The year is nearing at an end, and it has been a good extended run for the realm of electronics. This is specially true for home oriented products, which in many ways outlines the crucial role of technology in aiding our daily lives.
Hence we have decided to make a wishlist of cool conceptions that mirror the different aspects of our day-to-day interaction with others and our own environment. So, without further delay, let us present to you the hi-tech ‘gems’ of 2013.
1. Kwikset’s Kevo smart lock –
The main access to a house is through the entrance door, and the main access component of this door is the key hole. Well, the Kevo remarkably changes the requirement of a physical key by allowing your smartphones to act as ‘remote’ keys.
Envisaged as a smart lock system, the battery powered Kevo can be accessed wirelessly through a special app. So, in essence, you can open (and lock) your doors from any part of the planet (via your mobile device), thus remarkably improving upon your home’s safety and security scope.
Price – $219.
2. Birdi smart air detector –
Since we have brought up the advantages of both ‘smartness’ and safety, the Birdi smart air detector is the bantam device every vigilant homeowner should consider. And, we are not talking about being watchful for burglars, but rather about keeping an eye (literally) on the quality of air you breathe.
In this regard, the Birdi is an advanced air monitoring mechanism that combines the features of smoke detection with special sensors. These integrated sensors track various aerial attributes, including – particles, carbon emission content and even temperature.
The users can access the crucial info through notifications in their smartphones, along with light flashes and sound alarms.
Price – $119.
3. HiB’s Cyclone Fan –
Renowned bathroom products manufacturer HiB has introduced their Cyclone range of inline fans for dealing with wet areas (like bathrooms and kitchens) within the house. What really sets apart the Cyclone from other inline fans is its progressive credentials which allude to 25 percent more extraction power when it comes to steam, moisture and odor absorption.
In terms of specs, the fan mechanism extracts 210 cubic m per hour at 32dB, and also features a 3W LED light and an adjustable timer. The kit additionally comes with 3 m of ducting (10 cm thick), external fixed grill, shower-light fascia and related fittings.
Price – check HiB’s product page for price on request.
4. AwoX’s StriimLight –
It is not often that we comes across a lighting solution that also plays music. Well, the StriimLight from AwoX serves as the useful bridge between the visual and audio realm, with its combination of a LED bulb and a Bluetooth speaker.
The working scope is pretty easy – you just have to fix the light on any standard electrical lamp outlet, and let it shine. As for its musical credentials, you can use the ‘play to’ feature in your Bluetooth enabled smartphone or laptop for the groovy notes to hit your party.
Price – €99 (around $136).
5. JVC Kenwood’s BabyMovie GZ-N1 –
As the name suggests, the BabyMovie GZ-N1 from JVC Kenwood is tailored towards capturing those adorable baby moments. The diminutive contraption is already touted as the world’s smallest AVCHD video camera, thus improving upon its portable credentials.
And to top that off, the camera is coated with a special anti-bacterial layer, and boasts of cool features like – a 1.8-inch LCD monitor, back-illuminated CMOS sensor (12.76 million pixels), 10X optical zoom capacity, and a substantial 8GB of built-in flash memory.
Price – $820
6. ALARMclock by Fig –
Sadism at its best – the ALARMclock by Fig ends your reveries with something more potent than just an ordinary alarm. It blasts you with ‘powerful motivating forces’ (read depressing details) of financial insecurity, lack of social friends and to top that off – your life expectancy.
Comprising of a bamboo enclosure, the clock is powered by a WiFi connected Raspberry Pi (which accepts your personal details, like bank account and Facebook account from your smartphone, if you want it to). The ‘hard reality’ stuff is then exhibited in a quite impersonal way with the aid of an LED display.
Price – $85.
7. Sound Oasis Sound Therapy Pillow –
We already talked about LED bulbs with music playing capability. But what about pillows? Well, the Sound Oasis Sound Therapy Pillow fulfills this novel niche with its integrated ultra-thin speakers that can connect with a discreet mobile device (via cord) to play your soothing favorite tunes.
The pillow also notches it up on the comfort and health factors with incorporation of hypoallergenic polyester fiberfill.
Price – $50.
8. mylight.me under-bed LEDs –
If taking bathroom breaks during the late night is one of your unfortunate habits, the motion sensing mylight.me under-bed LEDs might come in handy to show you the way in the dark.
Comprising of an entire package of two 4-ft light strips, each with 48 diodes, the system also comes with its special 3M self-adhesive for easy installation underneath your bed.
The best part is – it senses your motion (once your feet touch the floor) and automatically turns on with an unobtrusive glow.
Price – $50.
9. Pivot Power Genius –
A useful gadget for the practical side of affairs, the Pivot Power Genius allows you to manage your home appliances through your handheld smartphone. The power strip/surge protector comprises of four flexible outlets for adjusting the cord distances.
However, the greatest advantage will surely be the controlling of the power supply (including switching on and off) to the home devices via a special app.
Price – $60.
10. Eggminder App-Enabled Egg Tray –
Whether we like it or not, eggs seem to disappear from our pantry during the end phases of the month (okay, they don’t disappear, we just eat them). But the predicament lies with not keeping track of your egg stock, and then getting bamboozled on the day you want to try out that Spanish omelette recipe.
Well, not anymore! Quirky has come up with their Eggminder, an egg tray that connects to a smartphone via WiFi, and notifies you about the numbers of eggs in the stock. And if that was not convenient enough, the Eggminder also detects the oldest egg in the stock and alerts you with its specially integrated LED light.
Price – $50.
