1.jpgWe’re halfway through summer and it’s hard to deny that fall is right around the corner. Although I’ll definitely be sad to see summer go, having the back to school season here means that some amazing new products are hitting the shelves of Best Buy right now. With all the sun and fun you’ve been having, you probably haven’t seen them yet, so I’m going to highlight just a few of the coolest products available right now.

Here’s a look at what’s new at Best Buy right now.

Napoleon Natural Gas BBQnapoleon-triumph-bbq.jpg

I went through an entire summer once without a decent BBQ, and when I finally picked up a new one, I was so happy to be able to grill again. If you’re in the market for a BBQ that will stand up to summer, spring, fall, and even winter, the Napoleon Natural Gas BBQ is now available on Bestbuy.ca.

Having a natural gas BBQ means you get clean and inexpensive burning fuel and precise temperature control. If you’re a BBQ or grilling enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the fact that the Napoleon Natural Gas BBQ can produce up to 50,000 BTUs and has a side burner that heats up to 7,200 BTU. It’s compact too, and although you can cook up to 30 burgers at one time, it’s small enough to fit on a patio or small deck.

10372412.jpgNest Camera

Anyone who is interested in smart homes and keeping an eye on your kids, pets, or house while you’re away is going to love what’s new from Nest. You’ve seen the Nest Protect to monitor your home for fire and carbon monoxide, the Nest Thermostat to control your home’s heating, and now you can pick up the Nest Camera.

The beauty of the Nest Camera is that it gives you a view of your home in brilliant 1080p HD, right on the screen of your smartphone or tablet. With 8x optical zoom you can zoom in on something you want to look at a bit more closely, night vision lets you have eyes in the dark, and the 130-degree viewing angles give you a wide range of sight. You can also talk back and forth to whomever you’re watching, because Nest Cam also has a unidirectional microphone so you can hear and record audio.

Brand new backpacks burton-frozen copy.jpg

Back to school means a new backpack for a lot of students, and I remember how excited I was to get a new backpack every year. Picking a new backpack these days means more than just holding pencils and books—the lastest backpacks have sleeves for your laptop, room for your tablet, and tons of extra holders for your smartphone and wallet.

There are a lot of new Burton and Jansport backpacks that are new to Bestbuy.ca, just in time for back to school. Take the Burton Frozen backpack for example—if your child just can’t get enough of Olaf, try the Youth Gromlet Pack. It keeps your child organized with pockets for snacks and schools supplies, and it also has a laptop sleep for storing your child’s tablet or iPod.

The JanSport Digital Student 38L Backpack is perfect for the first time or returning college student. It has a removable laptop sleeve, an external tablet pocket, and an electronics organizer to keep your tech close at hand.

Arlo Security Cameraarlo.jpg

I recently moved onto acreage and am mid-renovation on an old farmhouse. We’re just reaching the stage where we’re thinking about a security system, and that’s why I was so glad to see that what’s new in home security includes outdoor cameras.

Even in my other home, set right in a populated neighborhood, I’ve always wanted an outdoor security camera. My main reason was because it drove me crazy when someone would knock on my door after dark and I had no idea who it was. If I had an outdoor camera, I could just open my phone and take a peek. Now that I have a front gate, I’d like to see who is outside of it before I decide whether or not I should open it, and that’s where Netgear’s Arlo Smart home security system comes in.

New to Bestbuy.ca and available right now, you get weatherproof and wireless HD cameras you can put anywhere you want to monitor. They’ll stand up to weather from -9 to 50 degrees Celsius, so even if you have them at your front door or gate, you’ll be able to check in and see what’s going on from anywhere you are. You can even rewind the footage to see what you missed when you weren’t watching.

petcube copy.jpgPetcube

Speaking of WiFi cameras, if you’re a pet owner you’ve got to check out the Petcube interactive WiFi camera. New to Bestbuy.ca, it lets you watch, speak, and even play with your pet when you’re out.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stressed about my dogs being at home alone, and although I’ve set up a WiFi camera to watch them, I couldn’t speak to them when I wasn’t there. The Petcube has a microphone and speaker built in, so you can speak to your pet or hear what’s going on in your home. If you have a dog that’s easily stressed when you aren’t home, that 2-way microphone is a lifesaver.

It even has a built-in laser so you can play with or exercise your pet while you’re away. All you have to do is swipe on your smartphone, and you can share Petcube access with your friends so they can login and play with your pet too.

From back packs to WiFi cameras, there’s a lot to look forward to during the back to school rush. This was just a quick snapshot of what’s available on Bestbuy.ca this coming month, so be on the lookout for some cool new gadgets, back to school gear, and smart home products you can use to get ready for fall. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer!

Shelly Wutke
Editor TV & Home Theatre
I'm a Vancouver freelancer and tech enthusiast. When I'm not writing you'll find me on my farm with my alpacas, chickens, and honeybees. Visit my website Survivemag