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Can Skylight Digital Calendar Fix Your Family’s Chaos?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smart Home, Videos,

Skylight Calendar starts by stripping away everything your phone adds between you and the simple act of checking your schedule. Instead of opening an app and falling into a maze of notifications, you get a bright, dedicated screen that sits on your wall or counter and shows only what matters to your household.

No feeds, no noise, just a clean, readable view of your day as you rush through the kitchen. Using it for a while, what stood out most was how natural it feels to have a schedule that is always visible without unlocking anything.

Sync your existing calendars, give everyone in the house a color, and the week immediately becomes easier to understand. Add the optional Calendar Plus features and things get even smoother snapping a photo of a school flyer to auto add events, pulling recipes straight into meal planning, and turning ingredients into shopping lists without typing. It delivers the convenience of your phone without the constant pull of your phone.

If your family is juggling too many calendars across too many apps, Skylight becomes a quieter center of gravity. The full review explores how it works, where it shines, and why a single purpose screen has made our home feel noticeably more coordinated.

Get the Skylight Calendar now -  the best family calendar for organization!


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How the Tesla Cybertruck Became a $10 Billion Mistake

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Transportation, Videos,

It has been six years since Elon Musk stood on stage and watched the "bulletproof" window of the Cybertruck shatter in front of the entire world. At the time, we thought it was just a funny PR mishap, but looking back, it was actually the perfect metaphor for what was coming. We need to talk about how the most hyped vehicle in history has turned into a maintenance nightmare, plaguing owners with everything from rust issues to a recall caused by assembly workers using literal soap as a lubricant. It is a classic case of what happens when a company prioritizes "cool" over engineering fundamentals.

But the hardware failures are only half the story. The financial data surrounding the Cybertruck is where things get truly ugly. We are looking at a reservation conversion rate of just 2.5 percent. This means that the vast majority of people who said they wanted this truck, even after putting their money down for one, walked away when it actually arrived. I’m breaking down the numbers, the massive depreciation early adopters are facing, and why Tesla’s refusal to report separate sales figures for this truck tells you everything you need to know about its performance.

This more than just a polarized design or a polarizing CEO. The Cybertruck flop is about a $10 billion bet that seems to be failing to deliver on basic utility. From the cancelled range extender to the struggle of doing basic truck stuff like driving in sand, the Cybertruck is proving to be less of a revolution and more of a warning sign for the future of Tesla. Let's dig into exactly where this went wrong.


The Dreame X40 Ultra is the Ultimate HANDS-OFF Robot Vacuum!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smart Home, Product Reviews, Videos,

What if I told you there's a robot vacuum that not only cleans your floors, but also outsmarts every obstacle in your home and gives you a literal break from maintenance for months at a time? Today, we're diving into a cleaning beast that might just change how you think about smart home tech. This is the Dreame X40 Ultra.

The Dreame X40 Ultra is one of the most advanced robot vacuums I've come across in a while. This thing combines modern tech upgrades with a focus on hands-off intelligent cleaning. It can handle tricky pet hair to dusty corners without constant supervision. Let's break down why the X40 Ultra is making waves and why you might never need to clean your floors manually again.

Click to continue reading The Dreame X40 Ultra is the Ultimate HANDS-OFF Robot Vacuum!


A Deep-Dive Conversation with Samsung about Powering the Future of Innovation

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jim Elliott, Corporate Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. at Samsung Tech Day last October. He runs Memory sales and marketing at Samsung’s North America Semiconductor subsidiary. We talked about how Samsung Semiconductor's technology is ushering the future of artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, super-fast 5G wireless networks, and more. Talking to Jim, it became clear that we're on the cusp of some major technological advancements that will drive forward a new age of innovation. This is similar to what we saw when 4G enabled us to carry devices in our pockets that let us order cars directly to our precise location, stream music and videos no matter where we happen to be, and the ability to post content to social networks for anyone to read or watch. So the question becomes, what's next?

