The 'connected home' and the technological extension of our senses are both trends that seem to be on the rise, just look at virtual house-sitter, Canary for example. Similarly, new device Spotter is as simple as it is ingenious: the sensor reacts to sound, temperature, motion, light and humidity, and communicates this data to the smart phone app via Wi-Fi where functionality and tasks can be modified remotely.

Spotter can detect and alert you when, for example, the soil in your plant pots gets dry, the washing machine finishes its cycle or the baby starts crying. Developed by Quirky and GE who began a partnership earlier this year, Spotter is one of the most consumer-friendly, home connecting devices currently on the market. While earlier devices have perhaps been too tech-y for most people, Spotter works intuitively and is easy to operate. With a cool design and user interface the app lets you dial between different commands so you'll always know what's going on at home while you're not there.