here’s the thing

Want to hook up your dusty VCR to your brand-new HDTV? If your HDTV set has a composite-video input (which, not all that long ago, they mostly did), then you’re all set. But if you’ve got a newer HDTV that lacks a composite-video connector, you’ll need a converter box like this one.

The Teorder RCA to HDMI Converter ($16 during today’s Amazon’s “Lightning” sale, or a still-reasonable $20 once the sale ends) is easy to use: just plug the composite-video cable and RCA audio cables from your VCR into one end of the converter, then plug an HDMI cable from your HDTV into the other end. The result: you’ll be able to play tapes from your VHS collection on your new HDTV, even if it’s a fancy 4K model. Read More

So, what exactly is going on behind your kitchen stove? Nothing too gross, hopefully, but you can find out for sure with help from this wireless endoscope—or in other words, a snake cam.

About three yards long and barely a third of an inch thick, the flexible Depstech Wi-Fi Endoscope Camera (on sale for $38) can snake its way into dark, teeny-tiny spaces in your home—behind kitchen cabinets, inside basement walls, and even down drains (yes, the camera is waterproof). An array of 6 LEDs at the tip of the two-megapixel camera will light the way, and you can record video of whatever you find (ick!) using a free app for iPhone and Android devices. Read More

Having tested robotic vacuums in the past, I can tell you that they’re awesome—expensive, but awesome. And I thought that even before I had an adorable five-year-old crumb monster. Luckily, there’s a well-reviewed robovac that won’t break the bank.

Armed with wall- and furniture-detecting sensors and a charging station, the Eufy RoboVac 11 is on sale for $187, down from a whopping $599 list price. Dubbed the best robotic vacuum for “most people” by The Sweethome, the RoboVac 11 will clean your floors on a regular schedule and performs spot cleans at your command. It navigates its way around tables, chairs and sofas, scoots on and off rugs, and finds its way back to its charging station when it’s running out of juice. If you’ve ever dreamed of having R2-D2 take over your household chores, this could be the first step. Read More

Timing is everything when it comes to taking a toddler’s temperature—the less time the better. Sixty seconds feels like an eternity when you’ve got a wiggle worm in your arms, but 10 seconds? That’s more like it.

On sale for $15 (normally it’s closer to $20), Kinsa’s “Smart Stick” thermometer connects to your iPhone or Android phone and gets a reading in about 10 seconds (so Kinsa promises). The free Kinsa iOS/Android app can track temperature histories for multiple family members, and it even comes with a bubble-popping game to keep little ones distracted while you’re getting a reading. Read More

Whether it’s spring cleaning time or you’re simply in the mood to clear out some clutter, there are plenty of easy ways to clean up your Mac. Read on for seven ways to give your Mac a deep digital clean, from tidying your desktop icons to organizing the Finder sidebar. Read More

Nope, you don’t have to do anything fancy—or expensive—to control your living room lights with your iPhone or Android phone. Just plug the Wemo Mini Smart Plug (on sale for $30) into any power socket, then (with the help of a free mobile app) connect the plug to your Wi-Fi network.

Once that’s done, you’ll be able to control whatever’s plugged into the smart plug—a lamp, a fan, or anything else—using your phone. You can also program the plug to turn on and off on a schedule, while an “away” mode toggles the power randomly to fool would-be burglars. Got an Amazon Echo? If so, you can even control the Wemo smart plug with your voice. Read More