If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole of smart home gadgets, you’ve probably run across devices that require a “hub.” You might think, “Why would I buy something that requires additional hardware?” I think you should serio…
With a series of sensors, monitors, and cameras all tied to a central hub, a Vivint security system leverages the connectivity inherent in the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor and protect your home. Read on to find out if …
Amazon’s Ring doorbell is normally reliable, but nothing is perfect. If your Ring doorbell isn’t working properly, try resetting it to factory-default settings. This is also essential if you’re getting rid of your Ring doorbe…
Without a reliable Wi-Fi connection, Amazon Alexa’s witty responsiveness and rapid-fire reactions to all of your favorite questions are not possible. Wi-Fi problems will force Alexa to drop that instantly recognizable long ch…
Google’s second-generation Nest Hub smart display has the ability to track your sleep using Soli radar technology. It doesn’t watch you with cameras, and you don’t need to wear anything on your body. We’ll show you how to set…
There are multiple ways to launch Assistant on Pixel smartphones and Android devices. The list of options increased with the release of Android 12. Instead of long-pressing the Side button to open a power menu, Pixels defaul…
Google Assistant on your Nest or Home smart speaker or display won’t work very well if it can’t understand what you’re saying. If there’s someone in your life with a particularly complex name to pronounce, Assistant might str…
The Google Nest Hub is great at adjusting display brightness and color temperature to match the room’s lighting. It will even switch to a dim clock mode when in complete darkness, but if you’re using it on your bedside table,…
You unlock some handy features by having several Google Assistant speakers or smart displays spread throughout your home. One such feature is the option to make audio and video calls between rooms using Nest devices or even …
Google smart displays are great central hubs for households. One feature that ties into this is “Family Notes.” It’s essentially a modern version of leaving a sticky note on the fridge. We’ll show you how to use them….
Google Assistant can be great, but it’s not without annoying tendencies. If you use Google Assistant commands a lot, you’ve probably received friendly “suggestions” to use commands again. Thankfully, these suggestions can be …
The HomePod mini is a plucky little smart speaker that packs a punch. If you don’t have dedicated speakers for your Mac, it can double as a decent speaker for music and movies. Here’s how to use a HomePod mini with your Mac….
The HomePod Mini makes for a great little smart speaker. But the “Hey Siri” functionality can sometimes be less than perfect. If you just want to only use your HomePod Mini as AirPlay speakers, you can disable the “Hey Siri” …
Sometimes your hands are full and can’t grab your phone to type out a text message. Thankfully, Google Assistant makes it easy to send SMS with only your voice. We’ll show you how it works on phones and smart speakers….
There’s a good chance that you use your smartphone to order food from restaurants. There are tons of apps that make it easy to do. However, Google Assistant on Android makes it even easier. We’ll show you how….
Google Assistant smart speakers and smart displays show a visual indicator when the device is listening, but it can be easy to miss. Thankfully, you can turn on an audible chime to indicate when the Assistant is listening. We…
The Philips Hue Sync Box is a great way to make your TV content more immersive if you pair it with your existing Philips Hue lights or the Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip. It’s pretty simple to set up—here’s how….
Buying movie tickets online is much easier than waiting in line at the theater, but what if it could be even better? Thanks to Google’s “Duplex” technology, Assistant can do all the legwork for you. We’ll show you how….
Sending hands-free messages is a handy feature of Google Assistant, but it doesn’t have to be limited to just text messages. You can also send audio messages to your contacts. We’ll show you how it works….
Google Assistant can do a lot of stuff, but most of it is contained within the Google ecosystem. “Shortcuts” is a feature that allows Assistant to break free and work with third-party apps as well.
While you only see the volume buttons on the HomePod and HomePod mini’s touch control surface, there’s a lot more you can do with this glowing screen. Here’s how to use touch controls on HomePod.
The “OK Google” and “Hey Google” commands can be handy for hands-free tasks, but you might not want to use them. If you’d like to stop your Android device from listening for these Google Assistant hot words, it’s easy to do….
If you use an iPhone but prefer Google Assistant over Siri, it’s possible to launch Google’s voice assistant easily if you configure the Google Assistant app. Here’s how to set it up.
Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are a convenient way to control smart home devices, set timers, hear the weather, and perform other common tasks. But, if you don’t like the “always listening” part, you…
Google Assistant is a handy companion to have on your Android smartphone or tablet. To really get the most out of Assistant’s hands-free features, you’ll want to make sure it can work even when your device is locked….
