Gadget Hacks Features
News: DigiLens Vision of Cheaper Smartglasses Becomes Clearer with Crystal Reference Design
If waveguide display maker DigiLens has its way, enterprise businesses and consumers will soon be able to purchase smartglasses for less than $500 — as long as they can supply their own computing and battery power.
News: How Snapchat Quietly Became the First Social AR Platform
Most augmented/mixed reality hardware still exists in the development stage, whether that's one of the more robust headsets or a high-powered smartphone. Most everything else isn't widely used or monetized. Snapchat, however, snuck in under the radar and created the foundation for the first social network to focus on augmented reality.
How To: Block websites on Windows Vista
In this tutorial, we learn how to block websites on Windows Vista. First, you will right click on the notepad and then run as admin. From here, you will click "file open". Then, go to the C drive and open up windows. Then, you will go to the system and find the drivers, then click on the host file. From here, go to the second local host and press enter twice. Then, type in "127.0.0.1" and press tab. Then insert all the directories that you want to block. From here, you will be finished blocki...
News: Kohl's Partners With Snapchat AR for Holiday Pop-Up & Black Friday Promotions
All Kohl's wants for Christmas is Snapchat augmented reality. In conjunction with a holiday pop-up hosted in New York City from Nov. 7 through Nov. 10, Snapchat ran a sponsored portal lens available to targeted Snapchat users in the AR carousel. The experience gave users the ability to virtually transport themselves to the pop-up.
News: Facebook Is Making It Easier to Post AR Content in Its News Feed
A recent update to Facebook's News Feed could significantly broaden its reach when it comes to delivering augmented reality content.
News: What You Can Expect from the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus
Nearly nine months after the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, we finally have some solid information on the "S" model of Apple's flagship device, slated for release this fall. Coming straight from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities (via AppleInsider), quite a few upgrades will be included in the next iPhone model.
How To: Detect spyware on a Microsoft Windows PC with NETSTAT and FPORT
Suspect you might have a trojan virus installed on your computer? Find out! With the NETSTAT and FPORT commands, it's easy! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at Britec can present a complete overview of the process in just over five minutes. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Use the Remote Desktop on iPhone & iPod Touch
Remote desktop is a tool that can be used to access you computer from another device over a network. You can also connect to a remote desktop on Iphone or Ipod touch. Note that you will need EDGE and 3G for this to work. The files you need to connect are Mocha VNC Lite, and the desktop application Real VNC free edition 4.1. One is used on your computer and the other is used on your device. First launch you application store on your Iphone. Search for Mocha and open the Mocha VNC lite. Open th...
How To: Make a phone call with the Nokia N97
In this video we learn how to make a phone call with the Nokia N97. First, go to the main screen on your phone, then tap the dialer icon. From here, you will see a keypad with numbers on it. Enter in the phone number that you want to call, then press on the call key. The phone will then start dialing the number you chose. To hang up, press the end key. You can also call out from the contacts menu, by simply selecting the person you want to call, then pressing the call icon on your phone and u...
How To: Take Perfectly-Framed Photos Every Time on Android
At the end of an all-day affair with friends or family, I'll unwind and go through all the pictures I took that day as a sort of recap. All too often, though, I'll come across a few that are almost perfect, except I didn't quite position my phone well enough, leaving someone's face cutoff or too much space to one side of the image. It's a fail of a basic and crucial tenet of photography—framing.
News: Holocaust Museum Preserves Memory of Victims & Survivors via Augmented Reality
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but augmented reality is giving the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum the ability to add a few more poignant real words to its exhibits.
How To: Upload HTML files without a FTP client
In this tutorial, we learn how to upload HTML files without a FTP client. First, go to your HTML files and name the home page "index". Next, go to Zymic and sign up with the website. Next, go to your account management, then click "create new web host account". You will now enter in your website, then login. Now, you will click on file manager and click "upload files". Browse to find your index page and anything else you want to upload. When finished, copy your URL, then test it out to see if...
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: Almost a Year Later, Android Oreo Is Still on Less Than 1% of Phones
The first developer preview build of Android P (Android 9.0) is right around the corner, but less than 1% of Android phones are running Oreo. The fragmentation on Android (the number of devices on different versions of the operating system) is staggering, and a problem that has plagued the operating system since it first debuted in 2008 — despite Google's best efforts to fix it.
How To: Take notes on a Google Android smartphone
Want to take notes on your Android cell phone? 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, storing and sharing digital notes on your own Android phone, take a look.
How To: How Much Time Do You Spend Indoors and Outdoors? Find Out with This DIY Arduino Tracking Device!
How much time do you spend outside, as opposed to inside? Whether it's because you're working, studying or just have a bunch of errands to run, it may seem like the majority of your day is spent indoors. Ever wondered exactly how much time you spend indoors and outdoors? Now you can, thanks to this DIY Arduino-powered tracking device by Instructables user Gramsky.
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.
How To: Use an Xbox 360 contoller wirelessly with a Motorola Xoom Android
Take your Motorola Xoom Android gaming experience to the next level. Watch this video and follow these instructions to learn how to set up an Xbox 360 controller to work with your tablet wirelessly. Play all of your favorite emulator games.
News: Slipknot & Guns N' Roses AR Masks on Facebook's AR Camera Let Fans Virtually Wear the Music Experience
While Snapchat augmented reality often embraces pop stars like Drake and Ariana Grande, a couple of bands from the louder side of the music industry have found a home with Facebook.
News: Instagram Brings iPhone's 3D Touch to Android
I had the chance to play around with an iPhone 6s this past weekend, and I have to say, I found the new 3D Touch feature to be pretty intriguing. It's still only partially implemented, but when it does work, it works quite well—you simply press a bit harder on certain elements like image thumbnails, then instead of opening in a full-fledged view, you'll see a pop-up preview that fades away as soon as you let go of the screen.
How To: Stop YouTube Surfing with a Personal Video Concierge for Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Whether you're on the john or sitting quietly on the bus to work, there's always time for a little video. And thanks to my favorite high school procrastination site, I'm going to be turning that little into a lot.
How To: Take apart a Palm Tungsten TX
Learn how to take apart a Palm Tungsten TX for repair. Includes screen removal and replacement. Helpful voiceover guides you through the process.
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.
News: Makers of Ghostbusters World Scare Up Sneak Peek of Gameplay Footage
Sony's Ghost Corps, the caretaker of the Ghostbusters franchise, just released some pre-alpha gameplay footage from the upcoming Ghostbusters World location-based AR game to whet the appetites of would-be hunters of the paranormal.
News: Merged Notifications Could Make Life Easier for Facebook, Instagram & Messenger Users
Online lives could be made easier now that Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger are testing merged app notifications. 'Could' being the operative word!
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.
News: Got a Christmas Gift Card? Here Are Our Top 5 Game Picks on the Google Play App Store
There used to be a time when I thought that gift cards were whack. And then I realized that I would basically be picking my own presents. And as much as I love my grandma, you really only need so many sweaters.
News: Rémy Martin Distills Art Through Augmented Reality App to Promote Its Cognac
Another branding team has stepped up to the bar to order a tall glass of augmented reality for its marketing campaign, this time through a mobile app for Rémy Martin VSOP Limited Edition cognac.
Market Reality: Apple's AR Toolkit Is Slowly Catching on While Google & Snap Invest in More AR Development Tools
The business of enabling the development of augmented reality experiences appears to be as lucrative as AR app development itself.
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: 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...
How To: Jailbreak iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2G iOS4 with redsn0w
Jailbreaking any one of the i-family Apple products, be it the iPhone, iPod, or iPad, is a great way to expand their lamentably limited capabilities. If you were wondering if you could still do it on a unit with iOS4, the answer is you can! And this video will show you how to do it if you have an iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2G by using a software program called redsn0w 0.9.5. If all goes well this should be quick, easy, and have you well on your way to enjoying all that your iDevice can offer.
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.
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.
Dev Report: Some Light Shed on Magic Leap's Persistent Object Locations Solution but Many Mysteries Remain
With the reveal of Magic Leap's developer documentation last week, many questions have been answered—and several new ones have been raised as well. But since the Magic Leap One (ML1) isn't simply called the "Leap One," these are questions that the company probably has no interest (at least for now) in answering. Understandably, Magic Leap wants to keep some of the "magic" under wraps.
News: Move Over Apple Maps, Google Maps Is Back on iPhones!
Yes, you read that right—you can now get Google Maps back on your iPhone again. It may not be officially replacing Apple's notorious Maps app, but it sure is a sight for sore eyes.
How To: Trouble Staying Focused at the Gym? Here Are 4 Ways Your Phone Can Help You Get Locked In
New year, new me. You finally committed to working on the best physical you by going to the gym multiple days a week. Except about an hour in, you start getting really tired of it all. Before you run to the exit, pick up your phone.
News: Magic Leap Expands Multiplayer Support & Adds Hand Mesh Tracking in Latest Lumin OS Update
While Magic Leap has remained mostly silent regarding its plans for its Magic Leap One successor, the software team continues to makes strides with improvements to the device's Lumin OS and SDK.
How To: Enable Dark Mode on Overcast for iPhone
We all listen to podcasts differently — on the way to work, at the gym, when drifting off to sleep. If you're in the latter group and rely on Overcast to help you with your nightly routine, you're probably sick of its blinding light theme keeping you up. That's why the app features a dark mode, to keep things easy on the eyes while picking out or playing an episode.
How To: Download applications to your new Android cell phone
Where do you get all of those cool apps for you Android mobile device? There's one place to go to find all of the latest apps for your mobile phone, so what is it? Best Buy has answers. The Best Buy Mobile team explains how simple it is to add a contact to your Android enabled cell phone.