HOME & PLAY
Have fun at home, using your iOS device in great new ways
1 Remote Control Logitech Harmony Home Hub $99, logitech.com
Control your entire home theater setup from your iPhone with the Harmony hub! You use Logitech’s universal remote app to control the hub, and the hub sends those commands to your other equipment using infrared, controlling your TV, cable, Blu-ray player, and others.
2 Learning tool Osmo Coding Game Kit $74, playosmo.com
Kids can learn the basic logic of coding using this fun game/education set – they build commands for an on-screen character using physical pieces, which the iPad detects using its camera, combining physical play with digital results. This kit (from the Apple Store) includes other fun activities too.
3 Game controller SteelSeries Nimbus $49, steelseries.com
There are loads of great games on iOS that are made better if you can control them with a real games controller, rather than the touchscreen. The Nimbus is the best iOS and Apple TV gamepad out there, without a doubt. It’s really wellmade, its buttons and control sticks feel highly responsive and pleasant to use, and it’s easy to charge with a Lightning cable. If you like games, get this.
4 Thermal camera FLIR ONE for iOS $244, flir.com
A thermal camera might seem kind of niche, but it can be surprisingly useful. Worried about a noise in the yard? This will tell you if anything is there – or you could use it to look for an escaped pet, or monitor wildlife on a camping trip. At home, it can be used to look for blockages in pipes or similar maintenance problems – and cleverly, the whole thing simply plugs into your iPhone!
Control your entire home theater setup from your iPhone with the Logitech Harmony hub