Gadget Hacks Features
News: HoloLens Challenge #16 Winner Brings the Cowbell
James Ashley, Atlanta-based Microsoft MVP and author of Beginning Kinect Programming with Microsoft Kinect, has been running monthly challenges since around the release of the HoloLens Developers Kits. Each month, those of us who follow what happens in the community can look forward to seeing what creative ideas come out of these challenges. It has been a treat, to say the least, and who knows ... maybe one of us here at Next Reality even won one of these before his time here.
How To: Use the apps on an HTC Surround Windows Phone 7 (WP7) smartphone
From the 3.8-inch display, to the 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, to, of course, the slide-out stereo speakers, this guide from IntoMobile presents a whirligig hardware tour of the AT&T HTC Surround Windows Phone 7 (WP7) smartphone. Take a look and learn how to get the most of your own HTC Surround.
News: Deutsche Telekom Opens Early Access to Tooz Smartglasses via Dev Kit
If you're a developer working on the bleeding edge of augmented reality, or even an enthusiastic smartglasses early adopter, being first in line for new wearable hardware is a priority.
News: Apple's iOS 13.6 Developer Beta 2 for iPhone Includes Option to Automatically Download New Updates
Apple released the second developer beta for iOS 13.6 today, Tuesday, June 9. This update comes one week after the release of its first developer and public betas, previously called iOS 13.5.5, as well as the general release of iOS 13.5.1. Apple's first 13.5.5 beta introduced evidence for Apple News+ audio support.
News: Apple's Latest Patent Proposes Augmented Reality Navigation for Cars via Mobile Device
With Google taking on the sidewalks with augmented reality walking navigation for Google Maps, Apple has its sights set on the road.
How To: Make an LED blink with an AVR microcontroller
Systm is the Do-It-Yourself show designed for the common geek who wants to quickly and easily learn how to dive into the latest and hottest tech projects. They will help you avoid pitfalls and get your project up and running fast. In this DIY episode, see how to make an LED blink with an AVR microcontroller.
How To: Trim Individual Video Files in Your Freeform Adobe Premiere Clip Project
If you've just started a freeform editing project in Adobe Premiere Clip on Android or iPhone, what's next? The first thing you're going to want to do is trim down the video clips you imported into your draft, that way you can lay them out perfectly in your timeline and create the best video possible.
How To: Make a safe out of an empty can of whipped cream
Hide your valuables in plain sight! This tutorial shows you how to take an empty can of whipped cream and then add a few discreet mods. When you're done, it'll still look like a can of whippped cream, but now there will be a way to hide your valuables!
How To: Add several Gmail accounts on the HTC Droid Incredible
Just because you have more than one Gmail account doesn't mean you can't view them all on your HTC Droid Incredible cell phone. Verizon Wireless teaches you how to add multiple Gmail accounts to the Incredible's Android platform, making it easy to get all your emails as soon as they arrive.
How To: Make Your iPhone's Camera Remember Your Last Used Exposure Compensation Value for Later
Your ability to control exposure in the Camera app is much better in iOS 14. Instead of setting the exposure for a single shot, you can also lock an exposure compensation value for an entire session while you take photos and videos. A session ends as soon as you exit the app, but you can also remind your iPhone to use your last used ECV the next time you open Camera.
How To: DIY a Geek-laden iPhone-to-iPad Connector Clip for Web & Video Multitasking
So, you can't decide— movie on your iPhone or web-surfing on your iPad— why not do both?
How To: Make a blue cast as a fashion accessory or prop
As if the world of high fashion wasn't weird enough, now it looks like casts are in this season. Fortunately, you don't need to break your arm or leg in order to get this hot new accessory - this video shows you a simple process for making your own fake cast at home. You can also use this if you need a cast for a film prop... or if you just want to wear it and get sympathy from other people.
