Gadget Hacks Features
News: Reality Trending — Peering into the Present & Future of Augmented Reality in 2018
While many of you were off surfing and lounging on some sandy beach or trying to figure out how to balance work with sky-high summer temperatures, I've been talking to all the companies that make augmented reality what it is today.
News: iOS 11.3.1 Released for iPhones with Third-Party Display Repair Patch & Security Fixes
Apple released the iOS 11.3.1 update for iPhones on Tuesday, April 24, 26 days after the official release of iOS 11.3 and eight days after the iOS 11.4 beta 2 update. It is the first minor update to iOS 11.3, and the biggest thing in it is a fix that lets displays fixed by third parties work again.
How To: Send a text message
So you don’t need to have a full on conversation but you do want to relay some information to someone. A text message the perfect option to get a short message across using your cell phone or even just to say hi.
News: Signal, Snowden's Favorite Secure-Messenger App, Is Now on Your Desktop
Encryption is on everyone's mind these days, from the FBI's battles in court with Apple to WhatsApp's recent announcement of end-to-end encryption for their one billion users. Now you can add Signal, whistleblower Edward Snowden's favorite messaging app, back to that whirlwind discussion. Created by Open Whisper Systems, Signal is an encrypted messenger app that allows you to send text, images, video, and audio messages without the fear of prying eyes. They already have an Android and iOS app...
News: Apple's ARKit 3 Casts Next-Level Illusions via Meisai AR App
Now that iOS 13 is in the wild, developers are starting to show off the magical augmented reality powers ARKit 3 can deliver.
How To: Mask a domain with GoDaddy.com
Ken Appleby demonstrates how to mask a domain with GoDaddy. Masking a domain enables the domain owner to customize what appears in the viewer's address bar. First, log in to your GoDaddy account. Then, click on the domain manager function located on the left hand side of the page. Next, choose the domain that you would like to work with in the domain name list. Click the forwarding option. In the next window, click on the masking tab. Tick the enable masking function. Choose a masking title. ...
News: Instagram Swipes Snapchat Lenses with Furry AR Koala Ears & Icy 3D Crowns
Instagram just added another nail in the coffin for Snapchat. It looks like it's the AR platforms final hurrah as IG has snapped up the app's last good feature: its AR selfie filters.
How To: Connect the x and y-axis motor wires for a CNC router
A CNC router machine is probably the most useful tool a hobbyist can own, but the price for a CNC machine on the market is way more than the average hobbyist is willing to spend. You can build your own CNC with very basic tools, little knowledge of machinery, mechanics, or electronics, but be warned, these machines are inherently dangerous, so wear the proper protection and use common sense. At the very least, read the instructions and precautions on every tool you use.
News: Apple May Finally Be Making an AR Headset, According to Their New Patent
Microsoft has the HoloLens and Google has their money on Magic Leap (as well as their own Tango and Cardboard, among others), but we've heard next to nothing about how Apple plans to enter the virtual/augmented/mixed reality space. A new patent offers some clues.
How To: Plug the data cable into the Samsung Galaxy Tab
Okay, so you might not need a how-to for this one, but nonetheless, just in case, here you go— plugging in the data cable to your Samsung Galaxy Tab. It's basically the same way you plug in all mobile devices these days, and it's just like any other Android tablet, so you should be able to do it with little difficulty. Just don't force it in, or you risk damaging it and your device.
How To: Enable Javascript and update Flash in IE
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to enable JavaScript and update Flash in Internet Explorer. To update the Flash player, go to the link provided in the description and install it. To update JavaScript, click on Tools and select Internet Options. Then click on the Security tab and click on the Custom Level button. Now scroll down the list and find Active Scripting Option. Check Enable and click OK. When the Prompt window pops up, click Yes and click OK in the Internet Options window. ...
How To: Use the web browser on a LG KU990 Viewty cell phone
With the LG KU990 Viewty, you can take and view a crystal clear photo. Packed with high-quality camera features, this camera phone enables you to capture a high-definition image using a 5 MP camera lens certified by Schneider-Kreuznach and edit your photo on a large, clear, 3-inch display just like a professional photographer.
News: Google Skips ARCore to Add AR to Motion Stills App
If you're an Android user, you're very likely jealous of your iPhone friends who have access to the wide, wonderful world of augmented reality thanks to ARKit.
How To: Facebook Adds Voxer-Like Voice Chats to Their Mobile Messenger Apps (VoIP Coming Soon!)
Facebook has been revamping its Messenger apps these past few months, trying to lure in more users. Competing in an already crowded market of third-party messaging applications, Facebook Messenger just upped the ante, by introducing voice messaging.
Apple AR: Apple's ARKit Update Already Being Taken to New Levels in These Developer Experiments
Thanks to Apple's beta preview of iOS 11.3 released last week, app developers are already experimenting with the ARKit capabilities that will be available to regular users this spring.
News: Vuzix Sharpens Focus on Consumers with Blade Debut at CES, Adds Amazon Alexa Functionality
If CES 2018 is the starting gate for this year's race to release smartglasses, then Vuzix is already racing down the augmented reality track with its Blade smartglasses.
News: Snapchat's New Augmented Reality Trick Is Literally for the Dogs, Lets You Turn Your Pet into a Nerd or Reindeer
First, there was SnapCat. Now, we have DogChat! Or SnapBark? In October, Snapchat took social media by storm with its Lenses for cats. But the latest addition to the camera app has given dog lovers an augmented reality Christmas gift they won't want to return.
News: Another Security Concern from OnePlus — Backdoor Root App Comes Preinstalled on Millions of Phones
After recently being in the news for collecting PII (personally identifiable information) for analytics and after-sales support, OnePlus has another security problem. An individual going by the name Elliot Alderson discovered an app in OnePlus devices that can enable root access with one command.
News: Google Glass Engineer's Patent Application Points to Potential Google AR Headset
If you thought Google was sitting on the sidelines of the growing race toward mainstreaming augmented reality, think again.
News: Magic Leap to Launch Twitch Channel Featuring Developer Tutorials, Updates & Interviews
Although Magic Leap's founder Rony Abovitz has a lot to say about his product, what people really want are visuals, and it looks like we're about to get a lot more of those in the coming weeks. In a post on Magic Leap's official announcements forum page, the company revealed that it plans to begin a monthly livestream series on Twitch.
News: Google Debuts an ARCore Exclusive with Curate App from Sotheby's International Realty
Just weeks after officially launching its mobile augmented reality toolkit, Google can now claim one of its first Android and ARCore app exclusives with the Curate app from Sotheby's International Realty.
News: New Android Market Update Lets You Rent Movies and Buy eBooks
Google has been slowly rolling out a new update for the Android Market in the United States, which gives mobile users a new interface and some additional content for their Android-powered smartphones and tablets. The update started a couple weeks ago, taking the Android Market to version 3.0.27 on devices running Android 2.2 or higher. The new Android Market has a Honeycomb feel to it with a more visually pleasing layout and new colorful promotional page which showcases top apps and games, as...
News: Chairish App Now Lets You Try Before You Buy (With Augmented Reality)
Chairish, Inc. is the latest furniture retailer to bring augmented reality into its mobile stores, adding features for users to visualize products in their homes.
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.
Exclusive: Meta's Ryan Pamplin on the Meta 2 Headset & the Future of Mixed Reality
The future of augmented and mixed reality offers many possibilities, mostly because we're still figuring out everything it can do. While Meta is open to exploration, they've spent a lot of time thinking about what the future of this technology will be.
News: New Line of Augmented Reality-Powered Wines Celebrate Women's Empowerment via Historical Figures
Just in time for Women's Equality Day on Aug. 26, Treasury Wine Estates is breaking out a line of wines with augmented reality experiences that pay tribute to historically famous women.
