Gadget Hacks News
News: Get the Dog of Your Dreams with Rumored ARKit App
Dogmented reality might be coming to Apple's ARKit, so get ready to play with your new (AR) pups! Don't Miss: A Breakdown of the What Apple's New ARKit Can Do for iPhones & iPads
News: Anchor Helps You Easily Record and Post Podcasts Right from Your Phone
Anchor has been called the audio equivalent of Snapchat. The app lets you record audio and broadcast it to whomever you follow. If you haven't heard of the app, get familiar with it because it has announced an easy way for you to record and publish podcasts from your smartphone.
News: Play This Mobile Game & Win an All-Inclusive Vacation
The latest video game developer to hit the scene is a hotel chain, and they're offering big prizes for high-scorers.
News: The Perfect Emoji Will Be Just a Keyword Away in WhatsApp
Most messaging apps have it, so it's about time WhatsApp did too. The WhatsApp beta now has a search bar for emojis.
News: Twitch Will Soon Allow Mobile Gamers to Live Stream
There is a seemingly endless supply of games on mobile. While many of these games are fantastic, many are also, well ... garbage. And unfortunately, the platform as a whole has been dismissed because of those garbage games. This situation leaves gamers like myself wondering what can be done to develop a deeper public respect for gaming on smartphones.
News: It's Not Quite Free, but You Should Get 'Reigns' While It's Discounted
If there's one thing I know, it's that people hate buying mobile games. I'm the same way — no matter how good a game looks, if I have to pay for it, I have to fight the urge to immediately walk away. That's why it's such a big deal when a great game goes on sale. Right now, that game is 'Reigns.'
News: NYU Gets Coveted Job to Host the First Publicly Funded VR/AR Facility
The de Blasio Administration of New York City has announced that the NYU Tandon School of Engineering will be hosting the country's first publicly funded VR/AR facility.
News: Google Photos Gets Smart with New AI & Sharing Features
In case Google Photos didn't recognize your face enough, they're now rolling out a new AI feature who uses facial recognition for easy photo sharing.
News: Harry Potter Might Be Flying at You Soon with Universal's AR Goggles
A patent from Universal was filed today looking to improve the visual experience at Universal Studios Parks.
News: Snapchat Adds Mobile Creative Studio So You Can Design Geofilters in-App
Snapchat announced today that you can now design geofilters in-app, making it easier than ever to customize your snaps. This new feature incorporates a mobile creative studio, so you no longer have to use your computer to create your custom masterpiece.
News: Scientists Solve Smartphone Glare Problem by Imitating the Eyes of Moths
I can't stand trying to use my phone in direct sunlight. It drives me crazy — I just want to get through a game of Sonic, but I can't see where I'm going. No one has it harder than I do. But my troubles might soon be over, as researchers are developing anti-glare films for smartphones, based off of the eyes of moths. Weird.
News: New Messenger Discover Feature Is a Blast from the Past — with a Twist
Today, Facebook Messenger is rolling out Discover, a feature that helps you chat with companies and locate nearby businesses of interest to you. First discussed in April at Facebook's developer conference F8, Discover is finally available for public use.
News: Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses Gains Mac & PC Screen Mirroring via iDisplay
Screen mirroring app iDisplay has arrived for Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses. With the app installed on the M300 and the companion software running on a Mac or Windows computer, users can mirror or extend the computer's desktop to the headset's display, which is connected to the computer via Wi-Fi or USB cable. The app does not yet appear on Vuzix's app store.
News: Samsung May Have Jumped on the Dual Camera Bandwagon for the Galaxy Note 8
The OnePlus 5 may have received a lot of flak for its design mirroring the iPhone 7 Plus' very closely, but that doesn't change the fact that dual cameras have become increasingly more common over the last couple years. Samsung's next smartphone, the Galaxy Note 8, is rumored to be the next major smartphone to sport the technology. Now, Samsung may have confirmed those rumors as truth.
