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  • The Best Way To Fight Fleas

    The Best Way To Fight Fleas

    Few situations are more annoying to pets and their owners than a infestation of fleas. Fleas are mean, evil, awful little bugs. They get into your carpets, lay eggs and stick around for interminable lengths of time.

    Quickly becoming a problem, fleas can infest homes in very short amounts of time, posing health risks and frustrating living conditions for both people and their pets.  All the while, they pester your animals, making them itchy and uncomfortable. What’s worse, some pets even have allergic reaction to the pests!

    While there are many products that can be used to combat flea infestations, it’s vital to choose the right products that are appropriate for severity of your pet’s flea problem — otherwise you’ll end up wasting time and money as the flea problem gets worse. Today, we’re looking at the best ways to fight fleas.

    Best Ways to Fight Fleas

    Flea Collars

    Flea collars are a great first line of defense to keep your animals safe from the tiny pests. Using a combination of pesticides that are harmless to animals and scents that disgust fleas, these collars have a high success rating. While your animal might not like having to wear an odd-smelling collar, it will help them avoid the worst of the flea infestation! This is just one part of the fight, however.

    Flea Sprays

    Spraying your carpets and furniture for fleas is another effective strategy. A number of high-quality flea sprays are sold in pet stores and online. Such sprays not only kill fleas but also help to kill their eggs. The trouble with fleas is that you will often think you’ve rooted them out, only for another round of eggs to hatch. The eggs can go dormant for months at a time before being activated by vibrations in the carpet.

    As such, spraying in often-unused rooms is advised. That way, any hidden, dormant eggs can be killed by the spray. This prevents the eggs from reactivating when you or a pet enters a low-traffic room!

    Diatomaceous Earth

    Also known as D. Earth, this naturally occurring mineral deposit works wonders as a pesticide. If you’re having trouble with a particularly nasty flea infestation, consider this mineral. Make sure you purchase food grade diatomaceous earth, as it’s pet safe. Sprinkle it around your carpets and near the thresholds of your doors and windows. Earth works by compromising the lipids in fleas’ exoskeletons. The chemical interaction causes the fleas to become dehydrated, as their bodies can’t lock in water anymore. As such, they die of dehydration shortly after contacting the mineral. Don’t worry, though, the mineral doesn’t affect anything bigger than a small bug. The worst it can do to a pet is dehydrate them slightly, so just avoid getting it on your animals if you can!

    Flea Pills

    Flea pills for pets generally have the highest success rates for preventing and treating fleas. Pills come in chewable tablets or capsules that must be swallowed, usually with food. These oral medications for fighting fleas require a vet prescription, and usually fight flea adults or eggs, but rarely both at the same time. Flea pills, like other medications, come with side effects; it is essential for pet owners to ask what these side effects may include. The two most popular feel pills include Capstar and Comfortis, and both start working within hours of being administered.


  • Top 9 HR Software Solutions

    Top 9 HR Software Solutions

    Looking for the best combination in HR Management and the latest technology breakthrough? How much does this software cost and what do you need to look for? What are the pros and cons? We have the scoop! We’ve cut your search time in half by compiling a list of the best and most affordable state-of-the-art HR software available today.

    Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a start-up looking to make your first hire, modern-day HR solutions have never been more vital to businesses as they are now. In the last decade we’ve seen HR software take great strides in practically reinventing itself.

    In fact, in the past couple of years we have seen features that we never knew we needed become indispensable for recruiters and businesses alike. But don’t sweat it, we know why you’re really here – what are those features and most importantly, what’s it going to cost you?

    Before we dive into pricing, lets take a look at what some of your basic goals are and how investing in HR software can transform your business:

    Size

    How many employees does your business currently have and how many are you projected to hire in the near future? This is an important aspect to take into consideration since most HR Software companies offer rates based on how many employees you have. For example, a company that runs payroll for 20 employees will have a greatly different pricing structure to work with in comparison to a company that runs payroll for 2,000 employees.

    Functions

    HR managements falls under a huge umbrella that covers a bunch of different essential features. What exactly are you looking for within your unique business structure? Most industries outsource tasks such as payroll, hiring, performance reviews, time off tracking, etc.

    While it can be tempting to outsource all aspect of your business with HR Software, it may not always be really necessary. You should especially take this into consideration when pricing comes into play. Not all HR Software companies offer a complete package at one price. For example, Bamboo HR ups their prices for companies that run payroll with them by $4 per employee and $25 per month.

    Budget

    But what’s this going to really cost you? Let’s dive in. There is no getting around the fact that HR Software pricing greatly varies from one provider to the other. How much should you spend on HR Software and is it really worth the price tag that comes with it?

    Typically, when licensing HR Software on a monthly basis, prices range anywhere from $50 – $1,000 each month. Subsequently, this will to depend on the factors mentioned above such as size and functionality of your unique business model.

    Most HR Software providers offer a trial month for you to try out their product, without dishing out a single penny. Win-win! As a business, you should take advantage of this. Take some time to go through the trial and error process before committing. This will not only help you compare different HR Software, but will also give you a concrete answer on what it’s going to cost you.

    Here is a list of the top-rated HR Software companies for you to try out:
    1. BambooHR
    2. Zoho People
    3. Dayforce HCM
    4. SAP SucessFactors
    5. Deputy
    6. Gusto
    7. Zenefits
    8. CakeHR
    9. ADP Workforce Now


  • The Top 3 Applicant Tracking Systems

    The Top 3 Applicant Tracking Systems

    An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company and there is also free and open source ATS software available. 

    When you apply for a job online, your resume isn’t typically going directly to a recruiter or hiring manager. It’s first being processed by an ATS. Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.

    Why employers use applicant tracking systems

    Top employers hire for several jobs at a time and receive hundreds of resumes for any given opening. Because applying for a job online is easier than ever, many of these applicants are unqualified and figured “it was worth a try.”

    Applicant tracking systems keep all these resumes in one place, helping recruiters and hiring managers stay organized as well as EEOC compliant. In theory, these systems also save time by automatically surfacing and highlighting top candidates. In reality, ATS do help hiring professionals narrow their applicant pool, but top candidates slip through the cracks.

    Most large corporations utilize applicant tracking systems. Jobscan research found that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS while a Kelly OCG survey estimated 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software. If you’re applying to a large organization, chances are you’ll face an ATS. If you’re applying through any online form, you’re applying through an ATS. Even job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have their own built in ATS.

    Viewing Applications

    Some recruiters still choose to glance at every job application that comes through their applicant tracking system. In this case, most take a quick glance at the applicant’s past highlights, job titles, and companies. They can make a determination about whether they want to learn more in about 6 seconds. It’s important to make sure your top skills and qualifications are easily identifiable.

    Automatic Rankings

    Some applicant tracking systems can automatically compare your resume to the job description. For example, Taleo calls this feature “Req Rank,” which ranks each applicant based on how well their resume scores based on the job description. A common way recruiters filter resumes in an applicant tracking system is by searching for key skills and titles. For example, if a recruiter is hiring for an Administrative Assistant position out of 400 resumes, their first step will probably be a search for “Administrative Assistant.” This will isolate candidates that have done the exact job before. Anyone that doesn’t have that exact term in their resume is out of luck. A search can contain multiple terms. For example, they might perform a complex search that contains a combination of titles and skills important for the job:

    Administrative Assistant AND data entry AND payroll …

    Candidates who can predict the correct resume keywords will have the greatest chance of being included in recruiter search results. The best way figure out which skills and keywords to include is by analyzing the job description. Jobs can automates this process by analyzing your resume against the job description to show the top skills and keywords missing from your resume.

    Our Top 3
    #3. Homebase

    Homebase makes hourly work easier for the whole team. With free online tools and mobile apps for managers and employees, Homebase eliminates the paperwork and headaches of scheduling, payroll, hiring and team communication. Start saving 4+ hours every week by visiting joinhomebase.com. Used by over 100,000 businesses of all sizes across the US.

    #2. BambooHR

    BambooHR offers easy, integrated applicant tracking (ATS) as part of our award-winning cloud-based HR platform. Onboarding tools, e-signatures, time-off tracking, performance management, plus easy reporting and a convenient mobile app set you free to do great work. Released from the data management spiral, HR professionals become more effective, more efficient, and more human. Visit bamboohr.com or give us a call to see a demo and start a free trial.

    #1. Breezy HR

    The most highly rated ATS on Capterra, Breezy streamlines your entire hiring process; giving you more time to connect with candidates by automating tasks like advertising on 40+ job boards, screening, interview scheduling & follow-ups. We include all the tools your team needs to hire more efficiently, from referrals & sourcing tools for LinkedIn and dozens of others to custom scorecards & interview guides. With Breezy, you’ll be making better, hiring decisions in less time. It’s GDPR compliant.

    If you own a business and found this article helpful, you might like our article about the top cloud services of 2018.


  • Solve Your Work From Home Issues With Cloud Computing

    Solve Your Work From Home Issues With Cloud Computing

    Has 2020 shaken your companies thoughts on work from home?

    Your employees like it and their productivity is high. Offering work from home as a staple of your company opens up your ability to recruit anywhere in the world and save a ton on monthly office spaces… but, you’re really not sure that you can effectively manage their work and keep it secure.

    This is where cloud computing, along with mobile technology, provides your customers’ employees the ability to work from any location that has internet access, via a virtual desktop or remote infrastructure.

    Cloud computing provides flexibility

    Cloud technology is what enables employees to work from any location, giving them access via a virtual environment to the same information that they’d have access to from the office. Collaboration and communication tools ensure that your customers’ employees can use the latest techniques and complete work at the same level as they would be able to from their office desktop.

    Employees can access documents and data that they need by using specific credentials to maintain security at the same time as giving them flexibility to work from home or any other location. This can be useful when your customers have multiple office locations, such as if they have a primary central office and smaller remote offices from additional locations. Cloud technology provides a greater level of flexibility and shared access to information centrally accessible via a single server.

    Increasing security for remote working

    Despite concerns your customers might have about security, cloud computing can actually work towards increasing their overall security levels as a business. Security measures can be put in place, such as user-specific passwords and encryption of files when there are attempts to open these by unauthorized users. Additional security measures can be implemented in the event of mobile devices or laptops being lost or stolen to prevent a security breach, so your customers need not worry about cloud computing compromising high levels of security in favour of remote working capabilities.

    Scalability for growing businesses – in the office and remotely

    Cloud computing also enables your customers to accommodate a large increase in a remote workforce very quickly, since employees can use their own mobile devices and laptops without incurring additional hardware costs. They can also access internal information via the cloud wherever they choose to work, and on any device. As long as each user is provided with access details, new employees can easily be granted access to all of the information that they will need, without them ever having to visit the office at all. This is ideal when there is restricted physical office space to scale up, and there is no restriction on the number of remote workers.

    Cloud computing and the future

    Cloud computing can offer a greater level of flexibility, security and scalability to your clients by enabling remote working. Find a specialist


  • Best Hearing Aids

    Best Hearing Aids

    When you can’t hear, it’s miserable.

    Don’t let that loss dictate your life and lifestyle! Try out some of the top hearing aids and see how new technology can help you get back into the conversation!

    The 3 Best Brands
    Accolades Best Overall Best Design Best Connectivity
    Bluetooth Yes Yes Yes
    Phone Compatibility Yes Yes Yes
    Low Profile Yes Yes Yes

     

    An Overview of Hearing Loss

     

    Hearing loss due to aging is a common condition that impacts many older adults. Almost 1 in 2 adults over age 65 experience some degree of hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss is also known as presbycusis.
    Hearing loss can affect anyone at any age and the statistics according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders are astonishing. On top of that, the average delay between the time someone is affected by hearing loss and when they finally seek treatment is a long 7 years. Lucky for you, you have come to the right place to learn about hearing loss. Let’s look at the 7 Signs of Hearing Loss.

    Two Types of Hearing Loss
    There are two types of hearing loss, The first one is Sensorineural. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It is permanent and caused either by damage to tiny hair-like cells in the inner ear or to the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve carries important information about the loudness, pitch, and meaning of sounds to the brain.

    The second is Conductive hearing loss.  Conductive hearing loss is caused by a mechanical problem in the outer or middle ear or an obstruction in the ear canal such as ear wax that blocks sound from getting to the eardrum. It can be permanent but more often, it is temporary and can be medically treated. Mixed hearing loss results when there are components of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss present.

    7 Signs of Hearing Loss

    1. Words Begin to Drop from Conversations
    Increasing difficulty with understanding other people, especially in noisy environments such as crowded shopping malls or loud parties, may reveal a declining ability to distinguish speech from noise. It’s common for people to respond to this problem by asking for speakers to repeat themselves, to speak more loudly, or to slow down. Television and radio speech may also seem to fade into unintelligible gibberish. Conversations in general seem to lose their color and vibrancy.

    2. Becomes Increasingly Difficult to Have ‘Normal’ Social Situations
    Without quite realizing why, a person suffering from creeping hearing loss may increasingly retreat from social situations. They somehow seem too difficult, often leading to awkward moments when a critical point is missed, or a joke is misheard. It begins to seem as if plunging into even a crowd of longtime friends or close business associates results in nothing but inexplicable, growing social isolation.

    3. People Sound Like They Are Mumbling
    Other people may seem to slowly acquire a bad habit of failing to clearly enunciate their words. Consonants disappear into the mist as vowels rudely strut to the fore. This perception often indicates a loss of the ability to clearly hear higher-frequency or softer sounds such as sibilants. Similarly, snakes lose their hisses, clock alarms ditch their high-pitched beeps, and machine clicks such as those from automobile turn signals seemingly disappear.

    4.Tinnitus (Random Non-Existant Noises)
    Unexplained sounds such as buzzing, ringing, or clicking in one or both of your ears could very well indicate a significant medical problem that requires professional attention. Long-term exposure to loud sounds such as unmuffled gunshots, blaring rock-music concerts, and clanging industrial machinery can produce persistent, sometimes permanent tinnitus.

    Sinus and ear infections, hormonal changes in women, and common reactions to many medications can result in temporary or persistent tinnitus.

    5. It Becomes Increasingly More Difficult To Hear Children and Womens’ Voices
    Females and children generally have higher, softer voices than adult males, which means communication with children and grandchildren may be one of the first victims of encroaching hearing loss. For a devoted parent or grandparent, this can be devastating. A spouse may begin to drift away from a significant other because ordinary conversations have become oddly difficult. A similar problem may arise with failing to understand strongly accented voices as their tonal edges seem to gradually disappear.

    6. Turning Up The Volume On All Devices
    Routine annoyance with strangely soft audio levels from televisions, smartphones, and other audio devices may instead constitute a barely noticed symptom of gradual hearing loss. A growing habit of cranking up the sound to unusually high levels often signifies that it’s time to seek professional testing for hearing problems.

    7. Loss of Richness in Sounds
    Regardless of their volume or nature, sounds from all sources seem to grow muffled and flat. Birdsong becomes simpler and less nuanced, and human voices seem to abandon their ordinary tonal ranges. Long-loved musical performances and songs grow dull and uninteresting. Even ordinary noises like hammering from construction projects and the roar of motor vehicles seem to devolve into dull cartoon versions of their former selves. Such an evolution from complexity into lifeless simplicity is oddly easy to overlook if it happens slowly enough.

    The Final Thought
    While hearing loss be for 55 is rare, the ratio is 1:2 in those older then 55. Hearing aids can be rather expensive, but may be covered by your part B Medicare plan. Original Medicare and most Medicare Supplement (or Medigap) Plans don’t cover hearing aids, routine hearing exams, or fittings for hearing aids. This means that without other insurance, you could pay 100% of the cost for routine hearing exams, fittings, and hearing aids.

    Medicare Part B does, however, cover diagnostic hearing tests that your doctor orders for a medical need like a recent hearing loss due to illness or injury. If your doctor orders a diagnostic hearing test. You would pay 20% of the amount approved by Medicare, plus the Medicare Part B deductible.

    Visiting an audiologist is usually the first response to possible hearing loss. If necessary, an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose, and throat specialist — can conduct a thorough examination to uncover underlying medical issues. Treatment might include simple removal of excessive earwax, antibiotics for a sinus infection, or even small, unobtrusive hearing aids that can reclaim much of your lost sound. Only your medical professional can provide comprehensive information on possible causes and treatments.


  • Best All New Wireless Headphones for 2020

    Best All New Wireless Headphones for 2020

    Whether you’re looking for a good pair of headphones for working out or just something to wear while drowning out sounds during your commute, not having to fuss with wires is a huge plus. No one wants to worry about the tangle of wires in their pocket or bag, or their cord snagging on something and damaging their headphones. Thankfully, there are some stellar Bluetooth headphones on the market. Here are some of our top picks.

    Jabra Elite 75t

    If you like having wireless earbuds for sports activity, we can highly recommend the Jabra Elite 75t. These new earbuds fit snugly in most ears, and they have a great sound quality for their small size. The drivers are solid, offering punchy bass, good mid-levels, and decent overall sound: while these won’t be beating any dedicated audiophile headphones, they’re good for their price point and size.

    A notable draw to the Jabra Elite 75t is their microphones. They work incredibly well as a headset for taking phone calls, doing a great job of filtering out background noise. If you like wearing earbuds while jogging, cycling or other types of activity, this is a great draw. Taking a call while getting in your workout is a great two-in-one feature for busy professionals.

    Sony WF-1000XM3

    Sony has finally taken its wildly successful WF series headphones and put them into a smaller package. The WF-1000XM3 takes the quality of their full-size headphones and puts them into a smaller earbud form factor.

    Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless

    If you’re looking for the intersection of portability and sound quality, you’re looking for the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds. These wireless earbuds offer incredible sound quality and accurate reproduction of recordings. They’re incredibly light: you might even forget they’re in your ears. When you need a good set of earbuds for taking with you on trips or to work and back, these are a great go-to.

    While they’re not the best for sports or activity, the Sennheiser earbuds are great for daily activities like walking or commuting. For the person who wants portable wireless earbuds that can be tucked into a pocket but still wants the best sound quality, these physics-defying little earbuds are the best option.

    AirPods Pro

    If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, these are a no-brainer. Their intuitive gesture controls allow you to change the song, adjust the volume and answer calls quickly and without having to pull your phone out.

    The 2019 update brings even more useful tricks to the AirPods Pro. With Apple’s propriety H1 chip they feature snappier Siri integration. You can send messages, start playlists and ask for internet searches all while jogging, cleaning or whatever you’re doing while wearing the AirPods. If you love high-tech integration and cool fashion statements, the AirPods are a great pick for you.

    Beats Solo Pro

    Apple has finally stepped up the quality of their Beats headphones. The Beats Solo Pro is a set of over-ear, active noise canceling, headphones. They used the same noise-canceling technology featured on their more premium, over-ear, Studio3 Wireless. The H1 wireless chip makes sure they are easy to connect to your phone and feature full Siri support. They’re a bit more expensive than the average headphones, but their great technology integration and stellar sound quality on phone calls makes them great for people on the move.

    PowerBeats Pro

    If you love the idea of the AirPods but want a more fitness-oriented set of wireless earbuds, the Beats Powerbeats Pro are for you. The same technology that went into the second generation AirPods is on display in the PowerBeats Pro, just in a more fitness-oriented shape. The over-ear design on display here helps the earphones stay on your ears while your exercise, making them great for any active person.

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.


  • Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Decorating your home for the holidays is a festive tradition for many folks. It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas decorations! After all, it’s the happiest time of the year.

    Many stores that offer Christmas decorations and ornaments don’t start stocking their shelves with seasonal products until a month or two before Christmas, and when they do, their offerings are often limited. Plus, fighting through shopping crowds isn’t a pleasant experience by any means. But you can get a head start on your holiday decoration shopping by looking online.

    You’ll avoid the crowds, have a greater selection, and the ability to browse as long as you like without any pressure. Looking for twinkle lights? Pine scented candles? Unique ornaments and tree toppers? If you’re looking to pick up some new Christmas decorations for your family to enjoy, look no further. Today we’re discussing the best places to find Christmas decorations online!

    Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Hobby Lobby

    Hobby Lobby is well-known for their wide selection of decorations. They’re well-stoked any time of year, but especially around Christmas. You can find ample amounts of Christmas decorations to fill your home, from Nativity pieces to gorgeous wreaths. If you’re a fan of shopping in person, Hobby Lobby has a ton of physical stores you can visit to shop.

    If you’re fonder of shopping online, you can shop Hobby Lobby’s website and find great deals on Christmas decorations. In either even, you’re sure to find a great number of gorgeous decorations that your family will love!

    Target

    Target is great one-stop shopping for Christmas. They have everything from ornaments for trees to decorations for your home. Christmas lights, a favorite this time of year, are in ample supply at Target, too! They even have inflatables for decorating your yard. Everything from Santa to snowmen can be found in inflatable form!

    Target’s retail locations are plentiful and welcoming, unlike some of their competition. The staff is generally quite friendly and helpful, and you can find a wide variety of decorations in person. However, they also have an excellent online store for those who would rather shop from home. If you prefer having it right away, though, don’t hesitate to shop in person!

