Apple’s HomePod smart speaker is finally here. If you bought one and are eager to get going, here’s how to set it up.
Whether you’re getting rid of a smarthome device in your house or just don’t want to use Alexa with it anymore, here’s how to remove a smarthome product from your Alexa account.
There are plenty of smart plugs out on the market, but if you want a decently cheap option that’s reliable, Eufy’s Smart Plug and Smart Plug Mini are worth checking out. Here’s how to set them up.
The Amazon Echo can do a lot of neat stuff, but its built-in features are just the tip of the iceberg. With third-party “Alexa Skills”, you can add further capabilities to the Echo, like adding events to your Google Calendar and even ordering pizza.
The Amazon Echo can be used as an alarm clock, but you may not have known that you can set up repeating alarms so that you don’t have to keep telling Alexa every night when to wake you up.
Amazon’s Echo Dot is one of the cheapest ways to get Alexa into your home, but if you have it just sitting on an end table without much fanfare, there are better, creative ways that you can mount it.
The Amazon Echo has had calling and messaging capabilities for a while now, but you can finally send text messages from your phone via your Echo using Alexa.
If you use your iPhone a lot at night, even the Night Shift feature can’t stop your screen from burning your eyes. Luckily, there’s a way to reduce the brightness of the screen even more than the lowest possible setting.
Ever wonder why it’s so difficult to repair a smartphone, computer, or game console yourself? It’s no accident: companies make them that way. But thanks to “Right to Repair” legislation, it could get a lot easier to tinker with your electronic toys.
If your Amazon Echo can’t hear you from the other room, or if you just want to control it when you’re away from home altogether, you can do so with the Amazon app (on iOS) or the Alexa app (on Android).
With iPhone owners rushing to get their batteries replaced, wait lists at the Apple Genius Bar have been getting longer and longer. But if you don’t want to wait, you can actually replace the battery yourself.
If you ever change your Wi-Fi password or the name of the network, you’ll also need to connect your Nest Secure security system to that new network. Luckily, it’s really easy.
Depending on how you have Nest’s Home/Away Assist feature set up, you might be receiving notifications to set you alarm even if you’re still home. Here’s how to fix it.
TP-Link’s Wi-Fi Smart Plug is a fairly popular option for those looking to turn lamps and fans on from their phones, especially since it’s regularly on sale and was even a part of Amazon’s Echo deals over the holidays. Here’s how to set it up.
The Amazon Echo works great as a bedside alarm clock, especially if you have an Echo Spot (which is pretty much targeted for that very purpose). However, if you’re worried that your alarm won’t go off when the Wi-Fi goes down, there’s actually nothing to worry about.
Apple Stores aren’t the only place where you can buy Apple products and get them serviced. There are tons of other stores that also offer a similar experience, which is great for those who live nowhere near an Apple Store.
The Nest Secure system comes with two Nest Detect devices, which are open/close sensors that can also act as motion detectors. They even have a small, motion-activated LED light (named Pathlight) that can light your way in a dark hallway. However, if that’s not something you need, you can disable Pathlight in the Nest app.
Handheld calculators don’t get as much love as they once did. That’s a damn shame, because they can be way more convenient than the calculator app on your computer.
For some people, a normal router works fine for their wireless needs. But if you have dead spots all around your house, you might benefit from a mesh Wi-Fi system, like the Eero. And even if you’re familiar with the Eero system, here are all the nifty things you can do with it that you may not have known about.
If you visit an Apple Store in the hopes of buying a new iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you have to talk to an Apple employee, since all the expensive products are kept in the back. However, if it’s just an accessory you want, you can buy it without actually interacting with anyone.
Both the Amazon Echo and Google Home have earned their place at the top of the smarthome hierachy, but which one should you buy?
The Nest Secure security system comes with two Nest Tags, which can be used to quickly arm and disarm the system. However, they can easily get lost, so here’s what you can do if that happens.
The Nest Secure has three different alarm settings: Off, Home, and Away. Here’s how to customize some of these settings to fit your needs.
By default, the Nest Guard (which acts as the main keypad for the Nest Secure security system) doubles as a motion sensor, and will sound the alarm if it detects motion. However, if you would rather just have it act as the keypad and nothing else, here’s how to disable the motion detection.
With the Nest Secure, you have a certain amount of time between arming your system and leaving the house, or between entering your home and disarming the system. Here’s how to customize that time window.
