By Adrian Justins
With views of the Atlantic Ocean to the front, a 13m swimming pool and its own jetty offering access to an intracoastal waterway to the rear, this contemporary Palm Beach estate in Florida is an aquatic idyll. It comprises a seven-bedroom house set in 0.4 acres of manicured grounds, with space for outdoor living and activity including a tennis court.
When it comes to making the most of the outdoor space the $59.9m property has to offer, there are some clever gadgets and tech toys on the market that can take the leg work out of manual tasks, enhance the ambience of social events and even improve your sporting technique. Here, we round up 10 of the best.
Ambrogio robot lawnmower, £2,999
The L250i Elite S+ robot lawnmower has a rechargeable battery that provides enough power for it to cut 5,000 sq m of grass in one go. The mower can teach itself the precise layout of your lawn, so no corners are cut, and will automatically return to its charging station when done. Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Home, it can react to voice commands from a smart home device.
Smart and Green Globe lamp, €224
There are 20 white LEDs and 15 coloured LEDs in this 50cm-diameter portable, rechargeable lamp. Using Bluetooth technology, lamps can be daisy-chained wirelessly to form a light trail up to a kilometre long. An app allows users to alter the colour and brightness, with each lamp lasting at least six hours between charges.
JBL waterproof speaker, £119.99
Wired connections and concerns about the weather are a thing of the past with this Flip 5 Bluetooth rechargeable 20W speaker. Its IPX7 waterproof rating means it can withstand the heaviest deluge of rain and can even be dropped three feet into the swimming pool and suffer no ill effects.
In/out tennis portable line call device, from $249
Not only does this tennis line call device put an end to disputes by beeping and flashing when a shot is out, it can make coaching recommendations by recording and analysing your play. You can buy one net device, which sits on the net and checks all the lines, but, for greater accuracy, further devices can be installed at the back of the court.
Eve Aqua smart sprinkler, €99.95
With the vocal assistance of Siri on an Apple smart device it is possible to command the Eve Aqua to start or stop watering the lawn, regardless of your location. Otherwise, an app lets you set or adjust watering schedules to keep your grass in tip-top condition.
Aquavision 65-inch Horizon television, £15,599
Outdoor televisions need higher brightness levels than those indoors and must be able to withstand the elements. The Horizon television is protected against water, dust, sand, moisture and insects, and you can hold cinema nights in temperatures between -40C and 110C.
Dolphin E30 pool cleaning robot, £1,049
Suitable for swimming pools up to 60 sq m, the E30 robotic cleaner has double brush and two-stage filter systems. It can be left unattended to clean the floor, walls and waterline of the pool including removing algae and bacteria. A human is required to empty the filter basket however.
Heatsail Dome Floor Lamp, £2,995
When chilly weather threatens to spoil alfresco evenings this elegantly styled floor lamp can provide warmth. It runs off electricity but is low powered, emanating infrared heat up to 5m from the aluminium hood. Although the lamp is rust and weatherproof, anchoring is recommended in high winds.
GoSun Chill cooler with solar panel, £619
Perfect for parties in the garden, this hybrid electric and solar powered cooler can be charged using mains power and, with the assistance of the sun’s rays, keep food and drinks chilled for 14 hours (at 27C). The integral power bank sports three USB ports for charging smartphones or other devices.
Netatmo Full Weather Station, £249.99
Check the weather before you plan that party. Displaying its readings on an app, this smart weather gauge forecasts and measures rainfall, wind speed, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. It can be programmed to send alerts to your device or trigger Hue smart lightbulbs in the house to change their colour when, for example, it starts raining or gets too cold to sunbathe.
