Gallery: The Gadgets and Gear We Loved Most This Summer
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED01thingswelove-aug-5
The [Time Steel](https://getpebble.com/shop/pebble_time_steel) is an all-around upgrade for Pebble's color smartwatch. This new model has a greater heft which screams quality, and the buttons have a more satisfying texture. The color e-paper screen has new quirky animations, but the battery still lasts a killer 10 days. Still, iPhone compatibility is a bit lacking (I blame Apple for playing favorites).—*Benjamin Chirlin*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED02thingswelove-aug-4
Going somewhere hot for Labor Day weekend? Of course you are—take a Yeti. We love this Hopper soft-sided cooler. It will keep up to a case of brewskis (cans) ice-cold for literally days, and the beefy zipper is leakproof, so nothing will spill out. Best cooler. $300 for the [Hopper 20](http://yeticoolers.com/hopper-20/), $350 for the [Hopper 30](http://yeticoolers.com/hopper/).—*Michael Calore*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED03thingswelove-aug-9
Give your plants a little sip from this loving cup. OXO Good Grips' [Pour & Store 2-gallon watering can](http://www.oxo.com/p-676-outdoor-pour-store-watering-can.aspx) ($25) features a rotating clasp at the base of the spout. Twist it out to water your late-summer zukes, then twist it back toward the body for easy storage.—*Michael Calore*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED04thingswelove-aug-2
Do you shoot a lot of portraits? Are you Instagram selfie royalty? Either way, this is essential: A collapsable [pocket reflector disc](http://www.amazon.com/Interfit-INT230-12-Inch-Collapsible-Reflector/dp/B0024NKGZK) ($15). Use it to redirect natural light onto your subject. It's about a foot across and it collapses down into a five-inch carrying case, so it's super-portable. I use it to take beautiful, perfectly lit portraits of my kitty cat. You can use it for whatever.—*Michael Calore*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED05thingswelove-aug-3
I'm addicted to riding off-road lately, but I am also stupid and old. Which mean that eventually, I am going to eat shit in dramatic fashion, my ancient bones no longer made of rubber like when I was a kid. I've started riding in [Bell's Moto-9 Flex](https://www.bellhelmets.com/moto9flex/), and I really don't want to go back. It's incredibly light and well-ventilated, and it's also safe, with three layers of protective material to guard against low-, medium-, and high-speed impacts. I will need it. And then I will have to buy another. $649 —*Joe Brown*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED06thingswelove-aug-6
Technically a camera (even though it spits out prints) [Impossible's Instant Lab](https://shop.the-impossible-project.com/shop/instant-lab-universal) exposes whatever's on your phone's screen and puts it through its miniature dark room to print it on Impossible Lab's Polaroid film. It might not be quite as retro as spending hours in an actual dark room seeing your photos from film to finish, but you’re guaranteed not to reek of Photo Flo afterward. $250—*Molly McHugh*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED07thingswelove-aug-1
So simple. So obvious. So easy. This single button—or "clicker," if you will—is an indoor remote for controlling your lights. If that seems lazy, you’re just plain wrong: While most of your indoor lamps might have a switch, most string lights just plug straight into an outlet. Add this two-part system (the outlet adapter and the remote) and your hipster year-round Christmas lights can glitter or go off with a simple click. $15.29 at [Target](http://www.target.com/p/ge-light-control-remote-control-outlet/-/A-14440334#prodSlot=_1_1).—*Molly McHugh*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED08thingswelove-aug-7
Brand new from Taschen is the second edition of *The Making of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."* Previously available only as a limited edition $1,000 collectors pack, this [new $70 printing](http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/film_music/all/44602/facts.the_making_of_stanley_kubricks_2001_a_space_odyssey.htm) is more affordable, but hardly pedestrian. With 500-plus pages of art, photos, and production stills, it's the definitive behind-the-scenes document of the sci-fi classic. And it's shaped like a monolith!—*Michael Calore*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED09thingswelove-aug-8
The end of summer brings the need for illumination; not only is Light & Motion's newest rechargeable bike light superbright, but its watchband attachment method keeps it both secure *and* swappable. From a pre-work training ride on the road bike to a post-happy hour ride home on the commuter, the [Urban 850 Trail](http://www.lightandmotion.com/urban-850-trail) ($180) is the perfect all-in-one.—*Peter Rubin*
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED10thingswelove-aug-10
Too often, laptop protection means an overly technical backpack---not so for [Incase's Reform](https://www.incase.com/shop/bags/reform-backpack-with-tensaerlite/heather-gray/) line, which pairs a streamlined understated look with the beefiest laptop cage I've ever seen. The $150 backpack has just enough organization to be great for work, but you'll never worry about your Macbook Air's precious chassis again. —*Peter Rubin*
