Olivia Lin

Olivia Lin

Vancouver

Tech journalist covering smart home, wearables, and consumer electronics. Former editor at TechCrunch.

Articles by Olivia Lin

Celmin Weekly · June 19, 2026

Celmin Weekly · June 19, 2026

This week on Celmin: smart blinds, sleep tech, kitchen gear, and home audio — honest reviews and buying guidance for Canadian shoppers.

Mansnix Smart Blinds: Measuring and Install Fundamentals
Smart Home

Mansnix Smart Blinds: Measuring and Install Fundamentals

The Mansnix Smart Blinds sit in a very specific corner of the smart-home market: motorized blackout roller shades for people who want the convenience of remote-controlled blinds without drilling brackets into the wall. That matters, because most "smart blinds" are really one of two things: ex...

Is the Crustello Useful or Just Another Connected Appliance?
AI & Robotics

Is the Crustello Useful or Just Another Connected Appliance?

The Crustello sits in an odd but increasingly real category: the smart baking gadget that is not trying to knead, mix, or bake anything for you. Instead, it is focused on one narrow, frustrating part of breadmaking — fermentation timing. If you have ever looked at a bowl of dough and wondered...

Smart Sprinkler System Explained: Setup, Sensors, and What to Expect
Guides

Smart Sprinkler System Explained: Setup, Sensors, and What to Expect

A smart sprinkler controller sits in one of the more practical corners of the smart-home world. It is not there for novelty. It is there to stop your lawn and garden from being watered like the weather never changes. Instead of blindly following the same timer every Tuesday and Friday, this type ...

Is the Mdavo Mesh Screen with Magnetic Closure a Weekend Win or a Drawer Filler?
AI & Robotics

Is the Mdavo Mesh Screen with Magnetic Closure a Weekend Win or a Drawer Filler?

The Mdavo Mesh Screen with Magnetic Closure sits in a very practical corner of the home-improvement world: the low-commitment screen-door add-on for people who want airflow without inviting every mosquito in the neighbourhood inside. It is not a permanent storm door, not a custom-fitted retra...

Eight Sleep Pod Cover: How a Temperature-Control Mattress Actually Works
Climate & Comfort

Eight Sleep Pod Cover: How a Temperature-Control Mattress Actually Works

The Eight Sleep Smart Mattress Cover sits in a fairly unusual corner of the sleep-tech market. It is not a mattress, not a topper in the usual foam sense, and not just another sleep tracker trying to turn your bed into a dashboard. It is better understood as a temperature-control layer fo...

Townew T1: The Honest Math on Refill Bag Costs
Smart Home

Townew T1: The Honest Math on Refill Bag Costs

The Townew T1 Self-Sealing Smart Trash Can sits in a slightly odd corner of the home-gadget market: the "smart" trash can that tries to solve a very specific annoyance. Not smell in general, and not recycling, and not kitchen organization. Its pitch is simpler than that. When the bag is full,...

Is the Razer Project AVA a Toy, a Gadget, or a Tiny Assistant?
AI & Robotics

Is the Razer Project AVA a Toy, a Gadget, or a Tiny Assistant?

The Razer Project AVA sits in a strange but increasingly real category: the AI desk companion that is meant to be more than a chatbot window and more theatrical than a smart speaker. It is not just software on your monitor, and it is not a conventional desktop assistant either. Razer is frami...

Swippit Hub Phone Charging System Explained: Features That Matter for Living-Room Life
Smart Home

Swippit Hub Phone Charging System Explained: Features That Matter for Living-Room Life

The Swippit Hub Phone Charging System sits in a fairly unusual category: not a normal wireless charger, not a battery bank, and not quite a docking station either. It is a countertop phone-power system built around one big promise — instead of waiting for your iPhone to recharge, you swap in ...

Is the YISHU 6ft Surge Protector Power Strip 8 Outlets the Audio Fix You Actually Need?
AI & Robotics

Is the YISHU 6ft Surge Protector Power Strip 8 Outlets the Audio Fix You Actually Need?

The YISHU 6ft Surge Protector Power Strip 8 Outlets sits in a very unglamorous but genuinely useful category: the power strip that tries to solve three annoyances at once. It gives you more AC outlets, adds USB charging on the side, and uses a flatter plug and longer cord so it can fit behind...

Norby Robot: The Desk Companion Overview You Won't Get from Marketing
AI & Robotics

Norby Robot: The Desk Companion Overview You Won't Get from Marketing

The Norby Robot sits in an interesting corner of the AI-companion world because it is not really aimed at the usual desk-toy buyer first. On paper, this is a physical AI voice robot built for storefronts, hotel counters, car dealerships, trade-show booths, and other public-facing spaces w...

Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Explained: Sensors, Schedules, and Real-World Comfort
Climate & Comfort

Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Explained: Sensors, Schedules, and Real-World Comfort

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced sits in the part of the smart-home market that tends to promise the most while looking the least exciting. It is not a flashy gadget. It is a wall thermostat. But it is also the control point for one of the most expensive systems in your home: heating and ...