Gadgets - Tile Dimmer

So you want to set the mood for a relaxing bath experience. You have the sented candles, the exotic spices in the bath and the classical music humming in the back ground. But your down spots are still burning at 1000w which kills the mood.

No more. Sensor have designed a dimmer switch that can be installed behind your tiles. No more unsightly pull cords and no more bright lighting. Safe and sexy I believe the saying should be.

More info at www.sensor.co.uk

Bathroom Gadgets Uncategorized

News - B&Q sells Wind Turbines

A DIY chain is launching a new range of budget-priced wind turbines and solar panels from next month to help householders generate their own energy.

The turbines will cost £1,498 and fit on to domestic roofs and transmit electricity directly into household wiring, according to B&Q.

The solar panels, which come in packs of two, will cost the same.

Householders should ask their local council whether planning permission is needed for the 10ft-high wind turbines, the chain’s customer advice brochure says.

The company says householders should see the turbines pay for themselves within four to five years based on average wind speeds and current energy prices.

It’s also increasing its range of energy efficient devices such as low energy lightbulbs.

B&Q will sell the solar panels and the wind turbines from its larger stores and its website.

B&Q Chief Executive Ian Cheshire said: ‘B&Q is responding to a genuine consumer interest in environmental issues by helping everyone to see that taking a few simple steps can save money and the environment, at the same time.’

Electrical retailer Currys started selling solar panels as part of a trial scheme in the summer.

B&Q said the wind turbines, which are made in Scotland, could be eligible for a 30 per cent grant from the Energy Saving Trust.

The solar panels are made in Germany and Slovenia.

source: Which

Gadgets Going Green Info News

Gadgets - Sleek Showers

I know, I know. I’m a sucker for flash gadgets and I do go on about showers, but one of the things I’m excited about, with the renovations, is the fact I’m going to have a wet room. A good shower in the morning is the mutts nuts so the Kohler Watertile system grabbed my attention instantly.

It’s a system of shower and body sprays that can be tilted into the perfect position. It has a 22 or 54 nozzle option and comes in either chrome, brushed chrome or brushed nickel. The full kit will set you back £240 excluding installation.

More information can be found at www.kohleruk.com or 0870 850 5561

Gadgets

Tips - Smart homes - Q&A

Is the process disruptive?
Installing cables is messy, so the best time to create a smart home is when you are building a new house from scratch or undertaking a significant renovation project, where you plan to rip your house apart and plaster — or replaster — all your walls anyway.

I don’t want any mess —what can I do?
If you are not keen to install cables in walls and ceilings that you will then have to replaster, wireless technology is perfect. You can even take the equipment with you if you move house, and it’s easy to start small, and then build up your technology in time.

That sounds good; where do I start?
Best wireless buys include the self-installation BT home monitoring system, which costs about £180, from www.bt.com/shop
 Sonos multi-room music system can wirelessly play different pieces of music stored on your computer — including online music services, internet radio and iPods —simultaneously in up to 32 rooms. All you need is broadband internet access to make it work. Prices start at about £375, from Sonos, 08000 195 595, www.sonos-uk.co.uk.

I’m paranoid. Is there a cheap security system?
The Bio-Lock 1000 is a fingerprint-sensitive stand-alone lock that can be fitted on top of any existing lock. The device runs on AA batteries and requires no hard wiring. It costs from about £180, from Bio-Lock, 0845 221 1363, www.biolock-uk.com/.

What if my smart home breaks down?
The answer is it doesn’t — at least not to spectacular effect. Even though everything can be controlled from one keypad, and all goes back to your distribution point — usually a cupboard, or a small room if you have lots of equipment — if one system shuts down, it won’t take the entire network system with it.
Lighting, for example, is set up on many circuits so that it would take a power cut to take out every last
one. If a power cut occurs, the system comes back on the way you’d expect it to when the power does. But if a circuit fails, the lighting is designed so that it stays on and you operate it manually.
Installation companies also have technicians on call to come out to attend to problems, at an hourly rate, in much the same way as a plumber would charge.

source: Times-homes

Future Gadgets smart homes technology Tips

Gadgets - Solving the standby problem

Bye Bye Standby is a brand new energy saving solution designed to reduce the daily energy consumption of electrical devices. Bye Bye Standby works by completely cutting power to the devices plugged into it when they’re not in use, thus saving the power that these devices would otherwise have consumed in Standby Mode.

Coming to a supermarket near you for £29.99 or preorder at www.byebyestandby.co.uk

Gadgets Going Green

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