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the innovation issue
May 2013
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save time,
live better
Innovative
97products
to
help you connect,
cook, decorate,
organize, and enjoy
Spring Desserts
Color! Pretty
Eggshell Blues
Tasty Tomatoes
special section
Phone + Tablet
It’s a Phablet! The
galaxy note II
does it all.
mobile + mighty
get dyson power
on the go.
make-life-better
by jennifer wilson; tech editor: rachel sturtz
innovations
fashion + function
MoHZY Loops are
wearable uSB cable
bracelets and come
in 35-plus colors
and patterns.
Expect more from the products featured here:
more time saved, more problems solved, and
more interesting ways to enjoy downtime.
To compile this guide, we tapped a team
of innovation experts—Brit Morin of the
stylish living site Brit + Co.; Maxwell Ryan,
founder of Apartment Therapy; and Rachel
Shechtman, creator of Story, New York’s everchanging pop-up store. Together we hunted
down new and noteworthy gadgets, clever
devices, and must-see apps, all designed to
make your life a little better.
bet t er hom e s a n d g a r dens | m ay 2 013 | bhg .com
41
connect + enjoy
Keep in touch with friends and family. Share special moments. Entertain like
a pro at home, or have more fun when you get your groove on.
1
3
Samsung Galaxy
Note II offers the
digital photo frame
Bigger than a
smartphone but smaller
than a tablet, the
features of both. The
checkbook-size “phablet”
encourages users to get
creative with features
such as sketching in
digital notebooks or
handwriting words with
its S Pen to activate a
Google search. $299.99;
samsung.com
2 Mohzy Loops are a
bracelet, magnet, phone
charging cable, and data
transfer cord all in one.
$16.99; mohzy.com
I’m hooked on
my Thermo
Pot! It’s a great
alternative to
microwaving in
plastic.”
uses a photo-sharing
service to automatically
receive photos wirelessly
from your smartphone,
Facebook, computer, or
popular photo sites. It’s
perfect for out-of-town
relatives. $127.99;
ceiva.com
4
With HP’s eprint
app you can print from
any mobile device to
your printer. For highquality prints you can
send to print centers at
Walgreens, Walmart, UPS
stores, and more. Free;
hp.com
little + loud
These speakers
are smaller than
golf balls.
42
“
Finally! An enhanced
digital photo frame for
the non-tech-savvy
crowd. The ceivashare
bet t er hom es a n d g a r dens | m ay 2 013 | bhg .com
—Maxwell Ryan
5
Digital media
receivers stream movies,
music, and more via your
TV. Netgear’s NeoTV
Prime has it all: Hulu
Plus, Netflix, YouTube,
Amazon, and Google
TV. It even “learns”
your preferences, then
suggests content and
where to get it. $129.99;
netgear.com
6
The THERMO pot
cork and stainlesssteel container comes
with a magnetic spoon
and keeps food hot
for five hours. $42;
unisonhome.com
Crank up the volume at
impromptu living room dance parties
with the surprisingly powerful matrix
audio qube universal pocket speaker, left.
Measuring only 1½×1½ inches, the
rechargeable speakers are capable
of wireless streaming. $49.99 each;
matrixaudio.com Also try: X-Mini
II Capsule Speakers, which come in a
rainbow of fun colors and blast robust
sound via a jack. $29.90; xmini.com
We love how Instagram
transforms photos into moody
images. Printstagram turns those
pictures into cool keepsakes like
posters, notecards, photo books,
stickers, framed prints, even a picturea-day calendar. Calendar (left), $40;
printstagr.am Also try: mosaic, an app
that lets you create photo books on
the fly using snaps taken with your
smartphone. App, free; photo book,
$20; heymosaic.com
12
Do you have a DJwannabe in the family?
is designed with a
Bluetooth-enabled
speaker pod that snaps
into the magnetized
showerhead. Installation
is the same as standard
plumbing, and syncing
with your device to play
songs and podcasts is
simple. $200; kohler.com
mobile device into a DJ
setup. Use it to mix, fade,
sync, or scratch songs like
the pros. $14.99 for the
keyring/splitter. App is
free; urbanears.com
showerhead +
wireless speaker
9
Snap the 3M projector sleeve onto your iPhone
4 or 4s and project photos, videos, or online content.
The device has built-in speakers, and with the press
of a button, it’s a backup phone charger, too. $229.99;
3m.com Also try: 3M’s Streaming projector, a
palm-size gadget that projects videos onto a blank
surface from streaming services such as Netflix and
Amazon Instant Video. $299.99; 3m.com
10
Looking for a
smart TV that doesn’t
make you feel like a
dummy? panasonic’s
smart viera TV
organizes digital
content—channels,
apps, Web browser—in
one place. The home
screen recognizes faces
so family members can
easily find their stuff.
