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Honomobo’s modular shipping container homes seem straight out of science fiction

In Ernest Cline’s wildly popular novel, Ready Player One, people have been reduced to living in mobile homes stacked 10 and 20 high, bolted together with little more than rivets and bubble gum. Now, a new Canadian company called
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Honomobo is promising to bring the flexibility of a stackable home to consumers without the scary dystopian future.

Though it only recently entered the market for highly efficient, repurposed shipping containers, Honomobo’s stackables are a fresh addition to a budding industry. To its credit, the upgrades the company puts into each container go well beyond a simple resurfacing.

Founders Devon Siebenga and Daniel Engleman launched their product with durability, aesthetic grace, and environmental sustainability in mind. These glass houses use modern technology, highly efficient heating and cooling systems and high-grade insulation to squeeze the best possible energy consumption out of each home. The company also worked hard to make the build process quick and clean — Honomobo builds its products in 10 to 12 weeks, with 95 percent of the construction done in a controlled environment, cutting the construction time by months. Furthermore, each unit comes completely solar ready.

They’re also wildly diverse in their applications. Many Honomobo containers are now primary residences, getaway cabins, and even multi-family homes, as the containers boast the ability to stack and attach to others. Technically, you could build a multi-unit apartment complex out of Honomobo units (stackable up to nine high) for a fraction of the cost of a traditionally constructed home. The units range in size from 200 sq. ft. to 1,380 sq. ft. and are virtually move-in ready. All the company requires is a foundation and utility service through a community’s public works department, traditionally arranged via a local contractor.

With the addition of new digital technology, smart-home devices, and IoT-capable devices, a smart and capable tinkerer has the option to build a new life in a futuristic, dystopian-free aquarium of their very own.

Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal…
This tiny smart puck can control your smart home without the need for mobile apps
The Linxura with four buttons on the screen.

My home is overrun with smart gadgets, and the main way I interact with them is through my smartphone. This is usually a robust way to control my gadgets, as my phone is never far from my side -- whether I need to toggle my smart lights, adjust my air purifier, or change the thermostat, my smartphone lets me tackle most of these tasks in a matter of seconds. However, having a physical button to perform these actions would certainly be preferred. Instead of diving into apps and wading through menus and automations, a physical controller would perform actions at the press of a button, much like a remote works for a TV.

That’s the idea behind the Linxura Smart Controller -- a disc-shaped object that lets you perform a long list of actions at the press of a button. After syncing it with your smart devices, you’ll no longer need your companion mobile apps. Just tap or double-tap its outer ring, and you can toggle hundreds of different products. I’ve been testing it out in my home, and while I think it’s a fun device, it falls short in a few areas. But if you’re craving a physical remote for your smart home, there’s good reason to take a closer look at the innovative gadget.
Simple, but tedious setup

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Get up to $500 off during Serta huge mattress sale on Perfect Sleeper Collection
Serta Perfect Sleeper huge mattress sale hero image

There are a lot of mattress companies out there, some new, some old, but none are more prevalent than Serta. Say what you will about the brand, but it knows how to make a damn good mattress. Case in point, the Perfect Sleeper Collection. This intelligently designed mattress not only offers pressure relief through zoned comfort and supportive memory foam but also promotes a balanced sleep temperature. Meaning, you'll never be too hot or too cold while sleeping on one of these bad boys. But here's why you really care, or should. Right now, through December 8, you can save up to $500 off select Perfect Sleeper mattresses from Serta thanks to a huge mattress sale. Getting $500 off a new mattress is nothing to scoff at, especially if you're in the market for a new one anyway.

 
Why you should shop the Serta Perfect Sleeper Collection huge mattress sale
I sleep hot. I'm basically a heater or a furnace, especially when I crawl under the covers. All of that heat just stays with me, circulating and keeping my entire body warm. It doesn't help that I also live in hot and humid Florida. So, anytime I get a chance to cool off or balance out those temperatures, I'm going to take it. The Perfect Sleeper mattress collection from Serta incorporates several temperature-controlled features. The X Hybrid mattress, for example, includes graphite-infused memory foam to promote heat distribution -- keeping you cooler throughout the night. Yes, please.

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The Echo Show 5 and Echo Pop have crazy discounts today
Artwork on the Amazon Echo Show 5 2023 edition.

When it comes to smart home devices, one of the best brands in the business is Amazon. Known for its multi-generation Echo device lineup, Amazon is no stranger to interactive speakers and displays that can give you recipe advice, play your favorite music, control smart home devices, and more. We see Amazon Echo deals all the time, including these two promos:

Right now, when you order the Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) through Amazon or Best Buy, you’ll only pay $50 ($90 at full price). There’s also a great discount on the Amazon Echo Pop, which is marked down to $18 from $40!
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) -- $50 $90 44% off

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