Gadget Hacks Features
AR Snapshots: Anime Makeovers, Mandalorian Helmets, Twerking Muppets & More on Snapchat
In the three years since Snapchat launched Lens Studio, developers and artists have created more than 1.5 million AR camera effects with the desktop tool.
How To: Put web video on your TV
Enjoy your favorite Web videos on the big screen. Tom Merritt from CNET shows you how to hook up your laptop to your TV.
News: Arvizio Aims for Enterprises with Collaboration Tools for HoloLens
Augmented and mixed reality developer Arvizio is working on a suite of software solutions for enterprises that will extend HoloLens capabilities as a full-fledged collaboration and conferencing tool. The company will demonstrate its Mixed Reality Studio suite to attendees at the Augmented World Expo, which begins later this month in Santa Clara, California.
News: Seeing 3D with the Aid of Epileptic Eye Movement
Do 3D glasses give you a headache? This might hurt more. As in, I think I'm going to hurl just watching. Below, Francois Vogel demonstrates his rapid eye blinking method for 3D viewing. ...as if the electrodes on his temples could stimulate his eyelids to open and close in alternating synchronization with the refresh rate of the monitor! View more vomit-inducing 3D viewing, sans the glasses.
News: The Fastest Text Messengers in the World
This past Friday, LG held their annual Mobile World Cup (re: publicity stunt), a speed-texting competition. Two Korean teenagers were named fastest and most accurate texters, raking in $100,000 in championship money. America came in second, with a $20,000 cash prize.
News: Quick Charge 4.0 Is Coming Even as Google Warns OEMs Against It
If you're an Android fan, you're probably familiar with Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology or, at the very least, what it can do. Quick Charge 3.0, the third generation of Qualcomm's fast-charging technology, is built into most Snapdragon SoCs and it's what lets you charge your phone's battery up to 70% power in just 30 minutes. What's not to like?
How To: Build a computer controlled party light
Build a computer controller party light that is effected by music.
How To: Here's a Great Alternative to Fortnite & PUBG You Can Try on Your iPhone Right Now
Massive multiplayer shooters like Fortnite have become all the rage, as mobile gamers duke it out in long, protracted battles that can often be as excruciating as they are thrilling. If you're yearning for a more fast-paced shooter on iOS, Nitro Games has you covered, and has soft-launched Heroes of Warland for further tweaking. Of course, you can try the game yourself right now with a tiny hack.
How To: All the iPhone Accessories You'll Need for Back to School
Whether you're in high school or college, you no doubt will have your iPhone in your pocket all day long. To make your iPhone last the whole time and even help you out with your studies, these are the accessories you'll want to get your hands on.
How To: The Best 2019 Amazon Prime Day Deals on Smartphone Accessories
The fifth annual Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Starting July 15, Amazon will offer thousands of deals on products across its site, kicking off at 3 a.m. EDT. This year, it will only run for 48 hours, so you have even less time to act. To save you some of that time, we made a list of the best deals for smartphone accessories.
News: European Inventor Award Profiles Microsoft's Alex Kipman as Finalist for HoloLens
Usually, when the public gets to see and hear Microsoft's Alex Kipman expound on the future of immersive computing, it's because the company has a new product to show off. But on Tuesday, April 24, Kipman was in the spotlight for an entirely different reason: an award nomination.
News: My First Hackathon—What It Took to Win HoloHack Atlanta
Beginners luck is a phrase I have always hated. But really, beginners luck comes down to not letting your experience in something get in the way of the idea.
News: Snapchat Bulks Up Lens Studio with Face Templates, Giphy Integration & More
Snapchat is making it easier for developers and creators to build augmented reality effects in Lens Studio with a slew of new features, including seven face templates.