$1,150 (ST60 50-inch
plasma); panasonic.com
11
Pining for the days
of corded landlines?
Native Union’s Pop
phone handset plugs
share + show
project photos
and videos on a
white wall.
into your smartphone
so you can talk the oldfashioned way. $29.99;
nativeunion.com
14
Singing in
the shower just got
more fun. The Moxie
urban ears’ slussen
headphone splitter
and dj app turns any
13
Back up and store
all your family’s photos,
music, videos, and
documents from all their
devices, all in one place:
The lacie cloudbox.
“It’s great for a multiperson household with
lots of devices,” Maxwell
says. $199.99; lacie.com
“
Download the
Slussen app to
be your own
DJ and start
spinning.”
—Rachel Shechtman
simplify + solve
Monitor home activity from afar. Discover quick fixes and digital
organizing solutions for keeping your house in order.
16
15
At last! A fix for
that computer cord
where the rubber has
worn off. sugru selfsetting silicone putty
comes in a small packet
and hand-forms to
anything. Sticks to most
stuff and dries firmly.
$18 for 8 packets;
sugru.com
The Nest is more
than just the world’s
first stylish thermostat.
This intuitive device
remembers the
temperatures you like and
when you like them, then
adjusts itself throughout
the day. Connect it
to wifi to operate the
thermostat remotely from
your smartphone, tablet,
or computer. $249.95;
nest.com
“
Performance, great design, and
versatility all come together in
Dyson’s amazing vacuum.”
17
With the help
of a sturdy hinge at
the back, Ekby Riset
brackets adjust and lock
at different angles so
you can use shelves on
uneven walls for storage.
$5 each; ikea.com
—Rachel Shechtman
19
What’s better
than a Dyson vacuum? A
cordless Dyson vacuum.
The lightweight digital
slim DC44 Animal is the
most powerful cordless
model around. $399.99;
dyson.com
18
20–22
Home
automation
+ Twine detects
temperature, moisture,
motion, and more. A free
app sends alerts, such
as a text if the basement
floods. $124.95;
supermechanical.com
Keep track of all
your passwords in one
place with 1password
for your smartphone.
$17.99; agilebits.com
+ iris is a DIY home
monitoring system
(thermostat, motion
sensors, smart plugs)
that you can control
from a smartphone.
$299; lowes.com
+ schlage’s CAMELOT
Keypad Deadbolt and
Nexia security lets
scribble + store
snap a photo
of your notes,
and they become
digital.
you know who’s home
when you’re not. $299;
schlage.com
Fill the moleskine
with your notes
and sketches, and Evernote’s app
makes your pages searchable and
sharable in a snap. $24.95 (notebook
plus three-month Evernote Premium
subscription); evernote.com/moleskine
evernote smart notebook
44
bet t er hom es a n d g a r dens | m ay 2 013 | bhg .com
create + decorate
Personalize your surroundings and your take-along gadgets. Refresh a look with
decorative fix-ups. Make something special by hand.
Anyone who’s spent
days scraping off ancient wallpaper
will understand the appeal of tempaper, a
self-adhesive, easily removable surface
covering. We like it as a quick way to
transform a dresser, cover the back of
a bookshelf, or line a closet. Peel away
the backing and press smooth on a
primed surface. No glue, paste,
or sticky fingers required. Starting at
$75 a roll; tempaperdesigns.com
stick + unstick
tempaper goes
on and off like
contact paper.
28
26
25
Similar to sun
transfers from back
in the day, inkodye
tricolor kit uses
light-sensitive dyes and
the sun’s rays to transfer
images permanently to
cotton, linen, silk, and
even suede. $36; lumi.co/
collections/inkodye
Redesign your
house with the home 3d
app for the iPad. Start
with a room size, then
mix paint colors, try new
doors and windows, and
switch out appliances.
$5.99; home3dapp.com
“
27
I ‘dye’ over this
one. Simply
grab a bunch
of objects with
fun shapes,
place them
on a piece
of Inkodyepainted fabric,
and let the sun
do the work. ”
Personalize your
tablet in old-school
style. DODOCase uses
traditional bookbinding,
hand-drawn patterns,
and other artisan
techniques to create
sophisticated covers.
