Gadget Hacks Features
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.
How To: Solder an SOT23 component with a point-to-point method
In this soldering tip video brought to you by BEST, Inc. Norman Mier demonstrates the installation and soldering of an SOT23 component using a point-to-point lead-free soldering technique.
News: College Student Creates 'Scroll,' a Ring That Lets You Control Your AR Experience
Forget what you know about controlling augmented reality experiences. "Scroll" lets you interact with augmented reality using a much more subtle approach: A ring.
How To: Set a custom start page on a Blackberry Curve 8520 phone
Want to change the default web browser page on your BlackBerry Curve 8520? 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.
Apple AR: Immersion VR 'Shows Us What They Got' with Rick & Morty ARKit Tribute
One of the more meme-able characters from the animated series Rick & Morty will be able to beckon iPhone owners to "show them me what you got" thanks to ARKit.
News: GE Aviation Pairs Google Glass with Smart Wrench to Improve Process Quality
GE Aviation and their software partner Upskill are seeing success by giving their mechanics smart tools and smart glasses, the latter in the form of Google Glass.
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: With HoloLens Your Gaze Is Your Mouse
HoloLens users will have a handful of ways to interact with the mixed-reality, holographic world. Gaze Input lets the user control a cursor in their field of vision. In other words, it's essentially a mouse that you control by looking around.
How To: Use your cellphone to keep tabs on what's going on at home
Monitor your home by using your cellphone! No matter how far away you are, you can use a smartphone to be able to know what's going on while you're away. This tutorial shows you many of the applications available in the various app stores you can use to monitor your home through your smartphone.
How To: Unlock iOS 16.4's Hidden Skin Tones for the Pushing Hand Characters in Your Emoji Keyboard
Apple pushed out 31 new emoji with iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, but it somehow forgot to add ten of those — all skin-tone variations for the new leftward and rightward pushing hand characters — to the iOS keyboard. Here's how to unlock and use them.
News: First App for Meta 2 Headset Lets You View 3D CAD Models in Augmented Reality
Augmented reality headset maker Meta Company unveiled Meta Viewer, its first software application, during its keynote at the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara on Wednesday.
News: Google's Daydream SDK Is Available Now—Here's How to Try It Out
We're set to see the actual debut of Google Daydream on October 4, and it'll hopefully serve as a significant step up from Cardboard—their current virtual reality smartphone platform. If you want to get an early taste, you can set up a development kit—you just need two phones to do it.
How To: Set up email on a Nokia N97 Mini mobile phone
Let's get started emailing! This clip will teach you everything you need to know to install an email client on your mobile phone and to set up your email account. For all of the details, including complete, step-by-step instructions, watch this brief, official N97 Mini owner's guide from the folks at Nokia!
News: Samsung Bringing ARCore Support to Galaxy S8+ & Note 8
As part of the Samsung Development Conference today, Samsung unveiled that they will expand support for Google's ARCore platform to include the Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8.
News: The Future of Augmented Reality & 5G — Wireless Marketing for AR Is Right Message Aimed at Wrong Audience
Anyone who has been within a block of any wireless brick and mortar store or tech conference in the last couple of years has no doubt seen banners, posters, and videos promoting 5G high-speed wireless services on the way.
Waved: Rapid-Fire Voice Messaging for Your iPhone
Apple is bringing one of the biggest updates ever to its Messages app, including a feature that will allow users to send audio messages back and forth with the press of a button. Goodbye, voicemail.
How To: Create, manage and send email to groups in Gmail
New Gmail users often have trouble figuring out how to create, manage and send email to "groups." This video tutorial demystifies the process, presenting simple, easy-to-follow instructions for using Gmail's endlessly useful group management features. For more on using groups in Gmail, take a look!
News: iOS 11.4 Beta 3 Released for iPhone, Fixes 3D Touch Issues & Other Bugs
Apple released the third beta for iOS 11.4 on Tuesday, May 1. This update comes exactly two weeks after the release of the second beta, which, in addition to adding a new wallpaper, fixed issues with AirPlay, Music, and Keychain. The only noticeable change in beta 3 is a fix for unresponsive 3D Touch.
News: Facebook Is Going All in on Live Video Streaming on Your Phone
It looks like Facebook is adding a "Live" tab to the navigation bar for its Android app, and the feature has already been turned on for at least one user. A screenshot uploaded by Niko Steele shows the new feature, which lets you search for and watch live video directly on the Facebook app. Right now, you need to already be friends with a person who is streaming or be following a page or personality to receive a notification that live video has started. Some pages will post about an upcoming ...
How To: This DIY Xbox LIVE Traffic Light Tells You When Your Friends Are Gaming
Games are always more fun when you have someone to play them with, but if you're not always logged in to your Xbox LIVE account, how do you know when your friends are online? You can always log in and check, but where's the fun in that when you can hack together a traffic light to do it for you? Andrew F hooked up an Arduino with an Ethernet shield to check every five minutes to see how many of his Xbox LIVE friends are online. For each friend, it records either a zero or a one, depending on ...
How To: 'Wake N Shake' iPhone Alarm Helps You Get Out of Bed Faster by Competing with Friends
If the number of apps designed to make getting out of bed easier tells us one thing, it's that people hate waking up. Whether it's because you're dreading going to work or school, or just stayed out a little too late the night before, it's almost never fun.
News: Apple Just Released the First iOS 12.2 Beta for iPhone to Developers
One day after the official release of iOS 12.1.3, Apple released the first beta for iOS 12.2 to developers. The software appears to be the first in some time to be a major update. Apple's last beta cycles included 12.1.2 and 12.1.3, incremental updates to iOS 12.1. Now, we've entered a new version of iOS 12 entirely, hopeful for new features.
