Get rid of the rat’s
nest! A wireless router
lets the whole family share
a broadband Internet con-
nection and keeps the tangly
tyranny of cables at bay.
Prices range from $40 to
$150. Popular brands:
Belkin, Cisco, Netgear.
Secure the
perimeter. Motion
sensors can trigger wireless
video cameras to record any-
one near your house; watch
the video online or get “event
alerts” by e-mail or text mes-
sage. Popular brands: Linksys,
Lorex, Sharx Security.
Lose the landline. Bad
reception on your cell? A
signal booster might fix that
and save you money. Popular
brands: AT& T, Verizon, Wi-Ex.
Keep dry. Water pipe
break while you’re on
vacation? Leak sensors can
alert you in time to save
floors and walls from exten-
sive water damage. Popular
brands: OnSite PRO, Protect-
ed Home, The Water Alarm.
Click a recipe.
Load cookbooks into
an e-reader—or keep a tiny
netbook computer on the
kitchen counter so you
can look up recipes from
Epicurious, BigOven, or
AARP. Popular brands: Asus,
Dell, HP, Kindle, Nook.
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9
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10
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NETWORK
YOUR LIFE
Making your home into a pad the Jetsons
would envy is easier than you think
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