May is here! And you know what that means: Less than 30 days left until Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to the summer season. So this month, aside from upgrading your wardrobe, detailing your ride and telling your girl that you think you need to spend a little bit of time apart to reevaluate your relationship (slick!), you also need to make sure you’re outfitted with the latest and greatest tech gadgets to help you make it through the dog days. From a GPS that’ll help you get from point A to point B to a new pair of headphones that’ll help you capture the essence of “Exhibit C,” these are the 10 tech items that you absolutely must have in your hands to make it through another long, hot summer…
Samsung 40” UN40C7000WF 3D TV (above)
3D sports programming on ESPN 3D finally launches on June 11 when the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off. You probably don’t want to spend your entire summer cooped up at the crib in front of the TV. But if you’re gonna do it, make sure you’re doing it in front of this. ($2000; samsung.com)
Diddy Beats High Performance In-Ear Headphones
Can’t stop bumping Jay Electronica’s “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace”? Us either. Now just imagine how it’d sound if you were using something other than those $20 ear-buds you picked up at Duane Reade. Uh-huh, yeah! (*Diddy voice*) ($179; beatsbydre.com)
Dual Electronics XGPS300
Heading on a road trip this summer? Stay on the right path by downloading the free NavAtlas Turn-by-turn Navigation app to your iPhone or iPod Touch and connecting it to this GPS navigation and battery cradle. ($200; dualav.com)
Barnes & Noble Nook
In case you haven’t heard, the Apple iPad is dooooooope! But it isn’t particularly cheap. Especially if the only thing you plan on doing with it is reading books. Instead, consider the Nook, which features an advanced electronic paper display, a 3.5-inch color touchscreen on the bottom of the unit and free nationwide wireless connectivity through AT&T that allows you to access more than a million books, newspapers and magazines. We figure that should be enough to keep you occupied on the beach, no? ($250; barnesandnoble.com)
Motorola Backflip
If you’re looking for a way to stay connected on the road this summer, stop looking. AT&T’s first Android phone’s got you covered. The Motorola Backflip will make you do backflips by providing you with GPS, WiFi, a 50-megapixel camera and Android’s Motoblur feature that makes updating your social networking sites a cinch. Consider yourself back in the loop. ($100 with two-year agreement; att.com)
Nintendo DSi XL
If you’ve got kids, keeping ’em happy this summer is clutch if you plan on getting any R&R. Stick the DSi XL in their hands, which features two large touchscreens, two cameras, a stylus and a gang of relatively cheap games, and you’re good to go. Just don’t be surprised if you end up spending more time on the thing than they do. ($190; nintendo.com)
Bose SoundDock 10 Digital Music System
Picnics, barbeques, Fourth of July bashes—you’re gonna need plenty of music this summer and a reliable way to play it all. The SoundDock 10 is designed to deliver crisp, rich sound quality perfect at any function you’re having. Just turn it up. ($600; bose.com)
Sony E Series Laptops
Yeah, this thing’s got plenty of cool tech specs: 8 gigs of RAM, 500 gigs of storage, a 15.5-inch screen, blah, blah, blah…But what we really appreciate is the color schemes they’ve got going on. Perfect for helping you stand out on your block all summer long. ($700; sonystyle.com)
Kodak Playsport
The Playsport shoots HD video in full 1080p, reduces blur with its electronic image stabilization and can even shoot in up to 10 feet of water. So get your Jersey Shore on and make sure you don’t miss a moment of this summer.
Madden 11
Mark your calendars: August 10. Seriously, is there a better way to end your summer? ($60; easports.com)
