Gadget Hacks Features

Video: HoleLenz Adds Magic Windows to HoloLens & Gives Portals to New Worlds

When I first started with HoloLens development last April, one of the first things I created was a window. The purpose of that window was to be attached to a wall and give the illusion of being in a different space—an effect that is often referred to as a "magic window" effect by developers. My goal was to create the feeling of being in the penthouse of a skyscraper, and it's one that I hope to get back to working on soon.

News: We May Finally Know How Many HoloLens Devices Microsoft Sold, & It's a Revealing Peek at the Future of AR

Last week, we told you about Microsoft's Alex Kipman and his nomination for the annual European Inventor Award, presented by the European Patent Office (EPO). And while that's big news in and of itself, it turns out we overlooked a very important detail buried in the EPO's video presentation. What was it? Only one of the most sought-after data points related to the HoloLens since its launch: how many have been sold.

How To: Use a transistor or N channel MOSFET to turn any device on or off

The transistor is the most basic and important part of electronics, allowing small changes in voltage to turn things on and off. On, off. 0, 1. There's electronics. The grandaddy of them all is the N channel MOSFET, the most important transistor. This video will teach you how the MOSFET works and how to build some example circuits. This video is an absolute must-watch if you are interested in electronics at all.

News: This Real-Life Star Wars Hover Bike Could Be the Future of Personal Transportation

Admit it—at some point or another, you've wished that you had your own personal hovercraft. Don't worry, we've all been there. Well, a company called Aerofex wants to make a hovercraft that's way more than your standard leaf-blower-powered one, taking a queue from the swoop and speeder bikes from the Star Wars franchise, building their own sort of repulsorlift. This hover bike may not be quite as fast as the ones from Star Wars, but if the company has its way, it could be on sale by the end o...

How To: Hide All of the Social Numbers on Your Facebook Page with the Demetricator

The reason that Facebook is so popular is because it connects us to people that we could have never been connected to before. When people log on, they look for messages, comments, likes, and any other notifications that connect us to those people. These same notifications, though, distort our view of Facebook. We tend to appreciate statuses (I prefer stati) that have more likes. We're geared towards people that have more friends, so we tend to like pages that already have hundred of thousands...

How To: Install Installous on your iPhone and iPod Touch

This video shows the method to install 'Installous' on your iPhone and iPod Touch. The first step involves opening up 'Cydia' on the iPhone or iPod Touch. After opening Cydia go to manage and then go to the option of 'Sources'. The resultant window will show an option named hackulo.us. Add this cydia.hackulo.us to the source. The resultant window which opens shows various sections. Find the section of Hackulous in the window. Go to the Hackulous section and find the option of 'Installous'. In...

How To: Install and use Opera Mini on an Android phone

Looking for a quick guide on how to install and use Opera Mini on your Android smartphone? It's easier than you'd think! So easy, in fact, that this free video tutorial can present a complete overview of the process in just over three minutes' time. For specifics, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: 3 Reasons You Still Need a Good Antivirus App on Android

Many people think antivirus apps are useless — why pay a subscription fee when most malware can be avoided with common sense? But the thing is, there were an estimated 3.5 million malicious Android apps discovered last year, with many of them making their way onto the Play Store. As this number continues to rise, can you truly depend on common sense to protect you?

Hands-On: Hands-On with Magic Leap's Avatar Chat, Remote Virtual Meetings in AR Have Arrived

Unlike the realm of virtual reality, augmented reality is less about losing yourself in some fantasy environment, and more about getting things done in the real world. So while we've seen some great games that capture the imagination on devices like the Magic Leap One and the HoloLens, when it comes to real-world usage, the biggest developments coming for AR apps that are the more practical ones.

How To: Make a mellotron

Rocketboom Field Correspondent Bre Pettis on how to make a mellotron. You might remember this organ-like, polyphonic keyboard from the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever." With a Walkman tape players, a keyboard, and a speaker, you can create your own musical instrument. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to make a modified mellotron musical instrument.

How To: Create a new Pandora Radio account from scratch

Before you can get started using Pandora Radio to listen to music, you'll need to sign up for an account. This brief video tutorial from the folks at Butterscotch will teach you everything you need to know. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started creating a new Pandora Radio account of your very own, take a look.

News: Apple Releases iOS 12 Public Beta 10 for iPhone, Fixes Bug Constantly Telling You to Update

If you've been getting that "Please update from the iOS 12 beta" alert continuously in iOS 12 public beta 9, Apple just issued a fix for it Friday, Aug. 31, with iOS 12 public beta 10 — just in time for Labor Day weekend. This marks the second update this week as dev beta 11 and public beta 9 were released on Monday. It's also just one day after Apple announced its Sept. 12 event.

How To: Remove your sim card out of your iPhone

In this tutorial, we learn how to remove the SIM card out of an iPhone. First, turn your phone all the way off, then insert a pin into the top hole next to the circular button. Insert this until the SIM card pops out of the hole next to it. There will be a cover along with it, just set this aside. Now, your phone will tell you that there is no SIM card located in your phone. You can replace this with another SIM card or put yours back in. This is the most simple way to take out your card, so ...

How To: Run third party applications on your Apple iPhone

In this clip, you'll learn how to find and install third-party apps on your Apple iPhone. Whether you're the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 3G or perhaps just considering picking one up second hand, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this iPhone user's guide.