One of the best ways to save money around your home is to perform some types of repairs and maintenance yourself. But some types of work are easier to do yourself than others. In this edition, we’ll help you learn how to prep an AC unit for summer and figure out whether you can do this work yourself, saving some money in the process.

Savings

If you can do the general maintenance work on your air conditioning unit yourself, you may be able to save anywhere from $75 to $150 for a service call.

Some companies will offer good deals on air conditioner “tune-up” services in early spring, so you may find this service at a special price of $50 to $75. But some shady repair services use this “tune-up” deal to convince you your AC unit needs repairs that it actually doesn’t need. Finding a trustworthy repair person who will be honest with you is more important than saving a few bucks with a special on a “tune-up” for your AC unit.

If you can only do some of the basic maintenance tips listed below, at least you’re going to make the unit more efficient, saving some money on your electrical bill this summer. And a clean air conditioning unit will have a longer lifespan too.

Time Required

Even if you’ve never worked on an air conditioning unit before, you should be able to complete this type of maintenance in a couple of hours. An AC unit that hasn’t had maintenance performed on it previously will take longer, as it will be dirtier. If you perform maintenance on it a couple of times per year though, the process may only take an hour as you’ll be familiar with the work and the unit will be cleaner.

Tools Required

Cleaning and maintaining an air conditioner requires some simple tools, but they do have to be the right size. The exact sizes and tools you’ll need depend on the types of screws used to secure the unit’s panels, both indoors and outdoors.

• Screwdriver with varying bits
• Socket wrench with varying sockets
• Putty knife (or butter knife)
• Insulation tape
• No-rinse coil cleaning spray
• Soft-bristled brush
• Level
• Garden hose with pressure nozzle
• Wet/dry vacuum
• Hedge clippers

Preparation

Pick a reasonable weather day to perform this work, as you’ll be outdoors. You don’t want to be working in really cold temperatures, as you’ll be using water.

Find the fuse for the air conditioning unit and turn it off at your electrical box. Sometimes an AC unit will have its own fuse box near the unit outdoors that you’ll need to turn off too.

Simple Maintenance Jobs

Here are some simple, specific tasks you can complete to perform maintenance and learn how to prep your AC unit for summer.

• Clean up: Outdoor air conditioning units will collect debris on their grates over time because of the way they draw and expel air. You’ll see leaves, twigs, seeds from trees (such as cottonwood), and even animal fur stuck on the various parts of an AC unit. Removing this debris will allow the unit to run more efficiently, as it can move air easier. A wet/dry vacuum may work well for cleaning the exterior grates if the debris is dry. You then may need to remove the grates to clean the unit’s metal fins properly. Most of the grates are attached with screws or hex screws.
• Washing with water: You also can use water to clean any debris from the metal fins on the AC unit. (These metal fins will look like a zig-zag pattern, and they’ll be tightly packed together.) It’ll work well to use a garden hose with a power nozzle to gain enough water pressure. If you can get inside the unit and spray toward the outside, you’ll be able to remove the debris easier. If you can only spray from the outside, the water may clump the debris together, pushing it toward the edge of the unit, where you can remove it by hand. If you have pets or trees in your area that produce seeds that fly through the air, you may want to wash the fins a few times during the summer.
• Straightening fins: Once the fins are cleaned, you may notice some are bent. You’ll want to straighten them to ensure they can work in the most efficient manner. They don’t have to be perfectly straight to work properly, but ensuring they aren’t touching each other will help. You can use a flat head screwdriver to straighten the fins. A small putty knife or even a sturdy butter knife with a thin blade will work too.
• Free space. Make sure vegetation and foreign objects are at least 24 inches from the unit. If you have plants near the AC unit, you’ll want to check this free space occasionally during the summer, so the air conditioner has enough room around it to draw and expel air properly.

Tougher Maintenance Jobs

If you feel comfortable working around the air conditioning unit, you can perform a few other tasks that require a bit more know-how. But if you’re leery of these tasks, call in a trustworthy professional.

• Leveling. As an AC unit ages, it could slip out of a square alignment (such as the unit pictured above). Place a level onto the air conditioning unit, just to make sure it’s in alignment. Some air conditioners are braced with brackets against the home. Others rest on a platform on the ground. If the unit is not level, it could cause problems with the compressor over time. You can use shims to adjust the level of the unit as a temporary fix.
• Clean evaporator tube. Inside the home, you may have an evaporator coil inside the blower unit near the furnace. As moist, warm air inside the ducts strikes the coil, moisture from the air collects on the coil. It usually then drains through a flexible tube to a floor drain. This tube can become clogged with algae and mold over time. (Yes, that’s gross.) But you can clean this tube for a better performance level. Use a wet/dry vac to clean out this tube. Or if it’s especially clogged, consider swapping it out.
• Clean evaporator coil. The evaporator coil described above will collect dust over time. (You can minimize the dust by regularly changing your furnace filter.) If you feel comfortable working inside the unit, you can clean these coils. You’ll have to remove a panel from the unit that has screws or hex screws holding it in place. It also may have some insulation tape around it. Once you can see the coil, you can sweep it with a soft-bristled brush. Then finish cleaning it with a condenser coil spray that you can purchase in a hardware store. This special type of spray doesn’t require rinsing, so it’s great for this type of work.

Final Tips

Before you switch over from heating to air conditioning for the summer, be sure you’ve inspected both your interior and exterior units for any odd damage. If you can easily see the wires, inspect them for any cracking. If you suspect anything out of the ordinary, call a professional.

Outdoors, look for nests that mice may have created. This is a potential problem if you covered the unit all winter, creating a habitat protected from the weather. Or look for any cracks in any portion of the unit where water may have penetrated and frozen, causing a crack.

