Gadget Hacks

A phone box sitting in a closet usually represents more than one decision. There's the box for whatever phone is currently in your pocket, the box for a phone about to be sold, and an empty box left over from a device already traded in. Why keep your old phone box at all comes down to three questions: has the IMEI been backed up, has the return window closed, and is there an actual plan to sell, trade in, or ship the device.

Google has confirmed that detachable Googlebooks are coming, giving the long-rumored Lenovo Chromebook Duet successor its first official backing. The confirmation came during last week's Android Dev Summit 2026 keynote, where Google's director of product management for laptops and tablets, Marisol Ryu, said Googlebooks "span large-screen form factors from clamshells, convertibles, and, soon, detachables," according to Android Central.

Install a system update, and within the hour the phone feels different: apps stutter, the case warms up, and the battery percentage drops faster than it did yesterday. That's the opposite of what an "update" is supposed to deliver, and it happens on iPhone and Android alike.

When Google Home keeps asking to set up again, the usual explanation isn't a dead speaker. Google's own troubleshooting pages point to a changed Wi-Fi network, weak signal, interference, or a glitch somewhere in the setup process itself, and the order Google recommends puts a restart and a Wi-Fi check well ahead of a factory reset, which sits last on the list because it can't be undone (Everyday Tech Guides, citing Google Nest Help).

The Samsung Galaxy A34 One UI 9 update, built on Android 17, has moved past its initial South Korea-only release. Reports now place it on European A346B units and an international SM-A346E variant, though seeing your model number mentioned in a report is not the same as confirming your specific phone is eligible.

The glowing Apple logo is back on the new MacBook Pro, but Apple shipped it without a dimmer. The only official control is an all-or-nothing Terminal command that kills the light completely (Macworld, three days ago; Apple Support, four days ago).

Your iPhone's charging screen is getting a major makeover. Apple's iOS 27.3 update brings the iPhone Duo's redesigned StandBy experience to older iPhones, with new clock faces, deeper customization, and more ways to display information without unlocking your phone.

Samsung's Galaxy A15 4G is getting another major Android upgrade. The budget smartphone began receiving One UI 9, based on Android 17, in South Korea on November 4, bringing new customization tools, privacy controls, and accessibility improvements to a device launched in 2024.

Samsung has begun pushing the stable One UI 9.0 update to Galaxy A15 phones in the US, and it's starting with carrier-locked models first, according to SamMobile. The Galaxy A15 One UI 9 update US carrier models rollout brings the phone to Android 17, while factory-unlocked units remain on a "soon" timeline with no confirmed release date.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 3 U.S. availability began today, with the tracker priced at $29.99 for a single tag or $99.99 for a four-pack, launching alongside the $229.99 Galaxy Buds On earbuds (Samsung Newsroom, today). Whether the tracker lives up to its billing depends heavily on which phone sits in your pocket.

YouTube TV's Multiview builder now lets subscribers combine up to four live streams from across their lineup, including add-ons like NFL Sunday Ticket, according to a statement from YouTube CEO Neal Mohan reported by Variety. But "pick any live content" still comes with real restrictions. When a YouTube TV Multiview combination won't build, the cause is usually one of a handful of documented limits tied to content type, account subscriptions, or device support, not a broken app.

Apple's iOS 27.3 public beta is here, giving iPhone users an early look at a redesigned Health app, new Safari customization options, and a more capable Siri. But some of the update's most interesting features won't work on every device, and others aren't ready for everyday use.

Search for "Zelda" or "Ocarina of Time" on Google, and you may spot a tiny Master Sword hovering at the edge of the results page. Tap it, and a Triforce flashes across the tab before the retro results page appears, styled to resemble Google's look from 1998. That's the Google Ocarina of Time Easter egg, and it's timed precisely to land the same week as Nintendo's remake of the game.

Google is testing a Google Gemini sidebar redesign inside the Android Google app, and the clearest evidence of it currently lives in unreleased code rather than a public update. A teardown published today found Google app version 17.73.15 running a rearranged sidebar, with the New chat button relocated to the bottom right and the account switcher removed from view entirely, according to Android Authority. The same build also carries a reworked animation for the Gemini overlay, the panel used to...

Affinity for iPad launched on November 2, 2026, as a free download, finally giving Mac-based Affinity users a matching iPad app built around the same unified sketch, vector, photo, and layout toolset.

A $699 Google Pixel 11 figure can be produced by combining a reported $899 starting price with a $200 trade-in value, not by finding a markdown on Google's price tag. Engadget reported that the base Pixel 11 starts at $899, and in the same report, a base-storage iPhone 11 traded in toward a new Pixel was valued at $200, a combination that lands close to $699 (Engadget).

Six digits just showed up on your AirDrop screen where you expected a simple Accept button. That's not a glitch: Apple's support documentation, updated last month, confirms that devices running iOS 26.2 or later now prompt for an AirDrop code, according to Apple Support.

The new YouTube Premium–Peacock bundle isn't available to sign up for yet, and the companies haven't announced its pricing or eligible plans. Peacock is already available separately through YouTube Primetime Channels, but that's a different subscription arrangement.

You might already be paying for ESPN Unlimited without realizing it. If your YouTube TV subscription includes ESPN, you can access ESPN Unlimited's streaming catalog without signing up for another service or paying an additional monthly fee.

Apple's 8th-generation iPad mini opened for preorder last week and goes on sale this Friday, November 6, marking the first time the small tablet offers nano-texture anti-glare glass as a configuration option, according to Apple Newsroom. Before deciding whether iPad mini nano-texture glass is worth it, buyers should know the $100 option doesn't stand alone. It's locked behind a mandatory storage upgrade that changes the real price more than the listed surcharge suggests.

