Smart Home

By default, all Amazon Echo speakers will constantly listen for their wake word, “Alexa.” When your device hears this word, it will wake up and listen for questions and commands. However, if you have someone named “Alexa” or “Alex” in your home, or you just don’t want to say “Alexa” anymore, you can always change it. Here’s everything you need …

A Ring Video Doorbell lets you see who’s at the door even before you answer. This smart device will send a notification to your smartphone every time someone rings your doorbell or sets off the built-in motion detector. Then you can talk and listen to your visitors with the two-way audio system. However, your Ring Video Doorbell isn’t a plug-and-play …

An ecobee3 smart thermostat can help you save 23% on your energy bills annually. Plus, it allows you to control your temperature with voice commands or via the companion app. But, before you can start using your new ecobee3, you have to install it, which can be a complicated process. Here’s how to install an ecobee3 smart thermostat yourself, with …

Smart plugs can make your regular “dumb” home appliances smarter. And if you want to add voice control to manage your appliances via a smart plug, they can be synced to the Amazon Echo, too. Find out how to connect your smart plug to an Alexa device with this step-by-step guide. What is a Smart Plug?  A smart plug is …

If you have an Amazon Echo speaker, you can use Alexa Guard as a basic security system for free. Then you will get alerts sent to your smartphone when Alexa hears something dangerous happening inside your house. Here’s everything you need to know about how to set up Alexa Guard on your Echo speakers. What Is Alexa Guard? Alexa Guard …

Did you know you can make hands-free phone calls with Alexa? In fact, you can also receive calls with your Alexa device, or even make emergency 911 calls too. Once you know how to make phone calls with Alexa, you won’t need that old rotary phone sitting in your living room anymore. Here’s how to make phone calls with Alexa. …

Alexa was designed to make your life easier, but she’ll only be useful if you can understand her. Thankfully, if you ever get tired of listening to Alexa’s voice, you can always change it. Here’s everything you need to know about how to change Alexa’s voice, accent, language, and how to make her whisper or talk less. How to Change …

If you bought a set of Philips Hue smart light bulbs, you won’t necessarily need to buy an expensive Hue Bridge to control them. Depending on what kind of bulbs you have, you can also use the Philips Hue app on your smartphone to turn your lights off, dim them, change the color of the light, and more. Or you …

If your Alexa speakers are too loud or too quiet, there are many ways to change the volume. You can even enable a feature to automatically change Alexa’s volume based on how loud you are talking and the background noise. Here are all the ways to change the volume on your Alexa devices using the physical buttons, voice commands, and …

Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays let you use voice commands to control your smart home devices, make video calls, watch movies and TV shows, and more. However, your Echo Show won’t be so smart until you set it up properly. Here’s how to set up your new Echo Show device, how to use it, and common settings that you might …