Indoors, make sure to change all filters. Inspect the unit for any corrosion or cracks. This would be rare, but it could happen with an older unit if water was building up in the area.

Certainly, if you see any cracks or damage, it’s time to call in a professional. But if the all of the components look good, and if you’re able to complete the maintenance tasks described above yourself, your air conditioner will now be ready to run at full throttle for the summer (as long as you remember to turn the power back on at the fuse box). Plus,  you’ll have saved some money in the process!

Saving Money with DIY: How to Prep an AC Unit for Summer

The recent boom of smart home technology has made it easy for anyone with a smartphone to upgrade their home. Here’s 12 gifts that should be at the top of the list of any smart home enthusiast.

Buy This Gift for Someone That Gets Lots of Visitors

Linking your doorbell to your mobile device, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 allows you see and speak with anyone that comes to your front door. You don’t even have to be in the house to speak to the person at the front door.

Interestingly, you can power the button with a built-in rechargeable battery or you can wire it directly to your existing doorbell wiring to power it. In addition, the Ring gadget can send your smartphones when motion is detected at the front of your home.

• MSRP: $179 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $100

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Buy This Gift for Someone That’s Awful with Routers

Combining smart home feature controls and Wi-Fi access, Google Nest Wi-Fi is a fantastic device that provides Gigabit speed and reliability as well as a simple-to-use design that anyone in the family can setup, not just the tech-savvy of the bunch.

• MSRP: $269 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $150

Check Price on Google

Buy This Gift for Someone That Has a Bad Memory

Can’t remember if you closed the garage door after leaving home? Enter the Chamberlain Smart Garage Hub, a Wi-Fi enabled device that allows you to monitor the status of your garage door. Linked to a smartphone app, you can also open and close the door from the app.

In addition, notifications will be sent to your smartphone each time the garage door opens. Regarding compatibility, the MyQ opener works with most major brands of garage door openers made after 1993.

• MSRP: $39 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: n/a

Check Price on Amazon

Buy This Gift for Someone That Likes to Ruin Dinner

Ideal for novice chefs that burn food often, the Nest Protect is 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.

• MSRP: $119 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $80

Check Price on Amazon

Buy This Gift for Someone That Likes Design

Connecting your home’s lighting to your smartphone or tablet, the Philips Hue A19 Bulb Starter Kit includes three smart bulbs that can be controlled with a mobile device. If you have an iPhone, it integrates with Siri and includes voice control support. The same goes for anyone with an Echo device & Amazon’s Alexa.

• MSRP: $199 Starter Kit / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $143

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Buy This Gift for Someone That Already Has Smart Home Gadgets

Attempting to simply control within a smart home, the Amazon Echo 15 is a smart device that creates a central hub for controlling smart home functions like lighting and security as well as offering household management tools. Utilizing a 15″ touch screen, users can check temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors as well as turn smart devices on / off.

The bad new is that’s it’s not quite available yet. You can sign up for an early invite on Amazon.

• MSRP: $249 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Buy This Gift for Someone That Has Tons of Mobile Devices

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.

The SnapPower USB Charger comes in two designs and three colors, based off the type of outlets in your apartment. When moving to a new home, it’s easy to retrieve the hardware and replace it with the old plates.

• MSRP: $20 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: n/a

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Buy This Gift for Someone That’s Away From Their Pets

Fantastic for dogs that don’t like being left alone, the Furbo Pet Cam is a Wi-Fi connected device with a camera to keep an eye on your pets. Using the connected smartphone app, you can speak to your pet with the attached speaker as well as release one of the treats stored inside the device. The camera delivers 1080p video to your smartphone (w/ night vision) and the Furbo can be positioned on a shelf out your pet’s reach.

• MSRP: $169 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $101

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Buy This Gift for Someone That Wants to Save Money on Heating / Air

Releasing the 3rd generation of the popular Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest has improved on the device yet again. The new version offers a 40 percent larger, brighter, high-resolution screen, notifications when a home’s furnace is having issues, integration with the Nest Protect for carbon monoxide monitoring and new display settings to show the current temperature or time.

Over time, the learning thermostat saves users 10-12% on their heating bills and about 15% on their cooling bills. Similar to other devices on this list, the Nest thermostat is compatible with Amazon Alexa for voice control. Tip: Check with your power company for additional rebates.

• MSRP: $249 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $170

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Buy This Gift for Someone Without Central Air

This Wi-Fi ready connected air conditioner is a 10,000 BTU, smart window air conditioner that was developed by LG. Compatible with Alexa, Google, & ThingQ, you can turn the unit on or off, change temperature, control modes and adapt fan speeds all using voice control. You can also use the app to access these functions on mobile devices.

• MSRP: $409 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $309

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Buy This Gift for Someone That Carries All the Grocery Bags at Once

While there are multiple types of smart locks that interact with your smartphone, the Kwikset Kevo (2nd gen) is one of the few models that provides a physical key to carry. 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 home 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. (Also compatible with Alexa)

• MSRP: $229 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $149

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Buy This Gift for Someone Just Starting with Smart Home Tech

You really can’t go wrong with Amazon’s new revision of the standard Echo. With multiple design options to choose from, you will have all the benefits of Alexa as your disposal. And if you have mulitple units, you can take advantage of features like multi-room music streaming or whole home intercoms. In addition, there are a vast number of devices in the Echo family that you can choose from; the $50 Echo Dot up to the $199 Echo Studio.

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $60

Check Price on Amazon

2021 Holiday Gift Guide: Best Smart Home Gadgets

The Echo Show 8 ($130, currently $100) is Amazon’s newest smart display device, sitting between the 10.1-inch Echo Show ($230) and the 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 ($80). It looks a lot like the Echo Show 5… just bigger.

