Going to the effort of setting up a smart home just so you can turn your lights on and off from your phone may not seem like the best use of your time and resources, but with the right gear and apps you can put together some routines that really will impress family, friends and occasional Airbnb guests. Here are five of our favourites.

Google has a long history of introducing, then forgetting about, and finally officially killing off its products. Most recently, that included Google Spaces, a service that most of us never knew existed to begin with. Let's take a tour of some of our favourite services Google's killed off over the years.

Off-the-shelf gadgets are all well and good — easy to set up, reliable in operation, powerful and smart — but where's the adventure? We're living in a golden age of gadget-making, as these DIY projects prove. Save yourself some money and learn more about the ins and outs of electronics by tackling one (or more) of these yourself.

Some things just take too darn long. If you'd like to be more efficient at life's daily tasks, here are 10 tips that will have you living life like The Flash.

We could all use a little more time in the day, and your smartphone apps are here to help you. Plenty of the apps you use every day include handy timesavers that you might not have noticed yet, but fear not — we're here to point them out for you. Use these tricks to claw back some minutes or even some hours out of every day, time you can use for something more productive or enjoyable.

No one likes getting hacked, and it's generally true that the quicker you can spot something has gone awry, the better your chances of minimising the damage. These are the main warning signs to look out for, what they might mean, and some quick pointers about what you should do next.

You've opened up the Airbnb app or website with the intention of finding the perfect place to stay on your next trip - so how do you make sure you pick the right option out of what could be hundreds of possible choices? You want to avoid creepy hosts and rundown rooms. So here's how to to hunt down the perfect accommodation for you, not just the listing with the lowest price or the nicest photos.

Programming is one of the most valuable skills you can pick up in these modern times, whether for career prospects or to stretch your brain and create something awesome. If you're just getting started on your coding journey, here are ten tips and resources to set you off on the right foot.

You don't need a lot of time or even effort to upgrade your outdoor space. In fact, in an hour or less you could complete a project that will help turn your backyard or balcony into an impressive oasis. Here are 10+ ideas to consider.

Travelling home for Christmas almost always means that if you're the tech-savvy, computer literate one in the family, someone will ask you to look at their laptop, phone, or desktop. Head them off at the pass with this list of tips the next time you're home.

Some things in life -- such as fixing your own car or DIY home improvements -- might appear dangerous or risky, especially if you've never done them before or you tend to err on the side of caution. They also might be more doable than they look. Here are ten daunting things you probably likely can handle on your own.

You already know the common strategies for saving money: Automatically set aside a portion of your pay, stick to a budget, plan your purchases and so on. But there are also simple (if surprising) psychology tricks that can help us save even more. Here are ten such mind hacks.

Google isn't the only company creating useful apps for the web. There are plenty of great online resources not made in Mountain view, provided you know where to look. Here are 12 of our favourite online apps and websites that are worth collecting in your browser's bookmarks, ready to go at a moment's notice, to convert files, enhance photos, make GIFs, pick colours, transfer documents and more besides.

Free wi-fi is a windfall, especially if you're working from the library or airport, or if you just want to save data on your phone or laptop. Still, you do have to care about security when you're out and about. Here's how to surf safely, on any device.

Winter means getting sick for many of us. Whether you're battling an illness or trying to prevent it, here are a few things you can do to get through it like a champ.

So you've had Instagram for a while and you upload photos regularly, but nobody seems to care. No likes, no follows, and no comments. Boo. Give these tips a try, you sad instagrammer you.

Weight loss isn't easy (if it were, we wouldn't have a billion different diet plans and products to waste our money on). But even the smallest weight loss tricks or mind hacks can make a big difference when it comes to sticking to your diet or weight loss plan. Here are 10 such tricks you can easily incorporate today.

Using a computer means occasionally dealing with annoying, possibly disastrous problems like losing all your data if your hard drive crashes. Here are ten of the most common computer problems and how to deal with them.

We've scoured the web for the best controller shortcuts, media streaming tricks and other tips that will help you get the most out of your machine. Here are 10 tricks to turn you into an Xbox One master.