News and Updates from Gadget Hacks

When you fire up Apple TV and see that stark message in the credits of Pluribus, "This show was made by humans," you are seeing more than end-credit boilerplate. The Breaking Bad creator behind it is not just making a statement; he is drawing a line in the sand about the future of creative work in the Apple ecosystem and beyond. Why plant that flag now?

Black Friday season is officially here, and if you've been eyeing a Motorola smartphone, this is your moment. Discounts are rolling in from every direction, with retailers cutting prices across Motorola's lineup. From budget-friendly picks to premium foldables, current deals span the full spectrum of Motorola's offerings. Best Buy, Amazon, and carrier stores are vying for your cart with genuine price drops that make upgrading easy. Motorola's reputation for delivering long-lasting batteries and...

With streaming costs spiraling out of control, savvy cord-cutters are constantly hunting for ways to slash monthly bills without sacrificing favorite content. Here is a clever workaround that can put serious money back in your pocket: leverage Walmart’s membership discount to score a full year of Peacock Premium for just $49. Not a typical promo, more like a stack of perks that line up in your favor. New Walmart+ subscribers can access this discounted membership at half the regular price...

Apple's iPhone Air experiment is unraveling before our eyes. What started as an ambitious push into ultra-thin smartphone design now looks like one of the company's biggest product missteps in recent memory. According to TipRanks, Apple has postponed the next-generation iPhone Air model entirely, while the original device continues performing significantly below expectations across global markets.

Samsung's next flagship is a bit of a paradox, a thinner phone that still needs a bigger camera bump. Recent leaks suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra will carry a noticeably larger front-facing camera cutout, and the reasons behind it show the tradeoffs Samsung is making.

Netflix's bold move into video podcasts is not just another streaming experiment. It is a strategic play that could reshape how we consume entertainment. When the partnership with Spotify officially launches in early 2026, we will see something new on Netflix for the first time, podcasts streaming directly from the platform, according to eMarketer.

Apple just made headlines again for removing apps from its Chinese App Store, and this one hits close to home for millions. The tech giant pulled two of China's most popular gay dating platforms after direct orders from Beijing's internet watchdog. Another flashpoint in the long tug-of-war between global tech and local rules. Who loses out this time? Users.

The holiday shopping rush is heating up, and Apple's newest MacBook Pro is already catching the attention of deal hunters. The recently launched M5 MacBook Pro has dropped to $1,538 on Amazon, representing a $61 discount from its $1,599 launch price. That price is striking, the device only launched on October 22, so this is one of the fastest price drops for a new Apple product in recent memory.

With tvOS 26.2 beta hitting Apple TV devices, we're looking at what might be the most significant update for family streaming since Apple first entered the living room space. This isn't just another incremental upgrade. Apple has fundamentally rethought how families interact with their streaming content, introducing two features that tackle some of the platform's most glaring limitations.

Apple has been the undisputed premium laptop champion for decades, but something genuinely unprecedented is emerging from the supply chain. Multiple industry insiders are pointing to what could be Apple's first truly budget MacBook launching in 2026. This is not just another modest price cut. Apple's first laptop that could genuinely compete with Chromebooks and entry-level Windows machines hints at a real shift in the company’s laptop playbook.

The past few months have delivered some genuinely surprising moves in the AI space, but Google’s partnership with Reliance Jio might just take the cake. Google is providing free access to its premium AI Pro service to over 500 million Indians for an unprecedented 18-month period, and the sheer scale of this initiative is frankly staggering. We are talking about Reliance Intelligence Limited and Google aiming to accelerate AI adoption across India through what might be the most aggressive AI...

Black Friday lands Mac users a rare chance to tidy up their desk and boost connectivity without paying full freight. The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock is $100 off its regular price, which makes this premium dock far easier to justify. If you have been waiting to turn a laptop into a full desktop setup, this is the moment.