How To: Set up a MySQL database for Moodle in WebMin
Interested in teaching an online course using your own server but can't quite figure out how to install everything you'll need? This video demonstrates how to setup a MySQL database for use with Moodle, the free, open source course management utility, which requires a MySQL database to run. For step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Save Custom Shooting Presets in Filmic Pro So You Don't Have to Adjust Settings Later for Similar Shots
Filmic Pro has a superb suite of professional settings — bit rate, frame rate, and mic choice, to name a few — which can enable you to capture the best footage possible. But different shots require different setups, and it can be frustrating to change settings on the fly. Filmic Pro lets you skip that whole process by saving your favorite settings as presets for quick and easy access.
How To: Find out if you can jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad
This video will introduce you to a couple of websites that will let you know whether or not your Apple I device- iPhone, iPod, or iPad can be jailbroken. Check out this site or this site if you are interested in jailbreaking an iPhone 4, iPod touch, or iPad 2.
How To: Apply Ohm's Law to your electronics projects
Calculating resistance and power isn't hard... and, as David explains, knowing Ohm's Law and the Power Triangle can be darn useful when you're designing a project, sorting out power supply issues, or want to keep from burning your car down.
News: Nreal Light Consumer Edition Arriving Later This Year for $499
Having already solved for functionality and form factor, Nreal appears poised to pull ahead of its consumer smartglasses competition as the third piece of the puzzle now falls into place.
News: MIT Tech Protects Your WiFi Without Passwords
Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have created Wi-Fi technology that identifies where you are, which may eliminate the need for passwords.
News: Snapchat Celebrates Pride Month with New Landmark AR Experiences
While the 49th Annual Gay Pride Parade and Festival will take place on Santa Monica Boulevard and West Hollywood Park, revelers will also be able venture Northeast to the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard to continue celebrating via Snapchat.
News: Apple's iPhone 6 Might End Up as Big as the Samsung Galaxy S5
If new leaked images are to be trusted, an iPhone with a display around 5 inches will be released later this year. From Italian site Macitynet, images show a device that's stated to be the new iPhone 6 side-by-side with the new Samsung Galaxy S5. A couple of weeks ago, I showed you leaked internal emails and memos that suggested Apple was concerned with not only Samsung's marketing strategy, but about the industry trend towards larger devices.
News: Facebook's Smartglasses Are the New AR Hype, but It's Becoming Clearer That a Metaverse Platform War Is Coming
Facebook's earnings calls are generally focused on numbers—revenue and user growth. But this week the company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, carved out a significant portion of the call to elaborate on Facebook's plans for immersive computing.
News: NASA Team Headed to Titan in Search of Life Using Microsoft HoloLens As Key Part of the Mission
NASA is going going to Saturn's moon Titan, and the space organization is using augmented reality help them do it.
News: 'Room Scale'—Where MR Meets VR & Makes It So Much Better
If you've seen, heard, or even tried the latest virtual reality headsets, you've probably heard about something called "room scale." It's why the HTC Vive suddenly usurped the reign of the Oculus Rift while no one was looking, and it's exactly where Oculus hopes to catch up. Here's what it is and why it matters.
How To: Fix a wet cell phone
Learn what to do if you drop your phone in the pool or water.
News: Niantic Offers $1 Million in Rewards for Games Built on Its Real World Platform
Location-based gaming pioneer Niantic has been preparing its flavor of AR cloud, the Niantic Real World Platform, to bring more realistic and interactive augmented reality experiences to mobile apps. And now the company is looking for a few good developers to help execute its vision on the platform.
News: Samsung Releases Its New Terrain Home Launcher on the Play Store
With the release of the M8, HTC decided to begin publishing some of its exclusive apps to the Google Play Store. While most of these apps aren't available for download unless you own an HTC device, this practice made it possible for the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer to issue updates to its users independently of carrier-modified firmware upgrades.