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With so much to choose from and so many deals around, should you consider getting involved? But other manufacturers of smart home products are likely to be in the mix, too. However, Prime Days aren’t the only days when you could save money. Here’s what you should know as you shop. Simply put, there’s a much, much greater number of shoppers ready to spend. It isn’t all Alexa, though. For the most part, Prime Day’s smart home deals are always going to skew toward Alexa....

There are plenty of reasons to considersolar panels for your home. But solar panels are stillquite expensive. Buying leads to ownership and leasing doesn’t. Can solar panels save you money? Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and well instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings. So which is better? The answer depends a lot on your personal circumstances....

Selling real estate can turn a large profit, but it also comes with a large tax bill. That’s where a 1031 exchange comes in handy: by offering you a deferred tax break. But 1031 exchanges are complicated and have strict requirements, which means they’re not for everyone. It’s not something you should attempt to tackle on your own. A straightforward 1031 won’t produce any income or give your bank account an injection of cash....

Percent of Business vs. Personal Use First, determine how often you will use the computer for business. Business computers are built to last, with higher quality components that are tested more rigorously. Tara Moore / Getty Images This emphasis on durability means that a business-class laptop or desktop should last several years. Also, the professional operating system version on business PCs is more suited for workers than the home version....

Beware of spammers Delivery failure for email messages you never sent can be alarming, and with good reason. These notices could point to a spammer or virus using your email address. However, it’s possible for you to generally ignore them. Spammers rarely send their unsolicited messages using their own email address in the From field. Not only would this reveal their identity, but it would also allow recipients to write angry replies....

Can you leave your box on 24/7? A UPS can protect your machine from many of the dangers it’s likely to face. Additional failure modes come from the stress of cycling a computer on and off. Dimitri Otis / Getty Images But it’s not just your box’s semiconductors that are affected. There are other failure modes to consider that originate externally to your rig. All of these failure types need to be considered....

That means streamers can keep 95% of the revenue from subscriptions. To put that into context, Twitch offers a 50/50 split for most streamers, andYouTube Gaming offers 70/30. For years, video game streaming has been dominated by Twitch. YouTube Gaming still exists – it’s just been folded into the regular YouTube app. While a new platform means less competition for eyeballs, it also means a smaller overall audience. However, Twitch is far more mature by comparison, with140 million active users....

But heres something you might not realize: your water heater could be thebiggest energy drain of all. Enter the heat pump water heater. And theres another reason to consider the switch: new energy regulations. The Department of Energy is rolling outtougher efficiency standards by 2029, meaning the market is shifting. Here’s what you oughta know before considering aheat pump water heater. How does a heat pump water heater work? Once the water is hot, it can be circulated throughout the home....

You could probably tell the difference between a real text message and one sent by a scammer. But could you tell a fake QR code from a legitimate one? But it can be significantly harder to recognize QR phishing, sometimes called Quishing or QRishing. And if a QR code seems suspicious or directs you to a site requesting sensitive information, stop immediately. The information can then be used to commit identity theft and financial fraud....

Learn multiple ways to show formulas in Google Sheets to find the method that best suits your purposes. On most standard keyboards, the grave accent key is located to the left of the number 1 key. It looks like a backward apostrophe. The worksheet will display all formulas in the cells that contain them, rather than the formula results. Then it’s easier to findcellscontaining formulas. It also allows you to quickly read through the formulas to check for errors....

If you want to havedual monitor taskbarinWindows 7, then you should probably installthird-party tool. Multiple tools have come into force that implement this functionality. As withWindows 7Taskbar, several properties are available in a single monitor. To get all the features in multiple monitor taskbar is difficult. Setting up adual monitorconfiguration inWindows 7can greatly enhance your productivity by providing more screen real estate for multitasking. When you connectmultiple monitorsto your machine, you might choose to eitherduplicate screenorextendyour desktop across both displays....

Water heaters, like most home appliances or systems, can and do fail. That doesnt mean they dont need attention and upkeep, however. Among the most common signs? Water accumulating under the heater itself, and particles in the water when you turn on a faucet. Also, you should take a water heaters age into account. How long should a water heater last? If its well maintained, the average water heater should last 10 to 15 years, Cohen said....

So far this year, interest rates have been both our friend and enemy. When rates go down, we’ll see the opposite. The postponing of rate cuts poses two questions. First, what will happen to returns on high-yield savings accounts? Second, what should we do if we want to finance a car or buy a home this year? Here’s what I found out. That could potentially drop the federal funds rate range to 3....