Skip to main content

How Dome-estic: Inside an energy-efficient dome home

Buckminster Fuller is credited with popularizing geodesic dome homes, though the design isn’t exactly found in every neighborhood in the U.S. Still, the structures captured the imagination of many and are still being produced. For example, Timothy Oulton recently built the Dome Home in a lychee garden in southern China. It’s like something right out of Epcot.

Made of 80 pre-fabricated timber panels that fit together, the self-supporting shell has no pillars. Its unique construction makes it energy-efficient, watertight, and well insulated. Custom furniture fits into the building’s curved walls, including the couch, chairs, and stainless-steel and marble kitchen. It’s pretty cool-looking; maybe someday soon we’ll be seeing more dome homes around.

Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
How to save money with your smart home this winter
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat in stainless steel.

Keeping your home warm and cozy during the winter is a challenge. Homes equipped with a fireplace benefit from a frugal heating option -- though there's no doubt they can be messy and time-consuming to clean. You can also ramp up your furnace, but that's a quick way to spend a fortune on your heating bill.

Instead, consider using smart home gadgets to save money and keep your house at a nice temperature until spring rolls around. If you need some help getting started, here are a few smart home gadgets that can help you make it through the cold, dark winter.
Invest in smart blinds

Read more
How to add Arlo cameras to Apple HomeKit
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera

Arlo has supported Apple HomeKit since 2019, allowing you to get it synced with popular devices such as HomePod and HomePod mini. The process is fairly standard but if you're new to the world of smart home platforms, there are a few steps that might give you trouble.

Here's a look at how to connect Arlo cameras to Apple HomeKit, along with which cameras support the feature.

Read more
Here’s how to throw a killer Halloween party with your smart home
spooky halloween lighting haunted house

The spooky season is almost here, and if you’re worried about throwing the perfect Halloween party, consider using your smart home to do the heavy lifting. Common smart home gadgets such as motion sensors, light bulbs, and smart plugs make it easy to pull off a horrifying Halloween party for your guests. From assisting with your playlist and movie selections to creating a chilling ambiance, here’s a look at all the ways your smart home can help you throw a killer Halloween party.
Use motion sensors to trigger spooky sounds
Have a smart home security system? Then you can probably rig up your motion sensors to play a spooky noise. It doesn't necessarily have to be a motion sensor, either -- your smart camera can trigger other devices in your smart home when it detects motion.

Just place a speaker on your porch, perhaps tucked away behind a pumpkin or a bit of straw. When a group of unsuspecting kids shows up to ask for candy, they set off the motion sensor on the camera, which triggers the speaker to play the sound of a zombie's moan or the cackle of a witch. Bonus points if you set up an animatronic hand to rise up out of the straw.

Read more