shopping | At Home with Tech

December 14, 2025

How to Prevent Yankee Swap from Ruining Your Holiday Spirit

Many years ago, I learned the art of Yankee Swap. And that’s when I figured out it’s also a sport. This group holiday gifting game goes by other names, including Secret Santa and White Elephant.

If you haven’t yet participated, Yankee Swap is a game of chance, as everyone first picks a number out of a hat to determine the order of gift selection from an anonymous pile of presents. However, there’s plenty of strategy involved, especially if family members ‘unofficially’ align as a team.

Yankee Steal
There are variations on the rules, but in short, each person picks a wrapped gift and then decides whether to keep or swap it with a previously opened present. If everyone gets into the spirit of the game, it becomes ‘Yankee Steal.’ There’s usually a gift or two that everyone wants, that those get swapped multiple times throughout the game.

So, if played properly, this game is effectively about stealing the best gift for yourself and leaving everyone else with the lumps of coal. (You’ve got to feel comfortable being a little ruthless.)

Three Ways to Feel Like a Winner
I must admit that after participating in this holiday tradition many times, I often found myself disappointed with the results. (Statistically, that’s going to happen to many players.)

So, I’ve learned a few tricks that help me feel like a winner, no matter what happens. Here are my top three tips:

#1
Worst Gift Ever
Yes, it’s always nice to give and receive a great gift. But a terrible gift… that can actually be the best Yankee Swap present ever. But it has to be over-the-top bad. If so, it will get a huge laugh in the group.

The best ‘worst’ gift I ever saw was a 15-pound frozen turkey gift wrapped in a box. Priceless.

I’ve given my share of intentionally terrible gifts over the years. A few of my favorites include:

Ugly Lumberjack Winter Hat
(for a Brooklyn/Manhattan crowd)
Giant Angry Bird plush toy
(This one was an unexpected hit.)
NapSack Sleep Hood
(This was just a box with a photo of a man sleeping on a bench wearing a blue sack over his head. The box was empty. The gag was just the silly idea of it.)

#2
A Boring Gift Should Not Affect your Holiday Zen
But a boring Yankee Swap gift is that exactly that… and nobody wants one of those. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of nicely wrapped boxes fall into this category.

And these are the ones that can really suck the holiday spirit out of your soul. There’s nothing you can really do about it, other than accept it’s like walking into a casino… the house usually wins.

So, the next step is to recognize that this game should be more about the fun and laughs…not snagging the best gift. That’s how you can retain your holiday Zen when holding that useless item.

Yes, it will surely go in the garbage when you get home (or banished to your regifting pile, if you do that). But you’re still smiling thinking about that frozen turkey Uncle Harry got.

#3
Bring a Gift You Wouldn’t Mind Getting Back
I can’t tell you the number of times someone swapped back my own gift with me, especially the ones that were ‘terrible.’ That’s the result of other players learning my gifting style over the years and predicting I was the original culprit.

So, I’ve adapted my strategy a bit and made sure that I would be happy enough taking home whatever Yankee Swap gift I show up with.

That can also make shopping much easier. Simply buy a gift that you’d want for yourself. (That increases the odds you’ll bring home a present you can use.)

The Real Gift is Spending Time with Your Group
New England often has harsh winters. Yankee Swaps are no different. So, mindset matters more than anything when playing this game.

Remember, this is not about the present. It’s about being together with a group of people and having fun. It’s about celebrating this little world you’re a part of… family, friends, and yes… maybe even co-workers.

It’s about time well spent, being together… and not alone. And that’s usually a gift worth celebrating.

Happy Holidays, and here’s to always feeling like a winner at every Yankee Swap!

October 26, 2025

Avoid this Surprise When Installing Your Google Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4

Getting 12 years out of any piece of tech is more than anyone should expect. That said, if it’s still working and doing the job, why would you want to replace it? (Unless you simply need the latest and greatest.)

Well, you’d pull the plug when the manufacturer forces you to. If the old unit’s tech is so obsolete, it can’t be maintained by the manufacturer’s current standards. And that’s what’s happened to my trusty Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen) from 2013.

Goodbye Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 2
In tech years, it’s like a century old. A lot’s happened, including Google buying Nest to enter the smart home market.

