How to beat wi-fi and DATA BLUES

Tips that can save you time and money in the long run

THE PANDEMIC has caused a new normal with many schools and businesses having moved online. This has made our wi-fi connectivity and data crucially important. Here are tips on how to make the most of your data while homeschooling and boost connectivity so data woes do not get in the way of education.

Place your router in an open space It should be in the centre of your house, if possible.

Configure it Configure your network’s administrator interface and make sure you set for optimum performance. If you have a dualband router, you’ll probably get better throughput by switching to the 5GHz band instead of the more common 2.4GHz band.

Put key devices on the 5GHz band Most home wi-fi routers are dual band. This means they broadcast signals on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Connect the most important devices to the 5GHz band – it’s faster and less congested. It has poorer range though, so you will need to be close to the router.

Download and avoid streaming Most major streaming services let you download shows and movies for offline viewing. If this is an option on your devices, take it. This will free up your network.

Check the programs needed Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and is often a requirement for school. Some companies offer some online programs and services free during the Covid-19 period. You may also need to download teleconferencing facilities such as Zoom. | IOL

Bathroom MAGIC

Step into a smart bathroom with these amazing gadgets

SMART showers, toilets, mirrors, toothbrushes, and even soap pumps – the options are endless. Here we list gadgets that will turn your bathroom into a smart one:

Oral B Power Toothbrush Smart 6000N The toothbrush connects with the Oral-B app in your smartphone and guides you with real-time feedback on how to brush your teeth better. It has a SmartRing that alerts you when you brush too hard.

Simplehuman 8 Oz. Sensor Pump The pump is an automatic soap dispenser that is hands-free so it doesn’t leave germs or smudges, providing clean and effortless soap dispensing. It senses the amount of soap desired by positioning your hand up close to the sensor for little soap and further away for more soap. It is rechargeable and one charge lasts up to 4 months.

Smart Bathroom Toilet Nightlight LED The nightlight has a motionactivated sensor, so as soon as you enter your bathroom the lights will turn on, it also has 8 colour emissions . Mirror Ihome ICVBT8 is a smart mirror that has full-colour lighting with high and low light settings. It has a Bluetooth, built-in MIC with Integrated media controls with talk/end button, and a USB port to charge your phone.

Smart BMI Scale The scale measures body weight and analyses body fat percentage like water, muscle mass, bone mass and protein. The scale allows you to track your family’s weight and health information through multiple accounts or profiles. Download the Gennec app on Apple Store and Google Play.

Best gadgets to turn your lounge into a smart living room MASABATA MKWANANZI

It’s the smart way to RELAX

IF YOU are thinking of turning your home into a smart home, the living room should be the first place to start since we spend most of our time there.

You probably have a few smart items already.

A lot of activities take place in the living room so turning it into a smart one is a great idea. Whether its gaming, family movie night, or simply binging on your favourite series, the living room is where its at.

There are several items that can make your living room smart. Here are some of the gadgets that can help you get started:

Alexa Alexa is a virtual assistant and it is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, sports, and giving other realtime information such as news. Alexa also controls several smart devices using itself as a home automation system. Saudio Smart Wi-Fi Bulb The Saudio smart light bulb works with Alexa, Echo and Google Home Assistant. You can control the light bulb using your voice. All you need to do is give a voice command to turn on/ off or dim/brighten your light.

SmartThings Wifi Smart Plug This plug makes your home instantly smarter. You can use it every day for small appliances and electronics. You can even use it to turn your lamps on and off through your SmartThings app on your phone or tablet. It also has a voice command that works with Bixby, Google Assistant and Alexa.

Smart TV If you are going to buy yourself a new TV in 2020, it should certainly be a smart TV. A smart TV has to have an internet connection and app support so you can stream services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and ShowMax.

Smart TVs offer ways to connect to smart home devices, even integrating with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant.

Cooking trends among MILLENNIALS

Welcome to the digital kitchen JENNY COOPER,

THE SMARTPHONE is becoming the ultimate souschef for millennials who are taking an I-want-to-do attitude into the kitchen. Twentyfive- to 34-year-olds prefer the culinary process as much as the finished dish: they want to dive into everything, experiment with new recipes, and learn new skills.

We’ve boiled the fragmented consumer journey down to three phases – the initial spark, preparation and cooking.

The spark phase The cooking journey starts with a spark—a curiosity about what to cook. They turn to search for help, and the top 100 food search terms tend to be broad (“dinner ideas”, “healthy recipes”, and “slow cooker recipes”, for example). Search interest for “best recipes” on YouTube is up 48% year over year.

The preparation phase Millennials have subscribed en masse to food channels on YouTube, and 75% of the growth in viewership is coming from cellpone devices. “How to cook that” is one of the 10 most popular how-to searches on YouTube.

The cooking phase In the kitchen, the am-Imaking-this-right moments strike, and millennials search for guidance. Questions like “What temperature to bake chicken?” are increasingly asked from cellphones, and 68% of millennial moms said that they also watch videos. More than likely the dinner guests are in the kitchen, too. This is helping millennials see cooking as an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends. | Cooper is the sales development manager: Food & Beverage, Google