Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
News: Magic Leap Confirms Massive New $461 Million Investment from Saudi Investors & Others
Just a week after rumors surfaced of a massive new investment in Magic Leap led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the investment has been confirmed by the company's CEO Rony Abovitz.
News: Jurassic World Augmented Reality Game Wants to Be Pokémon GO for Real Dinosaurs
Following in the augmented reality footsteps of Pokémon GO, Universal Studios has decided to give us an AR version of Jurassic World.
How To: Hide Your Active Status in Facebook Messenger to Go Incognito Online
For all of its advantages, Facebook Messenger isn't the best for people who like their privacy. The popular app lets all your Facebook friends know when you're online by default, as well as how long you've been idle, making it impossible to check up with one person without leaving yourself vulnerable to your entire friends list. Luckily, this feature is one you can turn off.
How To: You Can Play Assassin's Creed Rebellion on Your iPhone Right Now — Here's How
Assassin's Creed Rebellion is a welcome addition to the popular gaming franchise, garnering great reviews so far. Unfortunately, the game has been stuck in soft-launch limbo for almost a year, with no firm release date in sight. With a little legwork, however, you can try the game out for yourself right now.
News: Huawei Teases P20 Announcement Date in New Videos
It looks like the Huawei P20 has moved from rumor to all but confirmed. Thanks to a series of YouTube videos released by Huawei Mobile Netherlands, we now have a few confirmations about the latest entries in the flagship series.
How To: There's an Easy Way to Stop MoviePass from Tracking Your iPhone After Watching Films
MoviePass may be popular with filmgoers on a budget, but it might not be with those of you who are concerned about your privacy, since MoviePass may be logging your location data even when you don't expect the app to do so.
How To: Use Intelligent Scan to Unlock Your Galaxy S9 Faster
The Galaxy S9 is full of minor improvements and revisions that come together to make it a worthy upgrade over the Galaxy S8. One such improvement is facial recognition, which Samsung has fortified with machine learning and the inclusion of another sensor. The result of these efforts is called Intelligent Scan.
Messages 101: How to Search Google for Places, Videos & News to Share, Right from Your Conversations
If you're a fan of Gboard, Google's third-party keyboard for iOS, then you can already search Google, YouTube, and Google Maps from any screen you're on. But if you prefer Apple's stock keyboard or another third-party one on your iPhone, you don't have any Google search options ... at least, until now.
News: Indie Artists Invade MoMA with Augmented Reality to Reimagine Jackson Pollock's Works
Remember that scene in Tim Burton's Batman where the Joker and his goons defaced dozens of priceless works of art? A collective of digital artists have found a less criminal, more geeky way to do the same thing.
Netflix 101: Parental Controls for Individual TV Show & Movie Titles Are Coming
Netflix currently lets parents block content based on maturity rating, but it isn't a perfect system. Not all titles rated PG-13 are equal, for instance. That's why it's good news that Netflix is adding more controls for parents, by allowing account holders to bar individual movies and TV shows they deem inappropriate.
News: Google Has Trained a Neural Network to Change Your Video Background in Real-Time Video
The research team at Google has found yet another way for machine learning to simplify time-intensive tasks, and this one could eventually facilitate Star Wars-like holographic video.
News: iOS 11.3 Beta 4 Released for iPhone with Under-the-Hood Improvements
The fourth beta for iOS 11.3 was released by Apple to developers and public beta testers on Monday, March 5. The update comes just under two weeks after the company released beta 3 on Feb. 20, which mostly added bug and stability patches. It appears that beta 4 is much of the same, but we'll learn more as we sink our teeth into it.
News: Introducing the LG Q7 — Flagship Display & Audio at a Budget Price
In July 2017, LG announced a new smartphone lineup, the Q series. These devices focus on providing some flagship features at a more affordable cost — features such as an 18:9 1080p display. LG's goal here seems to be adding value for the more budget-conscious users, and in 2018, they've continued the series with the Q7.
News: Magic Leap Filed Police Report on Over $1 Million Theft Linked to Employee
It turns out that coming up groundbreaking technology and raising billions may actually be the easy part for Magic Leap, as a new report has revealed yet another legal entanglement at the Florida-based company.
