Gadget Hacks Features
How To: Determine the speed of your Internet connection
A fast Internet connection means you can send and download files quickly. Modems, depending on if they are broadband or dialup, may have different speeds and run fast or slow. There are many free programs you can use to test out your PC computer's Internet connection!
News: Microsoft Launches Closed Beta Sign-Ups for Minecraft Earth Mobile Augmented Reality Game
The long tease that is the release of Minecraft Earth continues, this time with an opportunity to start playing what might be one of the hottest augmented reality games ever, before the general public.
How To: Make an LED sign
Learn how to make a sign using a large perforated board and about 50 LEDs. Looks
News: Apple's ARKit 2.0 Could Make These 10 Mobile AR Apps Even Better
With the announcement of ARKit 2.0 at WWDC 2018, Apple is bringing some powerful new capabilities to mobile augmented reality apps this fall.
How To: Create Your Own Happy Hour, Any Time You Want
Happy hour is a great way to wind down after a long day at work or school, to relax with friends and enjoy a well-deserved drink. While the experience of this on-the-cheap imbibing promotion is great, the hours usually aren't.
How To: Edit and customize your Google+ profile page
The profile pages on Google+ allow you to represent yourself in unique ways to other Google+ users. If you want to edit the information displayed on your Google+ profile, such as the title that appears under your name or who is visible in your circles.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 7 for iPhone, Introduces Under-the-Hood Updates
It's a bit surprising that Apple hasn't seeded beta testers the release candidate for iOS 14.5. The next big iPhone update is rumored to be out soon, so it stands to reason that we'd see a "final" version of that software hit our test devices rather than another beta. But that simply isn't the case here, as Apple decided to release a seventh 14.5 beta.
How To: Set up and use your Motorola Barrage
This video by WirelessZone gives an overview and shows the first steps of setting up a recently unboxed Motorola Barrage. The demonstrator runs through the basic display settings, sound setting, the ring tones (almost all the default ones) and many more. The display settings include the wallpaper, display back light, keypad back light, feeling, icons, clock formats etc. The sound settings include the digital dial readout which reads out the number that was keyed in without looking at the phone.
Google Is in Your Pocket: Android to Replace Credit Cards
The future of technology promises more and more seamless daily interactions. Pee on your phone, test for STDS. Or perhaps more widely appealing, ditch your wallet for all-in-one easy mobility.
News: Apple May Be Holding Back Crucial Key to ARKit's Gaming Success Until 2019, Report Says
Now that we finally have vertical plane recognition in ARKit (at least on a developer level until the spring iOS 11.3 release), the real promise of mobile augmented reality is beginning to come into focus on iOS. But a new report indicates that a major near future advancement of ARKit that could change everything has been put on hold by Apple.
Market Reality: Lampix, Nokia, Xiaomi & More Invest in AR
Over the past week, companies took a variety of approaches to investing in augmented reality. Lampix is backing its own effort to build an ecosystem for augmented reality platforms. Nokia and Xiaomi are teaming up on numerous fronts, potentially including augmented reality.
How To: SSH into an iPod Touch 2G for Windows (3.0 firmware)
You can use your Ipod touch to SSH from windows. To do this go to Cydia and download Open SSH and Toggle SSH. Download and install these two applications. You will need to download and install Win SCP on your windows computer to work with the SSH. Now go to your Ipod applications and open the Toggle SSH application. From the welcome screen you can either enable or disable the SSH. Go ahead and enable it. Now close the application and open Win SCP on your desktop. From the first screen in the ...
News: Unity Releases EditorVR Experimental Build Days After Unity 5.6 Beta
Unity released the Beta 5.6 on December 13 with a bunch of new upgrades in the works, including support for Vulkan, better instancing options, and more improvements to particles—to name just a few that are potentially relevant to the mixed reality community. And today, December 15, Unity has just released the EditorVR that we reported on a few weeks ago as a part of their "Experimental" builds.
