Smart Home

Photography by Chris Lo When the owners purchased this 9,000-square-foot home 18 months ago, the only electronic components that had been used were four TVs and two loudspeakers. Sparse in smarts, yet an open canvas, the owners dove in to create a home environment that nearly runs itself. It helped that the owner came into […]

Talk about a package deal. Vivint Smart Home keeps expanding its portfolio of smart home products in an effort to be a one-stop shop for homeowners interested in home security and automation. For consumers unclear on how to piece elements of technology together into a cohesive unit, this approach simplifies the shopping and setup process. […]

Bathrooms overtook kitchens as the most popular remodeling project, according to a new survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). “Small-scale renovations are slowly becoming just as popular as large-scale projects, as seen with bathroom remodeling becoming more common than kitchens,” says 2018 NAHB Remodelers Chair Joanne Theunissen, CPG, CGR, a remodeler […]

As smart speakers continue to proliferate the home landscape, manufacturers are looking for innovative designs that deliver even more bang for the buck. Sonos has developed a new class of smart speaker with the upcoming July introduction of its Beam speaker. Created to provide consumers with more than just a voice-enabled speaker that responds to […]

It’s so hot, it’s hard to move. We’ve all felt depleted by the heat—when it’s a struggle just to get off the couch. Voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home let you cool off while you use your voice to operate ceiling fans, air conditioners, and other heat-beating devices. Here’s a look at some […]

After winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship in 2000, veteran race car driver Bobby Labonte has been investing in some well-deserved relaxation far from the frenzy of the track. In late 2017, Labonte purchased a 4,000-square foot cabin on over 15 acres of land within a mile of High Point, North Carolina, with the […]

The average American spends about 70 hours a year on lawn and garden care, according to the American Time Use Survey. If you loathe pushing a mower or carting a watering can, those 70 hours can feel like an eternity. Thankfully, there is a bounty of smart products that can take the drudgery out of […]

Last fall, Best Buy outlined its plans to massively expand the smart home services and in-home technical support provided by Geek Squad. Last week, Best Buy announced the launch of its Total Tech Support Powered by Geek Squad, making the service available nationwide. The program has been in a pilot over the last few months, […]

There have been many times during my career as a home technology journalist that I wished that some of the items in my home were just a tad smarter. Take my patio umbrella. When it’s open, any change of wind speed and direction can lift it out of its base and toss it across the […]

When you’re trying to save space and money, one box is always better than two. Netgear is following through with this philosophy with the introduction of its Orbi Tri-Band WiFi Cable Modem Router System(CBK40). From this one box, you get a mesh Wi-Fi router and a cable modem. With the 2-in-1 Orbi Tri-Band WiFi Cable […]