In my endless pursuit of all things HomeKit, I recently discovered on entirely new category of products that work with Siri, but don’t quite fit within the smart home mold. Apple’s HomeKit platform has a limited selection of ”services” like power controls or lighting, but leave certain things out, such as appliances and even furniture. This creates a gap that often leaves Apple fans out in the cold when compared to the offerings of other voice assistants.

However, the introduction of Siri Shortcuts just a couple of years ago is creating a new way to tap into the power and convenience of Siri for some truly unique applications. Smart tea kettles that allow you to set the perfect temperature and tiny battery operated devices that can press a button on demand are just a few examples of this new wave of accessories.

I recently spent some time with one such product, which is technically not a device in the traditional sense, but offers a level of integration with Siri that would simply …

Star Trek: Picard is excellent so far, but you may be a little lost if you haven’t seen these episodes.

The moment fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation have been waiting for has arrived. The first episode of CBS’s new show, Star Trek: Picard, has aired, and the reviews have been extremely positive. So far, the series has given us a taste of the furthest point in time for the Star Trek universe and shows us a Picard that is rekindling a lost fire.

For those of you who are new to Star Trek, or haven’t watched in a long time — after all, the last time Jean-Luc appeared on screen was in 2002 — we’ve put together a list of episodes and movies from across the entire spectrum of the Star Trek canon to help you with the storyline for this first season of ST: Picard.

We have styled the episodes we believe to be essential to the plot of ST: Picard in bold, the rest are background on the characters surrounding Admiral Picard, and of the Admiral himself.

Star Trek: The Original Series
…

Sony’s Remote Play is a convenient feature that allows you to stream your PlayStation 4 to compatible devices. It’s so you can play your PS4 games even if your TV is being used by somebody else. The setup for it is simple; here’s what you need to do.

Preparing your PS4

First and foremost, you want to make sure your PlayStation 4 has the settings turned on to allow Remote Play connections.

Start by going to your PS4 Settings
Click on Remote Play Connection Settings
Make sure the Enable Remote Play box is checked

The next step is optional but highly recommended to make future Remote Play sessions easier. This will allow you to turn your sleeping PS4 from your PC, Mac, or other devices as you launch Remote Play.

Return to your Settings menu
Click on Power Save Settings
Go into the Set Features Available in Rest Mode options
Make sure Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning on PS4 from Network are both enabled

Installing Remote Play

Now that your PlayStation 4 is …

Pokémon from the Unova Region have arrived in Pokémon Go soon! Here are all the ones we’ve found so far!

If you haven’t caught every Pokémon available in Pokémon Go yet, sorry, but even more have arrived! Not every Unova Region Pokémon has arrived yet, but most have.

Which Unova Pokémon are confirmed for Pokémon Go so far?

Snivy
Servine
Serperior
Tepig
Pignite
Emboar
Oshawott
Dewott
Samurott
Patrat
Watchog
Lillipup
Herdier
Stoutland
Purrloin
Liepard
Pansage (Only in Asia-Pacific)
Simisage (Only on Asia-Pacific)
Pansear (Only in Europe and Africa)
Simisear (Only in Europe and Africa)
Panpour (Only in the Americas)
Simipour (Only in the Americas)
Pidove
Tranquill
Unfezant
Blitzle
Zebstrika
Roggenrola
Boldore
Gigalith
Drilbur
Excadrill
Timburr
Gurdurr
Conkeldurr
Tympole
Palpitoad
Seismitoad
Throh (Only in North America, South America, and Africa)
Sawk
Venipede
Whirlipede
Scolipede
Basculin – Red-Striped (Only in the Eastern Hemisphere)
Basculin – Blue-Striped (Only in the Wes…

Amazon’s Echo line of smart speakers can be used to control a plethora of different supported lights. If you have an Echo and supported smart lights (with the smart hub for those that need it), it’s easy to get set up.

Products used in this guide

Voice portal: Amazon Echo (3rd Gen) ($90 at Amazon)
Let there be light: LIFX BR30 Muti Colored Bulbs 4 Pack ($176 at Amazon)

The guide

If you don’t already have smart lighting that supports Alexa integration, Amazon has a full list of lighting options, but we’re working with LIFX smart lights for this guide.

