Gadget Hacks News
News: New Messages Bug Lets a Single Link Freeze & Restart Your iPhone
It has not been a good year for Apple, as far as software scandals are concerned. From autocorrect nuisances to secret slowdowns of aging iPhones, Apple has had a lot to answer for. iOS users now have another issue to worry about — it's being called "chaiOS," and it's wrecking havoc on iPhones with just a simple URL.
News: Sketchfab Launches Professional 3D Model Store for AR & VR Content Creators
After hosting millions of free 3D models online, Sketchfab is betting that augmented reality and virtual reality developers and creators will be willing to pay for premium 3D content.
News: This App Takes Eyebrows from Bushy to Blessed via Augmented Reality
Among consumer brands, cosmetics companies rival furniture retailers as the quickest to adopt augmented reality as a means to help customers visualize how products will look before they buy them.
News: If You've Ever Wanted X-Ray Vision, Check Out This Combination of Augmented Reality & Ultrasound
Seeing your baby for the first time via ultrasound is an exciting moment for new parents, but a new augmented reality twist on the experience could make the experience even more powerful.
News: 4 Cool New Features in Oreo Beta 2 for the OnePlus 5T
OnePlus is on track to deliver Android 8.0 Oreo to its flagship users by Q1 2018. Open Beta 1 was released for the 5T in late December, and we just received Open Beta 2. But this update isn't just tweaks and bug fixes, OnePlus has included a few new features to enhance the Android experience.
News: Galaxy S9 Announcement, Preorder & Release Dates
Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ are two fantastic devices. That's why we're so excited about the upcoming S9 and S9+. With dual cameras, super slo-mo, dual aperture, and even smaller bezels, the S9 looks to be a device worth picking up day-one. Thankfully, we now officially know when that day is.
News: CES Wrap-Up — 2018 Event Confirms Race for Consumer AR Smartglasses Will Be Marathon Rather Than Sprint
Coming into this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the common sentiment among observers was that this was expected to be the big year for augmented reality.
Market Reality: Vuzix & Meta Represent the Brightest AR Present at CES, While Google, Facebook & Huawei Grow AR's Future
It would be difficult to discuss the business of augmented reality without acknowledging the annual tech meat market of CES.
News: Why Projector Phones Still Aren't Ready for Prime Time After Almost a Decade
For almost a decade, projector phones have tried to entice consumers with their convenience as media machines. While these devices are alluring, they've never really taken off with mainstream success. The latest effort, Moviphone, sounds tempting if you watch a lot of films and TV on your smartphone, but is it good enough to be your daily driver?
News: This Is How Amazon's Alexa Works on the Vuzix Blade
Last week, we told you about one of the first pairs of augmented reality smartglasses to get Amazon Alexa functionality, and now we're finally getting a look at how it works.
News: HoloLens Can Now Simulate Childbirth to Train Medical Students
Medical training technology company CAE Healthcare has given birth to the latest example of how augmented reality can help to build practical operating room skills for doctors and nurses. The company's newest product is called LucinaAR, which harnesses the power of the Microsoft HoloLens.
News: Microsoft Gives Us a Peek at the Reality Room Created for Employees to Experiment with AR & VR
One of the most overlooked components of talking about augmented reality and virtual reality is getting people to actually use the hardware and software associated with these platforms.
News: Realmax Claims Crown of Widest Field of View for an AR Headset at CES
Shanghai-based Realmax is introducing the crowds at CES to the Realmax Qian, an augmented reality headset capable of a field of view (FoV) that topples anything available on the market today.
News: This AR Headset Surpasses the Field of View of HoloLens, but You Still Won't Wear It in Public
Digital imaging company OmniVision Technologies and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) entered the CES fray this week with a new reference design for an augmented reality headset capable of 60 degrees field of view (FoV).
News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 5 Released for iPhones with Under-the-Hood Improvements Only
Apple released the fifth build of their iOS 11.2.5 beta software on Thursday to developers and public beta testers, just two days after the fourth beta. This quick beta release schedule may mean iOS 11.2.5 is almost ready for primetime.
News: Google's Next Pixel Phone Might Not Have Speakers
Speakers have been an integral part of smartphones since the beginning. Razer's concept Project Linda even uses the speakers from the Razer Phone to power the faux laptop's audio system. But what if Google's next Pixel phone didn't even have speakers? What if it didn't need them in the first place?
News: Augmented Reality Could Be the Solution to the Worldwide Shortage of Surgeons
A recent TED Talk makes a strong case for the healthcare industry to adopt augmented reality as a means to expanding access to surgical care across the globe.
News: Lenovo's Newest Smartglasses Aimed at Enterprise Rather Than Consumers
Lost among the latest laptops, smart assistants, VR headsets, and Motorola-branded gadgets that it brought to CES 2018, Lenovo has also introduced a new pair of augmented reality smartglasses.
News: WayRay's Auto Techno Video Will Make You Want to Add AR to Your Driving Experience
When it comes to marketing, sexy sells, a point that has been lost on most augmented reality hardware makers focused mostly on the geek space. But a new promotional spot from AR-in-the-car accessory maker WayRay indicates that AR companies are beginning to see the virtual sizzle reel light.
News: Samsung's 2018 Phones Will Have Working FM Tuners in the US
While most smartphones have the ability to receive FM signals via a tuner, mobile carriers prevent users from taking advantage of this hardware — probably in an effort to get their customers to spend more money on data.
News: Dell Becomes First PC Maker to Partner with Meta to Offer Augmented Reality Headsets
Using the CES tech conference in Las Vegas as the launch pad, Dell has announced that it's partnering with Meta Company to offer its augmented reality headsets to business customers.
News: Flex Headset Could Help More Competition Muscle into the AR Enterprise Sector
On Tuesday, original design manufacturer (ODM) Flex used the CES spotlight to help introduce a smartglasses reference design aimed at companies interested in bringing their own enterprise AR headsets to market.
News: 'Kinda Blue' Pixel 2 Now Available on the Google Store
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL launched in 2017 with three colors: Clearly White, Just Black, and Kinda Blue. For those who wanted to stand out from the crowd a bit, Kinda Blue was the clear choice. Verizon, however, had other plans in mind, and Kinda Blue became exclusive to the carrier. That is, until now.
News: BlackBerry Motion Is Coming to the US with All-Screen Design & Security Focus
BlackBerry's focus on secure software and their new partnership with manufacturer TCL are two of the biggest factors in their recent resurgence. Last year, the company announced two new devices — the KEYone and the BlackBerry Motion. The KEYone has been available for a while, but after months of waiting, BlackBerry announced the Motion will hit US shores in a few days.
News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 4 Released for iPhones with Fix for Loud Sounds
Apple released the fourth beta for iOS 11.2.5 on Tuesday, Dec. 9, to developers and then public beta testers. It comes only one day after the official release of iOS 11.2.2, which addressed the Spectre portion of the chip flaw security risks reported last week.
News: Google, Facebook & Huawei Seed AR & VR Talent Pool with Massive Donation to Univ. Of Washington Lab
Google, Facebook, and Huawei have made an investment in nurturing the future of augmented and virtual reality through $6 million in contributions to the opening of a new center at the University of Washington.
News: Google's CES Parade Was Literally Rained On
While Google has a water-resistant phone in the Pixel 2, its CES booth was anything but. According to Tech Crunch, Google had to shut down its two-level outdoor booth once it began to rain at the Las Vegas trade show. Even though Las Vegas is the driest city in the country, Mother Nature always has her idea of fun.
News: Razer Phone Update Will Add Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound & HDR for Netflix
The Razer Phone has already been crowned the best gaming phone on the market today, and it might need to make room on the mantle for another trophy: the best phone for Netflix. Its Quad HD 120 Hz display makes it a great option to binge Black Mirror on, but the Razer Phone didn't exactly stand out from the rest of the pack until now.