The Echo Show 8’s tubby wedge shape is not the most inspiring form factor and won’t win any design awards, but like many of Amazon’s devices, it’s workmanlike and gets the job done at a reasonable price. Plus, at this size (7.9″ x 5.4″ x 3.9″), it’s a natural fit on a kitchen counter or bedroom nightstand (and available in your choice of charcoal or sandstone, i.e. black or white in normal-speak).

Its closest competitors, the 7-inch Google Nest Hub ($129) and 8-inch Facebook Portal Mini ($130) might look more appealing, design-wise, to many prospective buyers. The latter even has built-in Alexa. So, does the Echo Show 8 have enough to stand out amongst the competition? Let’s take a closer look…

The Display Has It

While it hasn’t always been the case for me with other Amazon devices, the setup for the Echo Show 8 was actually very fast and quite painless. I attribute that to the display, because going through the setup steps directly on the device was much easier than having to do it on a phone via the Alexa app.

I could also see that the display allows the Echo to (possibly) realize its full potential as a smart home hub (though it does not have a dedicated Zigbee smart home hub like the 10-inch model). With a quick swipe left to the shortcuts menu, you can access “Smart Home” and quickly see the status of all of your smart home devices. With the traditional Echo smart speaker, you either have to remember them—which is fine until you start accumulating a bunch of these devices—or you check the app on your phone.

Anyway, the setup took just a few minutes: I entered the password for my Wi-Fi network, linked my Amazon account, selected a time zone, and chose a screensaver (an expected but well-executed feature). At the end, Alexa pronounced, “This device is ready.”

The Echo Show 8 Unboxed.

As I stepped back to observe the Show 8 scrolling through news, weather and Alexa suggestions, I noticed what a terrible fingerprint magnet the display and bezels are. No fancy Apple-style oleophobic coating here, apparently.

Font size is comfortably readable from a distance, like 6 to 8 ft. away, say if you’re moving around in a kitchen or bedroom. You can’t adjust font size, however, or how elements are laid out in the home screen.

The rubber base is reliably grippy, so it won’t be knocked off a counter or nightstand easily. Plus, the Echo Show 8 has a heft to it (2.2 pounds) that also helps its balance, compared to the lighter tablet/picture frame form factors of its competitors.

You’re stuck with the display angle unless you want to buy Amazon’s separate adjustable stand for $25. The viewing angles aren’t bad, but straight on is still best. The resolution is 1280 by 800 which looks fairly sharp on the 8-inch display, and colors are okay. Could the display have been better? Definitely yes, but not at this price point.

I liked how the the display automatically switched to an old school LED clock when I turned off the lights. (You can also turn off that setting, which is called “Night Mode.”)

Video, Sound and Calls

When you swipe left for shortcuts, you can open up video and music options. Video is pretty limited. You get your choice of Prime Video, Hulu, NBC, Food Network Kitchen and Tubi (whatever that is). The apps are pared down versions of what you might find on a regular streaming device, but could be worse.

What’s missing? Chiefly, YouTube and Netflix, among others. Although Amazon and Google made nice earlier this year, the absence of a dedicated YouTube video app on the Echo Show 8 is quite glaring. I accessed YouTube via the Show 8’s slow Firefox browser, and let’s just say… it was not the most user friendly experience.

On that note, the Show 8 runs on the same Mediatek 8163 processor found in the Fire HD 8 tablet, and at times, it’s a bit sluggish. Not to say that the CPU destroys the entire user experience, but it’s also not the fastest draw in the West. I was frequently greeted by “Loading” messages. However, Alexa herself is as peppy as on other devices, and the Show 8 sometimes includes illustrations or images with her responses.

Using YouTube is not fun.

The sound is a bit bass-heavy at first, probably because the Show 8’s two side speakers and passive bass radiator are sitting so close to the surface—in my case, the kitchen counter. It was easy to ask Alexa to turn down the bass (you can also do it from the settings menu or the Alexa app).

Because the speakers capture some low end, the sound is decent overall, but I wasn’t a fan of how the speakers are arrayed on the side and back. Amazon wanted to get away from the clunky look of the 1st gen Echo Show’s bottom-mounted speakers, but I think the 360-degree speakers on the Echo and 3rd Gen Echo Dot sound better overall.

When you play music on the Echo Show 8, the lyrics will roll up on screen (if available). Fun for kids and adults with bad memory.

You can make video calls on the Echo Show to other Echo Show devices or phones with the Alexa app installed. I found the video calling experience to be trouble-free, although the 1MP camera on the Echo Show 8 was left wanting versus the much better smartphone selfie camera on the other end, and the contrast was quite noticeable. The caller was able to hear me clearly.

Unlike Facebook Portal, the camera on the Echo Show 8 will not follow you as you move around, so you should find a good place to talk or hunch over uncomfortably.

Big Brother (or Little Brother) is Watching?

Why is “Closed” capitalized? Or “shutter” not capitalized? Questions…

Speaking of the camera, there’s an actual physical shutter that you can slide in front of the lens. That’s in addition to being able to turn off the camera and mics with a button. That should bring some peace of mind to privacy-minded users.

Like other Echo devices, you can “drop in” and listen in on other Echo speakers and video call other Echo Shows, send announcements through Echo devices, or make it part of a multi-room audio setup.

Using Alexa Skills on the Alexa app, I’m able to view my Arlo smart home security cameras on the Echo Show 8. That setup process took just a few minutes, and you can also do this with Ring, Nest and other smart home devices.

This kind of smart home capability with the display really opens up potential for the Echo Show 8 as a powerful way to monitor your devices without having to use a phone.

