HomeKit isn’t the only way to connect and control your smart home accessories. Check out these other options!

The beauty of HomeKit is its unifying capabilities. HomeKit brings together different home automation accessories in a way that lets Siri, the iOS Home app, and third-party apps — iDevices, Elgato Eve, and more — view and control them. You’re not forced to bounce between apps for each of the various accessories you purchase.

All that said, Apple’s stringent rules regarding the security and quality of HomeKit-enabled accessories have kept some manufacturers from creating products that work with Apple’s HomeKit framework. It’s not just Apple’s stringent rules, though. There are also competing communication protocols (methods used to communicate with home automation tech) — ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, and Thread (to name a few) — that manufacturers can use as the primary means of communication for their devices. It gets pretty complicated prett…

iFixit opens up the guts of Apple’s latest tablet to reveal an all-too familiar sight — the iPad Air.

One of the great things about new technology is that moment when iFixit gets their hands on a brand new gadget and performs a veritable autopsy on it. No new device is safe from their prying (literally) hands, and the 2017 iPad is the latest victim.

The iPad team took a page from the iPhone SE playbook and released what appears to be a throwback—an arguably under-specced tablet that takes aim at the education and enterprise markets. This iPad is supposedly reasonably priced and powerful enough for professionals…

The teardown showed that not much has changed in the iPad department. If anything, it’s a step back in time to 2013, when the iPad Air first made its debut.

So remember how we said this was similar to the first Air? We were serious—take a look at the Air 1 and iPad 5 respectively. Not much has changed.

Well, sort of. Much of the outside (and e…

Combine your iPhone’s Calendar and the App Store with the power of IFTTT.

If This Than That, also known as IFTTT, a service that connects to other apps and services in order to help them work together, has added support for two more iOS-specific applets: Calendar and the App Store. With the new applets available with these integrations, you could, for instance, add an event to your iOS calendar using your Amazon Echo, or get notified when an app gets an update.

From IFTTT:

Turn on Calendar Applets that bring important information right into your daily agenda, make sure you never miss an appointment, or help you quickly create events.

The App Store service will keep your device full of the newest and best apps. You can run Applets that notify you when a new app enters the top ten, when there’s a price drop or a new version of a specific app, and much more.

There are already a number of suggested applets, but of course part of the magic of IFTTT is making your own. You wil…

If you’re having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi with your iPhone or iPad, we’ve got the troubleshooting guide for you.

In theory, wireless connections and cellular networks should live happily in harmony on your iPhone or iPad. Your device uses automatic switching technology to pop you on known Wi-Fi networks and send you back to cellular when you’re out of range, and it works great… most of the time.

But let’s be honest: Wireless networks — especially those that have interstitial signup sheets — can be finicky. If you’re running into problems with your Wi-Fi network on your iPhone or iPad, here are some good troubleshooting tips to try.

1. Is your Wi-Fi even on, bro?

Yes, this is a pretty straight-forward troubleshoot, but always worth checking: Have you accidentally disabled Wi-Fi or turned on Airplane Mode? If so, you can quickly re-enable it by doing the following:

Swipe up from the bottom of your device’s screen to activate Control Center.
Make sure the Wi-F…

The Aerial by Genius Pack is a carry-on rolling suitcase. It looks like a Stormtrooper — but that’s not the only reason why I love it.

When I first set my eyes on the Aerial by Genius Pack, I was instantly intrigued. Not only does it look like a Stormtrooper on the outside, but its interior scratches my organizational itch — it has six separate compartments for storing everything you need. Added bonus: It’s sturdy, comfortable to carry, and fits in most overhead compartments.

See at Amazon

A pocket for every little thing

I’m a sucker for organization in my carrying cases. I love bags that have separate pockets for every little thing you bring with you: My tech bag is a Handbag of Holding because 15 pockets. Do I need 15 pockets? Probably not, but I like having the option to separate every single item I want to bring along with me.

That love for organization is what sparked my interest on the Aerial. It has a center flap with has two 12.5 x 5.5 inch pouche…

What are the best flash drives available for backing up my iPhone?

Whether you’re looking to save some space on your iPhone by transferring photos, videos, and documents, want to add some new music to your device, or plan to move a large movie or file from point A to point B, having a flash drive that works with your iPhone is a great little accessory to have in your back pocket.

There are dozens of iPhone flash drive options to choose from online, and we’ve highlighted our favorite drives that give you the most bang for your buck. Here are the best flash drives for backing up your iPhone!

Add On iPhone Lightning Flash Drive Adapter
Omars iPhone flash drive
HooToo iPhone iPad flash drive
SanDisk iXpand mobile flash drive
iDiskk MFI certified flash drive
SanDisk flash drive for iPhone and iPad

Add On iPhone Lightning Flash Drive Adapter

If you’re looking for an iPhone flash drive that can easily and quickly store and manage all your photos, videos, and data with the ability …

Samsung has just announced Galaxy S8 and it has some features I expect to see in iPhone 8 — and some I’d just plain like to see.

Samsung has just held their annual Galaxy S unveiling. This year, for the Galaxy S8. It was an important event for Samsung, coming off the Galaxy Note7 recall late last year.

Not that the company or brand was under any real threat. Gone are the days when a recall could kill a company or scandal could sink a brand or career. Nowadays we have zero attention span and extreme affinity, so we’ll shrug almost anything off, rationalize almost anything away, and pretend most things simply never happened.

But Samsung took it seriously anyway and said everything they needed to reassure customers batteries and the quality assurance thereof was now highest priority. Samsung also managed to control its usual ecocentrism for much of the event. Only at the end did ostriches and glow-in-the-dark troopers obliterate their better marketing angels.

The focus, l…

Need an edge in Ticket to Earth’s battle system? I’m here to help!

Ticket to Earth is an absolutely stunning strategy RPG that has a complex battle system. The game’s tutorial does an excellent job of teaching you the basics, but I have been obsessed with this game since it was first released and have picked up a few tricks along the way. Lucky for you, I’m willing to share.

If you want to become a true Movement master and conquer your enemies quickly, then listen up because class is in session.

Read my full review of Ticket to Earth

Choose your movement carefully

This may seem like common sense to advanced strategy RPG gamers, but in Ticket to Earth, it’s especially important to study the Movement grid. Look at how the tiles that are laid out before you, where your enemies are on the map and pay attention to what powers you have charged to ensure you are making the most logical move.

The Movement battle system is fun, fast, and fluid. It’s easy to get swept away in excitemen…