Tag: smart

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Who needs air anyway?

Recently, I’ve noticed – there’s been a lot of innovation around vehicles.

There’s the self-driving cars which I’ve spoken about before, there’s also the flying cars which are coming soon… and yes, we have the fully electric cars which are getting better and better.

But there’s so much to a vehicle which can be improved – and why is it we think in traditional manners?

Take the tyre for example.

Take Michelin for example. Started in 1889. Has much changed with their tyres? – same old rubber and air. Yes, there’s been new and improved designs.. but anything radical?

Now – don’t get me wrong, Michelin are a great company with some great history and delivering some great products.

But you know… everything is being disrupted.

And why not better – for Michelin, to team up with a car manufacturer, to work on something that would be ‘ground-breaking’.

How brilliant is this?! – Safety first.

No air. Simply design. Less rubber. Potential reduction in CO2.

So… who needs air, anyway?

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Smart Dining Table

I was on a call the other day… with Bruno. We were talking, and I informed him, I’m recieving a new fridge soon – to which he replied, he’s getting a new dining table.

For some reason – my immediate question to him was – Is it Smart?

Now, firstly – does everything have to be Smart? – I think so!!

We’re in a connected world. And therefore, appliances and items around us – if they’re smart, help with the connectivity.

Habits are changing…

We are more on our devices. We are more involved and collaborative.

So how can a Dining Table, be Smart… Bal?!

Well… you’ve got your traditional table…..

You can get some in a funky design…

You can get some Clever/Smart ones… (by the way, when I asked about Smart – I was referring to Technology)…

With AR and VR… Mixed Reality… we can have sensors and projectors, tell us what to do and when….. especially, when it comes to cooking…

And let’s be honest – this is a great helping hand.

But I was thinking Smart in the sense – does the table have wireless chargers built in?

Does the table allow connectivity – in the form of sensors, detecting food is on the table, or have built in warmers – that keep the food/plate warm.

Yes you can get interactive ones… but personally, can’t see Bruno with one of these in his dining room…

So… thinking of getting something new? – See how Smart it is!

Even a dining table could be Smart!

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WiFi Enabled Door…

Recently I was sent a brilliant video – of a chap who had some issues with his smart, voice enabled, home.

In case you haven’t seen it – here it is…

Now, the funny thing is – we’re heading in that direction.

Most of us have the Amazon Alexa in our homes, or the Google Home. Both of which carry out commands when we talk to them – and if you don’t have either of them, then I think it’s time you looked at investing in one.

More and more items are becoming ‘connected’ and more and more, we’ll be doing by just talking. Because it’s the easiest thing to do.

To tell someone… or in this case, something… to do something… it easy. Why have to lift the arm, raise the finger and exert that pressure to turn the light off switch off.

Yes – we are becoming more lazy – but you can’t blame it all on technology.

The part of the video that is brilliant, is when he’s trying to get into his house. The voice command doesn’t understand him.

So the door must be connected to the WiFi – and voice controlled. I know I’m beginning to analyse this – but the door should have some feature to open it via an app.

Now this has got me thinking – why aren’t our doors and windows wifi-enabled? When can we have the Next Generation of doors?

Why would you want to have a wifi enabled door? – why not just the lock?

Great point – and yes! – there are wifi (& bluetooth) enabled smart locks you can purchase to attach onto your front door. However there are limitations on what type of doors they’ll work on – maybe I’ll share more on my ‘What Tech items to buy for Christmas’ blog.

But you can see where all this is going… not only plugged in devices –  will be connected to your wifi… but doors, windows (anything… you can power via a battery)…. the possibilities are endless.

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Bal, what TV should I buy?

I’m often asked… and rightly so, as I’m a bit of a tech person… what TV should I get Bal?

That’s a great question.

My answer used to be, how big is your room… now it’s more like, what is it you want to watch?

Our behaviours are changing… due to technology! –  We’re watching less TV… you probably knew that, right? – we’re watching more YouTube on our tablets, catching up on episodes via our phones and the short video clips via social media channels such as Facebook.

So, what you’re saying is… I don’t need a new TV Bal?

Well… depends how old your current one is… but ignoring that fact, and based on you asking me… I’m going to say Yes. Yes you do. Yes you do need a new TV.

Why?

Well… whilst it’s great watching clips and short videos on your phone or tablet…. Isn’t it great to watch a film every now and again on a larger screen? What about some sports…. maybe a game of football in 4K? If you have sky sports… you could go multi-screen! Flick between matches and games on the same channel!

Now…. Back to your original question… which TV should I get.

Simple.

Smart. 4K. TV. That’s all you really need. Size of the TV depends on how big your room is.

Now, whilst I won’t go into specific makes and models… because you get what you pay for. If you want more than the standard 2 HDMI ports…. You’ll have to pay more. If you want something with good quality sound… then you’ll have to pay more.

You want it to be SMART – so it connects to your Internet, and you can watch films via your Netflix or other such account… and there’s so much more you can do (you can still watch those YouTube videos without straining your neck at a 45degree angle downwards.

4K – so the quality is there. There is truly a huge difference between HD and 4K.

Now, this is relevant for today.

I’ve seen 8K and was blown away.

But you don’t need anything like that for the moment.

You can pick up a half decent Smart 4K TV 49” for around the £350 mark.

