So this month I’ve spent a few dollars on some new things.

Redmi Watch 5 Active

I’ve had a couple of “smart” watches in the past, usually ones that have outlived the eco-system they were part of, so didn’t get the full experience with them.

This time, I got something current.

So far, I’m am impressed with the features of the watch, but frustrated at one thing – it does not talk with any apps except its own (MiFitness). So if you are wanting a watch that will talk direct to your favorite fitness app, this is not the watch for you. I tried it on Android and iOS, and no go on either. The MiFitness app does have a lot of options and functions but not to the extent of 3rd party apps.

Cost : $83NZD*

Tapo D210 Doorbell

Decided to spend a few dollars to up security and geekify the house a bit, and the first thing was a video doorbell.

The D210 has some good features, and comes with a dedicated AC powered doorbell chime, enabling you to hear the doorbell where you want. Obviously your phone/tablet will ring as well if someone pushes the button, but if for some reason you’re away from those devices, then at least you’ll hear it.

I was a bit spooked after an hour of playing with it, that the app reported battery usage on the doorbell was higher than usual – and the battery level had dropped 10% already – for a supposed 6 month battery life, this was bit of a concern. Found a few other people mentioning this as well in forums. However, watching the battery usage over the last few days, its remained steady and not dropping, so I think it may just be a firmware glitch. Will monitor.

Cost : $112NZD

Tapo C401 Kit

As mentioned above, the house needed some geekifying, and I got this kit at a very good price (thanks to my work discount).

Again, good features, good image quality and with the supplied solar panel, no worries about battery levels. The alarm on it, could be a little louder but for the size of the camera unit, understandable why they didn’t go for a larger speaker.

Cost : $112NZD*

* I get discounts on some items via my employer, this is the discounted price,so your pricing results may differ.