Category Archives: Cool Things

Israeli Company is sucking water from the Sky

Posted on October 21, 2016 | Leave a comment

water

Israel’s Water-Gen has built devices that create and store drinking water by harvesting condensation from the air. It was among a group of Israeli firms that presented their technological innovations at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“Put simply, [our technology] leverages the same process as a dehumidifier, but instead captures and cleans the moisture,” said Arye Kohavi, Water-Gen’s CEO, in an email this week. “This ‘plug-and-drink’ technology is fully independent of existing water infrastructure. All we require is an electrical outlet and the humidity found in the air.”

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Seven Gadgets that solve problems you didn’t know you had

Posted on September 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

iPad stand / toilet roll holder

Finally … you can crush candy while you are getting down to business without the worry that you’re going to smash your expensive tablet on the bathroom floor.

This device also comes in handy for those terrible situations when you have to make an important video call but find that nature is urgently on the other line.

see them all at: http://www.domain.com.au/news/seven-gadgets-that-solve-problems-you-didnt-know-you-had-20160903-gr8389/

Smart Technology for your home

Posted on July 27, 2016 | Leave a comment

A Guide to Smart Home Devices

Most of the smart home devices I tried were pretty simple to use. But the more I piled on the network, the glitchier things got. Suggestion: Stick with as few brands as possible or resign yourself to using some apps in lieu of voice control.

Apple HomeKit

All HomeKit-certified products use Apple hardware and software, which makes for an easier setup and a more reliable connection; adding a Lutron outlet to control a light is nearly as easy as adding a Bluetooth device. But as usual, Siri occasionally misunderstood me, attempting a phone call when I was trying to adjust the thermostat. And when I moved beyond Wi-Fi range, I couldn’t use voice control at all, because I don’t have a third-generation or later Apple TV to relay the commands. (A software update this fall promises to address the problem by allowing an iPad to serve the same function.)

Amazon Echo

Alexa, the Amazon Echo’s voice-control assistant, mixes control of your smart-home devices with other personal assistant tasks, like calling Uber or checking your credit card balance, which might be problematic if Alexa weren’t such a good listener — often much better than Siri. But it’s not portable like your phone, so you’ll need a $30 Bluetooth voice remote (like I used) or a $90 Echo Dot (a mini version of Echo) if you leave the room where Echo is installed. And Alexa can sometimes be maddeningly picky, understanding what you’re saying but asking you to rephrase it anyway.