Tipic's Tul?r kitchen for Offmat features a counter made from a quartz composite that has a number of technologies built into the stone. The counter includes a sink with a base that sits flush with the top when not in use to make it seem like part of the surface. A motion sensor is embedded under the surface of the stone, and is activated by waving a hand over it. This triggers the base to lower and the tap to activate automatically. Further gestures can be used to control the temperature and flow of the water.

Australia-based Chinese daigous, or professional shoppers, have helped put sales of Australian baby food, cosmetics, vitamins, honey, Ugg boots and other products on the map in China. Companies such as Blackmores, Bellamy, Dairy Farmers, Good Health, Bambi and Ugg boots are benefitting from thousands of Chinese in Australia who have become professional shoppers for consumers in mainland China. Daigous are small business people, including international students and stay at home mums, who buy products and sell them back into the Chinese consumer market.

You can be creative with the Luxmy augmented reality app. TestFit visualises Luxmy designer furniture in your home or office space. The app is free for you to download and uses the camera of your smartphone. You just point the camera at the space you wish to furnish then tap on different products to visualise them in that space. Multiple pieces can be shown and tested out in the space simultaneously. http://www.luxmyfurniture.com.au/app-2/

A new San Francisco law effective in January 2017 states that all new buildings must use solar energy technology. The legislation covers new buildings 10 stories tall or less, according to The Guardian. While smaller California cities have enacted mandatory solar heating regulations, San Francisco is the first large city to do so. As the home location of many entrepreneurs and investors, it's setting itself up as an urban demonstration project and many of the green technologies developed in northern California will find a local market keen to reap the environmental benefits.

Airtasker is a platform for you to outsource tasks by finding and hiring flexible staff in minutes. Tasks include handyman services, house cleaning, pick up and delivery, IT support and garden maintenance. It's free to post your task and there's no obligation to hire. www.airtasker.com

Castle is a startup offering a simple platform covering the main aspects of property management - listing, marketing, rent collection and maintenance When a property is listed on Castle it's immediately marketed on online property sites. Prospective tenants can instantly book viewings, and these are handled by freelance, on-demand staff who show properties or organise maintenance. Instead of a percentage of the rent Castle charges owners a reasonable flat fee per month.