Operation Gadget
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What Do People Want from the AppleTV Box That Isn’t Already Possible? An AppleTV with Apple Intelligence
Reading Time: 4 minutes I’ve been meaning to address the issue of the future of AppleTV since WWDC. Right now I’m wondering if Apple is about to release AppleTV with Apple Intelligence? Coincidentally today Mark Gurman from Bloomberg and the PowerOn Newsletter asked the question that tees up my answer more than ever: The M-Series…
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RoboRock Q5 DuoRoller+ Does a Great Job for a Cat Family
Reading Time: 5 minutes A few weeks ago I bought a RoboRock Q5 DuoRoller+ robotic vacuum cleaner for my wife Kathleen’s birthday. This was not a surprise gift. We decided we needed to try using a robotic vacuum cleaner because we have five cats, including two that could easily be considered long-haired. For a number…
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Amazon-Branded Device Business Losses Estimated in the Billions of Dollars
Reading Time: 4 minutes A detailed report in The Wall Street Journal last week says that Amazon.com lost a massive amount of money in the Amazon-branded device business it developed over the years since it launched the first Amazon Echo in 2014. [ Subscription required to read The Wall Street Journal article on their website.…
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This Superdanny Power Strip Powers Everything Around Your Desk
Reading Time: 2 minutes My wife needs a way to charge her iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. She would like to have it take up only one wall outlet. I may have found a fantastic solution for her. It’s the Superdanny Power Strip with 22 outlets and 6 USB ports. She has a corner of…
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Logitech Circle View Video Doorbell Tech Support is Outstanding
Reading Time: 5 minutes We’ve had a Logitech Circle View Video Doorbell installed at my house since January 2021, which is a long time for a doorbell compatible with Apple Home. Like many other HomeKit users, I’ve run into a few technical issues with the Logitech Circle View Doorbell, mostly early in 2021. But this…
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NameDrop in iOS is not a Security Risk
Reading Time: < 1 minute This NameDrop controversy that took place on Facebook earlier this week is one of the most misunderstood technical issues I’ve seen in a long time. Contrary to all of these posts from official sounding police-related Facebook pages, it’s not really a security risk. NameDrop is useful if you want to…
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Video Doorbells that Fully Support HomeKit Secure Video
Reading Time: 2 minutes Since I rebooted Operation Gadget, I have promoted video doorbells that fully support HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV). They are an important security measure for a Smart Home in the Apple ecosystem. This is because the dominant video doorbells in the market are made by Ring, a subsidiary of Amazon.com. I discuss…
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Were Ring Customers Victimized by a Ransomware Gang?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Joseph Cox at Motherboard reported that a ransomware gang claims to have broken into the cloud-based data compiled by Ring. Ring video doorbells and security products are commonly installed in Smart Homes that are compatible with Alexa. There is now some debate about whether the claim by the cyber gang behind…
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Upgrading from eero or eero Pro to a Newer eero
Reading Time: 2 minutes After I wrote A Mesh WiFi Network is Important to Apple Home Success, I started reading the /r/amazoneero subreddit a lot more carefully. Here’s a good question: I got an Eero Pro and 3 Beacons just about three years ago. Starting to do a little research about what I might get…