Hasta La Gadget!

Love is in the air, or at least it should be, considering how we are about to enter into February real soon with Valentine’s Day being just around the corner. Sure, some might say that it is still a good three weeks away, but you know how fast time flies when you are in love with your heartthrob or beau. Having said that, you would want to do just about everything in your power to impress her, basically being a gentleman and all. In order to be prepared just in case you happen to live in an area that happens to rain a whole lot, then then £18.99 Heart Shaped Umbrella would be just the thing.

The Heart Shaped Umbrella is made from lightweight aluminum, where it will boast of additional UV coating that comes in handy whenever the sun shines, and the Heart Shaped Umbrella also does its part in providing ample relief from the rain. Heck, if she needs to take a leak in a bush somewhere as there are no public toilets in the vicinity for the next 10 miles, this would also come in handy to protect her modesty, no? Best of all is, it tells the whole world that the both of you are obviously in love.
[ Heart Shaped Umbrella copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Philips, a global leader in lighting solutions, launched Hue at the end of last year which proves to give a whole new take on lighting automation. Usually when we think of home automation we envision complicated computer systems built into the wall. But in reality, with the growth of smartphones and tablets, wi-fi and home networking are enabling more remote control of everyday items. Philips Hue looks to provide personal lighting to meet your changing needs – wirelessly via your home network and smartphone/tablet. After the launch of Hue we received a set to evaluate. The light in our lives has never been the same.

SETUP:

The Hue system packaging elicits thoughts of color variety with a functioning color wheel, which doubles as easy set-up instructions on the inside of the box. Each set contains three LED bulbs and the controller/hub – the brains of the system – and run for $199.95. Additional bulbs are available at $59.95 each. Note that bulbs are standard Edison type (“screw-in”, E26 or E27). Double check the sockets where you intend to use Hue as you may have to get a converter. Using the included hub power cord and network cable, hooking the controller to the home router was a piece of cake but yes, that does mean you need an available port on your router. Before you go further, download the necessary control app. We easily loaded it on both an iOS and Android device. Syncing with the hub was a simple push of a button. Another step you may want to take before getting started is the remote access. Log in on the Hue website to enable the feature. You still control lighting from your device, but remote access gives permission for you to adjust your Hue system from anywhere in the world.

APP & FUNCTIONS:

Scenes within the app

Philips built in more than a dozen ‘scenes’ in the app, which migrate the bulbs to specific color combinations that prompt memories of environments. “Relax” and “concentration” give you what you expect. But others like “ski” (bright whites and blues) emulate the lighting you could encounter in those situations. Hundreds more scenes have been created by Hue users and are available on their website when logged into your account. A very creative app feature is the ability to produce and save scenes based on photos. Check your library to find a favorite moment. Hue will analyze the photo and bring out the colors in it. So if you are in a nightclub having a great time with friends take a photo and emulate that environment when you get home. Scenes were easy to call up and create. And setting an alarm for a scene to turn off or on was just as easy – whether on the network or away from home. For example, I found it helpful to have the office lights turn to bright orange about the time I was due to fall asleep on my keyboard. It made me get up and leave. And yes, we have managed to mess fellow CG staffers while away from our network. Believe it or not the toughest thing to do on the app was simply assigning a color to each bulb. Although we eventually figured it out, making all the lights red or yellow or color of our choice proved not quite as intuitive as using or creating scenes.

Philips did think ahead on the technology and made Hue open platform. Anticipate developer details later this year which may lead to options like strobe or rotating colors. Imagine having rotating red and green during your Christmas party!

LIGHT:

The light exhibited from the LED bulbs was worthy of mention. Each gives off 600 lumens and uses about  7.5W. Conversely, the equivalent lumens in an incandescent would require approximately a 50W bulb. So you will save by simply using LED.  The color combinations are as endless as LEDs allow. And when turned off at the source the Hue bulbs return to white light which proved better than our bulb predecessors. Up to 50 Hue bulbs can be controlled per hub.

