Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
News: Google Takes Developers Back to School with ARCore Classes on Coursera
With a new version of its ARCore in the wild and more than 30 devices now supporting it, Google is helping beginners get up to speed with augmented reality.
News: Microsoft Applies for Another Patent to Enlarge Field of View in AR Displays
Based on its continued research, it appears Microsoft recognizes that the next HoloLens needs a wider field of view (FoV). Based on a recently-revealed documentation, the company's research team has found another way to accomplish that objective.
News: iOS 12 Is Now Open for Public Beta Testers, Here's How to Install It on Your iPhone Right Now
Hours after iOS 11.4.1 beta 4 was released on Monday, June 25, Apple's webpage for its public beta software programs was unavailable because of an "update." Sure enough, that meant the public beta for iOS 12 was being prepped to drop shortly thereafter, which is exactly what happened. In other words, you can now install iOS 12 on your iPhone without a developer account!
How To: iOS 12 Adds Quick-Reply Tapbacks to iMessage & Text Notifications on Your iPhone
Ever since iOS 8, Apple's quick reply feature had made it easy to respond to messages without leaving the lock screen or whatever app you're currently in, but you can't utilize all of Messages features when responding this way. You can't add photos, use iMessage apps, record audio, choose effects, or send handwritten messages. You also couldn't use Tapback, but iOS 12 just changed this.
News: Augmented Reality Reporting from NY Times Shows That Military Perpetrated Syria Chemical Attack
In its latest feature with an assist from augmented reality in storytelling, the New York Times shows readers the virtual crime scene it constructed to prove that the Syrian military conducted chemical warfare against its citizens.
News: iOS 11.4.1 Beta 4 Released for iPhones, Includes Only 'Bug Fixes' & Unknown Improvements
Apple's on a roll with once-every-week releases for the iOS 11.4.1 beta. Exactly seven days after beta 3 came out, beta 4 has been pushed out to developers and public beta testers on Monday, June 25. Just like before, there are no new features or any known enhancements or bug fixes. Apple confirmed that iOS 11.4.1 is for under-the-hood improvements only, since iOS 12 beta is already out.
How To: Completely Revamp the Lock Screen on Your Galaxy S8 or S9
Samsung's Good Lock app has has breathed much needed life into its TouchWiz UI by giving us the ability to customize our Galaxy phones in ways that previously would've required root or a custom ROM. One companion app in particular even lets you personalize your lock screen to set it apart from the rest of the crowd.
News: Magic Leap's Unity Conference Presentation Uncovered Many New Details, Here's What We Found Out
During its presentation at Unite Berlin, Magic Leap gave attendees a crash course in developing experiences for Magic Leap One (ML1), we found out quite a bit more about how the device works and what we can expect to experience with the device.
Market Reality: Disney, Universal, & FIFA World Cup Turn to Augmented Reality for Marketing Muscle
Augmented reality is really picking up steam as a tool for marketing departments to pitch their products.
How To: Talk to Google Home Normally Without Having to Say 'Hey Google' Each Time
At I/O 2018, Google showcased features that would make the Google Assistant easier to communicate with. While some people were impressed with (and maybe creeped out by) Google Duplex, one feature that was well received was the ability to talk to the Assistant without the constant "Hey Google" before each question.
ARKit 101: How to Measure the Ground Using ARKit
Have you noticed the many utility ARKit apps on the App Store that allow you to measure the sizes of horizontal planes in the world? Guess what? After this tutorial, you'll be able to do this yourself!
News: Zappar's ZapWorks Promises to Give Anyone the Power to Create Complex AR Experiences Without Coding Experience
Another entrant into the do-it-yourself AR content creation market has emerged, as Zappar has updated its ZapWorks Studio software to include features for development newbies.
How To: Eject Water from Your Apple Watch's Speaker After Getting It Wet
Whether you like to go swimming or jump in a hot shower with your Apple Watch on, the chance is pretty high that you'll get water inside its speaker. If you're a big runner, even sweat can get inside there. While there is no way to prevent water from getting inside your Apple Watch's speaker, there is an easy way to get it out so that your muffled speaker sounds brand new again.
