Smart kitchen. Courtesy Samsung
Smart kitchen. Courtesy Samsung
Smart kitchen. Courtesy Samsung
Smart kitchen. Courtesy Samsung

Smart kitchens to the rescue


Panna Munyal
  • English
  • Arabic

Smart scales

Bakers, rejoice. There’s now a technology that not only supplies you with endless pastry-related recipes, but also gauges the accurate measuring of the ingredients that the recipe calls for. The Drop app and smart scale link to iOS devices with Bluetooth. Once you select a recipe, you can place a bowl on the scale; as you fill it with an ingredient, the app reflects the weight in real time, pings to warn you if you’re over-filling, and shifts to the next instruction once you’ve got the right amount. The app can switch out the produce you don’t have access to, and suggest simple substitutes – or readjust the rest of the quantities and instructions to do away with it completely. The auto-progress capability means you don’t get sticky fingers on your gadget. The Drop app also includes a handful of beverage and savoury meal recipes.

Refrigerator

Samsung’s smart fridge is now a common feature in homes. Courtesy Samsung
Samsung’s smart fridge is now a common feature in homes. Courtesy Samsung

The latest version of the Samsung Family Hub was unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show this year. The Wi-Fi-enabled 3.0 may look much the same as its predecessor – with a tablet built into the door – but it comes with a host of upgrades. Once paired with the company’s Smart Home app, the fridge allows you to sync your family’s calendars. You can keep track of appointments and leave messages for each other on the digital notepad, even when you’re not home. Within, the gadget tracks expiry dates of stored produce and stops ice build-ups. Activating a new feature called Meal Planner enables the grocery-tracking cameras to suggest recipes based on both the food contained within, as well as previously input preferences and allergies. The four-door model also features AKG sound speakers, so you can get the perfect bass for the music or video you’re mirroring on the inbuilt screen from your television or smartphone.

Washer-dryer

Another CES specimen, the LG Top Load Washer and Dryer with SmartThinQ is basically two washing machines in one. Attached to the main compartment is a second, smaller chamber, which means you can start two cycles simultaneously, and get those delicates or baby clothes or bedsheets or sneakers cleaned alongside your main load. Of course, the machine connects to your smartphone and can be controlled remotely, and – if you have Google Assistant – via voice command. What’s really neat, though, is that the machine can be programmed to know when you’re going to exercise, and self-set to clean your gym clothes. LG’s SmartThinQ kitchen range also includes a dishwasher and refrigerator.

Smoke alarm

Nest Protect
Nest Protect

Smoke, carbon monoxide or just burnt toast – the Nest Protect smart smoke detector can tell you exactly what’s wrong and in which part of your house. Designed to speak in a “friendly, human-like tone”, the device uses voice alerts to apprise you of the nature of the emergency. Unlike other smoke alarms that need to be tested every month, Nest Protect is equipped with a Split-Spectrum Sensor, which enables it to check its batteries automatically on a daily basis for up to a decade. Once you’ve turned off your all cooking equipment and lights, the device emits a green glow to indicate that it has tested itself and there’s little chance of being disturbed while you sleep. If linked with the Nest Thermostat, the Protect will direct it to switch off, to stop from doing more damage in the case of a short circuit carbon monoxide leak. The gadget send alerts to your phone if you’re not home, and you can also silence the alarm from the app itself.

Coffee machine

Smarter Coffee 2nd Generation
Smarter Coffee 2nd Generation

The matter-of-factly titled Smarter Coffee literally allows you to wake-up and smell the coffee. The Second Generation bean-to-cup model is equipped with the patented BlinkUp technology, a one-step secure set-up process. Thanks to its Android and iOS compatibility, you can set up four coffee-drinking times, say for when you wake up or as soon as you  come home from work. If you’re sleeping in or running late, you can access the Smarter app remotely and change or cancel your usual order. The app allows you to adjust the strength of your brew and choose between freshly ground or filtered. It also knows when you’re running out of coffee and can be programmed to reorder it for you. The new model connects to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which means you can bypass the app and ask these to automate the process and alert you when your cuppa is ready.

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Three ways to boost your credit score

Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:

1. Make sure you make your payments on time;

2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;

3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Pathaan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Siddharth%20Anand%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20John%20Abraham%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Reading List

Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung

How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever

Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays

How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen