Home automation? What is that? Do I need to know what it is? Home automation is awesome! Dale Dumbs It Down is going to share some of our favorite principles with Home automation. What we’re going to cover in this article are just the basics you need to know when it comes to home automation and some of the guiding principles we use when it comes to getting started. These core ideas apply to just about everything home automation. If you’re just getting started, then these principles will be good to go over and be mindful of as you select home automation devices. If you’re already building out your smart home, this may still spark some new ideas and how to make your home automation gameplan even better!
Home Automation: Where Do I Begin?
While smart home tech has definitely improved and is much more accessible in recent years, it’s still a bit of a conundrum for some people and there’s a lot of noise out there on what to do. Unfortunately, a lot of that information is wrong, by the way. More likely than not, you’ve most likely been inundated with ads, commercials, and advice on the hundreds of choices for smart outlets, smart lightbulbs, smart vacuums, smartphones, smart locks, smart thermostats…everything! How are you supposed to know? In another post, we’ll dive into some of our favorite smart home devices, but until then we want to dish on some of the principles to follow before you even think about home automation.
Basic Principles With Home Automation
One of the most valuable pieces of information we can give you is to have a game plan based on principles before you start diving into smart devices. It is not uncommon for some people to be into a smart home setup 10-15 devices where only a handful of them communicate with each other. The last thing you want is to have your Amazon echo control some devices, while your Google Assistant controls another set of devices. You might be chuckling at this, but it does happen.
Principle #1 – Make A Plan
This isn’t always as easy as you think, but don’t just start buying the first smart device for your home without having some kind of an idea or plan. Are you a Google Home fan? What about Amazon? Do you already have a basic setup now? Think about what you want. And don’t just fall for the price as a reason to buy something. One of the biggest mistakes people make with smart home devices is buying cheap. Just don’t. You want the best. Think about the functionality and features in your home that you’d like to automate to save energy, save time, avoid effort, or make your life easier. Smart plugs are a must. We think every room in your house needs at least one. Smart televisions…yeah…they’re awesome. Another must-have: Smart thermostats. They control your heating and cooling costs in your house and do some incredible monitoring to optimize heating and cooling. Smart lights that know how to turn themselves on and off when the house is empty are fun little devices. Smart locks are just awesome because you never know when you are going to accidentally leave the door unlocked on your way out. The point is: Have a plan. If you already have Google Home devices, you’ll want to make sure the smart devices are compatible with Google Assistant. Like Amazon Echos..stick with that. A great way to start is to list what devices you want and then map out what that will look like.
Principle #2: KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)
It’s cliche, but we don’t care. Keep it simple stupid. No matter what you do, smart home tech should be adding to your user experience and making your life easier. It should never make something more difficult or cumbersome to do than the non-smart home method. If using smart home devices is making your life a living hell, you’re doing it wrong. And you won’t be the only person frustrated. Your family will be frustrated as well if you tell them that they have to stop using the wall switch and instead have to use their smartphone to turn something on or off. If you have to use 10 apps to use 10 devices…yeah…you’re doing it wrong. A good smart home adds functionality and application on top of what you already do every day. Smart devices should augment your day-to-day life, not add more drama to it. And another tip: don’t be afraid to start over. Yes, you probably will already have invested some decent amount of cash, but you’d be surprised how many people will buy used smart devices on eBay. Don’t be afraid to reboot.
Principle #3: Don’t Be Married To One Brand
Versatility in the brands you choose isn’t a bad idea. Keep your options open. The first thing to understand is that you don’t have to stick with just one brand. Just because you have a Nest Security Camera doesn’t mean you need to use all Nest products. You can mix and match these devices, but you need to make sure they all support at least one common platform. What does that mean? This means you have to do your research, make a plan (principle #1), and decide what platforms are important to you to support. Do you want voice support? Do you like to utilize the app interfaces? Are you interested in Alexa, Google, or Siri? Knowing these answers will help you narrow down your options. Do you already have an existing network of smart devices? Then make sure each smart device works natively or can tie into something like IFTTT (If This Then That). This is why we highly recommend buying products that support as many platforms as possible. There are devices that support Alexa, IFTTT, Google, and HomeKit right out of the box. Versatility is key.
Principle #4: Your Security Matters
This cannot be understated enough. Security should be the highest priority with smart home automation. When you’re using some of these major platforms you’re going to be giving away a lot of data about your family. Plain and simple. That’s the trade-off. Make sure you’re buying into a company you trust. Do your research. Do a simple search “Wzye security issues” or something similar. Read through their privacy policy and make sure your data is getting handled in a way you’re comfortable with. Make sure the brands have an action plan when or if there is a security breach. It is on them to notify you when your data is compromised. And it happens. Some of the largest corporations have had major data break-ins. Not that that’s an excuse BUT those companies have an action plan. As a result of T-Mobile’s latest security attack, they offered all of their customers a free subscription to an identity theft service. There are some platforms like Home Assistant which are self-hosted and completely in your control. Your data remains your own. This is awesome. With other services that’s definitely not the case. And very much related to that, not all devices are created equal when it comes to cyber security. Some may have old software that has security holes that hackers can take advantage of (another tip…perform regular hardware and software updates…it’s worth it!). We also talked about locking down your Google Assistant here.
Dale Dumbs It Down Can Help With Home Automation
There are so many other principles to operate from when doing home automation. And home automation is not basic by any means. It is a concept that can be as simple as you want it OR it can be very complex with literally a hundred devices connected to your personal life. One thing for sure is when first getting into home automation pay attention to having a plan, keeping it simple, being versatile in the brands you choose, and most importantly… making security a major priority. If you have any questions about home automation or how to set up your devices to make it the best smart home, follow us at Dale Dumbs IT Down for more smart home tips.
Do you know what your teens are doing on TikTok? As a parent, you should.
This guide will help you navigate through the relationship your teen is having with this popular app. What do parents really need to know about TikTok? After shattering download and usage records, TikTok is one of the most-used apps among young people. According to Comscore, 32.5% of its US user base is between the ages of 10 and 19.
In fact, it is believed that young people ages 4 to 15 have spent on average 80 minutes per day on the app! If those TikTok stats weren’t jaw-dropping, those usage stats should be. The chances of your teen either seeing something on TikTok or having the app is pretty high. Do you know what your teens are doing on TikTok?
5 Simple Ways To Talk To Your Teen About TikTok
There are so many ways and parenting advice how-tos for having conversations about life with your teen. Some of those advice tips are great and some of them are not so great. Parenting around TikTok can be rough, especially if the app is already ingrained in the social fabric of our teens’ lives. Have no fear. DDID is here to help! These are just some of the easy and effective approaches that work and will have results. Remember: You’re not going to create this amazing culture of communication and openness in a day. This might take time. Be patient. Try one for the next week and then add another a week later until you’ve hit that desired environment where TikTok isn’t the enemy.
Here are 5 simple ways to talk to your teen about TikTok:
Be Transparent
If you’re going to set limits, restrictions, monitoring, a responsible thing to do as a parent is to let your teen know! Privacy is important to them and if you’re monitoring their behavior without them knowing, they may feel betrayed and/or lose trust in you. Back in the day, we HATED parents who would read our journals. The problem is those journals didn’t impact us the way smartphones and apps do. Explain to your teen why you’re putting on limits and monitoring. Let them know it’s not to make sure they aren’t doing anything bad, but the goal is to protect them. They may not understand this concept, but come up with some examples of how these limits and restrictions can help them.
Set Healthy Screen Limits With TikTok
This is a hard one for parents to manage. Many pediatricians recommend that teens and children are active at least 15 minutes for every hour of screen time. Some parents use screen time as digital currency whereas if they want to unlock 15 more minutes of TikTok time, they need to go outside and exercise for 15 minutes, do the dishes, or do some other chore for 15 minutes. This is an effective hack to make your teen really aware of time because they tend to lose track of when using apps. So how much time? Most pediatricians recommend limiting overall screen time to two hours a day, not including school work and activities. But again…understand the purpose of that time as well. There are a lot of cool things on TikTok, constructive videos, how-to videos. If your teen and their friends are learning to cook a cake and they’re streaming through 30-40 minutes of those kinds of TikToks (the educational time), that may not count towards their overall two-hour limit. Set healthy TikTok limits within the context of what they’re consuming.
Talk About The TikTok Media and Videos They’re Consuming
The simple act of just talking to your teen is one of the most undervalued parenting hacks. Oftentimes, you’ll be able to pick up on something wrong or what’s bothering them with simple conversations. Don’t overthink this either! It’s easy. Start with: “So I noticed you spent a lot of time today on TikTok? Find anything funny or worth sharing with me?” Or “Did you see that Clothes Line Dance on TikTok yet? It is awesome!” This might require you to actually be part of the universe your teen is living in, but that’s what parenting is all about. It’s about connection and helping your teen make sense of their identity and their world.
Create An Open Environment For Discussion
The number one rule with parenting TikTok: Never trigger shame. If your teen is using and consuming media, it’s not a matter of if, but when they’re going to see or hear something inappropriate. The question you should ask is: How do I want them to respond when that moment arrives? When I’m not there. Do you want them to hide it? Or do you want them to talk to you about it? The best way to create an open environment is to talk about moments where we’ve made mistakes or been involved in these uneasy moments and what we did. It comes back to some of these other parenting tips: just talking and being involved.
Be Involved
As mentioned above, this little advice hack can do wonders with parenting TikTok. This doesn’t mean you have to download TikTok and follow the same users and subscribe to the same feeds as your teen. But encourage your teen to share what they’re looking at with you. Watch some videos together. Laugh together. Cry together. What will happen is your teen will know you’re not a threat. This tip also has another dual-layer that accompanies it, as you become involved in their world you’ll pick up on the little nuances of their tech environment. Many times the apps we use will roll out updates that will have an impact on its users. Personal information, facial recognition data storage, access to cameras and mics, new ways feeds are displayed and shared, etc. are a handful of these ways. Being involved will help you stay ahead of the curve, so you’re being proactive instead of reactive.
Remember The Goal Of Parenting Around TikTok
Trying to navigate through these waters of parenting in a tech world is not easy. Just remember: making these little adjustments and having these good conversations will not happen immediately. It’s going to take time to create a culture where your teen learns to leverage technology and media for good. You might be in a situation where technology is controlling your family. We feel your pain. Welcome to the club! Welcome to parenting in the 21st century. Join the millions of parents out there trying to find a better way.
Just by trying, you’re making an impact. The entire goal in all of this, whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Fortnite, or Call Of Duty, is to work WITH technology so that it can empower our lives. We can do that through effective communication with our teens where we build a culture in our homes of openness, happiness, and empowerment.
Parental controls for the Oculus Quest? They don’t exist, but we have a few steps to make sure your family is protected while using this VR device.
If you just purchased your family an Oculus Quest One or Two, you could have just handed them a web browser and device with absolutely zero content filtering options and no parental controls. What could go wrong? We searched and searched for parental controls built into the software for the Oculus Quest, and…they don’t exist. The Oculus Quest doesn’t currently have any built-in web filter or parental controls by default, and for parents, that’s gotta be a little concerning. We wanted to create this guide to show you the best available methods for blocking and filtering explicit content on the Oculus Quest. We’ll cover what you can do as a parent in the browser settings, Facebook settings, the Oculus app, and your home environment.
Oculus Quest Browser Parental Settings
One of the most important and crucial parental control settings is the Oculus web browser. Every Oculus Quest has a fully functional web browser that cannot be disabled. There are some ways to uninstall it with SideQuest, but it is not recommended and can wreck your entire system. Worse, the web browser has no content filtering by default. To implement this content filter, you’re going to have to jump into the Oculus headset and change a few settings. If you’ve never jumped into a VR headset before, we recommend you play around in the VR environment to get familiar with the way the VR ecosystem works. It can be tricky at first, but you should be able to pick up on it fairly quickly. Once you’re inside and feel comfortable with the headset, you’re going to be met with a virtual environment. Don’t hesitate to ask your kids for help if you need it.
From here, on your RIGHT controller, you want to hit the button that has the Oculus logo on it. This will bring up the Oculus menu.
Once you’re in the menu, you will want to click on the Apps tab and go into Browser. This will pull up the Oculus browser.
You’re going to change some settings here to make it safe. First and foremost, you’re going to go over to the triple dots, click on those and go into settings.
Leveraging Your Google Account For Parental Control
As a side note, you may have to sign in to your Google account to perform this content filtering option.
Once you’re inside the settings in the Oculus browser, you’re going to make sure the default search engine is set to Google.
Exit out of this tab by clicking little X. Go into the Search settings in your Google account and make sure you have “Safe Search” checked on.
What does this do? You do this because “Safe Search” is Google’s default content filter, which filters out explicit content like pornography. If you have this checked on, it should filter out many pornographic sites and graphic content. So, anyone that uses the Oculus Quest headset won’t be able to access questionable content. Again, this is not a perfect content filter. There are obviously a thousand other ways to access explicit content, but this is literally one of the best ways we could find to keep the bad things off of your Oculus web browser. Once you have “Safe Search” turned on, go down to the very bottom of the page and hit “Save.”
