News, Trends and Tips

digitaltrends.com If your connected home is anything like ours, it’s littered with USB chargers, backup batteries, and other powered items. If only your electrical outlets were equipped with USB ports, life would be far less cluttered! Thankfully, you’ll find USB-enabled power outlets available at your local, big-box store, as well as online retailers like Amazon. Upgrading an existing outlet is a straightforward job for the most part, but you may be apprehensive about working with electrical wiring. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to install a USB outlet. Before we get started, an important warning: Regulations governing electrical work...

Village News Oftentimes, buying a home opens up a bottomless pit of opportunities for projects and improvements. While some homeowners engage in different repairs and fix-ups out of necessity, many others like to freshen-up their spaces out of personal preference instead of need. But even the most well-intentioned projects can be waylaid if budgets are tight. What many homeowners may not realize is that there are many ways to make updates and changes to a home that do not require a major overhaul or a large price tag. The following are seven projects that won’t break the bank. Move around...

FamilyHandyman.com In today's information age, a massive amount of information is being pushed through our coaxial cables, leaving very little room for error. Here are 23 tips to improve TV reception and internet speed. Use the Proper Coaxial Cable It's important to install the proper cable. RG-6 ('RG' is an old military term for Radio Guide/Grade) is the industry standard, but there are other considerations. Use this chart to help determine which cable is best for the job. Roll Out Coaxial Cable If you lay a spool of cable on its side and start pulling cable off it, the cable...

LifeWire.com | Ron Fritz Phone jack installation is one of the basic wiring jobs homeowners can do. Home automation applications may include installing phone extensions in additional rooms or installing a second phone line in the house. Automation enthusiasts continually look for ways to make their homes more convenient, and installing additional phones is one of the ways they do it. Before getting started, map out where in the house that the phone jack should be. Consider where any desks or tables might sit so that you can avoid having wires stretched to their limits or hanging between desks. Types of Home Telephone Wiring...