By Andrew Liszewski

Alarm clocks with iPhone docks are a dime a dozen (well maybe not that cheap just yet) but the uninspiringly named iA5 from iHome manages to stand out in a very crowded market with its own custom app. In fact my eyes usually glaze over when I read about these types of devices, but I’m actually kind of impressed with what iHome has done here.

The iHome+Sleep app is available for free from the iTunes App Store, and in and of itself it looks like a pretty fantastic replacement alarm clock for your iPhone or iPod Touch. It allows you to program up to 18 sleep or nap alarms, using your own music library to get you out of bed, including custom 7.5.2 settings for weekdays, workdays and the weekend. It keeps track of random statistics like your average night’s sleep, bedtime, waketime etc. and can even connect to your favorite social media like Facebook and Twitter, letting friends know your bedtime status. It will even deliver local weather and news in the morning, so you know what kind of day you’re facing.

When your iPhone or Touch is docked to the iA5 though, things get even better. Adjusting the alarm clock’s settings is made about 1,000x easier with a touchscreen interface (it can still be used as an alarm clock without anything docked) and setting the time is as easy as pressing a single sync button. That alone makes the $99.99 price tag totally worth it to me. And the iA5’s Reson8 speaker chamber technology is probably a lot more effective at waking you than the iPhone or Touch’s own speakers.

[ iA5 - App-Enhanced Alarm Clock Speaker System for iPhone and iPod ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

Gadgets need not be relegated to the darkest corners of your home office or rumpus room. There are plenty of options that can easily blend in to the less techno-centric areas of your humble abode. In that spirit, here’s a list of relatively inconspicuous gadgets for the home.

Digital Photo Frames

Digital photo frames have come a long way in terms of style and features. And while you can purchase inexpensive frames in just about any store that sells electronics, I’d personally recommend splurging a bit for one with a wireless connection of some type. A wireless frame allows you to do a few things that you can’t do with standard frames.

For starters, you can put it just about anywhere since you’ll be updating it wirelessly. With a standard frame, you need to make sure it’s placed in an accessible area so you can get at the memory card to add new photos. Secondly, many wireless frames let your family and friends add their own photos to your frame from anywhere in the world. And finally, if you’re interested, wireless frames can often showcase information like weather and news.

A few wireless frame choices for your perusal:

• HP DreamScreen ($200 to $250)
• eStarling TouchConnect ($200)
• Toshiba Digital Media Frame ($180 to $230)
• Kodak EasyShare ($100 to $230)
• IPEVO Kaleido R7 ($150)

Solar Lighting

Solar-powered lights are slowly finding their way into the realm of normal-looking items. With the exception of not having a cord protruding from the base, there are more and more solar lamps coming out that’ll fit in just about anywhere.

I’ve been using the $17 solar lamp from Geeks.com seen on the right here and it’s been working pretty well so far. The batteries take a while to fully charge but once they’re ready to go, it’s nice to be able to use this lamp anywhere I need a little extra light. And aside from the little square solar panel embedded in the top of the lamp shade, it looks just like a regular lamp (again, without the cord, or course).

You’ll want to make sure to place your lamp in a spot where it’ll get decent sunlight and remember that these lamps are basically collecting sunlight and using it to slowly juice up rechargeable batteries, which are then used to power little LED bulbs. Current charge times may be long (9-12 hours) and actual usage time may be short (3-6 hours), but sunlight is free and free is good.

• Can You Imagine LED Solar Lamp ($17 at Geeks.com)
• Sunnan Work Lamp ($20 at Ikea)
• Smart Solar Powered Table Lamp ($80 at Amazon)

For the Kitchen

There are hundreds of potential kitchen gadgets, but here are a few I’ve personally tried and can recommend.

As far as coffee goes, some people get intimidated by fancy coffee makers. If there’s someone like that on your list, these Keurig machines are tough to beat – any of the coffee machines that use “pods” are actually pretty good. You fill the machine’s reservoir with water, pop a coffee pod into the machine, and put your cup or mug underneath the spout. Press the button and you’ve got near-instant coffee that tastes far better than instant coffee. And there’s basically no cleanup other than throwing the empty pod away.

Another fun idea, especially if you have kids, is a home soda-making machine. They can get a bit expensive but the idea is that you’ll save money in the long run, and the soda mixes for this Penguin machine I reviewed, for instance, don’t contain high fructose corn syrup.

For the germophobe in your life, there’s a new crop of touchless faucets on the market (see John’s review here) — “touchless” is a misnomer, but you’re able to control the thing with your wrist, forearm, or elbow.

And last but not least if you’ve got a pancake lover in your life, you’re left with little choice than to spring for a $5 can of Batter Blaster pancake mix. They’re pancakes in a can. Again, they’re pancakes in a can. See my review here.

• Keurig Brewing Systems ($90 to $250)
• Home Soda Machines ($90 to $200)
• Delta Touch2O Faucet ($400)
• Organic Batter Blaster ($5)

It not only includes a 5.7inch 640×480 screen but also offers access to a growing set of custom apps. Among those lined up already are Facebook, Twitter and weather and news channels.

For years on end now people who live in rural areas have been stuck will slow internet options like dial up.  Rural dwellers have the same needs as city folks and high speed internet is one of them.  Not only do they need instant access to weather and news but such things as farm futures are vital to their survival.  The bad news is almost all rural areas don’t have access to DSL or Cable internet.

All is not lost because in recent years the cost of high speed satellite internet has dropped by 50%.  You can now get speeds that are 50 times faster then dialup and for a starting price of under 40 bucks a month.

Freeing up your phone line is great but what’s even better is having the internet always ready so you can just sit down and start surfing with out having to jump through hoops.Not having to spend an hour in the morning each day looking up the current events of your area will save you time and frustration.  This will free up your mornings and afternoons.
Besides using satellite internet for business you will now be able to take advantage of all the fun and entertaining things on the internet.  There are thousands of free games and plenty of free communities that you can shown that have a common hobby or interest as you.
There are pitfalls that can happen when selecting a satellite internet company.  We never recommend you sign longer then a one year contract.In most cases you will need to agree to a years of service but try to avoid contracts that are two years or more.  This is to make sure they will take care of you as a customer.  Plenty of places have screwed people over and this will help cover your wallet and pride.

You should never have to pay for the installation of a Satellite internet dish.Almost every satellite provider offers free installation for new customers so be sure and ask about this.All you really have to do is ask about current specials and offers, don’t be afraid to say no or that is too much for me at this time, often they will drop the price further and if not then just call back again.
If you have more then one computer in the home and want high speed internet on all of them be sure to mention this when ordering.This is important because if you want internet access on more then one computer using satellite internet then you will need to ensure you have a wireless router setup so you can add on computers at will.  This is a great way to go.

Be sure to check out the links in the article for current coupons and specials that are goining on.