Dev Report: 3D Live Tiles, Two-Handed Manipulation & More Are Finally Coming to the HoloLens
It is finally happening. After not having a major update since August of 2016, HoloLens owners everywhere will soon get a number of new features added to their devices. At least if they are members of the Windows Insider program.
News: 3 Reasons You Might Want to Switch to the Galaxy S9 from an iPhone
It's human nature to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. This is no more true than for people who use iPhones, and those who use Galaxy S phones. While iPhones were initially the gold standard for smartphones, Samsung's phones equal them in many ways and surpass them in others. If you use an iPhone and you're on the fence, here's the case for making the switch to a Galaxy S9 or S9+.
News: Meet the LG V35 ThinQ — the V30's Exterior with the G7's Internals
After two years of poor sales, LG decided to shake up its mobile division. New executives are at the helm, and changes to their flagship lineups are already underway. Specifically, the V series is expanding, as LG announced the second new device in the series, the LG V35 ThinQ.
News: Not Digging the Notch on the Leaked OnePlus 6? Don't Panic Yet
Last week, the first possible image of the upcoming OnePlus 6 leaked. It was met with mixed reactions, most notably for its apparent iPhone X-style "notch." OnePlus fans seem concerned that the company is implementing a design choice based on what it thinks is trending, not necessarily what's best for the product. If you're one of those uneasy about OnePlus' future, don't be. At least not yet.
Market Reality: Magic Leap & Apple Stockpile Funds & Talent as Samsung Reveals AR-Focused Smartphone
This week, two companies preparing the most anticipated augmented reality devices for consumers were the subject of reports regarding strategic moves to put them in better positions to move those products forward.
Safari 101: How to Ask Websites & Advertisers Not to Track Your Browsing Activity
When you visit a website in Safari, it's most likely keeping tabs on your browsing activity. It could be keeping track directly, or its third-party content providers and advertisers can be spying on you. All three could happen simultaneously. This enables them to serve you content that's tailor-made for you, but it can also feel like an invasion of privacy.
Oscars 2018: How to Watch the 90th Academy Awards for Free Online
Another year, another Oscars. This year's red carpet coverage kicks off Sunday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. EST, while the ceremony itself starts at 8:00 p.m. EST. Finding a stream online isn't always the most straightforward endeavor, especially if you want it to be free. To avoid any delays on the night itself, make sure to run through your viewing options here.
Apple AR: This App Uses the iPhone X's TrueDepth Camera to Conjure 3D Illusions
A Swedish digital artist has developed an app for the iPhone X that creates mind-bending 3D illusions that correlate to the user's point of view.
News: Snap Inc. Planning Smartglasses Version of Spectacles for 2019, Report Says
What many thought was inevitable, based on recent hints, has been revealed to be in the planning stages: Snapchat is working on smartglasses. The surprising information came out on March 2 in a report that also claims Snap Inc. is planning to release version two of its Spectacles product in the third quarter of 2018.
News: Meet the Nokia 7 Plus — Budget Phones Just Got a Whole Lot Better
With Nokia's relaunch, the iconic company attempted to reimagine the budget phone market. The series of phones they introduced last year challenged the idea that good phones can't be cheap. This year, Nokia introduced the Nokia 7 Plus, a phone which offers perhaps the best balance of specs, software, and price.
News: Everything You Should Know About the New Nokia 1
During Mobile World Congress 2018, OEMs started to introduce the world to Android Oreo (Go edition). Android Go offers smooth performance on entry-level specs, allowing for genuinely good cheap phones. At first, the US only had one Android Go device, but it looks like a second will join in the near future, the Nokia 1.
News: Magic Leap Takes Legal Action Against Employee Who Alleges HoloLens Trade Secret Violations
Accused of violating whistleblower and age discrimination laws by its security director, Magic Leap has taken an internal situation to the US District Court to clear its name of the allegations.
HoloLens Dev 101: Building a Dynamic User Interface, Part 11 (Rotating Objects)
Continuing our series on building a dynamic user interface for the HoloLens, this guide will show how to rotate the objects that we already created and moved and scaled in previous lessons.
