Get yourself connected
We take a look at the gadgets giving a whole new meaning to “home computer”
LG Smart TV, from £549
The LG SmartTV can live-stream, browse the web, Skype, and access GameWorld and the Android App Store. Watch two football matches side-by-side in real time on the split screen, gasp at special effects in 3D, and control it all with a motion-sensitive, voice controlled remote.
British Gas MyHome, £199
Control your central heating from your phone with this ingenious app. It does involve a little work – you’ll need to get a special thermostat fitted by a British Gas engineer and plug in a wi-fi device to your home hub. After that, just log in to set schedules and fiddle with the temperature from anywhere in the world.
Beam Brush, £39.95
If you brush your teeth twice a day without fail, but sometimes wonder whether you’re doing it right, the Beam Brush is here to help. Just install the free app, connect your brush to a user profile, and get cleaning. Your technique is recorded, and you receive tips from the app on your oral hygiene.
Lockitron, £108
Unlock your front door with your iPhone. This ingenious device clips over most lock types and lets you forgo carrying your keys. If you have an iPhone you can even set the door to automatically unlock as you approach it.
Phillips Hue, £249.95
Set the mood in every room of your house with Philips Hue, LED light bulbs that can recreate any colour in the spectrum. Screw them into your normal light socket, download the app and control the lights via your smartphone. You can recreate the sun coming up to wake you in the morning and use photos you’ve taken as colour palettes so you can replicate dusk in Peru in your house.
LG Smart ThinQ fridge, £2,115
The LG ThinQ refrigerator not only cools your food – it allows you to keep an inventory of what’s inside and check that your expensive chicken breasts aren’t about to go off. The touchscreen display allows you to look up recipes based on what the fridge knows you have in stock, and you can even check the weather.
LG Smart ThinQ washer-dryer, £970
This washing machine isn’t just handsome – it’s got brains too. With a seven-inch LCD touchscreen, smartphone controls and remote alerts, it’s one of the most futuristic washing machines on the market. The US market, that is – it’s not yet available in the UK.
iCam HD, £159.90
The Amaryllo iCam HD may look like a Rubix cube from the future but its ability to twist means the lens has a viewing angle of 100 degrees, along with an inbuilt microphone and an infrared motion sensor that ignores your pets but detects human movement. Simply connect via Skype and watch what’s going on in your home from your smartphone. The iBabi camera is also available for tech-savvy parents.