Click to continue reading A Deep-Dive Conversation with Samsung about Powering the Future of Innovation


Apple News+: Unlimited access to magazines and newspapers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Videos,

Apple News+ subscription

During today's It's Show Time Apple Event, the company unveiled Apple News+, an all-you-can-eat subscription news service that gives you unlimited access to newspapers and magazines. Apple News+ is found within the Apple News app itself, which ships on all iOS and macOS devices. Some of the notable inclusions in Apple News+ are the LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Wired magazine, Bazaar, InStyle, Sports Illustrated, and more. In all, there are over 300 magazines that will be available with a single subscription. 

As Apple noted on stage, none of the publications get your personal information. Privacy is paramount, and even Apple doesn't know which magazines or articles you choose to read.

Apple News+ will cost $9.99 per month, and in a great move, it is available for families for no extra charge which means that same $10 allows you and up to 5 other family members to access the service. You can access Apple News+ starting today, and the first month is free.

What do you think? Will you be giving Apple News+ a shot?


Serena Shades review for Smart Homes & Apple’s New Video Service

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smart Home, Videos,

Check out my Serena Shades by Lutron review - these are smart shades for smart homes that have been installed here in my home, and in this episode of Geared Up I bring you my thoughts. I use Serena Shades HomeKit integration for controlling them in my home, but there is also Serena Shades Alexa integration, along with Google Assistant, making them very versatile. Head to 16:15 in the video for the full rundown!

Subscribe to the Geared Up podcast for free:

Also, Apple is getting ready to launch new services - a video streaming service that will compete with Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Now, and Hulu is one, and the other is a news subscription service that will give you access to a bunch of newspapers and magazines for one monthly fee. The Apple event takes place on March 25th, and we talk about what we expect to see and how it'll change the industry.

Don't forget, you can join the TechSquad for exclusive bonuses!


Holiday Top Tech with Best Buy: Nintendo Switch!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Toys, Video Games,

Best Buy has looked through all the recent hardware gadget releases, and the company has put together it's Holiday Top Tech list for 2017, which will be rolling out soon. While we wait for the full list to drop, Best Buy has tasked me with revealing one of the hot items that you'll find on the list - the Nintendo Switch!

If you've somehow missed the phenomenon that is the Nintendo Switch, it's the first console in history that is both a complete home console with high-definition graphics while simultaneously being a completely portable console that allows you to play your game library on the go. The Nintendo Switch launched back on March 3rd, and since then, it's been difficult to find in stock both online and in stores up until about a month ago.

Click to continue reading Holiday Top Tech with Best Buy: Nintendo Switch!


Panasonic Ora brings together the smart home of the future

Panasonic Ora Smart Home

If you've been an early adopter of smart home technology, you've probably recognized just how cumbersome it all can be. As cool and futuristic as the devices themselves are, it gets old having to jump in and out of multiple apps in order to turn on your smart lights, lock your smart lock-equipped door, set your security system, manage your thermostat, etc. In fact, the average home has over 100 devices that can potentially connect to the Internet, as I learned when Panasonic told me about its Ora technology that looks to power the smart home of the future.

Click to continue reading Panasonic Ora brings together the smart home of the future


How to set up Sonos

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Home Entertainment, Music, Videos,

Check out how ridiculously simple it is to set up a Sonos component, in this case, the Sonos Play:1 wireless speaker.

Be sure to head on over to the Gear Live YouTube channel for more of our tech video goodness!

Click to continue reading How to set up Sonos


Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

With the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft has switched up its strategy on its tablet PC, aiming to make it the best Windows laptop for the average consumer. This is the third attempt from the company at reinventing the laptop, bringing tablet parity into the product that runs on a full-on Intel Core i5 processor. It’s a large tablet. It’s a thin laptop. It’s a powerful 2 in 1. Is it the one for you, though?

Click to continue reading Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review


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