From the folks who designed the original iPod, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

1st Nest Learning Thermostat upper right, Gen 2.0 lower leftLess than a year after the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat, the company announced the next-generation 2.0 model. The new version is 20 percent slimmer and is now compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage residential heating and cooling systems. It uses version 3.0 of its software, but don’t worry if you have one of the earlier units. The 3.0 version works for new and existing customers and offers more features to better balance comfort and energy conservation. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is 20 percent thinner and has a new all-stainless steel ring that blends into any décor. One new feature is Enhanced Auto-Away which can turn down heat or air conditioning as soon as 30 minutes after you’ve left the house. (Motion Sensors in the unit can figure out when you leave.) The company found that more than 90 percent of connected Nest owners use the remote control feature, so in addition to support on computer web browsers, apps for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, Nest now supports Android tablets, including Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. The second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is available just about now, October 16th, 2012, or in the next week or so. Available at Amazon, Apple’s online store, and Lowe’s stores. Nest Software 3.0 is already being rolled out automatically to existing customers. The original Nest Learning Thermostat now has an MSRP of $229.00 (U.S.) and is available at Lowe’s while supplies last. The new second generation Nest model is only $20 more, with a MSRP of $249. Much more info at the company website:

www.nest.com

A new kind of light bulb.

When I first saw this bulb I thought: “I’d use this bulb without a lampshade so people can see how high tech it looks!” The SWITCH60 is a 60-watt equivalent bulb that uses about 12 watts of energy. (The 100-watt equivalent version uses 21 watts.) There are plenty of LED light bulbs out there already, but what makes this one different is that the bulb is filled with liquid silicone. That means it can stay cooler than other LED light bulbs - up to 40% better performance than air-cooled LED lamps, says the company. The SWITCH60 could pass for an incandescent bulb if it was under a shade. By now we’re probably all using energy-saving CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs – yeah, the ones with strange shapes. They are super energy-efficient but most of them produce a fairly ugly bluish-tint light. LED lamps give off a much more pleasant light, but they tend to produce heat, especially the brighter ones that use more LEDs. Heat can shorten the life of the tricky electronics within the bulb. That’s what’s unique about the SWITCH60; the liquid-cooling silicone inside helps keep the 10 LED’s cool. (There are 12 LED's in the 100-watt version.) Although it looks similar to the shape of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, it is much heavier. (9.9 ounces on my Ultra-Ship Scale.) A advantage of this bulb is that it can be used with just about any dimmer. Some LED bulbs can’t be dimmed at all, or require special dimmers. In case you’re wondering (I was) if the bulb breaks, it won't explode. The company says silicone is used in certain food and cosmetic products. It’s a completely safe, food-grade product, non-toxic and non-staining.” And there’s no mercury in this bulb, which can’t be said about CFL bulbs. New technology isn’t cheap. SWITCH bulbs will retail for between $40 & $60 depending on wattage. There are 40, 60 and 100-watt versions. They’re in commercial installations now and coming in about a month or so, to the consumer market. 

http://www.switchlightingco.com/

See or hear this show: www.twit.tv/giz1386  

The Giz Wiz Tell His Opinion of Some Gadgets "As Seen On TV"

