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10 Snow-Proof Laptop Bags & Sleeves
Believe it or not, we’ve had two straight days of snow here in Atlanta. OK, so it’s technically snow flurries. And nothing is really sticking to the ground. But still, with frozen water falling from the sky, we’re having to think about new things, like how to keep our laptop warm and dry on our walk to the metro station.Here’s a hint when searching for snow-proof laptop bags: They’re the same as waterproof laptop bags. Crazy, right?
Taryn Williford
Sep 10, 2019
You Can Turn Off Those Annoying iPhone Pop-ups With One Click
Screen time is already distracting enough; who needs a distraction within a distraction?
Ashley Abramson
Aug 5, 2019
9 of the Best, Most Life-Changing TED Talks—According to Reddit
From how to use a paper towel properly to the the power of asking for what you want.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 29, 2019
Turn On the “Dinner Party” iPhone Setting to Be a Better Guest
We call it the “Dinner Party” setting, but this trick could come in handy anytime you want alerts without potentially disruptive sound or vibrating, or if you're in a loud place.
Ashley Abramson
Jul 16, 2019
Make Your Home Smarter Thanks to These Prime Day Deals
Time for an upgrade.
Nicole Lund
Jul 15, 2019
You Have a Cord Problem (Who Doesn’t!)—Here’s How to Fix It in 5 Steps
It sounds daunting, but organizing your cord clutter shouldn't take more than a half hour or so. To get your wired life in order once and for all, follow these five steps.
Shifrah Combiths
Jul 8, 2019
A 2-Minute, Feel-Good Decluttering Project You Can Finish From Anywhere (Even a Beach Chair!)
You can do this weekend project from the comfort of a swinging hammock in less than a minute and it will make a small but measured difference in the way your phone makes you feel.
Shifrah Combiths
Jul 1, 2019
5 Ways to Speed Up Your Slow Wi-Fi Connection
There’s a good chance you’re not experiencing the full internet speeds you’re paying for. A weak wireless connection is often the bottleneck between advertised maximum speeds and the reality of waiting for pages to load and files to download. So what’s the point of paying for all this speed if you can’t take full advantage of it?
Jason Yang
Jun 26, 2019
Skipping the Hassle Of Hiding Home Theater Wiring
We’ve always preached the pros of going wireless here at Apartment Therapy (check out Joel’s wireless audio setup), and there have always been pros and cons. This is the year to finally take your video and audio wireless and stop stressing about running unsightly wiring all over your home.Wireless VideoWireless video has been around for quite some time now, but many of us have struggled with the drawbacks that it brings.
Jason Yang
Jun 26, 2019
Who Needs a Gym? Try One of The 9 Best Workout Apps Instead
They will help you reach your goals, no matter how big or small.
Ashley Ross
Jun 19, 2019
Here’s How to Remove Something from Your Amazon History
In case you're trying to outsmart a nosy partner, or just want to make sure Amazon understands that cat lady tote was a one-time gag gift.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 18, 2019
Apple’s New Mac Looks Like a Cheese Grater and IKEA’s Got Jokes
Highly specialized computer or… cheese grater? That’s the joke that IKEA Bulgaria made recently upon the unveiling of Apple’s new $6000 Mac Pro. The luxe electronic, which debuted at the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference last week, has prompted jokes galore due to its unique design, especially from the folks at IKEA, who noticed that it kind of resembles a cheese grater.
Megan Johnson
Jun 18, 2019
5 Great Places to Upload HD Video
With prices falling on HD video cameras, more and more folks are interested in ways to share their HD videos. Delighted with the crisp images these new cams produce, a large number of consumers are no longer content to simply choose the most popular service and settle for massive degradation of the video quality. The rising demand for high quality video hosting has caused new players to enter the space and old players to step up their game if they want to stay viable.
Joelle Alcaidinho
Jun 18, 2019
This One-Click Setting Will Instantly Improve Your iPhone Photography
If you want to boost your photo game to the next level, there’s a simple way to take balanced, professional-looking iPhone pics.