Samsung has been pretty consistent with their Galaxy S series timing over the years, but 2026 might shake things up in ways that could surprise even longtime fans. We are still months away from any official announcement, yet early leaks and industry chatter point to a launch that lands earlier than some expected and a price tag that creeps higher than most would like.

Apple's rumored iPad mini 8 might ditch speaker holes entirely. Recent reports point to vibration-based speakers, according to Bloomberg, which would make it unique among Apple products if adopted. The idea turns the display or chassis into the sound source, promising better water resistance while keeping audio quality intact. It is a sharp turn from diaphragm-based speakers, using exciters that vibrate surfaces to make sound.

AI is not just changing how we tap and swipe. It is reshaping what we pay for the hardware in our pockets. Thinking about a phone upgrade? Timing suddenly matters. This is not the usual blip from a shipping backlog or a holiday rush. It is a reshuffling of global semiconductor priorities that lands right on your bill.

File sharing just got a reality check. Google appears to be working on a significant enhancement to Quick Share that would integrate with Android's most robust security framework, according to Android Authority. If this Advanced Protection tie-in ships, the sender would have to confirm before any transfer begins, closing a loophole that let people kick off sends from an unlocked phone with no verification. The timing tracks with recent security findings that put file-sharing utilities under a...

Three forces collide this week: the Federal Reserve's interest rate call, Microsoft's quarterly earnings, and a high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. For tech watchers and investors, it is a live demo of how monetary policy, corporate scorecards, and geopolitics crash into each other in one trading week.

The iPad mini has always occupied a unique spot in Apple's tablet lineup, small enough to hold in one hand, yet powerful enough for serious work. But there's been one persistent issue that's kept this compact powerhouse from reaching its full potential. Apple's rumored display upgrade for the iPad mini could finally solve the problem that has frustrated users for years, transforming this beloved device into something truly special. What if the screen finally matched the rest of the hardware?

When Doctor Who fans watched that jaw-dropping Season 2 finale, nobody expected the series to disappear so quickly from our screens. The stunning regeneration of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor into what appeared to be Billie Piper left viewers with countless questions. Now a bigger mystery looms. When will we actually get answers?

Apple's journey from hardware company to ecosystem powerhouse becomes clear the moment you look at its Services numbers. We're talking about a segment that has quietly turned into a $109.16 billion annual revenue machine that now dwarfs entire Fortune 500 companies.

Apple's latest M5 MacBook Pro has officially arrived. It marks a clear shift in pro computing that puts AI speed ahead of flashy redesigns. The 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip is up for pre-order now, with availability starting October 22nd, and it keeps that familiar $1,599 starting price in Apple's premium lineup.

Following the successful launch of the iPhone 17 series, Apple CEO Tim Cook took an unusual trip for a tech chief. It fits him. His visit to Japan was not another corporate tour; it read like a masterclass in cultural diplomacy, the kind global tech leaders need to navigate cultural engagement, trade tensions, and geopolitical crosswinds.

After years of anticipation and false starts, Apple's ambitious solid-state button project looks ready for a real comeback. Apple has completed functional verification for its next-generation button tech, according to BGR. The plan is to debut it with the iPhone 20 in 2027, a shift that could rival the moment the home button vanished. Testing now spans every physical control, from power and volume to action and camera, which would become pressure-sensitive zones with sophisticated haptic...

If you'd asked me a few months ago whether Apple would ever officially support Android app development using Swift, I would have laughed. Yet here we are in late 2025, and that once-unthinkable scenario is real. Apple just unveiled the ability to build Android apps using Swift, its own programming language. Wild.

Looking at the escalating legal battle between Apple and the European Union over the Digital Markets Act, it is hard not to see a pivotal moment. One that could reshape how we use our technology for years. Apple's challenge to the EU's Digital Markets Act is not just another corporate spat, it is a clash between two very different visions of digital ecosystems.

You know that feeling when two titans clash and everyone else has to duck for cover? That's exactly what we're witnessing with Apple and the European Union right now. This isn't just another corporate spat over regulations, it's a full-blown digital war that could reshape how we use our phones, download apps, and think about tech competition for years to come.

