New Product Watch: 4 of the best of 2012 - electronic smartpots and more
- Click & Grow self-watering system makes it nearly impossible to kill a plant
- Q Card Case protects your iPhone, lets you to stash a few cards
- You'll come to rely on the myCharge Peak 6000
This week's roundup focuses on four favorite tech products from 2012.
Try these easy pickings
It's a lovely evening and you are at home whipping up a pot of chili. Maybe you are using a bunch of off-the-shelf ingredients and want to add some authentic touches such as chili peppers and tomatoes. All you have to do is pluck those fresh-grown items from one of Click & Grow's electronic smartpots. The chili peppers and mini tomatoes are the newest additions to the Click & Grow product line-up, which already includes fresh basil. What's great about this product is that its electronic sensors make it nearly impossible to kill a plant.
Just like many holiday toys, the smartpot requires 4AA batteries. It also needs water and a spot in the sun. (If you plan to start a plant in the winter, you may need to supplement the sunlight with a desk lamp or plant light.)
Once the smartpot is set up, you can sit back and let the plant cartridge take over: As the plant grows, its cartridge software will release water and nutrients as needed. When the smartpot needs more water, flashing lights and buzzing sounds will issue reminders.
The starter kit has two parts: a flowerpot (which includes electronics, sensors, a battery vault, a pump and a water reservoir) and the plant cartridge (which includes the seeds, nutrients and targeted software for your specific plant). Starter kits for the mini tomato and chili pepper plants cost $70 each while starter plants for cockscomb and basil starter kits are $60. Refill plants cost about $20 each.
Just in case…
If both you and your college-age son like a product, chances are it's a winner. Such is the case — pun intended — with the Q Card Case from CM4. In essence, the Q Card Case provides protection for your iPhone and allows you to store debit cards, a student ID or similar items that you might ordinarily tote around in a purse or wallet. Available in black, white, green and pink, the slim case has a secure pocket that can hold up to three cards plus cash. More important, the cards and cash stay put — even when you make a phone call or snap a photo. A case for the iPhone 4/4S ships with a see-through protective screen cover for $40. A case is also available for the iPhone 5 for the same price.
You'll get a charge out of this
If an electronic gizmo quickly becomes something you constantly rely upon, that tells you a lot about its usefulness. That is certainly the case with the myCharge Peak 6000 Rechargeable Power Bank. In fact, the device proved its merit during the recent major power outage in the Northeast, where readily accessible power outlets were hard to come by. Mimicking the practicality of a Swiss Army Knife, the 6000mAh battery pack contains charging connectors that can be tucked away until needed. When an e-reader, an MP3 player, a tablet or a phone needs a charge, chances are one of its charging options: a standard Apple connector, a micro USB connector and a built-in USB port, can get the job done. To recharge the charger, just plug its pop-up prong into a wall outlet. It costs $100.
Get the big picture
Even if you're too young to remember the charms of going to a drive-in movie theater, you can replicate that big screen feel right on your own living room wall with the MegaPlex MG-850HD projector from Epson. What makes this particular projector stand out is a slide-out iPhone 4/4S dock that projects downloaded movies onto the big screen. The easy-to-use projector also has a dock bracket for an iPad and can handle content from other sources, including other smart phones, USB drives, video game consoles and computers. Equipped with two built-in 10-watt stereo speakers, a microphone jack and a carrying handle, the projector lets you move the party — be it a movie viewing or a karaoke fest — from room to room or house to house. Designed with a 720p resolution and 2,800 lumens of color and white light output, the MegaPlex MG-850HD costs about $800. A similar model with 540p resolution and 2,200 lumens, the MegaPlex MG-50, can be purchased for about $400.
E-mail new product suggestions to techporterfield@gmail.com.