Ashley Abramson
May 22, 2019
Are You Using One of the Most Common iPhone Passwords?
A security app has anonymously tracked data from over 200,000 iPhones. Their results showed that, including the most common password offenders, people tend to follow similar patterns when creating PINs. Is your password, bank PIN or voicemail code on the list? Check it out.Daniel Amitay created an iPhone app that locks the phone’s screen, and takes a picture whenever an incorrect code is entered.
Laura E. Hall
May 6, 2019
Tech Myth: Is It Safe to Mix Batteries?
For as long as we can remember we’ve heard the old wives tale that you should not mix battery brands in the same device. Naturally, that did nothing to prevent us from doing it frequently. We’ve never had any problems before (or so we thought) so it had to be fasle, right? Well it turns out the answer might have you running to the drug store after work.We’re sure the story is familiar.
Mike Tyson
May 6, 2019
10 Entertaining Apps for Long Flights
Traveling for the holidays? Our holiday travel typically involves a long 13+ hours in the air, so I’m always on the look out for a few apps to help us enjoy our journey. Because wi-fi on international flights is fairly limited, none of the apps I’ve gathered require internet access. Happy perusing and safe holiday travels! 1. Spirits (iPad & Android): This game is one of my favorites for long flights because it’s challenging, yet also calming.
Joelle Alcaidinho
May 5, 2019
5 Things To Know If You’re Having FiOS Installed
This past summer my husband and I were excited to learn that Verizon’s high-speed, fiber-optic, internet/phone/tv FiOS service had become available to our building and we were quick to sign up. Having suffered through many tedious cable and internet installations over the years, I was expecting pretty much the same rigamarole, but there were a few twists to the process you might want to know about if you’re on the brink of making the switch yourself.
Carrie McBride
May 4, 2019
Turn Your Photos Into Watercolors: Waterlogue
Let me introduce you to my latest app obsession, Waterlogue. It’s a cool new app that lets you transform boring old photos from your phone into handsome watercolor images — and it’s very user-friendly, with an attractive interface. If you’re familiar with Instagram, you’ll have no problem becoming quickly acquainted with Waterlogue.
Kimber Watson
May 4, 2019
Stick N Find Bluetooth Stickers
Product: Stick N Find Price: $49.99 Rating: Recommend* For people who are constantly losing their Kindle, keys, pet, wallet, iPad, or any other important or expensive thing, the Stick N Find is bound to be your new favorite product. Want to page your wallet? Me too. Here’s how. The Stick N Find is easy to set up. Simply download the app, place the stickers (without the backing removed) right next to your phone, and pair them with your device.
Elizabeth Giorgi
May 4, 2019
How to Easily Clean & Organize Your Digital Files
Everyone’s digital life and needs are different. Consider this a very basic guide on how to do a little digital cleaning and organizing of your computer in a couple of hours so you can have a system that runs a little smoother and so you can find files you need a little easier. Before you start doing any deleting, fiddling, cleaning or sorting — backup everything important to you, whether in the cloud, by syncing with another computer or by using an external hard drive.
Adrienne Breaux
May 4, 2019
E-Readers vs. Book Books: A Book Lover Weighs the Pros and Cons
I love books. From a very young age I’ve been surrounded by them, and the feel and even the smell of books is something I find incredibly comforting. I love them so much that I wrote a manifesto about how, even if the printed word becomes technically obsolete, I’m never letting go of my books. And then, about a year ago, on the eve of a six-week trip to Europe, I made an uncharacteristic decision: I decided to get an e-reader.
Nancy Mitchell
May 4, 2019
3 Simple Ways to Get a Stronger WiFi Signal at Home
Reliable internet is a necessity these days. I actually came really close to signing a lease for a perfect little apartment close to work a few years ago, but ducked out at the last possible second after discovering that I’d be locked into a crappy internet provider (a wise decision later confirmed by online reviews of said ISP). The point is, nothing should stand between you and a strong and fast internet, and your router placement has more than a little to do with it.
