Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
News: Apple Staffing Up for Augmented Reality Software & Product Development
Between acquisitions, hirings, patent applications, and insider reports, all signs point to Apple building a smartglasses product that could ship as soon as 2020, but the company has not officially confirmed such plans.
News: Apple's ARKit 2.0 Intends to Match & Surpass Google's ARCore with Multiplayer & Persistent Content, Says Report
On the one year anniversary of the introduction of ARKit, Apple is planning to reveal major updates its augmented reality toolkit for mobile apps at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California next week.
News: Lumus Looks to Sweden's Tobii for New Smartglasses Eye Tracking Solution
On Thursday, at the Augmented World Expo, Stockholm, Sweden-based eye tracking company Tobii announced that the augmented reality display company Lumus will integrate its eye tracking technology into the Lumus DK50 AR development kit.
How To: Watch Apple's WWDC 2018 Keynote for the New iOS, ARKit & Apple Watch Reveals
The next big event Apple is holding is WWDC 2018, its Worldwide Developers Conference, is about to happen. If you want to see the first glimpse of iOS 12 for yourself, as well ARKit improvements, Apple Watch news, and maybe even some macOS announcements, here's how you can tune into the event right at home from your computer or mobile device.
How To: Watch the 2018 NBA Finals on Your Smartphone for Free — Without a Cable Subscription
After two dramatic Conference Finals, the dust has settled to reveal ... the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well, at least the Irving-less Celtics and Rockets (short of Chris Paul for Games 6 and 7) gave it their all. With these teams battling for the fourth straight time, people want to know if the Cavs can even up the score at 2-2.
News: Vuzix Smart Glasses Getting a Major Upgrade in 2019 with Light Engine from Plessey
While Vuzix is beefing up the processing power of its next-generation smartglasses with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1, the company will also give its devices an upgraded display engine.
News: First App for Meta 2 Headset Lets You View 3D CAD Models in Augmented Reality
Augmented reality headset maker Meta Company unveiled Meta Viewer, its first software application, during its keynote at the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara on Wednesday.
How To: Pin Stickers in Instagram Stories to Real-World Locations or Subjects
Adding Stickers to your Instagram Stories is a great way to spice up your story, giving it another dimension that bare pictures don't have. Those who use Snapchat know that platform features stickers as well, and you can even pin them to your Snaps. Fortunately, Instagram lets you do the same.
News: ManoMotion Updates Its Hand Tracking SDK for Smartphones with Skeleton Tracking
If two hands are better than one, then two hand-tracking SDKs must be better than one as well. After uSens announced its Hand Tracking SDK at the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara on Thursday, ManoMotion unveiled the latest version of its own SDK. Both technologies give apps the ability to track hand gestures with just a smartphone camera.
News: Scope AR Merges Its AR Workflow & Remote Assistance Functions into One App
Enterprise augmented reality software maker Scope AR is bringing the powers of its two productivity apps together like the Wonder Twins into the form of a single app.
News: Hand Tracking for Augmented Reality Apps Comes to Smartphones via uSens
This time last year, computer vision company uSens introduced a stereo camera module capable of hand tracking. Now, uSens can achieve the same thing with just a smartphone's camera.
News: Google Reportedly Taps iPhone Manufacturer to Build the Pixel 3
We are still months away from Google unveiling the new Pixel 3 and 3 XL. As rumors continue to trickle in revealing more about what it will look like and its specs, we've learned an important aspect — who is actually manufacturing them.
How To: Clean Up Android's Cluttered Share Menu
The share menu is a vital part of Android that lets you send data between between apps. Many of your favorite apps support the feature, including the new Direct Share sub-menu, which can lead to a messy share menu. However, there are a number of tools to clean up this clutter, three of which don't require root.
News: Epson's Moverio Smartglasses Line Gets Major Upgrades with New SDK and Web-Based Publishing
Electronics maker Epson is courting developers to its Moverio smartglasses with an updated software development kit (SDK) and integration with a web-based tool for publishing augmented reality experiences.
How To: Get Cheaper Uber Rides with Promo Codes & Coupons
Uber is one of the best ways to get around, but nobody said it was cheap. What's even more infuriating is when you have a bad experience with a ride. Sure, you can get a refund, but then you need to figure out where to enter in the promo code for the coupon that Uber sends your way.
News: iOS 11.4.1 Beta Released for iPhones, Includes 'Bug Fixes & Improvements' Only
Apple released iOS 11.4.1 beta 1 to developers on Wednesday, May 30, just one day after the official release of iOS 11.4, which brought Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2 to the public for the first time. There does not appear to be any new features in this first iOS 11.4.1 beta, instead focusing on "bug fixes and improvements" only.
News: The LG V35 ThinQ Will Come with a Hefty Price Tag
We learned during the LG G7 ThinQ announcement that AT&T would be carrying a new V series device, the V35 ThinQ. In the LG V35 ThinQ's press release, LG revealed its specifications but left out pricing and availability. Thanks to Project Fi, we now know its price tag, and you may not like it.
News: Project Fi Adds 3 New Supported Phones — Moto G6, LG G7 ThinQ & V35 ThinQ
Google's MVNO carrier, Project Fi, can save you a ton of money in the right circumstances, but it's always had a limited selection of supported phones. Because the service uses Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular towers as its backbone, you could only use Project Fi with a Pixel, Nexus, or the Android One Moto X4 until now.
News: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 Will Power New Augmented Reality Headsets from Meta & Vuzix
Confirming a previous report from last week, Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon X1 platform designed for augmented and virtual reality devices during an event at the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara on Tuesday, with Meta and Vuzix among the first manufacturers to adopt it.
News: Google, Amazon, & More Invest $28M in Nerve-Tapping Technology from CTRL-Labs
New York-based startup CTRL-Labs has closed a $28 million Series A round of funding from Google parent Alphabet's GV and Amazon's Alexa Fund, among others, for its next-generation neural interface technology for AR/VR and robotics.
News: Snapchat Adds Sound Recognition to Its Augmented Reality Arsenal
As Facebook, Apple, Samsung, and others offer augmented reality selfie effects and content that challenge its platform, Snapchat has continued to innovate with its augmented reality capabilities.
How To: All of Siri's New AirPlay 2 Commands — So You Can Control Music Playback from Your iPhone Just by Talking
Nearly one year after its announcement, AirPlay 2 has finally landed on iPhones everywhere. Not only can you easily control multiple speakers including Apple TVs and HomePods from your iPhone, but you can use Siri to help you get the job done. It's one of the iOS assistant's best features, and if you're running iOS 11.4 with a compatible speaker, you can try it out right now.
How To: Have a Bomberman Itch You Need to Scratch? Try This Soft-Launched Game on Your iPhone
Futureplay has soft-launched Battle Bombers Arena, giving mobile gamers a refreshing twist on MOBA by infusing it with simple but addicting gameplay based on the console classic Bomberman. Though only available in select European countries, this game can be played on your iPhone right now, regardless of where you live.
News: Snow App Brings Animoji Alternative to Everyone with a Smartphone
Augmented reality avatars that mimic facial expressions are no longer the exclusive province of Animojis on the iPhone X or AR Emojis from Samsung. Camera app Snow has added its own alternative to Apple and Samsung's features, which it also calls AR Emoji, for iOS and Android.
News: New 'Jurassic World Alive' AR Game Takes Everything Great About Pokémon Go & Adds Dinosaurs
The premise of Jurassic World revolves around splicing genes to create new dinosaurs, so it is fitting that the location-based AR game is a clone of Pokémon GO merged with the DNA of the Jurassic Park franchise.
News: 'Messages in iCloud' Finally Available for Macs, Not Just iOS Devices
Apple pushed out iOS 11.4 on May 29 to iPads and iPhones, which included the long-awaited Messages in iCloud feature. The company did not release macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 at the same time, limiting the usefulness of being able to sync messages in the cloud since 10.13.4 is not compatible with Messages in iCloud. But three days later, Apple finally released macOS 10.13.5.
News: iOS 11.4 Released to Everyone, Includes AirPlay 2, Messages in iCloud, New Wallpaper & More
After six betas, iOS 11.4 was officially released to everyone with a compatible iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Some features are ones that Apple promised over eight months ago when iOS 11 was first pushed out. This update makes sense since iOS 12 will be announced at WWDC on June 4, and you can't announce a new version like that without first delivering on promises made for the one before it.
News: Samsung's AR Emoji Gets Super with Addition of Pixar's 'The Incredibles 2'
Just in time for the release of Pixar's highly anticipated sequel, AR Emoji based on characters from The Incredibles 2 have arrived for Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+.
How To: Explore New Worlds on Your iPhone with This Soft-Launched Sci-Fi RPG Shooter
Despite the abundance of sci-fi titles in the iOS App Store, very few of these mobile games ever have the staying power keep us glued for more than a few hours. Enter Space Pioneer, an awesome space exploration game that soft-launched in Canada ahead of a worldwide debut. With a little spoofing, you can experience the game yourself right now.
How To: Cut Off Your Phone Addiction with Android 9.0 Pie's 'Wind Down' Mode on Any Device
Thanks in large part to our phones, many of us don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep. In Android Pie, Google introduced a feature called "Wind Down" that aims to help combat this. However, thanks to a creative app developer, we don't need to wait for Android 9.0 to enjoy this feature.
Market Reality: Qualcomm & DigiLens Prepare Components for AR Wearables & Retailers Get an AR Reality Check
It will likely take a few more years before smartglasses are ready for primetime as component makers achieve the innovations necessary for consumer-centric device designs. Nevertheless, two technology companies are making steps in that direction as Qualcomm is rumored to be working on a chip dedicated to AR & VR headsets, while DigiLens has reduced the size of its waveguide displays for motorcycle helmets.
News: 5 Secret Snapchat Lenses That Will Make Your Weekend — Infinity War, the Chainsmokers & More
One word to sum up this batch of Snapchat lenses: complex. Lens creators like ApocTheLegend and Jinnie the Wew have been at it long enough to start making some really cool stuff, stretching the limit of what's possible using Lens Studio. I'm really looking forward to what they continue to pump out in the future.
News: Coors & KFC Court Consumers for Memorial Day Weekend via Snapchat AR
Many Americans will celebrate the start of the summer this Memorial Day weekend with backyard cookouts, and two brands hope to solidify their invites to those parties through augmented reality experiences in Snapchat.
News: Retailers Benefit from Augmented Reality in Operations & Online Sales Over In-Store Experiences, Research Says
Although retailers like Mac Cosmetics and Zara have been celebrated for deploying innovative in-store augmented reality experiences in their brick-and-mortar locations, a new report throws cold water on the practice.
News: Flagship Performance at Midrange Prices — Qualcomm Announces the Snapdragon 710
There's always been a clear divide between flagship and midrange phones. Flagships will run you at least $700, while midrange typically falls between $250 and $550. The main difference is the processor, with midrange phones sporting a 600-series Snapdragon and flagships rocking the 800-series. Now, Qualcomm may have just created another smartphone tier with their newly-unveiled 700-series chip.
News: Essential Phone 2 Reportedly Canceled, Rubin Looking to Sell
The Essential Phone was undoubtedly one of the most underrated phones of 2018. It launched with buggy software and camera problems, but the company worked diligently to push out updates. Many Android enthusiasts were anxiously waiting for the Essential 2 release later this summer. Unfortunately, news today from Bloomberg indicates that Essential will not release a phone in 2018.
News: Microsoft Japan Helps Godzilla Invade Real World Tokyo via HoloLens
The company behind Japan's beloved Gozilla, Japan's Toho Studios, has for years tried to give fans the sense of what a giant, nuclear-powered lizard invading Tokyo might feel like. Until now, those attempts have been limited to the movie theater, but now, with the help of the Microsoft HoloLens, Godzilla is finally getting its chance to invade the actual city, with terrified fans looking on from a safe distance.
How To: Finally, a Decent Zombie Base-Building Game That You Can Play on Your iPhone Right Now
With tons of titles to choose from on the iOS App Store, you'll never be lacking when it comes zombie shooters. Unfortunately, the same can't be said if you're more interested in base-building and defending against the undead. PlayStack aims to change this, and they've soft-launched Survival City in the Philippines for further development. With a simple hack, you can try the game yourself right now.
News: Liverpool Soccer Fans Can Try on the Team's Uniform in Augmented Reality with New Balance Snapchat Lens
New Balance is helping Liverpool Football Club (FC) fans see how they look in the team's new kits with an augmented reality experience in Snapchat.
News: The Experiment Is Over — Huawei Will No Longer Help Users Unlock Their Bootloaders
While Huawei smartphones haven't always been the best choice when it comes to custom ROMs, one thing that has always been accessible is the ability to unlock the bootloader. An unlocked bootloader is the first step into the magical world of rooting, but after May 24, Huawei will stop offering this service.