How To: Make the y-axis rails and nut 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: Cardio Is Dreadful, Here Are 5 Ways to Make It Better with Help from Your Phone
Let's be honest, nobody enjoys doing cardio — they tolerate it. That dreadful, loathsome feeling you experience when you're doing cardio workouts isn't unique to you, it's almost universal. Sure, it gets easier the more you do it, but there are some ways to make it better now.
How To: Disassemble an HP iPAQ rw6800 series PDA
Accidents will happen. This brief how-to will guide you through the process of disassembling your HP iPAQ rw6815, rw6818, rw6828 series pocket PC quickly and efficiently without damaging any of the components, the first necessary step of any successful repair. This tutorial will also be of use to those who wish to learn more about the guts of their iPAQs without actually disassembling their units.
News: Samsung Is Bringing the Galaxy A6 to the US — Budget Phone with a Flagship Screen
Samsung makes more than just the Galaxy S and Note series. With a large portion of the world not able to afford phones with flagship specs, Samsung makes several different series that focus on price. The latest is the Galaxy A6, a budget option with a flagship feature.
How To: The Best Black Friday Deals on iPhone Accessories
The holiday season is here! Whether you're gift shopping for the iPhone owners in your life or just trying to save some money on your own purchases, Black Friday can deal out the discounts. This year, you'll find great prices on iPhone accessories of all kinds — all Thanksgiving week long — whether you're buying gear for an iPhone 12, X, or 7, there's something here for everyone.
How To: Use FaceTime on your iPhone 4 to initiate a video chat
FaceTime is one of the new features for the iPhone 4, which allows users to engage in video chat. This tutorial goes through one of the newest and hottest Apple features to show you just how easy it is to make video calls as an iPhone user.
News: Adam Cosco's Short Film 'KNIVES' Ups the Ante on Virtual Reality Moviemaking
While you can't turn art into a formula, the film industry has managed to come stupidly close. While many storytelling principles still stand across mediums, successfully crafting a compelling, immersive narrative in virtual reality requires a brand new rulebook. Through trial, error, and success, writer/director/editor Adam Cosco figured out the right rules to follow (and break) in "KNIVES"—his latest 360-degree short film. The film tells an old-fashioned tale of a woman, Kelsey Frye, strugg...
How To: Type in a Foreign Language with This Hidden Gboard Feature
There are plenty of apps that can translate text on websites and even in the real world. But when you need to write a message in a language you don't speak, it's your keyboard that will come in handy the most.
News: Magic Leap One Gets Educational Tool for Would-Be Paleontologists via Dinosaur Kit App
The growing stock of augmented reality apps filling up the Magic Leap store seems to be picking up pace in recent months.
News: New York Times Lets You Visit Statue of Liberty's Torch Without Trip to NYC via Augmented Reality
While a new museum to house the original torch of the Statue of Liberty is under construction on Liberty Island and scheduled to open in May 2019, New York Times readers can now view the sculpture in their own space through augmented reality.
How To: View your Facebook profile when at school
In this tutorial, we learn how to view a Facebook profile even while at school or work without using software or a proxy. To do this, go to the website you want to go to and you will see it's blocked. Go back up to the URL and simply add an "s" after "http" and press enter. You will now be able to go to the website you browse around it. Every time you go to a new page you will have to add the "s" to the top URL, but you will still be able to browse the site you weren't able to before.
How To: Auto refresh with FireFox
Tired of hitting that refresh button every time you want to update a webpage? Watch Tekzilla to find out how to make Firefox do that for you.
News: Transit Navigation App Moovit Adds Augmented Reality Way Finder Feature to Challenge Google Maps Live View
As helpful as it is, Google Maps isn't the only mapping app with augmented reality walking navigation anymore.
News: Magic Leap Pivots to Enterprise, Announces New Business-Focused Services, Slightly Modified Name
As we predicted this time last year, Magic Leap is finally moving from consumer entertainment hype to making a firm commitment to enterprise customers.
