Smart Home

Amazon Echo Show 15 Review: Much More Than a Beautiful Smart Digital Photo Frame

If you are using an Amazon Alexa smart speaker to control your home’s various connected features, adding an Alexa-enabled smart display to the mix seems like the obvious next step. Built with the user’s privacy in mind, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is a convergent device that functions not only as an elegant touchscreen smarthome hub but also as a convenient family communication center, a mesmerizing 15.6″ digital photo frame, a helpful cooking companion, a smart speaker, a movie and video entertainment center, a home security camera, and more!

Reviews

Neabot NoMo Q11 Robot Vacuum Review: Powerful Suction Makes for Near Effortless Cleaning

My wife’s and my busy lives can make it hard to keep up with daily cleaning. We also have two dogs, including our labrador Lola who makes a mess and sheds plenty. I recently tried the Neabot NoMo Q11 Robot Vacuum in our den, which is where my family spends most of our time. Let’s take a look at this self-emptying robot vacuum.

Gear Bits, Outdoors

Thermacell LIV Is a Smart Way to Repel Mosquitoes and Enjoy Your Time Outdoors

Winter is almost over, and we are all looking forward to spending time outside again. Of course, some pests make our time outdoors less enjoyable, mosquitoes being the worst! That’s okay; the new Thermacell LIV system promises to repel them, and it will work with Alexa and Google Assistant!

News

Lutron Serena Smart Architectural Honeycomb Shades Will Add Beauty and Convenience to Your Home

In 2018, I reviewed a custom set of Lutron Serena Smart Shades for my office. I opted for a traditional roller shade style, and I’m happy to report that they are still operating as perfectly as they did when first installed. Serena Smart architectural honeycomb shades have just been announced, and they look very sleek and elegant. If you’ve been thinking about adding smart window treatments to your home, and you’re particularly interested in something that looks refined and timeless, these might just be the shades that you’ve been looking for!

Reviews

PowerShades Motorized Shades Review: They’ll Keep You in the Dark (But Only When You Want Them To)

When Raina and I purchased our home, we did a massive renovation on the upstairs. Eventually, we got to the point of ordering shades. They were fine, but we never loved them. Then PowerShades offered the opportunity to review their products. Our new shade just went in the living room, and I’m quite pleased with the result.

Gear Bits

MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 Live Demos Are Happening. Oh, You Thought Your Wi-Fi 6 Was Fancy? Bless Your Heart!

Once upon a time, Wi-Fi was just Wi-Fi. You’d have your modem and Wi-Fi router, and you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t a clue what version of Wi-Fi the router ran because it didn’t matter! Then Wi-Fi 6 happened, and all of a sudden, it was like, “Oh, Wi-Fi 6 is so fast! I upgraded my home and office routers, and now I can fly!” Well, I’m here to let you know that MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 Live Demos are happening today. If you have no idea what I am talking about, get ready to have your mind blown.

News

Bring Smarts and Style to your Home’s Water Usage with the Moen Smart Faucet with Motion Control and the Moen Smart Water Network

Smart home technology is everywhere these days, and Moen is making it clear that they are the leaders in smart water technology. The Moen Smart Faucet with Motion Control has new touchless technology to control the water’s temperature and flow with simple hand motions or voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The Moen Smart Water Network is a whole-home ecosystem of products that, when working together, provide complete control over the water in one’s home.

News

Arlo Security System Offers All-in-One Sensors for a Safer Home

The democratization of home security doesn’t get enough attention. Sure, you can call a company, go to the hassle and expense of waiting for them to install the system only to be then saddled with a substantial monthly monitoring fee. Or, you can turn to one of our favorite smart home security brands and let the Arlo Security System secure your home for less.

Gear Bits

Twinkly Dots Remove the Need for Bulky LED Strings and Make More Refined, Personalized 360º LED Designs Possible

You have LED string lights, bendable tubes with LED lights, and under-shelf mounted LED lights, but do you have Twinkly Dots? Twinkly Dots are pill-shaped, matte LED bulbs that can diffuse 16 million colors at 360º; you can wrap them around things or stick them to surfaces using the included adhesive pads, and they look fantastic.

Gear Bits

Xfinity Expands Their Home Security Offerings with the Xfinity Video Doorbell

There are a lot of home security options out there. But for every person who is fine with buying their own devices and setting it up, there are people like my parents who vastly prefer to stick with the consistency of one company handling everything for them. They already use Comcast for their internet, cable, and home security, and they’ll be very excited to hear that Comcast is expanding its offerings early next year with the Xfinity Video Doorbell!

