Home Automation

iRobot’s latest additions to its home robot lineup, the Looj, cleans your gutters. All you need to do is stick the Looj into your gutter, and then use the remote to move it back and forth to clean out your gutter, then you can hose it off.

Ok, so you don’t necessarily need to buy the Looj, but you do need to clean your gutters! They get clogged with leaves and dirt and debris, and then eventually water where they can be a breeding ground for all kinds of bugs, including mosquitoes. Now the advantage of using something like the Looj is that you no longer have to balance on your ladder or crouch dangerously on your roof while you clean out those horrible, but necessary attachments to your house.

Gimme!

More info from the manufacturer

Price: $169.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

This appeals to the computer sys admin in me. The EZBridge IP to INSTEON/X10 Bridge allows you to control and monitor your INSTEON devices from anywhere, by bridging your home automation network and your computer network. And if you’re connected to the Internet via a broadband connection, you can access and control your HA network from practically anywhere in the world.

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Monitor Your INSTEON and X10 Devices via Computer NetworkRead More »

If you would like some additional security for your property in some measure, but don’t necessarily have quite the budget and/or manpower for a full monitoring solution, then invest $25 in a dummy camera that looks and even acts like the real thing. This realistic looking security camera is easily mounted anywhere you’d like, and has a built-in motion sensor that moves the camera and activates a flashing light, simulating the real thing.

Remember that security deterrents can be quite effective. Studies have shown that having that little sign that says your house is monitored by some security company can reduce your risk of being targeted by about 50%!

Completely affordable for small businesses and homeowners and easily mounted in minutes. Only requires 2 AA batteries.

Gimme!

Price: $24.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Bet you didn’t know these existed, eh? Yup, well, they do, and now you don’t need to get extenders or power strips to get more than 1 of those odd-shaped or oversized power adapters plugged straight into your wall power outlet. At only $9.99, this is an elegant solution to an age-old problem. Each outlet rotates independently of the other and go around 360 degrees, and clicks into 18 unique positions.

You can rotate the outlets even with stuff plugged into them and maintain the power to the device. The panel is available in both white and ivory and comes with a screwless wall plate.

Gimme!

Price: $9.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

If you’re a smart-homeowner who has an HAI Omni or Lumina system, then you may want to make some great additions to your system to further bolster the security of your home. These magnetic transceivers monitor your doors and windows wirelessly. These small magnetic sensors are easily concealed within the door or window frame, and transmit wirelessly to your HAI receiver when the contact is broken.

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Monitor Doors & Windows Wirelessly with Hidden Magnetic TransmittersRead More »

Until my brother showed this to me, I had no idea that one could salivate this much over a standalone shower unit. Ariel is just one of the companies that makes these tricked out steam shower stalls that with the blue highlights, glass and flourescent lighting, look pretty futuristic. And the feature list bears that out. It includes a steam generator; acupuncture massage water jets; an LCD computer control panel that manages the shower functions as well as a phone, radio and even audio input; rainfall ceiling shower; an ozone sterilization system.

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Ariel Steam Shower Packed with FeaturesRead More »