Smarthome

Podcast

Repairing iCloud Syncing — Mac Geek Gab 825

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

Should you update? That’s always the question, isn’t it, regardless of whether it’s hardware or software or both. This week John and Dave answer your questions about both, specifically when it comes to Apple’s offerings. That’s not all, of course. Your two favorite geeks roar through a tour of your questions, tips, and Cool Stuff Found, including segments on repairing iCloud syncing, backing up your music the right way, diagnosing CPU spikes, and more. Press play, and enjoy learning at least five new things, all while remaining perfectly socially-distanced!

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Wink: Give Us $5 Monthly Or Lose Access to Your Devices

Andrew Orr ·

Wink is a company that makes smart home devices, and it recently announced it will force customers to pay a US$5/month subscription or they will lose access to device functionality.

In order to provide for development and continued growth, we are transitioning to a $4.99 monthly subscription, starting on May 13, 2020. This fee is designed to be as modest as possible […] Should you choose not to sign up for a subscription you will no longer be able to access your Wink devices from the app, with voice control or through the API, and your automations will be disabled on May 13. Your device connections, settings and automations can be reactivated if you decide to subscribe at a later date.

1: I think that’s called extortion, or fraud at the very least. 2: Apparently Wink is owned by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, and has trouble paying its employees. Not that it’s relevant, I just haven’t heard either of those names in years.

Podcast

I Made a Loop – Mac Geek Gab 808

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

Are your fans blazing during those Zoom calls? Is your laptop plugged in more frequently now? Have an issue printing? How about choosing between NAS vs. USB-C drives? You’re in luck! These are just a sample of the questions your two favorite geeks answer during this week’s show. John and Dave then share some Cool Stuff Found, some tips, and more. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!

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iBaby Monitors Can be Exploited by Hackers

Andrew Orr ·

Parents using an iBaby Monitor M6S should be aware it has multiple security problems that open it up to hackers.

That means any ne’er-do-well can purchase an iBaby monitor and use it to access files from every iBaby monitor. Unbelievable? Believe it. For legal reasons, the Bitdefender researchers did not access data belonging to other real-world users. Instead, they set up a second test device and verified access.

TMO Deals

Turn Your Phone Into a Universal Remote and Control Multiple Smart Home Devices: $19.95

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on Hombli, a smart IR remote control that turns your iPhone or Android device into a universal remote for multiple smarthome devices. The Hombli acts as a hub, and you control it with a companion app. With it, you can access over 80,000 devices from popular brands including Samsung, Sony, and Philips, and you can use hands-free voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. This device is $19.95 through our deal.