It’s a Good Value

The Echo Show 8 grew on me. Yes, it’s rather utilitarian, and it’s not a premium-looking device that will make you ooh and aah.  Still, it was handy to glance at its display for the time, weather and sports scores. The Show 8 is small enough to fit on a nightstand but big enough to be visible in a kitchen or living room. Its sound is good enough to act as a standalone speaker, and its display makes it a useful smart home hub.

I’d like to see more Alexa skills specifically configured for the Echo Show smart displays rather than just the audio-only Echo speakers. Maybe those will come in time.

At a sale price of $100 or less, the price of the Echo Show 8 is well in the range of the standard Echo speaker and that makes it a good value overall.

Echo Show 8 Review: It’ll Grow on You

Amazon’s new Echo Dot 3rd Generation Smart Speaker will be one of the hottest tech goodies of the 2018 holiday shopping season, especially during the Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales. Regularly $50, it will be $24 or $25 from a number of retailers, including Amazon of course, but also Target, Best Buy, Kohl’s and others.

On Amazon, you can currently buy three of the 3rd Gen Echo Dots for $70 (discount at checkout). That’s just $23 (and some change) per unit.

The Echo Dot 2nd Generation, which got dropped to a regular price of $40, will be $20 on Amazon during Thanksgiving and Black Friday as well as at other retailers like Target and Best Buy.

After reviewing the new 3rd Gen model and comparing it to its predecessor, I think the Echo Dot 3 is worth the extra $5 (or $10) in the long run, with one very minor caveat, which I will get to later.

2nd Gen (left) and 3rd Gen (right)

Released in October 2018, the new Echo Dot is noticeably larger, measuring 3.9 inches in diameter and 1.7 inches tall, compared to the 3.3-inch by 1.3-inch size of the first two generations. The form factor still retains the iconic “hockey puck” shape.  Available in 3 colors (charcoal, sandstone and heather gray), the Dot looks like a shrunken-down version of the new Echo Plus and the design of both new models harkens back to last year’s revamp of the standard Echo, which introduced the fabric wrap-around and the same color choices. In a subtle but welcome change, the edges of the new Dot (and Plus) are more rounded than the 2017 Echo, which gives the overall appearance a classier feel.

The Echo Dot, when compared to the sea of small Bluetooth speakers out there, is not the smallest or best sounding. It’s not even technically portable, because there’s no rechargeable battery. The ill-fated Amazon Tap had a battery, but it seems like Amazon hasn’t yet figured out how to balance always-on voice capabilities with fantastic battery life. So for now, you need to plug the Echo Dot into an outlet. So while it’s “portable” because it’s small, you still need to carry around its power brick, which is now a larger 15w adapter with a barrel plug, compared to the 2nd Gen’s 9W adapter with a detachable micro USB cable.

You can choose to use the Echo Dot 3 as only a Bluetooth speaker: turn off the microphone, pair it with your mobile device and avoid any further concerns about privacy. But you still have to initially connect it to your Wi-Fi, and besides that’s not why we buy the Echo. We know the Dot can do much more than with Alexa, Amazon’s now famous “always on” voice control assistant.

Echo Dot 3 Unboxed

As is standard for these Amazon devices, it’s a simple 5-minute setup, but you do need the Alexa iOS or Android app and a Wi-Fi network. Within 5 minutes of powering up the 3rd Gen Echo Dot and connecting it to my home network, Alexa reminded me she was there, saying the Dot had received an update and needed to restart. After that, it was smooth sailing.

The 2nd Gen Echo Dot was a great little smart speaker, but its biggest drawback was that it really wasn’t a standalone device. The speaker sounded harsh and metallic, and while serviceable for Alexa’s voice, you really needed to plug in or pair up a real speaker (or speakers) to get decent sound. With the new iteration, Amazon has really made the Echo Dot a standalone speaker, albeit one for small spaces (“near field”) and one that isn’t going to stand up to close scrutiny, audio-wise. You can still plug in the 3rd Gen model to another speaker via 3.5mm cable or pair it via Bluetooth.

The speaker on the new Dot has a bigger driver than the previous model (1.6 inches vs. 1.1 inches). It’s able to reach higher volumes without distorting as quickly. Really, there’s almost no comparison since the 2nd Gen Dot has terrible, low-fidelity sound.

A better comparison to the new Echo Dot’s sound is the standard Echo. While the Echo does have better overall sound, the Echo Dot 3 does have comparable mid-range capability and only slightly worse highs. Where it does falter is on the low end (bass), which is not surprising given its diminutive size.

The much-improved sound gives you the flexibility to use the Dot by itself, although you won’t get as pleasing a sound or as big a soundstage as you will find on the larger Echo speakers.

Both models have a 3.5mm port

I found the mics (four far-field mics) to be very sensitive—almost slightly too sensitive–with Alexa occasionally interrupting music to listen. I didn’t necessarily find the Echo Dot 3 to be better at recognizing voice commands than its predecessor.

The 3rd Generation model doesn’t make any advancements in what it can do as a smart speaker. The improvements are solely audio- and cosmetic-related. However, there are a lot of great things you can do with Echo devices, especially when you have more than one, like using them in a Sonos-style multi-room setup (through the Alexa app). Now that the Echo Dot 3 has decent standalone sound, it’s a lot more affordable to install such a setup in your home.

On that note, I encourage you to find out more of what the Echo Dot can do via the Alexa app, where you can also do things like enable “Follow-up Mode” (via Device Settings), which will keep Alexa listening for 5 seconds after your initial request, or “Routines,” where you can have Alexa do a sequence of smart home commands, like turning off the kitchen lights and the living room lights at the same time.

So here’s the one caveat to buying the Echo Dot 3 over the Echo Dot 2: the new model is behind the 2nd Gen Dot in third-party accessories, especially the popular speaker and portable battery docks. In time, I’m sure the 3rd Gen model will get its own slew of accessories, but if you can’t wait or already own these accessories, then the Echo Dot might be a better choice.

