Sunday, April 27, 2008
SunCalc helps plants get sunlight they need
SunCalc, above, takes the guesswork out of locating plants where they’ll get the right amount of sunlight.
The gadget measures the accumulated light that falls on a specific spot over 12 hours. At the end of the day, an LED lights to indicate whether the site gets full sun, partial sun, partial shade or full shade — designations that are also found on plant labels.
The device is available for about $29 to $35 from mail-order retailers Lee Valley, Burpee, Gardener’s Supply Co., Whatever Works, Gardeners Edge, Taylor Gifts, Gempler’s and Brookstone. It is expected to be in Smith Hawken stores in the fall.
For more information, visit thesuncalc.com.
‘Dream Home’ book covers all aspects
When you’re building a house, it’s hard to think of everything. So Susan Lang has done it for you.
Lang wrote “Designing Your Dream Home” to guide readers through the process, right down to suggesting the kinds of binders they should use to organize their paperwork.
The book covers every detail from how to interview an architect to where to hang the dining room chandelier, so you don’t end up wishing you’d done things differently.
It’s filled with forms, checklists and suggestions, all intended to help homeowners end up with a house that fits both their needs and their dreams.
“Designing Your Dream Home” is published by Thomas Nelson.
It’s priced at $24.99 in softcover.
Faucet Light tells when water is cool or hot
Warning or reminder signals tend to be annoying. Just think about the perpetual beeping sound in your car whenever you don’t wear your seat belt. Music to your ears? Not quite.
Fortunately, not all signals make weird noises or make you cringe.
Temperature Controlled Faucet Light by Hog Wild Toys, above, senses the temperature of flowing water and shines a stream of light that changes color as the water temperature changes.
When the flowing water is cool, a blue light shines through the water stream.
As it gets warmer and reaches 89 degrees, the light stream changes to red.
The red light serves as a warning sign and can prevent scalds or accidents while children are brushing their teeth or washing their hands.
The device is 2.5 inches long by 1.25 inches in diameter and replaces the aerator on the end of bathroom or kitchen faucets.
It includes a set of two universal adapters that screw on easily and fit most U.S. standard faucets.
A set of button cell batteries (and a replacement set) are included.
Faucet Light is sold at specialty retailers and comes in chrome and brushed-silver finishes.
Cost is $21.95.
For more information, visit hogwildtoys.com or call (888) 231-6465.
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