Once your smart lights are connected to your home wi-fi (follow the manufacturer’s instructions), you’re ready to connect your lights with your Echo so that you can ask Alexa to control them. Here’s how.

Launch the Alexa app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen. It looks like three lines.
Tap Add Device.

Tap on Light under All Devices, or tap on the device brand at the top of the scree…

That’s a lot less than the $145M from the first trial…

What you need to know

Apple has been ordered to pay WiLan $85 million over a patent infringement.
That’s over technology in the iPhone 6 and 7 used to make calls and download data at the same time.
WiLan was previously awarded $145M but had to give up that sum after a court ruled the amount was incorrect.

Apple has been ordered to pay WiLan the sum of $85M over a patent infringement, following a retrial of a case last year.

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple was previously ordered to pay the sum of $145M to WiLan, after it was ruled that Apple had infringed patents relating to technology used to make phone calls and download data at the same time. The case dates back to 2014 and the dispute is over tech used in the iPhone 6 and 7.

Following WiLan’s first success, Apple claimed the method used to calculate the damages awarded was incorrect, a sentiment the judge agreed with. The ruling was set aside, and WiLan was given a ch…

You don’t need to jump through hoops in order to get the kind of bundle you want anymore.

What you need to know

You can now upgrade to a Disney+ bundle with No Ads Hulu or Hulu Live TV.
Previously, users could not bundle with Live TV and could not upgrade to No Ads after signing up for the Disney+ bundle.
Current or new bundle subscribers can upgrade in the Account section of Hulu’s app or website.

When it launched in November, Disney Plus (Disney+) offered a monthly bundle with ESPN and basic ad-supported Hulu for $12.99 per month, but you couldn’t upgrade that plan to No Ads or Live TV, which hobbled the experience for Hulu subscribers who wanted to expand their options and unlock more content within the service. There was a workaround that allowed users to get the Disney+ Bundle with No Ads Hulu, but if you’d already signed up for the bundle, you were out of luck.

Until now, that is.

Bundle and save

Disney+ Bundle

$13/month at Disney+

This is the streaming bundle you a…

Sleeping better can affect your day-to-day life dramatically, which is why everyone should have one of these LectroFan Sleep Machines. Whether it’s too noisy in your room at night, or too quiet, these sleep machines can help lull you to sleep with their various sounds for sleep and relaxation, from fan whirrings to white noise variations and of course, a calming ocean sound. The pricier the machine, the more features and sounds it includes, but luckily Woot is having a one-day sale on LectroFan Sleep Machines so you can rest easy knowing you didn’t spend too much, no matter which option you choose. Woot includes free shipping for Amazon Prime members, while everyone else is stuck paying a $6 shipping fee.

One of the best options for your home is the High Fidelity White Noise Machine which comes in black for just $32.99, saving you nearly $20 off its usual cost at Amazon. This model features 20 unique sounds, a 60-minute timer, volume controls, and more. It’s small enough to bring ar…

Blu-ray discs are the gold standard in physical video formats right now. You probably have a decent Blu-ray collection of your favorite movies, but without a Blu-ray drive, you can’t play them on your Mac. Blu-rays aren’t just great for movies; they also make great storage devices for backups or other relevant data as well. If you want to play, read, or write Blu-ray discs with your Mac, you’re going to need to start with an excellent Blu-ray drive. Here are our favorite Blu-ray drives for Mac.

Budget option

SEA TECH Blu-ray drive

Staff Favorite

Completely compatible with Mac, you won’t need to reformat or install anything to get the SEA TECH Blu-ray drive to talk to your Mac. Plus, it uses a USB 3.0 connection, meaning all your data transferring is happening at the fast speed of USB 3.0!

$87 at Amazon

Fast write speeds

Pioneer BDR-XD05

The Pioneer BDR-XD05’s 6x write speeds on single-layer and dual-layer discs, and up to 4x max write speeds on quad-layer discs, which mak…