Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
Apple AR: Fuse.it Brings Political Memes into the AR World
Lately, any subject in the realm of politics is a figurative powderkeg primed to explode on the nearest social media channel. Now, one app wants to use your iPhone and AR to strike a match.
News: Android 8.1 Begins Rolling Out to Pixel & Nexus Devices Today
For every cool new thing Android Oreo brought to the table, Android 8.1 adds a bit of polish. After a brief but successful beta period, Google started rolling out the official 8.1 update to its Pixel and Nexus devices today, and it's everything Android 8.0 should have been.
News: 'Jurassic World' Movie Sequel Hatches Augmented Reality Book to Accompany Sci-Fi Franchise
The first teaser for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom just hit computer screens on Sunday, but now plans for an augmented reality book for the film have also emerged.
News: Qualcomm Sues Apple Over iPhone X Gestures
Apple is no stranger to lawsuits. They were in a decade-long battle with Samsung that finally came to an end last month, and they've been duking it out in the courtroom with Qualcomm since last year. The more recent case has seen both companies file suits and counter-suits, but now, Qualcomm is claiming that Apple's new iPhone X infringes on patents from a long-deceased mobile operating system.
News: Niantic Preparing Huge Update to Pokémon Go Predecessor Ingress
These days, location-based augmented reality gaming pioneer Niantic is best known as the developer behind Pokémon Go, but the uber-popular mobile game was not its first foray into the AR gaming genre.
News: Facebook's New Messenger Kids Aims to Lock in Young AR Users, Give Parents More Control
Next to millennials, one of the groups most coveted by brand marketers is "Generation Z," the consumers of tomorrow who were born between 1996 and 2010. On Monday, Facebook established a beachhead with that demographic in the realm of augmented reality by launching Facebook Messenger Kids.
News: Concept Smartglasses Offer Glimpse of the Future of Luxury AR Wearables
In the years leading up to the release of the Apple Watch, we were frequently teased with concept designs of what Apple's smartwatch might look like. Of course, many of those outlandish designs were off the mark, but the attention to the idea itself hinted that the public was ready for a mainstream wearable from a high-end hardware maker like Apple. Now smartglasses are getting the same treatment.
News: iOS 11.2 Released to the Masses with Bug Fixes, Apple Pay Cash & More New Features
It's been a busy week for Apple. After two beta updates in one week, iOS 11.2 was released to the public around 1:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 2. Usually, Apple releases updates around 10 a.m. PT, but this one was rushed in the wake of a huge time/date bug that was causing some iPhones to crash on Dec. 2 once 12:15 a.m. local time hit. But bug fixes aren't the only thing in this new iOS version.
Instagram 101: How to Share Directly to WhatsApp on Android or iPhone
WhatsApp is a great app to keep in touch with friends and family across phone brands and countries, but sharing a post on Instagram hasn't always been as easy as it should have been considering Facebook owns both companies. Now, whether you have Android or iOS, all it takes is a few taps.
Dev Report: Find & Use 3D Objects Faster with Google's Poly API & the Unity Editor
With Google's release of Poly API on Thursday, the search giant has found a way to simplify the workflow for AR creators by enabling the ability to integrate its 3D object search engine Poly directly into an application.
Apple Maps 101: How to Avoid Toll Routes During Driving Directions
If you're trying to get somewhere fast, taking a toll road or two can definitely help you do that, but at a cost. When you're not in any rush, that would-be toll money will work much better in your gas tank, especially if it's only minutes that are being shaved from your trip. With this in mind, Apple Maps has a simple way of avoiding tolls to save you money while navigating on your iPhone.
Market Reality: This Is How AR Is Changing Things at Amazon, Apple & Snapchat
During its third-quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that "AR is going to change everything."
News: Vuzix Begins Accepting Pre-Orders for Blade Developer Kits
Just weeks after previewing its smartglasses in a pair of videos, augmented reality hardware maker Vuzix announced on Friday that pre-orders are open for Vuzix Blade developer kits.
