Smart home

Thanks to all of the different options out there, smarthome technology can be applied to every room of your home. Lights, thermostats, garage door openers and keyless entry are just a few of the things you can enable your home to do “smarter” than before. With so many options, where should you get started? I am going to help you think that through!

Working from home can be both liberating and lonely, no matter how much you do it. Productivity is always a factor when it comes to getting work done, and working the way you should. Take a good look around your home office and you’re likely to think of a few things that can make it better.

What is IFTTT?  It stands for “If This Then That” and is a web (and now app) based system that features over 165 different participants.  Through the use of “recipes,” you can create cause and effect style actions that see a one IFTTT participant work with another.  Major companies like ESPN and Nike are involved, as are smart home product makers like NEST and Belkin. Let’s take a look at what you can do with IFTTT!

In this installment of the Connected Home Series, we’ll talk about how security and surveillance options have changed to adapt to growing realtime needs.  Alarm systems aren’t just keypad entries, or services monitored through a paid company, for example. Let’s take a look at some of the options that exist for you to set up your own home security system and stay connected to your home in realtime through your smartphone or tablet.

With over 75 years of Home Audio experience, Pioneer is no stranger to the Home Audio game. Ever since they shifted their focus away from televisions 5 years ago, they’ve been making progress in the “Smart home” market.  In 2011, they envisioned a Smart concept car, and ever since, they’ve been making smart connected home audio products.  Come take a look at some of the options they have produced for your connected home.

I was just sent the Motorola Focus66 Wi-Fi HD Video Camera to test out and review, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a peek in on my dogs and see what they were up to when I wasn’t home. I had no idea how fun it would be to watch them from afar with the Motorola Focus66 Wi-Fi HD Video Camera.

Smart thermostats, smoke detectors, door locks and appliances have gone mainstream and are finding their way into more homes than ever. What sometimes gets lost in the list of cool things those smart devices can do is that they are connected. Without an Internet connection, most of them fizzle. Poor Wi-Fi means a poor user experience and for many people, their wireless router is the weak link in the smart equation. In this post, I’ll review the network and computer essentials for a smart home that lives up to the billing.

Post-CES 2015, we have a lot to absorb about what we can do to our homes. Smarthome gadgets are coming out at a rapid pace, and with many manufacturers now working together to allow you run their devices on the same apps, it’s good to get in tune with just how you can turn your every day home into a smart one.

What is that you’re looking at to the left of this text?  Would you believe it’s a wifi camera, LED light and doorbell set up?  Neat isn’t it?  That’s the Chamberlain Notifi, one of a few devices I mention in the second Smart Home Roundup from CES.  This time I’ll jump into brands that you know and have seen at Best Buy and BestBuy.ca, and may see again in the future. From Parrot, to Samsung and even D-Link, what’s else does 2015 in the world of Smart Home have to offer?  Come take a look.

The world is watching CES right now, especially with intent on Smart Home and Wearables, two of the categories poised to explode with this year’s announcements.  With lots to cover in the next few days, we stop in on the first products announced for the iOS HomeKit and the growth of the Works with NEST program