AROUND THE HOME
Appliances and gadgets to make life that bit easier, inside and out
CLEVER COOKING
Making small appliances smarter offers many benefits. Add a timer function and you can set your washing machine to run remotely, finishing as you walk through the door, or wake up to freshly brewed coffee every day. For cooking, a connected hob and extractor hood will clean the air automatically.
PROCOMBI PLUS SMART OVEN, £1,499, AEG, 0344 561 1611, AEG.CO.UK.
Keep an eye on dinner via the Cookview camera that provides a live feed to your phone, and use the My AEG app to control the oven temperature and humidity.
FAMILY HUB FRIDGE, SAMSUNG, 0330 726 7864, SAMSUNG.COM.
The biggest appliance launch of the year, this fridge-freezer is currently on show exclusively at John Lewis Smart Home experience. It features a large touch screen that accesses a complete home management system, delivering radio, TV, internet, recipes, calendar and more, all programmed to suit the way you live. Functions include a shopping list linked to your phone, trackers that show what should be eaten first, and cameras that let you peek inside remotely, so you can see if you need to pick up a pint of milk.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
Most smart TVS connect to Netflix and Amazon Prime, but even basic TVS can access popular sites such as BBC iplayer and Netflix via a media streamer such as Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire, Roku and Apple TV – and most cost less than £50. Find out more about choosing the right TV for your home at trustedreviews.com.
4TH GENERATION APPLE TV, FROM £129, APPLE.COM.
The new Apple TV makes it easy to navigate online content using voice commands. Other clever features include the ability to skip back and read subtitles if you miss a crucial bit of dialogue. You can also customise your screen with a choice of more than 1,000 apps from tvos App Store.
FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
A lot of technology focuses on lifestyle choices and health. In lighting, varying shades of white can be adapted to affect mood and aid sleep, while chromatherapy in the bathroom uses colour to relax or invigorate. Dedicated sleep monitors are also growing in popularity, helping to create the perfect conditions for a restful night.
MOXIE SHOWERHEAD + WIRELESS SPEAKER, £179, KOHLER, 0844 571 0048, KOHLER.CO.UK.
If singing in the shower is your thing, you can stream music, radio or news via a high-quality wireless speaker in the shower head, which pairs with Bluetooth-enabled devices.
FOR GREEN FINGERS
In the US, there are some great automated products for soil testing and irrigation, such as Edyn and Blossom, and hopefully these will land in the UK soon. The current technology here mostly focuses on garden lighting, home security and weather sensors. Kits such as Samsung Smartthings, which can measure temperature and humidity, can also be used to help monitor conditions in the greenhouse, and even Ikea is dabbling with hydroponics.
GREENIQ SMART GARDEN HUB WIFI IRRIGATION CONTROLLER, £199, VESTERNET, 0345 226 8572, VESTERNET.COM.
Control your garden’s sprinklers and watering systems based on current and forecasted local weather. The hub can also connect to a range of devices, including Flower Power and Netatmo Weather Station, and control outdoor lighting according to sunrise and sunset.
PARROT FLOWER POWER, £29.99, CURRYS, 0344 561 1234, CURRYS.CO.UK.
This sensor assesses sunlight, temperature, moisture and fertiliser to help improve growing conditions in the pot or in the ground, while the app has a database of more than 6,000 plants.
WEATHER STATION, £169, NETATMO, NETATMO.COM.
This device includes an indoor and outdoor sensor to measure indoor air quality and the weather. There are also wind and rain gauges in the range.
S+ SLEEP MONITOR BY RESMED, £129.95, JOHN LEWIS, 0345 604 9049, JOHNLEWIS.COM.
This clever non-contact monitor tracks the light, sound and temperature in your bedroom, and can sync to your breathing and play soothing sounds to lull you to sleep. If racing thoughts are keeping you awake, use the Mind Clear function to record your to-do list, while a morning alarm moves you from heavy to light sleep, so you wake in the right part of the sleep cycle for a grog-free start to the day. All the while the S+ analyses breathing and body movements, giving feedback to help improve your sleep pattern.