Home-modders rejoice! The awesome Nest smart home thermostat is finally making its way to our shores this year. Apparently the hold up is something to do with our home-heating systems using a different voltage, plus the myriad of crazy boiler setups we have here. Oh, and lack of air conditioning too. Let's just hope it won't be crazy expensive once it lands in the UK. [Pocket-Lint] Read More >>
What's the opposite of a "green thumb"? You. After flubbing a forest's worth of ficuses and killing countless cacti, it's time to get some help with this whole indoor gardening thing. The Koubachi plant sensor might just get your houseplants through the week. Read More >>
Featured comment by wildgeeza:
"Keen "business sense" is sought by the fact that iOS customers are far more likely to buy such a ridiculous product than 'droid users.
As a general..." More »
You don't fool around with home security. The front door locks automatically when you leave. And there's no way you'd be a big enough sucker to hide a spare key beneath the welcome mat. But what will you do if you lock yourself out? Smash your own window? Not a chance. Read More >>
Featured comment by paul bacon:
"UK locks seem to have loads of profiles, i brought a set of keys from specialkeys.co.uk, they worked a treat, great bump keys" More »
Your LP collection may be the coelacanth of storage mediums, but it is often a repository of tracks and titles that you simply can't get anywhere else. Here's how to digitise your wax-platter music, and finally drag the last remnants of your analog life into the 21st Century. Read More >>
Summers appears to have landed in Blighty and, for a lot of us, that means BBQ and outdoor eating. But, rather than get one of those schlocky extendable awnings they sell on late-night TV, shelter your guests in a stylish sphere. Read More >>
Featured comment by Darrell Jones:
"Well if a Gazebo can turn me into a secret agent with the Mind patterns of anyone else in the world (not to mention a flying car) then I want one." More »
Just because you're six stories up and the closest thing to a balcony you've got is the fire escape, doesn't mean you can't have yourself a kick-ass herb garden. The Volet Végétal concept could give even the densest city dwellers access to a little greenery. Read More >>
Smoke alarms may be essential life-saving devices but aren't exactly the most aesthetically pleasing electronics in your home. At least until now, that is. Read More >>
Featured comment by stonemanty:
"I agree, it needs to be instant and 'kin loud.
As for encouraging adoption, 47 quid vs 11 quid (for 2) at B&Q is hardly relevant either." More »
Home Security products are expensive and created by developers that have no interest in making things easy for end users. Instead, pull that old iPhone out of a drawer and make it the spy cam you've always wanted. Read More >>
You haven't cleaned the litterbox in what, two weeks now? It's all well and good that you've acclimated to the overwhelming stench of ammonia and kitty poop, but what about when guests come over? With some minor mods and a little electrical engineering, you can keep your home from smelling of feline by-products without actually having to be a responsible pet owner and clean up! Read More >>
Osama Bin Laden may have gone out with a whimper but his secret lair in Abbottabad will soon be going out with a bang. A rocket-propelled bang, that is. Read More >>
If you don't have a tape measure, buy one. But even if you do have a tape measure, there are things you just can't measure because they're either too large, or downright inaccessible. Instead of hauling out the ladder, let today's iPhone app, Measured, figure out the height and width for you by taking a photo. Read More >>
Digital cameras now dominate the market, but there's still a place for the art and aesthetics of film cameras. Even if they're only used as a source of inspiration for a set of retroriffic throw pillows. Read More >>
Featured comment by a03dugga:
"What about the water points on certain floors?
Surely they would use this rather than cut a hole in the ceiling." More »
Tools are an essential part of your home. But you don't need a huge tool box or fancy tool belt to take care of small home projects. A small set of quality tools will serve you quite well. Read More >>
Long known in assassin circles as a means of offing targets without leaving evidence, ice bullets now serve a less-than-lethal function—cooling your drinks. Read More >>
Featured comment by Astronaut_Mike:
"Ollllllllllllddd.....I've had one of these for ages and honestly....it isn't that good. It's hard to get a full bullet without them joining together....." More »