How To: Catalog & Save Recipes from Any Site to Your Smartphone
With Tasty dominating Facebook videos and online cooking flourishing, it can be cumbersome to keep track of all your recipes. Someone might send you something, and storing it in an app like Pocket is like jamming all your school papers in one folder — it just isn't practical. Fortunately, there's a better way to catalog your recipes so you can always have them on hand.
News: Motion Capture via iPhone X Is Available to Animators Now Through Live Face App
While 3D motion capture via iPhone X is coming soon from Unity, software maker Reallusion offers similar functionality to 3D model animation producers today.
News: Magic Leap Shows Off Spatial Computing Demo, FCC Docs Reveal New Controller Images
Magic Leap just did something it didn't do during its recent Twitch hardware demo: show us some new demo footage of what augmented reality really looks like through the Magic Leap One.
How To: Get a Transparent Quick Settings Panel on Your Galaxy S8 or S9
With the re-emergence of Samsung's Good Lock app, you're once again able to tweak parts of your Galaxy's interface with no root or major modifications required. One add-on in particular even lets you fully customize the Quick Settings panel on your S8, S9, or Note 8 in a full spectrum of colors to truly make it your own.
News: National Geographic's Open-Air Planetarium Displays Augmented Reality Constellations Through Aryzon Viewers
On June 23, National Geographic will begin welcoming visitors to the world's first outdoor planetarium in Quebec, Canada, where an augmented reality experience overlaid on the night sky will replace the projection systems of traditional facilities.
News: New York Times AR Coverage of Guatemala Volcano Disaster Shows AR Isn't Ready for Breaking News
The latest augmented reality feature from The New York Times gives readers a close-up view of the damage left behind by the eruption of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala earlier this month.
News: Cord-Cutting Just Got Cheaper — AT&T's $15/Month WatchTV Service Is Coming Next Week
After a district judge approved the $85 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner, we knew AT&T would be quick to reap the rewards of capturing Time Warner's media properties. Today, we get our first look at this with two cellular plans from AT&T. What makes these plans unique is they include a new cord-cutting service called WatchTV.
How To: Get Android P-Style Multitasking on Your Galaxy S8 or S9
A revamped Recent Apps overview is one of the most significant changes set to arrive with Android P when it touches down later this year. Incredibly, Samsung has beaten Google to the punch, and has made this feature available for all its Oreo-based Galaxy handsets courtesy of its Good Locks app.
News: Moviebill Captures the Dinosaurs of 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' in Augmented Reality
Regal Cinema's augmented reality magazine Moviebill enjoyed a big debut in April and it has its sights set on an even bigger (virtually) outing with its next edition.
News: Leap Motion Shares Amazing Demo of Augmented Reality Table Tennis with AI Opponent
Hand tracking technology company Leap Motion has built a stunningly fluid augmented reality ping-pong game that not only showcases the capabilities of its open source Project North Star augmented reality headset, but also demonstrates how artificial intelligence can elevate immersive experiences.
News: Magic Leap One Makes a Surprise Appearance During World Cup TV Show
Magic Leap shows up in the weirdest places. Last week, right at the start of World Cup fever, for some reason, the Magic Leap One appeared on a Brazilian television show.
News: Unity Unveils Project MARS for Simplified AR Development & Facial AR for Easy Mocap
On Tuesday, at the Unite Berlin developers conference, Unity unveiled new tools designed specifically for augmented reality that could literally raise the technology to the next level.
News: You Can Preorder the LG V35 ThinQ on Project Fi Starting Today
Earlier in June, we learned that Project Fi was going to carry three new phones, one of which was a device previously thought to be AT&T-exclusive, the LG V35 ThinQ. After much waiting, preorders are now open.
How To: Remove Any Status Bar Icon on Your Galaxy S8, S9, or Note 8
Samsung reintroduced its well regarded Good Lock app, so now you can tweak parts of your Galaxy's interface without the need for root or other labor-intensive mods. Thanks to an awesome add-on, you can even tidy up you phone's status bar — so if you've always wanted to get rid of that pesky NFC "N" icon or any other indicator at the top of your display, you're now just a few taps away.
