New technologies have made monitoring and automating our homes exciting. iSmartAlarm creates products that put a modern spin on traditional security systems and have announced two new products at CES. Both products do not require professional installation and are portable. Homeowners and renters alike can connect, monitor and manage their own home security with the iSmartAlarm Doorfront and Smart Switch.
Etón may be a company that many of us associate with products we’d want to have on hand during a natural disaster, but they also make gear that can make everyday living safer and more convenient. A perfect example of that is their new Blackout Buddy CO, pictured above.
With the holidays comes some massive meal preparation. And that can add some major pressure to what can already be a stressful time of the year. Luckily, our friends at ThermoWorks and iDevices have released two neat new devices to help take some of the hassle out of the holidays. Read along for a look at the new ChefAlarm and the iGrill Mini.
Canning is one of those things that always sounded so good, but the actual process intimidated me terribly. It’s why I was so excited to jump on the chance to review the FreshTech Canning System. Could this all in one device provide all of the benefits of canning with none of the headaches? Read on to find out!
It is a “first world problem” but a problem nonetheless. As mobile gear multiplies, the need to charge them in a convenient manner becomes increasingly important. Bluelounge’s Sanctuary4 promises to keep up to four devices charge while conveniently keeping things organized and accessible. At $99.95 it might appear a bit pricey, but the convenience and functionality are sure to impress.
There are two kinds of garages out there: the garages where cars live while shelves of stuff loom over them ominously, and the garages where the idea of fitting a car amongst all the stuff stored there is laughable. No matter which garage you have, myLIFTER is a Kickstarter project designed to organize your garage and control it from your phone!
Packing your own lunch is often a cheaper and healthier alternative to eating out, so brown-bagging it is becoming even more popular among frugal workers. But think of all the disposable snack bags you’ve been paying for and contributing to the landfill. Fortunately, here comes RUSSBE Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags to the rescue!
Hale Devices, Joe Born’s newest venture, successfully kick-started the Hale Dreamer via Kickstarter. The Hale Dreamer is an extension of the work that Joe and his team did on the Digital Innovations Speaker Dock. Thanks to the work on that dock, Joe and his team have put together the best alarm dock available for Andrioid devices.
There’s a new player in the home audio market and they’re making some big-sounding moves. Korussound has released two speaker systems that allow you to stream music from a variety of devices using what they referred to as “SKAA”. SKAA allows the audio stream to be more consistent and of higher quality than either Bluetooth or AirPlay.
I love to cook. I store most of my recipes in Evernote, so when making unfamiliar dishes I always need access to a smart device. Usually I’ll walk back and forth between the kitchen countertop and dining room table where my laptop sits, checking ingredients as I work. That’s all changed since I got the Astak Neos Android Tablet.
With the weather cooling off, it gets harder and harder to convince myself to take my bicycle outdoors for an exercise ride, but spinning for miles on an indoor bike can be a mind-numbing bore. Fortunately, the gear heads at PAFERS have released a new exercise aid to help add some motivation to indoor cycling. Their new XSPIN is a Bluetooth enabled device that works with many exercise apparatuses to inspire harder training.
Over the past few years I have worked to eliminate as much of the paper-clutter as possible. The NeatConnect cloud scanner takes “paperless” to an entirely new level by allowing you to scan directly to various cloud services without the need of a computer. It is a case of “the right tool for the right job at the right time”.
Once I started reviewing SONOS, Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers that didn’t stink, I thought my days with wired speakers were over and done. Then I met the Kanto YU2 Powered Desktop speakers. Three notes into the first song I was a fan. The review sample now has a permanent home in my office. Yeah, these speakers are that good.
Philips Sonicare is the #1 dentist recommended power toothbrush in the US, and now their DiamondClean comes in a sleek black color. Available for a limited time, it removes up to 7x more plaque compared to a manual toothbrush. It ships with an awesome inductive charging “glass” and a USB travel case. Judie and I will be going “teeth on” shortly.
If you don’t know what a “Juicy Lucy” is, then prepare to have your mind blown. The Juicy Lucy is a stuffed hamburger filled with add-ins like cheese, bacon, mushrooms or onions. Until now, they’ve been difficult to make at home, but thanks to the Stuff-a-Burger Press, you can make your own version on the grill!
Dan and I both love our Keurig systems. I enjoyed my original for 3 years, but it started to fail, so I replaced it with the K75 Platinum Brewing System. I feel safe in saying that I have replaced it with a device that is better in every way; the K75 is the K-cup lovers dream machine.
The Swann: Platinum HD System is for the seriously security-minded homeowner. The full 1080p HD DVR/camera kit and the Swann View app offer live remote viewing via four HD Cameras recording at 30 FPS. A 4 Channel DVR with 2TB hard drive records 45 days of non-stop video. It even has night vision. Available now at www.Swann.com for $1599.
For the longest time, I couldn’t sleep unless I had at least two, if not three, pillows crammed under my head. For the past few weeks I’ve been testing the Technogel Contour Pillow, and I haven’t used another pillow since. What could be so great about the $169 Contour to cause the early retirement of the “triple pillow alliance”?
A Beautiful Smoke & CO2 Detector?! That’s certainly not a phrase that I ever thought I would find myself writing! I have a first generation Nest Thermostat — which I love. Based on how well it has performed in my house, I anticipate nothing but good from the Nest Protect, available soon in black or white, wired or wireless for $129.
If you want to add great sound to your home theater without breaking the bank you’ll be glad to know JBL just announced their $399.95 Cinema 610 5.1 Home Theater and $299.95 Cinema 510 speaker system. Both are 5.1 stereo systems with powered subwoofers and JBL sound. Check out the Cinema 510 and the Cinema 610. Both ship this month.
We’ve all been there, one of your socks, probably from your favorite pair, goes missing. The sock monster strikes again! Sock Snappers is funding on Kickstarter now to help keep your sock pairs together while washing and drying. These ingenious little snaps clip onto your socks and allow the socks to snap together so they won’t be separated. The plastic snaps clip onto your socks, and they remain there without any special tools and are made of soft plastic material so you won’t even feel them while wearing your socks. Before you put them in the laundry basket, snap the…