Contra Costa Times

But there's one big hitch. In order for any of these scenarios to work, you'll have to have devices that can actually talk to each other. Many will only be able to perform these functions if you have compatible equipment in your house. If you purchase one smart home device you may find that your choices for other gadgets could be circumscribed if you want them to all work together.

"When they buy their first smart product, (consumers) have the expectation that it will work w ...read more

Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates, said he used Support.com when his computer started acting funny while he was in France. "I noticed my computer was getting buggy, and I had an agent online for hours. In the end, it was my hard drive that was failing. There was nothing he could do about that."

Scherf said the services have great potential for small businesses and people who work at home. But studies have shown that a typical customer is "the stressed out 25-45-y ...read more