These days, if you walk through Best Buy, you will see an entire area designated to smart home technology. Thanks to the interest and growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), this exciting new technology has finally entered the mainstream. Appliances, thermostats, and even the ...more
Rich, creamy chocolate cups stuffed with smooth, salty-sweet peanut butter in a bite-sized package—yep, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are an amazing fix for your sweet tooth at best, and a guilty pleasure at worst. It's easy enough to buy them on a whim at the local grocery store ...more
As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, I prepare to "hibernate." I add piles of blankets to my bed, wrap myself in layers of flannel, and—most importantly—eat as if I'm storing energy for winter. One of my favorite parts of my hibernation diet includes chips—home ...more
In my opinion, spices are the key to a successful kitchen. With a healthy array of spices and spice mixes, you have the foundation for nearly any dish that you want to make; the culinary world is your oyster. With a depleted cupboard of spices, however, nearly every recipe loo ...more
If there's one company that is a fan of the TrueDepth camera on Apple's iPhone X devices, it's the popular eyeglasses retailer Warby Parker. Last year, the company introduced the ability to measure customers' faces using the depth-sensing front-facing sensor on the original i ...more
An invaluable button on your iPhone can do hundreds, even thousands, of amazing things, but most iPhone users don't even know it exists. You can't push it. You can't click it. You can't press it. But it's the largest button on your iPhone, more powerful than the versatile Side ...more
Apple Maps has had a rough lifecycle. After completely dropping the ball during its inception, Apple has been slowly improving its usability and feature set. After six and a half years, users still prefer third-party apps in iOS 12 over Apple Maps, with Google Maps stealing a ...more
You don't have to be a frequent flyer to know how indispensable navigation apps have become. Many of us rely on these apps for traveling from state to state and getting around in foreign cities, but even more of us count on these apps to beat rush hour traffic and find the qui ...more
Apple just announced its new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. This year, the 15 and 15 Plus models have a lot in common with the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, but there are still some pretty incredible features that the Pro lineup sports that th ...more
If you're in the market for a new smartphone and want nothing but the best of the best, now's the time to act. Some of the greatest phones money can buy are being released as we speak, while others are still in their prime and will continue to be for most of 2024. Whether you ...more
While it's not usually the first thing everyone looks at after installing a new iOS software update, I'd give the new accessibility features on your iPhone priority attention because there are some highly valuable tools that even users without disabilities can enjoy. Of cours ...more
If you like the "Street View" feature in Google Maps, you'll love "Look Around" in iOS 13's Apple Maps. Overall, Look Around has more details than Street View and the animations are super smooth as you navigate down streets and pedestrian areas. While Look Around isn't availab ...more
After integrating Snapchat into its latest Galaxy A Series smartphones, Samsung is trying out a new AR camera app for its army of mobile devices. The company recently released a beta version of AR Canvas, an experimental app for its Galaxy smartphones that gives users the abi ...more
After the dust settled from Apple's annual iPhone event, there's not a lot to get hyped up about the iPhone 13 lineup, particularly if you upgraded your smartphone last year. Sure, the iPhone 13, along with the premium Pro and Pro Max and the pint-sized Mini variants, get spe ...more
For enterprise augmented reality platform makers, remote assistance apps represent one of the greatest opportunities to show off the power of immersive computing. These apps enable experts to guide front-line workers or customers with AR prompts and other content in the field ...more
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have one huge thing that sets them apart from their iPhone 12 and 12 mini siblings: a lidar scanner. Thanks to this new technology, Measure, an Apple app that's just over two years old, has gotten even better. For ARKit-capable iPhone models, ...more
The close of the second quarter of 2021 brought about a flurry of merger and acquisition and financing activity in the augmented reality industry, headlined by the acquisition of Ubiquity6 and JigSpace's new multimillion-dollar funding round. The week in AR news also saw acti ...more
We're still awaiting the arrival of consumer-grade AR smartglasses from the likes of Apple and Facebook. But that doesn't mean there aren't AR products out there to try this holiday season. The year 2020 marked the arrival of mobile devices equipped with sensors that are desi ...more
Two years ago, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing gave flight to a handful of Apollo 11 augmented reality apps and experiences, including one from the Smithsonian Channel. Now, as NASA's latest unmanned mission to Mars is scheduled to land on Thursday, the Smithsonian C ...more
The iPhone doesn't stop at last year's excellent iPhone 12 lineup. Apple's been developing its iPhone 13 models for a while now, and there are a lot of rumors already with eight or nine months still to go until a release. This year, we're expecting four new models with similar ...more
For lazy children, winter snow means snowball fights, snowmen and snow days. For lazy homeowners, it can mean leaky roofs and costly repairs. Fortunately, where snowy roofs are concerned, a little bit of preventative maintenance can go a long way. As you're probably already w ...more
I feel sorry for all of you homeowners stuck in snow right now. The snowy, blizzard conditions effecting most of the country is causing some serious headaches across our nation. And it's not just the cold weather I'm talking about. I'm talking about ice dams— something that mo ...more
The battle between Pepsi and Coke has been a grueling one, with both sides securing their secret formulas for great tasting, addicting sodas behind lock and key. But even big time companies screw up every now and then, and one of the most guarded trade secrets in the beverage ...more
Halyomorpha halys, squash bug, shield bug ... What's in a name? A pest is a pest and the brown marmorated stink bug is a pest par excellence. Though some home gardeners are content to use insecticides, you'll find that it's generally easier to work with nature than against it. ...more
Did you know that you can use Gmail to make free phone calls to anywhere in North America? We're not talking computer to computer, but actual free phone calls to cell phones and home phones. All you need is a Gmail account, a microphone, and speakers plugged into your compute ...more
The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards take place this Sunday, January 16th, 2011 between the hours of 5 and 8 PM PST — that's 8 & 11 PM for those of you on the East Coast (and Somewhere in the Middle for those of you Somewhere in the Middle). Can't make it to the Beverly Hilton ...more
The Google Nexus S smartphone is finally here! Well… almost. Nexus S is the first smartphone based on the Gingerbread OS (Android 2.3) and will be available for purchase online and at Best Buy store locations everywhere, come December 16th, with T-Mobile service. Aah… just ...more
We’ve all been there before. Relentlessly refreshing Ticketmaster and filling in those CAPTCHA codes only to receive the miserable “No tickets are available at this time” message. That’s because ticket brokers with a dozen screens and God knows how many browsers snatch up anyt ...more
I assume at this point you have already completed your control panel using Part 1 of this How To guide. Now, if you are anything like me, you couldn't fight the urge to play, and you have your panel sitting on saw horses in the living room. Depending on your situation, your s ...more
Remember the arcades? Were you saddened when they closed up one by one, leaving no outlet to actually go out and socialize while you played video games? With all the home consoles and internet connectivity, gaming has evolved, but the social factor has been eliminated. Sure we ...more
I remember a time when I had to rent a VHS from the local video rental store. It wasn't all that bad, with the only real annoyances being the trip to and fro, having to rewind the movie and the possible malfunction of my VHS player, which liked to eat tape from time to time. ...more
There's three types of animal lovers in the world. The first are your basic pet owners. The ones with a cat or dog in the home, meant to be their cuddly companion. They love and adore it and consider it a member of the family. The second are animal rights activists. They ten ...more
Over the years, I have enjoyed playing with Asterisk. I have found Asterisk to be extremely powerful and fun to play with. There are several books and many scattered how to articles out there, but most are outdated and the information required to build Asterisk from beginning ...more
Don't want one of your Facebook "friends" knowing your status updates? Prefer to keep a few of those "friends" out of your photo albums? Would you like to prevent a few "friends" from accessing your address? The simple answer would be to remove all of those so-called friends— ...more
It's that time of year again when pizza boxes line the room and buffalo wings stain the couch. When cases of beer sit in the cooler and the big screen TVs are fired up and properly calibrated. When two of the best football teams vie for the championship title and the Vince Lom ...more
This coming Friday, November 11th, 2011 is Veterans Day and everybody's celebrating! But only veterans and active military personnel can get the great deals being offered at restaurants and retail outlets across the country. If you need help locating some of those deals, below ...more
It's that time a year when winter storms begin causing havoc across the United States, and when "rotating outages" are common to help sustain the electrical grid during intense cold periods. That means pretty much anybody with snow and ice in their backyard can succumb to powe ...more
You're lost. You're cold, thirsty— you're hungry. What if you're not much of a hunter? Maybe you're a gatherer. So, then you'll eat plants. But what if you eat something poisonous? What if you're allergic to it? Okay, so not many people will find themselves in a situati ...more
Mechanical locks have been around since ancient Egypt, with the oldest known artifact found in the ruins of Nineveh, an ancient city in Assyria, Mesopotamia, which is just across the Tigris River from what is now Mosul, Iraq. It was a forerunner to our modern-day pin tumbler ...more
Making your own pasta noodles can be fun and rewarding! It is not that difficult - all you need are 4 cups of '00' flour, 5 eggs, a pinch of sea salt and some semolina flour for dusting. This video also shows you the proper technique for making fettucini noodles using the twis ...more
