If, between cat videos and Twitter arguments, you've glanced out the window recently, you may have noticed that the outside world has a strange sort of brightness about it right now. We're told that this phenomenon is called 'British Summer Time' - an annual thing that tends to start around the same time as Wrestlemania and end just before Halloween.

Our sources indicated that many people use this so-called 'Summer' as an excuse to go outside and get drunk with their friends. This is news to us, but just in case you're planning to dust the Dorito powder off your hands and venture outdoors this summer, here are a few things that seem like they might come in handy:

Our boffins have observed that lots of people enjoy lying on the grass during summertime, perhaps with a book or a cocktail of some sort. If you intend to join them, we recommend using this comfortable suede wedge - after all, the grass is teeming with insects and parasites, and this brightly-coloured inflatable will go at least some way to protecting you from them. It's good for your posture, too.

Many see summertime as a prime opportunity to take photos with their friends (probably because of the improved lighting). This extendable stick will increase the range of your camera, allowing you to fit more of your friends into the shot. Or, y'know, more empty space.

We mentioned drinking, and while most are content to drink their beer from bottles or cans, we at Gadget Inspector know of a far more efficient way: the beer bong! This snazzy red number has a 2.5 pint capacity, and the incredible rate at which liquid flows through the device will allow you to finish your beer quickly and get back indoors where you belong.

The 2015 UK general election is mere weeks away, and the whole country seems to be getting terribly excited about it. Candidates are hitting the campaign trail, journalists are placing their bets, and everybody is tweeting like Kanye West just interrupted yet another acceptance speech.

However, we appreciate that not everybody can muster that level of excitement for politics. If a night in with David Dimbleby and Nick Robinson doesn't sound particularly thrilling to you, we've got the perfect solution: alcohol!

Yessir, there's nothing like a drink or five to make the election night go by that little bit faster. We've even got colour-coded drinking accessories for each of the five big parties - it's time to pick your side and support them by getting squiffy!

These bright red cups (which you may recognise from American Pie and countless other teen movies) are the perfect match for Ed Miliband's party. Of course, if your loyalties lay slightly further to the right, you may prefer...

Blue Solo Cups (Conservatives)

...the royal blue version! Ideal for cheering David Cameron back into No. 10 while you get sloshed.

Yellow Jagerbomb Cups (Liberal Democrats)

Given the losses that experts have forecast for the Lib Dems come election day, Nick Clegg and his followers may well need something slightly stronger than beer when the results are finally announced. Jagermeister might do the trick, and this lovely yellow cup is exactly the right colour for LD supporters. If you live north of the border, it also works for the SNP.

Ultimate Purple Beer Bong (UK Independence Party)

Given Nigel Farage's fondness for being photographed with a beer in his hand, we're slightly surprised that we haven't yet seen him chugging a proper British ale through one of these beer bongs yet. It's even the right colours for UKIP.

Ultimate Green Beer Bong (Green Party)

Not a UKIP fan? Fear not - here's a beer bong that's slightly more suitable for left-wing drinkers! The Green manifesto is pretty tough on waste, mind, so make sure you don't spill any.

Of course, if you're more interested in the other kind of party, there are plenty of other apolitical items in our Party Essentials section. Happy drinking!

It's Thursday afternoon, which can only mean one thing: it's almost the weekend! Rest assured that we're already making plans for our 48 hours of freedom here at Gadget Inspector; if your Saturday night is still a blank slate, we'd highly recommend a few rounds of Twist Pong.

Oh, you don't know what Twist Pong is? Here's a quick primer, courtesy of YouTuber Fhat Sam:

As the man said, Twist Pong is exactly what it sounds like: beer pong with a twist! Every time your opponent gets his/her ball in one of your cups, you have to spin the spinner and do as it says - this could mean drinking two cups instead of one, or performing a crazy trick shot, or even swapping sides with your rival!

Twist Pong is just one of the super-cool beer pong games we have here at Gadget Inspector. If all that spinning makes you feel a bit dizzy, why not try one of the others instead?

We've told you about Twist Pong before, but this time, we can actually show you what a round of Twist Pong looks like! Watch the video above to see Paul and Matt from WheresMyChallenge going head-to-head and letting the Twist Pong spinner decides their fate! Who will win?

Beer pong is a bit of a favourite here at Gadget HQ. When the day's work is done, we can often be found tossing balls at cups and getting progressively tipsier in the process.

But here's the problem: practice, as you know, makes perfect, and most of the GI staff can end the game in half a dozen throws nowadays. The challenge is fading, and the whole boozy endeavour has become significantly less thrilling than it used to be.

In a normal game of beer pong, you would simply drink the contents of your slain cup and carry on with the game. In Twist Pong, the drinking of the beer is preceded by a twist of the spinner, whose instructions must then be followed without question. Here's a list of the possible outcomes: