Home appliance reviews and smart home tech.
Short answer: Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K (2026) is $59.99, or $29.99 during Prime Big Deal Days (aboutamazon.com). It runs Vega OS, not Android-based Fire OS. It also drops Dolby Vision. If your TV relies on Dolby Vision, buy the Fire TV Stick 4K Max instead. Do the same if you sideload Android apps….
Short answer: The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro reach the end of Google’s five-year update window in October 2026. Android 17 QPR1 is their last big update. The phone won’t shut off and your apps keep running. What stops is security patches, so every new Android flaw found after October stays open on your…
Short answer: Samsung is ending free SmartThings API access starting in October 2026. The SmartThings app itself stays free. Anything that talks to SmartThings through the API is affected, and Home Assistant’s SmartThings integration is the big one. That access moves to a $4.99-a-month Personal Plan, about $60 a year. Samsung still hasn’t published the…
Short answer: Some Pixel phones stopped accepting the correct PIN or pattern after the September 2026 update. Google hasn’t published a fix. Don’t restart a phone that still unlocks with your fingerprint. Back it up right away. If you’re already locked out, try the “Too many attempts” timer once. Then check what’s already backed up…
Short answer: Office 2021 does not shut off on October 13, 2026. Your apps will still open. What stops is the updates. Microsoft says security fixes end after that date. Bug fixes too. Phone and chat support as well. There is no paid extension this time. Outlook is the app to worry about, because it…
Short answer: The CPSC says to plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Not into a power strip or extension cord. A smart plug sits in that same in-between spot. A typical 1,500-watt heater draws about 12.5 amps. That’s already over the 80% continuous-load limit TP-Link recommends for its 15-amp plugs. If you want…
Short answer: Most “no heat” calls on the first cold day aren’t broken furnaces. The thermostat is still in Cool or Eco mode. Or it’s showing a built-in startup delay. Or it lost steady power over the summer. Check the mode and the screen message first. Then the breaker and the furnace door switch. A…
Short answer: iOS 27.0.1 came out on September 28, 2026 and fixes three bugs. One made the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max restart when Face ID failed. Another left color artifacts in some 2x photos on those models. The third froze the touchscreen on any iPhone when Notification Center and Control Center opened together….
Short answer: Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro stop getting security updates after October 13, 2026. Type winver to see your version. If it says 24H2, you have two choices. 25H2 is supported until October 2027. 26H2 arrived on September 29, 2026 and is supported until October 2028. Both install as a small enablement…
Short answer: No, Windows 10 security updates for home PCs do not stop on October 13, 2026. Microsoft extended the consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program to October 12, 2027. If your PC is already enrolled, coverage continues automatically. If it isn’t, you can still enroll for free by syncing your PC settings, or with…