Gadgets, Automation & Technology at Home
Lost luggage is one of those nagging worries that many of us push to the back of our minds as we fly to our destination. Every day 90,000 suitcases are lost by the airlines. 3,000 of these are never recovered. Until you spot your luggage at the baggage carousel, it's not a sure thing that you'll leave with a change of clothes. To alleviate the stress of this situation, Smart Unit has designed a device to let you know exactly where your luggage is at all times.
If you grew up working with electronics in the 80s or earlier, this throwback Analog Voltmeter Clock is sure to tickle your fancy. With two analog meters and two instrumentation knobs, all wrapped in a metal case, this clock brings you back to a time when "high-tech" meant transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
Most of us have used a tape measure to find the perfect spot on a wall to hang a picture. It's not rocket science, but it can be tricky if you're working by yourself. At one point or another, the tape measure is going to shift, move or even bend and collapse while using it. Measure-It! thinks they have the perfect solution. It's a roll of tape with a tape measure printed on it.
Touchscreens are great...accept when it comes to typing. Having a Bluetooth keyboard for every device you use (smartphone, tablet and computer) can be difficult to juggle. Logitech thinks they have the answer with the K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth keyboard. One keyboard for multiple devices.
We all knew the day would come when we could talk to our house just like the Star Trek crew talk to the computer of the Enterprise. That day is, more or less, here. Ubi is a small always-on house computer that listens for commands and then follows instructions.
If you have kids or have been in close proximity to children, you've probably noticed that many of their shoes have Velcro straps instead of laces. There's a reason for that. Shoelaces can be a huge nuisance for little ones. Even on adult shoes, shoelaces can be a pain. Zubits thinks their magnetic shoe closures create a smarter and simpler alternative for both kids and adults.
The Raspberry Pi and the Arduino have opened up a whole new world for folks interested in home automation or other electronic projects. The only downside is that you need to have a decent handle on programming to use them. The verve2 aims to offer similar functionality with no programming skills required.
We reported back in August that Samsung had acquired SmartThings, a home automation company, presumably as a way to integrate connectivity into Samsung Appliances. Today, at the Samsung Developer Conference, some of that integration was displayed to the public.