Lifestyle Smart Home

There are modern, smart equivalents to almost any household device, and that includes light switches. Wemo switches are smart light switches that are infinitely useful, that is unless it is blinking orange. So, what are the best ways to fix Wemo switches that are blinking orange?

Your Google Home Mini is a helpful and handy pocket-sized piece of technology. It can play your favorite music and podcasts, and help you accomplish all your tasks on time as dictated by your calendar.

The continued boom of home security options has made it easier and easier to keep a home safe, and the owner informed. Smart technology allows you to see who is ringing your doorbell with a video on your cell phone.

Does your Samsung TV keep turning off every 5 seconds? How frustrating! Samsung is a brand well-known for supplying a long list of different smart devices. Their high-quality displays make them a popular choice for smart TVs, but high-quality is only useful if you can  actually watch it.

It’s time to watch your favorite shows on TV. But suddenly, your Roku volume stops working. A big scene is coming up, and it’s about to get loud. So, how can you enjoy the entertainment without waking up the whole house?

You grab your trusty remote, click the on button, and your Samsung TV responds with nothing. The indicator LED flashes red continuously as you try all the normal things. You check the batteries in the remote. You bang on the remote with the palm of your hand. As a last resort, you furiously push the on/off button repeatedly in growing frustration.

Ring doorbells are a great security measure that Ring allows you to have. The device gives you video and audio alerts of activity outside your home, even if the doorbell isn’t ringing.

Modern TVs are generally low-maintenance, better looking, and more reliable than ever before. However, even some of the best TV brands on the market, such as Insignia, are prone to confusing errors. So, what does it mean when your Insignia TV keeps turning off?

Signal codes are a series of numbers technicians use to diagnose and troubleshoot DISH network problems. A common DISH signal code is 11-11-11; knowing what this means will help you better understand the problem and how it can be fixed!

We have been taught to unplug electric items and appliances during storms. And we are advised to use power strips with breakers to help protect appliances and equipment from getting damaged. When the storms pass, and we get ready to turn everything back on though, there is always that moment of hesitation. Then we have those “what if” thoughts, such as what if the  cable box doesn’t turn on?

Arris is a company that manufactures and sells modems, among other telecommunications equipment and software. While it is a renowned business, the biggest user complaints lie within the Arris modems continuing to reset (and without warning). Why is this happening, and how can you fix it?

It is common for Ring Video Doorbells to have trouble keeping the lithium-ion battery pack fully charged. There are a few possible reasons for this, most of which can be solved by the Ring owner. 

Countless homeowners will do anything to update their technology and appliances. Smart technology has crept into every aspect of the home, and that includes lighting fixtures. So, can smart bulbs be used in any lamp?

Samsung TVs, particularly the new generation of Smart TVs, have an excellent reputation. Purchasers of Samsung TVs give above-average comments and reviews. However, a few known issues occur with the display screens and graphics on some Samsung TVs. In particular, the appearance of black horizontal lines on the screen is mentioned

An Echo remote is a pinnacle of convenience. It allows you to communicate with Alexa and easily control your home entertainment system using only your voice. But what do you do when the remote you use to make modern life more convenient stops working?

Deciding whether or not to upgrade your lighting to smart lighting is a big decision. There is, of course, the initial investment. At $30 or $40 a bulb, switching your entire home over to smart bulbs is no small price to pay. But the benefits are numerous.

Talking to Alexa has become so common that she has literally become a household name around the world.  From dinner recipes and corny jokes to podcasts and playlists – Amazon’s Alexa has the response for everything.  But what happens when you are trying to play some of your favorite songs through Spotify and Alexa won’t deliver your request no matter how many different ways you ask?

Here’s the thing- there are several reasons why your US/DS Xfinity modem light could be blinking. Before you throw it out of the window, attempt to fix it yourself. Are you up for the challenge?

Google Home is one of the most popular, most efficient smart home hubs out there…Until it’s not. It can be great unless it doesn’t work. A common glitch we often hear with it is the concern-raising “Something went wrong” error. This seems alarming, but in most cases, it’s not something to get too freaked out about.

Many Samsung smartphone users got the SmartThings App at the same time they got their phone. While the SmartThings app has a lot of great points for making your home life easier, not everyone uses or even wants its services.

Comcast and Xfinity are the top most popular internet providers in the country. They have professionals that show up and a 24-hour help service line. But what happens if your modem starts acting up and blinks green?