Taryn Williford
May 4, 2019
These Apps Will Help You Entertain for the Holidays
Holiday entertaining is in full swing, and I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t do everything by myself. Gone are the days when I slaved over the styling, the shopping, the cooking and cleaning on my own: Lessons were learned during the Great Blender Explosion of 2011 and the Cannoli Stuffing Incident of 2008.
Carley Knobloch
May 4, 2019
Alice, Help Me Get My Mom Off Her Phone!
Hi Alice, As you know, pervasive cell phone usage is a fact of our modern life. However, I still think etiquette and face-to-face interaction should be a priority. Unfortunately, my mother doesn’t seem to share my concern. I’m 23 with two younger teenage sisters, yet it’s my mom that is constantly on her cell phone either texting or playing games. This frustrates me to no end and I find it incredibly rude.
Ask Alice
May 3, 2019
15 Tricks Every iPhone User Should Know How to Do
Whether you’re new to iPhone or you’re on your third or fourth model, I’m willing to wager that there are still plenty of tricks you’ve yet to learn. It turns out those brains over at Apple have thought up and built a few simple tools and shortcuts to make the things you do every day on your phone a little easier.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Supercharge Your Spring Cleaning: 5 Ways Tech Can Help You Save Space & Declutter
I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but you’ll often find me with a garbage bag in one hand and a spray bottle in another. I’m tossing things left and right and deep cleaning what’s left. I guess you could call it “spring cleaning,” but with the weather being always-sunny here in Los Angeles, I feel it’s less about the season and more about how things tend to pile up during the school year: the toys, the papers, the… stuff.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
Cord Control: 9 Ways to Organize & Disguise Ugly Wires
While technology has made our lives easier (and lazier) in countless ways, it hasn’t really done us many favors on the organization front. As our collection of tech gadgets grows, so does that tangle of cords under our desks and tv stands. There are a couple schools of thought when it comes to wrangling the wires: Stash them out of sight, or get more attractive wires, chargers, and docks and let them double as decor.
Katie Holdefehr
May 3, 2019
10 Seemingly Unimportant Things You Really Ought to Take Pictures Of, Every Time
When photos happened on film, you had to be very deliberate about when and where you snapped pictures. But now with a camera app at your fingertips, you’re able to digitally fill entire photo albums with some really boring things. And you should, actually. We’ve put together a list of everyday things you should be documenting with photographs in order to stay organized and sane, and to maintain a perfect record of parking spots and great haircuts alike.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
The Future is Now: Turn Your Small Home Into a “Smart-partment”
Smart Home technology has exploded in recent years, and it’s been a challenge to keep up with what’s available, what’s compatible, and what’s getting positive reviews. It has also been a really exciting time for those of us with small homes (and budgets), since DIY smart home technology is affordable, easy to install, and often ideal for small spaces (even if you don’t own yours).
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
IRL Plans for Cutting Back on Social Media this Summer
Raise your hand if you’ve ever opened up Instagram just because you were bored. Or if you’ve closed and re-opened Facebook within the same 30 seconds “just to see if anything had changed.” Social media is great for staying in touch with far-away friends, but it can really cramp your style when it comes to your IRL social life right here, right now.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
“The Rock Clock” and 3 Other Absurd (and Free) Alarm Apps That Just Might Help You Wake Up
Having a hard time getting up in the morning? A better pillow or an earlier bedtime might help. But the cure might be as easy as downloading a free app to your phone. Each of these apps tries some, well… out of the box strategies for getting your butt out of bed every day. Yep, that Rock.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
The Perfect Tech Accessory for Travel (and Covering Your Butt When the WiFi Goes Out at Home)
The best thing you bring on vacation this summer might not be the sunblock. In today’s uber-connected era, getting online is pretty much a necessity. But in certain places (and certain situations) it’s either difficult or downright impossible to get connected easily and cheaply. But there’s another solution… It’s a compact, battery-powered gadget that creates a wifi network around you almost anywhere, without needing an outlet or wiring into a wall like at home.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
(A)social Media: Avoid These 5 Modern Friendship Pitfalls
It’s never been easier to connect with people than it is right now. Social networks reach across the globe in seconds, and there’s a video phone in every person’s pocket, as if we’re all living in an episode of Star Trek. But for all the things that modern technology has done to make it easier to make and stay friends, there are just as many pitfalls to friendship in the digital era. How many friends do you have? A few hundred? A few thousand?
