Brothers in Tech

Although we have discussed automation and digital assistants in the past (see previous episodes), we haven’t discussed the actual process of setting up those automations to increase your home/life efficiency. In this episode of Brothers in Tech, the brothers walk through several examples of how to pair up some triggers and actions in both Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s HomeKit apps. Tune in to learn about the process, and hopefully spark some ideas of ways of bringing automation into your home. And, even though the “Let’s Rock” automation didn’t work for us at the end of the show…have no fear, we realized after the show what we did wrong (changed the set-up earlier in the show!). Brian = Facepalm.

Products/Apps mentioned in this episode: Amazon Alexa (Dot, Show), Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Ecobee, Hue, Kasa, Wyze, Wiz, WeMo, Atomi Smart

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Product Director/Consultant at Senaptec, Inc..

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer is here, and the time is right….to talk about A/C! You may be thinking that there have not been a lot of advancements in home climate control options, but the Brothers are here to make sure you are up to date on alternatives to the standard HVAC (which we now know what the letters stand for…). So, listen/watch to learn about some potentially more efficient options for not only cooling down your home this summer…but controlling your cooling system. Plus, you get to hear us brainstorm about how to solve Alan’s 3rd-floor cooling issues…as hearing about Alan’s problems is always fun.

System-types mentioned in this episode: Ductless/Mini-Split, Ceiling Fans, Window Units, HVAC

Products mentioned in this episode: Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Product Director/Consultant at Senaptec, Inc..

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As per Alan’s suggestion, we are going to give this a try… Well, if you were looking for an episode that will inspire you…this isn’t it. I mean, we really weren’t very good in this one. You could use the term “train wreck”, but that might just be an understatement. That being said, we did bring our monthly suggestions for you…ho hum. So go ahead and listen to it…if you are really bored.

Alan’s Picks

· News Explorer ($9.99 for MacOS version, $4.99 for iOS, included in SetApp). Sync your news stories across multiple devices, including RSS and Twitter feeds.

· WD My Book Live 3TB Personal Cloud Storage NAS ($154 on Amazon). You can set this hard drive up on your home network, and everyone can wirelessly back-up their files. Great pride for 3TB of storage!

Brian’s Pics

· Lepy Digital Amplifier ($31.99 Amazon). Have a pair of those “dumb” speakers that you would like to get some use out of? This inexpensive amp can put them to use.

· SoFi. The financial giant now has banking options. Earn up to 1.5% on checking and savings, get up to $300 for using direct deposit, and a lot of other perks. Plus, if you want a referral bonus, let Brian know!

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Interested in making your own website? The Brothers In Tech will discuss tools and tips for building your own website whether it be for personal or professional reasons. Learn about domain names, website building software, and other things to help you get your website up and running!

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Product Director/Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Although we think the days of creating and remembering hundreds of passwords are numbered, this is still very much a part of our day to day lives. So, how do you keep track of all of these passwords? In this episode of Brothers in Tech, the Brothers discuss the pros and cons of a variety of password management options. From sticky notes to biometrics…we have you covered! And, although you may still choose to use “password” or “12345” as your passwords, at least we will have a more secure way of managing them!

Products/Apps mentioned in this episode: LastPass, 1Password, Keeper, Dashlane, Apple Passkeys

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apple has made great strides over the past few years/software updates with their health and fitness monitoring. However, given that Apple doesn’t do a very good job of informing/educating their users of their features, it is likely that you are unaware of some of the great features that you have baked right into your phone. So…we figured we would do it for them! In this episode of Brothers in Tech, the Brothers discuss the features of Apple’s Health app…what it can do, and how to get the most out of it. Although we probably should have thought through the embarrassment of screen sharing our personal health and fitness stats in advance…we hope you at least enjoy a laugh at our expense. We hit the treadmill after the show…promise.

Products/Apps mentioned in this episode: Apple Health, Apple Watch, MyFitnessPal, Renpho Smart Scale

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s that time again…time for the Brothers to show off their tech suggestions! In this BiTs episode, we have a little bit of everything…hardware, accessory, & software…free, pricey, and even a techie way of giving to charity. And, as you watch/listen to the first part of the episode…don’t panic, Alan didn’t have to do the whole episode on his own. I mean, Brother in Tech doesn’t really have the same ring to it…

Alan’s Picks:

· Hunter Cavera Simple Connect Wi-Fi Fan with HomeKit (~$160 Amazon, $219 Home Depot): Smart ceiling fan that you can control (light and fan separately) with an app/voice assistant.

· Letterboxd (Free, $19/year for Pro): Social media for film and movie lovers! Keep track of the movies you have watched (or want to watch), suggestions from friends, etc. And, if this sounds familiar…yes, Alan is recycling BiTs here.

· BONUS PICK! Amazon Smile: Designate a portion (0.5%) your Amazon purchases to the charity of your choice.

Brian’s Picks:

· JASP Statistics Software (Free): Open source (but regularly updated) statistical software that is a nice free replacement for SPSS.

· Thule Gauntlet Sleeve/Case ($65 through Thule, $30 through B&H): Protective (semi-hard structure) sleeve/case for your laptop or tablet with compartments for charger & dongles.

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Although we love to talk about new technologies that we think you should consider, sometimes you need to give some love to the apps, devices, and services that have been around a while…especially when they have recently gained some new features. In this episode of Brothers in Tech, the Brothers each bring a couple of software/service updates that they are excited about. Whether to help you keep your hands on your mouse and keyboard while working, find the movie you are looking for, listen to TV in the car, or search for a green version of a dress that you like (Alan?)…these new features are worth checking out.

Brian’s Updates:

· Apple: Universal Control

· YouTube TV: Picture in Picture & enhanced Bluetooth audio capabilities

Alan’s Updates:

· Plex: Cross-service streaming search feature

· Google Search: enhanced image/integration search

· Google Docs: enhanced writing assistance

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Product Director/Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apple announced some new computers and features for their upcoming iPhone, iPad, and Mac software at their annual developer's conference... so the Brothers in Tech are here to talk about those announcements and what could make a difference in your computing life in the near future!

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and a survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Product Director/Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you ever have a need to use a computer platform other than the one that you own? Maybe you have a PC but like to occasionally dabble in Linux…or own a Mac but have a need to run a PC-only program? Well, you could go and buy a whole new second machine…or you could try and emulate that platform on your current machine. Computer emulators are programs that will use your current computer’s resources to experience other computer systems. In this episode of Brothers in Tech, Alan reviews the pros and cons of using an PC emulator on the Mac. And, spoiler alert…just to make it realistic, he has to restart the PC during the show.

Products mentioned in this episode: Parallels, VMWare Fusion, Bootcamp

Your Hosts:

Alan Jackson (the older Brother) is a producer of online content with Jackson Creative and survey researcher with Jackson Insight.

Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University and Consultant at Senaptec, Inc.

Have any feedback for the Brothers regarding this topic (or future topics)? Visit www.Brothers-In-Tech.com or email [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.