Still, I think the 3rd Gen Echo Dot will sound good enough for most people and be portable enough that it will become one of Amazon’s all-time top-selling devices.

Check for Echo Deals on Ben’s

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) Review

If you are looking to bring a little technology into the bedroom to smarten up your home, we’ve collected a list of eight items (as well as some cheaper alternatives) that will upgrade your lifestyle. This includes upgrades both for when you are sleeping and when you are simply chilling out in the bedroom after a long day.

Philips Wake-Up Light

The Philips Wake-Up Light is a replacement for a standard alarm clock, specifically designed to use light therapy to improve sleep and overall energy levels. The sunrise simulation wakes you up slowly with simulated natural light (identical to sunlight) as well as a choice of three nature sounds.

On the flip side of the day, the dimming sunset mode will gradually decrease light at the end of the day with more than twenty different brightness settings. This type of light is really ideal for any bedroom that doesn’t get lots of natural light. It also includes standard slamar clock functions as well as a FM radio. The light generally retails for $120, but can be found on sale $90 to $100 often. 

Check Price on Amazon

Smart Ceiling Fan

In addition to a remote control as well as a mobile app for changing your fan speed / preferences, the Haiku smart ceiling fan comes with Alexa support for controlling the fan by using your voice.

Available in five different colors, the Haiku fan includes a LED light with 16 different brightness settings and has been tested to make sure each fan doesn’t wobble, rattle or click. The downside is the cost, roughly $600 to $750. It has fallen to the sub-$500 level, when on sale. 

Check Price on Amazon

Nightstand with Wireless Charging Pad & USB Ports

Ideal for anyone that needs to charge their devices overnight, this nightstand includes a built-in pad for wireless charging as well as USB ports for charging additional devices. Simply place your Qi-compatible device on the charging pad and it will charge the device without the need for any additional cords.

Charging time may vary based on the device’s battery capacity, charge level, the age of the battery and the temperature in the surrounding area. It generally retails for $70 and drops to the $50 range when on sale.

Check Price on Amazon

Motion-Activated Bed Lighting

Ideal for anyone that trips over everything on their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, motion activated under-the-bed lighting is an ideal way to light up the floor without waking anyone else up. Using a simple motion sensor, you simply stick the LED lighting underneath the bed along the sides.

The shut off time for the lights can be set for 30 seconds up to ten minutes, easily enough time to go to and from the bathroom. The LEDs in the light strip offer up to 100,000 LED Lighting hours and will require an outlet plug. There are plenty of options on Amazon, most retailing for less than $20.

Check Price on Amazon

First Alert 2-in-1 Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Connected to your smartphone using wireless Z wave tech, the First Alert ZCOMBO Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm will send an alert if your smoke or carbon monoxide alarms are sounding. It’s certified to work with Samsung Smart Things as well as the Ring Alarm security system. It has a 85 decibel horn as well as a photoelectric smoke sensor to reduce false alarms from actions like cooking.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to replace all your smoke alarms, you could pick up something like the Ring Alarm Smoke and CO Listener, which alerts home owners when their existing smoke alarms are going off. The ZCOMBO retails for about $50, but sales bring it down between $30 to $40 regularly. The Listener retails for $35 and sales bring it down to the $25 range on occasion.

Check Price on Amazon

Frigidaire 10000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner

If you live in an area that doesn’t include central air in homes due to milder temperatures, it’s almost a necessity to have a window unit so you can sleep comfortably during an infrequent heat wave in the summer. Available in BTU sizes from 8,000 to 12,000 (350 sq. ft. to 550 sq. ft.), this Frigidaire window unit can be controlled via wi-Fi 

The AC unit is ENERGY STAR certified and the smart app will help control the overall room temperature & save energy similar to a smart thermostat. The base unit retails for about $330 with sales bringing the price frequently to the $300 level.

Check Price on Amazon

Withings Sleep Tracking Pad

Tracking data like deep sleep time, heart rate, and snoring, the Withing sleep tracking pad slips over your existing mattress and tracks your sleep over the night. It integrates with Alexa and offers a daily sleep tracking score with tips on how to improve your nightly slumber. It generally retails for about $100.

Check Price on Amazon

Echo Show 5

Providing access to Alexa for voice control, the Echo Show also includes a video screen, perhaps ideal for a nightstand. You can place video calls to Echo-compatible devices as well as watch video content while in bed, like YouTube videos and Amazon video content. Of course, it can also double as an alarm clock for your nightstand, showing the current time on the display. The device retails for about $90, but sales bring it down to about $50.

Check Price on Amazon

8 Smart Home Tech Upgrades for the Bedroom

If you are interested in making your home a bit more friendly for charging mobile devices as well as add new features like built-in nightlights or Wi-Fi functionality, there are tons of aftermarket plug-in options that you can buy.

However, if you want to keep your home looking clean, there are plenty of options that will blend in with your decor as well as add a small bit of resale value. Some of these options require minor electrical installation, some do not. Check out the list below:

Built-In Mobile Device Charging

If you want fast, powerful USB charging and you don’t mind doing a little electrical work, you really can’t go wrong with the Leviton USB Charger. It provides a combined total of 3.6A charging current and 18 watts of power. You can plug up to two USB devices into the provided USB ports as well as two additional devices with AC adapter.

In addition, Leviton offers models with dual Type-C charging (30W), a version with Type-A and Type-C ports as well as a model with four Type-A ports (that removes the standard outlet plugs completely).

Check Leviton Store on Amazon

Nightlight / USB Charger Outlet Covers

If you live in an apartment and are looking for something temporary that you can remove / take with you when moving out, check out SnapPower’s outlet covers. No electrical work is required. You simply remove your existing wall outlet face plate and replace it with a SnapPower face plate. It installs in seconds.

