Home Automation

SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer Plus review – Easy, capable, and economical, oh my!

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              REVIEW – I’ve reviewed several SwitchBot products and have grown to appreciate them for their simplicity, utility, and budget-friendliness.  With a larger display, the new SwitchBot Temperature and Hygrometer Plus makes monitoring and adding automation triggers based on your home’s environment simple, cost-effective, and fun. What is it? The SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer Plus […]

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Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra robot vacuum review – This robot vac really does it all!

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REVIEW – I have been reviewing Roborock robot vacuums for several years now and have liked them so much that I have been using them on the two main floors of my house. I have the Roborock S5 Max in the basement and the Roborock S7 Max with the mopping feature on the main floor

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Roborock’s latest robot vacuum does EVERYTHING!

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NEWS – Roborock robot vacuums are one of my favorite home automation gadgets that I use multiple times a week. I currently have two Roborock robot vacuums and I want another one because my home has three floors. On my main floor, I have the Roborock S7 robot vac with the self-emptying dock and it’s

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The Flic Twist home automation gadget has been revealed

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NEWS – Five years ago I reviewed the Flic wireless smart buttons. These small buttons allowed for all kinds of interesting home automation funnery (I just made up that word – you’re welcome). I used one of mine to record the time I stopped eating at night so that I could figure out how long

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Switchbot Motion Sensor and Contact Switch review – add triggering options to your home automation

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REVIEW – Home Automation is fun! I previously reviewed SwitchBot’s curtain robot system and liked it very much. Now SwitchBot has released motion sensors and contact switches to enhance their already impressive lineup of home automation fun! What is it? The SwitchBot Motion Sensor is a battery-operated, motion and light sensor that pairs with software

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Chamberlain Secure View Garage Door Opener with Smart Camera review

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REVIEW – When I purchased my new home, one of the “must-have” upgrades on my list was a garage door opener. I knew that I would be frequently accessing my garage for numerous reasons and manually opening and closing the door each time would be a pain. My idea for a garage door opener did

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Coming soon to a field near you: Autonomous tractors!

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  NEWS – We already have autonomous vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers.  Autonomous cars are in the works.  I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that a company is planning to release an autonomous tractor later this year.  The Ztractor will come in three sizes and work with a variety of implements and vegetables.  It

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SwitchBot Curtain system review – Make any curtain remote controlled

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REVIEW – Did you ever have the feeling you were being watched? I get that feeling occasionally, living in a raised ranch home with a large front window facing a street with frequent pedestrians. If you suspect your neighbors are watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island with you, the SwitchBot Curtain is for you! What is

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Dakboard smart display review – Build a DIY always on wall display

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REVIEW – How do you keep track of things that need to be done? Do you use a task or to-do app on your phone or computer? Do you use a physical notebook? I use both of those methods and have just added a third tool to my productivity toolbox – a Dakboard. What is

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IFTTT goes “Pro” adding multi-triggers and actions – sort of

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NEWS – If you’re into home automation, you’re probably familiar with If This Then Then (IFTTT), the multi-platform cloud-based automation tool.  With IFTTT, you can tie together disparate systems and make them work together.  For example, if my Ambient Weather weather station registers rain falling at 0.1″ per hour or greater, it will trigger my

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Kyvol E31 robot vacuum cleaner and mop review

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REVIEW – Robot vacuums compete in a crowded field of models and manufacturers. Each design uniquely combines features, programming, performance and price. I have a Kyvol E31 to review. Launched in June 2020, it’s currently ranked #31 out of the top 77 best selling robot vacuums on Amazon. Read on to see what I think!

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Orvibo Smart Universal Remote Control Home Automation Hub review – Take control of your devices

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REVIEW – If you’re of a certain age, like me, you remember the first TV remote control – it was you. Your parent would tell you to get up and go change the channel to one of the other two that your TV received.  Then, TVs started coming with Infrared (IR) remote controls, giving you

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Vivint SmartHome security system review

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REVIEW – I’ve enjoyed testing and writing about many smart home gadgets, home automation devices, security systems, and dozens of security cameras, over the years. One thing that I’ve always found to be a problem is that each device I’ve continued to use has required its own separate app which means you have to search

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Leviton Decora Smart Voice Dimmer and 4 Speed Fan Controller switches review

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Review In today’s day and age, a lot of people are moving towards smart homes. Starting out can be a daunting task as there are so many options available. The Leviton fan speed controller and the Leviton voice dimmer with Alexa are two great devices to start with as they don’t require a hub and

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Level Lock transforms your dumb lock into a smart lock

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NEWS – The list of Home Automation products is growing, and smart locks are popular amongst them. But most if not all of them require you to replace your existing deadbolt and usually have a touch or keypad. The Level Lock is billed as the world’s first invisible smart lock. It’s designed to install inside

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SwitchBot now makes a robot that closes your curtains

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CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Making your home smarter is awesome. For example, I love my Neato Botvac robot vacuums and my Liftmaster WLED smart garage door opener. But one thing I don’t yet have are smart curtains because they are expensive and I’m a little intimidated to install them myself. And that’s why I’m so interested

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Eve Extend, Energy, Motion and Door & Window sensors review

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REVIEW – At this point, my home is ran in part by us two humans as much as it is with Eve’s products. When the Extend and Energy accessories came up for review, I jumped all over it as I knew they were products that I could easily incorporate into our evolving automated home. To

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