Tag: gadgets

Technology

6 Ways Technology Can Make Your Life Easier

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Everyone needs a little help every now and then and what better way to get it than using technology in your everyday life. Most people have a phone these days, and these devices are just like a mini computer in their own right, so there’s no excuse to utilise it to make your life a little easier. It’s not only phones that can help either, as the selection of home gadgets and smart devices, such as alarmanlage haus (or house alarms if you don’t live in Germany), are also changing the way we live and carry out daily tasks.

If you’re looking to utilise technology to make things easier, check out these top ways to do just that.

Make payments securely

In the old days, you used to have to go into the bank to get money out or pay people, but in modern society, even cash machines are starting to disappear too. That’s where technology takes over. It’s never been easier to pay securely for a range of products and services with the click of a button on your mobile device. Apps are making it simple to buy things and get them delivered within days. Plus you can pay friends and family in an instant if you need to split the bill at dinner.

Watch the latest TV series and movies

Long gone are the days of waiting forever for films to come out on DVD, as now you can access the latest movies and TV series right from the comfort of your own home. It’s easy to set everything up from a smart TV or on your computer, and you can find out how to get favourite shows on Netflix on your Mac here: https://cablecompare.com/11-ways-to-watch-tv-for-free/

Get fit at home

Want to get fit but don’t have the time to go to the gym! Well, you can do all your workouts from the comfort of your own home on your lunch break with the range of apps and videos on YouTube that take you through the steps and techniques. If you prefer running, you can also download helpful guides on how to complete different runs depending on if you just want to get off the couch or want to test your stamina in a marathon.

Find your way around

Once upon a time, a trusty map would get us from A to B, but now in the innovation of modern technology, our phone can guide us around with ease. It’s not just great for using in the car either, as if you hunting for a shop in a town you don’t know, or are exploring a new city, a GPS app can guide through the streets to find your destination. You can also ask your phone for the nearest bank, supermarket or café plus a range of other spots to find the fastest route for your needs.

Control your home

You can now control a host of things in your home with technology too. Everything from appliances to your heating and lights can be turned on and off with your smart devices, which is ideal if you want to monitor elements such as energy usage. There are also lots of smart devices such as Siri and Alexa, who can just play you some music when you need it. Plus you can integrate them into your other smart devices and turn lights on when you come into a room or switch the TV on etc.

Secure your home

Home security is a priority for many families and technology can give you extra peace of mind whether you’re at home or away for the holidays. Installing cameras inside your property that are connected to the WiFi offers you visibility in each room it’s set up in. There are also options to set alerts if motion is detected and you can log in on your smartphone app and look directly into your house from your phone. Another use for these types of cameras is for pet-watching. If you have to leave your beloved pooch at home while you’re at work, it can be worrying for the both of you. So setting up a camera will enable you to watch them throughout the day, and some devices allow you to talk through them, which can help if they have decided that it might be fun to nibble on the furniture.

Technology makes it super easy to get organised and feel more secure in your home. By utilising a range of home and mobile tech options, you will be able to get places faster, get organised more efficiently and have extra peace of mind for your family.

Kids · Toys

Top Kids Gadgets on Very

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Kids gadgets are constantly evolving and revolutionising the way our kids are being brought up. Back in the day, children would be happy with the latest Action Man figure or the new Polly Pocket series. Now, they are wanting iPad’s, drones and robotic walking, talking dogs. So, suppliers are having to keep up with the demand, and keep improving technology to get ahead of their competitors.

We are going to take a look at some of the top kid’s gadgets that you can buy from Very, showing you just how far the technology has come.

Power-Man Robot

Walking and talking toy robots are all the rage, and none more so than the Power-Man Robot. This toy has the ability to move backwards, forwards, left and right, and can even shoot foam disks!

It also has the ability to play music and pull out its best dance moves upon request. Power-Man can answer your kids’ questions, and he has the ability to record their voice and play it back to them. He also has educational content hidden away and can quiz your kids on trivia and present them with brain teasers.

Amazon Fire Tablet

Youngsters can use the Amazon Fire Tablet to learn and to play. They can use it to read their favourite books, as well as play some games featuring their favourite characters from Disney, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street to name but a few.

You can create up to 4 individual child profiles, and you can cater the content for each child, whether that be books, videos, games and apps. It features either a 7-inch/8 inch/10.1 inch touch screen and has a 1024 x 600 resolution which is perfect for playing games and watching videos.

The Amazon Fire Tablet keeps you in total control setting bedtime curfews and controlling the content they can view and screen time.

