Tech Testing.

I have been testing a few new gadgets around the home lately: some successful, some a total waste of time:

1. I have recently installed a Mill electric central heating system. Compared to a wet heating system, the installation is cheap and easy. A few screws in the wall to mount a simple bracket. Hang the panel heater. Switch it on, sync it to the app, give the heater a name, and assign it to a room, and within an hour, you have a whole house system controllable from anywhere. As radiator panels go, they are pretty good-looking; there are different sizes and a choice of black or white. It is fine for a fairly small, well-insulated home, easier than wet or electric underfloor heating, and just as effective: They both keep you warm. Importantly, the app is nicely designed by some very nice Norwegian people. If only they’d come up with a better name than Mill. Varme is Norwegian for heat; that would have been better.

2. According to these Norwegian folk, ‘good indoor air quality is a prerequisite for good health.’ This got me into the world of air purifiers. After a bit of research and not entirely buying into the idea, I bought a fairly cheap Philips machine that sits in the corner and makes noise. There is absolutely no proof it purifies my air; this machine’s app is not very helpful. You can turn it on or off and make it sleep or go turbo loud. I opened it up and looked at the wonderful HEPA filter. It’s a bit grubby. I suspect this machine will be found in a charity shop quite soon. But not before.

3. I found somebody on eBay selling some secondhand Mill Sense units that link to my heating App and measure all sorts of environmental data, including airborne toxins and chemicals. So when these small sensors turn up, I will be all over my indoor air quality. I know, what was I thinking? Sadly, it is too late to cancel the order, and sending them back to Bulgaria will be too much effort.

4. I have resisted going down the wifi kettle route. Yes, they exist. Indeed, Tefal makes one that keeps ‘the kettle exterior cool, for worry-free use and added safety.’ That feature alone nearly swayed me, but although I could lie in bed, fire up my heating, turbo clean my air and boil my water worry-free, I’d still have to get up and put a tea bag in the mug.

5. I have been building walls, shelves, panelling, and a fitted alcove bed and am about to remodel my staircase, mostly out of plywood and 3×2 softwood. It is great fun and much more satisfying than Apps and Wifi — lots of problem-solving, measuring and designing on the fly. The projects have been made much easier and more productive with an electric nail gun. No, it’s not Wifi controlled. It’s bright yellow and big and fires various-length nails into timber (and shampoo bottles) for fun. The great thing about it is it’s so easy to pin elements together before finally fixing them. This means I can test ideas quickly and build junctions that normally need four hands — a revelation.

6. My Panasonic microwave and steam oven is not new, but having remodelled the kitchen recently, it’s now in a position where it’s getting more use. It also helps that I found the manual, which has unlocked its magical powers. It has preset modes labelled Chaos and Panacrunch. These buttons mean it can steam, grill and microwave all at the same time. Just tell it the weight of what you want to cook and let it do its thing. Perfect for fresh fish in no time at all.

This week’s web links include a useless kettle, the Norwegian’s heating system and a nail gun, plus we have a favour to ask of you.

To mark the 1st of December, my marketing department (aka Lisa) is asking for photos of lovely Christmas things for our festive newsletter in a couple of weeks. Mince pies and Cognac are my favourites, but if you have a beautifully decorated tree or a fireplace or something else creative, send it to Lisa at lisa@carlarchitect.co.uk. If you’re as enthralled by this as I am, perhaps a nice bottle of something delicious will entice you to share your photos. The bottle goes to the winner as voted on by.. well by me, apparently.

Feel free to let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. You will always find me at carl@carlarchitect.co.uk.

All the best

This Week’s Links:

In case you’ve worked out how to get a kettle to do the pouring bit and put a tea bag in the mug.

Strange sort of name Mill, but a very good electric heating system from Norway.

A tool to dream about.

Panasonic steam and microwave oven with Chaos mode.

It’s festive and all the rage. Decorate with gold.

Sophie Dahl on the madness and joy of hosting at Christmas

I was watching Salvage Hunters last night, which led me to think about the South of France and antiques

This is my last ever lipstick link. So let’s end with some Christmas ideas.

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Main image credit: The wonders of apps around the home.