News: Freeze Tag Mimics Niantic with Garfield-ified Version of Pokémon GO
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Niantic must be blushing constantly, as numerous copies of Pokémon GO have spawned over the past year or so, seeking to capture the same success, often adding the lure of tangible prizes from brand partnerships.
How To: Install a custom ROM on an HTC Tattoo Google Android smartphone
Learn how to load a custom ROM onto a rooted HTC Tattoo Google Android smartphone! Custom ROMs help you to unlock your phone's hidden potential and allow you to, among other things, turn your mobile phone into a 3G wireless modem with free WiFi tethering. For all of the details, and to get started running custom ROMs on your own rooted Tattoo, watch this three-minute hacker's how-to.
News: Snap Shows Us the Future of AR Smartglasses Through New Styles of Spectacles 2 Camera Glasses
While they don't do augmented reality just yet, the latest styles of Snapchat's Spectacles 2 camera glasses serve as a peek into the future of how mainstream AR wearables may look.
Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Applied to Makeup, Medical & Sports Marketing
If it's not official by now, it really should be: if you're going to sell cosmetics, you need an augmented reality app. Of course, that's not all augmented reality is good for. It can be used to animate medical models and engage sports fans. Read on below…
How To: Watch Flash video on an Apple iPhone with the Skyfire web browser app
Now available for download in the official App Store, Skyfire is a mobile web browser that converts Flash video to iPhone-friendly HTML5 on the fly. Because Apple has heretofore not supported Flash video, that's kind of a big deal! In this iPhone owner's guide, we learn how to use and navigate the various features of functions of the Skyfire smart browser. For all of the details, and to get started watching Flash video clips on your own iPhone 4, 3G or 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch or other iOS devic...
How To: Send and receive SMS text messages on Samsung Instinct
Sometimes you can't just pick up that mobile phone. Text messages keep you connected without making a sound, and are as quick as the flick of your fingers. Watch this video cell phone tutorial and learn how to send and receive SMS text messages on a Samsung Instinct. Send and receive SMS text messages on Samsung Instinct.
How To: Run Flash on your Android mobile phone by updating your system
Flash is now supported by the Android family of phones! You need to run two updates to Froyo and then install Adobe Flash onto your phone. Once you've done that, you can get the Flash player directly to your phone and browse Flash-based content on the web!
News: Trimble & Umbra Partner to Bring Complex Imagery on the HoloLens
When developing for the HoloLens, keeping a constant 60 fps (frames per second) while making things look beautiful is a challenge. Balancing the processing power to display complex models and keeping the frame rate where it needs is just a straight up painful process, but a solution seems to be on the horizon.
News: Snapchat Ships Amazon Visual Search as Its Next Step Forward in AR Evolution
Snapchat has officially unveiled its Visual Search service for Amazon (teased a month ago), a tool the company began testing on Monday.
News: The Best Labor Day 2018 Deals on Smartphones
While it's not the best shopping holiday of the year, Labor Day does have a few sweet deals on smartphones this weekend. There are phones from OEMs such as Apple, Motorola, and Sony on sale, to name a few, from stores such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
How To: Block ads in Google Chrome
In this video from MegaByteTV we learn how to block ads on a web page using the Google Chrome browser. If you see an ad on a website, click the icon which is actually a shortcut to a JavaScript code. It will then block the flash on a JavaScript website. Automatically all of the flash on a page will be blocked. You can do this by using the link provided in the box underneath the video. Copy and paste the JavaScript code into a new bookmark on your browser. Right click the bookmark bar and hit ...
How To: Reset a Nexus One smartphone to default settings
If you're using a Nexus One Android smartphone and a few bugs or glitches start occuring on your device, it may be time to restart it to factory settings. This guide will walk you through the process of resetting the phone back to the original Android OS settings.
