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Amazon Fall Event 2024: What the New Echo Lineup Means for You

Amazon refreshed its Echo lineup at the September 2024 hardware event. Here is what changed and whether you should upgrade.

Best Arlo Alternatives: Home Security Cameras Without Monthly Fees

Smart Doorbells in 2024: Ring vs Nest vs Arlo Compared

A hands-on comparison of the top smart video doorbells from Ring, Google Nest, Arlo, Reolink, and Eufy covering video quality, subscriptions, and real-world performance.

The Best Smart Home Routines for Better Sleep

Your smart home can do more for your sleep than any app. Here are the automations and routines that made the biggest difference for me.

Building a Smart Home Theater: Lights, Sound, and Automation

A truly smart home theater ties together lighting, audio, video, and window treatments into seamless scenes you can trigger with a single tap or voice command.

Building a Smart Dorm Room on a $200 Budget

Heading to college? Here is how to build a genuinely useful smart dorm room for under $200, no wiring or landlord permission required.

Smart Lock Keeps Jamming or Not Locking? Here's What to Do

Smart Home Energy Monitoring: Track Every Watt in Your House

Whole-home energy monitors and smart plugs let you see exactly where your electricity is going, and the insights can cut your power bill by 10-15% once you know what to target.

Home Assistant vs Hubitat in 2024: Which Hub Should You Choose?

Both Home Assistant and Hubitat run locally and support Zigbee and Z-Wave. But they serve very different users. Here is how to decide.