Here are 3 high-tech offerings in time for Christmas

James Careless —

Stumped for unique gifts for someone else, or seeking something different for yourself?

Here are some unique suggestions, courtesy of The Gadget Zone.

The GoSun family of solar cookers (no power required) is just plain cool – or hot, to be more precise. This cooker uses a tubular Borasilicate glass sleeve into which you slide a semi- tubular cooking pan; capable of holding everything from soup to a full roast chicken (in the larger models). The accompanying parabolic metal mirror that sits outside the tough glass sleeve reflects sunlight into the cooking chamber; providing a free heating source that works even on cloudy days. The GoSun solar cooking can deliver the full range of traditional oven temperatures, and is available in everything from a camping-sized cooker to a multi-sleeve unit for commercial use. Details at www.gosunstove.com.

We work and play in a world of bright computer, smartphone, tablet, and HDTV screens. They all bombard our eyes with high-energy visible (HEV) blue light, as do fluorescent lighting and UV rays from the sun. The problem is that HEV blue light can cause blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches and eye strain. One solution is to wear eyeglasses equipped with KODAK BlueReflect Single Vision Lenses sold by Clearly eyewear (www.clearly.ca/eyeglasses-lenses/digital-protection-lenses). Although these lenses look like any other clear lenses, KODAK BlueReflect Single Vision Lenses come with a protective layer that both reflects and filters incoming blue light and UV light as well. These lenses are scratch-resistant, can be worn day and night, and can be bought with a full range of frames online at www.clearly.ca. (A recent and accurate eye doctor prescription for the glasses will need to be sent in at the time of ordering.)

Okay, so maybe suggesting you consider buying someone (or yourself) a 2016 Lincoln MKC SUV seems a bit outlandish. But hear me out: I drove an MKC recently from Ottawa to Toronto and back, and had a wonderful time due to this SUV’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). Unlike regular cruise control, ACC uses onboard sensors to track your car’s location relative to other vehicles, with the ability to preset the number of car lengths you want between your Lincoln and the car ahead. So if you’re cruising down the 401 and someone cuts in front of you, the ACC’s detectors will slow you down to maintain a safe car length, and keep that lower speed until things up or you pull out to pass – at which point your preset cruising speed will resume.

Add sensors on the side mirrors that alert you to vehicles hiding in your blind spots, plus the Lincoln MKC’s sensor-controlled headlights that go from low to high-beam depending on how close other cars are to your vehicle, and all you have to worry about while driving the MKC is steering and braking. The upshot of using this technology is that you don’t feel that the Lincoln MKC is doing the driving for you, but rather working with you intelligently to drive safely. I liked it very much, and look forward to a gift-wrapped Lincoln MKC in my driveway on December 25^th. (Hint, hint.) Find it at http://www.lincolncanada.com/crossovers/mkc/?searchid=71700000010155357