Taking good care of your home tech

We’re living in a technological age where most of us have access to at least one device that we use on a regular basis. This is likely a smart phone, but many of us also have tablets, laptops, computers, gaming devices and more. Of course, these things don’t come cheap. Our tech tends to come with a high price tag in exchange for the great value that they bring to our lives. Therefore, it’s important that you take good care of your home tech at all times. This can maintain its value, boost its longevity and generally maintain it as best as possible. Here are some top tips that will help you to achieve this!

Take out insurance

The first thing you should do when you get your hands on any tech is to make sure that it’s insured. These are pricey items and can be costly to repair or replace should you lose or damage them, or if they were to be stolen. There are plenty of different plans out there that are specially designed for different items, ranging from smart phone insurance to general gadget insurance. Browse different options and find a policy that ticks all of your boxes. Make sure that it covers the full value of your phone and protects against any scenario you may foresee. You can then take time to compare policies and different providers to get the lowest price possible. If you’re set on a specific provider, you could even consider asking them to price match a lower cost competitor.

Update the software

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “software”, it’s good to know that software is a set of instructions, data or programs on any piece of tech that helps it to operate and for you to do what you need to do on it. For example, software on a phone could include call systems, text message systems, apps and more. Put simply, the software on your phone will tell it how to work to ensure that you get good use out of it. Of course, developers are consistently working on software to make it better in a number of ways. This could include adding more features, improving usability, making the software more accessible or simply increasing security to prevent cyber crime wherever possible. As you can imagine, it’s important to keep up with software updates that will help you to experience all of these things. All too many of us press “remind me later” or other options that postpone software updates when they’re suggested to us. This is because we’re usually using the tech in question when it comes to the time to update software. But it’s really important that you take the time to accept software updates and to allow them to install on your phone, so you don’t miss out on the perks. Take some time to accept all software updates and experience the benefits on all of your devices. You could also take time to clear old information and data, by learning how to clean my drive.

Clean the hardware

The hardware of your tech is any element of the device that you can touch. It’s the smart phone itself – the screen, buttons, charger and more. It’s your tablet itself. It’s your laptop itself. As you can imagine, these items grow dirty with repeated use. Even if you think your hands are clean, they tend to harbour grease, dirt, germs and bacteria. Phones, tablets and laptops left on work surfaces can accumulate dust. You may get crumbs on them if eating while using them. They might get splashed by drinks. The list goes on. It’s important to clean your hardware on a regular basis to ensure that you’re getting the most from it.

Cleaning your hardware will not only make your devices more presentable and nicer to use, but it can help to extend their life too. Dirt and grime can cause problems such as keys sticking or build up inside the device, which will be much harder to clean down the line. There are plenty of kits out there that are specially designed for use on tech devices, such as screen wipes and small vacuum cleaners that can pull crumbs, dust and debris from hard to reach spaces such as between keyboard keys.

Tech is an integral part of our lives nowadays, so make sure you take the time and effort to take care of yours as well as possible. This is simple, straightforward and will really pay off in the long run!

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What are the benefits of electronic dog doors?

Did you know that 65.1 million homes in the USA have at least one dog?

If you want to be the best dog parent, then you might be wondering which products are worth your money. With so many items to choose from, it can be difficult to know what will actually improve the quality of your dog’s life.

Electronic dog doors are something that every pet owner should consider. Read on if you’re curious about the electronic dog door benefits you can reap.

An electronic dog door will prevent accidents

One of the top reasons why pet owners are interested in doggie doors is so that they don’t have to come home to accidents on the floor ever again. By following electronic dog door tips for training, you can teach your pet how to be independent.

Not only will this save you headaches, but you can also make sure that your pet is comfortable since nobody wants to hold their bladder for hours at a time.

Using one will keep your home secure

It’s true that electronic dog doors are more expensive to install than traditional dog doors, but it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for.

Traditional dog doors can let any other pet or strays in the neighbourhood enter your home, which puts you at risk of fleas and grime. Humans with bad intentions could also use the dog door to spy on your home and plan something harmful.

Electronic dog doors keep your pet entertained

Some dog breeds love spending time outside, and they’re not able to thrive when they’re stuck inside all day. If you have a dog who comes alive when they’re soaking up the sun, then you owe it to them to install an electronic dog door.

When dogs can come and go as they please, they won’t be bored. This can prevent boredom-related issues like chewing and tearing up the furniture.

Your home will be protected from the elements

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re throwing your cash out of the window. If you install a traditional dog door, then you’re essentially throwing your cash out of the doggie door.

Electronic dog doors come with a strong seal, so you don’t have to worry about overusing your air conditioner or getting rain or snow inside your home.

Your life will be easier

At the end of a long workday, it can be challenging to take your dog on a long walk. While you should still try to go on at least one nice walk per day to bond with your dog, an electronic door will help ease your responsibilities.

This installation is especially helpful for people who are older or have disabilities.

