One of the biggest detractors to living in an apartment over your own home is a lack of freedom when it comes to upgrading your apartment’s technology, specifically when it requires changes that are forbidden by the landlord. We’ve compiled a list of 10 tech upgrades that will make your life easier while still keeping your property manager happy.

Concerned about your safety and belongings in your apartment?

Interested in home security, but you aren’t allowed to run wires through the walls in your apartment? Check out Canary, a wireless home security alarm solution. The device is placed at a central location in your apartment and connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network. Using a learning algorithm, the device learns when you are typically home versus when you are not. If the Canary senses motion at an abnormal time, the owner receives a smartphone notification and recorded HD video of the event.

The owner can also tune in live at any time, sound a siren or contact the authorities if there’s any trouble. On top of that, it keeps records of when people come and go to the home as well as use cloud storage to save video / audio over the last 90 days. As an added bonus, the device also tracks air quality, temperature and humidity in the home for health benefits.

Pricing: The Canary is a relatively new product that hasn’t seen much of a price reduction yet. The retail cost is $249 and the device is available at Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot and Verizon stores. If you purchase it directly from the company, it comes with a 60-day money back guarantee if you decide it’s not the right gadget for you.

Are bulky chargers making your furniture stick out?

Want all the benefits of USB charging without swapping out outlet hardware or setting up a USB charging station? Take a look at the SnapPower USB Charger, a simple outlet covering that adds a single USB charging station with just a turn of a screwdriver. The unique design of the outlet plate draws power from the screws on the side of the existing outlet. It’s also completely flat to the fall, ideal for small apartments that have limited space for furniture.

The SnapPower USB Charger comes in two designs and three colors, based off the type of outlets in your apartment. To install, you basically just remove the existing outlet cover and screw on the new cover. When you are ready to move to a new apartment or home, it’s easy to retrieve the hardware and replace it with the old plates. This will keep your landlord happy and give you USB charging without the bulky charger.

Pricing:  At the moment, you can only purchase the SnapPower outlet cover from the company that’s making it: LINK. Preorder pricing is based on the volume of your order. Purchasing a single cover will cost $20 while purchasing 5 covers brings the cost down to $16 each. The outlet covers are expected to ship during September 2015.

Does your apartment lack outlets?

Obviously, it’s easy to expand the number those outlets you have by purchasing a power strip. However, it’s not easy to hide a large power strip in an apartment or fit multiple, bulky chargers on a single strip. Enter the Pivot Power strip, a flexible strip that can be transformed into a variety of shapes.

For instance, you could wrap the power strip around a leg of an end table, effectively hiding the strip from guests. The strip also offers surge protection as well as four feet of cord to reach your nearest outlet.

Pricing:  The Pivot Power retails for $20, however you should be able to find it on sale consistently between $13 and $15 at Amazon. It comes in a variety of colors as well, ideal for anyone that’s decorated their apartment recently.

Love cooking, but hate your apartment’s unreliable appliances?

Arriving in Fall 2015, the Meld Knob is a high-tech automated cooking solution that replaces an existing burner knob on your stove. The knob automatically turns the burner to lower and raise temperature based off temperature readings being received from the Meld Clip. The clip attaches to existing cookware that you already own and measures temperature within 1 degree of the food’s actual temperature.

Utilizing the included mobile app, the user can browse through existing recipes as well as upload their own recipes. Communicating with the mobile device, the knob knows exactly how long to cook your meal as well as the appropriate time to stop cooking completely.

Pricing: The knob was fully funded on Kickstarter this year at a $99 preorder price and is expected to retail for $149 later this year, likely available on Amazon and other Web retailers.

Looking to add an extra A/C window unit in your apartment?

As summer temps are climbing, the need to reliable air conditioning is a must. Take a look at Quirky’s Aros, a smart window air conditioner that was developed in partnership with GE. Learning from your living habits similar to the Nest thermostat, the Aros uses your smartphone’s GPS to determine the best time to fire up before you arrive home.

