Bang & Olufsen brings its opulent and not inexpensive design precision to the world of clocks with the BeoTime alarm clock.
This unique piece, inspired by Mozart’s Magic Flute, is wireless and motion-sensing. It wakes you with a chime or by activating any nearby bit of B&O AV component (obviously not included).
This elongated wireless alarm clock has three displays showing either the hour, minute or date. Beautiful and different it is.
Oct 15
Who says a fan has to have blades? The people best known for vacuum cleaners and hand dryers have taken the technology of the latter and made the Dyson Air Multiplier fan.
It works very differently to conventional fans. It uses Air Multiplier technology to draw in air and amplify it 15 times, producing an uninterrupted stream of smooth air. Air is accelerated through an annular aperture. This creates a jet of air that passes over a 16° airfoil-shaped ramp, channeling its direction. No blades means it’s safe and easy to clean.
It’s a little expensive starting at $300, but those who’ve seen it say you’ve got to see experience it to appreciate it. One question…Could you stick you’re head through it and dry your hair? Just wondering.
Oct 12
Any self-respecting tech-head will admit the Dyson DC31 handheld vacuum brings with it good looks and real power.
With the world’s fastest motor (104,000 rpm), it’s got ultra suction power and a dual power mode that cranks out 10 minutes of high constant suction or six minutes with 70 percent higher suction. It’s not meant to be your standard vacuum, but one that handles small jobs like a car clean-up or a quick dusting with strong, sucking greatness.
It weighs just 2.9 pounds and is well balanced for one-hand use. It uses both AC and DC power and despite it’s strong sucking power, isn’t any louder than a standard hair dryer.
It’s a fast, powerful and beautifully designed handheld vac.
Sep 29
At first glance the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach looks like a nightstand alarm clock. Think again. It’s sort of like a Nike+ running system but for less strenuous activity….sleep.
The Zeo analyzes your sleep patterns to figure out what habits or behaviors are either helping you sleep or preventing you from getting enough zzzzzzzzzzzz’s. It comes with a headband which you wear at night, and a bedside display. The headband uses Zeo’s SoftWave sensor technology to measure your sleep patterns through electrical signals. The display takes the data from your last night’s sleep and calculates a personal sleep score, called your ‘ZQ’ and shows you a graph of your light, deep, and REM sleep.
Your data is stored on a removable SD card so you can upload your sleep data to Zeo’s website, where you can analyze your sleeping patterns, and get more helpful tips.
Sep 28
Your kids might not like it, but the new Schlage LiNK Wireless Keypad Entry Lever Lock Starter Kit System will tell you when they – or anyone for that matter – enters your home no matter where you are.
If you have a mobile phone with internet access or a computer or laptop, the system wirelessly informs you who entered your house based on their own unique code. You can even unlock the door from anywhere if someone doesn’t have a code. This means there is no need to give the kids or the repairman a key (fantastic!).
The system also includes a number pad above the door handle and you can assign different family members different codes up to 19. You can configure the system to send texts or emails when someone comes home and with unique codes you are able to keep track of who’s there from anywhere.
The Web based access is a terrific idea, but if you want to use the remote control features via the Web you will need to pay an additional monthly subscription.
Aug 26
Out goes the ‘beep’ or ‘buzz’. In comes the ‘light alarm’. Philips has branded it the Wake-up Light With Dock for iPod and its meant to gradually wake you as well as gently drift you to sleep with light and sound. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.
Philips says “The senitivity to light differs a lot per person. In general, when using a higher light intensity a person needs less time to become fully awake.” That’s why the Wake-Up Light gradually increase in a 30 minute period up to 300 Lux. “Light falls on your eyes and positively affects your energy hormones, preparing your body to wake up. This makes waking up a more pleasant feeling,” their Web site says.
It also includes an iPod dock so you start waking up slowly to your own tunes or live programming via its built-in FM radio.
Aug 24
It’s happened to us all…you’re sitting watching TV when all of a sudden you hear this loud knocking that sounds like you’re washing a dead body. You’re suffering from uneven laundry, my friend.
Unlike most washers that dislodge uneven, noisy loads by spinning faster, the Whirlpool Duet Washer WFW9550 cuts through all the noise by slowing down, using the pace change to shift the clothes. It is a full 27-inch sized front load steam washer giving ten wash cycles and four temperature options in a full four cubic foot capacity.
Cool feature: Notice the reference to “steam” above. This feature removes grease, grass and tough stains from clothes which Whirlpool says negates the need to do any type of pre-treating.
If you travel a lot, you’ve been burned (pardon the pun), by hotels that you thought “surely have an iron in the room.” If you’d rather not have to worry about that perfectly-pleated pair of trousers on that next week-long business trip, the Rowenta DA1560 First Class Travel Iron fits the bill.
This is a compact iron with all the benefits of a full sized Rowenta. Less than eight inches long, this tiny steamer packs tons of wrinkle-busting power and the handle folds flat to fit into carry-on luggage. It weighs just 1.65 pounds, comes with its own carrying case, packs 1000-watts of power, a transparent tank that refills with over 2 ounces of regular tap water, and a dual-voltage switch that operates at either 120 or 230 volts.
To my amazement, this small travel iron works just as good as any full-size iron. The steam works well, it heats very fast and it looks smart for when the maid knocks on the door and you’re standing in your boxers ironing.
Aug 13
The Ikea Sunnan solar powered desk lamp follows the Ikea mantra of good looks, simple functionality, not to mention being eco-friendly.
The lamp comes in five different colors, requires no electrical connection, features an adjustable arm, runs about 400-500 lux when fully charged, and drops to about 300 lux after three to four hours. It’s LED sourced at about 50,000 hours.
And you’ll feel good every time you turn it on because for every Sunnan sold by Ikea worldwide, another is donated to UNICEF to give to children without electricity in refugee camps and villages in remote areas. We’re all just one big happy family.
Aug 12
We’re finally starting to see a bunch of energy-saving, LED light bulbs coming to market, but they certainly don’t look glamorous. Now Philips has stepped up combining form and function with the Philips Endura LED A-55 Light Bulb.
It lasts 40,000 hours, draws only seven watts per hour while lit, and contains no mercury. LED light bulbs are suppose to offer better color consistency and are for those looking for a direct field of light.
Too bad this stylish looking bulb is hidden behind a lamp shade.
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