News: Microsoft Windows Gets the Virtual Reality Treatment with Envelop VR
Most of us work with a single monitor, but even with one or two extras, they still offer a rather confined workspace. Virtual reality, however, doesn't have such boundaries. As a result, VR headsets can work as excellent productivity tools. Windows can't just adapt on its own, however, so Envelop VR stepped in and created a new working environment to allow the desktop to expand beyond its traditional, rectangular bounds.
How To: Install a three way dimmer switch
This is a video tutorial in the Electronics category where you are going to learn how to install a three way dimmer switch. Mark Donovan of Home Addition Plus demonstrates how to replace a faulty 3-way dimmer switch in this video. Make sure you buy the right dimmer switch for your configuration and make sure you disconnect the power source before you start the work. Remove the top panel and then remove the screws that hold the whole dimmer switch and pull it out. There are three sets of wires...
News: Ex-Magic Leap Employee Files Lawsuit Alleging Shady Hiring Practices
The legal travails of Magic Leap appear to have no end in sight, as a lawsuit filed by an ex-employee further threatens to dampen the startup's 2018 launch.
How To: Find Greasemonkey scripts for any website with the Greasefire Firefox addon
Wish finding Greasemonkey scripts were easier? With the Greasefire Firefox addon, it's super easy! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at TekZilla can present a complete overview of the process in just over two minutes. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, take a look.
News: Google +1 Button Now Available for Websites
Google's sociable equivalent to the Facebook Like button is finally here, and it works very similar to your favorite social network's recommendation system, except it shows up directly in Google search results. Whenever your Google friend gives a website or webpage the +1, you'll see it in your search results, as long as you're signed into your Google Account.
How To: Use the Menu key on a BlackBerry smartphone
Learn how to make use of the Menu button on your BlackBerry device. 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: Add a print button to Mozilla Firefox
Those of you who switched to Mozilla Firefox from Internet Explorer, may find that you miss the IE print icon as well as the history and bookmarks buttons. In this video, you'll learn how to enable similar buttons in the Mozilla Firefox in a matter of a few seconds. Restore your favorite buttons with this Firefox how-to!
News: Your Face Could Unlock the New iPhone 8
There have been a number of rumors about the iPhone 8 over the past couple of months, but the latest speculation about the device's dual FaceTime camera, that could take 3D selfies, has definitely grabbed our attention.
How To: Turn your Nexus One smartphone into a WiFi hotspot
Interested in tethering a WiFi device to your Google Nexus One phone? This guide will show you how it's done. Whether you're the owner of a Google Nexus One Android smartphone or just covet one, you're sure to enjoy this Nexus One owner's guide from Nexus One Hacks, which presents a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of the tethering process. For complete details, take a look!
News: Investors Bet $1 Billion on Epic Games to Build the Metaverse
Over the past three years, Epic Games has raised billions of dollars in funding on the success of Fortnite as well as Unreal Engine, one of the top 3D engines available for developing games and AR experiences.
News: Google Grants Augmented Reality Access to Historic Art of Chauvet Cave via Arts & Culture App & Google Search
Some of the oldest art on Earth was created 36,000 years ago on the walls of the Chauvet Cave in France. However, these days, physical access to the cave is restricted in order to preserve the site.
Apple AR: Defend Your Home from Zombies with Your iPhone
While VR promises to take gamers to another world, AR has the potential to bring the game elements into your own neighborhood or home.
How To: Start running apps with the App Launcher on your Android phone
Here's a quick tip for Android phone users! You can use the App Launcher (the icon is at the bottom of your phone, near the center) to open up your app screen, listing all your apps. From there, run all your favorite Android apps!
News: Oculus Rift Creator Slams Magic Leap One as 'Tragic' & Magic Leap's CEO Quickly Hits Back
Following the launch of the Magic Leap One earlier this month, the device and the company took a few hits from early reviewers. But it turns out those were just love taps compared to the absolute scorched earth acidic screed penned this weekend by someone well credentialed to dissect Magic Leap One: Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey.
How To: Use YouTube's autoplay feature when embedding video
Learnasyouwatch shows viewers how to automatically play YouTube videos. First, you need to open your web browser and go to YouTube. Find the video you want to automatically play or upload your own video to YouTube. On the ride bar there is a section that says 'Embed'. Click on the pin wheel icon next to it that is 'customize' and you can set various parameters. Now, you need to copy the embed code and right click and copy this code. Paste this code into a word document. You will need to add '...
News: Run USB through phone lines
One of the many reasons Circuit City should go out of business is their sale of ridiculously expensive cables, wire and cords. The secret to the industry of Monster Cables is that it is unnecessary and ineffective. Gold-plated or otherwise, Monster's $100 cables are not intrinsically better than the cheaper versions they're stocked next to. Don't believe us?
How To: Convert an iTunes song to a ringtone for your iPhone
In this video, we learn how to convert an iTunes song to a ringtone for your iPhone. First, go to your iTunes, then right click on the song you want. Go to "get info" then go to the options tab. From here, you can choose the start and stop time for your ringtone. After this, click "ok" and then right click on it again. Then, convert this to "AAC" and then go to the summary tab. It will then give you a file path of where the song is located. From here, you can sync your phone with your compute...
News: Neurable Releases Limited Beta SDK for Brain Control Interface
As promised earlier this year, Neurable has introduced limited beta of a Unity-compatible software developer's kit (SDK) for its brain control interface (BCI) for augmented and virtual reality.