It also uses a predictive algorithm to determine the temperatures you will like at different times of day. Using a mobile application, an Aros user can track an estimate of how much you have spent on cooling each day and compare that against the national average.

Pricing: The device currently retails for $249.99 and is found at Amazon and Walmart. While sales will be scarce during the summer months, look for the best price at the end of summer. Last September, the price on the Aros dipped down as low as $180 as summer came to a close and inventory was still high.

Do you have horrible central air / heat in your apartment?

Some apartments are notorious for having terrible air flow in different rooms, either the room is too hot or it’s too cold. Ideal for apartment roommates that can’t agree on the temperature, the Keen Smart Vent is a replacement vent for existing air flow vents in most apartments. Powered by four AA batteries, the vent connects to the home’s Wi-Fi network and automatically opens or closes the vent based off the existing temperature in the room.

Similar to other learning devices, the vent will tech itself the best pattern for the person using the room. It can also be controlled manually from a mobile device, but it’s specifically designed to work autonomously.

Pricing: The vents are expected to start shipping in Summer 2015 and can be preordered for a price of $145 for two vents (MSRP: $180). Similar to the SnapPower outlet cover, the price per vent will fall based on the volume of your order.

Do you have a windowless bedroom in your apartment?

Are you subleasing a “bedroom” (probably a closet) in an expensive city like New York or Los Angeles? Does your bedroom simply lack a window? You need the Philips Wake-up Light, an alarm clock that simulates sunlight pouring into your room at the start of each morning. It can also be used as a bedside lamp at night at a variety of different intensities.

Ideally, you should place the clock a couple feet from your head on a bedside table and allow it to slowly wake you up with light. Of course, the alarm clock also includes a standard alarm, FM radio as well as simulated birds chirping to go along with the light.

Pricing: Philips sells multiple models of this design for prices between $69.99 and $99.99. Look for discounts up to 25 to 30 percent off the original MSRP frequently at retailers like Amazon and Walgreens. The device can also be purchased from Philips directly.

Hate fumbling for your keys at your apartment’s front door?

Assuming you have a landlord that’s willing to let you swap out your front door deadbolt, check out the Kwikset Kevo. While there are multiple types of smart locks that interact with your smartphone, this is one of the only models that provides a physical key for the landlord to carry as well as look similar to existing hardware in an apartment complex.

Using Bluetooth connectivity with your mobile device, all you have to do is tap the lock when you arrive home and it will unlock due to the proximity of your smartphone. You can also provide access to guests by supplying a guest eKey that expires after 24 hours. Basically, you can let someone into your apartment without having to be physically at the location. Of course, if your smartphone dies, you always have a physical key as a backup to unlock the door.

Pricing: Retailing for $219 at stores such as Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy and Newegg, you can often find the Kevo on sale at the $199 price point. Amazon occasionally drops the price to $180, but the lowest recorded price to date was $150 at Sears during April.

Want whole-home audio without running wires through walls?

Easily one of the most popular wireless solutions for whole-home audio, the Sonos Play:1 speakers are a compact audio solution that lets you stream music simultaneously to all Wi-Fi connected Sonos speakers. The music you are listening to in your kitchen can carry over to the living room, bedroom and any other room in your apartment.

There are also more robust speakers in the Sonos line, if you need a more expansive sound across a larger space. Music can be controlled from a Wi-Fi connected mobile device, either playing from a personal collection or all the streaming music services available today.

Pricing: The bad news is that wireless comes at a price. A single Sonos Play:1 speaker runs $199 and the more robust speakers run between $299 and $399. However, you can find deals on a set of two Sonos Play:1 speakers at a $349 price point at retailers such as Amazon, Crutchfield, Best Buy and World Wide Stereo. During Christmas sales, you will also find discounts on a single Sonos Play:1 speaker as low as $160.

Hate setting off your apartment’s obnoxious smoke detectors?

Many apartments have smoke detectors placed near the kitchen with a sensitivity that alerts the entire apartment to some slightly burnt toast. Enter the Nest Protect, a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector that allows you to simply wave off the alarm rather than seek out your step stool to reach the ceiling.

Connecting to your mobile devices over Wi-Fi, the advanced hardware sends messages when the batteries are running low as well as constantly runs a test nightly to make sure everything is working. It also uses a human voice alert to specifically identify the problem as well as the area of the home that set off the alarm.

Pricing: At a $99 MSRP, you can find the 2nd generation Nest Protect coming soon to retailers such as Best Buy, Home Depot, Amazon and the company site. Sales on the device are extremely infrequent, rarely dropping below $90. However, the device originally debuted at a $129 price point, thus the reduced MSRP could be considered a deal for people that aren’t early adopters.

10 Awesome Tech Upgrades for Apartment Dwellers

It’s hot then it’s cold. And then a blizzard hits. And then your street floods. And then it snows again so the floodwaters freeze and all the while your power bill looks like the Rocky Mountains in bar graph form. We feel you. We are also here to help you. These quick fixes will reduce your utility bills in short order.

Honeywell Air Cleaner Filter

The air carries a ton of stuff outside of the oxygen and nitrogen we were taught about in school. Air carries allergens, airborne bacteria, pet dander, and viruses. With a premium air filter, like the Honeywell Air Cleaner Filter, you can breathe easy knowing that all that garbage never makes it inside your home. Fresh air filters replaced every six months make it easier for your HVAC to circulate air, cutting down on costs and improving internal air quality.

Check Prices on Home Depot

Deflecto Dryer Duct Cleaning Kit

Not only is your dryer the biggest use of energy in your entire home, it’s also one of the most hazardous. So solve two problems with one solution. By giving your dryer duct a thorough cleaning, removing the dryer lint build up, you’re making it easier for your dryer to do its job while reducing the chances of its spontaneously combusting.

Check Prices on Amazon

NRG Toilet Tank Flush Less Water Saver Displacement Bag

Sometimes, the most low tech solutions will save you the most on your utility bills. The NRG Toilet Tank Bag simply takes up space in your toilet tank, reducing the amount of water needed to fill the tank after every flush. It’s a simple, not-so-elegant “gadget” that can help you save for something for more elegant. Like a bidet!

Check Prices on NRG

Gardner’s Power Strip with Timer

If you’re in the kind of business that requires a timed power strip to improve performance of your grow lights, you probably don’t need to be saving on your power bill. But if you’re in the kind of home that has a smart TV, wireless router, gaming console, computer or two, and a lamp near the entertainment center, you probably do need to save on your power bill. Fun fact: most plugged in devices continue to suck power even after you turn them off with a remote or a button. This Power Strip with Timer will cut everything off at the source at a preset time saving you big bucks overnight or while you’re at work!

Check Prices on Gardner’s

3M Clear Window Film Insulator Kit

Why the cold air is able to go straight through glass windows, we’ll never understand. Shouldn’t it, you know, be a barrier between the outdoor world? Bygones. The 3M Clear Window Film Insulator easily applies to your single or double-pane windows, reducing the negative impact cold outdoor temps can have on your indoor temps, reducing the amount of effort your heater has to put out to keep your home comfy and warm.

Check Prices on Ace Hardware

5 Ways You Can Reduce Your Utility Bills This Weekend

Do you hate having to find your USB charger all the time? Does your significant other hate seeing your fat, ugly chargers permanently sticking out from the wall? Meet the SnapPower Charger, a simple outlet cover that elegantly blends design and function. Replacing an existing outlet cover within your home, the SnapPower Charger very literally snaps into place and offers up a single USB charging slot on the right side of the cover.

How does it get the power to charge you mobile devices? The two prongs on the left and right side of the cover’s interior clamp onto the screw contacts on the outlet hardware. Pulling power from those metal contact points, users can charge their mobile devices without having to locate their USB charger. Of course, you can still plug in USB chargers to the two remaining spots, thus giving you the option of charging three devices at once over USB.

