If you’re a routine Automated house visitor you’ll have observed a few electric cars and truck stories creeping in over the last couple of years together with a lot more Tesla protection (including their Powerwall) too.

I got a quick indoor traveler run in a design S earlier this year while at the device show online at the NEC as well as had the choice to tick a box for a test drive.

Currently Tesla have no store or service centre in Ireland, North or South [UPDATE – they do now]. This is set to modification within the next 6 to 12 months however for now Tesla bring over a couple of their cars and trucks a number of times a year for test drives.

So we headed out on a wet Friday morning last weekend to a hotel in Belfast for the pop-up Tesla test drive centre.

Old & New

If you’re a nerd then you probably already understand a lot of of the stats for the Tesla design S. It’s hard to type any type of kind of total viewpoint on a short drive, however right here are a few impressions from an hour with the car.

Our demo cars and truck was the previous shape model, the Deep Blue metallic cars and truck in the photos. There was likewise one of the new face-lifted designs in Titanium metallic (a bit beige for my liking).

Our Tesla person told us there are over 300 new parts in the 2016 Model S. in addition to the cosmetic modifications to the front end the radar has been lifted from below the number plate as well as moved behind that floating Tesla T grille badge. This makes it much less likely to get blocked with snow if you online in a country with extreme winters.

There are some other great bit details for example those air intakes on the inside of each foglight at the front are usually closed off for minimized drag, however can actively open when the battery needs a lot more cooling.

Interestingly all the new 60 kWh entry level cars and trucks really have the 75 kWh battery fitted. It’s then software application locked to 60kWh, leaving you the choice to unlock it at any type of time in the future (with a payment of around $10,000). This raises the 60’s common 248 mile variety by around 50 miles as well as increases the top speed from 130mph to 140mph (0-60 time unchanged at 5.5 seconds).

Interior

The inside is airy, particularly as our cars and truck had the optional panoramic glass roofing which provides 3 inches of additional headroom according to our Tesla rep. The second generation seats seemed great, however I’d requirement a drive to Cork as well as back to truly test them.

The rear doors are a little small because of the coupe like shape however they are adequate. You can feel exactly how light the doors are too, because of the all aluminium construction. With no transmission tunnel hump down the middle of the cars and truck the front centre console is deep and beneficial as well as the floor is great as well as flat for rear seat passengers.

The interior is dominated by that 17″ touchscreen that’s the interface to all the cars and trucks systems. The cars and truck is online with its LTE connection as well as all data charges for the very first 4 years are covered in the purchase price.

There’s Google Maps on the huge screen plus a ‘proper’ Garmin based GPS system on the screen behind the wheel that won’t let you down when that cellular data connection disappears.

You can select from a range of apps to screen either side of the dashboard screen as well as you can manage a subset of products like the sunroof from the thumb scrollers on the steering wheel. The new version 8.0 of the software application is due soon however it still appears like there will be no Apple cars and truck Play or Android automobile option. Here’s a video taken from our demo mainly speaking with the systems on the central screen before I took the wheel…



Driving

Here’s exactly how to decode a Tesla badge. The number, 90 in this case, refers to the capability of the battery in kWh. The higher the number the bigger the range. The D means double Motor, so four wheel drive. The P denotes a performance model, those with the high performance drive inverter. finally having the whole badge underlined indicates this design has the Ludicrous mode, a further enhancement to the electronics as well as wise fuse that enables an even bigger present draw for the utmost performance.

As long as you have the crucial with you the cars and truck just needs a press of the brake pedal to find to life. No button to press even.

Everything you’ve heard abut the Tesla acceleration is true. This variety topping P90DL with its gargantuan 713 lb-ft of torque does 0-60 in mind blowing 2.8 seconds. You’ll have to spend some severe money to get anywhere close to that in an exotic supercar as well as it’s nigh on impossible to discover in another 4 door saloon.

With a few taps of the touchscreen the test cars and truck was set to software application limit itself as well as emulate the performance of the entry level 60/75. right here the 0-60 time rises to 5.5 seconds, that’s still truly quick by a lot of cars and truck standards.

Our cars and truck rode on those stunning 21″ turbine alloys as well as common (non-air) suspension. It felt excellent as well as cornering was flat from that famously low centre of gravity. Coming from an automatic we had ‘Creep’ enabled which makes the cars and truck roll slowly as soon as you lift your foot off the brake pedal.

