I’ve encountered many home phone services since first writing this guide to replace your landline. I figured it was time to update the information for those looking to save a little money on their home phone service. Typically, cable providers bundle home phone service into a “Triple Play” package with internet and cable TV service. [Continue Reading]
Other Technology
Upgrade Roku Audio with Sonos Surround Sound
I recently decided I wanted to add surround sound to my cord cutting solution. Up until now, I was using the default audio on my TCL Roku TV. The sound was adequate, but I was looking for an upgrade. My Sonos Surround Sound System Before I get into why I picked Sonos over the myriad [Continue Reading]
A Solution To This Couch Potato’s Lower Back Pain
We generally cover cord cutting, affordable internet access, and other related topics here at Grounded Reason. However, I was recently approached by the inventor of a new wearable medical device designed to alleviate lower back pain. They gave me a demo device and asked me to try it out. Writing for Grounded Reason, I tend [Continue Reading]
IT Skills to Learn on Your Own
Through the blog, I’ve had quite a few readers ask for career advice in Information Technology. Today, I’ll share a bit of my experience on what it takes to start a career in IT. Furthermore, I’ll tell you how to do it on your own without having to spend a lot of money on training. [Continue Reading]
Save Money Shopping Online with Butterfly Saves
I started Grounded Reason to help people save money by getting rid of cable. Unfortunately, cutting the cord includes start-up costs like purchasing a streaming device. I came across a unique service called “Butterfly Saves” looking for a way to save a bit of money when shopping online. Furthermore, this service works on thousands of [Continue Reading]
The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog
When I started my blog, I didn’t know the first thing about blogging. I started it as a hobby to improve my writing skills. However, by the end of the first year my blog was getting over 100,000 page views a month. Since then it’s become a very fulfilling part of my daily life, where [Continue Reading]
The App That Saves Money – Literally
I’m always interested in tips to save extra money. Having a wife that works as a Disney travel planner means that we take our 2 girls on the occasional trip to Orlando. Taking a family of four anywhere is expensive, so I’m always looking for apps that will save money, or better yet, make money. My [Continue Reading]
Curl Up With Some Good Audiobooks
After being completely obsessed with the Serial Podcast, I have completely come around on audio books, or “audiobooks.” Whichever way you spell it, audiobooks aren’t just for long car rides anymore. With smartphones and earbuds becoming standard issue for many, it’s extremely convenient to work out, walk the dog, or do chores while listening to the top [Continue Reading]
The Best Weather App for iPhone
For local weather hourly, noaa.gov or weather.com will suffice. But what if you want to know if a storm will start in the next few minutes? The Dark Sky weather app accomplishes just that. Why have local weather hourly when you can view an up to the minute forecast of the spot you are standing? Dark [Continue Reading]
Games to Teach Kids Programming Skills
The writing is on the wall. The future our kids are entering will be full of user interfaces, electronic gadgets, and software. The choices they make now and throughout their education will dictate whether they have a part in owning this future, or merely being a consumer of this future. The best way to prepare [Continue Reading]
IoT Devices: Haltian Empowers Consumers
California based tech start-up Haltian is attempting to make Internet of Things (IoT) device innovation easier for both independent developers and do-it yourself types. Currently, the largest hurdle to IoT device invention is hardware design. Coding, while a specialized skill, doesn’t require an expensive toolkit. Furthermore, code is extremely simple to mass produce. Hardware, on the other [Continue Reading]
Lost Fitbit? This Is How To Find It
I know we typically write about saving money by using cable TV alternatives, but today I wanted to share a story about this cool app that saved us a lot of stress. My wife rarely gets emotionally attached to electronic gadgets. However, she has developed a very special relationship with her Fitbit Flex. You will [Continue Reading]
Random Numbers: Are They Random?
Recently I engaged in a forum geek fight over the randomness of random number generators in computer programs. The discussion began over doubt that the percentages of certain outcomes within a video game were following probability. Fortunately, the game’s code is open source and written in C++ (a language I happen to speak.) Ultimately, I [Continue Reading]
Apple Pay and Bitcoin Will Change Money
Apple Pay, a way to make in-store payments with your iPhone, was launched today to much fanfare. Bitcoin, a software based internet payment infrastructure introduced in 2008, has struggled to obtain mainstream adoption. Together, Apple Pay and Bitcoin might just be the combination that starts a revolution in the way commerce is conducted. Bitcoin Overview [Continue Reading]
One USB Cable to Rule Them All
The USB 3.1 Type-C Earlier this week, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced standardization of the “DisplayPort Alternate Mode on USB Type-C Connector.” This will allow USB Type-C connectors to transport DisplayPort signals. DiplayPort is primarily for video sources. DisplayPort Alternate Mode will allow a USB cable to carry audio and video along with [Continue Reading]
The Internet of Things – What is it?
Due to my line of work I have the privilege of going to the Gartner Enterprise Architects Summit every year. It’s a conference where a big chunk of time is dedicated to emerging technologies that could impact our lives or businesses. The topic that repeatedly came up was how the Internet of Things is going [Continue Reading]