Oculus Quest Parental Control At The Wi-Fi Router Level
Leveraging Google is most likely not enough protection, so there are a couple of other workarounds you can do to prevent your child from being exposed to explicit content on the web via the Oculus Quest device. If you have a Wi-Fi router that was set up using an application on your smartphone, then most likely, that router has some sort of content filtering method built right into it. For example, on a Google Nest Router, there is a setting that, when toggled ON, blocks all adult websites and as much explicit content as Google could possibly think of. But if your Wi-Fi doesn’t have a setting like this, you can always call your internet service provider and ask them about the content filtering options they have available. You can get similar parental control features as the Google Nest Router by also using Firewalla or the Eero Mesh Wi-Fi. As a general best practice for parenting controls for your internet and devices connected to your network, we highly advise investing in one of these awesome mesh Wi-Fi routers. Not only do you get an optimized signal throughout your home, but you can also set up some effective filtering settings.
Enhanced Facebook Settings For Oculus Quest Parental Controls
Another key component to parental controls for the Oculus is the settings on the Facebook profile you’re using for your Oculus Quest headset. You are required to sign in with a Facebook account with your Oculus device. And again, it is possible to see explicit content on Facebook. We’re going to cover a handful of settings and recommendations we’d suggest making that could potentially help prevent your children from seeing explicit content on Facebook and will add another layer of protection when using this VR device. Aside from protecting your family from explicit content, these recommendations are also going to prevent your child from being preyed upon by people who use platforms like Facebook and VR chat rooms to find vulnerable children. It’s sad, but it happens.
Use Oculus Quest to sign in with your Facebook account.
Unfortunately, you will need to have a Facebook account with your Oculus Quest. This means either you or your child will have to create a Facebook account and sign in to use your Oculus Quest. Again…if you’re smart, as a parent, you will use your own Facebook account so you can monitor and control access. Warning: Do NOT make a fake Facebook account. There have been some reports that people who do this have had their Oculus Quest disabled. When this happens, you lose all of your purchases with no chance of getting a refund or getting them back. When games you purchase range from $15 to $30, that’s a hefty price tag just to create a fake account, which doesn’t provide any privacy advantages anyway. The best recommendation would be to use your personal Facebook account when setting up the Oculus Quest. Make sure the following settings are implemented. You can either do this through the Facebook mobile app or on the desktop. Navigate to the Privacy Settings tab and make sure as many things as possible are either set to “Only Me” or “Disabled.” The most important section to make sure everything is set to “Only Me” is the “How People Find and Contact You” section. You should definitely spend a bit of time looking through these various settings and getting to know what they mean and how they affect your account.
Enhanced Parental Control Settings In The Oculus App
In the Oculus Quest app, go to the settings by clicking on the top left-hand corner. Once you’re in the privacy settings, make sure that “Activity” is set to “Only Me,” your friend’s list is set to “Only Me”, your Facebook name is set to “Only Me”, and Activity Status + Push Notifications is set to “Only Me.” Now, you’re probably thinking, ‘I’m going to be a ghost on Facebook after making these adjustments.’ And you’d probably be right. But until we get built-in parental settings in the Oculus Quest environment, we will have to resort to these secondary measures to make sure we get optimal or adequate parental controls. And don’t forget, you can change these settings later. But if you’re looking for the safest and most private settings on the Oculus Quest, you’ll want to implement these.
Research Gaming Content Before You Buy
Games are another access point for potential threats and explicit content on the Oculus Quest. First off, there are a ton of great games available through the Oculus Quest store and even some indie stores like App Lab and SideQuest. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of possibility and wonder when it comes to VR gaming. But that also means enhanced threats from the dangers lurking. As of now, most of the major sources for Oculus Quest games all have a very strict no adult content policy. But who are we kidding? You need to be aware that there are game ratings for VR games as well (Mature, Teen, Everyone 10+ and Everyone). Even with those strict no adult content policies, there are still games and apps which allow people to share explicit content in-game. To keep your family safe, be sure that when you set up the headset, you install the Oculus App on your mobile device and enable the “Purchase Pin.” What this does is all purchases will require that a pin be used. Not only will this save you money from unwanted purchases, but it’ll also allow you to know all the apps and games being installed on the Oculus Quest headset. Again, a simple and quick additional layer of control. If you don’t currently have the pin setup or you didn’t set up the headset using your smartphone, don’t worry just download the Oculus app and set up the headset with it.
