Innovation has a cost. One of the hopes in energy innovation is that there will eventually be a financial payoff. Teslas battery is no different. When you see Elon Musk introduce the Powerwall, did Elon Musk save us from fossil fuels? Did Elon Musk save us from fossil fuels? Read More Thats great.

While the Amazon Echo has become a household name in the smart home sphere, Google Home (our review) isnt far behind. The Alexa-powered Echo has had more time to mature as a platform. But if you invest more in the Google ecosystem, you have an extremely fun and capable device in the Home to put to w

When you think of smart devices, your first thought is probably expensive learning thermostats or home security cameras. However, you dont need to spend a lot of money to start transforming your home into a smart home. Really, all you need is a TP-Link Smart Plug or two, which sell for less than $30

Sick of Spending Money How to Start Saving Money and Stop Spending With 4 Easy Habits How to Start Saving Money and Stop Spending Money with 4 Easy Habits One of the top New Years resolutions on many peoples lists is to spend less and save plus. Thats easier said than done, but you can still rely on

In 1990, three MIT graduates who designed war robots decided to form a corporation called iRobot. Along with military and police robots, the advanced technology company is probably best known for the Roomba, a self-contained home vacuum cleaner first introduced in 2002. And so the home automation in

One Of The Hardest Decisions Why Tracking Your Significant Others Location Isnt Always Evil Why Tracking Your Significant Others Location Isnt Always Evil But is tracking your partners movements really that wrong, assuming its consensual? More information a parent can do in the digital world is whet

More than fifty years after its inception, the future imagined by Star Trek is happening:devices and tools are available that can do almost everything Star Trek technology could do (and more). While you may not be flying the USS Enterprise soon, there are plenty of products available that can make y

Security starts at the front door, and smart locks are a great way to add a big dose of technology to this primary method of keeping your home secure. Instead of ditching the key entirely, smart locks give users several other ways to control access to their home with a smartphone. The technology ca

As with any kind of hobby, camping has purists and non-purists. Purists say that if youre going to go camping, everything should be as basic and natural as possible, meaning no electronics. Car camping is not real camping. For everyone else, camping is just a momentary escape from the stresses of l

One of the most challenging aspects of embracing new technology is getting your head around all the unfamiliar jargon. For most people, there are still some terms that we dont understand about the applications and software that we use every day (how many non-geeks know what HTTP means or what is an

On the surface, the SmartThings hub looks a lot like a Mac Mini. Inside, the SmartThings Hub is all Samsung. The $99.99 device has been called the “heart of your smart home.” Installed, it connects wirelessly with hundreds of compatible smart devices, allowing you to monitor, control and protect yo

The Raspberry Pi is a surprisingly capable little computer. In the past, weve shown you how to make a Raspberry Pi home theater with Rasbmc How to make your Raspberry Pi a home theater How to make your Raspberry Pi a home theater Four weeks after, and Ive been messing around with my Raspberry Pi in

Smart lighting is here to stay, and Philips Hue is without a doubt one of the most popular brands. While weve covered some of the best apps for hue lights above, youre not alone in thinking that controlling your lights with your phone is annoying and unnecessary. Fortunately, there is a solution at

Very good friends. Im calling him. 2016 is going to be the year of the smart home. It will be the year that everyone, including your technophobic grandparents and friends, embraces the Internet of Things. It will be the year that it finally moves from being the exclusive domain of early adopters

In the winter and peak of summer, there is a question that is sure to come up at least once every season:How should you set your thermostat to maximize comfort and savings? There are basically two schools of thought. The first group says you should set your thermostat to your desired temperature

More and more everyday objects are becoming smart devices. As technology continues to improve, there seems to be nothing it cant make faster, smarter, better, or easier. Now even the most basic of everyday items are becoming smart devices through wireless connections to your phone, the internet, and

Mom had her day in May, and now its Dads turn! Fathers Day is almost here, leaving many struggling to find the perfect gift in time. Dads can be very difficult to shop for, but no matter if theyre a tech whiz or just starting to learn, any dad can find a way to use at least one of these smart home

Smart Homes What is a smart home? What is a smart home? We recently launched a Smart Home category on MakeUseOf, but what is a smart home? Read More But the technology used to cost thousands of dollars, so its completely out of reach for anyone on a budget. Unfortunately, that old perception prevent

So, youve heard about the smart home revolution, but youre not sure where to start. Its understandable:there are hundreds of devices and apps competing for your business. Starting your smart home setup on the right foot is important as it can save you a lot of heartache down the line. Perhaps most

Are you about to buy a smart plug? Which smart plug is the best for you? Which smart plug is the best for you? Even if youre not into the whole smart home automation trend, you should still get some smart plugs. They are one of the easiest smart home products to use. Read more ? Do you think they ar