Lifestyle Smart Home

About 90% of all households in the United States have a heating and air conditioning system, which makes it one of the most popular—and essential—pieces of home equipment. That makes thermostats a hot commodity, too, as they play an important role in making sure your HVAC system runs properly.

Home security has advanced significantly in the last several years now that it is affordable and accessible. Companies such as Google Nest and Ring allow you to add a layer of security to your home without spending a fortune. So, is it possible to record a Nest cam locally?

Ring Doorbells are an advancement in technology that many people want to get their hands on. Unfortunately, this has led to an uptick in the number of doorbells that get stolen off of doorsteps. If you are concerned about this or it has happened to you, you might be curious how you can prevent this case of theft.

Ring doorbells are great, and are some of the easiest smart home security systems to install. Unfortunately, things can happen that can screw you out of a good installation session. One of the worst things that you can have happen is a stripped screw that’s either stuck to your doorbell or that came with your install package. So, what can you do?

Those who have  Vizio TVs love their televisions. And there is a good reason for that because Vizio has become recognized as a leader in TV technology. Just ask the thousands upon thousands of satisfied Vizio customers, and they will tell you, from the screen quality to the interactive technologies, that these are wonderful TVs.

There is little argument that Samsung Smart TVs are some of the most popular on the market. The reliability and quality of these TVs are unquestioned. However, like any appliance, Samsung TVs are subject to their share of problems and issues. One of the most often asked about problems is the black screen of death.

A loud blast from your Samsung TV is enough to send you through the roof. If the volume’s stuck on 100, how are you supposed to comfortably catch up on Virgin River?

TVs are wonderful additions to your home — when they work correctly. There are many issues that can come up, from TVs being too loud or too quiet,  being too dim, all the way up to the dreaded ‘black screen of death’. But luckily, many of these issues are relatively simple to fix.

Kasa is a brand that is hellbent on making smart homes easier to access than ever, and it’s a system that works with most major hubs. Unfortunately, it still has its kinks it occasionally deals with. One of the more common annoyances that we tend to see is an alert saying that there’s a “device unreachable” in your system. What gives?

Cox Communications is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers dial-up, DSL, and cable internet service to homes and businesses across the United States. Regardless of their reach, no service provider is error-free (although we wish that were the case). What should you do when your Cox modem is blinking orange?

With modems, we feel like there’s always something wrong- so, what is it this time? If you notice your Spectrum modem ‘Online’ light is blinking, there are a few quick remedies to apply.

Smart thermostats, like those from the Ecobee brand, come equipped with many special features. It’s tough sometimes to keep up with everything our smart devices can do.

If you’ve ever come into my home, you already know that I’m a huge fan of Spotify. Specifically, I’m a fan of playing my Spotify on Alexa. The thing is, I’m married and my husband has an account too. That leads us to a question many people have wondered: can you have multiple Spotify accounts on a single Alexa?

Countless homeowners have done everything that they can to transform their houses into smart homes. It’s easy to overlook certain simple devices that make it easier to go about your day as a homeowner, such as smart plugs. So, do smart plugs save energy?

With an average rating of 4.5 stars, both Nest and Honeywell Smart Thermostats perform well in the eyes of customers. However, they have their differences.

Arris is a company that manufactures and sells modems, among other telecommunications equipment and software. While it is a renowned business, the biggest user complaints lie within the Arris modems continuing to reset (and without warning). Why is this happening, and how can you fix it?

Looking to upgrade your home’s thermostat to a WiFi-enabled thermostat with more features? Honeywell offers several great options, including the Honeywell Wifi 9000 and the Honeywell 9580. However, these two options have many similarities. So, how can you be sure to choose the right one for your home? 

Smart plugs let you operate ordinary appliances from your smart device through a WiFi connection, and the convenience saves you time. Gosund smart plugs are known for being easy to set up. Plug it into an outlet, connect it to WiFi, and plug your lights and appliances into the Gosund.

Seeing a yellow light on your Verizon router may seem like the start of a long, complicated issue, but the truth is it’s a pretty straight forward fix. The loss of internet connection on a router can really only be caused by a few different things. Typically, it will either be a problem with your internet service or the router itself.

Slow internet can ruin your entire day- if your business relies on speedy service, you know how this feels. If you have Metro PCS, there are a few explanations for why there’s a rather sudden change of internet pace.

All Ring doorbells, except for the Ring Doorbell Pro and the Ring Doorbell Elite, run on batteries, even if they are hardwired to the home. The battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion pack that charges via a USB cable. The battery charge should last an average of 6 to 12 months, but frequent use discharges them sooner.