So yes, Google has walked away from its older Nest Learning Thermostat population. The official Google language is “end of support.” What that means is 1st and 2nd-generation models can no longer be reached remotely via the app on your phone as of October 25, 2025. (They’ve been “unpaired and removed” from the Nest app or Home app.)

Poof.

It’s Time to Buy Gen 4
Yes, you can still operate these ‘relics’ manually, but I’ve always spent more time interfacing with my Nest Learning Thermostat through the app on my iPhone.

Most significantly, these units are no longer supported, which according to Google “may lead to decreased performance with continued use.” So that’s code for… it’s just a matter of time till they stop working altogether.

Look, I get it. No web-connected piece of tech is going to last forever.

So, if you want your Google Nest Learning Thermostat ecosystem to remain reliable and fully operational, you have no choice but to upgrade to the current 4th generation model, which costs $279.99.

Ouch!

Fortunately, Google has softened the blow by offering a $130 discount for current 1st and 2nd gen owners. So that effectively drops the price point to $149.99 plus tax. (Shipping is free.)

Registered owners should have received an emailed discount code towards the purchase of the current 4th gen model.

Three Color Choices
So Barrett went ahead and bought himself an early holiday present with his discount code. (Thank you, Google.)

My hardest decision was deciding which color to get. I decided on Obsidian with a black base. (I felt it would present a cleaner, unified aesthetic in our living room. (The other choices are silver and gold with a white base.)

My Installation Surprise
Happily, installing my new 4th gen unit was the essentially the same as my old 2nd gen model.

The only relevant difference was the size of the circular base plate, which you screw onto the wall. (The thermostat clicks onto the base plate.)

Here’s the problem:

The new base plate is slightly smaller than the old one. And that tiny footprint difference can be a really big deal.

Why? Well, the new base plate will reveal a little more of your wall…
that might be unpainted!

Surprise!

Yes, that’s exactly what happened to me. I realized there would be dark, thin paint ring behind my new, gleaming Google Nest Learning Thermostat that revealed our living room’s paint color from years ago.

Granted, the 4th gen thermostat’s beautiful face is bigger than my gen 2’s screen. It’s plenty big to effectively block the view where the thermostat’s smaller circular ‘neck’ touches the wall.

But I would know, and if you looked from an angle, you’d definitely see the old paint. Ugh!

Sure, Google has thought of this and provided a white trim plate to use that would cover up this kind of problem.

But I didn’t want to use the trim plate. I liked the clean look of the black, circular orb perfectly protruding from my wall like a futuristic Cylon interface.

I just need to get rid of that thin ring of old paint.

I Had to Put on My Painter’s Hat
So, I hurried downstairs and rummaged through my basement to see if I still had a little bit of our living room’s current paint in a can somewhere. I eventually found it, picked up a brush and performed the paint fix.

This of course delayed my installation process, as I had to wait for the paint to dry before continuing. But it was clearly a step worth taking.

So just remember that you might need to bake that extra time into your own installation plan.

Cool New Sensor Pucks
If you’ve been living with a 1st or 2nd generation model, you may not know about Google’s little wireless ‘satellite’ temperature-sensing pucks to pair with your main thermostat. (I didn’t.)

These “Nest Temperature Sensors” (now 2nd generation) can be placed throughout your home to help create a more even temperature throughout your rooms (effectively simulating some of the benefits of a multi-zone HVAC system).

When you buy a 4th gen Google Nest Learning Thermostat, it also comes with one Nest Temperature Sensor. (You can purchase more separately.)

With multiple sensors, you can schedule which sensor controls your thermostat at different times of the day. You can always default to the sensor in your base unit. And you can also average between your sensors.

I placed my temperature sensor in our sunroom, which tends to be cooler during the winter months than the rest of our house. Hopefully, the sensor will convince my base unit (in our living room) to keep providing a little more warmth in the early evening when my family tends to hang out in our sunroom. (That’s how I programmed it.)

Upgrade Complete!
I’ve always enjoyed my old Nest Learning Thermostat as the center of my smart home experience. And now that I’ve upgraded, I’m pleased that I’ve refreshed my relationship with Google’s gen 4 model.

