AI Life / Guides
Every guide covers setup, a “How the AI works” section (on-device or cloud, which model if the company says, and what data leaves the device), and a sourced FAQ on what the product can do and what it works with. Products I own carry my own notes. Everything else is research from the maker’s docs, linked inline.
AI Glasses
- How to Use Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses: Look and Ask, Privacy Settings, and What They Work With : How to use Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Meta AI: what ’look and ask’ sends to Meta’s cloud, the privacy setting to change, and answers on ChatGPT and third-party apps.
AI Recorders
- How to Use Plaud NotePin S: Recording, Plaud AI Models, and the Plaud MCP for Claude and ChatGPT : How to use the Plaud NotePin S: recording with the button, which AI models Plaud uses, where your audio goes, and connecting Plaud to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor over MCP.
Coffee
- How to Use the Fellow Aiden: App, Brew Profiles, Schedules, and Smart Home Answers : How to use the Fellow Aiden coffee maker: Wi-Fi setup, brew profiles and Fellow Drops, schedules, and a straight answer on AI, Alexa, Google Home and Home Assistant.
Doorbells
- How to Use Ring Doorbell AI: Video Search, Alexa+ Descriptions, and Home Assistant : How to use Ring doorbell AI features: natural-language Video Search and its limits, Alexa+ descriptive announcements, end-to-end encryption trade-offs, and Home Assistant.
Garden & Yard
- How to Use Birdfy AI: Bird ID, Fewer False Alerts, and What It Works With : How to use a Birdfy smart bird feeder: how Birdfy AI bird ID works, the free vs paid AI plan, cutting false alerts, and Alexa, Google Home and Home Assistant answers.
Kids’ Money
- How to Use Greenlight: Chores, Allowance, and the Greenlight AI Assistant : How to use the Greenlight kids debit card app: chores and automatic allowance, parental controls, and what the Greenlight AI assistant in Family Hub can and can’t do.
Rings & Bands
- How to Use WHOOP: Setup, WHOOP Coach AI, Your Data, and What It Works With : How to use WHOOP 5.0: setup, how WHOOP Coach uses a third-party AI model with de-identified data, lab uploads, and answers on ChatGPT, Strava, Home Assistant and MCP.
Robot Vacuums
- How to Use a Shark Robot Vacuum: AI Mapping, Rooms, and Alexa or Home Assistant : How to use a Shark robot vacuum: mapping each floor, rooms and no-go zones, plus what works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Home Assistant.
- How to Use the Roborock Saros 10R: AI Obstacle Avoidance, Voice, Matter and Home Assistant : How to use the Roborock Saros 10R: first map, how StarSight and SmartPlan AI work, the built-in voice assistant, and Alexa, Google Home, Matter and Home Assistant answers.
Sleep Tech
- How to Use the Eight Sleep Pod: Autopilot AI, Your Sleep Data, and What It Works With : How to use the Eight Sleep Pod 5: setup, how the Autopilot sleep agent adjusts temperature, where your data goes, Backup Mode in an outage, and Home Assistant and AI answers.
Smart Displays
- How to Use the Google Nest Hub: Gemini for Home, Sleep Sensing, and What It Works With : How to use the Google Nest Hub 2nd gen: getting Gemini for Home, how radar Sleep Sensing works and its privacy rules, and answers on Home Assistant, ChatGPT and MCP.
Smart Home Hubs
- How to Use Philips Hue AI: Custom AI Behaviors, Bridge Pro, and What Hue Works With : How to use Philips Hue and its new Custom AI Behaviors: what needs a Bridge Pro, how the AI turns words into automations, and Alexa, Matter and Home Assistant support.
Smart Rings
- How to Use Oura Ring: Setup, Oura Advisor AI, and What It Can (and Can’t) Do : How to use the Oura Ring: setup, the Oura Advisor AI and where your data goes, plus straight answers on ChatGPT, Claude, MCP and what Oura can and can’t track.
- How to Use the Samsung Galaxy Ring: Galaxy AI Energy Score, Health Assistant, and What It Works With : How to use the Samsung Galaxy Ring: setup, how Galaxy AI builds your Energy Score, the opt-in Samsung Health Assistant, and answers on Gemini, ChatGPT and Home Assistant.
Smart Speakers
- How to Use Amazon Echo and Alexa+: Setup, How the AI Works, and What It Connects To : How to use an Amazon Echo with Alexa+: setup, which AI models power it, what goes to the cloud, and whether it works with Claude, Home Assistant and MCP.
- How to Use Sonos Speakers and Sonos Voice Control: On-Device AI, Alexa and Home Assistant : How to use Sonos speakers: setup, Sonos Voice Control running fully on the speaker, Alexa as the cloud option, and Home Assistant support.
- How to Use Apple HomePod: Siri, Privacy, Siri AI Support, and What It Works With : How to use an Apple HomePod: setup, how Siri handles your voice, which HomePods get Siri AI, and straight answers on ChatGPT, Home Assistant and MCP.
- How to Use Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition: Local Voice, LLMs, and the MCP Server : How to use Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition: on-device wake words, local or cloud speech, adding ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and letting AI agents in with Home Assistant’s MCP server.
Smart Thermometers
- How to Use the MEATER Pro XL: Cook Time Estimates, Alexa, and Home Assistant : How to use the MEATER Pro XL: setting up a cook, how the cook time estimator works and why it goes blank, plus Alexa, Home Assistant and AI agent answers.
Sous Vide
- How to Use the Anova Precision Cooker: App, Developer API, and Home Assistant : How to use the Anova Precision Cooker: Wi-Fi setup, cooking from your phone, the official Anova Developer API, and what works with Home Assistant and AI agents.
Thermostats
- How to Use the Nest Learning Thermostat: Setup, Gemini, Matter and Home Assistant : How to use the Nest Learning Thermostat 4th gen: setup, sensors, where Gemini for Home fits, and how it works with Alexa, Matter and Home Assistant.
- How to Use the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium: eco+, Sensors, Siri or Alexa, and Home Assistant : How to use the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium: setup, how eco+ and occupancy sensing decide the temperature, built-in Siri or Alexa, and HomeKit and Home Assistant answers.