4 nifty digital tools that you’ll want for every DIY project

If you’ve ever needed a good view of what’s going on inside your drain or broken washing machine, or want to find something you lost behind the wardrobe, you’ll know it’s not easy. An inspection camera is the solution to your problems. Simply use the small camera head to photograph the places you can’t see – and get a glimpse inside even the tiniest pipes and spaces. With the UniversalInspect, you can view the colour photos directly on the display. Or for an even better contrast, switch to the device’s black-and-white mode; it’ll even give you a clear view in water. The device also comes with a mirror, hook and mini magnet – all useful gadgets to help you look for and locate lost items. And once the camera’s memory card is full, it’s easy to transfer the photos to your computer using a MicroSD card.

So, you want to mount a new shelf on the wall? Then you can’t avoid drilling. But before you start, you need to know what exactly is behind the wall – and be aware of any metal pipes, wooden substructures and live cables. Without X–ray vision, this is pretty much impossible – unless you have a digital detection device like the UniversalDetect, that is. If, for example, you want to check whether there are any electric cables in the place you want to start drilling, simply select the corresponding mode on the device. The LED light will show you whether it’s safe or not: a green light means nothing has been detected. And thanks to a built-in marking aid, you can simultaneously mark up the place you want to drill. If the light turns yellow, it means a signal was found; while red is a clear sign that something has been detected and you should find somewhere else to drill.

Whether you’re putting up wallpaper, sticking masking tape to the wall before painting, or hanging pictures on the wall and want them equal distance apart – a cross-line laser can make all these DIY tasks a breeze. With a touch of a button, the Bosch Quigo projects one horizontal and one vertical line on to the wall. The Quigo Plus can also show you distances – so you can position pictures and other items evenly apart. Now you can align your bathroom tiles, wall decorations or even banisters without breaking a sweat.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to measure distances easily, at the touch of a button – instead of dealing with the cumbersome ruler or tape measure? Welcome to the future of measuring: with Bosch’s Zamo laser rangefinder, measuring anything from ceiling heights to the size of rooms and general distances of up to 20 metres couldn’t be easier.