9 Scary Tech Problems and How to Fix Them

From cobras’ nests of cords to vampire chargers that suck the life out of your budget, tech can get scary. Here are nine ways to ward off the scariest tech problems — and clean up your space while you’re at it.

By: Carley Knobloch

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Photo By: Bluelounge

Photo By: Roku

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Photo By: Somfy

Photo By: Belkin

Photo By: Linksys

Photo By: Griffin

Photo By: Logitech

Cord Clutter

Like tentacles creeping hideously wherever you turn, cables can threaten to take over everything. Bluelounge’s CableBox contains your surge suppressor and all its gnarled cords within a neat box, keeping them out of the way and dust-free.

Outdated Entertainment Boxes

You’ve got a DVD player that skips like it’s possessed, or maybe a VHS that’s ready to give up the ghost. What you really want is a Roku. It’s the set-top box (or stick) that can stream more media than any other (including Netflix and most channels on demand), making it time to exorcise your home of old players.

Old, Bulky Tube TV

This one might be in your grandparents’ house and not in your own, but regardless, it’s haunting the place with its massive size. You can replace it with a shockingly sharp 4K TV — its resolution is four times better than 1080 HD. Though 4K content is limited now, more is coming soon, and early adopters will be wowed by what they can see.

Glare on Your TV Screen

Here’s a frightening moment: You’re watching a crime drama and bam! Glare hits the screen, blocking the big reveal. That’s the time for app-operated shades like Somfy’s. Touch a button (or pre-program the action), and the blinds will automatically vanquish the light.

Vampire Power Sucks

Even when you’re not using your devices, they could be silently drawing power. Belkin’s Conserve Switch is a surge protector that allows you to switch off your entire computer system and standby power via wireless remote.

Lack of Bandwidth

You’re streaming your favorite show when the episode stalls. Or you’re in the final screens of a game you’ve been playing for days, and the connection drops. [Insert banshee scream.] A powerful router can banish bad bandwidth. Linksys EA6300 boasts super-fast, “Dual Band” technology, which means it runs two frequency bands at once. That lets it prioritize heavy-draw activities, so it works where it’s most needed. You can also set parental controls using an app, so kids devices are restricted after curfew.

Tech Clutter

Are the charging devices on your desk piling up faster than bodies in a sci-fi drama? The Griffin PowerDock 5 charging station has dedicated slots for five devices to charge, making your space look clean and inviting, rather than like a gadget pile-up.

Hard-to-Lift Devices

If you’ve got an appliance that needs to move — say, a heavy stand mixer or a clunky breadmaker — you could be in for serious pain upon lifting. Remove the danger with an in-cabinet appliance lift like Rev-A-Shelf. It can spirit up hefty items almost as if they’re weightless.

Too Many Remotes

They’re lurking, stacking up, ready to clatter into your path at any moment — they’re your collection of remotes. Get up to eight of them loaded onto a single universal remote such as Logitech’s Harmony, and reclaim your coffee table (and your safety).

9 Scary Tech Problems and How to Fix Them

Related To:

Shop This Look

Cord Clutter

Outdated Entertainment Boxes

Old, Bulky Tube TV

Glare on Your TV Screen

Vampire Power Sucks

Lack of Bandwidth

Tech Clutter

Hard-to-Lift Devices

Too Many Remotes

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