You have a few options. SnapPower offers a guidelight model that goes over outlets (ideal for hallways), a switchlight model for your light switches (ideal for bathrooms), a safelight model to cover outlets (ideal for babyproofing) and a model with two USB charging ports for your mobile devices (perhaps ideal for a kitchen countertop).

Check SnapPower Store Amazon

Wi-Fi Light Switches

If you are interested in turning your lights on and off with voice control, check out the Kasa Smart Light Switch. Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Microsoft Cortana, the switch connects via your home’s Wi-Fi network and you can control all switches via the mobile application on your smartphone or tablet.

Personally, I have one of these on the switch controlling my outdoor lights. I have a schedule setup to turn on the lights around sundown and turn off the lights around sunrise. It’s an easy, inexpensive way to make sure my home is lit up in the evening. I also have a few in the interior, which is significantly cheaper than purchasing smart bulbs. TP-Link also sells versions with dimmer options.

Check out the Kasa Switch on Amazon

Wi-Fi Smart Outlets

If you are looking for a permanent solution to Wi-Fi connectivity at a specific outlet in your home, check out the TopGreener Wi-Fi outlet. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control and includes a built-in smart meter to optimize energy efficiency, ideal for energy-frugal households.

If you are using it with a heater or ac/unit, you can tell it to check the weather each day to turn those device son automatically. It also has a function for randomized light schedules if you are going away on vacation. Of course, you can also set specific schedules as well as run timers.

Check out TopGreener Wi-Fi outlet on Amazon

Smart Home Control Panels

Replacing a 1-switch, 2-switch, 3-switch or 4-switch light switch panels, the Brilliant smart home panel creates a single place in your home to control smart lighting, climate, music, door locks, etc… Offering built-in Alexa and a beautiful display, users can control devices from Ring, Sonos, Samsung SmartThings, August, EcoBee, Nest, Hue, WeMo, Lutron, Kwikset and many more.

In addition, if you have mulitple panels installed in rooms around your home, you can use the system as a wireless intercom system with video chat (each unit come with a built-in camera privacy shutter as well). It also offer a “scenes” function that will run a string of commands. For instance, you can program it to turn off the lights, lock the front door, kill the music and lower the temperature when going to bed.

Check out Brilliant Smart Home Panels

5 Ways to Smarten up your Outlets / Light Switches without Smart Plugs

The Amazon Fire TV Cube, you might have heard, has had issues. Introduced in the summer, the Fire TV Cube—a hybrid of Amazon’s phenomenally successful Echo and its Fire TV streaming player—was marketed as the device that would replace your remote control. A few short months later, the Cube was “re-released” with the updated Alexa Voice Remote which features power, volume and mute buttons… probably because Cube owners got tired of shouting at it to turn up the volume, then waiting for it to hear the command (which paused the picture), then hearing the volume go up (but not enough) and repeating the process… well you get the picture.

Is the Cube really that bad? Read on to find out…

What’s the Deal with the Remotes?

Old Remote (l.) and New Remote (r.)

The unit I reviewed is the summer 2018 model, i.e. the one with the remote without the volume buttons. Aside from the remote, it’s identical in every way to the fall 2018 model. People stuck with the “1st gen” model can buy the remote with volume buttons for an extra $30. You can also just use the free Amazon Fire TV app which has volume buttons, but why bother when you can use your voice! Oh, right, about that…

Actually, all owners of a Fire TV Cube registered before October 2 can purchase the new remote for half off. Contact Amazon customer service to inquire about the promotion. (You may have also received an email about it.)

If you’re lucky, you might find remaining stock of those summer models still floating around at a cheap price, like $60 or less. Amazon dropped the fall model to $60 for Black Friday and it’s currently at $70, which is $50 under its original asking price. That puts the Fire TV Cube much closer to the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K ($35 to $50), and you might even rationalize the purchase because it’s not only a Fire TV 4K, it’s an Echo! Oh, right, about that…

Do I Hear an Echo?

If you already have an Echo, the Fire TV Cube might seem a bit redundant… especially when they’re in the same room together and start interrupting each other. I already had an Echo in the living room about 8 feet away, so saying “Alexa” to the Fire TV Cube awakened both devices. Sometimes the Echo stole the command and vice versa—never mind that the Fire TV Cube has a “priority” setting on by default, which means it’s supposed to hear commands first over other Alexa devices.

There is a simple solution. You can either turn off the mic on your Echo, or change the wake word for one of the devices in the Alexa app settings. You only get four choices for wake words: Alexa, Amazon, computer, or Echo. “Echo” didn’t sound right for the Cube, so I chose “Amazon.” Calling the Cube “Amazon” seemed like sad defeat, but the show must go on!

Hey, at least Alexa wasn’t interrupting herself anymore. Er, Amazon.

It’s Magic!

Inside the box, you get an optional IR extender cable for controlling devices that are in closed cabinets, plus an optional ethernet adapter. You don’t need these accessories to operate the Cube, but Amazon included them, which is nice. What you do need is an HDMI cable to hook up to your TV.

That’s not included. Oops.

The real magic of the Cube really occurs during setup, which takes about 10 minutes. After you download the updates and go through the registration, the Cube will guide you through a series of steps where it turns on and off your TV—and soundbar if you have one—without you having to do much beyond entering the brand name. (Okay, it’s not really magic but a thing called HDMI-CEC that a lot of electronics use to communicate with each other. The Cube adds voice control to the mix.)

It’s fun to say, “Alexa, turn on the TV,” and it just works. That might be the only thing that works well, but the Cube really gets that right.