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Buh-Bye Cable Box: Sneaky Ways to Hide All Evidence of Electronics
There should be a medical or scientific term for that visceral aversion to seeing cords and ugly electronic boxes (something on par with trypophobia for example). Getting rid of them is an endless quest as fraught with difficulty as getting tickets to see Hamilton with Lin-Manual Miranda in the lead role. Figure out how to cover up those unattractive bits— and improve the look of your home in the meantime —and you’ve truly mastered the art of organization and storage.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
5 Surprising Things Your Nest Thermostat Can Do for You (Like, Uh, The Laundry!)
If you’ve already invested in a Nest Learning Thermostat ($249) or have read about the smart device, you likely know about some of the perks—but not all of them. Nest allows you to turn up the AC from your iPhone when you’re about to head home on summer’s hottest day, open utility bills that have dropped significantly thanks to the smart Auto-Away mode, and just generally live in a world where the temperature is perfectly regulated at all times.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
The Tech Gear Your Dog Would Tell You to Buy (If They Could Talk)
Tech tools make your life more convenient and more interesting, but who says humans should have all the fun? After all, what does your dog get for entertainment, just a few bones to chew on and a stuffed animal or two? It’s time to upgrade your tech tools and toys for your pup. As a bonus, a few of these will help ease your guilt when your workplace or the world in general isn’t as dog-friendly as you’d like.
Elizabeth Xu
May 3, 2019
The Space-Hogging Mess You Always Forget About: How To Declutter Your iPhone
You put in a lot of effort to keep your home beautiful and organized, but what about your phone? If you've got pages of apps you can't keep up with, here's how to declutter.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
How To Make IRL Friends Online If You’re New in Town
Moving to a new city can be daunting, especially when you don’t know anyone. It’s stressful enough to pack up your entire life and settle into a new apartment, and knowing that once you’re done unpacking you’ll have to put yourself out there to meet new people doesn’t exactly help. Bar hopping, art classes and the like are all ways to make new friends, but what if you don’t feel comfortable approaching strangers?
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
5 DIY Ways to Transform Your Fitness Tracker
Wearables like the Apple Watch, Fitbit, and UP by Jawbone can change your life in high-tech ways, from encouraging lots of steps and tracking your sleep to sending calendar alerts directly to your wrist. Thanks to their tech-y designs, however, they don’t generally come dressed properly for your chic arm party.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
There’s an App for That: Roommate Dramas That Can Be Avoided With Your Phone
Passive aggressive refrigerator notes. Arguments about how to split the utility bill. Dust bunnies that Just. Keep. Growing. These are just a few everyday scenarios that illustrate the ways in which living with roommates can be challenging (to say the least), whether those sharing the space are best friends or total strangers. Thankfully, tech can help.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
Big City Perks: 7 Life-Changing Laundry Delivery Apps
Doing laundry may be a basic household chore, but if you live in a small apartment in a major city, having an in-unit washer and dryer is a huge luxury. You might be lucky enough to have a laundry room in your building or complex, but it’s more likely that you’re on your own with your dirty clothes. Fortunately, you don’t have to lug your things to the nearest laundromat if you don’t want to.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
5 Things Anyone With Food Allergies Should Have on Their Phone
On a basic level, food allergies are just a restriction on your diet — but that small change can have a much bigger impact on the rest of your life. Normal, everyday things like going grocery shopping become more complicated, fun outings with friends can lead to frustration and traveling can feel almost impossible.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
Secrets of Secondhand Shopping: The Good, The Bad, and the (not so Ugly) of 5 Popular Resale Sites & Apps
Oh, the weird and wonderful business of buying and selling secondhand goods online. A market once cornered by Ebay and Craigslist, virtual resale sites and apps are a booming business, some as virtual garage sales and others as niche marketplaces. Here’s the lowdown on five popular sites and apps and please jump in with your favorites (and not-so-favorites) in the comments! The lowdown: The cPro+ Craigslist Mobile Client is a well-reviewed app that lets you take Craigslist on the road.
