Page not found – ShopingServer Wiki https://wiki.shopingserver.com Tutorials and Articles About Technology and Gadgets Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:29:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.5.14 https://wiki.shopingserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/cropped-favicon-150x150.png Page not found – ShopingServer Wiki https://wiki.shopingserver.com 32 32 20 attractive and practical gadgets that you have never seen before https://wiki.shopingserver.com/20-attractive-and-practical-gadgets-that-you-have-never-seen-before/ https://wiki.shopingserver.com/20-attractive-and-practical-gadgets-that-you-have-never-seen-before/#respond Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:29:14 +0000 http://wiki.shopingserver.com/?p=27576 We all love creative and functional gadgets. Gadgets that make life easier, more attractive, smarter and more fun for us.

The number of these gadgets in the world is not small and no matter how familiar we are with them; Again, there are some interesting gadgets that we do not know about or have never seen.

More importantly, these gadgets do things for us that we may have wished for years were the tools and equipment to do them. Every year, a number of new gadgets with more advanced technologies are introduced to create new habits in our lives.

We may never have imagined having a curved monitor or clamshell phone, but by 2020 these gadgets have become commonplace and can be seen in abundance in our work and life.

Join us to discover and introduce you to 20 attractive and useful gadgets that you have probably never seen or read about. I’m sure you will enjoy seeing some of these gadgets and looking to buy them:

Laptop holder

If you want to connect a mobile phone, external hard drive, modem or anything else to the body of the laptop so that it is not on the floor and table and can be easily moved with the laptop; Buy the DriveSlide Laptop Attachment gadget.

This gadget uses the Lock and Key mechanism to allow any external device to stick to the laptop.

Samsung automatic clothes cleaner

Samsung has been offering the AirDresser for a long time and even several models of it have entered the market. AirDresser helps you always have clean and ready clothes without spending time.

This gadget removes up to 99% of dust and other particles sitting on clothes in 25 minutes.

Handheld printer for any surface

With the Handjet EBS-260 on every surface from wood, metal, cement and plastic to tools and surfaces you can not imagine; Print text and images in full detail. You will adjust the text and details via a touch screen and give it to this handheld printer.

Amazon Alexa Blocker

If you want Amazon Alexa Digital Assistant to listen in on your private conversations at home; Again, a gadget called Alexagate Amazon Alexa Blocker has been released for it. Place this gadget on top of the Amazon Echo speaker to block its microphone. Touching this gadget three times automatically turns it on and off.

Cargo delivery robot

Robots have entered our lives and are playing an increasingly important role every day. One of the robots that will probably be normal for us in a few years; The Digit Bipedal Robot is a small humanoid robot for delivering cargo from home to home addresses. Using LiDAR technology and other sensors, this robot can detect the environment and destination address and deliver the package.

Send creative love messages

It is beautiful and in a very creative and surprising way it can convey your loving message to others. Just press the heart key like on the box Lovebox Modern Love Note Messenger to rotate a little and open the box door and show your message.

Portable cooler

Portable coolers are on the rise in recent years, and the Cool Human Hands-Free Portable Body Cooler is one of the best. Fasten this gadget to your belt and pants to feel the cool air under your shirt.

Xiaomi Transparent Monitor

A few days ago, we introduced the world’s first fully transparent TV from Xiaomi, but the Chinese company also has a transparent gaming monitor called Mi TV LUX. This monitor acts like a glass when it is off and when it is on; It looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring.

Mobile Razr gamepad

If you are playing on mobile; It does not matter if you have an Android or iPhone device; Because the Razer Kishi Mobile Gamepad is a standard and universal gamepad for any mobile phone so you can play more easily anywhere. It has Apple USB-C and Lightning ports so you do not experience any latency.

Help to remind and see

Studio Fantasio FAMILIA Human Connection gadget is for people who are a little forgetful or have vision problems. Reminds you to take your pills on time or helps you see better.

Magnetic tiles and lighting

POLYGON tiles and boxes made a fuss during this time, and their videos have been republished many times on social media. Tiles that you can glue together to form any shape, and then when they stick together; They turn on. The best gadget to increase creativity and visual effect in any place you like to be turned on and off with the touch of your hand.

Clock strap for movement gestures

Smartwatches may be smart enough, but their straps are definitely not, and they do nothing. The Mudra Band Gesture Control Strap gadget helps add a few gestures to the Apple Watch to make it easier to manage calls and enjoy music. You can receive notifications with a gesture without having to quit.

Radio for the whole world

Listen to live radio from 18 cities around the world with the Palomar CityRadio Worldwide Music Box. Just touch the key name of the city you want to listen to on the radio to start playing.

Sony Smart Dog

When you enter the house; The aibo Intelligent Dog Robot Pet responds and greets you just like a real dog. You can train this smart dog robot and plan a daily habit for it. You can even give her biscuits.

Interactive wall for exhibition

A very interesting and creative gadget for exhibitions, conferences, seminars and places that you want to attract the attention of the visitor and make him react and interact. This interactive wall has programmable keys and icons, each of which can be connected to a touch sensor. The size of this wall is 10 square meters with 12 touch points.

Samsung Game Curved Monitor

It is one of the most curved screens in the world for gaming. The Samsung Odyssey G9 will literally bring you into the dream and you will experience a new world of gaming with it. 49-inch and the largest curved monitor is Samsung 1000R.

Smart accordion lamp

You can bend this light bulb, open it 180 and 360 degrees, or turn it into different shapes, and turn it on for a few hours in the place you like, and then fold it up and take it with you. The Gingko Smart Accordion Lamp Collapsible Light is exactly like an accordion and is inspired by its construction.

Wearable recorder

With NavVis VLX you can quickly scan your surroundings. It has two multi-dimensional LiDAR sensors with 3D measurement capability to scan and capture objects and environments in real size. A similar example of this device is used by Google employees to develop Google augmented reality maps.

Gardening in the future

Rotofarm Architectural Soil-Free Circular Farm can be considered a symbol of gardening in the future. This gadget allows you to grow a variety of foods and houseplants in a zero-weight environment.

Sand speaker

The DEEPTIME Spirula 3D speaker is made of sand and has one of the most creative designs in the world. Built with 3D printers, it takes your music experience to the next level. Because it makes you listen to music ergonomically with your ear.

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Everything You Need To Know About Microsoft Hololens Headset 2 https://wiki.shopingserver.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-microsoft-hololens-headset-2/ https://wiki.shopingserver.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-microsoft-hololens-headset-2/#respond Tue, 03 Sep 2019 06:23:29 +0000 http://wiki.shopingserver.com/?p=25103 According to a new report, Microsoft plans to release a new version of the Hololens 6 Augmented Reality headset in less than a month.

Microsoft’s second-generation Hololense headset was introduced earlier this year and surprised everyone with a new and different experience. Microsoft’s Hololens 2, codenamed Sydney (Sydney) has more processing power and has a better field of view. Redundancy Augmented Reality headsets have a whole new way of interacting with holograms and can better identify real physical objects in the environment than before.

Hololens II is not yet available for sale, and with the exception of Microsoft’s own staff, very few people have had the experience of using this augmented reality headset. So, it’s natural that we still don’t know everything about Hololens II. However, we have a lot of information from the launch of this headset to the present day.

Hololens Hardware Information 1.

Hololens II has become much more powerful than its predecessor. The new version of Microsoft’s Augmented Reality headset will feature a Snapdragon 2 processor, and from this point of view, it is one of the first devices to run on Windows 7 operating systems based on the ARM64 architecture. The new logo processor provides more processing power than Microsoft’s previous generation, and is also more energy efficient. Like other logo devices, the Hololens 2 will work very fast in waking up and waking up.

Hololens ۲ has a much better field of view because of its extra power. The next feature of Hololens 7 is the use of Anti-Aliasing technique, which makes holograms look better when placed in a virtual environment. Anti-aliasing is a method of deceiving the eyes that is commonly used in video games to show smooth, serrated edges of an object.

Also, new Hololens 7 sensors have been used that can scan the iris for the Windows Hello authentication service.

Another handheld tracking system is the possibility of a second generation Hololens Augmented Reality headset that allows users to interact directly with the hologram with their hands.

Other new capabilities of the Hololens 2 hardware include the new customized holographic processing unit (HPU), which implements a native and flexible artificial intelligence processor for Deep Neural Networks . Having this feature in Hololens 2 means that visual information can be analyzed locally without having to send any cloud data . It also enables faster detection and identification of objects and environments.

Hololens Software Information 4.
software hololens2

Hololens 2 is Microsoft’s first product from the Core OS operating system, known as the official Holographic Windows . In fact, the new Windows Core OS model is very similar to the Hololens II operating system. In terms of usability, Hololens ۲ has a leap forward in comparison to Hololens abality in terms of the ability to interact and interact with holograms.

This feature allows you to adjust the holograms manually while walking. Using hololenses – and knowing how to interact with the device – requires no training, meaning that the user can communicate in a holistic way to their environment and holograms.

To access the Start menu, simply hold down the Start button on the wrist until the Microsoft logo appears a little later. From here, you can reach different HoloLens capabilities by touching each of the favorite sections in the Start menu. Scrolling is a unique experience with two ways to do it:

1. As expected, finger-scrolling (such as the scrolling process on a mobile phone and a tablet) is; Scrolling is by means of an eye tracking system located on Hololens II. If you scroll down to the bottom of a window and there is more to scroll through, the window will start scrolling automatically, which at first glance seems really magical.

Menu Holidays 2 on the wrist

One of the features that could not be used for the first time in February when using the Hololens II was the new holographic keyboard . Since users can now access and touch the holograms, Microsoft has had to reshape the holographic keyboard in Hololens II. So, the new keyboard is a little bigger and the keys are round, just like you’re typing on a tablet.

It can be connect by placing it in the range where the holographic key is display. If you’re looking for quick typing of sentences into a new holographic keyboard, you may not know this feature yet; but you can quickly type or copy a few sentences.

Holographic applications can be much more advanced with new handheld and eye-tracking capabilities. In one of the popular HoloLens 2 demos, a virtual bird flies around the room,

and if you hold your hand, the bird will fly with you to each side of the room.

Microsoft has not yet responded to the question of whether the new HoloLens can run Win32 applications,

but Microsoft is working on the feature, as sources say.

The speculation stems from the fact that the Microsoft Edge browser running on HoluLens II seems to be the old version,

not the new version of Chromium Edge.

Hololens 2 is unlikely to be able to run Win32 applications when it launches,

but it is likely to be available as an update in year 6.

 

Currently, Microsoft’s Augmented Reality headset uses the RTM version of Windows 7’s big -name update 19H1. Since Hololens 7 is equipp with the Windows Core OS operating system,

it will easily benefit from future updates and upgrades to Windows.

Hololens distribution time
Hololens 2

Microsoft unveiled an event earlier this year at a ceremony at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Hololens. It is expect to start shipping and distributing Hololens 2 in less than a month this fall. Unlike the previous generation, the new redundant headset for developers and businesses will be priced at $ 4.99. While the first-generation Hololens cost $ 2.99 for developers and $ 1.5 for businesses.

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HotHardware 2018 Deals And Steals Hot Tech And Gadget Gift Guide Read more https://wiki.shopingserver.com/hothardware-2018-deals-and-steals/ https://wiki.shopingserver.com/hothardware-2018-deals-and-steals/#respond Sun, 25 Nov 2018 11:13:07 +0000 http://wiki.shopingserver.com/?p=20777 Every year, Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season seem to become more momentous. We have already seen several large retailers such as AmazonBest BuyMicrosoftSam’s ClubStaples, and Target “leak:

Black Friday adds in an attempt to offer select deals early. Even with so many deals out there, however,

it can be exceedingly difficult to pick the perfect gift for tech-loving friends and family.

But we’re here to help!

This guide aims to help you pick the perfect gift by listing items that are perfect for the tech enthusiasts in your life. Of course,

many of these gifts would also work well for your non-tech enthusiast friends,

USB Keyboard Vacuum ($9.99)

USB Keyboard Vacuum

Keeping your PC and keyboard clean is important if you want to keep them in good working order.

This mini vacuum makes it easy to keep your devices clean and it will prove a useful tool for any tech enthusiast. In addition to pulling dirt out from between keyboard keys,

this tiny vacuum is also well suited to cleaning dust out of your PC case, heatsinks, or any small crevice.

Hi-Spec 38 Pcs Tool Kit ($9.99)

Hi Spec 60 Piece Electronics Tool Kit

A well stocked tool kit can make building or maintaining a PC significantly easier.

Hi-Spec assembled this tool kit just for those that work with PC and other electronics.

It has a number of small screw drivers and a magnetic precision ratcheting screwdriver.

The kit includes a 110mm extension socket and heads for philips, flat, torx, hex,

and triwing screws. A couple of plastic pry tools — or spudgers —

are also included, which are extremely useful when tearing down devices such as laptops and tablets.

Steam Link ($2.50)

Steam Link

Valve’s Steam Link is essentially a tiny computer that lets you stream games from your desktop PC to any other screen in your house.
The Steam Link has an HDMI port to connect to a TV,
and it has three USB 2.0 ports as well as Bluetooth 4.0 to support a wide range of wired and wireless controllers,
keyboards and mice.
It’s an excellent gift for any PC gamer with a massive Steam library.

Grindbay USB Rechargeable AA Batteries ($13.98)

Grindbay Rechargeable AA USB Batteries

At first glance,

these NH-AA lithium AA batteries may not seem like anything special,

but they are unique in the world of rechargeable batteries in that they can be directly recharged via a USB port without any other accessories.

This makes it easy to charge them on the go,

and you won’t need to remember to bring a special charger for them —

any USB Type-A port will do. Each battery has a max capacity of 1,450mAh.

Mitid RGB Wireless Keyboard W/ Touchpad ($14.99)

Mitid Wireless Mini Keyboard RGB

This device uses 2.4GHz wireless technology to communicate with a large number of USB enabled devices including TV boxes and Microsoft’s Xbox One —

basically anything compatible with the USB HID standard. In addition to a full keyboard,

this device also has fixed function volume buttons and a touch-pad mouse. RGB LEDs help to illuminate the buttons and make the device easier to use the dark.

Intel Wireless-AC 9560 ($14.98)

Intel 9560

If you or someone you know feels like their laptop’s Wi-Fi is slowing them down or unreliable,
then this Wi-Fi controller may be exactly what you need. Intel’s Wireless-AC 9560 is one of the better mobile Wi-Fi solutions available on the market.
It is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 1.73Gbps, and it supports Bluetooth 5.0 as well.

Just make sure that the laptop you plan to upgrade supports M.2 Key E wireless cards, which many do.

Fenvi NGFF M.2 To PCI-E Wi-Fi Adapter ($15.99)

Fenvi Wifi Adapter

This is more of a two-part gift. Whereas Intel’s Wireless-AC 9560 is extraordinarily inexpensive,
high-quality desktop PCI-E Wi-Fi cards are surprisingly expensive in comparison.
A PCI-E Wi-Fi card capable of competing with Intel’s Wireless-AC 9560 will set you back at least $50.
By purchasing a simple adapter like this one in combination with Intel’s Wirless-AC 9560,
you can get a top-tier network solution for a much more affordable price of around $30.
And it makes an excellent gift, because at the end of day,
who doesn’t want faster, more reliable Wi-Fi?

UiiSii T8 Dual-Driver Earbuds ($18.99)

UiiSii T8 Earbuds

UiiSii designed these headphones with two dynamic drivers.

This has a significant impact on audio quality, as one driver is used exclusively for base,

whereas the other driver handles everything else. The resulting reduction in distortion leads to fuller,

crisper, higher-quality audio. If you know someone that needs a new set of earbuds, but you don’t have too much to spend, these are an excellent option.

Sandisk Ultra 64GB Dual Drive ($18.50)

Sandisk Ultra 64GB

Sandisk engineered this drive with both a Type-A and Type-C male connector.

This allows the drive to connect to a wider array of devices and it helps to ease the transition from traditional USB flash drives to the newer Type-C type drives.

This particularl flash drive has a capacity of 64GB and it is rated to transfer data at speeds up to 150MB/s.

If you know someone in need of some flexible,

portable storage that can connect to just about any modern device, the large capacity and fast speed of this drive will make it the perfect gift.

