Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sponsored threads

This topic is for sponsored discussions. If you'd like to run one with us, please email [email protected].

MNHQ

Try Flora's Handy new tool and let us know what you think - you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher. NOW CLOSED

66 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 13/12/2013 10:01

Flora have just released a new browser based video player, Handy, that lets you control YouTube videos with a wave of a hand and they've asked us to find out what Mumsnetters' think of it.

Here's what Flora have to say: "Whipping up a storm and having fun in the kitchen is has just become even easier, thanks to the arrival of our new recipe player; Handy by Flora. Using specially designed gesture-control technology, Handy by Flora lets you pause, play and rewind any video you can find on YouTube with a simple wave of the hand."

Head to www.handybyflora.com, making sure you’re using a laptop with a webcam, copy the YouTube URL of the video you want to follow and get started.

So, what do you think of Handy? Did you find it easy to use? Would you find it useful for playing and following recipe videos? What other gadgets would you like to make baking easier?

Whatever you think about Handy, Flora would love to hear about it.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £200 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your comments may be included on Flora's social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

PS - Handy by Flora is free to use and currently works on laptops through Chrome browsers only. There are plans to support other devices and web browsers soon.

OP posts:
lorka · 18/12/2013 19:21

Not able to try out though as I have safari but it sounds like a great idea. I often use my phone to look up recipe ideas. Grin

Fairylea · 18/12/2013 19:29

Great idea in theory but I found it all a massive faff. Just as quick to wipe a finger on a tea towel and carry on as normal. Sorry !

atomicYuleLoghurt · 18/12/2013 19:58

What a great idea! No more gunk on my screen!

Snoozie101 · 18/12/2013 21:24

It needs to work with tablets not laptops as most people have these in preference now.

daisydaisy11 · 18/12/2013 21:58

Nice idea -great not to have to touch laptop when cooking -shame we get no wifi in our kitchn!

boptanana · 18/12/2013 22:05

Good idea in theory but would be more useful on iPad or iPhone as I have very little work surface to spare in kitchen. I found the controls a bit temperamental but this may have been my webcam.

teenagetantrums · 18/12/2013 23:29

that big hand is a bit scary, a good idea that does not work that well, although teenage girl liked it more than i did.

Cherryjellybean · 19/12/2013 07:52

Neither laptops have google chrome in our house otherwise I would have loved to have tried it!
I usually get written recipes on my phone and loads of gloop normally gets on there. So I love the idea!

VivaLeBeaver · 19/12/2013 08:26

Its easy to use and would be ideal for cooking if it worked on iPads. I use my ipad as my recipe book so usually have it in the kitchen when cooking. Don't really have the space when I'm cooking with stuff everywhere for my laptop.

flamingtoaster · 19/12/2013 09:35

Great idea. I haven't ever used videos in the kitchen but this would make it more likely that I would. My daughter who is slowly expanding her culinary skill really liked it. I think Flora may have found the answer to getting teenagers and young adults to cook! Would be fantastic for craft or DIY videos too.

SnowyMouse · 19/12/2013 11:13

It wasn't as responsive to the gestures as I would have liked. Good idea though.

OhYouMerryLittleKitten · 19/12/2013 11:18

I wish I could use it on my ipad :( laptops are way too big for the kitchen.

RemoteControlGeekToyOfTheYear · 19/12/2013 11:36

My laptop lives in our kitchen diner, and DP is itching to try this out with a recipe. We've just had a brilliant few minutes where I introduced him to the hand gestures!

I've also used this for a hair style tutorial this morning because I have found that I can get the video to play/pause by moving my head instead of my hands, meaning I can have both hands occupied with pins/curlers/clips etc and still control the video.

Inadvertent movements do unfortunately trigger the play/pause functions so will have to wait and see how it fares when DP cooks something later, and moves around the kitchen to do so.

butterflymum · 19/12/2013 12:54

Another one in the....."oops, arghhhh, nooooo....quick, get me a cloth, there's a splodge of cake mix flown off my hand and onto the screen..." camp.

Maybe a special, clear but protective cover to place over the laptop first, that doesn't stop the webcam working or obscure the view of the screen, could be offered as a promotional freebie to promote the Handy service.

Novel idea in first place, though, just needs some tweeking.

breatheslowly · 19/12/2013 18:28

It's a nice idea, but I don't seem to be able to get it to work reliably. However I generally use written recipes - book or internet, not videos and I have no desire to change to video recipes. Wouldn't this be more appropriate for those with limited literacy?

I tend to use my laptop to listen to the radio or watch on demand TV while I cook.

Linfer · 19/12/2013 20:23

Great idea, would not have occurred to me before to use video recipes. But like many others have said, I would much prefer this on a tablet as that is what I take into the kitchen too. My laptop is far too big and clunky for my tiny kitchen space.

MmeCinqAnneauxDor · 20/12/2013 11:40

Good idea, but I don't have space in the kitchen for a laptop. It would have to work on iPad for me to use it.

snorris · 20/12/2013 13:47

Nice idea but I got frustrated with it very quickly. In order to get it to play I found my movement had to be very slow and precise, it took several attempts to pause it and I couldn't get it to rewind at all. Maybe it's me/my laptop but it would have been quicker to find a recipe and write it out by hand! Wink.

My kitchen isn't really big enough to accommodate a laptop either so even if I could get it to work I doubt I would use it tbh.

SaltySeaBird · 20/12/2013 19:02

It really is a great idea and the website and presentation of it is very polished.

However, I don't have room on the kitchen worktop for my laptop and I would never follow a recipe along on YouTube live in that manner.

My laptop isn't working at the moment after toddler related accident and I won't get one until the new year so I've been unable to test it with a webcam but I do think anything like this needs to be mobile device compatible.

Top marks for ingenuity and presentation though!

MoogDroog · 21/12/2013 22:29

I love the idea of this. Love it. However, it doesn't work on my ipad. Tells me to try on a desktop instead - there's no way I'm wheeling that monstrousity into the kitchen!

VirtuallyThere · 25/12/2013 23:09

it sounds great. I couldn't try it on my laptop though as it doesn't work on safari.

FrankAndFurt · 29/12/2013 01:35

Great idea in theory but why not just put cling film over your laptop or ipad or whatever and use the usual controls. I am sorry but I wouldn't use it. Also, for the kabillion of us who are surgically attached to our iPads and other tablets, then it's no good.

Clingfilm is your friend Grin

Try Flora's Handy new tool and let us know what you think - you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher. NOW CLOSED
annieno1 · 29/12/2013 20:47

class idea

unquietmind · 29/12/2013 22:00

I do not risk laptop in the kitchen so would need to be able to use it on my webcam enabled tablet

unquietmind · 29/12/2013 22:01

I do not risk laptop in the kitchen so would need to be able to use it on my webcam enabled tablet