But, if you’ve never installed any doorbell before, the actual installation can feel a little daunting. It’s a pretty easy installation process—we’ll walk you through it. The Basics For this guide, we’ll be installing a Nest Hello. Every video doorbell is different, but they share most of the same basic similarities. After you flip a breaker, make a run at ring your doorbell. When it’s not working, you go the right one....
It’s not much harder than changing a standard lock on your home. Here’s what to do. The Basics For this guide, we’re installing aSchlage Encodesmart lock. The tricky part is connecting them all. Then you could be sure the lock powers up before it’s in the door. If you want to perform this test, you should check the instructions for a factory reset process. After running the test, factory-reset the lock....
Related Quick Links Are you thinking about starting up smarthome? But don’t jump directly in without a plan. That’s how you end up makingcommon smarthome beginner mistakes. Instead, before buying anything, you should ask yourself a few common-sense questions. What Changes Can You Make to Your Home? Creating a smarthome involves varying levels of installing new tech. Some gadgets, likesmart plugsandvoice assistant speakers, are as simple as plugging the machine into an outlet....
Related Apple’s macOS Catalina arrives today, October 7. Catalina is compatible withmost Mac models released after 2012. If yours ranmacOS 10.14 Mojave, it will almost certainly run Catalina. There are three new apps to handle media: Music, TV, and Podcasts. The TV app is the new home of all things video. This is also where you stream content from Apple’s newTV+ subscription servicewhen it finally launches this fall. All three apps use a very similar interface....
But now, Wi-Fi is a strong contender, and more Wi-Fi smart gadgets arrive every day. So, which should you use? The answer is complicated. But in the past, Wi-Fi as a total smarthome solution wasn’t a serious consideration. Until recently, if you wanted a smarthome, either Z-wave or ZigBee was your best bet. You picked a protocol and tried to stick with it. And most smart hubs support both, so, when necessary, you could use both in your home....
UPDATE: 9/1/22 Updated links to purchase the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ controller. The SN30 Pro+’s SNES-inspired looks hide some surprisingly complex guts. Despite the retro looks, the controller is heavy and chunky enough to be comfortable for hours-long play sessions. I mean, Bluetooth pairing. Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da, Charge! Once you do, you’ll find that it’s surprisingly robust. The SN30 Pro+ allows me to put the A button on the bottom, as God intended....
Related Quick Links The easiest smarthome tech uses the cloud to do the heavy lifting. But that means you give up your privacy. And if the company shuts down, so does your smarthome. Here’s how to bypass the cloud in your smarthome setup. Why a Locally-Controlled Smarthome? Cloud-powered smarthomes are feature-rich and include some niceties, but they do come with disadvantages. Some cloud-powered devices also record your activities. Manufacturers use the information to improve systems, but in some cases, they sell your anonymized data....
But creating your smarthome isn’t something you should go into without planning. Without forethought, you may make some common mistakes. Poorly Named and Grouped Devices Getting your firstsmart light bulbis exciting. The whole process seems so simple: just screw in the bulb and pair it with an app. For more convenience, you may even have a smart speaker to control your light by voice. Before long, you have several light bulbs because the first worked so well....
Kids have different needs, so you’ll want to take a different approach. With the right devices, you could give them a smart bedroom that benefits everybody. Why a Child’s Smart Bedroom? To that extent, anEcho Dot Kid’s Editionis tailor-made for children. One area concern is Amazon’s practice of having humans review what you and your children say to Alexa. That’s something you’ll appreciate if your children tend to leave the lights on....
Related Is your Mac slow? Do you see the spinning pinwheel of death every day? Don’t put up with it! Here’s how to diagnose the issue so you could fix the problem. How to Diagnose a Sluggish Mac There are many reasons why your Mac might have performance issues. it’s possible for you to fix most common causes of a slow Mac yourself, and relatively easily. Here are some of the easiertips you might venture to speed up your Mac....
Related Quick Links You might think a smarthome sounds terrific. But what about your family? They’ll have to live with the gadgets, too. They may have legitimate concerns you haven’t considered and will want to address. Explain what the different gadgets are, what they do, and what the potential benefits are. Gauge their interest in each rig to help you decide where to start. And remember, the best benefits aren’t always the most obvious, so walk through those....
Related Quick Links Smart appliances offer voice control, smartphone apps, and powerful automations. But why spend hundreds of dollars on the latest models? Dumb Devices Are Best Smart plugs work on a pretty simple principle. You insert one into an outlet and plug in something. It cuts power to turn off devices and restores it to turn them back on. If you control any outlets in your home with a light switch, the principle is essentially the same....
You just need one app. This is especially true if multiple family members interact with your smarthome. Related:What Is a Smart Plug? The bonus here is all your smartphone, tablet, and voice controls are all in one place. You do have to check that all your devices support your voice assistant of choice. That list is growing all the time, though. If you’re an Apple fan, it’s possible for you to use HomeKit and the Home app....
