Justin R. Meats

One of the fun parts of a smart home is thinking of new ideas to simplify things. I created the following list of smart home conveniences and automations we have set up in our house using Samsung SmartThings and Alexa. Hopefully, sharing my list will give someone else an idea for their home. I plan to add to this list over time and Iwrote a Smart Home Products article about the hardware that enables this list.

As someone who exclusively worked from home for several years, was homeschooled K-12 and still works from home occasionally, I thought I'd share some tips for being productive while working and learning from home. I work with several coworkers who work remotely, and I am an advocate for working from home. With the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, we all need to do our part and restrict physical interactions. Working from home is easier for some of us than others, but done correctly, working from home can be more productive.   

According to PEW Research's Book Reading Survey from 2021 , 75% of Americans have read a book in the last 12 months, and the typical (median) American reads 5 books per year, with 42% reading digital books. For a long time, I was lucky if I read one book in a year. In 2018, with the process I outlined below, I read 51 books, and since then, I have read 30+ books every year. This post shares that process and some background on how it came together.