I don't know about *retractable* (as in automatically retracting using a spring), but you could get something that you manually wind the cord around (even if it's just a piece of cardboard w/ notches in each end). There's a rubber donut-shaped thing you could use (though it's sort of big for a small appliance; it might be best for the vacuum, as long as you can figure out how to attach it to the vacuum--a strip of elastic w/ a Velcro closure? There are small cord winders that you can buy--or that could inspire you to make a discreet one you can use for the small appliances. \ There are those rope cleats that might be useful for an undercabinet installation. And you could use them to inspire a cord winder as well. Here's another cord winder that sounds as if it's be a bit easier to use. these rubbery donut-shaped ones are only 2" across here's a cord winder that's basic--but very small, I think. I might inspire you to make one out of cardboard or foam board. Interestingly, that stores on the cord itself. You could maybe cut some slots in a cardboard one and slip the cord through, then wind the rest of the cord around it.

Drewem--My air switch is that nearly flush button seen in the foreground of my prep sink pic to the right of the faucet. It's simply a counter mounted electrical switch. In this case, it controls the GD. I chose to have one at my cleanup sink also instead of a wall mounted switch, which would have disrupted a little symmetry around the sink and been one more clutter point around which to tile. An air switch can also be used to control other items, like the light over your sink. Very handy; unobtrusive to your bs if your sink is on a wall; almost necessary if your sink doesn't have a wall behind it; and not horribly expensive. Good luck with your BA. Keep fighting for it! Sorry for the OT, p.ball.

"Ready to become a better cook?" is what it says on the site. WRONG!! Maybe they could ask if you want to throw a lot of money at technology that depends on your desires being "common" and eat better. But you're not learning to cook your common foods. You're learning to let a robot cook them. Wouldn't a normal countertop oven and scale -- generously call it $500 -- and a couple grand worth of cooking lessons really make you a better cook who can cook less common things, and can still cook at a friend's house without bringing the oven with? One assumes that the $3000 is for early adopter/robot fanboy, have to have it now types who want something just barely past prototype. When it comes down to $500 with mass production is time enough to talk.

Jo - The flower power maxes out at a 50% moisture reading so I would say that is normal. The logic is that if your moisture is over 50% then your plant is already over watered. It's quite accurate in my own gritty mixes (50-80% grit) but you need to keep it in the same pot because the sensor contact area is different from pot-to-pot/mix-to-mix. Some of my pots max out at 40% when watered fully and below 10% usually means the plants really should be watered. Best to look at the moisture trend rather than absolute value. The ideal moisture does depend on the plant. I let my pots dry out a little, but try to 'water the day before my plant needs it' or wilts/shows signs of drought stress. This helps optimize growth. Some plants are more forgiving that others to over watering, but you certainly can over water with a fast draining mix. Things like turface, pumice, and even perlite can hold a surprising amount of water. Keeping a gritty mix continuously saturated in cool weather can be deathly. Rina is absolutely correct about the ratio can be out of balance. My first batch of gritty not very suitable for my plants and I ended up having to repot everything a few weeks later because it just didn't work. My big tip is not to follow the general suggestions from the device but make your growing decisions based on the numbers/graphs/actual data. If possible! As for pH measurements, there are many different ways. You can do pour-thru (recommended) or other methods. Generally I find unless you have ingredients that really skew your pH, the overall pH trends toward your water's pH. Perhaps slightly a bit more acidic depending on your fertilizer. John - I think the reviews on Amazon aren't that great because a lot of people who buy them are confused/conflicted on what they want. One example is many reviewers ask for always-on wifi monitoring and complain that you have to be within bluetooth range for updates. Do people really need to-the-minute plant monitoring updates? Not really... yet they still bicker about it. It's not like every minute counts - there is usually plenty of time to make smart decisions when growing. Another common complaint is the price. Soil meters are easy to implement with Adruino, but getting a good PAR DLI meter plus EC and temperature in one package for $70 CAD (or less in USD) is actually pretty good. Getting a single data logging tool with just one of the four sensors costs a small fortune. There is no way a $70 device can really replace tens of thousands of hours of grower expertise. But in the right hands, a tool can be invaluable for expanding knowledge of the grower that uses it. There's nothing wrong with using an Adruino and I do have a Raspberry pi running all sorts of things for my home. I have done a lot of programming and have significant electronics/microelectronics/power systems/chemistry knowledge but still find Adruino hard to pick up. It's a whole other hobby on it's own. Regarding pH meters, I find they are just hard to maintain and store. You have to get the right storage solution and it constantly dries up so I have to keep topping it up. Otherwise it dries out and becomes useless. If you don't use it often then you need to mix up some calibration solution, adjust, and then test your medium. I would say my approach to growing/learning is pretty different from most people. In my line of work, full understanding of everything is paramount and things must be 100% correct with no exceptions. That carries over into my daily life and I'm a bit surprised my wife doesn't think I'm crazy. =) Different tools like the Flower Power, EC meter, pH meter, light meters, thermometers, and humidity gauges have all helped me along the way in becoming a much better grower in a fairly short period of time.