The Official Smarthome Blog – All Things Home Automation

September 29th is National Coffee day, and many locations are offering free coffee! Want to know where to score a free cup of Joe?

• Participating 7-Eleven stores will be offering a free medium sized coffee, but this is only offered from 7 – 11 a.m
• Krispy Kreme will be offering a 12-ounce cup of House Blend Coffee. And the best part..they are offering this ALL day (well, while their supplies last)!

In honor of National Coffee day, Dunkin Donuts and Career Builder found out which professions needed coffee the most to get through the day! Is your profession one of them!?

According to the results, the professions with the highest proportions of workers stating they are less productive without coffee vary widely. Those who need coffee to get through the workday the most are:

Indispensable Coffee Dispenser

Coffee and Espresso Maker

Smart Mug with Temperature Control

Homeowners spend millions each year caulking, replacing windows & doors, and weather stripping to make their home more energy efficient. However, one of the biggest culprits of energy loss is not so easy to see – the fireplace damper. While a metal damper may work great while it is new, it may become warped over time due to repeated heating and cooling. As the damper becomes warped it can allow warm air to leak out of the fireplace and let cold air in.

The Chimney Balloon^™ provides a more effective way to eliminate fireplace drafts. This removable and durable device inflates to fill in all the crevices of the flue a standard damper might not cover. Specially engineered with a 3-ply poly membrane, the Chimney Balloon is resistant to the acidy and abrasive environment of your chimney, yet completely flexible and can stay inflated for years.

Installing Chimney Balloon is simple – it only takes a few minutes and no special tools are required. Chimney Balloon is just as easily deflated and can be reused over and over. And you won’t have to worry if you forget to deflate Chimney Balloon before starting a fire. The Chimney Balloon is made of a heat-reactive material, designed to make the balloon deflate if it is exposed to heat or flame to allow smoke and toxic gases to exit your chimney. Read more

The Purosol PUOC-10078 Small Optical Cleaner Kit was originally developed for NASA and the US military for use on high-end multi-coated optics. Combining the power of organic plant extracts and state-of-the-art green chemistry, it is the world’s most advanced cleaning solution.

Purosol Optical is Effective
Using the latest in surface chemistry, it breaks the molecular bonds that dust, dirt and grime use to adhere to the lens. Purosol Optical is streak-free and leaves an anti-static barrier which repels dust, meaning you will have to clean your lens less frequently.

Purosol Optical is Safe
Gentle enough for use on all optical and coated lenses, it contains no alcohol, ammonia, detergent, or any other traditional solvent which can damage your expensive coatings. Purosol leaves no residue and is free of silicone, graphite and glycerin.

Purosol Optical is Green
Taking its cleaning power from nature itself, Purosol Optical is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, nonflammable, sterile and completely biodegradable. It is CFC-free, VOC-free and exceeds EPA and OSHA health and safety standards, as well as exceeding standards set for the EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, and other countries worldwide.

Purosol Optical is Trusted
Utilized by the US and Canadian militaries, national laboratories, hospitals, research facilities, observatories, and professional photographers. Purosol is trusted on the very best and valuable optical lenses in the world. Purosol Optical was recognized with the 2007 National Parenting Award for safe products in the home. Read more

The Kiwi Choice KWA1 ProPack Kit is designed for those of you who travel regularly with a laptop or are frequently on the move with a laptop. This clever little kit features all the laptop essentials in one easy to carry/pack travel case. The kit features such laptop essentials as a high speed USB 2.0 card reader/writer, a high speed 4 port USB hub, a high speed mini USB numerical keyboard, a high speed optical mouse and 2 mini USB cords. With this kit you can pack light but still rest assured that you have everything needed to work as efficiently as you could from your office desktop. This kit also works perfectly for college students who are typically out and about on campus with their laptops. The included accessories with this kit help make it easy for a student to pack them in a backpack and setup shop where ever they would like to do homework…or play games. Read more

With gas prices that can by sky high one week and then bearable the next, we can surely use ways to conserve our gas. According to CNN money, the average American spends around $368 a month on gasoline! And energsavers.org states that transportation accounts for 67% of U.S. oil use! Those are astonishing facts to consider! So why not trying out these great gas saving tips from energysavers.org!

Driving Tips:

• Idling gets you 0 miles per gallon. The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it. No more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days is needed. Anything more simply wastes fuel and increases emissions.

• Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking) wastes gas. It can lower your highway gas mileage 33% and city mileage 5%.

• Avoid high speeds. Above 60 mph, gas mileage drops rapidly.

• Clear out your car; extra weight decreases gas mileage by 1% to 2% for every 100 pounds.

Product Recommendations:

• Helps you use up to 33% less fuel
• Graphical display of fuel mileage
• Digital display of instant and average miles per gallon
• Track your fuel cost
• Monitor your carbon footprint
• Ultra compact

Car Maintenance Tips:

• Use the grade of motor oil recommended by your car’s manufacturer. Using a different motor oil can lower your gasoline mileage by 1% to 2%.

• Keep tires properly inflated and aligned to improve your gasoline mileage by around 3.3%.

Product Recommendations: