Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
Wish List: 21+ Features iOS 12 Should Definitely Have for iPhones
Apple's next big developer event happened on June 4, and it was the first glimpse of iOS 12 that anyone's seen. While there were lots of rumored features to be unveiled at WWDC 2018, Apple concentrated mostly on squashing bugs and making iOS work as seamless as it did years ago. Still, we had hoped that Apple would have added these features in iOS 12, but only a few made the cut.
News: Qualcomm Making Chips for Standalone AR & VR Headsets Linked to HTC, Vuzix, & Google, Reports Say
One of the leading chipmakers for smartphones is getting ready to announce a new processor made specifically for augmented and virtual reality headsets.
How To: 10 Settings You Can Tweak to Make TouchWiz More Tolerable
Samsung Experience (better known as TouchWiz) can take some time to get used to when you switch to a Galaxy from another Android device. It's a bit heavy-handed with the features, and many consider the UI theme to be a little over the top. Thankfully, there are several stock settings that can dial this back.
News: New DigiLens Waveguide Displays for Motorcycle Helmets Are Thinner, Lighter & Cheaper
Less than a week after securing a $25 million Series C funding round for automotive HUDs, DigiLens has introduced a new waveguide display for motorcycle helmets that's thinner, lighter, brighter, and manufactured at a lower cost.
How To: Missing the App Store's Wish List? This Is the Best Alternative for iOS 11
Apple removed the Wish List feature from the App Store when iOS 11 was released, which was a huge disappointment, to say the least. While the Wish List still remains in the iTunes Store, it seems gone for good for apps, but that doesn't mean you can't still keep a wish list of interesting apps and games to buy later — using software already on your iPhone.
News: $150 Never Got You So Much — Alcatel Announces the 3V for the US
To quote MKBHD, cheap phones are getting good. Each year we are seeing manufacturers start to offer more for much less. This not only translates to cheaper flagship phones, but better budget phones. The latest example of this is the Alcatel 3V, which is redefining what you can get at $150.
News: Looney Tunes Antics Jump from Screen to Real World with Augmented Reality Experiment
Even in augmented reality, Wile E. Coyote still can't catch the Road Runner. The latest AR experiment from developer Abhishek Singh brings the classic Looney Tunes duo into the real world.
News: Xiaomi Might Make Its First Stop on US Shores with the Mi 8 Anniversary Edition
US customers might soon get access to their first Xiaomi smartphone. The fourth largest OEM has been eyeing a US launch for years, with rumors indicating a debut by Q1 2019. Now, it looks like the Mi 8 Anniversary Edition will be the first device.
How To: This App Gives You Android 9.0 Pie's Auto-Rotate Button on Older Versions
Auto rotation is generally useful, but it gets annoying when you trigger it accidentally. In past Android versions, you could lock rotation into portrait mode as a workaround, but you'd have to disable this every time you wanted to put your phone in landscape mode. Luckily, Android Pie has a great fix for this.
News: Apple Reveals New Animoji Karaoke Video Ahead of WWDC
Apple's lead marketing tool for the iPhone X, 3D Animoji that you control with your facial and head movements, are once again in the spotlight in a new commercial the company posted on its Korean YouTube account this week.
How To: Mute People on Instagram So You Don't Have to Unfollow or Block Them Completely
When you've had enough of someone's annoying baby videos or cat photos on Instagram, you would have to either unfollow them or even block them outright. Now, you don't have to cut ties with them completely — you can just mute them instead, a feature that Instagram's parent company, Facebook, has allowed on its platform for some time.
How To: Use Your iPhone's Speakers to Their Full Potential with These Ringtones & Alarms
With the exception of "Reflection" on the iPhone X, Apple hasn't updated their catalog of ringtones and alarms since iOS 7 dropped back in 2013. Since then, the company has come a long way with the quality of the iPhone's speakers, but their tones haven't adapted to meet those changes. That's left an opening for others to create their own ringtones mastered for the iPhone.
How To: Add Better Lighting Effects to Portrait Mode Photos on Your iPhone
Apple first included a dual-lens camera onto its iPhone 7 Plus back in late-2016, yet not many developers besides Apple have harnessed the depth data that "Portrait" mode photos provide. A relatively new app is changing that, though, by using that depth information to let you add realistic-looking light sources to your photos.
News: Disney Patent Previews More Star Wars AR Gaming
A newly-filed patent application from Disney Enterprises, Inc. teases more augmented reality lightsaber duels, either for at-home gaming or for the media behemoth's forthcoming Star Wars theme park.
How To: Use Hulu's Improved Scrubbing Tool to Accurately Skip Through a Show
While Hulu offers users an easy way to catch up on the latest shows, it hasn't always given them the best tools to control that content. Scrubbing — or fast-forwarding and rewinding — had a history of inaccuracy, as well as a general uselessness. Luckily, Hulu has greatly improved this tool, updating it with new features to help you find your place quickly and accurately.
Market Reality: Apple's Smartglasses Timeline Shifts, Continental Invests in Automotive HUDS, & Target Ships Web AR App
Consumers are chomping at the bit for augmented reality smartglasses from Cupertino's finest, but one market analyst is saying not so fast, Apple fans. Meanwhile, automotive AR is gaining speed, with the latest milestone coming courtesy of a major investment in waveguides by Continental. And although mobile AR apps have already arrived, retailer Target is taking a different approach. So why is Target tinkering with web-based AR? Answers below...
How To: Get OnePlus' Gorgeous Weather App on Any Phone
The OnePlus 6 is finally in customers' hands along with its top-of-the-line specs — and yes, a notch. But you can start getting some of their stock apps as early as today, thanks to XDA user erayrafet, who ported this Weather app directly from the source.
How To: Remove Embarrassing or Irrelevant Titles from Your Hulu Watch History
If you're someone who shares your Hulu account with friends and family, let me be first to acknowledge you as a hero. That being said, heroes have messy profiles — your account quickly reflects the viewing habits of your shared users, making it difficult to keep your watch history yours. That changes now, with new tools from Hulu.
How To: Android P's Lock Screen Weather Not Working? Try These Tricks
Among its many new features, Android P returns the spirit of lock screen widgets to users by presenting the current temperature and weather conditions underneath the clock. It isn't flashy, but it's a fun and useful addition that, unfortunately, does not always work. If your lock screen weather isn't showing up, you might want to try these steps to fix it.
News: Mapbox Updates Maps SDK to Compete with Google Maps API for Location-Based Gaming
Location services company Mapbox has added new capabilities to its location-based gaming tool to fend off Google's challenge for the same mobile app category.
How To: Make Sure Hulu Never Recommends Your Least Favorite Show Again with 'Stop Suggesting'
Hulu has a lot of content — with thousands of movies and TV series, there's bound to be a few titles here and there you simply don't like. If Hulu is inexplicably recommending garbage you don't want to watch, there's a new way to stop that from happening.
News: Google Partnering with Qualcomm & Quanta on AR Headset, Report Says
After the spectacular rise and fall (and rebirth) of Glass, Google is taking another run at augmented reality smartglasses.
News: Analyst Predicts Apple's AR Headset Won't Arrive Until 2021
Noted analyst Gene Munster is predicting that Apple's initial entry into the augmented reality wearables category will be a year later than previous reports have estimated.
News: Try These 5 Hot New Snapchat Lenses — Iron Man, iDubbz & More
In this week of Snapchat lenses, there was a significant increase in ones that involve Marvel superheroes (the Infinity War effect), as well as ones with YouTubers. Classic sitcoms will also always do well, as evidenced by some of my previous roundups. Overall, lenses are doing well and only continuing to grow.
How To: Live Stream the Royal Wedding for Free on Android or iPhone
The pending union between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle is almost guaranteed to set the internet ablaze as millions tune in to experience the spectacle and pageantry of such a momentous event. If you've cut the cord and are wondering where you can stream the royal wedding for free, we've got you covered.
How To: Get IMDb Ratings in the Netflix App for Android
I don't need to remind you that Netflix is a holy bastion of both outsourced and original content. I probably also don't need to remind you that Netflix's rating system sucks. It suggests content based on how much you'd like it, as opposed to how highly it's rated. After all, Netflix wouldn't admit that some of their own material isn't good.
News: Target Taps YouCam for Augmented Reality Cosmetics Web App
Department store chain Target is the latest retailer to offer an augmented reality cosmetics app for customers to virtually try on lipstick.
News: DigiLens Gets $25M Boost from Continental for Automotive Augmented Reality
Waveguide manufacturer DigiLens has closed a $25 million Series C round of funding from automotive technology company Continental, which uses the technology in its heads up displays.
News: iOS 11.4 Beta 6 Released, Includes Fix for 'Black Dot' Bug & Under-the-Hood Patches
Talk about rapid-fire. Apple released the sixth beta for iOS 11.4 on Thursday, May 17. The update comes just three days after the release of iOS 11.4 beta 5, indicating that Apple is readily approaching the official release of the software. Apple has not issued an official iOS update since 11.3.1, which found its way to users over three weeks ago.
News: Google Updates AR App to Help Muslims Observe Ramadan When Offline
Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, is underway, and Google has rolled out several tools to help Muslims commemorate the event, including an augmented reality app.
How To: Play DC Unchained on Your iPhone Right Now
Marvel's Future Fight gave gamers the ability to brawl through near-countless levels as their favorite superhero. Not to be outdone, DC has soft launched DC Unchained in select Southeast Asian countries in preparation of a worldwide debut. If you're willing to put in a little work, however, you can try this game anywhere right now.
Samsung Internet 101: How to Password-Protect Your Private Browsing Sessions
Whichever web browser you use, each comes with a way to surf the net "secretly." While nothing on the internet is truly anonymous, private browsing modes can help keep your movements hidden from those who might have access to your data. The "secret mode" for the Samsung Internet app goes a step further on Android, by locking your private browsing behind a unique password.
News: Watch JerryRigEverything Scratch, Burn & Bend the New All-Glass OnePlus 6
With the change to a glass back, many of us are concerned about the durability of OnePlus 6. While glass does offer some benefits such as lighter weight, without proper reinforcement, it can easily shatter in one drop. Now we have our our first look at its durability thanks to JerryRigEverything.
How To: Don't Waste $8 — Play This Free Version of NBA 2K on Your iPhone Instead
NBA 2K18 has been out for the iPhone for months, but its $7.99 price tag put it out of reach for many mobile gamers. There's light at the end of the tunnel now, as a free-to-play version is in the works as a soft-launch in New Zealand. If you can't bear the wait, you can play the free NBA 2K Mobile right now in any country.
News: Create & Explore Floating Orbs of Sound in AR with Fields App
When it comes to augmented reality apps, visually immersive experiences are plentiful, but audio experiences are somewhat underrepresented. A new app for iPhones and iPads seeks to shift the AR paradigm toward the latter.
News: Amazon Sumerian Now Available to Anyone Who Wants to Create AR & VR Apps
Amazon Web Service's do-it-yourself tool for building augmented reality experiences and VR has graduated from beta and is now available to all interested users.
News: ANTVR Goes Modular to Shrink the Size & Expand the Field of View of Its AR Headset
China-based virtual reality headset maker ANTVR has decided to enter the augmented reality space, and to do so it's launching its headset on Kickstarter. The company claims that its new Mix AR device has a field of view that surpasses the Meta 2, the HoloLens, and others within a smaller form factor and at a fraction of the price. But there's a catch.
News: NBC's Today Show Uses Snapchat to Let You Dress for the Royal Wedding in Augmented Reality
Royal wedding fever has officially taken over the media, and that obsession with the UK's latest marriage event has now extended to Snapchat, thanks to a new Lens from the Today Show.
YouTube 101: How to Turn on Incognito Mode for a Private Viewing Experience
Incognito Mode is a privacy feature that was popularized by Google Chrome, and it recently made its way to GBoard. Now it's coming to the YouTube app to help make your video watching experience truly private.
News: Samsung's Galaxy S9 & S9+ Finally Get ARCore Support
Google's Pixel smartphone had a decent head start as one of the first devices to offer ARCore, but that early exclusivity has been frustrating for some Android device owners. Some of that frustration was relieved when Google added more Android devices to the ARCore list in February.