Winter is approaching, dark and cold days are approaching. But there are some tech gadgets that can help ease the transition to colder climates.
indoor tech
smart heating
Perhaps one of the most useful smart home devices next to robot vacuums, in my opinion, is smart heating controls. This means you can remotely access your home’s heating and hot water system through your phone’s app and home control interface.
You can lower your bill with more control because you don’t stick to using timers. This is because it could mean choosing between freezing your home if you’re cautious or heating an empty house if your schedule changes. However, it depends on individual circumstances.
There has been an explosion of homeowner options in recent years, from Google to Bord Gáis, and several smaller Irish companies have also entered the market.
The most well-known of the heating controls are Nest Learning Thermostat (€249). Google-owned devices learn from schedules and initial temperature settings and go from there. When you’re not home, the temperature is set to Away mode so it doesn’t heat your home unnecessarily. Geofencing also allows the system to use your location to determine when to turn on the heating, so the temperature is just right. Please take a look when you go home.
Climate is another option, from an Irish company. A built-in sim card means you don’t have to use broadband access at home, and you can send commands back to the system to turn up the heating if you come home unexpectedly. There is a small annual fee (19 euros) to cover the SIM.
There are other options.Designed by the Irish hub controller claims that it not only reduces carbon and energy use, but also saves homeowners hundreds of euros a year on their energy bills.
of Tado Meanwhile, the system (starting at £180) allows you to install thermostatic radiator valves (£75), allowing you to control the heating of individual rooms, effectively creating individual heating zones without the need for thermostats throughout the home. I can do it.
These systems simply replace the existing thermostat with a new thermostat, so installation won’t take too long or cause too much of a mess. Usually ready within an hour.
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lighting
Lighting is something that goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. And in winter you will notice a change as the days get shorter and the nights get longer. Any help? Good lighting, especially color temperature.
Your work space may require cool white light to keep you focused, while a warm white light bulb may be suitable for your bedroom. But what if, like many, some of these spaces doubled in functionality?
From dedicated lamps to adjustable bulbs, there are options out there.of dyson solar cycle For example, the lamp (starting at 500 euros) can intelligently track the local daylight or manually change the color temperature to whatever color temperature you need at the moment, in order to support your body clock, also taking into account your age and work. .
But they are quite expensive. So you can even replace a bulb or two with adjustable LED bulbs that can be linked to smart home systems such as Google Home, Apple’s HomeKit or Amazon’s Alexa system. These are either adjustable white bulbs or color-changing bulbs, but can be purchased for less than 20 euros. Phillips Hugh Lighting offers a variety of options, from regular bayonet bulbs to LED strips. Tapo Also With Light bulbs allow remote access to lighting without additional hubs.
bedroom
When the temperature drops below a certain threshold, it’s usually time for winter duvets to come out. Bed-sharing can also lead to some degree of controversy. What if one of your girlfriends has a fever and prefers a light duvet, or can’t sleep without a stuffy cocoon? You can also choose two different duvets, as many people do.
But as always, technology has another solution.
If you have a fairly hefty budget and want to put your app on everything, smart duvet ($484, shipping included), a former Kickstarter project. Working with your existing bedding, the larger size comes with dual zone temperature control so you can toast on one side and cool on the other. It works through a series of air chambers and channels to move conditioned air to either side of the bed, controlled via an app and a control box that must be stowed under the bed. That argument is also outside the picture.
However, the company seems to have some issues with negative customer service reviews, so it’s worth reading the feedback first.
A slightly less complicated way to do this is with an electric blanket that has multiple control zones.in silent night dual control electric blanket (From €70) Equipped with dual controllers, it can be controlled from both sides of the bed, heating each side individually or not. It won’t make a bed for you, but it does what it’s supposed to and doesn’t require an extra box either.
I’ve had countless coffees that have gone cold at work meetings or family distractions. And who wants cold coffee? The high-tech answer to this problem is ember mug (€150), and if your coffee lasts longer, it comes with a charging coaster for all-day use. The travel version (€230) keeps drinks hot for 3 hours. weekend sports. You can also control everything from a smartphone app, so you can customize it according to your needs.
Among the cheaper options are Yeti Rambler Mug (35 euros) is an insulated coffee mug that keeps your drink hot for hours. It won’t reheat your drink, but it will save you from having to. This is a better option. It’s also more portable than a plug-in USB warmer, which is essentially a small hotplate that requires access to USB power to operate.
outdoors
One of the biggest concerns this winter is keeping warm. And as utility bills rise, it’s difficult to find ways to do it as economically as possible.
As always, the most obvious is to put on a few extra layers when the temperature drops. Not necessarily the most practical.
A few years ago, I might have rolled my eyes at the idea of a heated jacket and muttered about tech for tech’s sake. It’s no longer funny.
Outdoor clothing manufacturer Regatta has a range of coats and jackets with built-in heating panels. Powered by a USB battery pack (sold separately), the heat can be adjusted from slightly warm to toasty using a small button built into the jacket.
Some garments use three panels that span the mid-back and chest areas of the jacket, giving you an overall comfortable feel. Others have her single panel on the back of the jacket. However, you’ll need a fairly powerful battery pack to keep it powered, so the cheap sticks you get for free won’t last very long.
They aren’t cheap either.of Voltera and Volter waterproof heating jacket A heated parka costs up to €280, but costs up to €320. Body warmers can go as high as €160, but you can find them much cheaper if you shop around.
Bad weather doesn’t mean you want to stay indoors. Even on dark winter days, some people want to stay safe and continue exercising outdoors.
carlow base Bodylite safety equipment From simple reflective vests (12 euros) and battery-powered slap bands (12 euros) to light-up dog leads (22.50 euros) and new USB rechargeable lighted vests (28 euros price). road at night. The latter has both flashing and steady LED lights in two different colors, along with the usual reflective strips and a pocket where you can store your phone, keys, or money. The lightweight mesh is breathable and lightweight.
However, if you want to stick with your car, there are some extras that won’t break the bank. Modern cars often come with heated seats, offering a new way to keep warm on cold days, but they can come at an extra cost. If you don’t want to upgrade your whole car just to dry out the rear end on a winter morning, there are cheaper alternatives. A heated seat cushion.of Toasty Heated Seat Cushion (26 euros, MicksGarage) plugs into a 12-watt charger port (known as a cigarette lighter for those of a certain age) and it heats the seat (and everything in it) to the right temperature . In addition, you can move inside the vehicle or move to another vehicle as needed.