News: Tinder Gold Allows Users to See Everyone Who 'Likes' Their Profile
Tinder, marketed as a free 'dating' app, is no stranger to paid features. The company has long allowed users to step up their game by spending money on their 'Tinder Plus' service. Tinder would like more of your money, it seems, as it rolls out a new paid service with a highly-desirable premium feature — the ability to see who has swiped right on your profile, without having to match.
News: CastAR's Financial Woes Lead to Layoffs & Liquidation
What began as a highly successful Kickstarter campaign has all but ended, according to an updated report by Polygon. CastAR, comprised of a few people from Valve's former research and hacking arm, has released a large portion of their team. Only a small core of the group remains, trying to sell the technology they have created.
News: Scandy Gives Tango Owners a Taste of 3D Scanning
Mobile 3D scanning company Scandy has released a new app for devices on Google's Tango mobile AR platform that gives users the advanced 3D scanning capabilities.
Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Companies Earn Accolades for Innovation
A pair of organizations recognized companies working in augmented reality for their innovative technologies over the past week. Meanwhile, another company used augmented reality for a sector that is overdue for a technology makeover, while another company has developed new camera modules that could usher in the next evolution of mobile AR.
News: Pinterest Takes Steps to Hack-Proof Your Account
The peaceful, pastel and doily-filled world of Pinterest is my oasis. My account conveys who I want to be and what I want to accomplish, so the idea of someone hacking it and ruining my favorite escape for me is heartbreaking. Fortunately, Pinterest has updated its security, implementing three new features to hack-proof your account.
Prime Users: Get Up to $80 Off Nokia, Alcatel & Moto Phones
Honestly, this deal is pretty sweet. As of today, Amazon has added five new devices to their "Prime Exclusive Phones" program. The program allows Prime users to buy midrange handsets unlocked at a discount that goes up to $80.
News: T-Mobile LTE-U Gives Galaxy S8 Owners a Speed Boost in Select Cities
Last month, AT&T made headlines with its disastrous launch of its 5G Evolution network (spoiler alert: it wasn't actually 5G). T-Mobile responded to the embarrassing news by saying the company would be working on its own 5G network, and would take its time rolling it out. Well, T-Mobile may have just pulled an AT&T — T-Mobile is launching LTE-U in the US, and things seem pretty similar to the 5G Evolution's introduction.
News: Dating App 'Hinge' Wants to Showcase the Real You with Video Clips
It seems we've come full circle in alternative dating routes. Just like a long time ago when people were able to go to matchmakers and watch videos of potential matches, the dating app 'Hinge' is now allowing you to add videos to your profile.
News: Facebook's AI-Powered Assistant Just Keeps Getting Better with Latest Update
M — Facebook's AI-powered assistant unveiled to the public in April — is now better than ever. The latest update to M now allows it to provide three more suggestions: a function to save content to view later, birthday wishes, and call initiation.
News: No Matter Where You Are, You Can Request an Uber for Someone Else
Admit it — many of us have not gotten in the Uber's we've requested. Sometimes, you just need to get someone else a cab that you're not going to be going with. No biggie ... but your friend doesn't have any connection to Uber or the driver, which can be a little awkward. Uber is addressing this slight issue today, with an update that allows you to officially request Ubers for others.
News: Android Users Rejoice! Twitter Update Brings Automatic Night Mode
If you're like me and you typically find yourself scrolling through Twitter before bed, you will be psyched about this new update for Android.
News: Spotify Brings Popular Playlist to Life with Concert Tour
Your favorite music-streaming app is taking artists from its popular RapCaviar playlist on tour to five major US cities. That's right, put down your smartphones and pick up your credit card because these tickets are going to sell fast.
News: Amazon Prime Members Can Preorder the Nokia 6 Today for $50 Discount
While it might be a little past its prime now, the running gag about Nokia phones never breaking was one of the internet's favorite jokes. "If you buy one," they would say, "you'll never need another phone again." I think if those users could see into the future, they'd change their tune, as the Nokia 6 is now available to preorder — and I'm guessing it would give any of Nokia's old bricks a run for their money.