How To: Manually add a WiFi network on a BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone
Want to know how to manually connect to a wireless network on a BlackBerry Bold 9650 phone? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video guide. For detailed information, including step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Get a custom Protapper for your iPhone or iPod Touch
In this tutorial, Dr. Jailbreak shows us how to get a custom protapper for your iPhone and iPod Touch. First, open up Cydia on your device. Next, click on "manage" then "sources". Next, add Cydia.xsellize.com, after you add this, click on this and scroll down to "P". You will see the different types of protappers, choose the one you want to install. Click on it, and it will install and re-start your device. Now, whenever you tap on something it will show up on your screen. If you want to turn...
News: Snapchat Evolves the Foundation of Its AR Capabilities with Ground Transformation Lenses
The sky is the limit when it comes to augmented reality, but Snapchat's latest innovation is keeping its AR platform grounded.
News: Snapchat Adds a Ton of New Features, Including Chat 2.0, Video Calling, Stickers, & More
Snapchat began rolling out a massive update on March 29th, dubbed Chat 2.0, that gives users a plethora of new features, basically transforming Snapchat into an all-purpose messaging app.
How To: Use Sn0wBreeze to jailbreak your iPhone 3G or iPod Touch
Sn0wBreeze is a free download you can use to jailbreak your iPhone 3G or iPod Touch. This tutorial shows you the firmware and software you need to download, where to get it and how to get it loaded onto your Apple device to facilitate the jailbreak.
News: Samsung Makes Multitasking Easier on the Galaxy S9
Multitasking on a smartphone has never been better, but it still has some ways to go to compete with a desktop experience. Samsung hopes to change that with a new multitasking view on the Galaxy S9, which allows the user to open notifications in a new, smaller window on top of the app they are currently using.
News: Vuforia Brings a Discoverable Holographic World to the HoloLens
The Microsoft HoloLens mixes the digital world with the physical one, allowing you to coexist with holograms of your choosing. But those worlds won't fully blend until we can experience it all together and create for each other. Vuforia could make that possible in the near future.
News: Google Wants to Take Over Your iPhone's Keyboard
Google is reportedly working on an iOS keyboard that brings key features to the iPhone, including Google's image and text search functions. (GIFs, yay!) According to The Verge, the keyboard has been in development and testing for months, and will act much like the Android version.
How To: SSH into your iPhone or iPod Touch using Mac
Want to remotely connect to your iPhone or iPod Touch from your Mac OS X computer? With an SSH client, it's easy. So easy, in fact, that this 4-minute guide can present a complete overview of the process. For the specifics, and to get started transferring and manipulating data and applications on your iPhone & iPod from your primary computer, watch this free video guide.
Market Reality: Bareburger & Zara Use AR for Marketing, While vTime Gets a Cash Infusion to Move from VR to AR
Modern "mad men" are buying into augmented reality for marketing, with the two latest examples being trendy burger maker Bareburger and department store chain Zara.
News: Google Helps Tell the Story of Stonewall in Augmented Reality
Snapchat isn't the only tech company transforming landmarks with augmented reality for Pride Month. About four miles southwest of New York's iconic Flatiron Building, which is getting its own Pride makeover via Snapchat's Landmarker AR, Stonewall National Monument is also receiving some augmented reality treatment by way of the Stonewall Forever mobile app published by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center (better known as The Center) in partnership with Google.
News: This Is How Big Business, Cities & Native American Tribes Are Leveraging the Power of AR via DAQRI Headsets
While the mainstream consumer market waits for cool augmented glasses to arrive from Magic Leap, or maybe even Snap Inc. (Spectacles 2.0??), AR headset maker DAQRI and its business customers are finding new, money-saving and time-saving use cases for the technology today.
News: Magic Leap Jumps into the Star Wars Universe with Release of Project Porg App
After some social media teasing, the Star Wars universe's Magic Leap debut has finally arrived. On Tuesday, Magic Leap announced the release of Star Wars: Project Prog, which is available for free via Magic Leap World.