By the way, before you move on, I recommend going to Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings. Data collection is on by default, but you probably don’t want that.

Fire TV Cube: Beta

Unfortunately, the Fire TV Cube has a lot of quirks that get in the way of smooth operation. It’s simply not as intuitive as the Echo which, to be fair, is not going to be asked to do the same kinds of things a Cube will be asked to do.

It all boils down to the way people are used to navigating around their TV and media player menus. Telling Alexa to “scroll down,” “scroll right,” “select number 1” or “play number 1” is a lot slower (and buggier) than pressing those buttons on a remote. Being able to tell Alexa to play “Stranger Things” sounds great in theory, but this is not what people really do. What they really do is pick up on Season 2, Episode 2 and resume from where they left off. It’s just way faster to do that by remote.

Besides, the Cube has so many false starts with navigation commands, it quickly becomes frustrating. Unlike with the Echo and music, the Cube has trouble understanding what it is you want to resume or play or pause or find. Want to go to the main menu? Alexa has no clue. (You have to say “Go to home.”)

Here’s a case in point. I was preparing to watch The Incredibles 2. The screen displayed two buttons: “Watch Now” or “Watch Later.” Should’ve been simple to tell Alexa to play the video. But no. After over 20 different combinations of commands involving “watch now,” “watch later,” “press button,” “play Incredibles 2” and various angry invocations, I finally had to resort to (gasp) pressing a button on the remote. With my finger.

Scrolling the menu vertically and horizontally is a painful process. Imagine scrolling with an arrow key on a web page but instead having to shout a command for each button press. And this is just in the Amazon video app!

Works just fine in the TV cabinet

The Fire TV Cube can also switch to your other connected devices, like a Roku, Xbox or Blu-ray player, on voice command. And…that’s where it ends. You’ve got to pick up your remote to actually operate those devices. What, you didn’t think Alexa would help out with those, did you?

Although you can fiddle with the default equipment control settings, Alexa sometimes randomly speaks via the Cube’s internal speakers rather than the sound bar (or TV), which can be off-putting. Or goes completely silent when it’s confused as to which audio output to use.

The Cube won’t play music like an Echo, either. It will turn the TV on whether you want it on or not, so you’ll see oversized cover art and occasional lyrics (when available). It does give you the weather report without turning the TV on, so there’s that. (If you do have the TV on already, you’ll see some snappy weather graphics.)

Because it’s technically “not an Echo,” you also can’t add the Cube to a group for multi-room music.

Who’s It For?

Voice control, sadly, does not work on cats

You might be wondering then if anyone might want the Fire TV Cube, given its many shortcomings. Well, if you happen  to find the Cube on sale, and are fine using it with the remote as a standard streaming media player, it’s a very good one with 4K, Dolby Atmos and HDR10 support plus a  fast quad-core processor. (Note: it does not have Dolby Vision compatibility like the new Fire Stick 4K.)

For tinkerers, the Cube has a micro USB port which is useful for hooking up an external drive, USB hub, or keyboards and mice. Like other Fire TV devices, you can still sideload third-party apps like Kodi via Settings > System > Developer Options.

If you simply like the idea of turning on your TV by voice command, the Cube will do that pretty well. Of course, there are a lot of TVs coming out now that have this feature built-in, which makes the Cube look more and more like the one-trick pony that it is, but YMMV as Amazon continues to update the firmware.

For me, I just use the Cube to turn on the TV. Alexa—I mean, Amazon—turn on the TV!

Amazon Fire TV Cube Review: Well, It Can Turn On Your TV

Launching a pilot program in Silicon Valley this week, Walmart is testing out a service that would send employees into homes to restock the fridge, even if the customer isn’t home. This is specifically for homes with smart locks and monitoring tools, in order to keep track of the delivery person in your home.

This is how it works: After an online order is placed, a Walmart delivery worker uses a one-time code for entry into a home (like on an August smart lock). When that code is punched in, the door unlocks and the homeowner receives a smartphone notification that the code has just been used.

At this point, the homeowner can watch the delivery worker enter their home and place groceries inside their fridge; assuming they have security cameras in the right areas of the home. Once the fridge is stocked and the employee leaves the home, the homeowner receives a notification about the delivery being completed. The door lock automatically secures the home when the worker leaves.

Of course, it’s unlikely that a homeowner would always have the time to watch deliveries taking place. It’s likely that a homeowner would need to invest in DVR technology to record the video feed during the delivery. In addition, it could be a security issue if the worker wanders out of view of the camera.

At this time, this only appears to be tested with August Home customers. If Walmart wants to take this concept to a wider audience, they will have to work with other home security manufacturers like Nest. There’s also no information on how much this type of delivery service will cost. It’s likely to have a more significant delivery fee than someone simply dropping off a box on your doorstep.

Walmart wants to stock your fridge while you aren’t home

Interested in upgrading your home network with faster Wi-Fi or new home automation gadgets? We have put together a list of products that you should buy as well as products that you should avoid when upgrading.

Internet Access

Buy This: Arris SURFboard Cable Modem

You find great deals on Arris SURFboard cable modems nearly all the time as of late and the quality is simply fantastic. Dominating the best seller lists on Amazon, the SB6141 is the most popular option at around $70 brand new ($40 when refurbished). If your cable company is moving to gigabit speeds, you can transition up to models that are still significantly cheaper than competitors.

Not This: Your Cable Company’s Modem

Renting your cable company’s modem is not only more expensive than simply buying a modem, but it can also be a roadblock to getting amazing speeds. Internet providers like Time Warner and Comcast have always invested in cheap cable modem technology to rent to customers at a premium. We also recommend avoiding any option to buy a modem from your ISP as the technology is probably a generation or two behind the curve.

