Home appliance reviews and smart home tech.
Short answer: Certificates that let Windows PCs talk to Windows Update expire on May 17 and June 19, 2027. On Windows 11 25H2 or newer, you do nothing. On 24H2 or Windows 10, you need a 2025 or 2026 security update installed before June 19, 2027. Unsupported versions get cut off from Windows Update entirely….
Short answer: The SmartThings Android update 1.8.51.30 changed how device cards work. A single tap often just toggles power now. To reach the full controls, press and hold the card and choose Expand. If a device still won’t open, the TV remote lost buttons, or the app can’t download a controller, Samsung hasn’t posted a…
Bottom line: Amazon announced Android-based Alexa Tablets on October 8, 2026. They replace the Fire line. Your Fire tablet doesn’t stop working. Amazon’s own security-update table still promises updates into 2029 or 2030 for 2022-and-newer models. The Fire HD 8 (2022 and 2024), Fire 7 (2022), and Fire HD 10 (2023) run through 2029. The…
The quick version: Home Assistant 2026.10 came out on October 7, 2026. Most of the breakage people report falls into three buckets. First, custom integrations can fail with “Requirements … not found” because a Python package no longer fits. Second, a login can fail because usernames are now always lowercase with no stray spaces. Third,…
Bottom line: Pixel 11 phones had a sensor bug that sometimes saved photos and videos sideways or upside down. Google fixed it in the October 2026 update, build CD1A.261005.003, which started rolling out on October 6. Install it from Settings. The update won’t flip photos you already took. Rotate those yourself in Google Photos, in…
Quick answer: If your bulbs turned on and dimmed fine but ignored every color in early October 2026, that was a Google Home bug. Google pushed a fix on October 7. You don’t need to do anything for it. Still stuck on white? Check whether the color picker is missing entirely. That’s a different, older…
Short answer: You’re not imagining it. Since late September 2026, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max owners have reported clicking and crackling from the speakers and earpiece. It shows up when they scroll, type, change brightness, or take calls. Apple hasn’t acknowledged it. iOS 27.0.1 didn’t fix it for most people. Some replacement units crackle…
Short answer: Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. If Task Manager opens, choose Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press OK. That’s Microsoft’s own workaround for the black-screen-after-sign-in bug it confirmed in September 2026. The bug traces back to the August preview update KB5120998. Microsoft says it mostly hits Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix profiles. On a home…
Short answer: Microsoft confirmed on October 2, 2026 that some apps and games can crash after Windows 11 update KB5124010. The bug hits programs that use Windows’ built-in AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio decoder. It affects Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, and 26H2. KB5124010 was an optional preview update, so many PCs don’t have it yet. If…
Short answer: Apple confirmed on October 2, 2026 that some iPhone 18 Pro Max phones on AT&T can permanently lose cellular service. iOS 27.0.1 plus a new carrier settings update help prevent it. They don’t fix a phone that already lost service. If yours is stuck on SOS after both updates, it needs a replacement….