Winter weather is here for much of the country and to get you through the bitter cold, FoxNews.com takes a look at a few gadgets to warm up and save money.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is a smart-tech way to keep your house warm when you’re home and save energy when you’re gone.
It has an Auto-Away feature to tell when the house is empty and doesn’t need to be kept as warm. Over time the sensors learn your schedule and know when to heat up and cool down. According to Isabel Guenette, a production manager with Nest, even a one degree temperature adjustment can save a lot of money.
“We think on average with the nest learning thermostat we can save you about $173 a year,” she said.
The Nest keeps track of energy use and helps you understand your energy bill so you can see how much money is being spent on energy, and at what times of the day.
The thermostat can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet app. You can find it in stores like Best Buy and Target or online and it costs $249.99. However, at time of writing, the device was on sale for $199.99 and $199, respectively, at Best Buy and Target.
To keep warm outside the home, battery-powered heated insoles from ThermaCELL might help keep your toes warm when boots and socks can’t cut it. The insoles can be set at three different temperature settings via a wireless remote that can work from up to seven feet away.
When they’re ready to use, pop the insoles into shoes, and choose a heat setting from the remote. The insoles can be trimmed to fit different sized shoes and feet.
The heated insoles can keep feet warm for up to five hours per charge and when the battery needs to be recharged, pull the insoles out and plug them in. The rechargeable insoles can replace one-time use heat packets that only last a few hours and then need to be thrown away.
The ThermaCELL Heated Insoles can be found at sporting stores and online. The insoles are available for $134.99 via ThermaCELL’s website.
While the insoles are keeping your feet warm, what about your hands?
GoGlove
You’ve probably heard of or even own a pair of gloves that can operate your touch screen device. But they only work so well and you still need to touch the phone for them to work.
A group of techies in Boston is taking smart gloves to the next level.
GoGlove uses motion to control your mobile devices. And it’s designed to be great for winter athletes. Simply tap your fingers together to turn up your favorite song while on the run.
Eric Ely, a designer for GoGlove, said that a Bluetooth module and magnets help control the gloves.
“It’s all based on the magnet in your thumb and the sensor on your finger tip,” he said. “You just tap the magnet to the individual finger… as well as one at the base of your index finger.”
The smart glove works with any bluetooth device, as well as Wi-Fi devices like GoPros. The GoGlove app can even read you your texts.
GoGlove Co-Founder Ben Harris said that the company is already getting good feedback from people using the glove.
“We’re finding people love being able to control their phone remotely. They’re leaving their phone in their pocket or purse and are really able to have the same control of their phone as if it were in their hand,” he said.
The gloves are meant to be easy to wash and are thin so they can fit inside bigger gloves.
The gloves can be preordered on the GoGlove Kickstarter page for $79 now but will retail for $129 next year.
Be sure to check out these gadgets and stay warm this winter.
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