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Gadgets

Gallery: April 2013's Hottest Gadgets

A waterproof MP3 player, a boot that adapts to terrain, a football that can soar 100 yards and more

By Amber Williams: Additional Reporting By Corinne Iozzio and Susan E. Matthews

April 3, 2013

The lower-right side of the T9000 four-door refrigerator can switch from fridge to freezer. To convert the six-cubic-foot section, a user selects the mode on an LCD screen, signaling two compressors and three evaporators to adjust the temperature and humidity levels accordingly. Samsung T9000 Four-Door Refrigerator $3,999Courtesy Samsung

The ZoneGuard is the first radio to translate NOAA weather alerts into both audio and visual warnings. When dangerous weather conditions approach a specified county, the half-pound radio flashes lights that correspond to the severity of the alert: green for advisory, orange for watch, and red for warning. Etón ZoneGuard $40Sam Kaplan

The SmartSound Case amplifies a smartphone speaker without sapping any battery power. A flap unfolds from the back of the plastic case and, similar to a horn, passively increases sound by up to 10 decibels. It also doubles as a kickstand. SmartSound Case $40Courtesy Ken Oh Corp

With the Kyocera Torque, callers will be able to hear their conversations anywhere—even in loud rooms. In place of the phone's speaker, an actuator sends tiny vibrations through soft tissue in the face and directly to the eardrum. Kyocera Torque $150 (with two-year contract)Courtesy Kyocera

The 4.4-ounce foam Fly Max Football can soar 100 yards. A hollow center allows air to move through the ball, minimizing resistance. And adjustable fins increase spin and therefore distance. Geospace Fly Max Football $20Courtesy Geospace International

THX's tune-up app simplifies surround-sound setup. After connecting a smartphone to a stereo receiver, a user enters the number of speakers in his system. The app then displays the ideal speaker layout and sends test tones to each one to make sure it's in the right spot. THX tune-up $1.99Courtesy THX

The KGB boot adapts to varying terrains. It has swappable rubber soles, which stay in place with plastic teeth and have different treads for rock, snow, or ice. Korkers KGB with Vibram OmniTrax $230Courtesy Korkers

The Seamaster Aqua Terra is the first watch completely resistant to magnetism. Engineers made the watch from nonferrous metals, which are unaffected by magnetic fields that can interfere with accuracy. It can resist more than 1.5 Tesla—about the strength of an MRI machine. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra >15,000 gauss $6,500 (available fall)Courtesy Omega

The PLAiR streams any Web video to a TV. First, a user downloads the PLAiR app onto a WiFi-enabled device and plugs the accompanying dongle into a TV's HDMI port. After the user selects a video, the app sends the relevant source URL to the dongle—a Wi-Fi receiver—which then streams the video itself. PLAiR $99Courtesy PLAiR

The Apex keyboard will improve a gamer's response times. Background software tracks a player's keystrokes and generates a visual map that can be used to reprogram the keyboard. For example, by moving keys that are frequently pressed in tandem closer to one another, a player could speed up keystrokes. SteelSeries Apex $100Courtesy SteelSeries

The MotionSense is the first kitchen faucet that cooks don't have to touch to operate. Motion directly above a battery-powered infrared sensor on the top of the faucet turns the water on; the same motion turns it off. Moen MotionSense $399Courtesy Moen

The waterproof Walkman Sports MP3 Player will play for eight hours at depths up to 6.5 feet. The earbuds contain both the player and battery, and an adjustable elastomer band holds them in place while swimming. Sony Walkman Sports MP3 Player $100Sam Kaplan

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