Fun New Stuff @Brookstone

I was given the opportunity this week to visit Brookstone and receive information about some of their new products. Many of them were thought to be at least somewhat helpful for those going back to school. I'd have to aim them primarily at college age students and older, though. I'm going to feature some of those that I found the most fun and useful here.

One of my favorite gadgets was the Virtual Keyboard. It utilizes laser technology to create a keyboard that it projects onto a table top. It connects via bluetooth to your device (in our case an iPad). It's not in stores yet, though it can be preordered. It should be available in August and retail for $99.99.

My picture isn't as good as theirs, but you could see the keyboard just fine.

No sensitivity issues using it. It responded very quickly and accurately when we tried it.

The next "big ticket" item was a projector for your iPhone/iTouch. It will project up to 60" in size (the farther back, the bigger the image). It might be useful to those who travel and do presentations on a regular basis. Load a video/movie onto your phone and you have your presentation in your hand.

It actually projected a very nice image into their booth. Speakers are in the projector unit itself.

This will be the HDMI version of the projector. It's not out yet, but it will be available soon.

One other thing that was pointed out was a cool set of bluetooth speakers. You control them via app from your iPhone (or other device) and have great sound. The smaller unit can be used as a speaker phone for your iPhone too. It will switch over to voice for the phone and when the call hangs up switch back to music.

On the not for school side, I took the time to play with some of the other items at Brookstone in Lenox Mall. This was the Anti-Gravity chair. It has an automatic reclining version and a manual version. It does actually take the weight off of your back and help it relax, though it did seem to be an odd position for me. I could see my kids arguing over the chair and it ending up broken, though they'd enjoy it in the mean time.

I tried this device before. I still don't know if I like it. It's a foot massage, but it also squeezes and pushes on your foot. I think if my feet were very tired, they'd enjoy it more. I can say, though, that I spent 6 hours volunteering at the aquarium before trying it. My feet were tired and while I won't say it was comfortable to use, my feet did feel better after.

The last item I'm going to feature is this gadget. I have it on my Christmas list this year. It works with MyFitnessPal and would be a great way for me to keep track of my exercise and such. It's similar to the Nike trainer for the iPod, but it seems to have more capabilities than the other. It runs about $99.99 as well.

Brookstone always seems to have a lot of cool gadgets and more. They had lap desks (both with and without speakers), more cool toys for kids (and adults) and ways to pamper yourself. I love going in and just playing with what they have. If you get the chance, check it out. The staff at Brookstone in Lenox Mall (and any other Brookstone) will be happy to help you out.

I participated in a media tweet-up at the Brookstone store. In return, I was given a wonderful gift for tweeting and reviewing their products. The opinions expressed here are my own and are honestly given.