Automation is an ongoing trend. Everywhere we look there is a new technology awaiting us. Yet automation goes beyond what we typically think it to be and we have barely scratched the surface of its capabilities . As a self-proclaimed techie, I am always on the lookout for the newest gadgets. However, I  usually do my due diligence before buying the latest tech as much gets shelved after the warm and fuzzies wear off. Anyone knows that most technology is out of date before it ever hits the store shelves for the consumer . Recently I gave in to the novelty of Amazon Alexa. I held out and did not buy the Echo. Nor did I jump at the 1st generation of the Dot, yes there was a 1st, we are now into the 2nd generation. It is the 2nd generation Dot that peaked my inner geek to deploy a little automation. Weeks of programming can save you hours of planning. Click To Tweet When it first arrived, I thought it was a bit silly looking. Actually, it looks kind of like a hockey puck with lights. However, after plugging it in and connecting it to my WiFi network, I then connected it to the Alexa app on my phone, opinions began to change. I had also ordered a starter set of Phillips Hue lights with a bridge to interact with the Alexa Dot. For those that don’t know that basically means I can control the lights in my house by voice commands to Alexa. The […]

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Unless you are still using a flip phone like a few people I may be related to; you likely have a smartphone and use its apps. An app is an application, one that likely has an icon on either your home screen or extended menu. Some apps are small software programs that run on your phone. Other apps are nothing more than a cute shortcut to a mobile site. Recently I was introduced to a relatively new app by accident. Late one night our new neighbor’s dog escaped. While we were helping him look for his dog, he introduced himself, handed me a piece of paper that had information about signing up for an app called Nextdoor. He briefly explained how it worked in his previous neighborhood in situations just like the one we were in. I had heard of Next door a couple of times previously and not paid it much mind. A few days past and I pulled out the now crumpled paper and decided to investigate a bit further. Next door is a social networking app that is all about your local community. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or others it is an app that is developed for real relationships. To reach the application’s potential, once you sign up, you need to invite others to join. A caveat to that is you only can invite people that live in your local area, in your neighborhood. You can find the Nextdoor app in either your Google Play store on Android or the App Store for […]

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Last week I posted on social media on my Facebook account that I needed to change the people I hung out with. I was not pointing fingers or making accusations, yet some got very defensive. I received comments and direct messages of concern and anxiety. People wondering if they had done something or if I was okay. Granted it was nice to see the people who genuinely cared for my well-being.  Even more, it was interesting to see those that didn’t bother to comment either way. I am not judging a fleeting moment on social media to gauge my friendships, neither should you. Friends on social media are usually taken at face value, for we don’t have much else to go on. However they many times will behave more like your friends than your real ones. What is your ROI of your social media friends? #socialmedia Click To Tweet This little exercise accomplished a few things for me. What was merely a simple statement of fact of where my head and heart was at, also perhaps provided some insight into relationships and social media? Social Media is Surface Level – We get so wrapped up in the statuses, feeds and 140 character snippets of people’s’ lives we forget to create relationships with the people. Glued to our smartphones, we would likely not even recognize the person outside of the avatar small square, much less in real life. People are easily offended – Ever type an email or text message that was taken out of context? […]

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