Julia Brenner
May 3, 2019
7 Ways Your Phone Can Help You Declutter
In the post-Marie Kondo era, clutter has become the enemy. Excessive documents, old T-shirts, and unread books are some of the offending items we see everyday that definitely don’t spark joy. While I’m the first to agree that Kondo’s folding techniques and organizational tricks are genius, there are other ways (besides purging all your worldly belongings) to get your home—and your life—feeling orderly once again.
Christina Pellegrini
May 3, 2019
Smart Vacuums Smackdown: Which Robot Vacuum Is Best for You?
Okay, so we haven’t quite made it to the Jetsons era where Rosie the robot does all the household cleaning, then has dinner ready when we get home. But in 2016, you can invite a robot into your home to help with at least one chore: vacuuming.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
How To Get the Most Money for Your Old Phone
Apple is set to debut the iPhone 7 today. But before you get caught up in the possibility of that shiny new phone, you still have one thing to do: deal with the one in your hand. We just heard this smart tip recently, and it’s on our immediate to do list before upgrading to the new version… Did you know you can sell your phone now and lock in that price before actually having to hand over (or mail in) your device?
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
Why You Should Keep a “No-Reason” Group Text Going With Your Best Friends
Texting may seem impersonal at times, but for many of us it’s the easiest way to stay in touch with the people we care about most of the time. And if you’re part of a tight-knit group of friends, being a part of a group text from time to time is pretty much inevitable. Those group texts don’t have to be for specific events (like planning a party for someone) — actually, being in a long-term, no-reason group chat with your friends can have some awesome benefits.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
Snapchat’s Spectacles Might Seem Silly, But Could Actually Be Cool
Snapchat announced on Friday that they are a) renaming themselves Snap, Inc. and b) releasing their first hardware product, a pair of video sunglasses. I was all set to scoff, but Spectacles could be more than just reimagined Google Glass for the Millennial set. Here’s why you might actually want them: Set to be released this fall, Spectacles are a pair of sunglasses with two front-facing 115-degree cameras that record circular video that’s more similar to the human field of vision.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
6 Very Convincing Reasons You Might Want to Get a Projector (Instead of a TV)
If you’re thinking of upgrading your media station, your instinct might tell you to spend your money on a nice new flat screen TV. But if you’re shopping on a budget, or want a more creative solution for your movie-night needs, consider foregoing a television altogether to get a projector instead. Projectors come with a host of surprising benefits, and though you might assume a projector would feel a bit too outdated for your entertainment needs, don’t worry.
Candace Bryan
May 3, 2019
Smart Home Magic: The Trickiest Ways to Automate Your Life
This month we’ll be sharing solutions that are so simple and easy—and at times, automated—that they feel like magic. Hocus Pocus celebrates all the small ways you can trick yourself into living a better life. If you jumped on the bandwagon and watched Stranger Things recently, you’re probably looking for ways to feel less creeped out every time you wake up to go to the bathroom at night and have to walk down that long, dark hallway.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
8 Hidden Things to Clean Off (and Speed Up) Your Computer
Just like dust and clutter can accumulate in hidden places in your home (you know… out of sight, out of mind) the same can be said for your computer. Hidden files and programs can accumulate over time that aren’t necessary to hold onto, and can seriously slow things down. To free up space on—and hopefully speed up—your Mac or PC, try decluttering these often forgotten files and folders.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
8 Apps Everyone with Wanderlust Needs to Download ASAP
The days are short and the world is wide, my friends—there’s so much to see out there and seemingly so little time to do it, which is perhaps why some of us (read: me) have an incurable case of wanderlust. And, hey, it’s not exactly a bad habit to have. After all, they say travel is the best teacher. Still, there will be days when you can’t afford to satiate your thirst for someplace new, and that’s OK too. There’s nothing wrong with pacing yourself!
