Podcast #1040: Hackable DIY Home Security, LED Bulbs, and Streaming Boxes are Here to Stay

This week we discuss how vulnerable your DIY Home Security System is. We help you with your LED bulb buying and give you three reasons why the HT Guys feel that set top streamers are not going anywhere soon. Plus we read your email and the week's news.

News:

• Epson Releases Its Most Advanced Laser Projector To Date
• Sony's A95K QD-OLED TV might be cheaper than expected
• Important change to your Prime membership

Other:

• Booze & Vinyl
• Join the Neat Exchange - Social Media for Whiskey Drinkers
• Ara's Woodworking
• Join the Flaviar Whisky Club and get a free bottle

Ring, SimpliSafe, and Three Other DIY Home Security Systems Vulnerable to Hacking

If you've seen the latest Scream movie, you might be haunted by the scene of the killer disabling a home security system to get inside a victim's house. (Warning: the trailer is chilling.) The portrayed attack method is highly unlikely to happen in real life, but the scary scene might make you wonder just how tamper-resistant your own home security system is. And that's a legitimate concern. Full article here…

5 things you need to know before buying LED bulbs

If you haven't switched to LED bulbs, now is the time. The reasons why are compelling. For starters, LED bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs, and they put out the same amount of light using significantly less energy. That's great for the environment, and it can save you money on your electricity bill in the long term. Full article here…

Three Reasons a Set Top Streamer will not be Replaced by a Smart TV

We read an article about the CEO of Roku saying that the company isn't ready to give up on dongles: Company executives told reporters and analysts that streaming adapters remain a key part of the company's business, despite reports of consumers increasingly migrating to smart TVs for their binge-watching needs.

He was responding to a recent report from streaming analytics company Conviva, which detailed that the global usage of streaming adapters had fallen for the first time in Q4 of 2021, while smart TVs continue to see double-digit usage growth.

Here are the three reasons the HT Guys feel the streamer isn't going anywhere.

1. A consistent experience - you may have multiple TVs in your house made by different manufacturers. Using an external device keeps the experience consistent across manufacturers.
2. Technology changes fast - you spent your hard earned money on a TV two years ago and now want to stream the latest 4K content from Netflix. Turns out to get the best resolution Netflix updated their software with better compression. Only a setup box or TV made in the last six months has the processing power to decode the new algorithm. As a result you get the lower resolution version of the program even though your TV can display the 4K picture in all it's glory.
3. Applications - There are far more applications developed for streamers. There are a lot of local, national, and global news stations with apps that simply are not available on smart TVs. Many will never be available.

In a strategic shift, Roku plans to make its own TV sets