News: Hacked Typewriter Has a Mind of Its Own AND Plays Video Games
Jonathan Guberman of Site 3 coLaboratory hackerspace in Toronto has created an Arduino-controlled mechanical typewriter that can type on its own, detect what is being typed on it, and run text-based interactive fiction games such as the classic (and to most, all but forgotten) Zork. Guberman says:
How To: Send and receive text messages on an LG Cosmos Touch
Send text messages on your LG Cosmos Touch cell phone! Whether you're the new owner of an LG Cosmos or merely thinking about picking one up, you're sure to enjoy this video guide from the folks at Wireless Zone, which presents a complete overview of how to use the phone's various messaging tools.
Market Reality: PTC Stock Rising on Augmented Reality
Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This weekly Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and the like. This week's column starts with a stock price that's performing well for one company — one that HoloLens developers should know quite well.
How To: Personalize Your TV Experience with Chromecast's New Backdrop Feature
It's been a long-awaited feature since being announced at Google I/O in June, but Backdrop for Chromecast has finally started rolling out. With an update to the Chromecast app for Android and iOS, users will be able to personalize the background images that appear when Chromecast is idle.
News: Apple's iOS 13.1.1 for iPhone Now Available, Includes Patches for Keyboard Security Flaw, Battery Drain Bug & More
Is Apple trying to set a record for the highest number of updates within a two-week period? You wouldn't be blamed for thinking so. Just eight days ago, Apple publicly released iOS 13.0 for all compatible iPhones. Then, just five days later, Apple seeded iOS 13.1 with 22 new features to boot. Now, just three days into 13.1's tenure, Apple has released yet another update, iOS 13.1.1.
How To: The 5 Best Travel-Friendly Phones for Road Warriors, Vacationers & Business Flyers
Whether it's a short road trip or an 18-hour flight, our phones are now essential travel companions. No longer do we need a GPS unit, maps, cameras, camcorders, or even boarding passes. However, not all phones are created equal in this regard. Some are more suited for traveling, no matter the duration.
News: Immensely Popular Go Launcher Gets Big Update & Offers Free Prime Until June 1st
With the Galaxy S5's root bounty over $18,000 and climbing, there's still no Superuser in sight. That doesn't mean we can't tweak and personalize our shiny new toys, though. Several customization options are available just by virtue of the S5's Android base, and installing a custom launcher is one of the fastest ways to get a fresh look.
Gift Guide: Must-Have Smartphone Accessories for Gaming
Smartphone gaming continues to improve with ever sharper displays and raw processing power to deliver console-quality graphics right in the palm of your hands. Nonetheless, you still stand to improve the gaming experience on any phone by adding the right accessories to the mix.
News: Lionsgate & Pepsi Launch Snapchat Augmented Reality Experiences to Promote NBA Star-Packed 'Uncle Drew'
Snapchat is enjoying a high field goal percentage when it comes to securing movie studio business with its sponsored augmented reality experiences, the latest coming through the basketball movie Uncle Drew.
News: Realmax Claims Crown of Widest Field of View for an AR Headset at CES
Shanghai-based Realmax is introducing the crowds at CES to the Realmax Qian, an augmented reality headset capable of a field of view (FoV) that topples anything available on the market today.
News: Amazon’s First Smartphone Will Have 6 Cameras, 3D Controls, & Free Prime Data
It's been rumored ever since the 2012 release of the Kindle Fire, and now Amazon's first smartphone is set to debut a little later this year.
News: Microsoft's HoloLens Partnership Program Grows Internationally
In an early morning blog post, Microsoft announced the expansion of the Microsoft HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Program. This announcement comes on the tail of an expanded HoloLens release over the last few months to many countries outside the initial US and Canada.
News: Watch Lenovo Mirage AR Headsets Turn Star Wars Fans into Jedi on Christmas Morning
The Force was awakened in many a household on Christmas morning this year, as evidenced by numerous recipients of newly unwrapped Star Wars: Jedi Challenges systems sharing their first lightsaber battles in augmented reality on social media.
News: After Meta Lawsuit Settlement, Dreamworld to Open Pre-Orders for AR Headset
Now that it has buried the legal hatchet with Meta Company, augmented reality startup Dreamworld has announced plans to open up pre-orders for its Dream Glass AR headset.