Cooler Master Master Fan MF120R Air Balance ($19.99)

Cooler Master Master Fan MF120R Air Balance

Cooler Master built this 120mm fan with addressable RGB LEDs.

When used in conjunction with a compatible motherboard by Asus, Asrock or MSI,

you can control the color and lighting effects of the fan.

Cooler Master also designed the fan to be exceedingly quiet, and the company equipped it with rubber pads to reduce noise production created by vibration as well.

Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition ($9.99)

Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition

Fallout 76 is here, but to many it’s a major disappointment filled with bugs and a disjointed story.

If you or someone you know loved Fallout 4, but don’t like the new Fallout 76, then give Fallout:

New Vegas a try. As the immediate predecessor to Fallout 4, Fallout:

New Vegas has a lot to offer including the ability to craft your own ammo and chems. You can’t build your own town,

but the game has a highly charged atmosphere as events escalate into a full blown war. In my personal opinion, Fallout:

New Vegas also has a far better story that keeps your attention from beginning to end.

As this is the Ultimate Edition of the game,

you can also dig into the game’s four add-ons that complement the main story and give you access to more powerful equipment.

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iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit Review: The Last Gadget Repair Kit You’ll Ever Need https://wiki.shopingserver.com/ifixit-pro-tech-toolkit/ https://wiki.shopingserver.com/ifixit-pro-tech-toolkit/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:54:10 +0000 http://wiki.shopingserver.com/?p=20121 Getting your first toolkit is a rite of passage when you become an adult.

However,

most standard home toolkits don’t come with the kind of specialty pieces you need when you want to repair modern electronics.

For that,

the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit has virtually every tool you’ll ever need.

Unlike a standard home repair toolkit,

iFixit specializes in kits to repair electronics. The company has an extensive catalog of detailed repair guides for smartphonestabletsgame consoles,

and tons more. Each guide specifies how hard it is to do the repair and what tools you’ll need to do it. Take a look at any given guide,

though–say this one on how to replace an iPhone X battery–and you’ll quickly realize how few of those tools you have.

Fortunately, almost everything you need is in the Pro Tech Toolkit.

What You Get In This Kit

The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit ($65) isn’t your ordinary toolkit. Since iFixit has spent years tearing down and repairing gadgets,

the company has a pretty solid idea of which specialty tools you need most often.

This particular kit is iFixit’s mid-range model.

It has more tools than the Essential Electronics Toolkit ($20), which in my experience wasn’t quite as robust.

You can also get the Repair Business Toolkit ($240) which, true to its name,

is really more suited for someone who hopes to start a side business repairing electronics.

For your average home electronics repairs, it’s overkill. The Pro Tech Toolkit, however,

is perfect for a home user.

So,

what do you get in this kit that you can’t get anywhere else? Here are just a few of the most important parts:

  • Tri-Point and Pentalobe screwdriver bits. Modern electronics like the iPhone or Nintendo Switch use special screws with three or five points, as opposed to a standard Philips screws with four points. Even some typical screwdriver kits don’t include these,
  • so it’s nice that iFixit’s kit has both. And in multiple sizes, to boot. There’s also a SIM card eject bit so if you lose the one that came with your phone, you can use this kit to swap SIM cards.
  • Specialty and legacy bits. It’s not just modern bits this kit covers. It includes a range of obscure bits, from the gamebit fastener used in old Nintendo consoles like the SNES,
  • to the oval head bit used in Nespresso coffee machines. It even comes with a magnetic bit you can use to grab tiny screws that you dropped or that are hard to pick up. No matter what gadget you need to take apart,
  • there’s a good chance that whatever bit you need is in this kit.
  • A selection of pry tools.

