Gadget Blog - UK Gadgets and Gizmos

Cyber Clean

Available from: Firebox - Cyber Clean - Price: £7.95

Theres always something fun about playing with slime! Especially when you have a good (and “sensible” excuse) for doing so! Yes, you can sit there and play to your hearts content, all in the name of hygiene (and who can argue with that?).

So, how can slime be hygienic? This isn’t just any old slime, it’s Cyber Clean! - saving you from the perils of the millions of germs and bacteria which lurk in the crevices of your keyboard and other electronic devices, just waiting to strike you down at any moment! (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration there, but you get the picture)

So what exactly is Cyber Clean? It’s actually an incredibly simple idea - take a pot of silly putty / slime that kids love to play with, and add an anti bacterial property. Because its slightly sticky, and extremely squishy, it’s great for cleaning out the dirt and dust that accumulates in your keyboard over time (which creates the bacteria equivalent of the Playboy mansion!). Simply mash the slime against your keyboard, and then peel it off, pulling the dirt with it - much better than air dusters which just blow the dust into the air, ready to settle on your keyboard again! According to micro bacterial tests, it can kill up to 80% of bacteria, making your keyboard much cleaner. It’s also great for sanitizing remote controls, ipods, mobile phones etc.

Cyber Clean is reusable, and changes colour over time as it absorbs more dirt - giving you a handy guide as to when it needs replacing. For the enviromentalists out there it’s non toxic (unless you’re bacteria), and it’s biodegradable so you can dispose of it with a clear conscience.

Available from: Firebox - Cyber Clean - Price: £7.95

Available from: Firebox - The Eco Button - Price: £14.95

If you’re interested in saving the planet from the comfort of your desk, then the Eco Button is a must!

One push of the button activates the special software, which then powers down as much of your PC as possible (without turning it off completely), drastically cutting the power consumption - it’s claimed that it can reduce the power draw to a tiny 1.8 Watts!

The Eco Button plugs into a spare USB port, and the idea is that any time you decide to take a break, (frequently if you’re like me!), or leave your desk, one push of the glowing green button puts your PC into a deep sleep power saving mode. Unlike physically turning your computer off, when you are ready to get back to work your PC wakes near instantly and is ready for action - without having to wait minutes for it to boot.

As well as reducing your carbon footprint, it will also save you money as well. Due to the credit crunch - with Electricity prices rising rapidly in the UK, you`ll soon save enough to keep your single bar heater going for another couple of hours this winter (saving the inconvenience of having to wear two jumpers as the head of British Gas suggests!)

As a bonus the Eco Buttons software monitors exactly how much CO2 has been saved by the lower power state, as well as the cost. It also offers a password function for security, stopping authorized people (or kids) from using your computer while your away.

The Eco button will work with any PC running Windows XP, 2000 or Vista , and requires a tiny 5Mb or disk space and a minimum of 256Kb of RAM.

Available from: Firebox - The Eco Button - Price: £14.95

Available from: Nigels Eco Store - Eco Balls - Price: £29.99

EcoBalls are a great idea, helping you save the environment, but also money!

The Eco Balls replace your standard washing powder or detergent, and the main benefit is that the same balls can be used over and over again, which is where the savings mount up. 

Inside the EcoBalls are a number of pellets which contain mineral salts, and create ionized oxygen to help the water penetrate deep into your clothes, to lift the dirt away. They contain no harsh chemicals, so are great for the environment, and it also means that you can save water by cutting down on the rinse cycle. They also soften your clothes so there is no need for fabric conditioner, and are anti-bacterial, helping to kill E-Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus.

Each set of Eco balls will last for around 750 washes! There is also a refill pack included which you can use to replace the pellets inside the balls, to make them last for another 250 washes. Costing on average 3p per wash, compared to 20 - 30p for normal washing powder they quickly pay for themselves, and then save you more money! If everyone in the country switched to Eco balls, it would mean 700,000 tonnes of detergent would not enter British waterways.

 EcoBalls are hypoallergenic and the kit includes free refill pellets and a stain remover.

Available from: Nigels Eco Store - Eco Balls - Price: £29.99

BBC Newsnight - Eco Balls Review

Available from: I Want One of Those - Sun Jar - Price: £19.95

The Sun Jar was created by Tobi Wong, and mixes new technology with old fashioned styling. The Sun Jar consists of an a frosted old fashioned storage jar, which contains a solar cell and a number of LED lights.

During the day, the Sun Jar can be placed on a windowsill to charge up, and then during the night it emits a soft, warm ambient glow, releasing the energy it has stored from the sun. Because no traditional batteries are used its eco friendly, as it uses nothing but the sun rays to power it. As the Sun Jar is waterproof, it can also be used outside in the garden.

The Sun Jar automatically switches on when it gets dark usings its built in light sensor, although this can be over ridden if you wish and the jar can be turned off.  Just a few hours of light during the day can give it enough charge to last throughout the night, releasing a comforting warm glow, making it great as a childs nightlight.

Winner of the “2007 Gift of the Year”, the Sun Jar is unique and is great addition to your home.

Available from: I Want One of Those - Sun Jar - Price: £19.95

Available from: Prezzybox - Spider Catcher - Price: £9.95

Do you hate spiders, but feel guilty when you’ve bashed their brains out and sent them to spider heaven?

The Spider Catcher is the Arachnaphobes dream gadget! Why squash that spider (which involves getting close to it!), when you can pick it up from a safe distance and transport it outside, and save your walls / carpets from getting covered with spider innards!

The Spider Catcher is 65cm long, meaning that you can stay a safe distance away from the spider, and features a grip on the handle which closes the soft bristles harmlessly capturing the spider. You can then take it outside and release the spider back into the wild. The bristles can capture pretty much any insect, allowing you to safely remove them from your house without hurting them. It’s great for removing dead insects like flys from your window sills without having to touch them, and can even pick up goldfish! (Why you’d want to pick up a goldfish, I have no idea, but you can and thats the main thing!).

The Spider Catcher makes a perfect gift for all people who are scared of spiders (and I think everyone knows at least 1 person who turns to jelly when there around!). Alternatively, you could buy one for yourself to safely dispatch spiders from your home, without having to get near enough to pick them up by hand.

To see the Spider Catcher in action, have a look at the showreel below. At just £9.99 the Spider Catcher is great value for money, and puts an end to dealing with big hairy spiders!

Available from: Prezzybox - Spider Catcher - Price: £9.95

Available from: Firebox - The Wattson - Price: £124.95

In the past, all we’ve had to worry about is muddy footprints, now it seems we have to worry about our carbon footprint as well! To help with this the Wattson is an ingenious device which can help you save the planet by helping you to cut your electricity usage, which has the added benefit that you can save pounds from your electricity bill! Even if you are not a greenie, then saving money is sure to make your ears prick up!

 On top of that the Wattson looks cool, extremely stylish,  and it’s sure to be a real talking point amongst visitors to your home.

 So what does the Wattson actually do? Quite simply it displays in real time the amount of electricity being used in your home. Simple to install, you simply clip the sensor on to the wire between your meter and fusebox. This transmits the amount of electricity used to the wireless receiver show above. As well as displaying a running total of your electricity usage in either Watts or Pounds (sure to make you take notice!), the lights on the Wattson receiver change colour according to the amount of energy being used. When the lights are red, then there is a high rate of electricity being consumed, if the lights are blue then your energy consumption is low. To sum up, Red - Bad, Blue - Good - Simple!

Read more