SALTZMAN: Spring into new tech

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Spring has sprung, a glorious time of the year when the Great White North becomes the Great Green North once again.

Canadians bravely take a step outside into the warmth, take a deep breath of fresh air, and venture out with nary a coat in sight.

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But that doesn’t mean you need to leave tech behind.

From smartwatches and portable audio to wireless meat thermometers and robots that quietly cut your grass, there’s plenty of gadgets and gear that help you get the most out of the new season.

The following are a few ideas to spring into, ranging in price from $69 to $4199.

IT’S ALL IN THE WRIST

Not all smartwatches are created equal. Designed by runners for runners, the Garmin Forerunner 265 ($559) helps athletes better plan, prepare and perform at their best. This GPS smartwatch features Garmin’s premium training metrics and recovery insights, a bright and vibrant colour AMOLED touchscreen display, and impressive battery life of up to 15 days.

Along with health and sleep monitoring, you can see (and feel) phone notifications, download music for when you’re out for a run (via Bluetooth headphones or earbuds), and tap the watch at retail to securely buy items. It’s available in multiple colours and in 42mm and 46mm sizes.

SALE PRICE ON WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Normally $280 but on sale for $189 until March 25, the Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones are a “sound” investment for active music lovers, with the stylish White and Gold and Black and Gold colourways available exclusively at Staples.

With up to 50 hours of wireless battery life and a lightweight design (217 grams), these comfortable and great-sounding headphones are an ideal companion for outdoor activities and Spring travel. Optional, but use either the 3.5mm audio jack or USB-C cable (both included) to connect to a music source for high-resolution (“lossless”) audio.

A SMARTER ‘SMART LOCK’

While there are many “smart locks” available for your front door, the just-launched eufy FamiLock S3 Max Video Smart Lock ($399) has two unique features.

One is you can simply hold your palm up to the sensor to gain touch-free access to your home, with 99.99999% accuracy, says the company. You can register up to 50 palm prints for family and friends. Another cool feature is an integrated 2K doorbell camera that offers a wide-angle and head-to-toe view to see visitors and deliveries – which you can view on a small screen on the back of the door or from anywhere via the eufy app.

A CUT ABOVE

As the name suggests, the Husqvarna Automower “iQ” Series of robot lawnmowers are its smartest yet. These wire-free models no longer require a perimeter wire professionally installed under your lawn to stay on your property (and out of areas you don’t want it in, like gardens and flowerbeds).

Once you start it via an app or your voice with a smart speaker, it’ll quietly and accurately cut your grass (all types) on front lawns and backyards – up to two acres. Like its predecessors, this weatherproof widget can navigate around obstacles, handle slopes, and when it detects its running low on its battery, it navigates itself back to the base to charge up and continue the job. Prices start at $4199 for the iQ Series.

WATER WORKS

To protect your home from costly water damage this spring, the Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff ($559) connects to your home’s water supply, and can detect flow rate, temperature and pressure throughout the entire home. It can sense an issue like a frozen or burst pipe, or if a child left a bathroom faucet running, and not only will it notify you via the app (or a smart speaker announcement) if there’s an issue, it will also turn the water supply off to minimize damage.

Also part of the Moen family, small Smart Leak Detectors ($69) that can be placed anywhere in a home to alert you when and where it detects moisture, while Moen’s Smart Sump Pump Monitor ($172) tracks water levels and performance in real-time.

BASEBALL’S BACK

Now available for PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch, San Diego Studios’ MLB The Show 25 ($89) is the latest in the beloved baseball videogame franchise.

Whether you prefer solo or multiplayer modes, step up to the plate as or against your favourite Major League Baseball team, in authentically recreated stadiums, or play through history as baseball’s often-overlooked legends of the game in Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 3. Or live your own dream of swinging in the big leagues in Road to the Show (create your own ball player and work your way up to the major leagues), or other fan-favourites like Diamond Dynasty (a card-collecting mode), March to October (a fast franchise mode), and the brand-new Diamond Quest feature, a unique roguelike boardgame.

TASTY TECH

If you don’t want to spring for a “smart grill,” such as an app-controlled Traeger wood-pellet solution, the $149 MEATER Plus lets you barbeque with confidence, as this wireless probe (with dual sensors) will communicate your food’s internal temperature and grill’s ambient temp, up to 165 feet away (via Bluetooth), to its companion app on a smartphone or tablet.

Ideal for cooking indoors or outdoors (and portable for camping trips), this small doohickey works with all cuts of meat (beef, lamb, chicken and pork) and fish. The app will display alerts, such as when it’s time to flip your steak based on your desired doneness, as well as other handy features.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book, Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley)