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Roku's star button changes function depending on context: on the home screen it offers options like removing or rating apps, while during video playback it opens a sidebar for adjusting image quality, captions, volume mode and sleep timers. Pressing the star button four times quickly also toggles a text-to-speech screen reader accessibility feature on supported Roku devices in the US.
An explainer on home networking details why flat Ethernet cables underperform compared to round ones: their wire pairs sit side by side instead of twisted together, offering less protection from interference, and they typically use thinner wire gauge, which increases electrical resistance over distance. The report also notes flat cables are often routed under rugs or doors, where bending and compression can damage the thinner wires inside.
A report describes an upcoming Apple feature called HomeView, aimed at improving how users control smart home devices. The coverage frames it as a response to long-standing complaints about cluttered apps and intrusive ads in existing smart home software.
A how-to guide highlights OpenSpeedTest, a web-based tool that measures local network speed separately from internet speed, helping users determine whether slow performance stems from their router or their ISP. The guide contrasts this with standard tools like speedtest.net, fast.com, and the Orb speed test, which typically measure only overall connection speed.
A smart-home explainer describes why Wi-Fi-connected accessories often stop functioning when the internet or router fails, since they typically rely on cloud servers for instructions and scheduling. It recommends using local hubs instead, such as HomePods, Apple TVs, or Zigbee- and Thread-based bridges like the Philips Hue Bridge, which can store and run automations without an active internet connection.
Android Auto, the Google interface normally projected onto a car's dashboard display, can be run on an old Android tablet using third-party receiver apps instead of an actual vehicle. The phone handles all the processing, so even an aging tablet that struggles with regular apps can display Android Auto's simplified maps, music and messaging layout.
A tech writer reports choosing the Google Pixel Tablet over Apple's still-unreleased HomeView smart home hub for daily household use. The comparison centers on the Pixel Tablet's versatility as both a tablet and a docked smart display, which the writer says already covers the role Apple's hub is expected to fill.
A tech advisory piece explains why home Wi-Fi speeds often fall short of advertised ISP speeds, citing interference, signal degradation through walls, and bandwidth overhead from multiple connected devices. It recommends using wired Ethernet connections for devices needing consistent high performance, while reserving Wi-Fi for mobile devices and smart home gadgets that lack Ethernet ports.
A newsletter edition profiles Katie Zacharia over a five-day tour and compiles several unrelated consumer and culture items, including advice on the risks of accepting family money to buy a home, an update on redesigned Halloween candy, and a look at how 'The Traitors' has attracted younger viewers to the reality-competition genre.
Katie Zacharia, a Minneapolis City Council member, publicly projected confidence in her position, but within less than an hour she was removed from her role. Separately, Rep. Ilhan Omar is disputing the legality of a search conducted at her home.
A CNET home-security tester recommends four categories of DIY devices to secure a front door and porch: smart locks, video doorbells, and two additional unnamed tools covered later in the piece. The locks offer remote control, temporary guest passes, digital wallet keys, keypads or fingerprint readers, and auto-locking, while video doorbells provide smart alerts about porch activity. All the recommended gear is self-installable and doesn't require a monitored security subscription.
In episode 086 of 9to5Mac Overtime, hosts Jeff Benjamin and Fernando Silva discussed Apple's purported smart home refresh, covering a $299 device called Apple HomeView, a HomePod mini 2, an updated Apple TV 4K, and an Apple Home Collection product line. The episode was sponsored by case maker Rokform, which is offering a discount code tied to upcoming iPhone models.