How To

The installation process on the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat will be different depending on your existing heating and cooling system setup. Keep this in mind when you're starting out so you don't get too frustrated along the way.

Step 1: Go to your circuit breaker and switch off power to your thermostat.

Step 2: Remove your current thermostat and make note of the wires attached to the base plate; this will not be the same for everyone. My old thermostat had a G, a W, a Y, and an Rh wire.

Step 3: Make sure that you tag … Read more

Until those smart, tidy Roombas learn to clean themselves, it's up to us humans to keep them running at peak performance.

Even after a few short cleaning cycles, debris like dust, dirt, hair, and fur can begin to take a toll on your Roomba. For starters, the vacuum works less efficiently, and too much buildup can also put harmful strain on the unit's battery.

After each cleaning cycle... The most basic level of maintenance should be done after each cleaning cycle to clear out the grime that builds up the most.

Start by emptying the dust bin. But … Read more

If your smart, caring Roomba had a heart, you'd find it adjacent to its brushes, behind a screwed-in plastic square: its battery.

Actually, the Roomba's battery is essentially 12 NiMH batteries strung together to create one ginormous nickel-based battery. iRobot promises that the battery can run for up to 2 hours, and based on our estimates, will last about 400 charges.

That's all fine and good, but depending on how the robot's battery is taken care of, you could find yourself replacing it sooner than you'd like. And for the same reasons, you might find … Read more

You geeked out. You showed your friends how crazy it is that you can make the living room purple using your phone. But now, the novelty has worn off and you're wondering, "Why did I buy this again?"

Because the Philips Hue is so much more than a glorified light bulb. In the latest release of the Hue software (coming to Android by October), Philips added a slew of innovative features that finally make the Hue as useful as it is fun.

Remote access Before you can enjoy all of the Hue's features, you'll have … Read more

One glance at Une Bobine and I was interested. The iPhone and Android phone accessory, which got its start on Kickstarter, offers a seemingly better way to position your phone however (and wherever) you want. And besides, it's gorgeous.

My main interest in Une Bobine was that it would allow me to position my phone alongside my desktop monitor, making multitasking easy while my screens were aligned. More than that, however, I could use it as a tripod for video calling and photo-taking.… Read more

Shoving all your home theater equipment into a single, closed cabinet makes sense when you want to keep your living room tidy. There's just one problem: overheating.

When you have things like a router, gaming console, cable box, and DVD player all mingling in one cabinet, things can get steamy. So much so, in fact, that a lack of air circulation can eventually fry your equipment. (Ring of death, anyone?)

The most obvious solution here is to remove the door from your media cabinet, but if you're bent on keeping the appearance of your living room clean, the … Read more

Adding blinking lights to anything is a surefire way to make it totally obnoxious. For some of you, that's a good thing.

Here are two techniques you can use to add sound-reactive lights to your stereo, boom box, computer, or pretty much anything that makes music.

The first option is to use something like an EL Wire Sound Kit. These are sold online from various places and include some combination of electroluminescent wire, a power adapter, and a special power inverter that drives the wire's power in response to sound picked up by an integrated microphone.

The whole … Read more

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With the abundance of USB-dependent devices, it's surprising more cafes, offices, and homes don't have outlets like the U-Socket.

After stumbling upon a photo of an iPhone plugged directly--no AC adapter--into the wall, I soon discovered that USB outlets, or wall sockets, not only exist, but are very easy to install.

Unless you're a helpless tech addict, you won't need these in every room, but the kitchen, bedroom, and office are a few places that would seriously benefit from such an installation, saving the headaches of looking for AC adapters.

U-Socket, and other generic … Read more