Charge up the real Cadillac of eco-cars
To help save the earth, you don’t need to drive a dated Prius or testy Tesla. General Motors’ Cadillac Division has introduced the elegant ELR—its first plug-in battery/electric car hybrid, reassuringly range-extended with a gasoline-powered generator. The rare commercial embodiment of an automaker’s concept car (2009’s Converj), this Caddy reboots Chevy Volt’s now-proven electric drive train with the luxury of hand-stitched leather interior detailing. Available from Pepe Cadillac, White Plains; MSRP: $75,000
Cultivate your inner hi-tech gardener
Forget the vagaries of spring weather outside—plant your own veggies and herbs indoors with foolproof results, thanks to some expert automated help. Miracle-Gro’s AeroGarden ULTRA LED incorporates the latest in high-efficiency, growth-promoting lights with dirt-free, hydroponic tech-agriculture. Just install plastic-encapsulated seedpods from among more than 40 varieties, water, and follow the remote-control panel’s instructions to yield soon-harvested tomatoes, lettuce, basil, or flowers—as hyper-locovore as you’ll ever get. Available from www.aerogarden.com; $349.95
Add a sharper cam to your mobile screen
Want way better imaging than fuzzy, washed-out shots from your tablet or smartphone? Don’t reach for a separate camera; just clip on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100, which wirelessly links up to your Apple or Android device’s screen as its display. Boasting the same crisp Carl Zeiss zoom lens and sensitive photosensor as Sony’s acclaimed $750 RX100 Mark II pocket camera, it stores dazzling still and motion pictures internally or on your gear. Available from www.store.sony.com; $499.99
App up tennis play on a coaching racket
From the land of René Lacoste comes another French on-court innovator: the Babolat Play Pure Drive racquet. Its seamlessly embedded handle sensors gauge stroke power and spin, and contact point with the ball, too. The world’s first Bluetooth- and USB-connectable racket reports on the progress of your tennis game, with types of strokes and proficiency rating (as well as what you can improve) to phones, tablets, or computers. Available at The Tennis Professionals, Port Chester; $399
Monitor your motoring with a smart plug-in
Keep better tabs on your current drive with ingenious hardware, hatched in Best Buy’s start-up business incubator. The Zubie Key attaches to the under-dash diagnostics port standard in cars since 1996. With its wireless connection, this prodigy reports to Android or Apple phones on impending engine, battery, or other problems and even provides repair-cost estimates. It also explains those cryptic dashboard warning lights. Available from www.bestbuy.com; $99.99
Switch from a pc laptop to this biz-quick MS pad
Microsoft touts its Surface Pro 2 as “the tablet that can replace your laptop.” For business travelers set in Windows’ ways, the slim 10.8-inch screen touchpad and optional backlit keyboard can run familiar desktop applications with no Apple envy. A recent Wall Street Journal review found the Windows 8.1-running Pro 2 superior to an iPad Air for fast multitasking, swift text input, and software compatibility. Available at the Microsoft Store in The Westchester, White Plains; from $899
Touch up face snaps with an airbrush genie
Put your friends’ and family’s best look forward in mobile device-shot pictures with a quick Photoshop-style makeover, thanks to the tap of a savvy app. Pixtr uses facial-recognition technology to automatically erase blemishes, wrinkles, and weak chins in the most alluring gender- and age-appropriate way. It can even get rid of acne and whiten teeth—all for only $2.99. On Apple phones and tablets for now, with an Android version due soon. Available from the App Store; $2.99
Should you crave the “Maserati” or Macs
Apple’s newest Mac Pro model is meant for computer-graphics professionals who require super-fast processors for nimble rendering of images on the ultra-high-resolution screens of tomorrow. Still, that shouldn’t keep you from coveting this stylish graphite-gray cylinder, more like a Noguchi-designed desktop sculpture than a super computer box. Performance enhancements can easily escalate its base price of $2,999 to $10,000+. But if you have to ask… Available at the Apple Store in Westchester’s Ridge Hill, Yonkers and The Westchester, White Plains.
*Cadillac photo courtesy of General Motors
