Category

smart home

184 articles

How to Automate Lights with Alexa in 2026: Set It and Forget It
smart home

How to Automate Lights with Alexa in 2026: Set It and Forget It

Automating your lights with Alexa means they turn on and off without you ever touching a switch or saying a word. Lights that turn on at sunset, dim at bedtime, and turn off when you leave the house—all automatically. Once set up, it just works.

Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds in 2026: Pocket-Sized Silence
smart home

Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds in 2026: Pocket-Sized Silence

Over-ear headphones deliver the best noise cancelling, but they're bulky. You're not wearing them on a summer walk or stuffing them in your jacket pocket. Noise cancelling earbuds give you most of the ANC performance in a package that fits in your palm.

Best Mechanical Keyboard for Programming in 2026: Type Better Code, Faster
smart home

Best Mechanical Keyboard for Programming in 2026: Type Better Code, Faster

Programming is typing. Not exclusively—there's thinking, debugging, and staring at Stack Overflow—but a significant portion of your day involves pressing keys. The keyboard you use matters more than most developers realize. A good mechanical keyboard reduces fatigue during long coding sessions, p...

Best Outdoor Smart Plug Weatherproof in 2026: Control Your Yard From Your Phone
smart home

Best Outdoor Smart Plug Weatherproof in 2026: Control Your Yard From Your Phone

Holiday lights, patio string lights, pond pumps, landscape lighting—outdoor plugs control all of it. But not every smart plug survives a Canadian winter. You need weatherproof ratings, reliable WiFi range, and an app that doesn't crash when it's -25°C outside.

Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Under $50 in 2026: Big Sound on a Small Budget
smart home

Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Under $50 in 2026: Big Sound on a Small Budget

You don't need to spend $200 for a good portable speaker. The under-$50 CAD category has gotten remarkably competitive—waterproof designs, decent bass, and battery life that lasts a full day at the beach or park. These speakers won't fill a house party, but for personal listening, picnics, campin...

Best Cordless Vacuum for Hardwood Floors in 2026: No Cords, No Scratches, No Problem
smart home

Best Cordless Vacuum for Hardwood Floors in 2026: No Cords, No Scratches, No Problem

Hardwood floors look gorgeous until you drag a heavy vacuum across them and leave a scratch that haunts you every time the light hits it. Cordless vacuums solve the weight problem, but not all of them are gentle enough for hardwood. Some have stiff brush rolls that scatter debris, others lack the...

Zigbee vs WiFi Smart Home: Which Protocol Should You Build On?
smart home

Zigbee vs WiFi Smart Home: Which Protocol Should You Build On?

Every smart home device connects through some wireless protocol. The two most common are WiFi and Zigbee—and they take fundamentally different approaches to keeping your home connected.

Best Wireless Keyboard for Mac in 2026: Type Better, Cut the Cable
smart home

Best Wireless Keyboard for Mac in 2026: Type Better, Cut the Cable

Apple's Magic Keyboard is fine. It's thin, it connects instantly, and it matches your Mac. But "fine" isn't great. The key travel is shallow, the typing experience is flat, and the price is steep for what you get. There are better wireless keyboards for Mac that offer superior typing feel, better...

How to Reset Smart Thermostat in 2026: Fix Issues Without Calling a Technician
smart home

How to Reset Smart Thermostat in 2026: Fix Issues Without Calling a Technician

Your smart thermostat is acting up. Maybe it's not responding to the app, the schedule is wrong, the temperature reading is off, or it just froze. Before you call an HVAC technician or buy a replacement, try a reset. Most smart thermostat issues are software problems that a reset fixes in minutes.

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones in 2026: Silence Has Never Sounded This Good
smart home

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones in 2026: Silence Has Never Sounded This Good

You're on a plane, the engine is roaring, and the person next to you is watching a movie without headphones. Or you're in an open office, and three conversations are happening at once. Noise cancelling headphones aren't a luxury anymore—they're survival gear.

Best Roku Streaming Device
smart home

Best Roku Streaming Device

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Best Smart Sprinkler Controller in 2026: Save Water and Keep Your Lawn Green
smart home

Best Smart Sprinkler Controller in 2026: Save Water and Keep Your Lawn Green

Watering your lawn on a fixed schedule wastes water and money. It rains, and your sprinklers run anyway. It's 35°C and dry, and your timer gives the same 15 minutes it always does. A smart sprinkler controller fixes this by adjusting watering based on weather, soil type, sun exposure, and plant n...