They may not be familiar with all your devices, so be ready for explanations. Even among tech-savvy buyers, smarthome technology comes with data privacy questions that may put off house shoppers. is considered a fixture and stays with the house when it sells. And doublecheck the listing to ensure it doesn’t mention the devices you intend to keep. Failing to do so would put off potential buyers and cause issues during the inspection phase....
Anker makes both anAlexaandGoogleversion of its Roav product. You’ll need a data signal from your phone for the devices to work of course. Or if you’re using a hotspot, you could take yourEcho DotorGoogle Home miniwith you. Some hotels are starting to include Echo devices in guest rooms as well. Determine Your Internet Options Many smarthome gadgets require the internet to work. So as a first step, determine what your internet access is going to be....
Related Quick Links Don’t trust everything you see on LinkedIn. We created a fake LinkedIn profile with a fake job at a real company. Our fake profile garnered the attention of a Google recruiter and gained over 170 connections and 100 skill endorsements. Everyone is talking about fake accounts on Facebook and fake followers on Twitter. LinkedIn Doesn’t Verify Anything We created a fake profile and connected it to a real company....
Microsoft accounts are easy to transfer; you’re able to move files manually. Transwiz (free) and PCmover (paid) also do a good job. Starting with Windows 8, you could choose to sign in with a Microsoft account. Signing in with that same account on any equipment would transfer many of your prefs. When Microsoft released Windows 10, itdid not bring forward Easy Transfer. Instead, Microsoft chose to partner withLaplinkand for a short period offered free access to its PCmover software....
Related Quick Links Amazon is rolling out new privacy features today for Alexa. But it’s off by default; you’ll need to flip a switch. Every time you use Alexa’s wake word, it sends off your voice to Amazon’s servers. Amazon keeps your recording indefinitely,and unlike with Google Assistant, you could’t prevent that behavior. It also provides access to Alexa’s privacy prefs. While Amazon is rolling this feature out to everyone, it’s an opt-in process....
These are pieces of software that your rig’s operating system uses to talk to its hardware. Every operating system—from Windows to Android—uses hardware drivers. The software is your operating system (OS) and any programs and apps you have installed on it. Without any help, the software doesn’t know how to talk to your hardware and vice versa. Imagine your OS speaks English, and your hardware speaks German. Hardware drivers, then, are the language interpreter converting English to German and back again....
The companies keep your recordings until you delete them. Some companies let you turn that behavior off: here’s how. Voice Assistants Record You After Their Wake Word Voice assistants work in a straightforward manner. They continually listen to everything you say, all day long. But the rig in the room doesn’t have much intelligence. The gear sends the recording out to company servers (Alexa, Google, etc.) Google to figure out everything else you said and then act on it....
Or you may desire individual control of do not disturb prefs. Rather than share your account, you should share access to your Wyze devices. Don’t Share Your Password; Share Your Devices We likeWyze products. Everyone will get notifications all day long, and they may not want that. Everyone is set to do not disturb, or no one is. And then share access to your Wyze devices. Just be aware of one downside: Only the primary account can view video stored on the SD card....
Powered by a Raspberry Pi, you might build your own with some simple tools and hardware. The idea is pretty simple; you’ll build a frame and box. Michael and other contributors have created an open-sourceMagic Mirrorplatform you’ve got the option to install. Installing the software is easy—it requires just one line of code. The longest parts are passive, like waiting for glue and stain to dry. You’ll spend about three to five hours actively working on the frame and installing the software....
Related Quick Links Amazon just rolled out Alexa Guard to all Echo users. But it’s not a full security system. What Is Alexa Guard? Alexa Guardis a new free service from Amazon for Amazon Echo users. If an Echo detects any of those noises, it will send you an alert. Amazon accomplishes this feat by altering the wake word behavior for your Echo devices. In other words, your Echo listens for these sounds just like it listens for “Alexa....
Google recently changed the default behavior not to keep the recordings. But that change only affected new users—not existing ones. Google needs to store these recordings temporarily. But Google may be storing what you say forever. Google now makes you opt-in to sending the company your voice recordings. However, Google only made the change for new users and not existing users. Related:Alexa, Why Are Employees Looking at My Data? The even better news is it’s incredibly easy to do....
But Google announced one exception: Alexa will still be able to control Nest hardware. Update: Google changed its mind,announcingthat Works With Nest won’t immediately shut down on August 31. That’s true—Alexa’s current Works With Nest-based integration will break on that date. Google says it will work with Amazon to enable Alexa’s control over Nest hardware going forward. Smarthomes Are Turning Into Walled Gardens Google working with Amazon is good news for Alexa users....
Many companies, from IFTTT to Philips Hue, use Works With Nest to automate your smarthome. Those automations will break soon. The “Works With Nest” program is anAPIthird-party companies used to integrate your Nest devices with your smarthome. What does that mean for you? Update: Google changed its mind,announcingthat Works With Nest won’t immediately shut down on August 31. You won’t be able to create new Works With Nest connections after August 31....