    Overstock

    Overstock is a website that, you guessed it, specializes in selling overstocked items. You can bet that there is a ton of overstock on Christmas decorations! If you’re looking for a good website to go to for decorations, we highly recommend Overstock. They often have great deals on fantastic decorations, and they offer free shipping with their Club Rewards program.

    If you’re the type that prefers online shopping to physical retailers, we have to recommend Overstock. You’re sure to find great deals on all the Christmas décor for your home this holiday season! Don’t forget to use their great search tools and robust filtering options to find exactly what you need.


  • Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Decorating your home for the holidays is a festive tradition for many folks. It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas decorations! After all, it’s the happiest time of the year.

    Many stores that offer Christmas decorations and ornaments don’t start stocking their shelves with seasonal products until a month or two before Christmas, and when they do, their offerings are often limited. Plus, fighting through shopping crowds isn’t a pleasant experience by any means. But you can get a head start on your holiday decoration shopping by looking online.

    You’ll avoid the crowds, have a greater selection, and the ability to browse as long as you like without any pressure. Looking for twinkle lights? Pine scented candles? Unique ornaments and tree toppers? If you’re looking to pick up some new Christmas decorations for your family to enjoy, look no further. Today we’re discussing the best places to find Christmas decorations online!

    Best Places to Buy Christmas Decorations

    Hobby Lobby

    Hobby Lobby is well-known for their wide selection of decorations. They’re well-stoked any time of year, but especially around Christmas. You can find ample amounts of Christmas decorations to fill your home, from Nativity pieces to gorgeous wreaths. If you’re a fan of shopping in person, Hobby Lobby has a ton of physical stores you can visit to shop.

    If you’re fonder of shopping online, you can shop Hobby Lobby’s website and find great deals on Christmas decorations. In either even, you’re sure to find a great number of gorgeous decorations that your family will love!

    Target

    Target is great one-stop shopping for Christmas. They have everything from ornaments for trees to decorations for your home. Christmas lights, a favorite this time of year, are in ample supply at Target, too! They even have inflatables for decorating your yard. Everything from Santa to snowmen can be found in inflatable form!

    Target’s retail locations are plentiful and welcoming, unlike some of their competition. The staff is generally quite friendly and helpful, and you can find a wide variety of decorations in person. However, they also have an excellent online store for those who would rather shop from home. If you prefer having it right away, though, don’t hesitate to shop in person!

    Overstock

    Overstock is a website that, you guessed it, specializes in selling overstocked items. You can bet that there is a ton of overstock on Christmas decorations! If you’re looking for a good website to go to for decorations, we highly recommend Overstock. They often have great deals on fantastic decorations, and they offer free shipping with their Club Rewards program.

    If you’re the type that prefers online shopping to physical retailers, we have to recommend Overstock. You’re sure to find great deals on all the Christmas décor for your home this holiday season! Don’t forget to use their great search tools and robust filtering options to find exactly what you need.


  • Top Smart Home Gifts to Buy on Black Friday

    Top Smart Home Gifts to Buy on Black Friday

    The Google Home is getting better and better and that’s not going to change any time soon, especially considering Google’s artificial intelligence prowess. Google Home is a huge help to people who want a personal assistant for household tasks.

    But perhaps the best thing about the Google Assistant has nothing to do with the Assistant itself, but more to do with the fact that it can be used to control such a huge range of smart home devices. Unfortunately, not all smart home devices are created equal. If you’re looking to control your home with the Google Assistant, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the right products.  That’s why we’ve put together this guide — to help you find the best Google Assistant-compatible products out there.

    Things like setting the lights, thermostat and music are as easy as using your voice with Google Home. To help you automate all the little things, here are the top 5 Google Home Devices you need for your home!

    Must-Have Google Home Devices

    Nest Thermostat

    The Nest Learning Thermostat is a great smart home device that works with Google Assistant. If you’re the kind of person who likes saving money on your power bill and keeping your home’s comfort front and center, you’ll want the Nest system. You can control your home’s temperature with your voice through Google Assistant or through the Nest app.

    The best part of this system, however, is the “Learning” part. The thermostat should learn your routine as you use it and develop a profile for you. This means that it will try to change the temperature intelligently before you even ask it to. When working properly, this means it keeps your power bill down and works invisibly. You shouldn’t even notice the system, as you’ll always be comfortable in your own home! How great is that?

