Homes and Gardens

A visit to a central London hotel introduced me to a new product that promised to keep a watch on my home when I was away.

Making a change from the numerous Bluetooth speakers that have come my way recently is an offering from Edifier that can be purchased as part of your weekly Tesco shopping expedition.

There are a lot of different brands of security cameras about, some very high end, others aimed at the home user. They all have one thing in common wires. Here a truly wireless solution that means not only no drilling through doors but also the ability to move them about at will.

As with the Oxford and Go products, this next DAB/FM radio is part of the Goodmans line up of offerings.

I visited the Withings stand at the Wearable Technology Show early in the year. You have already heard about their ‘health’ watch, here something else that was on display at the show a camera to monitor your home but with an extra feature.

As part of Goodmans’ range of radios, this next offering adds a number of extra features.

Well known for its range of radios, Goodmans has come up with a model whose title makes me think of times gone by.

At one time we used to be known as a nation of tea drinkers. Now, however, there has been a sea change and coffee has taken over as the national beverage of choice for those not hooked on something with a stronger effect.

A cordless vacuum means no restrictions on distance from the power plug; it also has two LEDs on the shoe so no excuse for not getting into those dark corners in fact with its smaller overall shoe size it gets into places most cannot penetrate.

As you reach a certain age what was an easy task with a pair of shears becomes a three cup of coffee job and a long soak in the bath afterwards. So why not let a budget priced electric hedge trimmer make it as easy as it never was?

Recently my late evening television viewing habits have changed. The reason for this has been the arrival of the Amazon Fire TV Stick product. This piece of kit consists of the Fire TV Stick device, USB lead and power adapter, remote control with AAA batteries and a HDMI extender cable.

Think of it as a vacuum cleaner that washes and dries and you are on the right track. If you have empty rooms its brilliant as you work in straight lines, it washes and dries as at goes along so clear everything away for those new looking carpets.

It does not seem all that long ago that I was first introduced to the Piper product. Actually it was around two months ago that I came across this home security device which streams live images to your smartphone and sends out warnings regarding events that are taking place within the area it is protecting. Now the next version of the product, originally created by Russell Ure in 2012 and powered by IControl Networks, is available. This latest version goes by the name of

The Vax PowerPlus Steam VPW2S is a versatile cleaning tool for around the garden and patio. Use the pressure washer to blast away all dirt and grime from outdoor surfaces and then hygienically steam clean critical areas.

This is not Samsung’s latest and greatest high end model but it is being sold by AO at a very competitive price so much so that they class it as a best seller, so what exactly do you get for your money and is it a good value purchase.

A recent visit to a trade show introduced me to a company developing products for the kitchen that were controlled by remote.

A quality microwave that is available from AO.COM at an amazing price. This is not the latest and greatest that seems to be able to everything but the washing up. However it is a very competent offering at a price only normally found with the entry level models.

With a choice of connection options and added technology, a new monitor from Philips certainly has eye-appeal.

Edifier has recently added to its range of Bluetooth aware speaker products with another 2:1 system.

I have looked at a number of high priced Smart TVs here something for a lot less with of course a lot less features it has Freeview and is an HD TV, but a lot of the extras like optical out are not included in this bargain buy.

A lot of homes these days do not have a proper kitchen so a small oven type device can have its place. This small unit can fry – without fat – grill roast and more. The nearest thing I have previously reviewed is the Philips Airfryer.

Having recently looked at two bagless upright cleaners it seems only right to review a similar bag less cylinder option. Here a 700watt option from Hoover that is an immediate winner from me for one small feature that it has.

Over the years I have reviewed a number of coffee machines, all have been very popular with readers, some seem to think that the coffee from ‘Pod’ machines is not hot enough, so this unit that uses fresh milk that it heats could be their answer.

Happily you not need to be an Athlete to use this rather nice cordless vacuum otherwise that would certainly have ruled me out. In fact from setting it up to first use was less than a couple of minutes, no screws it just clips together.

This is the second portable – untethered – unit I have looked at this autumn; my home is looking rather clean by my standards anyway. This unit that is not heavy comes in a very large and heavy box as it comes with not one but two batteries and a charger, these are the weighty bits.

Here I am looking at two pans from different sources, the first an exclusive to Lakeland a different shaped saucepan. Second from JML a frying pan that is coated with stone and it then becomes truly non stick even in a dry pan.

Here it is the long awaited coffee machine and what a machine it is. While I have reviewed numerous machines before this is the first that uses fresh roasted beans, not ground coffee, unground beans freshly ground in the machine for each cup.

Here is one of my occasional forays into large kitchen items. This time an offering from Dixons a Grundig Fridge Freezer. This is quite large so should certainly suit a family as far as the fridge is concerned; it’s what is called 60/40.

As one of its smallest models, the Samsung 32-inch television is the subject of this next review.

A lightweight upright cleaner with a narrow cleaning head ideal to get into small spaces. Add to this that it runs on an internal battery and you may just have discovered the ultimate floor and carpet cleaner. So is the Hoover Unplugged nirvana?