As fervent sushi lovers, we can tell you right now that sushi is extremely expensive at any restaurant you go to. A single roll can cost you up to $20 (and much more at higher end restuarants), and while they're good that's a lot to pay for such little product. So save yourse ...more
For the normal woodworker at home, the table saw, router and lathe are the prime tools used for making fine furniture, but when you hit the outdoors, the backwoodsman's tool of trade is the chainsaw. Mastering furniture-making with a chainsaw is the key to being a great woodwo ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to make an Android doll at home. First, print out the Android logo from the internet, making it large enough to make a doll. Now, cut out the print out with scissors cutting out the different sections individually. Next, place the cut outs onto a ...more
You know those long drives home in the car after you've spent a weekend at a cousin's house, or back from visiting Las Vegas? With more than a few hours at your disposal, what do you do to fill up the time? If you're an avid crafter and enjoy making jewelry, that you can turn ...more
For anyone who lives in a space that may frown upon making holes in the walls, or for anyone who may not want to take on such a task, there's a simple alternative to hanging curtains or drapes. And the answer is brilliantly simple. Look no further than 3M Command hooks. Yes, ...more
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to do more with the Sidebar in the Mac OS X Finder. Learn about the Sidebar devices, the Sidebar shared, the Sidebar places, and the Sidebar search for. Mac OS X. It's what makes a Mac a Mac. Mac OS X is the world’s ...more
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to use the basics of the Mac OS X Finder. Learn about the Finder basics, the Sidebar, view buttons, and Quick Look. Mac OS X. It's what makes a Mac a Mac. Mac OS X is the world’s most advanced operating system. Built ...more
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to print photos at home in iPhoto '09. iLife '09, the software suite from Apple, is the easiest way to organize, view and publish digital content, like pictures, movies, music, and webpages. iPhoto makes managing you ...more
I am writing this quick post in response to the recent earthquakes and tsunamis that are affecting Japan. As soon as the news broke, and we began to hear of tsunami warning for our area, I immediately realized how under prepared I was for a natural disaster. The thing that dro ...more
Having problems making your own over easy eggs at home? Believe it or not, the perfect fried eggs are not too difficult to make! This tutorial shows you how to make over easy eggs - and just leave in the pan longer for well done eggs. Fry up the perfect over easy eggs. Click t ...more
If the ice melts quickly, it will dilute the liquor and flavors in your mixed drink. And some drinks are best poured over ice cubes, while others are ideally served with crushed ice. Here's how to use ice to the best effect, no matter what drink you are making. Correctly use i ...more
You don't have to use this sauce just for buffalo wings - you can use it with nearly any sort of chicken dish, from chicken tenders to buffalo fried chicken. It also makes a great sauce for hamburgers or dipping vegetables. Make your own buffalo style hot sauce at home. Click ...more
The flat felled seam is a versatile seam, especially good for making a reversible shirt. This tutorial shows you two separate techniques - the first is one commonly used by home sewers, and the second is the one used by professional tailors.
Installing an electrical outlet in your home or apartment may seem like a daunting task, but this simple DIY video from Buildipedia makes it a simple project. Whether your current outlet is broken, or you're just looking to add something new this video will show you how it's d ...more
Remember those gold old days when you would craft bunches of red and pink valentines at home with your mom from construction paper and then tote them to school, bursting with excitement to see what pretty cards you'd receive in your Valentine's Day mailbox? Relive those tende ...more
Make lightning and generate tens of thousands of volts in your own kitchen at home using ordinary household objects! Mr. G demonstrates the amazing Triboelectric Effect and explains the electron exchange via adhesion and separation that makes it all possible.
Recording professional-sounding music at home is cheaper and easier than ever before, but still neither cheap nor easy compared to, say, grilled-cheese-sandwich-making. If you need some help getting started watch this video, which will teach you all about mics, cables, digital ...more
Tired of endlessly turning hidden file visibility on and off on your Microsoft Windows PC? In this home-computing how-to from Tekzilla, you'll learn about a free application that makes the process as easy as a mouse click. For all of the relevant details, and to get started us ...more
How convenient are those boiling-hot water taps they have at some hotels and restaurants for coffee-making and such? It's not too hard to install one in your own home, and this video will teach you step-by-step how to do it yourself.
Coffee cake was invented to be enjoyed alongside coffee (duh!), but we just as easily eat it alone...by the cakeful. We especially love coffee cakes with a tender, moist inside and a crumbly, crunchy top filled with the sweetness of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you love coffee cak ...more