Seriously now.. do we really need that fine of a control over a simple shower? Do we really need gadgets to infiltrate that last great bastion of the home – the bathroom? Sigh.. I suppose so.

With that said, here is the Hansgrohe RainBrain Smart Shower touchpad unit. With this device in place, you’ll have complete control over your shower experience – from controlling the water temperature, to changing the water stream type, to even the lighting and music. Yes.. your showers will be … well pleasurable.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

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Now here’s something a bit different from your normal dose of tech news – IDEAL LIFE has announced the world’s first ever Bluetooth enabled “chair scale” designed for home use by individuals who cannot easily use a standard weighing scale known officially as the Body Manager Plus. The chair scale will be on display at the upcoming 2009 American Telemedicine Association Annual Meeting which will be held from April 26th till April 28th in Las Vegas. Unfortunately details are somewhat light at this point – but stay tuned for hopefully a picture.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: IDEAL LIFE Body Manager Plus, chair scale

I never would have imagined writing about a surge protector but the Belkin Conserve Energy-Saving 8 Outlet Surge Protector (model BG108000) is certainly one worth writing about. The surge protector comes with a wireless remote that allows you to easily turn off the protector – thereby completely shutting off all electricity to your devices.

Why is this important? Most modern electronic devices still consume some amount of power even though they’re technically “turned off” (typically known as “standby mode” or consuming “standby power”). To truly cut off power to these devices you either need to unplug the device, or shut off the surge protector altogether. Problem with most surge protectors – they’re placed in hidden away places making it hard to turn off the protector. AND hence.. we’ve got the Belkin Conserve Energy-Saving Surge Protector (that’s one long name eh?) with an included remote control making it incredibly easy to turn off devices. The protector comes with two “Always-On” outlets just in case you have devices that need to stay on all the time.

The Belkin 8 outlet surge protector has an MSRP of $49.99. Definitely will have to consider this one.

[Check it out]

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Sick of your plants dying under your care? Maybe what you really need is the EasyBloom Plant Sensor. Utilizing the same sensor technology as those found on NASA Mars missions, the EasyBloom Plant Sensor will help determine what plants are ideal for your location and what’s possibly wrong with your ailing plant.

To get going, simply place the sensor where you plan on having the plant and watch the device record a variety of environmental factors including soil conditions, moisture levels, and temperature levels. After 24 hours, simply plug the EasyBloom Plant Sensor into your PCs USB port and watch the data get transmitted to and analyzed by the EasyBloom website. The site will then either recommend plants for your location or tell you what’s wrong with your dying plant.

Sounds pretty handy right? You can purchase the EasyBloom Plant Sensor at a variety of locations including Amazon.com, Buy.com and Brookstone.com for a price of $59.95.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: EasyBloom Plant Sensor, CES 2009

I absolutely love home automation products – mostly because I wish I lived in a home that could warrant having home automation products!! The folks at Vantage/Legrand have announced their latest addition to their line of touch-screen displays – the TPT1040. This 10.4 inch in-wall mounted touch-screen display provides a “complete, customizable interface from which [users] can access and control their entire home.”

Features of the TPT1040 include:

• Intel X-Scale processor
• Linux Operating System
• Provides total control of the Vantage InFusion system
• Utilizes drag and drop programming of Vantage software
• Personalizable to cater to individual tastes
• Dealers can create attractive touch-screen solutions using preprogrammed libraries, widgets, and other design elements
• Supports InFusion Media Center components including music, photo album display, lighting, and more

The TPT1040 has customizable bezel colors including arctic white, pearl black, silver, or even your own desired color. No word on pricing but we figure it’ll be expensive.

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If you’re looking for a scale with a bit of humor attached to it, then you might want to check out the “My Weigh FunWeigh” scale. Simply step onto the scale and listen to the wise-ass comments coming from it. You’ll hear comments such as:

• “Back away from the scale!”
• “I think you just broke me”
• “You’re not big boned, you’re just fat”
• “You’re a deucer”
• “Eh eh.. can’t breathe”
• “It’s a good thing I talk cause you probably can’t see me”
• “Hey get Pavarotti off me”

Yes.. it’s not exactly PC about things is it? Luckily it comes with a “shut up“ for those days you just don’t want to hear from it. You can purchase it here for $49.90.

[Check it out via ChipChick]

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Say hello to the new GE Profile SmartDispense Washer and Dryer units. These washer/dryer units are probably the easiest and smartest units out there today.

If you’re like me, then you’re probably sick of dealing with laundry detergent – especially carrying it to the machine, pouring the right amount of liquids for your particular laundry load.. etc etc. Major pain in the rear end! Well with the SmartDispense, all of that is a thing of the past.

The units sit atop pedestals that hide detergent and fabric softener which are then automatically dispensed into the washer based on each load’s size, soil level, water hardness, and fabric of cycle type. This means you no longer have to worry about dispending detergent on your own- the system does it on its own! How cool is that?

The SmartDispense washer unit also comes with special cycles for different kinds of clothing items and it’s capable of treating more than 40 different combinations of stains and fabric types. You’ll also find H2ITION technology which automatically senses the load and adds just the right amount of water to save time and money. Other features include:

• 4.2 cubic foot capacity tub
• 1300 RPM spin speed

The smart tech also extends to the dryer unit as the system comes with the DuoDry system with variable heater and dual motors, thermistors, and moisture sensors to help dry clothes faster and more evenly. 

Finally both the SmartDispense washer and dryer units can “talk” to one another – with information about the particular load passed from the washer to the dryer unit – eliminating guesswork about the load.

The GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer has a suggested retail price of $1299 while the Dryer has a suggested retail price of $1099. Both will be available next summer.

Technorati Tags: GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer, Dryers

Samsung’s got a new fridge out called the RFG299 French Door Refrigerator. What makes the RFG299 remotely interesting is the inclusion of a 7 inch touch-screen LCD display above the ice/water dispenser. Users can use the touch-screen display to provide easy access to calendars, schedules, showcase photos, nutrition facts, unit conversions as well as monitor the fridge’s temperature and water filter status.

For those of you into fridges, here are other related specs to the RFG299:

• 28.5 cu ft volume
• High-rate urethane insulation technology allows the walls to be only 1.38 inches thick
• Interior LED lighting
• EZ-Open Handle
• Twin Cooling Plus System allows the main body and the freezer section to be cooled separately.

The Samsung RFG299 is available in stainless steel at Best Buy.

[Check it out]

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File this under “Why didn’t someone think of this earlier?” – it’s the Digital Thermometer Pan and yes, as the name implies, it’s a skillet with a built-in digital thermometer. Wow.. go figure! The pan measures 7.8 inches diameter, uses a Dupont-nonstick surface, and shows temperature readings in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. The pan is also dishwasher safe, and works on direct heat and induction cooktops. You can purchase the Digital Thermometer Pan from ThinkGeek for $49.99.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Digital Thermometer Pan, Home Appliances

Now you too can have a frakkin Cylon toaster in your own home. Yes.. your eyes are not deceiving you – it’s a Limited Edition Battlestar Galactica Cylon Toaster being sold at the NBC Universal Store for a price of $65 dollars. This toaster will also supposedly brand your piece of bread with a picture of a Cylon face. If only the toaster would say “By Your Command”.

[Check it out via SlashGear, Ubergizmo]

Technorati Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Toaster, NBC Universal Store