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

Blood Bath Shower Curtain

Available from: I Want One of Those - Blood Bath Shower Curtain - Price: £9.99

With Halloween rapidly approaching, the Blood Bath Shower Curtain is a great way to freak out your friends and family! With a pair of bloody hand prints complete with streaks of blood, it’s perfect for an impromptu reenactment of the shower scene in Psycho (without the actual stabbings!), and sure to scare the pants off anyone that sees it.

If you’ve got a dark sense of humour and want to mentally scar your housemates for life, the Blood Bath Shower Curtain is the thing for you!

Size: 180cm x 180cm

Available from: I Want One of Those - Blood Bath Shower Curtain - Price: £9.99

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: Firebox - Clock Alarm Clock - Price: £29.95

If you’re anything like me, then you hate getting up in the morning and manage to hit the alarm clocks snooze button in your sleep, meaning when you do wake up you’re in a mad rush to get to work!

Clocky is the answer! Clocky is the alarm clock thats impossible to ignore, as once the alarm goes off it scoots off to find a place to hide, whirring it’s way round your bedroom. In order to turn the alarm off, you have no choice but to get out of bed and chase it round the room, and although it sounds annoying, it’s actually incredibly effective at getting you up.

If you do get fed up with chasing it round, you can disable the wheels so that Clocky functions as a normal alarm clock, but that does kind of defeat the point a bit.  The Clocky also has an adustable snooze timer, although once you’ve got out of bed to chase after it once, it’s unlikely you’ll go back to sleep again.

Clocky is available in 2 colours, Almond and Aqua (that’s Cream & Blue for us commoners!).

So let Clocky wake you up in the mornings and you’ll never be late again!  

Available from: Firebox - Clock Alarm Clock - Price: £29.95

Available from: I Want One of Those - Sound Asleep Pillow - Price: £19.99

Do you love falling asleep listening to your favourite music, but hate waking up in the night choking from your headphone lead wrapped several times round your neck? If so, the Sound Asleep Pillow is the answer! 

The Sound Asleep Pillow (or I-Pillow as I’ve nicknamed it!) is a comfy hollow fibre pillow with a speaker buried deep inside, allowing you to listen to your favourite tunes as you drift off to sleep. Compatible with any device with a headphone socket, the Sound Asleep Pillow can be plugged into your IPod, or any MP3 player, with the removable lead supplied.  Set the required volume, and relax as your favourite music gently lulls you off to sleep!

One of the great things about the Sound Asleep Pillow is that it’s only audible when you have your head firmly snuggled into it. This means you can listen to your music without headphones, but it won’t disturb anyone sleeping next to you as it’s completely inaudible from a couple of cm’s away, even with the volume cranked up to full! This was tested with my other half, who told me “You’re not playing music in bed, you’ll keep me awake!” (and this from the person who managed to sleep through the recent earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale!).  After i`d been comfortably listening for a good couple of minutes however, she asked me when I was going to turn it on

I must admit that when I received the Sound Asleep Pillow, I was waiting for the catch. Usually, with gadgets like this you don’t always get the full package, for instance the sound quality is great, but it feels like sleeping on a big foam brick, or it’s nice and comfy but the sound quality is awful! Thankfully, the Sound Asleep Pillow is definately the exception to the rule!

I’ll also admit that i`m extremely fussy, and my pillow has to be just right - not too soft, and not too hard, and thankfully the Sound Asleep Pillow offers the best of both worlds. It’s hollow fibre filling is both soft and comfy, but still gives a good amount of support to your head and neck. The sound quality is also much better than I was expecting, and you literally can’t hear it at all from a couple of centimetres away. Usually, when someone is listening to music with headphones on,  you can hear that annoying tinny noise, but the Sound Asleep Pillow is totally silent!

If you find it hard getting off to sleep at night, as you can’t shut down from the stresses and worries of the day, the pillow is a great way to take you mind off things and just relax. As well as listening to music, it’s great for listening to study tapes, helping you to learn whilst you sleep! Alternatively, you could use it for listening to self hypnosis CD’s, and provides the perfect comfortable environment to let yourself go - so now you can stop smoking, gain confidence and lose weight all with the help of a pillow! (and the appropriate audio hypnosis guide of course). Just make sure your other half doesn’t hijack it, or you’ll be listening to “I must do more washing up and household chores” all night!

 I’ve been reliably informed by the nice people at I Want One of Those that the Sound Asleep Pillow has been flying off the shelves, and it’s not hard to see why! Once you’re snuggled up and listening to your favourite relaxing music, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one!

At £19.99 the Sound Asleep Pillow is definately a luxury product, but it’s not going to break the bank and is well worth every penny. So go on and treat yourself to a great nights sleep (and you might as well buy two, as when you’re other half tries it you aren’t going to get it back!)

Available from: I Want One of Those - Sound Asleep Pillow - Price: £19.99

Available from: Alternative Gifts - LED Mood Bowl - Price: £29.95

Ok, it’s not a gadget as such, but the Mood Bowl is definately different, and a stylish addition to your home (and does incorporate some electronics!)

The Mood Bowl is made from pearl white glass, and has a number of built in LED’s to light up the bowl in a variety of colours.  The bowl is mains powered, and comes supplied with its own main adapter.

The Mood Bowl has two modes, the first slowly cycles through the different colours of the spectrum, or by pressing a button on its base you can stop the sequence so it shows your favourite colour continuosly.

 The Mood Bowl is a stylish addition to any home or business, and makes a great centerpiece!

Available from: Alternative Gifts - LED Mood Bowl - Price: £29.95

Available from: I Want One of Those - Ipod Alarm Clock - Price: £39.95

Lets face it, being woken up by your alarm in the morning is never a pleasant experience! However, with our busy working lives it’s something that has to be done, so why not make it better by being woken up to your favourite song, direct from your Ipod with the Ipod Alarm Clock!

The clever Ipod Alarm Clock is styled in the same way as a traditional alarm clock, but updated for the digital age!  Simply plug your Ipod into the  docking station (that accepts all of the latest Ipod models), set your favourite album or song, and at the designated time you`ll be woken to the sound of your favourite tunes blasting from the Alarm Clock speakers (cunningly disguised as the old fashioned bells).

The Ipod Alarm Clock is mains powered, so you`ll have no recharging problems, and won’t end up with a flat battery in your Ipod. There is also a handy 9 minute snooze function, to give you a few extra minutes of precious sleep! The Ipod Docking Station has an adjustable depth dial, to fit the 20GB, 30GB, 40GB and 60GB Ipods as well as the IPod Video and Ipod Nanos.

Altogether the Ipod Alarm Clock is a much more pleasant way to get woken up in the morning, and with a different song or album each day, you’ll never get bored!

Available from: I Want One of Those - Ipod Alarm Clock - Price: £39.95

Available from: Firebox - My Cuppa Mugs - Price: £7.95

Do you find it really hard to get other people to make your the “perfect” cup or Tea or Coffee?

If so, My Cuppa Mugs are the answer! There are two mugs available, one for Tea and one for Coffee, and each one has a built in colour chart on the inside. Simply tell the person you’ve roped in to make your cuppa your choice of colour, and then with precise application of the milk they can match the colour and Voila - your perfect Cuppa!

Put an end to your slaves making your tea / coffee too weak or strong, and get the perfect cuppa every single time!

It’s such a simple idea, it’s suprising no one has thought of it before! Great for use at home or in your office, the My Cuppa Mugs ensure you get the perfect cuppa.

My Cuppa Mugs also make great gifts, for friends, family and co workers.

Available from: Firebox - My Cuppa Mugs - Price: £7.95

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