How To: Set Up Car Crash Detection on Your Pixel to Contact Emergency Services When You Can't
Google's push for your safety gained some much-needed attention when it released the Pixel 4 smartphone. It has an app called "Personal Safety," which uses the array of built-in sensors on your phone to detect if you've been in a car crash. The futuristic safety feature was exclusive to the Pixel 4 initially but is now available to all Pixel owners as well.
News: Our Favorite WTF Gadgets from CES 2016
There was lots of new tech to check out at CES 2016, but you could argue that the majority of the big-ticket items weren't the most unique things in the world. Thankfully, there were a few innovative, unconventional ideas on display, and here are some of our favorites.
Summer Learning: The Best Places to Take Online Classes for Free
It's summer, which means vacations, barbeques, and, most importantly, no school. But that doesn't mean you can't learn something while you lounge by the pool. Schools and organizations all over the country are offering online courses taught by real professors—for free.
How To: iOS 15's Safari Changes the Way You Access Tabs
When you first open Safari after updating your iPhone to iOS 15, you might be a bit surprised by the design change. Apple attempted to make browsing the web on its smartphones more natural and cohesive, but it may leave you wondering just how to actually navigate your tabs.
News: HBO Conjures More Snapchat AR Experiences to Promote 'His Dark Materials'
As far as HBO is concerned, it's not augmented reality — it's Snapchat. The premium cable network is leaning hard on Snapchat's AR magic tricks to promote yet another series, this time for the adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series of novels.
News: Get Up to 2 GB of Free Data from Verizon Just for Using Android Pay
If you tend to go over your data allotment each month, or are constantly afraid you will, Verizon Wireless is giving you chance to relax a little bit with up to 2 GB free data for two months.
News: Microsoft HoloLens 2 Assists De'Longhi Japan Call Center Agents Using Augmented Reality Product Models
Less than a month after the worldwide launch of HoloLens 2, call center consultant BellSystem24 has already prepared an augmented reality solution for one of its clients.
Brief Reality: The Future of Augmented Reality Is Now for Businesses
With the announcement of Google Glass Enterprise Edition last week, a literal behemoth entered the arena of companies serving augmented reality solutions to business customers. While Google Glass, with the backing of Alphabet, has the potential to be a disruptor, the field already has a number of players who have been in the game.
How To: Boost PCMCIA wifi card reception
This video shows how to boost PCMCIA wifi card reception. This would allow you to be further away from the router or give you a better signal. Boost PCMCIA wifi card reception.
News: E-Commerce Gets an Augmented Reality Upgrade for Mobile Web Platforms from Vertebrae & Shopify
Two companies armed with web-based augmented reality tools, Vertebrae and Shopify, are ready to help online retailers boost their sales.
Friday Fresh: Trade Gift Cards For Facebook Credits And More
Write about what you LOVE. EARN money for it.
How To: Use LogMeIn.com for remote computing
A tutorial on using LogMeIn.com to set up remote computing on your computer so that you can always access your computer from anywhere with the Internet.
News: Pretend You're Playing Golf in The Masters Tournament with Snapchat's Latest AR Lens
With the Masters, one of professional golfing's four most prestigious annual tournaments, now in full swing, Snapchat is giving users the ability to commemorate the moment in augmented reality.
Market Reality: Microsoft's Next HoloLens Close to Arriving, Apple Prepares for Big AR Marketing Push
The hype around augmented reality has risen to a fever pitch over the past two years, and if this week's selection of business news stories are any indication, the din is about to get down right deafening.
How To: Create a custom streaming Flash MP3 player
This tutorial shows how to create a custom mp3 player for your myspace page, website and blog using Flash in under 10 minutes using SnapDrive. Create a custom streaming Flash MP3 player.
Market Reality: Magic Leap One Says Hello, Google Tango Waves Goodbye & Honda Uses AR for CSR
Everything that has a beginning has an end. This week marked the end of the long wait for the reveal of Magic Leap's first product and the beginning of the wait for more substantive details. Likewise, Google Tango will meet its end in March 2018, when ARCore will officially begin its public rollout.