By Gregg Ellman
Tribune News Service
The Orbit 12-Station Indoor/Outdoor Irrigation Timer is a great tool for those who forget to turn on or off sprinklers.
The system works with the IRIS wireless smartphone system that has add-ons to control alarms, security cameras, thermostats and even electric pet doors. Each must be connected to the wireless IRIS Smart Hub (sold separately $99).
The hub connects to your home router with the included Ethernet cable. That might sound complicated, but it takes just minutes with the quick start guide and the web-based instructions.
You must have an in-ground sprinkler system which the Orbit 12 replaces. Orbit works remotely on the Z-Wave system, a protocol for smartphone remote control systems. Control is done through the IRIS app on smartphones and tablets.
The quick-start guide makes setup simple; I would advise reading the short instructions before the actual installation. The first six steps are for connecting the timer to the existing sprinkler box. Step No. 7 is for connecting the sprinkler controller to the Iris hub, which is easily done by following the steps while logged into your Iris account at lowes.com.
If it all sounds simple, that’s because it is. The sprinkler box has everything you would expect; 12 stations, indoor/outdoor mounting, programmable by day/times, a lithium battery backup and it has a connection for a rain sensor (not included).
I fully expect that the system can pay for itself with water savings while keeping your lawn nice and green.
Details: www.Lowes.com, $129
JumperPack to jump start
Jump start your car on the fly with Cyntur JumperPack mini. It has an internal 12,000mAh lithium-ion battery for jump starting vehicles with up to eight cylinder engines. This includes cars, trucks, SUV’s and boats.
The jumper pack houses this large amount of power in a size small enough to fit in a glove compartment (6-by-2.2-by-1.3-inches and 0.9 lb.)
Also, if your smartphone’s battery is dead, the JumperPack has a 2.1amp USB port. It’s good for most phones, tablets, GPS units or most any other portable electronic gadget.
The JumperPack has a 200 lumen LED flashlight and comes with a zipper storage bag.
The battery holds its charge for up to a year and is advertised to be used for up to 25 times before it needs to be charged.
It also has an IPX3 weatherproof rating and comes with an AC wall charger.
Details: www.cyntur.com, $99
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The Pegasus wheeled backpack from ECBC is listed as a 2-in-1 bag on the ECBC website. I really think it’s at least a 3-in-1: a rolling suitcase, which can be converted to a backpack and it has a front padded TSA friendly computer bag.
Additionally there are compartments inside of compartments and extra padding enabling it to hold just about every accessory you would want.
As for the backpack, just unzip the back panel to access the straps.
If you carry a laptop (up to 15 inches) in the bag, keep it in the front part and just unzip the bag and lay it flat on the security X-ray conveyer without taking the computer out.
Included is a portable battery pack (4500mAh) for charging gadgets on-the-go.
After loading your electronics, the main compartment holds a few day’s worth of clothes.
The bag measures 22-by-14-by-10-inches and weighs 9 lb.
Details: www.ec-bc.com, $399.99, available in five colors
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