Author Archives

Eric Murrell

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).

Heating/Cooling

REVIEW: ecobee3 Smart Thermostat

December 12, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

The new king of thermostats. I love my Nest thermostat. Well… I used to. As construction neared completion on our new home, I enthusiastically purchased two 3rd generation Nest thermostats since I had such a good experience with a first-gen…

Automation

REVIEW: Samsung SmartThings

December 7, 2016 13 Eric Murrell

Give your home a smarter brain. Adding a few smart devices to your home is fun, but when you’re ready to get serious about home automation, you’re going to want a hub to tie everything together. I’ve been a Wink…

Heating/Cooling

REVIEW: Rheem EcoNet Smart Water Heater

December 1, 2016 4 Eric Murrell

Smart and efficient. There are lots of decisions to make when designing a home, but one that very few folks spend time on is choosing a water heater. It seems like the only meaningful decision to make over the last…

Cooking

REVIEW: BioLite Camp Stove

November 22, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

Fire. Power. Every so often online I’ll stumble across a product that captures my imagination in a unique way. As an aspiring outdoorsman, I learned about the BioLite Camp Stove about a year ago, and have been fascinated by it…

Audio/Video

REVIEW: Klipsch Reference Bluetooth Headphones

November 15, 2016 3 Eric Murrell

Music to your ears. The headphone jack has been marked for death, and everyone knows it. When the iPhone 7 left it out earlier this fall, it seemed like a huge deal; now that all of the click-bait headlines have…

Reviews

REVIEW: Kwikset Kevo 2.0

November 5, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

Tap to enter. It’s been almost two years since we originally reviewed the innovative Kevo bluetooth smart lock, so the folks at Kwikset asked us to check out their latest model (which hit the market earlier this fall). Does the…

Lawncare

REVIEW: EGO Power+ 56v 16″ Chainsaw

October 30, 2016 2 Eric Murrell

A cut above. Chainsaws are terrifying (to me, at least) by nature; they’re loud, intimidating, and so good at their job that they’ve become a staple of horror movies for the last 4 decades. Part of this reputation comes from…

Gadgets

REVIEW: Withings Aura Alarm Clock and Sleep Monitor

October 25, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

A unique way to rise and shine. Smart phones seem to have killed off the alarm clock, and I think that’s kind of a shame. It may be more convenient to set a quick alarm with Siri and fumble for…

Gadgets

REVIEW UPDATE: XY Find It 3

October 2, 2016 6 Eric Murrell

A better beacon. Last summer, the folks at XY Findables gave me the opportunity to check out the XY Find It, which I found to be a really great bluetooth tag to help you find your keys (and even keep…

First Look

Philips Hue with Richer Colors – A Comparison

September 22, 2016 34 Eric Murrell

Making a great product excellent When we reviewed Philips’ Hue 2.0 system this summer, we were blown away by its versatility and unbelievable support for almost every platform, but slightly disappointed by the limited color range of its bulbs. Competing…