    If you need to take apart compact devices like a phone or tablet,

  • you’ll need more than just screwdrivers. Pry tools are important for separating components that are glued together. There are multiple tweezers and spudgers to pull apart electronic bits. It comes with three plastic opening tools and five plastic opening picks. They’re purposely made of lighter plastic so they should break before you apply so much pressure that you would otherwise break your gadget. If you need a more powerful pry tool, there’s a metal jimmy tool you can use to separate pieces.
  • A light-duty suction cup. In some cases, you’ll need to pull glass components apart from the components they’re glued to. Pry tools can help but if there’s no place to slide a pry tool in, a suction cup is best. The included suction cup isn’t going to pull dents out of your car, but it’s strong enough for some light repairs.
  • Anti-static wrist band. Anytime you’re operating on electronics, there’s a risk that static electricity in your body could build up and accidentally fry your gadgets. For that reason,
  • you should always use an anti-static wrist band when you’re working on electronics. Wear the strap around your wrist, and connect the other end to a large piece of unpainted metal. If you’re opening up a computer, then the case should do.
  • A magnetic metal sorting tray.

    When you’re taking apart electronics, you’re going to end up with a lot of little pieces that can get knocked away or disorganized. This is where magnetic screw trays can come in handy. Conveniently,

  • the iFixit kit has a metal plate that the screwdriver kit sticks to. When you take the screwdriver case out,
  • you can place your screws on the plate to keep them organized. When you’re done, stick the case back and it sticks to the magnetic plate and stays in place.

You can read more about the specific tools in more detail at iFixit’s site here. Suffice to say,

if you’re opening up a gadget, there’s a good chance you won’t need anything outside what’s in this kit. The kit as a whole is more expensive than, say, buying a Tri-Point screwdriver if you only need that. However, if you spring for the kit,

it’ll probably be the last time you’ll need to buy tools to work on electronics.

The entire kit comes in a polyester canvas case that folds up and closes with velcro. This is distinctly different from most toolkits that are housed in some form of plastic. The canvas case is less likely to get cracked or broken. Plus, it looks a lot nicer.

This Kit Was All I Needed to Mod My Nintendo Switch

In a previous article,

I talked about the case mod I applied to my Switch. I took apart the console and both Joy-Con controllers and replaced their casings with a sweet, transparent Ice Blue shell. This process was a bit more involved than opening up a desktop PC. Fortunately,

every tool I needed was in the iFixit kit.

For starters, the external portions of the Switch were sealed with Tri-Point screws,

which posed no problem thanks to the bits in the screwdriver kit.

The Joy-Con posed the toughest challenge. On top of the specialized screws,

I had to gently release and unplug several extremely tiny ribbon cables (thanks tweezers),

and I had to gently pry the battery out of its case where it was stuck in with double-sided tape (thanks spudgers).

Oh,

and of course the anti-static wrist band made sure I didn’t fry my favorite console while I was opening it up.

Case modding a Switch isn’t quite as difficult as repairing a cracked iPhone screen or replacing your phone’s battery. Aside from the small amount of double-sided tape,

I didn’t have to do any major adhesive removal like you might need to do on a smartphone repair job.

However, if I did need to, I’d have the tools to do it. I’ve had to buy separate parts and tools over the years to open up gadgets,

but this was the first time I felt like I had everything I needed in one pack.

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The Best Smarthome Products That Are Rental Friendly https://wiki.shopingserver.com/the-best-smarthome-products/ https://wiki.shopingserver.com/the-best-smarthome-products/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:43:54 +0000 http://wiki.shopingserver.com/?p=20118 If you rent your home, you could feel left out of the current smart home renaissance. Fear not, though. There are still quite a few gadgets you can get to smarten up your rental.

Not all smart home devices require modifications to your home itself. In some cases, you may even be able to make minor modifications to your home with your landlord’s approval. We’ll break down the easiest options first, then move on to the gadgets you might be able to install with a little help from the owner.

Voice Assistant: Amazon Echo ($50-100) or Google Home ($50-130)

Nothing’s quite as cool as controlling your smart home gadgets with your voice. Walking into a room and asking Alexa or Google to turn on the lights, or telling it to turn everything off when you go to bed is what makes having a smart home worthwhile. While Microsoft and Apple both offer some form of smart speakers, it’s Amazon and Google that are leading the pack in supported smart gadgets. Which one is best for you can come down largely to personal preference, but both are a solid start to your smart home.

First up, there’s the Amazon Echo lineup. If you want a smart speaker with some great speakers for playing music, the 2nd generation full-size Amazon Echo ($100) is a great fit. To fill out the rest of the rooms in your home that don’t need high quality music, you can get the Echo Dot to field your voice commands. The Dot starts at $50, but it frequently goes on sale for $30-40 each, so you’re better off waiting for a deal.