Wi-Fi Coverage

Buy This: TP-Link Routers under $100

Earning high praise from sites like The Wirecutter as well as consumers on Amazon, TP-Link routers are ramping up in popularity due to the low cost and high performance. Be aware that quality control issues do exist with this brand. Amazon reviews seem to indicate that language barriers with customer service is an issue as well as dropped signals in some cases. However, firmware updates are likely to solve the connection issues.

Download Tip: You can find the latest TP-Link firmware for your router here: LINK

Not This: Trendy Routers

What are trendy routers? Google’s $200 OnHub is a trendy router.  Apple’s $200 AirPort Extreme is a trendy router. The $350 Starry Wi-Fi Station is a trendy router. The same goes for $400 to $500 mesh networking systems from companies like eero and Luma. If any of these products actually catch on in a big way, there inevitably be cheaper options down the pipeline. Avoid early adoption until prices come down significantly.

Content Blocking

Buy This: Circle By Disney

Providing an interface that’s simple enough for parents lacking in technical skills to use, Circle By Disney is a product that lets parents filter content on specific devices within the home. In addition, parents can limit the amount of time kids can access content as well as set a specific time when zero content can be accessed on the device, such as bedtime. It’s a great solution for parents that want a simple, straightforward option to protecting their kids from pornography and other bad sites.

Freebie Tip: For a completely free option, check out OpenDNS Family Shield. Be aware that it will require a technical background for installation (not plug-and-play like Circle). 

Not This: Clean Router

While certainly effective at blocking pornography and other objectionable content from the eyes of minors, the cost of Clean Router far outweighs the benefits. Even if you opt for the free 802.11n model (which is already slow for Wi-Fi), you still have to pay $13 a month for service. That’s more than $150 a year for something that Circle by Disney can accomplish for a single charge of $99!

Voice Assistance

Buy This: Amazon Echo Dot

Retailing for $90, the Dot allows anyone with a speaker system to use the Alexa voice assistant without having to purchase the more expensive, $180 Amazon Echo standalone speaker. Of course, Alexa can be used to order items on Amazon, play music, control smart home devices as well as a bevy of other options using just your voice. It’s Amazon’s answer to Apple’s Siri, basically.

Savings Tip: For those that are technically inclined, you can build you own Echo for about $60 with a Raspberry Pi (directions here). 

Not This: The Crowdfunded Options

While Google labors away at building Google Home (probably the only true competitor to the Echo), there are a number of companies that are attempting to offer similar features to the Echo, but are stuck in development. This includes products like the $100 ivee, $150 Mycroft and the Cubic. The odds of these companies building something that’s better than the Echo are slim, especially since Amazon is already leading the pack.

Smart Lighting

Buy This: Soft White / Daylight Bulbs

Priced at $15 per bulb, the Cree Connected LED bulb is one of the most inexpensive smart bulbs on the market (often competing with the GE Link LED Light when it goes on sale). Available in soft white or daylight models, The Cree bulb is compatible with the Wink smart platform as well as any Zigbee enabled hub like Samsung’s popular SmartThings platform and the Philips hub. Bulbs are rated for 25,000 hours (roughly 22 years if used 3 hours a day).

Tip: You can also find relatively inexpensive soft white / daylight bulbs from other companies (usually between $20 to $25).

Not This: Color Changing Bulbs

While Philips makes a fantastic smart bulb, the price is solely what kills any recommendation for color-changing bulbs. A new bulb retails for $60, about four times what a soft white / daylight bulb costs. The $200 starter kit comes with three bulbs and a Hue hub, but that’s not much of a better deal. After subtracting the cost of the $60 hub (when buying separately), you are still paying over $45 per bulb just to get started. These bulbs will burn out quicker than the Cree as well, only rated to last 15,000 hours.

Smart Smoke Detector

Buy This: Roost Smart 9-Volt Battery

Priced at $35 per battery, the Roost smart battery can be installed in any smoke or carbon monoxide detector. Connecting to your smartphone, the battery sends notifications when the alarm goes off (ideal for someone away from home) and provides a warning when the battery life (5 years) is about to expire. Each battery can be assigned a name, like Kitchen, in order to keep track of mulitple installations. You can also get a discount by purchasing the batteries in bulk, roughly pushing the cost down to $32 a battery.

Not This: Nest Protect

While the second generation of the $99 Nest Protect is highly rated and fixes several of the problems from the first gen, the cost is still prohibitive if you are replacing mulitple installations around your home. Replacing alarms in every bedroom as well as the main living areas could easily jack up the total cost between $500 to $1000; a feat that the Roost can accomplish for a third of that cost.

Buy This, Not This: Home Networking / Wi-Fi / Smart Gear Edition

Solving one of the worst issues of owning a filtered water pitcher, Amazon and Brita have collaborated to launch the Brita Infinity smart water pitcher.

Connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network, the pitcher utilizes Amazon’s Dash Replenishment system to automatically order replacement water filters when existing filters are almost depleted.

With an eight-cup capacity, the smart water pitcher filters out contaminants including lead, zinc, copper, mercury and cadmium. An average filter is designed to last about two months or roughly forty gallons of water, whichever comes first. The pitcher ships with a single filter to get started.

An Amazon customer will need to connect the pitcher to their home Wi-Fi network, register the pitcher on Brita’s site and sign up for the Amazon’s Dash program to automatically order new filters.

Of course, all that fancy technology comes at a price. While a standard 10-cup Brita water pitcher runs about $21 on Amazon, the 8-up Brita Infinity smart water pitcher costs more than double that at $45. Due to Amazon’s recent free shipping changes, additional shipping costs will apply for non-Prime members.

You can check out picture of the new pitcher below or view the product on Amazon here.

Shut Up And Take My Money: Brita Infinity Smart Water Pitcher