Your entryway is the first thing you see when you walk through the door and the last thing you pass on your way out. It sets the tone for your entire home. But for most of us, it is also where shoes pile up, keys get lost, packages sit unattended, and that one light switch … Read more
A prepared smart home stays operational even when the grid goes down Why Your Smart Home Needs Storm Prep Last August, a freak windstorm knocked out power across my neighborhood for three days. I had spent two years building out my smart home — smart thermostat, voice-controlled lights, security cameras, water leak sensors, the works. … Read more
Smart home gym setup with LED lighting, voice control, and climate automation Why Your Home Gym Needs Smart Home Tech I spent two years working out in a spare bedroom with a single dumbbell rack, a yoga mat, and a Bluetooth speaker that cut out every time the microwave turned on. The room was either … Read more
If you are tired of coming home to a stuffy house or getting an electric bill that makes you wince, smart AC control is the upgrade that pays for itself fast. You do not need a new air conditioner or a fancy smart thermostat. You need a $70 controller and ten minutes of setup. I … Read more
Charging an EV at home is convenient until you see your electric bill. The difference between a dumb charger that starts pulling power the moment you plug in and a smart charger that waits for off-peak rates can be $30 to $50 every month. Over a year, that pays for the upgrade. I spent three … Read more
My mom is 73 and lives alone in the house I grew up in. Last winter, she fell in her kitchen at 11 PM and could not reach her phone. She sat on the floor for two hours until a neighbor happened to call. That story ends fine, but it got me thinking about what … Read more
I spent 180 dollars a year on smart home subscriptions before I realized most of it was optional. Here is how I rebuilt my setup to zero monthly fees without losing any features.
My garage was the last room in my house to get smart. I spent two years automating my living room, kitchen, bedroom, and backyard before it occurred to me that the place where I store 40,000 dollars worth of car and tools was still running on technology from 1998. One pull-chain light. One manual door. … Read more
I learned about seasonal smart home prep the hard way. Two years ago, my smart thermostat kept the house at 72 degrees all summer, and it worked great. Then October hit, the outdoor temps dropped to 40 at night, and the thermostat kept blasting AC because nobody told it the season changed. I woke up … Read more
I have installed smart lighting in four different homes over the past six years. I started with cheap Wi-Fi bulbs from Amazon, graduated to Philips Hue, then ripped half of it out and started over with Lutron. Along the way I learned that the “best” smart lighting system depends entirely on what kind of person … Read more