Homes and Gardens

Making a change from the usual diet of Bluetooth speakers, this next product relies totally on an audio lead connection.

A simple thing that I am sure we all have at least one of, this however is something different as it is a lot taller than most, it is very solidly constructed and I see that it comes with a ten year guarantee and it still costs only £10.

Salter does not just makes scales, it also produces a gift set that includes a set of scales.

The Salter Precision Bowl scales model 1083 BKSSDR provide a most useful tool to enable a cook to measure ingredients both easily and accurately.

Not in itself a new item but apart from the normal screw fitting style available for this sort of Wi-Fi bulb this unit also comes with bayonet fittings far more often found in UK home and because these bulbs are thicker after the thread they often will not fit into wall fittings.

This is possibly the simplest way to clean your carpets, the technology means they dry a lot quicker, the one problem you are left with is where you put all the furniture while this product does what it does for you and your carpets.

A gift that anyone wanting to get into baking will appreciate, a flat surface 5kilo kitchen scale, an instant read thermometer and a timer. Best of all they all match so even the kitchen that has them in will look smart before cooking starts.

While it is a pod coffee machine the Bosch Tassimo Joy can dispense other hot drinks and unlike most coffee machines it accepts coffee from a range of manufacturers and so if you have a favourite coffee shop brand and they do a Tassimo pod then you can have your fix at home.

The Salter Kitchen Gift Set contains the digital tools -- scales, timer and thermometer -- needed to assist a cook to obtain consistent results

The Wilko milk pan will be appreciated by those who like hot milk on their breakfast cereal or a hot milky drink at bedtime.

Five a day is the mantra for ‘fruit and veg’ but then all the things you like do not count so not your potatoes even when they are steamed. However if you make your items up into a smoothie or drink they do count and this makes it easy.

It is time to give my home a good cleaning while checking out a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

How many entities share your bed? The answer might surprise you. Did you know that an average mattress can be home to 10 million dust mites? The reason why dust mites choose this type of habitat is that they thrive in the warm, moist environment engendered by such a location.

A few weeks ago I had a gas problem, when I realised it was going to take a while to fix I started to look around for other ways to keep warm in the mornings, at this time of year the afternoons are not a problem and nor are the evenings.

Spreading its audio net wide, Edifier’s latest speaker system can connect to a range of sources.

Having launched various cordless cameras Netgear now go the other way and attach a cord but instead of this being an Ethernet one it is a generous length USB one meaning it takes power from the cable – no batteries – and sends the signal it receives to your account.

The Oreck Magnesium RS is a lightweight 2-speed bagged upright vacuum cleaner for both carpets and hard floors. It is a robust design originally developed for hotel use.

I was invited to a world-wide launch of several products from Nest early last summer. I asked to review this item and was told two weeks despite numerous reminders nothing happened until I assume a new employee arrived now this is protecting me.

A very striking red colour is the first thing you notice when you take it from the box, the next thing is that there are just three items – that will only connect together one way – and as they click together you do not even require a screwdriver.

Following the release of its original Arlo™ home security camera system last year, NETGEAR has now produced the Arlo Q. This is a 1080p HD Security Camera that offers two-way audio features operating as an intercom.

Protect your home while you are away is something that many companies seem to be producing items for, some insurance companies even offer a reduction in your premium if the item selected meets their criteria. Here is a solution from Nest.

Well know for its range of home security products, Swann has released its SwannOne kit. This product is meant to provide the user with a range of security features that have been designed to protect your home whether you are present or absent for any reason.

I have to admit that I was totally unaware of the company Myfox until I was offered the opportunity to check out a couple of the company’s products.

I was sent this from France and to be honest my French is non-existent so I needed to wait for a translation before I could start seeing exactly what it could do to achieve – what we all want – to save some money from household bills.

Keeping your home protected from outside influences is the task of this next product. Unlike other offerings it takes a different approach to providing you with warnings.

This latest Dyson vacuum is both an upright and a handheld cleaner in one. It can perform this seemingly impossible task by having the motor and collection container at the top of the arm remote from the cleaning shoe(s).

This is one of a range of machines by Sage marketed under the Heston Blumenthal name. If you need to ask who he is then you have either being living on a remote island or have no interest in food beyond baked beans and sausages.

As its first foray into the field of Freeview Play, Humax has launched its FVP-4000T set-top box. This product has been developed to combine catch-up TV, on-demand services and live television in high definition resolution with a hard drive of either 500GB or 1TB capacities. This review is based on the 500GB version of the Humax FVR-4000T unit.

The latest PVR from Humax now comes with catch up TV for the times you forgot to set your PVR. It also has the ability to allow up to three channels to be recorded simultaneously. Read on for more details of this coffee themed recorder.

Aldous Huxley may have foreseen the Big Brother scenario but he does seem to have ignored the possibility of Little Brother. I am referring to the current trend of installing security devices within our homes to provide notifications of any unauthorised activity when you are away for any reason. One such device is Canary No this is not the yellow caged bird found in some households although both the company and its flagship product is named after the bird used by miners t