We love our cable, and as Americans, we love our television programs enough to schedule our week around our favorite shows. After all, there is no way anything can be planned on Tuesday, because that is the season finale, right? What happens though when our cable box stops being that reliable and beloved device? Don’t panic, this is fixable, and it won’t be long before you get tuned back in.

DirecTV is a popular satellite TV service that offers more than 240 channels in most areas. A big downside of DirecTV, though, is that it sometimes it freezes.

The Pro 1 t705 is an effective and versatile thermostat that is ideal for many homeowners. It can run solely on batteries, a hardwire, or a combination of both for consistent performance. With that said, what are you supposed to do when your Pro 1 t705 thermostat is not working?

Ring doorbells are great, and are some of the easiest smart home security systems to install. Unfortunately, things can happen that can screw you out of a good installation session. One of the worst things that you can have happen is a stripped screw that’s either stuck to your doorbell or that came with your install package. So, what can you do?

Having a Google Nest thermostat can help you live comfortably and conveniently from season to season. However, as is the case with most technology, you’re likely to run into technical issues along the way. One of these issues involves the battery inside your thermostat.

Your thermostat is meant to be the “brain” of your HVAC system. It’s supposed to control the goings-on involving your AC unit, heater, and to a point, your ventilation. Once in a blue moon, your thermostat will stop working or will just shut off. So, what does it mean when your heater is still on when this happens? Should you panic?

Smart televisions and the remotes that accompany them are vastly more sophisticated than ever before. Samsung TVs and their remotes are known to be both finely crafted and long lasting. For this reason and others, it can be downright frustrating when your Samsung TV remote is blinking red and not functioning properly.

Nest is famous for its learning technology. Its sole purpose is to learn your routine so you don’t have to worry about programming it. We as users are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning about our Nest. After all, we have many more things in our brains than just the workings of our thermostat.

A Smart Life outlet is a device used to control the state of an appliance, i.e. turning a light off and on, from a user’s cell phone. It is also commonly referred to as a smart plug, These types of plugs came into existence in 2015. Since then, there have been other related products launched, such as smart light switches, smart bulbs, and even  smart doorbells. You can even control your space at a granular level by linking Smart Life outlets to your existing smart home hub, such as Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa.

Unlike old TVs with one aspect ratio available, Vizio TVs offer you several options for viewing programs at the best aspect ratio. Most times, your Vizio TV adjusts the display’s aspect ratio for the best with the program you watch. However, you may experience your Vizio TV getting stuck in the Wide Mode aspect ratio.

Ah, a Roku device- your one-stop-shop for all things streaming. If your Roku light starts blinking, that throws a pretty big wrench in your Saturday night plans (that may or may not have included leaving the couch).

The Ring Doorbell is a smart device that helps keep your home safe with various surveillance features. It’s an easy-to-install device with various design perks that help improve your home security. Motion-activated recording, two-way audio, and Alexa-compatible operation are just a few of Ring’s compelling selling points.

Kasa is a brand that is hellbent on making smart homes easier to access than ever, and it’s a system that works with most major hubs. Unfortunately, it still has its kinks it occasionally deals with. One of the more common annoyances that we tend to see is an alert saying that there’s a “device unreachable” in your system. What gives?

The Ring Video Doorbell is made to be mounted outside of a home, typically underneath eaves or under a porch where it will be subjected to some weather but not the full force of soaking rain or driving winds. It is also assumed that it will not be regularly sprayed by landscaping irrigation sprinklers or doused by splashing pool water.

Huawei, a Chinese-based company, has established itself as a credible innovator in the mobile phone industry. This leaves many Americans are wondering- does Huawei work with Verizon?

A loud blast from your Samsung TV is enough to send you through the roof. If the volume’s stuck on 100, how are you supposed to comfortably catch up on Virgin River?

Heater season is upon us! If you have an Ecobee thermostat, you may notice an alert pop up after running the heater for a few weeks: “Aux heat running too long.” It should be noted that “Aux” stands for auxiliary, a secondary heating system. Once the temperature outside reaches a certain low point, your compressor switches over to auxiliary heat.

Thermostats are a modern luxury and lifesaver when you need to quickly adjust your HVAC system. They generally run on batteries, but modern smart thermostats are wired directly to your grid because they require so much power. Considering how advanced modern thermostats are, will one work without batteries?