CONCLUSION:

Philips is not the first to get in the wireless-ly controlled bulb game. But with their expertise and resources they will certainly make the biggest splash. Do we need a $200 set of bulbs that change color? Perhaps not, but with the mounds of research showing how our moods and work is impacted based on our surroundings, there does exist plenty of reason. Plus, it is fun! If you enjoy mood lighting, travel (and want to deter mischief) or simply like to control your life through your phone/tablet pick up a Hue system via Philips, Apple, Amazon or other retailers.

[ Control Your Lumens via Phone with Philips Hue copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

All right, we have seen our fair share of scales over here at Coolest Gadgets in the past, but how many of them are capable of dishing out more information other than that of your weight, and perhaps some of the more complex ones can tell just how much water your body retains? Well, with the $129.95 Complete Scale And Foot Inflammation Monitor, you know that your bathroom will never be the same again. Not only will you know just how many pounds you have put on over the course of the holiday season when you threw caution to the wind where your diet is concerned, the Complete Scale And Foot Inflammation Monitor is a digital scale which can also measure your body mass index while going the extra mile by detecting foot inflammation, which is an indication of diabetic neuropathy.

This is made possible thanks to the implementation of patented temperature sensors that are located on the surface of the scale which will measure the temperature variation between the feet, helping one monitor foot inflammation. A trio of quarter-sized buttons on the surface of the scale will let users input their age, sex, and height through the simple pressing of the buttons with one’s toes, meaning one no longer needs to bend over uncomfortably and stress your back. The scale will show off readings for weight, BMI, and foot temperature variance in seconds on the easy-to-read 4″ LCD display, while it stores up to 14 readings for four different people. As long as you do not weigh more than 450lbs, the Complete Scale And Foot Inflammation Monitor is more than happy to serve you.

[ The Complete Scale And Foot Inflammation Monitor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

It is safe to assume that every woman wants her husband to look dapper, and wearing a singlet, shuffling around the home in a pair of flip flops with that unkept beard is a huge turn-off for visitors, even though the man might feel that he is at his most comfortable. Going to work, on the other hand, is a different matter altogether, and having an immaculately ironed shirt and a pressed pair of trousers are just what the fashion doctor ordered, which is why we decided it was too good to pass on the $299.95 Classic Corby Trouser Press.

Why is the word “classic” part of the name? Well, for starters, this is the trouser press that was made in England by John Corby, Ltd., who incidentally is also the inventor of the original pants presser and supplier of fine hotels. Sporting a 250-watt heating pad that is able to remove wrinkles and sharpens creases in both pant legs simultaneously in a jiffy, the Classic Corby Trouser Press will not work in a similar manner as that of repeated ironing action, hence you will not find it imparting a surface sheen on garments, while the built-in thermostatic control prevents scorched fabrics. There is a stretcher bar system that pulls trousers taut so that you don’t have to straighten fabric before pressing, while it also removes those stubborn back-of-the knee wrinkles which traditional irons tend to leave behind.

It comes with a 15-, 30-, or 45-minute timer settings for light to heavy fabrics, while the LED display will show just how much time has elapsed.

[ Classic Corby Trouser Press copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Is this the ultimate nerd coffee table or what? Barry Shields has spent a good chunk of his time to get fanboys of Star Wars, especially of the X-Wing starfighter, to construct a coffee table that is functional, timeless and beautiful. Taking nearly half a year to carve it out from scratch to its finish, you can be sure that this is one sturdy coffee table, but we warned – the glass can break, as the deflector shields on this thing does not seem to be operational.

According to Barry, both the top and bottom halves which sandwich the glass have been bolted together, so should you bump into it by accident while walking by, it will still remain intact. The front itself comes with 3 points of support contact with the glass, so that whenever the glass moves from bumping and the front landing gear moves, the support arms will still remain intact with the glass. Careful attention is paid to the X-Wing, as the bottom of of the ship is just as detailed as the top. A combination of poplar, pine and black walnut wood is used to ensure that the final product is easy on the eyes, but not too popular with the wallet with its $5,500 price point. Ah well, at least you know this is custom made and one of a kind.
[ X-Wing Coffee Table copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]