Gadgets Guide Q1 ’17
12 January, 2017
It's that time of year when getting up and returning home from work in the dark is starting to wear a bit thin. If you haven't gone on holiday, January is the time to hunker down, dig into the latest boxset and get cosy. We've handpicked some smart home tech to help you make it through to Spring.
â–² Nest Thermostat 3rd Gen We've talked about Nest, the Alphabet (formerly Google, do keep up) owned smart thermostat device before. But this third iteration is the best yet, letting owners manage their home's temperature using a smartphone app. Some of the amazing new features include push notifications that let you know if there's a sudden change in temperature, and when you are at home you can sync with Amazon Echo giving you voice control, too. nest.com
â–² Amazon Echo Beautifully designed yet versatile enough to fit into many different types of interior, Amazon's Echo is the tech giant's voice activated speaker that is aiming to become something of a butler and all-round home organiser. Managed by the charming, disembodied voice of Alexa, this device lets you control numerous smart devices from heating to TV and sound systems, all of which means you'll barely have to get off that nice warm sofa. amazon.co.uk
â–² Planika Fire Line Automatic 3 The kings of bio fireplaces, the FLA 3 from Planika is a stunning smart fireplace that lets you instantly conjure and control fire with the flick of a smartphone. This truly amazing piece of technology will instantly become a centrepiece for your home. The system runs on ethanol, making it safe and environmentally friendly. How safe? These fires can be found on some of the world most luxurious mega yachts. Places where you definitely don't want a dodgy fire. planikafires.com
▲ Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Air Purifier If you thought space heaters were just for ill-advised winter marquee weddings or badly managed offices, it's time to think again. Pretty much anything that comes out of Dyson's world is worth having at home (perhaps with the exception of pub hand dryers, although…) and this device is no different. Elegantly designed, this purifier can be controlled with your smartphone and can warm, cool, and purify whole rooms or specific areas, e.g you, on the sofa. dyson.co.uk
â–² Heat Genius This is a very sophisticated piece of kit that may cost more than other systems such as Nest, but it also gives you the most control over temperatures in your home and over time it offers real long term savings. Essentially, Heat Genius gets better over time as it learns when and how you use particular areas and rooms in your house. Individual radiators can be controlled, temperatures set, water turned on and off and all of it controlled via a central hub which links to your smartphone. greeniq.co
â–² Nest Thermostat 3rd Gen We've talked about Nest, the Alphabet (formerly Google, do keep up) owned smart thermostat device before. But this third iteration is the best yet, letting owners manage their home's temperature using a smartphone app. Some of the amazing new features include push notifications that let you know if there's a sudden change in temperature, and when you are at home you can sync with Amazon Echo giving you voice control, too. nest.com
â–² Amazon Echo Beautifully designed yet versatile enough to fit into many different types of interior, Amazon's Echo is the tech giant's voice activated speaker that is aiming to become something of a butler and all-round home organiser. Managed by the charming, disembodied voice of Alexa, this device lets you control numerous smart devices from heating to TV and sound systems, all of which means you'll barely have to get off that nice warm sofa. amazon.co.uk
â–² Planika Fire Line Automatic 3 The kings of bio fireplaces, the FLA 3 from Planika is a stunning smart fireplace that lets you instantly conjure and control fire with the flick of a smartphone. This truly amazing piece of technology will instantly become a centrepiece for your home. The system runs on ethanol, making it safe and environmentally friendly. How safe? These fires can be found on some of the world most luxurious mega yachts. Places where you definitely don't want a dodgy fire. planikafires.com
▲ Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Air Purifier If you thought space heaters were just for ill-advised winter marquee weddings or badly managed offices, it's time to think again. Pretty much anything that comes out of Dyson's world is worth having at home (perhaps with the exception of pub hand dryers, although…) and this device is no different. Elegantly designed, this purifier can be controlled with your smartphone and can warm, cool, and purify whole rooms or specific areas, e.g you, on the sofa. dyson.co.uk
â–² Heat Genius This is a very sophisticated piece of kit that may cost more than other systems such as Nest, but it also gives you the most control over temperatures in your home and over time it offers real long term savings. Essentially, Heat Genius gets better over time as it learns when and how you use particular areas and rooms in your house. Individual radiators can be controlled, temperatures set, water turned on and off and all of it controlled via a central hub which links to your smartphone. greeniq.co