Garden Gadgets

While sprinklers in your garden are convenient, they aren’t exactly eco friendly unless you keep an extremely close eye on them.

Integrate sprinkler or watering system control into your UPB home automation system with the UPB Rain8, a full-featured, 8-zone irrigation controller that accepts and reacts to standard UPB commands. This opens up the world of sprinkler and irrigation system control to anyone with UPB timers, remote controls, even over-the-Internet control using PC-based automation software. The UPB Rain8 was designed for installation in a water-protected location or in a weatherproof enclosure. The sprinkler wiring termination block easily separates from the main UPB Rain8 controller, allowing you to easily modify UPB Rain8 programming without tedious rewiring. Multiple UPB Rain8 modules can be networked together, requiring only one AC transformer and PLC interface.

Those who love to go green will definitely find the UPB Rain8 Sprinkler Controller a worthy addition to their homes for $114.99.

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I really enjoy cooking. I’m a sucker for any cooking show on the Food Network and I buy all the nifty gadgets, knives, tools they use. I even try to emulate the techniques and products that they flaunt across my television screen. “Use lots of fresh herbs!” they exclaim while they eschew any form of dried herbs as the most disgusting thing in the world. Unlike these chefs on television, I don’t go to the store (or the farmers market like they say I should) every day nor do I have bucket loads of cash lying around to pay the premium price for these herbs because they only last a few days in the fridge.

What’s a budding chef to do?

Well, you can pick up the Prepara Herb-Savor from The Sharper Image. This compact and ingenious storage device prolongs the life of your fresh herbs for up to three weeks by keeping the cut stems in water and its cover isolates your herbs from the rest of the items in your fridge. It has ample capacity but still easily fits inside a standard refrigerator door. The removable stainless steel basket keeps herbs neatly gathered together, and allows for easy washing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Though summer has given way to the dropping leaves of fall, as we march to the cold snows of winter, it’s never too late to think of outdoor entertaining. And with the E-Light Umbrella Light, not only can patio party’s be lit well into the evening, but the built in iPod jack allows for some wonderful music as well.

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The Aduki Bling from Mathmos ain’t no kung fu move, but is an indoor/outdoor metallic light instead that resembles a gold bean whenever it is turned off. Once you power it, the Aduki Bling will change color, cycling through one of the three LED colors. A full charge is capable of powering it for up to 8 hours, and since it is splash-proof, you don’t have to worry about shielding it from rain whenever it pours. The Aduki Bling measures 4.5″ x 3.5″ and retails for $77.

Source: Gearlog

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So you think you’re a hidden green finger at heart? Why not prove it with Grow Its!

The Chilli Kit comes with five different varieties of chilli seeds, including Tepin, the world’s hottest for the truly brave. The Herb Kit comes with basil, parsley, chives, rosemary and thyme, so you can get a proper mini kitchen herb garden going, and the Bonsai Kit too has five different varieties of Bonsai Tree seeds, all ready for you to grow a Lilliputian forest. Each kit comes with five organic coconut husk growing pots and compost discs, your seeds, wooden plant markers, and of course comprehensive growing instructions.

Choose from Herbs, Bonsai and Chilli kits for £12.99 each.

Product Page

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Having a yard can be a blessing and curse at the same time - you get to plant just about any tree you like, but maintaining it and preventing unwanted pests from roaming around can be a pain in the rear.

Enjoy a pest-free yard year-round. Simply set the dial to the specific pest you want to repel, and this cordless repeller rids your property of cats, dogs, skunks, rodents, deer, and more. As soon as motion (up to 15 ft. away) is detected, it emits an ultrasonic tone that safely and humanely drives them away. Tone covers up to 5000 sq. ft. Uses 6 C batteries (not included). 7 1/2″W x 3 7/8″D x 8 3/4″H.

Do they have one for pesky neighborhood kids who tend to make a mess of your recently raked yard by jumping into the pile of leaves? The Ultra Sonic Cordless Repeller retails for $29.99, but it is currently out of stock until the 12th of this month.

Product Page

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Yes, what you see in the picture above is a clothes peg with bat wings. The team at art.lebedev have done a quick, but nevertheless cool one. The challenge was to come up with something before October 31st in time for Halloween. And this is it.

A simple plastic peg, with wings. It’s got quite a bit of the “LOL effect”, I think. And besides that, when hanging upside down it even looks a bit like a bat.

Here’s the official description:

Inexpensive plastic Vespertilium clothes-pegs remind your neighbors that your laundry is Halloween-ready..

Check out the product page for two big pictures.

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Wireless speakers are nothing new, but this pair takes things further by being designed for outdoor use. The Wireless Outdoor Monophonic One-Speaker System with 2.4GHz Transmitter for iPod and MP3 from Sharper Image boasts a 50 meter operating range and consists of a single weather-resistant wireless speaker that can be upgraded to “stereo” using an auxiliary speaker (which must be ordered separately, unfortunately). well at least you know you can entertain your guests at the next garden BBQ with this $199.95 device. It is compatible with your iPod, MP3, CD player, and other devices that use a compatible AUX IN jack.

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