    Nest Cam

    On the same note as the Nest Thermostat is the Nest Cam. Retailing at $300, the Nest Came is a pretty handy device. For one thing, it comes included with a Google Assistant, so you can control it with your voice out of the box. It’s also a great companion to an existing smart home system! It’s easily one of the best home security solutions for the money.

    If you’re often away from home and want to be able to keep an eye on things, the Nest Cam has you covered. Whether you’re checking in on pets or kids, or just making sure no one is in there when they shouldn’t be, the Nest Cam is super handy. It can even be set to function by being motion-activated. Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s great to have! You can even view the camera’s feed from your smartphone over the internet.

    Phillips Hue

    The best way to equip your house with smart lights is through the Philips Hue system. These smart lightbulbs are really rather intuitive, and they work well with Google Assistant. The bulbs come with a variety of uses, as they can connect to several different smart home systems. If you have Alexa, for instance, these work well with that system too!

    To get started with Hue you need a Hue Bridge. Once you have that you can simply add more Hue bulbs to your Hue system. You can control the lights entirely with your voice, turning them on or off or even changing their colors. It’s a small touch, but it makes you feel like you’re living in the future when you can control your house with your voice!

    Hue makes it easy to set up and control the lights in your entire house. You need only get a Hue Bridge connected to your Google Home system. Then, you just tell it which bulb is in which room. You can even control the lights from a smartphone app while you aren’t home!

    Belkin WeMo

    The WeMo system by Belkin is a way to turn nearly any device into a smart device. WeMo plugs are smart switches that can simply be toggled on or off. That means if you plug a lamp into one, you can name that switch “lamp” and command it with your voice. Calling out “Google, turn off the lamp,” is a pretty satisfying command.

    The possibilities for WeMo are pretty wide and varied. It’s hard to overstate how handy this is for anything you want to become a smart device. Your speakers, your fans and the like can all be connected via this smart system. Talk about an easy way to get everything connected!

    Chromecast

    Ever wanted to pull up YouTube videos on your TV with your voice? Then you want a Chromecast. Simply tell Google what you want to see on the TV from the internet and Chromecast has you covered. It’s really quite satisfying to control your TV with your voice, and Chromecast isn’t even that pricey!


  • What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and shoppers continue to break sales records every year. The massive sale extravaganza is a complete madhouse at certain retailers, and for good reason: the sales are absurd! This year, Black Friday falls on November 23 – but you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to start scoring deep discounts.

    Every retailer is trying to grab your attention with incredible deals on Black Friday. If you’re looking to save some money for holiday shopping, here’s what you can expect to see on sale this Black Friday!

    Last Year’s Best Black Friday Deals

    If you want to know what to expect for Black Friday this year, you’ll want to look back to the deals offered in 2017. Each year, retailers keep their sales consistent, offering the biggest bonuses and markdowns on the hottest, most sought after products of the year. Last year, retailers released a host of incredible discounts – and those specials were unveiled as early as November 9th. Some of the top deals shoppers scored included:

      • iPhone + Gift Card Offers: Customers who purchased an Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus received a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • Samsung Galaxy + Gift Card Offers: The popular Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8 Plus came with a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • PlayStation Bundle Discount: Buy a PlayStation 4 bundled with GranTurismo Sport and a virtual reality set for $100 off.
      • Nintendo Discount: The popular Nintendo Switch console with two controllers and a carrying case was priced at $299.
      • Xbox One X Discount: The Microsoft Xbox One X console with 1 terabyte of storage space was priced at $499.
      • Smart LED TV Discount: A Sharp 55” 4K Smart LED TV was discounted down to just $298.

    Shoppers went wild for these steals – and this year, you can expect Walmart to offer equally great deals for Black Friday.

    Black Friday Sales to Expect This Year

    It’s easy to predict what kinds of deals you can expect to see for Black Friday 2018. Each year, retailers tends to offer similar discounts and bundled packages on new smartphones, TVs, video games and consoles, and so many more tech products. Before retailers releases its 2018 deals in early November, here’s what we’re expecting to see on the list of deals:

    Smart Speakers

    Smart speakers have been some of the hottest Black Friday sellers in recent years, especially now that big names like Amazon and Google are essentially all-in on the connected home. Expect more of the same for shoppers in 2018, with lots of deals on Alexa and Google Assistant gadgets, smart thermostats from names like Nest and Ecobee, home surround sound smart speakers, connected lighting kits, video doorbells app-enabled robot vacuums… you name it.

