Technology & Gadget Blog

Somewhere, over the rainbow … small appliances come in fabulously bright colours! In celebration of spring and the freakishly nice weather we’ve been having in Toronto, I want to share these vibrant tech picks from Bodum. You may know the company for the glass coffee mugs that are everywhere, but they’re also brilliant at making small kitchen appliances and gadgets.

I fell in love with these colourful beauties and could definitely see them gracing the countertop of my new home — no need to hide them in cupboards!

The Colour Collection from Bodum available at bodumusa.com.

Miele has hit the right note with their new vacuum, the Neptune, as Pantone has announced that turquoise is the colour for 2010. I’ve also yet to meet a woman who doesn’t get giddy over this shade of Tiffany-box blue.

Lovely colour aside, this vacuum packs a lot of power. And at only 14 lbs. and 19″ long, it’s easy to tote up and down the stairs. The Miele vacuums also boast one of the quietest motors on the market, so you can hoover around without disturbing others.

$500 US, miele.com.

I’m a sucker for pretty paper goods, and when they feature cute and geeky sayings, I’m sold on the spot. If they’re letterpressed? I’m a goner. I like to surf around Etsy to search for these finds, and I was overjoyed to find these cuties from PaperWheel Press that have all three requirements.

Which one is your fave?

A review of three iPhone cases by guest blogger Jen Melo. Follow Jen on her journey to adopt healthier eating habits in her ‘I will eat better’ diary at homemakers.com.

When I became the proud owner of an iPhone 3GS, I was instantly smitten — and instantly protective of my new baby. So I immediately went to work to find the very best case to keep my phone looking like new. I learned that finding the perfect iPhone case is largely a matter of personal preference, but there’s nothing like testing a few options and naturally finding what works best for you. The following three cases are my favourites. What’s yours?

1 Most loved iPhone case
How do I love my Sena Corsa case for iPhone 3G/3GS? Let me count the ways! I love it most of all because it protects my precious phone from keys, coins and other perils that live in my purse. I love its pretty silk ribbon that’s functional and stylish as it serves as a “pull” cord to eject the phone from its protective enclosure. I love its soft velvet lining that wraps my phone in a snug, luxurious hug. I love its handcrafted Italian leather finish that’s durable and easy to clean. I love its turquoise exterior that makes it easy to find among my purse’s black lining, too. I love it, I love it, I really, really do!
Available at: senacases.com, $39.99

2 A shimmering beauty
There’s no denying that I admire Sena’s UltraSlim case in a rather becoming pewter colour. Just like the Corsa case I mentioned above, it’s made of alluring handcrafted Italian leather but, unlike the Corsa, it lacks a pull strap so you have to give your phone a little pinch at the base to push it out of its case. Its super slim profile keeps your sexy iPhone 3G looking sleek and its metallic hue preserves a modern esthetic, all while doing what it does best: protecting your phone from scratches and nicks.
Available at: senacases.com, $29.99

3 A decorative skin
Looking for a fun way to personalize and protect your iPhone 3G or 3GS? Try a skin with a decorative element, such as the Solo FX Special Edition for iPhone 3G/3GS — ya gotta love the pink polka dots! Its rubbery covering minimizes impact from bumps and it comes with a protective film to keep your phone’s screen free from dust and safe from scratches. This film actually doubles as a mirror. Personally, I believe the greatest virtue of the iPhone is the tactile nature of its lovely touch screen, so I like to keep that screen bare when I’m using the phone. So I like to use this skin solely as a decorative accessory when I’m at home with my phone. When I’m on the go, I switch to my Corsa case that offers more protection from those menacing metal keys.
Available at: iskin.com: $34.99

Apple’s newest innovation, the iPad, hasn’t even hit the market yet, but you better believe that we’ve seen our fair share of stylish cases. Here are a few that strike our fancy:

Trip jacket, medgestore.com

iPad clutch, happyowlstudio.com

Handcrafted wood iPad case, versaudio.com

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Do you have a stylish gadget you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email me at techstyle@styleathome.com!

Speaking of camouflaging your home tech, check out this fun update for unsightly cables. For flexible cables, there are tons of solutions for wrapping them up to hide them, but what about the old school ones that have a fixed shape? You know, the ones you find in old apartments and lofts that ruin the perfect look you’re going for.

Well, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Try jazzing up stubborn cables with cute decals like these from PA Design. I would probably paint the cord the same colour as the wall as well, so that is blends in. Let’s be honest though — this is definitely a project you can do at home to save a few bucks and have fun with your space.

Out of all of the banks in Canada, I always found CIBC to be lagging the most in terms of digital innovation. However, with the introduction of their new iPhone banking app (the first in Canada), I am loving their leap into the digital fast lane.

This free app is just as safe as internet banking, but is so much more convenient. You log in with your password each time and then have access to several functions of your regular account. You can pay credit card bills, transfer money between accounts, and do an e-mail money transfer to an outside account. The app also shows all of your bank and credit card transactions, and is up-to-date just like internet banking.

Easy, convenient and quick — I wonder how long it will take the other banks to hop on board.

One of the worst things to see when you walk into a living room is a big, bold TV. It’s also become a standard in Canadian homes — we all have them. As I plan to move into my very first house (goodbye crappy apartment!), I’m getting a bit stressed over where to put the TV. Should it go above the fireplace or wall-mounted somewhere else? Do I put it on a TV stand or hide it in a custom bookshelf?

There are so many options, but I do know that I don’t want it to be the focal point of the room. Although many electronics are being designed with colours that fit into your home’s decor, TV’s are still and always will be, big black rectangles.

Our design editor Christine Hanlon designed the space below and I love the way she incorporated dark colours in the wallcoverings so as to camouflage the flat screen. Check out more of Christine’s smart ideas on how to camouflage your tech.

Photography by Mark Burstyn

This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy went … to check out your iPod playlist?

That’s right, these three little piggies are actually speakers, perfect for pumping out tunes from your iPod. Made of ceramic, the 7″ tall piglets hide the speaker on their underbelly, so when displayed on a shelf or countertop, no one is the wiser. As for the cord to plug in your MP3 device or laptop? Look no further than the ‘tail’.

$49 US, available at gnr8.biz (shipping to Canada is free!)

Here’s a website for all of those world travelers out there: Hazelmail.com. The site allows you to keep in touch with family members through personalized postcards that Hazelmail will send out for you.

How does it work? First, upload an image, either from the Lonely Planet archives or one of your own snaps. Next, add a frame and play around with the image to make it perfect. After that, type in your message and recipient’s address. And finally, click ‘Mail’! Your postcard will be sent out by Hazelmail in a couple of business days.

The postcards cost $1.50 US each, or $1 if you commit to $12 worth of credits (a.k.a. Hazelbucks).