Be Smart. Be Aware
There are a couple of other things you can do outside of an app or some setting in the software. Talk to your kids about how they’re using the Oculus Quest device. You’ll be surprised by what revelations and intuitions you have just by simply talking to your kids about their tech habits. Another level of protection is to dedicate an area in your house where the Oculus Quest can be played. Now, this might be a little difficult at first because your family may want to watch some movies or engage in educational VR content (thank you Amazon Prime VR!). It can be uncomfortable or difficult doing that with a lot of people around. But…having a dedicated space in the home (like a commons area) where the Oculus Quest VR can be played or used is an effective parenting hack.
What Does DDID Use?
Great question; I finally came up with a system that is the best solution for our home. Not only did I use the above settings for my teen son, but I also use a Firewalla device. This device allows me to control when a device has internet access (I have rules to turn off the Oculus at 10 pm on weekdays and 11 pm on weekends), I’m able to block YouTube, Netflix, any video streaming, and I can either drop all social media connections or get specific. The Firewalla is used for all our devices to help keep our network protected and safe. The Oculus Quest also has a feature that will cast what the player is playing/doing to a TV. The DDID family requires that this feature be turned on so;
We can watch what our kids are playing/doing.
We can watch what our kids are playing/doing It’s psychological. People, in general, will make better choices knowing that someone might be watching.
Again, no content filter is perfect. Kids are smart. Kids can find a way. They can be really good at circumventing any measure you put in place to protect them. Even in the safest VR apps, your child could still be exposed to vulgarity or inappropriate actions of others. That is why one of the best things you can do as a parent to keep your child safe in a VR environment is to jump in and play with them.
Engage in their world. Be part of it. Be an active parent. Not a helicopter parent, but one who is smart and aware of what’s happening in their child’s lives. This is the best and safest method for you as a parent to know exactly what your child or loved one is experiencing in virtual reality.
We love it because we can send a message to someone across the world within seconds. We hate it because 99% of the time, other people can read our emails too. An email has been one of the most successful communication tools in history, but they too can put you and your data at risk.
Here are five tips on how you can make sure you’re not one of the next email heists.
1. Don’t click on suspicious links
If it seems out of place or doesn’t seem like an actual legit link, don’t click! You know this! You’ve heard it many times! But, we still get socially engineered by the email header, and we click that link. And please teach your kids not to click on any link embedded in an email without checking with you first.
2. Use 2-Factor Authentication
Hackers and even just curious or snoopy people will use a “Forgot Password” option to get into someone’s account. You can avoid this by enabling 2-Factor Authentication. In geek speak, we call it 2FA. Honestly, enable 2FA with every account or service that supports it like Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, etc. 2-Facto Authentication adds an extra layer of security to your device, preventing hackers and those who shouldn’t be snooping into your business from getting into your accounts.
3. Enable a passcode or thumbprint on your devices
I know this sounds like another annoying step you have to do, but I promise it’s worth it in the end. If you have a passcode on your device, that means even if someone takes your phone, tablet, or computer and types in your password, they won’t be able to get into the Gmail account that is linked to it. If the device allows you to use a thumbprint or facial recognition, use it. My oldest daughter says all she wants to be left to her in my will is my thumb! She’s my Minnie-me and once she gains access to my accounts, believe me, she’ll know how to use the data and content to her advantage. Yes, I’ve taught her well!
4. Don’t open emails from people you don’t know but most importantly teach your kids not to.
Emails and texts that say ‘click here to see what you just won’ are tempting to kids, let alone us adults who’ve fallen for the gimmick ourselves a time or two. Unknown links are phishing attempts sent by others trying to access your account. A simple rule is to don’t click or even open an email from anyone you don’t know, and you should be good.
5. Avoid malicious bots by changing your password regularly on email
Bots are computer programs that operate repetitive activities or tasks over the internet. They are quickly becoming the main source of internet traffic. I read a report recently that estimated more than half of the web traffic is originating from bots. Bots are more sophisticated today than they were just yesterday and will be more sophisticated tomorrow than they are today. Of course, not all bots are bad, but we’ll discuss that another time.
Harmful bots are out there maliciously trying to use different passwords to access each website you go to, and spambots are out there posting spam all over the internet to include detrimental emails.