Yes there’s deals and offers – and you can find them cheaper (you can also find them more expensive) – but that’s the approx. price you should be looking at to pay.

You can go fancy, and get a curved one. Is it worth it – the jury’s out on that one.

You could improve sound by getting a sound bar. I would recommend this. Most new TV’s have an optical port – for you to plug your soundbar into. Fast becoming a home cinema.

So… whilst I was unable to answer your original question of what TV… I hope I’ve provided some guidance… to what… and to how much….

I once bought one of my TV’s when I was shopping at Tesco…. no joke! – I went in to buy some Milk and cookies (essentials for bedtime)… and I saw a TV, at a great price. So, like any normal person, I put my basket down, opened Google… did a quick search on the internet for the best price for that TV… had a quick look at the reviews…. everything seemed fairly positive.. for the price.. and this in-store price was alot cheaper than any on-line price, so I ditched the basket and picked myself a trolley and a TV.

There’s various sites such as – trustedreviews.com and expertreviews.co.uk –  that can show you pro’s and con’s of each latest TV and the Top 10 TV deals.

So, whilst we are watching less TV… it’s still a nice box in the corner… ok, not a box anymore… still a nice flat (or curved) display, in the corner (or on the wall) that will allow you and the family… friends… to come together and enjoy.

It’s not going anywhere fast…. Unlike computers…

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Any Ideas for Christmas Presents, Bal?

Well, I did say a few weeks ago – I wouldn’t be going down the road of recommending what tech items you could buy for Christmas… mainly because a) you’ve got Philip Schofield (for those in the UK) – who’s presenting a great series on TV which is all about – ‘what you can buy for Christmas 2017’ and b) i’d be here all day, because there’s so much out there you could buy!

But you know what… after speaking to a friend of mine, who’s just moved into his new home… and how it could be a ‘Smart Home’… I’ve decided to share with you the Top 5 Smart Home Items you could buy for Christmas.

Coming in at Number 1…

Amazon Echo.

I feel it’s the natural first step into making your home, ‘Smart’.

You can say, ‘Alexa…. ‘ (followed by a command, question, etc..) and then have an answer or action performed.

For example, Alexa tells me jokes…. sets a timer for me…. plays music… answers questions (by finding answers on the world wide web)… turns the lights on and off… heating, up or down…. milk into my shopping basket…. etc..

You could have a few around the house if you wanted…. perhaps the Echo Dot in the bedroom? – it is a little thing.

I feel ‘Alexa’ is like someone who is really close to me. Does so much for me… but doesn’t spend all my money. And doesn’t love me. I’ve asked it….

Moving on… and coming in at Number 2….

Nest Home Heating.

Once you’ve brought Alexa into the house… you want to pair it up with something. And I would suggest… as the winter months are here, maybe something to keep you warm?

Okay, the Nest, itself, won’t keep you warm… but it’ll talk to your heating system… and make life so much easier for you… and warmer.

That’s right – it’s a little device, that connects to your home heating… and not only can you control it via your phone… you can control the heating by connecting the Nest to your Echo….it can learn your heating habits… be optimized for when you are away from home and so much more….

There are other, similar, Smart Heating solutions available, for example, Worcester Bosch have their equivalent… named the ‘Wave’. I would suggest, talk to your local heating expert to find which one is the best match for your current heating system.

Coming in at Number 3….

Hue Lights.

So, you have a Smart Voice Controlled Personal Assistant (Echo) in your house, and you’ve got Smart Heating (Nest)… now for some Smart Lights.

Philips, in my opinion, are leading the way with Smart Lights. The Hue… from Philips, is great. You get a ‘bridge’ which talks to your Wifi and the Light Bulbs around your house.

Control the lights via your phone… and/or Alexa…. programme light timers… connect it to IFTTT (If This Then That)… put on location  – so the lights come on, when you’re near home…. there’s alot you can do.

You can get bulbs which do different colours…. mine only do white. You can dim the lights… you can have different settings for different rooms… etc…

Now we’ve got some ‘light’ on this topic… Coming in at Number 4…

Ring Door Bell.

Now, for a bit of home security… Ring Video Doorbell. Does exactly that, it’s a door bell, with a camera, that’s all connected…. and you can view who’s on your doorstep from your phone.

Why would you need this?

  1. If you’re lazy, you can sit on the sofa… see who’s outside, and then decide if you need to get up from the sofa or not.
  2. You know who’s come to your house…and when.
  3. If it’s a delivery… you can provide them with instructions where to leave items…

To make you even more lazy…. And finally, in at Number 5…

Wemo.

For those items.. like your TV, Kettle, etc… you can make them Smart also! – How, Bal?

Well… Belkin have a device called the Wemo. You plug it into your normal socket. Turn it on. Then plug your device into the Wemo device… which then, when all connected – you can view & control your devices on your phone!

There you go.

My Top 5… Smart Home… Christmas Present ideas.

There are different variations, makes and models available to those I’ve mentioned above… for example, Google have an equivalent to the Amazon Echo…. there are many (and probably cheaper) alternatives to the Belkin Wemo.

I’ve recommended the above… because they’re the ones I have or have used.

I would always suggest, you go and research… see what would work for you… your environment… your style and most importantly… your needs – I researched and tested a number of items before settling on the ones above.

Have fun shopping! – and making a house… a home. Smart Home.