With the longer days of summer here, hopefully that means you will have more downtime to enjoy the things you love outside of work. For those hobby enthusiasts out there with specific passions in music, running, crafting, reading, or photography, these gadgets can help add something a little extra to make your recreation time even more enjoyable.
Music: A Keyboard That Can Sing
Casio’s CT-S1000V ($469.99) is not a conventional synthesizer or keyboard, but a new kind of electronic musical instrument that signs your lyrics back to you as you play the melody on the keyboard. Using Casio’s Vocal Synthesis sound source technology, you can enter your lyrics via your smart device and then the keyboard will produce a singing voice through a combination of lyrics and voice tone. You can control the singing voice through 22 preset vocal tones, which can be further manipulated for age, gender, vibrato, and more.
Running: Up Your Speed
For runners looking to improve their speed, Under Armour designed a sneaker to help. The Flow Velociti Wind 2 ($160), available for men and women, offers the UA Flow cushioning platform that eliminates the rubber outsole offering less weight while replacing it with foam that has naturally sticky traction to grip the ground better and help you run faster. And the flexible UA Warp on the top of the shoe adapts to the runner’s foot throughout their stride to further improve efficiency. The sneaker also connects to UA MapMyRun, providing real-time coaching tips to improve your form.
Reading: Better Light in Any Setting
Amazon’s latest eReader, the Paperwhite Signature Edition ($189), adds new features to make it even more convenient to read wherever you happen to go. At the top of that list is an adaptive front light that automatically adjusts screen brightness based on lighting conditions. It also now has wireless charging with a battery life of up to 10 weeks and 32 GB of storage so you have more space to store your favorite books. Plus, it’s waterproof, making it ideal for summer to read at the beach or by the pool.
Crafting: DIY Project Aide
The Cricut Explore 3 ($319.99) can cut 100+ materials including cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, glitter paper, bonded fabric, and more—making it easier to complete DIY projects like making T-shirts, banners, cards, posters, etc. With the use of Cricut’s smart materials it can make cuts up to 12ft long in one go without a mat, and its compatible with six additional tools sold separately for writing, foiling, embellishing, and more. If you are in need of more power, consider the Cricut Maker 3 ($429.99), which can cut 300+ materials such as heavy chipboard, tooled leather, and balsa wood.
Photography: Capture the Unexpected
The Nikon Z 9 ($5,499.95) has a hefty price tag, but it’s backed by some best-in-class speed, autofocus (AF) technology, and video recording capabilities for a full-frame mirrorless camera. Its advanced AF system detects what Nikon calls “the world’s largest range” of nine subject types—people, dogs, cats, birds, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trains, and airplanes—with no menu changes required. Its Pre-Release Capture feature helps capture hard-to-predict moments by allowing for the burst capture of images up to a full second before the shutter is fully pressed. And it can record 8K UHD/30p video on an internal memory card for approximately 125 minutes.
