Six Cool Gadgets for the Home

I remember when we got our first big-screen TV. It was twenty years ago and it was a hand-me-down from a relative. It was very boxy and the screen felt like it was made of thick plastic!

We've come so far since then. HDMI is the standard and transparent TVs are the future. What other cool items are out there for today's top-of-the-line homeowner? I researched six cool products that you should have in your house - if you don't already!

Learning Thermostat

Multiple websites recommended that I check this out.

This thermostat has the capability of tech-Thermostatlearning which temperature you feel most comfortable at, and even knows what hours you're usually away so it can either turn up or turn off to conserve energy.

With electric bills costing an arm and a leg, this sounds like a godsend. This product is sold by Nest and can be purchased online, from Target stores statewide, and from select cooling and heating services for as low as $249.99.

Ubi

Thank Kickstarter for funding this product! At first glance, you might wonder what Ubi does. It's just a black box that plugs into your electrical outlets. It's a little more than that: It's a tech-ubiminicomputer, and it can do so many different things depending on what you want and what you need. For example, just by training the Ubi with simple voice commands, you can turn appliances and lights on and off, you can send e-mails to family, friends and co-workers...you can even do Internet searches.

It was already easy to surf the Internet with a phone...now you don't even need your hands! The Ubi can be purchased online for $189 per box.

UniKey

Keyless entry isn't exactly cutting-edge technology, but if implemented in a new way, it can still make people go "ooh" and "aah." That's how the investors on ABC's "Shark Tank" felt about this product.

Here's how it works: You can unlock your door if your phone is within five feet of the deadbolt. Now here's the ooh and the aah: You can give that access to family or friends if you're away and need someone to watch your house or your pets. Send the "key" to their phone via the Internet and they have access to your house too! It is easy and painless to take away key access as well. It's available for purchase from online retailers, starting at $199.

Pintofeed

With the last product, I recommended that you can give key access to your friends so they can take care of your pets while you're away. The job has gotten even easier for them with Pintofeed, because you can make sure your pets are fed without anyone's help!

You and the feeding machine are connected via Wi-Fi, so all you have to do is tell it (either by app or by social media) to feed your puppy or kitty. You can set up a schedule or have it feed your pet on demand. The feeder can notify you by text or through Facebook when your pet starts and stops eating so you can have peace of mind that they are getting their food even if you aren't there. Thank the kind donors at Indiegogo for getting this project off the ground! It sells online for $130.

WINBOT

The days of cleaning your own windows are over as soon as you buy WINBOT, the window cleaning robot. Cleaning windows has to be one of the most tedious chores there is, so I was surprised to read that there is a robot for that.

It has the same basic idea as the Roomba, except for windows. Just press a button, and WINBOT will clean both framed and unframed windows, using two cleaning pads for washing and a squeegee for drying.

Are you afraid that WINBOT will fall off and hurt someone? Don't worry; it's suction-mounted and certified safe for windows even above the ground floor. They use a special technology called "pathfinder" which helps the robot calculate how big your window is and how many repetitions is needed to clean it. I'm glad this product is around! It sells on Amazon.com for $359.99.

Curved UHD TV

This TV is probably the most high-tech model that's being sold in the United States right now. Samsung is offering a curved model in three different sizes (55?, 65? and 78?), each featuring 4K UHD.

What does that mean? UHD stands for "ultra high definition" and the 4K means that you can watch any program, whether it be live TV, a movie, sports, or anything else, at four times the resolution you currently get on your HD TV.

Samsung's curved design means a better field of view for you and the best color without any distortion in the picture quality. The TV also offers cool "UHD Upscaling" technology, which automatically converts standard definition and high definition programs to UHD-quality video. Prices range from $2500 for the 55? model, $3500 for the 65? and $7000 for the 78? model directly from the manufacturer.