May 20
An inexpensive, easy-to-grok introduction to the Internet of Things, the fully programmable Twine alerts you to all the changes and happenings inside your home.
May 16
Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC finds a home in Treehouse workstation, other funky furniture
Posted in: Today's Chili
Looking for a place to stick that super-sized slate? You might opt to mount it in a wooden table modeled after a treehouse, or a piece of furniture designed to accommodate a digital “family game night.” Of course, you’d clearly be drawing some inspiration from two such concepts that feature Lenovo’s Horizon Table PC as the star of the show — both, along with a third project that employs a more traditional bar-stool concept, will debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair next week in New York City. (You’re going, right?) It’s certainly not the first time we’ve witnessed a non-traditional marriage of form and function, but considering that we have yet to see these gigantic 1080p tablets on the street, it’s a bit of a curiosity at the moment.
May 14
“What’s new with Hue?” Philips’ connected light bulb just picked up a bounty of fresh tricks, thanks in no small part to the Hue 1.1 app update. The refresh, available for download today on iOS, brings a variety of additional features. Most significant, perhaps, is a partnership with IFTTT, which lets you create macros (called “recipes”) for an unlimited number of functions. For example, if the forecast calls for rain, Hue can glow blue when it’s time to leave in the morning. You can set visual notifications (a flashing light or change in color) to remind you of calendar appointments, let you know there’s a new post on your Facebook wall, you name it.
The new app also uses your smartphone’s GPS for geofencing, so you can program the system to flip on lights as you approach your home, or turn everything off after you walk out the door. An alarm tool can wake you at a specific time, while the timer function will tweak the lights when the clock hits zero. The LED bulbs will run you $60 a pop, or $200 in a pack of three that also includes a (compulsory) wireless bridge. You can snag the updated app for free at the source link below, then join in on some pun-filled fun in the video after the break.
Filed under: Household, Software
Source: Philips, Philips Hue (iTunes)
May 14
If you’re one of the remaining holdouts who hasn’t yet picked up a Dyson vacuum cleaner, get ready to be enticed by a couple new ones. The household name in suction has introduced two new “Animal” series dust busters, the DC47 and the DC50. The former is canister-shaped, while the DC50 stands upright. Both were designed to be much smaller and lighter than their predecessors, with the DC47 weighing in at 13.47 pounds and the DC50 tipping in at 11.6 pounds. They both boast 2 Tier Radial cyclones to extract more microscopic dust, a new Ball pivot that’s supposedly more maneuverable and carbon fiber brushes that promise to remove more dust from hard floors due to a lack of static build-up. If you’re sold, get ready to cough up some major cash: the DC47 Animal is $449.99, while the DC50 Animal is $499.99. If you want the latest and greatest in designer vacuums, you can snag one from the source link or your favorite Dyson retailer.
Filed under: Household
Source: Dyson
May 10
Nothing ruins a dramatic scene like buffering, so do yourself a favor and optimize your rig for streaming video.
May 10
For a simple, ancient beverage, coffee has gotten pretty high-tech. Though it wasn’t long ago that we were drying cherries in the sun, roasting them in a cast-iron pan, grinding the beans with a mortal and pestle, and brewing the …
May 09
Sure, the novelty may have worn off years ago when it comes to those miniature USB-powered accessories that reside on your desk and suck power from a PC, but this nifty lamp from Satechi has a bit more going for it. The simply named USB LED Bottle Lamp consumes just 1.2 watts of power, and while it won’t likely have enough output to fill a room, it’ll probably do a fair job of bringing some warmth to your workstation. The kit includes only a lampshade, LEDs (rated for 50,000 hours) and a USB cable — that’s right, it’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Base). A heavy liquor bottle might be the best fit when it comes to support, but you can use a vase or any similar vessel to keep the lamp upright, too. The USB Bottle Lamp can be yours today for just 25 bucks. Hit the source link below to pick one up.
Filed under: Household, Peripherals
Source: Amazon
May 08
Kwikset’s new Kevo door lock turns your iPhone into the simplest of digital keys. Just have your smartphone in your pocket or purse, tap the Kevo lock, and you’re in.
May 08
It’s not the first time that Kwikset‘s dabbled in wireless locks, but today the company’s introducing Kēvo, a smartphone- (and tablet-) friendly lock powered by UniKey. The concept is pretty simple: pair a handset (running a special app) with Kēvo via Bluetooth, and simply touch the deadbolt to lock or unlock your door. A keychain fob is also available for those who have not yet joined the smartphone revolution. Kēvo only responds to touch when an authorized device or fob is detected nearby. A triple tap lets anyone lock your door, which is useful if a visitor leaves after you. The deadbolt is battery-powered using four AA cells that last more than a year with normal operation. It features a ring of RGB LEDs for feedback and a standard physical key for backup.
Most of the magic is made possible by tech developed by UniKey. The key (natch) to the entire system is the Kēvo app which lets you manage eKeys. Once logged into the app, you can send and delete eKeys, or transfer them to another device (this also deletes the eKeys associated with a lost handset, for example) — you can even create eKeys that only work once. Currently, the app is only available for iOS, which is a major limitation, but it supports push, email and SMS notifications and keeps a detailed log of which eKeys have accessed Kēvo and when. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but all in all the system looks pretty clever. Stay tuned for more details, and check out the link below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Tablets, Wireless, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: Kwikset
May 07
Nest, maker of the award-winning Learning Thermostat, announced today that it’s acquired MyEnergy, an online service that lets you consolidate energy bills and share them with friends and family. Until recently, Nest’s intelligence was limited to the confines of your home. This changed last month when the company launched Energy Services, which lets the thermostat communicate with participating utilities, making it aware of peak pricing and energy crunches. By acquiring MyEnergy, Nest will be able to help its customers manage energy more efficiently through better energy analysis tools. It also gives Nest another way to share information with utilities by tapping into MyEnergy’s user base, which covers 1500 territories in 50 states, including areas without smart meters. Full PR after the break.
Filed under: Household
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