I hope it takes me all the way to 2037. But with the pace of change these days, something tells me we may be discussing this again a tad sooner…

June 15, 2025

Here’s Why Attaching a Bumper to Protect your Apple Watch is a Smart Idea

A long, diagonal crack mysteriously appeared on my Apple Watch screen. No, there wasn’t an ‘incident’ or moment of impact that I could recall. Yes, it was shielded by its OtterBox integrated bumper and screen protector.

I could feel that the crack went deep. But I didn’t know how far down it went and whether it reached the surface of my Apple Watch Series 9.

Yes, I was concerned.

Apple Store ER Visit
So, I visited my neighborhood Apple Store and booked an ‘instant’ appointment with an Apple Genius. (Do they call them that anymore?)

My Genius walked over to me like a doctor entering an examination room. He asked me to take off my OtterBox’s bumper. I quickly realized I couldn’t. It was stuck on. Really stuck (like an alien face-hugging Xenomorph). I asked if he could help. He had trouble too.

It took the Apple Genius a couple minutes, and he needed to use a special Genius ‘tool.’ But eventually, he pried the bumper off. The integrated screen cracked further along the way, but it eventually revealed my Apple Watch’s screen… in perfect condition.

Phew!

But a fair amount of ‘particulate matter’ had accumulated in all the nooks and crannies. My Apple Genius happily polished it up for me and then handed over my Apple Watch.

Time for Another Bumper?
My naked Apple Watch rested in my palm, gleaming. So now what?

No, Apple doesn’t sell bumpers or screen protectors for Apple Watch.

However, my Apple Genius mentioned how much he liked the OtterBox brand and that I could probably buy a replacement bumper online.

I strapped on my Apple Watch as it was meant to be worn… without any third-party protection. But I must admit… I do occasionally hit my wrist against doors and walls. So, my experience may fall outside of Apple’s definition of ‘normal.’

I walked out of the Apple Store with my next mission: Buy a replacement bumper.

In Search of a Better Bumper/Screen Protector
I jumped back online and searched OtterBox’s website. I didn’t want to buy the exact same OtterBox ‘Eclipse’ bumper/screen combo. Not because it only lasted for barely more than a year. I didn’t appreciate how difficult it was to remove.

OtterBox didn’t offer another choice. So, I expanded my search.

There aren’t many manufactures in this market, and even fewer from brands I recognized. The options on Amazon mostly fell in the sub $10 price point. Sometimes, you’d get two bumpers for ten bucks… even with the built-in screen protector.

How good could any of these really be?

And I couldn’t find consensus with reviews… the few that I could find. It’s like this was a forgotten/abandoned product category.

Perhaps Apple is right… Apple Watch doesn’t need protection.

Still, I knew that mine did.

OtterBox EXO EDGE
After my exhaustive search through uncertainly, I eventually ended up back where I started with the one brand I knew.

OtterBox also makes the EXO EDGE bumper without a screen protector. I figured the simple bumper by itself would be more structurally flexible without a rigid screen protector on its top.

So, I gave it a shot… Click.

And in fact, the EXO EDGE bumper does have a bit more give and take. It popped easily onto my Apple Watch. More importantly, I expect it will be simpler to remove when the time comes.

And here’s my Apple Watch with its new EXO EDGE bumper
(and Nomad leather band).

No More Screen Protection?
Case closed, right?

Well, what about the screen? It’s now exposed to any number of dangers with no net.

Yes, I’d prefer to also have a screen protector on my Apple Watch, but I don’t want to use an integrated solution that can cause damage when removed.

My EXO EDGE bumper should offer sufficient protection from most scenarios. But no, it won’t protect against a sharp object at 90 degrees moving directly towards the screen.

You Can’t Protect Against Every Situation
I could seal my Apple Watch in bubble wrap and duct tape. Or perhaps I should just keep my Apple Watch in my pocket all the time. But, of course, that’s all absurd.

I’ve taken reasonable precaution to protect my Apple Watch’s body and screen with a simple OtterBox bumper. We’ll see how far this sensible approach takes me this time.

This topic falls under a larger question I sometimes have regarding the practicality of manufacturing expensive, shiny surfaces that require constant protection. (Wouldn’t it be great to drive a car with a tough, rubberized exterior?)

Alas, I know you’ve just got to travel your life’s path without worrying about every possible stumble.

But it’s okay to be smart and apply certain protections.

And just try not to trip.

Category: shopping

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