News, reviews and articles about home and kitchen products.
There’s been a bit of interest in plant monitors here at The Gadgeteer. (Apparently many of you have better luck with plants than I do – even my artificial plants look unhealthy!) The Parrot Flower Power sensor is a new entry into the wireless plant monitoring field. The Flower Power was developed in collaboration with […]
This Parrot can tell you when your plants need water Read More
If you’re reading this, you probably have a lot of gadgets – maybe more than you have outlets in your home. Some of you also have young children, and you’ve probably spent a lot of money on gizmos to try to prevent the little ones from harming themselves by sticking things into the outlets you
Add more – and safer – outlets to your home without requiring an electrician Read More
I’ve been using the Dropcam to keep an eye on things around my house, and it has worked very well for me. I’m impressed with the clarity of the images I see, even in a dark room. Of course, I’m always interested to know when things get better, which is why I’m telling you about
Get the premium Dropcam experience with the Dropcam Pro Read More
I’ve been using four WeMo Switch modules in my house for a few months now, and they work great for turning lights on and off on a program and for letting me manually control them from anywhere I have internet connectivity. Belkin isn’t resting on their laurels, though, and they have announced the WeMo Insight
Now you can monitor energy usage with the latest WeMo Switch Read More
The Nest Protect, from the makers of the Nest Thermostat, aims to change the way your home smoke alarm works. The Protect monitors smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide levels in your home. It’s smart about how it alerts you to possible emergency conditions, too. You tell the Protect what room it’s in, so a human
Nest Thermostat maker is now developing a WiFi-connected smoke alarm Read More
There are a lot of cooking apps and videos available for tablets. You can watch videos as you cook to learn new techniques or follow a recipe in your virtual recipe box, but whatever you’re doing on a tablet in the kitchen, you’ll need a stand to keep it safe and viewable. There are countless
This Victorinox knife block also serves as a tablet stand Read More
I recently reviewed the Belkin WeMo Smart Home Automation Switch, and I’m still happily using four of them everyday to control my table lamps and the Fake TV. There are some rooms, like the bathroom, that don’t have table lamps, but I’d still like to be able to remotely control my ceiling fixture in there.
Now you can control your light switches with WeMo controllers Read More
We all know poo happens, but did you know it doesn’t have to stink? Yep, you heard me right, you can have stink-less #2 too by pre-treating your loo with a product called Poo~Pourri. One of our most advanced senses, our sense of smell, isn’t fooled by covering up poo odor with fragrance. Poo~Pourri doesn’t just
Poo~Pourri, an awkward subject and rather, well, smelly Read More
Whether you want to have a nice spread for your tailgate party before the big game or travel in an RV, you’ll appreciate these Max Burton appliances. They plug into a car’s 12V power outlet and prepare a meal as you travel. The Digital Stove to Go (top, left) has a 1.5-qt capacity and reaches
Tailgate in style with these cooking appliances Read More
I have a fascination with nixie tubes, or vacuum tubes that ThinkGeek calls the LEDs of the past. These tubes aren’t being manufactured any longer, but there are still some available that are being used to make Steampunk things like clocks and thermometers. You’ll need to know how to read schematics and how to solder
Build your own Steampunk thermometer Read More
If you have houseplants, you’ve most certainly experienced the tragedy and self blame that comes along when your neglect causes their untimely demise. You don’t have to be a plant killer anymore, the Moistly easy to use plant buddy is here to help you. What is it? It’s a sensor that will beep and blink
Several years ago, we told you about the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, a kitchen gadget for making your own popsicles. That Zoku made three popsicles at a time and a maximum of 9 popsicles per session before needing to go back into the freezer. If you live alone or if perhaps you have a hungry
Zoku now offers slushies and individual pop makers Read More
In my search for retro, mid-century items, I stumbled upon an interesting item for the kitchen that really does qualify as a gadget. The Dishmaster was developed “in 1948 in the post-war years when the American kitchen was being re-invented”, and it replaced a typical faucet with a gadget that could make washing dishes easier. The Dishmaster
Become the master of your domain… err, dishes! Read More
Now you can take your gadgets into the bathroom with the ShowerTunes Shower Curtain / Liner. The curtain features a built in waterproof speaker system and a special play-through/see-through pouch to place your smartphone or tablet. Watch and listen to music while you shower, or take a call while you soak in the tub. The
ShowerTunes Shower Curtain – Now you can take a shower with the boys from New Direction Read More
If you’ve started trying to automate your house and find you’ve now got a variety of systems doing various tasks, you should check out the Revolv Smart Home Solution. Simply power up the Revolv hub in your home, and it uses the proprietary FlashLink system to join your local network (you’ll need to enter the
Control your entire house with the Revolv system Read More
Here’s a new one for me. This low-heat LED lightbulb from the MoMA Store becomes an emergency flashlight when you need one. It screws into a standard socket, and it produces as much light as a 40W bulb using only 6W of electricity. The LEDs will produces up to 60,000 hours of light. When you
Charge an emergency flashlight in your bed-side lamp’s socket Read More
I’ve been searching for a way to keep an eye on my summer cabin while we’re not in residence, and the Xtreme Life Landscape Stone from KJB Security products would seem to be the answer. It claims to provide unattended surveillance with minimal operator intervention and ease of operation. I guess we’ll have to see about that…
Xtreme Life DVR and Landscape Stone Surveillance Camera review Read More
What started off as a “concept piece” apparently found a niche somewhere, as the oddly shaped and worn Ostrich pillow has now produced an offspring: Ostrich Pillow Junior. This pillow is exactly the same as its big daddy, just sized smaller and in two “kid friendly” interior lining colors – red with white polka dots and
Ostrich pillows now for the whole family! Read More
The ancient Greek scientist and mathematician Archimedes is attributed as stating “Give me a lever long enough, and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I will move the world!” If so, Archimedes would probably have liked drinking beer with Brian Conti, creator of a crowdfunded Kickstarter project to produce a unique bottle opener.
Archimedes would be moved by the STRONG LIKE BULL Bottle Opener Read More
There’s a hydroponics supply store near my house, but I’ve never been in there because I always think of illegal substances when I think of in-home hydroponics systems. These planter boxes from Modern Sprout take hydroponics out of the musty basements and put them on your windowsill. They may look like simple wooden boxes, but
Grow your own food on your windowsill Read More