$79.95; dodocase.com
—Brit Morin
46
bet t er hom es a n d g a r dens | m ay 2 013 | bhg .com
Subscriptionbased DIY brit kits
arrive monthly with
everything you need to
make a handful of simple
crafts, just like the ones
Brit features on her
site. $19.99 a month;
shop.brit.co Also try:
barkbox delivers
treats and toys for your
pup. Starting at $18 a
month; barkbox.com
love with food serves
up gourmet treats,
plus donates a meal to
a food bank for every
box sent. Starts at $12 a
month; lovewithfood.com
birchbox asks you to fill
out a profile, then sends
personalized beauty
samples your way. $10 a
month; birchbox.com
29
Backed with
felt that attaches to a
Velcro base on the floor,
chilewich floor tiles
are ideal for areas where
you need a durable,
wipeable surface. “These
tiles have a beautiful
texture, are flexible, and
are easy to install and
remove,” Maxwell says.
Starting at $12 per square
foot; chilewich.com
win
Go to BHG.com/
WinWeek to enter
our daily sweeps for
a chance to win one
of the products seen
here each day for a
week, May 1–7. See
details on page 198.
make-life-better apps
Take control of your e-mail in-box. Shop smarter
(and have fun doing it). Enjoy your free time a little more.
30–35
+ thirst combs the Web
Organize
to find the best, most
current news stories and
delivers them in an easyto-read format. Free;
thirst.co
+ Mailbox quickly
organizes e-mail on
your smartphone. Swipe
messages to archive or
trash. Snooze e-mails
until later with the
tap of a button. Free;
mailboxapp.com
+ songza is a playlist
sharing site; specify the
kind of music you want
depending on your mood,
day of the week, or
activity. Free; songza.com
+ zime syncs calendars
and prioritizes your tasks
so you can become your
personal time coach.
Free; zime-app.com
+ vine is a social
network that’s similar
to Instagram, but for
moving pictures with
audio. Free; vine.co
+ RINGYA lets you take
a picture of a paper
phone list (soccer team,
classmates) and creates
a contact list on your
phone. Free; ringya.com
+ heytell turns your
+ iGist organizes,
manages, and edits
your ever-growing book
of contacts. This app
consolidates them all
into a single location.
Free; itunes.apple.com
+ pocket lets you save
online content from
your laptop, tablet, or
smartphone and view
it later—sans Internet.
Free; getpocket.com
“
+ unroll me
unsubscribes from e-mail
lists with one click. Get
a digest of subscriptions
to keep with a “rollup” of
your newsletters. Works
with Gmail and Yahoo.
Free; unroll.me
36–41
42–46
Save
+ gasbuddy maps out
nearby gas stations and
uses crowd-sourced
prices to show where
you can get the most
bang for your buck. Free;
gasbuddy.com
+ Coupon Sherpa
+ stitcher is a “smart”
+ REDLASER scans the
barcode on a product
and finds it for less (or
more) at nearby stores or
online. Free; redlaser.com
radio that combines your
favorite podcasts, talk
radio shows, and live
radio into one playlist.
Free; stitcher.com
+ decide is your
unbiased shopping
adviser. It tells you
whether to buy an
appliance or electronic
device now or wait
for a price drop or
model upgrade. It also
guarantees its price
prediction. Free;
decide.com
47–50
Have fun
+ kitchen knife skills
teaches you how to
slice and dice your way
through any food. Bring
on the fish fillets! Free;
openairpub.com
Snapguide is the easiest way to
upload and share DIY projects
from your phone. The interface
is extremely user-friendly.”
Socialize
+ path Think Facebook,
but with a 50-friend
limit. The idea is that you
create a private social
network with a more
intimate group of friends.
Free; path.com
48
phone into a walkietalkie. Great for sporting
events, road trips, or
around the house. Free;
heytell.com
at checkout to score
discounts. Take a picture
of the card, and the app
stores it on your phone.
Free; keyringapp.com
brings hundreds of
coupons from major
grocery stores and
retailers to your phone.
Free; couponsherpa.com
+ KEY RING lets you toss
all your plastic loyalty
cards you need to show
bet t er hom e s a n d g a r dens | m ay 2 013 | bhg .com
—Brit Morin
+ snapguide is a
rich library of howto on subjects from
photography to fitness.
If you fancy yourself an
expert, create a guide
right from your phone.
Free; snapguide.com
+ phrase wit and
word wit let you
test your knowledge
of common phrases
and words. They’re a
shoo-in (not shoe-in)
for word-lovers. $.99;
ballpoint.com
+ book crawler
Scan a book’s barcode
and instantly create
your personal library
database. The app also
links to GoodReads
book reviews. $1.99;
chiisai.com n