How to Set Up the Roav Viva Alexa Car Charger
If you want Alexa in your car, the Roav Viva is an Alexa-enabled car charger that can make that happen for about the price of an Echo Dot. Here’s how it works and how to set it up.
Forget Voice Control, Automation Is the Real Smarthome Superpower
Too often I find myself taking way too much time to figure out easier ways to control my smarthome devices, but I think many of us (including myself) forget that there’s a better way: not having to control them at all….
The Smarthome Industry Has Reached a Plateau. Here’s What’s Holding It Back
There’s a problem with the smarthome industry—multiple problems, actually. And after experiencing a huge boom over the last few years, smarthome as a whole has reached a plateau of sorts.
How to Use Alexa to Make House Guests Feel More at Home
Whether you’re running an Airbnb, having someone watch your house while you’re gone, or just having guests over for the weekend, here’s how you can make use of Alexa to help your guests feel more at home….
You Don’t Need a Smart Thermostat
There are a lot of really great smarthome devices that are truly useful, but a smart thermostat isn’t one of them.
How to Check or Update Your HomePod’s OS Version
We’re all used to installing the latest iOS update on our iPhones, but Apple’s new HomePod speaker doesn’t have a screen to show you a red dot. How do you know what HomePod version you’re on? And how do you update it?…
Water Leak Sensors: The Most Overlooked Smarthome Device You Probably Don’t Have
While most smarthome products are aimed at convenience, there’s one smarthome device that’s actually quite useful, possibly saving you headaches and ton of money: the trusty water leak sensor.
Which Smart Light Switch Should You Buy?
Not all smart light switches are created equal. And while many of them have mostly the same features, there are some things you should know about smart light switches so that you can pick the best one for your needs….
Why is My Amazon Echo Blinking Yellow, Red, or Green?
You just set up your Amazon Echo, and then you noticed that the ring around the top is doing this blinking flashing yellow thing. What’s up with that? Here’s why your Echo might flash yellow, red, green, or blue….
How to Remove a Smarthome Device from Alexa
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.
Don’t Worry, Amazon Echo Alarms Still Work Without Internet
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 dow…
How to Automate All Your Christmas Lights
It’s that time of year when the fall directions come down, and the festive Christmas decorations go up. If you’ll be hanging a bunch of Christmas lights around your house, here are several different methods for automating the…
How to Associate Certain Smart Lights with a Specific Echo
In the past, if you wanted to tell Alexa to turn the lights on or off in a room, you had to be specific as to which room. But now, with the new way Alexa handles groups, you can associate certain lights with a specific Echo d…
How to Use Your Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Alexa
Controlling your smart thermostat remotely from your phone is cool and all, but don’t forget that you can also make it even easier on yourself and control it with your voice using Alexa. Here’s how to set it up….
