Whether you like it or not, technology is taking over in our everyday lives. We can control all sorts of things with home automation and remote technology, from heating and lighting to boiling the kettle! The latest devices are simplifying tasks, making better use of resources, and transforming the way we live. In this blog, we give you the lowdown on some of our favourite gadgets. You never know, some of them might just come in very handy…

Smart Thermostats

These nifty little things enable you to control your heating remotely using an iPhone or tablet. Some of the latest ones really take it to the next level by learning user behaviour patterns and adjusting the heating accordingly. One of our favourites is the tado°. This not only has the ability to be controlled by an app on your smart phone but has ‘location-based’ heating control, meaning it will automatically turn the heating down or off when you leave the house but will sense when you are on your way home and have the house at the optimum temperature for when you return! Awesome. It has weather forecast integration and can save you up to 31% on your heating bills. More info...

Smart Lighting

How can your lighting be smart? Well, by installing a hub and compatible light bulbs, you can automate your lighting to come on at specific times and at the required brightness level. All controlled by an app on your mobile device. The system we like is Philips Hue. You can set your lighting to brighten as you arrive home, turn off all the lights when the family goes to bed and keep them dimmed while you are out. There are a range of different colours bulbs to create ambiance or to energize your mood too. Control your lights from wherever you are. (Particularly amusing if you have left the babysitter at home with the kids one evening!) You can even sync your lighting with your music or movies, creating the ultimate atmosphere. More info...

Smart Security

The ultimate security for the home has advanced so much that devices can now recognise faces, tell you which family members are in the house and send an alert if an intruder has broken in to your property. The hottest product on the market at the moment, in our opinion, is Welcome. It’s sleek design and simple set up is key to its success. It does everything mentioned above as well as recognising the sound of an alarm, whether it be a smoke alarm, CO alarm, security alarm or siren and sends a notification to your mobile device and records a video. More info...

Smart Kettle

The epitome of laziness or a testament to the extremely busy lives we have now? Whatever your view of wifi kettles, you have to admit it does save you from standing waiting for the kettle to boil, even if does only get you an extra minute of precious time! The iKettle is controlled by a smartphone app and can be operated from anywhere in the home or office, producing the perfect cuppa every time with the variable temperature control and "keep warm" feature. Set the iKettle to wake you up so that you’re ready to go on time. Pre-boiling your kettle will save you over 5 precious minutes every morning and the "welcome home" mode will automatically ask you if you want to pop the kettle on as soon as you walk in the door. What more could you possibly want?! More info...

*NB. The above is purely based on our opinion and we do not gain in any way, from the companies mentioned