Brake regen felt pretty aggressive over the very first couple of miles however by the end of the test drive I was already well into that ‘one pedal’ driving mode, only needing to touch the brakes in the last few metres of a total dead stop.

Autopilot

We had a quick demo of the Autopilot function on a well marked two lane ring-road. Shorty after it was enabled a cars and truck occurred to emerge from a side entry in front of us as well as the cars and truck appropriately responded by breaking to prevent it whilst steering around the bend.

While every cars and truck has the hardware onboard for Autopilot as standard, it’s one more function you’ll have to pay to unlock.

The recent unfavorable publicity surrounding AP as well as the people videoing themselves miss-using it threatens to spoil it for the rest of us. I can quickly see legislation coming that will make it much tougher for Tesla as well as others to bring these interesting new features as well as iterative enhancements to individuals as swiftly in the future. as well as thats particularly a pity as the Tesla fleet is currently adding 3 million miles of understanding each day to the hive mind.

How Much

And so to the thorny problem of cost. even that new entry level 60kWh version of the S starts at around £54,000 (before incentives). however that’s not the whole story. There are a number of optional extras that you’ll most likely want to add to this as well as they make a considerable difference to the price. right here are some examples.

Dual motor / All Wheel Drive – £4,400

21″ Wheel upgrade – £3,900

Premium Upgrades bundle – £2,600

Autopilot comfort features – £2,200

Smart Air Suspension – £2,200

Next Generation Seats – £2,200

Glass Panoramic roofing – £1,300

High Power charger – £1,300

Multi coat paint – £1,300

Metallic paint – £850

Carbon Fibre interior – £850

Adding just 3 of those choices can raise the base cost by over 20%, although that’s not uncommon in this sector. The ‘Premium Upgrades Package’ adds a great deal of features including the new HEPA air filter system with Biodefence mode from the design X in addition to 3 setting LED turning (aka adaptive) lights, LED fog lights, Power liftgate, Lighted door handles, Interior accent lighting, Smartphone dock as well as Alcantara accents.

DON’T MISS: Opinion: Is the Tesla design 3 the Tipping point for the EV

Our Tesla person told us a lot of people selected a PCP offer as its the least expensive method to get behind the wheel. On the exact same 60kWh design a 36 month contract with a 10,000 mile per year allowance will set you back the thick end of £30K over the three years, walking away with nothing at the end however complimentary to upgrade to the current tech. If you’re in the lucky setting to be able to pay for that then I’d state there’s no much better 4 door saloon I’ve ever seen.

The Model 3 will supply a less costly entry into the interesting futuristic world of  Tesla. Although judging by those extras above (even with a reduction factored in for the 3 range) it has the prospective to be much a lot more costly cars and truck when purchasers plump for just a few of those optional, however desirable, upgrades.

Petrol heads Verdict?

I had a chat with a few fellow petrol head friends after the test drive. A minority of them see the future as I do, the majority do not. You see even with this lovely styling, leading innovation as well as extraordinary performance there’s still a major missing element for the enthusiast – the noise of a excellent engine.

While I believe this will always be an problem for our generation, my youngsters will most likely not miss what they’ve never had. For me its an simple moral decision to forgo the noise for the environment.

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Get the Knowledge

I have to admit that my preliminary rate of interest in Tesla was a lot more for its tech than its eco-friendly credentials, however I’ve discovered its been a bit of a gateway medication that’s led to a craving for a lot more understanding on the subject of sustainable energy.

There’s so much equine manure surrounding electric cars and trucks as well as renewable energy. much of the popular opinion on these islands seems to come from enjoying a specific BBC TV series. While I took pleasure in it as much as the next man, lots of still don’t seem to realise the Clarkson age top gear was a light entertainment show, as well as not a factual cars and truck evaluation series.

If you’re truly thinking about reading a lot more on the subject I can heartily suggest the book  “Sustainable energy – Without the hot Air” by the late David J. C. MacKay. I gotten a 2nd hand copy from Amazon for under £10 as well as there’s this complimentary PDF version offered too. Be alerted though, it will make you feel guilty in your Diesel SUV.

