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The New, Improved Doorbell!

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You’re probably familiar with devices like Nest, which use smart technology to automate your thermostat and save you money.

Think of Ring as the Nest of doorbells. It’s a product that replaces your standard doorbell with a device that connects to your home WiFi connection and sends video and audio of your doorstep to your mobile device.

In other words, you can use your smartphone to see who’s at the door, and you can do it from anywhere in the world.

It brings a whole new level of convenience. You’ll never have to worry about missing a delivery or having a package left in the wrong place—you can be at work when FedEx arrives, and use the intercom feature to tell the delivery man to leave the package where you please.

It’s also a great security tool. You can use the intercom to give the appearance that you’re home, turning away everyone from annoying salesmen to potential burglars. It activates with motion detection, so you don’t have to wait for the doorbell to ring before you’re alerted that someone is at your home.

There are various ways to install Ring, and it starts at $199. Go to ring.com to learn more.

 

No Time Like the Present!

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Thinking about buying your first home, or perhaps upgrading from your current place? Thanks to the current economic climate and game-changing technology in the housing market, now is the perfect time to take the plunge.

Low interest rates
Lenders are giving buyers mortgage rates that are extremely enticing—you can get a mortgage below 4.0%. There’s a good chance these are the lowest mortgage rates we’ll see in a long time, which means affordability is at a high.

Prices are on their way up
Mortgage rates may be low, but housing prices are getting higher and higher because of demand—prices increased 5.1% year-over-year in November 2015. If you’re thinking about buying, delaying a few years could lead to a higher purchase price, or getting less home for your money.

A great job market
The United States added 2.65 million jobs in the last year. There’s increasing job security and available work, leading to high consumer confidence.

Technology makes buying simpler and less expensive
Along with listing websites like Zillow and Trulia, there are an increasing number of websites and apps that simplify the process, make it easier to shop around for homes and mortgages, and save you money.

Cheap fuel
Lower gas and energy prices mean more money in your pocket and more purchasing power. The money you’re not putting into your gas tank or toward your utilities can instead go toward saving for a down payment or affording a bigger monthly mortgage payment.

 

Five Apps For Easy Home Decorating

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Technology has made it easier than ever to bring your home decor ideas to reality. There are countless smart phone apps that help you plan a space or do some valuable comparative shopping. Here are five apps to use on your next decorating project. Most are available on both iOS and Android devices.

  1. Color Capture: Ever see a color that would make for a perfect paint scheme? Benjamin Moore’s Color Capture app allows you to take a photo of anything and instantly get a matching paint color.
  2. iHandyLevel: Hanging photos and artwork? Rather than searching through your toolbox for a level, you can use something that’s already in your pocket: Your phone. The iHandyLevel app functions just as well as a dedicated level, turning your phone into the ultimate picture-hanging companion.
  3. LikeThatDecor: Let’s say you see the perfect Chesterfield sofa in a coffee shop, and you want to see where you could get one of your own. Use the LikeThatDecor app to take a photo of furniture and instantly see similar items from dozens of retailers.
  4. IKEA Catalog: Forget about the nightmare of navigating the parking garage, showroom, and warehouse at your nearest IKEA. The IKEA Catalog app allows you to virtually place furniture in a room. If only there was an app for easy IKEA assembly!
  5. DesignSponge: DesignSponge is one of the best DIY and home decor websites out there. Now there’s an app that makes it easy to access all of their awesome content on your smart phone.

 

The Best Smart Home Features

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Home technology has greatly improved over the last few years, improving functionality and energy efficiency. But some smart home features carry more value than others. Here are the features that will not only help you enjoy your home more, but will also make the home more appealing when it’s time to sell.

Nest Thermostat
The Nest Thermostat is controlled with your smart phone, and it learns the schedule of the home’s occupants. It adjusts the temperature according to your schedule, which saves on energy costs, since heating and cooling will be reduced when appropriate. The Nest Thermostat has earned glowing reviews and almost universal praise, so it’s one of the surest bets for your home.

Automatic Lighting
Lighting is an overlooked part of home security—leaving the lights on in the evening can deter burglars, because the lights suggest someone is home. With automatic and smart lighting systems, you can program your lights to come on in the evening, or use your smart phone to turn on the lights before you arrive at home.

Smart Alarms
Gone are the days of controlling your security system from a panel inside the home. Now there are security systems that you can control from anywhere in the world using your phone. You can monitor your home from anywhere, without having to pay a monthly fee to a security company.

 

Five Tips For Securing Your Smartphone

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Phones have come a long way in the last few years, and there’s a ton of sensitive information—email access, bank accounts, photos, contact lists—that are easily accessed if your phone falls into the wrong hands. Here are a few tips for keeping your smartphone secure.

  1. Use a passcode! This is one of the easiest steps toward securing your phone, but research shows that 54 percent of smartphone users do not use a passcode. Whether it’s a four-character PIN or a pattern lock, set up the passcode on your phone so that only you can get past your lock screen.
  2. Be careful with WiFi: Smartphones can be set to automatically connect to available WiFi networks, but this can lead to your phone being vulnerable over an untrusted network when you’re not aware of it. Turn off WiFi when you’re not knowingly using it—it’ll also help with battery life.
  3. Careful with Bluetooth, too: Bluetooth isn’t as vulnerable to security breaches as WiFi, but it’s still a good idea to have your Bluetooth set to undiscoverable.
  4. Consider the downside of rooting: Many cell phone users will root or “Jailbreak” their phones to open up new features, but this can override your phone’s security settings—and void your warranty.
  5. Choose better passwords: Definitely don’t use “password” or your name! Instead, make a passphrase—a short sequence of words that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for anyone else to guess.

Five Cool Tech Ideas For Your Home

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Looking for some cool upgrades for your home? Here are a few suggestions for tech devices that would make an awesome addition to your place.

  1. Laser Robot Vaccuum: This awesome little robot by Neato Robotics does the dirty work for you. Not only will it clean the house after you go to sleep, but it has a special laser that maps the home. This little guy knows where it’s been and where it hasn’t, and when it’s done it drives itself back in the closet!
  2. Heated driveway: If you live in a cold weather state, shoveling snow is a dreaded fact of life. What if you could throw the shovel away? Heated driveway technology, utilizing mats and cables within the driveway, can eliminate strenuous snow removal from your life.
  3. Thermal Imaging Gun: High energy bills taking their toll? Try the Black and Decker thermal leak detector. With this little device you can check your home for energy leaks. The infrared thermometer will detect leaks and let you know where the hot and cold spots are.
  4. Sun Tunnel: Looking to add natural light but a sky light may not be viable? Try the Velux Sun Tunnel. This cool flexible tube can find its way around obstructions and deliver a perfect amount of light into your room.
  5. Wireless Can Light Speaker: The Klipsch LightSpeaker system gives you the best of both worlds. This wireless speaker screws right into your can lighting. It even comes with an efficient LED light.