How To: Really Protect Your Encrypted iPhone Backups in iOS 11 from Thieves & Hackers
When it comes to security, Apple is usually at the top of the pack when it comes to your personal data, minus a few embarrassing flaws here and there. However, a new iOS security concern has been discovered that protects your data less than it did before — and Apple designed it like that.
News: Snapchat Channels Your Inner Coffee Junkie with Branded Bitmoji from McDonald's
With its new Sponsored Lens debuting on Snapchat on Friday, McDonald's is attempting to give potential customers a virtual pick-me-up.
News: Here's Your First Look at the Star Wars AR Experience Being Shown Off at Nissan Showrooms
Earlier this week, we told you about the new Star Wars augmented reality collaboration with Nissan that will bring the famed science-fiction franchise to auto showrooms, and now we can show you what it looks like.
News: iOS 11.2 Beta 6 Released Days After Beta 5 — Expect Public Version Next Week
The official release iOS 11.2 appears to be right around the corner. Apple seeded the sixth beta of iOS 11.2 to both developers and public testers on Friday, Dec. 1, just three days after beta 5. As with the fourth and fifth versions of the beta, no major changes are found here — but this one actually means something.
News: Google Is Promoting Adware as One of the 'Best Apps of 2017'
Just yesterday, Google announced that it is banning all apps that contain any form of lock screen ads. Today, they posted a list of the Best Apps of 2017 for the Play Store. Given the new policy of cracking down on apps with advertisements on the lock screen, you wouldn't expect to see one of those in the list of top apps. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened — Google is promoting obvious adware in their list of best apps.
News: Office Depot Updates Elf Yourself App with the Tiniest Bit of AR
Now that the holiday season has officially kicked off, Office Depot has updated its popular Elf Yourself app with a few new augmented reality options.
News: People Are Pissed About the Lava Red OnePlus 5T
Drama seems to follow red smartphones. The internet nearly blew a gasket when Apple released a red iPhone 7 with a white front, and now OnePlus is taking some heat. The new Lava Red 5T comes with black bezels, not repeating Apple's mistake, so why are people mad at the Shenzhen-based company? Because Lava Red is only available in China.
Pocket Camp 101: Grab Yourself a Full Santa Suit & Other Holiday Items in Animal Crossing
Just over a week after debuting, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp received its first-ever event geared toward the winter holiday season. With the ability to craft Christmas-themed goodies and own a full Santa suit, it's the perfect time to jump into Nintendo's latest hot mobile game.
News: SyFy's New 'Happy!' AR App Gives You a Flying Unicorn Voiced by Patton Oswalt as an Imaginary Friend
If you've ever wanted to hang out with a flying unicorn that sounds like actor/comedian Patton Oswalt, get ready to get Happy!
Gmail 101: How to Mute Conversations to Reduce Inbox Clutter
Whether inappropriate or unimportant, some emails don't need to be viewed at a certain times of the day. For example, you might not want to see any personal emails during work hours. By default, Gmail will notify you of all emails that hit your inbox, but fortunately, there's a feature that can automatically hide certain emails and prevent distracting notifications.
Instagram 101: How to Archive All Your Stories Automatically for Easy Access Later
If you're familiar with Instagram Stories, you know that you can download your story to your iPhone or Android device for offline viewing. Those downloaded stories can easily get lost, and Instagram is finally doing something to keep that from happening with a new archive option for stories, similar to the regular posts archive.
Apple AR: LEGO AR-Studio Will Give Kids Free Virtual Sets to Play Alongside Real LEGOs
It appears that the new AR app from LEGO is inching closer to release.
Apple AR: Wipe Your Room Clean & Fill It with New Furniture in Pottery Barn's New AR App
With the advent of ARKit, apps that can place virtual furniture in a real room have become nearly a universal practice for furniture retailers, with Pottery Barn being the latest to join the fray.
