Matt Paligaru

A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the idea of smart stocking stuffers for men. This time around, let’s take a look at the woman in your life. My wife is exposed to enough “smart” gear with a husband who owns and reviews lots of them each month. My mom is a different story though. This is the type of blog for someone like my mom who is itching to get into the newest smart technology but doesn’t know where to get started. Let’s take a look.  

Home isn’t the only place things can be “smart.” With the help of a few wearables, you can definitely use the power of today’s technology to help enhance your work day as well. Let’s take a look at a few devices out there, from something for your presentations to even a pair of earphones for your lunch breaks that help measure your heartrate.

Technology is a wonderful thing. By stumbling upon anything I’ve written, you know it’s what I like to write about the most. This year has brought us some of the best personal electronics I’ve seen in years, whether it’s in fitness tracking, streaming or home security. Let’s take a look at one item from each of those categories making the rounds this quarter courtesy of Microsoft, Myfox and Google.

As the undisputed multiple time defending winner of the “hardest person to buy gifts for” award, I know the difficulty I put my family through every year around the holidays. I guess it runs in the family. My dad has always been the hardest person for me to buy for. I can never read what he’s interested in and when I do, he’s already gone out and bought it for himself. I can usually rely on cool gadgets to do the trick though. This year, he’s right at the doorstep of retirement and has taken a shining to many of the smarthome things I have around the house. I’m going to start the gift search with stocking-sized gifts. From a possible smartwatch to a light bulb, here are a few ideas to mull around for that difficult-to-buy-for man in your life.  

Where were you 22 years ago when the Toronto Blue Jays last made it to (and won) the World Series?  Were you in Elementary School like I was? Were you even alive back then? Whether this is a long time coming, or the first time you’ve been able to watch the Jays in the Playoffs, it’s time to come together. Read on to find out more on how, including the schedule for the American League Championship Series.

In the last few months, we’ve seen Nest and Canadian companies ecobee and Sinope release their latest takes on the smart thermostats. Now, more than ever, you have options. What do you want your thermostat to do for you? Warm your house automatically when you’re home from work? Interact with other smart devices? Save you money? Perhaps this is the year you prepare for the Great Canadian Winter with a new Smart Thermostat.

We’ve all seen gesture control in those futuristic sci-fi TV shows or looks ahead to the future. While things like Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect have given us a taste in video gaming, there hasn’t been much in the way for your computer, phone or work life. That changes today. Canadian Thalmic Labs bring the Myo Gesture Control Armband which gives us a glimpse of the future ahead of us today.

Announced on October 6th during Microsoft’s Tech Briefing, the new Microsoft Band is the biggest wearable experience yet. Re-designed hardware is just the beginning. The Band takes the idea of the traditional wearable/smartwatch and turns it on its head, giving you access to industry exclusives like elevation tracking, oxygen usage monitoring and much more.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s now just fall and you’re telling us to prepare for Winter? Well, you and I know that winter is one of those things you definitely want to prepare in advance for. For example, you’ll have a hard time finding snow shovels while it’s snowing, so why it all out? In this installment of the preparing for the Great Canadian Winter, we look at winterproofing your home with the help of some handy smarthome products.

As the heating season approaches, it’s time to look forward to the snow falling outside, curling up by the fire to open the mail and staring at a ridiculous heating bill. This winter, help manage those ridiculous bills with a couple Smarthome Helpers. Inside, you’ll find an option for both Baseboard heating and Forced Air systems.