Tag: smart home
How much can you really save with plug-in solar? I’ve crunched the numbers next to my EcoFlow Stream Ultra X — and it’s not as sunny it sounds
Plug-in solar is no longer a grey area. Kits under 800VA are now legal to buy and connect to a standard socket; no installer required. The government has been promising this since March. Now it is finally here. But legal does not mean simple. The market has split into three…
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First plug-in solar kits get regulatory green light in the UK ahead of legal lift-off on August 27 — and they’ll start at £699
UKSOL says it’s the first in the UK to achieve regulatory compliance for plug-in solar products It’s ground mount kits with one or two solar panels go on sale on August 27 That’s when solar is legal in the UK, and we can expect more of these kits to be…
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Sorry, Samsung — Google says its latest AI smartphone camera tool can measure bodies better than the Galaxy Watch’s bioelectric sensors
Google is building on its new Insulin Resistance Trends health feature with PhotoScan PhotoScan is ‘an investigational deep learning framework’ that can estimate body fat using a phone’s camera with ‘near DXA accuracy’ It’s not yet available to the public, but the research ‘demonstrate[s] the feasibility’ of such features As…
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Still using one big overhead bulb? 3 lighting experts explain how layering light sources can bring your home to life, and how you can try it yourself tonight
If you’ve not heard of layered lighting, you’re in for a treat. Sure, a single ceiling fixture is the easiest way to illuminate a room, but adding a variety of light sources in different places in a room — a technique known as layered lighting — can completely change the…
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G’day, Alexa+: Amazon’s AI-upgraded smart home assistant has finally arrived in Australia — and it’s fully fluent in ‘Strayan
Amazon touts Alexa+ as its voice assistant’s “biggest leap forward” Aussies can now request early access to Alexa+, but it’s also available with the purchase of a new eligible Echo or Fire TV device Prime members get Alexa+ for free after early access ends in November; non-members pay AU$29.99p/m Alexa+,…
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Solar energy just had its best-ever month in the UK — as the first plug-in solar kits prepare to go on sale within weeks
Solar energy just had its best-ever month in the UK Rooftop panels and farms provided 14.4% of the country’s electricity The record comes ahead of the legalisation of plug-in solar kits soon Our gardens may be wilting in this exceptionally dry, sunny summer in the UK, but one thing that…
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