The Goods: August 2013's Hottest Gadgets

Hospitality Umbrellas Rainshader

The Rainshader is the toughest umbrella on the market. Because its 10 fiberglass ribs extend below a user’s shoulders, the helmet-shaped umbrella is less likely to invert. In wind-tunnel tests, it withstood gusts up to 38 mph without blowing inside out. $33

Arduino Robot

Meet Arduino’s first preassembled robot. The 7-by-4-inch wheeled robot has two microprocessors—one for the motor and one for the sensors—an LCD screen, a digital compass, and a handful of other inputs. $265

Hasbro Nerf N-Strike Elite Centurion

With a 100-foot range, the Centurion shoots farther than any other Nerf gun. To boost distance, engineers added a massive spring. They also designed a heftier dart with twice the circumference of a standard one so it gains more momentum and carries farther. $50

Nvidia GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 graphics-processing unit records gameplay constantly, so a player has instant proof of his epic moves. With this feature, called ShadowPlay, the GPU’s encoder auto records the last 20 minutes of action, at 1080p and 30 frames per second. $650

Milwaukee Tool Fastback II

The Fastback II one-handed utility knife opens three times faster than two-handed versions. After a user pushes a release button on the handle, the carbon-and-steel blade swings into place with a flip of the wrist. $17

Devotec Industries Fuel Micro Charger

The Fuel Micro Charger is the smallest backup cellphone battery yet. The lithium-ion battery connects via micro-USB to a phone, providing about 25 minutes of extra talk time. Engineers used flexible printed circuit boards to fit all the components in the 1.3-by-0.9-inch aluminum housing. $25

Big Ass Fans Haiku LED

The blades, motor, and lights are all integrated into the body of the Haiku LED ceiling fan, making it the thinnest one available, at just 2.6 inches thick. Air foils on the motor help direct heat away from the electronics, which control the 18 dimmable LEDs. $920

Kreg Tool Automaxx Bench Klamp 3″ Reach

The Automaxx bench clamp automatically adjusts to the thickness of a piece of wood. Instead of turning a knob to hold down a two-by-four, a user just closes the clamp. When a bar within the handle slides down to the cam lock, the bar and lock engage, keeping everything steady. $31

Vertus Audio Vertus

With a pair of Vertus receivers, a user can stream music to two speakers in different rooms. The Bluetooth-enabled dongles plug into any speakers with a 3.5mm connector. Then they pair with an audio source as well as each other. They have a 30-foot range for makeshift stereo systems or indoor-outdoor parties. $89

Brookstone Fogless Shower Mirror

The Brookstone shower mirror won’t fog up no matter how steamy the bathroom gets. A user fills the cup above the 12-by-9-inch stainless-steel mirror with water. The water trickles down behind the metal, bringing it to the temperature of the shower and preventing condensation. $60

Giro Air Attack

The Air Attack helmet significantly reduces drag. After wind tunnel tests, Giro engineers found that the tapered tail on a helmet doesn’t aid aerodynamics in many situations. So they nixed it. For cooling, a suspension system holds the shell three millimeters above the head; as a result, air flows under the helmet at the forehead. $240

The Goods: August 2013’s Hottest Gadgets