seconds. I was skeptical, but now I’m sure.
Read our full Ninja Creami review here.
I am receiving price alerts for Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Gelato and Sorbet Maker 7 One Touch Programs – NC301.
feel
This little box sends IR commands to the window unit AC allowing it to be controlled via an app. It’s pretty basic, but I love that the Sensibo app lets you set schedules and target temperatures, as well as geofencing to turn the AC off or on depending on whether you’re at home or not. For those of us who live in apartments with windowed AC units, this is a pretty smart upgrade. (Requires an air conditioner remote for setup. Couldn’t find mine, so I ordered an $8 knockoff from Amazon and it worked fine.)
Find out more about Sensibo Sky here.
Receiving price alerts for Sensibo Sky
Ecobee
The TV segment didn’t reach this (but you can see it on the table). Still, my CNET Home colleagues highly recommended the new Ecobee as a great smart thermostat. This is especially true because they have air quality sensors and use radar instead of outdated IR to detect human activity.
Find out more about the Ecobee smart thermostat here.
Receiving Price Alerts for Ecobee Smart Thermostats
Weber
Listen, you don’t really need a smart thermometer for outdoor grilling. and will let you know when it’s time to remove something from the grill.
I am receiving price alerts for the Weber iGrill Mini
grill light
A surprise hit for this TV segment, and frankly a very useful idea. I used to have a small patio in the back of my Manhattan apartment, sandwiched between buildings, and it was usually pretty dark. I definitely could have used something like this (actually had a large clip-on light mounted on the grill).
Receiving Grill Light Price Alerts
