Homes and Gardens

Sorry not a coffee machine – ones in the pipeline – but something almost as vital for every home an iron. Certainly nothing like any iron I have used before it looks almost professional as are the claims made for what it does.

While the presence of coffee shops on the High Street continues to grow, we still need a means of providing our favourite beverage in the home.

Clearing a suitable space in my living room and, at times, putting a strain on my back, it was time to check out one of the new models in Samsung’s television line up.

Having recently told you about a JML Halogen Cooker this is rather different. Most people will know of a Microware and those – like me – or a certain age know about a Slow Cooker but what does this 8 in 1 have to offer.

With first living spaces getting smaller one solution is to cut the kitchen. With people of working age and no children eating out for time saving or pleasure is often more important than preparing a meal from scratch so oven.

During the time I had this unit my own oven and grill remained unused. Often today with small flats/bedsits there is no real kitchen, people make do with a microwave but for little more than that size you can have the Samsung MC32F606TCT.

I have looked at several devices that record onto SD and Micro SD cards. This is the first such device supplied with a recorder unit. This should therefore give better quality results and therefore provide you with better evidence.

Freesat HD is a subscription free service giving access to a range of television and radio channels with some addition features. To gain access to this service you do require to have an installed satellite dish and a set-top box such as the Humax HB-1000S which is the subject of this review.

Moving files to and from a portable Apple device has always been a faff, now there is a halfway device you copy them to, and then, transfer by drag and drop to the PC and by downloading an App, from the iFlash Drive to your ‘i’ device.

Is a soundbar a good investment? A simple question but as often the answer has several ‘ifs and buts’ mainly around how you use it and what for, this is not a cop out as a decent soundbar now need not be tied only to your TV.

I am old enough to remember sitting with the rest of the family around a small box in the corner of the room and watching a potter’s wheel in operation. I may have forgotten many of the light entertainment programs being broadcast by the BBC’s sole channel during that period but that potter’s wheel is firmly entrenched in my memory of early television. Nowadays the screen of that box in the corner has expanded in size while the box’s depth has reduced considerably as it grants the viewer acces

At one of the recent ‘Xmas In July’ events by HoMedics and Salter. Other items will follow as they arrive. Here some items suitable as gifts without costing a fortune. Spatulas, Measuring Spoons, Adjustable Rolling Pin and an excellent Professional Whisk.

Samsung are perhaps one of the top two manufacturers of ‘affordable’ lounge sized TV’s that do far more than offer Freeview HD. In fact this one complete with its two remote controls could for a lot be everything that they need.

This is a rather good multi-function device from Bosch, not as ‘multi-function’ normally means with a printer scanner etc. but a device to chop, mix, blend and most other things you want to do to food in preparation to cook or eat.

Though it may not be clear from the title this is a vacuum. In fact when I first used it the lack of noise – even on maximum suction – made me think I had not assembled it correctly, so ‘Power Silence’ does seem to be a good name.

Although I own a Bosch fridge/freezer I tend to think of Bosch as a power tool company. So when I was invited to a recent event that featured vacuums, food processors, coffee machines and kettle and toaster combos it was a little bit of a surprise.

Until now all the personal weather stations I have reviewed display the results. Here you have two cylinders with no apparent displays, press the top of the larger one and a line of colour appears down its side nothing else is shown.

I first came across the Animal during a visit to Berlin last year. This encounter happened while walking around the city’s massive IFA exhibition. There it was, this Animal, trying to look inconspicuous among the various displays and visitors. My second encounter was earlier this year in London, close to the spot where G8 protestors were making their feelings felt despite being outnumbered by the presence of the police. On this occasion, the Animal preferred to st

It is only when I test a TV or PVR that I tend to see the various product advertising channels while I flick through to test reception, here I found a product that has been given regular use in my kitchen over the past weeks.

Every so often, and it does seem to roll around far too frequently for my liking, I have to venture into the cupboard under the stairs and remove the various house-keeping paraphernalia that can only mean one thing. It is time to face up to the pile of freshly laundered clothing and bedding by making use of the ironing board.

For those looking for a large widescreen television, but lack enough space to accommodate the 55-inch UE55F8000 model I reported on recently, the Samsung UE46UF7000 product may be a viable option.

First a handheld vacuum to get where the normal cleaner cannot like behind central heating pipes and into those congested corners. Second a very bright LED torch to see into those corners that always manage to hide the dirt from sight.

Monitors are increasingly becoming multifunction devices as can be seen with a Philips model with a built-in USB 3.0 Hub.

Coffee makers seem one of the most popular reviews on Gadgetspeak so when I got my chance to try the Dualit Coffee system it seemed to good a chance to miss. While I prefer white coffee this can make both black and white.

It’s been a while since I have looked at an Freeview HD PVR, in fact I have never looked at any TV device from Pure, a huge name in DAB radio. This unit is a twin tuner PVR and it can also connect to the Internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

This is a device that could persuade me to clean windows more often. As I live in a bungalow height is not a problem, the main problem is that previously when cleaned they look no different than they did before I cleaned them.

For anyone of a certain age this was an iconic brand when you still paid 7 shillings and 6 pence deposit when you got a syphon of soda from the off licence. Long before you could buy a bottle of soda water from a supermarket.

With CCTV being everywhere perhaps it is time to consider it for inside or outside your property. This offering from Swann offers a wide angle view from a single static camera so you should be able to know who has called. It is quite a small unit at 12x7x5.5cm and this includes the sun shield. The bracket is 9x4.5x3cm this is fixed to the units base.

The first is something to aid the placing and fitting of hook in walls etc, in fact it’s the perfect complete kit of items. The second is something I will never wear in anger but maybe if you are half my age these are serious trekking shoes.

Having recently looked at larger TVs from LG and Samsung it seems only right to look at another of the major manufacturers Toshiba, while most will think of Toshiba for notebooks they also do TVs and other home items.