Smart home

Out of all of the things that have happened since we moved from a quiet cul-de-sac with neighbours to a 12-acre farm, having break-in after break-in has been the worst. Possessions can be replaced but when you lose the sense of security you have in your home? That’s really hard to get back. Thankfully we discovered Arlo smart home security, and I sleep better at night because of those cameras. Here’s my take on Arlo and how we use it on our property.

In the final installment of the “Setting up a Smart Home” series, we’re going to take a look at turning your smart home into a daily money saver through the use of smart thermostats. While you can save a few bucks here and there by turning the heat down once in a while, smart thermostats can help you put an actual system together so that you don’t have to do as much guesswork. Some adapt to your heating needs while some use your current location to set away settings. There’s one that even compares your power usage to your own city’s current energy prices to sell you what you’re saving in Near Real Time. Find out more about these thermostats by reading onward.

The physiological need for shelter nowadays extends to the idea of the roof over our heads that keeps us safe and comfortable. In Canada, from coast to coast, those needs swing wildly between regions and seasons; the one thing that keeps us comfortable are the heating and air conditioning systems installed in our homes. Controlling these systems used to be a dance of setting the right temperature. That changed with programmable thermostats, and then again with the invention of the Smart Thermostat. It’s a revolution in home control and it’s my opinion that, barring a few cases, almost everyone should have one. Want to know why? Read on.

In this third installment of the “Setting up a Smart Home” series, we take a look at one of the easiest, yet neatest facets of a smart home: The Smart Lock. Smart Locks require very little effort to install, even less effort to upkeep and can make your life (especially in a large household) easier. No more worries of lost keys or getting locked out of the house by accident. Read on to find out why a smart lock should be considered as your first (or next!) smart home purchase.

In this installment of the “Setting up a Smart Home” series, we get ready to install! Before you bring out the power tools and start downloading apps left and right, you should keep a few things in mind. This blog will help you sort through some of the important things (like having the best internet connection possible) and smaller things like spot checking potential trouble spots. 

Do you have smart lighting installed in your home? If not, have you been thinking of getting it? Today I examine the key features and benefits of smart lighting in an attempt to help you answer the question: Should I add smart lighting to my home? If this is a question you’ve been pondering, or if it’s one you’d like to begin pondering, then click on through and we’ll get the ball rolling with a basic explanation of what smart lighting is and what it can do for you. Let’s get started!

Best Buy has custom-built a smart home experience at the National Home Show in Toronto to help everyone learn how easy it is to automate your own home.  Learn about the latest in security solutions, lighting, appliances and more.

Do you ever sit at work wondering what is happening back at your home? Would you like to keep a better eye on things back at your abode when you’re not around? Fortunately, there are a wide range of Wi-Fi cams out there for every user and every budget, so it is easier than ever to add that extra level of security to your living space. But, do you really need one? We take a look at IP home cameras, and answer the question, “Should I add a Smart Camera to my home?”

This is the first of a four part series aimed at helping you set up a smarter home. In this first part, we’ll take a look at assessing needs. Long before installation or even buying anything, you need to figure out what your home is capable of supporting. This blog talks about why it’s important to walk around your home, figure out what you can and can’t support and even why researching what you’re buying is key to saving yourself time and money.

There are quite literally tens of thousands of things to see at the anual Consumer Electronics show, the trade show that previews all the coming technology to retail and tech professionals. This year, I whittled down what I saw to 10 really cool things; from a levitating speaker to award-winning battery cases for smartphones, there’s a lot of new tech I’m coveting.