News and Updates from Gadget Hacks

Microsoft Paint has come a long way from the simple drawing program we all remember from childhood. Microsoft has been steadily improving its Paint app for Windows 11 in recent years with a dark mode, transparency and layers, and AI-powered image creation. Now the company is taking another significant leap forward by adding two new Photoshop-like features to Paint. This is not just keeping up with the times, it is a shift toward a basic tool that can actually keep pace with more sophisticated...

When Apple announced the iPhone Air at just 5.6mm thick, the tech world immediately questioned one thing: how could something that thin possibly have decent battery life? Not by cutting corners, but by changing the playbook. The iPhone Air weighs only 165 grams and keeps a 6.5-inch OLED display. And yet, tucked inside is a battery rethink that rewrites the thinness versus power story.

Your YouTube and Netflix streams are about to get significantly better, and the changes happening behind the scenes are genuinely exciting. Artificial intelligence in video streaming is transforming how we watch content, and AI applications in OTT platforms are delivering smarter, more reliable experiences. If you have been frustrated by videos that stutter, buffer endlessly, or look pixelated during your evening streaming sessions, the technology rolling out in 2025 promises to make those...

Google's content discovery game just got a major upgrade, and if you're part of the Android ecosystem, it changes how you read news and follow your favorite tech creators. Google Discover now makes it simple to keep up with outlets like Android Authority, pulling everything into one place. The platform reaches more than 1.5 billion people per month, which makes it one of the biggest content distributors on the planet.

Apple's latest iOS 26 update has officially arrived, bringing with it a comprehensive redesign and a suite of powerful new features that transform how we interact with our iPhones. Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, 2025, marking the most significant visual overhaul since iOS 7. The update introduces the striking Liquid Glass design language, enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities, and practical improvements to core apps like Phone, Messages, and Camera. Apple has updated its iPhone User...

The streaming landscape in 2025 is not just about picking a service and calling it a day. Video streaming technology has moved from basic content delivery to AI-powered systems that study what you watch and tweak quality in real time. With hundreds of niche services jockeying for attention, catalogs shift constantly, and price changes pop up alongside password crackdowns. The global OTT industry is projected to hit over $400 billion in 2025, which makes every subscription feel like a bigger...

When Apple announced the iPhone Air at just 5.6mm thick, one question dominated tech forums and coffee shop conversations: would this ultra-thin device bend? The ghost of "Bendgate" from the iPhone 6 Plus days still haunts Apple's design decisions, and with the iPhone Air being Apple's thinnest phone ever, durability concerns were inevitable. Here is what our testing revealed: this is not your typical fragile flagship. The iPhone Air weighs only 165 grams and features a Grade 5 titanium frame...

The whispers coming out of Cupertino are getting louder, and they should have every MacBook Pro user paying attention. What we’re hearing about Apple’s 2026 MacBook Pro is not just another incremental update. It is shaping up to be the most dramatic transformation since the current design launched in 2021.

Apple's Audio Lab in Cupertino stands as a testament to the company's commitment to acoustic excellence. Behind the closed doors of this state-of-the-art facility, acoustic engineers are conducting research that is reshaping how we think about personal audio. The lab serves as the hub for design, measurement, tuning, and validation of all Apple products with speakers or microphones. It is also the center for Apple's multiyear, cross-team collaboration to build hearing health features for...

Looking at Trump Mobile's original promises, you could be forgiven for getting excited about an American-made smartphone that could compete with the big players and support domestic manufacturing. The Trump Organization's T1 Phone launched with bold claims about being "MADE IN THE USA" and bringing smartphone production back to American soil. Then the messaging shifted, the big talk faded from the website, and the reality of smartphone manufacturing caught up.

Apple's latest flagship phones are finally here, and they're bringing some serious heat to the premium smartphone game. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max launched on September 19, 2025, representing what many are calling Apple's most significant design overhaul in years. These are not just incremental updates. We're looking at a complete reimagining of what a Pro iPhone can be, from the aluminum unibody construction to the vapor chamber cooling system that finally makes its debut. If you've been...

You know what? When I first heard about Apple's iPhone Air, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. Another ultra-thin phone trying to wow us with its svelte profile? After diving into the early reviews, I'm genuinely impressed, and honestly, a little concerned about my wallet.

Sports fans have been waiting for this moment since Apple Sports launched in February 2024. The app finally adds customizable widgets, cutting out the open, refresh, scroll routine that has frustrated users for months. Not a tiny patch. A real shift in how we glance at live scores on our devices. Sports fans have been desperate for Apple to add widgets since day one, and now they are here across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The timing lands as the sports app market alone is worth $3.6 billion, with...

