At Home with Tech

August 23, 2026

Has “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Jumped the Shark?

What do the following movie and TV genres have in common?

Dinosaurs
Zombie ghosts
Piecing together a blackout night of mayhem
1942’s “Casablanca”
And the Muppets

Yes, it would be the first half of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 4.

Based on the first five episodes, “Strange New Worlds” has settled into a certain genre-of-the-week groove. And it’s certainly not what you might say is classic Trek.

Puppets in Space?

We just got the long-teased comedic puppet adventure. (Yes, the crew is turned into puppets by a transporter accident.)

This comes after the film noir episode, the ‘Hangover’ homage, the horror episode and the time-travel dinosaur plot.

Boldy Go?

With the writers exploring a different genre each week, you might simply conclude the show is taking some big swings or alternately feel it’s become a bit gimmicky.

It’s not that “Strange New Worlds” hasn’t explored varied storytelling genres before (such as season two’s musical episode). And even the original series had its comedic plots like the famous “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

But we’re halfway through this second-to-last season for “Strange New Worlds.” Except for the premiere, which was solid science fiction (the dinosaur-punch notwithstanding) the show is acting like it has all the time in the world to have its fun.

Lost in Space?

But the reality is we’ve only got 11 episodes left to the series finale. (Season five will contain only six episodes.)

Shouldn’t the writers be giving us more serious plots that try to push the boundaries of science fiction? Well, they’re certainly pushing “Star Trek” norms.

So, you might conclude that “Strange New Worlds” is off course and jumped the shark.

But you’d be wrong, And I’ve got two reasons why…

Reason #1
Look Under the Hood of the Gimmick

Sure, transforming the crew into puppets (via Jim Henson’ Creature Shop) may seems like a silly gimmick. But when you move beyond the plot device and realize it’s just a metaphor for what show is really about (just wait for the ‘aha moment’), you understand how clever this concept really is.

Then, you can rewatch “Level-Five Transporter Accident” and enjoy the episode on a totally new level.

Many great “Star Trek” stories are often just metaphors for something entirely different. Let’s not forget that.

Reason #2
Let the Show Have its Fun. The End is Near.

“Strange new Worlds” has already served up a variety of lighter plots in its first three seasons. We just happened to get a grouped set of these ‘unique’ episodes at the top of this season.

Let’s enjoy this fun… because we know it’s not going to last.

There’s a lot of ground to cover to get from Captain Pike’s Starship Enterprise to a very different Enterprise crew let by Kirk.

I imagine there’s going to be choppy waters ahead for this ship and crew. Plus, we already know Pike’s fate. And unless the writers are going to reveal a sci-fi deus ex machina to soften that blow (like the Klingon ‘time crystal’ from the season 1 finale), we’ll be shedding a few tears next year.

There’s a Method to this Madness

So why not enjoy some hijinks before we need to get to that finish line? Spock and Scotty are still in their formative years, which the writers are clearly leaning into. Every episode doesn’t have to be a universe-saving venture.

And despite the tonal swings, the writers are demonstrating intention with each episode’s messaging. Plus, they pull regularly from Star Trek canon. I love that. And I will trust there is some logic in the larger plan.

The Warp Core is Sound

I’ve read some critics’ conclusions that there are too few episodes left to waste on ‘fun’ episodes. And they may have a point.

But “Strange New Worlds” has already proven itself during the past three seasons. It’s earned the opportunity to take some creative license.

Enjoy the Last Days of Summer

Season 4 has been a perfect summer series. And don’t forget, winter’s coming.

For now, I’m going to sit back and happily enjoy my Trek.

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August 16, 2026

How to Use Shortcuts on Your iPhone to Save Time

How many times a day do you tap or swipe your phone screen? One study suggests the number is over 2,600 times for the average smartphone user. Though it’s ten-year-old research, the conclusion is clear. That’s a lot of finger action… and a fair amount of mental work as well. Any way to reduce all these taps would be welcome, and Apple offers one solution.

Apple Shortcuts has been around for years in a dedicated iPhone app called… Shortcuts. You select from a variety of predesigned shortcuts to activate that will help speed up certain tasks on your iPhone.

You can also create your own shortcuts using a series of ‘actions.’ You can even automate many shortcuts to run automatically.
(Yes, they’re called… automations.)

If you’re new to using these shortcuts, their powers enable you to combine multiple actions with a single tap (or you can also use Siri).

How to Set Up an Apple Shortcut

To get started in Shortcuts, you simply select the Gallery icon on the bottom of your screen. This brings up all of Apple’s shortcuts. Then if you tap on one of them, it explains what it does. If you want to activate it, tap on “Add Shortcut” or “Set up Shortcut” on the bottom.

After that, the new shortcut is easily accessible in the main library view in the Shortcuts app. You can also choose to create a little icon for your shortcut that lives on your phone’s home screen for even quicker access.

You activate the icon by tapping on the three dots on the top right of the colorful shortcut box. This brings up more choices. Select the drop down by the name on top and select “Add to Home Screen.”

Six Shortcuts to Try that I’ve Found Useful

Dictate & Share

There are multiple ways to dictate messages on your iPhone, but this as efficient as it gets. You tap the shortcut to begin recording, and then you can immediately start talking. After you’re done, you choose where to send your text file.

Email Myself

Though this may feel old school, emailing something to yourself can still be a quick solution. Once you activate this shortcut, it’s available directly from the ‘Share Sheet’ that displays after you tap the ‘share’ icon (square with the up arrow).

Directions to Event

Sometimes when I get in the car to drive to an appointment, I realize I need directions. Then, I have to open my Calendar app and tap on the address I’ve added to my appointment. This activates my Maps app and I’m ready to go.

But this shortcut speeds up that process by instantly pulling the address and sending it to the Maps app. (No more need to first open my Calendar app.)

Estimate Meeting Travel Time

Have you ever worried how long a drive is going to take depending on traffic conditions? As long as you’ve added an address and day/time in your calendar for your destination, this shortcut first confirms the future event and then calculates the current estimated travel time.

This is especially helpful a few hours before you intend to leave to see if traffic is already building up.

Share Location

There are several ways to do this from your phone, but this shortcut enables you in one tap to immediately share your location to a predetermined contact via text.

No need to go to your Messages app and choose who you’re texting. It’s lightning fast.

Play Podcast

Often, when I decide to listen to a podcast, I get a little cranky spending time after I open the Podcasts app to find my specific podcast, even if I follow it. If you have a favorite podcast, this enables one-tap access to it from your iPhone’s home screen. No Podcasts app required.

I created this shortcut myself by simply tapping on the plus-sign at the top right of the Shortcuts’ screen. Then I typed “Podcast.”

From there, I scrolled to the bottom, which displayed the podcasts I’ve been listening to. Next, I selected the podcast I wanted. After that, at the top drop down, I updated the name of my podcast shortcut and tapped “Add to Home Screen.”

You can repeat this process for as many podcasts as you like.

Be Kind to Your Finger

Shortcuts certainly aren’t as cool as what AI can do for you these days, but they do eliminate some unnecessary finger taps throughout your day.

Alternately, you can continue to take the extra few seconds to do it all yourself for each screen task. But those seconds add up quickly!

I do think proactively setting up easy shortcuts to help simplify your own user interface is a no brainer.

For your consideration…

August 9, 2026

Summer Silhouettes by the Ocean

Sandy wind and sea spray are often a threat to your camera. So, safely bringing your camera to the beach or a boat trip may be a challenge. But the harsh sunlight you encounter can become your biggest obstacle.

Whether working with a sunrise or sunset or even when the sun is high in the sky, practicing photography with significant glare is tricky.

That’s usually when I embrace the problem and turn it into an advantage. I use it to help me generate nifty silhouette shots.

You just need to reverse your thinking about getting enough light in front of your subjects… and simply look for the opposite.

Here are few examples of that creative strategy I snapped during this summer by the ocean.