Installation in the Kitchen

Installation is a Breeze

One of the best features of the SnapPower Charger is that you don’t need any electrical skills to install the plate. However, you will need to find the breaker box in your home and flip off the power at the location of the outlet for your future SnapPower Charger cover.

After the power is off, you unscrew the existing plate and push the SnapPower Charger cover into place. I had to wiggle it a little in order to get it on, but it fit very snugly once it was installed. After that, attach the single screw to hold the plate securely on the wall and go flip the power back on. That’s it! It took me less than 5 minutes to install it, zero roadblocks in the process.

Installation in the Bedroom

Performance & Usability

The amp rating is 1 amp, basically identical to the standard chargers that ship with an iPhone. I found no difference in charging speed between the SnapPower Charger and my iPhone 6 Plus wall plug. While 2 amp and 2.4 amp “Qualcomm’s QuickCharge” chargers certainly power up mobile device batteries faster, this is passive by design; likely to make installation so easy. Personally, speed wasn’t a factor as I just plopped my iPhone down with my keys, wallet, etc… and let it charge before I exited again.

This type of product would be ideal for outlets mounted at the kitchen counter level, ideal for charging up your gadgets and keeping the outlet plugs free for small appliances. It’s also a fantastic product for renters. While homeowners can swap out their outlet hardware easily, renters aren’t allowed to dive into electrical work. As long as you keep the old plates, you can simply pop the old plates back on when it’s time to move again.

You can still charge at a kid-proofed outlet.

Should You Buy It?

While $20 is expensive for an outlet cover, you can’t compare this product to outlet covers. It provides relatively the same function as this $20 outlet hardware / plate combo at Amazon, but doesn’t require any electrical knowledge to install. Are you paying a premium for that advantage? Sure. But you also gain more flexibility, ideal for renting at apartments / homes.

SnapPower sells the charger in two different styles, duplex and decor. There’s also three color options available, white, light almond and ivory.  You can also bring the price down to as low as $16 per plate if you purchase these in bulk. You can check out the SnapPower Charger on the official site.

SnapPower Charger Review: Ditch Your Bulky USB Charger

Have you ever wondered why it takes wildly different amounts of time to charge your smartphone through various USB devices? That’s exactly the question that the creators of the Practical Meter want to help you answer.

Launched through Kickstarter, the Practical Meter is plugged into your charging device, like a PC or laptop, and your smartphone is plugged into the Practical Meter. Similar to a Wi-Fi strength meter, the user will find a five-bar charging strength meter on the top of the Practical Meter. Each bar on the meter represents 1 watt of power with a max of 5 watts for smartphone charging.

Basically, the higher the wattage, the less time the smartphone will have to be plugged in. Using the iPhone as an example, five bars means the iPhone can go from a dead battery to fully charged in 90 minutes. Four bars is 2 hours, three bars is 4 hours, two bars is 6 hours and 1 bar is 8 hours. If you have multiple charging options, the Practical Meter will allow you to pick the fastest USB port for charging your smartphone.

Beyond the usefulness at home and work, this could also be ideal for anyone who’s spending time hiking or camping. For instance, a user would be able to immediately see how effective a solar charger is at filling up their smartphone battery.

In addition to the Practical Meter, the creators are selling a three-in-one charger cable that’s been specifically designed to maximize the charging rate for smartphones. That cable includes Micro USB, Mini USB and Apple dock connections.

The power consumption of the Practical Meter itself is less than 0.1 watts at maximum, thus the advantages to using the meter outweigh its need for power. Easily one of the least expensive Kickstarter projects, getting access to a  three-in-one charger cable and the Practical Meter costs a grand total of $19. With three weeks to go, the creators have already raised over $70,000. According to the project details, they plan to deliver the Practical Meter to backers by September 2013.

Check out a video from the creators below:

Shut Up and Take My Money: The Practical Meter For USB Charging