News: iOS 11 Public Beta Is Now Available for Your iPhone
Apple promised at WWDC to release the iOS 11 public beta by the end of June, and they've just followed through on their promise.
NR50: Next Reality's 50 People to Watch: Paul Travers
There is an Indian story called the Legend of Paal Paysam, and while it doesn't seem like it at first, it has a lot to say about what motivated Paul Travers in the augmented reality space.
Market Reality: Business Interest High, Adoption Low for Augmented Reality
A new survey shows that the majority of companies have an interest in using augmented reality, though adoption remains low. Meanwhile, two companies with support roles in the augmented reality industry are seeing positive financial results.
Review: Sonic the Hedgehog on Mobile Is a Fun Throwback, with More Than a Few Headaches
Who would have thought back in 1991 that you'd eventually be able to play Sonic the Hedgehog whenever and wherever you wanted? Not a crappy Game Gear version, either. I'm talking the full Sega Genesis version of Sonic, available to you on a bus, a plane, or in a rest-stop bathroom. Now imagine how those people would react if you told them the game would also be free. They would think you were crazy.
News: Facebook Messenger Gets a Huge Update with New Filters & AR Features
Say goodbye to boring video chats over Messenger. Now the app is rolling out new features that can make any chat interesting and fun.
News: Snapchat's Newest AR Lenses Bring Out the Minion in All of Us
Despicable Me 3 is coming to theaters this summer, and it seems that Minions are everywhere. Literally. You can't even escape them on social media because they've taken over Snapchat with the release of three augmented reality lenses. That's right, this new AR feature means that there could be Minions in your flower crown.
News: Want to Watch YouTube with Other People? Try Uptime
If you're like me, then your perfect Friday night has your friends over for some group-YouTube streaming. If you're not like me, you're probably cool. But for the rest of us, YouTube is meant to be a shared experience. I think YouTube has caught on to that trend, since it has developed Uptime, an app that lets you watch YouTube with other people wherever you all are.
News: Thanks to Augmented Reality, You Can Measure Almost Anything with Your iPhone
Thanks to Apple's ARKit, a new app will let iPhone users measure distances through the magic of augmented reality.
News: Your Reading Experience Is About to Change Thanks to Augmented Reality
If you're someone who loves to read, you've probably read a book that made you want to hop into the story and live in the world that wasn't your own. Reading has a way of letting us escape into other worlds and experience things that we normally wouldn't be able to. Augmented reality is similar in that way. Which is why it makes sense that the two would be combined to create an incredible, immersive new way of reading.
News: WhatsApp Will Let You Send Whatever Kind of File You Want Now
Cell phones have advanced rapidly since their inception. However, one frustrating aspect of our handheld computers is that we sometimes expect more than they can handle. We want smartphones to do all our PCs can do, but in many cases, that just isn't possible; especially when that comes to viewing and sending certain file types. WhatsApp is taking steps to bridge that gap now, by allowing users to send whatever kind of file they want, with one or two restrictions ...
News: Nike's Newest App Uses AR to Sell Momofuku Sneakers
Nike's newest app is changing the way we shop. Called SNKRS, it uses augmented reality to sell the limited edition Nike SB Dunk High Pro "Momofuku" sneakers.
News: Want to Make Your Own Live Broadcast? New Facebook App Aims to Help
Facebook, you either love it or you hate it ... or maybe you're indifferent. The point is, Facebook is everywhere, and the debate is still raging over whether or not it's actually, well, good. That debate may not exist for the various personalities of Facebook much longer, however, as Facebook announced a new app geared directly towards improving how they broadcast their content to their audiences.
Building Next Reality: How the ARKit's Impressive Software Detects Surfaces Using Just the iPhone's Color Camera
I currently am and have always been what one might call a PC/Android guy. Many that know me well would likely even go so far as to say I am anti-Apple. About an hour after seeing the ARKit demo during the day-one keynote at WWDC, I became the owner of a brand new Mac.