Feedback Loop: Home automation, Chrome extensions and more
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week.
This week, we take a look at getting started with home automation, try to identify apps that drain our phone batteries, share our favorite Chrome extensions and discuss whether digital magazine subscriptions make sense. All this and more past the break!
Getting started with home automation
There are a variety of different protocols and services that allow you to remotely control lights, thermostats and locks throughout your home. From things like WeMo to Z-Wave, the world of home automation can be a complex and confusing place. Fortunately for us, there are people like Dignan17 in the world. He shares how he got started with home automation and his experience setting up Z-Wave devices. If you're looking for a new weekend project, this thread is for you.
How to identify battery-draining apps in iOS
Frank has a problem. Something is draining all the precious battery life from his iPhone 5s, however he doesn't know what the culprit is. Do you have any tips and tricks for finding those apps that like to snack on your power reserves for lunch? Help him out!
Favorite Chrome extensions?
I basically work inside a browser window all day, everyday. My go-to choice is Chrome because it's fast, flexible and the options to keep it in sync with my main Google account between various devices are pretty awesome. Because of this, I find myself downloading and using a lot of extensions. Here are a few of my favorites. What are yours?
Justifying digital magazine subscriptions
Both Apple and Google have made significant strides in getting traditional content publishers to use their digital newsstands. A quick look through either service reveals a large number of the most popular magazines around offering digital alternatives. Do you think digital magazines have finally arrived and is it worth it to pick up a subscription?
That's all this week! Do you want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
