There was once a time when you could avoid buying a smart TV, but that’s no longer true. While convenient and packed with streaming apps, smart TVs are also filled with ads and tracking technology that monitors how you use your device, what you watch, and more.

Surge protectors can help protect your electronics from large spikes in voltage caused by weather events, other appliances, and problems with the power grid. While it’s never a bad idea to use a surge protector with your PC, you can ensure better protection by spending a bit more.

The Raspberry Pi’s main claim to fame is being a whole computer on a single circuit board, complete with a capable ARM chip. But its biggest party trick is how expandable it is, with a handy 40-pin general-purpose input/output interface (or GPIO for short).

Sluggish automations can make your smart home feel unresponsive, which can ruin the user experience. Diagnosing the issue can be difficult, since there are so many variables you have to consider. Here are some things you should start with when trying to find the cause of your issues.

Routers and modems can be unreliable. The best course of action is to replace any weak links in the network chain, but it’s also a good idea to have a backup plan for when things go pear-shaped.

Apple’s smart home ecosystem is opening up, slowly. AirPlay, iCloud, and Apple Music were once limited exclusively to Apple devices, but that’s no longer the case. The next app that the company needs to open up is Apple Home, bringing its surprisingly robust smart home ecosystem to Android and more.

Wi-Fi cameras are incredibly convenient, but this convenience comes at a cost. Though you can stick them almost anywhere and use solar power or rechargeable batteries to keep them powered, you might find that they let you down when you need them the most.

Single-board computers from companies like Raspberry Pi are perfect for homelab projects, retro gaming, or even use as a lightweight desktop PC replacement. But it’s also easy to get carried away and make mistakes that can lead to instability, data loss, and damage.

One thing that really slowed me down when tinkering with my Raspberry Pi 500+ is not being able to seamlessly copy and paste between it and my MacBook Pro. I went searching for a solution and, after a few failed attempts, found something that works.

A truly smart home isn’t one that you control with your voice or phone, but one that is fully automated. Presence detection is key to creating an environment that anticipates your next move, whether that’s turning on a light in a cupboard or understanding exactly who is in which room.

You can plug some weird and wonderful things into your Raspberry Pi’s USB ports outside of the obvious mouse, keyboards, and storage devices. Here are some of the more interesting accessories you might want to get your hands on for your next project.

The power of automations is what draws many of us to Home Assistant in the first place, but there’s no denying that the process can feel a little drawn-out. Good news! A new experimental Home Assistant feature aims to make it easier to create automations, and you can try it out right now with the flick of a switch.

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is most of a Raspberry Pi 5 Model B 16GB that’s been squeezed into a keyboard case, with fancy mechanical key switches and some fetching RGB lighting. It’s fair to ask whether this package is worth the $200 asking price, or whether you’d be better off with a regular Pi instead.