LUDELA SMART CANDLE
Philips’ Hue is pretty neat if you’re getting into smart home technology, but it will never beat the appeal of a real candle. While some digital candles use LEDs, LuDela brings the real thing to the 21st century with its WiFi-connected candlesticks and app. The product can ignite and extinguish itself at the push of a button. The candle will also go out if it senses itself falling over or if the proximity detector goes off, ensuring safety for people and animals. The base is constructed to catch melted wax, which is replaced from a variety of LuDela’s scented refills. Pre-order price $99; refill cartridge $7.99.
ludela.com

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GOTENNA MESH
Few people carry around walkie-talkies since the advent of smartphones, but outdoor enthusiasts will want something that doesn’t rely on cell towers. Instead of limiting you to a two-way radio, the goTenna Mesh acts like a portable tower, creating a network for groups in remote areas. The original goTenna essentially turned your smartphone into a walkie-talkie without the need for a cellular connection, but the Mesh takes it a step further by allowing people to send messages and data through a private, mobile network infrastructure. What was normally military-grade technology costing thousands of dollars is now available for consumers at a fraction of the cost. Pair, $179.
gotenna.com

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GOOGLE PIXEL
Google is ditching the Nexus brand and producing its own phones (co-manufactured by HTC). Taking aim at Apple’s iPhone 7, the Pixel and Pixel XL ship with the new Android Nougat operating system as well as Google Assistant, which the company hopes will revolutionize the use of AI in our daily lives. The 12.3-megapixel camera is already being called the best smartphone camera available, and you’ll have plenty of space to store your shots thanks to Google’s offering unlimited cloud storage for Pixel shots in full resolution. The phones have a carrier partnership with Verizon, but what’s really exciting is the phone’s availability on Project Fi, Google’s new cell network. $649–869.
madeby.google.com/phone

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GOPRO HERO5
The action cam company updated its Hero line with the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session. Both shoot 4k video at 30 frames per second, all housed in a rugged, waterproof casing. The Hero5 Black is actually waterproof without the casing, making it much more portable and convenient for charging. Both models can be taken up to 33 feet underwater, and up to 196 feet if you buy the diving case. The devices now feature a simple GPS tagging function, though expect this to get even more detailed thanks to GoPro’s acquisition of Dashware, a company that specializes in collecting GPS data for speed, altitude and more. Both of the Hero5s now support RAW files, giving photographers greater control over editing. $299.99–399.99.
shop.gopro.com/cameras