Reviews

Uoni V980Plus Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review: LiDAR Mapping, Powerful Suction, and a (Mostly) Self-Emptying Dustbin

How would you like to come home to a freshly vacuumed house every day without hiring a housekeeper or, worse, doing it yourself before you leave? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could stretch out the periods between full moppings with occasional wet cleanups? With the Uoni V980Plus Robot Vacuum Cleaner, you can do that, and you don’t necessarily have to remember to empty the robot’s bin every couple of days because this robot vac has a large capacity self-emptying dustbin.

Deals

Roborock Black Friday Deals Offer Huge Savings on 6 Popular Robot Vacuums and Mops

The oddest thing happened the other day; my daughter sent me a TikTok video of a Roborock robot vacuum doing its thing, and she said it looked amaaaaaazing. That was surprising because it’s rare for my daughter to get any kind of gadget lust! If you’re getting similar hints from someone on your holiday shopping list (or if you’ve wanted one for yourself), you’re going to want to check out these Roborock Black Friday Deals that offer up to 42% off of their most popular robot vacuums and mops.

Reviews, Health and Fitness

Perfectly Snug Smart Topper Review: Enjoy Your Most Comfortable Sleep with Dual Zone Warming and Cooling

A few months ago, I had no idea what a bed topper was. Sure, I’d heard of feather beds but a smart topper? “If you have a good bed why would you need one?” I thought. Then I got the Perfectly Snug Smart Topper; it automatically adjusts temperature while you sleep, and I couldn’t imagine sleeping without it now.

Reviews

Eufy RoboVac X8 Review: A Powerful and Intelligent Robotic Vacuum That Lightens Your Household Chores

We’ve tested several Eufy robotic vacuums in my house, and the one thing my wife and I agree on is that the Eufy RoboVac X8 is the best we’ve tested so far. The combination of twin-turbine technology and iPath laser navigation makes the X8 an excellent choice for your next robotic vacuum.

News

HAVEN Central Air Controller Has Your Whole House’s Air Quality Monitored and Controlled from One Place

It’s safe to say we’re all a lot more aware of air quality than we used to be. Whether it’s due to outside environmental issues like wildfire or just the fact that we’ve all realized our houses are full of dust after we spent half of 2020 in lockdown, we’re all a lot more aware that all the air we breathe is not equal. That’s where the HAVEN Central Air Controller and their other IAQ (Improved Air Quality) devices come in!

Reviews

Nixplay Smart Photo Frame 10.1 Inch Touch Review: A Great Way to Display Your Family Photos

Digital photo frames are all the rage these days, with most of our photos being taken on our mobile phones. Enter the new Nixplay Smart Photo Frame 10.1 inch Touch. This bright, high-definition frame has an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, and it is a great way to display your family’s precious memories.

Reviews

Yummly Smart Thermometer Review: Takes the Temperature Guesswork out of Cooking

There are times when you want to keep an eye on your food, but you’ve got a ton of other stuff going on. Maybe you’re cooking a side dish or playing with your kids. That’s where the Yummly Smart Thermometer comes into play; it takes all the guesswork out of cooking, and it retails for $129.99.

Reviews

Airthings View Plus Review: A Fantastic Air Quality Monitor for your Home

Airthings, known for their great smart home tech, released their latest air quality monitoring device, the Airthings View Plus. The View Plus is a simple yet powerful device that continuously monitors your home’s air quality to help keep your family safe from allergens, radon, pollution, and more. The first batch has sold out, but you can pre-order yours for $299.

Reviews

Weber Spirit SX-315 Smart Grill Review: Bring Smart Home Technology to your Trusty Weber Grill

Weber is known for high-quality gas grills, and its newest entry into the market is no exception. Following smart home trends, Weber has released their first line of smart grills, and we’re happy to report that the Weber Spirit SX-315 Smart Grill is what you’d expect from Weber, given their reputation. Weber’s line of smart gas grills starts at $849.

Outdoors, Gear Bits

Vivint Pool Alerts on Their Outdoor Camera Pro Add Extra Security to Your Home and Yard

The summer heat is here and so are pool days. Pools have become very popular in homes and safety is always of utmost importance. If you own the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro, which I reviewed here, there is a new Vivint Pool Alerts beta feature that adds a second detection zone to alert you of activity near your pool area.

News

Space Safe Protects Your Valuables and Keeps You Aware from Anywhere

If you’re looking for the most technologically advanced safe space to lock away your valuables, you’ll want to check out Space Safe. With features like Internal and external 1080p HD live stream cameras with two-way talk, a huge 10-inch LCD touch screen display, and a large fingerprint sensor with 360-degree technology, the Space Safe will offer a versatile and revolutionary option for storage of your valuables.

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