The camera has Alexa built-in, which means you can use it as an Echo to activate your lights, check the weather, and access any of the Alexa Skills. Ecobee designed the SmartCamera for easy setup and installation, but you might still run into a few issues along the way. First, Ensure the Camera Is Using Factory Default Settings If you have already tried to install the SmartCamera but were not successful, you will need to reset the device before another attempt....

Clearing out your Sent Items folder in Microsoft Outlook normally means either deleting all the emails or moving them into an archive. Whichever you prefer, here’s how to automate the process by either not saving sent emails or saving them into a different folder instead. When you send an email, Outlook sends the original email to the recipient and stores a copy of that email in the Sent Items folder....

Strava is one of the best running and cycling tracking apps, but it’s also a privacy nightmare. Not only have people leaked the locations of secret U.S. military bases just by using it, but it also automatically shares your workout routes on the web. If you start at your home, anyone can figure out where you live. Strava Is a Social Network, After All Strava is, fundamentally, a social network for fitness fans....

When is Google Play Music Going Away? Google has announced that “YouTube Music will replace Google Play Music by December 2020.” YouTube Music is Google’s replacement for Google Play Music. It appears to have the same big library of streaming music, but the interface is changing—and the app you’ll use to stream is changing, too. Google has been adding features from Google Play Music to YouTube Music, including the ability to upload and stream your own songs....

A lot of people and businesses have turned to Zoom as their go-to video-conferencing application. However, Zoom isn’t always perfect. Here are some tips on troubleshooting your Zoom call for a better audio and video call experience. Review System Requirements When running any type of software, one of the first things you need to do is check that your device is up to the task. No matter if everything is installed and set up properly, if you’re using old and outdated hardware or hardware that doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, it’s not going to run smoothly....

Google and Apple have joined forces to create a digital version of a contact tracing framework called Exposure Notifications. If you have a health tracking app installed, your iPhone will send out randomized Bluetooth beacons to devices around you. It will also collect the beacons from phones that you have been around for 10 minutes or more. If someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can mark themselves as infected in the health tracking app....

Intel announced the new Comet Lake desktop chips on April 30. Earlier that month, it introduced new Comet Lake mobile processors for laptops and other smaller PCs. We won’t delve into the laptop side of things here. However, Intel said more than 100 laptops are slated to come out with the new 10th generation processors this year. As for the desktop processors, those should start rolling out in May 2020....

“The Motorola MA1 licenses technology from Google that makes it simple for users to connect to existing USB-enabled Android Auto vehicles wirelessly, making it even easier to access preferred maps, media, and messaging apps on the car’s display,” the company said in a press release. Basically, you need to plug this adapter into your car’s USB port, and you’ll have access to wireless Android Auto. You’ll have the same features you’d get with wireless Android Auto built into your car, but without having to go out and buy a new car....

Mozilla VPN performs very well, which is no wonder since it makes use of Mullvad’s network, which is one of the best VPN services around. That said, it still has enough character that it can stand on its own, especially when it comes to ease of use and how it helps newbies get along. Using Mozilla VPN One of Mozilla VPN’s main merits is its interface. The client is a mobile-style app (regardless of the operating system) and has four buttons on the main screen....

October Is AMD Month On Oct. 8, 2020, AMD is introducing the Zen 3 processor architecture, the successor to its current Ryzen 3000 chips based on Zen 2. We don’t yet know the release date, but AMD CEO, Lisa Su, said on Twitter “it’s going to be an exciting fall.” This suggests an October or November release. Given AMD’s recent history, these are likely to be solid processors. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to wait for the reviews on launch day before committing to a new CPU....

Since robot vacuums are designed to help keep your home clean, you should prioritize how well they clean first and foremost. A good robot vacuum needs to navigate your home while cleaning up dirt and debris easily. It shouldn’t constantly get stuck against an object that prevents it from cleaning. Robot vacuums do get stuck at times, but it shouldn’t happen often and a good one will learn where corners and objects are....

Chrome 86 is another solid upgrade from Google. Besides the usual under-the-hood improvements, Google Chrome 86 helps you quickly change vulnerable passwords and protects you from websites wasting your CPU resources (and battery power) in the background. Google released Chrome 86 on October 6, 2020. Chrome will automatically install the update or ask you to install it. If you don’t want to wait, you can check for and install the update by clicking Menu > Help > About Google Chrome....

Security experts recommend using two-factor authentication to secure your online accounts wherever possible. Many services default to SMS verification, sending codes via text message to your phone when you try to sign in. But SMS messages have a lot of security problems, and are the least secure option for two-factor authentication. First Things First: SMS Is Still Better Than No Two-Factor Authentication at All! RELATED: What Is Two-Factor Authentication, and Why Do I Need It?...

Whether you’re planning a beach date or a boat ride, a good cooler is a necessity. And like all YETI products, the YETI Tundra 45 is ridiculously durable and well-insulated, with ice retention of up to 10 days. So, how does this work? Simple. We’re giving away four YETI Tundra 45 coolers and all you have to do is enter the giveaway. It ends October 16, so act now. The winners will be chosen at random and alerted via email....

It’s still all about developers: Graphical Linux desktop app support will let developers run their favorite integrated development environments for Linux on Windows. Graphics processing unit (GPU) support will enable hardware acceleration for GPU compute tasks like parallel computation and machine learning workflows. Technically, it was already possible to run graphical Linux desktop apps on Windows 10 by installing a third-party X server. That won’t be necessary anymore—it’ll just work out of the box, and Microsoft is putting effort into making graphical apps run....

If you find yourself frequently searching for a certain folder in Finder on your Mac, you can create a quick “bookmark” to that folder instead. Here are three ways to do it. RELATED: What Is Finder on a Mac? Method 1: Add a Favorites Sidebar Shortcut The easiest way to add a bookmark-like shortcut to a folder is by dragging it into your “Favorites” sidebar in Finder. First, click the Finder icon in your Dock to bring Finder to the foreground....

SSH offers more than just a secure, remote terminal environment. You can use SSH to tunnel your traffic, transfer files, mount remote file systems, and more. These tips and tricks will help you take advantage of your SSH server. SSH doesn’t just authenticate over an encrypted connection — all your SSH traffic is encrypted. Whether you’re transferring a file, browsing the web, or running a command, your actions are private....

It’s rare when a mobile game doesn’t come with any in-app purchases, but they still exist. Here are some pay-up-front games with no additional in-app purchases that we enjoy playing. RELATED: The Best “Console-Like” Games for iPhone, iPad, and Android A majority of mobile games are “freemium,” which means they’re free to download, but they’re hampered by in-app purchases that degrade the quality of the game unless you pay up....

The DualShock 4 Only Works with PS4 Games on PS5 Sony lets you pair a PS4 controller to your PS5, but you can only use it to play PlayStation 4 games locally on the console itself. To play PS5 games, you’ll need to use a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. If you try to do otherwise, you’ll see a message that says “Can’t use the DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller to play PS5 games....

Apple Fitness is designed for Apple Watch users. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you can kind of use the app … a little bit. But not really, here’s why. Apple Fitness+ Needs an Apple Watch to Sign Up To sign up for Apple Fitness+, you need an Apple Watch paired with your iPhone. It’s impossible to sign up for Fitness+ without an Apple Watch. However, once you’re signed up, you don’t strictly need an Apple Watch to do a workout....