What is an electronic dog door good for? Now you know the facts

As you can see, there are tons of benefits that come with installing electronic dog doors. If this electronic dog door guide has inspired you, then make sure you get in touch with a good company right away.

Are you hungry for more valuable content? Explore our site!

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3 of the top gaming setups for your new game room

If you’re an active gamer or just love video games, then the most comfortable room in your home is not your bedroom or your living room: it’s your man cave or she-shed. If you live alone in a 2-bedroom apartment, there still may be an open room to have a complete gaming setup. If you need more room, looking into buying a house with more room may be a perfect solution to getting your gaming room setup and fully functional.

Whether it’s now or in the future, that one gaming room is where you probably feel most alive and is a self-proclaimed sanctuary, but only if you have the right gaming setup – of course. There are so many pieces that go into creating a solid gaming man cave that something with the potential to be a marvellous gaming setup can quickly turn into a hot mess.

The minimal gaming setup includes:

Gaming PC
Monitor
Gaming chair/desk
Keyboard
Gaming mouse
Gaming headphones with microphone
LED lights

That exhaustive list may have your head swimming, but the good thing about wading through it is that by the time you’re done, your man cave will look amazing. Need some ideas to get the process kick-started? Here are a few great gaming setups designed for a man cave.

Budget gaming setup

Not everyone gets an entire room for their man cave; if you’re working with a tight space but still want to have a gaming corner to call your own, this setup is for you. Create a desk out of a large floating desk like the Vivo White Electric Height Adjustable Standup and add some floating shelves to help store your equipment. Invest in a good monitor riser and then distribute your equipment to meet your visual needs. A great streaming setup that’s still budget-friendly would include a Corsair Crystal Series 680X with an MSI MEG X570 Unify motherboard and an AD Ryzen 9 3900 X CPU. Tack on a vertical monitor and a standard monitor along with a few streaming cams and stands and you’ll be ready to go.

Sleek setup

Not everyone has the space or the desire to create an extensive gaming setup in their home. Those that have to split their time between work and gaming will find this sleek and modern design to be ideal. Not only can a laptop riser help minimise space, it can help improve ergonomics and keep things tidy.

To build this setup you’ll need a MacBook Air, an extra monitor for better visuals, a keyboard, gaming mouse, iPad and some headphones. Complement the hardware with some great furniture including a VIVO Single Monitor Articulating Desk Mount Stand, desk shelf, laptop stand, desk lamp, laptop tock, a gaming chair and large desk area. Toss in a few minimalist abstract artworks and you’re ready to go.

Black-light gaming setup

There’s something about backlit black-lights that just make gaming so cool. If you want your gaming room to look as cool as you feel when you’re playing, then this setup is for you. Plus, it’s a throwback to desktop PCs which make it nostalgic at the same time. To start, choose a desktop unit encased in tempered glass with AIO radiators and RGB fans that you can see the glow and you won’t need to invest in any fancy lava lamps. We suggest the darkFlash Phantom Black ATX. Then throw in a few monitors including one vertical monitor along with a seek headphone set and mouse pad from innovative brands like Razer. Finally, add some blue and purple LED lighting stands to enhance the visual effect and settle back into your favourite ergonomic chair to play!

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Price Points: Portable smart speakers

We’ve been building a smart speaker collection for a few years. We have a soundbar that’s connected to the television, a pair of small speakers in the living room and a single medium-sized one in the dining room. For the next addition, we wanted one that we could take out into the garden with us on a sunny day.

When it came to choice of portable smart speakers, only one would do for us… the Sonos Roam. All our other smart speakers are by Sonos, they’re all connected to each other, to the television and to our Amazon Echo Dot.

Of these three well known audio brands featured, the Sonos portable smart speaker just happens to be the most affordable. Another great plus point about it is that it’s waterproof; we use it in the bathroom to enhance a long soak.

Sonos Roam: £159.00, Sonos
Enjoy the unmatched Sonos experience on Wifi, and stream directly from your smartphone, tablet or computer using Bluetooth. Roam automatically connects to your home network and pairs with your phone when you’re away. So all you have to think about is what to play.
Voice control with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. Roam offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. When not in use, Roam switches to sleep mode to conserve power, and the battery can last up to 10 days… drop-resistant, waterproof up to three feet for 30 minutes, impervious to dust.
Bose portable smart speaker: £329.95, Bose
Up to 12 hours on average listening volume and up to 24 hours in standby mode Charging time: Approximately 4 hours when using the original cable Using third-party USB-C cable or power source may increase charging time… Bluetooth range: Up to 9m (30ft).
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze: £1,399.00
Crafted from solid aluminium, the BeoSound 1 combines the signature sound of Bang & Olufsen with the easy voice control of the Google Assistant. It features an intuitive One Touch interface, simple streaming with Chromecast and Airplay 2 built in, and is multiroom ready with other compatible B&O speakers. It’s easily portable, with a long battery life.

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze
£1,399.00