Gadgets, Wizardry And Playing Spoons!

As far as gadgets and gizmos go I’m often not fond… I think it stems from my childhood when I was bought my so desired ‘Mr Frostie’ only for it to NOT actually make ice slushy drinks meaning my Mum took it back to the shop to be replaced by something entirely different… Most disappointing!

Since then I’ve always been a bit skeptical about things doing what they are supposed to do and instead preferred to not use a gadget where I could get up and do it myself! That doesn’t mean I don’t find the odd thing here and there which DOES work and something occasionally which actually makes me pretty excited!

I was at my friend Sam’s for drinks a couple of weeks ago and when she asked me what I wanted on the sound system next I physically got up to go over to the speakers but she laughed and handed me her phone. ‘Choose anything from there’ she said, ‘anything at all, be it on our play lists or on line…’ I did and then just by using her phone I played the song. Then I made it louder and next I played it upstairs as well! They’d only gone and installed some wizardry that meant they have speakers in every room, controlled entirely by their phones… I felt like I was in ‘Back To The Future’, I mean we still have CD’s in CD racks on the wall in our house!

I was pretty impressed with that I have to say and while I don’t fancy going over to the dark side and getting rid of my books in favour of a tablet to read on, I do see the benefits of being able to use your phone to control things like that! It was quite brilliant and after a few drinks even resulted in my friend dancing round to the music thinking she could play spoons. She couldn’t!

Sam ‘playing’ spoons to music… I think we both needed a gadget to take away our headaches the next morning, now THAT would be useful!

It got me wondering if my relationships with gadgets might be getting better now that we have technology to make them so brilliant! We might not be living in a day and age yet where we can send in a robot to clean up the toys of an evening or do the washing up for us, but we do live in an age where we can do flipping all sorts on our phones!

I heard about another product you can use with just a smart phone or browser, called Hive Active Heating. Basically it allows you to control your heating and hot water from the touch of a button! They provide professional installation and when you’re all set you can change your schedules for your home energy remotely from wherever you are! I LOVE that!

On holiday and you hear it’s cold at home, then use your phone to warm up the house before you get back! I think this is absolutely brilliant and it also saves energy AND money! What a fantastic idea! All in all it’s probably better than the music thing as well, I mean as long as there are no robots then you do still need to physically get up to pour yourself another drink; you may as well change the songs while you’re doing it but heating and warm water while you’re out and about? That’s quite something!

Would I swap it for a robot that can tidy up the living room though? Well… I might… But it’s not an option yet is it!