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How to Tell Which Generation of Philips Hue Bridge You Have
Philips just announced that it’s ending all support for first-generation Hue Bridges. And while that usually means no more patches and features, this goes a bit further—no more internet. You’ll still have local control of your lights, but if you want remote control, you’ll need to upgrade to generation two. How can you tell which version you have? It’s easy, just look at the shape. If it’s a circle, you’re in trouble.
Josh Hendrickson

The 7 Best Alternatives to Ring Products
Ring, an Amazon-owned security company, has a reputation problem right now. Between blaming users for security problems Ring could prevent, and a less than transparent relationship with law enforcement, it’s hard to recommend anything from the company. Thankfully, you can find plenty of alternatives to Ring products, whether it’s cameras, lights, or security. Here are seven suggestions to consider.
Josh Hendrickson

The 5 Best Smart Home Hubs
Every smart home needs a brain—a single unit that can tie all the smart devices together and provide a single source of control. Choosing a smart home hub can be difficult. Whatever you choose opens up some possibilities, and closes others. Knowing what kind of smart home features you need will help narrow down your choices. Here are five great options.
Josh Hendrickson

Amazon, Apple, Google, and ZigBee Want to Join Forces in Your Smart Home
Choosing what smart home devices to buy can be a chore. You need to know what platforms a device supports like Alexa, Google Assistant, ZigBee, and more. Manufacturing them is equally complicated. Now Amazon, Apple, Google, and the ZigBee Alliance are promising a solution to the problem: work together! They’re forming a working group called Project Connected Home over IP to create one standard to bridge them all.
Josh Hendrickson

The Nexx Nxg-200 Smart Garage Controller Will Control Any Garage Door—with a Catch
I own a Chamberlain garage door opener, and sometimes that’s a pain. It’s not smart unless I add a Chamberlain Wi-Fi bridge. And the company requires extra subscriptions for basic features like Google Assistant control, which I don’t like. The door opener also uses proprietary communication signals preventing other smart products from working. Now there’s a workaround for that problem—the Nexx NXG-200 Smart Garage Controller.
Josh Hendrickson
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