Guitar with Built-in Speaker

Do you have a budding Rockstar in your home? Then this may be perfect for them. If they’re a fan of playing the air guitar, then they’ll far prefer playing the real thing!

This guitar comes with a hardwearing maple neck, a hardwood body and rosewood fingerboard. It also comes with a built-in speaker so you won’t need to buy an external one, and your kids can put on their rock show wherever they like!

As you can see there are some great gadgets out there for kids. Technology is ever advancing, so keep your eyes peeled on Very for more in the future.

Adulting

Making Life Easier for the Elderly

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I’ve written before about my Grandad John and what an amazing grandad he was, but he was a really remarkable person in a lot of other ways, too. He was intelligent and hard-working, and a great Dad to my Dad and his brothers, but I think his remarkableness really came into its own after my Nan died and his own health deteriorated. He was on his own for over ten years and had to learn to cope with life on his own, but he did it with amazing resilience – although, that’s not hugely surprising for someone who once told me a story about how he accidentally drove an ambulance into a camel in the middle of the Libyan desert! Here’s a few things he used to make his life easier:

Mobility Scooter

Once his eyesight got too bad to drive, Grandad was determined that he wasn’t going to be stuck indoors, so he invested in a Pro Rider Mobility road scooters. It meant that he could still get to the shops to to his grocery shopping, still visit his neighbours and still have a semblance of the independence that he prized so strongly.

Magnifying Glasses

When Grandad’s eyesight started so get bad and his glasses didn’t help as much, he invested in a whole load of magnifying glasses of different types and strengths and they were dotted around the house to help him. They ranged from small handheld ones to a massive one which I think was a surgical grade magnifying glass (like the one Joey stands behind in Friends after Mr. Heckles dies!). They allowed him to read his mail, read the paper and see finer details of things he needed to do.

Large-Number Phone

My Grandad’s house phone had the biggest numbers of any phone I’ve ever seen, which meant that he was able to see the numbers to dial the phone. He had an A4 sheet of phone numbers beside the phone too, and all of the numbers were written in 3-inch high letters!

Vibrating Doorbell

Grandad was hard of hearing even when I was little (I remember being about six and chuckling to myself because he’d turned his hearing aid right down so he couldn’t hear my Nan nagging him!) but as he got older it obviously got worse. He invested in a doorbell which had a little unit he could put in his pocket which vibrated when the bell was rung, so he didn’t even need to be able to hear the bell to know someone was at the door.

Grabbing Stick

This was one of my favourites, but mostly because I liked to grab people’s bottoms with it as they walked past me – Grandad had one of those things that convicts in America pick rubbish up with to help him pick things up off of the floor or grab things which were out of reach and it was really useful once his mobility became restricted.

Do your elderly relatives have any gadgets which make their lives easier? Leave me a comment below.

Christmas

Gifts for Men from Jacamo

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I don’t know about you, but the men in my life always seem to be the trickiest to buy for. Husband, my Dad, our Uncles…these are always the presents I’m left blank with when I start to do my Christmas shopping and it seems to get worse every year. This year, I’ve been taking a look at the menswear on Jacamo and I’ve found a few little gems which would make great gifts, so I thought I’d share them with you in case you’re usually left as uninspired as me.

Husband

I think I’ve mentioned before how Husband was a huge fan of David Bowie, so this t-shirt would be great for him. He only tends to wear t-shirts with a logo or print on the front, rather than plain ones, and I love the fact that the picture they’ve used shows Bowie playing a sax, as most people don’t realise he was an accomplished saxophonist.

Dad

My Dad is SO tricky to buy for and I reckon I probably get it wrong just about every single year, but he’s actually a really keen cook so this year I’m going to go down the foodie route and buy him something to compliment his kitchen creativity.

Uncle

My Uncle is a bit of a petrol head, and also a keen model maker, so this kit is basically the perfect gift for him! I do love giving creative gifts because they’re something that the person can spend time on, and they’re left with something cool at the end of it.

Little Brother

My little brother (and when I say little, I only mean in years, he’s about a foot taller than me now and will be 18 at the beginning of next year) started driving this year and we’re all really proud of him for passing his test so quickly. I reckon he would absolutely LOVE a supercar experience day where he’d get to go and drive an amazing car on a track (with supervision, of course!) and it would really be a gift to remember.

Cousin

My cousin is a confirmed Whovian and loves anything to do with the show, so this Tardis robe would make an excellent gift for him this Christmas. His birthday is really near Christmas, so he’s always double tricky to buy for as he’ll have got a bunch of stuff at the end of November, but I’m going to make sure that no-one else buys this for him before I can!