Matter promised to fix smart homes, but created a worse mess instead
…You just cannot use your devices across the range of different hubs you might have, despite the fact that on paper they're all compatible. When it does work, you might experience…
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I replaced my smart home hub with a $120 mini PC, and my smart home finally feels responsive
…With built-in support for on-device automations and wireless over-the-air updates, managing your devices becomes straightforward and flexible. See at ESPHome Building my own sensors and devices Too many…
I replaced over $1,000 in cloud subscriptions with one small home server
…Immich Key highlights Self-hosted iOS compatible Yes Android compatible Yes See at Google Play Store See at Apple App Store See at Immich Nextcloud OS Windows, macOS, Linux Key highlights Self…
The original Chromecast might finally be dead (for real this time)
…Even now, it's useful as a simple device that easily modernizes any television that doesn't support Google Cast. The fact that it only cost $35 at launch also helped make…
I revived my old Android phone by turning it into a better voice assistant than any smart speaker I've owned
…Sign in to your XDA account Aside from its solid compatibility with smart devices, Home Assistant has several tricks up its sleeve. Its trigger-action automation workflows are simple enough for beginners…
Home Assistant is way more than a smart home dashboard, and here's what I actually run on it
…to manage smart devices, and you’re bound to hear the name Home Assistant pop up plenty of times in the conversation. Thanks to its huge list of compatible IoT paraphernalia, it…
This Jellyfin app made me ditch every other streaming client
…Jellyfin iOS compatible Yes Android compatible Yes Desktop compatible Yes Jellyfin is one of the best Plex alternatives you can get, and that's thanks to its open-source nature and powerful…
Your cheap USB-C cables will fail with USB4
…USB-C isn't enough to adequately determine just how capable or reliable the cable will be with your devices. "Fast charging," "Thunderbolt compatible," and "8K" don't really explain much in…
These 4 PC drivers will tank your performance if you skip them
…me how important proper vendor drivers are for managing communication between modern devices. Updated audio drivers also fix compatibility bugs with newer software features such as spatial audio, noise suppression, and advanced…
I switched my gaming handheld from Windows to Bazzite, and I can't go back
…game compatibility, unrestricted access to different launchers, and, more importantly, the flexibility of a traditional PC. However, this flexibility comes with assumptions that don't translate well on a device that's…