featured

REVIEW: Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt

December 29, 2014 4 Eric Murrell

Smart lock. Smarter purchase. Disclaimer: The folks at Schlage very generously provided a Connect unit for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. If you’re considering the journey to a smart home, one of the first components you’ll…

Audio/Video

REVIEW: Sonos PLAY:5 Wireless Speaker

December 22, 2014 5 Eric Murrell

Potentially the best speaker you can buy. Disclaimer: The folks at Sonos very generously provided a PLAY:5 for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. So you’re ready to dive head first into the Sonos ecosystem, but you…

Audio/Video

REVIEW: Sonos PLAY:3 Wireless Speaker

December 19, 2014 1 Eric Murrell

High fidelity sound with no strings attached. Disclaimer: The folks at Sonos very generously provided a PLAY:3 for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. If you’re taking a first look at the Sonos system (a standout in…

Audio/Video

REVIEW: Sonos PLAY:1 Wireless Speaker

December 17, 2014 2 Eric Murrell

Big sound in a small package. Disclaimer: The folks at Sonos very kindly provided a PLAY:1 for this review. As usual, the opinions are my own. As we discussed recently, we live in a time when there are countless ways…

Reviews

REVIEW: Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt

December 15, 2014 1 Eric Murrell

Step away from the keychain. Disclaimer: The folks at Kwikset very kindly supplied a Kevo unit for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. As I mentioned in my First Look at the Kevo, I really hate carrying…

Gadgets

REVIEW: Twelve South HiRise Stand for iPhone

December 12, 2014 0 Eric Murrell

Put yourself on a pedestal. If you’re like me, you have trouble leaving your phone in random spots around your home and office. I’m normally a creature of habit, but for some reason I can’t seem to keep track of…

Audio/Video

Rethinking Your Home Audio System

December 10, 2014 4 Eric Murrell

Music to your ears. Our family listens to music. Constantly. I don’t know if it’s because of our industry (we work from home a lot), but we normally have one room in the house cranked up at least once a…

Planning

Building a House: Getting Started

December 8, 2014 5 Eric Murrell

This December is a big milestone for us, as we break ground on the home we started planning for over 3 years ago (and started saving for 7 years ago!). This is our first time building a home from scratch,…

First Look

First Look: Dropcam Pro

December 3, 2014 0 Eric Murrell

Always on the lookout. There’s a certain appeal to home surveillance that has long eluded the casual nerd. About 10 years ago, I picked up a (then top-of-the-line) web cam in an effort to keep any eye on my apartment…

Lighting

REVIEW: LIFX WiFi Light Bulb

December 1, 2014 0 Eric Murrell

Party in a box. Disclosure: The folks at LIFX very kindly provided a bulb for this review. As always, the opinions are my own. “Honey, you have to come see this, right now!” That’s what I was yelling at Lauren…