Latest posts
Hosepipe ban in your area? Don’t worry, tech can keep your garden looking fresh, legally
When they’re not discharging sewage into rivers and the sea, or failing to fix leaks, the water companies seem poised to launch a hosepipe ban. To be fair, it’s been an extremely hot and dry summer for most of the country. If you’re one of the millions of affected households, then you don’t have to…
Plug-in solar is coming, but the lack of battery support means that you might want to wait
It’s now official: plug-in solar will be legal to install in the UK from 27 August 2026. Thanks to the amended Plugs and Sockets regulations, we’ll now be able to buy solar panels and connect them directly to a plug socket, generating electricity from the sun. As we covered in our guide to when plug-in solar will…
Evaporative coolers are worth it – but only under certain conditions
It’s hot, hot, hot, and we’re all looking for ways to keep cool. While portable air conditioners are the simplest way to lower the temperature of a room without requiring professional installation, it’s hard to miss the alternatives that are pushed: evaporative coolers. Also known as air coolers, or misting fans in the UK, and…
The social media ban might be coming, but you still need parental controls, here are my top tips
Whether you’re for it, against it or indifferent to it, the social media ban for under-16-year-olds is due to come into force next year. Regardless of how that might work, the ban is not a substitute for parental controls on devices and your home network. With two kids of my own, here’s what I’ve learned.…
I ‘upgraded’ to Gemini for Home, but wish I hadn’t bothered
After finishing up the Amazon Alexa+ review, I suddenly had an email that Google Gemini for Home was ready. I fished my Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) out of the drawer where it’s been languishing, upgraded and then set about performing some simple tasks. Could Gemini convince me to move away from Alexa? Not a chance. In fact,…
Exhausting a portable AC through your fireplace sounds genius, but it’s not worth it
OPINION: I was on Facebook the other day, and something caught my eye: someone was using the fireplace to vent their portable AC out through the chimney. Genius, was my first reaction. I live in a Victorian terraced house, which can get very hot in the summertime, and trying to get a portable AC unit…
How I used technology to help with my daughter’s epilepsy
When my daughter was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), it meant a lot of changes for us to help manage her condition. While epilepsy is different for each person, and it can change over time and with medication, we knew that we’d have to help manage it. My daughter’s epilepsy started suddenly one morning…
The UK’s getting hotter, but more air conditioning alone isn’t going to help
A recent report by the Climate Change Committee has warned that, as average temperatures rise, the UK is facing a new climate, and air conditioning will be needed in many homes to cope with it. With a lot of old housing stock built for colder climates, many of our homes experience extreme heat, particularly with the growing…
I’m convinced that there’s more to plug-in solar that just getting the cheapest supermarket option
Finally, we know that plug-in solar systems are finally coming to the UK at some point soon, but so far, the lead headlines from the nationals have been about the supermarket chains that will fill the aisles with £400 systems that you can take away and connect yourself. While all systems sold must meet safety requirements, there’s…
Ed Miliband is right to say traditional tumble dryers should be banned, and I have the figures to prove it
It’s depressing and entirely predictable that any move to improve efficiency is always hit by a wave of misplaced anger and full-on stupidity. In this case, I’m talking about Ed Miliband’s plan for tumble dryers. In the recent government document, Raising standards for household tumble dryers, the bit that’s been getting certain people chomping at the…