Smart home

No matter how much you deny it, technology is a very crucial part of our lives. It can be a fun part of it too. During Smart Home month in October, you're going to learn all about a lot of exciting products and home automation "systems," both physical and through software partners. Take a look at some of the exciting and fun tech you can add to your home from the avid DIYer to the practical gardener.

The latest burgeoning digital trend is the convenience concept of “Smart Homes,” where various appliances and objects (like lights, blinds, cameras, locks and thermostats) are connected, monitored, and manipulated remotely through a Wi-Fi network and internet connection. In this second installment of my ongoing Smart Home System Series, I’m going to tell you all about Apple HomeKit, which is a framework for home automation that makes it easier than ever to integrate and control multiple Smart Home technologies from different manufacturers.

Google didn’t just unveil its two new Pixel smartphones and the Chromecast Ultra this week, it also intimated its focus on the home, and how different devices can factor into that vision. One of these was the Daydream View VR headset, designed to work with the Pixel (and other Android phones), and the other was the Google Home, a hub that uses the Google Assistant artificial intelligence platform to help with various tasks on command.

Our homes are becoming more and more futuristic. Thanks to the so-called “Internet of Things,” where our everyday and mundane household objects get new functionality with a connection to the online world, we are entering a new world of “Smart” homes. This Smart Home concept allows us to monitor, control and discover our living spaces in completely different, or fun new ways, from practically anywhere. As the first part in a series on Smart Home tech, I’m going to fill you in on the Philips Hue and Lighting Control system.

Parents relax, routines are restored: the new school year has begun. To recognize how great it is for all of our kids to be safe and sound back at school, Best Buy is giving away a Dog & Bone Keyless Bluetooth padlock (to keep your property safe), Marley Rebel BT headphones and a Marley Chant Portable Audio system (for awesome sound). Enter now for your chance to win this fun "safe & sound" prize package:

Eveyrone has regrets during renovations, but the smartest decision I made during mine was setting my house up to be a full smart home. I've got a lot of great devices installed, but I'm really excited to see what's around the corner in the smart home market.

If you can't stand the view of wires dangling down the wall or across the room to keep a surveillance camera active in the home or workplace, Netgear's Arlo HD Camera is for you. Arlo's the world's first wire-free, HD and waterproof indoor and outdoor camera and it's easy to set up through the smartphone app and a few presses of buttons.

Lighting isn’t very interesting, is it? I mean, other than different fixtures, the lights themselves are pretty unremarkable, right? Flick a switch, and on comes the light. Flick it again, and off it goes. I mean, totally yawn, huh? Well, that is unless you happen to have invested in the new Philips Hue personal lighting system, which allows for quite the personalization, versatility and convenience. Want to see how innovative lighting can be? Read on for my preview of the Philips Hue lighting system.

When you take it out of the box, the Ring Pro Video Doorbell looks as though it may be hard to install with all sorts of little pieces and wires. Once you get into it though, you'll see it's anything but. In fact, Ring is so confident that you can install it yourself that it will pay for free installation if you cannot. With cloud storage capabilities, motion detection and 1080p video output, Ring Pro is ready to be your next Home Automation pick up. Come take a look!

July has a way of zipping past us, and before we know it we’ve landed in August and we’re a month away from back to school. It’s hard to believe time can go by that fast, but that’s the downfall of a Canadian summer. They seem to be over before you know it. Thankfully there are still plenty of days left to spend outside soaking up the sunshine. While you’re enjoying the warm weather, you might want to grab your...