POV: You’re watching Ted Lasso, and you can’t help but notice the picture on your TV seems unusually dark. Why does your Samsung TV keep dimming?

When it comes to trying to pare down the high price of energy, people are getting crafty. They’re getting eco-friendly materials for their homes. They’re adding insulation. Oh, and they’re also getting some devices that make it easy to help curb your energy use, such as energy monitors. You might be wondering what’s getting your bill high. Should you get a Smappee or a Sense?

Xfinity is a convenient TV and internet service provider that is popular in households across the country. Despite their longstanding success, you are bound to experience some issues with your cable box from time to time. One of the most common problems people experience with their Xfinity box is it saying “boot” constantly without turning on.

It can be a bit spooky when your Vizio TV starts turning itself on by itself. Several issues can be at the bottom of a Vizio TV that seems to have a mind of its own. A Vizio TV that turns itself on isn’t a common problem. However, if you are experiencing these issues, there are some common causes.

Many people do not want to use cable anymore because of all the streaming options available to them. If you have decided to use an Amazon Fire Stick to do your streaming, you may have some questions. One question is whether you can use multiple Fire Sticks in one house.

Many typical issues come with getting a new TV. Those common issues can include things like connection and setup to  mounting the television. In most cases, these are less like problems and more like learning curves. And like every new television, often even with the same manufacturer, there are new things to figure out. That includes learning how to deal with issues like when Vizio TV legs are too wide.

Nothing is more frustrating than buying a new appliance or other item and finding that the package is incomplete. Missing or inadequate screws are one of the most often found missing items. This is true for Samsung TVs, especially the screws to mount the Samsung TV to the legs or a wall mount.

Thermostats have as much of a variety and wide selection as any other household appliance. It can be difficult to navigate the world of thermostats with so many options between smart, analog, and programmable thermostats. So, what exactly is the less widely known millivolt thermostat?

If you have recently bought a Vizio smart TV and have taken a look at the remote, you have probably noticed something a little strange right off the bat: there is no menu button on a Vizio remote.

With the advancement in technology, many businesses are starting to accept a wide variety of payment options including Apple Pay. While Home Depot did accept Apple Pay at one point, many people are wondering if they still do.

Chances are if you have a newer ASUS router, you’ve probably never heard of B/G protection. Regardless, can it be advantageous to turn the setting on?

A router blinking red is a common symptom of many different problems. Knowing what this means can help you get it back up and running ASAP!

So, your television starts flashing an error message- don’t hit the panic button just yet! Why is your Sony TV blinking red 4 times, and what can you do about it?

When I used to be in my twenties, I lived in really sketchy neighborhoods. One was an apartment building that had doors on the inside of the building. It was a time before Ring doorbells. Since then, I’ve wondered whether or not people there installed them inside the building. Is it even possible?

Don’t blame the haunts of Halloween, the ghosts of Christmas past, or the specters of past residents when your Xfinity  cable box inexplicably reboots. That isn’t to say that those couldn’t be causes, or that the haunt of a former prankster or an agitated poltergeist couldn’t be the culprit. It might just be best to start with more earthly or grounded reasons – speaking literally and figuratively.

Nothing can be quite as frustrating as trying to watch a show and it keeps skipping forward. Unfortunately for Hulu users, this can be a common issue. There are a handful of different reasons for why this happens, and we’re here to talk about them all. So, why does Hulu keep skipping forward, and what can you do to stop it from being an issue in the future?

Nest thermostats display several different messages that alert us of an issue with the device. One such message is that Nest is “delayed.” When something is delayed, we think of it as working intermittently. It’s often not as fast as we want it to be, which can be frustrating.

Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night because your Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 70? This can be frustrating, especially during those scorching summer months. We’re here to help!

Wired connection is slowly becoming a thing of the past, although it is still semi-popular for its reliable speed. Why all of a sudden isn’t it delivering the results you’ve come to expect? Here’s what to do when your wired connection is slower than WiFi.

POV: You just sat down to veg out on a Friday night, and unfortunately, Hulu activate isn’t working. What can you do to fix it?

Those who have  Vizio TVs love their televisions. And there is a good reason for that because Vizio has become recognized as a leader in TV technology. Just ask the thousands upon thousands of satisfied Vizio customers, and they will tell you, from the screen quality to the interactive technologies, that these are wonderful TVs.