Latest Gear Live Videos
Unboxing Live 141: Nest Protect
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Household, Videocasts,
In this episode we open up the Nest Protect. Nest Protect is a smoke & carbon monoxide detector from the makers of the Nest Smart Thermostat. It will let you know in plain English that there is a problem in the home, and will also tell you which room it's in. False alarms are easily silenced with a wave. If you have multiple Protect units in your home, they will talk to each other, and they'll even use motion sensor data to alert the Nest Thermostat that there is someone home, so that it knows to keep the temperature to where you like it to be.
We will follow-up with a setup video, and an installation video of the Nest Protect as well, following this unboxing!
Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel, and don't forget--we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!
Click to continue reading Unboxing Live 141: Nest Protect
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2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Vitamix Professional Series 750
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Smart Home, Family, Women,
Vitamix has been making blenders that last the test of time for over 80 years, and the Vitamix Professional Series 750 rests at the top of the line in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. It's not cheap, but it should last you a lifetime, and adds to any cooking aficionados kitchen repertoire with style and grace. You can pick up the Vitamix Professional Series 750 on Amazon.
Read More | Vitamix Professional Series 750
Decide releases iPad app to help you shop wisely
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Lifestyle, iPad Apps, Free Apps,
We're always on the hunt for a good deal, which is why we're fans of Decide. The site finds the best deals on electronics and appliances, and through its algorithm, predicts when you should buy things based on price trends. Recently, Decide launched its "Got Your Back" feature, which suggests 10 products at bargain basement prices. If you buy one and the price drops within the next two weeks, Decide will pay you the difference, for free.
Today the company continues its roll with the release of the Decide iPad app. It's basically everything you already love about Decide (and if you don't use them, you should,) optimized for the iPad. Yes, that includes high-resolution Retina display graphics as well. It's a beautiful app, and it's available now on the App Store for free.
I spent some time at the Decide offices earlier this week--great people over there, and we look forward to what the future holds for the company.
CableDrops Neaten Desk Top
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
Tidy up your your desktop with CableDrop. Each one will keep cables not in use from falling into that scary black hole behind your desk. Use them for computers, appliances, lamps, cell phone chargers or anything else with a cord. Stick them on a desk, wall or furniture to keep the clutter to a minimum. The 1 1/8-inch CableDrops come in a pack of 6 with three different colors at a price of $9.95
Read More | Blue Lounge
Google Tests PowerMeter Monitoring
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Google, Smart Home, Internet,
Google has a new tool that they are testing. PowerMeter will show home energy usage in real time on your PC. You set the rate of your electricity charge, plug in your appliance and a monitor will calculate the cost. Forty million trackers are already in use and Google predicts that another 100 million will be bought in the next few years. Studies show that those who have access to home energy information can save up to 15% of their electricity bills. PowerMeter is not yet available but should be soon.
Read More | CNN
Holiday Gift Guide Flashback: A Crushed Ice Christmas
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Editorial, Features, Smart Home, Women,
Purchasing gifts for a loved one is often difficult, especially when expectations are high. So, gentlemen - if you’re struggling to find the perfect present for a significant other, please let me share a story about one of my most “memorable” gifts.
Back in 2001, my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I had our 1st real Christmas together. Although it was technically our second time celebrating the holiday, I didn’t really count the first. Since we had only started dating weeks beforehand, I didn’t anticipate much. But after a whole year together, I was curious to see how well he knew me. Apparently not as well as I had hoped.
To be fair, I did receive two gifts that day. The first was a beautiful green necklace. (Thankfully, it did not come attached to a Benny Bear.) And while I appreciated the tasteful choice in jewelry, the item was unfortunately not the thing I remember most about that December 25. It was a completely random selection still waiting in the wings: the ice crusher.
An ice crusher that my boyfriend/husband saw in Pottery Barn and thought was “cool” and “very pretty.” (Granted - the Metrokane Ice-O-Matic did have a nice art deco design.) An ice crusher I didn’t know I needed. An ice crusher my husband’s coworker told him NOT to buy. (She said it wasn’t exactly a “romantic” choice.) An ice crusher that said “crush my heart” and “ice queen” all at the same time. An ice crusher that up until last night (when I reminded my spouse of its existence), hadn’t seen the light of day in years.
So in case you missed the lessons from my cautionary tale, let me list them out for you:
- “Pretty” things don’t necessarily make good gifts.
- Don’t ever buy your loved one something YOU want.
- Products that require manual labor should never be given, unless it’s something they requested.
- If you ask another woman for a second opinion, please heed her advice.
- Read our Holiday Gift Guide, and let us help you.
Happy Holidays!
CrazyPC 5.25 Bay Toaster
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
You stumble out of bed after being awakened by your Wake n’ Bacon Alarm Clock, sit down at the computer to check your email, and munch away on the rest of your breakfast made by your CrazyPC 5.25 Bay Toaster. Installing in minutes, it comes with Windows software to adjust heat and time. What’s more, it includes a crumb tray for easy cleanup. Find it at a price of $29.99. More details below.
Click to continue reading CrazyPC 5.25 Bay Toaster
Read More | CrazyPC
SomethingStore Offers Gifts Sight Unseen
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Internet, Misc. Tech,
Are you the type that can never resist a grab bag? That’s the idea behind the SomethingStore, created after an inspiration by sites such as Woot. For $10.00 (free shipping,) they will send you a random gift. What they choose could be a video game, retail gift card, software, designer jeans, a kitchen appliance, or gourmet chocolates. While it may be refurbished, the site promises that it will also be legal. If you are tempted, you are not alone. The SometingStore claims over 10,000 somethings have already been ordered.
Read More | SomethingStore
Join Earth Hour To Save Energy
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Google, Science, Videos,
If you want to make your mark on the planet tonight, join the global Earth Hour. Created by the World Wildlife Fund, sign up on the site before 8:00 p.m.your time. Then turn off that computer, light candles, and disconnect any unnecessary appliances. Tell a friend about it, too. Even Google is in on the action if you noticed its background today. Cities include New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Phoenix, Pasadena, Charlotte, Chicago, Honolulu, San Clemente, Minneapolis, Portland, Montreal, Bogotá, and Montreal. For a complete listing of North American cities, check this Earth Hour site. Think of it as giving some extra energy for your kid’s generation.
Read More | Earth Hour
ApriPoko Learns and Responds
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
Toshiba is working on a new robot that doubles as a voice-operated remote for all your appliances. At a size of 8 x 11-inches and a weight of only 5 lb., ApriPoko learns by watching and questioning your actions, such as “What did you just do?”
Talk back to the bot (“I turned on the stereo”) and he will memorize your actions. When you want that stereo turned on the next time, he will happily oblige with an IR signal. Think of the implications in years to come for the prototype.
“I got a beer from the fridge.”
“I flushed the toilet.”
“I called my boss and told him I was very sick.”
“I have to go see my mother-in-law.”
Read More | Asahi (Japanese) via Pink Tentacle
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