Google's latest Windows desktop app launch lands at a curious crossroads in search. While Apple has been tuning Spotlight since 2005 with Command + Space and four specialized modes, Google is now bringing its AI-powered search to Windows desktops. The timing is no accident, Microsoft is still wrestling with Windows 11's sluggish search, and that leaves a gap wide enough for Google to walk through.

Google's 2024 research year has been nothing short of remarkable. What makes it exciting is simple, the advances are not stuck in labs, they are landing in products that millions touch every day. From quantum computing milestones to AI models that help predict natural disasters, Google's research in 2024 represents a fascinating blend of cutting-edge science and practical application. Research cycles that once took years now compress into months. Real progress, fast.

Apple's Liquid Glass redesign is everywhere, except where it should be working perfectly. The company that prides itself on seamless user experiences has rolled out its most ambitious visual overhaul since iOS 7, but CNET reports the UI is still being refined. Apple unveiled this translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings at WWDC 2025, extending it across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. The scope of this cross-platform rollout helps explain why...

The flagship smartphone battle is heating up again, and if you’re torn between Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro, you’re not alone. Apple has done a thing with this release, stepping past the routine cycle to give the Pro line a new sense of direction. Meanwhile, Google launched the Pixel 10 Series with new features powered by the Google Tensor G5 processor. Both phones push forward, but they chase flagship greatness in different ways.

Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 just picked up a substantial One UI 8 update that reshapes mobile productivity. The headline is not the bullet list of features, it is that Samsung completely rebuilt DeX on top of Google's Desktop Mode, a sharp turn in how it thinks about mobile desktop computing.

When you send a photo to a friend via WhatsApp on your Samsung phone, you probably don't think twice about the complex image processing happening behind the scenes. You hit send, the thumbnail pops up, end of story. Right? In August, Meta's security team discovered something far uglier hiding in that moment, that innocent image sharing was being weaponized by attackers to take complete control of Samsung devices. The vulnerability they uncovered, now patched by Samsung, shows how sophisticated...

Apple's Home app is getting a major upgrade with iOS 26. Not a point release. The tech giant is rolling out its largest OS revision in years, with expanded AI features and a full interface overhaul that changes how you run your home.

Apple's Sports app finally made its way to CarPlay with iOS 18.4. Great, right? Not quite. While Apple introduced a dedicated sports mode that lets live scores sit next to navigation and music, the new iOS widget trick does not carry over to CarPlay. So your phone feels cohesive, your dashboard does not.

When the latest Apple Watch generation hits the market, you're faced with three distinct choices, each targeting different users and budgets. But here's what's interesting: after diving deep into the specs, features, and real-world performance data, The Verge got it right when they declared that "the Apple Watch SE 3 is the one to buy." The middle child of this family has evolved from a budget compromise into what's becoming the clear sweet spot for most users.

Apple's latest AirPods Pro 3 land as what PCMag calls Apple's most comprehensive update to its best set of earbuds, and one feature in particular has fitness folks buzzing: built-in heart rate monitoring. Bikerumor reports that a custom photoplethysmography, PPG, sensor uses infrared light pulsing at 256 times per second to read blood flow in your ear and capture your heart rate. The hook, as Engadget notes, is how that data drops straight into Apple's Fitness app and big-name workout platforms...

OnePlus has long pushed smartphone design, yet the upcoming OnePlus 15 seems to take a cue from an unexpected place, Apple’s iPhone. Recent leaks point to a look that breaks from recent flagships, with major camera upgrades and a distinct feature straight from the iPhone playbook. The latest leaks show a square camera module, a sharp turn from the brand’s circular designs. The timing is no coincidence, OnePlus is moving away from the Hasselblad partnership to build its own imaging engine.

The iPhone 17 series just dropped with a revolutionary twist: while iOS 26's Adaptive Power Mode isn't enabled by default as initially reported, Apple is making it easier than ever to activate this intelligent battery feature. This is not just another incremental update. It is a fundamental shift in how iPhones manage power consumption, and it could be the secret weapon that makes the ultra thin iPhone 17 Air actually practical for daily use.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your smartphone could be more ruthless about getting you out of bed, wonder no more. The mobile app landscape now includes alarms that refuse to snooze until you prove you are awake. Alarmy, nicknamed "Sleep If You Can," is one of the boldest versions, asking you to finish tasks before silence returns. Here is the kicker, research shows that wake-up tasks are tied to completing target behaviors and trimming the time it takes to feel truly awake. Task-based alarms...

