Gadgets :: December 25, 2019
by Gregg Ellman
(@greggellman)
I get to see a lot of cool gadgets during the year; some I like, some I don’t. But with winter upon us I’m really seeing the usefulness of my favorite gadget from this year, the Resideo’s Honeywell Home T9 thermostat with room sensors.
Thermostats are generally installed in a convenient centralized hallway and work great there. But what doesn’t work great is getting a consistent temperature in other parts of the house where that thermostat is in control but no where close to you.
The key for me and the greatness about this thermostat is the sensors. With the T9 system, sensors (up to 20) are placed in rooms that need more temperature control.
In the settings you have your choice of having the set temperature entirely controlled by a sensor, have it averaged out or even have a sensor turned on with motion. It’s your choice to prioritize what you want and what’s most important. There’s no limit to how often the settings and controls can be changed.
First for the installation: I did it myself. As I’ve said many times, I’m not a licensed AC repairman, plumber, electrician or anything close. Nor do I do that type of work often. But I can read instructions, take a picture of the existing thermostats wiring (critical) and then follow colors, numbers and instructions to hook up a new one.
And importantly, as instructed, I had the circuit for the power to this area of my house shut off before the installation began.
Once everything is installed and working, the T9 connects to your home Wi-Fi and can be controlled on the thermostat and with the accompanying app.
The bottom line is now simple it is to have your room temperature where you’ve set the thermostat, not the air temperature in the hallway where the thermostat is mounted.
www.honeywellhome.com Honeywell Home T9 Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with 1 Smart Room Sensor $199, Single T9 Smart Sensor $39.99 each or a two pack for $74.99
You’re far from alone if any of your holiday gifts need a power source or a charge to keep it going on the run. But you have to understand power and how it’s not always safe power.
For example, having your computer plugged into an outlet without power surge protection is not a good idea – you’re living on the edge. One lightning strike or a power surge for a variety of reasons can destroy your computer and its contents.
With the Austere VII Series power supply you get power with industry-leading safety features and crazy enough a device that looks great and is backed by a lifetime guarantee.
The Austere VII Series is available in models with 6 or 8 grounded outlets and the layout of the inputs are convenient so you don’t have to juggle bulky box plugs to get everything to fit, like in a standard power strip.
On the side are 5 USB ports; 2 USB-A, and 2 USB-C ports and a single USB-C with a 45 W power delivery for laptops.
There’s a lot of technical aspects with power but I doubt many people care for anything besides getting the power and having everything work.
The Austere VII series prides itself on industry-leading surge protection safety, dedicated 4K joules surge, and over current protection with 15A circuit breaker.
It’s packed with advanced technology to ensure your devices are powered or charged safely and this includes Isolated PureFiltration. According to the Austere site, the EMI/RFI filtration will insulate the power signal from external disturbances to deliver video and audio clarity to your HDTV and sound system.
Everything is inside a brushed housing, which can be wall-mounted and connected to a rugged five-foot WovenArmor power cord. The AC connector at the end, plugs flush into your wall outlet and there are LED indicators on top to indicate everything is powered, ground and protected.
https://austere.com 6–outlet models $179.99, 8-outlet model $199.99