Did you ever wonder if the Magic Mesh Screen Door "as seen on TV" really worked? I wondered too, so I bought one. There’s a big mosquito problem on the upper west of Manhattan, and I have luxury of a small backyard. My dog Fairway, and Dennis’ dog Maggie love to go in and out of the backyard frequently. So a screen door they could use themselves really appealed to me. Magic Mesh is advertised as a “Removable, walk-through Patio-Door Screen that allows fresh air in, but not insects!” Although they’re sold on TV, I bought mine at K-Mart for $18. That’s about the same price as on TV when you add S&H. You can install it easily with no tools if you use the included Velcro. They include tacks if you want to nail it in place, but that makes it harder to take down in winter. Magic Mesh does give you hands-free entrance and exit and our dogs learned to use it very quickly. The magnetic auto-close feature does automatically shut the screen each time you walk through it. You'll hear the click of the magnets locking behind you after you walk through. There are 18 magnets, 9 on each side. There are sometimes little openings in the areas where the magnets are not installed, so it’s more like 95% closed. The Magic Mesh Hands-Free Screen is built with height and width adjustments. Up To 39 Inches wide and it adjusts to fit doors 78-Inch-80-inch in height. But be careful! You get two separate panels and it’s easy to accidentally install one upside down. When you do that, the magnets don’t line up properly. I saw that compliant online in several reviews of the product. Not paying attention to top and bottom will cause it. The instructions tell you how to tell which is which. I have no idea how Magic Mesh will hold up in the long term. Within about 2 to 3 weeks two of the magnets fell off, but they can be easily snapped back in place. Outside of the clicking of the magnets, which I like, there is no slamming screen door, or screens left open. Magic Mesh is $19.95 online + you get one free, but you pay $7.95 EACH for shipping and handling. So it comes to roughly $18 each. I paid $17.99 at K-Mart for 1, which all I needed.

Giz Wiz YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/WLjhQc-M3wc 

https://www.buymagicmesh.com/

The One Touch Can Opener.

It may take just one touch to operate this can opener, but that’s after you touch it a lot trying to get the battery cover off. Then you’ll spend another 20 minutes trying to get the cover back on once the batteries are in! It uses 2 AA batteries, which are not included. Here’s a bit of the product description on Amazon: The One Touch Can Opener is the fast and easy way to open cans. Just place the One Touch on top of the can, press the button and the can will be open in seconds. When cutting is complete just lift the One Touch off the can and the magnet will conveniently pick up the lid for you. It's that easy! The One Touch Can Opener is the last can opener you'll ever buy. It opens any can small, medium or large quickly and easily. Unlike conventional can openers, the One Touch cuts beneath the lid, not through the top, so the sides of the lid will be smooth with no sharp, dangerous edges. At About 6" long, it fits easily in a drawer for storage.” And now back to me. Here’s what I found after trying to open four cans with the One Touch Can Opener.  It wouldn’t open one can at all; it just didn’t like the can. It would move a ¼” and stop. On the other cans it stopped and started, slowed down, then speed up. It took at least a minute to open a can. On one of the three remaining cans it didn’t cut all the way around, so I had to twist the lid off. And after opening a can some of edges were not only sharp, but sharp and ragged! I paid $13.99 for mine. But on Amazon, they sell for as high as $29.99. They were far more negative reviews online than positive ones. I wouldn’t recommend this except maybe for laughs, as your guests watch it struggle to open a can!

Giz Wiz Video:  http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=09Wv2B6zYtI

Hot Back To School Electronics & Gadgets As Seen On World News Now

Here's the "Back to School" gadgets spot from World News Now:

http://abcnews.go.com/WNN/video/top-gadgets-back-school-17055183

I spoke to the folks at Lenovo about the ThinkPad Edge E430 Notebook Computer. Lenovo said the Edge is a good computer for a student or a business. It’s a touch fancier than their all-out business machines, at a very attractive price. The Edge E430 is a 14" notebook computer that weighs 4.7 pounds. It’s also 13% thinner than earlier models. I like the soft matte coating because it has a nice tech look without all the fingerprints. The 14" LED wide screen display use less power and provide clear, bright image.  The 16:9 aspect ratio screen offers 1366 x 768 native resolution supported by integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000. The anti-glare coating allows you to use this Lenovo notebook in bright rooms or outdoors in the sunlight. I found this works well, but is not perfect in really bright sunlight. The system is powered by a dual-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2450M processor. It also has 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive, a 20GB mSATA solid state drive, a SuperMulti DVD burner, 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, an integrated webcam and digital microphone. It also has built-in stereo speakers. Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) is the installed operating system. The integrated 720p HD webcam is designed to work even in low-lit conditions and it works pretty well. And if you have to type while video conferencing, Lenovo’s keyboard noise suppression technology makes sure you won’t be heard. The ThinkPad Edge E430 sells at BH Photo for about $627.00, but what the fast changing prices of computer, it's best to do a web search just before you buy. 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=859791&Q=&is=REG&A=details