Top Posts

August 29, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

A more connected family. As far as smart gadgets go, few product unveilings have made me as excited as when I read about the Nucleus intercom for the first time earlier this month. A video intercom with communication features for…

Lighting

REVIEW: Luminaid Packlite and Spectra

August 22, 2016 1 Eric Murrell

Sun. Light. Disclaimer: The folks at Luminaid kindly provided a Packlite 16 and Spectra for this review. As always, the opinions and conclusions are my own. Fall is just around the corner, and that means camping season is almost upon…

Cooking

REVIEW: Click and Grow Garden

August 15, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

Add some spice to your life. Disclaimer: The folks at Click and Grow were kind enough to send over a starter kit for this review; as always, the opinions and conclusions are my own. I’m awful with plants, and that’s…

Audio/Video

REVIEW: Withings Home Camera

August 12, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

Keep a watchful eye. Disclaimer: The folks at Withings provided a Home camera for this review. As always, the opinions and conclusion are my own. It seems like streaming cameras are all the rage these days, but few are designed…

Lighting

REVIEW: LIFX Color 1000 Bulbs

August 8, 2016 3 Eric Murrell

Disclaimer: LIFX kindly provided the Color 1000 bulbs for this review. As always, the opinions and conclusion are my own. A lot has changed in the smart lighting space since I originally reviewed the original LIFX color changing bulb. The…

Audio/Video

FIRST LOOK: Nucleus Smart Intercom

August 5, 2016 10 Eric Murrell

Can you hear me now? As much as I love reviewing smart home gadgets, there’s a sense of “sameness” that has emerged in the marketplace over the past year or so. Maybe it’s just part of living in a more…

Gadgets

REVIEW: SnapPower Charger USB Outlet Cover

August 3, 2016 5 Eric Murrell

No more wall warts. If you’re looking to upgrade your outlets after reading our recent review of SnapPower‘s awesome Guidelight product, you might find yourself considering one of their Charger units for your bedroom, kitchen, or office. Does the Charger…

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…