You can stop paying high prices for cable or satellite TV service. Look at these affordable alternatives. You can sign-up for the free trial offer before you decide on a monthly or yearly subscription discount. Afterwards, you can add a live tv streaming service so you don't miss your local stations, news, or sports programs, too! Lastly, as a bona fide cord cutter, upgrade from the built-in SmartTV apps to one of these streaming boxes for better audio and video quality. …
Cord Cutter Quick Guide For For 2020
No, Not The Video Game You may heard the term cord cutter, but unless you are an avid tv nerd, you may not be familiar with the details. Here’s a quick introduction to help you get started. What Is A Cord-Cutter? This means discontinuing Cable TV service by disconnecting the coaxial cable feed coming into the home. Cord-cutting started as a counter-culture protest when techies figured out they could replace most of broadcast and cable television with cheaper alternatives. You can replace subscription Cable TV or Satellite TV without giving anything up. Cord cutters have several motives: Saving money - Cable fees have continued to creep upward. Fees for HD, multiple cable boxes, other add-ons, plus the phony mandatory service fees add up.Don't forget the and taxes and other mysterious charges that leave you stuck paying $50 to $100 for what used to be free broadcast television. More hardware viewing choices - Cord cutters want to watch TV programming on devices other than TV’s. Your smartphone, tablet, computer, and specialized electronics like video game consoles all make sense. Traditional TV viewing is limited to actual TV equipment only. A La Carte Services - Cable TV has a lot of additional services including sports passes, special interest channels, and local/regional shows. They are grouped into inflexible bundles which means you pay a lot more just to get what you actually want. Better Recording - Cable TV boxes with …
Logi Who?
The Ultimate Universal Remote Control? Logitech is the undisputed king of programmable universal remotes. They have sold millions of their popular Harmony line. These handy gadgets let you control your television plus a slew of related audio/video equipment from a single handheld device. The Logitech Harmony line is affordable offering different models with a range of prices. Starting with the Harmony Companion for only $149 which is a full featured system including both the handheld remote and the Harmony Hub that makes it all work. All Harmony products work with both Apple and Android smartphone apps. If you only want app control and don’t want the physical remote, the Harmony Hub is available by itself for $99. Not as crazy as it sounds - all Harmony remotes work with Amazon Alexa voice control or Google Home so that makes a voice-only solution at a lower price. Moving up the product line, the Harmony Elite for $349.99 adds a miniature color touchscreen built right into the remote itself and additional smart home integrations. With the touchscreen, you aren’t limited by the built-in buttons on the remote, and can select TV channels from colored icons with each network’s respective logo instead of having to remember channel numbers or names. Please note these prices are the nominal retail price and you’ll find better deals online at the usual suspects or your local big box stores. Not Your Basic Remote Control Logitech makes a lot (and I …
A Distinction With A Difference – T568A or T568B?
The Ethernet Wiring Conundrum Ethernet wired networking is an industry standard. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has painstakingly defined specifications and standards for all aspects of Ethernet networking. Need an Ethernet cable or adding equipment to your home network? Just buy any Ethernet cables and connectors and your should be done, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. As typical with standards, Ethernet has succumbed to that joke in Geek circles - “Standards are great. That’s why we have more than one”. IEEE 802.3 is the official spec for Ethernet, but there are many related standards and specifications. Let’s Get Physical (Connectors) An Ethernet cable is actually a set of eight copper wires wrapped together in a single outer insulated cover. Each of the eight inner wires is insulated themselves. The insulated cover on each wire is a different color to make it easy to tell the wires apart. At the ends of an Ethernet cable is a modular connector that makes it easy to install or remove a cable without a mechanical tool. Commonly referred as an RJ45 jack, it is made of clear or translucent plastic and does require a tool to install; a process know as wire termination. Plugging in an Ethernet cable just takes a gentle push and it locks into the mating socket with solid audible and haptic feedback. Removing the cable is just as easy, a light press of a small plastic tab releases the connector for …
Smarthome Spring and Fall cleanup?
That time already (Springtime or Fall)? This year, for the first time in a hundred years, we welcomed the Spring season a few days early on March 19th and Autumn as usual on September 22nd. With everything going on right now, it sure doesn't feel like a new season! Nonetheless, to keep things upbeat, here are my favorite tips for sprucing up your smart home this time of year if you’re tired of Netflix, Youtube, and endless Zoom online meetings! Check And update firmware Everything seems to need firmware updates these days - even the darn toaster oven! Check all your devices - computers, smartphones, tablets and of course, of your Internet of Things (IoT) smart devices and make sure they have the latest firmware upgrades. Proceed cautiously - read the release notes or upgrade notifications and make sure you understand what changes are included. Better security and new features are good to have, but not if stable/reliable equipment becomes buggy and problematic. The old adage “ain’t broke, don't fix it" is tempting, but with proper attention to the details you’ll gain more by keeping your devices up to date with very little risk. Label everything Time to go Marie Kondo and get out your label machine or markers and tape. You should label all network cables, USB cables, serial cables, HDMI cables, thunderbolt cables, power cords, and connectors. It may seem tedious, but trust me, it is really useful when 6 months from now …
Label Everything – Power Tip
Don't Ignore Power Cables Previously I gave some tips on how to label wires and connections to clean up and better manage all your smart home device connections. I want to add one more thing - Don’t ignore power cables. Ethernet cables, video cables, and USB cables tend to get all of our attention. After all, power cables are standardized and look identical, right? Power cords also come in different, wait for it, power ratings. The maximum amperage varies with the quality of the cable and the equipment. A power hungry audio video amplifier may need a bigger cord than an automation hub or controller. Too Detail Oriented? Labelling low voltage power cords used to be something I safely ignored. But I have avoided several problems and made equipment swaps much easier by labelling those thin cables going from the plug-in wall-wart or on the floor brick style power supply modules. Anyone that has agonized over “center positive or center negative” when looking for a replacement direct current (DC) power supply has been there. Save yourself the hassle by labelling all power cords with the both the voltage, polarity, and the name of the device or equipment it is intended. Although many low voltage devices now use standard USB or micro-USB connectors; different devices have very different power and amperage requirements. The new reversible, never-plug-it-in-backwards-again USB-C style connectors also have a variety of voltage and current …
On The (Sonos) Move?
