Ranch & Coast Magazine

Detour gadgets Portable Fire Bring the charm of a fireplace with you wherever you go with the Ground Low by Le Feu. This portable fireplace is an eco-friendly alternative to wood-burning fireplaces, operating instead on bioethanol, which is produced when biomass such as plant waste is run through a fermentation process. The resulting fuel is smokeless and free of CO2 emissions. The Ground Low is the perfect addition to any living space or outdoor patio setting, and at only 80cm high, it is easy to transport for camping or other types of travel. Ground Low comes with Smoked Oak, Black Oak, and Soaptreated Oak legs. Le Feu also just released a version that attaches to walls, aptly called Wall, that makes a grand statement in any room. Prices for the Ground Low and Wall start at around $1,900, with options for upgrades. lefeufires.us Robot Revolution Amazon is pushing beyond its Alexa in-home communication capabilities with a new robot called Astro, designed to accomplish numerous home- automation and consumer-based goals, all while using new advancements in artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensor technology, and voice recognition. Link it to the smart phone app and it acts as a roving security camera that can send alerts if it detects intruders. It will recognize smoke alarms and the sounds of breaking glass and can sync up to Ring doorbells. Its monitor screen can play the latest TV apps and music, and will follow you from room to room so you won't miss anything. It can identify individual people and will find them on its own should you need to send a message to someone. The usual Alexa bells and whistles come built-in so you can set calendar events, timers, and ask it questions. The list of capabilities goes on. It will retail for $1,400 when it hits the market, but for now early birds can get it for $999 by requesting an invitation to purchase online. amazon.com/astro Breathe Comfortably Air quality can affect our quality of living in numerous ways. Dry air, smoky air, air filled with invisible chemicals, even air heavy with CO2 — all of it can lead to lethargy, coughing, and much more. That's where the Awair air quality monitor can make a difference. Sync it to the accompanying phone app and let it tell you what the air quality in your home or office is, and how to adjust to it. Awair will suggest opening windows if it senses chemicals or drinking water if humidity is very low. The unit has a built-in filter and fan so if it detects smoke in a room, for instance, it will clean the air (a good device to have during wildfire season). Starting at $299. getawair.com BY RYAN THOMAS @ranchandcoast ranchandcoast.com 104 DECEMBER 2021 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE

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