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).

First Look

FIRST LOOK: Awair Air Quality Monitor

July 29, 2016 9 Eric Murrell

Take a deep breath. I don’t know how it happened, but I seem to have made it through life without any allergies; that’s worth mentioning only because everyone live with and work around seems to be dramatically effected by the…

Automation

10 Cheap Ways to Upgrade Your Home

July 26, 2016 0 Eric Murrell

Big changes with small money One of the most common objections to building a smart home is a lack of funds; thankfully, there are quite a few upgrades you can make to your home that won’t cost you an arm…

Automation

REVIEW: Philips Hue 2.0 w/HomeKit

July 21, 2016 8 Eric Murrell

Life in living color Disclaimer: The folks at Philips kindly provided a Hue kit for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. Some gadgets have become synonymous with their function in the smart home space. When folks think…

Audio/Video

FIRST LOOK: Nest Cam Outdoor

July 18, 2016 1 Eric Murrell

Keep an eye on the outdoors The Nest Cam (formerly the Dropcam Pro) is easily one of the most popular surveillance/streaming cameras on the market. Its ease of use and consistent quality have made it a go-to for families who…

Automation

6 Reasons Apple Shouldn’t Run Your Smart Home (Yet)

July 14, 2016 7 Eric Murrell

Not quite magical. I’m an Apple guy. I was raised on a Power Mac in the 90s and our home currently houses 2 MacBook Pros, 3 iPads, 2 iPhones, 2 Apple Watches, and 2 Apple TVs. It’s safe to say…

Automation

FIRST LOOK: Flic Wireless Smart Button

July 11, 2016 4 Eric Murrell

A shortcut for your smart life. Smart devices are cool, but sometimes controlling them can be an absolute pain. Although it sounds convenient to control your home with a bunch of apps, it can be kind of maddening in practice.…

Lighting

REVIEW: SnapPower Guidelight Outlet Cover

July 7, 2016 8 Eric Murrell

It’s time to upgrade your outlets. Disclaimer: The folks at SnapPower very kindly provided Guidelights for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. I don’t know if it’s just me, but a few months ago I began seeing…

Heating/Cooling

REVIEW UPDATE: Culer Solo Cooler

July 5, 2016 0 Eric Murrell

Some cool improvements. Disclaimer: The folks at Culer very kindly supplied a Culer Solo for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. As we enter the thick of the summer, if you’re anything like our family, I’m sure…

Audio/Video

10 Reasons Your Family Needs a Drone

June 30, 2016 0 Eric Murrell

A different perspective. Something dangerous happened to me in Vermont this May… I caught drone fever. I go on a trip to help church plants with a group of creatives every May, and this year several friends brought their drones…

Automation

FIRST LOOK: Amazon’s Echo Dot

June 29, 2016 1 Eric Murrell

Upgrade your nightstand It’s no secret that we love the Amazon Echo; what I initially wrote off as a bizarre little gadget quickly became our current favorite smart home gadget. There’s something about that readily-available combination of knowledge and speed…