News: This AR Toothbrush App Turns Learning Good Dental Hygiene Habits into a Game for Kids
Who said brushing your teeth can't be fun? It certainly isn't Kolibree, a company that's introducing the world to the first augmented reality toothbrush for kids at this week's CES tech conference in Las Vegas.
News: Rokid Glass Offers a Fashionable Entry into AR Smartglasses Space
This year's CES seems particularly obesessed with VR, but augmented reality is offering a few surprises as well. One of those surprises arrived on Monday in the form of China's Rokid Glass.
News: Nvidia Accelerates Augmented Reality for Cars with Drive AR Platform for Automakers
While self-driving cars appear to be as inevitable as augmented reality headsets, the auto industry and its technology partners likely have years of testing to complete and regulatory loopholes to jump through before self-driving cars hit most highways.
News: The Best Battery Life $229 Can Buy: ASUS ZenFone Max Plus Is Coming to the US
Not many smartphones are announced at CES these days — instead, you'll mostly see other types of electronics like Energeous's WattUp and Li-Fi. However, ASUS decided to share some good news for their US customers, and it comes in the form of a new phone with some interesting specs and a budget-friendly price tag.
News: Snapchat Rings in the New Year with a Lens Studio Contest for AR Artists
Snap is turning to some light bribery to boost adoption of its new Lens Studio software. The January Jumpstart Challenge encourages artists to create and share a Lens that celebrates the New Year. One selected winner will take home a Lens Studio Swag Bag that includes an iPad Pro. In addition, the Lens could be featured in the Lens carousel for others to experience.
News: iOS 11.2.2 Released with Security Patch for Spectre Chip Vulnerability
Apple released an iOS 11.2.2 update on Monday to iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches. The update comes as no surprise since news broke last week of a massive security vulnerabilities, named Meltdown and Spectre, which are found in smartphone chips throughout the industry. This update in large part addresses the security risks imposed by these chip flaws.
News: Merge Locks & Loads 6DoF Blaster for Mobile AR Shooting Games
On Monday, toy maker Merge virtually blasted its way into CES 2018 with a new tech-meets-toys innovation in the form of an augmented reality gun controller for use with smartphone-powered first-person shooter apps.
News: Limited Edition Red-Colored Honor 7X Coming to the US Just Before Valentine's Day
Huawei recently announced the Honor 7X, a mid-tier smartphone aimed at budget-conscious consumers. Spearheaded by the Kirin 659 SoC, it offers great performance at a price point where speed is normally an afterthought. Today, Huawei is making this $199 phone even more attractive by announcing a new limited edition color.
Dev Report: uSensAR Aims to Fill the Gap for Android Users Left by ARCore's Limits
In 2017, major breakthroughs in smartphone-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) opened up new doorways for developers and users of both Apple and Android phones. Unfortunately for Android users, the solution that Google is previewing, ARCore, currently only works on three Android smartphones. But Silicon Valley start-up uSens is stepping in to fix that with its new engine called uSensAR.
News: New Galaxy Note 8 Android Oreo Build Leaked
Excitement is building for the official Android Oreo release on the Galaxy Note 8. We detailed a leaked Oreo build for the Galaxy S8 and made a short tutorial on how to install it on your device. Now, there's a newer Oreo build available for the Galaxy Note 8 as well. Both of these builds appear to be closer to the official release candidate than the official beta updates on the Galaxy S8.
Market Reality: Vuzix Pairs with Amazon Alexa at CES, Bill Gates Pushes AR, DAQRI Founder Gets Personal
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the first big tech event of 2018. This year, if the early news is any indication, augmented reality could be the big star of the show.
News: Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update Leaked — Here's What's New
It's been nearly two months since Samsung kicked off the official Galaxy S8 beta program for Android Oreo. The Korean manufacturer recently announced that the beta is ending on January 15, so it's time to move on to the official build. Today, an official (non-beta) build of Oreo for the S8 has leaked.