On Google’s side of things, the choices are remarkably similar. The full-size Google Home is priced at $130. Like the larger Echo, it comes with some robust speakers to fill the room with music. For smaller rooms that don’t need to play crisp audio, the Google Home Mini costs $50. Like the Echo Dot, the Google Home Mini frequently goes on sale, so if you need to buy a few, wait for a sale and then stock up.

Lights: Philips Hue ($69 for Basic Starter Kit)

Smart lights are one of the coolest ways to trick out your smart home without spending a fortune. In our experience, Philips Hue is the best, most complete system for smart lights. You’ll need a Starter Kit ($69) that comes with a hub, but once you have that, you can add new bulbs to virtually any existing socket in your house and immediately control it from your phone or with your voice assistant.

Basic white bulbs can cost as little as $11 a piece when you buy them in a group. If you want bulbs with a little (or a lot) more color, you can get the White Ambiance bulbs that let you adjust the color temperature, or Color Ambiance bulbs that let you choose any color in the rainbow to light your room with. If you really want to get crazy, Philips has some specialty lights, like the LightStrip that you can put on the back of your TV for some smart bias lighting.

Plugs: Belkin WeMo Mini Smart Plug ($30)

Some devices that aren’t very smart themselves could still use some smart home magic. For example, wouldn’t it be nice if your Christmas lights could turn themselves on and off to a schedule? The Belkin WeMo Mini Smart Plug ($30) can help with that. This little device plugs into your existing electrical outlet, connects to Wi-Fi, and can be controlled from your phone, voice assistant, or even by an automated schedule.

The Mini Smart Plug takes up a minimal amount of space so they don’t block off other outlets. On the front, you’ll plug in the power cord for whatever device you want to control. Keep in mind, the Smart Plug can only turn a device on and off. It can’t control any specific functions of a device, so you won’t  want to use this for anything complex. Still, for lights, fans, and other simple gadgets, it’s an excellent solution.

Sensors: Samsung Smart Things ($100 for Starter Kit)

With the Samsung Smart Things kit, you can do all kinds of creative things. A motion sensor can turn your kitchen lights on when you stumble in for a midnight snack. A door sensor could notify you if the kids get into a cabinet they’re not supposed to. A water leak sensor can let you know before a leak becomes indoor flooding. You can also use third-party services like IFTTT to do even more.

All of these are possible by connecting to the Samsung Smart Things hub. The hub itself costs $100, but you can find bundles with things like motion sensors for just a little more. The whole kit is among the most expensive systems you could set up (right up there with a fully decked out Philips Hue home), but the flexibility you get with a wide array of sensors is more than worth it.

Thermostat: Nest Learning Thermostat ($220)

This is where we’re starting to get into the area where you might need your landlord’s approval to make modifications, but if you’re allowed, this upgrade is more than worth it. The Nest Thermostat ($220) can learn when you’re home and automatically adjust the temperature when you leave to reduce your utility bill. (If your rental situation includes utilities, you might even get your landlord to foot the bill for the thermostat—after all, if your house is consistently going into energy saving mode when you’re at work then they’ll be the one saving money.)

You can also control the Nest Thermostat from Alexa or Google Assistant with simple voice commands. If you want to adjust the temperature, switch between heating and air, or just find out what the temperature is currently set to, you can do so from your phone or by talking to your smart speaker.

Lock: August Smart Lock ($230)

If there’s one thing on this list you’re gonna have a hard time getting past your landlord, it’s probably this. Most renters don’t want you changing the locks because, in most cases, changing the locks means changing the keys as well. However, if you have a really cool landlord, they might let you install the August Smart Lock ($220). Why? Because it only replaces the inside knob and doesn’t involve re-keying or changing the outside at all.

The August Smart Lock lets you lock and unlock your door with your phone or even a voice command. You can give other users temporary access that expires after a set period of time or a set number of user, and even get a log of who’s coming and going, and when. If you can explain to your landlord why these are useful features that won’t impede their legal right to gain entry to the rental when they need to, you might be able to swing this handy upgrade.

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