News: Rockers Palaye Royale Conjure Creepy Immersive AR Music Video via Jadu App
Up and coming Los Angeles-based rock group Palaye Royale has managed to grow a substantial social media following, and now the group is looking to grow its fan base through the power of augmented reality.
News: 3D Sound Could Make Laser Tag the Next Pokémon GO
When we talk about augmenting our reality, we often first think about vision instead of our other senses—but there's more to an immersive experience than what you see. One inventor figured out how to utilize sound and touch to create a simple, upgraded version of laser tag that you can play with your smartphone.
News: Habit.at Mixes Holographic Fun with Food to Help Kids Eat Healthier
You might not think a mixed reality headset could help kids eat their vegetables, but that's the exact premise behind Habit.at—the app that won the "Social Good" category at the 2016 HoloHacks competition in Los Angeles.
How To: Use the magnify trick on the iPhone
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to magnify parts of the iPhone's LCD screen with your finger.
How To: Install XAMPP, Wordpress, and MyBB on your computer
So you want to start your own website / blog / forum / web empire. Good, at least you aren't getting into financial services! This video will show you how to install three important programs that will help you get started: XAMPP, Wordpress, and MyBB. These programs will help you set up your web server, blog, and forum respectively, three important tool that you will need to use effectively to become a force on the web.
How To: Make Buying Stuff Easier on Instagram with the Checkout Feature
Instagram wants to bridge the gap between advertising and shopping for a more central buying experience. The app has long been a platform for advertisements, with both companies and creators using it as an outlet to link to products, so it's only natural for Instagram to allow users to buy content featured in posts without ever leaving the app.
News: Facebook and Ray-Ban Stories Smartglasses Unboxing
The competition to secure the top slot in the smartglasses space is now in full swing, with Facebook challenging Snap's Spectacles and Amazon's Echo Frames with its own collaboration with Ray-Ban called Stories.
How To: Add Videos to Watch Later Playlist on YouTube
The Watch Later feature lets you conveniently save videos to watch at a later time, using a playlist. Hover your cursor over the thumbnail of a video, like the one below, and click the clock icon to automatically add the video to your Watch Later list.
News: Osterhout Design Group Announces 8th & 9th Generation Smartglasses—Starting at Under $1,000
And so it begins... CES 2017 is upon us! This is a very exciting time for those who are looking out for the newest innovations and releases from the world of technology. I said this was going to be a fun week, and here we start it with a bang from smartglasses developer Osterhout Design Group (ODG).
News: Create & Explore Floating Orbs of Sound in AR with Fields App
When it comes to augmented reality apps, visually immersive experiences are plentiful, but audio experiences are somewhat underrepresented. A new app for iPhones and iPads seeks to shift the AR paradigm toward the latter.
Hands-On: Cheddar's Magic Leap One App Is Now Available Online, This Is How It Works
When the announcement of the Cheddar app for Magic Leap first went out on Tuesday morning, the app was not available on my updated Magic Leap One (located in New York City). However, after checking throughout the day, I can confirm that the app is now live.
News: Investors Back Another AR Display Maker as LetinAR Closes $3.6 Million in Funding
Smartglasses and AR headset makers like Microsoft, Magic Leap, and Google (and aspiring AR wearables makers like Apple and Snapchat) need display components for their products, and LetinAR is among the companies ready to supply those components.
How To: The New iPhones Let You Perform Software Updates Over 5G Networks, but You Might Need to Do This First
Fresh software updates can be amazing or a nightmare, but they're mostly the former since new and updated features can give your iPhone improved functionality. There are over 200 benefits in iOS 14 alone, and hopping on the iOS 14.2 beta includes new emojis and fresh wallpapers. For the longest time, however, being away from Wi-Fi meant no update for you. That is, until now, thanks to 5G.