Alexa devices have become a staple of modern households, and it’s hard to imagine a world without them. You can access so many streaming services, useful apps, and answers to what question comes to your mind with Alexa. While Alexa devices are generally reliable and useful tools, they don’t always perform as we’d like them to.

Roku is easily one of the most popular streaming platforms currently on the market. Users swear by Roku’s easy-to-use features and a wide variety of free movies, TV shows, music, and more. But it can be frustrating when it stops working — like when you notice your Roku remote blinking a green light.

Smart televisions and the remotes that accompany them are vastly more sophisticated than ever before. Samsung TVs and their remotes are known to be both finely crafted and long lasting. For this reason and others, it can be downright frustrating when your Samsung TV remote is blinking red and not functioning properly.

Many people are hesitant to get a metal roof because they fear it will worsen their cell phone reception. Other related worries are that the metal roof will also impede homeowners’ satellite signals and WiFi connections. So, is it true that metal roofs can have a negative effect on cell phone reception?

Heater season is upon us! If you have an Ecobee thermostat, you may notice an alert pop up after running the heater for a few weeks: “Aux heat running too long.” It should be noted that “Aux” stands for auxiliary, a secondary heating system. Once the temperature outside reaches a certain low point, your compressor switches over to auxiliary heat.

Unlike old TVs with one aspect ratio available, Vizio TVs offer you several options for viewing programs at the best aspect ratio. Most times, your Vizio TV adjusts the display’s aspect ratio for the best with the program you watch. However, you may experience your Vizio TV getting stuck in the Wide Mode aspect ratio.

One of the advantages of an Ecobee thermostat is the ability to control it remotely. But to do this, the Ecobee needs a strong and secure Wi-Fi connection. So what happens if your Ecobee won’t connect to your Wi-Fi?

As a loyal Spectrum customer myself, I know how annoying internet interruptions can get. There are a few simple techniques I learned over the years to prevent this from reoccurring!

If you’re an AT&T customer, you already know how quickly you can reach the limit on your personal hotspot. This can leave you without internet connection when you may need it the most and potentially saddle you with extra money on your bill. For many people, the solution to this problem has been simply to switch service providers and be rid of AT&T once and for all. That said, if you’re not wanting to go through the hassle, we’ll tell you how to bypass an AT&T hotspot block.

It’s frustrating when you take time to install an Ecobee thermostat only to have it not power on. It’s even more frustrating when the thermostat was already working and suddenly loses power. In either case, there is always a reason.

Many satisfied Vizio TV users are willing to tell you how much they love their TVs. However, you will also hear some stories about problems. Often these complaints detail high-pitched sounds coming from inside the Vizio TV.

You may have a brand new Vizio TV or have purchased a used model. Now you want to mount that Vizio TV on the wall in your home. You may even have an existing mount already in place. If this is the situation and you can’t find the screws that came with the mount or the Vizio TV, you have a slight problem. What size crews do you use to mount your Vizio TV?

POV: You just sat down to veg out on a Friday night, and unfortunately, Hulu activate isn’t working. What can you do to fix it?

You only get to live alone for the first time once, and it’s important to make the most of it. But moving into your own place can also feel a bit daunting. There is all the stuff you need to buy, and a home aesthetic to think about.

Why is your Insignia TV blinking red? This is an aggravating circumstance indeed; whether you’re experiencing a minor or major issue, there are a few troubleshooting techniques that you can do at home.

When I first was gifted an Echo Dot, I’ll be honest. I wasn’t impressed. I thought that it was a Gen Z gadget and was all “crotchety old lady” about it. But, I quickly learned to love it. That’s why I flipped out when my Echo Dot started to be mysteriously silent. Ever wonder what causes that?

Samsung TVs have a good reputation for the quality and clarity of the images on their TV screens. However, like any electronic device, the complicated systems in these Samsung TVs are subject to problems. One common problem seems to be dark streaks or areas on the TV screen.

An internet connection is no longer considered a luxurious service; it’s an absolute requirement. With so many of us relying on it for essential services like news, banking, and even working from home, we want a reliable connection 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But, what do you do if your Orbi Wi-Fi connection isn’t working correctly?

 It doesn’t take long to tell a difference in the temperature of your home. Maybe you noticed your home wasn’t as comfortable as usual and discovered a blank display screen. If this is the case, you’ll want to diagnose the problem quickly.