News: BBC Brings Ancient Artifacts into Your Living Room with Augmented Reality App for iOS & Android
According to Indiana Jones, certain things belong in museums, but, thanks to augmented reality, you can now see some of the ancient treasures of the world in your own home via the Civilisations AR app from the BBC.
News: Patent Applications Offer Closer Look at Magic Leap One & How It May Work
Eventually, even the most private company has to file its patents and unveil its tightly-held secrets, and Magic Leap is no exception.
How To: Pre-Register for Jam City's 'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' Game Right Now
If you're a Harry Potter fan who has ever wanted to have your own Hogwarts adventure, you're in luck — Jam City is close to releasing "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery," a mobile game that allows you to attend the magical school yourself. In fact, it's so close you can pre-register for the game right now.
News: Galaxy S9+ Camera Beats Pixel 2 & iPhone X with Highest DxOMark Score Ever
DxOMark, an independent camera reviewer, has become the go-to place where consumers and OEMs alike hope for good camera scores on major new smartphones. The Google Pixel 2 has topped the charts since Oct. 2017, when the score no doubt helped pull the phone out from its troubled launch, but it has just been dethroned by the Samsung Galaxy S9+, which received the highest DxOMark score yet.
News: Sony Xperia XZ2 & XZ2 Compact Specs, Features & Highlights
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium brought 4K HDR to a Sony flagship along with some competitive internals, while the Xz1 brought some powerful specs in a more midrange, traditional form factor. Now, Sony has unveiled the XZ2, which sees not only an upgrade in performance, but a complete design overhaul as well.
News: Now the HoloLens Can Measure Your Heart Rate by Scanning Your Face
Researchers have developed a new method that harnesses the power of augmented reality to detect a patient's heart rate using a Microsoft HoloLens and computer vision.
News: Snapchat's Controversial Redesign Only Made It More Popular
As you've probably heard by now, Snapchat's new redesign isn't going over too hot with its users. Its stock plummeted last week when Kylie Jenner said she'd be moving on to more Instagram-y pastures. With all these factors, you'd probably assume that there is some empirical evidence that Snapchat is in the tube. Well, you'd be wrong.
How To: Get the Galaxy S9's Landscape Home Screen on Any Android Phone
Samsung's Galaxy S9 was recently announced with features like AR Emoji and Dual Aperture, but great functionality lives underneath them — such as the ability to have your home screen auto-rotate to landscape mode. It's a nice feature, but with a little work, you can already do this on any Android phone.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the New OnePlus 6 — Specs, Release Date, Pricing & More
Last year, OnePlus released not one but two excellent flagship devices with the OnePlus 5 and 5T. While the 5T released sooner than expected, it brought some worthwhile upgrades, such as a near bezel-less display and a much-needed camera enhancement. Now, that the OnePlus 6 has arrived, it's time to see what OnePlus has in store for 2018.
News: Japan Startup Launches What Could Be the First AR Barbie Doll for Your iPhone
We already showed you the dark side of augmented reality in the form of a virtual girlfriend from Japan, but now the same country has given us something a lot less creepy that could be the future of virtual pop stars everywhere.
News: The New Nokia 6.1 Is a Solid Upgrade to One of Last Year's Most Durable Budget Phones
HMD (the company currently making Nokia-branded phones) only released one flagship device last year, with the rest of the phones falling in the mid-range and entry-level tiers. However, at Mobile World Congress 2018, HMD announced their ambition to become a top five smartphone maker in 3–5 years. Meeting this goal will require penetration in all markets — especially the United States — and it looks like Nokia will get the ball rolling early this year.
Report: OnePlus & HTC Are the Worst US Phones for Security Updates in 2018
As far as overall security updates are concerned, we all know that iOS reigns supreme over Android. But just how bad do Android devices fare against Apple in general? A recent report will have you second guessing some companies the next time you're in the market for a handset.
How To: Play MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018 on Your iPhone Right Now
Spring training has begun in earnest, and to mark MLB's soft debut, GLU has soft-launched a followup to the smash hit MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2017 in Canada. While MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018 is still technically unavailable outside of Canada, you can actually play this game right now through a simple hack.