News: Metaverse Lets Anyone Program Their Own AR Games
Thanks to Metaverse, it has never been this easy to create your own AR game.
Gmail 101: How to Send & Receive Money with Android's Default Email App
Since its debut in 2004, Gmail has become the go-to email service for the internet at large. Over 1.2 billion people use it, so Google has wisely continued to add features that address the needs and wants of its diverse user base. For US and UK users, one of these new features is the ability to transfer money.
How To: Get Routes Tailored for Motorcycles & Scooters on Waze
With the raw, visceral feeling of zooming around on the open road, it's easy to get carried away when you're out for a ride on your chopper, super bike, or scooter. This increases your chances of getting lost, plus routes can differ slightly for motorcyclists and cagers, unbeknownst to most drivers. Luckily, Waze has rolled out a feature that caters specifically to bikers.
Instagram 101: How to Add Animated GIFs to Your Stories
If you've ever made an Instagram story, you probably know you can add stickers to your stories. These stickers are interactive but, like real stickers, they don't move ... until now. In a Jan. 23 update to the app, more action can be added to your stories with animated GIF stickers.
How To: Get Hands Free for Directions & Traffic Info from Waze to Avoid a Crash (Or Ticket)
Drivers the world over are painfully aware of the inherent danger of taking their eyes off the road even for a second. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, 27% of all car crashes result from distracted driving due to attempted cell phone use. Fortunately, Waze comes with a feature that can help keep you from being a part of this grim statistic.
Instagram 101: How to Natively Regram Other Posts on Your Feed Without Leaving the App
You can retweet on Twitter, and you can reblog on Tumblr, but you cannot regram on Instagram. Until now, that is. For years, third-party apps have made it their business to help Instagram users share content from other users. With some new developments, Instagram looks to render those apps obsolete by adding a native regram button to the official Instagram application.
News: WayRay Wows Auto Industry with AR Navigation Tech
Until self-driving cars become mainstream, augmented reality might be the next big technology to hit your dashboard.
News: Essential iPhone X Tips for the 6 Million Lucky People Who Got One on Black Friday
Cyber Week 2017 is still upon us. If you're looking for an iPhone X deal, you might still have time to score one. But maybe you already have — a reported six million people purchased the newest iPhone over the Black Friday weekend. If you're one of those lucky millions, there's a slight learning curve to using the X over other iPhone models.
News: Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel Revamps App's Content Strategy, Keeping Camera & AR at the Center
On Wednesday, Snap, Inc. unveiled a revamp of its Snapchat app that draws a hard line between content from your friends and content from professional media organizations.
News: Nissan Brings the Force of Star Wars to Its Dealerships with Augmented Reality
The Star Wars saga may have occurred a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but Nissan is using a futuristic technology to bring stormtroopers and droids into its dealerships.
Gmail 101: How to Clear Search History on Android or iOS
The Gmail app on both Android and iOS has a powerful search engine that helps you find any email with a few keywords. Even more impressive is Gmail's ability to remember previous search queries for future reference. However, this list of past searches can become extensively long and needs to be reset from time to time.
Apple AR: Patents Reveal See-Through iPhones & Macbooks May Be Part of Apple's AR Future
Based on newly surfaced information, transparent smartphones like those teased in Iron Man 2 and those hand-tracking monitors made famous in Minority Report may eventually end up being "designed by Apple in California."
How To: Protect Yourself from macOS High Sierra's Glaring Empty-Password Security Flaw
There's a new macOS vulnerability that hackers within physical reach of your computer can use to gain root access to your system and accounts. Just by using "root" as the username and a blank password on a privilege escalation prompt, someone can install malware on your computer, access hidden files, reset your passwords, and more. Root access gives them the ability to do anything they want.
News: Kay Jewelers Adds Some Bling to Snapchat via Try-on Lens
Rabbit ears and dog noses are fun and all, but Kay Jewelers is here to class up Snapchat.