Smart home must-have means no more burly-man-with-parcel-knocks-on-door-as-you're-on-the-loo misery
We've all been there - eagerly awaiting a delivery, but resigned to missing it as, for some reason, your boss doesn't understand that waiting at home for your latest crop of fishing tech to arrive is a valid excuse for working from home. But, those days could soon over.
Our homes are getting more and more connected, be it the kettle in our kitchen or the bulbs in our lights, but this is the first time we've seen a postbox that connects to the World Wide Web.
Designed by a crafty Irish startup, the ParcelHome unit will sit outside your house and accept deliveries while you're out and about. You'll even get a text when your gear has arrived, handy.
But, how does it work? Well, when you get a delivery from one of the supported services - that's DHL Parcel, DPD and GLS to begin with - the courier will be able to open the box with the ParcelHome app, safely store your goods, and you'll be alerted to their arrival. When you get home, use the app again to unlock and you're all set.
There's even a built-in pair of scales so it can be used for item returns aswell, letting you thankfully ditch that trudge to the Post Office, and it can print proof of delivery receipts.
Now, we've got to admit that this isn't the slickest looking postbox we've ever set our eyes upon. It's a little on the 'beige' side, but the idea itself certainly makes sense. And, anything has got to be safer than leaving your sparkling new pair of running trainers 'around the back, by the garage'.
We might be waiting a while to get our hands on one though. Initial trials will be run in Belgium, with a further UK rollout expected after. There's no word on pricing yet either, but we're not expecting it to come cheap.
amazing 