News, reviews and articles about home and kitchen products.
I recently reviewed the Belkin WeMo Switch and said it was one of the steps I was taking to automate my home and increase its security. The Switches work great to control lamps plugged into outlets inside my house, but my porch lights don’t plug in to an outlet. I had first thought that I […]
If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to be a good steward to Mother Earth. One way I do this is by using a water bottle instead of buying bottled water. The issue I have with most water bottles (and bottled waters for that matter) is that they don’t keep my
The Summit AUTOSEAL Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle keeps its cool when it’s hot Read More
Kwikset, longtime makers of locks and keys, have announced that their new Kevo deadbolt lock will be available for pre-order starting today. The Kevo looks like a standard deadbolt style lock that you might find installed in most doors. But it uses Bluetooth Low Energy™ 4.0 technology to turn your smartphone into an electronic key
Kwikset Kevo lets you open your front door with a gentle caress Read More
Back in the olden days when CRTs had glass screens, I used to use a dry-erase marker to leave myself a note right on the screen for important things I needed to do first thing after getting to work. I don’t dare write on my screens with anything now, so I just have to put
UpWrite desks are height adjustable and can even take your messages Read More
My better half loves to garden. She has at least 50 (I stopped counting at 40) flower pots on the deck and back porch that are planted with flowers and herbs. Most of the time we enjoy them from the inside looking out because we never seem to have a vase handy. The Modgy MYVAS
Modgy MYVAS is a flower vase that requires almost no storage space Read More
I have some OCD tendencies that are under control now for the most part, but I still freak out about leaving the house unattended for any length of time. I don’t mean I have agoraphobia, but I’m afraid someone will break into the house while I’m out, even for a few hours. We don’t have
Belkin WeMo Smart Home Automation Switch review Read More
What if the “chores” of maintaining a fishtank and herb garden suddenly took care of themselves, allowing you more time to, well, do just about anything else? The AquaFarm from Back to the Roots is a closed loop eco-system that does just that! Your fish does his little fish thing on the bottom and the filter
AquaFarm for the lazy green-thumb pet owner Read More
If you’ve decided to stop buying bottled water in favor of refilling an existing water bottle, Dopper bottles could be your next purchase. Designed by a Dutch designer Rinke van Remortel, Dopper bottles are available in an original plastic version and a steel version. Both are BPA free, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Water bottles aren’t
Dopper Original and Steel water bottles review Read More
3D Lake Maps from Lakehouse Lifestyle are a very cool way to add unique artwork to the walls of your cabin or lakehouse. The maps use nautical charts along with laser cut wood slices to create a 3D “sculpture” that replicates shorelines, depths, bottom contours, streets and landmarks. The 3D Lake Maps are not limited
3D Lake Maps show the topography of your favorite US or Canadian lake Read More
If open fires aren’t allowed where you camp, you’ll need some sort of stove to prepare your food. The Ultralight Backpacking Canister Camp Stove with Piezo Ignition, plus a canister of gas, is all you’ll need for cooking. The stove itself folds up into a small package, as seen in the upper left and right images.
Carry an ultralight camping stove in your backpack Read More
Grower’s Cup is a French press in a bag that you can use at home, camping, or anywhere you have access to hot water. Each pouch holds about 1 ounce of coffee inside a special filter. You open the zipper closure on the bag, add enough hot water for three cups of coffee, and wait
A cup of coffee is in the bag Read More
When I find a useful gadget or product that fits in with my life, workflow, etc. I then spend a lot of time trying to find the very best version of that gadget or product. Whether it’s messenger bags, smartphones, styluses, ink pens or something else, I can become a little obsessed. Ok, a lot obsessed.
Belkin NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera with Night Vision review Read More
A few years ago, I wrote a news item about the FakeTV, which was a little box with LEDs that flicker, flash, and wane to simulate the look of a TV playing to make it look like someone is home. That little box simulated the light output of a 27″ TV, and that was just
FakeTV FTV-11 Extra Bright Burglar Deterrent review Read More
These beautiful Starry Light lamps from Anagraphic look like a traditional half-sphere pendant lamp at first blush. Closer inspection reveals tiny holes drilled in the powder-coated aluminum shade; when the LED light source is on, pinpoints of light are projected onto your walls. (The lamp is designed so that light is directed downwards as well.)
Have a starry, starry night indoors with the Starry Light Read More
I don’t use an alarm clock with a constantly lighted digital display, but the clock I used to have tended to keep me awake because it was too bright. I also have a variety of chargers that tend to have LEDs on them that can feel like a laser burning through your eyelids in a
Don’t let those bright LEDs or digital displays keep you awake Read More
How do you like to relax? In a chair? Bed? Hammock? On the floor? How about in a bean bag chair? No I’m not talking about the bean bag chairs of our youth, or even a modern one like the Sumo bean bag chairs that we have covered here on The Gadgeteer. I have found
Yogibo Yogi Max Bean Bag Chair review Read More
We all know that to stay hydrated, we should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. The only thing is though, that water is… well… boring. My beverage of choice used to be Diet Coke, but I was able to wean myself off of it by switching over to ice tea. I
Zing Anything Aqua Zinger, Citrus Zinger and Salad Zinger review Read More
Although I haven’t used it in years, I have a degree in chemistry. I’ve always loved laboratory glassware, but I’ve never found practical applications for a lot of the flasks and beakers I’d love to own. ThinkGeek has a set of four shot-sized glasses that appeals to my love of the lab. Their Laboratory Shot
Barware for the chemistry majors Read More
Nothing is more important to me than my first cup of coffee in the morning! The Clever Touch Temperature Sensing Coffee Mug with Digit LED Indicator will ensure you know the temperature of your coffee or tea before you take a sip. You can see if it’s “cool”, “warm” or “hot”, with a little heart LED in
You won’t burn your tongue with the Clever Touch Temperature Sensing Coffee Mug! Read More
If you like cooking outdoors on a grill but don’t like the chemical aftertaste in your food, you’ll be interested in the Afire Koko Coconut Charcoal from Williams-Sonoma. Afire makes this charcoal from renewable coconut shells (left overs from other coconut uses) with no added propellants or other chemicals, fillers, glues, or nitrates. The hole in
Propellant-free briquettes burn hotter and cleaner than normal charcoal Read More