Final Thoughts

Our Tesla expert was courteous as well as experienced as well as there was absolutely no difficult sell. personnel are not on compensation as well as Musk has said…

Their goal as well as the sole metric of their success is to have you take pleasure in the experience of checking out so much that you look ahead to returning again.

A welcomed modification from the typical cars and truck getting experience then. As I walked away from the hotel with our nice free design S print, I had a nagging feeling the drive house in my ICE cars and truck was going to feel quite 19th century.

I wasn’t wrong.

www.Tesla.com  :  Tesla design 3 :  Our BMW i3 Review

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Last update on 2021-10-04 / affiliate links / pictures from Amazon product marketing API

If the term “design royalty” has ever used to anyone, it is certainly India Hicks. In addition to being the granddaughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten (Britain’s last Viceroy in India) as well as godchild of prince Charles, the onetime design as well as longtime Ralph Lauren muse is likewise the offspring of famed interior decorator David Hicks. now a successful businesswoman as well as mom of three young boys, London-born Hicks shown almost a decade back that style skill ran in the household when she as well as her partner, David Flint Wood, purchased as well as renovated a five bedroom beach home on Harbour Island, the laid-back Bahamian haven where they likewise run The Landing, a shop hotel as well as restaurant.

The exact same unwinded method that Hicks espoused in 2004’s Island Life (Stewart, Tabori as well as Chang) is on likewise screen in her second book, Island charm (Stewart, Tabori as well as Chang), her guide to looking as well as feeling good. A well-balanced, chemical-free existence is likewise the viewpoint behind her new partnership with venerable British seller Crabtree & Evelyn: a 19-product, botanically based skincare line properly named Naturals.

House & Home: What do you like many about your home?

India Hicks: Its sunny element as well as the truth that the edges have been knocked off by wet, sandy dogs as well as kids running madly about.

H&H: exactly how would you explain your personal style?

IH: The act of meaning disqualifies it. The ramification of style is that it’s innate as well as not contrived.

H&H: What’s your preferred colour scheme?

IH: warm neutrals such as sandy beige, eggshell white as well as dove grey. A well-tried technique for discovering interior colour concepts is to focus on one object, photo or material as a starting point as well as establish a plan around it. With strong shades you can only utilize one third of the colour spectrum as well as at many two thirds with subtler hues.

H&H: Do you gather anything?

IH: I really try to throw away much more than collect.

H&H: What’s your concept of the ideal getaway?

IH: A weekend with good friends full of witty conversation, gentle gossip as well as great country cooking at my mother’s country home in Oxfordshire, England. On Sunday morning, a long horseback trip or a jog, complied with by all the weekend newspapers we so dearly miss in our island existence.

H&H: What country or culture influences you best now?

IH: Cuba. It’s still so raw as well as untouched. I like enjoying a drink at the Floridita as well as dining in one of the paladares. as well as I never miss the Tropicana nightclub, where I when saw a three-legged canine in the cabaret!

H&H: What’s your concept of a ideal night out?

IH: Seeing a great film on a large screen complied with by a Chinese meal — two things I can’t get on Harbour Island.

H&H: Whose personal style do you many admire?

IH: [The late] C.Z. Guest, the Rajmata of Jaipur as well as Sienna Miller.

H&H: Do you have a trick indulgence?

IH: Typex — or, as you phone call it in Canada, liquid Paper.

H&H: What’s the very best gift you’ve ever received?

IH: A trip on the Concorde with an admirer.

H&H: name three people (living or deceased) that you’d like to have at a dinner party.

IH: Kirstie Alley, Jawarhalal Nehru as well as writer Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen).

H&H: What’s your meaning of beauty?

IH: inner peace.

H&H: What one product couldn’t you online without at home?

IH: A king-size featherbed with my partner in it.

H&H: surface this sentence: I feel many comfortable when…

IH: … my underclothing fits.

H&H: What gets you out of bed in the morning?

IH: Life.

Our pals at Aukey have come up with some a lot more goodies for you this month.

We have 2 of each of these 10 items to give away in the competition below, and there are discount voucher so everyone else can get hold of a bargain for a limited time too. just click through using the links below and use the codes to get hold of the discount. Hurry because they expire on the 30th April 2017.