    Smartphones + Gift Cards

    New iterations of both the iPhone and the Galaxy have been released, along with plenty of other popular smartphones from LG, Huawei, and more. One of the biggest draws Walmart offers year after year is a special on the most sought after smartphones – and for 2018, we can expect to see gift card offers equal to or better than last year’s deals. Expect to see the newest smartphones, from the iPhone XS and XS Max to the Galaxy S9 and Note 9, offered with a gift card of $300 to $350.

    These types of deals reoccur year after year, and they’re a safe bet at large retailers. If you’re planning on upgrading to a new phone or giving one as a gift, keep this in mind!

    Video Game Consoles

    Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, its sure to be a hot seller this year. The little hybrid console is primed for the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokemon Let’s Go! and Super Mario Party. Those big-name games will make the console a must-have for gamers this holiday season, so expect to see it discounted.

    For an example, last year retailers had deals including the console, a carrying case and a game for only $300. That’s the normal MSRP of the system, so the carrying case and game were simply all-upside! This year we expect to see similar sales at various retailers. The Super Smash Bros and Pokemon bundles of the Switch are likely targets for big sales. Both include unique docks and controllers based on the games that are bundled in! They’re both likely to be hot-ticket items this year.

    Microsoft and Sony also offer their Xbox and PS4 at $300, respectively. While we don’t expect to see these systems discounted any, it wouldn’t be surprising to see deals including games or controllers as bundles at $300. These sales are more desirable to retailers: they offer value to the consumer while not digging into the company’s profits. In fact, they could even help offload hardware like controllers or carrying cases while increasing traffic around the holidays.

    TV Deals

    You can also expect to see great discounts of TVs. Interestingly, TVs are one of the few things that hasn’t increased in price year over year with inflation. Instead, it’s more affordable than ever to get a big, flat-screen HD TV. That goes double during Black Friday sales when everything has huge discounts!

    Last year large retailers had 55-inch 4K displays as low as $300. Those kinds of prices were around $200-$300 off of MSRP. A lot of retailers even used those huge TV discounts as one of the biggest draws to shopping in their store during the huge holiday sales.

    As crazy as this sounds, you might even be able to pick up 4K Smart TVs for as little as $250 on Black Friday. These deals are sure to be red-hot to boot. Make sure you’re early in line to snag these deals! TVs are one of the fastest-moving items on sale during Black Friday. If you’ve been holding off on upgrading, this year is going to be a really good time to pull the trigger on an upgrade. Given the trajectory of large flat-screens, it’s likely that this year will have some of the lowest prices ever for them.

    There are sure to be dozens of more awesome deals to be found at major retailers this Black Friday. Ads indicating sale prices are usually out by mid-November, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for early indicators of the big deals this season!

    Laptop & Tablet Deals

    If you’re looking to pick up one of the best laptops or a new MacBook, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times to do fetch a winning deal. And, with this year’s celebration of shopping quickly approaching, you might want to gear up for the big day and see how you can ensure you only get the best price.

    Big name brands like Dell, Lenovo and HP should all see price drops for their range of laptops, both budget and high-end. Last year, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops saw liberal price cuts, and we hope to see similar slashing this year. They are two of the best laptops money can buy, so if you find those getting discounted on Black Friday, definitely consider purchasing them.

    Price cuts to Microsoft’s excellent range of Surface devices are also a common sight on Black Friday. Microsoft just announced the Surface Pro 6, and while Black Friday will be too soon for that new device to see price cuts, it means that its predecessor, the Surface Pro 2017, has a good chance of seeing some decent price cuts. Keep an eye out for the affordable Surface Go as well – we suspect Microsoft will make some prices cuts there as well.

    But, what about Apple? Apple’s MacBook notebooks don’t often receive sizable price cuts, but in recent Black Friday events we’ve seen some good price cuts emerging from retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama. If you don’t mind getting somewhat older MacBook hardware from a year or so ago, then you should be able to score yourself a neat MacBook deal on Black Friday. Finally the new iPad Pro was recently unveiled this year so Apple will undoubtedly have Black Friday deals for their most recent flagship product.