Author: Valerie Antkowiak

Wink Hub 2 Lifestyle Photo

Time to shut down our Wink Hub

After more than five years, it’s finally time to shut down our Wink Hub, one of our first smart home platforms. We’ve been loyal Wink users for years and have stayed with them throughout...

CEDIA Expo Denver 2019 Inside

CEDIA Expo 2019 DIY Smart Home

We explore DIY Smart Home products and services at the CEDIA Expo, the premier event for home technology professionals. Throughout this story we link to our YouTube channel for videos directly from the show....

Castel Sant'Angelo at night in Rome

Rome: at home in Italy’s Capital

Last fall we made our fourth trip together to Rome. It’s nice to come back to a city that we know so well, yet we always find something new to discover. We always feel at...

Amazon Echo with books

Alexa in the House

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen so many people who used an App called FaceApp to upload their photos and see what they will look like when they are older. We saw...

Siena View from Balcony with Food

Siena, home of the Palio

Siena, the home of the Palio, has held a special place in our hearts since Mark lived there in the fall of 2014. It’s a magical walled city in Tuscany, about an hour from...

6 Features for Your Indoor Camera

Six Key Indoor Camera Features

When we talk to our friends about smart home technology, everyone wants to discuss smart cameras. Which indoor camera features are most important? Which cameras are the best and most reliable? How much do...

Wine Tasting in Tuscany Bellaria

Wine Tasting in Tuscany (via Siena)

If you’ve ever tasted wine in Napa or other wineries in the US, you might think you are ready for wine tasting in Tuscany. But Italian vineyards operate a bit differently than what you...

amazon echo show and echo show 5

Amazon Echo Show Envy

About a month ago we visited our brother and sister-in-law back east in Connecticut. Joe and Michele are certainly tech-savvy – they have up to date iPhones, a smart TV and both of their...