Alexa is one of the most popular smart home hub services in the world, with thousands upon thousands of different products being made for use with it. Hue is one of the most popular smart light series in the world, and of course, it’s designed by Philips. Having owned Hue bulbs, I can tell you that they can be pretty hard to pair with Alexa.

Thermostats are a modern convenience, but they are only useful when you understand what they do. The fan setting on a thermostat can make all the difference when it comes to energy bills, air circulation, and indoor comfort. So, what does the fan setting on a thermostat do?

Alexa is one of the most convenient technologies in our world today. However, the system can be challenging for some people to use. And that’s especially true when the reminders don’t work. So, what’s going and how do you fix it?

Your new HVAC unit is installed and tested. Everything looks good. The HVAC service technician was pleased to see you chose a Braeburn thermostat and told you these were some of the best on the market. Now the Braeburn thermostat flashes COOL, but the HVAC system isn’t responding. What could be the problem?

When it comes to trying to pare down the high price of energy, people are getting crafty. They’re getting eco-friendly materials for their homes. They’re adding insulation. Oh, and they’re also getting some devices that make it easy to help curb your energy use, such as energy monitors. You might be wondering what’s getting your bill high. Should you get a Smappee or a Sense?

Honeywell has been manufacturing thermostats for decades, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the older models are different from the ones that are being made today. Despite their differences, every Honeywell thermostat can be reset, it’s just a matter of how.

When it works perfectly, AirPlay allows users to stream content from Apple devices to other multimedia devices. If you have a Vizio TV, you can display audio, video, photos, and anything else from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop directly to the TV. Unfortunately, technology rarely seems to work perfectly. That’s why we’re going to talk about what to do when Vizio AirPlay is not working.

With the advancement in technology, many businesses are starting to accept a wide variety of payment options including Apple Pay. While Home Depot did accept Apple Pay at one point, many people are wondering if they still do.

Thermostats have come a long way in a relatively short time. Central air itself is still a relatively new invention in the grand scheme of things. The way that we control the settings have changed throughout the years, with smart thermostats currently being the best option out there.

It is common for Ring Video Doorbells to have trouble keeping the lithium-ion battery pack fully charged. There are a few possible reasons for this, most of which can be solved by the Ring owner. 

You grab your trusty remote, click the on button, and your Samsung TV responds with nothing. The indicator LED flashes red continuously as you try all the normal things. You check the batteries in the remote. You bang on the remote with the palm of your hand. As a last resort, you furiously push the on/off button repeatedly in growing frustration.

For as smart as they are, smart thermostats occasionally do some silly things. Ecobee users noticed their thermostats sometimes blew cold air instead of hot air. When you’re expecting heat on a chilly day, cold air is most unwelcome. So, why does this happen?

You love to watching TV and movies with your Roku. But once in a while, the device comes disconnected and your shows suddenly stop. So, what does that keep happening? And what can you do about it when it does?

Every  cable box has some type of minor variation, from its appearance to how they operate. One example of this is the boot process. Some cable box panels will have lettering and number sequences. The Time Warner Cable box, for example, uses an L- numeric series to indicate and reflect the cable box booting process.

A Ring doorbell acts as both a doorbell and a security device for homes and business properties. It allows you to see who is at the door and speak to them, too. You can accomplish all of this and more even when you’re away from home all through the Ring app. However, to make all this happen, your device must be connected to a secure Wi-Fi network.

Many typical issues come with getting a new TV. Those common issues can include things like connection and setup to  mounting the television. In most cases, these are less like problems and more like learning curves. And like every new television, often even with the same manufacturer, there are new things to figure out. That includes learning how to deal with issues like when Vizio TV legs are too wide.

Picture it: Winter, 2021. You live in a cold-climate area and temperatures are dropping. You decide to ask your Nest thermostat to kick up the heat a few degrees and . . . it won’t even turn on!

The Ring Doorbell is designed to be hardwired into the existing doorbell transformer. This does two things. It allows the Ring doorbell to activate the home’s interior chime, and it trickle-charges the Ring’s lithium-ion battery pack.

Thermostat shopping is a rough time, especially if you are not used to talking about HVACs. There are a lot of ways that shopping can go wrong. Sometimes, it’s not even a matter of shopping. Rather, it’s hard to figure out what type of thermostat you have. Knowing whether you have a single or double pole thermostat can help you out a lot. Let’s discuss what buyers should know.

The continued boom of home security options has made it easier and easier to keep a home safe, and the owner informed. Smart technology allows you to see who is ringing your doorbell with a video on your cell phone.