Apple's latest move sends a clear message. The era of legacy device support is winding down. Apple announced this change ahead of time and implemented it on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Starting December 18, 2024, iCloud backups only work on devices running iOS 9 or later. This is not just about dropping support, Apple will permanently delete all existing backups and stop offering backup services for devices running iOS 8 or earlier.

Microsoft is shaking up the productivity playbook. Free Copilot Chat features are rolling out to Office apps for all Microsoft 365 business users. Not a tiny tweak, a line in the sand to democratize AI-powered productivity across Microsoft’s business ecosystem.

Here's the funny thing about Liquid Glass, Apple's boldest interface redesign since iOS 7, it's been everywhere and nowhere at the same time. When Apple unveiled it at WWDC 2025 on June 9, the tech world collectively held its breath. This wasn't another incremental update with a few visual tweaks. It was Apple saying, "We're completely rethinking how you interact with your devices," then making everything look like actual glass.

You've probably been there: you hop in your car, connect your phone to Android Auto, and suddenly the media player looks... off. Maybe the icons are faded, unresponsive, or just plain weird-looking. If you're scratching your head wondering what's going on, you're not alone. Recent reports show users dealing with faded Android Auto icons that won't respond to touch, while Google continues to address bugs on the platform. And yes, Android Auto's media player has undergone significant changes...

The flagship smartphone battle is heating up again, and this time it’s personal. With Apple rolling out the iPhone 17 and Google preparing the Pixel 10, we are looking at what could be the most compelling entry-level flagship showdown in years. Both phones are expected to launch at the same $800 price point. Less premium posturing, more real value for people who want flagship features without the Pro tax.

Two titans step into 2025 with swagger, long memories, and sharper elbows. Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max chases higher performance and smarter cameras, while Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra arrived earlier this year packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite and an S Pen for serious note takers. The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199, the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $1,299.99.

When it comes to Android file managers, one name keeps popping up in conversations among tech enthusiasts: CX File Explorer. While Files by Google has become the go-to choice for many users with its clean interface and smart cleanup features, readers still love this legendary Files by Google alternative, and there’s good reason for that loyalty. What keeps CX File Explorer in the rotation in a market full of shiny newcomers? And does it still deserve a spot on your Android device in 2025?

When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 7, something felt different. This was not just another iterative update with minor tweaks and marketing fluff. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has achieved the highest pre-order numbers of any Galaxy Fold device in the United States, and frankly, it is about time. After years of Samsung playing it safe with foldables that felt more like expensive tech demos than practical daily drivers, the Z Fold 7 shows what happens when a company finally tackles the barriers that...

There's something magical about picking up exactly where you left off in a game, regardless of which device you're playing on. After months of frustration with GameHub's save sync issues, GameSir's latest update finally delivered what cross-platform gaming has been promising all along. Now I'm seamlessly jumping between my Android phone and PC while exploring the highly anticipated world of Hollow Knight: Silksong. No fiddling. No second guessing. This is how gaming should work everywhere.

Something truly groundbreaking just happened in the Android gaming world. Android Authority reports that Eden Emulator has become the first Nintendo Switch emulator to land on the Google Play Store, a milestone that felt impossible just months ago. This is not just another emulation story. It is a shift that could reshape how we think about mobile gaming and platform boundaries. Eden is a fork of one of the most successful and infamous Switch emulators, now available for devices running Android...

Google's making some serious moves in the wearable weather space, and honestly, it's about time. Google is phasing out its Weather app for Pixel smartwatches and replacing it with a new Pixel Weather app, and this is not just your typical app shuffle that leaves users frustrated. The key change is blunt: any watch running Wear OS 6 and newer versions will no longer be able to download Google's built-in Weather app, a shift in how we check the forecast on our wrists going forward.

Apple's Sleep Score feature in watchOS 11 is a step change in how we read our nights. Competitors like Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit have offered sleep scoring for years, but Apple's take lands differently. The feature assigns a single-number score from 0 to 100 to your sleep each night, built on over 5 million nights of sleep data from Apple's Heart and Movement Study and guidance from leading sleep organizations.

With Apple's September event now in the rearview mirror, the tech world is buzzing about what comes next. The iPhone 17 series just made its debut alongside new Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 3. Still, Apple's product pipeline is far from empty. Recent developments point to another major moment before the year wraps, and the breadcrumbs look convincing.

The mobile industry is shifting in a way that could change how we think about phone service forever. We used to walk into carrier stores or dial customer support to set up plans. Now apps can activate mobile service on the spot, no carrier visit required. Carrier billing and e-wallets will be worth $60 billion globally in 2025, and superapps are multifunctional platforms that integrate messaging, payments, e-commerce and more. Put those together and you get a new ecosystem where your next phone...