Aukey USB C Hub with HDMI, VGA & Ethernet

Take £20 Off the Aukey USB C Hub with HDMI, VGA & Ethernet.
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Aukey LED Gaming Keyboard

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Aukey 10,050mAh Power bank USB Battery

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Aukey 7 color LED Aroma Diffuser

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Aukey 8W LED desk Lamp with 3 lighting Modes

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Aukey Bluetooth FM transmitter Wireless automobile Kit

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Aukey 20,000mAh Power bank USB Battery

Take £6 Off the Aukey Power bank 20000mAh, 2 Output Ports (2.4A max each) + 1 Lightning Input + 1 Micro USB Input
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Aukey 20W Bluetooth 4.0 speaker with enhanced Bass

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Competition

For a chance to win one of the units we’re giving away simply Like the Automated Home Facebook page then comment on this post so we can see you.

You need to complete both steps in buy to enter. The competition is open to any individual with a UK postal address and closes at midnight on 30th April 2017. check out full T&C here and good Luck!

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Last update on 2021-10-04 / affiliate links / images from Amazon product advertising API

After two years of marriage, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden have finally gotten a house together — a modest $2.178 million pad in L.A.’s studio City neighborhood. built in 1964, the 2,483-square-foot home is tucked behind gates with a spacious motor court and canyon views. Inside, an indoor-outdoor aesthetic is complemented with sleek, contemporary style. Click through to excursion the luxurious space.

A spacious driveway fronts the all-white façade of this four-bedroom and four-bathroom home.

The terrific room has expansive windows and doors that create flow between the indoors and outdoors.

A marble-clad fireplace grounds the sitting area, helping create division between the living and dining room.

No celebrity home is complete without a chef’s kitchen. this one comes with a waterfall island that’s best for hosting A-list get togethers.

While the home’s palette is is kept mostly light, the powder room is much moodier.

Like the terrific room, the master suite also has an indoor-outdoor vibe with an expansive window using canyon views.  

Access to the backyard can also be found through the master bath, where marble countertops and a glass shower offer a luxe, spa-like feel. 

While small in size, the second bedroom is bright and airy thanks to pot lights and a tall window.

Another shower room is kept modest in design. 

Like the rest of the house, the office has an abundance of natural light and a killer view. 

Sprawling grounds surround the large, tulip-shaped outdoor pool.

Just look at that view!

CNET held an interesting smart home discussion during last weeks CES. The panel was made up of industry insiders from SmartThings, Amazon Echo, Google home and August Locks.

Amazons Echo seemed to be all over at this years CES and it’s made a substantial impact in the smart home world in a relatively short space of time.

Meanwhile Apple are still tooling around trying to get the basics together years after the launch of HomeKit. Alexa looks set to eat Siri’s lunch in the home assistant market at this point.

The panelists see 2017 as the year that the starting point cost will come down to “less than $100” as smart home devices are going to be embedded into products you’re already buying.

SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson revealed that his company sees evidence of the smart home moving past the hobbyist market and becoming much more widespread…

“We’ve seen a transition in the numbers that indicate the relocation from early adopter to mainstream.”

Of course there are still may challenges ahead. securing the smart home, putting consumers first and allowing data sharing. Mike George, VP of Amazon Alexa / Echo said…

“The experience we create for a consumer has to abstract the complexity away”

The good news is that these panelists see the strength in collaborating. At last realising that the entire smart home industry benefits when integration is easy, rather than jealously protecting their own locked in part of it.

IoTivity and the open Connectivity foundation got a mention and CEO of August Locks Jason Johnson said…

“[in 2016] IP became the common language. all of our systems talk to each other in then Cloud, and we’ve found that talking IP in the Cloud has become the way for these devices and systems to talk to each other.”

The video below is well worth viewing its entirety (especially if you not seen the home automation scene from Mr Robot) but you can click here to skip to around 42:10 for the section on data sharing with IP in the cloud.

Check out our home Automation in the Cloud post from 2015 below…

Will The Cloud be the Integrator in the sky to save home Automation?

CNET smart home :  iotivity.org

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Here’s one modern man (seems like a kind of Tony Stark in training) thinking about how to automate some aspects of his morning routine.

As many of you know, I am in the middle of an extremely rigid and meathead focused workout and diet routine while I pursue my next Life list item. As such, I have had a lot of time and energy to work on more intellectual pursuits. In addition to working on my upcoming book, I have been obsessing over home automation and efficiency. As you can see in this week’s video, phase 1 is complete. It has been a fun and nerdy process.

lifelisted.com

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one of the challenges that come with moving into a new house is how to fill all the new and in some cases awkward spaces you did not have before. For the past eleven months, I have been trying to fill such a space.