Julie Sprankles
May 3, 2019
Merry Christmas to Us: The Smart Home Gear Couples Should Put on Their Own Lists
Imagine yourself gift shopping, selflessly browsing the aisles, checking off items on your to-do list, when you find it: the perfect gift. Let me clarify: you find the perfect gift for yourself. While it’s a gift you know your significant other would love, you also know it’s something you’ve been longing for all year. You need to have it. You both need to have it. Perhaps it’s time to make your own wish list.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
Want to Get Healthier in 2018? Put These on Your List
I’m going to go out on a whim and guess that at least one of your New Year’s resolutions will focus on health. Let’s dive deeper, shall we? Does this particular resolution have to do with improving your personal health? I thought so. You might think your resolutions should start well after the New Year, but the truth is, now is the time to set yourself up for success. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add some of these smart wellness and fitness gadgets to your list.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
I’m Signing Out of Social Media for the Month of January
Caroline Biggs is one of six people tracking their resolutions with Apartment Therapy in real time. I guess you could say I have a problem with overusing social media. Of course, I don’t consider it a real problem, per se—especially when compared to some of my over-sharing peers—but whenever I tell someone close to me that I’m giving up social media for a full month, they can’t help but express equal parts concern and relief.
Caroline Biggs
May 3, 2019
I’m Halfway Through My Social Media Fast and It’s Been Eye-Opening
Caroline Biggs is one of six people tracking their resolutions with Apartment Therapy in real time. You can read her first installment here. You’d be surprised to discover how often you check Instagram. True you might only spend a few minutes total scrolling through it every day, but if you’re anything like me—i.e. committed to staying off social media for a month—you’ll come to find you check your apps almost compulsively, at all hours of the day. Bored at work?
Caroline Biggs
May 3, 2019
I Successfully Went One Month Without Logging Into Social Media
Caroline Biggs is one of six people tracking their resolutions with Apartment Therapy in real time. You can read her earlier installments here and here. According to a recent study, there are a whopping 2.3 billion active social media users worldwide. That’s nearly one-third of the entire human population that, per another staggering study, spends around an hour of every day on Facebook alone.
Caroline Biggs
May 3, 2019
How To Battle the Forces of Home Tech Evil
Endless entertainment, working and shopping from home, Facetiming and sending gifs of a cat in a monkey suit eating a banana: it’s an enchanting time to be virtually connected. But as we’ve learned from every Disney movie ever, everything tantalizing comes with a potential dark side—in this case, things like malicious viruses, eye strain, and crappy battery life. But fear not!
Julia Brenner
May 3, 2019
Goodbye TV: Projector Buying Tips & Advice from People Who Made the Switch
I’ve been thinking about getting a projector. The thought of curling up on my couch and recreating the movie theater experience in my own home is very appealing. But I don’t know where to start. I don’t know what to buy. And I sure as heck don’t know how to get the most bang for my buck. Thankfully, three real people in real homes were more than happy to share why they’re #teamprojector for life—and it just might inspire you to make the switch.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Our Style Valentines: The Instagram Accounts We’re Totally Crushing On
Have you ever browsed the Instagram Explore page to find cool accounts to follow, only to fall totally head over heels for one? Some Instagrammers—be they bloggers or brands—are just so good you can’t help but double tap on every single beautiful, creative photo they post. Here are 14 Instagram accounts the Apartment Therapy editors are totally crushing on this Valentine’s Day. (Seriously, these are the ultimate in aesthetic goals, and you should go follow them all.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
How to Eliminate Junk Mail (& Email) Once and For All
Does it feel like junk mail is taking over your life? Between random credit card offers and ads piling up in your mailbox and a seemingly uncontrollable amount of subscriptions and spam flooding your inbox, things can get cluttered and super overwhelming—and fast. The good news is, there are some tricks and services you can use to manage both your mailbox and your inbox to keep your life as junk-mail-free as possible.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
Taking a Bite from the Apple: 10 Other Tech Brands with Great Design
In the early age of technology, products and devices weren’t always pretty to look at. Computers were clunky, TVs were monstrous, and— if you can remember this— phones were beige and tethered to the wall. Shudder. Then Apple came along and changed all that, by making us lust after their beautiful designs. They understood that, as tech jumped off your office design and became personal, the consumer would want style just as much as they want function.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
We Quizzed Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: Who’s Smarter?