News: Unity Builds Developer Bridge Between ARKit & ARCore Apps with AR Foundation Tool
A new set of APIs for Unity promise to make it easier for developers to publish apps that support both ARKit and ARCore.
News: iOS 12 Dev Beta 2 & Public Beta 1 Hit iPhones
Right on the heels of the iOS 11.4.1 beta 3 release, Apple pushed out iOS 12 beta 2 to registered developers on Tuesday, June 19. Public beta testers received the same version, labeled as iOS 12 public beta 1, six days later on Monday, June 25. Last year, the iOS 11 public beta opened up just five days after the release of iOS 11 developer beta 2, so iOS 12 is pretty much right on track in that regard.
News: Microsoft Opens Access to Sensor Data on the HoloLens with 'Research Mode' Update
The addition of a new research mode for Microsoft HoloLens will enable researchers and developers to tap into a wider range of data collected by the device's sensors.
How To: Install Samsung's Good Lock App to Customize Your Galaxy
Customizing the lock screen, status bar, and other aspects of your Galaxy's UI usually requires root. Thankfully, Samsung has reintroduced a well-regarded app that gives you the freedom to tailor parts of your Galaxy's interface in just a few simple steps.
How To: The 10 Best New Features in iOS 12's Photos App for iPhone
Apple's own Photos app received some pretty amazing updates in iOS 11, but does iOS 12 have what it takes to one-up last year's Photos improvements? We think so.
News: Google Flips the Switch on Web-Based Augmented Reality Experiences for ARCore
Developers can now publish augmented reality experiences that are viewable through the experimental version of Chrome and ARCore.
News: iOS 11.4.1 Beta 3 Released for iPhones, Still Focusing on Unknown Improvements
Another beta for iOS 11.4.1 was released on Monday, June 18, exactly one week after iOS 11.4.1 beta 2 was pushed out. Like the second beta, iOS 11.4.1 beta 3 has no new features or any known enhancements or bug fixes. It's likely Apple is simply using iOS 11.4.1 to add under-the-hood improvements only, since iOS 12 beta is already out.
News: Snapchat Gains Super Powers with 'Incredibles 2' Augmented Reality Experience
Pixar's Incredibles 2 has entered the fray as the latest sequel in a summer of highly anticipated follow-up films and, like its peers, it also has an augmented reality experience to promote its presence in theaters.
News: LG UX vs Stock Android — a Visual Comparison
There's a growing sentiment around the web that when it comes to Android, stock is best. Many people prefer the clean look of Google's vision for Android, but manufacturers like LG will add features and themes on top of this base to differentiate themselves from the pack. But these OEM skins, as they're called, aren't always as overbearing as you might think.
How To: Get Your FIFA Fix & Play Kings of Soccer on Your iPhone Right Now
Kings of Soccer recently soft launched in the Netherlands and a few other countries, garnering positive reviews from the mobile gamers who've experienced it. With the 2018 FIFA World Cup now in full swing, we wanted to let you in on a little secret: You can play Kings of Soccer right now ahead of everyone else, regardless of where you live.
News: 5 Snapchat Lenses You Have to Try Out This Week — World Cup, Superman & More
With summer in full swing, these Snapchat lenses are as hot as ever. With people celebrating the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Snapchat contests that earn could earn you a free ride to Comic Con, and the everyday innovation that comes out of Lens Studio, there's something for everyone here this week.
News: 8 of the Wildest Augmented Reality Glasses You Haven't Seen Yet
We've shown you the best augmented reality headsets, and now it's time to show you the rest. These are the AR headsets you've probably never heard of or even seen. The AR headsets that, in some cases, have a shot at the big time, and may one day reach widespread adoption, and, in other cases, are unwieldily contraptions that look like something out of a weird science fiction movie.
How To: Prevent Accidental 911 Calls from Your Apple Watch (So Emergency Services Don't Show Up While You're Sleeping)
I've called 911 accidentally more than a few times on my iPhone using the Emergency SOS triggers, but it's also just as easy to trigger an unintentional call to emergency services using an Apple Watch. These accidental 911 calls can put a strain on local public-safety answering points, or call centers, as well as local authorities and emergency medical technicians.