Apple Music is getting a noticeable makeover in CarPlay, and the biggest difference is how drivers browse their music. The iOS 27.3 beta introduces a floating Liquid Glass navigation bar, refreshed colors, and a more compact layout that puts additional albums and playlists on screen.

Android can now move saved passwords and passkeys directly between password manager apps in a few taps, with no exported file involved. Google announced the feature two months ago, and the company says the experience already works across Google Password Manager, 1Password, Bitwarden Password Manager, and Dashlane on Android 8 and later.

Samsung News is shutting down worldwide on December 21, 2026, bringing an end to the built-in news service that many Galaxy owners use for headlines, sports scores, stock updates, and personalized recommendations. Samsung News will stop providing content through its app, home-screen feed, and widget, leaving regular users with a deadline to preserve their preferences.

If you're searching for how to open two Safari windows side by side on iPhone Duo, Apple now provides official instructions. The feature works on the unfolded phone in landscape, and users can launch a second window of Safari through Split View. Apple's iPhone User Guide documents the steps, including how to open two windows of the same app.

tvOS 27.2 landed on October 26, 2026, as a free update for Apple TV 4K (2nd generation, 2021) and later, and most of what's inside it works the moment you install it. The tvOS 27.2 features for Apple TV 4K include Find My support for the Siri Remote, a new screensaver Shuffle mode with private photo controls, FaceTime Links, and sign-language support.

OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT multiple accounts on mobile, letting iPhone and Android users stay signed in to two accounts at once and jump between them without logging out. The feature lives in Settings > Switch account.

OnePlus has squeezed a 9,000mAh battery, a built-in cooling fan, and high-refresh-rate gaming hardware into its latest Chinese smartphones. The Ace 7 and Ace 7 Pro offer an enticing glimpse of what could arrive in the next OnePlus R-series phone, although the unannounced OnePlus 16R may not inherit everything.

If the Up Next section vanished from Apple Podcasts after updating to iOS 27.2, it may be because Apple split it into two sections rather than removing the functionality. The update shipped yesterday and reorganizes the Podcasts Home tab into New Episodes and Continue Playing.

Search "Google Messages Gemini AI feature poll" and most results point to one specific survey ranking Gemini's reach into Messages as readers' least-favorite feature. The original source behind that specific poll is no longer reachable, so this piece won't repeat a vote count, a named "winner," or any figure that can't currently be verified. What's confirmed through other reporting is the feature that kind of poll is trying to capture: Google's decision to let Gemini tap into Phone, Messages,...

Apple released watchOS 27.2 on Oct. 26, adding conversation memory to Siri AI on Apple Watch for the first time. Apple's release notes confirm Siri AI can retain useful context from previous interactions, including the ability to recall recommendations made days earlier. For example, users can ask Siri about restaurants it suggested last week without repeating the original conversation.

Netflix and Krafton confirmed today that a live-action series based on PUBG is in development, with Donald Glover attached as star, writer, director, and executive producer, according to Polygon. That four-role combination on a single video-game adaptation is the actual news here, not the game itself.

The Audiophile.fm free lossless radio app, a FLAC radio aggregator that requires no account and runs with no in-app ads, is now available as a native app on iPhone and Android, after launching first as a web player.

Samsung's Galaxy A08 is already on sale in the Philippines, while the Galaxy A18 won't land until December 2026. Both phones run the same MediaTek Helio G99+ chipset, which means the real Samsung Galaxy A18 vs Galaxy A08 comparison comes down to screen quality, camera hardware, and battery capacity rather than raw processing power.

Most Apple TV owners use three remote gestures on repeat: swipe, click, and "Hey Siri, open Netflix." Plenty of other built-in interactions sit untouched on the same remote, and several of them are shortcuts most people never try. Learning even a few of these Apple TV remote shortcuts can save you from restarting the whole box when an app freezes, or from digging through settings just to switch where sound plays.

Some Samsung Galaxy phones can now send photos, videos, and files directly to an iPhone using a version of Quick Share built to work with AirDrop, WIRED reports. Figuring out how to use Quick Share from Samsung Galaxy to iPhone starts with one specific setting, because the feature isn't automatic on every Galaxy model the way it is on Pixel phones.

Google Photos now packs a Redact tool into its Markup editor, letting Android users blur license plates, account numbers, and other sensitive details before sharing a photo or screenshot. The Google Photos Redact tool started rolling out globally on Android last month, with no beta sign-up required.

Samsung has pushed out Home Up version 18.0.00.38, a Good Lock update fixing two home screen glitches on Galaxy devices running One UI 9: DIY Home layouts that changed on their own and Stack Widgets that displayed incorrectly. If you use DIY Home Screen on a Galaxy device running One UI 9, open Good Lock, check the installed Home Up version, and install 18.0.00.38 if it's offered for your device.

A developer named Ismail Shah announced on LinkedIn three weeks ago that he built the Knit Easy Android app to fix a problem he says plagues knitters and crocheters working from printed or PDF patterns: losing track of the row mid-stitch. The post describes a row highlighter, linked counters, and fully offline operation, and includes a Google Play link. However, the app's current listing details, including its price, permissions, and user ratings, have not been independently verified.

Apple has redesigned the removable AC plug on its 70W and 140W USB-C power adapters, and the new pill-shaped fitting does not accept older C7-style duckheads or the previous extension cable. That creates a compatibility problem for travelers who want to reuse Apple's older plugs or extension cables with the newly revised chargers.

Google is rolling out a Google Home and Nest speaker update that the company says fixes disappearing speaker groups and stereo pairs, the exact symptom Nest owners have been describing for months. The release notes name the bug directly: stereo pairs and speaker groups that "unexpectedly disappear or become undiscoverable" in the Google Home app, according to Google's October 29 release notes, also reproduced by 9to5Google. The same update bundles in faster local device discovery and a separate...