New Video – Ring Indoor Cam Q&A: 10 Popular Questions Answered

YouTube thumbnail for my 'Ring Indoor Cam Q&A' video.

While I was waiting for my Ring Indoor Cam to be shipped (a whole 24 hours!), I was Googling around to get some answers to questions I had about it. Whilst some questions were answered, others weren’t – plus I also ended up with more questions! So now that I have the device, I wanted … Read more

Alexa & Echo: Are Calls and Messages Free?

Screenshot of Alexa app, on the Communicate tab, showing Call, Message, Drop In and Announce features.

The “Communicate” tab on the Alexa app shows various options, including ‘Call’ and ‘Message’. This allows you to contact your Echo devices, but also people in your contact list. So are these calls and messages free, or do they cost money? The communication options within Alexa and Echo (including calls and messaging) are completely free, … Read more

Ring Indoor Camera: 10 Most Popular Questions Answered

A Ring Indoor camera removed from the box, but still with the protective plastic films on it.

The Ring Indoor Cam was released towards the end of 2019, and whilst it’s been out for a little while now, there’s still quite a few questions being asked about it. So I wanted to write this ‘frequently asked question’ guide to answer some of the 10 most commonly asked questions about it. Read on … Read more

Is Ring Alarm’s “Professional Monitoring” Worth It? (Why I’ve Changed My Mind)

SpaceX staff working in their control centre during a launch, with lots of computer monitors at each desk each

Even though I’m only 31, I always feel old when I start a sentence with “Back in my day, things were so much better”. However you can’t blame me for thinking this when Ring used to only charge $10/month for Professional Monitoring, right? Actually, let’s back up a bit. Ring released their smart alarm system … Read more

New Video – Had A Baby? How Smart Home Tech Can Help! (My Top 8 Features)

YouTube thumbnail for my video covering how smart home tech can help after having a baby.

When you find out that you’re going to be a parent, thinking about smart technology around you home probably isn’t top of your priority list. However smart devices can be really helpful, so I wanted to cover my favorite 8 features that I’ve found useful since becoming a dad. Feel free to jump to specific … Read more

Does Google Home Act As A WiFi Extender?

Google WiFi System placed on a table

Google’s range of smart speakers – the Google Home range – are great: they provide a large number of benefits and features for free, and you can also play loads of music through Spotify, YouTube music and more. But I seem to remember that Google sells an item that improves WiFi coverage throughout the house … Read more

New Video – Amazon Alexa – All Ring Doorbell Sounds

YouTube thumbnail snippet for my 'Ring Doorbell - All Alexa Sounds' video, showing me talking and the Alexa app.

You can use your Echo (and Fire TV) devices as a doorbell for your Ring devices. There are currently 26 different doorbell sounds you can play via Alexa when someone presses your Ring doorbell. Some are standard doorbell sounds, whilst others are seasonal ones: The timestamps for each Alexa doorbell sound are: 0:52 – Default … Read more

Does Google Home (And The Google Home App) Cost Money?

A Google Home Mini device placed on a wooden shelving unit

Google’s range of smart speakers – the Google Home range – are a rival to Amazon’s Echo range. Google Home devices (including the Google Mini and Nest Mini) give weather updates, play music, supports timers and gives reminders, and a whole lot more. But does this cost money? Also the devices can be controlled by … Read more

New Video – Ring Doorbell & Camera Zoom: Is It Any Good?

YouTube thumbnail for my video covering zooming in Ring video captures (for Ring cameras and doorbells).

Ring doorbells and cameras record in full HD (1080p), apart from the original Doorbell 1 (which is 720p). Whilst this captures a good level of detail, they don’t contain a telephoto ‘zoom’ lens, however, so you’re always going to be a bit limited in terms of what detail you can pull out of small, far … Read more

Echo Is ‘Account Locked’. Also Can Stolen Echos Be Tracked?

A new Echo Dot (sandstone color) in setup mode with an orange ring going around it.

During the setup process for a new Amazon Echo smart speaker, you’ll have to link it to your Amazon account via the Alexa app. However sometimes this fails for unclear reasons, and you need to speak to Amazon customer services. In rare cases, the failure will be caused by someone else having already registered your … Read more