february2021 - 17

APPS WE LOVE
simply open the app and the whole list is there.
We also set timers not just for cooking, but tracking kiddo's iPad time. Lastly, we use them as an
intercom; instead of yelling across the house, we
use Echos on opposite ends of the house to communicate. " Mansfield also recommends Sonos:
" Sonos speakers are interconnected throughout
the house to allow us to choose which rooms we
want music, audio books, podcasts, etc. to play
in. It integrates with Amazon Alexa or Google
Home so we have high quality speakers and easy
access to the features of the virtual assistant
from anywhere in the house, and the Sonos app
provides easy control of the whole system. "
Gary Boomer, visionary and dot connector at
Boomer Consulting, told us, " I use several apps
and have tried Google Home, Amazon Alexa and
Apple Homekit. They all have advantages and
disadvantages when it comes to integration and
connectivity. However, they will only get better.
Brilliant Smart Home System (wall switch) is
a great way to integrate the various systems
(lights, music, security cameras and etc.).
I also use the Nest Camera System to
[remotely] monitor our lake house. "
Roslyn Banks, EA, founder at
Adalaid Rose, shared these thoughts.
" What has proven to be invaluable to
my tax office is my iRobot vacuum! It
makes life so much easier as a working mother to have a little assistance
to clean up my workspace. I can set it
to run from my smartphone when I'm
away, or schedule it daily to prompt me
to take a break away from my desk while it
collects those random missing staples and paper
clips. My Amazon Show (Alexa) also entertains
my toddlers and gives us a great wakeup song
and joke every morning so that we can spread a
little sunshine together before work and school. "
Lindsey Curley, CPA, CGMA, senior manager
at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, uses Amazon Subscribe
and Save. " This automatic monthly delivery of
everyday essentials (dog food, diapers, coffee,
etc.) saves time and helps ensure I'm never
without the necessities for my family. The 15%
savings is an additional perk! "
Richard Roppa-Roberts, the ProAdvisor Advisor at Quasar Cowboy, said, " I am still new to
home automation with Google Home products,
but so far, I have a morning routine set up that
takes my Pixel off of silent, turns on the bedroom

light (at 30% brightness), turns on the bathroom
lights (at 40% brightness), turns on Pandora to my
morning music (right now it's set to Guardians of
the Galaxy Radio), adjusts the air conditioning to
72 degrees (it's the desert, heat is not something
I turn on) and tells me about my appointments
for the day. Google then reminds me to scoop the
cat box before I get in the shower. I programmed
it to remind me to feed the cats, but they have a
living version of Google Home inside their heads
and will not let me forget about feeding them
even if Wifi is down. "
Jacquelyn Tracy, CPA, CGMA, partner at
Mandel & Tracy, said, " My favorite automation
technique is electronic bill pay. Setting up my
standard bills online means I never have to say,
" Did I pay the mortgage? " During tax season that
is certainly a relief! " Regarding Alexa, Tracy said,
" I have the typical love/hate relationship with
Alexa when she doesn't listen to me correctly,
but then again, my dog doesn't always listen
either! I use all her typical features (turning on
lights, looking for a TV show), but I really
appreciate the routines feature. I have
one that allows me to shut off all my
lights and set a sleep timer to have
music play for a certain amount of
time. It's a nice way to end the day
and help me drift off to sleep. "
Rick Richardson, CPA.CITP,
CGMA, managing partner at
Richardson Media & Technologies,
recommends Moen Flo smart water
shutoff. He told us, " I am working right
now on a home automation issue - water
safety. For a long time, we've had IoT sensors
that tell security systems when there is water
where it shouldn't be, but now we're seeing
smarter devices that can analyze water pressure
throughout the house, and besides notifying you
on your phone app, it can turn off the water to
keep from having a major disaster. This move
to preventive from detective is a theme to the
newer of the IoT devices. "
Caleb Jenkins, EA, CQP, leader of client
accounting services at RLJ Financial Services,
shared two of his favorite solutions:
* HyrdaWise - " I like that I can control my yard
sprinklers and watering schedule from my phone.
Hydrawise is connected to a weather sensor to stop
my sprinklers if there was enough rainfall in the
past day or 3 days to automatically stop my yard
sprinklers to conserve water usage. "

* ecobee SmartThermostat - " I love coming home
to a cold house in the summer and a little bit
warmer house than outside temperature in the
winter, but I don't like paying the electric bill for
this. The ecobee SmartThermostat allows me to
turn on my A/C when I leave work and come home
to the temperatures that I enjoy without having
to pay for expensive utility bills. "
Kelly Welter, CPA, partner at Serl Keefer
Welter CPAs, shared her favorites:
* Peloton app. " $12.99/month for unlimited classes
that I can use on the treadmill, for cardio, yoga,
or meditation. My teens love it for use between
classes or when they can't get outside. "
* Instacart. " They have almost every store including
Costco. And it saves your favorites. I know I pay a
little more for the items but the time it saves me
shopping and the comfort of not having to deal
with social distancing is amazing. Placed a $400
order with Costco on Saturday. Paid the extra $5.99
to have it delivered within 2 hours and the order
arrived in 45 minutes. It would have been at least
a 2 hour drive and shopping trip. "
* Starbucks app. " Order online and walk in to pick
up your prepared drinks. I will never wait in a
line again. "
* Microsoft Teams. " Add the app to your phone. I am
not always on my computer. I consider it texting
for businesses. "
* Amazon Audible. AICPA Podcasts. " There is a lot
of information out there and sometimes it's hard
to find the balance between learning and actually
getting the work down. If I don't need the CPE, I
have started listening to the professional podcasts
while I am driving, on the treadmill, folding
laundry, or making dinner. This allows me to be
more productive when I am actually at my desk. "
Nick Pasquarosa, founder and CEO at Bookkeepr360, suggests " Nest for security and temperature control can manage the temperature of
the home on a schedule, and eco friendly.
myQ. " Similar to the ecobee smart thermostat mentioned earlier, Nest lets you control your
thermostat from anywhere using the phone app.
myQ is a smart garage door opener which you can
control from your phone. You can update your
existing opener to the myQ system. Not only can
you open and close your garage door remotely,
but you can also get alerts to see if anyone else
has opened the door. " ■

FEBRUARY 2021 ■

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