Technology & Gadget Blog

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.

Oh, I love a good cord organizer. With the amount of gadgets I have, I need to stay on top of the cord clutter at all times. The new Sling Back from Quirky is the answer to all my obsessive compulsive needs. All you do is lift off the top, wrap any cord around the inside spool, and voila — your cord is now retractable! Use this cool gadget for your USB cords, phone chargers, headphone cords, etc.

The neat thing that Quirky does is offer their products at a discounted price for the first 500 available, then bumps it up to their regular retail price.

Price: $10 US for a limited time, $15 US thereafter

Remember that goop that used to come in a jar when you were a kid? There was really no purpose for it, apart from sticking it to things and driving your mother crazy.

Well now that goop has come back in a similar form and it actually has a purpose — to clean in between the tiny crevices on your gadgets. I tried using Cyber Clean on my keyboard at work and it did a pretty good job. For deep down dirt, you’ll probably need air compression, but Cyber Clean does the trick for picking up crumbs and dust bunnies trapped between your keys.

For info and to buy, check out cyberclean.com

The Crest Oral-B Pulsonic contest has come to a close, and your responses have been great! I wish I could give all of you the prize packs, but unfortunately, I only have three.

The winners with the best comments are:
- Tracy Murray from Courtice

- Seema Persaud from Markham

- Chantal Hebert from Ottawa

Congrats to those who won, thanks to all who entered, and keep checking back for more fab contests and a chance to win cool tech goodies!

To view the original contest post with the winning responses, click here.

From previous blog posts, you may have realized that sleek and sexy electronics are my forté. Little appeals to me more than a well-designed piece of technology, which is why long, ugly, annoying cords make me scowl in disdain. The simplistic style of an iMac can be marred by the endless amount of devices hooked up to its back by extensive cords (I hook up a plethora of items − digital camera, iPhone, iPod, external hard drive, etc.). That’s where Bluelounge’s Cableyoyo changed my tech world forever.

This handy little organizer wraps the wires of your handheld devices around its little axle, ensuring your home and workspace are free of cord-clutter. An adhesive spindle means you can attach the yoyo to almost any surface and can be stacked on top of each other (this is ideal for my iMac cable commotion). Plus, you can file this one under ‘Lauren’s Tech-tastic Products For A Recession’, because the Cableyoyo is only $5 US or $14.50 US for a 3-pack.
Available at: Bluelounge.com

Follow me on Twitter! twitter.com/Tech_Style

Ahhh, the smell of spring is in the air! Well, not quite, considering the below-zero temperatures we’re still feeling. But spring hath sprung, and whether we sense it in the air or not, it’s time for that often dreaded spring clean.

Enter the Dyson DC25 Animal vacuum, the answer to your cleaning prayers. Fitted with Dyson’s innovative Ball technology, this sucker pivots to pick up dirt out of any nook and cranny. You can also breathe easy, because the Animal is scientifically designed to reduce allergens, and the washable filter means air expelled from the vacuum has up to 150 times less mold and bacteria than other products.

Priced at $699 and with a 5-year warranty, this vacuum’s an investment, but one that has quality to match its pricetag.

Look for the Animal to hit major department stores nationwide this coming April.

Looking for a smaller, hand-held version? Check out web editor Natalie Bahadur’s blog for info on the Dyson DC16 Animal.

Pick up the May 2009 issue of Style at Home, on newsstands April 6th, for details on how to win your own Dyson DC25 Animal!