Amazon’s Echo, a Bluetooth speaker powered by voice assistant Alexa, burst on to the scene a couple years ago and instantly captured the hearts and minds of consumers. You could hear the collective cry: voice control is finally here! Of course, there was lots of voice control on the market already (including Apple’s O.G. Siri), but Alexa was the first out of the gate that promised—and delivered—on making voice commands useful in the home.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
The New Tool That’s Going to Change the Way We Measure
Did you know there haven’t been any updates to the traditional tape measure since the late 1800’s? Well, watch out: the measuring revolution has arrived. Just this week, InstruMMents (yes, that’s two M’s) celebrated the launch of “01,” the world’s first dimensioning instrument. Designed to seamlessly measure any object, (even one with 3D curves!
Maxwell Ryan
May 3, 2019
Living in the Future: “I Talk to My Lightbulbs”
Every night when it’s time to go to sleep, I follow the same routine: Shut the bedroom door, turn off the lights and meander my way to my bed in the dark, because my light switch—and the only major lighting in my room—is on the complete opposite side of the room. Or at least, I did, until a few weeks ago when I bought a light bulb I could talk to instead.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
IKEA’s New Collection Is Here To Convince You To Finally Buy a Smart Lightbulb
Update 5/26/17: IKEA announced this week that their smart lighting collection will also come with voice activation, supporting all three major assistants, Siri, Google, and Alexa. 3/31/17: The home of the future just got a lot more accessible. This week, IKEA debuted their new smart lighting collection. If you’ve been curious about smart home tech, but haven’t yet dipped your toe in, the Swedish retailer just made it as easy as—you guessed it—screwing in a lightbulb.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
Should a Projector Be Your Next Home Entertainment Move?
When it comes to TVs at home, there are two teams. Team Hide That Thing Away does not want that distracting piece of technology messing up their design story, and they’d rather put it behind pocket doors or in a piece of furniture. And then there is Team Hail To The Screen: The Television, in all its glory, IS the design story, and the size is only limited to how large a screen can fit through the front door.
Carley Knobloch
May 3, 2019
Living in the Future: “My Plant Waters Itself”
Okay so I’m admittedly a bit of a black thumb. For starters, my apartment—like most in New York City—has windows that directly face the brick exterior of a neighboring apartment, which means natural sunlight is, well, reserved for time outdoors. Throw a busy schedule and life in the mix and remembering to water your succulents is not as easy as it sounds . So although it’s upsetting that I can’t even keep an air plant alive, it’s not terribly surprising.
Caroline Biggs
May 3, 2019
Amazon’s Latest Device Wants To Be Your Instagram Husband
Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, can do a lot of things—tell you the weather or traffic, shop for you, play music. Now, she can help you get dressed. Amazon’s latest device, the Echo Look, is a hands-free, Alexa-enabled camera that is your new #OOTD bestie so you can give your Instagram Husband a break. Echo Look, like Amazon’s other Alexa-enabled products, is voice activated, so you can tell it to take a photo or a short video without having to press any buttons.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
10 Gmail Shortcuts Everybody Ought to Know
If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time each day clicking through your inbox. (And, admittedly, if you’re anything like me you also walk away from the inbox with a seemingly never-ending pile of unread messages and junk mail. Does it ever stop?!) But what if there was a way to make sifting through that inbox easier? Enter Gmail shortcuts. Here are 10 essential shortcuts everyone should know.
Anne Momber
May 3, 2019
The Good, the Bad & the Ridiculous: The Future of Life at Home
I, for one, love the idea of the Internet of Things and smart home technology. I’m looking forward to more and more cutting edge, connected tools that create efficiency with automated tasks, ones that actually save money and time (rather than costing a bundle and eating up the extra time with a giant learning curve or constant troubleshooting).
Shifrah Combiths
May 3, 2019