The Rachio Smart Hose Timer is an affordable alternative to built-in sprinkler systems. The device hooks up to most outdoor water spigots, allowing you to create schedules and automate your watering tasks. Rachio issued an update for the Smart Hose Timer in May 2024 that adds multi-valve support and enables users to put multiple timers on a single, easy-to-access schedule. If you're interested in checking out the feature, here's how to program a schedule with the Rachio Smart Hose Timer using one or more valves.
Whether you have one, two, three, or more Rachio Smart Hose Timers, you'll follow the same process when creating an automated schedule. You should have installed the Rachio app on your mobile device during the setup process, but if you don't have the app currently installed, you'll need to redownload it to start working with schedules. With the app open on your phone, here's what you'll need to do.
Step 1: Select your Smart Home Timer from the device list.
Step 3: Select Create Schedule, then enter a name for your new schedule.
Step 4: Select the valves you want to include in this schedule. If you only have one valve, Rachio will automatically skip this screen. If you can't remember which valve is which, Rachio lets you test each valve before adding them to your schedule.
Step 5: Determine if you want your schedule to run on a daily interval or by day of week. Select the option that best aligns with your needs.
Step 6: Finally, select how long you want each valve to run. You can also choose options such as Smart soak and Open valves at same time. The former can be used to split the schedule and improve how well the soil absorbs water, while the latter activates all valves at once (though Rachio says this could impact your overall water pressure).
Step 7: As an added bonus, you can program in the start and end dates for this schedule, ensuring they don't activate during the winter or months when watering is unnecessary.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.