This nook is a shallow and tall corner somewhere in between the front hallway and the kitchen, and is also visible from the guest bedroom.

These three candlesticks from Restoration Hardware do the trick. They are thin, tall, and fit into the space perfectly. They’ve been a conversation piece for guests, and much more importantly, my husband likes them!

As you can see from these photos, this condo is a blank slate for decorating. stay tuned for much more updates along the way!

For another awkward corner solution, read Kai Ethier’s blog post.

Photo credits:1-2. Holly PeateTop image: Florentine carved wood Candlesticks, Restoration Hardware

When it comes to holiday decorating, I tend to take a less is more attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I love the season and the holidays but I tend to think that we all spend so much time perfecting our homes throughout the year, so it’s important that the original design intention still shines through. lots of candlelight, natural boughs and branches, twinkly lights and a roaring fire are my favourite holiday additions.

Here a few ideas I stumbled on that struck a chord for me:

A small faux white tree set on a rusty painted cart is a perfect addition to an artistic, all-white small space. No ornaments needed!

A white stoneware jug filled with snowberries and encircled with pine cones makes a pretty centerpiece in paired-back white dining room.

This shot of the stunning stone fireplace in the bedroom at designer Jill Kantelberg’s country home was one of our bestselling holiday covers ever. It’s such a stunning room that all it needs is a roaring fire, lush greenery lining the mantel and a red throw that plays off of the warm red colour in the gingham wing chairs.

I’ll be honest, I am not a big fan of e-cards (they’re way too forgettable). I am way more excited to open up a gorgeous Christmas card from my mailbox, and a painted bulletin board is an easy way to show them off. I love this idea for a family home. paired with sparkly accessories like a crystal ball, silver candlesticks, and a three-dimensional star, it creates a simple but pretty holiday vignette.

A small gold cup full of faux silver dollar branches makes a perfect table setting accent. sometimes just a bit of sparkly gold is all you need. small and delicate goes a long way.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is this massive holiday centerpiece seen in a modern home. organic is always the way to go in a neutral space, although, I’ll admit, this is a tad too big as a centerpiece on a dining table. The guests wouldn’t be able to see each other while dining! but it would be impressive in the middle of a buffet table.

Lighting is the best way to create a magical holiday effect. I love that Sarah Richardson hung these glowing wicker balls in the trees surrounding her country home when we shot it last winter. set amongst the snowy landscape, it looked totally ethereal. Martha Stewart did the same thing at Turkey Hill, too.

Candles and soft lighting also go a long way in a small city backyard. Here, in our November 2010 issue, Morgan Michener nestled an old-fashioned glass lantern into a windowbox to welcome guests with a warm flicker. and to the right, ice lanterns made by pouring water into buckets create a soft glow with tealights placed inside. They would look gorgeous on an outdoor table surrounded with freshly fallen snow. If you have a clear view to a backyard or balcony, you can dress up the outside of your house in holiday decor — big impact without overtaking the inside of your house.

A classic birdbath takes on a whole new life in the wintertime wrapped in dried vines and twinkly lights.

Even simple tin lanterns paired with a bucket full of branches and an urn full of boughs creates a gorgeous effect on a rooftop balcony.

I love the simplicity of this giant wreath set atop a stack of wood for a relaxed and rustic decorating hit.

For more festive ideas, see our Designers’ holiday decorating tips photo gallery.

Photo credits:1. Kim Davies’ home, gap Interiors, photography by Robin Stubbert2. Heather Shaw’s home, house & home November 2009 issue, photography by Stacey Brandford3. Jill Kantelberg’s home, house & home November 2003 issue, photography by Stacey Brandford4. house & home November 2007 issue, photography by Nina Teixeira5. house & home December 2008 issue, photography by Tracy Shumate6. house & home November 1997 issue, photography by George Whiteside7. house & home November 2010 issue, photography by Michael Graydon8. house & home November 2010 issue, photography by Donna Griffith9. house & home December/January 2001 issue, photography by Ted Yarwood10. house & home November 1999 issue, photography by Rob Fiocca11. house & home November 2005 issue, photography by Michael Alberstat