Yale HSA6400 Series
It’s true but sad to say that you only need to make your home look less appealing to any potential intruder than your neighbour and you should never take home security for granted – ask any victim of burglary. Expensive installations by specialist engineers are history. The Yale HSA6400 series comes in one tidy box with everything you need for self set up. The entire system is wireless and battery powered, including the external siren box.

The standard package comes with a siren box, one dummy box, two PIR sensors and two door/window contacts as well as control panel. The telecommunicating version will also phone you if the alarm is activated, up to a maximum of three telephone numbers, so you’ll always know if the alarm is set off! Batteries last for roughly 18 months to two years and you can add up to 20 devices to the system so you have complete control over the extent and range of your set up.

I found this very simple to install, easy to maintain and hassle free. The yellow Yale siren boxes can be seen from a distance and for an average price of £150, I can’t recommend this alarm system enough. You can even buy more complex versions, which include remote smartphone app operated CCTV PIR sensors so you can see inside your home if the alarm is triggered while you are away!

Generally, Yale offer a great range of home security options from alarms to home CCTV and smart locks. I recommended this system to relatives following a burglary next door last month and since then all three properties in the row have installed the Yale HSA6400.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10”
Tablets are increasing in popularity and I recently bought the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10”. Available in black or white and costing around £250 it offers excellent sound quality with speakers inbuilt either side, a slim housing, wide vibrant screen and the ability to increase storage via the inbuilt micro SD tray at the top.

1280 x 800 pixels, 1.2GHz and a 10 hour battery life mean not a day goes by without it being used or played on. Be careful though if you buy one or already have one – the rear plastic casing is slippery on cold hands and can be easily dropped by accident. The tablet is tough though – I dropped mine screen-down onto tiles a month ago having let it slip and there isn’t a single scratch or mark on it and it works perfectly.