Around The Home

You might think that the ol' wood-and-wire chicken coop is one thing that's ineligible for a high-tech makeover. The designers of a camera- and alarm-equipped chicken home known as The Coop, however, would be inclined to disagree.

Folks who work on a computer at home, and also suffer from cold hands, can find keeping their digits toasty during winter months an expensive problem. Danish startup Varme has sought to address such issues with a power-sipping desktop hand warmer.

The return of vinyl records may have prompted legacy album spinners to dust off some attic classics. Folks looking to remove accumulated gunk from the grooves will be interested to learn that Austria's Pro-Ject has launched two new cleaning machines.

Over time, vinyl records can accumulate surface gunk that adversely impacts playback. The RCM from Austria's Rekkord Audio has been launched to help you keep your collection in pristine condition.

We've all heard how it's a good idea to have plants in your home, as they purify the air. Well, the bioengineered Neo P1 is said to excel in that department, as it's reportedly equivalent to up to 30 regular houseplants in terms of air purification.

It's always a shame when you buy fresh produce, only to have it spoil in the fridge before you can use it. The Aurora system is designed to keep that from happening, using a combination of ultraviolet light and vacuum packing.

Although pushing a baby in a stroller certainly is easier than carrying it, some effort still is required. The Ella stroller is designed to make things easier, with electric-assist motors, a Hands-Free mode, and various other "smart" features.

You could invest in an indoor training machine to keep fit while working from home, but such things are not usually designed for working while exercising. Acer has combined a mini desk and stationary bike that can charge devices while you workout.

For indoor gardeners who want to try something a bit more exotic, cultivating mushrooms can be rewarding and FirstBuild's Mella smart mushroom fruiting chamber promises to take some of the guesswork out of the challenge.

Your roller doors might be smooth, but they'll never be this smooth. Californian company Hover Doors uses permanent magnets to float heavy sliding doors as if they're mag-lev monorails, for super-quiet, minimal-effort opening and closing.

If you're at home alone, you may be reluctant to use headphones or do anything else that keeps you from hearing noises such as ringing doorbells. That's where Earzz comes in, as it's designed to listen for those noises, and alert you when they occur.

Garmin's fitness brand Tacx has rolled out a new version of the NEO Bike indoor cycling machine, which is designed to bring outdoor riding inside with simulated gradients, the feel of different road surfaces and even the wind in your hair.

While wide, flat, cardboard boxes may be a traditional part of the pizza-delivery experience, they're certainly not ideal for storing leftover slices. That's where the collapsible, airtight Pizza Pack is designed to come in.

While there already are automated lifeguarding systems for home swimming pools, Mylo is claimed to be different. Among other things, it utilizes dual cameras and artificial intelligence to spot swimmers who may be in trouble.

Three years ago we heard about SwitchBot Curtain, that allows users to open their curtains either on a programmed schedule or by remote control. Well, the SwitchBot company is now back with Blind Tilt, which does the same thing for Venetian blinds.