What A Difference $220 Can Make! No, I’m not being sarcastic. I have now just purchased the new Sonos Move portable, battery-powered smart speaker. I guess I’m just a “use it or lose it” type of person when it comes to coupons or special discounts. The Sonos Move has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $399, but I recently received trade-in credits for $220 off any new Sonos product. If you follow Sonos at all, you probably know that they are never discounted and rarely go on sale so the retail price is the price you usually have to pay. So yeah, that’s an expensive portable speaker, but with this discount the price is only $179. Ok, only is a relative thing when you can buy a simple Bluetooth speaker at the gas station or convenience store for around $10 or $15. I Loved It, I Hated It Let me be the first to admit that when Sonos introduced the Move, I had the same reaction as many other people at first. “Wow! That’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for - An awesome sounding Sonos Wi-Fi speaker that can be part of a multi-room, whole-house Sonos music system while also being totally portable and usable with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth”. The specs are impressive - Beautiful Sonos mechanical/aesthetic design, waterproof for use indoors, outdoors, around the pool or at the beach, long-lasting rechargeable battery power, a cordless recharging stand, and for the first time, the ability to also use it with Bluetooth. The Move supports both …
Time For Password Hygiene?
No Preaching It’s one of those things many of use know about but fail to actually do - paying attention to how we create and use passwords. As many more of us are now working from home, either permanently or temporarily because of the current health crisis, I think it is worthwhile to revisit this issue. Let me get one thing out of the way - I don’t care what you do about your passwords. No preaching here - no judgement. If you don’t reset default passwords, or use the same password everywhere, create simple to guess passwords, or write them on yellow sticky notes that you leave on top of each piece of equipment or computer, that’s on you. Having to deal with almost 1000 passwords (including my own and my clients) I am well aware of the frustration in dealing with a large number of them. If you’re happy with your current method or solutions, no problem. If you find yourself tired of watching YouTube, chatting in Slack or Facebook, and want to do something productive with extra “down time”, now might be a good time to invest a few hours in trying out some password management solutions and upping your security game. Quick Review - The Problem With Passwords Computer power has grown immensely. It is now takes very little time to guess passwords using straightforward methods. Computer software can quickly run through a dictionary of common passwords like “password”, “letmein”, all the curse words, etc. Algorithms can brute force run through …
SmartPlug Innovation?
Everything that can be Invented has been Invented Attributed to Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of US patent office in 1899, this apocryphal quote seems apropos to the ubiquitous smart plug. Every introductory blog, video, or online article about starting a smart home seems to start with smart plugs. Is there really anyone left in the modern world that /doesn’t/ have their coffee maker automatically turning on with a swipe on their mobile phone or a command to their voice tube in the kitchen? Smartplugs are available from just about every major home automation device company and tons of smaller ones you may never had heard of. Online shopping or offline browsing the brick and mortar aisles of Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and even Ikea will turn up a selection of these “must have” gadgets. (My apologies to my European and Asian friends for name-dropping only US big box retail store names). Perhaps not surprising, but innovation in smart plugs seemed to grind to a halt. I’ve used a variety of different products and they all are pretty similar. Compared to security systems, video cameras, and even multi-room audio systems, smartplugs are downright pedestrian. And Now For Something Different I just completed testing a new smart plug and I’m very impressed. This product is not just a me-to device vying for my attention with a low price, well-known brand name, or just gimmicky useless bell and whistles. Instead of competing head-on with all the …
Best DIY Security Systems for 2020?
DIY Burglar Alarms Have Arrived During the past year, do-it-yourself burglar alarms finally matured to become a cost effective and reliable alternative to traditional security systems. First pioneered by smaller brands such as SimpliSafe, many other companies have jumped into the fray to grab our disposable income. Security is one of the few smart home product categories where consumers want the products and don’t need to be convinced. Keeping our loved ones and personal property safe is a basic human need. We don’t need to be sold on the benefits. Most of the new capability in smart home automation for lighting, shades, music, and entertainment falls squarely into the “nice to have” rather than the “must have” category - even today. That’s probably why there are more security and alarm products from companies you have never heard of vying for attention. Even the traditional (or untraditional) telephone, cable, and satellite companies are trying to get into the game. It’s not a mature market so product choices, technology, and capabilities are rapidly changing. There’s a lot of newfangled junk out there, so I want to give you my thoughts and narrow the field. What’s An Alarm System? This is not so straightforward a question. You can buy all kinds of standalone little gadgets that do one or two things and call themselves an alarm system, personal protection product, or surveillance gear. Here’s my take on what it takes to be considered a …