China's regulatory assault on Apple is intensifying, and it could reshape the tech giant's global operations. A coalition of 55 Chinese iPhone and iPad users has formally filed an antitrust complaint with China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), alleging that Apple maintains monopolistic control over app distribution. Not a hiccup, a direct challenge to Apple's core business model in one of its most critical markets.

The Aqara G100 lands in Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem like a missing puzzle piece, bringing professional-grade security at a price that feels almost cheeky. This compact camera records in 2K and stays fully compatible with HomeKit Secure Video, making it a natural fit for Apple households seeking plug-and-play simplicity, HomeKit Secure Video. With weather resistance and flexible mounting, it fills a gap left as other makers stepped away from HomeKit.

If you're in the mobile streaming world, you probably clocked the news. Blackmagic rolled out version 3.2 of its camera app, not a ho-hum point release. Native streaming landed, the kind that can reshape how we think about going live from a phone.

You've probably heard it a thousand times. Put down your phone before bed or you'll toss and turn all night. What if that bedtime scrolling advice isn't as black and white as we've been told? Recent research from Canadian universities challenges the usual line about screens and sleep, and the findings might surprise you. Scientists surveyed over 1,300 adults across Canada and discovered no clear connection between bedtime phone use and poor sleep quality. Even more intriguing, both frequent...

When you think about smartphone durability, most of us picture controlled lab tests with precise water measurements and careful drop simulations. Beakers. Timers. Drop rigs. But real-world disasters do not follow laboratory protocols. A resident in the Philippines recently discovered just how far modern phone engineering can exceed its official specifications when Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated their home, leaving their device buried in mud for three days, leaving their device buried in mud for...

You know that sinking feeling when you finish an amazing workout and realize your Apple Watch was sitting on the charger the whole time? Or when you're halfway through a run and notice you forgot to hit "start" on your workout app? Up until now, those scenarios meant accepting incomplete Activity rings and broken streak counts, no matter how hard you actually exercised. Brutal.

Google's latest move in the Pixel ecosystem might be its most transformative personalization update yet. A new Theme Packs app just landed on the Play Store. It sits dormant for now, but its presence signals a shift in how Pixel users will personalize their devices. Not a tiny tweak, more like the groundwork for a new playbook.

Apple's iPhone 18 rumors are already painting a picture of big swings for the Pro lineup. Big swings, not small tweaks. Launch is still more than a year out, with September 2026 the expected window, yet the drumbeat is steady, two themes keep popping up, displays and cameras that could change daily habits.

Picture this: after years of watching competitors fumble around with foldable phones, Apple is finally ready to throw its hat into the ring with something that could change everything. The iPhone Fold is not just another me-too product. It is packing a 24-megapixel under-display camera that might finally fix one of smartphone design's biggest headaches. According to Tom's Guide, this represents Apple's first serious attempt at eliminating those pesky visible camera cutouts that have been...

YouTube's AI age verification system is back with a vengeance, and this time it's not messing around. After launching in the US this past summer, the platform's automated age-guessing tech has rolled into a more aggressive second wave of restrictions. Adult users who thought they were in the clear are getting flagged as minors all over again, sparking a fresh round of groans across the site.

Apple's strategic approach to artificial intelligence is not a sprint to the finish line, it is a different race entirely. While competitors rush out cloud-first tools, Apple is carefully assembling what could become the most secure and ethical AI ecosystem in the industry. Not a pivot, a plan. One that puts privacy, security, and trust at the center.

Google's Maps platform has turned into a digital battleground. The company is finally fighting back with real firepower. Small businesses across the world have been hammered by review-based extortion, scammers flood listings with fake one-star hits, then ask for cash to make them disappear. Google is rolling out a dedicated reporting tool to flag these shakedowns, a notable shift in how the platform treats what has become a global crisis for local shops and services.