Whether or not you can put a grill on your balcony depends on a lot of factors. Your state and city may be fine with it, but your condo or homeowners association might have restrictions. If you are allowed, you could soon hear your neighbors knocking, thanks to the meaty, smoky smells wafting into their places. If you don’t want to smoke your neighbors out, you could try the LotusGrill.
The battery-operated (it takes four AAs) charcoal grill was on display at the 2017 International Home and Housewares Show. It comes in a variety of sizes, but they all work on the same basic principle. Using lighter gel, similar to the kind that fuels sterno candles, you can get the grill going in about three minutes, Mischa Ohler, the company’s technical developer, told Digital Trends.
The grill is comprised of a double-walled bowl, stainless steel inner bowl, ignition plate, charcoal container and lid, and the grill top. The charcoal chamber’s lid prevents the juices from dripping onto the charcoal, which causes smoke. The outer bowl doesn’t get hot, so you can put the grill on virtually any surface. To control the temperature of the grill, you turn the knob, which speeds up or slows down the fan. The grill can get up to about 660 degrees Fahrenheit (350 degrees Celsius), Ohler says. The grill has an optional lid, which can make it a bit more versatile. Ohler says that with the lid, he’s made things such as pizza, bread, and muffins using the grill.
The company has been making the grills for the German market for the past few years and the device is now for sale in the U.S. at Sur La Table for $200. Right now, the only model available is the smallest size, which weighs about eight pounds and has a grill diameter of nearly 14 inches. Because it uses charcoal, you definitely don’t want to use the LotusGrill indoors, but its light weight and compact size make it a pretty good beach or camping option.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.