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When it comes to basic home renovations, I was always told to hope for the best but expect the worst. That may be true when it comes to renovating a kitchen in a 10-year-old house or even doing a major overhaul on a house that’s 20 or 30 years old, but when you decide to crack open a house that’s 100 years old, all you can do is hope for OK and expect a lot of trouble.

Home monitoring and surveillance is not just for the rich or nefarious.  Sure, we all have that house on our block that’s tricked out with half a dozen cameras and tripwires (despite their being an aging Datsun in the driveway), but find out why real people have a real need for home monitoring.

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.

Does your fridge talk to your smartphone and let you know that you’re out of milk or butter? Can your stove turn on wirelessly based on a recipe you’ve created and plugged in? Maybe your washing machine can send you a text if you forgot the fabric softener or your laundry is on the verge of becoming smelly from being left behind? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I’m jealous, but thanks to the Internet of Things, having my very own WiFi enabled appliances isn’t that far off.

There are some amazing new products hitting the shelves of Best Buy this month. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the cool products you can pick up right now.

Geek Squad has recently increased the number of services they offer to help you get your Smart Home up and running.

Everyone’s favourite time of year is fast approaching. That’s right, it’s almost tax time! YAY, soon we’ll be up to our elbows in receipts and tax forms! Ok, who am I kidding, nobody likes tax time (except for the government). But, just as that old saying warns, taxes are as inescapable as that other nasty thing. I suppose all one can ever really do then is take the necessary steps to make the process as painless as possible. Depending on your circumstances, this may well involve a whole lot more than 5 specific steps, but, all the same, today I share a list of 5 key tips (with explanations) that everyone should consider (AND DO) as tax time approaches. So click through and read on to check out the list.

Don’t shoot the messenger, but winter is coming! Now that I live in Toronto, I’m getting chills of dread because winter is miserable in the east. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but there are a few months where it gets tough and my face feels numb. I’m sure that like me, many of you will be spending more time at home, as the weather grows colder. So, here are some options to keep you warm while you watch TV or to just keep your home an optimal temperature no matter where you are.

In this edition of The Internet of Things series, we take a look at Wearables. A newer entry into the IoT series, this entry takes a look at what wearables contribute now and what they can contribute in the future.

Home automation is starting to take off in the mainstream, mostly thanks to low-cost alternatives to custom systems; while there’s still a market for the integrated home automation system, for many consumers there’s a choice between entry level and midrange “network” products and “non-network” products. What does that mean and which type of product is right for you? Read on to find out.