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Halo Smart Smoke and CO Detector
UPDATE: Halo Smart Labs closed their doors in July, 2018. The devices are no longer for sale. The Halo Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm is a hard-wired connected smoke and carbon monoxide detector. It has a rechargeable backup battery the manufacturer claims will last for ten years. If you need a battery ONLY detector,…
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Logitech Harmony Smart Control is a Home Run
We’ve had our Logitech Harmony Smart Control hub and remote for a long time, long enough that it isn’t even for sale anymore in the configuration we have. The remote is so old the printing is wearing off the remote. What We Needed and Wanted Our requirements for a “universal remote” are: Having tried a few universal…
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Samsung SmartThings Hub (v2) – Really Good
The most common challenge to automate a home is tying pieces together from multiple vendors and the Samsung Smarthings hub is up to the challenge. The SmartThings hub is the best combination of ease of use and interoperability on the market today. Installation and setup of the hub is simple, although your grandmother might need…
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Echo Dot – Versatile and Inexpensive Voice Control
The Amazon Echo Dot is a smaller, less expensive but just as effective little brother to the full size Amazon Echo. For providing voice control of home automation products regardless of manufacturer, there may be no better product to “rule them all” than the Echo Dot. Setup Amazon setup instructions here. You need a device connected…
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Obamacare Lesson Coming in Minnesota
Minnesota is preparing a state plan to deliver health insurance premium assistance to citizens adversely effected by premium spikes for 2017 ACA plans. This is a good thing, a response to a real problem that may impact 120,000 Minnesotans. If one is astute and wants to actually do the work necessary to read the actual…
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Trump’s Circus of Distraction
Vice president elect Mike Pence attended a performance of “Hamilton” on Friday, November 18. He was booed by the audience and, after the show, was presented with a speech from the cast. While Pence was escorted out by his Secret Service detail, appearing to miss the speech from the cast, he later stated he actually heard…